How To Stop Craving The Wrong Foods

You wake up each morning with every intention of eating "good" today.

You'll skip the drive thru line on your way to work. You'll refuse to get fast food with co-workers at lunch. You'll boycott the vending machine in the mid-afternoon. And you won't even think about having dessert after dinner.

But then your cravings win.

Your friend drops by with a big fluffy muffin and a latte for breakfast. A group of co-workers invite you to that greasy spoon down the street for lunch. Cake is passed around at the mid-afternoon staff meeting. And after dinner your honey surprises you with a bowl of your favorite ice cream.

You tell yourself that tomorrow will be different.

Tomorrow you won't give in to food cravings.

But then tomorrow comes with its own special circumstances, and cravings get the best of you once again.

Why Do Food Cravings Always Win?

Let's face it, we live in a world where food temptations are everywhere...which lead to cravings, which lead to you eating things that you shouldn't. Again. And again. And again. Until you're so fed up with your body that you don't even know where to begin to get yourself back on track.

Stores display the most tantalizing junk food items right where you could easily reach them. TV commercials for greasy, fattening foods portray them so scrumptiously that you literally salivate. Sugary snack items have full-page, glossy pictures in your favorite magazines. And as if all of these weren't enough, the people in your daily life are another, constant source of food temptation.

To make matters worse, you've been conditioned since childhood to have a positive association with the act of indulging in your cravings. You use food as a reward. You use food as a source of emotional comfort. You use food as a way to relieve stress. And quickly these associations and uses of food become habit. A habit not easily broken.

New Technique to End Food Cravings

Food cravings don't need to have the upper hand on you anymore. Here's how you can fight back using your most powerful asset: your brain.

Remember that your mind is an amazing thing. Once your mind is made up about something it's nearly impossible to change it.

Try This Powerful Mind Exercise: Imagine that you are peacefully floating down a river on a raft. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and you are having a fun, relaxing time.

You feel wonderful about the river because it's making you feel happy.

Now change perspectives for a moment. You're now in a plane flying over the river and the raft. Instantly our eye is drawn to an enormous rocky waterfall. Then you look back to the person floating on the raft, having a wonderful time, headed straight for the treacherous falls.

With this new perspective of the river, do you think that you'd agree to get on a raft and take your chances floating toward the falls? Laughable, right? You've seen the hidden danger of the river. You know it leads to pain and suffering.

Now your negative association (watery death) with the river has replaced your initial positive association (relaxing fun).

This is the key to overcoming food temptations and putting an end to food cravings: building negative associations in place of existing positive ones. I'll break this process down for you in two steps:

Step One: Create a STRONG Negative Association with Unhealthy Food

You may not have realized it, but up until this point you've placed unhealthy, fattening foods on a pedestal in your mind. As long as the wrong foods are on that pedestal you'll continue to give into your cravings and will continue to gain fat.

Take the wrong food off that pedestal by listing off everything negative about them...

·       These foods make you unhealthy.

·       These foods cause weight gain.

·       These foods drain your energy.

·       These foods kill your confidence.

·       These foods lessen your quality of life.

·       These foods damage your love life.

Every time that you feel tempted to eat an unhealthy food, focus on your list of negatives. Kick the junk off the pedestal and put something healthy in its place.

Step Two: Create a STRONG Positive Association with wholesome foods

Now that your mental food pedestal has been cleared, put truly wholesome food items on it. Juicy fresh fruit, crispy vegetables and savory lean meats are the place to start.

List off the things that you love about healthy food...

·       These foods make you healthy.

·       These foods promote fat loss.

·       These foods boost your energy.

·       These foods build your confidence.

·       These foods improve your quality of life.

·       These foods enhance your love life.

I encourage you to immerse yourself into the world of healthy, wholesome foods. Browse the aisles of your local natural foods store. Stroll through a farmer's market. Pack healthy snacks to bring to work. Clear your kitchen of junk.

Use the technique above consistently and you will soon find that healthy, wholesome foods are your favorite.

And craving the wrong foods will be a thing of your past.

