Physical Balance

There are a few aspects of balance when it comes to being active; muscle balance, flexibility versus stability and the type of balance that allows you to stand on one foot or do a lunge without falling over. Each is associated with one another and all are crucial in preventing injury.

Let’s start with core.  We all want killer abs, right?  But, if you are constantly working out your abs you can lose mobility in your back, which then makes you more prone to injury. Not to mention, it will affect your posture. You have to find the balance between the two. Stretching is one of the things that will help you find that balance between flexibility versus stability.

The training plans that I've seen out there all recommend it; Hal Higdon's website for runner's training, Spartan's Workout of the Day, Shaun T's Insanity. Talk to any trainer and they will tell you that you have to stretch. Stretching increases your flexibility, aids in blood flow, aids in the repair of your muscle, which then makes you stronger and more resilient. In other words, you'll last longer. It’s crucial so why don’t people fit it into their routine regularly? Stretching also gives you a chance to take a break so that you don’t overwork muscles, lose balance and compromise posture. Fit a Pilates or yoga session in at least once a week. Before some of you, especially the guys, smirk or roll your eyes. Have you ever taken a yoga class? You might find out how unfit you are, your lack of flexibility and how weak your core is. You might look at the dainty women in a class and think how are they doing this? Challenge yourself and don’t knock it till you try it.  Yoga will also condition the type of balance that it takes to stand on one foot, too!

Balance in training your muscles is another component. For your abs, work your core rather than just your abs.  A good example of this is plank position versus crunches. While you are working to become more fit be aware of the balance you create in your body. When you are working out your arms you wouldn't just train your biceps. You would train your triceps, too. The same goes for your chest and upper back, abs and lower back. Your workouts should have a balance of push and pull. Further, don’t skip leg day. What is a strong upper body with a shameful lower body that can’t keep up?

Consider the range of motion your shoulder has. It allows your arm to move back and forth, up and down and around. Your elbows don't move like that. You want your shoulders to be strong enough to support its function. At the same time you want it flexible enough to perform its function. Again, the weight training will build your muscles strong enough so that they are stable.  But, the stretching will ensure that your shoulder continues to have the range of motion that it was meant to.

We have gotten our bodies so used to incorrect form and bad posture that we don't even realize we are doing it. Further our bodies have adapted and we compensate movement. It’s time to correct it.  Let’s start small. Let’s start with developing and maintaining posture. Especially for those of us who are behind a computer all day. Try this: stand up straight. Bring your shoulders back, picture your shoulder blades touching. Now drop your shoulders away from your ears while keeping your shoulder blades pulled in. Now you are really standing straight. Do you keep this kind of posture regularly? This is how you should hold yourself up. It's tough and you will need to be conscious of it until you are naturally sitting up and standing this way. Now try to keep this posture when you are working out. Do a few push ups with correct posture and tell me how different it feels.

Let’s stay active and fit without injury! Plus, Pilates will be one of the best core workouts you’ll ever get. I promise!

In good health,

Alana

Self Made Challenges

Yesterday, Sunday, June 9th, I ran my first 10k (6.2 miles). It was the American Cancer Society's George Washington Bridge Challenge. My goal was to complete it at the same pace I complete my 5k races (3.1 miles). My fastest 5k was less than 29 minutes. I wanted to finish this 10k in under an hour.

I put a training plan together that started 8 weeks out. There were weeks I had a tough time sticking to it. There were weeks that I wasn't able to put in the number of hours I needed to. I had some good weeks, too. I had weeks that I felt really strong and had serious stamina. There were days that my strength training was intense and I was pushing my limits. Other days my runs were explosive. I also had phenomenal stretching sessions that helped me repair faster than I could imagine.

