Challenge #1 for the Day

Each day I am going to present one CHALLENGE that I personally want to stick to. I encourage anyone reading this, to follow me and create a challenge for themselves.

Today's Challenge:

PORTION CONTROL

It is one thing to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and "clean" diet, although it's another to overeat those foods, even though they are good for you. Calories are calories, anyway you cut it. So, today, and going forward, my challenge is to manage my PORTIONS and measure out my respective serving sizes.

I want to make the most of my workout program, ChaLEAN Extreme, and in order to see maximum results, I will manage my portions.

I challenge you all reading this, to do the same and follow my journey.

30 Random Things About Me

1. I could stare at my kids for hours and hours and hours. It amazes me that we can create such amazing little humans.
2. I feel honored to have as many wonderful friends that I do…despite getting mocked for having too many. Who can have too many friends???
3. I have a ½ sister that I tend to forget about. Likely because she doesn’t live near us and is only 6 months older than my daughter, therefore I tend to think of her as a “niece”, which would be weird!
4. I married my best friend. He makes me light up.
5. My brother is my hero.
6. My Mother has been through more life shattering obstacles and she continues to amaze me with her strength. I only wish I carry as much strength and courage she does.
7. I would love to get a part time job at Lululemon, just to get a discount on their clothes. LOVE THEM!
8. I’ve always had a secret ambition to be a back up hip hop dancer. Not for a rap star, but someone like Britney, Beyonce or Fergie.
9. I sense my Grandfather, aka “Buppy” in my son. They share many funny mannerisms.
10. I have finally found my calling, aside from motherhood – to help others find a better quality of life through fitness, nutrition and self-employment. I LOVE IT!
11. I secretly love that my son is a little Momma’s boy! 12. I’ve always wanted to travel to Australia and Barbados.
13. I have been enamored with Facebook and how many friends I’ve reconnected with.
14. I love anything SWEET!
15. Although I’m not entirely savvy with it…I love technology. Especially the latest and greatest cell phone/Blackberry.
16. I’m thinking about getting my Group Exercise certificate.
17. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women that serve our country.
18. My goal is to finish my 1st marathon this summer.
19. I would do anything for my family.
20. I’m thankful to be out of Corporate America.
21. I feel badly that our dog spends more time at my in-laws, than our place. It’s for the best, but I still feel bad…and sad.
22. Shows on the WB make me cry!
23. I would love to really learn how to play golf. Then I could keep up with my husband.
24. I’m in love with snowboarding.
25. I sleep with a white noise machine every night. It’s heaven.
26. Although I complain about her bad sleeping habits, I secretly love it when my daughter gets into bed with us in the middle of the night.
27. I have a scar over both of my eyes. It’s amazing I still can see!
28. I miss my Dad terribly and saddened each day that he doesn't get to see his grandchildren evolve into truly exceptional little beings.
29. Getting in better shape has built up my confidence.
30. I have the biggest fear of earthquakes.

What is your "WHY"?

Have you ever asked yourself that? What is my "WHY"?

Well, if you are a Beachbody Coach, like me, you are constantly reminded to recognize your "WHY". For so long I went back and forth on what my "WHY" was. Was it to provide more for my family? To be a role model for my kids? To fulfull a passion in what I enjoy? Or was it to take on a new challenge and know I can succeed?

All of these are valid "WHY's", but you must look deep into your soul and really dissect what your "WHY" is.

By establishing your very own "WHY", you can set the tone for what you want to accomplish. Now, this isn't a "WHY" that your husband, friend, Mother, Mother-in-law or sister wants for you, or expects from you, this is what YOU want to accomplish and what YOU can achieve.

So take a moment, right down your goals and really, truly establish your "WHY". You'll be amazed to see it in plain site and as you focus on it, recognize the power within yourself to achieve it.

Always live by your "WHY" and know you can achieve great things by it.

WANT TO LEAN OUT? Here is the secret....ADD MUSCLE! by Mike French

A great post by a fabulous fellow Team Beachbody Coach to his group - this answers A LOT of questions for most:

1.) Muscle is the MOST anabolic substance in the human body (Anabolic processes tend toward "building up" organs and tissues. These processes produce growth and differentiation of cells and increase in body size)

2.) Muscle chews up body fat. If you add 1 pound of muscle, and your body burns an additional 50 calories per day just to sustain that muscle. (Add 10 pounds of muscle and your body burns an extra 500 calories to maintain it!)

Most people in an effort to burn body fat greatly increase their number and length of cardiovascular workout sessions.THIS IS A MISTAKE!!!!! This hamstrings your efforts to burn body fat believe it or not. While you do burn allot of calories during extended cardio sessions you are also chewing up hard earned muscle. That is why you don't see any competitive
bodybuilders who also run marathons!

