Tis' The Season To Be Thankful!

This is the time of the year when you should be saying Thank you and showing love to one another. If you look on T.V. and go shopping it seems that the Holiday spirit has left us. Rude shoppers, angry employer's and bad customer service. I believe we have forgotten the

spirit of the holiday season. So as the CEO of Live In Fit I want to say a personal thank you to each and everyone of our clients. If you have ever been to a bootcamp with us we want you to know you are appreciated. Sometimes I want to break down and cry  with gratitude because you have so many places to choose from where to workout and who to trust and you chose Live In Fit. We want to always be respectful and faithful to our clients. We want you to feel that we give you 100% of ourselves all the time. 

So as we prepare for the Holiday season know that your Live In Fit family loves and adores you! I personal and honored to be apart of such a strong minded, giving, and dedicated group of people. May God bless each and everyone of you in this up year.

To Trick or Treat?

Healthy Halloween advice for children with diabetes

Hello everyone,

October came and went didn't it? I hope everyone is doing well and keeping up with their fitness goals. Thought a lot about what to write for the blog, and I wanted to share some helpful tips for parents out there that are wondering how to handle Halloween with children who are diabetic. 

I hope you enjoy the advice and the holidays! Be safe!

Alycia

According to Dr. Kenneth McCormick, a pediatric endocrinologist and senior scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Diabetes Center, children with diabetes "can enjoy Halloween and enjoy some of the sweets the holiday offers -- within reason."

"We give parents and kids three options and let them decide how they want to handle Halloween and the sweets that come with it," he explained.

The first option is to count carbohydrates. A child tracks how many carbohydrates he or she consumes and takes, for example, one unit of insulin for every 15 to 20 grams of carbs.

"This is an easy option for kids on an insulin pump because they can just dial in an extra dose of insulin to compensate for what they are about to eat. But for kids that take shots, this could prove to be more difficult or inconvenient if they have to go to the school nurse for an extra dose," McCormick said.

The second option is to exchange candy for other goodies.

"Parents can trade the child a gift, money or low-carb snack for their candy. Parents also can provide a substitute snack for their child if a Halloween party at school is an issue," McCormick said. "We have been advising parents to do this for many, many years, and it is a solution that continues to work."

The third option is saving Halloween treats for dessert after dinner.

"By incorporating a sugary treat into mealtime, when a child would normally get a dose of insulin, it eliminates the need for adding doses to their regimen," McCormick said.

All the answers to your questions!

So we asked you all to submit all the questions you had for our special guest speaker, Nutritionist Miss Dareen, and she gave us the answers to your questions. So here they are!

1. What is whole durum wheat flour? And is it good for you? A lot of noodles say they are made with that.
Durum wheat is a kind of wheat that is ground to make durum wheat flour. Yes, it is good for you because it is a "whole" grain, which has various nutrients plus fiber. Always choose 100% whole grains when possible. The reason why it is usually used to make pasta is because it is dense and strong enough to hold the noodle form (it is also high in protein).


2. I'm confused about different types of fats like saturated, trans, etc. Can you help clarify?
Saturated fat is mostly found in animal products (meats and dairy products including whole fat milk and butter). We need a little saturated fat, which we usually get from healthier fats that have a little bit of saturated fat. Too much of this fat ends up as plaque on our arteries, which is why it is linked to heart disease.

Trans fatty acids are man made as fats that are liquid at room temperature (oils) have hydrogen added to them to make them solid at room temperature (margarine, crisco, found in many processed snack foods). This hydrogenation prolongs the shelf life of foods and is cheaper as an ingredient but it has been linked to increased the bad cholesterol in the blood and therefore, increasing risk for heart disease.

Unsaturated fats (mono and poly)- liquid at room temperature so these will be found in oils, as well as nuts, seeds, fish and avocado. These are the healthier fats that do the reverse of saturated and trans (they lower bad cholesterol, which lowers your risk of heart disease).

The American Heart Association has great information if you would like to know more: www.heart.org

3. What is the best way to substitute carbs?
Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient! You shouldn't necessarily be looking to replace it. Simply choose whole grains, vegetables and fruits to ensure you are consuming quality carbohydrates that provide a lot of nutrients and fiber.

