DON'T GIVE UP!! Push through WINTER!

 Sometimes people joke about how it's nice come March or April when other's quit their New Year's Resolutions to come to the gym so that it's less crowded. While it can be hard to deal with a crowded gym, we need to support and root each other on! 

Sometimes it might be easier to put on some Under Armour and go for a quick run or just do some simple exercises at home like push-ups, jumping jacks, and lunges. But whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP! Especially if you made it a goal to go to the gym, get in shape, or lose weight this year. 

Truth is, I've been feeling the pain of a hard winter here and it's difficult to even get up and down my driveway, let alone make it to the gym 12 miles away. I've also been craving sweets and carbs like it's nobody's business!!!

Here are some great articles (click on links below) from SHAPE magazine website that has some insights and suggestions for those of us that lack the motivation to keep working out and eating healthy this time of year:

SHAPE MAGAZINE - AVOID THE FITNESS CLIFF

22 WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED AND LOSE WEIGHT

Gym Etiquette 101

GYM Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group....AT THE GYM.



General rule of thumb - Do unto others as you would have others do to you. :)

Yes, I know it takes a lot to just even get to the gym some days, BUT we all pay to be there which means everything in it is communal.

                   Here are a few things I've observed since joining the gym a couple

 years ago:

SHARE - This is the #1 complaint I hear about from all my gym going friends and friends who are trainers. It's that time of year when everyone's New Year's resolutions have kicked in and it is always busy at the gym. While we are rooting each other on, it is common courtesy to SHARE the equipment. It's one thing to claim a bench for bench pressing and another to just sit at one machine for 20 minutes while you finish your circuit training. 

Bench pressing requires you to put on your exact weight on the bar and is obviously not very time efficient to trade off with someone who needs a different set of weights. So, not many expect you to rotate (unless you've been hogging it by including circuit training with dumbbells, and when it's busy, that bugs people...and I've seen it happen a lot). Also, these areas are not supposed to be a social hangout while others are waiting around to use the equipment.

Circuit training is just that. You should be circulating to other weight equipment. When it is busy at the gym it is expected for you to do a set of reps and move on. Not only does this allow for you to be time efficient, this allows other gym goers to work their way in and you can switch with them. In the mean time, you can stretch and rest as is suggested by many gym trainers or you can just use different equipment. I'm surprised at how many people don't seem to know this unwritten rule and yet everyone around them is bugged by it.

DUMBBELL AREA- This goes along with sharing, but I thought it needed it's own category because I hear about and see it so often. I've only seen a few girls do this; it's mostly men that hog a lot of dumbbells for their own personal use. This is especially rude when the gym is busy and many people have paid to use them too. There is a reason there are mirrors at the gym. When others are facing the mirror doing an exercise, try to go around them and definitely DO NOT stand in front of them trying to figure out which dumbbells you want. You can see the weight numbers perfectly fine from a side distance; wait til they are done with their reps, then go in to pick up your dumbbells.







PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT - If you use anything at the gym, put it back where you found it so that people know you are done with it and it can be used. And it's just common courtesy to not make others do it for you. 

SWEATING - Have you ever sat on a bench or at a machine and felt a warm wet feeling. I knew it was definitely not mine and I'm pretty sure it was one of the most unpleasant things I've ever experienced (and I'm a very outdoorsy person who has experienced a lot of not so pleasant things). If you are a big sweater, take a towel and wipe your sweat off of equipment.



STRETCHING - This is mostly for us girls, especially if you are not wearing very much clothing. I love to wear my shorts and tank top as much as the next girl going to the gym or out for a run, but there is etiquette in stretching. If you were outside for a run, you wouldn't bend down and stick your butt out for all the cars and pedestrians passing by (unless you like that and/or you are attention hungry). Yes, the gym is somewhat of a meat market and I personally could care less, but think of the rest of the gym goers that do not want to see your pretty pink thong/butt crack/ and/or vag cleavage hanging out or under (yes I've seen this). Go to the back of the gym or somewhere where you are not sticking your butt or cleavage out for all to see.

SOCIAL HANG OUT - I am all for people hooking up at the gym if that's your choice of place for finding a mate, but if you are going to flirt or have a social hang out, DO NOT take up machines/benches for decades at a time even when it's not busy, unless of course you ARE using them at the same time. Go hang out by the wall or in the spa area if you just want to socialize.

