Simple Nutrition Guide to Launch into a Healthy Lifestyle

A sound nutrition plan is all about energy balance. This is the relationship between calories in and calories out. Other key factors that contribute to launching a healthy lifestyle include macro and micro nutrients. These play a key role in your metabolism and hormones which contributes to how your body processes food for energy. This nutrition guide will help you launch into a healthy lifestyle whether your looking to lose weight, increase lean body mass, or just looking to improve your eating habits.

Purpose of Each Nutrient

Carbohydrates for energy, cognitive function at work, primary fuel source, transports protein
Fat for anti-inflammation, cell structure, brain development and nerve function
Protein for recovery and repair of muscle tissue and cells, meal satiety
- Distribution/Timing of protein throughout the day is essential.

Fiber for healthy digestive system, positive mood, efficient metabolism
Establish balance with proper caloric deficit to have fueling that supports energy needed for workouts while making progress towards body composition

Hydration

Proper hydration is critical for energy, nutrient absorption/digestion and mental clarity
~1 cup of fluids 15-20 minutes before exercise
~1 cup every 15-20 minutes during exercise

Identify Your Energy Needs

Breakfast Example

2 different servings of fruit.
- For example – 1 whole orange and 1 cup raspberries. It must be fresh or frozen.

With 1/4 cup raw walnuts or 20 raw almonds.
Plus 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt or 1/3 cup chickpeas or ½ cup quinoa.
Drink 16 oz. of water or hot or iced tea or coffee.

Lunch Example

Prepare a large salad with variety of veggies (aim for minimum of 3 different colors)
- (Combining bag salads works well. Be sure to include a dark green)

Top with ¼ cup chopped walnuts, or 20 almonds or ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Rebuild lean muscle w/ 1/3 cup beans (pinto, kidney, chickpea, black (rinse if canned)).
Add 1 apple, diced with skin (or 1 serving any other fruit.)
Have with 1 tablespoon of any salad dressing that you like – vinegar and olive oil or salsa are two options. Drink water or alternative beverage such as tea.

MOVE today!

Get as much exercise as you can, preferably 1 hour of movement–walking, swimming, stationary bike, etc.

*If you get snackie during the afternoon, have 1 serving fresh fruit or more veggies.

Dinner Example

Prepare stir fried vegetables (minimum of 3 colors and use a little olive oil)
Top with ¼ cup sliced almonds, walnuts or sunflower seeds
Power up with protein from 1/3 cup beans, rinsed (red, pinto, kidney, black.)
Flavor the stir fry with fresh herbs and spices or spice mixes.

PM Snack

Thaw ¾ cup berries and drizzle 1 small square melted dark chocolate on top.
Key is having casein protein: cottage cheese, frozen Greek yogurt, protein shake, milk

Meal Guide

Breakfast – Pick from each category:
- Energizing carb: black beans – whole wheat toast – sweet potato hash – oatmeal
- Lean protein: Greek yogurt – eggs – hemp seeds – turkey – protein powder
- Antioxidant fruits: blackberries – strawberries – blueberries – pineapple

Lunch – Pick from each category:
- Lean meat: chicken – ground turkey – white fish
- Complex carb: quinoa – brown rice – sweet potato – whole wheat pasta – WG bread
- Vegetable: asparagus – broccoli – peppers – zucchini/squash – kale – and many more!

Dinner – Pick from each category:
- Lean meat (5-6 days/wk): chicken – ground turkey – white fish
- High fat (omega) meat (1-2 days/wk): salmon – quality steak – tuna

Foods Supporting Digestive Health

Ground flaxseed
Kiwi
Oatmeal
Beans
Kombucha or other fermented food (sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir)

