Do you think the differences between men and women is just about X and Y chromosomes and estrogen and testosterone levels? Well, science is starting to shed even more light on the subject and it seems our gut bacteria are different, too.

Current research is focusing on learning the connection between gut bacteria and various health conditions. The goal is to learn how to use the new understanding about different strains to develop strategies to help people recover from health conditions. Inflammatory conditions including IBS, colitis as well as diabetes, heart disease and depression are just a few conditions that can benefits from healthy gut flora.

One key area of focus is looking at diet to help manipulate the gut microbes to help these conditions. And here is where a monkey wrench has been thrown into the process. Apparently, the gut microbes of males and females react differently to the same food.

In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers found several key pieces of information:

For too long, the influence of the diet has been assumed to be the same for men and women.

Sex hormones may be influencing gut microbes and directing the preference for one strain over another.

This new information means it is no longer as simple as telling people to eat more vegetables.

Research is going to have to focus on genetics, environment, diet and now hormones and how they all interact. Normally research looks at each of these one at a time. This is no longer enough.

And finally, in looking at mice studies, it was found that diet does not vary gut microbes between sexes the way it does in other species such as humans. Since most research is done initially on mice, we must not take any results regarding diet as gospel and wait for the human studies.

That being said gut bacteria from males can make a difference when transplanted into females, according to mice. In a study, female mice, with a 90 percent risk of developing Type I Diabetes (the autoimmune condition), were given gut bacteria from healthy adult male mice.

The females saw increased testosterone, yet their levels did not reach that of males. However, the increase in testosterone did deliver enough active testosterone signaling the ability to prevent Type I Diabetes.

This makes the issues of what to eat more confusing. It certainly should make you think twice the next time you pick up a book that is trying to tell you what is right or wrong about food. And it definitely means we should reconsider a lot of the information we have received in the past.

We know we need nutrients for our body and for our microbe friends. However, we need to develop more intuition for listening to our body and apparently, to our microbes, which are working hard to communicate with us, about what we should eat.

 

 

 

References:

Individual Diet Has Sex-Dependent Effects On Vertebrate Gut Microbiota, Daniel I. Bolnick, Lisa K. Snowberg, Philipp E. Hirsch, Christian L. Lauber, Elin Org, Brian Parks, Aldons J. Lusis, Rob Knight, J. Gregory Caporaso, Richard Svanbäck, Nature Communications, 2014; 5

Sex Differences in the Gut Microbiome Drive Hormone-Dependent Regulation of Autoimmunity, Janet G. M. Markle1, Science 17, Jan 2013

 

 

 

 

We often wonder if there is a magic bullet for weight loss. The short answer is no. However, research is discovering some fascinating pieces of information and one food that may help is kimchi.

So, what happens when they study kimchi? A recent study featured 22 obese participants. The study divided them into two groups with each eating either fresh kimchi or fermented kimchi added to their diet for two weeks and then switching with a two-week washout period in between.

The fermented group showed a significant decrease in hip-to-waist ratio and percentage of body fat as well as significant improvements in symptoms of metabolic syndrome such as fasting blood glucose, blood pressure and total cholesterol.

What is most interesting is that both groups lost weight and saw improvements. So, the ingredients in kimchi were playing a role. It was just more significant when they consumed the fermented kimchi, meaning the process of fermentation turned good foods into super foods.

Just one more reason to consume kimchi on a regular basis. However, if you are trying to lose weight you may want to add it to your regimen everyday to help you reach your goal.

Remember that kimchi is also good for gut health and optimal gut health has also been shown to aid weight loss and decrease cravings. If the flavor of kimchi is too strong for you, then consume it will something bland like rice. I like to add it to a protein bowl which includes: black beans, rice, cilantro, lemon juice, kimchi, and diced chicken or lean ground beef. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think

 

 

Hormones are chemical messengers and without them, proper functioning in our body does not occur. They control everything from reproduction, digestion, metabolism, emotions and even hunger and satiety. When our hormones function properly, we feel great and when they do not, we can have health issues that make us miserable.

Let’s look a few key hormones systems and you will get the picture as to how important they are.

Hypothalamus: It signals the production of other hormones and in doing so, helps regulate things like hunger, moods, sleep, body temperature and sex drive.

