Personal Training Tips//Guest Blogger Morgan Mason from Whole Foods Chattanooga

Have you ever heard the saying “Every great accomplishment starts with the decision to try?”   It sounds simple enough right?  But, when faced with the decision to push aside junk food and start loading up our plates with nutrient dense deliciousness, it can sometimes start to feel like anything but simple.  It doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether you are well on your way to a healthy lifestyle or just beginning your journey, we at Whole Foods Market Chattanooga are here to be your travel companion, partner, or guide.  At Whole Foods Market, healthy eating is at our core - Our 7th core value is to “Promote the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education” – and that is exactly what we aim to do for you.

Both online and in our store you will find a variety of resources that will help you stick with your decision to make 2015 a year of healthy accomplishments.

Check out some of the resources that we offer below:

1. Our In-Store Healthy Eating Educator:   Our in-store Healthy Eating Specialist, Morgan Mason, is here to give you the tools you need to make healthy easy.  Whether you need some help learning how to select the healthiest options, need tips for shopping on a budget, recipe ideas, healthy eating resources, etc.  Morgan is here to help!  All services are free of charge.  Contact Morgan to make an appointment (morgan.mason@wholefoods.com) or simply stop in the store!

2. Special Diets:  Eating outside the standard American diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. It’s true, navigating a specific way of eating can be challenging (especially if it’s new to you) but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll help you transform those limits into possibilities.  Check out the following link to find out more information about shopping for diets such as gluten free, dairy free, vegan, low sodium and more: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/special-diets

3. Planning Ahead:  When starting your journey of healthy eating, planning ahead can save time, money and sanity.  But, between your workdays, getting kids shuttled around, exercise, cleaning house, etc. it can be hard to find the time to plan.  That’s why we we’ve created five weekly healthy eating meal plans to get you started off in the right direction.   http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/meal-plans-shopping-lists

a. Also, check out these fresh recipe ideas for every meal in our collection of how-to videos, plus pick up healthy cooking tips and shortcuts while you watch. 

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes

For more healthy eating inspiration, that will have you ready to take on 2015, visit our website http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating

Grow, Cook, Share

Health/Fitness Recipe of the Week//Quick Curried Salmon with Mashed Peas

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/3 cup unsweetened plain almondmilk
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw them)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Chopped fresh basil or cilantro, for garnish

Method:

Cut salmon into 4 equal pieces and sprinkle all over with curry powder.  

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon in the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.  

Combine almondmilk, garbanzo beans, green peas, garlic and salt in the skillet and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Once liquid is simmering, use a large fork or potato masher to coarsely mash garbanzo beans and peas. Cook until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop onto a platter, top with salmon and sprinkle with basil.

Enjoy!

Kyle Johnston
Forte Fitness
NSCA–CPT/USAW

Visit the Forte.Fitness blog to learn healthy eating patterns, meal ideas, and proper form and technique on exercise. 

Personal Training Tips//The Best Piece of Fitness Equipment is...

The fitness industry is a multi-billion dollars business. There are numerous companies selling equipment, and some of it is useful. There are pieces of equipment that are necessary if you are training for competitive athletics. But, if you are training to be healthy and functional there is only one piece of equipment you need. 

Your Body.

Yes, that is it. This incredible system of levers and pulleys is a machine in of itself. You don’t even need much space. I am going to give you a list of exercises you can do with this great machine and remember they can almost always be modified to decrease the intensity or increase it. 

Burpees

Mountain Climber

Push Ups

Clapping Push Ups

Diamond Push Ups 

Wall Push Ups 

Squats

Lunges

Pistols

Side Lunges

Planks

Planks with Opposite Arm and Leg Raised

Side Planks

Side Planks with Leg Raise

Superman

Handstands

Handstand Push Ups

Bear Crawl

Forward Roll

Backward Roll 

Rock and Roll 

Lying Hip Raises

Lying Hip Raise on 1 Leg

Long Jump

Vertical Jump

Lunge Jump

Single Leg Deadlift

Run

Sprint

All you need to do is pick out a few exercises – one for the lower body, one for the upper, and a core exercise. Some of the exercises are full body and they are even better. Do 1-3 sets of 5 to 15 repetitions, 2-3 days a week, and you will have a healthy, functional body. Or you can use these when you do not have access to your personal trainer or your fitness facility, for example, for when you are on vacation. This is not an exhaustive list and to learn these fitness exercises just you tube them. Your gym membership is free and it is you. Try it out.

