MEET DIMA - Naturally Fit
Transcription
MEET DIMA - Naturally Fit
SPRING SPRING BREAK BREAK HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS ACTIVE MEET DIMA THE 11-YEAR-OLD OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTER HEALTHY KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES STRETCHES THAT COULD SAVE YOUR CHILD FROM FUTURE INJURIES PLUS OUR SXSW SXSW SURVIVAL GUIDE T HE F IT S D I E U S IS K NATURALLY FIT March 2013 1 MAGAZINE FOUNDER David Lee Nall EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jordan Snyder MANAGING EDITOR Dara Nall, D.C. NUTRITIONIST Emily Talley STAFF WRITER Bridgette Wilson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kori Propst Suzanne Barlas Dr. Samuel Sneed Erin Mouser DESIGN INTERN Kristin Sikes PHOTOGRAPHY John Conroy VIDEOGRAPHY The Velvet Cartel MAKE-UP ARTIST Rae Cosmetics ADVERTISING Erin Mouser LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@naturallyfitmagazine.com TABLE OF CONTENTS 10. Toys for Tots 14. Recipe Rescue: Spring Break Breakfasts 22. The Caveman’s Happy Meal 28. SXSW Survival Guide 34. Keeping Your Family Fit 40. The Thrill-Seeker’s Workout 44. Finding New Strengths 48. Active Spring Break Programs 50. Looking Good While Working Up a Sweat 52. Two Braids, Three Looks 56. A Coach in the Making 60. Protecting Your Children From Future Injury 68. Teaching Your Kids, Teaching Yourself 72. Bred for Glory 78. Helping Students Become FIT4LIFE 82. Out of the Box, Out of Your Mind Training 83. The Art of Strength 84. The Movement Challenge 86. “Healthy 4 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT Foods” That Aren’t Healthy: Juice Meet Dima the 11-year-old Olympic Weightlifter on pg. 72 NATURALLY FIT March 2013 5 FIT EVENTS MARCH 23 Dirty Girl Mud Run Want to honor those who have fought and won their battle against cancer, but want more of a challenge than your run-of-the-mill 5K? Then the Dirty Girl Mud Run is for you! Run, walk or crawl through obstacle courses like the PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff) and pay homage to the survivor in your life. The Great Urban Race Push your limits at a race unlike any other! Participants will navigate their way through 12 crazy challenges including anything from shooting paintball guns to taking a pie in the face! 28 Paleo f(x) Learn all about the lifestyle diet that is taking the fitness world by storm at Paleo f(x)! This three-day symposium brings together cutting-edge trainers, gym owners, health care professionals, bloggers and scientists who work in a wide variety of fields, but who all focus on turning “primal ideas” into effective and sustainable realities. APRIL 7 Statesman Capitol 10,00 Be a part of something bigger and participate in the largest 10k in all of Texas, the Statesman Capitol 10,000. Walk, jog or run, as long as you and the family are having fun! 6 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT 30 ASH Dash 5K Bunny Run Enjoy this fast, flat loop run in historic Hyde Park on the Austin State Hospital grounds. The race will be followed by an Easter egg hunt and all proceeds will benefit children and adults receiving treatment for mental illness at the Austin State Hospital. True Nature Obstacle Course Do you ever find yourself watching extreme competitions like American Ninja or Alpha Warrior and think, “Man, I wish I could do that?” Well, lucky for you, there are a few other people in Austin just as crazy as you are. Paleo f(x) and Fit and Fearless are teaming up to bring you the True Nature Obstacle Course at CrossFit and Fearless. Put your ninja skills to the test, the men and women with the top course times will receive FREE registration to compete in their choice of either The FXFit Challenge or The Movement Challenge at The 2013 Naturally Fit Super Show at the Palmer Events Center on July 26th and 27th. 13 CityScape Adventure Run Have you always wanted to compete in The Amazing Race? Now you can! The CityScape Adventure run challenges teams of two to make their way through 12 puzzles and challenges using their wits and teamwork. Participants are asked to bring along their digital camera, a writing utensil, $10 in singles for transportation and comfortable shoes. 14 Austin 10/20 Leave the iPod at home because the Austin 10/20 will be providing the tunes. The course is 10 miles, but it’s flat, fast, and will be lined with more stages that you’ve ever seen. Catch up with the local band scene by running through 20 live concerts! NATURALLY FIT March 2013 7 FROM THE EDITOR AT 23 YEARS OLD I AM STILL, IN MANY WAYS, A CHILD. I still can’t motivate myself to put my dirty clothes into the dirty clothes hamper when the floor is right there. I’ve been a food snob for years and even flirted with the idea of becoming a food columnist once I graduated, but behind closed doors, my favorite meals consist of foods you can eat with your fingers. While it may make me look cool to name drop television shows that I enjoy like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, at the end of a long day, if I’m being completely honest, I’m going to unwind by watching adult-friendly kids shows like Adventure Time or Doctor Who. And when I’m trying to get through my least favorite activity, running, I turn to a special playlist to get through it. Now, please, try to withhold your judgments until the end of this letter and maybe even keep an open mind about this. I’ve found, that the greatest Ohmy-God-when-will-this-run-be-over soundtrack isn’t comprised of Billboard Top 100 hits, but rather, Disney songs. Four summers in a row, I spent my time in North Carolina as a hiking instructor at a sleep-away camp. While there were a few hardcore campers that genuinely enjoyed walking all day and then sleeping on the ground, more often than not I’d have a few young 8 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT campers that would lose their motivation to put one foot in front of the other within 20 minutes of exiting the vans. Now, when I had a camper that had decided they had walked as far as they’d like to for the day, I had a few choices. I could beg them, on my hands and knees, to keep walking, but I’ve got far too much dignity for that. I could scream them into submission until they started walking so they could get as far away from me as possible, but I liked my job and felt like intimidating a camper so much that they run off into the woods would reflect poorly upon me during my performance review. So what choice was I left with? Distract them. Once the kids started to whine, I’d have everyone sing a song while they hiked. Kind of like how the dwarves in Snow White and The Seven Dwarves sang “Heigh-Ho” to distract them from the fact that they’d be spending the rest of their day in a mine. Once I got those campers singing songs like “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Disney’s Mulan or “Hakuna Matata” from Disney’s The Lion King, suddenly the complaining stopped. So when I found that songs from Beyonce or Lady Gaga couldn’t drown out the “I hate this, I hate this so much. When will this be over, when will death come?” internal monologue that I have every time I run, I thought of those complaining campers. Not only are Disney songs upbeat but, personally, nothing makes me happier than hearing songs that I used to be obsessed with as a child. Nothing beats the rush of nostalgia set to an upbeat tune. I still know all of the words to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Disney’s Mulan and I’ve even included “One Jump Ahead” from Disney’s Aladdin on a few road trip playlists to get me out of that long-drive-funk. Does publically admitting this make it seem a little bit like I’ve got a serious case of Peter Pan syndrome? Sure. But my goal as the editor of this publication is to make leading a healthy lifestyle as painless as possible. And trust me, as ridiculous as it may seem, my Disney playlist makes running almost enjoyable. Which is why, dear reader, I’m going to share it with you. Just make sure you keep your headphones in when you’re in public. MY INCREDIBLY EMBARRASSING YET RIDICULOUSLY MOTIVATING DISNEY WORKOUT MIX “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” from The Lion King “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast “One Jump Ahead” from Aladdin “Under The Sea” from The Little Mermaid “Colors of the Wind” from Pochahontas “A Girl Worth Fighting For” from Mulan “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” from Hercules “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King “Prince Ali” from Aladdin “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins - Jordan Snyder, Editor-in-Chief NATURALLY FIT March 2013 9 TOYS FOR TOTS Keep your children healthy and entertained with these products and activities. By Kristin Sikes PRESCHOOL-1ST GRADE 1. Giraffalaff Limbo, Amazon, $29.99 2. Fun and Fitness Treadmill for Kids, Toys R Us, $99.99 & Fun and Fitness Weight Bench for Kids, Toys R Us, $79.99 The Fun and Fitness Treadmill and Weight Bench for kids is a great way for your children to workout along side you in the comfort of your very own home. It is a convenient way for them to get into a healthy lifestyle as they can follow by your example. Get Out of the House! 3. Wazoo’s, Austin, Tx, 2–12 year olds $9 for all day of play Wazoo’s is the perfect place for the kids to burn off some energy as they bounce, slide, and climb on many popular attraction such as the “Wave.” Just an hour of play can raise your kid’s heart beat and burn some calories. Giraffalaff Limbo is a low-intensity aerobic exercise and fun game all rolled into one! Just 30 minutes of doing the limbo can rack up almost 200 calories burned, not to mention the limbo is a great way for you kids to work on their core strength and flexibility. 2ND-5TH GRADE 1. Stats Punching Bag, Toys R Us, $29.99 Your kids won’t be able to wait to get home to use their Stats Punching Bag. They can improve their speed, agility, strength, and balance all while having a blast and looking cool. They will have a fun workout as they burn over 200 calories in just an hour. FIT PRODUCTS 2. Swimline: The Inflatable Water Wheel Pool Toy, K-Mart, $63.99 The Water Wheel Pool Toy will provide hours of fun for your kids as they enjoy a day at the pool. They will get in a great workout without even realizing how much they are using their abs, arms, and legs to power the wheel as it moves around the pool. 3. Twister Dance, $34.99 Twister Dance is a great way for your kid to get in some great exercise all while learning some cool new dance moves. They simply follow the lights as different spots light up. Before you know it they will be dancing away 200 calories in just an hour. Get Out of the House! 4. Indoor Rock Climbing, Austin Rock Gym, Day Pass $10 Let your kids embark on a new adventure as they do some indoor rock climbing in a safe and fun environment. They can burn almost 800 calories in just two hours as they build their endurance and strengthen their core. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 11 6TH-8TH GRADE Get Out of the House! 1. Pelican Pursuit 80 DLX 8' Kayak, Academy Sports and Outdoors, $149.99 Your kids will love getting some exercise in the water with the help of their new kayak. It provides a great workout on their arms and core. It’s also a great way to plan a family outing to Zilker Park or Town Lake and enjoy a healthy picnic while you’re there. While they are rowing away they will burn up to 240 calories in one hour. 2. Family Party: Fitness Fun Wii Game, Gamestop, $12.99 Your kids will love using their Wii to play Family Party Fitness Fun. The whole family will have some fun while doing simple yet effective exercises such as basketball, volleyball, canoeing, and even skydiving. 3. Wham-O Dyn-O-Glow Frisbee, Walmart, $9.27 One of the most popular games right now for your child’s age is ultimate frisbee. This game involves a whole lot of running as the kids throw the frisbee to their teammates trying to get points by passing the opponent’s goal. The frisbee switches teams every time it goes out of bounds, is dropped, or is caught by the other team players. Get out there and play some ultimate frisbee with them and within an hour they can burn up to 420 calories. Play in the evening for some glow in the dark fun! 12 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT Recipe Rescue: Healthy Spring Break Breakfasts By Bridgette Wilson So, are you ready for Spring Break? Kids want to sleep in late? With all the hustle and bustle going on all school year, this is the time to slow things down a bit. Now that there is some time in the mornings, no more excuses. Recipe Rescue has whipped up some special recipes that will give you time with your kids while sharing healthy and delicious foods at your breakfast table. So, pass on by the breakfast taco drive-thru and enjoy a sit down time with the kiddos. Your kids will love you for it. Green Eggs & Ham Mini Bites 14 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT FIT NUTRITION Green Eggs & Ham Mini Bites Makes 24 Serving Size: 4 Mini Bites Calories: 80 Carbs: 0 Fat: 4g Protein: 8g Ingredients: 3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites 2 slices Applegate Natural Uncured Turkey Bacon (Nitrate and Gluten free) 2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth, then set aside. 