Fit vs. Fat

So many of us assume the pretty thin girl over there must be in good shape or that fat man over yonder must be out of shape.  When the opposite could be true.  It's true, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and neither should you judge someones outward appearance on their health.  I know lots of people who are large in stature and physically fit and other's who are thin and couldn't climb a stair case to save their lives.  That being said, STOP making your life's focus on losing weight.  Instead focus on eating more fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains.  Focus on getting your body stronger so you can run around with your loved ones, no matter your age.  That which you focus on grows.

But how, how do you get started?  Start now.  Go for a 10 minute walk before dinner, it actually helps suppress appetite, eat a dinner of food full of vitamins and minerals, the more colorful your food, the more vitamins and minerals in the food.  And no I don't mean food coloring.  About 30 minutes after dinner do your body a favor and go for a 30 minute walk.  Don't eat anything else after dinner, just let your body work on breaking your dinner up into a molecular level to help your body do what your body is meant to do.  Be sure to drink plenty of water, sit back and enjoy the sunset.

Try something new... BBQ Pizza

Search for my Whole Grain Pizza Dough and instead of baking it in the oven, get your grill hot, roll our the dough (about 4-6 balls rolled out per recipe) cook one side for about 2 minutes (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn) then take it off the grill and put your ingredients on the cooked size, then grill the pizza uncooked side down,  for about 5 minutes.  It's scrumdidlyumtious!  Just a tip... don't load the pizza's with a lot of ingredients or they won't cook and make sure your veggies are sliced thin.  Let me know what you thought.  

How Not to Shrivel Up and Die

Around the age of 40 we lose muscle mass.  Why do you care?  Because muscle is, in part, what helps keep your balance, keeps you moving, your metabolism rolling, and it even helps roll back the aging process.  So why should you care about strength training if you're not yet 40?  Because any muscle mass you build before then will only help you before you reach the age of 40.  You may feel like I'm always talking about strength training, well there is a reason for that.  The health benefits of strength training are significant.  There's no need to become a body builder, but having at least two days set aside for a full body strength training routine will help you reap amazing benefits, including clothes fitting better, more energy, better sleep at night, and a revved up metabolism for up to 24-48 hours after you workout!

So to build some muscle mass try the 100, 100, 100 challenge; 100 squats, 100 push-ups, 100 Mt. Climbers.  Enjoy the burn!

Heidi's Greek Yogurt Divine Goodness! (serves 1)

1 C Plain non fat plain Greek Yogurt (or just plain yogurt)
1/2 C Sliced Strawberries
1/2 banana sliced
1-2 Squares of dark chocolate chopped up and sprinkled on top!

YUMMO!

Good News For Binge Eater's

Yes... there is good news for you binge eater's.  But let me start with the bad news.  If you eat at least one big meal a day (like when you feel stuffed) you're stretching out your stomach (poor thing!).  When your stomach is stretched out it is really hard for your brain to trigger the "WAIT I"M FULL STOP EATING!" button.

Here's the good news... if you eat every four hours your overstretched tummy (can you image the stretch marks on that thing... eek!) will go back to a normal size and therefore help you be satisfied with less food, more often.

Use a salad plate instead of those huge American sized dinner plates most of you use.  Only fill the plate once with a nice balance of one serving of whole grains, lean protein, and all you can eat non-starchy veggies.  I bet you liked that "all you can eat part" huh?  That's right, eat all the spinach, kale, leafy greens, broccoli, etc until your tummy STARTS to feel full... NOT until your STUFFED!  You should NEVER go to that point.

For a bit of exercise sit on your behind, grab a pair of hand weights, and "row row row your boat gently down the stream".  That's right... row baby row!  It's really good for you.  Put on your favorite tunes and go to town for as long as you can.

Instead of a recipe I thought I would post some non-starchy veggies to give you some ideas of what you should be filling up on.

Artichokes, Asparagus (who cares that your pee stinks), Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, Cilantro, Garlic, green beans, Bell Peppers, mixed greens, Parsley (a great detox food), Tomatoes, Salsa, Spinach, Kale, Cauliflower, Romaine Lettuce, cucumbers, Mushrooms, Carrots.

Here's to eating less, but more often!

