Starring Saturday: Eudora Koh | Fitness On a Budget

"Hello Team! I am so excited to finally bring to you, our very first, STARRING SATURDAY theme! You will be seeing a guest blogger every first Saturday of the month. They may, or may not be an expert in the fitness industry, but they all have a passion for fitness and health!
For the month of April, I would like to introduce you to a fellow fitness enthusiast, Eudora (@Eudorable). A Vancity girl with a passion to run with her adorable pup by her side, I had the pleasure of meeting her and having her participate in one of my fitness classes. She has an excellent blog that showcases the lighter side of things (in terms of expense). Go ahead Eudora...take it from here."


Take it from me; you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a good sweat going! I believe in getting regular exercise and improving health and wellness, but not having to pay excessive amounts to do so. Though gym memberships and classes are great, there are cheaper alternatives that are easy to do as long as you have the motivation to “go play outside!”

Exercise


The outdoors is a great place to get your sweat on – whether it’s by running, walking, hiking, swimming or playing a sport. Most of these activities don’t have to cost you anything, and you still can get a great workout.
Or why not make the most out of your commute to work and turn it into a workout of its own? If you’re sitting at a desk all day at work, any exercise throughout the day would definitely be beneficial. This is a one of the main reasons why I ride my bike to work (that and it’s only a 15 minute ride there and 25 minute ride back!) Though it will cost you money to buy a bike, it’s a great long-term investment that will help improve your health and wellness without any additional costs.
You also have cheaper options when it comes to buying workout clothes/gear, because who doesn’t love to look good in pro tech clothes and gear while working up a sweat? I definitely do, but within a budget. Fortunately, there are many places that have workout gear that look great and are more than half the price of what you’d pay at other places! Here are some places to check out for awesome deals:


The gear


Winners – You can find brands like Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Sally Hansen, Asics and New Balance at Winners, all at discounted prices. Sometimes you have to do a bit of digging around the racks, but trust me it’s worth it to find that jacket, shorts, tech shirt, hat or running tights at such a great price.

USA outlets – I never buy runners here in Canada, because I can find them for $50-$60 at the outlets, namely the notoriously cheap Seattle Premium Outlets in Tulalip, WA. If you love having a variety of runners and in different styles and colors, but you don’t want to spend $100 per pair, I recommend saving your runners shopping for your next trip down South!

Joe Fresh – more commonly known as “the Superstore brand”, Joe Fresh surprisingly has a wide collection of clothes that cater to the active lifestyle. I will say that it’s a hit or miss sometimes, because sometimes they have a lot of good stuff on sale, but other times, it’s lacking.

American Eagle – Though it’s not known primarily for workout apparel, from time to time I find a running jacket, sweat pants, sports bras or running tights (the latter 3 are from AE’s sister brand, Aerie). AE has a great selection of clearance items, so make sure to check once in awhile to see if there are any affordable exercise clothes you like.
So even if you’re on a tight budget, there are no excuses! If you follow my suggestions and tips, you can still workout to get that perfect bod and wear gear that will help motivate you and make you feel confident. But remember, at the end of the day, it starts with you!

If you want to read about more ways to save money on both fitness and fashion, check out my personal blog www.eudorable.com and follow me on Twitter: @eudorable.

Foody Friday | Oats for breaky

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!
Yeah yeah yeah....

I know we have all heard that line before. And I know people who SWEAR by getting through a morning on an empty stomach is the way to go --- but here is the facts Team: Your body needs fuel. Feed it. Your body is also adaptable, so if you DON'T feed it, it will learn to expect no food in the morning yet still be able to function. NOTE: I said function....I didn't say function to it's best of it's capabilities and beyond. Do yourself a favor, teach your body to need fuel in the morning and watch you turn into getting through the morning to KILLING it.

So...does what you eat make a difference? Sure it does.
Let's talk about oats.


I would avoid using the instant kind if you can. Yes, it is convenient...but the health factor within those little packets is rather low. They entice your taste buds with yummy names like "peaches & cream" or "maple cinnamon" -- but that really translates to ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING, SUGAR, SUGAR, and more SUGAR. If you are feeding your children this stuff, thinking you are helping your child's health--I'd probably ween em off this soon.

Have you heard of Steel Cut Oats? This is probably what our grandmothers or great grandmothers ate growing up...the real stuff! It takes a good deal longer to prepare...and the taste is not as sugary-flavorful, but it sure packs a punch in the health department compared the instant stuff!
*Lower glycemic index and blood sugar response
*Greater satiety (you feel fuller, longer)
*Greater vitamin and mineral content
*Greater overall nutritional value


I am not going to lie, the blandness could bother some of you. Here are some delicious options to help the medicine go down:
Add
*honey
*vanilla flavored protein powder and frozen berries (of your choice)
*cinnamon
*stevia, unsweetened cocoa powder and sliced banana
*smooth natural nut (almond, cashew, peanut...) butter

Use your imagination guys...healthy doesn't have to be bland!!

