Posted by Melissa at 05:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was working out the other day and my workout partner suggested I try this new energy drink, he told me it was something he had been using for a while and it really gave him sustained energy but without the jitters, or that shaky feeling you sometimes get with other energy drinks. What he had me try was called FRS Healthy Energy. It contains a ton of good for you antioxidants and vitamins like your typical B's, A's and E's. But the Mega Antioxidant in this product is called Quercetin. Apparently Quercetin is a naturally occurring antioxidant in some of the foods we eat such as blueberrie, red onions,apples and cocoa- YUM! What it does is actually increase the amount of mitochondria in your cells helping you function better on a cellular level! Ladies this stuff is awesome for your skin too - especially if you work out because of all those free radicals being produced as a by product of your workouts. Okay so enough of the scientific stuff, this is by far the best energy drink I have ever tried and really lives up to its hype, awesome clean energy and focuss! Did I mention Lance drinks this stuff too? For more information or to order click on the link below!

Posted by Melissa at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pumpkin Pie is my favorite - and while I do enjoy a slice now and then I wanted to find a healthier way to enjoy it with less calories - so playing around in the kitchen one day I came up with this.

140 Calories
27 Protein
12 Carbs
1 Gram of Fat

Posted by Melissa at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently a client of mine came to me very excited about a new product she tried - being an extreme fitness enthusiast and having allergies to things like soy, wheat, gluten and dairy she has to be very careful of the food choices she makes. Earths Promise is a supplement powder that contains vitamins and minerals and is super high in antioxidants and fiber. Working out is great for you but a lot of people don't know that while you are excercising your body is realeasing extra Free Radicals. Free Radicals are basically unbalanced oxygen molucules inside your cells that have split and don't have the right balance of electrons. In order to find that balance these free radicals will latch on to healthy cells and try to steal those electrons to bring itself back to balnce - thus doing damage to your healthy cells. Antioxidants carry with them extra electrons and fix the free radicals by bringing them back into balance without harming your healthy cells! Now don't get me wrong if you already eat a great balanced diet - your body actually produces its own anti-oxidants, however if you are working out regularly and are finding it hard to get in all those fruits and veges - some extra antioxidants could be just what you need to fill in the gaps.
Being the skeptic that I am - I made her bring me some to sample! Wow Bernadette THANKS!!!! This stuff is awesome - I tried the purple packet wich contains your whole daily allotment of vitamins and nutrients from 5 of the fruits and veggies that are purple. I mixed it in with my Vanilla High Five Protien Shake and not only does it taste great but it really provides a huge increase in my energy! Their line also has other colors like green, red and orange. For all of you out there who don't care for veggies - this is the product I would highly reccomend. You can make popsicles with it, add it into pancake mix for the family, muffins.... the possibilities are endless! You can purchase it online through the link above or pick it up locally here in Lodi at Healthy Ways on Kettleman Lane.

Posted by Melissa at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're like me and always running from here to there with the job, house and kids trying to get a healthy meal on the table sometimes can seem like an almost impossible task. I am always looking for something or some way to make my meals faster and better and so are my clients. These Steam Bags save time, dishes and let you prepare a healthy meal or side dish of vegies in one bag!!! They have super easy to follow instructions printed on the outside of the bag that tells you how many minutes to steam for per cup amount - so your food comes out perfect every time! How cool is that!!! Thanks Terrie!

Posted by Melissa at 05:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Going out to eat when you are leading a healthy lifestyle can definitely be challenging at times. Lets face it when you've had a hard day at work, the house is a mess and you haven't had time to go shopping the last thing you want to do is cook! Trust me! We have all been there! Recently a friend of mine at the gym opened up a great Thai Restaurant here in Lodi called Thai Spices! I took a client of mine over there the other day to go eat and was shocked at how fresh and flavorful - not to mention healthy all of the menu items were. Don't let me forget to mention how easy dining here is on your pocket book either. I ordered the Thai Scampi which is shrimp skewered and grilled in Thai Spices and then served with fresh steamed pea pods, carrots, letuuce and zuccini! Yumm - O the Pad Thai with chicken is also very flavorful and comes with these great yummy noodles, bean sprouts , cabbage and other tasty fresh veggies! You can get a full dinner for two plus dessert for about $20 and its healthy! If you haven't tried this place you need to check it out! My reccomendation for dessert is the Mango and Sweet Rice which is absolutely heavenly. Thai Spices is located at 2401 West Turner Rd. Suite 224 Lodi Ca
(209) 369 - 8424 Yes they do Take Out!

Posted by at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay so I was go through my magazines catching up on some reading when I saw an advertisement for a chicken breast that is pre - cooked and ready to serve in a pouch! I beleive it was a StarKist add, they are also a major tuna distributer for the pre packgaged chunk light tuna that comes in the pouch. This is a great fast and cheap source of protein and something you can pack up quickly on days when your pressed for time. I opt for the tuna in water instead of oil its lower in calories and fat and better for you. The only thing with the tuna is that it is higher in sodium because it comes in that convenient little package, so sodium sensitive individuals might not want to eat this all the time - but once in a while should be fine. The other great thing is you can find some tasty recipes on the back that don't involve mayo! Pair it up with a salad and some fruit, or plain with a couple of whole wheat crackers and you have a quick cheap healthy snack! Check out www.starkist.com for more helpful tips.

