By: Chad Ciri

Being a total health and fitness fanatic, I’ve experimented with just about every eating and exercise plan out there. That alone has brought me to despise just about every fad diet that has hit the streets! While bits and pieces of all the fad diets out there like the low fat diet, the Atkins, the South Beach Diet, etc. make some sense scientifically, they’re all either unsustainable for a long period of time, or they’re fundamentally flawed.

After discovering Mark Sisson’s website (marksdailyapple.com), I realized that his belief system on nutrition and exercise was very much in line with mine, in that a lot of the “conventional wisdom”, or what we have been led to believe are facts,are actually inaccurate when it comes to health and nutrition. So I bit the bullet an ordered his book.The short of it is, the way I look at nutrition has been forever changed!

While I won’t get into every detail of the Primal Blueprint, the eating plan is what I found particularly powerful. Mark uncovers an overwhelming amount of evidence and research that strongly suggests that the start of the obesity epidemic, along with the skyrocketing numbers of cases of heart disease began with the emergence of agriculture. Many anthropologists suggest that the human species reached its peak in terms of body composition, bone density and brain size about 10,000 years ago. Our physical decline occurred at the development of agriculture when humans began to harvest wheat, rice, corn and other grains.When you look at the relationship in timing, it’s an eye opener!

Unlike what the modern day Food Pyramid would prescribe, the Primal Blueprint eating philosophy recommends an essential elimination of grains from the diet. While most of us know by now that processed carbohydrates and sugar are unhealthy and hindering to weight loss efforts, most people still look at whole grains as “healthy” carbohydrates. The fact is, grains still have the ability to spike your blood glucose levels, which in turn trigger the insulin response. Moderating your insulin levels is absolutely essential to achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight. Quite simply, if your insulin levels are constantly elevated, your body will always be in fat storage mode…and NO amount of exercise will reverse that!

So how does this eating plan break down? Good question. To simplify it, it allows you to eat just about anything you want…as long as it comes from a natural source!

The Primal Blueprint eating plan prescribes an abundance of foods solely from animal and plant sources. Included in this are (some of these may surprise you), eggs, bacon, salads, burgers, steaks, nuts, seeds,fruits and raw vegetables. In short, if you can grow it from a seed or you can kill it, you can eat it! Your carbohydrate intake will likely be lower than usual, but you still get plenty of good carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables.

When you eat according to the Primal Blueprint laws, you may be surprised by how much it allows for fat intake. I sure was! Before I sampled this eating plan, about 30% of my overall intake came from fat, and I calculated that about 50% of my intake now comes from fat after shifting to this plan.I went into this a little skeptical of the higher fat intake, but was pleasantly surprised by the results.

After 6 weeks of eating on this plan, I lost nearly 12 lbs. and lost almost 3 percent of my body fat…no joke! That’s a significant decrease in such a short period of time, especially considering that I wasn’t overweight or carrying excessive body fat prior to starting the plan. Specifically, I dropped from 175 lbs. with 12 percent body fat to 163 lbs. with 9 percent body fat. The point is, this eating plan can work for you whether you’re trying to lose 100 lbs. or if you’re already fit and just trying to shed that last stubborn ten pounds. The best part of it was that my energy levels actually skyrocketed, which surprised me given the rather drastic decrease in carbohydrate intake (about 125 grams per day). And honestly, the only real change I made was replacing oatmeal with fresh fruit and brown rice with steamed vegetables. This plan does not require you to make drastic changes nor eliminate all of the foods you love.

Sisson also emphasizes the importance of intelligent exercise. Intelligent is the key word here. Changing your body does NOT mean having to sweat it out through an hour and a  half of spin class every day. Instead, bring it back to how our primal ancestors moved when they were fighting for survival – occasional heavy lifting, occasional high intensity sprints (presumably from evading the danger of being attacked by wild animals), and LOTS of moving at a lower intensity level. Yes, I’m simplifying here, but walk, lift, and sprint…and you will achieve changes in your body that you may have thought were impossible.

There are many other “primal” laws to live by that Sisson discusses in detail, all of which are powerful and are scientifically backed by research and history. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired to make some positive life changes. I have no personal investment in whether anyone buys this book (though I’m starting to think Mark should pay me for writing such a good review), but I can say with confidence the primal eating philosophy alone drastically helped me make some huge changes to my body composition, and I’m absolutely certain it can do it for anyone else who may be struggling to lose weight! Integrate this eating plan and a guided “intelligent” exercise program from a fitness professional, and you WILL see the changes you deserve!

