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Friends and Family

It’s a great feeling when you can help someone conquer challenges or frustrations in their life and yet sometimes those closest to you are the last ones to benefit (which becomes your challenge and frustration.)

I went back home to England over the summer for my Dads birthday (I know he’s reading this :) ), my stays are never long and my jetlag lasts for most of the trip but I do try to insert a little useful information into the mix, information that might be helpful to my nearest and dearest.

Now I usually go home for Christmas and that 'helpful nutrition' conversation is pretty much ignored and my once uttered one liner "death on a plate" is repeated at my expense as the festive food is served.

This time I was home in June and albeit a celebration there was a window of time to show my family and especially my Dad what I actually do for a living. Now my Dad is the guy that trains like a demon and does cardio harder than men half his age... indeed harder than 90% of the people I know.

My Dad is also very conscious of his food choices and yet I realized my little snippets of information over the years had only helped a little. It was good for me to experience this as it reinforces what I already know and that is, if you take the time to really explain something, explain it to the point that it makes complete sense to the recipient, then you have passed on information that will be used and not forgotten. To quote Brian Tracey - "Understanding comes before Belief"

Little bits of wisdom thrown about do not grow roots and I shouldn’t feel frustrated as it was me that didn’t plant the darn seeds well enough in the first place.

So this visit I was able to sit down with my Dad and explain the benefits of Blood Sugar Stabilization. We were able to go shopping and look at labels and find foods to make balanced meals. Now the energy crashes made sense, now the utter exhaustion post workout was more than ‘old age’ and had nothing to do with age at all.

I was able to give an element of control back to my Dad (and in doing so my Mum also... she suddenly found herself armed with a purse full of protein bars, Greek yogurt for breakfast and a daily water quota to consume). By spending a little more face time with my family I was able to create a solid level of understanding which has made permanent changes to the lives I cherish most of all.

It’s the power and the true value of coaching, that one on one time where you can truly make a difference. Now I know I’m going to get teased pretty hard on my next trip back home. I’m sure there will be some quip about “how’s that for a balanced meal” as I go for the cheesecake (home made, its ridiculous) or “how’s that blood sugar” as I’m passed out on the coach – and that’s ok, if I can make the quality of life better for the lives I love the most .. then I think I can take a little of their English “humor” on the chin...

- Joanne

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Culinary Corner

by head chef Valerie Cogswell

Spice Up Your Next Meal With Vegetable Salsa!

Finding ways to spice up every day proteins can be a challenge. That's why we created this delicious Vegetable Salsa. Vegetable Salsa is incredibly easy to make and is the perfect topping on any dish. Sweet tomatoes, corn, black beans and cool cucumbers are combined and tossed with rich olive oil, fresh cilantro, garlic, a dash of soy sauce and tangy lime. Use this refreshing salsa on grilled seafood like tilapia, salmon or shrimp, grilled or roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, brown rice, your favorite vegetables or salad and even as a topping in your next sandwich wrap. It's also delicious as a healthy dip served with baked whole grain pita chips at your next get together. Best of all, this salsa is loaded with vitamins and nutrients from the raw vegetables, making it a perfectly healthy garnish. For the complete recipe for Vegetable Salsa, login to your account and visit the Recipe Tab today. Enjoy!

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The Complete 411 on Fiber written by Mark Macdonald, Creator and CEO of Venice Nutrition

It seems one of the hottest topics in the health industry is fiber. Almost every health article I read talks about fiber and how it's a crucial component to losing weight. Now I will agree that fiber is an important ingredient in an individual’s diet, it is just not the ultimate solution that many health experts are making it out to be. Fiber is just a piece of the overall equation. My purpose in writing this article is to provide you with the complete 411 on Fiber. This knowledge will allow you to separate the hype from the truth and provide you with realistic ways to maximize your fiber consumption. Next, I will answer the 5 most asked questions about fiber:

1. What is Fiber?

There are three main types of carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables and grains. Fiber is the non-digestible portion of these carbohydrates, meaning that fiber cannot be used for energy by the body.

