• November/December 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 6

In This Issue

• The Environmental Effect
• Nutrition Corner - Eat More During the Holidays!
• Healthy Recipe: Black Bean Brownies
• Guest Article - Happiness, the Enneagram Way
• Client of the Month for August: Dennis Ritchie
• Client of the Month for September: Amanda Ritchie
• Our Mission

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am - Gentle Yoga (Tues)

The Environmental Effect

These days there is a lot of talk about our environment. Everywhere we turn, we see more and more push to live “green.” In all of the great efforts to preserve our Earth, we must not forget about our own, personal environment; the environment with which we surround ourselves each and every day. This environment consists of our homes, our family and friends, our workplaces, and even the places where we do our workouts.

Have you ever stopped to think about how your environment might affect your health and fitness goals? In some aspect, you have probably already taken environment into account when you chose to train with us at BodyBasics. BodyBasics provides an environment that is unlike any other gym or fitness studio. Our environment is so unique because it was built and designed around our company’s mission:

“To empower our clients to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.”

Let’s take a deeper look at exactly how the BodyBasics environment might affect you and your goals.

Nurturing

At BodyBasics, we are in the business of helping people change their lives. For a handful of people, this change can happen quickly. But for the vast majority, changing life-long habits is a process that occurs over time. During this process, it is important that the client feels supported and encouraged or, in other words, nurtured along the way.

A nurturing environment is a place where one feels safe and secure. Some gyms may feel cold, harsh, and intimidating. At BodyBasics, we understand how this unpleasant environment may not be conducive to achieving your goals. The environment at BodyBasics provides the feeling of support and encouragement not only through the Fitness Coaches, but through our clients as well. As your Fitness Coaches, we take on the responsibility of being supportive and encouraging to you, but when our clients do the same, well that’s just icing on the (carrot) cake.

Educating

Living a healthy lifestyle is a skill, we believe, anyone can learn. As your Fitness Coaches, we make it our goal to educate you in ways that will assist you in developing this important skill.

Each one of our Fitness Coaches has been educated on the science of health and fitness. Our degrees, certifications, and experience have made us qualified to train individuals in the gym. At BodyBasics, we strive to do more than just develop a workout routine to perform in the gym for two to three hours a week. Our desire is to pass on our acquired knowledge to our clients. We want you to leave every session having learned something new about your body and/or your life.

Just as there are many spokes on the Healthy Lifestyle Wheel or “Wagon Wheel of Life” (”We Have it Backwards, July/Aug issue of The Pulse), the Healthy Lifestyle Skill is comprised of many other skills. While there is no one “right” way to live a healthy lifestyle, our role as your Fitness Coaches, is to educate you and help you discover your right way of making healthy changes in your life.

Inspiring

While our Fitness Coaches may inspire our clients to discover healthier lifestyles, we can not take all the credit. Once again, it is the clients of BodyBasics that help to inspire each other. Nothing speaks louder and more honestly than our own clients’ testimonies. We have so many inspirational stories that walk in and out of our studio every day. The most exciting part about these stories is that the BodyBasics environment provides a safe place to share these amazing stories.

One incredibly fulfilling aspect of being a Fitness Coach comes when we have inspired someone to achieve their goals. What is equally fulfilling and exciting is how each and every day, we too, are inspired by our clients.

A More Personal Note

As a Fitness Coach branching out on her own, I am constantly faced with the realization that there is no other place like BodyBasics. Not only does BodyBasics provide the necessary environment for our clients to succeed, but it is also a place that allows the Fitness Coaches to reach their potential and be the best they can be at their job. The team dynamic, specifically the support and encouragement, amongst the Coaches is hard to find anywhere else. I truly believe that in the process of creating an environment where our clients will feel nurtured, educated and inspired, BodyBasics, in fact, is providing a home where our Fitness Coaches feel nurtured, educated and inspired. This, in turn, helps us discover our innate abilities and develops us into more confident, more motivated, and more successful Fitness Coaches. I know the BodyBasics environment did this for me and for that, I say, “Thank you.”~Coach Kerbs

Our Mission

The BodyBasics mission is centered around environment. We are committed to providing the type of environment you need to succeed. Just as our personal environment affects our daily lives, the BodyBasics environment affects your health and fitness goals. Pay close attention next time you walk through the door. Notice the “hellos,” the smiles, and the encouragement from others. It is a place where people’s lives are changed everyday. The Fitness Coaches and the clients are what make up the environment of BodyBasics and it is just the right amount of nurturing, education and inspiration one needs to find success!

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Nutrition Corner - Eat More During the Holidays!

Is it that time of year again already?! The air is a bit crisper, nights are growing longer, and the stores are displaying their supplies of holiday cheer. For many “dieters” and those with healthy-weight goals, this time of year can feel a bit dreadful. If you are currently working toward eliminating weight and body-fat, you may want to pick a date to start more of a maintenance program. Maintaining your current weight throughout the Holidays may be a more realistic goal and will keep you from feeling the inevitable guilt that often accompanies the consumption of traditional holiday eats. If you maintain your weight from Halloween through Jan 1, 2009, you will be, on average, one pound ahead of the rest of America. Although it may seem that more weight is gained during the Holidays, it is that one pesky pound that stays with us for the rest of our lives.

This holiday season, we encourage you to stop focusing on what you should NOT eat and start focusing on what you should include in your nutrition plan.

Add, Don’t Subtract!

Deprivation is sure to squash any diet, so it is important that you allow yourself to have the treats that you love in moderation, of course. And speaking of squash…

The Fall and Winter seasons provide us with a wonderful variety of unique and very healthful fruits and vegetables. Here is a consolidated list of some Fall and Winter produce that are in-season:

Fall/Winter Fruits

• Apples
• Bananas
• Blood Oranges
• Clememtines
• Cranberries
• Grapes (Red)
• Grapefruits
• Kiwi
• Oranges
• Pears
• Pomegranates
• Tangelo
• Tangerine

Fall/Winter Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Avocado
• Beans
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Broccoli Rabe
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Leeks
• Pumpkin
• Radishes
• Snow Peas
• Spinach
• Squash (Winter)
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Watercress

If you have not tried some of these fruits or vegetables, we encourage you to do so. Consuming in-season produce can ensure variety in your diet and will force you to try different out-of-the-ordinary produce you may be used to cooking more often. Slice up some apples or pears to add to a salad or eat as a snack with some mozzarella or Swiss cheese. Pomegranate seeds and cranberries are also a wonderful, tasty addition to your salad greens. Toss in broccoli florets with your pasta dishes or steam and then sauté up some brussel sprouts with garlic and balsamic vinegar.

Experiment with roasting vegetables as this cooking method brings out intense flavors in carrots, cauliflower, leeks, beets and all varieties of winter squashes. Plus, the colder weather makes us all crave warm, comforting foods and roasting vegetables is sure to hit the spot! Soups are also soul-warming meals and they are wonderfully healthy as you can feel free to add almost any vegetable to your pot. Puree roasted garlic and butternut squash with cooked onion, potato and chicken or vegetable broth and you have a silky smooth and very flavorful soup.

Break Tradition Just a Little…

When it comes to holiday food, it is okay to veer a little from the traditional path. For example, when making a green been casserole try substituting fresh or frozen green beans for the canned green beans and take the dish out of the oven before the beans are too mushy. Use the same concept with a sweet potato casserole. Opt for using fresh sweet potatoes and a little less brown sugar and maybe some extra, non-candied pecans. Also, think about adding a raw dish, like a salad or a winter veggie tray that might include radishes, carrots, artichoke hearts, broccoli, cauliflower and snow peas. Making these simple and minor adjustments to your traditional holiday feast will help you add more nutrients into your meal without sacrificing the food that you love.

For traditional and some not-so-traditional healthy recipes for Thanksgiving, visit: EatingWell’s Healthy Thanksgiving Recipies.

Focus on the Good

To quote Abby Floyd, Registered Dietician and former Nutrition Coach at BodyBasics, “No one ever got fat from eating too many fruits and vegetables.” Abby likes to focus on adding nutritious foods into a diet before eliminating the not-so-good-for-you options. The idea is to fill up on the good stuff to edge out the bad. In the effort to stay ahead of the game this holiday season, we encourage you to eat more! Eat more delicious Fall and Winter fruits and vegetables and your body, jeans, and waistline will thank you come January!

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Healthy Recipe: Black Bean Brownies

The following recipe was submitted, tested, and approved by BodyBasic’s client Susan Mannion.

For a little sneakier way to add more nutrition to your Holiday treats, try this brownie recipe.

Guiltless Brownies

High-fiber, high-protein brownies.

15oz can black beans (drained & rinsed well)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated Splenda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp strong coffee (or 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Prepare an 8×8 baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Add the beans last and make sure you blend VERY well.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing 2″x2.”

Number of Servings: 16

Calories 79.2
Total Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 53.1 mg
Sodium 45.5 mg
Potassium 126.4 mg
Carbs 9 g
Sugars 0 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5
Protein 4.2 g

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Guest Article - Happiness, the Enneagram Way

Happiness…The Enneagram Way
Carol Bartol, RN, MS, CS

What is an Enneagram?
Susan was a perfectionist. Having everything in its right place was important to her. Her fiancé, Rob, was a free spirit and gave little attention to details. He brought fun and excitement to her life but Susan was worried about whether they would actually be able to live together as a couple.

Lynn was a kind and gentle person, treasured and admired by her many friends. They always knew that they could call on her for help when they needed it. Her husband John was a successful businessman, and generous in his own way. But there were many times that Lynn thought he was too bossy and insensitive to her needs.

Julie loved to go out and socialize at parties and gatherings. She was the one that always arranged her family get-togethers for birthdays and celebrations. But her husband Richard preferred to stay at home with his books and TV sports.