Here is the breakdown of One StarKist package of Premium Chunk Light Tuna in Water:
Serving Size 2oz or 1/4 cup
Servings Per Container 3.5
Calories 60
Fat 0.5
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 210
Total Carbohydrate 0
Fiber 1
Sugars 0
Protien 12

Posted by at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protien which are needed for muscle growth and repair. There are two types of Amino Acids, Essential and Non - Essential. Glutamine is Non Essential because our bodies actually make it so we typically wouldn't need to get this from our diet or supplement it. However strenuous activity such as weight lifting and working out can deplete our natural storages rather quicky, so quickly sometimes that our bodies cannot make it fast enough, leaving us in a deficit. There are so many positive things glutamine helps with:

1. Aids in muscle repair and recovery
2. Boosts immune system
3. Good for your digestive tract and intestines - works as a stool softener
4. Helps brain function
5. Helps increase natural growth hormone levels when sleeping
6. Glutamine helps you maintain your lean body mass and prevent muscle deterioration

I know when my stores are low I feel tired, run down, like I am just not recovering from my workouts the way I should be. When I do take it regularly I do recover faster from my workouts and I have more energy. I personally take it twice a day once in the morning and once at night before bed. IF you are training hard and not recovering within a week or two of the body part you are training you might consider adding this supplement to your routine.

Posted by at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in February my husband and I had made plans to go away for a week by ourselves and those plans ended up falling through because we had no one to watch our little girl. So we decided to plan another trip - we would take our daughter to Tahoe with us for the week and made new arrangements ect. All excited that our trip wasn't off after all we packed and were ready to go when our little princess then came down with the flue. I have never seen my little one so sick. My poor baby was throwing up and had problems with diareah too, needless to say it was awful - I just wanted to be sick for her. She couldn't even keep water down except for a teaspoon! Now having only one child and never having had her this sick before I am ready to rush her to the emergency room for an IV because I just can't beleive a teaspoon of water every couple of hours is keeping her hydrated enough! To top it off this is all happening on a weekend where you can't get a hold of a doctor anyway except through an exchange! Has any one else gone through this! Very frustrating! But anyhow we continued through the next three days like this - barf bowl within reach at all times. Anytime something sounded good to her like chicken noodle soup and toast we would make it - she would eat it and then we would be cleaning out the bowl 10 minutes later. Until........ on day 4 I said honey is there anything I can get you that sounds good and she said , " I want a kids meal from Mc Donalds with a toy!" My husband who absolutley cannot stand Mc Donalds went over and ordered his first kids meal with a toy - the good folks over at Mcy D's talked him through the traumatic experience and he made it home with the package. He was very proud of himself. Our daughter who hadn't eaten or kept anything down in four days ate and kept down her chicken mc nuggets and fries! Not chicken soup, not crackers, not pedialyte pops but Mc Donalds! So that prompted me to save the little nutritional chart they post on the happy meal bags so I could share it with you. I am also hearing that they are supposed to be getting rid of the hydrogenated crap they fry everything in and replacing it with something healthier? We'll see. http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.index1.html

Posted by at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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!

Posted by at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is something I threw together the other night the beauty of this recipe is that its quick simple and can be made with or without the pasta. Its full of flavor and my family loves it when I add in the pasta. All in all this is pretty healthy and low cal obviously with the pasta comes the higher calories but I would say as long as you watch your portions this would be a great midday meal or lunch. It also makes great leftovers for at least another night for a family of 4. Here is what you'll need.

Continue reading "10 Clove Garlic Chicken Pasta" »

Posted by at 02:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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!

Posted by at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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.

Posted by at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is another Awesome recipe for a protien shake. If you like chocolate and you like espresso you will love this shake - think Starbucks without the Guilt or calories!

2 Scoops Max Gourmet ( Chocolate Brownie Fudge Protien )
8-12 oz Cold Water
1/2 Cup of Crushed Ice
1tsp of Ground Coffee

Put all ingredients in your cup and mix with immersible blender and Voila! You have a delish drink with an extra kick to keep you going! For those of you out there who aren't coffee lovers substituting the coffee with a bannana is also very tasty - Enjoy!

Posted by at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are a few ways to make Oatmeal something to look forward to in the morning. I have been asked several times by clients and others how to make it and what to put in it so here it is,

1/2 Cup Dry Oats
1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cups Water
3 Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
1 Packet of Spenda or no calorie sweetener of your choice

Put all ingredients in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 1 minute - time will vary depending on your microwave. Remove and mix it all up the berries should be soft and bubbly. Eat up! Sometimes I will sub the strawberries for blue or black berries with these the measurement is 1/3 cup.

For those of you allergic to or just don't like it fruity you can use
1/2 Cup Oats
1/2 -3/4 Cup Water
1tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 Packet of No Calorie sweetner and get the Oatmeal Cookie effect

Posted by at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

2 Scoops Max Gourmet Peanut Butter Fudge Protien

8-12 oz Water

1/2 cup Crushed Ice

I whole Bannana