Thymus: It produces the hormone thymosin, which help regulate the immune system. The thymus shrinks as we age but scientists are not sure it is supposed to, which means that, perhaps, good nutrition could help maintain immune function as we age.

Pancreas: Insulin produced in the pancreas is a key hormone and its sole function is to help blood sugar get into the cells so we have the energy we need for our cells to function. However, too much insulin has been implicated in many health issues.

Thyroid: Hormones produced by our thyroid are associated with metabolism and heart rate. If you have trouble losing weight – your thyroid may not be functioning optimally.

Adrenals: There are many hormones produced by the adrenal glands but their main function is to help us cope with stress, both physical and mental. Because of this, the adrenals rule the roost in the body. This is because protecting us from danger is considered to be one of the most significant systems in the body and because of that, when we are stressed, the adrenals can cause all kinds of havoc with other systems.

Pituitary: This is a master endocrine gland that produces hormones that tell other glands and organs to produce more hormones. However, hormones from the adrenals like cortisol or insulin from the pancreas can exert pressure on the pituitary and interfere with other hormones relationships where the pituitary is involved.

Of course, the hormones that often concern most people are the reproductive hormones.

In women, the ovaries produce estrogen, progesterone and small amounts of testosterone before menopause. After menopause, it is the adrenals that produce these hormones to keep women healthy.

For men, the testes produce testosterone and small amounts of estrogen and progesterone.

These are just a few hormonal relationships – it really is complex and often hormone problems are a result of several hormones exerting influence in a way that causes more than one issue. Food and lifestyle can help immensely to feed the various body parts so they work in a more balanced way. A holistic nutrition professional can help you do this.

Balanced hormones are the key to a having a body in balance. Even small imbalances can cause an issue. Getting a proper diagnosis is key and from there, decisions can be made to help correct the issues.

If you are looking for help in balancing your hormones, I have two plans that can help you.

7-Day Hormone Reboot

Complete Hormone Rebalance Plan

Contact me via email at JoniLynOrtiz@gmail.com to get started

How many of you stuck to your health and fitness plan 100% during COVID quarantine, while waiting for the gyms to reopen?

How many of you used this time as an excuse to slack off and then “restart” when COVID quarantine is over?

 

It can be hard to workout from home. I know for me it is less motivating. I am not one that goes to the gyms and chats with friends. I get in my zone and do what I need to do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing friends and fellow gym members but my intentions are not to chat half the time I am there. Working out at home is a different story. Our home is our "comfort zone' it is our area of relaxation and zen so to flip that switch and go beast mode with some resistance bands is definitely less motivating to say the least. 

 

I make it a point to get in at a minimum of 20 minutes on the days where I just don't have the desire to workout. Once I get started I am good and able to finish. What about you, are you able to stay on track or is it just too hard. What about just 5 minutes? If you can’t stick with a 5 minute workout then what exactly are you working towards or did you just give up on your goals?

 

What exactly are or were your goals? It literally takes little effort to put in a 5 minute workout. So if that is all you are doing or not even doing that, then what is the point? If you need someone to take your hand and force you to workout you need to re-evaluate your priorities. You can be guided but you are the one that has to do the work.

 

So what exactly will it take for you to set a goal, and stick with it?

 

Regardless if your goals are fitness/health related, business related or relationship related you have to put in the time and effort. You have to get used to being uncomfortable and to challenge yourself every day. I encourage and push my clients to step outside of their comfort zone, because when we do that is when progress is not just made but seen.

 

“Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable, push past the apathy and laziness and fear. Otherwise, the next day you’re going to have two things you don’t want to do, then three, and four and five, and pretty soon, you can’t even get back to the first thing. And then all you can do is beat yourself up for the mess you’ve created, and now you’ve got a mental barrier to go along with the physical barriers.” [1]

 

The main reason why you initially you set a goal or had a vision, was because you had the desire to change something in your life. Change is not easy. Stop looking for the easy way out, the quick-fix, or that magic pill. Change takes time, but you have to start somewhere. Start now! Create a vision board, write down your goals, place these in an area that you will see it daily. Find someone that will help you be accountable and check in with them weekly. Just don't stop or give up. It's not worth it. 

