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Staying Happy, Healthy and Stress - Free Through the Holidays - Full Story

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Womens Wellness Through the Ages
By Melissa Brown

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Well I have been pretty busy lately as most of you know I haven't had many posts up but I have been writing. I recently was hired to write the health and wellness column for San Joaquin - Valley Living Magazine!

Having a passion for writing at a young age and now getting to realize that dream through writing about my love of fitness and nutrition is just amazing to me! You know how you feel when things are coming around full circle?
Anyhow my first article is in the August issue and is called Take It Outside. It covers a lot of great local places to go outside in the valley and includes specific workouts you can do when you're there! In addtion they used a photo from our July Fitness Boot Camp of some of you running bleachers! Pretty Awesome! Pick up an issue today! Page 74! Look for me in your September issue as well I will be there! Unfortunately not all articles in the magazine are available online so I am working on getting this one up soon but here is a link to their site
http://www.sanjoaquinmagazine.com/sj/

Take it Outside Articlehttp://www.cosmopinkstyle.com/docs/take_it_outside_fitness_lodi_san_joaquin.pdf

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Last week I was interviewed by the Panorama Editor - Jennifer Gokhman at the Lodi News Sentinel for a piece in the paper about my recent Fitness Boot Camp. Check it Out!

Boot Camp Interview
By Jennifer Gokhman

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I would like to take a moment and thank Jed Green over here at our local Max Muscle in Lodi, Ca for being this years Beach Body Boot Camp Sponsor. Jed at Max Muscle donated a $100 Gift Certificate to this years most accomplished girl. Thanks Jed! We appreciate all your help and great products!!!

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Here is an article I was interviewed for back in February about how to go about selecting a personal trainer. It is published on www.familytime.com - they have all kinds of great tips for busy people like us! Check it out!

Ready to Get Fit

By Tracy Leigh Ritts

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Well we've come a long way baby - My husband brought this to my attention this morning, knowing I would be thrilled that there was an international holiday that celebrated women! Now don’t get me wrong, I am no man hater - men deserve to be celebrated too! A friend of my husband’s lives in Ukraine and mentioned that today was International Women's Day and that he was getting a four day holiday to boot! How awesome is that? So I looked it up and apparently the first National Women’s Day celebrated in the United States was February 28th 1909. Similarly women in other countries around the world were going through much of the same struggles that we were and also adopted this holiday around the same time. I urge all of you out there to give a "You Go Girl!" to your mothers, sisters, daughters and girlfriends today. Celebrate yourselves and all that you have accomplished - You are worthy. Remember "You are what you think about most of the time." - Brian Tracy. You are a smart and beautiful person and deserve to be celebrated.

You Go Girlies!
If you want more detailed information about the history of International Women's Day click on the link below.

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This is the first article of a series on preparation for your first 1/2 or full marathon. One of my clients has just made the big decision to start training for her first 1/2 marathon run. When she called she sounded a little nervous but firm in resolve that it was something she must do. Excited for her I reassured her that with the proper training and preparation she would do just fine. Having been in the exact situation I could totally relate - I had never really done any long distance running before the marathon I completed a year ago. So Sue if you are reading this - this ones for you!

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The other day my client Jeri e-mailed asking a great question about cholesterol.
Hi Melissa
I'm just curious to ask you about the amount of cholesterol in protein shakes. A couple of the guys in my spinning class this morning were saying that their doctors told them to stay away from the shakes because they have a lot of cholesterol. Have you ever heard this? Per the label, each protein shake is about 22% of your RDA.
Thanks for your input. See you soon.
Jeri
I can't think of a more appropriate question since February is recognized as Heart Health Awareness Month -

First let me throw some information out there about cholesterol - most of us are either misinformed about it or not informed at all.

1. What is Cholesterol?
A fat like substance that is found in all your cells and blood it is used for creating new cell membranes and some hormones. A healthy person needs some cholesterol - Your body actually makes it how much is determined by your genetics.
Healthy "Total Blood Cholesterol" should be less than 200mg/dl for men and women.

