Officially TPI Certified - Golf Fitness Instructor

As many of you know, I recently became a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor through the Titleist Performance Institute. Titleist is the leader in Golf Fitness education, drawing its curriculum from the world’s experts in sports performance.

As a TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor, I am trained to take golfers through a three-step process that is designed to improve their flexibility, strength and power, and eliminate any pain that might be hindering them on the course. 

Step 1: Screen – Using TPI’s cutting edge assessment process, I screen and identify limitations in the body as they relate to the golf swing.

Step 2: Prescribe – Based on the TPI screen results, I’m trained to develop highly individualized Golf Performance Programs designed to eliminate swing faults (and the physical limitations that contribute to them) for good.

Step 3: Implement – Building on over 7 years as a C.H.E.K (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) Practitioner and Nutrition Coach, I teach clients the most effective stretches, mobilizations and exercises to help them reach their maximum potential. At this stage I also take clients through highly individualized Nutrition and Stress Management Programs, both of which have a profound effect on golf performance.    

Maybe you’re not a golfer. Maybe you just want to get rid of your nagging knee pain and hit the slopes again this winter. Because the foundation of the TPI curriculum is based on the work of some of the most advanced experts in the areas of functional movement and sports medicine, the TPI screen can help you, too. Feel free to email me with inquiries. 

A New Years Resolution You Can Stick With

We've all had a New Year's resolution at some point in our lives. You decide to make a change, you tell your friends about it, you write it down. A few months pass and you realize you've made that change. You feel better. And then....the inevitable happens: you backslide. Then, most likely, you feel bad about yourself and give up. Why is it that resolutions fail? Quite simply, we resist change. Our body does not distinguish between a good change (I'm going to lose weight!) and a bad change. It just resists change. 

According to George Leonard in Mastery, in order to make a change for life, we have to understand that our body will resist change. That awareness, he claims, helps us deal with the inevitable backslides that arise while we are on the path to change. So what can you do when you feel yourself starting to slip? Maybe you made a commitment to exercise and you skipped a few days. Instead of using that as an excuse to quit entirely, get back on the path of consistency. And how do you make something consistent in your life? Resolution Tip #1: Make it a ritual. Many surgeons, for example, perform the same rituals before going into surgery. They wash their hands and put on their gowns in the same way each time to rid their minds of outside concerns and focus on the task at hand.  So let's say you've committed to start working out. Try to do it at the same time each day, try putting music on while you're getting ready, get a fresh green juice right after your workout, come home and take a nice shower. These little rituals help solidify your resolution as part of your daily life. Resolution Tip #2: Develop a support system. Whether it's your trainer, nutrition coach or friends who are also trying a gluten-free diet, a support system is proven to keep you in line with your resolution. Why? Because as humans we like the feeling of being apart, together. We like to be independent but know that we are part of a team. Just knowing that there are others with similar goals will help you when you start to backslide, and encourage you when you stay on track. And finally, Resolution Tip #3: Give yourself a deadline. While health and fitness is a lifelong practice, it is without question that you will do better with tangible, reasonable deadlines in place. Within the larger goal of losing weight for example, you could commit to working out three days a week for the next eight weeks. These smaller, more accessible goals will inspire you to stay on course, and keep you from feeling overwhelmed, or feeling like your ultimate goal is too far out of reach. 

So....Want a more specific new years resolution you can stick to? 

Eat A Real Breakfast! 

Want a great resolution that will help you lose weight AND feel better? Get over the idea of eating traditional "breakfast foods" as the first meal of the day and instead, make your breakfast look like lunch or dinner. While we've been trained that cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and granola are "healthy" breakfast foods, the truth is that all of these breakfast options are one thing to our bodies: sugar. Our bodies don't know the difference between lunch, dinner or breakfast. Starting your day out with pancakes (even if they are gluten-free), fruit, dairy and grains sets the insulin tone for the rest of the day. In other words, what you choose to eat for breakfast has a profound impact on your food choices, energy levels and ability to burn fat as fuel for the next 12 hours. 

I want to eat better for breakfast but those foods just don't appeal to me! 

To most people who are new to a traditional diet, breakfast poses the biggest challenge. They know they need to eat a full meal, but the only thing that is appealing to them in the morning is toast or granola. Reaching for these foods in the morning is nothing more than a bad habit. You reach for them because you've been reaching for them every day for the last ten years. Pay attention the next time you watch TV or flip through a magazine. Breakfast foods are one of the most advertised foods in existence. Why? Because people are rushed and need something easy to eat, and it doesn't get much easier than opening up a box of cereal. 

We have been conditioned to believe that we want something sweet or bland in the morning, but just like at lunch and dinner time, our body wants protein, fat and vegetables at breakfast. What's the best way to break a bad habit? Stop buying bad breakfast foods. In order to start this new, healthier habit, it's time to get rid of all other breakfast options from your pantry. In fact, you shouldn't even want to eat something that can survive in a pantry! 

