Why I Stopped Drinking Juice

When I was a kid I absolutely loved fruit juice! However, I don’t drink juice anymore. Not because I don’t like it anymore, because I do. So…why don’t I drink juice anymore? Read on and I’ll tell you.

The Calories

The first reason I stopped drinking juice is because of the calories. When I started reading labels I realized just how many calories there were in a cup of juice. I kinda made me sad to see how many calories my favorite juices were costing me. But, why does this matter? Well… there’s a couple of reasons.

  • Don’t drink your calories: If you drink too many of your calories it could severely limit what is left for real food. Real food is what our bodies need. By real food I mean whole foods; fruits, veggies, whole grain and the like. These foods provide nutrients and fiber that drinks, such as juice, just can’t provide.
  • Limited how much you can drink: Because of how many calories there are in juice, it is greatly limited on how much of it you drink with a clear conscience. You either can only drink a small amount, or you go significantly over your calorie budget for the day. Either way, it’s not fun. Fruit juice just doesn’t give you as much of a “bang for your buck” as eating the whole fruit.

The Sugar

Another reason I stopped drinking juice was because of the sugar. Yes, those simple carbohydrates. Carbohydrates aren’t bad. However, too much of anything is a bad thing. We run into a couple of problem with the sugar content in juice.

  • Many have added sugar: It is no secret that many juices have added sugars. This really presents a problem. But, even without the added sugars, fruit juice tends to be naturally high in simple carbohydrates without many of the other nutrients that come with whole fruit.
  • Really ups the calories, but not the benefit: Because of this, you end up getting all the calories without getting all of the benefits. This is never a good thing when you are trying to minimize your calories and maximize your nutrients. If you are trying to lose, or even maintain weight, this could wreak havoc on your efforts.

The Lack of Fiber

I guess we could say the last reason is lack of fiber. Juice does not have the fiber content that fruit does, that’s obvious. There’s hardly any fiber in liquid. This does presents a couple of problems.

  • All of the calories, with much less benefit: No fiber also means that you have all of the calories, but not all of the benefits. It sounds like a common theme doesn’t it. If you juice fruit you get rid of much, if not close to all, of the fiber that was holding the structure of the fruit. Fiber is important because it helps the colon move and process food and help the food move through the digestive system. Fiber also latches on to toxins and other unwanted and harmful thing and, along with water, flushes them through the body.
  • Leaves fewer calories for actual food: Because the nutrients and benefits, such as fiber, are lowered you are going to need to find some other source for them. However, the calories were not lowered. This means that you will either be under on nutrients or over on calories, or it will be a very close margin if your lucky.

Coffee/Tea

What interesting is that I started drinking coffee and tea instead of juice. And, I’ve been quite satisfied to tell the truth. There are a couple of reasons I started drinking coffee and tea instead

  • Coffee’s actually good for you Coffee is not as bad for you as you’ve been told. What is bad for you is a ton of creamer and sugar. I little bit of milk or creamer and a little bit of sugar is alright, but a ton of it is not good. The coffe itself, however, is not that bad for you. Now, you don’t want to go overboard on caffine, but this is the case with anything. Too much of anything is a bad thing. I still limit how much coffee I drink, but not near as much as I had to limit the juice I was drinking.
  • Fewer calories and more satisfying I have found coffee and tea much more satisfying in the end. Coffee and tea are very low in calories. This means that you get to drink more of it and it does not over budget your calories. Both coffee and tea also have other helpful benefits, however these benefits are beyond the scope of this article.

It may seem that fruit juice is healthy, it comes from fruit right? Well, as you can see, that’s not really the case. All the things add up to make a not-so-good story for fruit juice. Stop drinking your calories and free some up for wholesome, real food! That’s it for now, catcha next time!

Watch the video here

Setting Goals/Writing a Training Plan for 2020

Are you wanting to set fitness goals or write a training plan for 2020? But you aren’t sure where to start? Don’t worry, I’m here to help! Today I’m going to walk you through a few steps that you can use to write your training plan and set fitness goals for 2020! Use these steps to help you get a move on in your fitness goals for 2020!

1. Identify your goals

The first step is to identify what it is that you want to achieve. The more specific you can get the better. You need to be able to know exactly when you have achieved your goal. Write this goal down. Writing it down makes you feel more accountable to yourself. It also increases the likelihood that you will follow through.

For example, say my goal is to start running. OK, that’s great, but what does that exactly mean? Just getting out and running once could count as “starting”. A more specific goal would maybe be to run a 5k.

