Strategies on eating out

Hello e3 Fam! An update on our latest installment from our e3 Nutrition Accountability Group meeting! This past get together e3 NAG discussed strategies on how to eat as healthy as possible when you’re out and about. Wether you’re at a restaurant, as fast food joint, or on a road trip, we put together a how to guide that will either 1) keep you in track with your nutrition or 2) control your damage to your nutrition when choices are limited. The first step is to know what to look for. Protein is a must and veggies is second. At a restaurant, scan your menu, look for chicken breasts, lean beef, fish, beans, etc. Then figure how to add veggies, weather you go the salad route or ask for it on the side. One of the most important thing to remember when you’re eating at a restaurant is that the restaurant is there to SERVE you, not the other way around. So don’t be afraid to ask, make substitutes, be picky, just be polite about it so they don’t spit in your food! Second, you may want to stay clear of the main dish and just combine your protein and veggie combo via appetizers. Why? Well it’s most like that appetizers will be of less portion than that of the main dishes. Lastly, create a list of healthy restaurants to keep in your back pocket in case the scenario of “Oh I don’t know, where do you want to go for lunch/dinner?” Now as far as fast food restaurants go, I suggest you order the salad, plus a couple grilled chicken sandwiches. Toss the buns and add the chicken into your salad with your dressing on the side and free water, you’re good to go. There’s also yogurt and fruit cups that you can choose for our vegetarian friends. Nowadays, gas stations, rest stations, etc have marts, or at least, from the vending machines, there could be mixed nuts and beef jerky. Go for those, it’s best choice in a worst case scenario. And don’t forget to buy your bottle of water to wash it all down. So there you go as far as how to eat when you’re out and about and don’t have time to prepare your meals ahead of time. As for our mindset lecture, we discussed the meaning of understanding our insecurities, owing our awesomeness and graciously accepting compliments. Why is it when we see other's imperfections, we are ok with it? Why are we easy to forgive and continue to love, care, support, and encourage the other person? Yet we can’t do the same with ourselves? To find out the answer and more, you’ll need to join us Thursday, October 23, at 6:30 pm as we continue to grow more comfortable in our skin and find success along the way. In Strength, Coach Anjo

Vitamins, minerals, and happiness

Hello e3 Fam! Yesterday’s e3 Nutrition Accountability Group focused on the benefits of vitamins and minerals and continued their practice on creating a positive mindset. With vitamins and minerals, we learned how the body utilizes these organic and nonorganic compounds to support and perform physiological functions, such as muscle contraction and relaxation, breathing, cell growth/regeneration, blood flow, etc. Vitamins are important as being coenzymes, transporters of essential proteins through cell walls, while minerals are important for building and transmitting nerve impulses throughout the body. When we defy our need for vitamins and minerals, we can create or exacerbate chronic health issues that range from bone disorders to cognitive abnormalities, from nervous system disorders to vision impairments, from inflammation to glucose intolerance. It’s scary to think that all these health issues can occur, but relieved to know that it’s preventable just by taking in a multivitamin supplement daily, along with adequate intake from a variety of foods. With our mindset training, the group discussed how change can be scary, challenging, and difficult. However, change can also be rewarding, beneficial, and fun. We learned that by changing our mindset, we can change our world. And by creating a positive mindset, the world around us becomes easy, successful, and fun to live in. Along with change, the group also learned the virtues of patience and honesty. Patience, in a sense, that in order to cultivate a positive attitude, we have to put in the time, effort, and introspection. We won’t be able to just get it and move on. It will take time and practice to be able to think positively. And with honesty, in order to adjust our mental attitude, getting clear of who we are, at the core, is important. We have to be brutally honest of who we truly are without judgment so that we can make positive changes if needed. Our next e3 Nutrition Accountability Group meeting will be September 4, 2014 at 6:30 pm. We will discuss the importance of water as well as move onto the next step towards happiness. I hope all will be able to attend, see you all soon! In strength and happiness, Coach Anjo!

