Trainer Tips: Day at the Race!

by Michael Cardoza, Vice President Operations, Lifestyle Fitness Corp.

Clients often ask us why we (trainers and fitness professionals) work out the way we do.  Obviously our trainers want to live a healthy life and look good but some of them have other reasons for pumping insane amounts of iron or logging crazy amounts of  miles on their own two feet.

For instance check out this article on Bill Coleman, Assistant Manager of FT Cohasset.  Bill competes as a powerlifter at the age of 52.  We also have Kate (Dedham trainer) and Ashley (Westborough trainer) who both take part in road races ranging in distances anywhere from 5K to a marathon.  Stan (Dedham trainer) is a competitive natural bodybuilder.  Personally, I am a triathlete.  So why do we torture ourselves through high levels of exercise just to compete in  these types of events.

We all have different reasons for doing what we do and personally my primary motive is my competitive spirit, as my wife so kindly puts it.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to enter a local triathlon as a late entry.  The late entry is due to the fact that we had our first child 5 weeks ago and my swim, bike and run training has been at a minimum.  So I was unsure how well I would do.  Because I still find the time to fit alternative workouts into my schedule I felt my fitness was at a point that I could still finish the race strong.  There were no expectations to get on the podium but at least I could get some of that competitive energy out of my system.

After each race I like to cool down by stretching near the finishing chute because I can see others finish the race.  I always get goosebumps when I see someone come across the line with emotion because I can imagine the type of dedication that person had to train for this event.  Most of the emotional finishers that I am referring to are not your typical skinny athlete and clearly it took a huge commitment for them to even get to the starting line.  My hat always goes off to those people, more so than the winners.

This particular race really changed my perspective on why I toe the line.  Yes I am still competitive, but after finishing 2nd in my age group, which most people would be more than happy about, I found I was more excited that I ran into a client after the race.  She was there supporting her husband in his first triathlon race.  So why was I excited to see her if she wasn’t racing?  There are two main reasons:

• She verbally committed to doing that exact race next year. She was clearly inspired by watching the race and somewhere found her motivation to commit to a new goal. That is exciting!

• She was with her daughter who is at an age where she absorbs everything around her.   She just witnessed her mother get excited about committing to this race next year and her father finish a race and have fun doing it.  This is leading by example.

The reason why Ashley pounds the pavement or Bill lifts large amounts of weight is no better than the other.  The important thing is that they have a reason or inspiration to achieve something.  As a new father the driving force behind my long workouts is no longer competition, but rather inspiration.  I want to show my son how to live a healthy lifestyle and I want to inspire others the way our client was inspired by her husband finishing the race this past weekend.

What drives you to be active?  Visit us on FaceBook and tell us what inspires you.  Maybe your story will inspire someone else!

In Health,

Michael

___________
Michael Cardoza Vice President Operations
Michael has been with Fitness Together since 2003. Michael started with Fitness Together as the manager of Dedham and has also managed the Norwell and Westborough studios. Before taking on the Vice President role Michael was the Area Director for Lifestyle Fitness Corp. Lifestyle Fitness Corp. owns and operates Fitness Together studios in Dedham, Cohasset, Norwell and Westborough.  Michael has been a certified personal trainer since 2001. He earned a finance degree from Bentley College and a master’s degree from the University of London (North London Campus).

He believes staying fit requires a lifestyle commitment. He feels a balance of strength training, cardiovascular training and healthy nutrition are the key elements to staying healthy. Michael has been active his entire life. He was a three sport athlete in high school and played soccer at the collegiate level. Now, he prefers staying active through strength training, triathlon and any other outdoor activities.

FT Cohasset

FT Dedham

FT Norwell

FT Westborough

Find more info on Fitness Together Studios across Northern New England on FTGetsResults.com

Structured Exercise Improves Glycemic Control In Diabetics

Newswise Release — Implementing structured exercise training, including aerobic, resistance or both, was associated with a greater reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels (a marker of glucose control) for patients with diabetes compared to patients in the control group, and longer weekly exercise duration was also associated with a greater decrease in these levels, according to results of an analysis of previous studies, published in the May 4 issue of JAMA. (For full article, go HERE.)

