Fit Heart February

FIT HEART

FEBRUARY!

 

 February 1^st is the start of our fit heart month!  A nod to the Heart Health month of February, this challenge is all about helping you get your heart into shape!  This will involve the challengers doing the recommended 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week for the whole month.  We will be posting from Sunday to Thursday with mainly cardio interval based workouts that you will do the very next day!  The focus will be on creating a healthy heart by allowing the heart rate to rise and recover as quickly as it can.  When the month is over you will see great improvements in your beautiful hearts performance!  Rules are as follows:

1.          ****Consult a physician before entering a new fitness program and know your limits!  Listen to your body and know what level you are at and don’t overdo it.  If you are a true beginner you will need a heart rate monitor and just ease into it.  The fact that you get through 5 days with 30 minutes of activity will be challenge enough!  For intermediate or more advanced challengers don’t be afraid to just add these onto your regular workouts to up that level. 

2.          Follow us on Instagram at Endurance8health and on Facebook at Endurance on 8^th Health Centre to see the workouts posted from Sunday to Thursday. 

3.          From Monday to Friday or 5 days out of a 7 day week you will perform 30 minutes of heart healthy exercise.  This does not mean you absolutely have to do our workouts, these can be weight training workouts or as simple as walking your dog for 30 minutes.  Just make sure you heart rate rises and you get moving! 

4.          Check in our Facebook page every time you complete a day and use the “Fit Heart February” code in your check in.  This can be done by simply writing a status and putting the location as Endurance on 8^th Health Centre

5.          You may want to get a heart rate monitor if you don’t plan to do the cardio routines on machines that can track it for you.  You will be given parameters of where and when your heart rate should rise and fall which you will want to track as the timing is important.  *If you are a beginner or have a personal or family history of heart problems, consult a doctor first and make sure to get a heart rate monitor!*

6.          Track your progress!  The first and last day of this challenge will be test days where you can see where you begin and what you’ve achieved at the end! 

Recommendations:

-          Do not weigh yourself throughout this challenge!  You may weigh-in and do measurements at the beginning and the end but be sure to realize this is for your heart and not weight-loss.  I cannot stress this enough because we can sometimes do things for the wrong reasons.  Pick your reason now and stick to it!

-          Write down the reason you are doing this and make sure to stay inspired every day.  We will be posting along the way to help but always remember that it’s YOU that must stay inspired and do the work! Daily inspiration is important.

-          Have a planned time of the day that you will complete your workouts and don’t let ANYTHING get in your way.  You can do this challenge by simply starting to walk to work instead of driving, taking a walk a lunch (in the +15 if it snows!) or adding cardio when you normally only do weight training. 

-          No slips allowed in this challenge!  You have 7 days to complete 5 workouts and always remember that it’s your choice.  You can choose to do it or not but there is no such thing as a slip! 

Written by: Lara Schamotta

No Refined Sugar Challenge Update!

We are half way through this challenge!  There were some hard times and good times for all of us but we’re not done yet!  Here are a few of our challenger’s experiences to inspire you.  Keep going in the challenge or enter it still.  It truly is NEVER too late to start eating healthy and mindfully. 

            I have always had a massive addiction to sugar!  It started when I was about 13 years old and has never stopped.  I would binge on sugar quite often and spend the next few days trying to detox but the cycle would continue very soon.  The circle of addiction didn’t stop until I started to have really bad stomach aches that made me unable to work out as hard and sometimes not be able to move!  I was also highly inflamed but didn’t know what was happening because I had always been healthy before even with the sugar.  I had hit a wall and my digestive system decided to rebel. 