3. In food processor, add in zucchini and spinach. Pulse on low until very finely chopped. 1/4 cup chopped zucchini 4. Combine eggs with veggies, salt and pepper and whisk until well blended. 1/4 cup spinach leaves 5. Add in cheese and stir to combine. 2 Tbsp. 2% Milk Natural Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese 1/4 tsp. salt, optional 1/8 tsp. black pepper Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey bacon on baking sheet lined with foil. Cook in oven for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on paper towel lined plate. When cooled, chop finely and set aside. 6. In a lightly greased or sprayed mini muffin pan, drop one tablespoon of egg mixture into each mold. Top each egg-filled mold with a few pieces of cooked bacon. Bake for about 18 minutes until golden and set. 7. Allow to cool in pan slightly before removing. Serve warm with other breakfast favorites or pop them right in your mouth with a little salsa on top. Keep the leftovers refrigerated in an air-tight container and simply pop them in the microwave for a quick breakfast on the go. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 15 Buttermilk PB&J Pancakes 16 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT Buttermilk PB&J Pancakes FIT NUTRITION Makes 6 Serving Size: 1 Pancake w/fruit Calories: 164 Fat: 6g Protein: 6g Ingredients: Pancakes: 3/4 cup Cultured Low-fat Buttermilk 1/4 cup water, as needed 1/4 cup 100% whole grain wheat flour 1/4 cup high fiber coconut flour 1 large egg 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. natural peanut butter 1-1/2 Tbsp. raw local honey 1 tsp. vanilla Fruit Topping: 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 cup fresh strawberries Directions Pancakes: 1. Preheat a lightly greased griddle, about 300 degrees. If you do not have a griddle, you can use a regular skillet over medium heat. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg, honey and peanut butter; stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and blend well. If batter seems too thick, add in the ¼ cup water. 3. Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto heated griddle. For a fun twist, place pancake molds onto griddle and then pour and spread out batter into molds to form into a fun shape like the animal shape in the picture shown. 4. The pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles start to form on the uncooked side and the edges begin to brown. Cook until golden brown and place on a paper lined serving plate. 5. Serve with fruit topping, pure honey or pure maple syrup. Topping: 1. In a small microwavable bowl, add in syrup and your choice of fruit. Place in microwave and heat for about 20-30 seconds. Fruit is softened. 2. Remove from microwave; cool slightly. Add into food processor and puree. Serve with warm peanut butter pancakes. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 17 Good Morning Sunshine Parfait Makes 6 Per Serving: Calories: 133 Fat: 4g Protein: 6g Ingredients: Directions: 1 cup plain or vanilla Non-fat Greek yogurt 1. In small bowl, combine yogurt and honey. Set aside. 2 Tbsp. raw local honey 2-3 small Mandarin oranges, skin removed and sectioned 1 medium banana, thinly sliced 1/2 cup 100% whole oats (or ¼ cup nuts of your choice) 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts) 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, optional 18 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT 2. Then, in a medium skillet, over a medium heat, combine in nuts, oats and cinnamon (opt). Toast for about 8 min, remove from heat. Cool completely. 3. Take a small, one cup size bowl of your choice, add about four banana slices to bottom, add in a layer of honey blended yogurt, sprinkle on some of the oats and nuts mixture, then top with a few orange slices. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 for remaining bowls. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding! The Caveman’s Happy Meal Recipes and Photography by Jordan Snyder Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders et d C O ven -Ro as Whether you’ve got the palate of a 6-year-old or a child that turns their nose up at every healthy meal you present them, this paleofriendly lunch is sure to be a hit. 22 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT es i r F t o arr FIT NUTRITION Are you at the point where you’re willing to bribe your child into eating a full serving of vegetables? Take a breath and think outside of the box with these OvenRoasted Carrot Fries. Your kids are sure to love this healthier cousin of the sweet potato fry. Ingredients: 2 lbs. organic carrots 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1/4 tsp. garlic powder Directions: Oven-Roasted Carrot Fries 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Wash, dry and peel your carrots. Cut into uniform sticks and add to a large bowl. 3. Mix melted coconut oil and spices, pour over your cut carrots and toss to coat. 4. Evenly space each carrot fry on your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the fries midway through. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 23 Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken breast 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup almond flour 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. ground rosemary 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. arrowroot Directions: Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders 24 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT 1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In the bowl of a large food processor combine all dry ingredients and pulse until fine. 3. Place your dry ingredients in a shallow dish, and your beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish. 4. Dry each chicken breast with a paper towel and slice into 1-inch thick strips. 5. Dip each chicken strip into your egg mixture, pausing over the bowl to let the excess drain, and then roll it in your almond meal coating. Place each prepared strip on your baking sheet and repeat until all tenders are coated. 6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, flipping the tenders halfway through the cooking process, until their internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. 7. Remove from oven place tenders on a drying rack to cool. E ET R C SE INGR ED N IE T TH FIT NUTRITION AVOCADO Ingredients: 1 avocado 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup raw, local honey 2 tsp. almond butter 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Directions: Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding 1. In the bowl of a large food processor, combine avocados, almond butter and cocoa powder. Blend on high until completely smooth. 2. Add in remaining ingredients and blend until well combined. 3. Top with fresh berries or store in the refrigerator for a midnight snack. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 25 FIT NUTRITION G IN V I V R U S W S X S ( Without Completely Wrecking Your Diet 28 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT By Emily Talley ) It’s here! Spring Break in Austin TX and that means a full week of interactive events and a ton of live music at SXSW. Almost every SXSW event will be held at a bar and if it’s not, it will still have food and adult beverages available. And for those of you lucky enough to be on the VIP list, those will most likely be free of charge. So, how do we survive a week of constant food and booze being thrown in our faces without falling off the wagon so hard we go on a taco-fueled bender, only to wake up a week later, five pounds heavier, our mouths stained red with barbecue sauce, swearing we’ll never so much as look at a Lone Star tallboy again? Here are some tips that (if you follow) will certainly help you not fall off the wagon…too badly. 1. Start Each day with a healthy breakfast. You know damn well that you’ll be faced with temptations for the rest of the day, so set your day up on the right path. If your will begins to waiver mid-day, at least you’ll have the comfort of a balanced breakfast to get you through the guilt of having spent the rest of the day surviving on free tacos. 2. Don’t let yourself get hungry Stay on top of your cravings by making sure to eat consistently throughout the day. If possible, carry around a bag of nuts or snacks. I know a lot of places will not allow outside food, so take a break from the jubilation and make sure to find yourself a healthy meal. We have plenty of healthy options here in Austin! A couple of examples include Whole foods which is conveniently located on west 6th street and Snap Kitchen now has a pod located on the corner of 5th and Congress. 3. Don’t eat it just because it’s there If a free buffet of carb-laden junk food is set before you, don’t eat it just because it’s in front of you. And, if you paid attention to tip 1 & 2, you shouldn’t be starving and dying for food anyway, so walk away from the mass produced pastries. Now, if these free treats are coming from some absolutely amazing, gourmet, can’t-get-them-anywhere-else place, then live a little. SXSW comes around but once a year. LET’S TALK BOOZE NATURALLY FIT March 2013 29 FIT NUTRITION WHAT TO DRINK This brings me to what to drink. Don’t get your hopes up, I will never tell you that any form of alcohol can be classified as healthy. However, we’re all human. And while I tip my hat to anyone of the legal age that abstains from drinking during SXSW, most of us are going to indulge. That being said, there are definitely ways to enjoy it as long as you’re smart when you’re choosing your beverage. There are some drinks that will be less detrimental to your health and some that even come with healthy nutrients (which are probably negated or off set by the actual alcohol itself, but at least we’ll think we’re doing ourselves a favor). So here they are, Naturally Fit’s Top “If You Must” Adult Beverages: 1. Vodka Soda This will get boring fast! Low carb, low calorie, 0g carbs/serving and roughly 96 calories 2. red wine Contains the powerful antioxidant resveratrol, which has been shown to reduce the signs of aging and fight cancer. A 4 ounce serving is 3-4g of carbs and 100 calories, making it a good low carb choice. 5. bloody mary Great for treating a hangover and, BONUS! It’s low in calories and carbohydrates, clocking it at only about 100 calories and 3-5g of carbs per glass. Plus, the tomato juice will give you small boost of vitamins, making you feel a teensy bit better about those 3 a.m. street tacos. 6. beer If you must, here are my suggestions for beer: Guinness. Full, bold flavored beer with only 128 calories and 10g carbs per 12 oz serving. Because this beer is 3. Whiskey, Brandy, Scotch or Cognac bold and heavy in taste, it takes a while to drink, therefore you are less likely to over consume. Light beers On the rocks or with a splash of club soda, these are an excellent low-carb, low-calorie choice. 0g carbs and 70 are around 100 calories and about 3-6g of carbs. These may be lower in carbs and calories, but because they calories per 1oz serving. are much like drinking water, they go down fast and are very easy to over consume. NOTE: Due to their heavy wheat and gluten content, 4. White Wine they will cause a large inflammatory response and will While most of the beneficial antioxidants are held leave most people bloated. in the skin of the grape, which is removed for white wine, there are still some remaining antioxidants in 7. Gluten-free cider the actual grape itself. So, it may not pack quite it the antioxidant punch as red wine it is still a refreshing While they may be free of that pesky gluten, ciders choice with only 3-4g of carbs and about 100 calories tend to make up for it with their sugar content, about per 4oz serving. 15g per serving, to be exact. So, proceed with caution. 