Better Bodies Blog

Exercise as an expectant, or new mother can Improve your Health and contribute to a better child delivery both physically and mentally. Typically, you may be able to exercise as soon as four to six weeks post partum but be sure to have clearance from your physician first. Certain exercises should be avoided during pregnancy , particularly if you’ve  had a cesarian section.   Prenatal exercise is proven to (amongst others):   -Boost your energy and and improve mood -Prepare you physically for the birth -Improve quality of sleep -Reduce low back pain     Postnatal exercise has been shown to:   -Restore pre pregnancy functionality to your body much sooner. -Lose that baby weight. -improve immune function. -Increase production of antioxidant , cancer fighting substances in the body. -Strengthen muscle and joints to avoid injury and return to athletic activities.   No two pregnancies are alike and it is crucial to seek the help of a trained professional in order to ensure Safe and effective exercise selection. Doing too much too soon can be harmful. The stress hormone cortisol, often associated with being harmful when in excess can infact decrease to dangerous lows in some cases, post partum causing depression and anxiety. Elevated levels in the weeks after child birth have been linked to depression, anxiety and insomnia. Exercise is a key regulator of Cortisol and can help return levels to normal, sooner.  Another consideration is that due to the hormone Relaxin your joints will still be loose for the first few weeks postpartum putting you at greater risk of joint injury. Other Hormones which exercise can positively impact include progesterone and oestrogen.   Overall the wellness benefits of exercise are many and well [...]

Grilled Salmon with Golden Beets and Goats Cheese Salad Wash one Golden Beet per person and throw in to a pot of unsalted boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes> MEanwhile.Season some Sockeye Fillets and preheat a pan with Grape Seed Oil to medium heat. Add your fillets to the pan skin side down and fry until the fish is cooked visibly to midway through. Place a lid on top of the pan and get your salad ready.  Baby Kale, add a handfull of Goatscheese crumbles as well as some salt, pepper and Olive Oil. Drizzle with Balsmic reduction if you need to but the beets will provide good sweetness. Remove the beets from the heat, drain and pour on cold water so you can handle them. Well boiled beets will simply rub free of their peel so its an easy job so long as theyre not too hot. Quarter them. Remove the Salmon from the pan and place on a paper towel to remove excess Oil. Toss and plate the Salad, , throw the salmon on top, beets around edge. BINGO – Enjoy!

Congratulations to all the participants of  our first corporate 21 DAY BETTER HABITS CHALLENGE RESULTS  The RBC group of  Kerrisdale  this february 4th-25th took on the challenge laid out by Better-Bodies own Hollistic Nutritionist Melanie Jensen and were able to produce the following amazing results in only 3 weeks! The group not only improved their diets and lost weight, they built on a great team atmosphere to really come together and pull for  each other. Way to go guys! Here are the group results; (19 participants) TOTAL WEIGHT LOST: 49.96 lbs   TOTAL FAT LOSS: 72.68 lbs   TOTAL LEAN MASS GAIN: 21.72 lbs   AVERAGE FAT LOSS PER PARTICIPANT: 4.54 lbs Why not register with us and get your company off to a healthier, more productive  2nd quarter! For more information on the 21 day better habits challenge, email us info@better-bodies.ca

What has your workout done for you lately? Have you got your workout down pat? In and out of the gym the minimum of fuss, maybe also the minimum of sweat? Maybe once upon a time you’re now trusted routine was a slog, but now it’s easy? WAY TO GO, you stopped progressing and you’re (hopefully only) weeks behind where you could have been by now. I have bad news for you. When “ol’ faithful” stopped challenging you (feeling hard) , you stopped progressing (stimulating musculo skeletal, respiratory an Central nervous system adaptation).  Worse still, the repetitious nature of your workouts have focussed the effects of any imperfections in your movements and inflicted wear and tare on your joints (think I/T band inflammation you runners, weight lifters ever had a sore shoulder or elbow? YUP) and may have set you up for problems down the road.  Our bodies natural drive for efficiency in survival is part of what makes mammals some of the most successful species on the planet.  Homeostasis is the term used to describe your bodies search for efficiency through maintaining stable systems-ie it will not change unlesss it needs to. Homeostasis maintains our body temperature by sweating or shivering at the right times, it releases insulin when our blood sugar increases and it even makes us breathe harder when our blood becomes acidic with CO2. Likewise when our musculo-skeletal system or CNS is asked to perform a task that is above and beyond the demands it is accustomed to, it will adapt to accomplish this task more efficiently next time. This could be by increasing the size of our muscle cells, increasing bone density or the Holy Grail of  adaptations…by burning some sub-cutaneous fat to [...]