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Is Fitting Into An Old Pair of Jeans Better Than Sex?

Sorry for the provocative subject line but it is a quote I heard when watching the news the other night that left me to ponder its validity.

Here we are, starting out 2010 with a clean slate! This is a time when most people start reflecting on the improvements they want to make in the upcoming year. Amongst others, getting in shape seems to become an important goal for a lot of people as the new year turns.

However, here are the sad statistics…

Despite our best intentions, only about 5 percent of people
who set New Years resolutions actually achieve them. A big
part of this failure comes a result of not developing a true
action plan for achieving success. A goal without an action
plan is nothing more than a daydream!

This is where the help of a fitness professional can become
extremely powerful. Our personal trainers not only help you
create effective exercise programs, they also serve as fitness
and life coaches. They will help you set challenging, yet
realistic goals, then will assist you in executing a plan that
gives you the results you want, need and deserve!

So, I come to you today with a challenge AND an irresistible
offer. I don’t want you to be part of that 95 percent of
people who fail to achieve the goals they set out so eagerly
to accomplish in 2010. If you’re willing to put in the work,
our trainers are ready to help you achieve your fitness goals!

There may be several barriers that will make it more challenging for you to pursue fitness success, so I’d like to do my part in making sure that money IS NOT one of them! Until January 31st, you will receive 2 FREE Personal Training sessions when you sign up for a package of 12 sessions or more. Add in your free trial session, and that gives you 3 FREE sessions! Or 15 for the price of 12.

Here’s what one of our happy clients recently had to say:

“Yeah, it’s true that it’s not cheap to do this, especially these days, but I can safely say this was one of the best and easiest choices I’ve ever made, and given the chance I’d make the same choice over and over again. Working with Ashley was the absolute best investment I could have ever made in myself, and I hope to continue working working with her to get that PT score up higher and higher.  Thank you guys!”
- Jaime G

Like Jamie, we’ve helped over 400 clients reach their health and fitness goals.  So make the investment in your health like Jamie did.  But hurry, this special deal only lasts through the end of the month.

Stop making excuses and make 2009 the year you REALLY DO ITl! You can reach Mike at 888-872-7961 ext. 1 and he’ll get you matched up with the trainer that is right for you based on YOUR goals.  Then receive a FREE In-Home, 1 on 1 consultation with them.

You have nothing to lose except unwanted weight and fat! If our program isn’t right for you, there is no obligation to commit!

And heck, we even guarantee your success or you get your money back.  We know that if you do everything that your trainer lays out for you to do, you can’t not see great improvement in your health and fitness.

We can’t snap our fingers and POOF your fat is gone… but we can work with you step-by-step, showing you exactly what you need to do to get rid of excess fat once and for all… Forever!

So imagine yourself once again wearing that pair of jeans that has been hanging in your closet and that you haven’t been able to wear in years.  How good will that feel to put it on and button it up comfortably?

Here’s to a happy, healthy and purposeful New Year!

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There’s a nasty word out there in the weight loss world, and it’s “fat.”  Everyone is trying to lose weight, to lose “fat.” All the diet foods are labeled “fat free” to be appealing to dieters, even if they are laden with sugar. When people see an overweight person they say, “Oh man, look at that fat person.”

But fat is not just a bad word. In fact, there is an entire family of fat that is beloved by healthcare professionals, dieticians and is healthy for you.  In fact, these fats are not only healthy they are essential for your body and can aid in weight loss efforts. They are known as Omega, or the Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s are the good-for-you unsaturated fatty acids comprised of the polyunsaturated trio of a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

While the Omega-3 fatty acids are the big buzz word of today where healthy living and weight loss are concerned, they were discovered way back in the 1930s. During that decade it was found that these polyunsaturated fats were actually necessary for normal human growth to occur.

In the 1970s researchers studied the diets of the Eskimos of Greenland and it was discovered that two of the 3 Omegas (DHA and EPA) were essential to heart health. These fatty acids were eaten in large doses via the Eskimos’ seafood-rich diet. Moreover, they showed almost no cardiovascular disease as these Omega-3 fatty acids naturally reduce triglycerides and arterial plaque while reducing heart rate and maintaining healthy blood pressure. What an amazing family of fats!