Ok, I won't eat cereal but I also don't have time to cook. I'll just skip breakfast! 

Skipping breakfast is also a really bad idea if you're interested in losing weight. Simply put, when you skip breakfast, your body believes you are starving, and consequently, you become more likely to store your next meal as body fat. So if you don't want to wear your lunch, eat your breakfast. Even though mornings are hectic, giving yourself just 15 extra minutes to cook up a quick and easy breakfast in the morning can make all of the difference when it comes to your fat loss goals. 

What should breakfast look like? A vegetable, a fat and a protein. 

Because many of you are in a rush in the morning, a simple way to get vegetables into your diet is to make a quick scramble. Here's my favorite recipe (plus the total cooking time is 10 minutes). 

Grated Zucchini, Sausage and Egg Scramble:

Put one tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. While the coconut oil is heating up, use a cheese grater to grate 1/2 of a zucchini. Once grated, press the zucchini with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Cut up a Prather Ranch (or other high quality) sausage and sauté it along with the zucchini until both start to brown (a few minutes). Whisk one or two eggs together and pour into the pan, stirring the mixture until the eggs are fully cooked. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and enjoy. Really in a rush? You can easily grate the zucchini the night before. 

Fun nutrition fact: Zucchini is incredibly high in vitamin A, making it a powerful immune booster. It also contains high levels of potassium, which is an essential mineral for organ, tissue and cell function.  

Here's to a healthy and happy 2013! 

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." -Goethe

How To Never Gain A Holiday Pound Again

The holidays are here and many of you are headed out of town...but don't forget to take your good exercise and nutrition habits with you! Here are a few tips to help ensure you start 2013 on the right track (and without extra padding). 

Read the labels: Avoiding sugar might sound easy, but since sugar is often hidden in foods, you have to become a bit of a label detective to eat right on the road. Many of the bars and other grab-and-go snack items in airports are loaded with sugars, artificial sweeteners and other processed ingredients that lead to weight gain and bloating. Be especially leery of foods marked "gluten free" or "low carbohydrate" -- they are most often desserts dressed up as health foods. Here are some common "hidden" sugars to be on the lookout for: sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltrose, lactose, glucose, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, brown-rice syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice and corn sweetener. How do you avoid getting stuck with one of these dessert bars for lunch? Instead of leaving your snack in the hands of the airport gods, plan ahead and bring a high-quality, real food with you for that long drive or flight, such as Prather Ranch's beef jerky, turkey slices with avocado or even packs of easy-to-carry-on Artisana coconut butter (I recently found some at Whole Foods). 

Make the best possible choice: It's pretty hard to commit to not having any dessert over the holidays. But it feels even worse to go completely off your diet plan. Instead, simply make the best possible decision given your choices. Let's say your in-laws have gluten-free cookies, ice cream and dark chocolate to choose from for dessert.  Choose the dark chocolate! It's rich, highly satiating, and won't throw you into insulin overdrive the way grains (even gluten-free ones) can. As a second choice, I would go with ice cream (preferably organic). Even though it has sugar and dairy, ice cream is a better choice than a baked good because it is high in quality fats, does not contain grains, and is highly satiating (meaning you need to eat less to feel full). 

Take 20 minutes for yourself: Nothing feels worse than not making the time to take care of yourself. Many of you might feel selfish leaving your family to head out for a walk or a sprint, but taking the time to look after yourself will actually allow you to be more present and calm for your loved ones. I know what you're thinking: Is 20 minutes enough time to get a good workout in? Yes! Burst training, which requires minimal equipment, is the easiest and most time efficient way to keep your metabolism revved while on the road. Interestingly enough, the more you take care of your body, the more you want to take care of your body. Something as simple as heading out to do some sprints around the block can actually help you make better choices when it comes time for dinner. 

Hydrate: Travel, cold weather, alcohol, stress (and just generally being out of your usual routine) all lead to dehydration! Make sure you drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily AND avoid tap water as much as possible. Just the slightest dehydration leads to increased cortisol, lethargy, false hunger and weight gain. 

Check in: Let's say you ate something that you regret. It happens. You feel bad that the in-laws went through the trouble of making gluten-free biscuits, or maybe your aunt's dessert was too hard to resist. So check in for a few minutes. How do you feel? Instead of beating yourself up, use this moment to collect information. With just a little attention, what you notice might surprise you, such as: "After five weeks of not having grains, I had grains and instantly had to take a nap" or "After two months of not having dairy, I ate it and my indigestion came back." By taking note of how these foods make you feel, you're setting yourself up to more effortlessly avoid them in the future.

Cheers to a happy holiday and a very healthy 2013! 