SANITIZING - I'm not really big on this, but I know some people are. If there are sanitation stations in the cardio area, they aren't just there for gym decor, you are expected to use them. I've seen people wipe down their equipment for the next person and I've seen people just wipe their hands after using a cardio machine so they don't have sweat all over going to the next exercise area. I've done both and have seen most people NOT wipe down the machine so I've resorted to just wiping my hands off for the next exercise area.



IF YOU HAVE TO FART GO IN THE BATHROOM - enough said.


ClASSES - Yes it sucks when you are late for a class, but don't squeeze in at the front so no one else around you has enough room to enjoy it. If you are late, there is usually room in the back. If you like being at the front, planning ahead helps with everything else in your schedule. Show respect for others who have planned accordingly.

STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK - If you think about it, most of the people that go to the gym have families or very busy lives that would be very much disrupted if you go to a public place and cough all over people causing them to get sick (or if you have bad hygiene...but that is a whole new 101 that I'm not sure I care to explain on this blog). Besides that, according to a couple of my friends that are nurses, it is counter productive to work out when you are sick. If you have to, there are plenty of workouts you can do from home. Push ups and jumping jacks are awesome and yet simple exercises you can do from home and keep your germs away from the public. And there are plenty of workout videos (FREE online videos and cheap ones at the store) out there that you can use at home. And I'm pretty sure 1/2 the world owns the "Insanity"  from the "Beach Body" series of workout videos so there's a good chance one of your friends has one you can borrow. :)

CARDIO AREA - I usually zone out with my IPOD music, but others have told me about their pet peeve when others are on their phone and chatting for a long time with someone. I don't know why that's just what they said. The other thing that I've heard about is when a friend comes up to the person next to you to talk with them but stares at you the whole time.


SAUNA - Saunas are for RELAXING. Everyone I know that likes to use the sauna goes in to wind down. #1 most annoying thing is when there are other people in the sauna and someone comes in and turns on the lights. If there is no one in there that's fine; feel free to do your own thing. And the person that comes in after you SHOULD ASK YOU if they can turn the lights off if they want them off.  COMMON COURTESY. 2nd annoyance being those who pump their music full blast and/or still workout in there. I wish I could count on one hand how many times I've just wound down or fell asleep just to be startled by being splashed by the water on the ground from someone doing something like jumping jacks or being splashed by their sweat. True story. A friend of mine works at the gym and talked about how there are those who bring weights into the pool/sauna/steam room area and how not only does it ruin the equipment, but it costs a lot to replace it and if they find out who did it, that person will be subject to a fine and possible suspension from the gym.

STEAM ROOM - There have been times when others turn on the light without asking others already in there AND/OR turn on the hose and spray down steam room. ASK those around you FIRST if they don't mind. 

Most people are only annoyed when others just don't ask before using things when they were there first. ALWAYS ASK FIRST.

HOT TUB - If you are just getting out of the sauna, it is expected of you to rinse off before getting into the hot tub. No one wants to swim in your filth. If someone is in the hot tub already and you want the jets on, ASK THEM FIRST if they don't mind you turning them on...they were there first.

POOL - I'm not a huge fan of swimming, but I've heard when it's so busy you have to share a lane, you stay on the RIGHT side of the lane. I've also heard some people think it's best to just wait until the other one is done with their laps (which sounds way less time efficient than the other way). Any swimmers out there that care to elaborate on that issue??

So, again, general rule of thumb is do unto others as you would want others to do to you.

Have I missed any??

What are some other gym etiquette rules you have thought of?? Please share!

The truth about SUGAR

We often hear the quote, "You are what you eat" and the more I get into fitness, the more I think it's also that you are what you DON'T eat/drink (I'll get to that later). I also hear all the time from trainers/gym teachers/health teachers/health majors that your diet is 90-95% of your training. If you aren't eating right, your workouts won't do much for you.

I LOVE the new food pyramid! Have you seen it?! I love that on the bottom there are words in small print that say, " *Find your balance between food and play* " and " *Fats and sugars - know your limits* ". Sugars are no longer on the pyramid!!

When I was a kid, I remember thinking, "What the heck does that even mean...you are what you eat?!". By taking my nutrition classes in college a few years back, listening to my husband who has a BA in exercise science, and the more I get into this fitness lifestyle the more I understand it.

I read something that caught my eye on one of the payperclick ads you see on the margarine in Google search. It said "Sugar intake lowers the levels of collagen in your skin." Curious, I looked into it more. I found an awesome article on sugar intake and what it can do to your skin.

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/75798-effects-sugar-skin-aging/

"Many people have heard the old adage that chocolate ruins your skin. Though chocolate itself is not inherently bad for your skin, there may be some truth in that phrase because of the typical high sugar content of chocolate. Sugar may actually advance the aging of your skin, making your face appear more wrinkled and less youthful.