Although it took a long time for me to realize it was mainly the sugar that was doing this when I did realize it I was still addicted and didn’t stop.  I did a month of no sugar in September of 2014 but because I still had other intolerances I didn’t feel that much better.  I also didn’t have a plan for what I would do when I was done so the first day of the next month I was back on sugar in a big way and was more inflamed than ever before.  This challenge has been very different!  I started feeling real withdrawals the first few days but was determined.  With good solid fresh vegetables and fruits, fats and protein in the right amounts the withdrawals were easier to handle.  After the initial withdrawals such as headaches and a tired feeling I started to see my energy increase.  I felt my moods leveling out because I wasn’t having the changes in my blood sugar during the day, my skin was looking better and now I’m actually seeing my inflammation go down especially in my face and stomach.  I have lost a total of 5 pounds but this challenge wasn’t about that for me.  I haven’t had a stomach ache or flare up since the day I began this challenge and for that I am extremely grateful!

What will keep me going even after this challenge is remembering what it felt like after I ate junk, I felt disgusting, low energy, nausea, mood swings and a general depression start taking over.  I’ve read and taught my personal training clients to take control of their lives and for the first time in my life I felt it go out of control but can happily say I have regained my control and am feeling fantastic!

-          Lara Schamotta

“I’m in,” I typed and hit “comment”.  “Oh crap, what did I just do” popped into my head. Yes, I had just agreed to join the “no refined sugar January” challenge.  Hmm.  What about all the chocolates and wine we still have from Christmas?  Packed up some or the chocolate and took it into work the next day.  The rest is still in our house. This isn’t something new to me – back in my comp days, I went without sugar and/or alcohol for months. (of course, I DID get that one treat meal a week, which typically had sugar). AND, I did keep my Coke Zero in comp season, right up until the end.  This one means no sugar substitutes either.  And for the past two months NOTHING had been off limits.  Nothing was extreme, but those occasional treats had morphed into an everyday thing, and not just once a day.  Pannini for lunch? Pasta for dinner? Half my hubby’s dessert? Sure! Christmas baking – yum. Christmas chocolates (which, let’s face it, it simply chocolate!) GAME ON.  

Fast forward two weeks.  I have been checking labels, drinking gallons of water, and eating home prepared foods.  I no longer want to run across the street to pick up a scone or pannini.  The chocolate is still sitting untouched, and I don’t want to eat it (except the odd craving to have “just one piece”, which I haven’t done). I made a cake, and didn’t have a single taste.  Before agreeing to have a bite of my hubby’s food, I check the labels. Sugar in the list? Pass.  Coke Zero? Still crave one every afternoon. Maybe it’s the bubbles. I’ve made fruit infused water. It’s tasty, but not the same.

How do I feel? Honestly, not a lot different. The first couple of days, I felt like my moods were on a roller coaster. Then they settled down.  I’m still eating carbs, so my energy is fine. I get fruit, so my sweet tooth is happy.  Most days I don’t have a mid-afternoon slump, still hitting them occasionally.  I still have headaches, but the Calgary weather does that to me as well. My sinuses are slightly better. I’m down a couple of pounds, and my stomach seems flatter.  And, not five minutes ago, a coworker looked at me and said “are you leaning out? You look slimmer”. Ok, maybe I will keep this up. 

-          Julie Supple

  Going sugar free after eating a lot of sugar daily I had some withdrawal symptoms that lasted about a week.  I find I’m sleeping better, have less headaches.  Those I do have are less intense and I can taste and smell better!  Probably because my sinuses are clearer.  My blood sugar levels are more balanced so I don’t have ups and downs.  I had them before where I’d end up eating everything I saw. 

And I lost 4 pounds in the first two weeks!!

-          Chelsea Labossiere (Caba Fashions)

Half way through our Team Endurance January no-sugar challenge and feeling fantastic!  Even despite my scale saying I'm a couple pounds up. I attribute it to muscle gains from my heavier lifting as a direct result of the extra oomph I have now that my body doesn't have to fight so hard to stabilize my blood glucose levels throughout the day. That for me is the most profoundly incredible benefit of eliminating sugar and refined foods. Those who know me know that I'm pretty high energy anyway, but the more consistent my energy, and the longer-lasting it is through my day, when completely off any sugar, is undeniable. There was a time that I would truly crash around dinner time/early evening. I would still go to sleep about 11pm, but from 7-11pm I was useless, not only physically exhausted and unproductive (I always thought it was just because I was so busy during the day), but mentally drained.  Forget about helping kids with homework, I literally had nothing in the tank. I would be short-fused and feel kind of down.. For a long time I thought this was normal.  I know now that depression and many mental health symptoms are related to imbalanced blood sugars. It may be a bit challenging to go completely sugar-free, but the benefits are so worth it - and having the support of others doing the same thing helps so much. Thank you Team Endurance!  Can we do it in February too?!

