Total Mommy Fitness Magazine

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Lisa Leake, founder of 100 Days of Real Food, is proof that eating well can be done, even when feeding a busy family. Her blog offers step by step advice on cutting out processed foods and her new cookbook is a fantastic resource for moms wanting to cook healthy delicious recipes for their family. It is an honor to share her with you and I hope that you are inspired to take steps this month toward a diet based in nutrient rich, whole foods for you and your family.

Transcript of Total Mommy Fitness Magazine

Page 1: Total Mommy Fitness Magazine

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Contents

Cover Story100 Days of Real FoodWife, mother, foodie, and founder of 100daysofrealfood.com inspires others to cut out highly processed food By

Lisa Leake

Features

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Farm to TableBenefits of buying locally

By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty

By Daxle Collier

9 Reasons to Stop DietingWhat to consider if you are thinking about starting a new diet

By Lauren Walz

Tricks of the TradeHelpful tips for transitioning to table foods

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Magazine Content

Is One Ingredient to Blame?Why sugar is the scapegoat of the moment

By Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN

What’s Wrong with What We Eat?Plus, ‘Weekday Vegetarian’ video

By TED Talks

IN THIS ISSUE

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Embracing Simple Nutrition and Sane Exercise Mind Body Musings PodcastBy Madelyn Moon

By Marc Chernoff

12 Things You Should Make Time for AgainPractical tips for productive living

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Homemade Habanero SalsaThin En La Cocina shares how to make Latin food healthy

By Cinthya Serrato

Magazine Content

Exercise of the Month

Real Mom Feature

Ab twist on ball tightens core and improves balance

Mother, active duty Air Force officer and radiology resident shares her advice

By Jamie Aminsharifi

By Tatum Rebelle

IN EVERY ISSUE

CREDITS

Design and Editing: !Tatum Rebelle of TotalMommyFitness.com !Cover by: Lisa Clark of Clark-Illustration.com !

Photos: !Photography by Chanda Daydream Photography Free Range Stock Flickr

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Welcome Letter

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This month is one of the most important issues of Total Mommy Fitness to date. It is a topic that I have been passionate about since I was 10 years old and made the decision to become a vegetarian. Since then I have been continuously learning about nutrition, the production and consumption of food, and just how much of what we are taught about “diet” is inaccurate, and very harmful. !Our current food system is not only damaging to our health, but also to the environment and the economy. The advice in this issue offers ways to make a difference in your own family’s diet while making a positive contribution to the larger problems at hand.

!I could not be any more excited to have Lisa Leake, founder of 100 Days of Real Food, as the cover woman of this issue. She is proof that eating well can be done, even when feeding a busy family. Her blog offers step by step advice on cutting out processed foods and her new cookbook is a fantastic resource for moms wanting to cook healthy delicious recipes for their family. !It is an honor to share her with you and I hope that you are inspired to take steps this month toward a diet based in nutrient rich, whole foods for you and your family. !For the upcoming issue of Total Mommy Fitness I’m looking for entrepreneurs to feature who have created interesting businesses and are using their work to make a positive impact in the world. I know that there are a lot of you out there. If this sounds like you or someone you know please email [email protected]. I look forward to hearing your story! !Don’t forget to follow Total Mommy Fitness on Facebook to share your thoughts and stay in touch between magazine issues! !Best, Tatum

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Farm to Table!the Benefits of Buying Locally

The term farm to table or farm to fork is becoming increasingly popular and is considered one of the prominent trends in the nutrition world. Its meaning has to do with understanding where our foods are sourced from and how they are grown. It encourages people to swap over-processed, modified foods for local, natural and unaltered produce, dairy and meats.

Products are not all alike. They may look the same but the methods used to grow and care for them vary greatly. That process is vitally important because it effects overall health and while it might not be feasible to always shop

Healthy Eating By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty

locally and eat organically, understanding the benefits of doing so can be extremely helpful to your physical and mental health and wellness.

The following are the top reasons to shop locally for your food:

Better nutrition and improved taste

Many people don’t realize that produce is often picked early prior to ripening because it has to be packaged and transported. When you shop locally for fresh fruit and vegetables you are likely to get it at its peak, which results in a fresher, tastier product. Locally grown food is more likely to be free to GMO’s, pesticides and chemicals which alter the nutritional benefits of food. Organic locally grown food is typically more nutrient rich as its not grown for shipping.