Now where most supplements have to add the tag line “these claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration,” two of the three Omegas HAVE been evaluated. In fact, EPA and DHA have both been awarded “qualified health claim” status by the FDA.

Here’s the statement from the FDA: “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA [n-3] fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

The Canadian Government has done additional research and has publicly stated: “DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, supports the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves.”

As one might guess, with the rise in popularity of the Omega-3 fatty acids, advertisers are producing supplements and adding it to foods or just prominently labeling those foods that already have these good fats in them. A diet high in fish is all that is needed. But for those of you who either don’t enjoy fish or who want more Omega-3 in their diet, the places to get the highest dose are in fish oil and flax oil supplements.

No matter how you look at these Omega fats, they are good for you and essential for health. Who said all fat was bad?

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Many television viewers have become absolutely fascinated with the NBC reality show, The Biggest Loser. The show takes obese, deconditioned people away from their every day life and places them on a campus to be put through an intense, grueling exercise and diet regimen geared toward rapid weight loss.

If you have seen the show and the results it produces, you’ve surely been impressed with the transformations in the bodies of the contestants. The weight loss that occurs on the show is nothing short of inspirational. But does the show give an accurate depiction of safe, effective weight loss?

Certainly no one can argue with the end result. Many of the contestants have lost over 200 pounds on the Biggest Loser campus, some at a pace of more than 10 pounds per week! So,it’s clear that the numbers don’t lie when it comes to the results these people are getting. It is truly amazing that this show has helped people take control of their health and more importantly, their lives. We as personal trainers love to see this!

However, there are some things that, as fitness professionals, we feel obligated to caution you against.

The show has the tendency to foster unrealistic expectations on the actual pace of weight loss. Healthy, sustainable weight loss should occur at 1-2 pounds per week. Some of the contestants experience weight loss of 15 pounds per week or more!

While this is impressive, we must keep two things in mind. One is that most of these contestants are morbidly obese and have upwards of two hundred pounds to shed, so it’s not unrealistic for them to shed pounds that are such a small percentage of their overall body weight. The second is that these contestants are on a full-time weight loss program. Their entire day is dedicated to weight loss, and the time they spend exercising can exceed 6 hours per day.

Another part of the show that may give the public the wrong idea about physical training is the unnecessary challenging exercises that the contestants are put through so early in the game. Often times the contestants are pushed quickly into complex, punishing movements without being taught the basics.
This can be a recipe for a medical disaster, and if you watched the premier last week, you know that two people have already landed in the hospital. At no point does losing weight justify sacrificing your health and well being!

Personal trainers, unjustifiably, can develop a bad reputation from this show. The trainers on the Biggest Loser are often shown screaming at the top of their lungs at the contestants in a way that appears to be nothing short of bullying. While trainers should be great motivators, they can push you to
succeed without screaming at you! If you’re afraid to hire a personal trainer because you think you’ll be yelled at, don’t be! You can shop around to find someone who fits your personality!

Despite its faults, this show has done wonders in motivating Americans to take control of thier health and start pursuing their fitness goals relentlessly. We strongly encourage you to watch it and follow along as it will show you
that anything is possible when it comes to achieving your fitness and weight loss goals! The show airs Tuesday nights at 8pm on NBC.

If you want to be pushed, motivated and encouraged like the contestants on the show, we can help you with that too! For just a few more days, We’re still offering 3 FREE personal training sessions with the area’s best trainers when you sign up for a package of 18 sessions or more. And we promise…no screaming, no hospital visits, and you don’t have to get on a scale in front of the entire country like they do on the show .

Call Mike Now at 888-872-7961 ext.1 to learn more or click here for more info. This offer expires on September 30th so jump on it.

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There is a load of information out there in exercise literature which suggests that lower intensity exercise burns more fat than higher intensity activities. But what evidence exists that might prove this theory to be true?

Scientifically, this claim actually makes sense. The human body uses more glucose (sugar) for energy production and less fat as exercise intensity increases. In other words, the harder you work out, the less fat is used as energy to support your intensity level. In fact, when you’re at rest, your body is burning approximately 85% fat and 15% carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) for fuel.

These are scientific facts, but common sense would tell us that being at rest everyday will not help us lose weight! Yes, your body does need a certain amount of oxygen to properly break down fat cells, and yes, your body generally receives more oxygen when you’re exercising at a lower intensity. However, the notion that low intensity exercise is the best way to decrease body fat does not make sense mathematically, nor has it ever been proven in exercise research.

