For those of you who wonder about my philosophy on nutrition and dieting, training and what-not, I am here on bodyspace to just give a little advice or, dole out information to help those who want it and/or need it. 

I am certified by several organizations but, I gained most of my knowledge by trial and error, being my own guinea pig, testing the nutrition, cardio and weight training waters so to speak to see what things work best.  I have learned by reading ungodly amounts of books, websites, and any other tool I could to gain the knowledge I have.  I’ve taken the last 17 years of my life and made it my QUEST to be certain in the information I give to people, to personally be healthy, be fit and lean while still enjoying my life and friends, and family….

I have honestly used all of my clients and friends over the years as test subjects in a way as well…  By seeing all the different body types and different personalities I gained a boat load of information on what will work for people long term, as well as what will work for me.  Different strokes for different folks, there are a lot of cookie cutter diets and workout regimines out there but, only some will work for some people, and other things work for other people.  It’s knowing how to apply it and to whom you need to apply it to.  It is my mission to get people results.

I am just a low carb person for life as it is a healthier way to live I truly believe. Evidence supports this as well.  Low carb living promotes longevity and decreases opportunity for cancers to grow as well as staving off other diseases and sicknesses.  Even though I am a low carber, I don’t push or force this on people at all.  Some folks are dead set on never giving up their pasta or potatoes and that’s fine by me, as long as it is not eaten in abundance and is done with portion control.  That would be my only recommendation.  My best girlfriend is a huge pasta and bread eater so, I work with her on this as she does not want to give it up… Everything is doable I really believe.
 
Health, fitness, nutrition and supplementation is the one passion that I devote myself to….  I am insanely and intensely devoted to learning all I can, all the time in order to help myself live a fantastic life and also to help others who don’t have the knowledge or interest in figuring it all out themselves.  I have been doing this for as long as I can remember and as well I have parents who are totally and completely nutrition buffs themselves.  I was raised with it so in a way it’s in my blood
 
Even with working out and dieting, I do not live in any one extreme or another, but I live cautiously and knowledgeably knowing that how we fuel ourselves, what we eat and put in and on our bodies makes a massive difference in how we look, how we age, how we feel, how we end up living day to day, and how long we live as well.  Genetics play a roll but only to a degree… the rest is what you do with those genetics, how you feed those genetics and very importantly how you retrain your genes.  All things have the ability to change.
 
I am just the messenger for anyone who wants to gain the information for themselves.  I live to help and I love to help.

Shannan
 

Have you heard about the cruciferous vegetables? Maybe not, but broccoli is one of them–the most popular vegetable from this cabbage group and a close relative of cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and all forms of cabbage. This cold-weather crop “tree,” as children like to call it, is packed with antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin A and C and beta-carotene. Steam a half cup cooked broccoli for about 25 calories and over two grams of fiber.

2. Broccoli Halts Breast Cancer Cells

This vegetable contains cancer-preventive indoles and isothiscyanates that block carcinogens and interfere with the action of a precancerous form of estrogen. Research has shown that the chemical indole-3-carbinol halts the growth of breast cancer cells without actually killing normal cells. This compound works independently of the hormone estrogen which could allow combination therapy with drugs that interfere with estrogen, such as tamoxifen, a potent breast cancer drug.

3. Cruciferous Consumption for Prostate and Bladder Cancer

What about other types of cancer? Greater consumption of dark green and cruciferous vegetables–including broccoli–was associated with a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer, biologically virulent and linked to poor prognosis. Add more broccoli for preventive measures. Recent animal studies provide potent evidence that broccoli sprouts have an anti-cancer effect, reducing the risk of bladder cancer through specific compounds, called glucosinolates. During digestion, these are transformed into isothiocyanates, playing a role in cancer inhibition.

4. Add Broccoli to Your Diet

Recommendations for amounts of vegetables and fruits have increased–from the five a day campaign to the current five to nine a day for better health. Although it might seem daunting at first, serving sizes are small–half cups for cooked broccoli or one cup raw. Both kids and adults love broccoli as an appetizer with a low-fat dip or dressing, as a side dish for your protein-rich fish dinner, stir-fried with grilled tofu, or even as a blended vegetable juice with other favorite produce.

5. Get the Most From Broccoli

Cooked broccoli should be green and tender-crisp. To avoid loss of water soluble nutrients, such as Vitamin C, wash it under cool running water. Quickly cut the florets into uniform pieces for even cooking without letting it sit in water. Steam it three to four minutes or simmer for the same amount of time. If overcooked, broccoli develops a strong sulfur odor, turns dark green and suffers nutrient loss, especially Vitamin C.