Hearty Arugula Pizza

Ingredients: 

• 4 Engine 2 Plant-Strong® Sprouted Ancient Grain or Brown Rice Tortillas
• 1 cup Engine 2 Plant-Strong® Red Bell Pepper Marinara Pasta Sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) package Engine 2 Plant-Strong® Tuscan Kale White Bean Plant Burgers, thawed and crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 2 cups lightly packed baby arugula
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place tortillas on 2 parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Spread each with 1/4 cup strained tomatoes. Top with burger crumbles. Chop oregano and garlic together; sprinkle over pizzas along with nutritional yeast. Bake until edges of tortillas are browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. 

In a large bowl, toss arugula, vinegar and pepper together. Top pizzas with arugula, cut each into 4 slices and serve.

Enjoy!

Kyle Johnston
Forte Fitness
NSCA–CPT/USAW

PS: Visit the Forte.Fitness blog to learn healthy eating patterns, meal ideas, and proper form and technique on exercise. 

Detox and Cleanse Diets

It sounds great, doesn’t it?  It would seem logical to periodically detox or cleanse our systems – BUT – does scientific research back up this idea and all the many detox supplements and diets? Well, the answer is NO. 

Dr. Ranit Mishori of Georgetown University Medical School has reviewed the research on these cleanse diets and her advice is that they should actually be avoided. Our bodies have been created to detox naturally through the liver and kidneys and there is not a supplement or diet that is going to make it more efficient at this process. These amazing organs work at excreting toxins 24-7 for our entire lifetime.

What this does not mean ... This does not mean eat anything you want because your liver and kidneys will take care of it. We all know that the standard American diet has led to the most obese, most diabetic, most at risk for heart disease population this world has ever known. 

What this does mean ...What we eat does make a difference. When it comes to eating the focus should be a plant based diet rich in a diversity of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole grains. Animal products should be the side item and not at every meal. Eating animal products that are derived from grass fed, free range sources will provide the cleanest sources. And finally hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Eating healthfully as a lifestyle is the best detox anyone can do. 

When we eat everything we eat is broken down, filtered by the liver and kidneys, and the nutrients are delivered to all 3 BILLION CELLS. Make sure to feed these cells nutrient dense foods and keep your diet clean by limiting the consumption of sugar, added sugars, and processed / refined foods.

Click here for Dr. Ranit Mishori's interview for NPR on detox diets and cleanses.

Recipe of the Week - Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup sweet corn, frozen or fresh
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange squash in a large baking dish, cut-sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Rake with a fork to remove flesh in strands, leaving the shell intact for stuffing.

For the filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add beans, corn and chili powder; cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute longer. Add cooked squash, cilantro, lime juice and salt, cook 1 minute until heated through.

Enjoy!

Protein Bar or Candy Bar in Disguise?

Protein Bars are everywhere...gas stations, grocery stores, gyms and health food markets. But, are they truly healthy? There are some good bars, but you have to understand what to look for. The reality is most protein or health bars are not much different than a candy bar or a Powerade / Gatorade in terms of sugar content and total calories. Most bars have about the equivalent of 9 cubes of sugar. Would you consider eating 9 cubes of sugar healthy? These types of bars are truly only useful after exercise that is intense and lasts one full hour or longer. 

Most people tend to use these bars as a snack, a meal replacement or an exercise recovery. Often we make these choices based on the false premise that they are healthy and because it is convenient. The best choice is always real food. It just takes a bit of planning and discipline – and to achieve true health we must own our choices and be disciplined.

What should you look for when examining a bar?

1. Sugar – The first question is how much sugar does the bar contain? Choose a bar that contains roughly 10g of sugar. The second is what kind of sugar: Sucralose, Splenda, aspartame, Nutria-sweet??? All of these have negative effects on the pancreas and thyroid. The sweetness of a bar should come from dried fruits, honey or maple syrup.

2. Soy – Avoid bars that contain soy products and bi-products. The best bars are made with real nuts and seeds.

3. Partially Hydrogenated or Hydrogenated – If you see these words RUN! This is the process of taking plant oil and pumping it full of hydrogen to make it solid at room temperature. Basically it is like eating margarine. I think we all know now that margarine is not a health food.

4. Refined Grains – Many bars are full of processed or highly refined grains. This is the same as eating white bread, which is basically like eating sugar.

5. Protein – Many of these bars simply have more protein than any normal person needs and not from the best sources. Most of these proteins are in isolate form so that they can be absorbed easily. This would only be helpful for someone who is trying to bulk up, and it has nothing to do with health.

