Client Feature: Bonner Paddock

My good friend and client, Bonner Paddock, became the first person EVER, afflicted with cerebral palsy to compete and complete the Iron Man race in Kona. This is the Big Daddy of all Triathlons. This one challenges every part of your being, not just your ability to swim, ride, and run.

Bonner competes to show disabled children, through his actions, that they can do anything they put their heart and mind too. His personal quest for this race was to raise $1 million for his OM Foundation. His foundation raises funds to build early learning centers for kids with disabilities.

See his amazing journey and accomplishment, and if you are inspired you are welcome to participate with a donation at www.1man.1mission.org.

As you go through life, there are a few people you will be blessed to know that can and will make an extraordinary impact and inspire you... Bonner is one of these people.


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THE TURKEY NAP & TIPS 

It's the season to talk about the much publicized turkey nap - caused by the evil Tryptophan!

Most interesting to me is that during the other 11 months of the year you don't hear anyone talk about needing a nap after eating a turkey sandwich.....hmmmm wonder why?


A small bit of science- tryptophan is an amino acid that can have effects on relaxation. Tryptophan helps the body produce the b- vitamin niacin, which then helps the body produce serotonin, a chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep. - ok enough science.

FYI - Other foods that are considered sources of tryptophan are dairy products, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice, fish, soybeans, and peanuts. - Do you need a nap after reasonable consumption of these?


Here are 5 reasons you may feel sleepy after a big holiday meal:

Carbohydrate overload - A heavy carbohydrate meal will increase insulin levels, which lowers amino acid levels in blood, creating an increase in the relative level of tryptophan in the blood. Serotonin may then produce a sleepy feeling. This can happen at any meal. How do you feel after a big Italian meal with pasta? Sleepy right?

Fatty food - A meal rich in fats slows down the digestive system and requires lots of energy to digest. Blood flow is redirected to your stomach rather than the rest of your body, leaving you with less energy overall and a lot more calories to pack on your mid-section. And is a contributor to naps and fatness.

Alcohol - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. A drink or two can be processed by your body typically without any ill effects. However start getting to the "few" and "many" drinks as part of the holiday celebration will add tons of calories and be a nap-factor. (Too many can add to the lampshade on your head factor)

Overeating -Your body requires a great deal of energy to digest a large meal (particularly high fat and high carbohydrates). When your stomach is full, blood is directed away from other organ systems, including your nervous system. And of course you know by now...you will feel the need to snoooooze. Eat smaller portions of the items you really want. Don't waste the calories just because food is in front of you.

R&R - Often the most relaxing part of the festivities is likely to be the meal (suppose that depends on your relatives). No matter what you may have been doing throughout the day, Thanksgiving dinner provides an opportunity to sit back and relax, eat a big meal watch some football and,.... guess what? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A couple of quick tips to keep your energy levels up:

1) Snack on the fruits and vegetables (minimal dip) to keep calorie count down.

2) Eat a balanced turkey dinner - balance turkey or protein, a good helping of veggies and smaller servings of potatoes, breads etc.

3) Reasonable serving sizes - Eat one plate of food and be finished. Try everything but keep the servings sizes of heavy carb and fat foods small. Taste, enjoy, savor, and move on.

4) Beverages - be aware of high calorie celebratory drinks - especially alcohol. Have a couple for the entire day.

5) Exercise - get a workout in before your festivities to increase your metabolism and burn calories - a great healthy start.

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Most of all - enjoy your time with friends and family. We all have so much to be thankful for - stop and take a minute with your family to be thankful.

I am thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Dedicated to your health and wellness

Coach Greg

P.S.

Are you enrolled in boot camp or personal training to keep your metabolism on Fire? CALL TODAY!   

 