Jefferson Lift–

I’ll warn you now: This one will get you some stares in the gym (as if you’re not used to that already). It’s an old-time movement, but it’s still useful today.

The Jefferson lift is actually more of a squat variation than a true deadlift variation, but if your inner thighs need work, the Jefferson lift will be right up your alley. In addition to working the hell out of your thighs, the Jefferson lift will force your abs and back to work extremely hard to stabilize the load.

Use the Jefferson on days where you’re not quite up to doing all-out squats or deadlifts, but don’t want to punk out and skip serious work. This can be done for medium to high reps in the 5-10 range on up to 20 reps… It’s all about what you are trying to achieve.

The How To:

Straddle the lengthwise bar with one foot on either side. Put one hand in front of you and one behind you, squat down, grip the bar and pull/squat up.

Don’t be Burned by Acid!

Diets high in grains and just about all processed foods produce a net renal acid load (PRAL), which promotes bone demineralization commonly known as osteoporosis. Bone health is highly dependant on a dietary acid/base balance. Everything you eat has a pH value on your kidneys and rest of the body as well, as either an acid or alkaline.

Some don’t believe in the acid / alkaline notion, and I myself and not 100% on it either but, I do think it’s important to cover all the bases and learn as much as you can on all levels so that you can make your own knowledgeble opion for your own body and well being.

When your net acid load is high, the alkaline stores that are in your body must be drawn to buffer the acid. Your bones take the brunt of this duty because they’re the highest source of calcium salts — or alkaline base. As a result, they become de-mineralized.

This is true for the animal world as well i am finding out, now that I have a new puppy and she is on a raw meat and raw food diet.  All animals (dogs and wolves for my purposes here) never ate cooked meats or foods of any kind.  A live kill was their meal and whatever they could forage on, yet people still want to feed their dogs cooked meats and dog kibble which is full of processed grains and other crap.  Anyway, moving back to humans here….

Renal acid load is also hard on your kidneys and can cause calcium kidney stones, age-related muscle wasting, hypertension, stroke, asthma and exercise-induced asthma.

In addition, these dead carb-sources lack enzymes and eating them can lead to enzyme deficiencies in otherwise healthy adults. This is when people start taking supplemental digestive enzymes with their meals. Unfortunately, when we start to experience digestive problems, we blame our bodies and not the foods we view as being so healthy for us.

As frightening as all of this sounds, it’s definitely something to consider the next time you go on a pre-contest diet or, any type of diet containing nothing but "dead" foods as your carbohydrate sources.

Look for healthy nutritious foods, fruits, meats and carb sources full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Stay as natural as you can !!!

Shannan

For all those people of the world who don’t supplement with vitamin C…  you might want to try harder and eat it-

Getting Vitamin C through your foods is a very good way to get them but, most people either don’t eat these foods at all or, just not enough of them daily or, even weekly.

Fruits & Veggies with the most Vitamin C–

Apples, Asparagus, Berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries…  Broccoli, Grapefruits, lemons, limes, oranges (better off eating the whole orange rather than drinking only the juice), Kiwi…..  Leafy Greens: Kale, spinach and salad greens…..  Peaches, Bell Peppers; red and green, and tomatoes. 

Shannan

Back in 2004, I trained a young lady who just couldn’t seem to get the whole diet thing down. After two years of working with me, she vowed to finally buckle down and stick to her diet — for the fifteenth time.

By Wet Wolf

The next day, she waddles into the gym with five different sheets in her hands. Each one was a different eating pattern that I’d given her over the past two years.

“So, when do I have the salmon?” she asks as she hands me the first sheet.

“Now, when do I take the flax oil caps?” handing me a second.

“And what about the protein shake?” poking another eating pattern in my face.

Confused and tormented, I stood there, finally realizing why this little urchin’s bodyweight had more ups and downs than any rollercoaster at Six Flags, Busch Gardens, and Disney World combined.

And I’m not talking about a moderate five or ten pound jump here. I’m talking about twenty to thirty pound swings that had her tippin’ the scale like a heavyweight prize fighter.

“Well, which eating pattern are you following?” I replied.

Glassy-eyed, she fumbled for words.

“You need to pick just one of the programs to follow, not all five.”

And so the rollercoaster ride continued.

Unless someone’s following a pre-contest diet, they don’t need to be counting grams of protein, carbohydrates, or fat and, least of all, calories.

I get dozens of girls a day asking me to critique their eating numbers. And I tell all of them the exact same thing:

Make smart choices.