Supporting your community

Shopping locally supports growers who are earning a living farming. For those that elect to shop directly from the grower at Farmers markets, the middle man is then cut out. This results in higher earnings for the farmer, who typically recirculates money back into your community creating a strong local economy.

Being environmentally friendly

According to the Food, Conservation and Energy Act adopted by congress in 2008, the total distance that a product can be transported and still be considered a local or regional agricultural

Daydream Photography

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food product is less than 400 miles from its origin. Transporting foods long distances is taxing on the environment in the way of creating pollution and burning precious fossil fuels. !Knowing what you are eating !Part of the challenge of maintaining optimum health is fully understanding what you are putting in and on your body. Foods grown locally are easily accessible to you and therefore, you are more likely to know something about them. In some places you can see the farm where they are grown or in the case of poultry and meats, see how the animals are raised. You can meet the growers and find individuals whom you trust from which to purchase your food. !Foods packaged for the purpose of transporting and maintaining a long term shelf life tend to be more limited and often contain more chemicals. If you are looking to eat the best nutrient rich items with minimal processing and ingredients shopping locally can be an excellent option. !Family friendly shopping !At most farmers markets, families have the opportunity to browse the booths and show their children a variety of fresh and seasonal foods. Teaching kids about healthy eating from a young age is important and a visit to the farmers market can be the perfect way to do this. !Remember to encourage your children to ask questions about the food. Make a visit to the farmers market a family field trip. These are activities that children are more likely to remember as they grow. Additionally, they will often retain the information they learn while shopping as they are actually interacting with people while doing so. !The farm to table movement is not just a topic about nutrition and the environment. Understanding the intricacies of it helps you become more informed and educated about your food decisions. When you do this you are better able to accomplish your goals as they relate to health and wellness.

“When you shop locally for fresh fruit and vegetables you are likely to get it at its peak, which results in a fresher, tastier product.”

By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty, The Fit Mom Diet Team Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty are the co-founders of Fit Mom Diet. Both health and fitness experts, widely published writers, models and clean eating chefs Miller and Dougherty strive to empower women to live active and healthy lifestyles. www.FitMomDiet.com

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9 Reasons to Stop DietingHealthy Eating By Daxle Collier

Thinking about starting a new diet? Consider the following: ! 1. Dieting won’t help you lose weight. Sure,

in the short term, dieting can help you lose weight, but over time it is almost guaranteed that you will gain it back. [1]

! 2. Diets actually cause weight gain.

Diets damage your body in such a way that it becomes easier to gain weight and harder to lose it with every new diet. [2]

! 3. Diets don’t improve your

health. Long term studies show that diets don’t actually lead to better health outcomes. [3]

! 4. Diets lead to eating

disorders. When diets don’t work, dieters become understandably desperate, often leading to anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. [4]

5. Dieting shortens your life span. Yo-yo dieting lowers your chance of living a long, healthy, and joyful life. [5]

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! 6. Diets weren’t made for you. Your body is unique, so it’s just not possible for a generic diet

to be accurately tailored to your body.

7. Diets are distracting. Dieters spend so much time obsessing about what, when, and how to eat- not to mention guilt and regrets - that it’s hard to focus on anything else. [6]

8. Dieting causes overeating. When you don’t eat enough, your body thinks you are starving and starts sending out strong signals that urge you to eat as much as possible, as soon as possible. [7]

9. Diets ruin your ability to enjoy food. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to enjoy every bite of a luscious slice of chocolate cake or juicy burger without fear or guilt ruining the experience?

!Next time you feel like dieting, think about what you really want. If you’re like most people, you want to feel loved, accepted, beautiful, healthy, and vibrant.

A diet won’t give you any of these precious things, so spend your time and energy on activities that will!

By Daxle CollierDaxle is a holistic health coach, nutritionist, and certified intuitive eating counselor located in Oakland, CA. Learn more at www.presentperfectwellness.com

Click here for list of cited references

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“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” ~ Thomas Edison

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!!I am often asked how I got Nora to be such an adventurous eater. The answer, of course, is that I’m just lucky. She is a naturally good eater, and I’ve just taken advantage of that by offering her lots of different tastes and textures. !That said, sometimes she doesn’t really want to eat, or doesn’t really want to eat what I’m giving her, so I have figured out a few tricks along the way.

