Quick Kettlebell Workout

Is difficult for you to find the time to work out? One of the great things about kettlebells is that you can do a really effective workout in a short amount of time. Kettlebells work the entire body and this means you get total body conditioning. 

Use the following quick kettlebell workout when you are short of time.

Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Allow 20 seconds rest in between sets. Total time is less than 15 minutes.

• Turkish getup 3x3 (3 on consecutive get-ups one side, then 3 on the other)
• Hand-to-hand swings (switching hands after each swing) 3x25
• Snatches 3x10 (on ea. side)

Don’t let time be your excuse. We all have the same number of hours in our day. Make time for exercise, even if it is only a little bit. 

How to make working out a habit

If you can make working out a habit, you will have the recipe for success whatever your goals might be: climbing 10 flights of stairs, running a half marathon, pressing your own bodyweight, completing a kettlebell challenge or losing 10 pounds. Having a results-oriented goal is good. Having a habit goal is even better. It will ensure you make progress.

If there is one secret to physical fitness success, it is consistency in training. Put a different way, fitness must become a habit, like brushing your teeth. You never miss. How do you achieve this? By making it a lifestyle choice.

Here are some tips to make this happen:

Make your goal realistic. Make it small enough that you’re sure you can achieve it. For example, "I will run for 15 minutes every day". Or, "I will practice push ups for 5 minutes every day". This is more achievable than I will do 10 perfect push ups in a row by the end of the year. The time you spend practicing, and the frequency are within your control but the outcome of your practice isn’t.

Make it frequent enough to become a habit. Working out for an hour twice a week is excellent but less likely to stick than working out for twenty minutes every weekday.

Make the time spent workable. If one hour five days a week is overwhelming, it won't stick. Pare it down to a manageable window.

Find a trigger that will prompt you to do the work. For example, every day when you get home from work, you work out. This way, you attach your workout habit to your existing habit of arriving at home after a day at the office. Or, you may want to work out before dinner, before work, or at lunchtime. Plan to do it before, during or after something you already do as a matter of course.

Find someone to take the journey with you. Having a partner who has the same goals can help with motivation. Being part of a workout community can make a big difference. Working out with others is always better than working out alone when it comes to building habits. Maybe you need a trainer to keep you motivated. Whatever works for you; including somebody in your plan will make it more likely to succeed. 

And remember consistency - not intensity, not volume, not frequency - is the key to success!

Frequent colds and food intolerance

Holistic nutrition is based on the reality that each individual is unique. And that wise food choices prevent disease and certain foods act as a medicine for those already ill. The best foods for an individual depend on that person’s unique biochemical makeup. Foods considered healthy for the general population can act like poisons in those who have sensitivities to them. For many it is hard to accept that food choices can have devastating consequences.

Undiagnosed food sensitivities affect more than half the population, though many are unaware that their symptoms are being caused by inappropriate food choices. They go from one practitioner to another seeking answers only to be told it is all in their head.

Food sensitivities can be difficult to pin down because sensitivity reactions can mimic almost any ailment and affect almost any organ or tissue in the body. Food sensitivities is an umbrella term that encompasses two different responses: allergies and intolerances. A food allergy is an unnatural immune reaction to a specific protein in a food that is otherwise harmless to most people. The body builds antibodies to these foreign proteins, and the battle between the antibodies and the invader results in side effects that damage nearby tissues.

An intolerance on the other hand is an inability of the body to digest or metabolize a particular food constituent, resulting from surpassing the body’s capacity to handle it. This is why you may be able to have a small amount of a certain food and feel fine; but if you exceed a certain level, you start experiencing adverse reactions. Very often, intolerances are the consequence of the body’s inability to produce a particular digestive enzyme.

Allergies, however, are absolute. You are either allergic to a substance or you are not. In either case, if our body’s functioning is in any way impaired by an offending food, then we need to stop eating it.

The most telltale sign of food sensitivity is chronic fatigue. Just about any other symptom can also be caused by food sensitivities. If there is fluid leakage, muscle spasms, excess mucus, low resistance to infection, poor absorption of nutrients, generalized toxicity, and problems in target organs. Target organs are those uniquely susceptible to attack due to a person’s genetic weakness or biochemical individuality. These organs are those most likely to store toxins and least likely to receive all the nutrients they need.

A sensitivity to a particular food might result in bladder spasms, a spastic colon, spasm in the throat, or spasms in the next or back. The brain is sometimes a target organ resulting in psychological and behavioral symptoms.

The common cold affects allergy-prone individuals more frequently than the general population. Some people rarely if ever get colds. They have strong immune systems and are not particularly vulnerable to food sensitivities. Chronic food reactions may weaken immune systems, lowering resistance to upper respiratory infections. Very often, once food sensitivities are identified and eliminated, colds become a thing of the past.