Sugar Intake

Foods high in sugar include candy, cakes, pies, pastries, muffins and chocolates. These foods spike the blood sugar levels in the body quickly. Beverages such as soda, lemonade and juice are full of sugar as well, though it is sometimes hard for people to realize how much sugar they contain because they are in liquid form. According to CNN Health, drinking even one can of soda can spike your blood sugar levels.

Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist and author of "The Wrinkle Cure," explains that foods that spike your blood sugar aren't always what you would expect. Complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, white rice and white pasta also spike your blood sugar and convert into simple sugars quickly in the body, Perricone adds. Even complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and corn tortillas make your blood sugar rise. Complex carbohydrates don't cause your blood sugar to spike as quickly as simple carbohydrates such as straight sugar.

Fructose

According to Science Daily, fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found most often in honey and fruit. Though most people think of fructose as being healthy because it comes from fruit, it may actually cause premature aging of the skin as well. Science Daily explains that when researchers gave fructose to rats over the course of a year, the rats lost a significant amount of collagen and showed many signs of early aging. Someone who wants to prevent wrinkles may not want to overdo her intake of foods with fructose.

Glycation

Perricone explained to Discovery Health that when a person eats a food high in sugar, or a complex carbohydrate that converts to sugar quickly in the body, blood sugar spikes, and a process called "glycation" begins. Glycation is the process in which sugar attaches to collagen, making the skin tough and inflexible. When glycation occurs, the skin on a person's face becomes more susceptible to signs of aging, such as wrinkles, because it cannot bounce back easily when stretched.

Elasticity

Elasticity is an important aspect of youthful skin. Skin is flexible and elastic because it is rich in collagen and elastin. Skin that has elasticity doesn't wrinkle very easily. Perricone says that over time, when someone eats a lot of sugar, her skin loses elasticity and resilience, which leads to deep wrinkles and an older-looking face."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/75798-effects-sugar-skin-aging/#ixzz2C1OLG8Cu

Something my husband is always telling me that is really good for your skin is fish oil. You can buy it in tablets and I've even seen a powder you can put in cooking; It's VERY healthy for your skin and body.

I also posted previously about the vitamins I've been taking that have been amazing for my hair, skin and nails. It's called Be Wholesome and I get it from GNC.

Not only can sugar have long term effects on your skin, it can effect your workouts. I always find that I am a lot slower during my workouts if I give in to too much sugar (even something like a cookie just hours before a workout). A friend of mine who just got into body-building recommended STEVIA. Not to be mistaken for something like Sweet N'Low or Splenda (which can actually be bad for your body), it's a natural sugar substitute. And I don't feel my energy decreasing as much during my workouts or during the day. You can use that or honey (make sure your honey DOESN'T have any added SUGAR/FRUCTOSE in it!) for cooking or snacks...but again, GO LIGHT!

Something I've also noticed is that whenever the holidays roll around and I give into too much sugar, I get sick. Mostly not anything serious like congestion, but nonetheless sick in some small way (two years ago during the holidays, it turned into a mild form of bronchitis) . You would think I would have learned my lesson by now, but sometimes I feel emotionally drained and I give in to emotional eating. Or there is just something about being in the company of others that just makes your excited and want to eat more. DON'T DO IT! (That's me also yelling at myself to not do it either ;) )

 DOPAMINE is a regulator and a neurotransmitter in your mind that controls your reward system and "pleasure centers". It's really easy to resort to emotional eating to satisfy the need to reward oneself. It is very powerful in that we feel a lack of satisfaction  that leads us to fullfil it in a rewarding way...."I deserve this"; whether it be time to ourselves and watching a movie we love, fishing, watching sports, for women specifically-getting our nails done, shopping, etc. But often times it's easy to turn to emotional eating. Find something else that's not going to "reward" your system. For me it's going to the gym and snuggling up with my hubby to watch a movie. If you have to satisfy a sweet craving, try just eating a tic tac or drinking juice after a meal. Or see my post on sugar intake, "How healthy is your diet".

 I sometimes justify eating sugar/fatty foods by saying "I've had a rough day, I deserve it" or "Just this one treat after lunch". I get sick nearly ever time I do that and I feel like junk the rest of the day and sometimes the next day rendering me to feeling not up to going to the gym so I try to avoid sugar often. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in enjoying yourself with a small treat every now and then, but that is when I am taking a break from training for an event or something. Even then, I still have to be careful or I could get into the habit of saying "Just this once". 