“Exercise is a cornerstone of diabetes management, along with dietary and pharmacological interventions. Current guidelines recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes should perform at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and should perform resistance exercise 3 times per week,” according to background information in the article. “Regular exercise improves glucose control in diabetes, but the association of different exercise training interventions on glucose control is unclear.”

Daniel Umpierre, M.Sc., of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, and colleagues performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of previously conducted randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of at least 12 weeks’ duration that evaluated the ability of structured exercise training or physical activity advice to lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels as compared with a control group in patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers identified 47 RCTs (8,538 patients) that met criteria for inclusion.

The researchers found that overall, structured exercise training (23 studies) was associated with a decline in HbA1c level (-0.67 percent) compared with control participants. In addition, structured aerobic exercise (-0.73 percent), structured resistance training (-0.57 percent), and both combined (-0.51 percent) were each associated with declines in HbA1c levels compared with control participants.

“Structured exercise durations of more than 150 minutes per week were associated with HbA1c reductions of 0.89 percent, while structured exercise durations of 150 minutes or less per week were associated with HbA1c reductions of 0.36 percent. Overall, interventions of physical activity advice (24 studies) were associated with lower HbA1c levels (-0.43 percent) compared with control participants. Combined physical activity advice and dietary advice was associated with decreased HbA1c (-0.58 percent) as compared with control participants. Physical activity advice alone was not associated with HbA1c changes,” the authors write.

“This systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs demonstrates important findings regarding the prescription of structured exercise training. First, aerobic, resistance, and combined training are each associated with HbA1c decreases, and the magnitude of this reduction is similar across the 3 exercise modalities. … Second, our findings demonstrate that structured exercise of more than 150 minutes per week is associated with greater declines in HbA1c than structured exercise of 150 minutes or less per week in patients with type 2 diabetes. This finding is important because the current guideline-recommended exercise duration is at least 150 minutes per week. Although high-intensity exercise has been previously shown to have an association with HbA1c reduction, our findings did not demonstrate that more intensive exercise was associated with greater declines in HbA1c.”

The researchers add that the finding that physical activity advice is only associated with HbA1c reduction when accompanied by a dietary cointervention highlights the need for a combined recommendation of these lifestyle interventions.

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

_____________________

Go HERE for more information on the Fitness Together Type 2 Diabetes Program.

A Type 2 Diabetes Success Story: Donald Whittemore

More Success Stories at FTGetsResults.com

Trainer Tip From Ashley Landon: Eat This Snack, Not That !

As clipped by Personal Trainer Ashley Landon from Yahoo Health

The 6 Snacks You Should Eat Every Day

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

“I eat healthy, and I don’t snack between meals; why can’t I lose any weight?”

A colleague—I’ll call her Mary—was in my office recently, complaining about her body with just those words. I listened, nodding sympathetically, because I couldn’t speak—I had a mouth full of almonds and was washing them down with chocolate milk. Mary stared at me as though I’d just backed over her dachshund. “You eat all the time, and you never gain weight!” she exclaimed. “What, is there a picture in your attic that gets fatter while you stay thin?”

“I never gain weight because I eat all the time,” I explained, reaching for a napkin. “Not snacking is exactly the wrong thing to do!”

Our bodies evolved to graze; when food gets scarce, we start to retain fat as a way of protecting ourselves from famine. “That’s exactly what happens when you don’t snack between meals,” I told her. “Your body doesn’t know where its next meal is coming from, so it’s afraid to shed the extra pounds.” Worse, you wind up eating more than you need at every meal.

That’s why snacking is so important: In fact, when Penn State researchers fed subjects just one humble apple before mealtime, the subjects consumed nearly 190 fewer calories. That’s part of the reason why, when laying out the eating strategy for the new Eat This, Not That No-Diet Diet!, I included two snacks per day, every day.

Think of it this way: The more you eat, the more you lose. Sounds great, right? But you need to snack smartly, and stock your kitchen with the nibbles on this list.

1. BEST YOGURT
Fage Total 2% Plain Greek Yogurt (7 oz container)
130 calories
4 g fat (3 g saturated)
17 g protein
8 g sugars

Yogurt is teeming with calcium, which promotes muscle growth; and probiotic bacteria, which bolsters your immune system. What’s more, study participants who ate yogurt daily lost 81 percent more belly fat than those who didn’t, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity. So why Greek? Because the Greek stuff has more than double the protein of standard American-style yogurt-and far less sugar. Want to make it even healthier? Add a few berries along with some nuts or seeds.