Until next time Team, go enjoy some oats!
Health respect & happiness,
beki

Motivation Monday | Wipe your slate clean

Happy Monday Team!

This will be our first entry for Motivation Mondays!
The beginning of the week has such a bad rep, but it should be celebrated just like the week ends! With a slightly different approach of course.

Let Mondays be the day you start fresh, where you wipe your slate clean of all your naughty shenanigans and cheat meals/drinks from the weekend that just passed.

Begin by waking up at a timely hour. I suggest at least 2 hours prior to your actual departure time.
This will give you ample time to start your day leisurely and focused.

After your usual morning rituals, start with a nice tall glass of refreshing cool water to kick start your metabolism.

While you prepare your breakfast, use this time to go over your weekly schedule in your head and think about the times and days you will be hitting the gym.

As you sit down for your morning meal, grab yourself a piece of paper and pen and start to plan out this week's goals for training.
Don't forget to include your desired weights, reps, sets, and accompanying meals that will keep you fueled during the days.
Once you have your week planned out, stick to it. It should be easier to do that with your goals written out, keep it close and look at it regularly.



Here is a little peak at what I have down for the start of MY week:

Monday *cardio only* - 20 minute run, 5 minute high paced precor, 5 minute high paced row machine. Total 30mins only.
Tuesday *full body* - 35lb 1 legged squats, 60lb narrow squats, 50lb deadlifts, 15lb single arm reverse flys, 15lb alternating chest flys, overhand pullups, 10lb shoulder circles on BOSU, hanging knee ups. Total 1 hour, about 10 mins cardio.
Wednesday *core/kickboxing* - 1 hour Core pilates and stretch, followed by 1 hour cardio kickboxing. Total 2 hours only.
Thursday *upper body only*.....
..etc...etc....

You getting the hang of it? Give it a try yourself and start to see what amazing things you can accomplish!

Until next time Team, make this into a Monday weekly habit, and I guarantee you will always have a fantastic week inside the gym!

Health respect & happiness

Beki

Foody Friday | My 1st Homemade Tomato Sauce From Scratch

It should be everyone’s goal to choose the best options for dining but it can be hard when there are so many delicious and naughty easy pre-packaged to-go meals or frozen dinners that can be so easily heated up. Plus, who has the time to spend an hour to prep and cook a nutritious meal these days?

I have a somewhat hectic and sporadic schedule due to the nature of my profession, so I tend to rely on super quick meals or snacks that don’t need a lot of time to prepare. You may think that you need to slay away in the kitchen for hours to have a well-cooked healthy meal but it’s not always the case. With a little imagination and some fresh, healthy ingredients, you may surprise yourself with what you can create!

And that is exactly what happened to me. I love pasta. Yes, I said it. I don’t care if it is a bowl of carby-starchy-sugary-fats…pasta is delicious! The saucier with more cheese, the better! Now, that being said, it doesn’t mean that I eat it everyday nor am I saying that you should be eating it everyday or that it is the best option. However, if you can produce a pasta dish that is somewhat healthier, why wouldn’t you? So my inspiration for today’s Foody Friday is my first attempt at making a healthy-ER pasta sauce from scratch.

I am no chef, nor do I claim to be, but I am confident enough to throw a few things together to make a yummy dish at the end of the day. So here I am, at the grocery store, picking up random things to make my very first tomato sauce from scratch! Mind you, I have no idea what goes in it or how to prepare it in the first place.
I picked up a few red tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, an onion, and a medium size can of crushed tomatoes. Seriously, how hard could it be right?