For more info on sugar intake and what snack to eat to deter emotional eating, see my article on "How 'Healthy' Is Your Diet".

It's not just sugar that can make me feel drained (sure you get the sugar high but then quickly drains your energy), I noticed that when I eat too fatty of foods for a couple of days, my intestines can't handle it and again, I either get sick or my stomach sticks out like I'm pregnant again.

I love this article too: "The 18 Best Supplements for Women" from Women's Health Magazine:

Iron

What it does
"Carries oxygen in the body; aids in the production of red blood cells; supports immune function, cognitive development, and temperature regulation; is essential for proper cell growth.

Why you need it
Slacking on your iron intake causes your body to reduce the production of red blood cells, causing anemia. This can lead to unrelenting fatigue and shortness of breath while doing activities that aren't very strenuous, as well as difficulty maintaining body temperature and decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection. What's more, blood loss during your period depletes your body's iron stores, so it's particularly important for women with heavy periods to eat iron-rich foods or take supplements, says Carol Haggans, R.D., a consultant for the National Institutes of Health."

Read more at Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/vitamins-and-nutrients-for-women#ixzz2C24ABPcV"

This information has really benefited me a lot lately. The more I work out the older I feel because I'm working out so hard sometimes that it effects every part of my body which is good. I guess I just mean that I've never really known how to work out til this last year. LOL. It's been great input for me because I have had heart palpitations since 9th grade. They weren't really anything at first. I would get it once a year or once every 2 years. Lately, I've had them almost once every volleyball game I played or once when I was at practice for flag football when I was simply throwing the ball. That time during practice, my vision all of a sudden was blurry, I couldn't hear very well and I felt dizzy along with my irregular heart beats. It sounds crazy and scary, but I sadly thought nothing of it at the time. Just a "mishap" in my mind. Then it started happening more often this year and I finally looked up my symptoms online. (Sad it takes something serious for us to take action sometimes). http://www.livestrong.com/article/355402-heart-problems-from-potassium-deficiency/ If I would have looked it up sooner or seen a doctor, I could have avoided some, if not all of my problems I had been having. I found out that I was not getting enough potassium or iron which was most likely causing these problems. I looked up and found a list of foods that have potassium and eating more of those things (See end of article for a list of foods high in potassium and iron) I have had more energy and less problems by eating more potassium and it's due to simply looking up information like what's in that article I mentioned above.

Now to the You Are What You DON'T eat/drink. Something else that is extremely important when working out is drinking enough water and getting enough substantial amounts of carbs and proteins to fuel you up for your workouts. I learned this the hard way last month. We had just moved and I was running around like crazy unpacking and still working out BUT forgetting to eat and drink enough water. This, my doctor believes, lead me to having a sharp pain in my upper abdomen. My doctor believes the pain was based in my gallbladder and an air pocket due to the insufficient intake of water/fluids. She thinks my gallbladder was also sucking all the potassium my body needed to prevent the heart palpitations I was having. 

Do yourself a favor and avoid unnecessary doctor appointments that cost a lot of money, are emotionally and time consuming, by eating right and healthy.

To sum it up; TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND YOUR BODY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU! :)

What are things you do or take to help your body feel overall great and healthy??

High Iron Foods

Lean red meat

chicken

turkey

fish

cereals

beans

whole grains

dark-green leafy vegetables

"If you're not eating enough of these foods, talk to your doc about trying a ferrous sulfate supplement since it's most easily absorbed, says nutrition expert Cynthia Sass, R.D. And don't forget to sneak in foods rich in Vitamin C since they enhance your body's iron absorption."

Read more at Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/vitamins-and-nutrients-for-women

Potassium Rich Foods

Recipe

Type of Food

Portion

K (mg)