 

 

 [1] Relentless, Tim Grover, 2013

When it comes to hormone health, picking key foods that have multiple benefits for balancing hormones is helpful. Schizandra berry is just such a food and may be a true anti-aging food as well.

 

In China it is known as a “five-flavor fruit,” because it contains the flavors sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent which, in TCM, all represent various health properties. This may also explain its funky taste. Research has confirmed that compounds found in the berries, called schisandrins, help with supporting nervous system issues, liver issues and coughs. Much of this research, which includes controlled clinical studies with humans, is in China, unfortunately.

Even more specifically, with regard to supporting the nervous system, animal studies have found that schizandra can counter the stimulating effect of caffeine. Taking schizandra, while either cutting down on coffee or going cold turkey, lessens the nervous, shaky and anxious symptoms that come with withdrawal. It also helps keep the blood sugar stable and lessens the severity of the headache that always accompanies caffeine withdrawal.

 

It further supports the nervous system by supporting the adrenals. It is a known adrenal adaptogen, making it a perfect food for the body during times of stress. As for the liver, schizandra can protect it from toxic substances in a similar manner to milk thistle, the most well-known liver protective supplement. It may be helpful in the recovery from hepatitis and acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory to help protect the liver. One double-blind placebo study looked at 12 racehorses, all of similar age, weight, temperament and training and all with high liver enzymes and low performance issues. After fourteen days, the horses on schizandra had lower liver enzymes in comparison to the placebo. Fifty percent of the horses on schizandra also had improved appearance and performance. And while we are not race horses, we certainly often conduct our lives like we are. So some schizandra could really help us with our performance issues.

 

Digestively, it may be helpful for proper peristalsis (gastric muscle contractions), stress-induced gastric ulcers and regulating stomach acid. It can also help with diarrhea.

But for many of us, the number one benefit for schizandra may be the research that states it has anti-aging properties. This would include the fact that it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities, two important elements in preventing age-associated issues. Studies have also shown it may help with age-related memory loss, and act as a tonic for the heart. It can supply us with more energy, help with depression and help support the immune system.

 

And finally, for the vanity in all of us, schizandra may help our appearance by giving us a clearer complexion, improved skin elasticity and diminished the appearance of scars or wrinkles. Does it get any better than that?

What is the issue? Getting a good source of the product may be difficult. Nature’s Way has a great capsule that is available in the US only right now. St. Francis makes a good tincture. Organic Traditions has a dehydrated powder in a jar that is 6x concentrated. You can also find loose berries in health food or Asian stores. These can be ground in a coffee grinder and added to a smoothie or made into a tea.

 

If buying a supplement, watch out for standardized extracts. Although many science types might recommend this as the preferred version, a standardized extract is usually just one phytochemical found in a plant and does not represent all the chemicals found in the whole plant or in this case, the berry. There are 40 different phytochemical compounds in schizandra – there would have to be for it to do all the amazing things it is credited for. This is what we should be consuming – the whole berry – if we want to get the most from it.

 

 

 

References:

Hancke, J., et al. “Reduction of serum hepatic transaminases and CPK in sport horses with poor performance treated with a standardized Schisandra chinensis fruit extract.” Phytomedicine 1996, 3 (3):237–240.

Ip, S. P., et al. “Effect of a lignan-enriched extract of Schisandra chinensis on aflatoxin B1 and cadmium chloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.” Pharmacology and Toxicology 1996, 78 (6):413–416.

Ko, K. M., et al. “Effect of a lignan-enriched fructus Schisandra extract on hepatic glutathione status in rats: Protection against carbon tetrachloride toxicity.” Planta Medica 1995, 61 (2): 134–137.

Lu, H., and G. T. Liu. “Anti-oxidant activity of dibenzocyclooctene lignans isolated from Schisandraceae.”Planta Medica 1992, 58 (4):311–313.

Nishiyama, N., Y. L. Wang, and H. Saito. “Beneficial effects of S-113m, a novel herbal prescription, on learning impairment model in mice.” Biological Pharmaceutical Bulletin 1995, 18 (11):1498–1503. Song, W. Z., and P. G. Xiao. “Medicinal plants of Chinese Schisandraceae and their lignan components.” Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs 1982, 13 (1):40–48.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you been encouraged to stop eating carbohydrates? Do you think it will help you lose weight or worse, have you been convinced that carbohydrates, especially grains are bad for you? It is a shame that such misinformation circulates and so many people are confused about this important food group but it just shows that we need to apply some common sense before we remove foods groups from our diet.