If you read “Food Addictions: The Last Stand,” I give very simple instructions on how easy it is to simply eat smart. If anything, the food choices you make are more important than the amount of food you eat.

Even if you stick to standard portion sizes, you’re still going to lose fat and keep a steady stream of nutrients feeding your muscles. Quite honestly, it’s hard to go wrong when you eat from the approved foods list in that article.

Do you really think that if your diet is 50% protein instead of 40% it’ll result in your demise?

Do you really think that the culprit of your 25% body fat is eating an apple at 8 pm instead of 3 pm?

Look here, blueberry! The next 140-pound, 26% body fat femme fatale who tells me that she feels awful, or that the brain can’t function without 100 grams of carbohydrates per day, is just asking for a big bowl of mashed potatoes stuffed down her throat.

There’s no reason a female can’t function just fine on less than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day on a general, healthy diet as long as all the other factors are in place.

First of all, it’s usually smart if a low carbohydrate day is utilized on a day where there’s no weight training. Second of all, if you don’t raise your protein and fat intake on days that you really drop the carbohydrates, then you’re going to feel like you’re doing time at concentration camp.

Really, though, this should be common sense. If you’re going to drop your carbs faster than the stock market last Monday, then you’re going to need to let the protein and fats pick up the slack a little.

One Step Further: Pairing Up Macronutrients

Just for you ladies, I’m going to take things one step further and give out a general template on how I assign macronutrient pairings for different females.

In the “Food Addictions: The Last Stand” article, I didn’t mention anything about the order of pairing up macros. The most important thing was that you just made the right choices. But now I’ll introduce different macronutrient combinations that are better suited for the many unique types of females that frequent Figure Athlete.

First, let’s take a look at what a standard placement looks like for those eating six meals per day:

Protein + carbs
Protein + fat
Protein + carbs
Protein + fat
Protein + carbs (post-workout shake)
Protein + carbs

Don’t worry; it’s fine to have carbohydrates that late in the day. You won’t blow up like the Goodyear blimp. Carbohydrates should be placed around the weight training session regardless of where it falls in the day.

Now, let’s assign some macronutrient pairings for different body types.

Macro Pairings for the Fat Girl with Muscle

First up, we have the fat girl with muscle. This includes any female who’s close to 30% body fat with a solid foundation of muscle beneath the padding.

I’ve found that females like this respond very well to low carbohydrate plans like the following:

Protein + carbs
Protein + fat
Protein + fat
Protein + fat
Protein + fat
Protein + fat

The key to making it work is to add in a leafy salad or vegetable source at every protein and fat meal.

Obviously, on weight lifting days, a carbohydrate meal could be placed post-workout.

Macro Pairings for the Skinny-Fat Girl

Next on the run down, we have the skinny-fat girl. This type of girl is very common. She doesn’t have much experience weight lifting and views cardio as the cornerstone of her training. She’s thin in appearance, but carries a moderate to high body fat. She has no appreciable muscle or myogenic tone to speak of.

For the skinny-fat girl, she’ll do well on a very balanced macronutrient pairing eating pattern:

Protein + carbs
Protein + fats
Protein + carbs
Protein + fat
Protein + carbs
Protien + fat

Some may be wondering (and a little worried) about meals that contain protein, carbohydrates, and fats. And that’s actually a very valid concern. In the case when you might eat some almonds as a fat source along with your protein, it’d be okay even though there are trace amounts of carbs in the almonds. A good rule of thumb is to keep trace macros (those not emphasized in the meal pairing) under five grams per meal.

Another good example is having one egg yolk mixed in with egg whites and some oats. The one yolk would contain trace fats, but it’d still be okay to have within the protein and carb pairing.

Macro Pairings for the Skinny-Lean Girl

Last on the list is the skinny-lean girl. She might be moderately lean, or she might be ripped. Either way, she has a difficult time gaining any type of weight.

Heck, this girl could drop three pounds just by walking from her car into the gym.

She needs a constant flow of anabolic nutrients into her system to steer off the catabolic affects of her metabolism.

Something along the lines of:

Protein + carbs + fat
Protein + carbs
Protein + fat
Protein + carbs + fat
Protein + carbs
Protein + fat

Plan Your Carbs, Maximize Your Roughage

If you’re a skinny-fat girl who limits your carbohydrates on occasion, then prioritize your first meal as the most carbohydrate-rich meal. The second most important meal would be your post-workout meal.

So, if your daily carbohydrate intake only called for 50 grams of carbs, then have 25 grams with your breakfast and 25 grams with your post-workout meal.