Note: carbohydrates are the preferred fuel for your body (it is like putting gas in your car) and your brain runs solely on them! Without them, your body produces ketone bodies to give the brain the energy it requires and too much of those can lead to health problems.

4. What are the best low-glycemic fruits?
Glycemic Index is based on the consumption of 50 grams of a particular food. However, when choosing a small apple or a banana or a piece of watermelon, the portions vary and therefore the index is no longer a valuable tool. If you are a diabetic, consult with your doctor or diabetic educator about glycemic load, which provides better information.

That said, if you are not a diabetic and are just concerned with your blood sugar levels and fruit consumption, remember that fruit comes packaged with fiber and in a way that changes how a body absorbs the sugar (unlike a soda that is just pure sugar).

5. How much protein should I aim for in each meal? Ounces, etc.
Protein recommendations will depend on your gender and your body weight. Click on the following link:www.choosemyplate.gov

Put in your age, gender, height, weight and activity level and you will get a recommended caloric intake with recommended portions for each food group including protein. Once you have that info, you can divide the recommended ounces by the number of meals you typically consume and that will give you an estimated number of ounces per meal. Example: 6 ounces of protein divided by 3 meals would be about 2 ounces per meal. The website also provides info on what counts as an ounce.

A simpler recommendation would be to make 1/2 your plate vegetables and fruits, 1/4 protein and 1/4 whole grains. Balance and varitey is key.

Hope this helps!

6. Are the carbs in fruit as bad for you as carbs in bread/pasta/rice? Do they act the same nutritionally?
Carbs are not bad for you. See information in the answer to a similar question above.

Carbohydrates in various foods (grains, fruits, and vegetables) come packaged with different vitamins, minerals, fiber and even phytochemicals. That is how they differ. However, once consumed, a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate.

7. What is the difference between white sugar and brown sugar?
Mostly texture and flavor. One doesn't not offer nutrients over the other and they have the same calories per gram.

8. What are good carbs?
Whole grains (make sure the ingredient list states that it is 100% whole), vegetables, and fruits are the best sources of carbs that are nutritious.

9.What kind of bread should I eat?
One that is a whole grain (make sure the ingredient list states that it is 100% whole).

10. How much water should I drink?
A nice estimate I like to use is: Drink half your weight in ounces. If you are 140 pounds, aim for about 70 ounces.

11. Are the juices good for you in the stores?
Ideally, you want to eat the actual fruit so that you can consume the fiber and all the nutrients that are in the skin and structure of the fruit. If you do consume fruit juice, always choose 100% fruit juices and read the labels to make sure the ingredients in your orange juice, for example, is just oranges.

Go as natural as possible!

12. Is frozen food good if it is healthy choice?
Packaged foods are going to be higher in sodium and might have some preservatives. Read the label, if you can't pronounce the ingredients, do not eat it. If the ingredient list is super long, put it back!

Career Day

Here are a few letters that the students at 109th Elementary School sent to us after we attended their annual Career Day! We here at Live In Fit feel that it's important to educate students about the importance of fitness and living a healthy lifestyle so they can pass on the knowledge to the future generations. I hope you enjoy the pictures and letters!

Check out some more photos from that day!

Fourth of July Rules to Eat by!

Hello All, June was a great month for me. First my eldest daughter E'lise turned 5 and graduated from preschool. I am so proud of her, we had a big party for her and she loved it. I still can't believe I have a 5 year old. Time flies!! I have been very busy upgrading the website with our Live In Fit Team. I am so blessed to have such awesome people supporting us. We have a new online nutrition plan rolling out in July and much much more. Please read all the emails we send out this month. July is going to an amazing month for Live In Fit and all of our clients. Be ready to receive tons of gifts and opportunities.

I wanted to share this information with you as we approach the 4th of July. Here are 5 tips on foods to stay away from or consume in moderation. Well enjoy your 4th and I'll talk to you all soon!!

When it comes to your diet, nutritionists never say "never." "We don't talk anymore about foods that you can't eat," says Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant to the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics. "You have to learn how to include everything in your diet with balance and moderation." In other words, staying active and eating a otherwise healthy diet will allow you to enjoy the occasional Ho Ho without getting arrested by the food police. We asked nutrition experts to name the "consume with caution" foods and give tips on how to enjoy them responsibly. Search the list below to find out if your particular weakness comes with a restraining order.