30 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT AVOID THE HANGOVER 1. PACE yourself 3. drink water. lots of it. It’s going to be a long week and it’d be best to remember Alternate between an alcoholic beverage and water. the experience. While the college kid in you might want Did you have a vodka soda? Have a glass of water next. to pound as many free beers as is physically possible What about a beer? Follow it with a nice round of before the bar runs out, remind yourself that there will crisp, refreshing water for your buddies, on you. What be more of that sweet, free booze at the next stop. It’s if you just had a shot? Chase it with water. You get the SXSW, there’s always another show or party, but you’ll point. Staying hydrated throughout the day will not never learn that if you’re passing out on 6th street at one only slow your alcohol consumption down, letting you in the afternoon because you got a little over-zealous enjoy the party a little longer, but it might even prevent about those free mimosas at the last show. a hangover the next morning. 2. eat! 4. avoid sugary drinks Look, there is a lot going on, and sometimes we can get so caught up in the fun of SXSW that we forget to eat. If you’re going to be destroying your body with alcohol, at least give it a little cushion with a few meals here and there. All of that alcohol is bad enough on your body you don’t need to enhance the inflammation and potential weight gain by adding sugar to the mix. Plus, you want a one-way ticket to Hangover Central? Belly up to the bar and order a few daiquiris. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 31 FIT 360 Keeping Your Family Fit - Suzanne spends the day with her Aunt Ginny and shows her just how simple healthy living can be. By Suzanne Barlas T Suzanne and her Aunt Ginny cook up enough health meals to last her the week. This past weekend, I spent the day with my Aunt Ginny. She is an active 82-year-old that works as a full time office manager and spends her vacation time traveling all over the world. Staying on track with a healthy nutrition plan and workout regimen can be difficult because, like many other seniors, she no longer has to cook for a large family and does not have the added motivation of family members to exercise with. We started the morning by going grocery shopping. Ginny talked about how most portion sizes are geared towards the average family and are too large for a single person. As a result, we decided to spilt up the ingredients for several different dishes instead of one humungous meal. Aunt Ginny mentioned her concerns with keeping her cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check, so we added beans and extra vegetables to the menu because of their high fiber content. Fiber slows down digestion, prevents blood glucose levels from spiking, and has the added benefit of lowering LDL cholesterol. We also bought some marrow bones for flavoring which contain only healthy fats and no saturated fat. With the high cost of food, one of her biggest concerns was that many of the leftovers would go to waste, so we decided to make a vegetable chicken noodle soup that we could throw all the “extras” in. Cooking in volume is a strategy that I routinely use so my meals are readily available. This same method would help keep her from snacking on unhealthy foods when she gets too busy to cook. We purchased some sealable dinner trays so that she could make up homemade TV dinners to put in the refrigerator for the next week and in the freezer for use over the next month. Back at the house, we were able to prepare the food in a short amount of time because we chose basic recipes with few ingredients, but used tomatoes, onions, and fresh herbs for added flavor. The process was simple and fun because we were able to cook all the food simultaneously. While the chicken was in the oven, the spaghetti sauce, spelt noodles, and brown rice were cooking on the stove. At the same time, the rice, corn, and beans dish was slow cooking in the crock pot while the soup simmered on the last burner of the stove. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 35 FIT 360 Since some of the food had to slow cook for a few hours, we took a break from the kitchen and went for a power walk on the beach while it finished. Staying fit and healthy doesn’t necessarily mean performing endless reps in the gym or having single digit body fat. Ginny enjoys workouts that are fun. When she power walks outside, she can appreciate the sound of the waves crashing and the birds chirping. Through our conversation, I mentioned that some time back, I had taken dance classes. She thought it was a great idea to add dance to her workout regimen because she enjoys music, being with other people, and learning new skills and embraced the idea that she could show off some of her polished talent at the next family reunion. When we returned, she suggested that we get dressed up to add a little glamour to our evening meal. The small Japanese dishes with music made a more formal setting. We had a miniature serving of each item we had prepared, with the addition of some grapes that she had in her refrigerator. For me, this was quite a step up from the usual zip-loc baggies, Tupperware, and plastic utensils that I normally eat with out 36 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT of my lunch box, while driving in my car to work or in between meetings. When finished, we prepared TV dinner trays, mixing up different items in each for variety. After everything was put away, we exchanged gifts. Keeping your family motivated to live a healthy lifestyle means showing them that it’s easy to prepare healthy meals and have them readily available. Encouraging them to participate in activities that they enjoy makes exercise something to look forward to and not an extra chore that they have to squeeze into their life. Spending the entire day with my Aunt Ginny may have been all about preparing food and working out, but it seemed more like we spent that time catching up and engaging in fun activities. Yes even insane Pro Fit Body competitors have something to offer those outside of our world and we can learn a lot from their differing point of view. What a wonderful day. Slow-Cooker Rice, Corn and Beans Ingredients: 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice 1/2 cup homemade tomato sauce 1 cup. diced tomatoes 1 cup corn 2 cups black beans 1/2 cup water dash of salt and pepper 1 uncooked chicken breast (about 4 oz.) Serves 5 Serving Size: 1 Cup Calories: 184, Protein: 13g, Carbs: 30g, Fat:2g Directions: Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup Ingredients: 3 large marrow bones 3 pieces of celery chopped 3 pieces of carrots chopped 1 medium onion 7.5 oz. of corn 7.5 oz. diced tomatoes 18 oz. homemade tomato sauce 8.5 oz. of peas 15 oz. of pinto beans 1 cup cooked chicken 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 cup spelt noodles Directions: 1) Put the three large marrow bones in a pot and fill the pot with water to just cover the marrow bones and bring to boil for 30 minutes. 2) Then add all the other ingredients except for the chicken and noodles. Cook for two hours on high. If the soup gets too thick, add one to two cups of water. Serves 10 Serving Size: 1 Cup Calories: 175, Protein: 11g, Carbs: 26g, Fat:4g 3) Scoop the marrow out of the bones and put back into the soup, while discarding the bones. 4) Add the chicken and noodles and cook for 20 minutes. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 37 THE THRILL-SEEKER’S WORKOUT Looking for something to break up the monotony of everyday life or just a fun activity for the whole family? iFLY indoor skydiving has opened its first location in Austin where locals can experience the feeling of flying all while getting in a little exercise. By Erin Mouser H How many of us have driven down HWY 183 recently, noticed the new oddly shape red and white building pop up near Main Event and thought “What the heck is that?” Odds are you wouldn’t have guessed that the building would actually be Austin’s newest attraction iFLY, an indoor skydiving arena which opened its doors in January of this year. When you think of fun ways to workout, chances are indoor skydiving in not what comes to mind. What most people don’t know is it’s actually a great cardio, shoulder and core workout. Indoor skydiving is sport that teaches you how to stabilize your body using your core for balance and your arms for guidance. While it may look like the powerful wind tunnel used to keep you afloat is doing all of the work, you’re actually using a series of isometric contractions to keep yourself suspended and stabilized in the air while being propelled by high speed wind resistance. Each flight will last anywhere from one to four minutes at a time. During your flight your heart rate will increase as if you were jogging. Just like any other sport, with time and practice, your level of strength, skill and stamina will increase and allow you to sustain your body in the flying position for longer periods of time. I personally am always looking for new and exciting ways to stay physically active in the Austin area, so I was very excited to give indoor skydiving a try. When I arrived to the iFLY arena I was greeted by the very professional and friendly staff. They all shook my hand and introduced themselves, which made me feel very comfortable. This was good, because the idea of skydiving, even in an incredibly safe and controlled environment with no chance of falling to my death, was way outside of my comfort zone. I was escorted upstairs where I was immediately greeted by the sight of the iFLY instructors bouncing and flying around in the tunnel like they were stunt doubles for Spiderman. They would fly up to the top of the tunnel and perform a series of flips and turns and dart back down to the bottom of the tunnel like a rocket. I was amazed at the amount of athleticism needed for some of the moves they were performing; they were able to stabilize and manipulate their bod- FIT 360 The instructors at iFLY take a minute to play around inside of the wind tunnel before bringing in their first class. ies with control and grace at wind speeds up to 165 mph. Even more amazing was the fact that this was just another day at the office for the instructors. Talk about job satisfaction. From there, I joined a few other people who had nothing better to do on a Monday at 10 a.m. than try their hand at indoor skydiving and we met our instructor Trevor Gibbs. Trevor is a level 4 instructor for indoor skydiving which is the highest level of certification that you can receive and moved here from Orlando, FL, where he worked at the original iFLY to work at their newest location. I knew with an expertly trained staff that I was in good hands. Trevor started off by saying “is everyone excited?” To which my immediate answer was “I’m terrified.” Trevor quickly put my mind at ease when he said “It is our mission to uphold the highest level of safety NATURALLY FIT March 2013 41 Above: Trevor takes his class through a 30-minute training session before their first flight. Right: Trevor helps Erin guide her body in the right directions to stay safely in the air. while providing you with an amazing experience that you will never forget.” He was accurate on all accounts. Trevor instructed us through a 30-minute training session to teach us proper body positioning while in the tunnel. My group was fitted individually for our flight suits, goggles and ear plugs. We were given safety instructions on how to properly put on the equipment and once we were all suited up, it was time to go in to the tunnel. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was in a controlled environment and most people would kill to have a job that required they spend their Monday morning learning to fly. Inside the tunnel was the most exhilarating feeling I have ever had. I was only in there for two minutes at a time, but let me tell you, it was a workout! You have to stabilize your body with your core to stay in the correct position, while using your shoulders keep you balanced and guide your body in the direction you want 42 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT it to go. Each time I finished my 2 minute turn in the tunnel my heart rate was definitely up, I felt like I had just ran 400 meters around a track, while holding a plank at the same time. The beauty of it was that I was getting a great workout in and didn’t even realize it. On my last flight the instructor took my hands and guided me to the top of the tunnel. I was 30 feet in the air and felt like I was on top of the world! I guess it’s safe to say that I got over my reservations about indoor skydiving pretty quickly. It was honestly the most fun I have ever had in a workout. And, to commemorate my first flight, IFLY gave me and my classmates a DVD of the whole experience. Not only would I recommend indoor skydiving as a great way to spend an afternoon bonding with friends or family, but you can get in a great workout while you are there. If you are looking for a way to break up the monotony of your regular fitness routine, indoor skydiving is a fun and safe alternative for anyone at any age. iFLY Austin, I will definitely be back! Finding New Strengths David Lee Nall, President of Naturally Fit, copes with his recovery process from his recent shoulder surgery. Unable to stick to his normal workout routine, David has discovered a new set of strengths. WHEN WE LAST LEFT DAVID... he was fresh out of surgery for a shoulder injury that he had put off addressing since he was a teenager. After completing his first week of physical therapy at CATZ, David learned that he wouldn’t even be allowed to drive himself to work for at least a month. After vowing to compete in his first CrossFit event by the end of 2013, and make a return to the world of professional bodybuilding competitions by 2015, David has hit the ground running, working as hard as he can to safely recover from his injury in record time. 44 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT By David Lee Nall It’s been about a month since my shoulder surgery and I can’t help but notice my shirts are getting looser. One of my bigger fears going in to this has already started to come true. I’ve spent years eating right and going to the gym religiously to get to where I was before I went into surgery, and with each passing day I’m losing more and more muscle mass. The other day, I finally had to break down and start wearing Large shirts instead of Extra-Large. Ever since I was cleared to do lower body exercises, I’ve been in the gym three days a week, pushing myself as hard as I could. My biceps may not be as defined as they normally are, but my lower body strength has increased tenfold. To the point where my quads have become so developed that I can’t even fit into my pants anymore. I knew my body would change after I went through surgery, but I couldn’t have ever guessed that I’d have to purchase an entirely new wardrobe. For the past month, my wife Dara has been waiting FIT 360 on me hand and foot. In the morning, she helps me get dressed, prepares and packs my meals for the day and drives me to whatever appointments I have, all while taking care of three children under the age of three. It’s still difficult to remind myself that my recovery is going to be a long process. A few months ago, anything that I would refer to as an accomplishment would take place in the weight room. Today, I’m ecstatic just to be able to put my own shirt on in the morning. When I put my mind to something, I do it, no matter what. It’s this personality trait that has helped me become successful in life. In my first article, I told you my first goal was to compete in a CrossFit competition by the end of 2013. As of now, I’m on track to accomplish that goal. Since I first started physical therapy at CATZ, I’ve been working to strengthen my shoulder every single day. The physical therapists at CATZ gave me a few exercises that I can do at home, so I spend three days a week training at CATZ and the other four training at home. While that may seem a bit obsessive, my range of motion with my injured arm went from being able to raise it 90 degrees to 140 degrees in just two short weeks. According to my trainers, I’m 4-5 weeks ahead of most of their patients at this stage in my recovery. We’ve finally gotten past the “Can you lift your arm to here?” portion of my physical therapy and are now getting into the recovery exercises. The great thing about CATZ, and the main reason I chose them to help me in my recovery, is that they’ll never let you get bored with your physical therapy. Murph Halasz, one of my physical therapists, got me started on my road to recovery with a few simple band and pulley exercises. I think I may have had one session where I felt a bit bored with the exercises, but that boredom quickly disappeared when I walked in for my next session Murph asked me to play a game of Connect Four on the floor with him – while holding the plank position the entire time. As you may have gathered from my goal to compete in a CrossFit competition, I am one of the many Austin-based athletes that have drank the Kool-Aid and become hopelessly addicted to this intense sport. As the rest of my employees at Naturally Fit are converts to the Cult of CrossFit as well, I recently decided A newly sling-free David gets to try a new exercise with the body blade. Always the dedicated student, David went home that night and bought his own body blade so he could practice at home. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 45 David finally gets to do a few strength exercises. to install a CrossFit box at our headquarters. A CrossFit box that, due to my surgery, I was not allowed to use. Accepting that I couldn’t go to CrossFit every day anymore was hard enough, but now, I had to watch as my employees got together for their 4 p.m. workout, let out a sigh, gather my things, and head over to Gold’s Gym to spend 30 minutes on a stationary bike. I’ve never enjoyed cardio. More specifically, I’ve never enjoyed running. However, I’m pretty limited in what I can do exercise-wise, so when I was cleared to start running I decided I would take what I could get. After I had been running for a few weeks, for some masochistic reason I checked my old CrossFit gym’s schedule to see what the Workout of the Day (WOD) would be. Four rounds for time of a 400 meter run followed by 50 air squats, totaling one mile and 200 squats. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about something that involved running a mile. I skipped Gold’s for the day and headed over to Woodward CrossFit, where I completed my first post-surgery 46 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT WOD first in my class. I guess all of that time working on my lower body paid off. Since then, I’ve been able to join my employees for our end of the day WOD at the Naturally CrossFit box that has been taunting me for the last month. Going in to this surgery, my focus was only on what I was afraid I’d lose. My independence, my strength and my muscle mass, all of that would be gone after I went under the knife. But now, only a month into my physical therapy, I’m starting to see that there is a lot to gain going through this. Running will never be my favorite activity, but if this surgery hadn’t gotten me thrown out of the weight room, I would have never worked on it. Each week, I’m getting faster and my legs are getting stronger. Who could have known that an injury might lead to making me a more well-rounded athlete? CATZ Austin Sports Performance Center CATZ Physical Therapy of Austin is dedicated to help their clients advance from injury, pain and dysfunction, to fully-restored, pain-free activity in the shortest amount of time possible. They’re physical therapy programs are tailored to your specific atheltic goals, which is why they were David’s first choice to help him on his journey from recovery to competing in his first CrossFit competition. For more information about CATZ Austin Sports Performance Center’s physical therapy program, click here. FIT 360 It’s Spring Break! Now, What Do I Do With My Kids? Here are a few Spring Break camps that will keep your kids active, entertained, and most importantly, out of your hair. SunCrest Farm Day Camp Longhorn Baseball Camp This horseback riding camp is open to boys and girls, ages 7 and up. Not only does horseback riding give you a nice core workout, but it will get the little cowboys and cowgirls in your life outside and enjoying the Texas sunshine. Classes are limited to 12 campers per week, taught by a qualified instructor with over 25 years of experience and campers can choose between Western or English style riding lessons. Help develop the skills of your little Babe Ruth’s in the making at this camp designed to provide instruction on all aspects of the game including hitting, defense, pitching, catching, base running and strategy. Iron Horse Country Ranch Motocross Camp Give your children an experience they won’t soon forget at the Iron Horse Country Ranch. Riders of all levels are welcome to spend the week learning to ride motorcycles on a few of Iron Horse’s Motocross tracks and dirt bike trails. All gear is provided as well as snacks and beverages for the campers. Gilbert’s Gazelles Spring Break Camp Help your kids master their running fundamentals at this fun camp. Gilbert Tuhabonye is a former NCAA All-American and National Champion who believes that by transforming an athlete’s biomechanics, running becomes a joy and the likelihood of injury is significantly limited. Gilbert brings his running and life experience to the training in an educational and inspiring format that stresses his love and commitment to the sport. This three day camp is designed for children ages 8-16 and will be separated in to two age groups (8-12, 13-16). Space is limited so that your child may receive personal attention. 48 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT Austin Tennis Academy Spring Break Training Camp The Austin Tennis Academy is offering numerous tennis camps to appeal to all skill sets. Beginners can join the QuickStart camp to learn about the QuickStart tennis format instrumental in developing your child’s skills as a tennis player. Intermediate players can attend the Morning Camp, where players will work on their fundamentals and improve their overall movement. And for the competitive kids, the ATA is offering an Afternoon “Tournament Tough” Camp, where tennis players at the “Champ” and “Super-Champ” levels will improve their game by using competitive game situations, technical training and point play, as well as movement and flexibility training. Austin Rock Gym Spring Break Climbing Camp Kids climbing up the walls with too much energy? Take them to the Austin Rock Gym where anyone, no matter how old, can learn how to climb in a safe environment. Capital Gymnastics Spring Break Retreat Capital Gymnastics offers camps for children ages 3-12. Campers can enjoy obstacle courses, inflatable games, gymnastics training and even field trips. Anne Marie Bloodgood DANCER • BALLET AUSTIN Jessica Stephen CROSSFIT COACH Desiree Ficker PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETE BEAUTY & PERFORMANCE NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH photo: Lucas Purvis The heat and perspiration resistant design won’t crease or smear while at work or play. • 1206 W. 38th Street Austin, TX 70705 • 512.320.8732 Austin Locations The Triangle 4616 Triangle Ave, Ste 200 Austin, TX 78751 512-‐459-‐9000 th 6 & Lamar th 1014 W. 6 St Austin, TX 78703 512-‐479-‐5959 Snap Kitchen is dedicated to bringing customers flavorful, handcrafted food that supports our commitment to local, consciously sourced ingredients, and healthy cooking. Arboretum 10001 Research Blvd Austin, TX 78759 512-‐346-‐5959 Westlake Coming Soon! 6317 Bee Cave Rd. Austin, TX 78746 (next door to The Grove) FIT 360 Looking Good While Working Up a Sweat Get the Look! Want to brighten up your look before heading to the gym, without risking looking too done up? Rochelle Rae of Rae cosmetics shows us how to achieve a natural look that will survive your workout. I By Rochelle Rae I’ll admit it, I wear makeup to the gym. I’m not ashamed and neither should you be. While there has long been a social stigma about “the girl that wears makeup to the gym” there is one thing that no one seems to consider when it comes to making yourself presentable even when you know you’re going to get sweaty. Going to the gym is so much more than just working out. To most of us it is a social experience too. We see our friends, co-workers, neighbors and sometimes maybe even meet a special someone. So of course we would like to look good. If you are comfortable with no makeup, great! But there is no way I am going with my dark circles, dark spots and the blondest eyelashes ever for the whole world to see. And guess what? There’s nothing wrong with that! So if you are like me, I’m here to tell you makeup at the gym is ok. However, not all cosmetics are created equally. It’s important to use the right products as well as application techniques, or you’ll end up looking like a hot mess, which kind of defeats the purpose. Obviously, you don’t want to go to the gym with the dark, smoky eyes or red lips you might wear for a night out on the town, so here are a few tips for a natural look perfect for coffee with girls or a cardio session. 