I have to preface this by saying that I’m not pretending to be an expert. I’m only an expert on my kid (and even that is debatable!). So, naturally, my first tip is to know your child. I know that Nora likes trying new things (usually), that she’s independent, and that she likes to figure it out herself, which guides my approach. If your baby is different, your approach to feeding him will be, too.

My main advice is to try and go with the flow, as much as you can. If the meal I’ve prepared for Nora isn’t something she’s into, I offer a little something else, and if she’s just not having a very hungry day, that’s okay, too.

I think one of the biggest feeding pitfalls for most parents is catering too much to your child’s preferences. I’m not saying don’t give them food they like — I’m just saying give them lots of new foods and re-try foods they haven’t liked in the past, too. Unless your child has an issue with gaining weight appropriately,* try not to stress too much over how much they are eating, or how much they eat at a particular meal. You baby knows his appetite better than you do!

Parenting By Lauren Walz

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Tricks of the Trade

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* If your child does have problems with weight gain, you should obviously be following your doctor’s advice, not mine.

So, with all that said, here are some of the tricks I’ve figured out over the last few months. I hope they’re helpful to someone out there!

Tips for transitioning to table foods/self-feeding:

▪ Start slowly: Try to sit your baby down when she isn’t super-hungry yet and offer her some finger foods. She may just play with them, but that’s okay. Eventually some will find their way into her mouth! Offer purée to top her up afterwards.

! ▪ Practice makes perfect: I’m not the world’s biggest fan of processed

foods, but puffs worked wonders for us in helping Nora develop her pincer grasp. They stick a little bit to your fingers, which makes it easier for baby to pick them up, and they dissolve in his mouth so they’re not a choking hazard. You can move on to more “real” finger foods once he gets the hang of it.

! ▪ Get a grip: Coat anything that’s a little slippery (sliced strawberries, tofu)

with some wheat germ to make it easier to pick up. It adds some nutrition and a little sweetness, too!

! ▪ Learn from my experience: I’ve put together a couple of lists of great

beginning finger foods. Try some of them out! ! ▪ Stick with it: The transition to table foods won’t happen in a day or a

week. It’s a process. The important thing is just to keep trying every so often, even if you’re sure it won’t strike your little one’s fancy. One day it may just be like a switch was flipped!

!Tricks for more seasoned eaters:

▪ Switch it up: If your little one is not loving the apple slices she had previously scarfed down, try giving here a whole apple and see how she does. You might be surprised. Or, if she’s not wanting to gnaw on whole fruit, try small chunks or slices instead. Another option is to grate up fruit or veggies, or even cheese. Nora had grated cheese for the first time the other day and flipped for it. You can also try peeling fruit, if the texture of the skin seems to be icking her out.

“Try and go with the flow, as much as you can.”

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! ▪ Save the best for last: If I am giving Nora one of her all-time favorites

(pears with cinnamon and vanilla, blueberries, or sweet potato, lately), I try to save it for after she’s eaten the rest of her meal, like dessert. Otherwise, she won’t want anything else until she’s had her fill!

! ▪ Tickle the palate: Conversely, when your little one just doesn’t seem

interested in eating, try offering a bit of one of his favorite foods. Sometimes that can be enough to get his appetite going, and he’ll start eating the other things you’re offering, too.

! ▪ I’ll have what Mommy’s having: If there’s one thing toddlers especially

like, it’s doing what the big people are doing. If Nora isn’t interested in something, and I take a bite and offer it again, all of a sudden, she’s all about it. Better yet, just give him food from your plate — it’s easier to only cook one meal!

! ▪ Feeding the animals: Sometimes Nora likes to eat from my hand, like a

little birdie. It’s pretty darn cute. She also likes a helping hand at times when she’s trying to take a big bite out of an apple or other fruit.

! ▪ Be cool: I recently discovered that when Nora is teething, frozen berries

are a great snack. I let them sit out to soften for a few minutes so they’re not a choking hazard, and then let her go to town. The cold feels good on those sore gums.

! ▪ I’ll do it myself: I recently read this great tip from Half Pint Gourmet on

helping your little one learn to use a spoon, so we are now giving Nora her own spoon when we feed her things like yogurt or multigrain porridge. She sort of gets the concept, but definitely not enough to reliably feed herself… but practice makes perfect!

!The most important part, in my humble opinion, is to just keep trying new things until something sticks. Guess I could have just said that and saved myself some time in writing this! I think that simple principle would just about put the publishers of parenting books out of business, though.

