“Eating what stands on one leg (plant foods) is better than eating on what stands on two legs (birds), which is better than eating what stands on four legs (mammels).” -Chinese Proverb

Michael Pollan, best selling author of five books including In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto  and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
(named one of the top 10 books of the year by the New York Times) has another book out called Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. There are 65 rules in all, one page per rule, most with a breif explanation. No lengthy explanations or confusing, contracticting facts. Just 65 rules. Simple and straight to the point!

Something I like to say, “If it comes straight from God it’s best!” Once you start adding ingredients, or artificial flavors and colors, or processing, and even unhealthy cooking methods, the further away you are from the original food source and the less healthy and nutritious the food becomes.

There are 3 parts to this book.  Part 1 - What should I eat? (food) - Part 2 What kind of food should I eat? (mostly plants) – Part 3 How should I eat? (not too much).

You might also be pleased to know that Michael encourages you to break the rules once in a while – afterall obsessing over food rules is bad for your happiness and health. I like that!

To give you a taste of his book, I’ve shared 12 of  great rules.

12 geat Food Rules of Michael Pollan’s:

# Rule 11 – Avoid food you see advertised on television

# Rule 13 - Eat only foods that will eventually rot

# Rule 15 – Get out of the supermarket whenever you can

# Rule 17 – Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans

#Rule 25 – Eat your colors

#Rule 27 – Eat animals that have themselves eaten well

# Rule 30 – Eat well-grown food from healthy soil – go organic as much as you can

# Rule 35 - Eat sweet food as you would find it in nature – Eat fruit

# Rule 36 - Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the colour of the milk

# Rule 37 -  The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead (cute*)

#Rule 38 - Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground

# Rule 46 -  Stop eating before you’re full

# Rule 57 – Do all your eating at a table

There are 53 more rules! All of them are very efficient. Click on the link below to buy the book now! Thank you! -Kathie

Some of this blog post was adapted from a great blog I frequent. Feel free to visit:  Rejuvenation Lounge by Carole Fogerty now!

top photo/flickr.com/jimmedia

Tracy Anderson is by far the best personal trainer I have found. I firmly believe in her over 3,000 “patented” moves which I have thoroughly researched. I have done and taught a lot of these moves before I even heard of her. The first time I ever heard of Tracy was on E! News where she displayed some of her exercises. I was sold! Her exercises work. No doubt about it.

As for her book/DVD the 30-Day Method I have some doubts. The toning exercises in the book/DVD work but there are many problems with her cardio and meal plan. Tracy says many times throughout the book that the only way her method works is if you follow everything to a tee. But as a Certified Personal Trainer I wholehearted disagree. I took bits and pieces of her workout and went from there. I plan on teaching a class that incorporates her moves in the near future.

The book/DVD is well worth the purchase as it is full of nuggets of great information. But pick and choose your nuggets wisely.

I took the toning exercises and incorporated them in to my fitness regimen. I cannot dance and her cardio is full of dance moves. And she assumes everyone can dance. Her DVD is in black and white and it is not appealing to the eye. I do not recommend her cardio regimen at all, unless you like to dance and have the time to put into it, oh and enjoy the boring black and white boring look to the DVD <- that right there is almost scary.

Her meal plan is absolutely ridiculous. I do not recommend it either. She has 4 “meals” per day and most are made of foods I never even heard of.  One person said, “A grocery list for just one week for only person and it ended up being 2 full notebook pages of just veggie/fruits and two more full pages of other foods. I sent my husband to the store to buy the ingredients and he spent $150 and was only able to find maybe a third of what I needed.” To me it sounds like a movie star diet; one where they have a chef and everything. Oh, that’s right she trains movie stars.

Tracy’s Meal plan is very unrealistic for “normal” families. The menu is very unreasonable and actually very unsafe for how hard you will be working out. You would not be getting enough calories to make up for what you will burn in our workout, you are starving yourself to loose weight. That’s a big no-no on Kathie’s Fitness Blog!!

To be able to afford and find and have time to cook the foods you would need to eat for these 30 days you would need to have a lot of money and hire someone to do it for you. And I hope you’re not a full-time working mommy who so easily has 1.5 hour of extra time to workout on top of cooking those meals. This 30-day method is for celebrities, just like all the ones she mentions many times in this book, not for the average mommy, women. Way too many unrealistic expectations of us.

I like Tracy’s Book just because she does have great fitness information and some great exercises. I would recommend it. But I disagree with her in that you must follow it 100%.

photo/flickr.com/calisuperhippy

The P90X, does it live up to the hype? Yes and No. You’ve got to do it to get results. It works!

What is the P90X? It is a weight loss system created by Beach Body, a company that offers other weight reduction programs such as Hip Hop Abs and Turbo Jam.  This system claims to get your body from “regular to ripped in just 90 days.” P90X consists of 12 workout routines (a series of DVDs), a 3-phase nutrition plan, unique supplement options, a fitness guide, a progress calendar and online support. Tony Horton is the “personal trainer” for this specific weight loss program.