50 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT First, apply a primer 1 It may seem like a waste of time but it really just takes a couple seconds and is a great product. Choose a silica-based product, like Surface Primer. It is water resistant and provides a smooth, matte surface for makeup application, helping keep it in place even longer. Next, apply a little Climate Control Mineral Tint SPF 20. This mineral tint is three products in one: a moisturizer, sunscreen and a tint. The active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, so it is a chemical free sunscreen and naturally water-resistant. So even when you work up a sweat, it stays on. 2 Rochelle Rae is the CEO and creator of Rae Cosmetics. Rae is a fresh and versatile cosmetics line ideal for everyday performance during exercise, travel or for those that simply lead a busy lifestyle. Rae has quickly become a favorite line amongst active women and athletes looking for performance as well as beauty from their cosmetics. The Product She Can’t Live Without: Blotting papers! Love them, can’t live without them. They are cheap, convenient, easy to use and easy to carry. I always keep a few in my bag, my purse, my car – everywhere. Just press a sheet or two (or for me three) on your skin to get rid of the shine and sweat without removing your makeup. Powder is essential 3 it really does set everything in place, think of it like hairspray. Just a few sprays at the end of styling helps the curls stay in place all day. Just a few swishes from the powder brush does the same for your face. Get a lightweight Mineral Powder to let skin breath and keep pores clean. Lift and Brighten Your Eyes I think curling your lashes and applying mascara makes a huge difference, especially if your lashes are blonde like mine. Curling your lashes lifts and brightens your eye so quick and easily, just add a couple swipes of mascara and you’re almost ready to walk out the door. Be sure to use a waterresistant mascara like Lush Silk Mascara to avoid getting raccoon eyes after an intense session on the elliptical. 5 Brighten Up with Blush Just a quick pop of Mineral Blush on the apples of your cheeks can really brighten you look as well, giving a nice healthy glow. 4 Finish with a Touch of Gloss Lipgloss moisturizes, makes lips look plump and is just plain pretty. Just a quick swipe adds a touch of color without making you look too made up. Choose a gloss, like Lucky Lips that is super shiny but not sticky. 7 Products used in this tutorial: 6 Tint Primer Gloss Powder Mascara Blush FIT 360 Two Braids, Three Looks Sure, a plain ponytail with a headband is an efficient way to keep your hair out of your face while you’re working up a sweat. But sometimes, we need to mix it up. This adorable double french braid is a nice alternative to a boring headband, and is perfect for any ladies going through the special hell that is growing out your bangs. Hair by Kristan Humphreys The Double-French 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. Using a comb, give your hair a side part. Starting on the left, gather a small section of hair at your crown and separate into three strands of hair. 2. Cross the strand closest to the front of your hairline over the middle strand and under the strand furthest from the hairline. The strand that was originally the furthest from your hairline should now be in the middle, with the original middle strand closest to the front and the original front strand furthest from your hairline. 3. Gather a small section of hair from your hairline and add it to the strand that is now in your right hand. 4. Repeat this process until you reach the top of your neck. Then continue to braid your remaining locks and secure with a hair tie. 5. Repeat on the other side and secure with a hair tie. 6. Now that you’ve got the braids, here are a few ways to style them. 52 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT The Braided Bun k o o L The 1. Gather your remaining un-braided hair and the French braid on the left side of your head at the base of your skull. 1 2 2. Take the braid on the right side of your head and wrap it completely around the base of your pony tail. Secure with a bobby pin, being sure to tuck in any hairs that stick out. 3. Take the end of the braid on the left side of your head and wrap it around the base of your pony tail as well. 4. Secure with a bobby pin. 3 4 5 6 5. Braid your pony tail secure with a hair tie. 6. Tuck the bottom of your braid under your double French braids and secure with a bobby pin at the base of your skull. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 53 Braids for Days FIT 360 k o o L The 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Gather your un-braided hair and the braid on the right side of your head into of low side pony tail and secure with a hair tie. 2. Wrap the braid on the left side of your head around the base of the ponytail and secure with a bobby pin. 3. Repeat with the braid from the right side of your head. 4. Add another hair tie to your ponytail for extra security. 5. Separate your pony tail into two sections. 6. Take a small section on the outside of the strand of hair in your right hand. 7. Cross the smaller strand over the larger strand in your right hand and add it to the hair if your left. 8. Repeat this same process with the strand in your left hand and continue until you reach the end of your hair. Secure with a hair tie. 54 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT The Braided Ponytail k o o L The 1. Take a small section of hair at the crown of your head and tease it until you achieve a bump. 2. Gather your remaining unbraided hair into a high ponytail and secure with a hair tie. 3. Wrap each braid around the base of your pony tail and secure with a bobby pin, being sure to tuck away any loose strands. 1 2 Kristan Humphreys has years of experience as a hair stylist and makeup artist and was the driving force behind Keep Austin Gorgeous’ new Braid and Bun Bar. Looking for a great updo for your wedding or just a night on the town? Click the link to send her an email and book an appointment today! Email Kristan 3 4 Meet the Stylist: or call (940) 230-6712 Kristan Humphreys to book an appointment Learn more about Keep Austin Gorgeous’ FIT Bar March 2013 55 newNATURALLY Braid and Bun FIT 360 A Coach in the Making When Mekenzie was only 2 years old, her mother, Shannon Isbell, started coaching CrossFit classes. Not a big fan of sitting around in the kid’s play room until she was finished, Mekenzie spent her time at her mother’s side, learning the ropes of coaching. Today, Mekenzie can often be found in the kid’s room at Woodward CrossFit, taking the other children through a mini-CrossFit workout of their own. And on Saturdays, she attends the FIT4LIFE kids workout at Woodward CrossFit. So we invited her to the Naturally CrossFit gym to take Naturally Fit Magazine’s nutritionist and Naturally Fit 360 TV host Emily Talley through a kidfriendly workout. Learn more about the FIT4LIFE program on page 78! 56 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT THE WORKOUT THREE ROUNDS OF: 5 Push-Ups 4 Air Squats 7 Box Jumps 7 Kettlebell Swings Mekenzie, a full-service CrossFit coach, helps Emily set up her station before the workout starts. YOU’LL NEED One Kettlebell, the weight of your choice One small, stable box. 5 PUSH-UPS: Mekenzie makes sure that Emily’s push-up form is on point by showing her how it’s done. Make sure your chest touches the ground and your arms are fully extended at the top of the movement, or you might hear Mekenzie call out “No Rep!” from the other side of the room. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 57 FIT 360 4 Air Squats Mekenzie makes sure that Emily doesn’t cheat herself out of a good workout by not going to her full squat depth. With your legs shoulder width apart, bend your knees, keeping your heels flat on the ground, and squat down as low as possible. Your hips should dip below your knees. If you have trouble balancing, keep your arms out while you squat. 7 Box Jumps Stand in front of your box with your feet should-width apart. Bend your knees, swing your arms back, and jump onto the box. Make sure to stand all the way up once you’re on your box. Mekenzie only accepts Gamestandard box jumps. 58 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT ALMOST DONE! 7 Kettlebell Swings Being a coach isn’t all about pushing your students as hard as you can. A great coach is also a great cheerleader. On the last stretch of her workout, Emily could use a little motivation and Mekenzie was more than happy to help her out. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With two hands on the Kettlebell handle, squat down and swing the Kettlebell between your legs. Force your hips forward, using the momentum from your hips to get the Kettlebell fully extended over your head. A special thanks to Shannon Isbell for raising such a tough coach! NATURALLY FIT March 2013 59 THE DOCTOR IS IN Protecting Your Children From Future Injuries - Many parents assume that their children are too young to have already developed physical issues that could lead to injury. However, according to Dr. Samuel Sneed of Next Level Chiropractic & Rehab, that is simply not the case. Here are a few routine stretches that can spare your child from future injuries. I By Dr. Samuel Sneed It amazes me how often I come across young adolescents who have already developed postural alterations, mobility restrictions, and poor movement quality. It truly disturbs me and there must be something done about it. They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one. So let’s all face it together and start taking the necessary steps to address these issues in our young ones and ourselves. I am very familiar with and regularly take my patients through standardized movement screenings, having them do simple movements such as touching their toes, squatting, and doing lunges, to better prescribe manual therapy and corrective exercise strategies. When I first started taking adolescents through these movement screenings, I had developed a preconceived notion that any failed movement would most likely be due to stability or motor control problems, and not restrictions in mobility. I was shocked to find that this was not the case at all. I, like many other parents, had made the mistake of assuming that children are too young to have possibly developed these issues already. Parents are frequently surprised at how dysfunctional their children’s movements are, and wonder how this could have possibly happened. I believe that sedentary lifestyles, sitting in particular, is at the crux of the problem. To make matters worse, most of us 60 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT slouch while sitting, greatly magnifying these problems. Research shows that children spend an average of eight hours per day sitting, often times hunched over working/looking at electronics. Sitting is never good for you, there is, however, a proper way to sit that minimizes the damage. Sitting must be considered a high skilled, learned event. Ready to get started? Begin by sitting towards the edge of your seat with an upright torso. If viewed from the side, your ear, shoulder, and hip should be in a straight line. Here comes the fun part, you must now engage your abs about 20 percent, while pulling your shoulder blades down and back. I often have my patients visualize what they would do to break a thick stick in half at arms length. You’d quickly realize that there is no muscle engagement while slouching. Slouching puts the stress on the bony skeleton and ligaments, as opposed to your muscular system. This results in very predictable and detrimental postural alterations. Clearly, there is a huge difference in the effects of slouching versus assuming a more powerful posture, at least on the spine and shoulders. Sadly, when it comes to your hips and glutes, there really is no good way to sit. Below are some useful stretches and exercises to help negate the effects of sitting. Dr. Samuel Sneed is the owner of Next Level Chiropractic and Rehab located in Austin, Texas. His clinic specializes in soft tissue therapy and exercise rehabilitation to maximize sports performance. He is a native Texan and studied Biology while attending the University of Texas at Austin. He then continued his education at Parker College of Chiropractic. In addition to earning his Doctorate of Chiropractic, he also received a Bachelor of Science in both Human Anatomy and Health and Wellness. Dr. Sneed is certified in Active Release Technique (ART). He is a Titleist Peformance Institue Certified Golf Fitness Instructor (TPI-CGFI), and a certified Functional Movement Screen (FMS) expert. The Two Most Common Physical Imbalances... Tight Neck/Traps Weakness in Lower Traps Weak Deep Neck Flexors Short, Tight Pecs Tight Lower Back Weak Glutes UPPER CROSSED SYNDROME Weak Core Tight Hip Flexors LOWER CROSSED SYNDROME NATURALLY FIT March 2013 61 THE DOCTOR IS IN And How to Correct Them. RIGHT WRONG The Pec Stretch The Hip Flexor Stretch DO: Kneel on your right knee and place your hand behind your head. Be sure to squeeze your glutes, maintain a stable spine and keep your rib cage down. Hold for two minutes on each side. DON’T: Arch your back to lean into the stretch. 