Each of these couples had dramatically different styles and preferences. When they had disagreements, it often reflected these differences in style and viewpoint. So how do people resolve these differences so they can experience happiness in their lives and their relationships? The ancient Sufi’s had an answer for this. Many hundreds of years ago, this middle Eastern sect described a system called the Enneagram, which looked at innate differences in personality on a nine-pointed star. “Ennea” is Greek for the number nine, and “gram” means a drawing. This theory was handed down through an oral tradition, and appears to have been resurrected during the last three decades at Stanford University, and by the Jesuits.

The Enneagram is a fascinating way of looking at our basic personality styles, as well as identifying the individual ways in which we handle stress and conflict. The Sufi’s believed we were born into a unique style or point on the Enneagram. (In fact, some researchers have identified “nine” distinct behavioral patterns in newborn babies)! Then, our coping skills seem to be further influenced by the reactions of our parents and family as we were growing up.

Do each of us fit neatly into such a box? No… there are many variations and sub-groups within this model. But learning more about the Enneagram, and the basic types, will give us some clues about our own behaviors and those of the people we care about. Over the years, my clients and students found this non-judgmental system to be an exciting and insightful way of pinpointing their own unique stress responses. They learned to be more accepting of themselves, and to be more understanding of their families, friends, and colleagues. Less conflict…more peace…more happiness!

If you look at the diagram, you will notice a nine-pointed star within a circle. Each point is also connected to two other points by the interconnecting lines. Once you have identified your basic personality type, you then follow the interconnecting lines to find your “stress” point, and your “heart” point. (i.e. your behavioral style when you are stressed and your behavioral style when you are happy and peaceful).
The following are thumb-nail sketches of the nine different types. I invite you to look at this brief summary and see what might fit for you.

Type 1 - Perfectionists are realistic, conscientious, and principled, and strive to live up to their high ideals.

Type 2 - Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people’s needs, and thrive in the helping professions.

Type 3 - Achievers are energetic, optimistic, self-assured, and goal oriented, and typical of the American ideal for success.

Type 4 - Romantics have a flair for the dramatic, experience feelings deeply, are exceptionally perceptive, shun the mundane, and often are in the creative arts.

Type 5 - Observers tend to be introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful, and view the world from an intellectual perspective.

Type 6 - Questioners are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes, with personalities ranging from quietly reserved to outspoken and confrontational.

Type 7 - Adventurers are energetic, lively, and optimistic, and welcome new and exciting experiences. They are often multi-talented and entrepreneurial.

Type 8 - Asserters tend to be powerful, direct, self-reliant, and resourceful, and often emerge as strong natural leaders.

Type 9 - Peacemakers are generally receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They tend to place strong value on peaceful communication, harmony, and conventional roles.

Although these types provide a road-map, each of us has developed our own individual style of interacting with others, and of coping with the stressors in our life. As we mature, we hopefully develop new and more effective ways of coping with stress. Learning about the Enneagram is a fun and creative way to better understand ourselves and to experience greater insight into the behaviors of other people in our lives. Through workshops and personal consultations, many people have discovered that this intriguing system of the Enneagram offered them a smoother path to happiness.

Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS is co-founder of Imagine Wellness, located at 7493 N Oracle,Suite#115, Tucson, AZ 85704. She has been a psychotherapist, educator, consultant, and wellness coach for over 30 years. The Enneagram has always been one of the most popular workshops for helping people achieve greater health and balance in their lives. You can contact her at 520 797-4099 for more information.

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Client(s) of the Month for August and September: Dennis Ritchie

In the five short months that Amanda and Dennis have been coming to Body Basics they have seen outstanding results. Both came in wanting to improve their strength and stamina for badminton and life in general. This is exactly what the two of them are realizing. Both report much greater stamina and higher energy levels during AND after badminton matches. They are also feeling more sustained energy during the work day.
Dennis and Amanda, We commend you for sticking to your workout schedule and always coming prepared to give your best each time.

Client(s) of the Month for August and September: Amanda Ritchie

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina, Cecile, and Jenny

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• September/October 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 5

In This Issue

• What is Functional Training?
• Nutrition Corner - Planning is the Key!
• Healthy Recipe: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce
• Guest Article: Go Gently into the Day
• Client of the Month: June
• Client of the Month: July
• Our Mission
• BodyBasics Abroad!

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am – Gentle Yoga (Tues)

What is Functional Training?

You may have heard us describe our training style as more “Functional Training” as opposed to traditional training. But, what exactly is Functional Training? The concept of Functional Training began with Physical Therapy. The idea was to rehab patients through specific exercises that would allow them to return to their normal, everyday activities. If the patient’s occupation involved heavy lifting, the therapy would focus on proper lifting techniques and strengthening the muscles involved. Likewise, if the patient ran around chasing kids all day, muscular strength and endurance was addressed in order to minimize re-injury.

Developing strength to assist the body through the daily stresses and activites of life makes perfect sense to us. We believe Functional Training is the future of our industry because it is simply, training for life! At Body Basics, our focus is to train you in the gym for the activities you do (and/or want to do) outside the gym.

Functional vs. Traditional

What makes Functional Training different from traditional training is that very little equipment is needed to train someone functionally. Much of traditional training involves the use of weight-bearing machines or benches for support. Many times, these machines will target one muscle group at a time and the benches are used to support a specific body position during an exercise. Functional Training utilizes many muscle groups at the same time to strengthen your body as a whole. As we compare certain exercises, we want to point out that there are definite benefits to traditional training and many times, they are needed to help build a foundation for fitness or to supplement a routine.

The leg press, for example, may be used to train someone traditionally. This is a great machine to help build leg strength and flexibility. The client sits or lies down in a pre-set position supported by the machine. The machine will only allow movement in particular direction. The muscle groups specifically targeted are the quadriceps and hamstrings. In comparison, a squat would be more of a functional exercise due to the fact that the person has to use his/her entire body’s stability and strength to balance and perform the squat properly. The quadriceps and hamstrings are targeted, but so are the “core” muscles of the abdominals, hips, glutes, lower and upper back. And whether you know it or not, you perform a squat every day when you sit down in a chair. Therefore, training functionally by performing squats as part of your exercise routine can to help strengthen your body to ensure you are sitting down and standing back up properly to minimize injury.

Functional Training = A Total Body Workout!

When training functionally, upper-body exercises often times combine with lower-body exercises to become total body exercises. Most of the exercises that utilize the “funky” equipment, such as the physioballs, medicine balls, bands, balance discs, the BOSU, foam rollers, etc. are used for functional training. These exercises will use more of your body’s balance, stability and strength to perform as opposed to more traditional exercises that tend to work one muscle group at a time. For example, take the exercise of performing a dumbbell chest press on the bench. This is a very good exercise to strengthen your chest, triceps and shoulders. However, lying on the bench supports your lower body and back so you can focus on your chest. If you were to take the same exercise and replace the bench with a phyisoball, you would now be working your lower-body and your “core” in addition to your chest. Your body becomes the bench and therefore, your support. That simple adjustment turns a traditional upper-body exercise into a more functional, total-body exercise.

Functional Training Sets us Apart

Our focus on Functional Training is just one of the many things that set Body Basics apart from other gyms or personal training businesses. Just walk into our studio and you will see that we are not set up like a typical gym. We have very few machines, lots of dumbbells, and a plethora of colorful physioballs, bands, balance discs, foam rollers, etc. When Chris, President of Body Basics, was designing his studio, he wanted to create an environment that allowed for more Functional Training. To accomplish this, he chose the few traditional machines that we currently have and use. As many of our clients will attest to, we are constantly creating new exercises to mimic specific movements to meet the needs of our clients. If you are training for a hike, we will develop an exercise that simulates what the knees, ankles, hips, and back go through while out on a trail. If you are looking to improve your golf swing, we will have you work on rotational exercises that involve twisting and accelerating just as you would on the golf course. Gardening or doing yard work? You bet we will have you squatting, kneeling, swinging, lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. These exercises may look goofy and will definitely be “out of the box,” but they are sure to help you stay strong in your daily activities.

Functional Training for Life!

The focus of Functional Training is to strengthen your body in ways that will make your everyday activities easier, pain and injury-free, and ultimately, more enjoyable. It is also about strengthening your body to do the activities you may not do every day, but still enjoy like hiking, playing tennis or golf, scuba diving, skiing, etc. The Functional Training focus is all about moving your body to keep it strong and healthy in order for you to do what you want to live and enjoy your life to the fullest! We, the Fitness Coaches at Body Basics, strive to be there with you every squat, lunge, jump and step of the way!

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Nutrition Corner - Planning is the Key!

All too often, we hear the following words about nutrition, “We know what to do, we just don’t do it!” When it comes to better nutrition, whether you are looking to eliminate body fat, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy body, having a plan and following through, is the key to success.

As important as time management is with keeping on task throughout your day, food management is equally important in helping you succeed with your healthy lifestyle goals. The following scenario is a common day-in-the-life of someone who may struggle with their weight loss and lacks energy throughout the day:

Jack wakes up around 6:00am. He hurries along getting ready for his day, giving himself only coffee for his much-needed burst of morning “energy.” Long about 10:00 or 11:00, he starts to feel hungry and reaches for candy dish nearby and/or maybe the Snickers bar he has stashed in his desk for a quick “pick-me-up.” Or he may simply have another cup of coffee, hoping this will curb his hunger until lunch. By lunchtime, Jack is famished and since he didn’t pack a meal for lunch, he will go out to eat. Being so hungry, he will order something that may not be the healthiest choice on the menu and he will eat the whole thing justifying this behavior because he didn’t have breakfast this morning, so “it’s okay for today.” Then it’s back to the office for the second half of his day. A couple of hours later and Jack is now feeling the 3:00 slump. He fishes around for some change and visits the vending machines for another sugary snack and maybe a diet soda. When the workday is over and Jack arrives home, he is ravenous again and no matter how perfect the portion sizes may be Jack is still hungry so he goes back for seconds. Relaxing on the couch for a couple of hours, Jack gives into his sweet tooth and gets a bowl of ice cream before heading to bed.

