Forte Staff Crushes Crossfit Competition

Our neighbor to the south, Alabama, hosts the state’s most competitive outdoor functional fitness event. They call it Mayhem on the Mountain. This year it was held at beautiful Oak Mountain State Park where contestants competed in a slew of events either as an individual or on a 4 person team. 

The nature of said events take it to another level. For example, in The Quadrathlon, participants run 1500 meters, paddle 500 meters, ski 500 meters, and bike a final 1000 meters. Fastest time takes the most points! Mayhem on the Mountain is not for the faint of heart!

In August 2020, two of our very own Forte Trainers, Alex Enter and JJ Jackson showed their grit, went across state lines, and came back with Personal Record (PRs), prizes, cash. 

Enter hit her a PR, in the “Blood Shot” workout. “It (Blood Shot) was definitely my favorite event. It had a lot of gymnastics in it which is one of my weaknesses and the fact that I finished under the time cap and mentally got through it, AND the heat, that was very empowering,” she explained. This portion consisted of kettle bell snatches, medicine ball wall balls, pull ups, toes to bar in the Alabama summer weather! 

Both trainers emphasized their love for the olympic lifting portion of the competition, Monkey Paw. “That event was tough,” Enter stated, “we began with a complex that included one power clean, one hang clean and two consecutive shoulder to over head presses. All that without putting the bar down!” When asked about his opinion of Monkey Paw Jackson responded, “Yeah it was heavy, but I’m about that action boss!” Jackson put his money where his mouth is finishing with the top score lift in Monkey Paw at 325 lbs! 

Both Enter and Jackson hit a PR in this event lifting 325 lbs and 165 lbs, respectively. Between the two Forte Trainers, they lifted a total of 530lbs in their complexes! That is some heavy weight! 

At the end of the day, Team Meat Mountains scored highest across the array of events to secure the overall first place finish and victory! When asked about his favorite part of Mayhem Jackson replied, “Winning is great, but sometimes it’s bigger than that. I get to use my body to do fitness and compete!!!” 

We are proud of our people! Congratulations Alex! Congratulations JJ! We are proud of you for doing what you love and doing it well! 

#ForteStrong

Secrets of the Mediterranean Diet ...

We have all heard the praises of the Mediterranean diet. Why do Italians live longer than anyone on the planet - more than 83 years on average? Is it their food, is it free health care for all, is it the tradition of the siesta following lunch, is it the aperitivo followed by the passegiata, or long family meals??? 

I think the magic formula is all of it. In this time of Covid give it a try. I am sure some of you are working from home. If you were an Italian you would stop and eat lunch at 1pm, and then sometime between 2pm and 2:30pm you would be taking a 30 minute nap. Give it a try!!! 

Aperitivo is about 5pm. Stop!!! Have a small Aperol Spritz and some olives. Passegiata is the walk following dinner and/or aperitivo. 

The nap, meals and walks with loved ones de-stress our stressful lives !!! Try the Italian rhythm out and see what you think.

Simple summer Mediterranean lunch.  

• Pecorino Cheese (grass fed high in omega 3 fatty acids / Blue Fox Cheese Shop on Main St / or try any hard Italian cheese)

• Wild Boar Salami by Olli (wild foraging boars, salt and time make a great and healthy salami / also high in omega 3 fatty acids)

• Toasted Pecans and Walnuts with drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt 

• Mixed lettuces with dress in this order coarse sea salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar

• Fresh summer tomatoes, with dried oregano from southern Italy, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh summer cherries

This is how Mediterranean peoples eat and almost without thinking - it is the culture.  But, when you take a close look, 8 different plants are in this simple lunch and the animal proteins are grass fed or wild foragers making this a very nutrient dense meal.  

Buon Appetito! 

Health Benefits of... golf?

 From completely undeveloped middle schoolers learning how to move their bodies, to the five-star athlete participating in collegiate sports, to the 65-year-old with vertigo, I have coached a varying demographic of people. Each are different in their own ways, but all have a common denominator. No one really loves to engage in aerobic physical activity, except for runners. I have always thought of sports as an easy way to “get in some cardio”. However, this article made me think of something I never really considered before. Golf is one of those sports that almost anyone can participate in, and there are many health benefits that coincide.

Reuters Health cites a recent study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine. A 342 article meta-analysis funded by the World Golf Foundation headed by researcher Dr. Andrew Murray reports that golf can provide aerobic fitness for people of all ages and specifically strength and balance in older adults. “Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health, decreasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, as well as dementia, depression and anxiety,” he states. Murray recognized that golf is not the only sport where these benefits can occur, however golf is “green exercise” or exercise that takes place in natural environments. Green exercise is linked to not only physical health benefits but also psychological health benefits. “Golf gives time to relax, and in a world where older adults are generally less active than youngsters, can be played from [ages] 3 to 103,” states Murray.