Beki’s “attempt at” homemade tomato pasta sauce

Ingredients:
2-3 tomatoes, diced
2 handfuls of mushrooms, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (more or less depending how garlic-y you like it)
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 can of fresh tomato sauce (I chose a medium sized can because I wanted to make sauce that would last a few days, but you can always use less)
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
Salt, pepper for taste
*optional 2-4 tsp of chipotle chilli powder
*optional other herbs you like in your sauce, example: basil…etc
Instructions:
1) Heat a big pot over med-high heat, add about a tablespoon or so of oil, then begin to sweat out the onions. (I made the horrible mistake of not letting the onions sweat out enough…it should be translucent when you are done..keep an eye on it)
2) Now add all the mushrooms and continue to cook until they have decreased in size considerably. (It should be smelling real good right about now)
3) Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so, then add the fresh tomatoes. Keep stirring for a few more minutes. (I always salt a little bit after each time I add a new ingredient, I’d suggest you do the same)
4) Pour in your desired amount of the can tomato sauce and STIR like crazy! (The pot will be a bit bubbly from the sauce boiling) Decrease the heat to med-low and continue to stir. You cannot leave the sauce alone because it can easily burn! This is when you can add more salt & pepper to taste and add your desired herbs. Always taste after you add anything to make sure you like it.
5) I let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes (I’m horrible with checking the time…or measuring anything…) and it was done!
6) You can enjoy the sauce with any type of pasta you like, this night, I chose my BF’s favorite, bow-tie pasta!

The sauce was lacking a little bit of taste due to my impatience to let the onions sweat all the way through and the fact that we had also ran out of basil!!! But all in all—it was rich in tomato taste, a little bit sweet, a little bit tart, and very fresh! I’m not about to win any Top Chef titles with this one..but I think I’m on my way to cooking fresh pasta sauces from now on, no more store bought sauces, yay!

Until next time Team, why not try making something from scratch that you normally ALWAYS buy at the supermarket?
Health respect & happiness
Beki

WatchOut Wednesday | Seated Press & Your Spine

I was in the gym early this afternoon for a session with a new client. I’ve noticed the usual influx of bodies within the facility since the 31st of December already. And with this increase of traffic flow, comes the overzealous intentions of pushing too hard, too fast and improper execution techniques by newcomers who have no direction by a professional. This is every personal trainer’s worst nightmare!!

A particular member, who I saw performing what looked like a seated shoulder press, is the inspiration for today’s entry.

I have seen her before so she is not a newbie to exercise but this doesn’t mean that someone who has worked out for years will not do incorrect moves. In fact, many people I know who have claimed to have worked out for many years don’t know how to execute proper alignment in some very basic exercises (the classic one is the squat!).

The above photo shows proper technique. This is NOT the member that I saw in the gym.


The member had her shoulders pressed against the back of the bench, and her back was extremely hyper-extended. So much so, that almost her entire backside would not touch the bench while she was doing the press. This is poor technique and will cause intense spinal and back pain due to the unnecessary pressure on the vertebrae and little to no core contractions to keep the torso stabilized.
This is a very common risky mistake I see amongst new and old fitness participants. Be aware of your mid section at all times Team!

Proper Technique

1. Sit on the bench with your legs 90 degrees, knees above ankles, hip width apart.
2. Press your shoulder blades against the back part of the bench; to get the rest of your backside against the bench properly, contract your core muscles and pull your bellybutton towards your spine until you feel the small of your back pushed against the bench. There shouldn’t be space between your back and the bench. Keep your stomach contracted to stay like this!
3. Lift hands beside your shoulders so they’re about the same height of your jaw line.
4. Press the weight straight up towards the ceiling without locking the elbows, pause, then return to start position.
5. Elbows should start and finish at about shoulder height, and wrists aligned with the elbow.
6. Beginners start with 8-10 reps, 1-2 sets. Work your way up to 12-16 reps, 2-4 sets.

This is a great variation of the seated press with an incline:

Make sure you pay attention to these two shots! Does YOUR execution match what you see? You don't want to start the 2013 working hard towards back pain!

Until next time Team, why not revisit basic techniques and execution with all your exercises to make sure you are starting off strong and correct!?

Health respect & happiness,
Beki

Foody Friday | Salad vs. Salad

I try to avoid eating out as much as I can but when I do, I like to treat myself with slightly not-so-good things (like fries with excessive amounts of cheese curds and gravy, or a big juicy burger with all the fixin's, or a crispy chicken wing...yum). I know that this is something I should not be promoting, but when you work as hard as I do or as often as I do in the gym, I think I have given myself a few free passes each week for something naughty.

It is all about balance my friends, for the 3 not so good treats I give myself, I sweat a good 8-10 hours in the gym, and feed myself nutritious meals in between. Lucky for me, I happen to LOVE the taste of healthy food. Unfortunately, I also have the taste for savory foods and the odd bag of chips (I am a whole bag in one sitting kinda girl).

So what to do when you notice you are too busy to prepare yourself a healthy meal and finding yourself repeatedly eating out? Try to replace a meal/day (if you eat out all day) or 3-4 meals/week (if you eat out once every day for the whole week) with a salad. Before you cringe in horror at giving up a hot, tasty meal for cold, boring rabbit food, I have two delicious options for you. And both are found at 2 very popular restaurant chains in Canada (and maybe some parts of the US).