By Lauren WalzLauren is a recovering lawyer-turned-freelance writer, aspiring domestic goddess, and mom to a spunky and demanding preschooler and a tiny, demanding baby girl. She loves all things food and drink, and rediscovered a love for cooking now that she’s not spending her days locked in the office. www.gourmetveggiemama.com !

“If there’s one thing toddlers especially like, it’s doing what the big people are doing.”

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100 Daysof Real Food !By Lisa Leake

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n the beginning of 2010 I had never before read an ingredient label, never bought anything that I

!After reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan I got the wake up call of my life and felt like our eating habits needed a serious overhaul. Making such drastic changes was not easy at first (it has thankfully become our “new normal” since then), and at the time I struggled to find resources to help me understand exactly how I could apply Pollan’s principals to our everyday lives. Shortly thereafter my real food blog was born. !

was organic (at least not on purpose), nor had I ever stepped foot in a farmers’ market. I am certainly not proud of those things, but that was reality for the first 32 or so years of my life and the most disturbing part is that I had no idea I was doing anything wrong. !As a child I had both Doritos and Kraft macaroni & cheese as staples in my diet. This shaped my views as an adult. As most other wives and moms can relate, I do most of the meal planning and food shopping, therefore I was (and still am) the biggest influence on our family’s food choices.

!Why it’s important to cut out processed food: !1. Processed foods are an illusion, often appearing to be healthy (with claims like low fat, low

carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains omega-3s, etc.) when these foods are in fact the very thing making a lot of Americans unhealthy, sick, and fat.

2. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – four of the top ten chronic diseases that kill most of us – “can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food” according to Michael Pollan.

!3. Making smarter (and sometimes more expensive) food choices now may reduce your

healthcare costs later in life.

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!After a few months of blogging I decided it was time to do something big, something bold, and something that would get as many other people as we can to not only read about eating real foods, but to also make a commitment to this important change. Which is when the original 100 Days of Real Food pledge was born.

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4. Why would one want to eat a

processed food-like substance that is scientifically designed to never rot?

5. The food industry has proven that it is not very good at seasoning our foods by adding way too much salt, sugar, and/or oil to almost everything.

!6. When you eat white bread and other

foods made with white flour (which is a highly processed version of wheat) you are basically consuming empty calories with far less nutrition than the whole-wheat or whole grain alternatives.

!7. It is estimated that up to 90% of

processed foods* in the supermarket contain either a corn or soy ingredient in the form of an additive under a variety of different names. Now how is that for eating variety?

8. Cutting out processed foods could lead you to experience a variety of personal health benefits such as having more energy, losing weight, improving regularity, or just feeling healthier overall.

! 9. Rather than counting calories, watching fat grams, or reducing carbs for “healthy eating,”

simply eat whole foods that, as Michael Pollan puts it, are more the product of nature than “the product of industry.” It certainly is less complicated.

10. It just makes plain old sense to fully understand what you are eating, be able to pronounce everything on the list of ingredients (if there is a list), and know exactly where that food comes from…don’t you think?

!Every time we food shop or eat a meal we are voting for either processed food-like substances or real food. If all of us make the right choices together then we can make a big impact, which will help change our country’s food system for the better. !*Statistic courtesy of a food scientist interviewed on the documentary “Food, Inc” 17

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!The 100 Days of Real Food cookbook will be released on August 26th and I can truthfully tell you that I worked harder on this book than I have on anything else in my entire life. !So when you buy this book, you are going to get some of my blood, sweat, and tears with it because I didn’t want to just write any real food cookbook, I (i.e. the Type A in me) wanted it to be absolutely perfect for you. !I wanted this book to contain all the resources, recipes, and motivation that you could possibly need to completely transform your lifestyle – into a healthy, happy, real food one that is! !In addition to the 100 (mostly new – not previously on the blog) recipes, the book will include 5 chapters that cover: What real food is, how to read ingredient labels, how cutting out processed food impacted our family, how to shop for real food (without breaking the bank), how to get your reluctant family members on board, meal planning (+ 4 new dinner plans), and lots of fun “extras” like a real food substitution chart, my typical weekly grocery list, family dinner questions, a “make your own” party guide, and a school lunch packing chart. !My goal was to make this book your complete guide for cutting out processed food – everything except a personal chef included! But all kidding aside, just think of that wonderful feeling when you know you are taking the best care of your family possible. I want this book to help you do just that in the food department! !Preorder your copy now on Amazon!