The next day…he does it all over again.

Does this scenario sound even remotely familiar to you? When reading through this, you may think that Jack is falling victim to poor decisions throughout his day. In reality, Jack is feeling the direct results of poor planning or, in other words, poor food management.

Set Yourself Up for Success!

No doubt, you have heard that eating smaller meals throughout your day is better than eating two to three larger meals. The reason for this is to help balance your blood sugar levels, and therefore, your energy throughout your day. In other words, if you do not eat on a regular basis, i.e. every three to four hours, you are setting yourself up for feeling overly-hungry and out of control when you finally do eat. Allowing five, six, even seven hours or more between meals will cause your blood sugar to rise and fall drastically, giving you an energy roller-coaster feel throughout your day. For better results, more balanced energy, and the “will-power” to make healthier choices in your day, plan your meals before your day begins.

Just like planning your daily to-do list, meal planning will help you increase your productivity and improve your chances for success with your goals. This doesn’t mean that you must know exactly what you will be eating at a specific time each and every day, but having a general idea will help you set yourself up for success. If you pack your lunch, make sure to pack healthy snacks as well. Even if you are planning on eating lunch out, having a healthy, mid-morning snack will help you make a more conscious and healthy choice at lunch. You may need to set your watch to remind you to eat every three to four hours in order to help you create the habit. The idea is to construct a more regular schedule for your meals so you can stay in control of your hunger and have more energy throughout your day.

What’s For Dinner?

Ask yourself this question: Do I know what I am having for dinner tonight? If the answer is “no,” you may be setting yourself up for a night of not-so-healthy choices.

If you really want to be organized, plan your meals for the week and buy your groceries in one big trip. This will help you save time, as well as money throughout your week. It will especially answer that “What’s for dinner” question and help avoid the quick, last-minute decision of eating dinner out.

Of course, there will be times when things don’t always go as planned. For these times, it is important to have a back-up plan ready. Back-up plans are usually executed when time is running short, so if you are up for cooking at home, you will most likely want a quick-prep meal. The following recipe in the “Healthy Recipe” section of this newsletter is healthful and utilizes pantry items that you can keep on hand. The best part is that this meal can be prepared in about 15 minutes. If cooking at home is just not feasible, you can rest assured that you have been eating well throughout the day, so you have set your self up to make good, healthful decisions for your evening meal.

Planning equals Success!

Planning your meals throughout your day can help you stay in control of your hunger and keep your energy level high so you will continue moving forward toward your goals. Being prepared will reduce the last-minute, quick stops to pick up food that may not be in line with these goals. When it comes to making healthy nutritional changes in your life, meal planning and following through with your plan is truly the key to success!

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Healthy Recipe: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger, RD of the Food Network. Ellie is the author of “The Food You Crave.” The recipe can be found in her cookbook as well as online at Food Network - Ellie Krieger

Serves 6 - serving size 1 and 1/4 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving: Calories 470, Carbohydrates 73 grams, Total fat 11 grams, Saturated fat 4.5 grams, Protein 18 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Sodium 1050 milligrams

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Guest Article: Go Gently into the Day

Tips on Wellness by Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS

Jennifer’s alarm blared loudly, jolting her out of her peaceful sleep. She hit the snooze button, hoping for a few more winks. But her mind was racing as she began to think of all the tasks and appointments on her agenda that day. “I might as well get up” she grumbled to herself. “Why didn’t I go to bed earlier last night!” Grabbing a large cup of coffee, she took it to the bathroom with her as she hopped into the shower. “No time for breakfast this morning” she thought. “I’ll grab a muffin when the pastry guy comes around at the office.” Does any of this sound familiar? How many people do you know who blast their way into the day? Perhaps you have had mornings that began like Jennifer’s…

Is their another way to begin your day more gently? Here are a number of tips and suggestions that will alter the way you do mornings:

1) Most importantly, make a to-do list the night before and tuck it away in your appointment book. Then, begin to train yourself to use the precious early awakening time in gentle reflections, prayer, or meditation. Listen to the sound of the birds chirping… They don’t begin their day with worry or stress!

2) Remember how cats and dogs awaken from their slumber? They stretch and yawn! So take about 10 minutes and do a series of stretches and twists. Use the bathroom first, if you wish, but then return to your bedroom and stretch out all the kinks from your night of sleep. Some people like to do this while they are still in bed, if it doesn’t mean bonking their mates in the head.

3) Time now to flush out your system and start your body flow. Many cultures recommend that you drink 16- 20 oz of pure water at this time in the morning. ( It is easier to drink that much if you use a fat drinking straw) You might also add some lemon juice to the water for greater cleansing and to make your system more alkaline (That’s right, lemon juice is an acid juice that actually becomes alkaline within your body!)

4) About the coffee… There are differing perspectives on the benefit of coffee to your body. If you are an “A” blood type, coffee could be beneficial. An “O” blood type would generally not have a positive response to the coffee, or to the caffeine. (If you would like to learn more, read Dr. d’Adamo’s book “Eat Right for Your Type”)

5) Skipping breakfast is a nutritional mistake! We frequently hear “But, I’m just not hungry in the morning” Chances are, you ate too much or too late the night before! Having protein in the morning as you “break the fast” is one of the best ways to keep your blood sugar balanced for the rest of the day. If you want an easy way to breakfast, find a high quality protein shake, select a delicious flavor, and enjoy sipping your way into the day. Add fruit and fiber for more staying power. Be creative and enjoy!

6) Still having trouble getting your engine started. Breathe deeply about 10 times to clear out the stale air in you lungs and bring more oxygen to your brain! Stretch our your arms as wide as you can and make circles in the air…forward and then backwards. Continue breathing deeply as you do this! (As if you weren’t already breathing deeply!!) Lastly, try tapping your chest like Tarzan. This thumps the thymus gland and stimulates your immune system. (Where do you think Tarzan learned this? Why of course from the gorillas, who instinctively knew that it would make them stronger!)

7) Many people are deciding that they feel better and more energized by adding high quality nutritional supplements to their morning routine. Find some products that work well for you and enjoy the benefits of nhanced health.

Lastly, a word about the benefits of sleep. Research shows that most adults are healthier when they get 7-8 hours of restful sleep each night. In fact, there is now a correlation showing a greater incidence of obesity in people who get less than 6 hours of sleep at night. What are the most valuable hours for sleep? Our bodies heal and regenerate during our sleeping hours. Studies reflect that the maximum healing time for our bodies is
between the hours of 11PM and 2PM! So make sure that this is the time when you are sleeping peacefully.

So it is good to remember that the morning is a precious time when you are emerging from the healing hours of the night. Allow yourselt to enter the day with an attitude of gratitude. Go gently into this new day!

Carol Bartol RN,MS,CS is the founder of Imagine Wellness, where you can Experience the Art of Healthy Living. She is an RN and a certified herbal specialist, and provides experienced Nutrition/Lifestyle consultation and a personalized program for wellness. Imagine Wellness, a unique wellness center is located at 7493 N Oracle, #115, Tucson, AZ 85704. Call 520 797-4099 to set up an individual appointment.

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Client of the Month: June

Ali Walrath

Ali started at Body Basics in January 2008 with the group sessions as a guest of Susie Hilkemeyer. To deepen her movement awareness she then participated in personal coaching sessions. In a short period of time she has mastered the infamous in-line lunge and has realized marked improvements in her strength. Go Ali!
Ali has demonstrated that with consistency and determination many things are possible. We are proud of your progress. Keep up the good work.

Client of the Month: July

Richard Rhynard

Richard started his journey to better health and fitness at BodyBasics in June of ‘07’. Dr. Shapiro, our very own, referred him to Chris with the goal of decreasing his body fat and improving his overall fitness. Our guy has definitely done that. To date, he has lowered his body fat by over 10% and eliminated 30+ pounds of fat! Richard has learned to replace unhealthy foods with healthier ones and he continues to practice what he has learned on a daily basis now. Richard also remains consistent, both at BodyBasics and at home where he regularly spends time exercising on his own. Richard, we are all very proud of you. Keep it up!

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BodyBasics Abroad!

Remember to get a photo with your favorite BodyBasics T-shirt on. We will post it in the next newsletter.

In this newsletter we have an insert from Lou Petti enjoying the wonderful beaches of Nantucket!

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina, Cecile, and Jenny

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• July/August 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 4

In This Issue

• Welcome to the Crew!
• “We Have it Backwards!”
• Sleep Well
• Announcements and Events
• Nutrition Corner - Hooray for Grilling Season!
• Healthy Recipe: Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
• Client of the Month: April
• Client of the Month: May
• Our Mission

Group Training

Currently Available:

• 6:00 am – Wake Up Call (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 7:00 am – Fresh Start (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 12:00 pm – Power Lunch (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 6:00 pm – Evening Gang (Mon., Wed., & Fri.)
• 9:00 am – Weekend Party Saturday Group
• 7:00 am – Gentle Yoga (Tues.)

Welcome to the Crew!

BodyBasics is introducing a new Fitness Coach to our team! Mike Donelan brings with him almost 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. He has worn many hats along the way, some of which include health club owner, personal trainer, and rehab specialist. Mike looks forward to sharing his expertise in corrective exercise and rehabilitative exercise with all of us at BodyBasics.

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“We Have it Backwards!”

While on my adventure of seeing new places and meeting new friends, I (Jenny) have run into a variety of people who are always eager to talk about fitness and nutrition. One particular new friend stands out in my mind. I met Katie in Montgomery, Alabama while our husbands were attending a month-long Air Force school for Captains. Katie and I developed an instant friendship, and we immediately began sharing things about ourselves as if we were old friends.