 

But what if you have a digestion issue with grains, does that mean for sure, you should avoid them? No. Before you remove anything, try sourdough. What is sourdough? A traditional method of fermenting grains to make bread. It has many benefits and is much more digestible.

 

Fermenting grains creates prebiotic substances from the starches in the flour to aid gut health so sourdough is a great food for feeding the good bacteria. This is sourdough made with white flour as that is what they do the research with. The fermentation process also makes nutrients more available, as it does with all fermented foods. However, the process of sourdough also adds B-vitamins that were not there before the fermentation occurred.

 

This makes sense since sourdough is a combination of good bacteria and yeast, 100 times more good bacteria than yeast as it happens, but wild yeast strains are definitely present since this is what makes the bread rise to give it an amazing, light-texture. And yeast is a great source of B-vitamins.

 

The acid nature, the “sour” of sourdough, aids in pre-digestion of the protein molecules in the grain especially the gliadin in gluten, as protease enzymes prefer an acid pH for optimal function. As a matter of fact, researchers are studying sourdough for consumption by celiacs. The gluten must be completely degraded in order for a celiac to tolerate it, and this would make it quite sour tasting. Some experiments involved using fully-degraded sourdough mixed with fresh gluten-free grains added after fermentation to lessen the sour taste and these breads were also suitable for celiacs.

 

But probably the most amazing research comes from the University of Guelph. Researchers took four samples of bread: regular white flour bread, whole wheat bread, whole wheat with barley bread and white flour sourdough bread. The participants in this study were all between the ages of 50 to 60 and were all overweight. They were fed the breads at breakfast and then again at lunch.

 

After both meals, blood sugar and insulin levels were measured. The sourdough provided the lowest level of blood sugar and insulin, and surprisingly, continued to keep the blood and insulin levels low for the following meal where no bread was consumed. The whole wheat, on the other hand, provided the highest level of blood sugar after a meal, even higher than the regular white flour bread.

 

If you want to try sourdough, look for bakers in your area who are making traditional sourdough bread. This is a delicious adventure for you take. A quick google search of “sourdough” and the name of the city or town where you live could make it easier to find someone local.

And if you cannot find a source in your area, you can order it online and have it shipped to you.

When you do find a source, cut yourself a slice, drizzle it with some virgin olive oil or cultured butter. Enjoy!

 

 

 

References

Sourdough and cereal fermentation in a nutritional perspective, Kaisa Poutanen a,b,*, Laura Flander a, Kati Katina a, Food Microbiology 26 (2009) 693–699

Structural changes of gliadins during sourdough fermentation Gokcen Komen, Ayse Handan Baysal, Sebnem Harsa, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey

http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/07/sourdough_bread.html

Glycosidases and B group vitamins produced by six yeast strains from the digestive tract of Phoracantha semipunctata larvae and their role in the insect development, C. Chararas et al, Mycopathologia 1983, Volume 83, Issue 1, pp 9-15

Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients, Raffaella Di Cagno1,†, et al, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. February 2004 vol. 70 no. 2 1088-1096

 

 

Becoming a Bodybuilding  Bikini competitor has been one of the most exciting and liberating experiences of my life. I became something I only dreamed I could become. I became physically strong as well as mentally strong. My confidence increased not just because of how I looked, but due to the trials of prepping. Prepping for a competition is more mentally challenging than physically challenging. It is about being 1000% committed to a goal, staying focused and not swaying from the task at hand. It impacts all aspects of your life in one way or another, and the strength comes from balancing all of it at the same time. I thrived on this. 

Prepping became something that I looked forward to doing. 

 

I first starting prepping for a show in March 2011. I had never prepped before. I was the type of person that hated “leftover food” and needed change daily in what I ate. Now here I am prepping food for a week, eat the same meals every day. I went from eating 2 meals and1 snack a day to eating 6-8 meals a day. My initial goal was to “look toned” and step on a stage a bodybuilding stage. If someone would have told me that year before I would have laughed.  