By Lisa LeakeLisa Leake is a wife, mother, foodie, and blogger who started www.100daysofrealfood.com to inspire others to cut out highly processed food. 18

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!Now I’m sitting here reflecting on the incident and, even more so, on the words the woman repeated over and over through her tears as I was attending to her husband: “It’s not his time. Oh please, it’s not his time.” !And in a backwards way, her words keep echoing in my mind, reminding me that life is fragile and fleeting, and that I need to start allocating my time properly again. Life has been busy lately, and certain things have fallen by the wayside, but it’s time to revive and resume the rituals that best serve my well-being and my relationships.

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12 Things You Should Make Time for Again

Self Improvement By Marc Chernoff

!I hope you will join me in…

Taking better care of yourself. – You are like a building with stained-glass windows. You always shimmer and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in your true magnificence is revealed only if there is light shining from within you. It’s your duty, and yours alone, to keep your inner light shining bright. So learn to love yourself first, instead of loving the idea of other people loving you. Loving yourself does not mean being selfish and narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather, it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart and mind – a guest worthy of extra care and respect. Whatever you are doing, love yourself for doing it. Whatever you are feeling, love yourself for feeling it. That’s a great start.

Today, I was jogging on the outskirts of downtown Austin when a woman I had just passed began screaming for help. I turned around to see that her husband had fallen to the ground and appeared unconscious. I ran over and checked his pulse. He had one, but he wasn’t breathing. The woman called 911 on her mobile phone while I performed CPR on her husband. Somehow, miraculously, I got him breathing again before the ambulance arrived. And although I have no idea how this couple’s story will end, I’m hopeful based on positive remarks from one of the paramedics who said the husband seemed to be in stable condition.

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“Let go a bit and just listen and smile.”

!Getting lost in playful exploration. – Sometimes we put too much weight into trying to control every tiny aspect of our lives. Switch gears, relax and ride the path that life takes you sometimes. Try something new, be a bit daring, and explore your curiosity. Letting go a little lets you experience the unexpected. The greatest joys in life are often the unexpected surprises that you never intended to happen. If you want to get really good at something, let go of the notion of perfection and replace it with the notion of endless playful exploration. We don’t stop dreaming and exploring because we grow old; we grow old because we stop dreaming and exploring. !Indulging in your passions and hobbies. – Do fall in love, not always with a person, but with an aim, an ambition, a passion. If you lost everything but your mind, heart and health, what would be your reason to wake up every morning with a smile? There’s definitely a fire burning inside you. It’s your job to find it and keep it lit. As we grow older, with all of our responsibilities, our passions and hobbies often seem like an indulgence. They shouldn’t be. They should be a requirement. Even if you can only dedicated 20 minutes a day to something you love, DO IT. No excuses, no regrets. !Spreading joy. – BE the change you want to see. Love fearlessly and without limits. No act of love or kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion, compassion, humor, generosity, and kindness, and using these tools to improve the lives of those around you. Smile, and help others smile too. If you don’t have the power or strength to write someone’s happiness, then try to help them remove their sadness instead. And don’t let the numbers overwhelm you. You can’t help everyone. Focus on assisting one person at a time, and always start with the person closest to you. !Initiating long, intimate conversations with loved ones. – Death is a real challenge of life. It tells us not to waste time. It tells us to make time right now to tell each other that we love each other. It tells us to stop texting and tweeting every second and actually open the floodgates to real, long, heartfelt conversations with the people we love. Relationships flourish when two people are able to share their innermost feelings and thoughts about themselves and each other. To be fully heard by someone, in raw form, and be adored anyhow, is what true love is. Making time for these deep connections and conversations is worth it. (Angel and I discuss this in detail in the “Relationships” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.) !Listening to others without judgment. – Be selective in your battles. Let go a bit and just listen and smile. Most of the time being peaceful and compassionate is far better than being right – especially right off the bat in a new conversation. So keep in mind that wisdom is not just knowing when to stand up and speak, but when to sit down and listen. It’s about knowing that your ears will never get you in trouble, and will always give you a chance to learn something new.

