Personal Health Intiative Training

Archive for May, 2013

Supplement your Diet

We live in a world where many foods are processed, have added chemicals, or lose their nutritive value by the time we put it in our mouths. How many of you have a farm and can get the food from the field to your mouth? Didn’t think so…For these reasons, supplementation can be a wonderful way to get the nutrients your body is missing. There are several that I take every morning with breakfast. Remember that your food is the main source of your nutrient intake. You cannot rely on supplements because they are just that, SUPPLEMENTS, not replacements. I do believe they are a good way to improve and maintain health if you use them properly. This is what I take…

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Vitamin C: It’s not just a myth! I did my own experimentation (unintentionally) with vitamin C. I started taking 1000-2000 mg per day and never got sick. My co-workers were always sick but I never seemed to pick up anything. One day I stopped, and weeks later I picked up a cold. Now you can call this a coincidence but I would rather take vitamin c than not take it. Remember it is preventative, not a cure. You need to take it everyday. “Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health,” says study researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan. “The more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health [and] immunity to living longer.”

Multivitamin: While the vitamins and minerals you consume should be mostly from food, taking a multi cannot hurt you. Research shows that people who take a multi have better health overall.

Tre-en-en: I have to really thank my friend CJ for recommending this herbal supplement. Since I have been taking it, I have more energy than ever before. It is made up of whole grain lipids and sterols that allow nutrients to get into the cell membranes and assist with getting rid of waste. http://us.gnld.com/en-us/product/NeoLifeNutritionals/All/TreEnEn

Omega-3 Supplements: Omega 3 can help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and manage heart disease. These are GOOD fats (DHA and EPA).

Be sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables along with lean cuts of meat and whole grains (unless you have an allergy). Never restrict yourself from certain foods if it is not a life or death situation. Your body needs variety and it will also keep things interesting! My favorite place to order supps from is http://www.puritan.com/ and the Vitamin Shoppe. Puritan’s pride always has sales!

I’m certified…!

So I did it! I am officially a NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certified personal trainer. On Monday, I took the exam that I had been studying for, for the last 2.5 months. Now what does this all mean. It gives me more credibility to be able to write this blog. I use what I have learned in the past in my weight loss and competition experiences to share with others. Now I have more of a science based knowledge to understand the systems of the body and training theory. My goal is to continue to help others reach their weight loss and health goals. 

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I am currently enrolled in a nutrition class so that is going to add to my knowledge base. Always learning!

Egg White McMuffin Review

On Friday morning, I did not have time to fix my usual breakfast of egg whites and oatmeal. On my way to work I stopped at McDonald’s. I heard previously, that they were going to come out with an egg white sandwich. So, I decided this would be a healthy option. Well….healthier…as healthy as you can get from a fast-food place. I must say that I actually enjoyed it. It was just enough to fill me up but not have me feeling stuffed and groggy. It was a nice combination of protein and carbs. (I also got orange juice which is rare for me but I splurged a bit). Anyway, if you are out, don’t have time, or are on vacation with your family, this would be a decent option for breakfast. Also, if you haven’t noticed, McDonald’s lists the  calories and macronutient content of all of their foods on the drive through menu and the wrappers of the foods. I think that is neat!

Here is the breakdown for the egg white mcmuffin with canadian bacon. 

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250 calories: 18 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 32 grams of carbs, 800 mg of sodium 

You can make it 180 calories by eliminating the cheese sauce and canadian bacon.