Summer Boot Camps!!!

Check out the latest Boot Camps for Summer at the North Club!

2010 Spring Into Fitness Expo!!!

Superfood Of The Day: Quinoa!

As an avid lover of all things carb, quinoa, often referred to as “the mother grain,” is my personal fave in the superfoods family. Quinoa is a whole grain that packs both fiber and protein to keep you satiated. Another plus? The potassium in this grain can help beat bloat.

If you’ve never tasted quinoa, let me tell you what you’re missing: a light, airy rice-like texture (without the heaviness that rice can leave behind) that compliments any stir-fry or makes the perfect replacement side for the overused potato.

Another selling point on this superfood?  It’s simple to prepare.  It takes only about 15 minutes to cook, making it a great for busy cooks. My favorite combo? Toss 1 cup cooked quinoa, a handful of dried cranberries, and 2 cups of steamed veggies (I go for broccoli, butternut squash, Brussels, and spinach) with vinegar and a splash of lemon. In less time than it takes to get to work, you’ve got an inexpensive, healthy and happy meal.

Adapted from Self Magazine as published on Shine@Yahoo

2010 Fat Blasting Boot Camp!

Bored with your current workouts? Not seeing the results you want to see? Having trouble “staying on track”? Don’t know where to start?

Looking for some extra motivation? Want more of a challenge?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, BOOT CAMP is your answer.

HIIT Boot Campers celebrating!

 

Boot Camps are fun, challenging and rewarding.  With group accountability, Trainer motivation and guidance, you’re sure to see results. What are you waiting for? All Fitness Levels are welcome and anyone CAN do it.

Sign up today and commit to a healthier, stronger, NEW YOU!

Boot Camp Dates: March 29, 2010 – May 28, 2010 at the North Club

Minimum 8, Max 15 Participants for Camp 

Monday – Friday 5:30AM – 6:30AM – Members: $ 675   Non- Members: $775

Cash, check or credit card accepted – post dated payments if desired.

Boot Camp Orientation Saturday March 27th at 8:00 am

• Meet your Trainer
• Receive your Boot Camp Survival Guide
•  Discuss  nutrition plans/diet
•  Discuss the daily requirements.
• Sign the Boot Camp contract to yourself
• Weigh and Measure and take Progress Pictures

What you’ll need to bring each day:  Water bottle, towel, sturdy workout shoes and a “can do” attitude. We highly encourage you “buddy up” and bring a friend, co-worker or family member to join you. They do not have to be a member of Premiere Lady in order to participate in the camp.

All Non-members attending the camp will have full access to the gym facility, water area, locker room and shower, and all classes during boot camp.

 Space is limited so sign up early!

TRX Suspension Training

Born in the U.S. Navy SEALs and developed by Fitness Anywhere^®, Suspenion Training^® is a revolutionary method of leveraged bodyweight exercise.

Swimmer's Start, targets the quads and glutes.

Safely perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and prevent injuries, all at the intensity you choose.

The TRX Suspension Professional Trainer is built around a set of nylon straps that create resistance from two sources always at your disposal: your body weight and gravity.

Mountain Climber, targets the core and upper body

 

It also lets you perform hundreds of functional exercises, so you can build strength, flexibility, core stability, and endurance. Perhaps most importantly, the TRX Suspension Professional Trainer supports all fitness levels and goals.

Atomic Pushup, targets the upper body and core.

 

If you are ready to take your workout to a whole new level and challenge your body, the TRX is for you! Talk to your personal trainer today!

Reverse Plank with Hamstring Curl.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins…Yes, They’re Healthy!!

Does the term “bran muffin” conjure up a cardboard-like breakfast your Great-Aunt Ida used to serve – the kind of thing you’d slip to the dog when no one was looking? If it does, you’ve been the victim of a very common health food blunder: thinking that “healthy” and “high-fiber” are synonymous with “tasteless” and “impossible to digest.”

It’s true: bran muffins can be challenging to make exciting. I’ve been baking a lot lately, though, and so with some help from my friend Andrea, I’ve taken on the challenge of making a bran muffin that you want to eat but which has few artificial ingredients.

Why all the baking? Well, in trying to be a more conscious eater, I’ve found that the foods with the most strange and unpronounceable ingredients are my beloved carbs. It’s hard to find bread products without a paragraph of chemicals after the word “Ingredients.” Hence, the baking.

 These bran muffins are an adaptation of an adaptation of the muffin recipe found on the Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran package. Andrea added pumpkin and used Splenda to sweeten the mix, as well as adding some dark chocolate pieces as garnish. I took her recipe and altered it to be a bit spicier as well as including only natural sweeteners.