Not That!
Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry (6 oz container)
150 calories
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
6 g protein
26 g sugars

DID YOU KNOW? Sleepy women eat an extra 328 calories per day, according a new study from the New York Obesity Research Center. Discover more shockinghealth,nutrition and weight loss secrets like this by following me on Twitter right here or by signing up for our FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter.

2. BEST FINGER FOOD
Almonds (1 oz)
163 calories
14 g fat (1 g saturated)
6 g protein
3.5 g fiber

Almonds are an excellent source of heart-healthy monosaturated fats and, pound for pound, a better source of protein than eggs. That’s part of the reason why research published in the journal Obesity demonstrated that people who frequently eat nuts are less likely to gain weight. Just be sure to eat them whole: A study from the Journal of Nutrition found that the flavonoids in the skin combine with the vitamin E in the nut to double the antioxidant dose.

Not That!
Original M&Ms (1 serving, 1.7 oz)
240 calories
10 g fat (6 g saturated)
31 g sugars
2 g protein
1 g fiber

Bonus Tip: The right breakfast will jumpstart your metabolism and have you burning more calories throughout the day. The wrong one will fill you up with empty calories and an entire day’s worth of fat, sugar, and salt. Make sure you consult this shocking list of the 20 Worst Breakfasts in America.

3. BEST CEREAL
Kashi GoLean Original (1 cup with 1/2 cup of 1% milk)
195 calories
2.5 g fat (.5 g saturated)
12 g sugars
17 g protein
10 g fiber

You know how you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover? Well the same rule applies to cereal. Some cereals, like the granola below, look healthy but actually have as much sugar as a candy bar. Kashi’s GoLean lives up to its healthy moniker. This bowl has twice as much fiber as an apple, three times as much protein as a large egg, and even with milk it manages to keep the calorie load below 200 per bowl.

Not That!
Kashi Summer Berry Granola (3/4 cup with 1/2 cup 1% milk)
385 calories
10.5 g fat (2 g saturated)
19.5 g sugars

DID YOU KNOW? Studies show that people underestimate how many calories are in restaurant meals by nearly 100 percent! Think you know healthy foods when you see them? Then I’ll bet you’ll be shocked by these 25 New Healthy Foods That Aren’t.

4. BEST DIP SNACK
Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (2 Tbsp with 10 baby carrots)
105 calories
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
200 mg sodium
2.5 g protein
4 g fiber

Hummus is composed primarily of chickpeas, which have been shown to help regulate blood sugar—probably due to their salutary balance of protein and fiber. Most of that fiber is insoluble, so it promotes colon health. One study even found that people who added chickpeas to their diet ended up taking in fewer total calories. Add to that a few baby carrots and you get the added benefit of vision-preserving, skin-soothing beta-carotene.

Not That!
Lay’s Smooth Ranch Dip (2 tbsp) with Ruffles Loaded Chili & Cheese Potato Chips (1 oz)
220 calories
15 g fat (1 g saturated)
390 mg sodium

Eat This, Not That! secret: You can lose 10, 20, 30 or more pounds while still eating your favorite foods, and without dieting, if you make smart swaps throughout your day. Feast on this delicious list of 15 Desserts That Burn Fat!

5. BEST DRINK
Lowfat chocolate milk (1 cup)
160 calories
2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
25 g sugars
8 g protein

You probably know that dairy products are an ideal source of calcium, but did you know that calcium actually interferes with your body’s ability to absorb fat? To enjoy that effect, though, you need the vitamin D, so thankfully dairy producers add it to milk. Regular, non-chocolate milk offers this benefit, but research shows that chocolate milk might have an edge on the white stuff. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed that participants who drank chocolate milk before mounting stationary bikes were able to ride 49 percent longer than those given a generic carbohydrate-replacement beverage. Keep that in mind next time you’re about to head out for an afternoon gym session.