Two conclusions of this study; golf has a moderate risk of injury in comparison to other sports and a higher risk of skin cancer due to being played outdoors. Also, to get the most benefit from golfing, players need to engage in 150 minutes per week, and avoid using the golf cart. Warm up exercises and sunscreen are recommended to help prevent injury and reduce the risk of skin cancer. Experts reported that due to the nature of the sport, low impact and sub tachycardic heart rates, individuals seeking to improve cardiovascular fitness may want to supplement golf with another form of exercise. Extra exercise would likely increase health benefits that much more.

Murray highlights a stigma that exists in the sport. Though this is and can be an inclusive sport for all ages and demographics of people, golf is the “domain of older white men.” He reports that it is perceived as difficult to learn and unwelcoming to women and people of color. The expert advised that leaders in golf should and could make a greater effort to make the sport more inclusive and welcoming to individuals from all backgrounds.

I have personal experience with golf being a bit unwelcoming. Additionally, other than Tiger Woods, I cannot name another brown skinned golfer. I have never really wanted to play golf, but I would attribute part of it to the fact there are not many people that are like me that participate. Especially in comparison to other sports, for example basketball or football.

Considering my values, inclusion ranks near the top of the list. There have been times in my life I have experienced exclusion. I believe that inclusion is extremely important in society overall, not just in sport. However, regarding this article I have newly developed thoughts on golf. I feel that golf can be an activity that can help increase physical activity of people from all walks of life. Just as the study reports, it has mental and physical health benefits, and anyone can do it. Making exercise fun changes the perception of the activity. It changes from “I have to” into “I get to”. As a performance coach and fitness professional, it is my goal to not only keep my clients engaged in exercise, but to inspire them to enjoy it as well. If recommending golf to any of my clients will get them up and moving, I am all in. I hope to see the leaders in golf attempt to make the sport more inclusive and inviting to different backgrounds of people. Maybe I will start playing myself.

Muscle Key to Longevity???

Better get lifting some weights!  UCLA research suggest that the more muscle one maintains the less likely one is to die prematurely. The study was published in the American Journal of Medicine led by Dr. Preethi Srikanthan who is a clinical professor of endocrinology at UCLA. 

The key summary finding is that building and maintaining muscle is very important to mitigating metabolic risk. Srikanthan communicated there is too much emphasis on improving body composition via changes in BMI, body fat %, or weight loss.  

A better focus of attention and energy is start building muscle. This may be one of the best suggestions for older adults in terms of a preventive measure to protect length and quality of life. 

The results of this study used bioelectrical impedance to find the correlation between muscle mass index, height and age at death. All-cause mortality was significantly lower in those with greater muscle mass index relative to height.  Simply put the greater your total muscle mass, the lower your risk of death. Dr. Karlamangla at the UCLA professor of geriatrics said, “rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle.”

This study is not a cause and effect relationship.  However, it is an important predictor. BMI has proven to be an inconsistent predictor of mortality. Srikanthan and Karlamangla concluded that medical clinicians should be encouraging adults to improve their relative muscle mass to height ratio.

It is never too early or too late to start building muscle.  Time to start playing weights!

Stuck Inside - Take It To Another Level -

Give this nutrient dense breakfast of brunch a try.  

Step 1

• Cook Bacon in Pan 

Step 2 

Semi-Hard Boiled Eggs

• Pasture Raised Eggs

• Bring Water to A Boil

• Put Eggs in Boiling Water for between 7-8 minutes 

• Put boiled eggs in ice bath and let rest while you work on Step 2

Step 3

Salad:

• Dandelion (Whole Foods - but this could be skipped)

• Celery

• Arugula

• Sweet Red Bell Pepper 

• Radicchio 

• Green Scallion

• Avocado

• Lemon

• Mix with extra virgin olive oil and course sea salt and squeeze of lemon juice

Step 4

• Good Culture Full Fat Cottage Cheese

• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

• Dash of Crushed Chili Pepper

Step 5

• Plate and Enjoy! 

Energy In or Energy Out???

When we think about health and fitness, two concerns we tend to concentrate on is losing weight and building muscle. How to accomplish these goals tend to be where people get confused.

A lot of times you hear people say “it’s simple--calories in versus calories out!” While other people think it’s more complex than that due to hormone imbalances, insulin resistance, and other health problems that affect metabolism, for example the ability for the digestive system to turn food into energy.