Katie admitted that she has struggled with her weight for most of her life. She continues to work to eliminate those last few pounds in order to strive for a healthy body. Her focus has always been on the idea that before she could be healthy, she must first eliminate the weight. After many conversations about the importance of exercise, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress management, she started understanding more about what comprises a healthy lifestyle. An English teacher by trade, Katie perfectly articulated the misguided thinking that she and so many others have about living a healthy lifestyle. “I think we have it backwards,” she said. It dawned on Katie that her continuous quest to live a healthier lifestyle is not about losing weight to be healthy, but rather, it is about being healthy to lose weight! It was her “ah-ha” moment.

The “Ah-ha” Moment

As Fitness Coaches, we are thrilled when our clients have their “ah-ha” moment. Something clicks in the client’s mind, and they begin to see more clearly how they got to the point where they are now. The client will also start understanding what they need to do to change for the better and to achieve their goals. Everything starts to make sense. It is the moment of truth in which unsuccessful habits of the past are released, and the client is free to move forward toward their goals.

Katie’s “ah-ha” moment came to her one evening as we were sitting down to dinner at a local barbecue restaurant with our husbands. We were getting ready to enjoy some good southern pulled pork, fried okra, and collard greens. In the past, Katie would have considered this meal to have “blown her diet.” But that night, it clicked. Katie recognized that it was okay for her to eat this “forbidden” food even though she was making an effort to eliminate weight. What Katie realized was that her endeavor for weight loss involved more than just simply calories in vs. calories out. She was able to eat the meal without feeling guilty, because she had been working hard to make many healthy changes in her life. Katie was eating healthier throughout the day, drinking more water, exercising six days a week, working on getting more sleep, and taking care of herself mentally and emotionally. When she stopped putting the sole focus on food, she allowed herself to actually enjoy her meal instead of eating it with a guilty conscience. Of course, moderation is the key when it comes to foods like southern BBQ, so neither of us finished our huge plates of food. Needless to say, we had a wonderful, tasty, guilt-free meal and were happy and totally satisfied. Best of all, Katie was able to stay on track and continue toward her weight elimination goal.

“Weight Loss is a By-Product of a Healthy Lifestyle”

As our clients, you have most likely heard us say the words, “Weight loss is the by-product of a healthy lifestyle.” Simply put, once healthy lifestyle changes are being made all around, the weight will start to disappear. For example, if you find that you are carrying around extra weight, think of that weight as a reminder of the not-so-healthy decisions you have made in your life that helped lead you to where you are now. Once healthier choices are made and unhealthy habits become a thing of the past, that extra weight will fade, too.

A Healthy Lifestyle

So, what makes up a healthy lifestyle? There are many facets of your life that make up the whole person. These facets are all connected and relate to one another. If one of these facets is not working properly, it will make the whole process of healthy change more difficult.

We like to picture a wagon wheel. There are many “spokes” that make up the wheel. Each one is equally important and if one is missing, the wheel fails to move forward. Consider each of the following elements to whole-body health:
• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Sleep
• Stress Management / Mental Health
• Emotional Health
• Water

We encourage you to put emphasis on each of the above spokes that make up your wheel of life. Once you start making healthy lifestyle changes to each spoke, your goals will be achieved!

Move Forward!

Let us stop our backwards thinking and start moving forward! Throw away the idea that you must eliminate weight to become healthy and concentrate on being healthy to finally eliminate that excess weight for good! Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.

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Sleep Well

BodyBasics is happy to introduce our first guest author of “The Pulse!” The following article was submitted by Carol Bartol of Imagine Wellness, Tucson, AZ.

Kim looked at the clock a dozen times that night…2:00 o’clock, 3:30, 4:15. She tossed and turned in frustration. “I have to get a good night’s sleep or I’ll never be able to give my big presentation in the morning. Why can’t I drift back to sleep like I usually do?”

As Kim lay in bed her thoughts returned to the previous evening. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have had that double latte on the way home from work, but I thought it would give me energy. And maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up until mid-night working on my presentation…”

Kim’s story is not an unusual one! How many of us have found ourselves in a similar scenario? A disrupted sleep pattern, even for just one night, can create additional stress for our bodies. The good news is that we can ensure a healthy nights sleep with just a few simple changes in our nightly
behaviors. Here are a few bed-time tips:

1) Try to decide your optimal sleep hours (Most people feel best on 7-8 hrs). It is difficult for your body to recover from several nights of sleep deficit. In fact, recent research identified poor sleep as one factor in weight gain.

2) The best hours for our bodies to heal are between 11 PM and 1 AM. So, try to be asleep as much as possible during these precious hours.

3) Wind down gently from the day. Allow yourself time for relaxing activities in the evening. Try skipping the night-time news before you go to bed. (Most of it is about violence or disappointments and it sets the tone for disrupted sleep.)

4) Know your own body’s response to caffeine. If it keeps you awake, limit your caffeine to morning, or skip it entirely. (Some people can actually sleep peacefully with a cup of coffee before bed!)

5) Try to eat your evening meal before 8:00PM so you have time to finish digesting before lying down. Many people with acid reflux or hiatal hernias find that they are eating too late at night.

6) Write your next day’s To-do list before you turn in for the night. That way you won’t wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about all the things you have to do the next day.

7) If you do wake up during the night, avoid the temptation of looking at the clock. It will only make you feel anxious. In fact, many researchers suggest that you turn your clock so the number display is not staring at you during the night.

Try to allow yourself to wake up naturally about the same time every morning. Your body will give you the signal that it is rested!

9) If you find that you still need some assistance in falling asleep, there are some excellent natural supplements such as valerian root, chamomile, and melatonin. Consult an experienced wellness counselor to see what might work best for you.

10) Lastly, go to bed with peace and gratitude in your heart. You will wake up with it still there!

About the Author:

Carol Bartol RN, MS,CS is an RN, certified herbal specialist, and lifestyle counselor. She is the founder of Imagine Wellness in Tucson, AZ and has assisted people in enhancing their physical and emotional wellness for many years. You may contact her at 520 797-4099, or at imaginewellnessinc@msn.com.

Imagine Wellness
7493 N Oracle #111
Tucson, AZ 85704
imaginewellnessinc@msn.com
520 797-4099

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Announcements and Events

Welcome Back Cécile!

As many of you know, former BodyBasics Fitness Coach (now Firefighter), Cécile Brown has been hanging around the studio recently. This is because she is assisting in coaching the 6:00am and 7:00 a.m. groups on her days off from firefighting. Cécile will only be working a couple of days a month, so we encourage you to take advantage of her unique style! You are guaranteed a fun time and a great workout! You can call the studio for her guest coaching times.

Welcome back Cécile. We’ve missed you!

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Nutrition Corner - Hooray for Grilling Season!

By the 4th of July, Jason and I will have lived in a hotel room for a total of 45 days. The biggest struggle, short of living out of our suitcases, is eating healthy and being creative using minimal cookware and appliances. This is why we are very thankful that it is summertime and the perfect weather for firing up the grill!

Dining out on a regular basis while living in a hotel room is tempting due to its convenience, but it can quickly become a strain on the wallet, as well as the waistline. Grilling is a great way to cook up a healthy, tasty meal in no time!

Benefits of Grilling

Grilling is a healthy option because you can cook food with little to no fat that comes from cooking oil, butter, etc. Grilling can give your foods a smoky flavor that really helps satisfy your taste buds. As one of the most versatile methods of cooking, you can grill almost any type of food and have it be a success at the dinner table!

Grill Vegetables…and Even Fruit

The grill isn’t just for meat anymore! You can grill just about any vegetable and give it a flavor that is delightfully different from conventional stove-top methods. You can also grill fruit! “Stone” fruits (peaches, plums, cherries, apricots) are best because they hold up better on the grill than some other, softer fruits. A little olive oil and some salt and pepper are all you need to make the flavors pop! Similar to roasting vegetables in the oven or sautéing on the stove top, grilling helps bring out the natural sugars in vegetables and fruit, caramelizing them and giving them a nice, sweet flavor.

Many vegetables are wonderful when grilled like, zucchini, squash, eggplant, Portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, are especially tasty, but there are a few that you may not have tried yet.

Vegetables to try on the grill:

• Whole Bell or other peppers of all different colors, shapes and sizes. After washing and drying the pepper, rub a little olive oil on the whole pepper and sprinkle it with some salt and pepper. Place directly on the grill, turning when the outside skin starts to darken. Cook the pepper to desired firmness. You may eat the pepper with or without the skin.
• Scallions. These vegetables can also be placed directly on the grill. Use a little olive oil and salt and pepper for extra flavor and to avoid burning.
• Corn on the cob. There are several ways to cook corn on the cob on the grill, depending on your taste. You can shuck the husks first and then put some olive oil and seasonings (lime juice and fresh cracked pepper give the corn great flavor) on the corn prior to the grill, or you can grill the corn still in their husks. Just be careful not to catch the husks on fire. Other options are to wrap corn in foil, shucked or un-shucked, and place directly on the grill.
• Lettuce. Try Romaine, endive, or radicchio halved or quartered. Drizzle a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until the lettuce is crispy and browned to taste. Use the lettuce in a salad or on top of burgers or sandwiches.

Tip: Grilling baskets are great for chopped, sliced, or even smaller vegetables. Skewers are also a great way to keep the veggies from escaping through the grill grates.

Fruit to try on the grill:

• Stone fruit such as: peaches, plums, cherries, apricots
• Sliced pineapple
• Halved bananas

Tip: Slice some whole, unpeeled oranges and place directly on the grill. Grill fish on top of these orange slices to add zesty flavor to your fish.

Take the Fish Outside

Ever complain about how cooking fish on the stove or in the oven makes the house smell for days? This is the perfect reason to take the fish outside and cook it on the grill! Most fish is fine to be placed directly on the grill. However, flakier fishes, like flounder or tilapia may need to be grilled on a tray for best results.