 What are some of the health benefits of these muffins?

This is wheat bran — it’s the outer shell of the wheat. It’s usually removed in milling, which strips the wheat of some of its nutrition.

Well, first of all wheat bran and pumpkin both contain fiber – which besides — ahem — keeping one “regular”, is believed to help prevent certain diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Using organic agave nectar avoids the harmful chemicals in artificial sweeteners, and it has a lower glycemic index than many other sweeteners (but it is high in fructose). Pumpkin is high in antioxidents. And chocolate of course, particularly darker chocolates, is thought to benefit heart health. These muffins, then are packed with goodness.

So, here’s how you make your own batch:

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Bran Muffins

Did you know molasses is a sweetener that also contains minerals? Also, a spoonful of molasses tastes great mixed in a glass of milk!

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

 1 c. wheat bran

1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. clove

Wet Ingredients:

3/4 c. fat-free milk

1/4 c. agave nectar

1-2 tbsp. molasses

1 egg

1 c. pumpkin (you can freeze what’s left in the can, then thaw it in the microwave the next time you make these)

Plus: 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin (or use paper baking cups, which – granted – is not as green, but also avoids fake foods like cooking spray or margarine). Mix all of the dry ingredients in one bowl. The bran tends to sink to the bottom, so you probably want to use a fork to make sure it’s integrated throughout the mixture.

Mix the wet ingredients in a second bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until the dry ingredients are thoroughly dampened, but don’t overmix.

Pour in the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter, which will be extremely thick.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin. It will make twelve muffins.

Bake for 17-18 minutes. DO NOT overbake. Burned bran muffins are yucky. Not that I would know, or anything.

If you happen to care, these are about 3 Weight Watchers points. They are quite filling, so one of them makes a good snack or a breakfast on its own. They can be frozen, and then thawed. They are also delicious when heated in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Enjoy! Your colon will thank you!

Published on Shine@Yahoo

2 Killer Moves For Lean Legs

We hope you’re looking forward to skirt season as much as we are. Even though we’re mentally ready for Spring, our thighs beg to differ. Here are two power-packed moves to tone your legs that you can do just about anywhere. Don’t forget that doing cardio and eating healthy will increase your lean, mean, leg machine results!

Leg Balancer
Works: Inner and outer thighs
Need: A chair, wall or countertop

Directions:
1. Stand straight and place your hands on the top of the back of a chair or countertop edge.
2. Raise your right leg to the right side of your body, keeping your foot “flexed.” When you lower your leg, don’t rest it on the ground but continue the movement, raising your leg up again.
3. Always remain in control of the movement; don’t simply swing your leg up and down.
4. Repeat 25 times on each side.
For an added challenge and to increase the results:
a. Add a 10-pound weight on the balancing leg.
b. Let go of the bench or chair that you were using to keep your balance. This will engage your core muscles.

Sumo Walk
Works: Inner thighs and glutes
Need: Room to walk, like a hallway or your driveway
Directions:
1. Get into a sumo wrestling stance: your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out, and knees extended over the toes.
2. Keep your back straight, chest out, and abs tight throughout this move.
3. In this almost-sitting position, take a step forward, one foot at a time, and advance as far as you can go in the space you are in; then turn around and walk back to your starting position.
4. Do 20 steps total or until you feel the burn in your legs.

By Realbeauty.com as published on Shine@yahoo.

One Cereal Do and One Don’t

There was a Today Show segment recently with an interesting comparison between two popular cereals in the “healthy” genre. You might be surprised to hear that one isn’t so healthy, at least according to one expert …

 

 

Which is healthier?

David Zinczenko, the editor in chief of Men’s Health magazine and the author of Eat This, Not That recently spoke to Al Roker on Today about two popular cereals: Smart Start and Shredded Wheat. Can you guess which is healthier?

He gives the so-called “smart” choice, Smart Start, a thumbs down, saying it isn’t so healthy, or smart, after all. “It has more sugar than Fruit Loops.”

I’ve been trying to reduce my sugar intake, and I’ve been amazed at how much added sugar I can cut out by taking a closer look at cereal–gals, it tends to be loaded!

Yeah, Shredded Wheat isn’t so sexy, but slice a banana on top, or add some blueberries and cinnamon and it goes a long way.

Sarah Jio, Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine

How To Choose The Right Yogurt For Your Health

Dairy dynamo or sugar bomb? We have the scoop on yogurt! Tap into all of its benefits with this guide to choosing the ideal yogurt for your health.

Spoon your way svelte.

