Get Heart healthy

Heart Disease is the number one killer of women. Fortunately there are some things you can do to lower your chance of developing this deadly disease!!
Start by exercising. You need to get 20 to 30 minutes of movement in every day. If you can get more than that, it's even better. Getting exercise in your day can help you control your weight and reduce conditions that put a strain on your heart. Exercise helps strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system. Exercise helps your body use oxygen better by improving your circulation. Exercise gives you energy so you can do more activities and sleep better at the end of the day. Exercise lowers blood pressure. Exercise helps reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
Next don't smoke or use tobacco. These are the most significant risk for heart disease. The chemicals in tobacco damage your heart and blood vessels. The nicotine in cigarettes narrows your blood vessels and increases your blood pressure. Social smokers and second hand smoke is just as dangerous. The good news is that when you quit smoking, your risk drops dramatically in just one year.
Third, eat a heart healthy diet. This means eat foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. Epically limit your intake of trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in margarine, fast food, fried food, etc.. Additionally limit refined sugar intake from cakes, candies, cookies, etc.. Instead eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Also proteins like beans, chicken, turkey and fish. Limit your intake of red meat as it is high in saturated fat.
Finally if you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than one drink a day. Excessive alcohol depletes your body's supply of nutrients and vitamins.

You'll be on your way to a healthy heart in no time!!

Don't give up

There may come a time in weight loss when you just stop losing weight. Otherwise known as a weight loss plateau.These plateaus can cause people to quit or give up! Don't do that.
So what do you do?
First of all try mixing it up. When you do the same thing over and over again, your body will adapt. It will use fewer calories than it did when you started. Basically your body will start running on cruise control. Add five minutes to your workout routine. Take a walk every night. Mix up your workout. Change your workout intensity. Add strength training.
Second, make sure you are getting enough water. You really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I know you've heard this before. If you are not consistently getting 8 glasses, your body will hold onto water. Also your body cannot properly burn fat if it is dehydrated.
Third, take an active rest. Take a week off from structured exercise. This will rejuvenate your body and mind while giving your overworked muscles a chance to rest and rebuild. When you come back your body will be ready for new challenges. Take this time to go for a fun bike ride, play with your kids, take a long walk.
Fourth, are you eating enough? While you are first losing, you need to seriously cut your calories. However as you increase your fitness levels, your metabolism increases. You may need to eat more. Really pay attention to how you feel. How often are you hungry? If it's often, it's a clear sign that you need to eat more to sustain your fitness program. You do need calories to burn fat and build muscle. Just make sure you are eating healthy. This is not an excuse to start eating bad!
Finally, how much sleep are you getting? If you aren't getting regular sleep, your body cannot actively repair itself. Getting proper rest will give you energy and strength for your workouts. Improper sleep can actually cause you to damage your body. So make sure you are getting 6-8 hours of sleep consistently.

Banana Pancakes

I'm going to do my best to put a recipe on here every Sunday, this week it's Tuesday. So here is my first recipe;

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp no-sugar added applesauce
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Mash bananas well. Add egg, applesauce, milk. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix to get rid of any lumps. If batter looks too thin (which might happen, depending on the size of your bananas), add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little bit at a time until it is the right consistency.

Heat a non-stick griddle or pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray (use medium heat). Using approximately 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, pour batter onto heated griddle. Allow to cook until you see bubbles on the top. Flip and cook until done.

 

Enjoy them!! Let me know what you think :)

Getting over workout fears

There are many reasons people avoid exercising. One of the most common is a fear of going to the gym. Some people get the idea of big body builders working out. Others imagine a lot of super skinny beautiful people. Then there's the everyone will look at me or make fun of me people.
There are also the classic excuses like; I don't know how to use the machines and I don't want to bulk up.
So lets address these concerns;

 I'll agree the equipment can look a little intimidating at first. All of our machines have a little sticker on them that gives you a basic idea of how to use them and what muscle's they work. You can also ask for help, we love to help.
Many women are seriously concerned about bulking up. The believe that if they lift weights, they will look like the women on the cover of the body builder magazines. Let me first say that weight training does not mean body building. Most women will never build large, bulky muscle tissue. Women do not have enough testosterone to build muscle at the same rate as men. Exercising with weights will however improve your overall health and help you maintain a healthy body weight.

