Kettleball Ab Exercises for a Bikini Ready Body

Much love to Barron Jackson, Master Trainer/Founder at X-Train in Austin, for sharing these killer kettleball ab exercises!  They are more difficult than they look, but give you an amazing total core workout in very little time.  The key is to start slowly concentrating on your form and then gradually work up in repetitions and weight.  This is part one of a series so be sure to check out the other vids here.

Need a Kettleball? No Problem! Click here to Shop Kettleballs

Join the glamaFIT Challenge!

glamaFIT is finally here and we’re kicking things off glama-STYLE!

The mission of glamaFIT is to inspire moms to embrace life, get inspired, and be glama.  We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the launch than to partner with our favorite GPS sports tracking application, Endomondo. Your daily fitness goals will be tracked, shared, and rewarded!

The Challenge:Our glamaFIT challenge is pretty simple, you have until April 30, 2011 to log as many miles as you can using Endomondo as your tracking device. At the end of the month, all of those miles will count as an entry into the giveaway.  The more miles you log- the better your chance at snagging the Grand Prize. 

(P.S. the miles are not sports specific so you can run, bike, swim, hop- it’s your choice!)

The Details: You can register workouts manually, by Garmin import or by tracking with a GPS mobile phone. (register here)

We will draw lots among participants to find the winners of the glamaFIT challenge.

The more miles you have logged April 30 at Midnight CET, the better your odds as you will get one ticket in the draw per mile logged.

To ensure fair play, we will check the workouts of the winners. If we find any false workouts, we will draw lots again to find another winner. The winners will be announced early May.

$500 Value

Optimum Nutrition Grand Prize: $150

(Gym Bag, Hydro Whey 1.75 lb, protein bar sampler, two t-shirts, shaker cup)

Cool-Jams Sleepwear: $100 gift certificate

KURU Footwear: $100 gift certificate

DELO Booster Cap Intro Pack: $31.50 (bottle with all 5 water “boosters”)

Stick-E Yoga Accessories: $30 gift certificate

Go Caddy: $24.99

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Shaping the New You: 101 Encouraging Stories about Dieting and Fitness $14.95

Optimum Nutrition Grand Prize: $100 (Nylon Travel Bag, Gold Whey 2 lb, protein bars, two t-shirts, shaker cup)

Cool-Jams Sleepwear: $60 gift certificate

DELO Booster Cap Intro Pack: $31.50 (bottle with all 5 water “boosters”)

Stick-E Yoga Accessories: $30

Go Caddy: $24.99

Chicken Soup for the Soul “Shaping the New You” Book: $14.95

Optimum Nutrition Grand Prize: $75 (Nylon Travel Bag, Gold Whey 2 lb, protein bar, t-shirt, shaker cup)

DELO Booster Cap Intro Pack: $31.50 (bottle with all 5 water “boosters”)

Cool-Jams Sleepwear: $60 gift certificate

Stick-E Yoga Accessories: $30

Go Caddy: $24.99

(one lucky winner will be chosen at random from the glamaFIT newsletter list…click here to sign up!)

Optimum Nutrition Grand Prize: $100 (Nylon Travel Bag, Gold Whey 2 lb, protein bars, two t-shirts, shaker cup)

Cool-Jams Sleepwear: $60 gift certificate

DELO Booster Cap Intro Pack: $31.50 (bottle with all 5 water “boosters”)

Stick-E Yoga Accessories: $30

Go Caddy: $24.99

Chicken Soup for the Soul “Shaping the New You” Book: $14.95

Excess Belly Fat? Relax and Get a Massage.

The idea of finding the cure for excess belly fat is a dream for many, especially new moms hoping to squeeze back into their skinny jeans.  Believe it or not though, the key to beating belly fat isn’t about starvation diets and endless crunches.  If anything, those “tummy tightening” moves can actually increase your belly bulge.  To control excess belly fat, you must address and understand all the causes.  Adding too much stress to your body can be just as  troublesome as those jelly donuts.

To help elaborate on the role stress plays, I reached out to Neil Hansen of  The Thought Diet.  He does a great job of breaking down the evolutionary reasons why stress causes that dreaded “ring of death” around our midsections.