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!Interacting with quality people in-person, in the flesh. – In the digital age we live in it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of sustaining our relationships through digital means only. Although it’s nice that technology is making the world smaller and making remote relationships easier to manage, nothing can replace the intimacy of physical human connectedness. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a hug, a handshake, a kind pat on the back, a listening ear in a shared space, or the smallest act of caring for someone close by, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. !Enjoying peaceful downtime. – You deserve quiet moments away from the daily hustle, in which no problems are confronted, no solutions are explored, and no demands are being made of your time. Schedule time every day to not be busy. At least twice a day, withdraw yourself from the sources of stress that refuse to withdraw from you. Do so for a few minutes and simply be and breathe. Don’t fool yourself; you’re not so busy that you can’t afford a few minutes of sanity. !Reading amazing books. – Books are truly the perfect entertainment: no advertisements, no batteries, hours of delight and education, and no cost with a library card. What you have to ask yourself is: Why not carry a book around for those inevitable gaps of wasteful waiting time – five minutes here and ten minutes there. Bring that dead time back to life. And remember, it is what you read and learn when you don’t have to that determines what you will be capable of when you have no other choice.

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!!Cooking real, wholesome food. – Your body is a temple. You are what you eat. So do not eat processed food, fast food, and all the filth the big processed food companies try to pass off as “healthy.” Most foods that you don’t have to prepare manually statically cause sickness, cancer, and disease. Do they taste good? Sure. It’s all well-seasoned, pre-packaged poison. This is why so many people are sick – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually – because of being hooked to the taste of poison, instead of being hooked on the truth and to real foods that heal and provide you with good health and wellness. !Cutting yourself enough slack to make mistakes. – The greatest mistake many of us make is living in constant fear that we will make one. Life is just too short to berate yourself for making mistakes. After all, mistakes in life are as certain as sunsets and detours. So why exert energy avoiding the unavoidable? The truth is you aren’t really free until you give yourself the freedom to make mistakes. So liberate yourself! Cut yourself some slack. Shift your energy from protecting yourself from failure to squeezing more living out of your life. !Celebrating the small victories of each day. – Sure, not every day will be good, but there will always be something good about every day. Notice these things and celebrate them. Train your mind to see what’s right. Positivity is a choice. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. When you are no longer able to change a situation, you are challenged to change how you think about it. And the first step is celebrating what you can – the lessons, the laughs, and love you experienced along the way. !Truth be told, the most important decision you will ever make is what you do with the time that is given to you. Let every day be a part of a dream you can touch. Let every day contain love you can feel. Let every day be a great example of a life truly lived.

By Marc ChernoffPassionate writers, admirers of the human spirit, and full time students of life, Marc and Angel enjoy sharing inspirational advice and practical tips for life on their popular personal development blog, “Marc and Angel Hack Life.” Their book, “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently” is a focused collection of the little things that make a huge difference in our daily lives. 23

“The most important decision you will ever make is what you do with the time that is given to you.”

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You will receive the same accountability, feedback, and motivation without the hassle of having to schedule an appointment and get to the gym for a face-to-face meeting. This is a very hands on approach to ensure that you stay on track and reach your goals. !After more than a decade of personal training experience helping women overcome the challenges that are unique to motherhood, there is no obstacle that we can’t solve together. You will have a partner alongside you for motivation, expertise, accountability, and support. !Single Session Coaching

Single session coaching is one hour of personal training, We will assess goals, answer questions, critique and fine-tune to optimize your workout program based on your specific needs. It includes an initial assessment and follow up email with customized exercise and diet information. Sessions can take place via phone, email and/or Skype.

!Daily Accountability Package

Daily coaching is personal training, encouragement and accountability. It includes a customized workout and diet plan plus regular communication via phone, email, text and/or Skype to keep you on the right track. Each month we will review and fine-tune your exercise and nutrition program so you will continue to see results and stay motivated.