Also, make sure every single protein and fat meal is very rich in leafy, fibrous vegetables. Many vegetables are thermogenic, meaning they can actually speed up your metabolism. Other foods, such as celery, are actually negative-calorie foods in that they require more energy to digest than they contain.

Unless you eat more carrots than Bugs Bunny, the insulin response of leafy, fibrous vegetables is practically non-existent.

Lastly, when adding a thick roughage of leafy, multi-colored thermogenic foods on top of a fat and a protein meal, the satiety factor can be very profound.

Why the Body Type Classifications?

The reason I put my personal stamp on the body types was because you can change your body type, but you can’t change your somatotype!

If a skinny-fat girl gains a lot of muscle and a lot of fat, then she’s no longer a skinny-fat girl, but rather a fat girl with muscle. Make sense?

Whether or not an endomorph who’s a fat girl with muscle gets ripped, she’ll still be an endomorph.

In my humble pie opinion, I didn’t want to base the subject’s current condition on such finite factors such as bone structure. Unlike muscle and fat mass, the overall dimensions of a person’s bone structure don’t change.

Feed Me Your Feedback

Now that you girls have a better understanding of how things stack up in the macronutrient game, I want to hear about your better energy levels, improved recovery, and faster fat loss.

Pack 2 bags to travel + your cooler:

Bag for overnight in the hotel

• Request a fridge in your room, be prepared in case they don’t guarantee them, they are usually first come/first serve. Bring Ziploc’s for ice and a good cooler.
• Food, water (and tons of it-) 
• Buy a hot pot, or crock pot like what we used in college, you can heat up your food in the boiling water in the sealed bag. You can also cook your oatmeal, cream of rice in it.
• Sheets to wrap yourself in so you don’t ruin hotel sheets, sleep naked I’m not kidding.
• Old towel(s) - you can also ask the hotel for seconds (or whatever they call them).

In overnight bag for after show

• Scrubby thing to help wash tan off in shower.
• PJ’s for after show night.
• Clothes to travel home in day after show. Bring tennis shoes & socks, you’ll be dying to have real shoes on!

To get ready in morning at hotel

• No underwear the whole time after you begin spray tanning.
• Slip on shoes, don’t care how cold it is!
• Make up needs to be more of, and darker than you normally wear! Be sure to test the color of your foundation, or get suggestion for what to buy from more experienced competitor - Very Important! Be sure you have colored lipstick and lip liner! Liquid eyeliner is a must for fake eyelashes. It’s a really good idea to do a test run with your make up.
• Hair- blow dryer (don’t always count on the hotel one working). Usually best to wear your hair down. No prom do’s!
• Tan kit for touch up.
• Spray deodorant.
• Sparkly jewelry. Nice earrings. Bracelet. Ring if you want. Don’t even try to wear an ankle bracelet. Belly ring ok. Cover tattoos.

Smaller bag for show day (to take to venue)

• Suits
• Shoes
• Awesome body
• Food
• Small water bottle
• Change of clothes for after show (bring underwear; you’ll want some, I promise
• Make up, hair stuff
• Handheld mirror, or one that stands on its own
• Tan kit for touch up
• Towel to sit on in get ready room
• Yummy treats for right after show
• NPC card

Lots of girls use bags or small suitcases with wheels for show day. I have one that is a backpack and has a cooler built into the bottom.

3 most important things. SUITS, SHOES, AWESOME BODY. If you forget or lose something, you can usually beg and borrow. Word of caution! … I remember a competitor had her shoes stolen once & most recently 2 competitors had their suits stolen from backstage! Keep track of your things, the dressing room is not your house. Zip your bags up when you’re not in the room. Put your suits in bags with your names on them (don’t store them for long periods this way though as it discolors the stones). Look out for each other! Be helpful to other gals… you never know when you might be on the other end and need somebodys help yourself.

Be sure to pack your food exactly how you need to as you may not be able to buy things where ever you are competing, and you may evenwant to pack extra just in case (you never know what you may end up needing). Depending on how you are looking you may need to add in more food, so it’s best to have more than what you need.