Winter Playlist

Holistic Fitness Winter Playlist 

1. Vacationer - Good as New
2. The Knocks - Dancing with the DJ
3. Green Day - Let Yourself Go
4. Bag Raiders - Turbo Love
5. Jaydiohead - Fall in Step
6. Hot Chip - Motion Sickness 
7. Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth 
8. Grum - Heartbeats
9. Miami Horror - I Look to You
10. Jaydiohead - Reckoner's Encore 

Is A Juice Cleanse Right for You?

It's the week after Thanksgiving and many of you might still be feeling weighed down from the dessert, alcohol, grains and other foods that potentially crept into your diet (thanks a lot, Aunt Betty).  Perhaps you feel a little bloated and heavy, or maybe just a bit lethargic....could a juice cleanse make you feel better?

There's a lot of confusion about juice cleanses, as juice shops are popping up on every corner, mixing concoctions that claim to target everything from your mental acuity to your immune system. But what few people understand is that a diet composed only of juice, even for a few days, actually does more harm than good. So here you have it, the most common myths surrounding juice cleanses, and some truths to clear up the confusion behind those cute labels.

Myth: Juice cleanses make you lose weight!

Fact: Juice cleanses cause weight gain. Remember, the scale temporarily going down does not mean that it won't jump back up! When you go on a juice cleanse, you put less calories into your body than it takes to merely survive. Did you know that the average woman needs 1500 calories just to function for one day? When a body gets less calories than it requires to live, it starts to think it's going to die, which leads to increased adrenaline and cortisol, also known as going into "fight or flight" mode. So that feeling of lightness and mental clarity is more likely brought to you by an excess of adrenaline than a cup of beet juice. Similar to the runner's high, this state could easily be called the starver's high. And any weight that you lose in starvation mode you will very quickly put back on (and then some) as soon as the "cleanse" is over. 

Myth: I feel great when I'm juicing! It must be working for me.

Fact: Ask most people who claim to feel better on a juice cleanse what they were eating before the cleanse started. Protein bars? Tofu? Oatmeal? Candy? Most people who claim to feel better on a juice cleanse are really reacting to the lack of gluten, sugar, soy, dairy and other gut-irritating foods they usually eat. Or they are catching a buzz off of the short-lived starver's high.

Myth: Juice cleanses help you detox!

Fact: Amino acids, such as glutamine, glycine, taurine, etc. (also known as the building blocks of protein) are absolutely vital in the detoxification process within the body. Without ample supplies of these amino acids, your body cannot complete the detoxification/elimination process effectively. We store our toxins in body fat. Anyone  looking to lose body fat should want a highly efficient detoxification process. On a juice cleanse, because you aren't getting enough calories, you start to mobilize some body fat, re-introducing stored toxins into your system. But with only fruit and vegetable juice coming in, you lack the proper nutrients to eliminate these toxins, which puts the body under even more stress.

If you're really interested in detoxing, only eat organic foods, cut grains out of your diet, limit your exposure to plastic containers, switch out your toxic home products to green ones, limit your alcohol consumption, increase your saturated fat intake (via healthy animal fat or coconut oil, for example) and exercise to get things moving.

Myth: Of course my cleanse is healthy, it's only fruit and vegetable juice!

Fact: Most of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are in the skin and pulp, which is discarded in most juices. Juice is a more sugary, less nutritious version of the real thing. Did you know that fresh apple juice has four times more sugar than one apple?

So when and how can you incorporate juices into your diet?

Use a VitaMix and juice greens: VitaMix is a high quality juicer that does not remove the fiber from fruits and vegetables. I also suggest making your juices mostly vegetables (and adding some lemon, ginger and herbs such as parsley) to keep the glycemic index down. If you must add fruit, try a green apple, which is relatively low in sugar.

Add fat and/or bone broth: I like to add coconut oil (or have Plant Cafe add it for me!) or bone broth to
my fresh vegetable juices, making them more of a balanced snack than a carb bomb.

Have a juice after eating protein and fat: Say you had a nice grass-fed steak with some avocado and still felt hungry. Perfect time for a vegetable juice.

Final tip: Chew your liquid and drink your food. If you drink a juice, make sure you take the time to swoosh it around in your mouth rather than gulping it down. Because the digestive process starts in the mouth, this little trick will ensure that you prepare your body to effectively metabolize the juice.

What I'm Eating: Beef Bavette with Red Onions and Chimichurri Sauce, Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Get thee to BiRite

Happy Halloween! And Go Giants! With all of this celebration, chaos and candy, you might find it difficult to stay on track with healthy eating this week. But as you all know, the best way to avoid eating bad foods is to have good foods (really good foods) readily available. So here are two vitamin-packed, fat-burning recipes that I love as dinner AND as leftovers for lunch (and even breakfast!) the next day. You'll find that both of these recipes are incredibly quick and easy, giving you more time to workout, spend time with your kids and take your dogs to the beach. The soup takes a little over an hour, but of course can be prepared ahead of time, and the bavette takes only about 20 minutes to prepare. 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup:

Soup is the perfect food for boosting your immune system, and fighting off the common cold and flu. I love to add a bit of coconut oil to any soup for added immune support, and a good dose of healthy fat.