Anti-Inflamtory Foods

Salmon
Tuna
Walnuts
Pineapple
Watermelon
Tumeric
Tart Cherry concentrate

Foods that Boost Fat Metabolism

Red grapefruit
Coffee (black)
Lentils
Water
Whole grains high in B vitamins

Foods that Increase Endurance

Spinach
Beets
Arugula
Celery
Potato starch

Foods that Support Immune Function

Tomatoes
Red Bell Pepper
Citrus (oranges, lemons)
Yogurt
Green tea
Ginger

Fitness, Sports Performance, Workouts

Prime Your Body For Results with This Short Stationary Dynamic Warm Up

Are you doing a dynamic warm up before your workout routine? If you’re not, you could be leaving performance benefits on the table and potentially putting yourself at risk for injury. I know it may not always be practical to spend 15 minutes going through a dynamic warm up, but it is important that you elevate your heart rate, take your body through full range of motion, and activation your muscles before doing any workout routine.

5 benefits of a dynamic warm up

Increase core body temperature
Increase blood flow
Lubricate joints
Enhance joint mobility/flexibility
Muscle activation

If you’re short on time and have limited space, this is the perfect warm up routine for you. Perform this short stationary dynamic warm up prior to your workout to prime your body for max results!

Exercises

Jumping Jacks (30 reps)

Split Jacks (30 reps)

Cross Jacks (30 reps)

Knee Hug w/ Ankle Circle (6 reps each)

Quad Stretch w/ Forward Lean (6 reps each)

Inverted Toe Reach (6 reps each)

T-Spine Lunge w/ Rotation (6 reps each)

Infant Squats (8 reps)

Fitness, Sports Performance, Workouts

Which is Better, Dynamic or Static Stretching?

Dynamic and static stretching has been a discussion topic in the fitness industry for quite some time. The main thing to keep in mind is that everyone’s body is different as well as their perception of“fitness” and “mobility.” We all have some form of compensation or tightness within our muscular system. Again, this is where an individual may apply static and dynamic stretching differently. It is very important to be open minded and pay attention to your body specifically. Even the best fitness
professional in the world doesn’t know your body as well as you do.

What is dynamic stretching?

This form of stretching is defined on www.dictionary.com as: “A type of sports fitness routine in which momentum and active muscular effort are used to stretch and the end position is not held.” The high knee movement is an example of dynamic stretching because it is constantly changing while stretching and activating your muscles. The key word here is “activating.”

What is static stretching?

Defined by http://www.humankinetics.com, “static stretching means a stretch is held in a challenging but comfortable position for a period of time, usually somewhere between 10 to 30 seconds. Static stretching is the most common form of stretching found in general fitness and is considered safe and effective for improving overall flexibility.” Holding the stretching position in this fashion inhibits muscle activation and puts your body in a relaxed, parasympathetic, recovery state. Foam rolling is another way to get the same response as static stretching.

Which is better, static or dynamic stretching?

Now that we have defined the two different types of stretching, when is the optimal time to incorporate each type around your workout? We know that dynamic stretching is a form of muscle activation, while static stretching inhibits muscle activation, therefore making your workout more productive from the start when we dynamically stretch the body. On the other hand, if you are a person with muscle tightness and lack functionality because of this, you may benefit more from static stretching before exercise. If your mobility is sub-par and you can’t get into a good position during an exercise, itdoesn’t matter how much activation you have done beforehand because your body is compensating with some other muscle that shouldn’t be the prime mover for the exercise.

So how do I know if my body needs static or dynamic stretching before exercise? This is where I have found a way to get the most out of your workout. For the clear majority of people, we incorporate foam rolling and static stretching, as well as dynamic stretching, before the workout—in that order.

Foam rolling should be the first thing you do when you are preparing to exercise. It aids in priming the muscles for stretching by increasing blood flow and releasing the muscle fibers and tightness. Now you can incorporate light static stretching that is specific to your workout. If you are doing overhead pressing movements, target your shoulder, chest, and latissimus dorsi muscles to reach the range of motion needed for the correct position in that exercise. Following light static stretching is then metabolic warm up and dynamic stretching. The metabolic warm up helps prime the body with oxygen and creates blood flow to the muscles to make them more elastic and less prone to injury. Incorporating the dynamic warm up will activate your muscles for optimal strength and power so you can accomplish more during your workout! It’s that easy folks.