2. What do you have to do to achieve those goals?

The next thing to do is to find out what it is that you need to do in order to achieve said goal. You need to do your homework. Research what actions you need to take to get things done. In the context of setting a training or exercise plan, you need to find out what exercises and workouts will help achieve your desired results.

Going back to our running example, what would it take to run a 5k? You may have an idea in your head how far a 5k is, but have you ever traveled that far on foot. Do you have the endurance? Will you need to build up to it? Do you have the right shoes? The right clothes? Have you downloaded an app to track your runs and your progress?

This is also the time time to identify any exercises and nutrition to add to your routine to enhance running. You’d need to identify what those exercises are. You’d need to identify what your nutritional needs would be. You need to also not forget overall health an fitness.

3. How to do what you need to

Now that you know what to do, find out how to do it! You need to know how to go about taking these steps. For a Training Plan, this may mean learning how to properly execute the exercises you have chosen. This may also mean identifying more basic skills that need to be mastered first before progressing to a higher level to achieve our goals.

This would be the time to make sure you’re doing your squats, lunges and push-ups with proper form, or find lower progressions if you cant do it properly. You’d need to learn how to cook or find the nutrition you need. You’d need to learn how to use the running app. All these things need to be done before you do what you identified that you need to do.

4. Break it down

At this point, you probably have quite a list of things to do. Which can be pretty daunting. What you need to do now is step back from the big picture. You need to look at the parts. This is where you trim your goal down into bite-sized pieces, pieces that can be managed one at a time. Now you can focus piece by piece.

So.. What are the pieces of our running goal? One way to break it down would be start with walking. Walking a mile then two, then three. Then start running parts of it. Then continue increase the segments that you run. Another way would be to take the exercises that you selected in earlier steps and progressions of those exercises and identify which progression to start with. Then set a smaller goal of simply reaching the next progression. Both of these approaches are appropriate and important.

5. Schedule it

Now you need a schedule. Take all those pieces you broke down in the last step and put them on your calendar. Plan out when you are going to do what. Plan when you are going to do each workout, exercise, whatever it is. You need to get these written on the calendar and put them into your schedule. Having it scheduled ahead of time, exactly when you’re going to do each specific piece will make it easier to follow through and get it done.

With your exercises and progressions in hand, you need to plan when you’re going to do it. You need to plan when to start and when you’d like to achieve the first goal you set in the previous step. Put both of these dates on the calendar. Having it written down helps keep you more accountable.

6. Plan for setbacks

What if things go wrong? Things will go wrong! It might be a good idea to have the ability to adjust and adapt to bad weather, injury, or whatever else that may happen. This isn’t necessarily having a back-up plan, but having the mental, emotional and physical ability to adapt to whatever changes may occur. Having a back-up plan is good for only one scenario, having the ability to adapt is good for any scenario.

With these steps you can take your goals and turn them into an actionable plan. With an actionable plan you can create real change in your life and achieve your goals. Clarifying your goals, breaking them down and creating accountability, even if it’s only to your past self, make such a big difference. Knowing where your headed before you start and making a commitment to getting there make the goal more real and makes it feel more achievable. That’s it for now, catcha next time!

Watch the video here

Bodyweight Core Exercises

Hello all! Today I’ve got a few core exercise for you! These exercise require no equipment and can be done in the comfort of your own home. So lets get into it!

Sprinter-Ups

  • Lay on your back, hands spread overhead
  • Reach one elbow to the opposite knee
  • Repeat on other side
  • Repeat the sequence!

Bicycle Crunches

  • Lay on your back, hands under your head
  • Brings your knees close to your chest, alternating legs
  • Repeat!

V-Ups

  • Lay on the ground, arms spread overhead
  • Bring your heels off the ground and your arms out in front of you, simultaneously
  • Return to start
  • Repeat!

Downward Dog Knees

  • Start in “Downward Dog”
  • Bring one knee to the opposite elbow
  • Repeat on other side
  • Bring one foot outside of the same hand
  • Repeat on other side
  • Repeat the sequence!

Staying Fit Through the Holidays

Chocolates, cakes and cookies, oh my! Its everywhere this time of year, the goodies and the treats. Then you step on the scale in January and are about ready to already give up your New Years Resolution.
Hello everyone it’s Coach Jo. Today I’m going to share with you four tips to staying fit through the holidays so that you can skip the holiday weight gain this year!

Stick to Routines

Tip number one is to stick to your routines as much as you can. It can be hard in all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for celebrations to stick to our normal routines. But it would benefit you to try to stick as close to them as you can. There are a couple of reasons why.