Whenever you hear about certain trends in the fitness world, it’s always best to look at scientific, evidence-based research to get the real facts! Extensive research was conducted on this topic at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. The researchers had subjects perform two 30 minute bouts of exercise: a relatively low intensity bout (about 65% of maximum heart rate) and a relatively high intensity bout (about 85% of maximum heart rate). They then examined the source of energy that was used to support the exercise during the two bouts.

The results showed that for the low-intensity exercise, subjects burned a total of 240 calories, with 96 of those calories (41%) coming from fat. During the high-intensity bout, the subjects burned 450 calories, with 108 (24%) coming from fat.

The picture here is clear. Though the lower intensity bout produced a higher percentage of calories burned from fat, the higher intensity bout produced a greater overall number of fat calories burned, and just look at the difference in overall calories burned!

We’re not suggesting that walking, light jogging or leisurely biking doesn’t have its place in your fitness program. However, to get the most out of your exercise regimen, the research shows that working harder is also working smarter when it comes to burning fat!

Don’t forget, we’re still offering our back to school promotion on personal training! When you purchase any training package of 18 sessions or more, you receive 3 sessions for FREE! Call Mike at 888-872-7961 ext. 1 to sign up for your free trial session with the area’s best personal trainers or click here to get set up.

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Weight loss supplementation is a billion-dollar industry. Every supplement known to man has come and gone, from laxatives, to metabolic boosters, to fat trappers. Some work and others only drain the wallet. The new kid on the block is Açaí berry, and Oprah and Rachel Ray are its biggest fans.

The açaí “berry” is actually a fruit. Its shape, size and color remind people of grapes. But unlike grapes, it doesn’t contain very much pulp. And similar to the pit of a plumb, açaí contains a single large seed. The fruit grows on trees, with approx. 800 units per panicle (which is something like a branch). Açaí are harvested and are a staple food in under-developed regions of the world. In fact, in a 1999 study of three ethnic groups in the Brazilian Amazon, açaí palm was found to be such a major part of their diet, that more than 40% of their meals contained this fruit.

Acai juice, extract and pulp are consumed in various blended drinks, smoothies, ice cream, liqueurs and even in sodas. In the south of Brazil it is consumed in a bowl mixed with granola. Aside from the popular talk show hosts named above, physicians such as Dr. Perricone have publicly called it one of the Earth’s Superfoods. But why?

Theoretically, if one eats less, has more energy, is not bloated, has regular bowel movements, proper digestion and their liver and kidneys are working properly… they should lose weight. But does taking açaí supplements or enhanced juices actually lead to weight loss?

To be honest, it doesn’t seem this is true. As of today, there have been no controlled studies carried out to support all these claims—let alone the weight-loss miracle claim! Even Dr. Oz is rethinking his stance on the issue and digging deeper into the facts to determine if açaí is truly the new weight-loss giant that marketing firms keep telling us it is.

However, research has found (in varying degrees) that açaí contains very high levels of antioxidants. It is touted and marketed in the United States as being able to simultaneously decrease appetite, increase energy, remove excess waste from the body, cure constipation, decrease bloating and water retention, relieve muscle cramps, aches and pain, lower cholesterol, reverse diabetes, improve heart and digestive health while cleansing the system. Wow!

So if açaí can’t shed those pounds like the natural miracle berry we have been told it is, at least consuming it can help you remain healthy and strong. And while the researchers prove the weight loss aspect true or false, get to the gym and burn those calories… and leave the bacon behind.

The lesson learned here is this: Let’s not wait around to discover if research can prove that acai is the new weight loss miracle. Let’s face it – quick fix weight loss products have never proven to be effective. Get back to the basics and take control of your health the natural way!

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I recently came across this article that I thought would be eye opening to people who are trying their best to pursue a healthier lifestyle. As a health professional, I am always conscious of making sound decisions when it comes to nutrition and am committed to helping my clients do the same. Part of that is raising our clients’ awareness level of the trends in public health and the support systems that exist around it.
Unfortunately, in the case of this article, it seems that one
health professional’s mission to raise awareness of dangerous
foods comes to an abrupt end in the name of preserving business.
It’s sad that this negative publicity exists, but I think you’ll
find the doctor’s position here is quite inspirational. Click on the link below to read more about it.

Enjoy!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090813/ap_on_re_us/us_doughnut_doctor

Click the link below for a special message from me…

Personal Trainer Germantown Maryland

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