I believe that both ideas contain facets of truth.  A better way to look at this issue is “energy in” and “energy out.” There are many factors that affect “energy in,” like appetite, foods consumed, and psychological factors, like stress levels. The same goes for “energy out,” including energy burned at rest, energy burned through exercise, energy burned by non-exercise activity, and energy burned by metabolizing food. These factors are why counting calories is a waste of time. Even if you were able to accurately weigh and measure every morsel of food you ate, it would still be almost impossible to have an exact “calories in” number. Why? First, we don’t absorb all the calories we consume and absorption rates vary across different food types . Second, we all absorb calories uniquely based on our individual micro-biome or gut bacteria. This doesn’t mean that calories in versus calories out doesn’t work, but the tools we have to accurately measure it are limited. In every case we’re always manipulating “energy in” directly and indirectly.

The facts are: if you’re not losing weight, you either need to decrease “energy in” or increase “energy out.” But as explained, that might involve far more than pushing your plate away or spending more time at the gym. I want to push you to go a bit deeper. In fact, it may require you to:

• Get more high-quality sleep in order to better regulate hunger hormones and improve recovery.

• Try to reduce stress and spend more time in nature.

• Increase your daily non-exercise activities by parking your car a few blocks away from your destination, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and/or standing while you work.

• Improve the nutrient quality of the food you’re eating, as opposed to reducing quantity. Always remember whole foods are self-correcting.

• Experiment with the timing of your meals.

• Evaluate and correct any nutritional deficiencies. This could likely be a huge factor in how energized you feel throughout the day.

Overall, there is a common denominator in all this and that is daily exercise and eating whole foods focusing on vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, and fruit. An increase in exercise and consumption of nutrient dense whole foods not only serves to boost “energy out,” but it also changes nutrient partitioning by sending more calories toward muscle growth and fewer to fat storage. The building of muscle and retaining of muscle are metabolic boosters.

Our hope at Forte is that this creates awareness as well as hope for some people. Be mindful of all the different variables that make up health and fitness and become more self-aware to better serve your body, so you can become the healthiest version of yourself.  Don’t get bogged down – it is as simple as exercise and eat whole foods.

Saturday Morning Gourmet Breakfast At Home ...

Ingredients:

2 Pasture Raised Eggs

1 Large Green Scallion

2 Shitake Mushrooms

½ Avocado

Heaping Handful of Spinach 

½ Grapefruit

½ Yellow Kiwi 

Slice the shitake mushroom and the green scallion.  Stir fry in iron skillet with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.  Then add the two eggs. (add a dash of crushed chili pepper)

Splash of olive oil in iron skillet and throw in the spinach.  Season with sea salt.

Cut the grapefruit in half and slice the edges of the wedges.  Cut the yellow kiwi in half.

Enjoy - Buon Appetito 

New Year's Resolution Tips

The New Year is here! At this time of year most people become a little more reflective. We tend to evaluate different areas of our life we would like to improve specifically one’s health. I am sure many of you reading this article had sincere plans to make 2019 the year you finally took the steps to improve your health. Although many people sincerely felt this way, the odds are probably that only a few actually did achieve their goals. Why is this?

As I have trained people over the last 26 years I am convinced that all of you really do want to change your exercise habits. However, there are real life reasons why it does not happen, and our busy lives are number one. Most folks are working so hard on their relationships, careers and parenting that by the time you have taken care of everyone else there is no time left to take care of yourself.

So, how can you make 2020 different and dedicate this year to your health??? Here are three suggestions that I know work because I have personally seen many people apply these three tips and many have lost 20-100 pounds, blood pressure has improved, cholesterol levels have dropped, bodies are more functional, and people are eating more healthfully.

1. Set Exercise Appointments with yourself.

Whether you are a busy professional, busy mother or both your day is filled with appointments with other people. You certainly would not be disrespectful and miss a scheduled appointment. Set exercise appointments with yourself and give yourself the respect you give others. Don’t miss your appointment! When life happens and you miss a scheduled appointment you must reschedule your missed appointment. There are 168 hours in a week. You can do this!!!

 2. Set Specific, Realistic, Measurable Goals. Begin with what works for you.

This is an example of a specific, realistic and measurable goal for January – exercise 3 times per week for 15 minutes. Set it in your calendar with date, exact time of day, and your exercise plan. Three times per week is 12 exercise sessions of 15 minutes for the first month. If you miss simply reschedule your exercise appointment and make sure by January 31 you have exercised 12 different days for 15 minutes. Maintaining your exercise volume each month is a major key. At the end of the month reflect and re-evaluate making changes to your goals. It could be 13 exercise sessions of 20 minutes each. The key is simply to get started, set a goal that is specific, realistic, measurable, and attainable for you to build on.