!This is a select group, it may not be the best fit for everyone. Space is very limited to ensure quality of training and personal support. !Click Here to Sign Up For Coaching !Please contact me now to schedule a free 15 minute consult if you would like help deciding if this right fitness program for you. Email [email protected]

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Is One Ingredient to Blame?!!!“Sugar is Toxic.” !“The Case Against Sugar.” !“How to Ditch the Sugar Habit.” !“Is Sugar Destroying the World?” !!!!!!Perhaps you have seen some of these headlines over the past couple of years. As researchers in the medical field continue to search for the cause of obesity and its associated diseases, sugar is the scapegoat of the moment. Starting in the 1970s it was all about fat, which led to a plethora of low-fat products lining supermarket shelves; however, obesity rates continued to rise and the onus of blame shifted to added sugars like sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup. !But is it really fair to say that increased rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are caused by one ingredient? !Dr. John L. Sievenpiper of St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto doesn’t think so. In a new textbook, Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sucrose and Health (Springer Publishers March 6, 2014), edited by James Rippe, MD, Dr. Sievenpiper shares his thoughts. “We have to be careful of this one nutrient approach to things, because we don’t consume in a vacuum.” Recognizing that removing one nutrient or ingredient from the diet is only part of the equation – what that nutrient is replaced with is just as important – Dr. Sievenpiper emphasizes that “Healthy eating in general is what we need to talk about. Sugar is only a problem in so far as it contributes to excess calories, but no more so than other highly palatable foods that can be over consumed and provide excess calories without a lot of nutrients. If you keep the total calories the same but replace the sugars with refined starch, you’re not going to do any better.”

Healthy Eating By Jessica Fishman Levinson

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!Dr. Sievenpiper says that cost is the main reason. “Randomized controlled trials are very expensive. The cost to do the same trial on humans as on animals would be an order of magnitude of difference.” For example, a 10-year trial looking at hard outcomes like diabetes and cardiovascular disease in over 100,000 participants would likely cost approximately $300 million. As a result, we see more ecological, observational, and cohort studies completed, with findings given more weight than they deserve. The media often sensationalizes these findings despite their significant limitations. !So what will resolve the obesity and diabetes crisis? The World Health Organization recently reinforced their 2003 recommendation of no more than 10% of daily calories from added sugar, and they made headlines by setting a conditional recommendation of no more than 5% of daily calories from added sugar based on evidence relating to dental caries that the researchers themselves reported was “very low-quality.” !The jury is still out on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations for added sugar, but Dr. Sievenpiper doesn’t believe any of the science points to a change in the current recommendations. !And then there’s the topic of regulation, which some people think is the answer. Dr. Sievenpiper doesn’t agree:

Dr. Sievenpiper has spent years using the gold standard of research – randomized controlled trials – to investigate diet and disease relationships, with a focus on the metabolic effects of sweeteners and diabetes. When it comes to sweeteners and health outcomes, observational and population-based studies are more common than clinical trials. !While these studies often have the advantage of long follow-up periods and the ability to determine the incidence of disease, they are limited in design. Arguably their most important limitation is that in the end they don’t really tell us why we see the relationship we do – they only show association, not causation. !So why not do more randomized controlled trials?

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“We need to go back to dietary patterns – what’s a healthy diet and how do we achieve it. What good things are available and what swaps can we make? How do we build healthy dietary patterns without forsaking exercise? We need to teach life skills and then create an environment where people can exercise them. Rather than regulating serving sizes and taxing specific foods, I’d rather see regulations relating to home economics in school – from an early age we should be teaching all kids about food – how to read food labels, how to prepare food – so they can be independent and informed thinkers. More physical activity mandated in schools – at least one hour a day every day. Not just team sports, but activities kids can learn for life like walking and hiking. !We need cultural changes in terms of our approach to food and physical activity. It’s not relying on any one thing. We need a radical shift in the way we think. The biggest enemy to success is this one nutrient approach.”

“We need cultural changes in terms of our approach to food and physical activity.”

Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the founder of Nutritioulicious, a nutrition consulting business in the New York area. She is a consultant to various food and beverage companies and has extensive experience as a nutrition writer, editor, and speaker, and has been featured as a nutrition expert in numerous media outlets. Visit Nutritioulicious.com

By Jessica Fishman Levinson

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!Here’s what we cover: ! • Nia’s experience with obsessive dieting and disordered

eating • The first steps you need to take to simplify your nutrition • The importance of forgetting everything you know about nutrition in order to stop the cycle • Peanut butter jelly sandwiches, ice cream and other delicious foods you should let yourself

enjoy • Why food is not just fuel • The humor of the white rice vs. brown rice debate • How you could be adding stress to your life by how you perceive food • How to get out of a workout rut and revamp your routine • The importance of goals and consistency • The running vs. walking debate • Nia’s favourite body weight exercises • The value of finding things you love about yourself

Click to listen to Episode 10 of the Mind Body Musings Podcast. And if you NEVER want to miss an episode, subscribe to this podcast in iTunes (and please leave a review to let me know what you liked about the show!). Enjoy!