Make it a Family Affair…or Even Entertain!

Grilling is great because it can involve the whole family and the clean-up is minimal. Grilling helps take the pressure off entertaining inside and provides a great reason to spend some quality time with your loved ones outside, enjoying the summer months.

Creativity is key when it comes to grilling. Most recipes can be modified for the grill, and although it will be nice to be in our home again with an oven and stovetop along with all our pots and pans, you can bet our grill will definitely get good use over the rest of the summer. We encourage you to grab your tongs, spatulas, friends and family and fire up your grill tonight for some yummy outdoor cookin’!

Healthy Recipe: Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Here is an example of a recipe that can be modified for the grill. Although the directions say to cook the chicken in a skillet with oil, we recommend taking this recipe to the grill! Just follow the recipe but instead of using a skillet on the stove, lightly oil the grates of your grill and you are good to go! Enjoy!

Recipe taken from: Everyday Food Magazine

Cool, buttery avocado makes a soothing salsa — a palate-pleasing contrast to spicy meats, such as these cayenne-rubbed chicken breasts.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks
Directions
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

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Client of the Month: April

Jerry Turetzky

When you look up dedication, Jerry’s picture will be right next to the definition. Despite major medical challenges that would most likely have permanently sidelined many, Jerry continues to maintain a consistent approach to improving his health and overall well being. Jerry started coming to BodyBasics in September of 2007 via the prompting of several loved ones around him who thought it would help him to decrease pain and increase his energy. Jerry took the plunge and has been coming ever since.
Jerry thank you for the joy you bring to BodyBasics as well as you dedication. We all love having you around!

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Client of the Month: May

Kelly Enochs

Kelly is a strong part of the 6:00 a.m. small group. She is often the first to arrive and she takes her exercise very seriously. Since her start in September of 2007, she has eliminated inches all over and improved her strength to impressive levels. She is a true example of what this thing we call exercise can do for you when it is applied in consistent weekly doses.
Kelly, we are all very proud of you and we thank you for your continued enthusiasm. See you at 6:00 a.m.

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

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• May/June 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 3

In This Issue

• More Hellos…
• …and More Goodbyes!
• Future Announcements and Events
• Nutrition Corner
• Healthy Recipe - Coach Kathleen’s Breakfast Smoothie
• Client of the Month: February
• Client of the Month: March
• Our Mission

More Hellos…

Katrina J. Daniels, BSW
NSCA Certified Personal Trainer

Body Basics is proud to introduce Katrina Daniels as the newest member of our team! Katrina comes to us from a somewhat different background than most of our fitness coaches and her story is very inspirational.

Katrina attained her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. She worked at Child Protective Services until the birth of her first son. A few years later, after the birth of her second son, Katrina came to the realization that she was not living the healthiest life. She had devoted all her time and energy to her family and had lost herself in the process. Having put herself on the back burner for so long, Katrina was now morbidly obese.

Katrina decided it was time for things to change. She started working with a personal trainer and made some healthy lifestyle changes. In a 2-year span of working out for an hour 6 days a week and making better food choices, Katrina dropped an incredible 100 pounds!

Inspired by her success and with her continued desire to help others, Katrina decided that becoming a personal trainer, while keeping her own commitment, would be the perfect balance!! She completed the Pima Community College Fitness Professional Certificate Program and became a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Katrina looks forward to using her skills and personal experience to inspire others towards better health and fitness.

In her free time, Katrina enjoys spending time with her two sons, Nicholas and Ran, hiking, throwing a football, or enjoying movie night at home with her family. She is excited about the next stage of her weight loss/fitness regimen and hopes this will help to inspire others to attain their goals as well.

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…and More Goodbyes!

…and a Heartfelt Goodbye

But…still "editor in chief"

Jenny Kerbs, valued fitness coach and friend to BodyBasics, is moving on. Both Jenny and her husband are headed to Waco, Texas to start a new chapter in their lives. Jenny plans to continue to work within the fitness industry and we look forward to hearing what path(s) she decides on. She has also agreed to continue writing the e-newsletter you have all come to look forward to every couple of months. This is a plus for the entire BodyBasics family who truly love this gal and aren’t quite ready to admit that she is gone.

Jenny joined Cécile and Chris in September of ‘04’ to start BodyBasics. She was a team player from the word “go” all the way up to her last day, March 31st, 2008. During the three and a half years she dedicated to BodyBasics, Jenny showed an ongoing desire to be her best. She would stay after weekly to talk with Chris or others in an effort to learn all she could. In fact, Jenny’s last week was probably one of her longest as she gathered information and made a point to hang around well beyond her end of day all week!

Along with her high level of service, Most of us will also continue to remember Jenny for her ear to ear smile. Her smile welcomed many a new client into BodyBasics, brought joy to clients and others who could use some, and made going to work out something to look forward to. We will all miss that smile.

Jenny, we wish you all the best as you part ways and head into an exciting new chapter. Thank you for your time at BodyBasics and thank you for your commitment each day to offer your best to the studio and your clients.

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Future Announcements and Events

Race for the Cure 2008 was a success for the BodyBasics Crew!

Thank you to all of our runners, walkers, and donators who participated in this year’s Race for the Cure event on April 6th, 2008. This year we ended up with 36 members of the BodyBasics Crew. Special thanks to Kelly Enochs and Susan Mannion who designed the logo for this year’s team shirt.

As a team we were able to raise nearly $2000.00 dollars for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It is through collective efforts like this that we can all do our part to rid the planet of breast cancer, a wretched condition.

Special congrats to all who made this year their first year ever completing an organized 5K. It is a great achievement and something to be celebrated. We also offer a sincere pat on the back for those who ran competitively.

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Nutrition Corner

Hydration and Exercise - What You Need to Know!

It is that time of year again! The time of year where our Tucson temperatures reach over a scorching 100 degrees on most days of the summer. The time of year where people limit their outdoor activities to before the sun comes up to after the pavement has stopped sizzling for the day. It is also the time of year where your BodyBasics Fitness Coaches emphasize the importance of staying hydrated.

Hydration is important all year long, but because we live in the desert, the dry, hot summer weather brings an even greater need for more water to help keep our bodies healthy all summer long.

We have talked about the recommended amounts of water in previous newsletters, so the focus of this article is, specifically, on hydration and exercise. If you are curious about general recommendations of water, please refer to our 2006 July/August newsletter. Look for the title and subtitle, “Get Your Kicks – Drink up!”

Why Hydrate?

Research shows that optimal health is not possible without proper hydration. Staying well hydrated can provide many benefits to your daily life as well as possibly reduce certain diseases such as infections, kidney stones, and some cancers. It is essential that you stay hydrated throughout the day to feel your best and be your best, but it is especially important before, during, and after exercise.

Each person’s need for fluids while working out is different depending on individual sweat rates. We have clients who, after an hour workout, are barely glowing and others who break a sweat as soon as they open the door into our studio. The best way to determine how much water you are losing during your workout is to weigh yourself before and then again after exercise. Ideally, you should weigh the same. If the number is less, then you know you may not have consumed enough fluids. If the number is greater, then you possibly drank too much fluid. The general rule is that you do not want to drop below 2% of your body weight. Doing so can impair performance and create negative physiological consequences.

Have you ever noticed that some days your heart rate seems to be higher than usual? Or that it takes a longer amount of time to recover than normal? Have you ever felt a spontaneous desire to decrease exercise intensity and maybe end your session early? These are all signs of possible dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, the blood becomes more viscous (thicker) and therefore the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body. The fact of the matter is proper hydration leads to harder, longer workouts, resulting in greater benefits and getting the most out of each workout.

Can you drink too much water?

The answer is yes. The condition in which too much water is consumed is known as hyponatremia or water intoxication. Hyponatremia, as well as dehydration, are serious conditions that, in severe cases, could result in death. Both of these illnesses are very uncommon. However, for most exercisers, dehydration and heat illness are far more common than hyponatremia. The average exerciser need not be too concerned about these conditions, but we do insist that you make sure you drink the proper amounts and types of fluids during exercise.

Determining your Sweat Rate

Most people will lose between 17 to 50 oz of sweat during an hour of vigorous activity. Of course, sweat loss depends upon the exercise intensity, exercise duration, fitness level, and environmental conditions (inside and outside the studio). Those who sweat lightly (less than 20oz/hour) can stay well hydrated by drinking very little water throughout their workout. Those who are heavier sweaters (50oz/hour or more) will need substantially more fluid replacement during their workout. The following formula will help you determine your sweat rate:

Sweat rate = ([preexercise body weight – postexercise body weight] + fluids consumed)/exercise time (in hours)

For example, Mary weighs 150 lbs before exercise. She completes vigorous activity for 45 minutes. While exercising, she consumes 12 oz of water. After exercise, she weighs 149.5 lbs.

We know that Mary lost 0.5 lbs of water during exercise. One pound equals 16 oz, so the half a pound she lost equates to a 8 oz loss of water during exercise. We also know Mary drank 12 oz of water, which she also lost in addition to the 8 oz. Therefore, Mary had 20 oz of sweat loss in 45 minutes.

To get Mary’s sweat rate, we have to convert her time into hours (45 minutes = 0.75 hours). Then we divide her sweat loss by her time in hours. 20 oz / 0.75 = 26.6 oz/hour

Mary’s sweat rate for a vigorous workout is approximately 27 oz/hour.

Once you have determined your sweat rate, you will have a better idea of how much fluid to consume during your workout in order to minimize water/weight loss. To make it easier, divide the amount of fluid needed to maintain weight during exercise by 10 to 20 minute intervals. Therefore, Mary should drink roughly 8 oz every 20 minutes to remain well hydrated.

What type of fluid is best?

Water

The best fluid for hydration is water. Water is readily available and most of the time, it is free of cost. However, research has shown that more people will adequately hydrate themselves when given a more flavorful option.