Fats and Happiness Introduction

Hello e3 Fam! Last night marked a new beginning to e3's Nutrition Accountability Group as we discussed not only the importance and benefits of consuming healthy fats daily, but also looking within ourselves to start viewing the world in a more positive point of view. By having a positive mental attitude and finding happiness first, success will soon follow. As a group we began a journey into changing our mindset. And like I said last night, this will not happen in one day. The journey into positive thinking may take weeks, months, maybe even years, but know that it is possible. That change is possible. Neuroplasticity. And to review, the first step is relinquishing control and TRUSTING that all will be okay. You must let go of your need for control over food and the control that food has over you. TRUST that if worse comes to worse and you mess up on your nutrition, that everything will okay. Move on, get back on track, don't dwell on it. You're still an awesome person and we still love you! Second, being AWARE. Become mentally aware of when negative thoughts and emotions come up. It's only once you become more AWARE that you can begin empowering yourself to CHANGE those thoughts effectively to ones that make you and everyone around you feel better. To learn more on how to start incorporating strategies to change your mindset into positive thinking join us next time on August 21, 2014 at 6:30 pm. Also the next lesson to be discussed will be "All About Vitamins & Minerals." In strength and happiness, Coach Anjo!

“What’s The Best Diet?”

Hello e3 Fam! “What’s The Best Diet?”  

There are four popular diets practiced in the United States and in some parts of the world that has taking the nutrition culture by storm. They are Paleo, Low Carb, Vegan, and Fasting. The Paleo are practiced by your Cross-Fit junkies and the Vegans by your animal friendly neighbors, while Fasting is the trend in Hollywood and everyone else seems to fall into the Low Carb diet camp. Out of these four, what’s the best diet?
I believe it’s Paleo. Paleo promotes a lifestyle of eating nutritious foods such as vegetables, meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, and all sorts of healthy fats and avoiding toxic foods like grains, legumes, vegetable seed oils, dairy, and added sugar. That’s why Paleo is the best. BUT wait, hold up…isn’t eating Paleo too restrictive? No cheese? No bread? Also, I get the fact that we should eat whole, natural, grass fed, free range, gluten free, etc, etc, so we can live longer, right? But there are no studies showing that theory is valid. And to top it off, whole foods are EXPENSIVE! I’ll have to sell my car and live in a card board box just to afford the food they promote you to eat! So you know what? I changed my mind, no, no, no, Paleo is not it! I think Low Carb is the best diet. Low Carb promotes much of the same as Paleo, but you’re at least allowed to eat legumes and dairy. Man I love my cheese! And they want you to give up wheat, highly processed foods, and foods that are sugary and high in the glycemic index, and avoid HFCS, trans fats and artificial flavorings at all cost Ok sure. BUT, hold on again…come to think about it, it’s still too restrictive. And when I do give up some of the foods that are high in the glycemic index like wheat and certain fruits, I begin to feel lethargic, irritated, I get headaches, and my performance level diminishes and my workouts turn to poop. Speaking of poop, I have a hard time pooping when I’m Low Carbing! Ok, I changed my mind again, the best diet isn’t Low Carb. The best diet is Vegan! FOR SURE! With the Vegan diet you’re allowed to eat fresh fruits, veggies, leafy greens, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. I’ll be pooping then! It’s just you have to avoid meat, fish, poultry, or any products made from animals. Hmm…BUT…what about when I go out to eat with friends or gather with family during the holidays? Does that mean I can’t have Turkey for Thanksgiving? Tofu Turkey? Really?? As a Vegan, I’ll miss out on the importance