“One of the biggest reasons people accumulate belly fat is because of stress. Stress triggers what is called the HPA Axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), which results in the release of cortisol (and adrenaline). Cortisol is responsible for mobilizing blood sugar, which was supposed to be used for “fight or flight” but since most stress these days is mental, there is no need for the blood sugar so it gets stored as fatmostly around the midline.

Studies have also shown that various stresses can cause the body to think it is starving (in a state of famine) thus causing whatever you eat to be stored as fat. People have become so desensitized to small stresses that they don’t realize they are stressed out all the time, which keeps the HPA Axis active all the time (should normally shut off after bout of stress). You can burn off calories and do exercise in effort to trick the body into thinking it needs to be lean (the body doesn’t know the difference between physical workout stress and the stress caused by life-threatening physical stress) but how much you need to do in order to lose belly fat is dependent on how much stress you have to counteract.

Think of stress in two ways: eaustress (good stress) and distress (bad stress). When you are exercising you are trying to use a eaustress but if you are stressed emotionally (distress) then you might actually put your body into an overstressed environment making the exercise a distress. This is why people get sick when they work out too much (HPA Axis stimulation also shuts down the immune system). The best way for someone to lose belly fat is to first appropriately deal with their stress. Then when they have a manageable level of stress (eaustress) then they can get the maximum benefit from exercise (crunches, cardio, etc.). Doing cardio where you use fat as your primary source of energy causes your body to eventually start planning ahead by making sure you have enough fat to burn during your cardio. Your body initially burns fat because it is a new stress (eaustress) but when it finally adapts to the activity (how quickly this happens is different for everyone) your body stops burning fat and maximizing its energy (storage and usage).”

So what does this all mean? In my opinion, it just reinforces the glamaFIT philosophy that fitness should be about “Wellbeing  not Weightloss”.  When you take care of yourself and improve your overall health, the weightloss will follow.  Stressing over counting calories and endless hours on a treadmill only to be disappointed when you step on the scale in the morning is no way to live!

“Fitness is about nurturing your body so it can nurture you back.”

My fitness advice for moms? I encourage you to stay active doing something you LOVE, skip the scale, and schedule a weekly massage to celebrate your steps toward a healthier, happier YOU!

Work/Life Balance Can Save Your Life

Work life balance is a tricky beast. What inspires us to achieve it is even trickier. Why does it take tragedies like the recent senseless shooting of Gabrielle Gifford’s to remind us all of our own mortality? The reality is that our chances of getting killed in a car accident on a daily trip to work are more likely, but that never gives us that same sense of urgency?

As a mother of three and entrepreneur for the past seven years, I vow each day to make work-life balance a priority and it is a constant decision maker in my career choices. My family life comes first, work second. However, I didn’t always have that clarity of purpose. It took a sudden onset health crisis to prompt me to achieve my work/life balance.

The day started just like any other, but I planned a stop at my doctor’s office in the morning. I had been having some odd symptoms I couldn’t explain and figured a doctor’s input couldn’t hurt. After a brief wait, I was whisked in and the nurse took my temperature, blood pressure, and the other usual formalities. My doc walks in and we chat, I casually start explaining my symptoms. I have numbness in my arms that last for hours, brief bouts of distorted vision, and my hearing becomes muffled. As I continue, I can’t help but notice as the expression on her face transfixes from intent to terrified. I pause at her inquisitively. She takes a deep breath before declaring,

“I think you have a brain tumor, we need to find out ASAP.”

The next thing I know I’m being rushed off to the ER. Once there, it’s an endless series of MRI’s, MRA’S, CAT scans -you name it. As I lied there in the coffin-like tube of the MRI machine, I struggled to make sense of what was happening.

After a few hours, the tests finally ended and all initial readings looked good. No tumor detected. I was ecstatic and relieved. Those feelings were short lived however, as my mysterious symptoms only worsened. A typical “episode” would start with a slight tingling in either my finger or face, followed by loss of feeling in my corresponding arm, face, or both. My vision would become prismatic like I was looking through a kaleidoscope, or I would have a visual field deficit (meaning I couldn’t see anything to my left or right- my brain simply would not process the image). My hearing would be muffled with ringing. When the episodes were severe, I would become so dizzy and nauseous I couldn’t stand. These symptoms lasted for hours and were followed by a severe migraine that left me pleading with God for a way to just stop breathing. Never to die, but to stop the pulsing pain of my breath for a brief moment of relief. The “episodes” were completely random and could be either sudden or slow to onset. I might have three one week or none at all. As a person who strives to be in control of their life and destiny, mentally my spirit was being broken.