Last but not least — you have worked so hard… think you’ll be great and you will be!  Be confident - it’s your day

Another simple Checklist :

Make-up

• foundation
• blush
• powder
• lipstick
• lip pencil
• eyebrow pencil
• eye shadows
• eye pencil
• mascara
• fake eye lashes (2 sets)
• eyelash curlers
• make-up brushes
• q tips
• cotton balls
• tissues
• mirror (small-port)
• Sponges-Foundation

Nails

• file
• polish
• clippers
• remover

Food

• Diet-see diet
• Supplements
• D-root
• flatware/napkins
• extra food

Dress

• Suits
• Shoes
• Boobs
• Bikini Bite
• Jan Tana/puff pad
• Lotion/Glaze
• clothes
• pants - dark
• tank - dark
• sandals
• zip-up jacket

Miscellaneous

• tweezers
• safety pins
• mini scissors
• towel
• wash cloth
• sheets/pillow case
• NPC card

Carbonated Drinks

These days the consumption of carbonated beverages (such as soft drinks) is quite disconcerting when you consider that these beverages are actually toxic to the human body! Many otherwise healthy eaters consume diet sodas and sparkling water thinking they are complementary to a clean diet, simply because they are low in calories. But these drinks contain some very toxic compounds such as carbonation, artificial sweeteners, food dyes and phosphoric acid. The next time you reach for that Diet Coke, consider that you are actually consuming the following along with it:

Carbonation
Carbonation is created by pumping carbon dioxide into water or other liquid. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular and food metabolism, and as such the body wants to expel it. So you are in effect further adding a waste product to your body!

Carbonated beverages also burden the body by weakening stomach acid, thereby interfering with proper digestion. It neutralizes digestive enzymes – these enzymes are responsible for over 300 complex reactions in the body. Nutritional absorption is seriously compromised by a lack of these enzymes. In addition, minerals are better absorbed in a strong acidic base. Nitrates are also in most carbonated drinks, and they not only inhibit the absorption of nutrients, they cause calcium to be leached from the bones.

Since adding bicarbonate to the blood stream upsets the body’s chemical balance, it is logical to assume that the common claim of carbonation effecting performance during athletics has some relevance. Athletes are often advised to refrain from drinking carbonated beverages when attempting to achieve optimal performance. Likewise, dieters are cautioned against consumption of carbonated beverages since they must get the maximum nutrient value from the foods they consume. If you are on a restricted eating program, you are already limiting yourself to only essential nutrients and you cannot afford to have deficiencies! Dieters can feel lethargic simply from the restriction of calories. Couple that with reduced absorption of vitamins and minerals and you may have even less energy!

Artificial Sweeteners
Unfortunately, even though diet sodas have less sugar than regular soda, they contain another concern — sweeteners such as aspartame. Aspartame is a low calorie artificial sweetener that has the effect of lowering your body’s metabolism. Aspartame has also been linked to convulsions, depression, insomnia, irritability, weakness, dizziness, migraines, and mood changes. See our January feature on Artificial Sweeteners for more alarming facts on these additives!

Food Dyes
Many carbonated beverages contain food dyes that are unfit for human consumption. Many of these colorings have been connected to ailments such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). They are unnatural, difficult to digest and process, and have even been linked to certain cancers.

Phosphoric Acid
This is the substance that causes the soft drink to bubble and fizz. Being an acid, phosphoric acid “burns” your intestines but more importantly upsets your body’s delicate phosphorus-calcium balance. Calcium can be released from the bones to restore proper pH balance in the blood. As a result, the presence of phosphoric acid can lead to the weakening of the skeletal structure and hence osteoporosis. In 1994, The Journal of Adolescent Health, reported a “strong association between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in girls.” Numerous studies have confirmed this result.

So the next time you reach for the soft drink or sparkling water, I urge you to think twice. Think about what this fizzy acidic liquid will be doing to your internal environment. And remember the side effects you can feel when you consume too many carbonated drinks: that bloated, uncomfortable feeling and the water retention that blurs the lines or the physique you are working so hard to improve. If you have the choice, go with purified water that will replenish and revitalize your body! Most importantly, don’t cheat yourself with diet sodas and the like. Make your hard work in the gym and on your diet truly payoff.

Okay all you bread lovers out there…  well, that’s pretty much everyone– 

Anyway, if you just can’t be without bread here is something to try:

http://www.julianbakery.com/Low_Carb_Bread.html?gclid=CJfmueacsJkCFQIfswodXyrKIA

I know most people of the world just need to have a piece of toast in the morning and for those of you who need more fiber in their diets, this is a good one to try.  It’s very low carb, 13 carbs BUT 12 of it is fiber !!!

Let me know if anyone tries it and likes it.  I’ve tried myself and it does the trick when you want some dough-

Shannan

Calcium may boost weight loss, but only

if you’re deficient–

It seems with all the talk of getting plenty of calcium to aid in weight loss is confusing the people who are eating it all and not seeing results….  Well, it seems that drinking your milk, eating your yogurt, and low fat cottage cheeses and cheeses is only going to help in weight loss if you are deficient in calcium.

Calcium supplements for obese people with low calcium levels could produce weight loss of up to six kilograms, says a new study from Canada.

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