Yogurt has belly-flattening abilities. People on a low-cal diet that included fat-free yogurt lost 81 percent more ab fat than did those on a similar plan that didn’t include yogurt, a study from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville found. The balance of carbs and protein can keep blood sugar levels steady and stave off hunger, while calcium may help your body store less fat.

Size up your cup.

To guarantee your yogurt’s slimming powers, stock up on 6-ounce selections that have these calorie caps: 90 for nonfat plain, 110 for lowfat plain and 130 for flavored. Plus, avoid lowfat types with more than 1 gram saturated fat.

Be on sugar patrol.

Six ounces of most plain yogurts have about 12 g of natural milk sugar. Every 4 g on top of that is a teaspoon of added sugar—if yours has 25 g, consider it dessert!

Get your fill.

Look for an unflavored yogurt with at least 8 g of satiating protein. Greek yogurt (which is thicker and tangier) could contain nearly twice as much protein, but there’s a catch: less calcium. Alternate regular and Greek for the best of both worlds.

Build your bones.

Six ounces of unflavored yogurt should have 30 percent of your daily calcium needs. Aim for 19 percent in fruity flavors, which swap some calcium-rich yogurt for fruit.

Love bugs.

Probiotics, the healthy bacteria in yogurt, have been linked to strong immune systems and a lower risk for gum disease and even some cancers. But not all yogurts have enough of the good stuff. The National Yogurt Association’s Live & Active Cultures seal appears on some cartons that do (such as Yoplait’s, at right). Add honey for a lift. It contains prebiotics, a carb that helps yogurt’s bugs thrive.

Snag smart add-ins.

Plain varieties with added vitamin D are good picks, as many people are D-deficient, says self contributing editor Janis Jibrin, R.D. Feel free to skip fiber-fortified selections—they get their grams from inulin, which doesn’t have heart-helping benefits—and top with whole-grain cereal instead.

Give it a whirl.

The watery layer that sometimes settles on top of your carton is a yogurt boon. It’s whey protein, which contains muscle-building amino acids. Stir it in; don’t skim it off.

Serve it for dinner.

Coat baked salmon with yogurt and dill—vitamin D in fish helps your body absorb yogurt’s calcium. For burgers, add a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt and 3/4 cup breadcrumbs to a pound of ground beef; the lactic acid tenderizes meat.

Tame your tummy.

Great news: Plenty of lactose-intolerant people can still eat yogurt. Probiotics produce an enzyme that breaks down troublesome lactose, says Fritz Francois, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Sample a spoonful and wait 20 minutes to check for symptoms before finishing the cup.

By Sara Burns as published in Self Magazine

5 Tips To Stop Those Powerful Sugar Cravings

Getting off the sugar roller coaster is not just beneficial for your waistline. Without the stress of a sugar surge which is always accompanied by a fatiguing crash, you will experience greater inner peace and stability; also there will be a big boost to your immune system. But how do you quell the powerful cravings?

I am a recovered sugar addict who decapitated the icing off cakes and like a termite, I tunneled through their creamy fillings leaving merely a hollow shell. Upon reflection I was filling an empty heart at the time.

So, I went cold turkey. Some people can gradually wean themselves off sugar to one anticipated treat a day – preferably before bedtime to avoid overindulging – but others like me had to detoxify first and get rid of the dependency. It took me two irritable weeks and I warned those in my midst. Today, I am happy to report that I savor dark chocolate every day – a small quantity and can choose to eat dessert at a dinner party or not. Sugar has lost its grip on me.

Here’s what I researched and implemented in my own life:

* Exercise away the craving. Substitute an exercise high for a sugar high. Exercise made me feel more empowered to deal with my problems. It also gave me more energy especially when I tiredly dragged myself to the gym after work. Even though I felt fatigued, I pushed through the sticking point and felt so much better after just ten minutes, enabling me to continue.
* Eat balanced meals which include complex carbohydrates – complex carbs guarantee a slow absorption of sugar which stabilizes insulin levels to go the distance.
* Substitute fresh fruit for sugar cravings:  An apple a day does ward off sugar lust. Citrus fruits are cleansing. Berries are excellent treats. Avoid mangoes, pineapple and bananas – for a couple of weeks because they are very sugary. Don’t drink fruit juice.
* Avoid artificial sweeteners because they actually generate a craving for real sugar and more calories without satisfying you – many people gain weight because of artificial sweeteners.

* Drink green tea. Not only is it an anti-inflammatory to help you deal with the stress response, but its bitter taste kills the desire for sugar. Soon it will serve as a relaxation cue.

Adapted from Intent.com as published on Shine@Yahoo