3. ACCOUNTABILITY!!!

Accountability is essential to keeping your exercise appointment with yourself. But for most of us accountability to self is not enough.  It’s too easy to rationalize something else is more important. Different people are successful with different forms of accountability. For some simply investing in a gym membership is enough, for others having a friend or a group you are committed to exercise with, and for others a higher degree of accountability is needed, for example, a personal trainer. We all spend a great deal of money on health insurance, which is not health insurance at all. Taking care of one’s health through proper nutrition and exercise is true health insurance. The simple key here is get the accountability you need. If a friend works, great! If a group works,
great! If you know you need the highest level of accountability, I suggest investing for 12 weeks in personal training and then re-evaluating. Look at it as if you are taking a class to invest in your health. We have all invested in education to better our lives; so, it just makes sense to do the same for our health. The secret is accountability to a coach, mentor, guide, someone who is committed to your commitment and impervious to your excuses.

We are all well aware of the health crisis in America related to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and a host of other preventable diseases. Make a commitment to the three tips above and you are on your way to receiving the benefits of exercise and healthy eating habits. When you are physically fit you will feel better, sleep better, overcome stress, work better, communicate better, play better and live better! Make 2020 the year you really DO something about making a lifestyle change that will improve your quality of life for years to come!!!

Simple, Light, and Healthy Dinner

• Fresh Gulf Shrimp from Main St Meats - peel lightly stir fry in olive oil with sea salt, black pepper, finely chopped fresh garlic and kick it up a notch with fresh chili pepper

• Fill pot with 1/2 inch of water and steam the asparagus for 2 minutes / pat dry with paper towel / drizzle of olive oil and use hands to coat all the asparagus / season with sea salt

• Rinse a can of cannellini beans warm in pan with olive oil and sea salt

Buon Appetito!

The Calorie Myth

Recently I had a great conversation with one of our clients.  She was very excited about a book she had read called The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung.  In it she had discovered the myth and lie that we have been told regarding calories.  

Since 2004 at Forte we have been revealing the myth of a calorie focused view of fighting obesity.  The idea of calories in, calories out is simply a bankrupt view.  Metabolism is very complicated. Everyone has a metabolism and there are certainly similarities, however it is also like a fingerprint – everyone’s metabolism is unique.  One slice of white bread and one slice of a high-quality whole grain bread, even if they were of the same number of total calories simply are not the same.  

Three simple reasons this is true.

1.     The caloric cost of digesting the whole grain bread is more thus it is a small total of potential excess calories.  

2.     The hormonal response is completely different.  The white bread will cause a spike in insulin.  The purpose is to lower the blood sugar levels.  Without going into great detail the pancreas when secreting insulin consistently through the day because we are consuming refined, processed, high sugar foods we cannot lose weight.  In fact we are actually teaching our body to gain weight. Even sugar free foods will stimulate this response because as soon as the taste of sugar hits the tongue our pancreas will release insulin to lower the blood sugar.  It is not an issue of calories but hormones. 

3.     Finally, there is the issue of nutrient density.  A slice of a high-quality whole grain bread versus a highly refined and processed slice of bread is night and day.  The high fiber whole grain bread will keep blood sugar low and the variety of whole grains will provide protein, complex carbohydrates, trace levels of healthy fats, plus vitamins and minerals.  The white bread is basically devoid of nutrients.  Actually not even truly a food but a toxin.  

The key is simple.  Eat real food.  We all know what real food is.  Focus on these whole and natural foods and consume them by volume in this order order green vegetables, all other colored vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, fruits, potatoes and whole grains, and animal products that are pasture raised.  

Real food is self-correcting.  You cannot overeat.  Think about – if you had a snack of an apple and a nut butter and a glass of water or Goldfish and a Caprisun which would make you satiated and deliver nutrients to your 300 billion cells.  How many Goldfish can one eat at a time??? How many apples can you eat in a row??? Do you see my point?  Real food is self-correcting, you cannot overeat.  And when you eat real food your hormones function to maintain a health body weight as well deliver nutrient density to your cells.  

If you find this interesting read the Obesity Code by Dr. Fung or check the Forte blogs that began in 2014:

·       September 3, 2014 Real Food is Self-Correcting

·       December 8, 2014 Calories and The Affordable Care Act 

·       April 27, 2015 We Don’t Understand Metabolism

·       August 16, 2016 You Can’t Outwork a Poor Diet 

Eating real whole foods and moving your body are true medicine!