 

I really just wanted to “get toned” and look fit. I have always been a “skinny” girl, but never had the muscle definition that I thought would be nice to have. So, I gave it a go. I was 100% on board. Never cheated outside of my meal plan. I thoroughly enjoyed meal prepping and training day in and day out. 

 

When I prep, nothing gets in my way. I am 1000% committed and dedicated to that prep...I have goals to meet.  As the bikini division became a bit more defined, the prep process changed. The typical 12 week prep for most was no longer reasonable. Prep became 16-20-28 weeks long. Prepping in 2017 was the hardest and most challenging year yet. It wasn’t the workouts, it wasn’t the meal prepping. Something changed in my mind, where my passion became an obligation. I was obligated to myself to reach a goal that wasn’t promised. I put myself in a mental situation that I had never put myself in before and it fueled my drive, but drained my passion. 

 

At the end of my season in 2017 I knew I needed to take time off, physically yes but I needed it mentally more-so. During that year off, I had a bit more flexibility but still tracked my food daily and weighed myself a few times a week. Stuck to a 80/20 diet and never really did a complete reverse diet to the point where it should have been. 

Summer 2018 I started looking for a new coach. I interviewed a few and eventually made my decision. I started prepping at the end of summer 2018. My prep was for 5 months and was the easiest preps ever.  I didn’t do anywhere near as well as I hoped for so I decided to try for another show. I took a week off and started prep again. This prep was the complete opposite. My body stopped responding and with only 6 weeks until my next show, I didn’t have much time to reach my goal. This put a lot of stress on me mentally and I wanted to drop out of my show almost every single day. I initially wasn’t stressed out at all, at least not the way I am typically stressed out. The stress I put on myself was focused more towards how I wanted to place at that show. This negatively impacted how my body responded to my prep. Never in 8 years did my body ever respond this way. It was frustrating. 

 

Show day comes, and I get two, third places awards. I was thrilled with my placing but knew mentally I needed a break. Now, three months later, I have this completely different outlook on prepping and tracking my food and my “status”, “progress” what-have-you. At this point in my life I knew that I needed to completely step away from what I have known for the past 9 years….the slavery to structure….to prepping….to the scale (both food scale and weight scale...the Sunday-Meal-Prep routine). I needed to allow myself some normalcy away from that. 

9 years ago, when I made the decision to start competing I was 100% in, nothing was going to stop me from my goal of stepping on stage. I went 9 months without a single cheat, no re-feeds, too much cardio and a whole lot of dedication. After my first year I chose to find a more suitable coach. My drive and desire to compete increased each year as a competitor and I craved that “Pro” status. 

After years of hard work, I finally achieved and exceeded that goal. Each year, I would strive to continue to improve my physique and shape it into something I never believed was possible for me. But I did it. With that, came prep after prep, and show after show. This was my life. I loved and lived every moment of prep and competing. It was my passion. Prepping for a show was never difficult for me. Following a strict meal plan day after day and month after month was not a struggle. Nothing about prepping was hard for me, other than finding the energy to go to the gym after working all day, but I still did it. 

 

But by the 7th year of being a competitor, something changed. My passion for competing changed and my heart was not where it should have been nor did it align with my goals any longer. I took a year off because out of 7 years, I had never taken more than 5 months off. I knew that I needed to refresh my mind, and step away for a while. Find that passion again. 

 

With my last show I went from enjoying prep to struggling with it. I didn’t stop or give up. I made it and in the end turned out to be a very successful competition. I went into that show thinking, this is my last show. But after doing so well, and having other competitors tell me “don’t stop” I decided “okay, one more”. 

Nine days into the 3rd prep (May 2019), I sat on my couch and told my husband “I’m done”. I hate prep, I hate every moment of everyday and my fire is gone. I felt the weight of the world lifted from me. It wasn’t my coach, it wasn’t the sport, it wasn’t anything but the fact that I felt like a slave to being in prep. It hit me, after all these years, that I was tired of being deprived. Tired of saying “I can’t miss the gym”. Although I still participated in family functions and events, took my food with me, all of that, I still felt left out. I would not have admitted it at the time nor did I believe that at the time but looking back I felt that inside. I began to feel like my friends and family and God were second choice. I let that absorb into my mind and I hated that feeling. I never want my family, friends or God to be second. We as athletes can say “oh family and God come first” but in reality they aren’t. When everything we do, every part of our day revolves around “prep” we in turn are true slaves to prep. I don’t want that, ever. 