Here I am and I couldn't be prouder. My official chip time was 58:24. I ran. I ran in memory of my grandmother, Trinidad Abaquin. I ran for the person she was and all of the lives she touched. I ran for her fight, her battle with colon cancer and her fight through multiple chemotherapy rounds. And every time I got choked up thinking about her I put my emotion into every stride I took and pushed. I ran for myself and my own battles. I ran for myself and the person I am better than I was yesterday. I ran to accomplish this for me and not let myself down. I ran to succeed after all the times I failed in training. I ran to show my son who was waiting at the finish line that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it.

At this exact time last year I ran my first official 5k in over 31 minutes. I was proud then. You can only imagine how I feel now. I'm running longer distances at a faster pace. So, what's next? It doesn't stop here. Now I am getting ready to train for the Spartan Sprint on July 13th. It is a 3-5 mile course of obstacles. This week will be light training of only 3 days. This is just a small break before intense training starts next week. These four weeks will consist of less running, more body weight strength training and agility exercises. I can't wait to see how my body transforms in strength and physique.

What's your next challenge? Be better than the person you were yesterday. After the Spartan Sprint, who knows what my next self challenge will be. Stay tuned!

In good health,

Alana

Nutrition and Your Workout

Last month I was out having food and drinks for my friend's birthday. I'm not much of a drinker anymore. I had a few beers and tons of food. I didn't wake up with a hangover the next morning since I drank water in between. But, I did feel it Monday morning, especially when I weighed myself. Was it worth it? Yes! I had such a great time with my husband and friends.

During dinner a topic came up about talking to strangers. So, where am I going with this and why does this feel like it has nothing to do with the subject line?  I always try to be courteous to others. That applies at the gym, too; with other members, front desk, trainers, instructors, even locker room attendants. There is no end to what you can learn from different people. One of the front desk staff at my gym recently became one of the floor trainers. I was always amicable with Danny, made small talk while he was at the front desk. Now when he is on the floor in his blue shirt he is more than willing to help me train. He even offered to do a personalized plan for me. Equinox has different trainers. If they are wearing a black shirt they are working with someone one-on-one. If they are wearing a blue shirt they are working the floor and you can ask them for assistance. 

One day, a trainer in a black shirt stopped me. I was getting off of the treadmill and Angelo asked me if I was done with my workout. Social me continued the conversation with him and told him I was going to do abs to finish off my workout. He offered to do abs together. We did about 15 minutes of one of the toughest core workouts I've ever done. What's better is that he was impressed!  He said that his clients would've given up halfway through what I completed. He was so impressed that he offered to train with me. 

A couple of months later and we have trained together a handful of times. In the last two months I've learned more about fitness and nutrition than I've ever known before. I feel I owe it to you, my blog readers, to share the knowledge I've gained.

I always had a hard time eating first thing in the morning. I would

have my tea when I first woke up and didn't eat until I got to work. That's about 2-3 hours. Overnight your muscles are repairing, working. You can't allow your body to work that hard and not fuel it. You should have something to eat within the first hour of waking up. This is the time to have carbohydrates; oatmeal, cereal, toast. We are made to think that carbs are bad. Carbs give you energy. You also have the rest of the day to burn it off. An hour before your workout you should have your pre-workout meal. This should also contain a carb. The point behind it is to be able to make it through a tough workout, to not lose energy midway and to be able to push through until the 60th minute of that hour.

After my workout is when I have lunch since I workout during my lunch hour. This next meal should be eaten within an hour of completing a workout and should be high in protein.  Protein aids in muscle repair and promotes lean muscle mass. An active man should shoot for .8 - .10 grams of protein per day for each pound that he weighs. An active woman should shoot for .6 - .8 grams per each pound. If you are in between meals after your workout have a snack that is high in protein; almonds, boiled eggs, a protein bar is worst case scenario. Your dinner should also be high in protein and low in carbs. Have fish or chicken with vegetables.

Another one of my bad habits was snacking late at night. I mean well past 8 PM. That's not really good considering I'm normally in bed around 10 PM. The solution is casein protein.  Apparently it's so heavy that you won't want to eat anything after you drink it. Also, it takes your body a long time to digest it. While you're sleeping and your muscles are repairing you're digesting the protein you need. Win-win!

