What foods are considered protein?
Dairy such as: Milk, Butter, Yoghurt, Frozen milk (or ice cream), Cream, Cheese
Seeds: Flax seeds, Sunflower seeds, Poppy seeds, Sesame seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Hemp seeds
Nuts and nut butters such as: Peanuts, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Pistachio, Pine nut, Macadamia, Chestnuts, Filberts, Coconut
Legumes such as: Peas, Chickpeas, Kidney beans, Broad beans, Mung beans, Soy beans, Common beans, Lentils
Fish, Seafood or shellfish such as: Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Conch, Shrimps, Urchin, Scallops, Crawfish, Calamari, Crab, Lobster, Tuna, Salmon, Cod
Poultry and their eggs, such as: Eggs, Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Goose, Pheasant, Quail
Meats such as: Beef, Lamb, Pork, Boar, Goat, Venison, Deer, Rabbit, Horse
How much protein should I include in my diet?
Women aged 19 to 70 need to consume approximately 46 grams of protein per day, but this number can greatly vary when physical activity, pregnancy, or nursing are factored in.
Men aged 19 to 70 need to consume a minimum of 56 grams of protein per day to avoid a deficiency, although this also varies greatly with physical activity.
Before a work-out, do I need to eat? Or not? And if so, what - and when?
There are two answers to your question, depending on the nature of your activity.
1. Cardio: If you are going for a run for example (a cardiovascular activity) and your objective is to lose fat, then its better to run, or perform your cardio, on an empty stomach.
Why? Your body will burn the same amount of calories, regardless of if you have eaten or not. The difference is that when you perform your cardio on an empy stomach, you use up your available blood sugar and sugar stores quickly, causing the 'second wind' effect. The second wind effect occurs once our available energy is depleted and we reach a point of exhaustion. After several minutes of further sustained activity, the body reaches into its fat stores for additional energy, providing athletes with a 'second wind.' The outcome may be the same amount of calories burned, but more fat is burned on an empty stomach. Early morning is the ideal time to use this method as an effective tactic in a weight loss plan.
This effect does not work with weight bearing exercise or resistance training, and can actually hinder your results. Resistance training is meant to create muscle fiber!
2. Resistance training: If you are performing a weight bearing or resistance training you need to make sure your system has available glycogen (energy stores in your muscles). To build more lean muscle mass, you need to have energy (protein + carbs) available in your system. Ideally you will have eaten at least two hours before in order for the food you have eaten to have been transformed into available energy. In this case its ideal to have something light and moderately high in protein, with some carbohydrates. An example of a good pre-work-out snack would be a small handfull of nuts and seeds with a fresh piece of fruit. More than that and you can risk compromising your work-out. To further enhance your results, try eating the same light snack of protein and carbs within 45 minutes of your resistance training in order to maximize recuperation.
Don't overdo! A heavier meal could stay in your stomach for up to 6 hours before being completely passed into the digestive system. When you work out, blood is carried away from the digestive system in order to provide energy to the large muscle groups providing the effort. This adds up to a bloated belly, nausea, excessive sweating, compromised digestion, and an uncomfortable and ineffective workout experience.
Bon appetit!
What is the difference between Fasting, a Cleanse, and a Detox?
Good question. Fasting, Cleansing and Detoxing serve a similar purpose, but are three distinct programs.
Modern agriculture, animal farming and industrial food preparation means that we consume ever increasing doses of chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, preservatives and additives), heavy metals, hormones, allergens and antibiotics. Randomly pick up a can or a box in your fridge or pantry and I challenge you to find one that only has 'food' in it. Odds are that the majority of the ingredients are unrecognizable chemicals. And beware of the words 'artificial flavor,' which isn't an ingredient but yet another chemical mixture that is composed of more than 88 different chemicals. Add to that the detergents, medicines, airborne pollutants, waterborne pollutants and 'beauty' products we are exposed to.