Fitness Waters

These waters are lightly flavored with few calories. Exercisers may do a better job at replacing their fluids when drinking a flavored beverage as opposed to their tasteless alternative of water. Most fitness waters market the fact that they include vitamins in their beverages. These vitamins offer no aid in hydration; however, they can be beneficial to one’s overall health.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks have been getting a lot of bad press because of their supposed higher than desirable caloric values. But for those exercisers who workout at a high intensity for at least 60 minutes in duration and are looking to get the most out of every workout, those extra calories may be beneficial to their performance.

The calories in sports drinks are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the fuel for our muscles. Our bodies, on average, can only oxidize about 60 to 90 grams of ingested carbohydrates per hour. When too many carbohydrates are consumed, gastric emptying and fluid absorption are slowed down, which can lead to stomachaches and nausea. Therefore, sports drinks are specially formulated to provide the proper amount of carbohydrates needed. Check the labels of your sports drink and choose one that contains 14 to 17 grams of carbohydrates per 8 oz serving. For some exercisers, it may be a good idea to dilute your sports drink to ensure you are taking in the proper amount of fluid as well as carbohydrates.

Sports drinks are also beneficial due to their electrolyte concentration. The greatest electrolyte loss in sweat is sodium. Sports drinks will help replenish the sodium our bodies need to function properly. This sodium in the sports drinks may help the body retain more fluid that is consumed, resulting in better hydration during exercise. Depending on your sweat rate, you may consider choosing a sports drink for hydration during your workouts over water. Keep in mind, though, that for most exercisers, water is just fine for staying hydrated. Other options are to simply dilute your sports drink if you find that you do not need those extra carbohydrates during your exercise. Check with your BodyBasics Fitness Coach if you have questions.

The Bottom Line

In short, water is one of the most important nutrients we can provide to our bodies. We hope that by reading this article, you take with you a better understanding of how much water your body may need during exercise to stay adequately hydrated. As you become more aware of what a hydrated body feels like versus a dehydrated body, you will soon look just like your Fitness Coaches who carry a bottle of water with them wherever they go!

Have a great summer and drink up!

Resource: 

"Drink Up!  The Science of Hydration."  Stover, Beth, M.S., CSCS, and Bob Murry, Ph.D., FACSM.  American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal.  March/April 2007.  p. 7-12. 

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Healthy Recipe - Coach Kathleen’s Breakfast Smoothie

This Breakfast Smoothie satisfies me in a way that traditional breakfast foods do not. It is high in quality protein and gives me energy.

Breakfast Smoothie
Adapted from Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, AZ

In a blender combine the following ingredients:
1 heaping TBL Spirulina powder
2 TBL Whey powder
2 TBL ground organic Flaxseed

1 TBL Bee Pollen
½ large Apple or 1 medium Apple, chopped. I like Pink Lady or Fuji apples.
Approx. 5-6 ounces of purified water depending on how thick you would like your smoothie
Blend or frappe until smooth.
Yield: approx. 14 ounces
Enjoy.
Optional ingredients:
4 frozen Strawberries

¼ cup or less frozen Blueberries

Tip: put water in first, then frozen fruit.

I recommend Nutrex brand Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica powder.

The following information comes from the book, Conscious Eating, by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
Spirulina is about 70 % assimilable protein. It has all the essential amino acids in correct proportion. It has 14 times the daily dose of human-active B-12 (per 100 grams), contains vitamins, 17 different beta-carotenoids, enzymes, and minerals. Spirulina contains high food energy. It is considered a healing food. It is an excellent support for boosting the immune system.

Bee pollen is a vegetarian source of human-active B-12, most of the B vitamins, vitamins A,C,D, and E and all the essential amino acids and more!
 

I should mention that once a person can get past the deep, rich, healthy green color it tastes very good. Hey, green is the color of the heart chakra. Green is good.

Enjoy!

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Client of the Month: February

Cathy Burnes

Cathy has been a faithful part of the 6:00 group since her start with us in September of 2007. She is one of the first to arrive and always gives as much as she has to offer each workout. Her newfound muscles and restored bod are proof positive that she has been committed to maximizing her results.
Cathy, we are all very proud of you and thank you for being such a fun person to teach and encourage. Keep up the efforts!
Your Coaches: Chris, Jenny, Mike, and Kathleen

Client of the Month: March

Susan Mannion

Susan’s smile speaks volumes for her level of enthusiasm here at BodyBasics. She continues to challenge herself physically and the results speak for themselves. Susan has made dramatic improvements in her overall athleticism as well as her nutritional habits since her start in August of 2007.
Susan, you are such a joy to coach and we congratulate you for being this months superstar.
Your Coaches: Chris, Katrina, Mike, Jenny, and Kathleen

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Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Mike, Kathleen, Katrina and Jenny

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• March/April 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 2

In This Issue

• Hellos…
• …and Goodbyes!
• Future Announcements and Events
• Nutrition Corner: Fuel and then Refuel!
• Healthy Recipe—Coach Jenny’s Protein Fruit Smoothie
• Client of the Month: December
• Client of the Month: January
• Our Mission

Hellos…

We have added a new member to the Body Basics team! Mike Haas has joined us as our newest Fitness Coach. As a recent graduate of the Pima Community College Fitness Professional Certificate Program, Mike is excited to be here working as a Fitness Coach at Body Basics.

Mike is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In his studies, Mike has had the opportunity to work with several different populations, ranging from cardiac rehab patients to young, competitive athletes. Mike is a strong believer that communication, commitment, and a positive attitude can turn goals into accomplishments.

Having lived in Tucson since he was nine years old, Mike attended the University of Arizona where he received his B.S. in Business Administration. Prior to getting into the fitness industry, Mike found success in sales and management positions (including owning a small business) by focusing on customer service.

In his free time, Mike enjoys enjoys working out, spending quality family time with his wife Kim, and trying to keep up with his two daughters’ aspiring athletic careers.

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…and Goodbyes!

As we say "hello" to one team member, unfortunately, we say "goodbye" to another. Bryon Lichtenhan has left Body Basics to pursue the wild! Currently, Bryon is taking part in a primitive living skills course in Washington State. There he is learning survival skills that include making knives out of antlers and flint, building shelter or teepees, and even tanning hides to make his own clothing. For those of us who know and love Bryon, we know that this is something he has wanted to do for a long time. He will definitely be missed, but we all wish him luck and are looking forward to hearing about his adventures when he eventually returns to Tucson.

Thank you to everyone who pitched in to help buy Bryon some wool clothing that will keep him warm until he has tanned enough hides to make clothing! He is greatly appreciative.

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Future Announcements and Events

BodyBasics wants you to be a part of our team!

The 10th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is scheduled for April 6, 2008. We want you to join us! The instructions on how to join our team are as follows…

1) Go to komensaz.org
2) Click on the “Register” box to the right
3) Click on “Register Here”
4) Continue through the registration process
**Remember to click on “join a team and scroll down to select “Body Basics Crew.”**

We look forward to racing with on you April 6th, 2008 for this great cause! Thank you for signing up with us and for helping us reach our goal!

Chris, Kathleen, Mike, and Jenny

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Nutrition Corner: Fuel and then Refuel!

As most of the newsletter topics go, we tend to write about subjects that our clients either ask us about or that we notice may need addressing to further ensure success in your health and fitness goals. This issue, we have decided to talk about the importance of energizing fueling prior to and after you workout. In other words, we want you to EAT before and after you exercise for best results, no matter what your goal.

Energize before exercise!

Eating before you exercise is very important. Some of you may have experienced what happens when you workout and have not pre-fueled properly. You may have felt lethargic, lightheaded, dizzy, and even nauseous. These are signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and are a direct result of not consuming enough food prior to your workout. Eating before you exercise will help energize your workout. Nancy Clark, MS, RD states in her Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Third Edition, that there are four main functions of a pre-exercise meal/snack:

1) To help prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with its symptoms of lightheadedness, needless fatigue, blurred vision, and indecisiveness – all of which can interfere with top performance.
2) To help settle your stomach, absorb some of the gastric juices, and abate hunger.
3) To fuel your muscles, both with food eaten in advance that is stored as glycogen, and with food eaten within an hour of exercise (more on post-fueling later).
4) To pacify your mind with the knowledge that your body is well fueled.

Many people avoid eating before exercise because they believe they will be burning more of their fat stores when on an empty stomach. This is a myth. In reality, no matter what energy stores you are burning, if you have not fueled yourself properly prior to exercise, you will not have the energy to exercise as hard as you could if you had eaten a pre-exercise meal/snack. Therefore, you will be burning less of any stores, no matter if it is carbohydrate, fat, or protein. To truly reduce body fat, at the end of the day, you must have created a caloric deficit. This means arriving to your workout fueled and ready to be a calorie burning machine!

Other people may have concerns that pre-exercise food will cause upset stomach, diarrhea, and sluggish performance. Most likely, these intestinal problems may be caused by too much of the wrong kinds of foods. The best way to test what type of food works well for you prior to exercise is through trial and error.