Not That!
Arizona Sports Lemon-Lime (1 bottle)
200 calories
0 g fat
52 g sugars
0 g protein

6. BEST CRUNCHY SNACK
Newman’s Own Organics Spelt Pretzels (20 pretzels)
120 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
240 mg sodium
4 g protein
4 g fiber

Spelt is a grain related to wheat that packs more fiber and protein—and at 6 calories per pretzel, the dietary bang for your buck is undeniable. Over-saltiness is always a concern with pretzels, but the sodium level in this snack is mild. Combine that with Newman’s Own’s longstanding support for charitable causes—and, in Nell Newman’s Organics company, a robust commitment to sustainable, organic farming—and you’ve got a product you’ll proudly pluck from the shelf. Pair these with a hunk of cheddar to rope even more protein into your snack break.

Not That!
Newman’s Own Organics Salted Rounds Pretzels (16 pretzels)
220 calories
2 g fat (0 g saturated)
800 mg sodium
4 g protein
0 g fiber

ALWAYS REMEMBER: The key is finding snacks that are low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Check out the Eat This, Not That! series, and try any of our 50 Best Snack Foods in America. They’ll help push the junk out of your diet—and the fat out of your body—by helping to keep you lean and full all day long!

_____________

Ashley Landon

Certified Personal Trainer / FT Westborough Studio

Ashley is a graduate from Framingham State College with a bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. However, her true passion and drive always came from fitness, which lead her to a change in career paths. She is now a certified personal trainer, graduate from The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), Waltham, MA. She is also certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.

Ashley has always had an undeniable interest in fitness and health, putting it at the top of her list. She truly enjoys working out and shows it through her training, making it fun and challenging!

Ashley has been a trainer at Fitness Together –Westborough since 2007 and has helped many people push themselves beyond what they thought possible. In her free time, Ashley enjoys strength training, running and coming up with new and improved ways of making healthy recipes.

Meet our other trainers at FT Westborough

For more FT Studios across Eastern New England please go to FTGetsResults

Trainer Tip from Ashley Landon: Warm Up With Cardio, Then Go To Weights. Right? Wrong.

As clipped by Personal Trainer Ashley Landon of FT Westborough from The Post Game

By Kaitlin Sandeno

Having been an athlete for most of my life, I figured I knew my way around the gym. On a typical day, I’d hit the treadmill or elliptical machine for 30 minutes, then move to the weight machines. And that’s what I started to do when I recently joined a gym. Then I got my assessment — you know, the review of your habits a lot of gyms do. And the review told me I was doing something wrong.

Hit the weights hard, the assessment said. Then go to cardio.

What?

“The body needs to burn through its sugar source first before it taps into the fat,” says Iman Nikzad, who runs the fitness program at my LA Fitness near Irvine, Ca. “You burn the sugar while doing the weights then burn the fat while doing the cardio.”

I did some more research and, turns out, he’s right and I was wrong. The optimal workout is a 10-minute warm-up on a low-impact cardio machine followed by 30 minutes of weights and then 30 minutes of intense cardio.

Yes, really.

“Efficiency is the key when structuring any workout, so long-duration cardio should not be done in the beginning of the session,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Jim Smith. “The most intensive training should be done first in the workout, when you are at your best.”

By starting with weights, you alert your muscles to trigger the proteins that churn through calories while you train. So even though you’re probably spent after 30 minutes of weights, your body is ready to eat fat faster than it would if you started by “telling” the body to attack sugar.

A lot of people get this wrong, thinking weight training diminishes the effect of the cardio work. It’s the opposite. Just remember the phrase: “Muscle eats the fat.” If you want to lose the flab — and who doesn’t? — you want your muscles as active as possible. That means starting with weights.

And if you only have 30 minutes total, go for weights instead of cardio. That sounds counterintuitive, since we feel sweating is “proof” we’re losing fat. But you will lose a lot more fat by pushing and pulling weights and then going on a brisk walk in your neighborhood (or even at the mall). The guy or gal who is dripping buckets on the Stairmaster is getting a good workout, but you’re likely getting a better one by getting sore and not getting soaked.

Nick Bromberg contributed to this story.

Ashley Landon

Certified Personal Trainer / FT Westborough Studio

Ashley is a graduate from Framingham State College with a bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. However, her true passion and drive always came from fitness, which lead her to a change in career paths. She is now a certified personal trainer, graduate from The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), Waltham, MA. She is also certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.

Ashley has always had an undeniable interest in fitness and health, putting it at the top of her list. She truly enjoys working out and shows it through her training, making it fun and challenging!