The key to this program’s effectiveness is stated to be “muscle confusion,” which basically means that numerous exercises are incorporated and encouraged to keep different muscle groups doing different things as much as possible. This way there is no “plateau” effect. Therefore the muscles do not get used to the routines and they continue to develop.

Click Below to purchase the P90X for one of the best prices on the net!

What’s Included:

The workout programs that come with P90X are named after the muscle groups that they work out, and these are: Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, Yoga X, Plyometrics, Legs and Back, Kenpo X, Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Back and Biceps, Core Synergistics, Ab Ripper X, Cardio X and X Stretch. There are success stories posted on the official P90X website. This fitness program is stated to take one hour each day. A few additional supplies needed for P90X are resistance bands or dumbbells and a pull-up bar/place to perform pull-ups.

Here are some of the CONS of this work out system:

1.  It is also called “insanity” for a reason folks! It works but only if you do it!! It is very difficult and you risk injury!!!! Plyometrics are a huge aspect of this training program. Do you know what plyometrics are? Plyometrics are a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. THEY ARE FOR SPORT PERFORMANCE! So, let’s see novice citizens doing plyometrics for weight loss? Another injury and waste of joints waiting to happen. Don’t believe me? Keep doing them then!
2. You have to “eat right” and follow the diet to really lose weight. Anyone who follows the P90X diet will lose weight without doing the exercise.
3. This program requires a huge time commitment. Some days require as much as 90 minutes. Most people are buying this program because they do not have time to hit the gym. And you think you have time to do this?
4. They up sell their nutritional supplements which you really do not need.

So what is the answer? First of all it takes commitment on your part. Once you’ve got commitment you are half way there. Then it will take discipline. You must perform cardiovascular exercise to get the fat off and get physically fit. Interval training is the best way! A sensible strength training program is the way to go – one in which you change up your program every 4-6 weeks to keep your “muscles confused” so to speak. Personally, I prefer the Tracy Anderson Method (review coming soon!) And eat right. Sign up for my newsletter and receive Body Designer’s Food Combo Guide.

Being a Fitness Trainer I am always hearing from my clients about the new and innovative ways people are trying to lose weight and look great. Just the other day I was told about the new freezing of fat cells, so I thought I’d investigate it. Once again, I find this, like most other “quick fixes” somewhat outrageous! But there are some good things about it too. I will let you be the judge. 

This type of treatment is not for those who are super over weight but for those who have trouble spots. But I did find while reading about this that while it did remove the fat from the trouble spot, the fat was likely to move elsewhere. So, let’s say your trouble spot is your belly, not your butt. You get the freezing treatment on your belly and then that fat moves to your butt. The doctor’s do say “These damaged fat cells are slowly digested over several months by our bodies and removed through the liver.” But I am somewhat skeptic about that. -Kathie 

Zeltiqis a company that has developed a new, FDA appoved, non-invasive technique for improving the body contour called “Cryolipolysis™”. The device has been FDA-approved in the U.S. for skin cooling and anesthetic uses for some time, and used in Europe and Canada for fat reduction since mid 2009. The technique employs cold to reduce fat cells thereby enhancing the shape of the body. It is based on work originally done by Dr. Rox Anderson’s group at Wellman Labs. 

 How It Works 

The cells in our body react to heat or cold at different temperatures levels. The research performed by Zeltiq has helped us better understand what these levels are so we can achieve body contouring through fat reduction. It works by pressing the device against the area to be treated and then becoming cold enough to target only the fat cells in that area. The body reacts with an inflammatory response which causes the body to naturally dispose of the damaged fat cells. By doing so we see a significant improvement in the shape of the body. The Zeltiq Coolsculpting procedure is performed in a doctor’s office, typically under the supervision of a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. There is no anesthesia needed or recovery time. During the procedure, tissue is drawn into a cup with mild vacuum pressure. Patients may also be slightly uncomfortable with the contact of the cold as the procedure begins, which usually goes away after the first 10 minutes or so. If you feel too uncomfortable with the cold, let your doctor know. After the treatment is completed, patients may immediately return to their normal activities including work and exercise. 

Results With Zeltiq 

Several days after the procedure, the cooled fat cells begin a process called “apoptosis” and begin to shrink. These damaged fat cells are slowly digested over several months by our bodies and removed through the liver. Coolsculpting is highly effective and is producing consistent results for local areas of fat like the love-handles or ‘man-boobs’, though larger areas of fat may require more invasive treatments. Ideal Candidates 

The best candidate for Zeltiq is someone who is in relatively good shape, but has modest areas of fat bulges that they’d like removed. It’s not an alternative to healthy diet or lifestyle. Possible Side Effects 

Side effects are usually mild and related to the cold of the device which subside within 10 minutes. Skin may be red for several minutes to several hours, if this persists for more than that you should contact your doctor. Other side effects may include temporary bruising, tingling, tenderness, temporary dulling of sensation or cramping.

I have found a new piece of cardio equipment and I am in love! The Precor AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer) 100i Elliptical. This is my new favorite in the gym. This is a cross between an elliptical trainer and a stair master. There is absolutely no impact on the joints. You can combine upper and lower body work outs for a maximum cardio, calorie burning exercise exerperience.