After countless visits to specialists, no one had any answers. My illness couldn’t be categorized and they continually speculated on treatments, diagnoses, and potential causes. I was placed on migraine medication to no avail and then even on blood pressure medication to help control the possible vascular cause. Nothing worked, but I was now plagued with fainting spells due to my already low pulse being forced too low. The only option left was to monitor damage. I would regularly visit my neurologist so he could place an electrode in my elbow, finger tip, and then electrocute me to measure how fast the electricity traveled through my arm. This helped monitor whether I was sustaining any permanent damage in my arms. Needless to say, I never looked forward to those visits.

Despite it all, I was still attempting to live a normal life. I was a full time mom to a toddler and new baby girl. As well as the CEO of Glamajama, managing all operations, a staff of six, and coordinating some of my most ambitious marketing campaigns. For the most part, I think I was in denial of my health crisis. I simply took the approach that I wasn’t going to let it stop me. In retrospect, I realize how naïve and reckless my behavior was.

The breaking point was in the wake of a sudden, severe “episode” that snuck up on me while I was leisurely folding laundry. Within minutes my whole body felt numb, I couldn’t stand, and the numbness had taken over my face and mouth. I couldn’t speak -just mumbles as if my mouth were full of marbles. I was in complete panic that I was finally experiencing the major stroke my doctors had warned of. I frantically called my mom. She heard my mumbles and instantly knew what was happening. My baby was in her crib and I was desperately trying to crawl the stairs to be with her. By the grace of God, my mom was in the neighborhood and arrived in minutes. To hear the frightened, shaky voice of my mom calling “Heather? Oh my God, Heather???”, my heart broke. No mother should have to feel that anguish. As she found me in a helpless heap on the stairs, I knew she shared my same fears. Was this the big one?

As with so many things in life, the outcome was unexpected. After about twenty minutes my symptoms subsided and the “episode” was passing. Feeling blessed, I took the whole event as a sign that changes needed to be made. In a leap of faith, I started researching alternative therapies. I ultimately sought the help of a well-respected acupuncturist with a history of solving complex problems.

Never a huge fan of the unconventional, I tried my best to be open minded. After all, what were my choices? Nothing else had worked. The acupuncturist took an in depth evaluation and listened attentively to my story. As I finished, she asked, ‘Heather, have you considered that your body is simply under too much stress and shutting down?” I was dumbfounded, “What? How could stress do THIS?” She went on to explain the extreme physical (sleepless nights with newborn, nursing, active lifestyle with toddler), mental (challenging job responsibilities), hormonal (unstable after giving birth, additional strain of nursing), and emotional (my health dilemma among many other smaller hiccups) stress my body was currently under. As she detailed all the obvious, the picture become so much clearer. I had no idea how bad things had become and how insanely hard I had been pushing myself. With a potential cause in sight, I was eager to finally find treatment. Her explanation seemed just as plausible as the others, why not give it a shot?

I ceased taking all medications and vowed to get back to a more natural state of being. I made it a priority to exercise daily, watched my diet closely, and kept regular appointments with the acupuncturist to help me control my stress levels. With her guidance I also incorporated a strict biofeedback program. This way, I could have a deeper understanding of my body’s warning signs. I was soon able to identify when my heart rate was increasing and was then able to initiate meditation and breathing techniques to calm myself. Within three months my “episodes” were nearly nonexistent and I had a new found respect for work/life balance. I started re-building my life with a deeper focus on well being.

It’s been four years since the last “episode” of my mysterious illness, but I still live each day with the reminder. Never again will I neglect my health and well being. If anything, I feel fortunate I was given an opportunity to see the error of ways and a second chance to correct my path. So many people aren’t given those chances. I think the moral of the story in all this is that we shouldn’t wait until there’s a tragedy, personal or public, to make achieving work/life balance a priority. Every day is a blessing and we need to wake up each morning respecting that reality.