How to properly fuel before exercise
Deciding on what to eat prior to exercise varies from person to person. Clark says that most people feel good results with 0.5 grams of carbohydrates (2 calories) per pound of body weight one hour before moderately hard exercise. (p. 99) Carbohydrates are certainly a must before exercise because carbohydrates are the primary fuel for our muscles. Here are some of Clark’s pre-exercise guidelines:

• On a daily basis, eat adequate high-carbohydrate meals to fuel and refuel your muscles. Snacks that are eaten within an hour of exercise will keep you from feeling hungry and will help maintain your blood sugar.
• If you will be exercising for 60 to 90 minutes without the ability to refuel during your workout, eat slowly digested carbohydrates such as yogurt, bananas, oatmeal, bean soup, lentils, and apples.
• If you will be exercising for less than an hour, snack on foods that digest easily, are high in carbohydrates, and low in fat such as, bread, English muffins, bagels, crackers, and pasta.
• Limit your intake of high-fat proteins, such as cheese omelets, hamburgers, fried foods because these foods take longer to empty from the stomach.
• Limit sugary foods (soft drinks, candy, sports drinks) because while the “sugar fix” may give you quick energy, you also may experience a drop in blood sugar during your workout that will leave you lightheaded and fatigued. • Allow enough time for your food to digest. Of course, everyone’s body is different, however, the general rule of digestion time is:

—Allow three to four hours for a large meal to digest
—Allow two to three hours for a smaller meal to digest
—Allow one to two hours for a liquid or blended meal to digest
—Allow less than one hour for a small snack to digest

Tips for morning exercisers

If you are a morning exerciser, you may be used to waking up and going straight to your workout. This behavior will have you exercising on fumes. Of course, everyone is different, but nutrition and exercise science tell us that you would most likely perform better if you eat something before you exercise. When you start a workout with low blood sugar, you will fatigue quicker than you would have if you had eaten something.

Deciding what to eat will be up to you and how your body responds. Some people feel great throughout the whole workout with simply a banana or a slice of bread. Some need more, such as a bowl of cereal or oatmeal and a glass of juice. If you are unsure, use the recommendation Clark gives above as a guide, 0.5 carbohydrates (2 calories) per pound of body weight, and see how you feel throughout your workout. For instance, if you weigh 150lbs, you could eat a bowl of cereal (with non-fat or 1% milk) and a handful of blueberries for a total of around 300 calories, most of which are carbohydrates.

Tips for afternoon/evening exercisers
The "secret" to keeping your energy high for your afternoon or evening workouts is to properly fuel your body all day long. This means spacing your meals out every three to four hours and eating a combination of carbs, protein and fat at each meal. Plan to eat a pre-exercise meal/snack within an hour of your session and follow Clark’s recommendation of 0.5 carbohydrates (2 calories) per pound of body weight.

Refueling is the key to recovery!

Just as eating prior to your workout is important, it is equally as important (maybe even more important) to eat after exercise. Refueling after you exercise is the key to recovering from the damage and stress exercise has put on your body. If you have exercised hard and feel stiff, sore, and tired, you may need to reevaluate your post-exercise meal/snack.

It is important that you replenish the nutrients your body lost during exercise. The first and foremost nutrient you should replenish is water. Ideally, you should have been drinking water before and throughout your workout to prevent dehydration. Continue to drink water throughout the day, testing your hydration levels by checking your urine color (if you are adequately hydrated, your urine should be a pale yellow to clear color).

Along with replenishing your water, carbohydrates should be the next important nutrient on your list. The best time to replenish the glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrates our muscles use for energy) used during exercise is within 90 minutes after the completion of your workout session. To do this, it is best to consume a high-carbohydrate meal/snack (about 0.7 grams per pound of body weight) immediately after exercise. Because different types of carbohydrates will affect glycogen replenishment rates, it is a fact that eating simple sugars will result in slightly faster storage during the immediate post-exercise period (about 15 minutes). This is why you may have heard us say that immediately after exercise is the best time to eat that cookie or brownie you have been craving! Of course, we also will always follow with, “everything in moderation.”

Your best bet
The general recommendation for a post-exercise meal/snack is a combination of a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. While consuming protein does not have much affect on your glycogen replenishment rates, it does in fact aid in the muscle recovery after a workout, especially strength training.

The bottom line is that when you exercise, it is important to remember that you are putting your body through a certain amount of stress. In order for your body to recover properly from that stress, you must give yourself the nutrients you need to assist in the rebuilding and repairing the muscle tissue.

Planning is the key to success!

As with anything you wish to make successful in your life, the key is to have a plan. Planning your pre and post workout meals is no different. In order to succeed and perform to the best of your ability during your workouts, you must fuel before you exercise. Plan to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal/snack at least one hour before exercise. Just as importantly, eating a high-carbohydrate meal/snack after you exercise will help your body recover, give you continued energy throughout the day, and help reduce stiffness and soreness to keep you coming back for more!

Resources:
Clark, Nancy, MS, RD, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook: The #1 nutrition resource for active people, 3rd edition. Sports Medicine Associates, Brookline, MA. 2003.

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Healthy Recipe—Coach Jenny’s Protein Fruit Smoothie

Many of you have inquired about the fruit smoothie that Jenny drinks in between clients or after workouts. Some of you have actually been brave enough to try it—and liked it! She has decided to share the "recipe" with all of those who have asked, as well as everyone else who is looking for a great post-workout burst of energy that is sure to help your body recover quickly and efficiently.

Jenny’s Protein Fruit Smoothie

• 1 C. frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
• 1 C. 100% pure orange juice
• 1/4 c. strawberry Kiefer
• 1 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (if you need more protein, use 2 scoops)
• 2–3 tsp. flax seed oil (optional)

Blend all the ingredients together (Jenny uses her Magic Bullet) until smooth and to desired consistency.

Nutrition Information (the following values are estimates):

Total Calories: Between 300–450 (depending on the type of fruit or the amount of flaxseed oil or protein powder).

Carbohydrates: 56 grams

Protein: 17.5 grams if one scoop of protein powder is used. 31 grams if two scoops are used.

Fat: 1.5 grams if no flaxseed oil is used. 17.5 grams if 1 TBS of flaxseed oil is used (16 grams from the flax oil)*

*16 grams of fat may seem like a lot, but the quality of fat is high. Flaxseed oil is full of Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids (i.e. good fats that are linked to all sorts of health benefits).

Notes on the recipe:

—Jenny gets all of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s except the protein powder, which she gets at Costco.

—Feel free to use any frozen fruit you want. If you would rather use fresh fruit, just add ice to get the frozen consistency.

—If you are looking to reduce some of the calories, omit, or use less of the flaxseed oil and/or use less of the orange juice and add water as needed for consistency. If you need more calories or more protein, include the flaxseed oil, the orange juice and use two scoops of protein powder.

Enjoy!

Client of the Month: December

Rick Weiss

Rick works HARD! Since starting at BodyBasics in March of 2006 Rick has dedicated his time here to putting out 100% effort. He shows a level of consistency that is to be celebrated and he always comes ready to give his best. More recent Rick has also made some terrific strides in both his nutrition and level of self-driven cardio sessions.

Rick we are all very proud of you for your commitment to being a healthy and vibrant person. Look in the mirror because that fit skier will soon be staring right back at you. Keep up the good work!

Client of the Month: January

Vicki Mulgrew

Her level of commitment and desire to give it her all every time she steps into the studio are why Vicki Mulgrew is this month’s sure pick for Client of the Month. Vicki first began her relationship with BodyBasics over 4 years ago when she partnered with a friend under Coach Chris’s watchful eye. Since then she continues to make BodyBasics her home and particularly enjoys the camaraderie and energy that flows every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when Power Lunch is in action.

Vicki, Thank you for your continued dedication to us and to yourself. You are a joy for all of us to coach and we appreciate your level of commitment.

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Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Jenny, Bryon, and Kathleen

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• January/February 2008 ·
• Volume 4, Number 1

In This Issue

• Get Real This Year with Your New Year’s Resolution!
• Future Announcements and Events
• Nutrition Corner: Eat More Veggies!
• Healthy Recipe
• Client of the Month: October
• Client of the Month: November
• Our Mission

Get Real This Year with Your New Year’s Resolution!

It is the beginning of a new year. It is the time when you set goals for what you wish to accomplish over the next 12 months. The year always seems to start out strong, but unfortunately, the motivation you feel around the 1st or 2nd of January dwindles long about the third or fourth week of the month. Ever wonder why this happens year after year? Maybe the answer is not in your lack of will-power or commitment. Maybe the answer is simply in the resolution itself and your honest desire for it to come true. This year, your Fitness Coaches at BodyBasics encourage you to Get Real with your New Years Resolutions!

Are you truly ready to make change in your life?

When you are making a New Years Resolution, you need to decide on what steps are necessary to allow to you achieve your new goal. For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds then you know you would need to take the steps to work on better nutrition and increase your exercise. Sounds easy right? The truth is, it is that easy, and if more people would stick to this plan, then more people would see success in their weight loss goals. The reason these steps are not that easy for people may have to do with the fact that they are not truly ready for this change in their life.

Change is tough. You become comfortable in a certain way of life and thinking about changing your life can be a scary thought. There are specific steps that everyone goes through when dealing with behavior change. The Transtheoretical Model of Change, in health psychology, can predict success or failure in achieving a behavior change, such as developing different habits. It may be the answer to why some changes “stick” and others are never made.

Stages of Change

1) Pre-contemplation. Precontemplation is when the individual has no real intent on changing the behavior in the near future (the future is usually measured as the next six months). People in this stage are often resistant or unmotivated. Any information, discussion, or thought toward the targeted health behavior tends to be avoided.

2) Contemplation. In the contemplation stage, individuals are open about their attempts to change their habits within the next six months. They are more aware of the benefits of the change, but they keep their distance, still focusing on the costs of change. Often times, individuals in the stage of change can be seen as procrastinators.

3) Preparation. This is the stage where steps towards making the change are taken by the individual, usually within the next month. The preparation stage is viewed as a transitional stage, as the individual moves into the next stage of change: action.

4) Action! This is it! The action stage represents the time when the individual makes the change happen. The behavioral habits have been modified, working toward the ultimate goal. The individual is considered to be in the action stage for the next six months.

5) Maintenance. These individuals have maintained the behavior change for at least six months and are working hard to prevent relapse. The individual in this stage reports a high level of self-efficacy and are less likely to be tempted to fall back into their old habits.