The Ripple Effect

When you put time and energy into exercise it makes it easier to eat healthy. And when you eat healthy it makes you more likely to exercise.

It's the ripple effect. When you make positive strides in one area of your life, other areas will soon follow.

Keep in mind that while nutrition is extremely important for weight loss, lasting results are achieved through a combination of both healthy eating and challenging exercise. 

Blackberry Chicken

This recipe makes a wonderfully healthy family meal. Use organic berries and chicken to get the most from your meal nutritionally and flavor-wise. Serve your chicken on a bed of steamed veggies or on a dark leafy green salad. Servings: 4 

Here's what you need: 

For the Chicken:

• 1.5 pounds organic, skinless, boneless chicken tenders
• 1 cup organic blackberries
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup plum vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 cup yellow onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 packet Stevia

1. Rinse the chicken tenders and pat dry. Place in a large ziplock bag.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
3. *optional* Strain the seeds from marinade (If you don't mind the crunch, then leave the seeds in!)
4. Pour the marinade into the bag of chicken, seal and place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the marinated chicken in a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, drain off excess marinade, then place under high broil for 4 minutes, watching closely. Remove when golden.

For the Blackberry Sauce:

• 1 TBL coconut oil
• 1 cup organic blackberries
• 1 packet Stevia
• 1 Tbl plum vinegar

1. In a skillet over medium low heat, combine all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer, stirring often, until the blackberries become bright and the sauce reaches desired consistency.
3. If you wish to thicken the sauce more, add 1/2 teaspoon of arrowroot powder.
4. *optional* Strain the seeds from the sauce (If you don't mind the crunch, then leave the seeds in!)
5. Serve over the cooked chicken.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 287 calories, 7g fat, 655mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 36g protein 

CALL FOR YOUR FREE FITNESS CONSULTATION

219-548-3480

Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Pumpsfitnessinc.com

Mental energy: how to use food to feel more alert

Want to feel more alert? To keep up your mental energy and focus, you’ve got to eat the right foods, at the right time. A client recently complained that she suffered from ‘brain fog’. “My mental energy is shot and I can’t focus.” So she wondered…“is it something I’m eating?” Possibly. But more likely, it’s what she’s not eating that’s leaving her mental energy flagging. As a full-time student and a new mom, her eating patterns are erratic and she’s often grabbing something on the run, and relies on coffee to keep her going. Without the right foods to give her brain the fuel it needs, she can’t possibly expect to keep her mental energy in high gear.

The next time your mental energy is fading and you feel like you can’t string two sentences together, think back. When did you last eat? What did you have? Have you been drinking enough liquids? Skipped meals, unbalanced meals, and dehydration can all zap your mental energy and focus. (And don’t forget that getting adequate sleep and rest is part of the equation, too).

How what you eat affects your mental energy

What is mental energy, anyway? It’s actually got several features – including your overall mood, your motivation, as well as your attention and focus. When your mental engine is revved up, there’s a good chance your diet had something to do with it. So, here’s some “food for thought”.

What to eat to keep your mental energy up all day long

 - Carbs fuel your brain

Glucose is the only fuel that normally feeds your brain cells – and it’s derived from the carbohydrates in your diet. After they’re broken down during the digestive process, carbohydrates enter the bloodstream as glucose (your ‘blood sugar’). Since your brain is active 24/7, it has high energy demands – higher, in fact, than any other cells in your body. And, since brain cells – the neurons – can’t store glucose, your brain needs a continuous supply. Stick with the healthy carbs – fruits, vegetables and whole grains – to give your brain the fuel it craves. These high fiber foods take time to digest, which leads to a gradual release of glucose into your system. On the other hand, a meal high in refined carbohydrates – think starchy, sugary foods – can actually backfire on you. Since these foods are digested relatively quickly, you may experience a quick rise in your blood sugar… often followed by a quick drop. And that blood sugar ‘crash’ can make you feel mentally sluggish.

