Lose Some Serious Fat!

Are you desperate to lose fat?

Have joined the ranks of the insanely bored, yet focused cardio worshippers?

Do you feel guilty if you have not spent your hour a day rocking the elliptical machine?

Is your whole workout ruined if someone beat you to the only functioning, coveted
“revolving stair case” ? (Otherwise known as the death mill)

If so, then allow me to be sac-religious for a moment:

“Endurance Exercise is NOT a necessity for fat loss.”

Yes, I said it.

If you don’t like doing endurance work, stop doing it!

You can lose fat rapidly either WITH it or WITHOUT it!

You choose.

Exercising is about being healthy. And we all know that if we don’t like something, the chances of us continuing to do it after the novelty has worn off, is nil, and we NEED to continue doing it for our health’s sake.

Don’t you have anything you’d like to spend those extra hours doing besides ‘penance’ for eating an extra cookie at the office Christmas party? (We’ll talk about your unhealthy relationship with food at a later date.)

Now, I realize there is a place for endurance work. You may be training for a distance challenge, or possibly even really ENJOY the exercise itself. But this indeed would be a rarity. Most of us just either want to get in shape, or stay that way.

So, how can we lose fat rapidly without doing copious amounts of cardio?

Simple: Incorporate a nutritionally dense eating style and learn to implement anaerobic exercise. (The kind that leaves you gasping for breath!)

It’s not a single answer. You can’t lose your fat and keep your muscle without making changes in your diet, AND building some sweat equity working with weights.

So, here’s the bottom line:

Get a plan, a strategy together to make these two things happen in your life.

1. Eat a nutrient rich diet with 90% of your foods coming from plants. (Soups and Salads are a GREAT way to get this accomplished.)

2. Learn to perform High Intensity Interval Training.

If you are new to the concept of eating clean, and eating for nutritional excellence, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Joel Fuhrman who is providing an important catalyst for a much needed paradigm shift in our approach to healthcare and weight loss.

Purchase any of his books, or even his audio book, Eat for Health (my personal favorite) as a gift for yourself for Christmas and spend the holidays becoming educated in what it will take to implement the most effective weight loss and disease prevention and reversal method ever.

But beware of the side effects!

Incorporating a Nutrient Dense Eating Style may cause unintentional reversal of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, arthritis, IBS, wrinkling skin, allergies and many other annoying and life threatening issues.

As for Learning to perform High Intensity Interval Training, let’s start very simply:

As applies to any exercise prescription, please check with your doctor to be sure this will be a safe activity for you. I know very few doctors who wouldn’t want their clients to walk…so don’t use this as an excuse to delay beginning your wellness journey.

Lace up your tennis shoes, grab a watch with a second hand and walk out your front door.

Step One: Walk for 5 minutes just to warm up your joints. Easy does it.

Step Two: Walk as fast as you can (and I do mean fast) for 1 full minute.

Step Three: Walk slowly to recover for 2 full minutes.

That’s Round One.

Repeat Step Two and Three 4 more times for a total of 15 minutes of Interval Training.

Step Four: Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.

That’s it.

Now, for those of you who are much more advanced and accomplished. Implement this same protocol, but utilize a more strenuous approach:

Jumproping (Fast Jumping 1 minute/Slow jumping 2 minutes)

Treadmill running (Sprint speed 1 minute/Jogging speed 2 minutes)

Cycling: (Fast and difficult gear for 1 minute/Slower and easier gear for 2 minutes.)

You get the idea. Anything that will bring your heart rate up will suffice.

I will post other HIIT workout ideas utilizing weights and cardio throughout the holiday season. Stay tuned.

Spend your holiday season getting prepared for a Fit and Fabulous 2010. Read, practice eating with nutrient density in mind and practice some HIIT.

If you live in Lakeland, Florida and you’re looking for some guidance in holistic dramatic fat loss utilizing the principles I mention here, you will want to check out this opportunity:

Here’s the Website with all the information you need to participate in the premiere weight loss and educational event in Lakeland, Florida.

Lean Out Lakeland

Beginning January 18th, 100 Lakeland individuals will be participating in a Team Weight Loss Contest geared to educate and empower their health and wellness. We have a few places left.

Are you ready to change? We’re here to help you make the permanent lifestyle change you know you need. Stop the endless treadmill cycle. Get it done! Lose the fat and improve your health!

It’s time for your own personal Wellness Revolution.

Tags: Florida, healthy eating, HIIT, Joel Fuhrman, Lakeland, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Lean Out Lakeland, Nutrient Dense Living, Strategic Boot Camp, Whitney Cabrera
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Sharpen Your Baloney Detector!

You’ve got to be kidding!

I’m not much of a TV watcher. Besides nightly re-runs of “King of Queens” and an occasional ever-perplexing episode of “Lost”, I really have no idea what’s going on out there in TV land. Truthfully, I’m really not interested. I want to experience my own life, not get caught up in someone else’s drama.

Last week however, the TV really did catch my attention. I was making my bed between Boot Camps (you know, as neat as my hubby is, in our 25 years of marriage, I think he’s made it twice) and turned on the TV to try to catch up on the news.