Time to re-do your meal plan y'all. You want to promote fat loss accompanied by lean muscle gains. Tweak your diet and let me know how it goes. I want to know how it makes you feel and what kind of results you get.

In good health,

Alana

Reducing Refined Sugar

"If you're still blogging I would love it if you wrote about low sugar eating plans. I'm having a hard time keeping my sugar intake down. I like to think I eat pretty healthy but then I realized that I just can't give up the refined sugars!"

I received my first blog topic request! This is really exciting for me because the reason why I started this in the first place is to help people. The request comes from a faithful reader and is someone near and dear to my heart. I asked for a rough layout of what this person eats on a daily basis.  I took into consideration what this person enjoys and tweaked. I think a lot of us can benefit from this because many convenient foods are high in sugar and/or extremely processed. Remember that this is a lifestyle change. So change one meal at a time.  

"For breakfast I rotate between yogurt, bagel with cream cheese, cereal, some sort of granola bar or eggs with bacon and potatoes."

Yogurt is good for you especially if you're female. Greek yogurt is your best bet because it typically has double the protein than regular yogurt. Just watch out for the ones that have added cornstarch. The cornstarch is used to thicken the consistency. If strained properly Greek yogurt doesn't need a thickener. Try it with a cereal that is high in fiber and low in sugar. If it has fruit in it the yogurt should be sweet enough. If you opt for plain yogurt add fresh berries along with the cereal. You'll feel fuller longer than if you eat just cereal, yogurt or a granola bar. If you want your eggs try it with a slice of cheese and tomato in a whole grain English muffin. You can also fill your English muffin with cream cheese, tomato and turkey bacon. When you want breakfast potatoes, accompany it with a veggie omelet.

"Lunch and dinner are usually home cooked but will include a starch."

Starch is not bad as long as it doesn't take up most of your plate. Your rule of thumb should be a quarter protein, a quarter starch and half vegetables. The type of starch matters, too. Rice is good, but have brown sometimes. Have whole wheat pasta instead of plain. Try Ezekiel, rye or pita bread instead of white or wheat.

"I've been drinking a glass of chocolate milk to curb the sweet tooth about 3 times a week."

I have a better idea. Eat fresh fruit. You can satisfy the craving for something sweet and add a serving of fruit to your diet. If it's after dinner and it's later in the evening have a cup of herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey.

"I have the biggest sweet tooth. I end up snacking on crap after lunch and dinner; a cookie, gummy bears, chocolate, etc."

Snacks like that are empty, meaning there is no nutritional value. Get rid of these foods in your house. You shouldn't even give yourself access to this stuff. Clean out your fridge and pantry. Keep healthier snacks around. When you snack like this you're probably not hungry. There are two parts to this habit. One side is physically eating and the other is the craving for something sweet after a meal. This lines up with eating fresh fruit. Have it as part of your meal. Truth is we can all use something sweet sometimes. Try dark chocolate covered almonds or a raw nut mix and toss dark chocolate chips into it. Have you seen the new frozen Greek yogurts? Try them, they are delicious. You are giving in, but at least there are nutritional benefits.

The key to this is meal planning and food shopping. Groceries should be bought once a week. One, you won't want to waste it so that will be the food you prep and the snacks you grab for. Two, it's a way to add variety into your diet so that you don't get bored. Keep in mind that when I say "diet" I don't mean a temporary eating plan. I mean your new way of healthy eating.

"It's the sweet tooth! The truth of the matter is I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL! And I LOVE FOOD!"

We are supposed to love food. You need food. Food is fuel. You should not go hungry. Keep a food journal to keep track of how often you indulge. This is real life so the cookies and the gummy bears will always be there. Just limit yourself. I allow myself to indulge every 4 days or so. If there is a special occasion coming up I plan for it. For example, my husband, my son and I love pizza. We'll usually have it on Fridays. But if we have a kid's birthday party during the weekend we'll keep Friday's dinner healthy. Baby steps y'all!