2. Now let’s talk about LDL& HDL what are they?
LDL and HDL are lipoproteins they act like cars inside your body taking the cholesterol from location to location since it can't be absorbed by your blood. The difference between the two is that LDL - Low Density Lipoprotein is the car that when you drive it too much (i.e.-you eat too many Trans fats and high cholesterol foods) will pollute and clog your arteries. HDL - is the car your body produces to drive all the bad cholesterol away from your arteries.
The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. On their site they have dietary recommendations for a low cholesterol lifestyle.

3. How does this all come back to the protein shakes?
Well that particular shake has 2 grams less of cholesterol than a 6 oz Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast! The Specific numbers respectively are 65 and 67. So I would say that if you are leading a healthy lifestyle with at least 30 minutes of cardio vascular exercise a day and watching what you eat I would worry more about the fries at Mc Donald’s than a protein shake! Something else that might interest you is that women actually produce more of the good stuff “HDL” than do men which puts us at a lower risk for developing heart disease but again genetics and how you treat your body are the ultimate determining factors there.

My advice is everyone should get their cholesterol tested, know your family history and know your numbers. Going forward from there you can make smart decisions. Not drinking a protein shake as a cure all for cholesterol when it has the same amount as chicken doesn't make sense - Did the doctor say don't eat chicken any more either? Probably not!
3-4oz is a portion size of protein - most cholesterol is found in the fatty tissues of animal proteins so the leaner the protein the better off you are. Fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber which is also said to help lower cholesterol. The American Heart Association also recommends eating fish at least twice a week; fish contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids or Efra’s. This is actually a good source of fat that does not contain cholesterol. Another good source of Efra’s is found in Flaxseed Oil. In addition to keeping you Heart Healthy these "Good Fats" are also good for your brain, joints, skin, hair, nails and my mother in law swears they help with her hot flashes. Like any supplement always read the label and take only the recommended daily allowance. For more information on Heart Healthy Facts visit the link above to the American Heart Association.
I hope this answers your question Jeri!

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Continue reading "Super Sets " »

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For most people the new year comes with a new promise to ourselves to actually do what we wanted to last year and the year before that, but for some reason or another ( Usually I call these reasons Life Stuff or just plain Procrastination) we haven't done it yet or we started it but didn't stick with it.

I think the first problem is simple we are waiting until the end of the year to make these decisions about what it is we want to do - How silly is that? How many people out there know what there New Years resolution is before New Years? Right. Most of us do - so why wait until New Years? If there is something you want to make happen stop waiting and well like Nike says JUST DO IT!

Okay so now you are doing it like Nike says but what is going to keep you doing it on the days when nothing is going your way, its cold outside and that cinnamon roll is looking like a better breakfast than your eggs and oatmeal? What is it that is going to keep you at your desk finishing all that paperwork when the only thing you want to do is be at the gym or go outside and play? The Answer: Think about why we get up every morning at the crack of dawn to make ourselves a healthy breakfast and hit the gym, think about why it is so important to get that paperwork on our desks processed and out of the way. Break it down a level - why is because we want to be fit and healthy, why is because we want to have our financial houses in order. Break it down even further - why is because you want to run and complete your first 1/2 marathon, why is because you want to have money for your Childs education. We do what we do because we have goals and as long as we can see them clearly nothing stands in our way. "Obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off your goal", Henry Ford. Point is that when you really truly want something you will find a way to get there and make it happen. So what is it that you really want? Find it? Good. Now go and get it!