Keep in mind that people who may be hypermobile in certain areas should not partake in static stretching before or after exercise, as it may be harmful to your body. I didn’t spend much time going over the type of stretching that should be done post-workout because it is apparent. We want to recover after a workout to make our transition from a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic state so we can promote recovery faster and feel better overall. This means static stretching and foam rolling. For a recap, I made a list below of the optimal stretching order to incorporate around your workout.

-Foam Roll
-Light Static Stretching
-Metabolic Warm Up
-Dynamic Stretching

-Workout
-Foam Roll
-Static Stretching

Sports Performance

5 Best Exercises to Increase Your Speed

I often get the question, “which is more important for speed, mechanics or strength?” I think it’s important to understand that speed is not a one or the other concept. In order to move fast, you need to have proper mechanics, AND you need to be able to put a lot of force into the ground.

Think of it like a car—if you put a set of racing tires on a Prius, it’s going to control the power extremely well, but that’s not going to make it fast. Alternatively, if you put a Lamborghini’s engine on a lawn mower, there’s not a chance you will be able to control that power. Speed is the same thing. We must have the knowledge and practice of how to move our bodies properly and efficiently, but we need to be building a bigger engine to produce more power through our efficient mechanics. I have compiled what I think to be the 5 best exercises to help you harness that power and increase your speed.

Squat

The squat is absolutely essential for any speed training program. Squats target many of the important muscles related to sprinting including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.

Squats have a unique versatility to them. With numerous variations, they have the ability to strengthen the muscles necessary for sprinting in different ways.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

The RDL is another very important exercise if your intentions are to increase your speed. The RDL is designed to target your Posterior Chain, specifically your glutes and hamstrings.

These muscles are the ones responsible for your top speed. The ability to produce a lot of force horizontally is what keeps you ahead of your opponent.

Sled Push

Sled pushes are an awesome blend of strength training and biomechanics training. They can be done with varying amount of weight to increase or decrease difficulty. Sled pushes give you the ability to focus on sprinting mechanics while building the strength necessary to maximize your speed.

Depth-Drop Jumps

Depth-drop jumps utilize our Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) through means of Plyometric forces. This means that dropping from a height requires your muscles/ligaments to stretch and absorb energy, then rapidly contract and release that energy by jumping immediately after contacting the ground. This exercise gets your lower body producing a lot of powerful force, and when used right, gets you sprinting very fast (and jumping higher too).

Three-Way Plank

A list of exercises to improve speed would be amiss if it did not include something for the core. Having a strong core is essential for speed. Force cannot adequately transfer from your foot to your head if there is a weak spot in-between.

The three-way plank is great because it forces you to strengthen the muscles in your core that you utilize while sprinting.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of exercises that improve speed. And by no means should your training program only comprise of these exercises, but this is a great place to start. What is your favorite exercise for improving speed?

Nutrition

How to Grocery Shop with Better Health in Mind

Are you kicking off 2018 with healthy goals? Meal prep and a balanced diet are both influenced by what you get at the grocery store. By going into the store with a healthy mindset and a strategic plan, you will set yourself up for success to reach your goals. Grocery shopping has gotten a lot more complex. To help you make the right choices, we have put together a specific food list that will help you navigate the grocery store effectively, efficiently, and leave feeling confident that you have healthy food options in your cart.

Check out the list we have put together to make your next trip to the grocery store a healthier one with the essential foods and nutrients your body needs!