What You'll Need:

1 medium-head cauliflower (roughly 1 3/4 lbs), separated into 1-inch florets
1 medium onion
32 oz organic chicken stock (fresh is best, such as from Bi-Rite or Prather Ranch...or homemade!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Ground pepper
Parsley

Drizzle the cauliflower florets with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and spread them evenly on a large-rimmed backing sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees until the florets are tender and golden. Meanwhile, sauté your chopped onion in a pan with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent and aromatic. Add the roasted cauliflower and the onion to the chicken stock, and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the simmering is complete, use an immersion blender (or food processor) to blend the soup into a rich and creamy texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to garnish my soup with fresh herbs for an extra kick of flavor, and find that parsley blends wonderfully into the nutty flavor of the cauliflower in this soup. And if you're looking to add even more flavor, add a dollop of Green Valley Organics' Lactose Free Sour Cream on top just before you add your parsley. Similar to whipping cream, this sour cream simply contains the healthy fat and none of the lactose that causes the inflammatory reaction most people experience from milk products. 

Health Tip: Cauliflower is loaded with antioxidants (namely vitamin C and manganese) and has been proven to aid in the detoxification process within the body, significantly lowering the risk of cancer.

Pan-Fried Bavette Steak with Red Onions and Chimichurri Sauce (from BiRite's cookbook, Eat Good Food)

Chimichurri sauce hails from Argentina, and tastes a bit like a vinegary pesto. Its bright, herby notes bring an unexpected freshness to the richness of the steak. You can buy the sauce freshly-made from BiRite, or simply make your own. 

What You'll Need:

1 1/2 lbs of grass-fed bavette steak (flank or skirt steak will also do)
Sea salt
Ground pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4 inch rings
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large bunch of parsley, stems removed
1/2 large bunch of cilantro, stems removed
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

Sprinkle the salt and pepper over your steak and set aside until it comes to room temperature.
To make the chimichurri sauce, put the garlic in a blender or food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Tear the parsley and cilantro into 2 or 3 inch lengths, and add to the processor, along with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Puree until smooth. Add more salt or vinegar if needed. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet (you might wish to use coconut oil, which is safer at higher heats) over medium-high heat. When the pan is smoking, add the steaks and cook undisturbed for at least two minutes. Lower the heat if they are browning too quickly, and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on your preferred doneness. Remove the steaks from the skillet, cover with foil, and let rest while you cook the red onions. To cook the onions, add a little more oil to the pan along with the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally, until they become soft and golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar to the onions and cook, stirring until the vinegar has evaporated and the onions are soft. 

Slice the steaks across the grain into 1/2 inch thick strips, and top with the sautéed onions and chimichurri sauce. Enjoy! 

Remember: The healthiest snack doesn't come in a package....it's a mini version of a meal! These two dishes make the perfect leftovers, and are sure to keep your blood sugar regulated and your hand out of the candy jar.

What I'm Eating: Grass-Fed Beef Taco Bowls

Let's face it: a big hunk of meat and a side of vegetables gets old quick. I find ground meat to be the perfect cure for hunk-o-meat boredom, so I headed over to BiRite, took a look around and decided to make some grass-fed beef taco bowls for dinner. Tacos are an incredibly easy meal to cook that's family friendly, delicious and perfect for those of you who are on a grain-free, dairy-free diet. Use the right ingredients and I promise you, you won't miss the tortilla.

What You'll Need:

1 lb Grass-Fed Ground Beef (Incredibly fresh from Bi-Rite or my other go-to, Prather Ranch)1/2 Yellow Onion1 Green Pepper1 Bunch of CilantroGuacamole or Avocado SlicesTaco Seasoning (Sea salt, Pepper, Ground Cumin, Oregano, Garlic Powder and Chili Powder)


Slice the onion and green pepper and sauté them on medium heat in either olive or coconut oil (you won't taste the coconut later, and it's a great source of healthy fat). Once the vegetables have cooked for a few minutes, add the grass-fed beef, stir and let cook for about 7 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. Before you remove it from the heat, season the taco filling with sea salt, pepper, oregano, ground cumin and chili powder (alternatively, Whole Foods sells taco seasoning packets that are salt-free, non-GMO and gluten-free). Serve the taco filling in a bowl and garnish with guacamole or salsa and freshly cut cilantro. Full of healthy fats from the beef and avocado, and loaded with vitamin C from the green peppers, this meal is sure to please your appetite and fix your "same old meat and veg" boredom.