 - Your brain wants fuel at regular intervals

Since your brain wants a steady source of glucose, it’s important to eat at regular intervals throughout the day to keep your mental energy from taking a nosedive. Aim for small meals and snacks every 3-4 hours.

 - Your brain wants breakfast

There’s plenty to be said about the importance of breakfast, and giving your brain a boost is just another reason to fuel up first thing. While you were sleeping, your brain was plenty busy - and it burned through lots of fuel overnight – and the tank is pretty empty by morning. Do your brain a favor and start your day with a well-balanced breakfast that includes both healthy carbohydrates and a shot of protein.

 - The best proteins for your brain

Even though your brain doesn’t use protein directly for fuel, it does use amino acids – derived from the proteins that you eat – to manufacture important brain chemicals. Tyrosine, for example, is an amino acid (found in poultry, fish, dairy products, nuts and beans) that your body uses to make a brain chemical called dopamine that promotes alertness and brain activity. Another amino acid, called tryptophan (also found in seafood, poultry, dairy products and soybeans), is needed to make another brain chemical called serotonin, which leads to feelings of calmness and contentment.

 - The best beverages for the brain

When your body is dehydrated, it can affect your mood and your energy level. Mild dehydration reduces alertness and your ability to concentrate, and by the time you feel thirsty, your mental energy has already taken a hit. Water is always a good choice, but coffee and tea in moderation are fine, too. Caffeine-containing beverages may help with focus and concentration – but be smart about it. You don’t want to ignore your diet and simply rely on caffeine to keep you going through the day. You need to hydrate properly and eat right. And, monitor your own response to the caffeine you’re taking in. If it makes you jittery or keeps you up at night, you’d be wise to cut back. Using caffeine for a brain boost during the day won’t do you much good if it interferes with a good night’s sleep.

Best Spinach Salad Ever

The first thing that you'll notice about this salad is that it tastes amazing. It also doesn't hurt that spinach is an extremely nutrient-dense food. The recipe calls for raspberry vinegar, which is a flavorful and refreshing alternative to traditional, oily dressing. The fruit and nuts add flavor, fiber and healthy fat. 

Servings: 8

Here's what you need:

• 8 cups cleaned spinach leaves 
• 3 oranges, peeled, sliced and quartered 
• 2 cucumbers, peeled sliced and quartered 
• 1/8 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped 
• 1/8 cup sunflower seeds 
• 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds 
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced or whole raspberries 
• 1/2 cup white balsamic raspberry blush vinegar

1. Combined the spinach, oranges, cucumbers, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and strawberries in a bowl. 
2. Add the vinegar and toss well. 

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 99 calories, 3g fat, 14g carbohydrate, 2.6g fiber, and 3.5g protein.

Contact us for your free Fitness Consultation!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com 

Visualizing Your Fitness Goal May Help You Achieve It!

In addition to getting you pumped up and motivated to work even more diligently towards your goal, studies have shown that those who spend time visualizing the accomplishment of their goal have a higher success rate in actually getting there. 

So if you are still working towards your goal then sit back and let the following 7 Awesome Reasons to be FIT really sink into your mind. Visualize the following as being a part of your reality.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #1: You Always Look Great

When you are at your ideal weight clothes look and feel amazing. Every. Single. Day. Gone are the days of looking for ways to cover your ‘problem' areas because even those areas look great. Friends, family members and co-workers tell you how fantastic you look and that you've never looked better.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #2: Your Confidence Is High

The act of accomplishing any worthwhile goal is enough to seriously boost your confidence, and this is even more apparent when reaching a fitness goal. When your body goes through a transformation there's no hiding it. You are tighter, leaner and more attractive. You stand straighter, walk taller and exude a genuine confidence that can't be missed.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #3: You Have Lots Of Energy

Before you met your fat loss goal, getting off the couch was a challenge...one that you didn't always win. Once you became fit, new surges of energy course through your veins. You thrive on motion and activities that used to tire you out now leave you energized.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #4: You Are Strong

The life of a truly fit person knows no limits! In your free time you hike, bike, walk, pick up new hobbies and play with the kids. Picking up items that used to feel heavy is now a breeze as your functionality for daily tasks has never been stronger. Gone are the days when you'd tell yourself, "I can't do that. I'm not strong enough."

