A medicine ball is a simple but versatile piece of fitness equipment that provides resistance during exercises. Used correctly, a medicine ball will help enhance your strength, speed, balance and muscle definition. These balls are especially effective for achieving flat abdominal muscles.

Medicine balls come in several varieties. Some medicine balls, called core balls, have handles on them, as kettlebells do. Handles – which can be detachable or non-detachable – offer a more secure grip and thus a wider range of movement. Also, with core balls, it’s easier to work out with two medicine balls simultaneously. Other medicine balls come with ropes fastened to them: a rope makes it easier to perform swinging and throwing motions. Then there’s the classic medicine ball, which has nothing attached.

Another contrast between medicine balls is the material they’re made from. Originally, all medicine balls were leather; leather balls are still the most affordable. Nowadays, however, you can purchase medicine balls with nylon and heavy vinyl exteriors. Such balls are soft and plush – they feel like heavy pillows when you hold them. In addition, some medicine balls have air inside.  Balls inflated with air may be used in swimming pool workouts, too, as they can float. On the other hand, if a medicine ball is filled with gel, it won’t bounce or float.

The most important differences between medicine balls, however, are their weights. (Most medicine balls weigh between 2 and 25 pounds.) It’s imperative you work out with a medicine ball that’s the right weight for your fitness level. A ball that’s too light yields few benefits. A ball that’s too heavy could lead to injury. Try out a number of medicine ball weights before settling on a product to buy. And as you grow stronger, replace your ball with heavier models. If you’re unsure what weight is right for you, consult a personal trainer.

Once you start working out with a medicine ball, you might wonder how you ever did without it. You’ll see visible results faster, and surely you’ll appreciate how easy it is to use. You don’t have to worry about storing and maintaining an expensive set of weights, and you can bring your medicine ball with you wherever you go. Maybe you’ll keep one in your workplace for exercises during breaks.

Here are a few medicine ball exercises to get you on your way to flat abs. To do “the woodchopper,” stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders and hold your ball over your head – this is the neutral position. Keeping your arms straight the entire time, bend your waist so your upper body moves forward, while simultaneously bringing your arms back as though you were throwing the ball to someone behind you. Return to the neutral position. Now make the opposite movement: lean back but make a forward-throwing motion. Again, return to the neutral position. Repeat this exercise in sets of 10.

To keep up that abdominal burn, sit down on the floor next, with your legs out straight. Your medicine ball should be hovering over your lap: clutch it with two hands. Turn your upper body to the right as far as you can. Return to the starting position. Now turn to your left as far as you can, and then go back to the starting position. As with the first exercise, repeat this exercise in sets of 10.

You can also try crunches. Lie on your back and hold your medicine ball straight up over your head. Raise your feet off the floor and bend your knees at right angles. Each time you come up for a crunch, touch your toes with your ball. That is, come up, tap your left foot, and lie back down. Then come up again and tap your right foot this time. Keep switching feet as you work through your reps.

EXERCISE…. EVEN IF YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT

I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. But one thing I know for certain is how good it is for my body and my soul. So I do it; even when I don’t feel like it. After work there are many times I DO NOT want to come to class. But it’s then I remind myself of the benefits versus just going home to relax. It’s a choice!

In order to develop this mindset, I had to first find someplace to workout that helped me want to work out. I found that place at Pure Motion. The group method workouts keep me engaged through a variety of challenging but fun exercises; they have excellent and knowledgeable instructors, and a great group of members to work out with. Working out at Pure Motion is not just an exercise experience; it’s also a healthy social experience. Even after the worst day at work when I would rather go home and have a glass of wine, I show up because I KNOW I will be much better for it. And 45 minutes later the stress is gone and I feel really good about having done something to take care of myself; I am also uplifted for having a few laughs with friends. So I encourage you after a long hard day at the office make sure you go to workout at Pure Motion, even if you don’t feel like it. Try it, you’ll like it, eventually.

-Shelley Dugan

WORTH THE COST

I consider myself very frugal. I don’t like spending money, especially on something I think I can do myself. So, it was a delight when I won a month free to Pure Motion Fitness at a school fundraiser. From my first workout, I loved it! I had learned about good exercise programs in college and I could tell the exercises and style of workouts were exactly what my body needed. I saw noticeable improvements in my shape quickly. So, after my free month, I paid for a few more months. I was in the best shape I had been in a long time.