As Fitness Coaches, we work with many different people, all of whom are in at least one of these five stages of change. While an individual may be in the Action stage for the fitness aspect of his/her life, he/she may also be in the Pre-contemplation stage for the nutritional component of his/her life. It is important that we understand where to meet our clients, depending on what stage they are in, to ensure success. It is also important that the individual realizes the stages of change he/she needs to go through in order to reach the Action stage, where the behavior change is ultimately realized.

When you sit down to write your New Year’s Resolution this year, be honest with yourself about how important your goals really are to you and recognize what stage you are in according to the Transtheoretical Model of Change. The truth is you will not reach your goal until you are ready to make change in your life. When you are ready, you are in the Action stage and are making the behavior changes necessary to reach your ultimate goal. Keep yourself on track by realizing what stage you are currently in and make it a goal to keep moving forward through the stages of change until you are really, really, ready for your resolution to come true this year - and be prepared – because it will!

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Future Announcements and Events

Race for the Cure!

The 10th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is scheduled for April 6, 2008. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information on how to join our BodyBasics Crew team!

Nutrition Corner: Eat More Veggies!

The next time you are at the grocery store, look around the produce section and notice how many beautiful colors of fruits and vegetables there are just waiting for you to put in your cart. Eating a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables is important not only because they make up a healthy diet, but because they offer different kinds of health-protective phytochemicals that are linked with reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Knowing that fruits and vegetables are incredibly good for us, many people still do not eat their recommended daily amount. For most of our clients, we find that fruits seem to be easier to add to their healthy nutrition eating habits more so than vegetables. True, fruits are excellent for our health, but don’t discount the all-mighty vegetable!

Vegatables are what internationally known sports nutritionist, Nancy Clark, MS, RD, calls “nature’s vitamin pill.” They are an excellent source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, and many other vitamins, minerals, and health-protective substances. This year, your Fitness Coaches at BodyBasics challenge you to eat more vegetables!

What type of vegetable is best?

Any vegetable is good for you. Fresh is the certainly the best option, but frozen and canned are good too. Frozen vegetables are a good second choice since freezing destroys little nutritional value. Canned vegetables are a good option, as well, since they are processed quickly, they retain many of their nutrients. Dark, colorful vegetables usually have more nutritional value than paler ones.

Raw vs. Cooked

Most vegetables offer more nutritional benefits when eaten raw (tomatoes are an exception since they provide more available lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, when cooked than when eaten raw). However, not everyone finds slices of a crunchy yellow or red pepper a delicious, naturally sweet snack. The good news is that if you are careful not to overcook your veggies, that is, cooking them only until they are tender-crisp, most of the nutritional value will be retained. The best methods for cooking are steaming, in the microwave, or in a wok. If you are cooking your vegetables in a soup, get excited, because the broth will be saturated with all of those wonderful nutrients.

How much is enough?

Everyone’s need for vegetable intake will differ depending on their total caloric daily need. For example, a 2000 calorie diet will need two servings of “starchy” vegetables (corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squashes such as pumpkin, butternut, acorn, dried beans, peas, lentils) and four servings of “regular” vegetables.
These servings may seem like a lot to handle on a daily basis, but actually, serving sizes are fairly small. The following are examples of serving sizes for vegetables:

• ½ cup of raw or cooked vegetables, such as broccoli or carrots
• ¾ 100% vegetable juice
• 2 cups of raw, leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, etc)
• ½ cup of beans (legumes)

Tips to adding more vegetables to your daily diet

• For convenience, shop for precut and cleaned vegetables
• Begin at least one meal a day with a salad
• Stock your freezer with frozen veggies that are easy to microwave or add to a soup or casserole
• Prepare vegetables ahead of time. Wash and cut up fresh produce and store in the refrigerator for handy, easy snacks (i.e. carrots, celery, radishes, jicama, sugar snap peas, bell peppers)
• Bake potatoes on the weekend to use during the week
• Make a pot of vegetable soup weekly and use for quick meals and snacks
• Eat vegetarian meals more often
• For lunch, use the salad bar at restaurants or the grocery store
• Try a new vegetable each week
• Add beans to soups, casseroles, and salads

These tips and more can be found in the Healthy Eating & Weight Management Guide: Science-Based Strategies for a Better Life by Dorene Robinson, RD CDN, p.11

Other Resources:

Clark, Nancy, MS, RD, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook: The #1 nutrition resource for active people, 3rd edition. Sports Medicine Associates, Brookline, MA. 2003.

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Healthy Recipe

While we are on the topic of vegetables, we encourage our clients to plan one of their dinners each week to be completely vegetarian. Here is a recipe for a healthy vegetarian meal that is oh-so-yummy!

Indian Tofu and Spinach over Almond Rice
Recipe by Rachael Ray. Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats, p. 156

2 cups basmati rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 14-ounce container firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1-1/2 inch dices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 10-ounce boxes of frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry of excess liquid in a kitchen towel
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock or broth
2 tablespoons curry paste, mild or hot
¼ prepared mango chutney
1 15-ounce can chick peas
1 cup sliced almonds

Prepare the rice according to the package directions.

Preheat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the tofu, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the tofu from the skillet and reserve on a plate. To the same skillet, add the garlic, ginger, onions, cumin and coriander. Sauté together for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add the spinach and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a bubble. Add the curry paste, mango chutney, and chick peas, then return the browned tofu to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer the curry for 8 to 10 minutes.

While the curry is simmering, toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until golden. Once the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork, add the toasted almonds, and stir with the fork.

Serve the curry in shallow bowls with a scoop of almond rice on top (rice on the bottom gets too mushy).

This recipe yields 4 Servings (Rachael Ray’s servings are HUGE portions. This recipe really should make at least 6 servings)

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Client of the Month: October

Linda Ryan

Linda began coming to BodyBasics in June of 2007. To date she has gone from knowing that she needed exercise in her program to absolutely loving the opportunity to exercise. This is demonstrated by her continued improvements in strength, flexibility, and overall athleticism. She has also taken giant steps toward improving both the consistency and the quality of her nutritional choices. All of these improvements have led to Linda being the perfect choice for Client of the Month.
We all want you to know how proud we are of you!
Your Coaches: Bryon, Chris, Jenny, and Kathleen

Client of the Month: November

Cindy Petti

Since March of 2005 when Cindy first started coming to BodyBasics, consistency has been her mainstay. Cindy continues to maintain her fitness program despite injury, travel, and other challenges that have tried their best to slow her down. Her dedication to her health and wellbeing is evidenced by her willingness to adapt the type of services she is utilizing with her time schedule. To date Cindy has participated in Yoga, Fitness Coaching, Personalized Group Training, and Nutrition Coaching. As a result she has dramatically improved her overall fitness. Cindy, thank you for your contagious laugh and bountiful energy. We really appreciate what you bring to BodyBasics!
Your Coaches: Bryon, Chris, Jenny, and Kathleen

Our Mission

To empower people to realize their innate abilities by providing an environment that nurtures, educates, and inspires.

Keep Up the Great Work!

We are very proud of all of you!

Chris, Jenny, Bryon, and Kathleen

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• November/December 2007
• Volume 3, Number 6

Introducing… BodyBasics, the PULSE of Health & Fitness!

In an effort to make a name for ourselves and really describe what it is that we do here at BodyBasics, we held a focus group in early October. The focus group consisted of 11 of our clients and two representatives from The Marketing Place, Inc., a marketing group we have been working with to help us better “brand” ourselves.

After much thoughtful discussion and brainstorming, our clients decided upon our new tagline. Our official name is now simply BodyBasics, but anytime you see our name or our logo, you will see, “BodyBasics: The Pulse of Health & Fitness.” The newsletter will undergo a slight change as well and will be renamed, “The Pulse.” Look for the first edition of “The Pulse” in your e-mailbox in January 2008!

Thank you to all of our clients who participated. We really appreciate your time and input. With our new tagline, the sky is the limit for the success of BodyBasics!

Enjoy the Holiday Season and Keep the Focus on Your Health

Survive or Enjoy the Holidays?

The holiday season is upon us once again. As Fitness Coaches, we are often asked for advice on how to “survive the holidays.” For such a common question, we give quite an uncommon answer.

Our coaching approach towards health and fitness is to provide the tools necessary to make healthy decisions in life. We do this by educating and enabling you to take steps forward, bringing you closer to your goals, even during the holiday season. Whether we meet with you once or five times a week, it is truly the decisions you make when we are not with you that determine your success. With the knowledge and understanding about how to make healthy choices throughout the year as well as during the holiday season, you will be able to “enjoy the holidays” and not merely “survive the holidays.”

Make Change Now

Our “holiday survival” advice is, in reality, “lifetime survival” advice. Why does the holiday season have to be so different from the rest of the year? Why is it that health and fitness goals seem to be virtually abandoned as soon as the air turns a bit crisp and bathing suits are packed away? The answer? Karen Helouin, a client of BodyBasics says, “Because the holidays are about good times and good food.” Most people treat the holidays as a two-month vacation, a time of year when calorie-laden food is gobbled up thoughtlessly while exercise is bumped off the schedule for holiday gift shopping and office parties.

This process starts with Halloween when there are mass quantities of candy around the house that just have to be eaten to make room for Thanksgiving Pumpkin pies, which in turn are replaced by Christmas cookies and other holiday goodies. It is not until the end of December when you finally decide enough is enough and make a pledge that in the New Year, you will change your life.

We challenge you by asking, why wait? Why not make that pledge to yourself now? Make a Holiday Resolution now and start making change in your life before you get overtaken by the holiday hustle and bustle.

Your Tools for Success

Every little bit counts.

The first tool for success is the ability to view the healthy changes in your life as life-long habits and not temporary bouts of discipline. It is comfortable to think in the temporary mode when it comes to healthy living habits. The diet always “starts on Monday” or, “when the holidays are over.” We see it every January. People make resolutions and vow that this year will be different. Keep on track by reminding yourself that you are making change NOW. Healthy change in your life can b