 

So for now, I am done competing. Will it be forever, possibly. Maybe, it will be for a year and then I will gradually move back into it, but it will never ever be the same. My first prep with my newest coach, was the first time ever felt “normal” in prep. I didn’t even feel like I was in prep. That is the only way I will ever do it again. If not, then I am done for good. 

 

I am not sharing this with all of you to tell you that you are a slave. You have to determine what you want out of life. This is how I felt, 8 ½ years into being a competitor. I will still be a coach, I will still be an advocate for health and fitness. But for competing, the shoes and bikini are hung up.  

 

I don’t regret anything. 

I would do it all over again if I had to. 

I wish some paths could have crossed sooner than later as that may have impacted the end result of this journey of mine. But it is what it is and it all happened for a reason. 

I use those experiences to build my coaching practice and share with my clients and build a program based on these experiences so that my clients can have a positive and exciting journey.

My passion for competing has ended, at least for now. But my passion for something new has begun and I am excited to go down that new path and face a new challenging journey. 

We all want to be able to enjoy the holidays without feeling like we have to restrict ourselves from our favorite holiday foods. Well, you can still enjoy a delicious meal without all the unnecessary calories. Here is a breakdown of the average holiday meal (notice I said meal, and not meals meaning 2nd or 3rd plates). 

 

Average Holiday Meal is 3000 calories. Cutting out some options can reduce it to…..

Dark Turkey – 1 cup 309
Mashed Potatoes – 1 cup 280
Green Bean Casserole ¾ cup 165
Gravy ½ cup 150
Roll with butter 155
8 ounce Eggnog 343
Pecan Pie – 1 slice 520
Total 1922 calories

 

 

Alternative /Healthy Options - Total 771 calories

White meat Turkey – 1 cup 97
Unsweetened yam – 1 cup 170
Green Beans - 1 cup 34
Whole Grain Roll without butter 100
Wine 1 cup 120
Pumpkin Pie – 1 slice 250
Saving 1151 Calories

 

TIPS

Be sure to stay on your current meal plan all week, even the day of the holiday. Do not starve yourself and then pig out at dinner. Skipping meals will cause your body to go into starvation mode and when you eat it will hold on to everything, and you will gain weight.
Be wise is your Thanksgiving meal choices.

Yams, Brussels sprouts, other veggies are great (if not too buttery or sugary) fill up on these FIRST.
Turkey is full of protein, so if you want, have this w each of your meals throughout the day, just stick to 3-4 ounces per meal.

Mashed potatoes or casseroles avoid these if you can or just have a very small portion. These are usually packed with calories. I will still enjoy my potatoes I will just mash them plain with a little sea salt and pepper and chives. 

Cranberry sauce is fine if homemade, but can still have natural sugars. I honestly would rather save the calories for something else. 

Rolls, 1 (whole grain if possible) just pass on the butter (again, I would rather save the calories for something else)

Dessert, weeelllll I don't want you to feel deprived from your holiday. So if you must, just have a small serving. If you are really serious about getting in shape you will just avoid dessert all together, as this will only restart the “cravings” and that is no fun.

Since I am on prep during the holidays this year, I will be replacing my favorite pie with oatcake and gingerbread protein frosting. Sounds delicious and believe me it is. Its not really a cake, but I like to pretend like it is. I simply make my oats (for me my serving size is 40g), I add about 3/4 cup boiling water and let it sit till cool. I put in fridge overnight and it firms up, like a cool cake. I then take 1 scoop of my Optimum Nutrition Gingerbread protein and just enough water (approx 2 tbsp) to make into a paste like consistency. This will serve as my frosting. I poor on top and there you go. Gingerbread oatcake. 

Drink lots of water before you sit down to eat. This will help overeat. Taking a digestive enzyme is also recommended as you will more than likely be eating more than your typical plate of food and your stomach may not be ready for this. The digestive enzyme will help break food down for the body to process. My favorite DE is by MRM. You can find this on Amazon.