  • Routines provide structure: First of all routines help provide structure for our lives. They are backbone of our days and weeks. When we are low on energy routines help us move through our day and get things done without having to make decision after decision after decision. This time of there is so much to do, we can often get lost in the chaos. The structure of routines can make this time at least a little bit less chaotic.
  • Routines make you feel more comfortable: Another thing about routines is they can be a source of comfort in a stressful time. When things get chaotic and crazy routines can provide familiarity and predictability. This familiarity can go a long way in keeping you calm.
  • Routines help you get stuff done when it gets hard: This leads us into our last reason today for routines. Routines help you get things done when you don’t really feel like it. Like I said earlier; routines help cut down on decision making. If you set up routines and make them habits then you don’t have to think about it as much and things are still getting done.

Give Yourself a Break

Tip number two is to give yourself a break. You heard me right, a BREAK. I mean this in a couple of different ways. First, I mean to actually take a break. And I also mean to cut yourself some slack. Let me explain.

  • Rest: Okay, okay. I know you’re thinking: “Uh, Jo, it’s December, have you seen my to-do list?” And you’re right, there is a lot to do this time of year. However, it is important to take a break and rest. If you push to hard trying to get things done, it makes it hard to exercise. It can also make it hard to eat healthy. It is important not to forget to rest and relax. It can be hard to relax in this the busiest time of year, but its so important.
  • It’s okay to cheat a little: Now, lets talk about cutting yourself a little bit of slack. What I mean by this is that a small treat here and there is not necessarily bad. A small cheat may help you stay stronger in the long run. Sometimes if you say no to the tempting treats and keep saying no, you could end up crashing and burning. Instead of just one bite, you end up bingeing, and that is never good. The trick is to not let that small cheat become the rule instead of the exception, or to turn into a binge session. That’s where the problem comes in.

Plan Ahead

Tip number three is to plan ahead. You have to know where you’re going to go and what you’re going to do before you can move forward. Now, our plans may fall through, but we still need plans. It’s okay for plans to fall through or change, but you need a direction to go in.

  • Planning makes it easier to carry through: If you already have a plan for a healthy supper and everything is ready, come 6:00pm it won’t be as hard to eat healthy. If the decision is already made it could even be the easiest choice to just go with the plan. You won’t have to spend time making a decision and getting things ready. You just get going with what’s already basically prepared.
  • Plan for things to go wrong: Another thing you need to think about and plan for is when things go wrong. Because it is not a question of if but of when things will go wrong. What if that perfect supper we just talked about doesn’t pan out? What if you or someone else gets sick? There are so many things that could go wrong. Just thinking about what could go wrong and having the idea in your head that things could go wrong could be a big help, at least you won’t be completely blind sided.

Find New Traditions

Many celebrations center around food. And usually unhealthy food chocked full of sugar and empty calories. However, this is not necessarily the only way to celebrate. It may be a little more difficult, but you can look for new traditions that are a little more healthy.

  • Find things that don’t involve food: You could look for traditions and ways to celebrate that do not include food. These could include crafts, games or outings. A family game or movie night or a drive to look at lights are very fun options that don’t involve food.
  • Find healthier foods: Another option is to find healthier holiday foods to try. Or, even try healthier versions of your favorite foods. Instead of regular rolls, try whole wheat. Instead of putting a lot of milk and butter in the mashed potatoes, try just a little bit of butter. Remember moderation is key.
  • Find more active traditions: More active traditions may also be a fun idea. You might could participate in a Santa 5k or be in a parade. You might try caroling or a nature walk. Or a game of football, soccer, kickball, or anything else.

3 Upper-Body Exercises

Who has time for the gym? In today’s post, I’m going to share with you three upper body exercises that you can easily do at home.

1. The Chest Fly

  • How to do it:
    • Lie on the floor, a bench, or a balance ball.
    • Hold dumbbells out to the side arms bent.
    • Bring the dumbbells in front of your body.
    • Bring arms back out to the side.
  • The Benefits/Muscles worked
    • The chest fly is a great and easy way to work your chest, as the pecs are the main muscle group activated. A secondary muscle group worked with a chest fly are the shoulders.
    • Chest flys help build and tone upper body muscles while at the same time aiding and maintaining flexibility and mobility because of the range of motion incorporated in the exercise.
    • This is an easy exercise that does not require very much space or equipment.
  • Warnings
    • Be sure not to overextend in the downward portion of the exercise.
    • As with any weight lifting, don’t get going to fast and tear up your shoulders.