Drinking Your Calories

The option of “drinking your calories” seems to be at an all time high with energy and sport drinks, new flavored sodas, tropical fruit juices, fancy vitamin water, and even water with protein appealing to all ages. Sodas and sport drinks, however, can have as much as 13 teaspoons of added sugar. It is especially important to look at the serving size on the nutrition label. So if you quickly read that a beverage bottle says 80 calories, you may need to look again. For example, if the serving size sates 2.5 servings/bottle, you need to do the math. In this case, the 80 calories beverage actually contains 200 calories. Similarly, not all fruit juice is alike. Many do provide 100% juice but be careful of marketing. SunnyD® may look like orange juice and sell you on it’s 100% vitamin C, however it’s second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup as well as other ingredients not found in juice.

So what is a parent to do? Certainly, 100% fruit juice can be counted as a serving of fruit in a child’s diet. Just be careful of portion sizes. Offering OJ in a small glass (4- 6 oz) is great at breakfast but shouldn’t be the main choice of the day. Orange slices would be a great option, providing beneficial fiber and phytochemicals. If the soccer moms are bringing in sports drinks, you may need to be the one to point out that water is just fine. Sport drinks can be useful for the athlete who vigorously exercises for more than an hour, but isn’t necessarily needed for kids, teens, or adults. It is more important that you child is hydrated. Have your son or daughter drink water at least a half hour before his/her practice. Bring a water bottle to ensure he can drink during breaks in the game. Offering watermelon after the game is great as it contains 90% water. Finally, most adults and kids get plenty of protein (think cheese, milk, peanut butter, chicken, tofu, etc). Adding protein to a beverage just comes down to marketing again. Similarly, children consume plenty of vitamins in real food as well as fortified cereals and bread. Drinking vitamin water adds no real health benefit.

When you are out and about doing errands with the kids, it is quite convenient to just to purchase sodas, Slurpies ® and even a Jamba Juice® for you family. Again, it is all about portions. A 16 oz Jamba Juice ® Mango-A Go Go has 300 calories. Ask for an extra cup and split it up between your kids or just ask them to only fill it up half way (it is hard to stop halfway once it is in your cup). Even for yourself as you drop in to Starbucks for a 12 oz pick-me- upper café mocha (with whip cream of course) you’ll be drinking in 260 calories. Having young children have sips of your frosted mocha is not a great idea because caffeine can have more of an effect on children whose body weight is much less than an adults. Caffeine can cause upset stomachs and disrupt sleep.

The concern in our society today it that these sweetened beverages become the norm or daily beverage choice. Certainly, a decaffeinated soda at a pizza party once in a while really won’t do that much harm to your child, however, if you go home and add in the ice cream that day, and the high sugar cereal from the morning and the hard candy sweet form a quick stop at the store, you have a lot of empty calories and sugar being consumed in just one day. Also, remember if you are drinking soda throughout the day, eventually your teenage will do so too (role modeling does have a huge impact).

Kids do need calories. For example a 10 year old girl may need 2,000 calories. Of course, if she is on the petite side or isn’t very active, she’ll need fewer calories.

Most of these sweet drinks provide very little nutrition. It can either fill the child up so he doesn’t want to eat later, missing out on other beneficial food like sliced fruit, or it can actual add unnecessary calories. For a child or even an adult needing to lose weight, this can be easy just by changing beverages. It is possible to fall back on good ol’ water. Many companies now offer flavored water such as lemon and raspberry. At home, add fresh mint or sliced oranges or cucumbers into a glass of ice water. For a special event, serve club soda with sliced lemons. The best benefit of water – there are zero calories.

Tips

• There are flavored water or club soda with zero calories that are better options.
• Start your young kids off right when they are little. Avoid offering children soda and punch.
• Limit juice but do offer two cups a day of non-fat or 1% milk. It’s great for children older than two to provide calcium and vitamin D (whole milk is fine from ages 1 to 2).
• Do offer water through out the day
• (try a keeping cold pitcher in the frig).
• Add slices of lemon or squeeze a little bit of fresh orange juice to add some flavor.

If your child plays sports like volleyball, basketball or soccer, it is important to drink water 20 minutes prior to your practice or game. Their body sweats off fluid to keep cool. So, if your children are super active and/or it is really hot, remember to have them drink every 20 minutes or so including after their game.