The FAT Season

The FAT Season

It's here...the "Fat" season. Time to focus on staying fit. But you ask.... isn't the fat season around Thanksgiving and the end of the year with all the parties and holiday festivities? Yes it does ramp up heavy then (pun intended). However, and this is a big however... When you add Halloween and all the candy and treats, It actually starts about NOW!   Every store I go into has a sale on mega bags of chocolates and other "treats" And the stores are fighting for your business with big discounts. I want you to make it through the rest of this year at or below your current weight, and or size, and with an increased level of fitness and wellness.   I know you can do it.                           It will take some work It will take some willpower It will take some encouragement and support from others (and me).   Here are a couple ways to help you avoid the "Fat" season- and end the year fitter than ever:   1) Delay your candy purchase until a day or two before Halloween. If it's in your house, it presents an unnecessary temptation. How often do you eat something just because it's there?   2) Allow yourself just one piece of candy (small size) in the morning and then one at night. Skip any other desserts that you would normally eat after dinner and plan to eat well balanced.   3) Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. It's crucial to weight loss success to not have "trigger" foods lying around - the temptation is often too great and most of us will fall victim if its there. Right?   4) Increase your exercise activity - Add a fat burning circuits or the Fit Body Band Program every day that you eat your two pieces of candy. This will help counteract the increase in calories that you are consuming.   5) If you indulge a bit too much forgive and move on - it's important to forgive yourself and move on. (Enroll in the boot camps to get back on track) Dwelling on the past will not help your success today.   6) Substitute your chocolate fix with something healthier. Fruit, veggies, Greek yogurt with berries, or (my favorite) a peanut butter Craver (http://lefeverwellness.getprograde.com/) will help to satisfy your cravings. And you can feel good about your choice.   What is Your best way to avoid the FAT season? Write back and let me know your tricks.   Plan to stay healthy and let me know how I can help you!   Dedicated to your health and wellness   Coach Greg     P.S. Are you enrolled in boot camp or personal training to keep your metabolism on Fire? CALL TODAY!

Surviving the OC Fair

Summer is officially here in Orange County, although truthfully, when is summer not here in Orange County? But during the months of July and August, it is officially summer. How do I know? Well, besides the calendar telling me so, I know it’s summer in Orange County because the Orange County Fair is here!!

 The OC Fair is great. You can walk around, listen to music, ride rides, play games, and shop. But for most people, the OC Fair is a place to eat! There are some really interesting (a nicer way to say fattening) food choices at the fair. Every year I am amazed at how they can make Fat even FATTER!! 

Here are just some of the food items available at the fair and their statistics (Stats courtesty of Calorieking.com): 
Chilli Dog – 450 calories/ 32g fat/ 32g carbs 
Fried Twinkie – 420 calories/34g fat/ 45g carbs
Cheese Fries – 645 calories/ 38g fat/ 62 carbs 
Fried Chicken (1 piece) – 360 calories/ 21g fat/ 11 carbs 

 Last but not least…. 
 Jumbo Twist Donut – 905 calories/ 49g fat/ 109g carbs 

 Who thinks of this stuff? 

 Keep in mind when cruising the fair that many of these items are not just fried; but they are battered first, THEN fried!! A double calorie whammy in one bite! 

 Ok, I don’t want to scare you away from stepping foot on the fairgrounds this year, because it’s a great place and a lot of fun. So, here is the important part---How can you avoid overeating and getting caught up in damaging all the hard work you have been putting in to your fitness health AND have enjoy the fair??? 

Here are your fair tips: 
1) Eat before you go to the fair. Choose something healthy that is reasonably high fiber/high protein. This will help you feel full longer so you can enjoy all of the other attractions the fair has to offer without wanting to eat when you walk in the door. 
 2) Drink plenty of water – water helps you feel full and will help keep the fried food craving away. 
 3) Choose something healthier to eat – turkey leg, grilled corn, BBQ without all the starchy side dishes. (fried Veggies don’t count – they are still fried. Check stat below) 
 4) Choose one treat and share it – sharing is a great way to avoid overeating. Have a couple bites and pass it on. 

 And then be sure you are enrolled in our next boot camp or personal training to keep your positive fitness momentum. Your fellow boot campers are there for support too. 

 Write me back or post a comment and let me know what methods you used to avoid the food pitfalls of the fair. 

Have a healthy day! 
 Coach Greg

Holiday Weekend Fitness Survival Tips

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend and I know most of us will be celebrating with friends and family. So let’s have a quick review of keeping our fitness progress in tact this weekend. 1) Get in a workout in the morning before a party or BBQ gathering to get your metabolism firing. – see below for a quick workout. 2) Don’t skip meals early in preparation of saving calories for later – this usually leads to overeating and storing ALL the calories you eat later. 3) Be aware of how much you are eating – grazing adds calories fast. One plate at meal time and be done. 4) Enjoy your meals – choose the foods you really want to eat, enjoy them, and skip the ones that you are eating just because they are there. here is your quick workout for the weekend –get your family involved too Make a quick intense circuit – 20 seconds high intensity and 10 seconds rest (only 10) 1-squats – drive from your heels 2-jumping jacks or cardio equivalent (weighted is extra credit) 3-active plank (shifting weight back or side, lifting arms, circles or swings etc) 4-skull crushers-or tricep dips on chair 5-push ups- fancy or regular, just crank them out Or choose from my video list - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UhKsX0uubM Turn up your metabolic Fire Please honor our country and our troops. Whether you are in favor of the military or not, our Freedom does NOT come free. Salute to our military personnel, one and all. thank you! Peace Coach greg