Hunger and Food Addictions

Some people equate a "healthy" diet to a "tasteless" diet.  And if you are on a "healthy" diet, that must mean you are hungry ALL the time...no pain, no gain right?  Wrong!  A recent study printed in the Nutrition Journal compared two groups of people.  One group was on the Standard American Diet (SAD), while the other group was on a nutrient dense diet.  The study found that those who ate a nutrient dense diet had a dramatic drop in their food cravings in-between meals, less feelings of hunger, and a significant reduction or elimination of their cravings for sweets and processed foods.  Those who were on the Standard American Diet experienced hunger,headaches, food cravings, anger, anxiety, and stress.   I also found out an interesting tidbit of info... true hunger pains can be felt in the mouth, back of the throat and even in the chest.  Fake hunger is in your mind and lower stomach.

What does a nutrient dense meal look like?  A lean source of protein, a serving of whole grains, a large serving of green salad, and possibly some steamed veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.  Eat like this for every meal and see if your food cravings diminish and eventually go away all together.

 If you are ready to take the plunge and give up the Standard American Diet for a better nutrient dense diet I can help you.  On the right hand side of my blog page is a Paypal button, sign up and get started today!  It's a new month and when you sign up this week you can have a friend or spouse be coached by me for free for one month.  This special only runs for this week May 6th through the 12th.

For some great exercise today get on your bicycle and get some itunes and go for an hour long bike ride.

Heidi's Dinner Salad
4 C of dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, green/red lettuce)
1/4 C chopped tomatoes
1/2 cucumber cut up
1/8th of an avocado
1 T sunflower seeds
Chicken breast (about the size of a deck of cards) sliced

Use 1-2 TBS of your favorite salad dressing.  I highly recommend a vinaigrette dressing.

Dieting Alone Will Lose Precious Muscle Mass

I'm sure this won't come as a surprise to any of you, but studies show that if you just diet, or reduce your calorie intake significantly, you will indeed lose weight, but that weight includes muscle mass.  The best way to lose weight, according to a recent study by Stanford University, is changing your diet to whole foods, exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, including weight training, AND get yourself a health coach.  Yes, those who spoke with a health coach once a week were able to not only lose weight, but keep it off for over 5 years (and counting).  Yes... it's a shameless plug.

Friends, I need your help!  I have a talent that I would like to use to help people find their health.  Please share my blog with ALL of your friends, I'm sure there are people out there who just need someone like me to help them get to where they want to be.  

For some exercise today do yourself a favor and build some muscle mass and do some great cardio at the same time.... go on a hike and enjoy the lovely Spring weather.

I don't have a recipe to share with you today... sorry, next time I will.  

Now Accepting Clients

To all my fans out there, thank you for reading my posts each week.  I want to do more for you than have you read a simple blog post though.  If you want someone to help you FINALLY reach your health goals then please let me help you.  My philosophy isn't crazy... eat right, move, and be happy.  I can help you break your goals up so that you can reach each goal you set for yourself.  I can also help pick your brain and help you see what you need to do to get to where you want to be.  I've posted several testimonials of people I have helped.  This is an online thing, so it doesn't matter where you are in the world.  I can still help you.  I want to help you.  Please let me.  I've set up a paypal button so you can get started ASAP.  Contact me for any questions you may have at hejoparish@gmail.com.

"Heidi has been GREAT!  I have lost 13 pounds since I started working with Heidi.  I love how she has asked me to take a look at myself to find the reasons WHY I DO and EAT the way I do, and has helped me make positive changes.  Heidi has been there to help with diet and exercise.  Heidi is great at helping me get back on track if I have had a bad week. You know the kind where everything happens and you feel the universe is against you? ;)  I love the way she teaches the HOW and the WHY, I think that has made a huge difference for me because I am given examples that I can visualize and then I can change.  Heidi has helped me learn to work on SMALL goals that lead to the BIG goal."  B. Miller 38

"I wasn't as diligent for the three months as I should have been, however this plan did make me think about what I was putting into my system.  I am much more careful about what I eat and how much I eat, which habits have carried on.  The exercise was great too; it even helped me enjoy jogging again.  During the 3 months I was involved, I lost 20 lbs and have kept it off.  Simple lifestyle changes made large health improvements in my life."  DS 33 yrs