6. Fake Ingredients – If you don’t recognize the name and don’t know what it is, don’t eat it. Why would you put something in your body and you really don’t even know what it is or does? Real food works. 

7. Fiber – Choose bars with a fiber content of 5g or more.

What are the best bars to choose???

1. Kind Bar 

2. Larabar

3. Chia Bar

4. Ginnybar

5. Rise Bar

Again, the best choice is to take some time to prepare and plan in advance. Real Food is best!!! The best snacks are nuts and fruit or dried fruit (make sure it is not sweetened), nut-butters with apples, carrots and celery, plain yogurt with fruit and nuts, hard boiled eggs, nitrate free beef jerky, organic cheese and grapes, a little dark chocolate and nuts, hummus and with sliced apple and carrots – there are many more, and these are all easy to prepare quickly and bring along for the day. It is also much more cost effective.

Lessons From Our Centenarians

The idea of living to 100 years old may not sound appealing mainly due to assumptions about quality of life at that age. However, centenarians by the sheer fact that they have made it that long typically have maintained a high quality of life. Dan Buettner has done extensive research into the lives of centenarians, in particular regarding four areas of the planet that have extremely high rates of people living past 100 years old – which he has called “blue zones.” 

Below you will find lessons we can learn from the Sardinians. Of the four groups the Sardinians are the only group in which the men and women make it to the century mark in a 1:1 ratio. In the other three groups the ratio is in favor 9:1 for the females. So we should all listen up, especially the men! 

1. Eat a lean, plant based diet accented with meat. 

The classic Sardinian diet includes whole grain bread, beans, tomatoes, greens, fennel, garlic, onions, a variety of fruits and olive oil. Surprisingly, Sardinians consume quite a bit of cheese – typically thought of as an unhealthy dairy choice – and their cheese of choice is Pecorino, a sheep’s milk cheese. Pecorino is special because the sheep feed on a diversity of grasses producing a cheese high in omega-3 fatty acids. A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is a key component to reducing systemic inflammation (the precursor to heart disease, cancers, diabetes, auto-immune diseases and dementia). Meat is enjoyed, but is typically reserved for Sundays and celebrations. 

2. Family First

The Sardinians have an intense commitment to family and family values, and often gather as extended families for daily lunch. These family values and habits result in extremely low rates of depression, suicide, divorce and stress. 

3. Love your Goat

Sardinians also drink goat’s milk. Because goats are also grass-fed, goat’s milk contains components that protect against inflammatory diseases. Goat’s milk is also easier than cow’s milk for humans to digest – often even for those who are lactose intolerant. Even if you do not drink goat’s milk, goat cheese is a good substitute and very similar in taste and texture to cream cheese.

4. Celebrate Elders

Families make certain that every member of the family is cared for, from the youngest to oldest. The idea of assisted living is foreign to Sardinians, and grandparents are kept close by to provide love, childcare, financial help and wisdom. In this culture, the expectations of grandparents and even great-grandparents are great motivators to younger generations, perpetuating traditions of culture and pushing children to live good lives – adding up to healthier, better adjusted children who also live long and healthy lives. 

5. Take a Walk

Sardinian men for the most part live as shepherds, typically walking five miles a day. The daily low-impact cardiovascular exercise, free of pounding the joints, builds healthy hearts, bones and joints. 

6. Drink a Glass of Red Wine Daily (Maybe Even Two)

Cannonau wine is organic and free of sulfites – as well as having two to three times the artery-scrubbing flavonoids of other wines. This is due, in part, to a grape with thick, dark purple skin built to withstand the island weather. Scientific research has indicated that moderate red wine consumption can benefit heart health.

7. Laugh with Friends

Each day in the late afternoon following a great meal, the men gather in the streets to enjoy each other’s company talking and often to play a few games of cards. For the men much of the morning time work is solitary. The women work in community in regards to household chores and preparing meals. These breaks and communal living habits reduce stress. 

I doubt that anyone reading this article can reproduce this lifestyle; however, the concepts can be reproduced. We can eat a whole foods diet focused on plants first, pecorino and goat cheese, and a glass of Cannonau or any other sulfite free red wine. We can take time in the afternoon to stop for twenty minutes or half an hour with others in our office to talk, play a game of cards and snack. It will make you more productive – not less. The Sardinian exercise is lower impact with a lot of walking but it is also a lot of bending at the ankles, knees, hips and low back as garden work, wood chopping and house chores are completed. Workouts can mimic this and even taking a 5 minute break each hour of the day to move and bend will maintain a functional body. Develop your own traditions and habits that cause the overlap with friends and family and a good laugh.