If you have unexplained symptoms and/or get frequent colds or infections, investigate the possibility of allergies or food sensitivities. While many symptoms can have other possible causes, there are certain symptoms that are most commonly related to food sensitivities. These include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Food addictions/cravings
• Swollen lymph glands
• Chronic infections
• Puffiness and/or dark circles under the eyes
• Chronic diarrhea
• Intestinal malabsorption
• Spastic colon
• Irritable bowel
• Colitis, ulcerative colitis
• Anaphylactic shock
• Uncontrolled urination
• Hives
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Migraine headaches
• Hyperactivity
• Recurring ear infections

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is very likely you have a food sensitivity which, once identified, can be eliminated and you can start to feel better much of the time.

Quick Curried Couscous

If you’re like me, you appreciate a recipe that’s quick and easy to make. And of course, it has to be delicious. This recipe for curried couscous fits the bill! It takes less than 30 minutes including cooking time for the couscous, and there are a minimum number of ingredients. Give it a try and see what you think.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups cooked couscous

3 cups of chicken stock or water

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup raisins

1 bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped

½ cup slivered almonds

Method

Pour cooked couscous into a bowl. Lightly toast almonds in a dry pan. Mix chicken stock, curry powder, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous. Seal top of the bowl with a tight lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and toss with olive oil and raisins. Top with cilantro and almonds.

This dish can also be made with quinoa instead of couscous for higher protein. Either way it’s a delicious and nutritious meal!

Small steps to a healthier you

To make a change stick, it has to become a habit. This is as true of healthy eating as it is for incorporating exercise into your lifestyle. Habits don’t form overnight. And they can take months to solidify; they require effort, time and patience. Completely changing what you’re eating can be intimidating and overwhelming and might discourage you from eating healthier. Smaller, gradual change can lead to greater success.

By focusing on one or two steps at a time, be it diet or lifestyle related, the changes will more likely form a habit. Once habits have been developed, add more small changes on top. Studies have shown that making small changes – such as eating every few hours, putting food on a plate instead of eating out of box, and eating a proper breakfast upon rising – can lead to sustainable weight loss and a healthier diet. 

Here are some small changes that will help set you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Buy whole foods, one-item foods. This means you have to put them together yourself to make them into a meal. This one habit alone will lead to a significantly healthier lifestyle. Look for recipes that have a vegetable, several veggies or a grain as the focus.
   
2. Drink water in favour of soft drink and other “sugar-ified” drinks. Drink a glass half an hour before meals.
   
3. Avoid artificial sweeteners and anything that contains them.
   
4. If you drink coffee, take it black.
   
5. Reduce portion sizes by using small plates and bowls. Leave the table satisfied but not gorged.
   
6. Use grains instead of meat to add substance to a meal. Choose quinoa, couscous or lentils as your base, add veggies, broth, spices and fresh herbs and discover simple dishes and new flavours.
   
7. Snack on nuts, fruit, or raw veggies.
   
8. Plan ahead – you know what your day is going to be like. Prepare meals and snacks the night before and have them ready for the next day. You will have something handy to eat and have less excuse for grabbing something at the convenience store, the fast food drive-through, or your workplace cafeteria.

That’s all well and good you might say, but habits are hard to create. If you struggle with creating new habits, I recommend reading Leo Babauta’s blog, Zen Habits. His blog is all about habits and you might find this particular one especially helpful: I suck at habits; how do I get better? 

Choose one or two from the above list and get started on creating new and healthier habits. As you acquire new ones, begin to add more, gradually layering more habits on top of older ones. Small changes lead to bigger ones - this is the key to success in your journey to better health.

No room for more cows

After watching the documentary Cowspiracy, I am more certain than ever that what is good for the environment is good for human health. It is most definitely and without question good for the rest of the living beings with whom we share this earth! What I learned from this movie is that sustainability is the most critical factor when choosing what we eat. The truth is the world cannot sustain the current level of animal products we are consuming. Not even close. The truth is the more livestock we raise, the more land we destroy, the less land - and water - there is for the trees and the wildlife. And people in some parts of the world are still going hungry while we grow grain by the mega-ton to feed the livestock that feeds the wealthier nations.

Human demand for animal meat, fish, dairy, and eggs is killing our planet. The earth is becoming a desert.

Water consumption, land, greenhouse gases, and waste – these are all huge areas of concern for the environment and the survival of the planet, and they are hugely impacted by animal food production.

Here are some sobering facts:

GREENHOUSE GASES

Livestock and their by-products account for 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions

Cows produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day

Reducing methane emissions would create tangible benefits almost immediately

WATER

Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of U.S. water consumption

477 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of eggs; 900 gallons are needed for one pound of cheese!

1,000 gallons of water are required to produce one gallon of milk!

LAND

Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s land

2-5 acres of land is used per cow

One third of the planet has become desert largely due to livestock

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction

There is a solution - for those going hungry and for the planet as a whole. The answer to this dismal prospect is veganism. Don’t stop reading; I’m not a zealot. The truth is I’ve never been a big fan of veganism... until now that is. This new knowledge has changed my attitude. 

Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life.The world population is growing by 228,000+ people every day!

The land required to feed one person per year looks like this:

Vegan: 1/6^th of an acre

Vegetarian: 3x vegan

Meat eater: 18 x vegan!