of essential complete proteins found in animals. Essential proteins needed to build muscle. If I build muscle, I burn fat. If I burn fat, I get toned. Geez! Vegan can’t be the best, so I guess there’s no other choice but to say that Fasting is the best diet. Yeah! I’ll drink water. That’s it though…wait, I could suck on air. It really doesn’t matter because you know what? According to hunger strike wiki, I’d be dead somewhere between 52-74 days if I were to just live on water alone and by being dead I won’t have to worry about being fit and healthy! :( So, what is the best diet?? Ok, my real answer to that question is that I don’t believe there is a single, absolute, positively without a doubt best diet for evert person to follow, always and forever! We’re a civilization with diverse backgrounds. Some of us are tall and thin, some of us are short and stocky. Some of us eat meat, others don’t. Some of us have food allergies. Some of us are in a budget, others don’t have to worry about money. Some of us have the time to pursue a healthy fit lifestyle while other don’t due to work, disabilities, what have you. These diversities need to be taken that into account when creating a nutrition program. I want to share something fascinating with all of you. The Arctic Inuits and the African Masai have a traditional diet of animal fats and proteins with little to no vegetables due to the environment that they live in. The Kitavans of the South Pacific traditionally have a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and starchy carbs with little to no fats. And the Tokelaus near New Zealand have diets that are super high in saturated fats. As you can tell, these ethnic groups/tribes have diets that are found in opposite sides of the nutritional spectrum, yet they all have one thing in common. They all share minimum incidences in cardiovascular heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, and inflammatory obesity just to name a few. Why is that? The reason for this amazing outcome is the human physiological phenomenon known as metabolic flexibility. It allows the human body to adapt to a host of different dietary conditions. Did you know that it is possible to be healthy and fit whether you eat mostly meat or mostly veggies, mostly fat or mostly carbs, many times a day or just a few times, and so on? You can! That’s why I believe there no single, absolute, positively without a doubt best diet for evert person to follow, always and forever! So knowing this, what now? How do we address our nutrition? We address our nutrition by taking what works for us specifically and respecting other people’s choice of nutritional practice. The Paleo, Low Carb, Vegan, and Fasting diets are different, yet they all have a similar theme that works. And that theme creates habits that are essential to our goals. Those habits are 1) raising our nutrition awareness and attention, 2) helping us focus on food quality, 3) helping us eliminate nutrient deficiencies, 4) helping us control appetite and hunger, and 5) promoting exercise. These habits are what should shape our nutritional programs. It’s these habits that will provide you the engine that will power you to the healthy, fit body that you deserve. Long term nutritional habits trump diet plans and rules. Always! If you want to know more on how to approach your nutrition properly using a progressive nutritional program that builds habits intelligently, intentionally, and sustainability over time versus asking people which diet is the best to follow and overhauling your lifestyle in one day, join e3 Nutrition Accountability Group, beginning Thursday, August 7, 2014 from 6:30-7:30 pm or add on a 30 minute nutrition consultation to your already existing e3 membership. We’ll listen to your needs, what you want to accomplish, how you live, and what’s important to you, giving us the tools to help you create a dietary approach that’s specific to your goals, your beliefs, and your lifestyle. For more information please contact us at 314-375-6FIT or email at info@e3performance.com. In strength,