For more information check out the Blue Zones website.

Guest Blogger: Patrick Wortman MS, RD LDN NSCA-certified personal trainer

As we approach the end of another year, and the focus invariably shifts to fresh starts for 2015 it is once again time to come face to face with the evil twins of diet and exercise.     Americans tend to be reductionist in their approach to these topics, and the popular media is chock full of the “diet of the day”.   As you consider the New Year and fresh starts, I want to challenge you to not look for the best or most effective diet, but rather make a true effort to break away from the reductionist approach and change your focus to a more holistic approach.

When you really break down the information and the research that exists, the fact of the matter is that just about any diet will work to help you lose weight and as a result of that weight loss actually be healthier.  Yes, as a general rule if you are overweight or obese you will be healthier after losing weight no matter how you do it.  In addition, the latest general recommendations from the “experts” are just that:  use any diet approach that works for you and lose some/all of the excess weight you are carrying and you will decrease your risk of most chronic disease.  Here is the catch though…you need to also consider what you will do after you lose the weight.  Returning to your previous lifestyle is simply a modern version of Einstein’s definition of insanity (doing the same thing and expecting different results).  Therefore the second and most important part of the recommendation is that whatever “diet” you choose must be one that you can realistically maintain for the rest of your life.  If you really can’t sustain the “diet” you have slated to be your 2015 fresh start for the long term, then should you really even start?  My educated but by no means expert opinion is that you should not, as you simply set yourself up for more of the same….

Ok, so if the diet of the month isn’t the answer, then what is?  The honest answer to that question is that we still don’t know for certain, but we do have some pretty good ideas where to start.  You start by copying some of the basics from populations around the world that seem to have the formula for success.  These areas are named “Blue Zones”.  In 2004, Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and the world’s best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people lived measurably better. In these Blue Zones they found that people reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States.  In addition, these individuals remain active and have good quality of life, usually right up until they die.  This is in stark contrast to most of our western civilization were our health and vitality diminish rapidly in later years leading to the boom in assisted living and nursing homes.  

When you look at these Blue Zones you find several things in common.   With regard to diet the tenets are pretty simple.  First and foremost is a plant based diet.  The actual foods consumed vary considerably from one Blue Zone to another, but all have a very high consumption of plant foods and limit or avoid animal foods.  Perhaps equally important is the fact that they eat little to no processed food.  Most food is prepared fresh, and meals are prepared daily.  Families still eat together and there is a strong family/social aspect to the meals.

The real question is simply how do we translate this into actionable advice and easy to implement changes?  Before I answer the question, each person needs to consider a few things.  First, about 40-50  years ago as women started to enter the workforce food companies started a campaign to convince them that cooking was a chore and difficult to do.  It was not something they should have to do, and so they should trust the food companies to do the cooking for them…enter the box and frozen meal era.  It is concerning to me that many of the individuals I work with consider cooking something to avoid at all costs, yet it is arguably the most important decision you make every day (topic for another post).  Second and equally important are the demands on each person’s time.  Between work, church, children, and various other factors everyone is over-extended and short on time.  This is perhaps the key factor.  To really begin to make a transition to a healthier lifestyle you need to take a hard look at your time commitments and start to allow more time to improve your health.  

When you can allow yourself the time to start working on your health, then you can begin to make small changes to improve your health.  Start simply with cooking one more meal a week than you do currently.  Include the family if you have one, especially if you have children. Choose a recipe that includes several brightly colored vegetables.  Perhaps even choose a vegetarian dish, or at the very least make meat the side dish rather than the main dish.  If you want to include a dessert make it from fruit instead of flour and sugar.  Please be sure to make this a family event if possible…this is as important as the food itself.  One of the most important aspects of eating/meals in the Blue Zones is they are socials events and not just about scarfing down food to get to the next event on your schedule.