Ashley has been a trainer at Fitness Together –Westborough since 2007 and has helped many people push themselves beyond what they thought possible. In her free time, Ashley enjoys strength training, running and coming up with new and improved ways of making healthy recipes.

Meet our other trainers at FT Westborough

For more FT Studios across Eastern New England please go to FTGetsResults

Trainer Tip From Ashley Landon: Exercise Machines To Avoid

As clipped by Ashley Landon of FT Westborough from Shine by Yahoo

Original article by The Editors of WOMEN’S HEALTH

Walking into the gym and expecting a great workout is like walking into the supermarket and expecting a gourmet meal. The basic ingredients are there, but like they say in the infomercials, results may vary. With working out, as with cooking, a little bit of smarts, dedication, creativity and knowledge will make all the difference between perfect pasta and a gelatinous ball of mush.

For this list of no-no exercises, we consulted Stuart McGill, PhD, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario; Nicholas DiNubile, MD, author of FrameWork: Your 7-Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones, and Joints; and trainer Vern Gambetta, author of Athletic Development: The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning.

1. Seated Leg Extension
What it’s supposed to do: Train the quadriceps.

What it actually does: It strengthens a motion your legs aren’t actually designed to do, and can put undue strain on the ligaments and tendons surrounding the kneecaps.

A better exercise: One-legged body-weight squats. Lift one leg up and bend the opposite knee, dipping as far as you can, with control, while flexing at the hip, knee, and ankle. Use a rail for support until you develop requisite leg strength and balance. Aim for five to 10 reps on each leg. (If you are susceptible to knee pain, do the Bulgarian split squat instead, resting the top of one foot on a bench positioned two to three feet behind you. Descend until your thigh is parallel to the ground and then stand back up. Do five to 10 reps per leg.)

RELATED: No-Gear Workout to Print Out and Do Anywhere

2. Seated Lat Pull-Down (Behind the Neck)
What it’s supposed to do: Train lats, upper back, and biceps.

What it actually does: Unless you have very flexible shoulders, it’s difficult to do correctly, so it can cause pinching in the shoulder joint and damage the rotator cuff.

A better exercise: Incline pull-ups. Place a bar in the squat rack at waist height, grab the bar with both hands, and hang from the bar with your feet stretched out in front of you. Keep your torso stiff, and pull your chest to the bar 10 to 15 times. To make it harder, lower the bar; to make it easier, raise the bar.

RELATED: Here’s What an Incline Pull-Up Looks Like

3. Seated Hip Abductor Machine
What it’s supposed to do: Train outer thighs.

What it actually does: Because you are seated, it trains a movement that has no functional use. If done with excessive weight and jerky technique, it can put undue pressure on the spine.

A better exercise: Place a heavy, short, looped resistance band around your legs (at your ankles); sidestep out 20 paces and back with control. This is much harder than it sounds.

RELATED: Best Moves for Your Backside (This Hip Abductor Exercise Included)

4. Seated Leg Press
What it’s supposed to do: Train quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

What it actually does: It often forces the spine to flex without engaging any of the necessary stabilization muscles of the hips, glutes, shoulders, and lower back.

A better exercise: Body-weight squats. Focus on descending with control as far as you can without rounding your lower back. Aim for 15 to 20 for a set and increase sets as you develop strength.

RELATED: Beautify Your Legs for Spring

5. Squats Using Smith Machine
What it’s supposed to do: Train chest, biceps, and legs.

What it actually does: The alignment of the machine—the bar is attached to a vertical sliding track—makes for linear, not natural, arched movements. This puts stress on the knees, shoulders, and lower back.

A better exercise: Body-weight or weighted squats. See “Seated Leg Press” above.

RELATED: Burn Fat and Calories with This Total-Body Kettlebell Workout

6. Roman Chair Back Extension
What it’s supposed to do: Train spinal erectors.

What it actually does: Repeatedly flexing the back while it’s supporting weight places pressure on the spine and increases the risk of damaging your disks.

A better exercise: The bird-dog. Crouch on all fours, extend your right arm forward, and extend left leg backward. Do 10 seven-second reps, and then switch to the opposite side.

RELATED: Tone Up Anytime, Anywhere: Best Bodyweight Workout

Shine / Yahoo

_____________

Ashley Landon

Certified Personal Trainer / FT Westborough Studio

Ashley is a graduate from Framingham State College with a bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. However, her true passion and drive always came from fitness, which lead her to a change in career paths. She is now a certified personal trainer, graduate from The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), Waltham, MA. She is also certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.

