Improve Flexibility and Performance while Reducing Injury and Pain

If I told you that a cheap piece of foam could not only improve your performance in the gym and day-to-day activities, but that it could prevent injuries, improve flexibility and motion, and keep you pain-free for a lifetime, would you believe me? Would it be even better if I told you that you could do all of this for around $10-$30, and do it in the comfort of your own home?

Foam rolling (self-myofascial release) is an extremely effective and inexpensive way to reduce scar tissue, inflammation, pain, break up trigger points, and improve overall motion and flexibility.

So how does it work, and why is it different than traditional stretching?

If you've ever heard of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO), this is the important piece of the success of foam rolling. The GTO is basically a bunch of collagen and nerve tissue located where muscle fibers meet tendons (see figure below). The main function of the GTO is to sense muscle tension during a contraction, and then stimulate muscle spindles to relax that muscle. This autogenic response of "release" (sort of like a reflex action) is what restores muscle length-tension relationships, soft tissue function, improves flexibility and relieves pain.

 

Traditional stretching simply causes increases in muscle length (assuming we don't push too far and cause serious injury), while self-myofascial release on a foam roller increases muscle length and breaks down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue, which is absolutely critical to address.

Some benefits of self-myofascial release with the foam roller:

• Improve neuromuscular efficiency


• Release tension around joints


• Release tightness in the hips


• Correct muscle imbalances


• Relieve muscle soreness


• Improves range of motion in joints

Guidelines:

This is pretty simple to do. You're just going to basically put as much of your bodyweight as you can (and eventually all of it) on the foam roller with the foam roller on the ground. Roll slowly over each area, and when you reach tender/painful spots, hold it there! This is going to hurt, I won't lie, but it's worth every minute of it. Hold it on the tender spots until the pain subsides (can take up to a few minutes, so be patient), and then move on to the next area.

In the picture below, it shows just one area you can roll (the IT band), which will probably be the most tender/sore area, but is so important for avoiding knee injuries and hip tightness, etc... (Note: if you're currently experiencing knee pain, try this area right away and see if it improves. Many times with knee pain, a common issue is simply iliotibial band (IT) tightness, which can be relieved through foam rolling)

 

As you can see, this can be a great addition to your normal routine while providing outstanding, long-lasting benefits! For a detailed instructional video of how to foam roll all areas of your body, check out this video.

Happy releasing!!

 

Chocolate Protein Frosting

A few days ago, I created a special recipe for the HealthyGrowingKids blog called "Super Antioxidant Omega-3 Cupcakes". These cupcakes are insanely delicious, and perfect for growing kids who thrive on wholesome ingredients, so be sure to check them out! And what would make them even better? Chocolate Protein Frosting of course!

I originally topped them with Barlean's Orange Cream Omega-3 for a frosting, but here is another delicious alternative. You can even put this frosting on first, and then use the Barlean's Essential Women's Omega Swirl in Chocolate Raspberry on top!!

 

Check this bad-boy out:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] Chocolate Protein Frosting[/caption]

 Ingredients:

• 0% Greek Yogurt


• One 85% dark chocolate bar

Directions:

• Simply melt the chocolate bar stove-top on LOW heat until it's thoroughly melted, then immediately remove from pan and scoop into a bowl with your Greek yogurt. 


• Mix well until the color is uniformly brown


• Viola! That's it!


• Other Options: you can add additional stevia flavors in to switch it up, or some unsweetened coconut flakes, or crushed walnuts!

 

See, I am all about simplicity when it comes to fat loss food. I can't be bothered slaving away in the kitchen, so you can be sure my recipe posts will always be simple yet delicious!

 

Let me know what you think!!

xoxo

Top 3 Butt Exercises You're Probably Not Doing

Ok, let's cut to the chase. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't think that nice, round glutes are attractive. They may not be the focal point of everyone's workout program, but let's face it-- especially to a woman, round butts are very desirable.