1.5 acres can produce 37,000 pounds of plant-based food

1.5 acres can produce 375 pounds of meat

A person who follows a vegan diet produces the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11^th oil, 1/13^th water, and 1/18^th land compared to a meat-lover for their food. 82% of starving children live in countries where food they could be eating is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by people living in western countries.

Knowing all this may concern you, and yet, you may not willing to give up meat, or dairy products, fish, or eggs. I am a flexitarian – someone who doesn’t buy meat but occasionally eats chicken or fish when not at home. I eat a lot of eggs, take milk in my tea and some in my oatmeal. I have kefir daily. So even for me, not a huge consumer of animal products, it is a big shift to consider giving them up completely. But what if we all made a small change?

I believe small tweaks can make a big difference. What if we all significantly reduced our consumption of meat, dairy products and eggs from what it is now? Instead of increasing the demand, we decreased it gradually over time. The world would be a better place. The world population is growing at an alarming rate. What if the next generation was taught not to rely on meat and dairy and instead learned to eat more vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruit? I think it’s worth making the effort. Our choices will have a ripple effect and will benefit everyone.

Please share this post and please, watch the movie!

Sweet potato three-bean chili

Sweet potato chili is a delicious variation on traditional ground beef chili. This recipe contains three different beans, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes plus the right spices. The following toppings can complement the spicy flavour of the chili: Sour cream or shredded cheese, chopped cilantro. This recipe is very easy but it does need several hours on the stove. Prepare a big batch on Sunday morning and you will have meals for the next week or you may want to freeze some for later. 

Ingredients

1 medium white onion

4 garlic cloves or equivalent minced garlic

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14 oz can diced tomatoes

14 oz can white beans, drained

14 oz can kidney beans, drained

14 oz can black beans, drained

Crushed red pepper, sprinkle

1 tbsp chili powder, or less depending on your taste

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

3 sweet potatoes, cut into bit-sized pieces

1 red pepper, chopped

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on medium heat for up to 6 hours. Serve as is or with your favourite toppings.

Nutrition facts

Calories 210

Fiber 21 g

Protein 12 g

Vitamin A 444% RDA

Kettlebells – The Next Level

Kettlebells (and Clubbells) are technical training tools. Why technical? Because the weight is offset from the handle, the feel of the weight is exaggerated and therefore it is easier to use it improperly than it is for traditional weights like barbells and dumbbells. In other words, in order to use these tools, you require instruction from a certified instructor to learn safe technique and proper form. Once you gain familiarity and a degree of comfort swinging kettlebells and develop a solid foundation working with your instructor, you can then take what you’ve learned and train independently.The truth is all forms of strength training are based on a few foundational movements.

If you have previous experience with kettlebell training then it is very likely you have a strong foundation and are ready to increase the level of complexity.

What are the top 3 foundational movements for strength training?

1. Plank – holding the body in a straight line from head to heels while it is angled away from a perpendicular plane.
2. Hinge – bending at the hip joint while maintaining a flat back forming a straight line from crown to coccyx
3. Squat – from standing upright, bending at the hips and knees lowering the buttocks toward the floor while maintaining good upper body structure (shoulders must be down and back) and keeping the heels down. Stance and foot position may vary but knees must track over the middle of the foot.

You must be able to perform all these movements repeatedly and with good form using your own bodyweight as resistance before adding load. First you learn to control your body, then you add resistance. The body understands movement, not muscles. If we train for movement the body will respond as a unit. Once you master the basic movements, you can begin to increase the level of difficulty because form stays the same but the weight, tempo, angles and planes of the movement change, 

What are the top foundational exercises for kettlebell training?

1. Swing (based on the hinge)
2. Clean (transitional movement for overhead pressing)
3. Overhead fixation (being able to lock out the arm while holding weight straight above the shoulder)
4. KB squat (being able to squat as described above without leaning forward while holding a KB)

Of course there are pressing, pulling and rotational movements that are essential to any program but in my opinion the basic movements listed above necessarily set you up for safe practice of the latter.

Given the right program, kettlebells have the capacity to tax the muscular system at the same time as the cardiovascular/circulatory system, the ultimate combination strength and conditioning tool. Without a well-designed training system a tool is just a heavy object. To get the most out of it you need techniques and tactics and that’s where Fit Forever comes in. Training time is precious so make every second count. There are many ways to use a kettlebell; the only limit is your imagination. To optimize what you do you have to have a clear plan and solid fundamentals.

On Sunday, November 8^th Fit Forever is offering a kettlebell training seminar for participants with prior experience with basic kettlebell movements and therefore have a solid foundation. This session will be an opportunity to practice the basic movements you already know and build on them for added complexity and increasing level of difficulty.

I am looking forward to sharing some of these exercises with you. Kettlebells are a ton of fun! Your mind will be so occupied focusing on technique and movement, you will forget that you are exercising and you may lose track of time completely. When it’s all over, you will be happily tired and satisfied in the knowledge you’ve done your body good and you can get on with your day. See you there!