1. Fried foods (French fries, chicken-fried steak, egg rolls)

They're super high in saturated fat, a first-class artery clogger. Frying also adds a ton of calories without adding any nutrients, says Kleiner.

Rule to eat by: Try to limit your saturated fat intake to no more than 10 percent of your total calories.

2. "Fake" foods (anything with Olestra in it, loads of sugar in place of fat)

 "If you live an active lifestyle and you are eating a balanced diet, then you can indulge in the real thing on occasion," says Kleiner. Also, keep in mind that nonfat or low-fat doesn't mean non-caloric, says Ellen Coleman, R.D., at the Sport Clinic in Riverside, California. "It's not a license to overeat."

Rule to eat by: Instead of devouring the whole cake or entire bag of chips, eat one serving (a slice, 10 to 20 chips) and save the rest for later.

3. Artificially sweetened products (diet sodas, low-calorie yogurt

"People think diet sodas are the be-all and end-all," says Keith Ayoob, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “It's okay to have them,” says Ayoob, "but when you use them to replace other, more nutritional drinks, like milk, that's a concern."

Rule to eat by: Again, if you're active, there's no need to avoid sugar, just eat it in moderation, adds Kleiner. Give yourself one sweet treat a day; ditto for artificially sweetened foods.

4. Palm and coconut oils, shortening

These oils are the worst kind of saturated fat and shortening is a trans fat, the bottom of the fat barrel.

Rule to eat by: Again, they should make up no more than 10 percent of your daily fat intake. At the very least, replace them with heart-healthy olive or vegetable oils instead.



5. Gooey, sticky candy (think caramels, taffy)



Anyone who's ever gotten their teeth stuck in one of these knows they're bad for your pearly whites. "People suffer from terrible dental problems as a result of sucking on these all day long," says Kleiner.

Rule to eat by: Brush your teeth—and let your dental bill be your guide.

Hope you all have a fun and safe fourth of July! 

Family Time

What is up with me,

Well I wanted to tell you what Live In Fit is up to these days.  We have been growing and attending a lot of seminars to be on the cutting edge to better our staff and clients. We have also been working with a few fast food chains  in creating a healthier meal for your kids. Last but not least our corporate wellness programs are doing awesome! We start back again in June training Kaiser at some of their locations in the Los Angeles  area.  Over all it has been a very exciting few months for Live In Fit and I am very excited about where we are going!

Now on to the real story!  A month ago I had some family members staying at my house for a week. In that week I learned a great deal about my little girls and their eating habits. My family does not eat very healthy and they decided to bring all kinds of cookies, chips, soda, and other snacks into my house. I told them I do not like to have those kinds of foods in my house but they said they were going to change my kids to become "normal". 

So one day they took my girls to McDonald’s and bought them a chicken nugget happy meal. From that moment on my eldest daughter E’lise fell in love with McDonald's. I have taken her there before but just for a hamburger or fries not an entire happy meal. And that was fine with me until now. By day three my cousin had taken her kids to eat fast food every night and my girls wanted some too, even though I was cooking dinner. I sat down with my cousins kids and said, "why do like fast food so much? Aren’t you tired of it?" They told me it was fast and cheap and it was something their mom could afford. At that moment I decided to change everything.

The next morning I took all the kids to the grocery store. They learned a lot about shopping and buying healthier things that you can afford. We came home and cooked lunch and started on dinner too. We were all in the kitchen sharing real family time. I must admit that they were very nervous on how the food would taste.  Well it came out delicious and they loved it. We had such a good time that they wanted to cook every night and morning. So we did a homemade meal everyday. 

Now I know that not everyone can cook every night  and such, but what we did do is marinate food for the next meal. Then we added the greens and veggies so the meals were very colorful and healthy. One night we made chicken nuggets for E'lise but we used a very healthy recipe and baked the fries and used a ketchup that did not have high fructose corn syrup. By the end of the week we were eating fruits, veggies, nuts, and very little chips, cookies, and soda.

All in all I learned if you take the time to teach your kids how to be better and live healthier they will listen. In one week I saw my cousin's family take leaps and bounds towards living a healthier lifestyle. The TV was turned off and her teenagers were talking to her again because they started spending real time with their mom. They saw that their mom was taking the time out to teach them how to better themselves and I believe we all grew as a family that week.