About the Author…

By Anne Kolker MS Registered Dietitian

This family wellness article is provided by Nourish Interactive, visit www.nourishinteractive.com for nutrition articles, family wellness tips, free children’s healthy games, and tools. Available in English and Spanish.

Kid Nutrition: How to Eat A Healthy Breakfast

Most of us already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but how to eat a healthy breakfast can be a little daunting. Beginning your day without breakfast is like trying to fly a kite without any wind. It’s hard to get started and even harder to keep going. Breakfast is the first chance your child’s developing body and brain has to refuel its glucose levels, (that’s the brains basic fuel), after several hours of sleep.

Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Here are just a few reasons why your child should eat breakfast:

• Studies show that eating breakfast everyday is important in maintaining a healthy body weight. Starting your child’s day with a healthy breakfast will also make them less likely to eat high-calorie snacks during the morning.
• Eating a well balanced breakfast improves their intake of fiber, vitamins and minerals, especially iron and vitamin C; these nutrients are essential in a balanced diet. In fact, a good breakfast provides one-fourth to one-third of the day’s energy and nutrient needs.
• Children who eat a healthy breakfast tend to show improved academic performance, longer attention span, better attendance and decreased hyperactivity in school.
• Skipping breakfast will often make your child feel tired, restless or irritable by mid-morning. By eating breakfast, your child will have energy throughout the morning and help him/her concentrate better in class. This also means fewer trips to the school nurse’s office.

Breakfast can be served hot or cold, sitting down or eaten on-the-run. Breakfast can be a typical breakfast food, or left-overs from dinner the night before. The main point to remember is to include it in your morning routine for both you and your child. A good breakfast is easier than you think. By choosing the right foods, you can feed your child quickly at home or create a brown bag to go.

A nutritious breakfast includes foods from at least three of the five food groups:

• Fruit group; fresh whole fruit such as bananas, apples, oranges. Sliced fruit which can be added to cereal, yogurt or oatmeal.
• Vegetables group; 100% vegetable juice, or mushrooms, asparagus, or green peppers in an omelet.
• Grains group; whole-grain breads, dry cereal, bagels, english muffins, flour tortillas, rice.
• Milk group; low fat or fat free milk, yogurt or cheese. If your child is lactose intolerant, choose lactose-free products that still have the calcium and other nutrients needed.
• Meat and beans group; eggs, lean meat, peanut butter, beans.

Traditional and non-traditional breakfast ideas:

• Whole grain cereal with fruit and low fat milk
• Oatmeal with raisins and low fat milk
• Waffles, turkey bacon and fruit juice
• Bagel with cheese or peanut butter
• Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, cheese and veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla
• Grilled cheese sandwich and juice
• Turkey sandwich and a cup of low fat milk
• Rice bowl with chicken and vegetables on top

Follow these easy tips to make time for breakfast in the morning:

• Do some of your morning chores the night before, such as selecting clothes to wear and getting backpacks ready for school.
• Set the alarm for 15 minutes earlier to allow more time to prepare and eat breakfast as a family.
• Skip the audio-video temptation: make breakfast time about eating rather than watching TV, playing a video game or using the computer. You may find it easier to get out of the house on time as well.
• Offer something non-traditional like leftovers from the night before. Eating nutritious food for breakfast is better than eating no breakfast at all.
• Have items available in your kitchen that can be quickly and easily assembled in the morning such as whole grain cereals with milk, fresh fruit, yogurt or bagels.
• Pick one morning a week where you make a special breakfast such as pancakes and eggs. You can set up the mix the night before or even make the pancakes and freeze them to reheat when needed.

Creating healthy habits

Children are “copycats”; They like to do what someone else is doing. Parents and older siblings can act as role models by setting a good example and taking the time to eat breakfast every morning. Rise and shine with breakfast and help your child develop a healthy habit that will benefit them throughout their life.

About the Author…

By Michelle Mirizzi MS Registered Dietitian

This family wellness article is provided by Nourish Interactive, visit www.nourishinteractive.com for nutrition articles, family wellness tips, free children’s healthy games, and tools. Available in English and Spanish.