Now, let me preface this post by saying I am not going to talk about squats and lunges for a couple reasons:

1) While these exercises are great for lower glute development (specifically the glute ham tie-in), they mainly target the quads and don't really do much for the upper glutes; therefore, I want to talk about less-common exercises that you can incorporate into your glute training routine to round it out (no pun intended) :-)

2) These exercises are axial loading exercises (involve spinal compression), and people get so caught up in them because they're so popular, that they "forget" about training the glutes from all other angles. In order to really improve the shape of your butt, you've got to work it from all angles. Don't ditch the squats and lunges; just add  some others in for best results!

Enter my 3 favorite butt-shaping exercises....

 

• Hip-Thrusts:

Hip thrusts are ridiculously effective at targeting the entire glute region. They're similar to a glute bridge, except involve a greater range of motion once glute bridges become too easy. With these, you'll also  feel the "burn" more in your upper glutes along the line that connects to your lower back (erector muscles). You can do this exercise without a barbell, as a glute march, or single-legged. You want to make sure that as you come up, you're keeping your spine & neck neutral , while bracing your abs to prevent lumbar extension. Bret Contreras (aka: the glute guy), elaborates more on this exercise, here. Be sure to watch his video for excellent information on incorporating this exercise into your routine.

 

Sprints: Sprints are like the king of all exercises. I think if I had to pick only one exercise to do for the rest of my life to achieve the best possible body composition, it'd be the sprint. Not only is sprinting one of the best possible ab exercises you can do, but it's wildly effective for the entire body, including the glutes. It provides an insane metabolic after burn, increasing HGH (growth hormone) output long after you're done sprinting.  The explosiveness of this exercise is mainly achieved through glute activation when your foot hits the ground, which makes it a super effective exercise for glute muscle hypertrophy. Beginners- don't worry that you may not be sprinting "fast enough". Sprint speed is relative. As long as you're running with maximum propulsion, it doesn't matter how fast you're truly going. Your max is your max, and your max is all it takes to seriously activate your glutes! Note: sprints on the pavement, as opposed to the treadmill, will provide even MORE glute activation, so do them outside as much as possible.

 

And last but not least...

 

Single Leg Romanian Deadlift: 



This exercise is beyond amazing for all things hamstring, butt and back related -- as well as some serious sensorimotor training (ie: balance/coordination). What I love about this exercise is that you don't even need to go that heavy, and you can do this unweighted everyday and see amazing improvements in balance, coordination, and flexibility. Here is a great video showing how to execute this move. Just don't curse me out tomorrow when you can barely walk :-D

 

So those are my three favorite exercise for great glutes!  I want to hear from you: have you done any of these exercises before? If so, do you feel like they work your butt as well as squats & lunges? Don't be afraid to try new things! I'd love to hear about your results after incorporating these into your routine :)

 

 

 

 

Fat Loss Friendly Lemon Blackberry Protein Crepe

Oh. my. goodness.

→ This fat loss friendly Lemon Blackberry Protein Crepe is truly heaven. What's funny about this recipe is that it happened totally by accident (っ◕‿◕)っ it was supposed to be a pancake, but I can't flip a pancake to save life, and it broke, so I figured I will just roll it up like a burrito and stuff it with something marvelous. Anyhoo- this is how it goes...

Crepe Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla (or unflavored) protein powder. I use Biotrust Low Carb
a lot in baking because it isn't as dry as most whey protein powders out there. Plant-based powders are also perfect for baking

1/2c liquid egg whites

2 drops lemon essential oil -OR- lemon extract

Stevia to taste (I used stevia vanilla creme drops)

*Depending on your protein powder, it may be a little too thick. If so, just add a few splashes of water until the batter is slightly thinner than regular pancake batter

Filling Ingredients (oh yes, there was filling! Look closely at the chocolate dripping out!):

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Biotrust chocolate)

Slowly, on a light drizzle, add water and stir until it becomes like a pudding consistency.

Stick bowl in freezer as the crepe cooks so that's it's nice and cold

Toppings:

I drizzled Barlean's Blackberry Omega Swirl liquid over the top, & a little Natural by Nature whipped cream, which is my favorite because it's organic, grass-fed dairy, and doesn't contain any corn syrup (unlike traditional varieties). I get it from Trader Joes, but if you visit the link, there is a "locate a distributor" link that'll help you find it.