I needed to stop my membership that summer due to extensive travelling. I chose not to renew my membership in the Fall because I was certain I could find a better “deal” elsewhere. I dutifully used several Groupons for other gyms; I worked out at home doing the same exercises we did at PMF. I ran in my neighborhood and walked with friends. All good things but none did for my body what PMF training did. I missed being in great shape and having strength. My back started hurting again. My belly was slowly growing; pants were getting too tight. I missed really sweating during a workout, because – face it – I just wouldn’t push myself as hard as the trainers did.

It took me 18 months of trying other things to come to the conclusion that what was best for my body was the workouts at Pure Motion. My frugal mindset could now rationalize it was worth the cost. Personal training at group prices; you can’t find that out there, anywhere for less.

Our budget is a little tighter these days, as is most other families, but I now know I have to invest in my workout program. I couldn’t do it on my own, and I couldn’t find somewhere else that gave the quality workouts for less so I was going to have to pay one way or another. I could either pay the money to workout at PMF and be in the best shape and get well-planned workouts from certified trainers or I could pay the price in back pain and my body not being in as a good a shape and feeling self-defeated that my own workouts were never going to be as good. So, here I am a little older, hopefully a little wiser, but knowing working out at PMF is well worth the cost!

–Becky Priest

Firmer Abs Just Feel Better

Firm abdominal muscles strengthen the entire body, and allow it to burn calories faster and maintain a better posture. They’re visually appealing, too. And firmer abs just feel better. But if you’ve been less than enchanted with your abdominal workout lately, you might try adding extra resistance. Two of the best tools for such resistance are stability balls and resistance bands.

Resistance bands can be used in many different exercise variations as they’re very versatile. In addition, they’re affordable, and easy to take with you: you can work out with resistance bands in hotel rooms or even at the office.

Resistance band crunches allow you to efficiently work the abs without damaging your neck. First, sit on the floor, wrap the band behind your back, and grab onto the handles. Lie back all the way and bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Now crunch yourself up to a halfway-sitting position. Begin to lie back down, but don’t let your entire back make contact with the floor. Instead, hover a few inches above the ground – this position really engages those core muscles. After a few seconds here, do another crunch.

A kneeling crunch is similarly effective. Secure your resistance band around the top of an open door, so that the handles hang down at the same height on each side of the door. Next, kneel on the floor and reach upward to clutch those handles. Slowly lower one elbow, pulling on the handle as you go, until that elbow touches the opposite knee. Carefully controlling your motion, return to the starting position and repeat this movement with the other elbow. Squeeze your abs the entire time!

For its part, a stability ball – also called an exercise ball – is a large air-filled ball with a bouncy, elastic surface on which you can sit or lie to perform exercises. Because the surface of the ball is unstable, you’ll have to engage your muscles simply to maintain your position on top of the ball. For that reason, your muscles will be more active when you perform exercises on the stability ball, and thus you should acquire muscle definition faster. And like the resistance band, the stability ball is ideal for fitness enthusiasts of all levels because it’s comparatively inexpensive and highly versatile. (Stability balls are less portable, however.)

One ab exercise you can do on a stability ball is the classic crunch. Lie back on the ball – your entire back should touch the ball’s surface – and then perform your crunches as you normally would on the floor. You may find the extra burn to be intense! An effective variation of this crunch is the wall-up. Here, you’ll again lie on your back on top of the ball, but this time you’ll have your knees bent at right angles, the soles of your feet pressed against a wall, and your hands behind your head. Do a few sets of ten repetitions each.

Additionally, you might try an ab roll. A stability ball ab roll involves kneeling on the floor with your hands on the ball in front of you. Slowly push the ball forward, until you’ve stretched your body out as far as you comfortably can. Then slowly roll back until you’ve returned to the starting position. Keep your abdominal muscles engages the entire time you do this exercise: that is, pull your navel in toward your spinal column, as though you were trying to suck in your gut. Try 3 sets, 10-12 repetitions per set, of the ab roll, and add more sets as you grow accustomed to the exercise.

Many people rely on a mid-afternoon caffeinated drink to power them through the rest of the day. After all, it’s common to feel sluggish a couple hours after lunch, and after several hours of working. But these 3pm caffeinated beverages may not be the cures they seem to be. In fact, they may be contributing to your sluggishness, since caffeine can stay in your system for eight hours, and can therefore interfere with your sleep at night.

