When I worked a local gym, I was often approached by members asking me why they were not getting results anymore. One of the first questions I would ask is “How’s your diet?” The member, telling me what they thought I wanted to hear, usually said something like “I don’t eat bread anymore.” If I asked about fast food, I would sometimes hear “I’ll eat the burger without the bun.” 

This is a common practice because many people think bread is a high fat item. Let’s take a look: The average slice of bread contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, and only 1 gram of fat!

Do you feel mentally drained, uptight, frustrated, annoyed, tired all the time, or overwhelmed?  Then chances are you are probably stressed! Being stressed can wreak havoc on the body, internally and externally and is very unhealthy. 

With our hectic lifestyles where we have to juggle many balls, it’s easy to become stressed.  Some people can handle stress, while others cannot.  There are a few things you can do to reduce your stress.

We hear over and over that we need fiber, but do we really know why?

Fiber is the part of plant food that is not digested by the body therefore, it does not provide energy – it’s calorie free! Fiber helps to promote intestinal function, regulates the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream, and helps to soften the stool and keep us regular.

As time goes on, more and more women are becoming athletes. This is wonderful – we are feeling better, looking better, and finding out what we’re really made of. With this influx of new athletes within the last two decades, researchers have noticed an increase in ailments. 

There are three symptoms that frequently pop up and researchers have coined the term The Female Athlete Triad. The Female Athlete Triad refers to 3 symptoms that occur in female athletes. 

Whether it's a 3 day celebrity detox or a colonic irrigation, people are seeking out cleansing methods to lose weight or clean out their systems.  Cleansing can be an inspiring way to jump start a new way of life, but it should not be used as a band-aid solution. 

Too many people do a 3 day detox and continue to smoke.  They do a colonic and continue to eat fried and processed foods.  The reality is your body will cleanse itself out if you would just give it the proper tools to do so.

QUESTION:  I have a black tie event coming up in 4 weeks.  What is the fastest [most healthy] way to trim down?  I lost 30 lbs late last year but didn’t go down a full size. I thought that was very odd and my mom said maybe I lost muscle instead of fat.  Sound plausible?  Do you have any idea about how I can avoid losing muscle?  I have been spinning a few times a week lately but haven’t been lifting weights.  Is that a bad thing? 

ANSWER:  Good question.  In this industry, fastest and healthy are usually contradictory.