62 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT Place your arms against the frame of an open doorway and lean forward. Move your arms to different heights in the doorway until you find the soreness. Hold the position for two minutes. NOTE: Some patients may experience some numbness from holding this stretch for too long. If your arms start to feel numb, stop the stretch. The Bridge (Core/Glute Correction) Lie with your back flat on the ground and your knees up. Squeezing your glutes and pushing through your heels, push your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for one minute and repeat for two more set. NOTE: If you hamstring begins to cramp, this is not the stretch for you Seated Wall Slider Sit with your back completely flat against the wall, with your rib cage down and your head against the wall. Hold your arms against the wall and extend them upward, making sure that you don’t begin to arch your back. Repeat this movement for 3 sets of 8. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 63 THE DOCTOR IS IN “Regardless of the time spent in athletics, the hours spent sitting for three meals, sitting while going to and from school, sitting during class, and sitting while studying and playing video games is very problematic.” Although leading an active lifestyle undoubtedly helps to ward off some of these issues, it won’t erase all of those hours spent on your butt once you leave the gym. Let me repeat myself for emphasis: regardless of the time spent in athletics, the hours spent sitting for three meals, sitting while going to and from school, sitting during class, and sitting while studying and playing video games is very problematic. be. The potential risk in stunting overall body awareness and athletic development, not to mention increase their risk for injury is not a good choice if you’re aiming to raise a champion. Overuse As stated above, overuse conditions account for more than 50 percent of injuries in our children. This, I believe, is an area that we as parents, coaches, and Early Specialization health care practitioners can greatly reduce. There are While beggars can’t be choosers, and we’d all be many important and well known factors in reducing happy for our kids to take part in any form of physical the risk of overuse conditions. These include proper activity, it really is best to make sure that they are inwarm up and cool down, avoiding increasing training volved in a wide variety of activities. As we will further intensity too rapidly, listening to your body (don’t train discuss below, more than 50 percent of all injuries in through the pain), improving mobility, strength trainchildren are a result of overuse conditions. Overuse ing, and improving core stability. conditions are the result of repetitive micro-trauma to However, none of these truly address the QUALITY the muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, or joints. Ex- of the soft tissue. Any time we insult our soft tissue amples include Achilles tendinitis, jumper’s knee, and (muscles, tendons, ligaments) we heal in a predictable tennis elbow just to name a few. Varying the activities manner. Our bodies will lay down dense, thickened, and movements that we do greatly reduce our risk of fibrous scar tissue. The formation of scar tissue can injury. be a result of repetitive use (overuse), crush injuries, Nowadays, children are starting to turn their focus strains, tears, or even hypoxia (poor oxygen). This to specific sports at a younger and younger age, effecdense, fibrous tissue loses its elasticity, has decreased tively pigeonholing themselves from the get-go. Durblood flow, and doesn’t allow for the proper sliding of ing the crucial developmental stages of early and late muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Ultimately the stiffchildhood, our brains crave a rich learning environened tissue can result in pain, loss of range of motion, ment with a wide variety of stimulus. Depriving our and decreased strength. young athletes of this stunts their athletic potential by The breaking down and remodeling of this dense depriving them the necessary motor learning and body scar tissue is of the utmost importance in both recovcontrol to learn and excel at other sports. Early special- ering from and preventing injury and this cannot be ization is often times done with the intent of improvdone by static stretching alone. There are many soft ing a young athletes chance to start on varsity or earn tissue therapies that are meant to breakdown the scar a college scholarship. Ironically, it’s that early focus tissue, thereby improving the QUALITY of the inin perfecting one sport that will end up holding your jured/scarred tissue. There are also excellent ways to child back from becoming the best athlete they can treat yourself. 64 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT There are three tools that I often recommend for taking care of soft tissue on your own: Foam rollers, muscle sticks, and lacrosse balls. Not only are all of these vital to taking care of your soft tissue, but they’re all very cost-effective as well. As a general rule the techniques used with these tools are very similar. When using any of these tools, it is best to start by scanning for any soft tissue that is tender or feels knotted. Areas that are tender are usually that way for a reason. Those knots and tender spots are generally the areas that you need to give the most attention to. After identifying a problematic area, the rules are simple... there are no rules – kind of. We call it, “search and destroy.” Be as deliberate as possible, and stay on or around the tender spot for about two minutes. This is going to hurt. Make sure to breathe as it will help you to relax. Beginners may find the process uncomfortable and awkward, but you’re just going to have to suck it up. A little discomfort now will help you avoid a whole lot of discomfort in the future. After just a few sessions, the tissue should start to be less painful to work on, and you will find yourself to more adept at finding the necessary positions to accomplish your goals. The most common mistake I see, is that people do not treat their soft tissue long enough. Remember, two minutes per muscle group! This should be done a minimum of three times a week for maintenance depending on the age, activity level, and goals (injury vs. prevention) of user. It can be used before and/or after activity or sport. With a little bit of anatomical knowledge and know how, you will grow to love these instruments. I hear it all the time, my patients have become accustomed to taking lacrosse balls with them even when they travel! I am blessed to be in a position to not only help young athletes get out of pain and return to sport, but, more importantly, I get to educate them in the proper maintenance of their bodies. Poor human movement has no age limit. There must be a shift from the treatment of injuries to the prevention of injuries. I believe that through education and early detection we can make a profound difference in the future quality of life in our young children. Foam Roller Exercises Mid/Upper Back Lie on the floor with your foam roller positioned in the middle of your back. Place your hands behind your neck and interlock your fingers. Slowly lean back, keeping your core tight. Complete 6 extensions and then move the foam roller to your upper back and repeat. Anterior Hip Roll foam roller along the side of your hips using short strokes until you find a tender spot. Continue to roll out each side for two minutes at a time. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 65 See Below for Limited Offer! 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B lv d #2 New members only. May not be combined with any other offers. 12 Strength session in 30 days. #3 512-814-6824 THE DOCTOR IS IN Teaching Your Kids, Teaching Yourself Teaching your children about the foundations of good nutrition ensures that they won’t grow up to be another statistic in America’s obesity epidemic. And if your parents didn’t teach you about nutrition as a child, there is no time like the present to learn and set a good example. By Kori Propst 68 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT How About a Fun Quiz? Question 1: Is your child overweight? Guess again. Most parents answer this question incorrectly. In fact, studies reveal that less than 25% of parents correctly classify their children in terms of weight or health risk Question 2: Are you overweight? Have your answer? Perhaps this one was a little easier. Studies have demonstrated a 22% misperception rate of weight status among adults. Okay, not so bad. Question 3: Are you taking an active role toward instilling positive eating behavior in your children? B Be honest. Books have been written about childhood obesity, the First Lady created the “Let’s Move” campaign to address the epidemic, and according to the Center for Disease Control, in 2011 over 35 percent of adults in America were considered obese—not just overweight. You don’t need this data to recognize how dire a situation our nation is in when it comes to the health of our kids though. Look around. Over the past 30 years, obesity has doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. Why? When babies are being treated for obesity related diseases prenatally, we’ve got issues. A headline released in various media outlines in April of 2012 read, “Babies treated in the womb for obesity: Overweight mothers-to-be get diabetes pill to cut the risk of having a fat child.” This was an article published in the U.K., where over the past four years, newborns weighing in at over 11 pounds has risen to 50%. We could come up with a list a mile long for the reasons we’re dealing with this overwhelming increase in obesity—automation, easily accessible and highly caloric food, mindless eating, lack of activity – you name it. We can blame those external factors until the cows we over-consume come home. But to what end? At some point, if change is desired, personal responsibility must be taken. I would like to think that if mothers knew that being obese during pregnancy increased their risk of a stillborn birth, death during pregnancy, and a two-time increase in the child being overweight as an adult, that they would think at least two-times about changing their personal habits for the purpose of raising healthier children. But that’s me. And it’s not what I hear from parents. Sam’s Club. The Customer Service Counter. Whenever I am wearing my Diet Doc shirt, I anticipate the possibility of being approached with questions. The sales associate walked over from behind the register to help me, gave me a once-over, and said, “Oh! You know, it’s so hard to eat right! I’ve stopped going to McDonald’s and eating out so much, but my 5-year old always wants to go there, so I just can’t lose weight.” Cue the sound of tires screeching. EXCUSE ME!? No questions. At least questions would imply some level of curiosity. Nope. Just a barrage of excuses. It’s this attitude among parents that leads to my greatest disappointment. The opportunity to make a difference and influence positively during our lifetimes another individual hits most close to home when one becomes a parent. At conception, though I do not have children, I can imagine experiencing an immediate need to do whatever is in my power to create an optimal environment in which my child can thrive. My Sam’s Club mom could choose to model healthy behavior because she recognizes it’s important for the long-term well-being of her child or she could decide it’s just too hard to hear her kid whine and give up for the short-term. The childhood obesity epidemic is a clue to begin living more intentionally and approach our health with greater awareness, which extends to the health of our children. A woman I have gotten to know over the last few months said to me recently, “Every day I learn that everything I thought I knew about nutrition was just completely wrong.” She was speaking about what she gleaned from her parents as she grew up and struggled with being overweight since she left elementary school. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 69 Kori Propst holds a BS in Exercise Physiology and an MS in Counseling. She is currently finishing her PhD in Behavioral Medicine. She is a three-division professional in the WNBF, a certified ISSN clinical sports nutritionist, personal trainer, and lifestyle and health coach. As the Wellness Director for Perfect Peaking & Diet Doc she created the Mental Edge Program to aid competitors in developing individualized strategies for optimal performance in their lives and for competing. Her blog can be viewed at www.peakofmind.wordpress.com, where she offers practical strategies for self-control and living with intention and awareness. She has created audio courses that can be downloaded for quick implementation of new skills as well. BLOG Though she grew up in a household that placed an emphasis on sports and leading an active lifestyle, her parents would often resort to drive-thru dinners, eaten quickly in the car on the way to practice, to save time. She grew up with no direction about how to eat, cook or make healthy choices and eventually, it caught up with her. By the time she was 23, she had IBS, ulcers, GERD, and could barely remember a time when she wasn’t overweight. Even if you’ve got the most active child in the world, without a firm grasp on the importance of nutrition instilled at an early age, they could end up just like her. Parents, I know this isn’t the life you want for your children. Last November Dr. Joe and I spoke at a pediatric conference for our local hospital system. The topic – how to talk to caregivers about childhood obesity. It’s a touchy subject. Parents want their children to be healthy, but what research reveals is that they often don’t know how to do this optimally, and they face significant barriers ranging from availability of resources to keeping their kids inside due to fear about the safety of the environment. Regardless, I’m living proof that it’s possible. Growing up in a single-parent home with a younger sister, I watched my mom struggle to make ends meet. She would be called out to work in the middle of the night to the hospital for work, but exhausted as she was, we always ate our dinners together. At the table, without the television on. This was a tradition I could count on, and it was where the three Propst girls connected. There was always a vegetable with every meal, even if they were canned; a lean protein was consistently on the plate; and some sort of starch or fruit was there too. I remember my mom conveying how important it was that I eat my veggies – she related them to 70 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT EMAIL being strong for gymnastics, the sport I was involved in! I don’t remember eating candy outside of Easter, until I was older than 8 years. Eating out came maybe once every couple weeks, and even now a Subway meal feels special to me. My mom also involved me in the cooking process. Our meals were by no means gourmet, but they were balanced and healthy. I smile when I think back to what we would jokingly call the “experiments.” Something would appear on the dinner table, and it was a concoction my mom had created with the leftovers from the week. We would all grimace, and some were certainly better than others, but none were horrible. If it was all we had to eat, guess what? We ate! Think this is how I learned the skill of creatively crafting a meal out of seemingly unmixable ingredients in no time? It served me pretty well when I moved away for college and was “cooking” in my dorm room, that’s for sure. Parents, kids eat what you make available. Kids also eat what they see YOU eating. Surround them with healthy choices, and they have no choice but to eat healthy in your presence IF you are setting that example. If they see you be discerning and you convey positive messages about food and its utility, they will want to emulate you. Get involved with them and teach them skills they can use for life, and they won’t forget. Teaching your kids how to be healthy for life means teaching yourself how to be healthy NOW. A client of mine once told me that her five year old daughter calls fruit “garden candy.” Now that’s some sweet parental modeling! e happy. You ar Kori, I am so much g in el fe am I brilliant. ys. Actually better these da can't believe I e. tiv si more po as a thing of w it. I thought it doing what the past. Keep because it g in you are do works. “ ” “ Kori, I am gaining so much knowledge... awesome is not the word to describe this process. This is exactly - and more - what I was needing. "Knowledge for Life". I think this is a fantastic program..... I can't believe I see the results in such a short time. You are a saint! ” “ I look so forward to our sessions, Kori. You have no idea what impact your words have. I respect and admire you more than I can express in an email. Thank you. I'm so blessed to know you; you have enriched my life in so many ways. You have pushed me to limits I didn't know I had! ” NATURALLY FIT March 2013 71 FIT FOR LIFE BRED FOR GLORY BY JORDAN SNYDER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CONROY Dima Kurochkin is already miles ahead of the next generation of athletes. The son of two Olympians, Dima has been Olympic weightlifting since he was 9 years old and now he’s heading to the 2013 Arnold Classic to compete at only 11 years old. 72 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT I OK Weightlifting, where Dima spends four days a week working on his form. It’s 5 p.m. on a Tuesday and while his classmates at Windermere Elementary are relaxing at home playing video games and trying to best their highest score, Dima Kurochkin, 11, is sitting in a warehouse in North Austin, trying to best his own personal record for his favorite Olympic weightlifting movement: the snatch. As he approaches the barbell, Dima displays the kind of laser-focus that most athletes can only dream of having. Weighing in at only 39 kilos himself, Dima is about to attempt his heaviest weight to date – 35 kilos. By the time he gets to the 2013 Arnold Classic on March 2, he hopes to have increased that weight to 40. Oleg Kechko, owner of OK Weightlifting, yells out, “Dima on the bar,” and a hush falls over the room. Dima gets into position, narrows his vision, takes one deep breath and in one explosive movement, the bar is over his head. He drops the bar back on to the platform with a loud clang and sheepishly walks back to his chair to rest, seemingly unaffected by his classmate’s eruption into cheers at the sight of this impressive feat. “Anything he’s doing, it’s just like that,” said Oleg. “I mean, we’re talking about the sports and the grades in school. He’s the best at math in his class, he’ll finish his work in five minutes while the rest of the class is working for the next 45 minutes. That’s the mentality, it’s the same with weightlifting, it’s like playing a chess game with yourself, using your balance, speed and strength at the same time. You really have to think about that.” Dima, who is currently the state champion for his age bracket, first started Olympic weightlifting at OK Weightlifting when he was nine years old. “I first started doing track with my dad, but we had to get our strength up,” said Dima. “My Dad brought me to Oleg and I just started weightlifting and started to like it.” In addition to just enjoying the act of lifting really heavy weights, Dima says that what he loves most about Olympic weightlifting is that when you mess something up, it’s your fault and yours alone. You have no teammates to blame, no excuses to make, if you want to get better, it’s up to you. In Dima’s family, track runs in your blood. Both his NATURALLY FIT March 2013 73 Left: Oleg, Dima’s Olympic weightlifting coach and God father, gives Dima a quick neck rub while he chalks up before playfully pinching his ear. Opposite Page: Oleg and Dima pose with a photo of Oleg and his former Olympic weightlifting coach. mother and father are former Olympians, representing the U.S.S.R. in track and field. His mother even has two gold medals under her belt and is the current world record holder for the 4x400 meter relay. However, once Dima first touched that barbell, he was hooked and his focus turned toward Olympic weightlifting. “As you can see, his family has a pretty good background,” said Oleg, a former Olympian himself, who represented Belarus for weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics. “When he was two or three years old they had already started doing a little bit of exercises on his arm. He didn’t come to me a completely weak person, when I got him he was swimming two or three miles a day and he had been running track with his parents for years.” According to Oleg, Dima is poised to excel at any sport that he chooses. He’s already miles ahead of the next generation of athletes, many of whom won’t start training until they’re about thirteen years old. And while they could spend double the amount of time in the gym trying to catch up with Dima’s strength levels, they’ll never be able to match the focus and determination that seems to come so naturally to him. “It doesn’t matter what Dima does with his life, he’s going to be successful anyway,” said Oleg. “I started weightlifting when I was 12 years old, and probably close to what he’s doing right now, I started doing when I was 13,” said Oleg. “I had to spend a year training, I was 100lbs and my best result 74 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT was like a 40 kilo snatch and a 50 kilo clean and jerk. Even his technique and understanding is on a different level. When we went to state the coaches were coming up to him like, ‘Woah! What are you training, what are you doing?’” While Olympic weightlifting has Dima’s attention for now, he’s not sure if he’ll do it for the rest of his life. Dima will be entering middle school next year, and he plans to join the track, basketball and football team. He isn’t practicing Olympic weightlifting four days a week in the hopes that he’ll make it to the Olympics one day just like his parents; he’s doing it because he enjoys the sport in the purest sense. Dima isn’t out to win medals or gain recognition, for him, Olympic weightlifting is just fun. “He likes being in the gym more than he likes being anywhere,” said Oleg. “He’s got the team atmosphere, he feels like he’s a part of the gym and that brings him excitement and that’s what is important.” NATURALLY FIT March 2013 75 76 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT FIT FOR LIFE Helping Students Become FIT4LIFE 78 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT By Bridgette Wilson R The students at John B. Connally High School wake up early twice a week to get a workout in before class. Real life is challenging at any age. One thing to know is that no matter who you are, we all have weaknesses. The key is to identify them early so they do not hinder us from reaching our goals and finding our purpose in life. When Alicia “A.T.” Turner, founder of Fit4Life, tried her first CrossFit class she had no idea that this would be the foundation for her students towards building academic excellence through physical fitness. “I needed to get kids after school and I had just started CrossFit and I love it – I love the mental toughness that you got from it after completing a work out,” said A.T. With the determination to motivate and educate, A.T. became certified and began cooking up the Fit4Life program, which includes a dash of fitness, a splash of classroom objectives and a pinch of problem solving skills. Fit4Life targets all fitness levels, from the athletically gifted to aspiring athletes, including parents and faculty. Each Workout of the Day, commonly referred to as a “WOD” in the CrossFit world, is scalable for everyone based on their fitness level. “We programmed workouts that allowed students and teachers to work