If bodybuilders are your fear, let me first say that I have been around them for the past 12 years. As a woman, I can tell you most are really very nice. That's not to say there are not meat heads out there. I have actually found that more often than not, they are really helpful on the weight room floor. The only time I've ever really had a problem with one was right before a body building show (that's when they are really carb depleted and cranky).
As for super skinny beautiful people, a lot of the ones you see here in our gym have before and after pictures up on our wall of fame. That means they haven't always looked like that.They had to work for it. Besides people actually working out in most gyms range from super fit to super obese.
If you are worried that everyone is looking, I mean no disrespect, but most people really don't care what you look like or what you are doing. 

So now we've addressed some fears how about some idea to help.

1. How about go with a friend. Studies show that people who work out with a partner are more inclined to reach their fitness goals.

2. Meet with a trainer. Trainers can show you how to use machines properly, design a workout routine for you, or just help you get started in the right direction.

3. Join a class. Basic aerobic classes are fun and a way to change up your cardio. Classes like our boot camp have the ultimate accountability to keep you on track.

4. Go to the gym when it's not busy. Traditionally the busy times for most gyms are early in the morning and late afternoon/early evenings.

5. Finally, push through your fear. Working out truly does make you feel better at the end of the day!

Jenise

Eat better....Eat less

It really makes it difficult to change your eating habits when you still have junk in you cupboards. If you’re truly trying to make a lifestyle change, it only makes sense to change your family’s eating habits to. I’m not saying you can’t have occasional treats; they just need to be occasional.

 A lot of the food we buy is loaded with chemicals. Pay attention to how many ingredients are in the things you buy. The more ingredients they have, the more processed they are. Processed foods are made to dissolve quickly in your mouth. This often gets you to eat faster and in greater quantities. This often leaves you full, but not satisfied. Processed foods are usually high in salt. Processed meats have been shown to increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed foods can lead to depression and many more things!

So where do we go from here?

1.       Start by really looking at what is in your cupboards and fridge. Do you have a lot of quick and convient foods? Or do you have more natural foods? Do the things you eat truly satisfy and fill you? Or do they leave you hungry? You really have to get rid of the junk you have. Learn to truly enjoy food. Seek satisfaction in what you eat. Try a peach (or other fruit). Examine its color, smell it and take a bite. Give yourself a moment to truly enjoy it.

2.       Read labels on the food you buy. Be aware of what you are putting into your body. If you don’t know what 2 or more things are, it’s most likely not good for you.

3.       Wean yourself off excessive sugar, salt and fat. Now this will automatically happen as you start eating better. A good rule of thumb for sugar is if it has more than 30% of sugar in it, it is bad.

4.       Choose fresh whenever possible. Fresh foods are always going to be a better choice. Look for whole wheat when buying bread and pasta. Get fresh veggies over canned. Shop the outside aisles of the store. The aisles are filled with processed items while the outside has the meats, fruits and Veggies.

5.       Purchase organic whenever you can afford it!

You will soon find that by eating healthier, you will be fuller and more satisfied. Your pallet will slowly change and you may find you like foods you never thought you liked before.

As for treats, they truly become treats when you limit them to once in a blue moon. They also will be more enjoyable that way.

Try something new!

Do you want to become a happier more enriched person?? Try something new!! Becoming a more adventurous person can make you feel more satisfied at the end of the day. Trying new things can also help keep you young at heart!

When was the last time you tried something new? Maybe tried a new food? How about a new activity? What are the “normal” activities you do every day? These things can get us in a rut. A rut can cause you to be bored with life. A rut can cause depression. A rut can cause us to lose focus of our life goals.

Here’s some ideas of new things to try….

1.       Try a new recipe. click here for some yummy ideas

2.       Try running. We have treadmills, or there are many great trails in Bend.

3.       Try a Zumba class. click here for our class schedule

4.       Try hiking. Jenise has a hiking club that meets twice a month.

5.       Try learning a new word and using it.

6.       Try a Tai Chi class. click here for our schedule

7.       Try hula hooping. We have one in the gym!

8.       Try volunteering. There are so many opportunities in Bend.

9.       Try meeting a new person.

10.   Try a new fruit or Vegetable.

 “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Who has the best gym in Bend Oregon?

Is the best gym in Bend, ELITE Fitness and Education? That is a difficult question to answer. Mostly because “the best” is always a matter of preference and that is always subjective to each individual person. There are several gyms in bend. There are gyms that cater to an older demographic of people and some that cater to the younger crowd that likes to slam weights and grunt while they lift. Instead of trying to answer a question that is impossible to answer I will rather, list the qualities of ELITE Fitness and Education I think are our strongest qualities and you can decide for yourself.