The Missing Link To Nutrition

Hi e3 Fam! Coach Anjo here, wanting to thank all those who attended our first e3 Nutrition Accountability Group lecture. For those who missed it or were wanting highlights of the lecture, I have provided a brief summary/blog of the topic discussed last night below. The Missing Link To Nutrition Most of us know what to eat and what not to eat. We’re bombarded with plenty of nutrition info, some helpful, others not so much. But on average, we all know the basic fundamentals. Some even follow a particular popular diet that’s all planned out for us, such as Paleo, Vegan, South Beach. Even some would incorporate fasting and even purchase Isagenix. Yet, why are we not getting the results we want and desire, the fit, healthy body we all long for? Well, the answer is simple, the absence of accountability. Accountability by definition is the acknowledgment of responsibility for your actions with the obligations to report, explain, and be responsible for the resulting consequences. Being accountable to something and/or someone is the missing link in our nutrition. Having to report to someone gets our butts in gear. Plus, it will keep us consistent if we have to report to someone. And if you stay consistent, then you can make progress and see results. So how do we get accountability? Two ways to get accountability are commitment and finding one other person, or two, or three, or more and asking for their help. Let’s talk commitment first. We have three options when we commit. One, we can commit to more. What that means is you want to commit to something bigger than yourself. For example, creating a contest between friends to win a grand prize. And when you reward yourself, make sure you’re rewarding yourself for what you do versus what you achieve, at least in the beginning. Don’t reward yourself for losing weight, reward yourself instead for cooking home meals 6 days out of the week when you would typically go out for fast food that resulted in you losing weight. Reward your actions versus your outcomes. Second, we commit to less. Our tendencies as humans often times is to over promise and under deliver. Raise of hands who has told themselves they will cut out sugar forever and a couple days later during a party, you find yourself eating a cookie and drinking a soda? That’s me. That’s you. So, rather than make this same mistake over and over again, let’s instead under promise and over deliver by creating small, miniature changes and using the confidence scale of success. What’s that? Ask yourself on a scale of 0-10, 0 not confident,10 very confident, will I be able to achieve this goal? For example, when you want to give up sugar, let’s say you’re a 9-10 on the scale if you were to give up sugar 2 out 7 days out of the week then that’s what you go for rather than 7 out 7 days out of the week. Make it almost too easy to accomplish and build on that. When you’re ready, you move to 3 out of 7 days out the week and so fourth. And lastly, we can commit to both more and less. As an individual it’s smart to commit to something less. We’ll have greater success. As a group, it’s wise that we commit to more because of all the support we’ll receive from each other that will get us through tough times. There a saying my friend always reminds me now an again and that’s “The task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.” I truly believe that if you have a group of people who will support you, you can achieve anything. Now let’s talk about the other way to get accountability, and that’s getting help from at least one other person. I talked briefly about how I once had gotten into a slump with my basketball game even though I’d put in my time at the gym when I could. And even if I did get to the gym, I really was just going through the motion. My game didn’t change for the better until I hired my friend, a basketball coach/skills coach to train me. He put me through drills I already knew, but my intensity was different. My movements were more purposeful because if I didn’t he’d punish me with wind sprints. I did this, paid him to do this, and I got the results I wanted. And guess what, by hiring him, I got accountability. The bottom line with this lecture is to let everyone know that, yes, we know what to do, we know how to do it, but we can still struggle. Especially when it comes to nutrition. I’m here to tell you that’s okay. That’s okay, because there’s a simple fix: ACCOUNTABILITY. Accountability will give us consistency and consistency will give us results. So if we can commit a little differently and make ourselves accountable to at least one other person, we get the healthy, fit body we all desire. In closing, Dr. Victor Frankl once said, “He who knows the why can bear any how.” We all know the “how” to getting the healthy, fit body that we desire. Now, as individuals, we need to know the “why” so that we can fuel the engine that will keep us in track to our desired goals. Finding out our personal “why” is crucial. And when we do, joining the e3 Nutrition Accountability Group is a no brainer. Past experiences with the group garnered an average of 9 pounds lost per person who consistently met and reported to each other on a bi-monthly schedule. Let’s repeat these results! Grab your friends! Let’s stay accountable together! Let’s face it, we NEED accountability. In strength, Coach Anjo P.S. Those interested in joining e3 Nutrition Accountability Group in the future must sign up with me after the lecture on Thursday July 17, 2014 where I will discuss “What’s the best diet?” Paleo versus South Beach versus Vegetarian versus Fasting. Who is the champ? You’ll be surprised by the answer! e3 Nutrition Accountability Group Info: Members - $29 add on Non-Members - $39 per month Bi-monthly meetings held thursdays from 6:30-7:30 pm TBD; bi-monthly weigh in’s and monthly body composition/girth measurement assessments, educational discussions/lectures, Q&A, and group counseling A few examples of some topics that will be addressed include Kitchen Makeover, Eating for Your Body Type, Restaurant Lessons, Grocery Tours, Sugar Lesson, and Nutrition Timing.