Gradually increasing the number of meals you make from fresh food and decreasing your reliance on packaged/processed/restaurant food is really the secret to health and vitality and the best way to prevent chronic disease. Choose a recipe from your favorite cookbook, magazine or website and strive to make half or more of the meal vegetables.  My favorite approach is to make one dish meals like a stir fry, a frittata, or crock pot meals.  Alternately you can just add more vegetable sides to a more conventional meal…either way the goal is 50% or more of the meal is vegetables.  If you want some added inspiration to help you start this journey, I highly recommend Fed Up, Forks Over Knives, or Food Matters.  All of these are now available to stream or rent as a DVD and Forks over Knives has a website with recipes and other support to help you start your journey.  There isn’t an easy or quick fix for our health problems. The solution is coming to terms with the fact that it takes time and effort to be healthy, and the sooner your start the sooner you will begin to reap the rewards.  Nothing in life that is rewarding and worthwhile is easy…the work and effort we put forth to accomplish something is what makes it so rewarding.  Get started today!

Here are some links if you want more information:

http://www.bluezones.com/2014/03/blue-zones-history/

http://www.bluezones.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Nat_Geo_Longevity.pdf

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home

http://www.foodmatters.tv/

Patrick Wortman MS, RD LDN, NSCA-certified personal trainer

Patrick works at the Center for Integrative Medicine - visit their site at www.cim.md 

Why Get a Personal Trainer?

Many people believe personal trainers are just for celebrities or elite athletes.  Some people don't use a personal trainer because they "know what to do already."  Others believe it is simply not affordable.  The reality is that if you are not exercising regularly you will begin to compromise your health and quality of life.  We spend a lot of money on a lot of things: a mechanic for our car, an accountant for our taxes, "health insurance", we take a course to better ourselves and we pay for vacation.   I am not saying you shouldn't do these things, but we should consider using our money as a tool to best protect our health. Our health is not worth losing.  We can't do anything well when we lose our health.  We can't care for our loved ones, ourselves or enjoy the things that give us the most pleasure in life.

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

Do you find yourself planning to work out, but frequently allow work, family obligations or other excuses to trump your workout?  

Do you workout regularly but do the same thing, the same way over and over expecting different or better results?  

Are you producing overuse injuries doing the same things, the same way over and over?  

If you are working out regularly do you know that this discipline is really counting to improve your health?  

Are you really doing the right exercises? Do you know for sure that you are training safely and effectively?

A personal trainer will develop an individualized exercise prescription and a supportive nutrition plan just for you.  A personal trainer will provide the accountability to give you the consistency necessary to achieve health related results - a functional body - cardiovascular health - disease prevention.  A personal trainer is impervious to allowing yourself to talk yourself out of getting your workout in for the day.    

At Forte Fitness we can develop a program that works for you.  

Maybe your health is truly in shambles.  We will meet you where you are and walk with you step by step.  We will be your encouragement and cheerleader to restore and regain the health you deserve.

Maybe you can't afford personal training long term but you need to get started.  We can set up a short-term program like taking a class to equip yourself to train properly on your own.  We can wean you off, setting you up for success and touch base with you periodically to make sure you don't fall of the wagon.  

Maybe you are exercising regularly but are not sure that you are doing the exercises properly or even using the right exercises relative to your strengths and weaknesses.  Just a few sessions could insure you are making the most of your discipline.  

Maybe you just need some variety to add to your routine of yoga, mountain biking, running, or triathlon training.  Adding some smart strength training properly balanced based on the science of muscular ratios and manual assisted training even one day a week will make a huge difference if you are active but are not doing proper strength and flexibility training.  

Maybe you have a friend, a family member or a co-worker that you deeply care for and you know that their health is compromised and you are concerned.  If so lovingly and caringly speaking with them and inviting them to have a conversation may literally save their life.  

SET UP A COMPLIMENTARY SESSION TODAY by clicking here.

If one of these reasons has struck a cord with you or maybe another reason that you have thought is on your heart check out Forte Fitness and read the success stories of real Chattanoogans like yourself.  

Take advantage of coming in for a complimentary session. During the complimentary session we will give you a tour of the studio.  We will take your through the ACSM medical questionnaire to make sure you don't have any contraindications to exercise and if you do we will team with your doctor to develop the right plan for you.  Next we will set goals that will set you up for success.  Finally we will take you through a full training session.   It will help you learn how we work with our clients and we will gain an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.  Lastly we will sit down and discuss with you working to develop the right plan for you and then you are simply free to decide if Forte is the right fit for you.  

THE BOTTOM LINE

A personal trainer will provide a solid plan and accountability.  With a personal trainer you will have a scheduled appointment time and when you do have a true interruption the trainer will make sure you reschedule and stay on course.  It does not matter what level you are at because a Forte Fitness personal trainer will be able to accommodate your goals, determine your barriers and help you achieve true health related results!

Contact us today.  Come as you are and let us help you get where you want to be.