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Eating Better = Feeling Better
As most of you know two weeks ago I competed in my first figure competition and well after the show and a lot of hard dieting and cardio I decided to take a break and pretty much eat what ever it was my mouth thought I should have even though my brain was telling me “you know this isn’t going to make you feel good” but I let my taste buds have control and somehow my hand kept making it to my mouth….. I am sure you get the picture!
Anyhow it had been a while since I put my body through that type of abuse! Thank God! I don’t think it could’ve taken another truffle from See’s Candies so we finished the box and we are now done! Besides letting you all know what a naughty girl I was, I wanted to share with you my feelings about this and see if you can relate to it also: When I eat good things for my insides I am a much happier person inside and out, physically I feel better and In general emotionally I am just happier with myself. By taking good care of myself and eating good nutritious food for my body I am sending back a positive affirmation that says I am worth taking care of. Just like when we exercise we are worth taking care of that way, nutrition is just that Nourishment for your whole being. Having goals and taking each step toward them, making the choices that are going to take you to your dream is one of the most positive things you can do for your sense of self worth and place in the world. Moving through life with a direction and a purpose is what makes me feel beautiful on the inside, and you have no idea how happy I am when I hear someone I have helped reach one of their personal goals – It literally makes my day! When you’re feeling good on the inside some of its bound to come out and show! Nourish your body with exercise and good nutrition; and nourish your soul. Reinforce yourself and make your workouts work for you with the right nutrition – you deserve to achieve the level of fitness you desire you just have to make the decision to let yourself have it.
Whatever your fitness goal is there is a plan and a step by step way to get there, you can do it. It’s just making the decision to stick with it and follow through. Sometimes I talk to people who want to improve this or that about their bodies - yet when I explain to them the work that is required to get there they often whine or express unhappiness. Unfortunately these people really aren’t ready to help themselves to happiness because the really don’t want to put the time or effort into achieving what it is they say they want. Wake up there is no magic pill! It’s called hard work, determination and consistency - and that my friend is what yields results!
If you would like to post comments about this article or have any additional insight please email me and I will post them as soon as I Can.

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Are You Maximizing Your Cardio?

One of the most common questions I am asked by men and women is, “How do I get rid of this?” This is usually accompanied by them grabbing some excess skin on their body usually in or around the stomach area and or butt. The other question is How do I get rid of this followed by what we call the wave where they reach out there arm and proceed to wave their hand back and forth where the skin on the back of the arm loosely waves back and forth on its own! My answer is Cardio, Cardio and yes more Cardio. Usually they reply with but I am on the treadmill for an hour at least 3days a week! Yes I say but are you sweating or out of breath at the end of that hour? Usually the look I get is that of bewilderment. And then an answer of No why?
The reason is simple if you are not getting into your target heart rate zone, the zone in which your body starts to burn fat – you are wasting your time! Your target heart rate should be between 60-80% of the maximum your heart can beat. No one wants to hear that they are wasting time in the gym when they thought they were doing so good but the truth of the matter is that unless you are getting your heart rate up you are not burning an effective amount of calories to lose the fat. If you train with me you know that losing the fat is simple 1lb of fat = 3,500 calories, if you create a deficit of calories through doing your cardio the right way and eating right you can lose up to 1-2lbs of fat per week.
One of the funniest things I think of when it comes to cardio is being in spin class one weekend and remembering the instructor telling a girl that she needed to have a towel with her to cover the handle bars of the bike because in that class we sweat a lot and we like to keep the bikes clean. Her reply was “I don’t sweat.” My immediate thought: Honey if you’re not sweating you’re not working hard enough!
Figuring out your target heart rate is not brain surgery. It is determined by age and fitness level being beginner, intermediate and advanced. There is a formula you can do or simply use the chart I have provided below. Once you have your number how do you know if you are staying within that range during your workout? Most of the cardio equipment except the revolving stairs at the gym has heart rate sensors on the handles for you to hold on to that will tell you where your heart rate is allowing you to determine whether or not you need to increase or decrease the intensity of your workout. The other thing I have found to be useful is a heart rate monitor. There are several types and brands of heart rate monitors ranging from $50 - $200. The one I have is a watch with a heart rate monitor built into it that only cost me $55 at Big 5 Sporting Goods. It does the job and the price fit into my budget. I really like to run and with the timer and monitor in one I can see how long I’ve been running as well as see where my heart rate is at. The other thing I like about having your own heart rate monitor is that it gives you the freedom to take your workout outside - so if you are serious about fitness and tired of playing the guessing game of whether or not you’re burning the calories this is a really good tool to have in your toolbox.

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