I would love for you to share a story with me on how you helped your kids eat healthy and how your family creates family time. 

In the battle to stay fit as we age, it's athletics versus genetics. Here's how to cheat.

Hair: By age 55, at least 50 percent of men and women are about 50 percent gray.

Fit fix: Sorry, only lifting a bottle of hair dye can help this one.

Eyes: After age 45, at least 90 percent of men and women have trouble focusing at close range.
Fit fix: Wear sunglasses outdoors; if you work at a computer, periodically look away and focus on something in the distance: massage closed eyes with a warm paper towel or washcloth.

Heart: At age 25, the average man's maximum heart rate is approximately 193 beats per minute; a woman's, 195. Your maximum heart rate declines by about one beat per year. Max heart rate = 205 - 1/2 age (for men); 220 - age (for women).
Fit fix: Regular aerobic exercise, three to five days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, will help keep your heart healthy.



Lungs: After age 25, the body's maximal oxygen consumption (the amount of oxygen it is able to absorb and use from each breath) decreases about 1 percent a year in sedentary individuals.
Fit fix: Regular aerobic exercise and resistance training will help preserve—if not improve—your body's efficiency and endurance.

Muscle: At 25, men start to lose six to seven lbs. of fat-free mass per decade; women, four to five lbs. per decade. At the same time, body fat increases by 2 to 3 percent for men, and 3.5 to 5 percent for women. Take the two together and you end up with a 5 percent decrease in men's and women's metabolism per decade.
Fit fix: Watch your diet and boost your calorie burning through exercise, especially strength training.

Flexibility: Men and women achieve peak range of motion in their mid- to late 20s. After that, flexibility drops due to joint and muscle degeneration and inactivity.
Fit fix: Stretch for a minimum of five to 10 minutes at least two or three times a week.

Bones: Most men and women attain peak bone mass somewhere between 25 and 35. After this point, women lose bone at a rate of 1 percent per year (men lose bone more slowly). Women typically lose up to 20 percent of their bone by age 65; men, 10 to 15 percent.
Fit fix: Weight-bearing exercise and circuit weight training (along with adequate mineral intake) can increase bone strength and mass.

Hey there!

Hello all, Here is some of my research and thoughts on energy drinks. I hope you all are doing well and I can wait to see everyone at one of the Live In Fit workouts. Take care never stop reaching for your goals!!

While it is true that sports drinks – like Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Propel, etc. – have been shown to rehydrate the body better than water in certain situations because of their electrolyte content, they can easily undermine a fitness program when used incorrectly. For those training for endurance events like marathons or high-impact team sports, sports drinks can aid in recovery from intense training. But for the average exerciser – who works out for sessions of 90 minutes or less – sports drinks merely replace the calories burned during exercise, therefore undermining a weight-loss program. So stick to water, drinking plenty in the hours before you exercise and immediately following, and you’ll have all the nourishment you need.

Highly caffeinated energy drinks - such as Red Bull, Go-Fast! and Monster - market themselves as sources of increased energy and concentration. Their websites feature high-flying motorcyclists and upside-down skateboarders as dynamic embodiments of all that concentrated energy.

But are these drinks good for you? Maher Karam-Hage, M.D., an addiction specialist at the University of Michigan Health System, raises some concerns about the beverages, particularly when they are mixed with alcohol, ingested before intensive exercise or used by children.

"In the United States, these energy drinks have not had any warnings. In Europe, it's been more cautionary," says Karam-Hage, medical director of the Chelsea-Arbor Treatment Center, a joint program of the U-M Health System and Chelsea Community Hospital. He notes that France has banned some of the drinks and other countries have placed restrictions on them. "In this country, our advertisements for these drinks and the marketing are ahead of the science."

The energy drinks typically contain sugar, caffeine (often 80 mg per can, about the same as a cup of coffee), and taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid. Some countries have raised concerns about the amount of caffeine in the drinks and the uncertain health effects of taurine. Energy drinks are different from sports drinks, which tend not to have caffeine or taurine and are lower in carbohydrates.

Until next time

Remember to Live In Fit,

Alycia