Vegetable and Fruit Aisle

You cannot go wrong with fruits and vegetables. Throw anything that appeals to you into the cart. More color variety = the more antioxidants and nutrients you’ll get. **DENOTES HIGH QUALITY NUTRIENTS**

FRUIT

RED

□ Apples**

□ Strawberries**

□ Cherries**

□ Watermelon**

YELLOW/ORANGE

□ Bananas**

□ Oranges**

□ Pineapple**

GREEN

□ Kiwi**

BLUE/PURPLE

□ Berries**

□ Red grapes

□ Figs and Dates**

VEGETABLES

RED

□ Red bell peppers**

□ Tomatoes

YELLOW/ORANGE

□ Baby carrots**

□ Sweet potatoes** (starchy carbohydrate)

□ Corn (starchy carbohydrate)

□ Squash**(starchy carbohydrate)

GREEN

□ Avocado**

□ Broccoli**

□ Spinach, Kale, Power greens**

□ Green Beans**

□ Brussel Sprouts

□ Zucchini**

BLUE/PURPLE

□ Beets**

□ Eggplant**

WHITE

□ Diced garlic or fresh garlic

□ Coleslaw mix

□ Onions

□ Portobello mushrooms**

Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Deli Counters

□ Turkey or chicken breast**

□ Deli turkey or lean ham

□ Ground turkey, chicken, lean beef**

□ Frozen salmon patties (wild Alaskan)**

□ Frozen seafood fillets (halibut, salmon, mahi mahi, tilapia, etc)

□ Grilled chicken strips

□ Lean beef or pork cubes for stir-frying

Snack Aisle

□ Almonds

□ Dark chocolate

□ Dried fruit (no added sugar, unsweetened)

□ Graham crackers

□ High-fiber, high protein granola bars (minimum 10 g protein, under 30 g carbohydrates)

□ Pistachios

□ Pretzels

□ Reduced-fat microwaveable popcorn

□ Salsa

□ Seeds (pumpkin, chia, sesame)**

□ Walnuts

□ Whole-grain baked crackers

Baking Aisle

Herbs and spices—if you are an avid cook: keep a larger collection, but if you do not cook much, at least get:

◦ Black pepper

◦ Salt

◦ Garlic powder

◦ Cinnamon

◦ Chili powder

◦ Italian seasoning

◦ Pre-made spice blend that appeals to you (lemon pepper, montreal steak, Caribbean jerk, etc)

□ Nonstick cooking spray

□ Ground Flaxseed

□ Olive oil

□ Maple syrup

□ Vinegar (try apple cider, balsamic or red-wine vinegar)

□ Whole-wheat flour / Almond flour / Coconut flour

Beverage Aisle

□ Carbonated water (LaCroix)

□ Coconut water

□ Tea

Condiment Aisle

□ Oil based salad dressings

□ Low-sodium soy sauce

□ Hot sauce RECOVER. PREVENT. OPTIMIZE. VIVERANT.COM

◦ Black beans

◦ Cannellini beans

◦ Chickpeas

◦ Kidney beans

◦ Your favorite bean

Grain/Starchy Vegetable Aisle

□ Ancient grain (amaranth, buckwheat, millet, farro)**

□ Barley**

□ Brown rice**

□ Lentils**

□ Quinoa**

□ Whole Wheat pasta

□ Steel Cut oats**

□ Whole-grain cereal (contain at least 3-4 grams of fiber)

□ Whole-wheat bread, English muffins or sandwich thins **

Canned Food Aisles

□ Beans:**

□ Canned chicken or packets of salmon** and/or tuna**

□ Low-sodium spaghetti sauce

□ Olives

□ Peanut butter/Almond Butter

□ Stewed tomatoes

Frozen Food Aisles

□ Berries

□ Peas (starchy carbohydrate)

□ Black-bean burgers

□ Chicken breasts

□ Turkey burgers

□ Vegetables (steam able broccoli, California blend)

□ Whole-grain waffles (Van’s power grain)

Dairy Case

□ Eggs**

□ Feta cheese

□ Plain Greek yogurt**

□ Milk (skim or 1%)**

□ Whipped Neufchâtel cheese

□ Parmesan cheese

□ Mozzarella Part-Skim*

□ 2% cottage cheese**

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