In good health,

Alana

What's Your Motivation?

The other morning my pregnant coworker asked me, "After I have this baby can you MAKE me go to the gym?"  My answer was, "I can't MAKE you do anything.  But, I will definitely help motivate you."

So often something motivates us to start something healthy. It might be a new year's resolution, bathing suit season around the corner, your doctor saying you need to improve your health, or friends getting fit. How long do these resolutions last? How do you avoid gaining extra weight in the first place? If you see your doctor once a year, how do you continue to remind yourself that you have to improve your health? Your friends may lose motivation. Does that mean that you should stop, too?

We've had a few warm days here in NYC. Year after year I see the same thing. Women, girls in last year's spring clothing that are too tight. Winter weight... The cold weather kicks off with a holiday filled with candy for the younger ones and booze for the older ones; Halloween. We allow ourselves the cheat convincing ourselves that we are being festive. Then follows Thanksgiving. Not to mention Thanksgiving Eve is one of, if not THE biggest party night of the year. Booze followed by giving yourself a cheat DAY when it should just be a cheat meal. By the time Christmas and New Year's roll around you've probably given up on trying to be "good". During the winter we also wear thicker, looser clothes. We eat more foods that comfort us in the cold weather. Then, we lose sight of our weight and our physique. We give up on what we were working on. 

Have you cheated and it wasn't worth it? We need to understand that just because we fall off one day here or two days there it doesn't mean we failed. Don't crucify yourself! What's important is forgiving yourself and getting back on. It is going to happen! Getting healthy is a lifestyle change in our real world. Things are going to get in the way; long hours at work, chores at home, dedicated time to your spouse, dedicated time to the kids, making time for friends. But, it's not a fad diet and it's not temporary. What starts as motivation should eventually become habit. These changes need to be made at your own pace. The idea is to be better than yourself NOT someone else. Create goals for yourself; short term and long term. One of my long term goals is to run a marathon. To achieve this goal, I have set short term goals for myself. Before the end of this year I will run a 10k race. Some time next year, I should be ready to run a half marathon. You get the idea. If getting fit is something new for you, your short term goal might be to walk for 20 minutes on a daily basis. Your long term goal might be to able to run a mile without stopping. Then you would build on that.

What happens when you lose motivation? You don't see results fast enough. You don't think you are reaping the benefits. Surround yourself with people that have similar goals as you. Keep each other up to date on your progress. That is motivation by itself. This is also one of the reasons that keeping a food and activity journal is so important, including your daily weight. There was a week that I felt exhausted.  At first I couldn't figure out why I was feeling that way, especially since it wasn't that time of my cycle. I looked through my journal and it was becase I wasn't eating right. After a couple of days of being back on track my energy level returned. My food and activity journal has also been able to tell me what foods make me bloated, make me put on extra weight very quickly and what helps me get back on track quickly.

I hear people talk about working on their summer body. That's not what I'm working on. I'm working on my every-season body, my healthy body, my fit-and-strong body, my I'm-a-mom-that-can-keep-up-with-my-two-year-old body, my I'm-a-wife-that-can-lift-with-my-husband body, my I-can-do-a-whole-insanity-workout-without-stopping body, my 5k body, my 10k body, my body that I only get one of and I'm taking care of it as best as I can. What body are you working on? What's your motivation?

In good health,

Alana

Not a Liquid Detox

A few people have asked me if I've ever done a detox before. My answer is yes, but it wasn't a liquid detox and I ate food. The response is first hesitation then it's relief.  For those of you that eat clean, this will look really familiar. For those of you that might be interested in trying this, it's totally doable. Two things will make it successful; meal planning with food shopping and easing into it. A week before you strictly do the detox start experimenting with meal ideas and slowly start removing the mentioned foods from your everyday diet. Don't tell yourself that you can't have these foods. Tell yourself that it will be a reward for doing something good for yourself when you're done.