Accountability: Writing Your Decree

Every month I make it a goal to finish one book. Typically I go back and forth between a new self-improvement book and a book that would entertain me, like a great science fiction and fantasy based novel. This month, however, being a self-improvement month, I did something different, I suppose. Instead of grabbing a new self-improvement book, I went back to an oldie but goodie, “The Impact Body Plan” by Todd Durkin and reread it. His book is filled with so much positive “impact” that it got me motivated again in finding balance between mental, physical, and spiritual conditioning. Most of us, if you’re like me, will become mentally fatigued, physically drained, or spiritually lost as we go through our day to day grind, week after week. Next thing you know, you’re too tired to do this and do that and all you want to do is do nothing but eat that tub of ice cream. We’ll forego our responsibilities, our commitments, and that’s not good. Speaking in terms of training, your nutrition deteriorates, your workouts become a hassle, your energy non-existent, resulting in poor results. This imbalance can also affect your family, your work, and your relationships. Todd Durkin’s book is a how to guide to finding balance and it all starts with getting your mind right. So, for the next 6 weeks, let’s take a journey to self-improvement and find balance. Kaizen! 60 Minutes That Will Change Your Life Getting Your Mind Right Exercises Exercise #1: Your Personal “Now” Inventory (20 minutes or more) Write down what you think and how you currently feel about your life. Answer questions such as what do I look like right now? How do I feel right now? How do I feel about my physical conditioning? What frustrates me most about my health, fitness, and nutrition habits? What can I do better? What about the quality of my life overall? How do I feel about my relationships? My career? My finances? My peer group? My spiritual life? How long since I’ve had fun and adventure? And, most important, what would I like to change? Write, write, and write some more. Write down how you feel and most importantly keep it honest and realistic. Exercise #2: Your Decree (20 minutes or more) Make your decree. What’s a decree? It’s a statement, typically several paragraphs long that announces to the world, or at least to you, what you want to happen for your life. Decree can be set for 10 years, 1 year, or whatever time period you would like to cover. For us, we will do a 6 week decree. Your decree is your power source. It’s the basis of your commitment and your accountability. It should stir you up, get you motivated, and give you positive emotional charge whenever you see it and think about it. And you will see and think about it every day! How do you write one? First, reread your personal “now” inventory and fast forward 6 weeks from now. Envision how you will look and feel then. I want you to see the new you. What do you look like? What do you feel like? What is your life like? How many days a week are you working out? What are you eating? How is your energy? How much do you weigh? What changes have you made to your personal life? How are your relationships going? What changes have you made approaching your job? What are you doing differently to live a more fulfilling life? Write it down as if it has already occurred. Begin with this sentence and just keep writing: “I am so happy and thankful now that_____.” Your decree creates accountability. That’s why you write it. Writing reinforces it and gives it strong emotion and power. Exercise #3: Summarize Your Decree (20 minutes or less) When you’re finished writing your decree, I want you to condense it down to where if fits into an index card. Select key words that dig deep into your emotional core and move you, inspire you, make you want to turn loose another day’s worth of world class performance in everything you do. Read it every morning. Think of it as a ticket to a transformed life. There’s a quote in the book that resonated in me, “ready, fire, aim!” In other words, take action! What are you waiting for? Get started now! For those who would like to grab Todd Durkin’s book, “The Impact Body Plan” follow the link I provided below. http://www.amazon.com/The-IMPACT-Body-Plan-Flatten/dp/1609611829/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396018568&sr=8-1&keywords=the+impact+body+plan Todd Durkin, (2010). The Impact! Body Plan. USA: Rodale Inc.

10 Principles to Enhance Running Performance

With Go! St. Louis just around the corner we thought it would be a great opportunity to give you guys some tips in avoiding running injuries with the help of the Postural Restoration Institute. Here are 10 simple principles to follow. 1.) Keep your hamstrings strong 2.) Don’t overstretch your hamstrings (a good rule is you should be able bend over and touch your toes – if you can touch your palms to the floor, you’re overstretched) 3.) Keep your glutes symmetrical by walking slowly up stairs backwards 4.) Properly stretch your Achilles tendon, calves, soleus, and lower back 5.) Concentrate on striding out with your right leg and left arm when running 6.) Try to find and feel your right arch when running to assist with shifting to the left 7.) Stretch your upper back, Lats, and Pec muscles 8.) Stand and shift your body weight to your left leg frequently, keeping your weight on your heel 9.) Keep your left lower abs alive by performing side lying activities such as planks 10.) Wear correct footwear that supports your heel and has good arch support. Avoid wearing flip flops, sandals, and shoes that are untied during running season. Whether you are participating or know of someone who is participating to which you can forward this to, following these principles will set a great foundation for running. And by following these principles, you will decrease your chances of injury as well as create a positive impact in your running, enabling you to enjoy running without any setbacks. For more information, please visit the link provided below http://www.posturalrestoration.com/resources/dyn/files/1061899z793787bd/_fn/Top_10_Recommendations_for_Runners.pdf And speak with your e3 coach to learn proper stretches and strengthening exercises to enhance your running performance. Coach Anjo