together,” said A.T. “Teachers got a chance to be in a child’s shoes in a kind of reverse role. As adults, sometimes we forget what it is to push ourselves. So, it’s really cool to see workouts where you have a teacher struggling and a student encouraging them.” After working with other schools and fine tuning the program, A.T. and Fit4Life finally found the right fit with John B. Connally High School, where she accepted a job as the school’s Graduation Coach. “This is the first school where we have support from administrators, we have parents that show up, we have teachers that show up, so it is just growing here and it fits here, it’s growing here because of the leadership on campus,” said A.T. “Leadership makes a difference, especially when you lead from the front.” Not only is Fit4Life fundamentally supported, but also financially. “The kids, parents and teachers never have to pay, they just have to show up,” said A.T. “Their payment is we are creating a brand. Our students are quality, not because of what they wear or what they do.” Even though A.T. pushes her kids to be at their NATURALLY FIT March 2013 79 After finishing their workout, the rest of the students gather around a student struggling through his last set and cheer him on. fittest, she consistently reminds them that Fit4Life is not just a workout – it’s positive reinforcement, team building and provides students a safe place to fail. “It’s bigger than fitness,” said A.T. “…as human beings you want to have social skills; you want to be able to communicate. You want to be able to work with everyone. You want to be healthy, because it allows you to live longer. So, we want to incorporate all of that. We don’t want you to be fit and not able to keep a job. We also don’t want you to be so smart, but unhealthy.” A.T. stresses to her students that she is trying to break their bad habits to make them stronger. “In order to build muscle, you have to break the fibers, they have the tear and then when they heal, they grow,” said A.T. “So my kids are not in ISS (In-school Suspension), they are not tardy; my kids don’t get kicked out of class.” Classes are held at Connally on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7AM. “Right now, it’s funny because the kids are starting a petition because they want to get four days a week instead of just the two,” said A.T. “The kids sell it; we don’t advertise it.” Due to the overwhelming demand, recently, A.T. has added a 6 a.m. Tuesday/Thursday class. “The first day, we had 25 kids, parents, teachers,” 80 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT said A.T “Class starts at 6 a.m., so I had gotten there at 5:30 a.m. and the first kid shows up at 5:32 a.m.! We’ve been having 6 a.m. classes for the last two weeks and I’ve averaged 22 kids, I had to take pictures because I didn’t think anyone would believe it.” Ultimately, A.T. would like to see her students take the lead in some of the classes held at Woodward CrossFit over the summer. “As they see me coaching, as they see me leading, we want to put them in the same position: they coach the younger kids,” said A.T. “It develops leadership and it develops problem solving.” Student coaches will be expected to plan the daily workouts for their assigned team and monitor the progress of the other students. “We want to be able to pay students to do that or if not pay them, give them community service hours and give them gift certificates to allow them to purchase stuff to get them ready for life after high school,” said A.T. From breaking down the weaknesses of bad habits to building up strong minds and muscles, the Fit4Life program has enriched the lives of the students at John B. Connally High School, teaching them that there is much more to physical fitness than looking good in your swim suit over Spring Break. Out of the Box, Out of the Gym, Out of Your Mind Training. Naturally Fit 360 TV host Emily Talley had a great time shooting this fitness video with the expert trainers at FXFit. FXFit’s mission is to inspire others with their passion for health and fitness. Their purpose is to reach fitness goals while influencing spiritual, emotional, and physical well being. Their hope is to build a healthy community with one satisfied client at a time. Their training style focuses on circuits, core, and cardio; compound movements that require total body efficiency and core stabilization and a traditional yet unique approach to Isolation Training. 82 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT The Art of Strength Naturally Fit Welcome Art of Strength to the 2013 Naturally Fit Super Show! Naturally Fit 360 TV host Emily Talley, recently visited Punch Kettlebell’s North Austin Facility, where they feature Art of Strength Training. While there she got a sneak peak of what may be seen at their event in July. What is the Art of Strength Resolution Challenge? The Art of Strength Resolution Challenge is a competition open to all fitness enthusiasts. Created to determine how much weight you can move in 8 minutes of work using double kettlebells with 4 moves. Art of Strength will also offer 6 Kettlebell 101 sessions during the 2 days and will also host a free course for children that will test their strength, endurance, speed, agility, and metal fortitude. NATURALLY FIT March 2013 83 The Movement Challenge Naturally Fit Welcome Texas Parkour to the 2013 Naturally Fit Super Show Texas Parkour will hold The Movement Challenge this year the 2013 Naturally Fit Super Show. Naturally Fit 360 TV host Emily Talley was recently invited out to one of Texas Parkour’s indoor facilities to see what Parkour is all about. What is The Movement Challenge? The Movement Challenge is all about how fast and efficient you can move through obstacles. You will hang, swing, climb, jump and crawl, lift and carry with a lot of creativity. Think Ninja Warrior or MudRuns. The competition is open to any and all athletes, gymnasts, rock climbers, runners, crossfiter, boot campers and more. But only one winner will be crowned victorious as a true Practitioner of Movement! 84 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT PRFMx REHAB SYSTEM TM The PRFMx™ Rehab System is the most efficient and effective recovery system on the market. It’s designed to rehab your musculoskeletal injuries fast, yet delivers cutting edge performance results by unleashing your ultimate athletic potential. The goal, whether you’re in pain or need more power from your body remains the same; you achieve performance through movement and symmetry. CALL NOW to receive a FREE phone consultation from one of our doctors. Find out if the PRFMx™ Rehab System is right for you. (Scan the QR Code to auto dial or call 512.250.9799) 12701 Research Blvd., Suite 309 | Austin, Texas 78759 512.250.9799 | www.redlinesportstherapy.com NATURALLY FIT March 2013 85 “Healthy Foods” That Aren’t The Least Bit Healthy: JUICE W While it’s no secret that the pre-made juices you find on grocery store shelves are nothing more than glorified sugar-water with a slight grape flavor, many progressive parents have taken to juicing their own fruits and vegetables to satiate their children’s thirst. Others, who don’t have children but hold vegetables in the same regard as the average American five-yearold, have turned to juicing as a way to cheat the system and get their daily produce requirements met in one sitting. Now, as Emily will soon tell you, having the occasional juice on the side of your well-balanced lunch is not the end of the world. It’s when we see juice as a replacement for our vegetable intake, or even as a replacement for our lunch, that we start to get in to trouble. Many of you may have heard of the juice fast trend by now. This practice has been going on for ages, but in recent years it has caught the attention of the health and fitness crowd as a way to cleanse their body of toxins while getting all of their nutrients. As a journalist, I’ve always found that articles in which I torture myself 86 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT By Jordan Snyder and Emily Talley for the entertainment of my readers do well. So when I was writing for a magazine in Florida before moving to Austin, I decided to go on a 10-day juice fast and write about the experience. The “experience” was 10 days of slowly going insane, being in a constant state of hunger and starting to watch The Food Network like it was The Spice Channel. Honestly, anyone that tells you that they felt amazing while on their juice fast let the hunger go to their head and became completely delusional. That’s the only explanation. Sure, ten days of surviving on nothing but putrid green juice is a bit of an extreme example, but jamming two pounds of produce into a juicer and calling it lunch is becoming more and more common. While the farmers market haul that you just fit in to an 8-ounce glass may have just as many calories as solid food, much like grabbing a quick meal from your local Chinese restaurant to save a dime, you’ll be hungry in about an hour. As usual, I’ll let Emily hit you with a dose of reality. J Juicing is drinking your nutrients, which, if you’ve been keeping up with this column, I am not a fan of. To re-cap, when we drink nutrients, we bypass hunger signaling mechanisms that are normally turned on by the act of chewing. These mechanisms are in place to send messages to our body that consumption is happening and soon we will be full. This process does not occur in the same capacity when we drink our food, and therefore we are less satiated and more likely to over-consume. In other words, if you’re looking to pack on a few extra pounds as quickly as possible, try juicing! The main draw of juicing is that it takes more fruits and vegetables than is humanly possible to eat in one sitting just to make a single glass. So it follows that one would assume more produce equals more nutrients. As it’s my job to regularly give you folks a good ol’ fashioned nutritional reality check, I am here to tell you that, no, you haven’t found a loophole that allows you to knock out all of your fruit and vegetable servings in one sitting. Juicing takes a large amount of food and condenses it into a single, easy to swallow liquid serving. This can lead to overconsumption again, in particular overconsumption of carbohydrates, and in the case of juicing fruits, overconsumption of sugars. This occurs mostly when we juice fruits, but to some extent vegetables too. Dr. OZ’s “Green Drink” Ingredients: Apples Celery Cucumber Ginger Lemon Lime Parsley Spinach What’s the problem? 64g of carbs and 35g of sugar PER SERVING “But I ONLY juice vegetables!” Congratulations, you are one of the few. But even here you can get into a sticky situation. A juice recipe calling for carrots, garlic and parsley racks up nearly 30g of carbs and if you were to juice an entire bushel of greens you’re looking at almost 20g on their own. I am certainly not knocking the intense micronutrient load that leafy green vegetables pack, I simply want to point out that when condensed into an easyto-swallow liquid quickly, those healthy greens quickly turn into a high carbohydrate load. To add insult to injury, when vegetables and fruits are juiced, they are stripped of most of the fiber content and the nutrients contained in the fiber. Meaning we are actually missing out on a handful of nutrients AND we absorb more of the plants antioxidants when we consume them with the fiber of the plant. Suddenly, that juice isn’t going down so smoothly, is it? I do not think that all juicing is inherently evil. Some juicing can make its way into a perfectly healthy diet. If you are someone who has trouble consuming an adequate amount of veggies, then juicing could be for you. Even if it is lacking some of the fibrous nutrients, at least you are getting some of the benefits of vegetables as opposed to none. However, proceed with caution. A liquid lunch, no matter what the libation, is never a great idea. But if the thought of eating one more broccoli floret makes you curl up in the fetal position, feel free to bust out the juicer. Just be sure to drink your juice as part of a solid food diet and avoid adding copious amounts of fruit. So if you’re sitting at home, choking down a nice tall glass of kale juice, thinking that you beat the system, pour that green sludge down the drain and make yourself a salad. Not only will you get in a few servings of vegetables that will keep you from binge eating later on, you might even enjoy it. That’s more sugar than a SNICKERS BAR NATURALLY FIT March 2013 87 88 March 2013 NATURALLY FIT