Caffeine is a naturally-occurring drug which stimulates the central nervous system. Coffee, tea, many sports and energy drinks, and sodas all contain caffeine. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may classify caffeine as safe, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have adverse effects on the body. For example, caffeine induces your adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, the hormone which your body would naturally secrete whenever you’re under stress. Artificially-elevated amounts of cortisol within your system, however, lead to weight gain. Even worse, the body tends to store in the abdomen all that fat that comes from too much cortisol, and abdominal fat is especially unhealthy. Indeed, scientific studies have linked excess cortisol to diabetes and cardiac problems.

The 3pm, or thereabouts, caffeinated beverage is especially counterproductive to your health, and over time can really drain your energy. First, let’s consider the shot of adrenaline resulting from consumption of caffeine. If you drink a caffeinated beverage at 3:00 pm, you’ll feel this adrenaline around 3:15, and it may be refreshing, as though a jolt of energy is coursing through you. But later, around bedtime, you’ll feel this adrenaline start to wear off. And waning adrenaline often makes people edgy, even depressed. And distressed or depressed thoughts make the act of falling asleep that much more difficult.

Caffeine also reduces the body’s ability to absorb adenosine, a calming chemical within the brain. (In scientific terms, adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.) Without caffeine, the presence of adenosine increases as the day goes on, and come nighttime, it makes the body susceptible to falling asleep. With caffeine in the bloodstream, however, adenosine is much less effective. Further, caffeine-related cortisol will inhibit your pineal gland’s release of melatonin, a hormone that also relaxes the body and gets it ready for sleep.

Because of these caffeine-related chemical changes, you’ll probably sleep less. Less sleep means it’s less likely you’ll enter the deepest stage of sleep, stage four. And it’s only during stage four sleep that your body is actually able to restore itself – replenish lost cells and repair cells that have been weakened or damaged. (It’s these very processes, after all, for which we go to sleep in the first place.) As a consequence, in short order you’ll find yourself more tired and sluggish than ever, physically and mentally. Worse yet, these increased feelings of drowsiness may lead you to ingest even more caffeine on a daily basis, especially later in the day. As you can see, caffeine dependence thus becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

Fortunately, however, there’s a way to boost your energy level and your mental acuity around three in the afternoon which doesn’t involve a caffeinated drink. If it fits into your schedule, try to complete twenty minutes of brisk cardiovascular exercise late in the afternoon – a walk around the neighborhood, or better yet a jog. Studies have demonstrated that such a bout of exercise is more physically stimulating than caffeine, especially in people who tend to be sedentary all day. If you can’t get in some exercise at 3pm, try to fit in a 10-20 minute nap, which can also be rejuvenating for the body.

A few weeks ago UT-TV in San Diego called me to do a resistance band demonstration with the TV anchors.  This was a special treat since I’ve never been on TV.  Thank goodness I have shot hundreds of videos on YouTube and had the experience of being in front of a camera.

I’ve used resistance bands for the past 10 years and I find them one of the most useful exercise tools on the market.  They are affordable, convenient, and easy to use.   Check out the video below for more exercises and tips on how to use these properly.

Want more great Resistance Band Exercises and a Free Weight Loss Secrets Video?

Visit http://goo.gl/YGHwk to see my “In Home Fitness with Resistance Bands” DVD on Sale now at Amazon.com.   Also get “The 5 Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss” as a free Video Bonus for my viewers only when purchasing my Resistance Bands DVD using the link above.

All athletes want to compete to win, kick ass and take names, but they can only do so with strong shoulders. Shoulders that are in the best possible shape lend a person more power and greater flexibility. Simply put, unless you work out your shoulders regularly, you won’t be able to hit a baseball your farthest, or jump your highest, or do your best at whatever actions your sport requires. Strong shoulders are also necessary for productive weightlifting sessions, as these joints help maintain correct form during many exercises, particularly the bench press. Healthy shoulders allow for good posture, too – and poor posture often leads to problems like chronic back pain.

 
Then there’s the most pressing reason athletes need to protect those shoulders: to avoid shoulder injury. The shoulder may be the easiest joint in the human body to hurt, and recovery from shoulder injury is often long, slow and painful. Injure your shoulder and you’re likely to sit on the bench the rest of the season.

 
What makes shoulders so vulnerable, anyway? For one thing, your shoulders are used all the time. Whenever you perform household chores like putting away groceries, painting, raking, vacuuming, or even just picking up objects off the floor, you’re employing your shoulders almost constantly. Also, the shoulder has a wider range of motion than any other joint. Then there’s the physical makeup of the shoulder itself. The shoulder is a “ball-and-socket” joint, which means it can rotate. (By contrast, a “hinge joint” is one such as the elbow, which only bends in one direction.) However, the ball of the shoulder is actually bigger than the socket into which it’s fitted, which means it’s comparatively easy for that ball to pop out of place.

