BODYPUMP!

can you say, "FREAKING OUT!!" because I can and I am.

just recently I started taking Body Pump classes at my gym. BODYPUMP is a class offered by Les Mills using barbells and weights to sculpt, tone and strengthen your entire body. all too often we get stuck on the cardio train. cardio is brilliant. it's great for building endurance and keeping your insides healthy (the heart loves cardio). but sometimes we forget that fitness is a marriage between cardio and strength. we go for a run....jump into a spinning class...walk...swim, all the while burning calories and getting our heart rates up whilst neglecting to build and strengthen our muscles, which will ultimately improve our performance in all areas of fitness. one of the most common misconceptions concerning weight training is that if you lift you'll look like those she-men with thighs the size of your torso. not true!! unless you're intentionally training for a weight lifting competition (and pounding protein like it's your job), strength training will not result in obscene muscle bulges. Let's talk about the benefits of strength training, shall we?

STRENGTH TRAINING:

1. protects bone health and muscle mass: after adolescents we all start losing approximately 1% of our bone/muscle strength every year (yikes!). strength training has been shown to stop, prevent and even reverse bone and muscle loss. what!? science. is. so.cool!!

2. makes you stronger and fitter: yes please. muscles are being strengthened and toned by contracting against the resisting force of weight. as you replace fat with muscle, your bod is not only going to feel healthier, but you are going to look HOT. 

3. helps develop better body mechanics: balance. coordination. posture. all of these things get better with strength training. vitally important among older adults, strength training can reduce the risk of falls by up to 40%.

4. plays a role in disease prevention: strength training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis and lower back pain. strength training can help increase bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures. strength training can also help improve glucose control (super important for anyone with diabetes). 

5. boosts energy levels and improves mood: (like coffee, only better!!) strength training presents a big endorphin (natural opiates produced by the brain) boost. and that's not all - research shows improvements in sleep and overall quality of life as strength training has antidepressant properties. 

6. burns more calories: there we go! (I know some of you are saying, nicole, quit it with all this rubbish, just tell me how I can drop 10 lbs. well...here it is...)  our bodies continue to burn calories after strength training, known as the 'after burn' or 'physiologic homework'.  More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat. strength training can boost your metabolism by 15%. 

tell me you're convinced. yeah!? don't for one second think you can't do this because you don't have access to expensive weight machines, barbells or dumbells. strength training includes plyometric exercises like pushups, situps, lunges, squats, etc. NO EXCUSES! if you are more advanced and you think you'd like to give a class like BODYPUMP a try, I say go-for-it!! remember to use light weights your first time and see how you feel afterwards. take a buddy, it's fun!! I'll be honest, after my first class I thought, 'wait, was that it? I'm not sweaty', but two days later, boy was I eating my words. you will be sore! and you'll want to make a habit of it. heck, I've only taken 5 classes and I'm going to get certified this weekend. crazy!? mmm. probably. I'll keep you posted on the training. In the mean time, learn more about BODYPUMP and other Les Mills programs here.  

who's coming with me!? 

Restaurant War(nings), as per Dr. Oz:

Once upon a time, I worked as a food server at a little bar and grille. yes, a food server is exactly what it sounds like...the person not quite cool enough to take your order but more than capable of delivering your meal to your table and doing the rest of the not-so-shiny bits of the job. The locale will remain unnamed, however, after having spent the majority of my summer in the kitchen (for the sole purpose of a pay check) I refused to allow my family to step foot in the restaurant. I could almost promise that your fingers would not be the first to touch your food, and heaven forbid you sent something back with a complaint. but that's neither here, nor there. all this to say, NEVER EAT OUT. I'm kidding (sort-of). 

I've made mention of the benefits of cooking your own meals in previous posts, but eating out can't always (nor should it have to) be avoided. you can make healthy choices irrespective of where you choose to dine. no excuses. even Turkey Hill sells bananas and hard boiled eggs. 

Recently, Dr. Oz targeted some of the secret issues restaurants fail to acknowledge. so, consider this a cautionary tale. I'm not saying that all restaurants are the pits. In fact, I've seen, first hand, dining establishments that are top-notch and run by the book. Just be wary and do your research. Your health is a priority. if it's not, it darn well should be. act accordingly. 

Here they are, Restaurant SECRETS: 

1. Your meat might be rotten. 
"An old trick is to keep steak that's past its prime and wait until somebody orders it well-done. The more you cook the meat, the more you disguise its flavor – so restaurants are able to serve you food that’s really past its prime." 
SOLUTION: order your steak medium. that way they have to use fresher cuts of meat. 