Nia Shanks is a personal trainer and health writer who promotes sane and simple information that allows women to build the bodies they want by focusing on becoming the strongest, most awesome version of themselves. !When she’s not hittin’ the weights getting stronger, or helping others accomplish their goals, she’s busy kickin life’s butt. !I may or may not have tried to track her down for a couple months to get her on the show. I REALLY respect Nia and was dying to interview her. Lucky me, I got a hold of her and had one of the best convos EVER.

Embracing Simple Nutrition and Sane Exercise

Fitness By Madelyn Moon

Madelyn Moon is a Holistic Health Coach, specializing in nutrition, fitness and body image. Her mission is to shed light on how unique and perfect every individual is, and how they can come to realize the true potential already existing within. Learn more at Moonfitness.net

By Madelyn Moon

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In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk. !Visit www.ted.com for more thought provoking videos.

What's Wrong with What We Eat

Self Improvement By Ted Talks

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We all know the arguments that being vegetarian is better for the environment and for the animals — but in a carnivorous culture, it can be hard to make the change. !Graham Hill has a powerful, pragmatic suggestion: Be a weekday veg. !Checkout the Facebook page for TED exclusives www.facebook.com/TED

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Why I'm a Weekday Vegetarian

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Healthy Recipe By Cinthya Serrato

Ingredients: !4 vine tomatoes 6 Serrano Peppers 2 Habanero Peppers ¼ of a white onion 4 garlic cloves 1 handful of cilantro (about ½ cup) ½ tsp of sea salt !!

Serving size: 2 tbsp !Nutrition per serving: 4.5 calories, 1g of carbohydrates, 0g of fat, 0.2g of protein, 30g of sodium and 0.5g of sugar !!Visit thinenlacocina.com for more healthy Latin recipes and weight loss inspiration!

Homemade Habanero Salsa

Place the tomatoes, Serrano Peppers and Habanero Peppers in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low simmer for five minutes or until the skin on the tomatoes begins to breaks. !Take the tomatoes and peppers from the pot and into a blender along with the onion, garlic, cilantro and sea salt. Blend for 1-2 minutes. All of the ingredients should be pureed but the salsa has a chunky consistency. Add to tacos, burrito bowls or enjoy with chips, all while avoiding the preservatives in jarred salsa! (Recipe makes about 4 cups of salsa.)

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Exercise of the month

Fitness By Tatum Rebelle

• Lying with shoulder blades on the ball, abs tight, and hips raised.

• Raise your arms above your chest and press your shoulders into ball.

• Keep your hips up and twist your shoulders until your arms are parallel with the ground.

• Return to the starting position and twist to the other side.

!

Ab Twist on BallTightens core. Improves balance.

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Real Mom Feature

Jamie Aminsharifi lives in San Antonio, originally from Florida, and is the mother of an amazing 8 month old girl, Jordan. !She is an active duty Air Force officer and is training as a radiology resident at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

!Any advice you have for moms who are struggling to get it all in?!Multi tasking helps a lot when you can manage it; I will watch lectures online while I’m on the treadmill or work out with my husband when our schedules allow to have that double as some quality time. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day. There will be days when you can’t get it all in; just start fresh the next day.

!

!On a good week, I do yoga or weights training three times a week and run three times a week. When the weather is nice on the weekends, I’ll take the dogs hiking or bike around town. !My best motivation is to remember how much better I feel, mentally and physically, when I get a workout in. Working out in the early evening after work also gives me more energy for the rest of my night, so it actually increases my productivity!

!What do you do to stay fit, and how do you prioritize it in your busy schedule?

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!Anything you know now that you wish you would have known going into motherhood (regarding career and fitness)?!How much being a mom enhances every aspect of your life. Being a mother makes me want to make my daughter proud in every way! I’ve moved toward a healthier lifestyle and feel more invested in my work than I did pre-motherhood.

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What are your current fitness goals? !I love exercise primarily for the stress relief, so it’s very easy for me (and for my husband) to tell when I’m not getting enough exercise! !Also, I want to model a healthy lifestyle for my little girl. If she sees a strong mom growing up, she’ll be more likely to grow into a strong woman. I wouldn't mind having some abs too.

Nominate a Real Mom for an upcoming issue of Total Mommy Fitness Magazine by emailing [email protected]