 
Making matters worse, any athletes tend to work out the upper body muscles in the front – namely the pectoral and abdominal muscles – much more often and intensely than they work out the muscles of the back. As a result, the muscles positioned at the front of the shoulder blades are used more often than those behind the shoulder, a condition that can throw the entire joint out of balance. Good shoulder health, therefore, means balancing your exercises: take care to work your back muscles as much as you work your front muscles.

 
Of course, you also need to perform, on a regular basis, exercises specifically targeting the shoulders. Now, when people speak of exercises for the shoulders, they’re really referring to exercises for those muscles, tendons and ligaments which are positioned around this joint. Among these muscles are the rotator cuffs. The rotator cuffs are a set of four diminutive but vital muscles. When you’re conditioning your rotator cuffs, take it easy: start slowly, never use too much weight and never perform too many repetitions. Because of their relatively fragile nature, it’s all too easy to exhaust these muscles.

Shoulder exercises need not be complicated. One such exercise – you’ll need a partner – goes as follows: lie flat on your back, arms straight up and knees bent while your friend stands over you with a medicine ball. When you’re ready, your friend drops the ball and you catch it. Rapidly bring it down to your chest and back up again. Then throw the medicine ball back to your partner. Repeat these motions in sets of 10.

 
Some shoulder exercises are designed to aid the rehabilitation of an injured shoulder. Take, for example, this simple flexing and extending exercise. (For the sake of clarity, we’ll imagine it’s your right shoulder that’s injured.) Start by sitting in a chair with your right arm straight down by your side. Slowly lift that arm, elbow unbending, until your arm is straight out in front of you. Just as slowly return your arm to the starting position. Next, bring your arm – slowly once again – behind you as far as you can. Stop when it’s straight out behind you, and once more return to starting position. Try sets of ten reps each.

 
For more on how to strengthen your shoulders, view the following video, “Top 3 Rotator Cuff Exercises”:

Toning the whole body can be lots of fun, but it does require some calculation. You don’t want to just barrel into the gym every day, grab the heaviest weights you can find, and pound your way through long, super-hard sessions. If you try doing that, you’ll be seriously injured before long. With smart planning, however, your whole-body toning sessions will be both enjoyable and really productive. Soon enough, you’ll be able to flex that toned physique for everyone you know!

 
The first important task in whole-body training is compiling a repertoire of about 15 to 20 exercises that you enjoy doing. For each one-hour, full-body workout session you do, you’ll only want to perform about 5 or 6 of these exercises. (You could even be an efficient full-body trainer by doing as few as 3 exercises per session!) The trick is to keep rotating those exercises, and to make sure you’re hitting every major muscle during every workout. This way you’ll be less likely to find your workouts boring – which sometimes leads people to abandon their workouts entirely. Even more important, you won’t exhaust your body, nor will you train any one muscle too much. Indeed, varying your workouts almost always leads to quicker, more visually-impressive muscle growth.

When you enter the gym to full-body train, you should first warm up your muscles with about ten minutes of cardiovascular activity. Then briefly exercise with some light weights before moving on to the heavier variety; doing so allows your muscles to “wake up.” (And with whole-body training, you will want to move on to the heaviest weights that you can lift.) By contrast, heading straight for the heaviest weights when your muscles are cold can cause muscle pulls or strains.

 
Next, try to do all your compound exercises first – that is, the exercises which require more than one muscle and more than one joint to perform, such as a squat. Once those are completed, proceed to your isolation exercises, those exercises which only work out a single muscle, such as a bicep curl with a free weight. Whenever you’re on a full-body training program, you want to perform more compound than isolation exercises, for the simple reason that they offer you more results for the energy you expend. In other words, you’ll train more muscles in less time. This strategy means you’ll be relying more on free-weight exercises than on machine-based exercises, because most gym machines are designed for isolation exercises.

So before beginning your program, learn as many compound exercises as you can, and really be careful about your form whenever you’re doing them. (In addition to the squat, a list of compound exercises would include deadlifts, pull-ups, and the ever-popular bench press.)

On a similar note, during full-body toning routines you should work out your large muscle groups first: the abs, the back, the upper legs. From there, move on to the smaller muscles, such as your biceps.