2. Row and Raise

  • How to do it
    • On all fours bring the dumbbell to your hip
    • Return to start
    • Bring the dumbbell out in front of you, arm extended
    • Return to start
    • Bring the dumbbell up and out to the side
    • Return to start
    • Repeat with the other arm
  • The Benefits/Muscles worked
    • This is a compound exercise hitting both the upper back and shoulder very well with just one exercise.
    • It is easy to perform and requires little space and equipment.

3. Hammer Curl → OH Press → Tricep Press

  • How to do it
    • Hold the dumbbells with the ends facing you
    • Curl up towards your shoulders
    • Press up over your head
    • Gently bend your elbows back, with the dumbbells towards your back
    • Bring the dumbbells back up over your head
    • Return the dumbbells to your shoulder
    • Uncurl back down to your thighs/Return to start
  • The Benefits/Muscles worked
    • This is another great compound exercise hitting three different muscle groups at the same time:
      • Biceps
      • Shoulders
      • Triceps
    • This, again, is also an easy exercise that requires little space and relatively little equipment.
  • Warnings
    • Don’t rock back and forth to get the weight up during the curl, this could injure your back.
    • Don’t jump too much to get the weight overhead for the press.
Watch the video here!

These three exercises are great to work into any home workout plan. They require minimal equipment and minimal space. They can be made easier or harder depending on your fitness level. I hope you enjoy these exercises! Happy training!

Lower Body Balance Ball Exercises

Hello everyone! Coach Jo here! Today I would like to share with you a few lower body exercises that you can do at home with nothing but a balance ball. These exercises are mainly good for balance, while also building a mild amount of strength as an added aside. Though strength is not a focus here. Be sure to go slow at first and focus most on making sure you find your balance with every rep.

Squats

  • Straight Squats
    • Stand squarely on the ball and find your balance
    • Slowly sink down as if to sit in a chair
  • Side Squats
    • Put one foot on the ball and one on the ground to one side
    • Slowly sink down as if to sit in a chair
    • Switch to the other side and repeat
    • Speed can increase
  • Goblet Squats
    • Stand squarely on the ball and find your balance
    • Hold a dumbbell against your chest
    • Slowly sink down as if to sit in a chair

Lunges

  • Regular Lunges
    • Stand on the balance ball and find your balance
    • Step one foot forward off the ball, bending the back leg
    • Step back, both feet on the balance ball
    • Reverse Lunges
      • Stand on the balance ball and find your balance
      • Step behind off the balance ball, bending the front leg
      • Step back with both feet on the balance ball
    • Pulsing Lunges
      • Stand on the balance ball and find your balance
      • Step one foot forward off the ball, bending the back leg
      • Bend the leg deeper and return to top (15-20 reps)
      • Step back, both feet on the balance ball
      • Step the other leg forward and repeat

    Making Small Choices every day

    Change doesn’t have to be big

    • We don’t have to make drastic changes to our lives to make a difference

    Big changed all at once can be intimidating and overwhelming. If we get too overwhelmed and intimidated we are more likely to give up. Small changes add up to make big differences and are less intimidating. It may take longer, but we will be more consistent and more likely to stick with it for the long haul and make real changes in our lives. Small changes are more sustainable. Therefore small changes over time can make more of a difference than trying to make a huge change all at once.

    • Small steps over time can lead to big change

    One small step might not seem like much by itself. But, if we can turn that small step into a sustainable habit, and add other sustainable habits to it we can stick to these habits for the long haul. If we do stick to these habits in the long run, then big changes will happen.

    • Small steps are more sustainable than a drastic change

    If we try to make a huge change all at once we often end up feeling quite intimidated. It is almost too much for us to handle. It is difficult to keep up with these drastic changes and we end up feeling like we can’t do it. This is when we give up. However, if we make small changes it’s not so bad. It is quite a bit easier to keep up with and handle. We end up sticking to it longer, as previously mentioned. This ends up boosting our confidence and we feel more empowered to make even more changes. Then, before you know it our lives are drastically different for the long haul.

    Looking for small choices

    • Small choices are everywhere

    There are small improvements that we can all around us. To start it could be as simple as drinking more water or getting more sleep. There is no end to the things we could tweak in our lives. We just need to be on the lookout and honestly asses what could be better in our lives.

    • What is one small change that you could realistically make?