2. Your meal comes with added sugar!
"Do you ever wonder why some of your favorite dishes look shiny? The answer is extra sugar. It’s added to most pasta dishes to help cut the bitterness from the tomato sauce. It’s even added to pizza dough! It makes the food taste better and keeps you coming back for more. The extra sugar is adding calories to your meal and inches to your waistline!"
SOLUTION: While hard to avoid, you can ask your server what is included in the steak seasoning or ask for your veggies steamed instead of in that oh-so-good sugary butter sauce. 

3. Buffets bread bacteria. (doesn't the word buffet just make you want to gag!? ick.)

"The danger of buffets is that the food sits out at inconsistent temperatures. The food on the bottom is burnt, while the food on the top is too cold. Additionally, you don’t always get real ingredients. A recent test from West Virginia University concluded that scrambled eggs from two restaurant buffets were not made from real eggs but from liquid egg substitutes containing less protein and more water. Anything that’s all-you-can-eat is usually either low quality or food made from starch or heavy in fat."

SOULTION: Don't eat at buffets. but if you haaaave to, go when they first open and the food is at it's freshest. 

4. Serving trays are filthy. 

"Busy restaurant workers don’t have time to clean a tray. If they do clean it, they are often using the same dirty cloth to wipe them all clean - spreading the germs!"

SOLUTION: Ask for food in a to-go container or bring an antibacterial wipe. 

5. The 'special' is often a poor choice. (s c a r y!) 

"Restaurateurs know that many diners will order a special, and consequently raise the price. Sadly, the daily special may not actually be special; instead, they are usually made of the food the chef needs to get rid of fast. This includes aging meat and fish, old veggies and leftover sauces."

SOLUTION: Don’t be shy about asking the waiter questions about the ingredients. And don’t order a special on Sunday! Restaurants very rarely get food deliveries on the weekend, so anything served on Sunday night has probably been in the cooler for a few days.

6. Water pitchers are unwashed.

"Water pitchers are sometimes washed only once a day – at the end of the night. That means during the day, they just get recycled and used over and over again. When the waiter comes around to refill your water – watch! – does the pitcher actually touch your glass? If the waiter is touching all the other patrons' glasses with the same pitcher, think about all those germs you are about to drink!"

SOLUTION: don't drink straight from the glass. ask for a straw. 

7. The music dictates how much you eat. 

"Music sets a mood – and it can affect your eating habits. If a restaurant is playing loud music, you feel like you have more energy. That makes you order more and eat faster. It also means you’ll overeat. The bonus for the restaurant? You’ll leave faster – helping the restaurant get more customers in the door!"

SOLUTION: Be conscientious the next time you dine out. Enjoy the music, order carefully and enjoy your food.

8. Leftovers are great! but...don't ask the waiter to pack them up. 

"Remember, there's no special 'leftover boxing-up station.' Your plate could be left in the kitchen next to dirty dishes and garbage. You have no idea how your food will get into your leftover container."

SOLUTION: ask for the to-go container and box it up yourself! 

9. You're better off licking the floor than restaurant lemons. 

"Most restaurants never wash their lemons. They stay in the box that they were shipped in until they end up on your plate. In an independent test, Dr. Oz discovered 5 out of 5 lemons from five different restaurants were coated with germs including mold, bacteria, staph and Candida yeast" – ew!!

SOLUTION: go lemon-less or squeeze the juice in/on yourself, avoiding the rinds. 

10. Decaf serves as Caffeinated. (after dark) 

"If you order coffee past 8 p.m., it’s most likely decaf. Restaurants don’t want to wash two pots so they often use one and fill it with decaf. It saves them time and money to serve only one option."

SOLUTION: If you need caffeine, order an espresso or cappuccino - these are made to order 

11. Bathroom cleanliness dictates kitchen cleanliness. 

"Although it may seem counterintuitive to associate a restaurant’s bathroom with their kitchen, these two places often share the same level of cleanliness. If a restaurant can’t be bothered to keep the toilets and sinks clean, then imagine what their refrigeration and workspaces look like in the kitchen."

SOLUTION: Don't eat at a restaurant where the bathroom trashcan is more than half full. Is there toilet paper? Is there soap? Make sure the bathrooms are being regularly monitored and cleaned.