 

Temptations are going to be endless. Food is an emotional trigger  in many aspects of our life and can certainly spark off a release of hormones. Set a limit for yourself as to what you will or will not eat.  When temptations arise, do indulge but remember to divert it to something else after a bite or two. Also, eat smaller portions of your favorite food.

  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Our Bones and Competing

About 10 years ago my mom decided to go to the doctor for a physical just to see how she was doing in general. She had a full body evaluation which included a Dexa-scan (test that measures bone density). The Dexa-scan results came back indicating that my mom had Severe Osteoporosis. She was in her early 50's, and needless to say, this came as a shock to her and to me. I figured, well I better go get a scan as well, because Osteoporosis takes years to develop. I was in my early 30's and figured I had plenty of time if there was an issue (not that I thought there would be). So I scheduled my appointment and about week later I received my results….Osteopenia, the beginning stages of Osteoporosis. What???? I couldn’t believe it. Well actually, the more I thought about it the less surprised I was. What was actually more surprising was the fact that I would drink on average, nothing less than 32 oz of soda every single day. Never drank milk, but thank God for that because my bones would be worse, yes worse. Milk is horrible for your bones – actually makes bones brittle, but that is a different blog altogether. 

 

So, I stopped caffeine cold turkey. It actually wasn’t hard for me at all, once I know something is wrong I work with my body to fix it, I don’t work against my body. I went to the store and bought yogurt, and calcium tablets, and any other dairy product I could put my hands on (aside from cow's milk) and I incorporated it into my daily routine. I was determined to make my bones better. Over the next year, my body rejected everything I put in it including all dairy, and calcium vitamins. What do I do now? I felt helpless and had no idea how to move forward with reversing the Osteopenia. So, I did what I always do and I researched and educated myself on alternatives. Unfortunately I wasn’t all that successful. I did add in the dark green veggies, but blah that was boring. I started going to the gym because I read that weight bearing exercises helped significantly with bone density.

 

Two years later I had another Dexa-Scan, and the results were not good, the density in my bones was slowly getting worse. 

 

After trying to become somewhat healthier I found my body was rejecting other foods, and I developed multiple food allergies, including esophageal allergies. I hit an all-time low with my health and was utterly lost. I was invited to a photo-shoot from a photographer friend of mine, and at this shoot were bodybuilders. I couldn’t believe how amazing these people looked, and I wanted to look like that. I have always been thin, but never had muscle tone. I pursued a fitness coach and at the same time enrolled in a health coaching program. I was desperate to “heal my body” naturally. The diet my coach put me on was not necessarily the best or the healthiest however it was easy to adhere to as it did not include any of the foods my body had been rejecting and irritating me.

 

After about 9 months, I finished my health-coaching program, incorporated what I learned, changed my eating even more, and finished off my first season of competing. I was on cloud nine. I learned that what was best for my body was clean eating and weight training.  

 

One year later, I had another Dexa-scan, and my bones improved significantly. I was no longer in the red, and no longer diagnosed with Osteopenia. 

I did not have any dairy in my diet, nor Calcium tablets to help reverse the damage. I simply increased my Vitamin D, dark green leafy veggies and of course, I worked out daily with weights. 

 

This is a testimony on what fitness and weightlifting can do your for body and bones. It is amazing.   Please understand though, that competition prep can be very hard on your body and dangerous if not done correctly. I pride my coaching on healthy prep, with balanced macronutrients and micronutrients, supplementation and REST.

 

After about 9 months, I finished my health-coaching program, incorporated what I learned, changed my eating even more, and finished off my first season of competing. I was on cloud nine. I learned that what was best for my body was clean eating and weight training.  

 

One year later, I had another Deja-scan, and my bones improved significantly. I was no longer in the red, and no longer diagnosed with Osteopenia. 

I did not have any dairy in my diet, nor Calcium tablets to help reverse the damage. I simply increased my Vitamin D, dark green leafy veggies and of course, I worked out daily with weights. 

 

This is a testimony on what fitness and weightlifting can do your for body and bones. It is amazing.   Please understand though, that competition prep can be very hard on your body and dangerous if not done correctly. I pride my coaching on healthy prep, with balanced macronutrients and micronutrients, supplementation and REST.

 

My last show was 11-19-2017. I did three shows back to back in 2017 and then began my off-season.