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #5: You Have No Health Worries

You'll never forget the look on your doctor's face when examining your transformed body. Gone is the lecture about the many risks of weight-related ailments. Those days are behind you. Your healthy, strong thriving body is health-worry-free.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #6: You No Longer Have Weight To Lose

How long have you been trying to lose the fat and get down to your ideal weight? Long time, right? In all that time your fat loss goal has been a giant monkey on your back – always in the back of your mind, always weighing you down.

Guess what? Poof! That giant monkey disappeared the day you reached your goal weight an in its place came a sweet, carefree peace of mind.

Awesome Reason To Be FIT #7: You Are Able To Enjoy Life

Once you transformed your body, life got decidedly more fun and exciting. You never knew how much your weight had held you back from excitement and adventure until the day that burden was lifted. You now enjoy life with carefree abandon – the way you were designed to. 

Baked Catfish and Mint Cabbage Salad

Catfish is a wonderful source of low fat protein. Lots of recipes call for frying catfish, but baking turns it into a low calorie, high protein meal. The generous seasoning of the catfish lends to a rich flavor that is complimented perfectly by the light minty salad. Servings: 4

Here's what you need...

For the Catfish:

•               1 teaspoon olive oil

•               1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and stems trimmed

•               4 catfish fillets

•               curry powder

•               salt

•               sweet paprika

•               1 lemon, juiced

•               4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1               Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2               In a glass baking pan, drizzle the olive oil and scatter the cilantro over the bottom of the pan.

3               Generously season both sides of each fillet with curry, salt and sweet paprika. Place the fillets evenly across the bottom of the pan, on top of the cilantro.

4               In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and finely minced garlic. Pour over the tops of the fillets.

5               Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

For the Salad:

•               1 head green, organic cabbage, shredded

•               1/8 cup crushed, dry mint leaves

•               1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

•               4 garlic cloves, finely minced

•               1 teaspoon olive oil

•               dash of salt

1               Wash the shredded cabbage and place in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle with the dried mint, mix well.

2               In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the cabbage and mix well.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 221 calories, 8g fat, 102mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 26g protein

Call today for a free fitness consultation!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com 

Improve Your Mood With Better Posture

Improving posture for better movement, reducing pain, and avoiding injuries are all well addressed, but what about improving posture to improve mood? Depression statistics continue to climb affecting adults and children. To a great extent depression treatment has centered on medication or behavioral therapy without much focus given to movement, or more specifically to posture, but that is beginning to change.

One study evaluated energy levels, a proposed indicator of depression, on body posture. University students were asked to rate their general depression and subjective energy levels, and were then randomly divided into two groups. One group was required to walk in a slouched position, the other to skip with a swinging cross-arm action.

After their initial activity, they each ranked their subjective energy level, then switched activities, and once again ranked their energy level. Not surprising, skipping significantly increased their energy level and the slouched walking decreased energy levels. Imagine yourself skipping, swinging your arms, head up – did your energy level change just thinking about skipping? These students reported that skipping not only made them feel more energetic, but happier, more positive, and even evoked happy childhood memories, whereas the slouched walking made them feel sad, lonely, isolated, sleepy, or even “zombie-like”.

Positive thoughts and feelings are easier to create in an upright position. Even evaluating the mood of a stick figure can be impacted by its posture. A straight, upright figure is judged as having the most positive mood while a figure displaying a bent over position with forward head and shoulders is rated as having the most negative emotions. With our overall decrease in physical activity and increased amount of time spent sitting hunched over our computers or personal devices, this “depressed” posture is where we spend so much of our time.

So “keep your chin up”, it is not only a sign of good posture, it might just improve your mood.

Here’s a tasty way to serve up fresh green beans. Smokey bacon and tangy mustard give these tender-crisp green beans memorable flavor. This side dish pairs perfectly with steak or chicken on the grill or alongside a lettuce wrapped burger. Enjoy! 