Click for recipe!	Tomato Paste (canned)	1 cup	2657
Click for recipe!	Tomato Puree (canned)	1 cup	1098
Click for recipe!	Tomato Sauce (canned)	1 cup	811
No recipe yet	Tomato Juice (canned)	1 cup	556
No recipe yet	Tomatoes Canned (stewed)	1 cup	548
Click for Recipe!	Tomatoes Fresh (average)	1 cup	427
No recipe yet	Beet Greens (boiled, drained)	1 cup	1309
Click for recipe!	White Beans (canned)	1 cup	1189
No recipe yet	Soybeans (green,boiled,drained)	1 cup	970
No recipe yet	Pinto Beans (boiled)	1 cup	746
No recipe yet	Baby Lima Beans (frozen)	1 cup	740
Click for recipe!	Lentils (boiled)	1 cup	737
No recipe yet	Kidney Beans (boiled)	1 cup	731
No recipe yet	Peas (boiled)	1 cup	710
No recipe yet	Navy Beans (boiled)	1 cup	708
Click for recipe!	Chili con Carne	1 cup	705
No recipe yet	Northern Beans (boiled)	1 cup	692
No recipe yet	Cowpeas (boiled)	1 cup	689
No recipe yet	Black Beans (boiled)	1 cup	611
Click for recipe!	Garbanzo Beans (boiled)	1 cup	477
No recipe yet	Dates	1 cup	1168
No recipe yet	Condensed Milk	1 cup	1135
No recipe yet	Milk (chocolate, nonfat)	1 cup	425
No recipe yet	Milk (nonfat)	1 cup	382
No recipe yet	Milk (whole)	1 cup	322
No recipe yet	Raisins	1 cup	1086
No recipe yet	Dried Apricots	1 cup	978
No recipe yet	Baked Potato (include skin)	1 cup	1081
No recipe yet	French Fries	Large	980
No recipe yet	Sweet Potato (include skin)	1 cup	694
No recipe yet	Trail mix (tropical)	1 cup	993
No recipe yet	Roasted Chestnuts	1 cup	847
No recipe yet	Halibut (fish)	1 fillet	1680
No recipe yet	Salmon (sockeye)	1 fillet	1264
No recipe yet	Swordfish	1 cut	529
No recipe yet	Haddock	1 fillet	527
No recipe yet	Tuna (fresh)	1 cut	448
No recipe yet	Cod fish	1 cup	446
No recipe yet	Trout (rainbow)	3oz./87g	383
No recipe yet	Sardines (canned)	3 oz	338
No recipe yet	Spinach (boiled,drained)	1 cup	839
No recipe yet	Iceberg Lettuce	1 head	760
No recipe yet	Chinese Cabbage	1 cup	631
No recipe yet	Parsnips (boiled,drained)	1 cup	573
No recipe yet	Kohlrabi (boiled,drained)	1 cup	561
No recipe yet	Rutabagas (boiled,drained)	1 cup	496
No recipe yet	Brussels Sprouts (boiled,drained)	1 cup	480
No recipe yet	Vegetable Juice Cocktail	1 cup	467
No recipe yet	Cucumber	1 cup	442
No recipe yet	Broccoli (boiled,drained)	1 cup (150g)	441
No recipe yet	Broccoli (raw)	1 cup (150g)	485
No recipe yet	Collared Greens	1 cup	438
No recipe yet	Celery (boiled,drained)	1 cup	426
No recipe yet	Kale (boiled,drained)	1 cup	417
No recipe yet	Carrots (boiled, drained)	1 cup	367
No recipe yet	Enoki Mushrooms (raw)	100 grams	348
No recipe yet	Corn (canned)	1 cup	342
No recipe yet	Asparagus (boiled,drained)	1 cup	310
No recipe yet	Prune Juice	1 cup	707
No recipe yet	Buckwheat flour (whole)	1 cup	692
No recipe yet	Carrot Juice	1 cup	689
No recipe yet	Bulger (dry)	1 cup	574
No recipe yet	Papaya (raw)	1 cup	553
No recipe yet	Yogurt (low fat)	1 cup	531
No recipe yet	Pumpkin (boiled,drained)	1 cup	564
No recipe yet	Banana (raw)	1 cup	537
No recipe yet	Orange Juice (fresh)	1 cup	496
No recipe yet	Orange Juice (from concentrate)	1 cup	466
No recipe yet	Papaya	1 cup	553
No recipe yet	Eggnog (low fat)	1 cup	419
No recipe yet	Grapefruit Juice (fresh)	1 cup	400
No recipe yet	Turkey	1 cup	392
No recipe yet	Honeydew Melon Juice (fresh)	1 cup	392
No recipe yet	Beef Stew (canned)	1 cup	388
No recipe yet	Asian Pear (fresh)	1 cup	332
No recipe yet	Oranges (fresh)	1 cup	329
No recipe yet	Pistachios	1 cup	285
No recipe yet	Mango (fresh)	1 cup	270
No recipe yet	Nectarines (fresh)	1 cup	277
No recipe yet	Figs (dried)	2 figs	258
No recipe yet	Strawberries (fresh)	1 cup	260
No recipe yet	Apple Juice (fresh)	1 cup	250

http://potassiumrichfoods.com/potassium-rich-foods-list/