→ Cooking Technique: Simply pour the batter onto a greased pan on low/medium heat (I use coconut oil spray). Immediately swirl liquid around until it covers the whole pan and then cook all the way through (will be around 8 mins, or until bubbles disappear). If you're better at cooking than I am (& I really hope you are), you can flip it and cook the other side for 10-20 seconds before sliding off onto your plate.
Once on plate, take pudding bowl out of the freezer & spoon it into the middle of the crepe circle. Fold like a burrito, then drizzle with the Barleans & top with whipped cream. Ta Da! Now you have a fat loss meal that will make everyone around you jealous ツ

Fat Loss Meatballs

Here is a super-easy, really quick meatball recipe that is perfect for fat loss, *and* fun even if you really don't like to cook (like me). I like meatballs since they're easy for grab 'n go when you're in a rush. You can top these with pure tomato sauce & melt some shredded mozzarella over top for extra personality, though I love them Plain Jane so I can eat them in the car...

Ingredients

1lb 96% lean ground beef (or preferably grass-fed)

2 whole eggs (I forgot to put those in the picture)

3 tbsp Thyme

2 tbsp minced garlic

Handful plain, old-fashioned dry oats

Couple tbsp pure guacamole mix (this is optional, so if you don't want to use this, you can replace with a couple tbsp of unsweetened almond milk instead)

Few pinches of cayenne pepper, & optional Himalayan salt & black pepper

Technique:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together

Shape into circles

Bake at 375 degrees for 22-25 mins

That's it!!! Let me know what you think!

#1 Diet for Real World Fat Loss

 #1 Diet for Real World Fat Loss

Now that I’ve got your attention, I want to talk to you about “dieting”.

I receive numerous emails per week asking me what my opinion is on what’s the best diet for fat burning, and what my recommendations are for starting such a diet.

Last night. I received such an email, and I asked his permission to post my answer in a blog, using him as an example. This guy, who is a father of 2, U.S. Marine veteran, and single dad (AWESOME!!), emailed me out of frustration. Basically, the short story is that he has spent years surviving on a mostly government-regulated, military diet (boy do I know ALL about this) of about 75% starch, and the ‘confusing’ part is, he LOOKS AMAZING!!! He is more than happy with his results, has a visible 4-pack ‘round-the-clock with little hunger, his blood panel numbers are excellent, and can play football with his kids for hours! He has recently separated from the Marine Corp. and because most people in the fitness industry look down upon a high-starch diet, he is concerned that he should change something. He wanted my help in creating a program that would be different from what he was currently doing.

Ok, here is where it gets dirty:

What do you think I told him in response to him wanting to find the best diet out there, in order to switch from his current diet and still see results? DO NOT CHANGE A THING! He doesn’t need my help.

The #1 diet for real world fat loss is the one that works for YOU in all aspects of your life.

Once you found your fat loss formula, you don’t need to change it based on what others are saying or doing. Don’t give in to fear-mongering.

So how do you know if you’ve truly found your unique formula?

✓ 1. You are HAPPY- This may not seem like an important clue into finding your fat loss formula, but it is crucial for sustained fat loss. Anyone can follow a rigid fat loss plan for a temporary amount of time when they’re miserable. But eventually, you will reach a point in which you cannot keep up anymore, and something has to change. This is why your mood is absolutely an important indicator of maintaining permanent fat loss

✓ 2. Your hunger, energy, and cravings are balanced- We like to refer to this as “HEC”. If these 3 things are in perfect harmony for YOU, you are likely on the right path to sustained fat loss

✓ 3. You can fall asleep and stay asleep, and you feel great when you wake up- Many people don’t realize that it’s not normal to have insomnia, or wake up frequently during the night, or wake up feeling like you got run over by a twinkie truck. Just because these symptoms are common in our fast-paced society, doesn’t mean they should be accepted. Often times just slightly increasing your carbohydrate intake before bed can elicit enough serotonin to relax you enough to go to sleep if you’ve been struggling with insomnia. If you can fall asleep easily, but struggle waking up throughout the night and can’t get back to sleep, you might find relief by increasing your protein intake before bed, which will stabilize your blood sugar enough to keep you asleep. These adjustments will help you get higher quality sleep, leading to refreshing wake-up calls. When we get adequate sleep, our hunger, energy, and cravings are often already going to be balanced by default!