Ashley has always had an undeniable interest in fitness and health, putting it at the top of her list. She truly enjoys working out and shows it through her training, making it fun and challenging!

Ashley has been a trainer at Fitness Together –Westborough since 2007 and has helped many people push themselves beyond what they thought possible. In her free time, Ashley enjoys strength training, running and coming up with new and improved ways of making healthy recipes.

Meet our other trainers at FT Westborough

For more FT Studios across Eastern New England please go to FTGetsResults

Fitness Tip Of The Week: Ashley Landon’s 12 Power Foods from The Abs Diet

Focus on the Abs Diet Power 12

Trainer Ashley Landon from our FT Westboro Studio clipped this info from The Abs Diet page

The Abs Diet encourages you to focus on (not restrict yourself to) a generous market basket of food types—the Abs Diet Power 12—to fulfill your core nutritional needs. These foods are so good for you, in fact, that they’ll just about single-handedly exchange your fat for muscle (provided you’ve kept your receipt). Just as important, I’ve designed the Power 12 to include thousands of food combinations (You’ll find more at http://www.menshealth.com/absdietchallenge).

The more of them you eat, the better your body will be able to increase lean muscle mass and avoid storing fat. Just follow these simple guidelines:

• Include two or three of these foods in each of your three major meals and at least one of them in each of your three snacks.
• Diversify your food at every meal to get a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
• Make sure you sneak a little bit of protein into each snack.

http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/withemail/

Here are the foods that should be in everyone’s diet:

12 Power Foods

1. Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact.
2. Beans and Other Legumes
3. Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
4. Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
5. Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored
6. Eggs
7. Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish
8. Peanut Butter – All-natural, sugar-free.
9. Olive Oil
10. Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals
11. Extra-Protein Powder (Whey)
12. Raspberries and Other Berries

 

Almonds and Other Nuts (Eat them with their nutrient-rich skins intact.)

Superpowers :: Building muscle, fighting food cravings

Secret weapons :: Protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folate (in peanuts), fiber, magnesium, phosphorus

Fight against :: Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure

Sidekicks :: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados

Impostors :: Salted or smoked nuts. High sodium spikes blood pressure.

 

Beans and Other Legumes (including soybeans, chickpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans)

Superpowers :: Building muscle, helping burn fat, regulating digestion

Secret weapons :: Fiber, protein, iron, folate

Fight against :: Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

Sidekicks :: Lentils, peas, bean dips, hummus, edamame

Impostors :: Refried beans, which are high in saturated fats; baked beans, which are high in sugar

 

Spinach and Other Green Vegetables

Superpowers :: Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process)

Secret weapons :: Vitamins including A, C, and K; folate; beta-carotene; minerals including calcium and magnesium; fiber

Fight against :: Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

Sidekicks :: Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts; green, yellow, red, and orange vegetables such as asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans

Impostors :: None, as long as you don’t fry them or smother them in fatty cheese sauce

 

Dairy Products (fat-free or low-lat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese)

Superpowers :: Building strong bones, firing up weight loss

Secret weapons :: Calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium

Fight against :: Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

Sidekicks :: None

Impostors :: Whole milk, frozen yogurt

 

Instant Oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)

Superpowers :: Boosting energy and sex drive, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood-sugar levels

Secret weapons :: Complex carbohydrates and fiber

Fights against :: Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

Sidekicks :: High-fiber cereals like All-Bran and Fiber One

Impostors :: Cereals with added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup

 

Eggs

Superpowers :: Building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons :: Protein, vitamins A and B12

Fight against :: Obesity

Sidekicks :: Egg Beaters

Impostors :: None

 

Turkey and Other Lean Meats (lean steak, chicken, fish)

Superpowers :: Building muscle, improving the immune system

Secret weapons :: Protein, iron, zinc, creatine (beef), omega-3 fatty acids (fish), vitamins B6 (chicken and fish) and B12, phosphorus, potassium

Fight against :: Obesity, mood disorders, memory loss, heart disease

Sidekicks :: Shellfish, Canadian bacon, omega-3-rich flaxseed

Impostors :: Sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak (T-bone & rib eye)

 