Can’t justify scheduling a workout around you busy professional life? Consider this; When your body is in a state of lethargy, your mind will follow. No amount of caffeine can keep you as sharp for those big meetings as the feelings of vitality, enthusiasm and self esteem you have in the wake of a good workout.  How about you really nail 3 meetings today instead of jittering your way through 5 constantly chewing gum to hide your gross coffee breath.  Also consider this;  The days you lose completely to colds, flus and unproductive afternoons of soul-searching in your office cubicle.  With a balanced routine of exercise healthy eating and physical recreation, you can make the most of every day. To top it all off, you’ll likely add YEARS to your life! More productive and have more time?!   Sounds like a no brainer to me

Gingerbread Cookies ¾ cup (175ml) unsalted butter at room temperature ½ cup (125ml) unrefined sugar cane  (rapudura or sucunat) 1 organic egg 2 Tbsp (30ml) nut milk (brown rice, or almond) ½ tsp (2ml) vanilla 1 ½  cups (375ml) spelt flour ¾ tsp (3ml) ground cinnamon ½ tsp (2ml) ground nutmeg ½ tsp (2ml) ground ginger ¼ tsp (1ml) ground cloves 1 tsp (5ml) baking soda Decorations: Icing, candies, sprinkles, etc (natural versions available at Whole Foods) Directions: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar cane then add the egg. Stir together nut milk and vanilla. Add to butter mixture. In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices and baking soda. Sift into butter  mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gather dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). On a floured surface, roll out dough ¼ inch (5mm) thick and cut with your choice of cookie cutters. Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Decorate with colorful icing and sprinkles. Store cookies in a sealed container in a dry place. Yields: 24 cookies

HOLIDAY TIPS  Something to think about… With the holidays approaching, let’s be aware of our actions/reactions when faced with so many temptations. The average Canadian gains 5-7lbs of fat between Thanksgiving and the start of the New Year. That’s 17,500 to 24,500 excess calories consumed, stored away over a 2 ½ month span. Just by making healthier choices every-other time you’re faced with temptation, you can cut these excesses in half! I’ll do the math for you – thats 12,250 unnecessary calories you can shed! Keeping up with your regular exercise habits can further mitigate the festive Bulge! This holiday season set your self up for success… “CONSISTENCY OVER PERFECTION” -    Use the 80/20 Rule!! If you can make healthy choices 80% of the time, enjoy those treats guilt free the other 20% of the time.  Wondering how to make healthier choices this holiday season?! -Try to fill up on the vegetable dishes (roast veggies, salads, veggie sticks) when serving your self from a smorgasbord of food. A good rule of thumb is to fill ½ your plate with veg. -Try to eat something before heading out to the party, that way you won’t be as tempted to eat everything in front of you! -Control what you can – when contributing a dish, make it something healthy -Try to mingle away from the food table, out of sight out of mind -Drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink to stay hydrated and reduce the empty calories that quickly add up following several beverages -When looking to enjoy the traditional holiday fare look at ways to enjoy them in any healthier way possible. For example, are you a fan of eggnog? Try Almond [...]

Looking for that perfect gift?  Gift Certificates are available for those wishing to spread the gift of better health to any friends, colleagues or family members. They are available in any denomination for both personal training and nutritional coaching services. Including Alex’s new Titleist Pro Golf Movement Screen (including exercise prescription with video exercises and free follow-up testing), available to BB clients for $250.

Are your workouts lacking the “pop” they once had?  Don’t worry , you’re not the first person this has happened to. There are a few reasons it may be happening, though; 1. You’ve gone too hard, too long solution – take a rest week. This can be total time off, or simply reduce the intensity and duration of our workouts for a week. 2. You’re Stressed Relationships, the economy, the weather (especially in Vancouver!) and whole load of other reasons Mel could tell you about but I wont go in to.  Solutions vary, some people like Yoga, Social time, many of our clients come to us for stress relief. A personal training session can allow you to turn off your brain and just burn through some energy. 3. You’re “Over it” No matter how much you want to stay in shape, get ready for that big game you just can’t get excited to workout again! you need time away from the gym.. perhaps a hike, a round of golf, skiing. Something active but NOT what you’d usually do.   4. You’re not eating well – even if you think you are Counting calories?  Maybe you’ve cut out a few too many Carbs from your diet. Consider this, your body needs Carbohydrates to function, your brain especially. So be wary of going “too Atkins”. There are other 5. You Need to freshen things up Are you bored? Results not coming as readily as they used to? You’ve probably been on the same program for too long. Your body has adapted to the demands you place on it and perhaps even worse, you’re going through the motions mentally. Do a little homework and get a new routine. [...]

This time of year presents people with several obstacles in trying to stay active and healthy.The shorter day light hours, cooler, wetter days can create less time and motivation for people looking to fit in their exercise -Try working out in the morning before the day planner fills itself up. Keep the workouts short, get moving whenever you can. -Throw in a little spontaneous exercise! It’s a great way to ensure you get the body moving throughout the day. It can be as simple as hand washing dishes, getting off the bus a stop or two sooner or parking the car a block or two away from your destination and walking, taking your bike to work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator – It all adds up! -Struggling to find the time to work out for a full 30 minutes? It’s been proven that 10 minute blocks of exercise performed 3 times per day can actually be more beneficial than one 30 minute block. -A little bit is better than nothing! Consistency over Perfection is sure to make you feel better and deliver you better results. -Fall is a busy time of year. Exercise and eating well has been shown to reduce stress. We tend to let go of both of these when life gets busy. Keep exercise and healthy eating a priority into the holiday season. The endorphins you get from staying active and taking care of yourself will help you better deal with all the other demands around you. We’re here to keep you accountable for that! -Keep your goals in mind to keep your motivation up. The ski season starts up at the end of this month. Get those legs [...]