2. What are the Benefits of Fiber?

Before I share the main benefits of fiber, I think it's important to share that there are two types of fiber and to define them: soluble and non-soluble. Each serves its own purpose in the body. Soluble fiber is as it sounds, soluble in water, meaning when it's mixed with water it forms a gel like substance and swells. Non-soluble fiber is also as it sounds, it neither dissolves, nor is absorbed by water. Non-soluble fiber passes through the digestive system close to its original form.

Each type of fiber yields different benefits. Soluble fiber helps more with the initial digestion of food by binding with your fatty acids (helping to remove fat from the body), prolonging the emptying time of the stomach so glucose (sugar) is released slower into your bloodstream (this maximizes blood sugar stabilization by preventing blood sugar spikes) and lowering overall cholesterol and your LDL levels (bad cholesterol).

Non-soluble fiber aids more in proper elimination. It creates bulk in the intestine (which promotes consistent bowl movements and reduces constipation), removes toxins from the colon in less time (very important to prevent colon cancer), loosens stools and maintains an optimal PH level in your colon to prevent microbes from producing cancerous substances.

As you can see Fiber provides some powerful benefits throughout the entire digestive process.

3. How much Fiber should you have per day?

As I've shared in the past, we're all individuals. This means that the amount fiber you should have varies based on multiple factors. A few factors include: health history, current lifestyle, protein intake and existing digestive challenges. I suggest starting with these fiber recommendations and then adjust the amount if necessary. For example, if you suffer from constipation (never fun!), I suggest increasing your fiber intake by 1-3 grams per day on a weekly basis until you are regular.

The baseline fiber recommendation for Adults is 25-35 grams of fiber per day, or approximately 10-13 grams per 1000 calories.

4. How can you Incorporate Fiber into your day?

The goal of adding fiber into your diet must also include the goal of obtaining both soluble and non-soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in Oats, Oat Bran, Dried Beans, Nuts, Barley, Flax Seeds, some fruits like Apples and Oranges, some vegetables like Carrots and Psyllium Husk. Non-soluble fiber is found in vegetables like green beans and dark leafy greens, fruit skins and root vegetable skins, whole wheat products as well as corn bran.

Many foods contain both soluble and non-soluble fiber. To add fiber to your diet I suggest implementing these simple guidelines:

• Eat 5 servings of Fruit or Vegetables per day
• Eat 6 servings of Grain products per day
• If the above recommendations are challenging, I recommend supplementing your diet with Psyllium Husk in either powder or capsule form. Psyllium Husk is comprised of both soluble and non-soluble fiber, and each tsp has 5 grams of fiber. Supplementing with Psyllim Husk is an extremely convenient way to ensure you are getting enough fiber in your diet. You can get Psyllium Husk powder in any grocery or health food store.

5. How will adding Fiber to your diet help you reach your Health Goals?

I have spoken to thousands clients about fiber, and many ask me the same question: “I understand how it is important for my health, but how will fiber get me to reach my health goals faster?” There's a great saying that sums up the answer to this question best, “You are not what you eat, you are what you metabolize.” In all honesty, you can eat the healthiest diet, and have the best exercise plan... If your body is not correctly metabolizing your food, then your health goals will not be achieved. Fiber plays an essential role in the digestion process by controlling the rate in which the stomach processes food - something that keeps blood sugar levels stable. It also helps maintain healthy bowel movements and quickly eliminates toxins.

As I shared earlier, fiber is only a piece of the equation. History has shown us that it's not a miracle path to achieving permanent health results. Making your health a priority requires a combination and balance of many things: sleep, nutrition, exercise, vitamins, minerals, water, stress management and of course fiber. I invite you to focus on adding fiber to your diet and making sure that the fiber variable in your health equation is dialed in… Now you have the complete 411 on fiber!

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You Asked | We Answered

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Q:What are quick meal options?

A:One of the core components which helps you stay consistent with your program is having an MRFK (Mobile Ready Food Kit). An MRFK consists of fast and easy food options that keep your blood sugar stable. Please remember that the key is to have protein, fat and carbohydrates in each meal. Here are some quick meal options that can be part of your MRFK: String Cheese & Apple, Protein Bars, Beef or Turkey Jerky with Nuts and Fruit, Ready to Drink Protein Shakes, Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, or Lean Low Sodium Deli meats with Nuts & Fruit, Edamame, Hard Boiled Eggs w/fruit. Keeping a complete MRFK and having quick food options available will help your body become a fat burning machine!

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