The main rules are:

• No red meat - beef, pork, lamb, etc.
• No processed foods
• No sugar
• No caffeine except for green tea
• No cow's milk products
• No wheat, no gluten
• No alcohol

What you can have:

• Seafood, chicken and tofu - as natural and least treated as possible
• Tons of fresh fruits and vegetables - go organic if you can
• Honey as a sweetener
• Start every day with warm lemon water
• Green and herbal teas, natural fruit and vegetable juices and water of course
• Dairy such as soy milk, almond milk, soy yogurt, soy cheese, feta cheese, Romano cheese
• Brown or white rice, gluten free pasta, gluten free bread
• Oats
• Oil and vinegar for dressing (add a squeeze of lemon for more flavor)
• Olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil
• Dried fruit, raw nuts

You should aim to do this for 4 weeks to really reap the benefits. If you make it to two weeks and fall off, just get back and finish up the remaining time. The first few days will be the toughest. You may feel tired, bloated, constipated and may even get headaches. But once you get past the hump you will see improvements like better digestion, increased energy, good complexion and maybe even weight loss. Another reason why you should aim for 4 weeks is to make eating clean more routine and part of your lifestyle. After the 4 weeks is up slowly introduce foods back into your diet one at a time.

If you have questions, need meal ideas and/or if you try it let me know how it goes. Email me at Alana.P.Medina@gmail.com

In good health,

Alana

Relationships

How is everyone doing? I've been really busy this past week! I'm feeling romantic. Welcome to a different side of me. Here is a little something about a different type of health; relationships. Health is not just eating well and staying active. There are plenty of different aspects and our relationships are one of them. Our ideals are changing in this fast-paced high-tech world.

I recently read that social media has increased the number of relationships a person maintains but it has lowered the quality of each relationship. Through technology we are able to keep up with more of our family, friends and colleagues. But, how solid are these bonds? I think we forget to nurture some of these relationships that should be stronger than what they are. How often do you post something on Facebook and not tell your closest friends one-on-one thinking "oh, they'll see my post"? How often have you found something out about someone you would consider close to you through one of these posts when everyone else finds out at the same time?

Instagram: abels_mom

One rule my husband and I have is no phones during the meals that we eat together. This is a strict rule whether we are at home or eating out. I've seen it too frequently. Two people out to eat not speaking to each other but on their smart phones. Sometimes it's two friends and sometimes it's a couple. Not too long ago we were at my nephew's first birthday party. I was sitting at a table with my closest cousins. At least four of them were looking at their phones. You have some of your closest family right in front of you. What about nurturing these relationships since you have the chance? I got up from the table and said "since you guys are busy..."

Don't get me wrong. Technology like FaceTime and Skype can be incredible. My sister and stepmother live in the Philippines. It's great that we can see each other and have a live conversation on Skype. They also get to see my son grow. My brother studies out of state and we miss each other. FaceTime is such a nice way of talking and seeing the other person's face. My best friend from high school moved away to Michigan. Every month or so we make a Skype date. I don't have to follow her Facebook feed!

With the cameras on our smart phones having such a good quality we're tempted to capture everything. I mean, it's so easy. I've learned that sometimes you just have to put the phone or camera down and just enjoy the moment and be in it 100%. I follow this rule especially with my son. I love taking pictures of him. But he knows when my attention is divided.

We use our phones for so many things; email, calendar, camera, alarm clock, weather, bank account, to do lists, web, twitter, Facebook, Instagram, google+. I can go on and on. And we're tempted so often to pick up our phone whenever something comes to mind. Here is my challenge for you. When you get home from work don't pick up your phone until the kids are down. Eat your meals without your phones at the table. Call a close friend whose feed you follow on Facebook. Make a date with that person! 

In good health,
Alana

My son Abel