"As a mom to five kiddos, and one of them only being 6 months old, I know how tough it can be to keep yourself healthy.  So I jumped at the opportunity to have Heidi help nudge me through this process.  Heidi’s plan is simple, fill up on healthy whole grains, fruits and veggies, and move every day.  Heidi’s reminders and check-ins helped, but what really kept me wanting to stay on track were her assignments to see why I’m doing what I’m doing and why I want or need to change.  For the past 4 months I’ve attempted to eat nutritious foods and exercise 6 times a week.  Because of all my hard work I was able to run an entire 5k, 3 months after having a baby, and I’m on track to lose my pregnancy pounds by my baby’s first birthday (I’ve already lost 15lbs and hope to lose 15 more to be at my ideal weight).  If you are looking to make a change in your life and would like someone fun to keep motivating you then I would recommend Heidi."  D.N.       Age 33

"Heidi helped me best by assisting me in every aspect of becoming more
healthy.  She gave me recipe ideas, foods to eat, amounts to have, and
exercises to do.  She was always there to encourage and support me
when it was hard and I was struggling.  I liked that she didn't just
talk the talk, but she walked the walk.  She is in shape herself, eats
healthy, and exercises.  She lives and does the things she was asking
me to do.  I liked her weekly challenges and questions.  She didn't
just want me to do it because she told me to, she wanted me to
understand why and to want to do it myself.  She wanted me to think
about the choices I was making and to educate me on a better
lifestyle.  It was hard to change some bad habits, but she stuck with
me and was always very patient and positive.  I am so grateful for the
excellent job she did as my personal trainer for 4 months.  I lost
weight, gained strength, and feel so much healthier and happier.  I
learned so much from her and appreciate everything she did for me.
She really put me on a path to a better future, for me and my family.
I highly recommend her." D.C. 40

"I have struggled with being over weight, yo yo diets and depression for about 20 years now. Heidi has been a fountain of motivation and knowledge for me. She has not only helped to changed my mind set and my lifestyle but my whole family's [lifestyle].... She taught me the very basics and helped me with meal planning and recipes. She encouraged me to always do more, try something new, not just in nutrition but in exercise. She gave me tasks to do every week that helped me stay on track. Sometimes they were very hard but needed assignments. One of the greatest things Heidi did was make it personal. She not only let me share with her very private and personal things but she shared back.  People look at her and think... LUCKY YOU HAVE A GREAT METABOLISM...but she has to work at it just as hard as the rest of us.  She also taught me I can feed, not only myself, but my huge family as well and not spend a fortune. She herself has a big family and that really brought it home to me.  Most people don't think they can do it. But she helped me see I can. I lost 17 pounds in three months, which I am 41 and for me that was really great.  I am thankful for all that I have learned from Heidi.  I will continue to strive to eat healthy, feed my family healthy foods and incorporate exercise every day, all because of Heidi Parish."
 K.M. 41

Foods to Eat to Build Lean Muscle Mass

It may come as a surprise to you that greens like Kale, Broccoli, and Spinach are great food sources to build lean muscle mass.  Along with those greens, lean grass-fed beef, turkey, chicken, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, Ezekiel bread, brown rice, whole grain cereals and pasta's are other great sources.   Good fats like avocado's and nuts are also key.

Experts agree that eating every 3-4 hours helps keep the home fires burning, or in other words, keeps your metabolism burning.  The key is to limit your sugar intake and eat real foods.  Eating prepackaged foods will not help you build lean muscle mass.  It will help you build fat mass though.  And finally... water, keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.  Water helps your cells repair themselves after your muscle building workout.

And now to build some lean muscle mass;  do 25 jumping jacks, 25 push-ups, 25 jump squats, 25 burpee's, 25 triceps dips, 25 sit ups.  Do this sequence 5 times through.

For a nice lean muscle building snack

Heidi's Muscle Smoothie (serves 1-2)

1 C Plain non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 C Spinach
1/2 Banana
1 C Strawberries (or any other kind of berry)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 C Ice
Sugar to taste (try to go without)

Put ingredients in order in a high-powered blender, blend until smooth and enjoy!