Now consider the fact that your body has a limited ability to eliminate these products. Your body does a wonderful job of cleansing itself when given whole organic foods and pure drinking water, but it was never built to process the toxic products we regularly ingest and are exposed to. Our bodies are forced to store this toxic matter wherever it can in the body: in our fat cells, and in our organs (kidney, liver, pancreas, etc). As toxic matter builds up in our body, it hampers our digestive system causing yet another build up - this time of fecal waste matter, sometimes called mucoid plaque.
The truth is that all three, fasting, cleansing and detoxing, serve to help rid the body of unwanted toxins and heavy metal build up in the body, in order to restore balance in your system, optimize your body's absorption of nutrients, and improve overall health and vitality. All three methods can be combined or done individually.
Fasting:
There are several different methods of fasting, water fasts, fruits fasts, and vegetable fasts to name a few. Essentially fasting consists of severely restricting food intake in order to allow the digestive system to completely rid itself of stored matter. The average adult has about 24 feet of intestinal tract coiled in their abdomen, and anywhere between 10 to 60 lbs of waste stored there. Considering that nutrients are absorbed through the intestine, it is important to occasionally ensure that the system is purged and cleaned to remove old impacted waste matter, eliminate parasites and Candida (yeast build up) and allow the intestinal flora to rebuild itself. It is important to drink a lot of pure water during a fast and to rest the body. Depending on how healthy your system is, you may choose to fast for 24 hours, three days, or even five days, then slowly reintegrate healthy whole foods (preferable organic) over the course of the equivalent number of days. A fast is a great opportunity to meditate and reflect, as any issues you may have with regards to your body, to hunger, or to eating-related issues will quickly emerge and need to be addressed. Most people experience a great feeling of energy, euphoria and vigor following a fast, as the body purifies itself.
Cleansing:
This refers to cleansing the digestive system, and does not necessarily require any changes to eating habits. Most will take a special fibrous solution several times per day, and a herbal cleansing tea before bed, to enhance elimination. Many also follow a course of anti-parasitics to kill parasites, their larvae and eggs, as well as taking digestive enzymes before meals and probiotics following meals. A gentle and healthy cleansing program can be followed for 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on an individual's need. The outcome is a healthy, parasite-free, Candida-free, and plaque-free digestive system.
Detoxing:
This requires taking a combination of supplements that bind with heavy metals and toxins stored in fat cells and in organs and lymph nodes, which then facilitates their elimination. Often a detox program is accompanied by greens to shore up the immune system and digestive enzymes and/or probiotics to support improved digestion and absorption of nutrients.
I was in pretty good shape but stopped working out about 5 weeks ago, how long is it going to take me to get back in shape?
Don't get discouraged; the good news is that your body has what we call 'muscle memory.' This is what we call the phenomenon where previously fit bodies get back into shape faster and easier compared to those who begin a fitness regime for the first time. The other good news is that if you get back on track, your body will respond very quickly, you will begin to immediately see changes. The bad news is that studies show that it takes about the same about of time to get back to our previous fittest point, as we took off. So if you stopped for five weeks, it should take you about five weeks to be at your fittest. Be patient, and stick to your program!
There are ways to accelerate your results, but these require a lot of discipline, a thorough examination of your nutrition, hydration, rest and a serious time investment. If you are determined or impatient, talk to a personal trainer and a nutritionist, and select them with care. Ask about their accreditations and years of experience. Good luck and good health!
How many calories can I burn in an average fitness class?
It can vary depending on the type of class you attend, but here are some examples:
Cardio Kick Boxing can burn up to 800 calories an hour.
Budokon can burn between 400 to 600 calories an hour.
A resistance training class can burn up to 450 calories an hour.
A yoga class can burn up to 400 calories an hour.
An aerobic dance class can burn up to 600 calories per hour.
What is important to remember is that the above is really just a ball park figure that varies according to a person's metabolism, weight and effort.
The truth is that two people could attend the same class and one could burn 150 calories, and the other 800.