While putting my favorite terry-covered body pillow on the bed, I heard the most blatant deception I have ever experienced in a commercial:

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

I nearly tripped on a slipper and passed out.

No wonder we are all confused in America! We’re getting
bombarded on every side with conflicting information.

How about these claims:

1. “Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol”

You’ve got to be kidding. Eating processed grains can actually make your cholesterol rise! Cheerios only has 1 gram of soluble fiber per serving. Ditch the box! Eat the oatmeal, not the highy processed cereal made from oats. Yes, oatmeal is GREAT for you…but the kind God would recognize.

2. “Milk does a body good”

You’ve got to be kidding. Check this link out for some very interesting ideas on milk consumption.

The Milk Letter

Our bodies are not equipped to digest conventional milk. Many of us are intolerant and have no idea that many of our health issues are tied in with pasteurized milk consumption. Did you know that a calf will die after 30 days of drinking pasteurized milk?

If you have to drink milk, organic is a must and raw is a much better choice. My suggestion is to try Lite Almond Milk that has no sugar added.

Commercials are responsible for one thing: Selling us their product. Deception that is duping the public into believing that they’re living a healthy lifestyle is rampant. Sharpen your Baloney detector! Be an informed consumer.

Now, about that High Fructose Corn Syrup.

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

You’ve got to be kidding!

The latest stats say that new cases of diabetes have increased by 90% in the last 10 years. That means that diabetes or pre-diabetes will now strike 1 in every 4 Americans!

Scientists have clearly linked, time and time again, the use of HFCS to the epidemics (yes, epidemics) of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in America.

But despite all of the hard scientific evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings are untrue. They feel that HFCS is the same as sugar.

Am I the only one, or does this remind you a bit of the tobacco companies fervent denial of the link between lung cancer and smoking?

Here’s a great video for you to put in your arsenal:

High Fructose Corn Syrup Deception

So, how much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in YOUR diet?
Start reading the labels of the products you have in your home right now. You’ll be shocked to see that it can be found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food that you can think of.

Trying to lose body fat? Check out this research done by Dr. Elizabeth Parks from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it’s hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body.”

Trying to improve your overall health? It’s really quite simple. To lose weight and decrease the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other life-altering illnesses, drink pure water, (distilled is best….but not from the plastic jug), stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices and eat whole foods.

And by all means, refine your baloney detector!

Now, go shut the TV off, will ya?

Enjoying the journey,

Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN

Tags: boot camp, Florida, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera
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Healthy Super Bowl Recipes-Strategic Wellness Style

With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, the time is now to start prepping for the smorgasbord of goodies for your football party. It’s easy enough to tweak some of these favorite foods to be come healthier and more figure friendly come kickoff!

The following is a comprehensive list of both approved food choices and/or healthier substitutes for traditional party foods. These foods can satisfy your taste buds and save you thousands of potential calories in the process.  Don’t use these ideas just for the super bowl.  If you use these ideas consistently for all of your parties and social gatherings over the course of the year, you could prevent 5-10 pounds of fat gain…..easily!
(more…)

Tags: FL, Healthy Recipes, Lakeland, Super Bowl, Whitney Cabrera
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Almond Butter (Raw recipe)

Freshly made raw nut or seed butter is not only delicious but a good source of nutrients such as protein and essential fats. Raw is far more nutritious than roasted as heat denatures the essential fats which are necessary for proper function of the brain, skin, nervous system and sexual organs.

Ingredients

2 cups of Raw Almonds or nut of choice
coconut oil or olive oil as needed.  Use sparingly
seasoning (optional)

Directions

Powder nuts or seeds in a coffee grinder or Vita-Mix. The powder should be as fine as you can get it although a few chunks are OK. If using a Vita-Mix be careful not to blend too long as this will heat the nuts and denature the fatty acids. Chilling your Vita-Mix container beforehand and storing nuts in the freezer can help prevent heating.

Transfer to a food processor. While processor is running, add oil one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. The consistency should be a little runnier than your normal preference as raw nut butters must be refrigerated which will cause them to thicken. The amount of oil you add will vary depending on the type of nut or seed you are using (some nuts have a higher natural oil content than others). Add seasonings as desired. Seasonings will depend on the type of nut butter being made. I have found that a dash of sea salt and a teaspoon of honey taste great with almond butter. When your nut butter is made, transfer into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Oil will separate during storage so stir before using.

Makes a 10 oz. jar.

Nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts and pecans make great nut butters.

Recipe from Robin’s Kitchen

Tags: almond butter recipe, Raw Foods, Raw Gourmet Club, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera
Posted in Nutrition!, Recipes | 2 Comments »

Stuffed Cucumbers (A Raw Recipe)

3 cucumbers

1 small zucchini

3 scallions

2 cups of celery

1 Tablespoon fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried

1 red bell pepper

1 ripe tomato

Peel Cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, carefully removing seeds with a spoon.  Discard seeds.

Place remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor with fresh basil and chop until fine.  Blend in 1/2 cup of almond butter and stuff cucumbers.  Top with minced parsley.

Enjoy!

Recipe from “recipes for life”

Tags: healthy eats, raw, raw food, Strategic Wellness, stuffed cucumbers, vegetarian, Whitney Cabrera
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