You burn alot of calories during extended or extra cardio but that stops when you stop the cardio.

Here is the secret:Your metabolism continues to burn body fat and calories for HOURS after hard resistance training. The muscle repairing itself has alot to do with this.

In effect, building muscle through INTENSE weight training is the key to the lean, muscular body we all strive for.(A prime example of extended cardio not being the key is people that only do aerobics and no weight training. They NEVER change the shape of their body. They stay the same year after year....what is the sense of that?)

What does this mean for P90Xers or ChaLEAN users?

DO THE PROGRAM AS DESIGNED AND WORK HARD ON GETTING STRONGER DURING YOUR RESISTANCE TRAINING NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

**EMPHASIZE PROTEIN - Eating more protein intensifies the thermogenic effect of the digestive process by 1/3rd and protein is the nutrient that builds metabolism enhancing muscle.

We need carbohydrates to fuel our workouts and repair muscle but don't get carried away. Too much WILL be stored as fat.

Remember guys and gals:MORE STRENGTH = MORE MUSCLE = LESS BODYFAT

Thanks Mike!! You always put it into perspective.

To learn more about P90X, any of the Beachbody Programs, or how you can be a part of our Coaching program, click here to learn more.

Sheryl Crow - Another P90X Fan

We all read in our favorite People Magazine how Poppy Montgomery was able to shed all her baby weight by doing P90X. Now Sheryl Crow has endorsed it as she raved about it on the red carpet at the Grammy's.

It's not just a trend, it's a proven total body program that will guarantee results. Ask me how!

Why Economics Drives Most Food Options You Have

A great article from Mercola.com:

Being overweight is not just a disease; it’s a symptom of many other things that are wrong with your diet. And much of the blame for the current American diet comes down to economics.In a $10 trillion economy, $1 trillion goes to food companies and $2.5 trillion goes to health care. Food companies, like any good businesses, are always seeking to increase the consumption of their product. But in food, there’s an unwritten law of marketing called potato chip marketing equations.That means that 10 percent of your customers buy 90 percent of the product. You may go out and buy one or two bags of potato chips a month. But somebody else is buying one bag a day -- 30 bags every month.When you add that extra 20 percent extra to your weight, you don’t increase your food consumption 20 percent a day. You double it to 200 percent a day. Your caloric intake to maintain 180 pounds is almost twice the caloric intake you need to maintain 150 pounds.Think of that from the standpoint a food company. Food companies, as a result, market to people to make everyone part of their potato chip marketing equation. They spend their marketing dollars getting existing customers to buy more of their product.At what point after two, three, four, 10, 12 bags of potato chips do they no longer taste good? How about McDonald’s French fries? All processed foods never get tiring -- they have chemically altered the food substances in that food to make sure you’re never tired of it.The problem with obesity, which is ultimately caused by poor diet, is really an economic problem. And when people consume this terrible diet, they end up with all types of medical problems, and they go to the doctors for treatment. But the medical companies are in effect in a conspiracy of sorts with the food companies. They’ve almost said to the food companies, “We’ll treat the symptoms of this bad diet. We will never treat the cause, your bad food.”

Sources:
AdvantEdge Newsletter


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Renowned economist Paul Pilzer has done an excellent job of revealing what’s going on behind the scenes when it comes to food production and marketing in the United States. I encourage you to read the entire article by clicking on the link above.

Regular newsletter readers know that I’m fond of exposing how much the drug industry spends to manipulate and distort your perceptions about health care. Well they only spend $20 billion a year. The food industry is spending TWICE that much to convince you and your kids to choose highly processed convenience foods that will accelerate a massive decline in your health (and facilitate your need to use drugs to control your symptoms).

You can watch this terrific video series by Peter Jennings to find out just how the food industry is quietly sabotaging your health. For instance, 90 percent of foods Americans purchase every year are processed foods, and in 2006, 2,800 new candies, desserts, ice cream, and snacks were introduced to the marketplace, compared to just 230 new fruits or vegetable products.

Food marketers do a masterful job at making it seem like fast foods and junk foods are the obvious choice. They’re relatively inexpensive, they taste good, and they make fixing dinner a snap. No longer do you need to fuss with actually cleaning or chopping a vegetable. Simply pop their prepared boxes of food in the microwave and you’re ready to go.

What the food industry neglects to tell you is that there is a heavy price for consuming this terrible diet. It is one of the major causes of a slew of chronic diseases facing the United States. So for the sake of convenience or good taste now, you are trading the most valuable asset that you have: your health.