When a person is choosing a gym or fitness center to join they should consider their goals and level of fitness. If you are a beginner, you may not appreciate the loud grunting atmosphere of a younger “bodybuilder” type gym. To the same respect, if you are an advanced weight lifter that loves intensity you might not care to have the manager asking you to be quiet every time you drop your weights. This is why I recommend you always utilize a guest pass before joining a gym if it is possible.  At Elite fitness and Education we have done our best to create an atmosphere that most people will appreciate. We play a variety of music based on the crowd at the time that ranges from classic hits, to the best of the 80’s, and some of today’s popular songs. We try to keep the volume at an acceptable level that gives you a nice background sound but is not too loud. We do not allow our members to drop weights or yell excessively. We understand weight training can be intense but we also want to be respectful of all our members. We will also ask you to re-rack your weights when you are finished. That is just common courtesy.

When someone joins a gym it can be very intimidating at first, especially if they have not been in a gym setting recently. We understand this and have created a “service assessment” for all of our new members. During the service assessment each new member will receive 2 complimentary workouts to help them get started. Safety is our primary concern so we always start with a couple of assessments to find out where our new member is starting from. We start with a posture assessment to see if there are any loose or tight muscles that may be disrupting the skeletal system. Then we do a short core stability assessment. It has been said that 84% of Americans suffer from low back pain. Ironically, it’s not because of low backs, it’s because we sit too much as a society and do not properly use our core muscles. This assessment will help reduce the risk of a member injuring their back while pursuing their fitness goals. You can click here to learn more about our complimentary service assessment. If you were not able to schedule your service assessment when you joined please email me so we can that scheduled for you.

The next thing to consider when joining a gym is what type of programs do they have? Most gyms offer one-on-one personal training, and if that is exactly what you want then you just have to investigate their trainers and program. A good indicator I would use is how many success stories do they have in the gym? If they do not have any, I would ask “Why not?” Let’s think about this for a moment. If a gym is trying to convince you that they are the best then shouldn’t they be bale to show you all the people they have helped in the past? If they have no success stories then what are they the best at? I mean people join a gym to look and feel better, don’t they. If they have no success stories then I would be very cautious on how committed they really are to helping their members succeed. To see some of our success stories click here. Every story you see was trained by a trainer of ELITE Fitness, myself, or one of the past gyms I managed.  If you are an elite athlete and know exactly what you need to do, this may not be a concern to you. But if you are one of the 73% of Americans that are overweight, then you might want to look at some other options. At ELITE Fitness and Education we offer one-on-one personal training for 60 minute or 30 minute sessions. We also offer online personal training, group personal training, group exercise classes, weight management programs that are similar to Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, and ELITE Boot Camps. We understand that not everyone is the same so we have researched the most successful programs in the country and brought them to Bend, Oregon. At the conclusion of your complimentary service assessment you will have a good enough understanding of our abilities to decide which program is right for you.

The last thing I would consider is what kind of help you can get if you can’t afford personal training or maybe you just aren’t ready to give it a shot. This is where most gyms I have seen, have no answer for you. Now don’t get me wrong, during the sales pitch they will promise you the world and tell you that you can always ask questions but that is not really true. Every person there has a job to do and they are not always able to stop what they are doing to answer your questions and show you some stuff on the floor. Besides, at what point do you start feeling like a bother to them, especially if they give a heavy sigh and begrudgingly give you some time? At ELITE fitness and Education we offer several educational seminars because we understand this dilemma. In fact, we have taken it so far, that we have built a classroom in the back of our gym so we can facilitate and atmosphere of educating our members. We teach free seminars on the basics of nutrition, supplements, stretching, warming up, foam rolling, hydration, designing programs, managing diabetes, reducing low back pain, organic foods, household chemicals, and more. For more info on our seminars click here. Again, if you know everything to get the results you want, you may not care about educational classes but if you are just getting started, they can be really helpful. Especially because they are free.

I know some people will think that a big locker room, clean facility, and friendly staff should have had more talk in this article. Those things are what I would put under the “DUH” category. Every gym should have a decent locker room, clean facility, and friendly staff. Just so you know, I have been to almost every gym in Bend and for the most part every gym does its best to do those things. That is why I didn’t mention them here.  Other than the above things our gym has everything you would expect like free weights, machine weights, locker rooms, showers, cardio machines, 17 inch TV’s right on some of the treadmills, TRX training systems, kids club, and soon we will be adding 24 hour access, a barbell café and dry saunas in the locker rooms.
At the end of the day you need to go where you can be comfortable. Some may want to consider price but I don't think that should be your main factor in deciding. That being said, I am pretty sure we have the best rates in town. 
Have fun and remember to enjoy your process,

Victor