Why? Because one will exert as little energy as possible, flail their arms and legs, move in a small range of motion, stand with poor posture, and use sloppy technique; while the other person can exert maximum effort, use powerful and precise arm and leg mouvements using their muscles rather than their momentum, move in as wide a range of motion as possible, have an energized posture, and apply good technique.
This is why I often say that a large part of my job isn't to choreograph the class, but to inspire all my students to give their 100% and make the best of every class. I want my students to learn good technique, to move with precision, and to develop the power, strength, flexibility, agility and stability they need to live an energetic life. To live their best life in a body they love and respect.
I have just learned that I am pregnant; do I need to stop exercising?
No, in fact - with your doctor's blessing of course - you may want to resolve to sticking to your program even more faithfully!
There is a lot of old fashioned opinion to the contrary out there - so lets rely on what most OB GYNs and the latest research tells us. When I first learned I was pregnant with my own son in 1999, a study had just come out of Stanford University which compared three groups of women during and after their pregnancies: triathletes, firefighters and policewomen on active duty, and compared their results with sedentary pregnant women.
The results were conclusive: healthy, active women with low-risk pregnancies did not need to reduce their levels of activity during their pregnancies. In fact, maintaining the same workout regimen reduced their negative symptoms related to morning-sickness, fatigue, digestion, sleep, and physical discomfort, increased their odds of an optimal weight gain, and delivering on or near their due date. Their deliveries were on average 60% shorter in duration and required less intervention, and their recoveries were faster and notably more positive.
In a nutshell, the first step is to check with your doctor to review the state of your pregnancy, and ensure that your doctor gives you the green light to continue with your normal physical activities. The second thing to remember is that a smart exercise program will increase your odds of having a healthy and fit pregnancy, delivery and recovery, but is not a guarantee. Keep exercising, but sure that while you are exercising that you follow the rules of common sense, the same as you would normally: listen carefully to your body and slow down if you feel any sign of overheating, exhaustion, strain, or dizziness. Stay hydrated, eat well and get good sleep.
One noticeable change is that as your body changes, your center of gravity will change, sometimes faster than you can adapt to it! This coupled with your body's production of collagen and elasticyn, which translates into looser joints and muscles, can make pregnant women very clumsy. So stretch carefully, take your time during any balancing or stability training - such as yoga or using the exercise ball - and avoid high-risk and contact sports.
And lastly - congratulations!
How can I get a ‘six-pack’?
Well, other than going to the corner store for a six-pack of beer, there is no easy way to sculpt the abdominal area unless one is extremely lean to begin with. For most women ‘six-pack abs' would require losing an unhealthy amount of body weight and is not to be recommended. This being said, abdominals are like every other muscle, and to improve their strength and appearance a disciplined approach to eating habits and exercise is required. Exercise will shape and sculpt the muscles underneath, while proper eating habits can reduce the fat that covers the muscle, revealing a healthy looking waistline without necessarily having ‘six-pack.'
If your abdominal area is truly problematic, ask a personal trainer to create a personalized program that will help you achieve your goals. If group exercise is your preference, Yoga, Pilates, martial arts, Cardio Kick Boxing and Budokon are all practices that solicit and create deeper core strength.
Is it possible to improve one specific part of my body?
Yes, of course. The literature on spot training versus spot reducing can be confusing. Physiotherapy is based on the principle that strengthening or stretching specific sets of muscles can rebalance the body. What one cannot do is spot-reduce. When one loses fat, one loses fat all over the body at a rate and sequence that is unique to each person.
For example, one person tend to gain or lose around their hips more noticeably, while for another changes in body fat may be more noticeable in their breast size, but essentially fat is always lost throughout the entire body.
You cannot pick and choose where you lose your fat, but you can pick and choose to strengthen a specific muscle or sets of muscles.
The request I receive the most is for an exercise that will help someone “lose fat on their abdominals.” The truth is that while healthy eating habits can reduce fat - the abdominal area included; only exercise will create the muscle underneath.