Why do You Eat so Much Junk Food?

As I said above, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed foods. This is, in large part, due to the successful marketing of agribusiness They have also cleverly designed your food shopping experience at most supermarkets to increase the sales of higher profit junk foods, instead of farmer’s markets that display whole foods. Another significant part of the food equation is that most American food crops are currently subsidized by the U.S. government: such as corn, wheat, soy and rice. Growing little else but corn and soy translates to a far higher likelihood we will eating more processed foods.

And then there are the food additives, chemicals added to the foods to make you want more. I found this to be one of the most interesting and spot-on parts of Pilzer’s article. When people struggle with food cravings and overeating, it is typically because they are craving something unhealthy like potato chips, French fries, soda or candy.I doubt if any physician or nutritionist has seen someone come in complaining about their desire to gorge themselves on spinach and asparagus. It just doesn’t happen. This is because your body will naturally crave a variety of different foods to keep you healthy. That is, if you eat unprocessed whole foods. Processed foods are typically chemically altered to increase the appeal to your taste buds, so they can override your body’s signals in your body that would otherwise tell you it’s time to stop eating and try something else. These foods are pumped full of unnatural amounts of sugar, corn syrup, salt, MSG and many others, which radically increases the likelihood of becoming addicted to them. In one study of rats fed a diet containing 25 percent sugar, they became anxious when the sugar was removed -- displaying symptoms similar to people going through drug withdrawals, such as chattering teeth and the shakes.

The researchers conducting the study found a link between opioids, your brain’s 'pleasure chemicals,' and a craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. It is thought that high-fat foods stimulate the opioids, as when researchers stimulated rats’ brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid enkephalin, the rats ate up to six times their normal intake of fat.

Further, long lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry, similar to those caused by morphine or heroin use, were also noted. According to researchers, this means that even simple exposure to pleasurable foods is enough to change gene expression, which suggests an addiction to the food.Meanwhile, refined sugar, which is in just about every processed food out there, because it is cheap and improves the flavor of the food, has been proven to be more addictive than cocaine! Your body’s sweet receptors (two protein receptors located on your tongue), which evolved in ancestral times when the diet was very low in sugar, have not adapted to modern times’ high-sugar consumption.

Therefore, the abnormally high stimulation of these receptors by our sugar-rich diets generates excessive reward signals in the brain, which have the potential to override normal self-control mechanisms, and thus lead to addiction.

This is why, if you regularly eat a diet of processed foods, whole foods seem to lack flavor. You have become conditioned to think that these chemically altered foods are the norm, when in reality the opposite is true.When you switch your diet to one focused on whole, unprocessed foods, such as the one I recommend in Take Control of Your Health, your ability to appreciate natural flavors will rapidly return. Suddenly you’ll experience how delicious fresh produce can be. And a piece of fruit will taste very sweet. Once you are eating this way, if you then eat a candy bar or a potato chip, you will frequently be shocked by the excessive sweetness and saltiness.

This is Not About Self-Deprivation

Many people feel that if they can’t eat their favorite junk foods, they are being deprived. In reality, the sooner you switch your eating habits, the sooner you’ll enjoy increased energy, normalized weight, a better mood and improved health overall.

Knowing this, many initially succeed at implementing an improved diet, but then fall back into old habits... and therefore, the "old" body.Why? This is largely due to emotional barriers or injuries that were never healed. This is why to truly succeed at revamping your eating habits, and breaking free from the onslaught of marketing messages telling you otherwise, I highly recommend you work on overcoming your emotional eating challenges.There are clearly many useful and effective strategies in this area. In my clinical practice, I have tried a variety of methods, and have been exposed to many more (both traditional and alternative) but none have come close to the success rate I have experienced with the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT. This form of psychological acupressure can help you to reduce food cravings, remove negative emotions and implement positive goals so that you are ready to make a change.

Remember, subsisting on junk foods alone is a surefire way to accelerate your aging process and compromise your health. (To get an idea of how quickly and dramatically this happens, watch SuperSize Me.) There is just no way around it -- if you want to reap a healthy life, you and your family need to focus your diets on fresh, whole foods.

HELP ME FIGHT THE GROWING TRENDS OF OBESITY: www.choose2befit.com

Beachbody Revolution - Turn Your Weight Loss into Profit!

5 Tips for Teaching Nutritious Food Choices, By Suzy Buglewicz

It can seem like an impossible task to steer kids toward healthy food choices when they face a daily stream of endless advertisements depicting other kids happily devouring high-calorie foods loaded with sugar, fats, and sodium. But according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), our food and physical activity choices affect not only our health but how we feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Studies show that a child's nutrition has a direct impact on how healthy he or she will be as an adult. With the holiday season behind us, and fewer visions of sugar plums and other treats dancing through our heads, there's no time like the present to reinforce a balanced diet. And the bottom line is that kids won't know about good food choices unless their parents show them what foods they need for their bodies to grow strong.