I've tried many different salads at various restaurants..and these take top two spots for sure. Affordable, very filling, light, nutritious, and TASTY!
You'll see all the nutrition facts and ingredients for each of the salads:

1. Raincoast Greens from Cactus Club.

Ingredients: grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, feta, egg, pecans, seasonal berries, lemon-thyme vinaigrette.
Nutritional facts:
Calories 600 Sodium 500 mg
Total Fat 20 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 20 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 5 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 5 g
Trans 0 g Protein 18 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

2. Pecan Chicken Spinach Salad from Earls

Ingredients: warm bacon, brie, dried cherries, baby spinach, julienne apples and carrots, candied pecans, maple pecan vinaigrette, pecan and porcini mushroom crusted chicken.
Nutritional facts:
Calories 869 Sodium 1624 mg
Total Fat 58 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 14 g Total Carbs 35 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 6 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 23 g
Trans 1 g Protein 45 g
Cholesterol 193 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Until next time Team, try them both--tell me which one is your favorite...I still can't decide myself..
Health respect & happiness
Beki

Theme-less Thursday | New Year, New Body, New aches

Have you ever lost track of time, Team? I sure have. So much so, that my next blog post is nearing the end of 2012!? When I tend to get occupied with more activity from home, life, and business, my attention usually hones in on what is in front of me—my clients. But, it’s never too late to pick up right from where we left off, the beauty behind social media blogging.

You’ll see some updated theme day topics (Theme-less Thursdays & Motivate Monday) as well as the classic favorites (Training Tuesdays, Watch-Out Wednesdays, & Foody Fridays). For all my Mommys who enjoyed my “Mommy Mondays”, don’t fret—the theme is not highlighted, but you will see articles geared towards you on different themed days now.

I know it’s on everybody’s mind right now; it’s the end of the year, the new year is about to start…and it’s time to start taking the bodyfat gain more seriously. (After this last slice of pie…and 2nd helping of turkey dinner of course…) Why is it that more than half of the population fall into this rut every year? It’s not like the end of the year is a new thing that falls upon us without warning. Why can’t we all just be more prepared? Or better yet, why can’t all of us continue to workout and eat the way we want without worrying about the extra fat gain?

There are ways around it, yes there is! Would you like to know? I bet you do…but first..

Many of you will be taking the start of the new year as a momentum push to start up (or Restart..) a workout program at your local gym, in your home, or with a personal trainer. If it has been well over 3 months of being sedentary (or making up excuses to start ‘tomorrow’..), expect a few aches and pains. If you are brand spanking new to exercise, be prepared to feel pains that you never knew could exist. You should be able to do most of your daily activities with painful reminders of what you worked the prior day, but it shouldn’t be so bad that you cannot move at all. Be wary of the difference!
Never push yourself to 100% if you are new to exercise, the first few times you train. It’s a common mistake for over-zealous participants, which usually leaves them with overworked joints/muscles and bad pain that comes down to a negative outlook on exercise and then WHAM—they stop their program after a month or less.
[note: this is relative to each individual. Remember, this is the majority, there will be individuals who will experience the opposite]

Now, what you have been waiting for. How can you avoid the holiday bulge without giving up all the dinner invites and delectable desserts?
Are you ready? Do one…or the other:
(1) Start early. (2) Never stop.
Yup, that’s it.

A mistake most people fall into is starting to train too late. If you begin a training regime in Dec, you are already too late! The holidays have already begun; do you think it’s going to be easier to start a new habit during the busiest time of the year? Nope. Add stress into the mix and you’ll end up with more weight gain! And don’t make the silly mistake of thinking that you will do it in January—if you cannot find the time for it in December, you definitely will not keep it up through January and after. Proven fact. So #1, don’t wait til December or worse, January, to begin your fitness program!

The other mistake is stopping your training for the holidays. Yes, you are busy with shopping and planning and cooking..etc. But that is life, and life will always be like that regardless of the time of year. The excuses have now just been more ‘validated’ due to the holidays---really, are the holidays more important than keeping your health in check? I will NEVER let the holidays get in my way of fitness—even if I can’t get to the gym for whatever reason, I will find 20 minutes, 10 minutes even!…whatever I can handle, out of my day to do something at home. If you are constant with your activity, your body does not have the time to relax and gain body fat—so don’t let it!

Lastly, don’t let this be your reason why you are going to overeat for the remaining of the month. Moderation and balance is still key to a holistic-healthy-lifestyle.
On the days you train very hard, reward yourself with a treat.
On the days you are resting, maybe hold off on the 2nd helping.
Got it?

Until next time Team, don’t let the holidays make a Santa belly outta you!
Health respect & happiness
Beki