Servings: 6 

Here’s what you need…

• 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
• 6 slices bacon
• ½ cup yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans into a colander and place under cold water for 20 seconds. 
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the bacon drippings, and chop into 1-inch pieces. 
3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook the onions in the bacon drippings for 5 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, stirring until fully combined. Add the green beans and the bacon pieces and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 158 calories, 8g fat, 12g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 10g protein. 

Call today for a free fitness consultation!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com 

The cure for lazy

I know a lot of lazy people…People who would rather spend the day planted on their couch than anywhere else…who choose take-out over home cooked, every night of the week… who would rather have a root canal than go to the gym.

Sure, I know that we all have our occasional lazy day on the couch, but lately it seems that more and more people are turning laziness into a career.

What about you? Check if the following describe you:

•              You are habitually inactive.

•              You’d rather be a passive observer than an active participant.

•              You’re a master excuse-maker.

•              You find shortcuts in order to avoid the long haul.

If that’s you, don’t get down on yourself. There are many legitimate causes of laziness. Here are just a few…

1. Sleep Deprivation: When you’re short on sleep it’s easy to become unmotivated, which quickly turns into laziness. Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night in order to maintain enough energy to get you through the day. Some experts even say that ten hours of sleep each night is what you need to function at your best.

2. Caffeine Abuse: Starting your day with a jolt of java may help with your initial alertness, but the dip in energy that takes place a few hours later could be the reason that you become lazy later in the day. Avoid the rush and crash of caffeine and instead rely on your steady supply of natural energy.

3. Bad Habit: At some point being lazy simply becomes a habit. If every night after work you head straight to the couch, it soon becomes automatic and not a conscious decision. Breaking the habit of laziness is actually quite easy. Simply take yourself off of autopilot and make the conscious decision to do something productive instead—like heading to the gym rather than the couch.

4. Inactivity: If your job keeps you in a chair for hours at a time, and you don’t exercise when off the clock, then your body is just accustomed to inactivity. It’s time to wake up your under-used muscles and to reacquaint yourself with the joy of motion. A simple way to get back into the swing of things is to go on a 30 to 60 minute walk either before work or after you return home. Once you’ve broken yourself in with consistent walks, contact us to get started on a fitness program that will quickly get your body back into great shape.

Laziness begins when you ignore that little nagging voice in your head. You know, the one that reminds you when you should take action on something rather than sit by and let the opportunity slip away.

Is today the day that you will kick laziness to the curb...the day that you will take action toward achieving your goals...the day that you will listen to that little voice of reason?

Call or email us today to start working toward the new you. We’ll give you the cure for lazy…

It's Just a Number

We spend so much time worrying about getting the number on the scale to drop that it’s natural to get discouraged when your weight loss slows for a time.

Take heart: when you workout hard and eat right your body gains muscle while losing fat—this isn’t always shown by the number on the scale. It’s shown by inches lost, in the way your clothes fit better than ever, and in how you look and feel amazing. Keep striving towards your goal – you’ve got this!

Fitness Spaghetti

Here is a guiltless way to prepare spaghetti that the whole family will love. To create angel hair noodles out of zucchini you simply need a small kitchen gadget called a spiral slicer. This ingenious tool is well worth the small investment – with it you’ll quickly and easily make delicious, fiber-filled noodles. Yield: 4 servings

Here’s what you need:

•              4 zucchini, ends trimmed and run through a spiral slicer

•              1 teaspoon olive oil

•              1/2 cup chopped onion

•              3 garlic cloves, minced

•              1 (20oz) package lean ground turkey

•              2 cups spaghetti sauce

•              Salt and pepper to taste

1              Place the spiral-sliced zucchini in a large bowl and set aside.

2              In a medium sized skillet heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft.

3              Add the turkey to the skillet and cook until fully browned. Add the spaghetti sauce and mix until fully incorporated. Remove from heat.

4              Mix the sauce with the zucchini noodles in the large bowl and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 292 calories, 8g fat, 26g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 27g protein.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com