Peanut Butter (all-natural, sugar-free)

Superpowers :: Boosting testosterone, building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons :: Protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, niacin, magnesium

Fights against :: Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease

Sidekicks :: Cashew and almond butters

Impostors :: Mass-produced sugary and trans fatty peanut butters

 

Olive Oil

Superpowers :: Lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system

Secret weapons :: Monounsaturated fat, vitamin E

Fights against :: Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

Sidekicks :: Canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil

Impostors :: Other vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine

 

Whole Grains: Breads and Cereals

Superpower :: Preventing your body from storing fat

Secret weapons :: Fiber, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc

Fight against :: Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease

Sidekicks :: Brown rice, whole-wheat pretzels, whole-wheat pastas

Impostors :: Processed bakery products like white bread, bagels, and doughnuts; breads labeled wheat instead of whole wheat

 

Extra Protein: Whey Powder

Superpowers :: Building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons :: Protein, cysteine, glutathione

Fights against :: Obesity

Sidekick :: Ricotta cheese

Impostor :: Soy protein

 

Raspberries and Other Berries

Superpowers :: Protecting your heart; enhancing eyesight; improving memory; preventing cravings

Secret weapons :: Antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, tannins (cranberries)

Fight against :: Heart disease, cancer, obesity

Sidekicks :: Most other fruits, especially apples and grapefruit

Impostors :: Sugary jellies

 

_____________

Ashley Landon

Certified Personal Trainer / FT Westborough Studio

Ashley is a graduate from Framingham State College with a bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. However, her true passion and drive always came from fitness, which lead her to a change in career paths. She is now a certified personal trainer, graduate from The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), Waltham, MA. She is also certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.

Ashley has always had an undeniable interest in fitness and health, putting it at the top of her list. She truly enjoys working out and shows it through her training, making it fun and challenging!

Ashley has been a trainer at Fitness Together –Westborough since 2007 and has helped many people push themselves beyond what they thought possible. In her free time, Ashley enjoys strength training, running and coming up with new and improved ways of making healthy recipes.

Meet our other trainers at FT Westborough

For more FT Studios across Eastern New England please go to FTGetsResults

Fitness Tip Of The Week from Ashley Landon (FT Westborough)

For a fun way to add a burst of cardio into your workout routine try this jump rope and jumping jax challenge:

1. Jump Rope 40 Times: 40 Jumping Jax

2. Jump Rope 60 Times: 30 Jumping Jax

3. Jump Rope 80 Times: 20 Jumping Jax

Make sure you jump rope and then complete the jumping jax immediately after! The Challenge is to complete all three rounds without rest! For even more of a challenge after completing the three rounds try reversing it starting with 80 jumps and 20 Jax!

Thanksgiving
AND since this is Thanksgiving week I thought I’d give a bonus round of tips for all of you who believe you don’t have time to exercise on Thanksgiving day! Well, yes you do. Here’s FIVE easy ways to fit it in some exercise and negate some of those extra calories!!

Sign up of a 5k…There are a lot of road races on Thanksgiving morning. Take a post dinner walk with the family. Instead of watching football play a game of your own Think pie=push ups If you make yourself do one push up for every bite of pie make yourself do 1 push up you will be very aware of how much you are eating! And, if you go back for seconds…

You know you can find at least 20 minutes to do a quick and fun circuit with no equipment needed!

• Jumping jacks
• Push ups
• Jump squats (mod. with regular squats if necessary)
• Sit ups (mod. with crunches)
• Mt. climbers
• Chair dips

*Perform each exercise for 1min and repeat as many times as you can for 20 min (rest when needed)*

Good luck and have a Happy Healthy Thanksgiving!

Ashley Landon
Ashley is a graduate from Framingham State College with a bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. However, her true passion and drive always came from fitness, which lead her to a change in career paths. She is now a certified personal trainer, graduate from The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI), Waltham, MA. She is also certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.

Ashley has always had an undeniable interest in fitness and health, putting it at the top of her list. She truly enjoys working out and shows it through her training, making it fun and challenging!

Ashley has been a trainer at Fitness Together –Westborough since 2007 and has helped many people push themselves beyond what they thought possible.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys strength training, running and coming up with new and improved ways of making healthy recipes.

Fitness Together Westborough

Other FT studios in Eastern New England