    After we’ve seen the small choices we could make, we need to choose where to start. Not all of the things on our list of what could be better are going to be realistic changes at whatever point we are at in our lives. We need to look at this list and pick just one thing to focus on. Ask yourself a couple of questions: (a) what are you realistically willing to change right now? (b) which of THESE things means the most to you, which would make you feel the most accomplished? Now you have your one thing, one habit, one change to work on. Focus on this first until it becomes natural. Then pick another one thing to work on.

    • When it seems things aren’t changing

    Now, there are going to be times when it seems like things are not changing. It might seem like you are doing it all for nothing and getting nowhere. In these times it can be hard to keep up the motivation to keep ongoing. It is important to remind yourself why you started this journey. Was it for your children? Was it to fit into a certain size of clothes? Was it to pass a fitness test? Whatever it was, remember that reason. Then you need to remember where you started. In all likely hood, you have made more progress than you think.

    Environmental stimuli

    • What are environmental stimuli and how to use them?

    Environmental stimuli are anything around you. It’s the things you see, hear and touch. The point is to use environmental stimuli to remind you to stick with your goals. It can be laying out your workout clothes at night before you go to bed to remind you to workout in the morning. Or, it could be putting your gym bag in the front passenger seat of your car to remind you to go to the gym after work. It could even be putting a glass or bottle of water o your desk to remind you to drink more water.

    • Removing Barriers

    Adjusting your environmental stimuli to remind you of your goals also removes barriers to perform your goals. When you have your gym bag already in your front seat not only does it make you think about how you wanted to go to the gym, it makes it a lot easier because it’s right there and ready to go to the gym. Therefore the barrier of needing your gym things is removed. When your bottle or glass is already on your desk, not only do you see the water, the barrier of having to get up to get water is removed.

    Why “Get Healthy”?

    What is healthy?

    Being healthy is not just being free from ailments, there is more to it. One of the first things we need to do is discuss what exactly “healthy” is. Sometimes it may seem daunting because we don’t know what exactly healthy is. It can seem hard to obtain. The World Health Organization defines health as: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.  (WHO) This leads us to the reasons why we should be healthy; We will have more energy, we will be in a better mood, and we will make friends and strengthen existing relationships.

     The reasons why
    1. More energy: Regular exercise and proper nutrition increase energy reserves. This is our physical well being.  
      • The first reason to be healthy is for energy. There are a couple of ways this is achieved:
        • Nutrition: If we eat well our bodies will be well. For optimal energy, our bodies need certain nutrients such as fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. When these are properly balanced, we feel our best. We also have to think about the quality of the food we are putting into our bodies. What would happen to our cars if instead of gasoline we put cooking oil into it? It wouldn’t be pretty, because the vehicle was not designed to run on cooking oil. If we eat things that our bodies are not designed to run on we are in a very similar situation.
        • Exercise: When we exercise, we condition our bodies. Our muscles get stronger and our hearts beat more efficiently, better circulating blood and oxygen. This also actually lowers our resting heart rate. What this means is that we will better be able to handle greater levels of energy expenditure, therefore having more energy. Our bodies will grow accustomed to higher levels of activity.
    2. Better mood: Exercise and proper nutrition trigger endorphins that make you feel better. This leads to our mental wellbeing.
      • Another reason to be healthy is for enhanced mood. This also has the same two components:
        • Nutrition: Once again giving our bodies proper nutrition helps our bodies operate better. Your brain needs certain nutrients as well, if it is lacking in nutrients it won’t function optimally. If our brains are not functioning properly our brain chemistry will be off and we will moody and even possibly depressed.
        • Exercise: On the exercise side, exercise releases endorphins. These endorphins are mood enhancing chemicals. This means that our brain chemistry is improved, and we feel better. Also, the sense of accomplishment in completing a workout makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives.
    3. Make friends and strengthen relationships. If you join a workout class or walk with a friend, this brings in the social element.
      • The last reason I want to talk about today is that a healthy lifestyle can strengthen your relationships and help you create and develop new friendships. If you walk (or do anything else) with a friend or family member you will be spending time with that person. It will give you a chance to be together, to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Joining a workout class or a martial arts or dance school is a great way to meet new people. Every new person you meet is a potential new friend, and the shared class is a great way to bond.
    Final thoughts

    I know this all sounds like basic stuff. That’s because it is. But sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics. Improving your health is not an easy task sometimes., so it can be helpful to remind ourselves why we started down this journey. And for those of you who are still just contemplating improving your health, I hope this gives you the gentle nudge you need to take the next small step. I say next small step because, my friend, you have already taken the first. Yes, you have already taken the first step by reading this post. And I am very proud of you for taking that first small step! You can do it!