Yvette Styner

MIPSTICK

Keep updated with us on Instagram under Endurance8health and here:  on Facebook!  If you want to join us just like us on Facebook and check in daily!  Here’s to a healthier lifestyle!  

Refined Sugar Free January!!

Are you ready to take your nutrition to the next level?  31 days of no refined sugar this January is our challenge of the month!

The purpose of this challenge is to take out any and all processed sugars for the whole month.  You have two options with this challenge:  You can choose to do the whole month, a full cleanse of sugar, (which is well worth it!) Or you can simply decide to take out as much as you can and not binge.

Whichever way you go you must track it and let us know how you are doing to be eligible for the prizes at the end of January!  Follow the facebook group Endurance on 8^th and the Instagram user named Endurance8health, like and comment on our daily posts and check in to the Facebook group for every day completed to enter our personal tracking system!  At the end of a week we will post a progress chart or picture to help everyone along and stay inspired

Now before you start questioning if you can do this and why you should, let me lead you in the right direction.  You’ll see that it will be easier than you ever thought and the benefits are extremely worth it!

How dangerous is refined sugar?

It’s quite obvious that refined sugar is a major problem in our society.  It’s in almost every single thing we eat, chew and drink!  To see the actual health problems causes you to wonder why we are allowing ourselves to be poisoned.  The main issue with eliminating sugar is that it is an addiction and your body will go through withdrawal symptoms.  Symptoms such as headaches, stomach pains, cravings, mood swings and fatigue can affect the body from 1- 4 days.  The good news??  It gets better in a few days and progressively you’ll feel absolutely amazing! 

To properly prepare for a month of no sugar you need to be aware of the downfall of taking out sugar all together at once.  A few days before or at least the day before DON’T binge!!  This is bound to backfire on you the next day or even in the next few hours.  You will have a spike and a drop in your blood sugar and you will have an almost uncontrollable craving for that sweet stuff.  This is something the evening bingers know all too well.  To ease your body into this challenge slowly reduce your sugar intake so the detox and withdrawal symptoms can lessen. 

Step 1: Go through your cabinets and fridge and take out anything that has added sugar.  Many of the foods you buy you will be surprised at the added sugar so make sure to look at all your labels!  Things such as peanut butter, breads, sauces, milks, and spices are some to not overlook.  Remove these items or put them in a place that is a sugar area and therefore off limits to you.   Also don’t forget to look at things like tea, coffee creamers and gum for that hidden sugar. 

Remember follow us for more information & the next steps!  

Written by: Lara Schamotta

Success Story - Tina Gagnon

Looking at my before and after picture. ..wow!  I just put them together and holy what a difference.

I like the feedback and love seeing the changes that were happening.  

To drop from a size 10 to a 4 was breath catching.

What I've learned.  Hard work pays off and even on those days you wonder if have what it takes to not quit, you push  though and go for that last rep or that last set  burpee. ..still have a love hate relationship with burpees . 

-Tina

Trending on Shaw Interview with Dr. Kevin Ashby

Please tune in to Shaw Channel 10 (Calgary) at 10:00 am on Friday, December 5, 2014 where Dr. Kevin Ashby will be discussing the history of the Natural Physique & Athletics Association (NPAA).  He will also recap the successful NPAA Canada Championships & Magnum Instincts Pro Show, which took place at the University Theatre (University of Calgary) on November 8, 2014!  Congratulations to all the Team Endurance Athletes who competed very well in this event!  All of the athletes were inspiring and deserve tremendous praise for the hard work they put on display that day.  This Is Our Sport! 

For more information, please go to http://shaw.ca/ShawTV/Calgary/Shows/TrendingOnShaw/ or click "here"