1. Plan menus as a family. One of the best places kids can learn about food and healthy eating is in their own kitchens. Sitting down to plan a week's worth of family menus might sound daunting and time consuming, but it will make the next two tips much easier and worth the effort. Pick a time before the week starts and decide on about 5 days' worth of menus. Pull out a few cookbooks, ask the kids for their input, and let them choose some of their favorite recipes. Nutrition experts recommend that parents offer a range of healthy choices that are similar in nutritional value instead of simply asking kids what they want to eat. It's a win-win since the kids feel in control by getting to make the choice, and the parent knows that, whatever the choice is, the choice will be healthy. Encourage them to create a menu board on which they write down and decorate the week's menu. Don't forget to include desserts—healthy desserts, of course!

2. Go shopping. If you want your family to eat healthily, you have to shop healthily. Take your kids to the grocery store (feed them before you leave the house!), and, for the older kids, encourage them to read the nutrition information on the labels of their favorite snack foods. (Get Real with Shaun T™ and Shaun T's Fit Kids® Club both offer guides for teaching kids to read nutrition labels.) Ask them to look at the sugar, fat, and salt contents, and explain that the higher the percentages, the unhealthier the foods are. The more involved kids are in the shopping and meal planning, the better informed they'll be to make healthier choices about what they eat, even when you're not there to remind them.Another benefit of taking kids to the grocery store is giving them supervised control to choose healthy snacks for the family. Consider fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season when they are at their peak flavor, and encourage the kids to choose a fruit and/or vegetable they've never tried before. Include breakfast items on the shopping trip, since studies show that eating breakfast gives our bodies the fuel we need to have enough energy for the rest of the day. And if you don't want your kids to eat junk food, don't buy it. Experts warn that eating too much junk food is contributing to the rise in childhood obesity.

3. Get cooking. It's no secret that eating out puts on more pounds than eating home-cooked meals. Eating at home also gives you a better idea of reasonable portion control, which has gotten out of control at restaurants, where plates are often supersized with extra starchy and fried foods like bread and french fries. Even with multiple family activities and schedules, vowing to cook at home just one more night a week than you do now can make a difference. Teach your kids how to cook; if they're too young, encourage them to help you in the kitchen. Not only will they learn what goes into a healthy meal, preparing meals as a family allows for quality family time. Kids can even reinforce what they've learned in school by helping look up and read recipes and measure ingredients. Even if you're really pressed for time, a meal as simple as grilled chicken breast with a green salad and a baked potato provides a nutritious dinner that can be on the table in 30 minutes.

4. Take a walk on the wild side: try something new. Kids need healthy food choices to fuel their growing bodies and active lifestyles, but sometimes they get stuck in a rut eating only things like carrots or cucumbers as their "healthy food choices." When introducing a new food on their plates, serve small portions so you'll both feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish eating. And be sure to let your kids see you try new foods so they're more likely to step out of their comfort zones and try something new as well.The USDA recommends starting with one new healthy food at a time and adding a new one each day. One of the easiest ways to add more fruits and vegetables to a picky kid's diet is to serve the food cut into bite-sized pieces with healthy but tasty dips or spreads. Apple slices with peanut butter and carrots, celery, and broccoli with low-fat ranch dip, flavored hummus, or even homemade salsa are great choices. Talk to your kids about what different types of foods do for the body, such as the importance of calcium for building strong teeth and bones and vegetables and grains for building healthy muscles and having a healthy digestion system. If the kids only want to eat junk food because they think it tastes good, explain that they will ultimately face issues like fatigue, obesity, and high blood pressure, which will lead to lifelong health problems.

5. Practice what you preach. Be a good role model and show your kids that a nutritious diet is all about balance, not deprivation. Go ahead and let them see you splurge on an occasional chocolate bar or donut, but make sure they also see you regularly eating your fruits and vegetables. Continue the healthy eating trend when eating out as a family and encourage your kids to make healthier choices. A sub sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of baked potato chips is a much better choice than a greasy burger and fries. The nutrition choices parents teach kids when they're young will likely stay with them as they grow. And while you can't expect bad habits to change overnight, small steps to improve what you eat along with regular exercise will lead to a lifetime of healthy habits.

If you are not a FREE Member of the Team Beachbody Community, then let me know how I can help you get signed in. You can be receiving these and more great articles, tips and info into your own INBOX. Ask me how.