I have been in my off-season for 7 months now and am contemplating on when/if I should compete again. My goal going into 2018 was to take 1 year off. I have NEVER taken more than 7 months off between shows-prep, and honestly I am really enjoying this off-season. I am only 10 lbs from stage weight, so weight and dropping isn’t a concern for me. I am happy with where I am at physically. (I will do another blogs on post-show tips, body-image issues after competing, reverse dieting, healthy prep, etc).

Where am I mentally? Well, to start let me go back to last November when I finished competing. 2017 prep was the easiest (except for a small bump in the road with my body – needed a macro adjustment – then all was well) and yet it was the hardest mentally for me. I waited to begin prep until I was 100% mentally and physically ready to begin because I knew I was going to go full force and kill my prep. By June 1st I hadn’t yet felt “it’s go time” and knew that if I didn’t start prep by July 1 I wouldn’t have time. So I convinced myself mentally I was serious and ready. Hired a new coach, to help with motivation and wanted to actually be coached since I hadn’t been coached for a couple years (yes I had hired a coach, but in all reality I coached myself, but that’s another story). I wanted full accountability to someone and I wanted to follow their plan to the T, which I did. This helped me mentally to get into prep-mode and set my goals (below). It was a hard prep because my meal prep was completely different than prior preps, and although I never cheated, I was obsessing over food. I will never do a prep like that again, but went through the process because I wanted to see exactly how I would do throughout it and how I would look on stage. This has never happened to me before, and I didn’t like it one bit. I certainly won’t do that again. I have prepped myself for 4 years and I know what my body likes. I commend myself for sticking it out throughout the entire prep.

 

My 2017 show goals:

·         To at least get second call-outs or to place in the middle

·         To improve physically in my abs, to bring down my quad size and tighten glutes

·         To come in 2-3 lbs lighter than prior stage weight

·         Improve posing

 

I met all of my goals (except for getting 2nd callouts in pro-open).  I know exactly what I need to work on if/when I prep again.

But do I want to prep again? Competition prep is more mental than anything, and I have always had fairly good mental strength for prep, and I have to credit my healthy prep for that and show-timing as well. But this last prep was a doozy for me mentally as previously noted. I have been observing shows this year as well as following fellow competitors I am just not sure if I want to continue to subject myself to this sport anymore. The political side of competition is so blatantly obvious, but I have known this since I was a newbie and wondered why no-one ever said anything about it (again, another blog topic).

 

For the past 5 months or so I have noticed a significant increase in competitors, mainly pro's, pulling out of competing.  I certainly am seeing some type of shift in the pro-bikini world and I really just want to see where all it is going, but only time will tell. I did have a feeling and assumptions (as soon as the Olympia qualifications changed) that there would be a change in the shows and how pro’s compete. I am starting to see what I expected. In my opinion, these qualification changes may work just fine for most divisions, I honestly don’t think it is logical for the bikini division or maybe even figure division. Women can’t be that lean year round like that and I expect a lot more competitors to drop out of competing due to health issues eventually, even some now because of these issues (yet again, that’s for another blog).

 

Currently I am still on the fence as to if I want to compete again. I love the flexibility I have with my daily schedule and the freedom to choose to not workout if I don't want to. But the flip side of me has physical goals - stage goals that I would like to challenge myself to achieve. If I decide to compete again, it is because I absolutely love the whole prep process and the excitement of being on stage, and seeing how my body changes with each show. Yes, of course I want to place well, but for the most part it has always been about the love of the sport for me and how I motivate and inspire others to challenge themselves and live a healthier life.

 

I also love how I have completely transformed from day one to today. I always wondered what it would be like to have a complete or extreme “make-over” and what I would look like if I did. I feel more confident with myself and have gained more inner strength as well.  I honestly do want to try one-more-time to improve upon the area(s) that I need to and see if I can once again meet my goals, with the ultimate cherry on top of finally placing 1-2 call-outs. I do have some shows in mind as I need something to at least work towards, but I mentally do not want to commit to a show or a date. I would want to approach this prep completely different than other prep.  

 

When deciding to compete, first and foremost you have to be mentally ready. As of today I am not, nor do I have the desire to compete. I have new goals for myself, and do not include prepping. I feel great with my decision at this point and excited for some new challenges. The prep bug might bite soon, or never again. Stay tuned….