 
Rest and recovery are critical factors of any workout program. Indeed, without consistent recovery times, there can be no real development of muscles, end of story. That’s because it’s during the periods of rest between workout sessions when your muscles will actually “grow,” not during the periods of exercises. So be sure to skip a day of working out after full-body training two days in a row. You always need to rest between your sets of exercises, too: you should take a breather for an interval of about 30-80 seconds after a set, depending on your level of fitness. The stronger you are, the shorter your rest periods should be.

Firm abdominal muscles strengthen the entire body, and allow it to burn calories faster and maintain a better posture. They’re visually appealing, too. And firmer abs just feel better. But if you’ve been less than enchanted with your abdominal workout lately, you might try adding extra resistance. Two of the best tools for such resistance are stability balls and resistance bands.

Resistance bands can be used in many different exercise variations as they’re very versatile. In addition, they’re affordable, and easy to take with you: you can work out with resistance bands in hotel rooms or even at the office.

 
Resistance band crunches allow you to efficiently work the abs without damaging your neck. First, sit on the floor, wrap the band behind your back, and grab onto the handles. Lie back all the way and bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Now crunch yourself up to a halfway-sitting position. Begin to lie back down, but don’t let your entire back make contact with the floor. Instead, hover a few inches above the ground – this position really engages those core muscles. After a few seconds here, do another crunch.

 
A kneeling crunch is similarly effective. Secure your resistance band around the top of an open door, so that the handles hang down at the same height on each side of the door. Next, kneel on the floor and reach upward to clutch those handles. Slowly lower one elbow, pulling on the handle as you go, until that elbow touches the opposite knee. Carefully controlling your motion, return to the starting position and repeat this movement with the other elbow. Squeeze your abs the entire time!

 
For its part, a stability ball – also called an exercise ball – is a large air-filled ball with a bouncy, elastic surface on which you can sit or lie to perform exercises. Because the surface of the ball is unstable, you’ll have to engage your muscles simply to maintain your position on top of the ball. For that reason, your muscles will be more active when you perform exercises on the stability ball, and thus you should acquire muscle definition faster. And like the resistance band, the stability ball is ideal for fitness enthusiasts of all levels because it’s comparatively inexpensive and highly versatile. (Stability balls are less portable, however.)

 
One ab exercise you can do on a stability ball is the classic crunch. Lie back on the ball – your entire back should touch the ball’s surface – and then perform your crunches as you normally would on the floor. You may find the extra burn to be intense! An effective variation of this crunch is the wall-up. Here, you’ll again lie on your back on top of the ball, but this time you’ll have your knees bent at right angles, the soles of your feet pressed against a wall, and your hands behind your head. Do a few sets of ten repetitions each.

Additionally, you might try an ab roll. A stability ball ab roll involves kneeling on the floor with your hands on the ball in front of you. Slowly push the ball forward, until you’ve stretched your body out as far as you comfortably can. Then slowly roll back until you’ve returned to the starting position. Keep your abdominal muscles engages the entire time you do this exercise: that is, pull your navel in toward your spinal column, as though you were trying to suck in your gut. Try 3 sets, 10-12 repetitions per set, of the ab roll, and add more sets as you grow accustomed to the exercise.

Rancho Bernardo Holiday Fitness Challenge

WEEK 1: CHANGE YOUR PLATE!

Welcome to the first week of our Rancho Bernardo holiday fitness challenge.  This week’s challenge is change your plate.  You may or may not know this, but in June 2011, the beloved vertical food pyramid was replaced with an image of a plate.  Although the image isn’t the end-all to how your plate should look at each and every meal, there are some very important features to point out and think about when you do sit down to eat.

First, take a look at this image:

To me this is pretty powerful.

There is the same amount of food on each plate.  However, plate on the left- My brain and stomach giving each other a high five.  Plate on the bottom right- my brain and stomach already thinking about seconds.  In the 1960’s, the size of a dinner plate was 8.5” in diameter (the size of our salad plates today).  Today, dinner plates are about 12” in diameter!  Calorie wise, our plate today can hold more than double the amount of calories.  Kind of ridiculous when you think about it.  This part of the challenge really comes down to tricking our brains into thinking we are eating a lot more than we really are.  Our stomach doesn’t need a 12” plate worth of food in it… so why do we try?

CHANGE YOUR PLATE CHALLENGE PART I:

Go look at the plates in your pantry and measure them.  For every inch greater than 8.5, there is about a 15% increase in the amount of calories that can be consumed from that plate.  Now is the time to change out your plates!  Just an FYI, your new dinner plates are called salad plates in stores.  You can find some gorgeous ones at Crate and Barrel or World Market for as little as $2.00 each.  Not a big investment at all for something that can have a huge impact on how much you eat.