Coca-Cola Sued for Marketing "Vitaminwater" as Healthy

A great article I found through my favorite health and wellness website: www.mercola.com

A class-action suit contends that Coca-Cola is illegally marketing its “Vitaminwater” line as a healthy product.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is one party to the suit, which cites California consumer-protection laws.According to the suit, "Vitaminwater is not a healthy beverage. Rather it is sugar water -- just like soft drinks -- with a few added vitamins."The suit cites the labeling of Vitaminwater with flavors such as "defense," "rescue," "energy" and "multi-v" as proof of its health claims.

The suit asks that California consumers of Vitaminwater be awarded actual and punitive damages.
Sources:
Advertising Age January 15, 2009


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
With a name like “Vitaminwater,” there’s no doubt Glaceau, the maker of Vitaminwater, is trying to pass this brightly colored sugary beverage line off as healthy. It’s their attempt to cash in on a growing trend among Americans and others around the world to seek out health-supporting drinks instead of soda -- and it’s working.

Coca-Cola is not stupid and after significant due diligence they bought Glaceau in 2007 for $4.1 billion. Since then, Information Resource Inc. reported that the brand increased sales by over 19 percent in 2008. There is no doubt in my mind that people are willing to buy these pricey drinks because of the illusion that they will promote their health.

The varieties include such catchy names as ‘defense,' 'rescue,' 'energy' and 'endurance,' and the maker’s claim the drinks can reduce your risk of chronic disease and eye disease, promote healthy joints and support immune function.

What’s Really Lurking in a Bottle of Vitaminwater?

The average person picking up a bottle of Vitaminwater would easily think this is simply flavored water with added vitamins and minerals, which sounds like a good thing, right?

Well, in reality a bottle of Vitaminwater contains 33 grams of sugar, including crystalline fructose. So the average consumer will believe they are doing themselves and their family a huge favor by choosing Vitaminwater over soda when the reality is that there is not much difference -- Vitaminwater has over SIX TEASPOONS of sugar in it.

What is crystalline fructose? According to The Sugar Association, “Crystalline fructose is produced by allowing the fructose to crystallize from a fructose-enriched corn syrup.”

While many people mistakenly believe that fructose is an acceptable form of sweetener, it is far from healthy. Refined man-made fructose metabolizes to triglycerides and adipose tissue, not blood glucose. The downside of this is that fructose does not stimulate your insulin secretion, nor enhance leptin production. (Leptin is a hormone involved in appetite regulation.)

Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in regulating how much food you eat, as well as your body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased food intake and weight gain.

Additionally, fructose is also known to significantly raise your triglycerides, which puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.

So in no way, shape or form is Vitaminwater something I’d consider healthy. CSPI, who filed the suit against Coca-Cola, was right on when they said:

“ … According to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of Vitaminwater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles.”

CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner went on to say:

"Coke fears, probably correctly, that they’ll sell less soda as Americans become increasingly concerned with obesity, diabetes, and other conditions linked to diets too high in sugar. VitaminWater is Coke's attempt to dress up soda in a physician's white coat. Underneath, it’s still sugar water, albeit sugar water that costs about ten bucks a gallon."

If you think Vitaminwater is a stretch, Coca-Cola even came out with a Diet Coke Plus, which contains vitamins as well, and was being marketed as a health food until the FDA stepped in late last year.

If you gain nothing else from this article, let it serve as a reminder as to the importance of reading labels. As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover … and you can’t judge a food product by its cover either. If you are opting to buy any processed food, make sure to flip it over and read the ingredients for yourself, regardless of how healthy it appears to be.

The simple fact remains that drinking any flavored, sweetened beverage is not going to push your health in a positive direction, whether or not it is sprinkled with a few added vitamins. A better choice is to drink pure water, and get your vitamins the way they were designed to be obtained.

The Superior Way to Get Your Vitamins Is …

From your food, of course! No vitamin supplement can compensate for improper eating. So if you want to get all of the great health benefits that Vitaminwater is claiming -- reduced risk of chronic disease, more energy, a healthier immune system and so on -- it’s time to start paying attention to what you’re eating. Proper nutrition really begins with identifying your Nutritional Type, and then following the program, focusing on eating unprocessed, organic and locally grown foods.

As a complement to your diet, a multivitamin can be beneficial, but not in the synthetic forms used in most energy drinks, flavored beverages and vitamin pills on the market. Your body will absorb greater amounts of nutrients if the multivitamin comes in a non-synthetic natural whole food form, and this is the only type I recommend taking.

Hope you enjoyed the article, for more great info on proper health and wellness, keep checking back here on add Mercola to your favorites browser.