✓ 4. You’re seeing/feeling results- Whether your goal is fat loss, maintenance, strength, endurance, or muscle gain, you’ll know you’re at least somewhat on the right track if those results are happening. I say “somewhat”, because it really doesn’t matter if you’re seeing results if numbers 1-3 aren’t also happening. Sure it’s great to see results, and sometimes that’s all we remember to focus on; however, they will not be sustainable long-term if you cannot get numbers 1-3 on track.

So, if you can put a check mark next to numbers 1-4, you’ve found your unique formula. It’s really as simple as that! The Marine who emailed me has found his unique formula, even though it goes against what may work for a lot of us. Whether you’re on Paleo, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Keto, whatever, if numbers 1-4 are happening for you, DON’T CHANGE A THING!

Is lack of sleep making you fat?

There is a distorted view in the fitness world that it's all about the calories: all we have to do to avoid fat gain is make sure we're burning more calories than we take in each day, right? Wrong. SO WRONG.

Really, if it were this simple, we wouldn't have an obesity epidemic that is now even affecting children. Ever notice how nowadays if you say the word "nap", people will look at you like you're lazy? Or you're sick?  "....something bust be wrong, why did you take a nap today? Are you coming down with something?" Naps can be so crucial in resetting your hormones, lowering cortisol, and normalizing insulin. Sleep has no calories, and yet it has a huge impact on whether we burn fat or store it.

There is such a disconnect when it comes to understanding hormonal responses in the body, that so many of us don't realize why we get the 3 o'clock brain fog everyday like clockwork, or why we raid the fridge after work in a trance, or why we have strong cravings that seem to come out of nowhere.

Sleep has dropped off our priority list in favor of supposed productivity. I say 'supposed' because, really, how productive can you be in a chronically exhausted state? We are glued to our computers, TVs, all artificial light, especially in the evening hours when our cortisol levels should be winding down in preparation for sleep and recovery. Artificial light, however, creates a stimulating affect, which then becomes responsible for the hormonal imbalance that keeps us up all night. The dilemma usually looks something like this:

• Alarm goes off: SNOOZE BUTTON 4 times; you're too exhausted and miserable to move.


• Finally drag yourself out of bed and run to the coffee machine, brew your coffee, and drink 2 or 3 cups before even thinking about getting dressed.


• Because you hit snooze all morning and are now late for work, you have no time for a real breakfast, so you go to work with just your coffee. Hey, at least it'll keep you awake, right? Plus it's probably blunting your hunger a little at this point so food is not a priority for several hours.


• It's 11am and all the coffee you drank to keep you 'awake' is now causing you to crash and burn. You need more stimulation to stop yawning and stay awake


• You go to the vending machine and grab some chips and soda, and a donut too


• Now you're so hungry you can't stand it anymore, because all you really did was create an insulin surge, which within 30 minutes has come crashing down


• By this point you've been pumped so full of stimulants from sugar/carbs/caffeine just to make it through the day, that you get home, raid the fridge in desperation and severe hunger pangs (this is actually an issue with willpower drainage, not discipline, which we'll talk about in an upcoming post), and turn on the computer to surf the internet, get on facebook, etc....


• You can't sleep. It's 1am..2am...you pass out eventually.... the alarm goes off...you do it all over again

Does this sound at all familiar to you? This is the modern day dilemma with stress, lack of sleep, and fat gain, and not understanding the connection between them. We live in a fast-paced world, where it has become painfully difficult to take time to ourselves, to restore our mind and bodies, to have personal quiet time, to focus, to plan, to be happy. We have to start focusing on the things we can control, and the situation described above really can be controlled, once we recognize it. Leave work-related matters at WORK; have family time without the interruptions of cell phones and computers; sit down at the table and eat slowly and enjoy your food; pack the next day's meals in advance so that all you have to do is grab and go; get in bed an hour early and read and relax. Make your restoration a priority.

For more information, I highly recommend reading "Light Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival" by T.S. Wiley, or check out the metabolic effect 4 week sleep formula program for scheduled start dates