Lack of Sleep & Weight Gain

Over the years I have learned that  our  bodies change and metabolism slows when sleep deprived.  The connection between weight gain and sleep rests in our hormones! Ghrelin and leptin are hormones in which ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin suppresses hunger.  When our bodies do not get enough sleep ghrelin levels go up and leptin levels go down.  Now you know why you opt for sweet and salty junk food when tired opposed to healthy alternatives.

Hormones are not the only cause for unwanted weight gain. If you don't sleep then your body is not  recovering and repairing itself.  Energy levels will be down causing laziness, you will not work as hard in your workouts and your brain function will be off.  Learn more about lack of sleep and its connection to weight gain.

Be Happy

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pick Me Up

Fresh squeezed juice is a great way to boost your energy.  I try to have one fresh squeezed juice every day. Today I had lettuce, cucumber, celery, red apple and ginger. It was a very refreshing drink and I know that my body will get a hefty shot of the vitamins and minerals that it needs. I highly recommend a fresh squeezed juice daily, I will continue to share some of my favorite recipes with you via my blog. Skip the coffee today and go for a fresh squeezed juice.  If you insist on the coffee, drink the juice first and then chase it with your coffee!

Get Regular

Exercise shouldn't be a chore, a hassle or even boring, but when it is, getting into a fitness routine is challenging.  Adopting a regular exercise practice becomes easier when we consider and remember the benefits of why we are exercising. Several studies preformed on habit-forming activities reveal that there are many variables that determine the time "required" to turn exercise into habit.  It is hard to say with certainty that it will take exactly 21 days of doing something consecutively for it to become a habit - your determination plays a large role.  My suggestion is to commit to 30 days of exercise.  If you can make it through the first month, it becomes much eaiser to sustain.  Please read the rest of  my most recent article "How To Begin a Regular Workout Routine" and determine how to make exercise a part of your daily routine.

Braver. Stronger. Smarter.

Start your week off right, don't let anything hold you back.  Take that yoga class you have been thinking about, push  a little harder in your workouts, and remember, mind over matter! "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think".

Save Time With Interval Training

I came across an article yesterday, it reminded me of the inspiration and motivation behind Jade of Spades. The author, Ben Greenfield is a fitness and triathlon expert. 

One of the top excuses for not exercising is: "I don't have enough time."   Sadly, the health club culture has led us to believe that to get the body we want, we need to dedicate 45 to 90 daily minutes to the gym, plodding on the treadmill like a hamster in a wheel. But some of the busiest and fittest people I know rarely go to a gym or exercise for longer than 60 minutes. How can that be?  Studies have shown that brief, intense bursts of cardiovascular exercise, also known as High Intensity Interval Training, can boost the metabolism and burn far more calories more in a much shorter period of time compared to long, slow cardio sessions. You can use this concept to inject very short workouts throughout your day to quickly elevate your heart rate, get you breathing hard, and activate muscle fiber growth, without spending your precious time at the gym.

Jade of Spades is exactly this; brief, intense burts / high intensity interval training! If you haven't already played Jade of Spades, give it a whirl - you will not be disappointed!  I always have a great workout playing / exercising  with Jade of Spades, it is always fun to play with family and friends.  I also love playing while on vacation, there is no equipment needed and it takes little time. 

Food For Thought

Did you indulge over the holiday weekend? Easter or Passover is no Thanksgiving  feast, but holiday time with family and friends often includes lots of food.  Here is some food for thought!  What we eat certainly affects our energy levels, moods, workouts, sleep patterns, muscle tone/mass and our body weight/appearance. I often encourage clients to follow a vegetarian and/or plant based diet. 

When I was nine, I was turned off meat and became a vegetarian for almost ten years. It was easy for me to become a vegetarian because my mother was also a vegetarian - she cooked very nutritious and delicious vegetarian meals. Unfortunately, when I went to college I starting eating chicken – it was too hard to compete as a Division 1 athlete and maintain a vegetarian diet in the university café. Since graduation, I have reverted back to a vegetarian diet, I do eat fish and twice a year I will indulge on grass feed beef. 

A plant based diet has several benefits, including maintaining and/or losing weight. If you want to lose weight or gain more energy try following a vegetarian diet. When I suggest this to people the response is often “Then I can't eat anything, I will wither away”! This is not the case, there are so many choices that are filling and have protein. Some of my favorite include; chick peas, lentils, black beans, avocado, quinoa. For more vegetarian diet. For suggestions please check out: Vegetarian Times. Eat well!

Working Out With the Knicks City Dancers!

I played Jade of Spades with the Knicks City Dancers. We had a blast playing and they were able to keep up with my relatively fast tempo. The Knicks dancers are fit and very active - they obviously train many hours in the dance studio and also spend time lifting weights.  They were very strong and I was impressed with their pushups! I've talked about varying workouts as well as getting motivated for workouts -dancing can be great exercise, It can elevate your heart rate  therefore great cardio! Dancing tones the lower body and is fun.  Check me out playing with the Knicks, see us on Essence and join us for a workout. It will only take you 10 minutes! Be fit, have fun, live fierce! 

Watch the Knicks City Dancers Workout here: Celebrity Trainer Works Out with Knicks City Dancers

Why Meditate?

I started taking meditation classes at Pure Yoga and it has been very challenging for me.  The idea of sitting still for 30 minutes during class was the initial obstacle.  Once in class it is very hard for me to stay present and in the moment.  I have fallen asleep in class and often let my mind wonder about various things going on in the past, future, and present. Yogi Charu, my instructor told us that we can only have one thought in our mind at one time.  We need to sit with that thought and focus solely on that one item for 12 seconds. Once you have achieved one thought in 12 seconds they say you have mastered the first skill in meditation.

Why is mediation important? We need to relax our minds. Watching television or reading a book may be physically relaxing but it is still clutter in the brain. I urge you to adopt a mediation practice and I can only hope that it brings you to place where you can sit in the moment, relax and find a peace of mind. 

One World, One Home, One Heart

I was scrolling though the archives in my blog and I came across this post from September -which did not get posted. The irony is, my sister Rebecca passed away of cardiac arrest the day this post was supposed to go live. Rebecca passed away due to a rare disease called Oxalosis which had gone undetected for years. It caused kidney failure and eventually cardiac arrest.  Regular visits to the doctor are important to screen for such conditions and keep a clean bill of health. Please see the article below that was intended to go live on World Heart Day -September 29th, 2011.

Tomorrow we celebrate World Heart Day; One world, one home, one heart! Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in the world.  World Heart Day was created in order to inform and educate people everywhere of the risks.

Tobacco, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity are all risks that can lead to heart disease and stroke.  The scary part is that 80% of heart disease and stroke related deaths could have been avoided.

"Making changes in your daily life is so important.  Incorporating daily exercise and improving your diet are key elements for a healthy lifestyle, and will positively affect those around you, especially kids," said Jade Alexis.

For more information about heart disease and events taking place during World Heart Day please visit the World Heart Federation.