Think back to what you had for dinner last night.  Now compare it to this image.  This portion plate is an easy way for you to visualize how your plate should look.  Aim for ½ colorful fruits and vegetables, ¼ whole grains, and ¼ protein.  Like I said before, this isn’t the end all to how every meal needs to look.  Let’s break down this plate even further!

The colorful fruits and veggies provide many natural vitamins and nutrients.  Different colors do correspond to different health benefits as well (ignore the technical words, the benefits are what is important)…

• Red pigment is caused by Lycopene, also known as anthocyanins.  Although not proven, preliminary research has shown a reduced risk of various types of cancers, especially prostate cancer due to Lycopene.  Anthocyanins are also considered powerful antioxidants that help protect our cells from damage and promote heart health.

•  Orange/yellow pigment is caused by carotenoids.  The Beta-carotine in pumpkins, carrots, and sweet potatoes is converted to Vitamin A which helps maintain healthy eyes and help prevent macular degeneration (something that leads to blindness as we age).  Cartenoids are great immune system enhancers, and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers, particularly lung cancer (except in smokers which it can have an adverse effect).  Orange citrus is also a wonderful source of Vitamin C and folate.

•  Green pigment is caused by the natural plant pigmentation called chlorophyll.  Some members of the green group contain lutein, which works with another chemical found in corn, red peppers, oranges, grapes, and egg yolks to help reduce age-related muscular degeneration in eyes and the risk of cataracts.  It has also been shown to decrease light sensitivity and improve visual performance.  The cruciferous vegetables help protect against cancers and leafy greens are an excellent source of folate.

•  Blue/purple pigment is caused by anthocyanins which are a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage and may reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, neurological disease and heart disease.  Improved memory function, healthy aging and anti-inflammatory properties have also been associated with anthocyanins.

•  White pigment is caused by anthoxanthins.  These have been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may reduce the risk of stomach cancer and heart disease.  Some members of this group are also a great source of potassium.

Color is also really important in that the mind also sees the colors as more food and is more satiated before you even start eating.  Still hungry after you finished, go back and refill this half of the plate!  Just likes Skittles says: “See the rainbow, taste the rainbow.”… And after a week you’ll be feeling the difference the rainbow can make.

On to whole grains!  Studies show that whole grains instead of refined grains lowers the risk of many chronic diseases.  The most benefits are shown with 3 servings a day, but as little as just 1.  According to the whole grain council, the benefits of whole grains include (documented on repeated studies): stroke risk reduced 30-36%, type 2 diabetes risk reduced 21-30%, heart disease risk reduced 25-28%, and better weight maintenance.  Other benefits include: reduced risk of asthma, healthier carotid arteries, reduction of inflammatory disease risk, lower risk of colorectal cancer, healthier blood pressure levels, less gum disease and tooth loss.  Here are some examples of 1 serving of a whole grain:

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or other cooked grain
• 1 ounce uncooked whole grain pasta, brown rice or other grain
• 1/2 cup cooked 100% whole-grain pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked hot cereal, such as oatmeal (not quick oats)
• 1 slice 100% whole grain bread
• 1 very small (1 oz.) 100% whole grain muffin
• 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal

And lastly, protein.  Proteins can be confusing but the great thing is that they can come from many different sources and provide us with many crucial nutrients needed for optimal health. Seeds, nuts, eggs, dry beans and peas, fish, poultry, and meat offer a number of nutrients that include magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin E, niacin, thiamin, B6, riboflavin, and of course protein.  Protein acts as the body’s building block for muscles, bones, cartilage, skin and the blood. They are also building blocks for important functional levels of hormones, enzymes, and vitamins.

Proteins also provide calories.  B vitamins help with the nervous system and helps build tissues; iron carries oxygen in the blood; magnesium helps builds bones and energy release from muscles.  When eating/choosing proteins, go for lean proteins and keep it lean while cooking.  Also, vary the proteins you eat as some (fish) are rich in omega-3’s.

CHANGE YOUR PLATE CHALLENGE PART II:

Now that you are armed with all this great information, make a conscious effort to change the way your plate looks.  Whether it’s the first 5 lbs, the last 5 lbs, or just maintaining where you are, you will start to notice a difference in how you feel and look in no time.  The hardest part will be convincing your mind of all these wonderful changes.  If you follow our Rancho Bernardo fitness challenge, we guarantee you won’t put on that extra 5-10 lbs that mose do during the holidays. Come join us for a workout and start your challenge today. Good Luck!!