The top features of this equipment are:

• Precor claims it is the most AMAZING piece of cardio equipment ever. I happen to agree!
• User defined motion, the machine adapts to your movement. You get a different workout every single time.

Precor Elliptical Review

 A new Precor elliptical machine favorite is the Precor AMT 100i Elliptical. It is considered the ultimate Precor experience. Unlike past Precor machines, the Precor AMT 100i is the perfect Precor elliptical machine. It provides a stride between “0-27” and can adapt to each user’s stride preference. Instead of having to use a stepper to gain the climbing experience, the user can mix and match stepping and striding all in one machine. The Precor AMT 100i allows running, walking, climbing all in one machine with several intensity preferences.

With the dual action arms of the Precor AMT 100i Elliptical, the user is able to have a total body workout without having to use another machine. The dual action arms allow the usage of the upper and lower body muscles to interact with one another to create a real life running, walking and climbing experience. The Precor AMT 100i Elliptical is the perfect Precor elliptical machine that is also across trainer that combines three workouts into one machine and allows you to combine both cardio and strength training. With the Precor AMT 100i Elliptical, the user can also get a crash course in learning their body muscles and how they respond to different movements with the stride dual capability.

 Precor 100 AMT Elliptical Features:

Product Review: Sof Sole – The Sole of Performance

It is a fact! The insole of your shoe wears out before your shoe. You do not need to replace your shoe but you do need to replace your insole often. And I have found the perfect insole replacement! It is from a company called SofSole.

SofSole is a company that knows the foot!! They sell everything from insoles to socks. This company sent me soles and socks to try and here is my product review. I can tell you this; I am SOLD on their products. AMAZING is the word I use to describe them!

First of all, let me describe the socks. Wow! These socks were so soft. I wear them all the time. As a Fitness Trainer I wear sock often and I consider myself an expert on socks. Heck, I am an expert on fitness apparel in general seeing how fitness gear is my main attire! These socks provide a comfort beyond belief. They provide support and even a breathing comfort. They were cool, even in Houston’s scorching heat!

The socks SofSole sent me to try were called the Anti-Friction socks. Here is what SofSole says about the sock: “The Anti-Friction sock is designed to inherently limit motion of the sock on the foot. Selective bottom cushioning feels like a cushion sock with the low profile design of a sock liner. Integrated arch support and seamless toes make the Anti-Friction the most comfortable sock ever.” Yes it is! I say!

Now for the insole! Be sure to replace your insole frequently. This is so important! I cannot stress this enough. And if you are going to replace your insole you might as well use a great replacement! The insole SofSole sent me to try was called The Athlete Sole. Here is what SofSole says about the insole: 

Maximum Cushioning for High-Impact Activities

• Gel heel and forefoot protection
• Hydrologix™ moisture management system
• Max cushioning
• Medium arch

SofSole has two other soles to choose from: The Airr and the Arch. One gives more air and comfort to the foot and the other gives more arch support.

There are many other products to choose from at SofSole, insoles, sock, shoe care and more. Please visit www.sofsole.com today for more information on their great products!! Happy Feet and Happy Training, Kathie

I am constantly preaching “take your vitamins!”  Well vitamin supplements are the way to get way your body may be lacking in diet which is so easy to do because of not eating all the right stuff.

I love e-vitamins because they are reasonably price but also because they have customer reviews. These reviews help me make my decisions – quick and easy.  Click on the link above and search for your current supplements. You might be pleasantly surprised by not only the price but also the shipping and delivery. It will be at your doorstep in no time. Be sure to click on the link above now! I sure appreciate it! Kathie

For more articles on supplements you might like:

10 signs that your body needs a supplement

10 tips for staying healthy

Do you really need a Multi-vitamin?

Diet Power – Product Review

DietPower is the world’s most effective software for personal weight and nutrition management. It turns your PC into a Real-Time Eating Coach that…

• • Guarantees reaching a goal on a target date
• • Shows which of your favorite foods is best to eat now
• • Monitors 33 nutrients
• • Tracks calories burned in exercise
• • Analyzes meals and recipes
• • Delivers award-winning health news
• • Lets you meet other dieters

…and more!

Rated “4 Stars!” and “The Ultimate” by top health magazines, DietPower is completely science-based and has a one-year money-back guarantee. They have a downloadable 15-day trial. They have been on the Web since 1997.

I like Diet Power for my Body Designer Clients and here is why:

• It is an excellent food journal and helps you set your goals and plan your meals!
• It is extremely personalized, you can account for your health concerns and even account for your ideal weight!
• It helps you set goals!
• It describes any and all diets so before “adopting” a diet you can read what the diet will be like.
• It has a detailed food log which describes ALL foods – very important factor in dieting, or as I like to say “eating right!”
• It has an exercise log!
• It has a Body History! This only includes body weight but if you are working out at Body Designer I will also have your inches to add to this!!
• It has a Food Coach and even a Water Minder!
• And much, much more……….

Please click on the advertisements here to go directly to the website. Anytime you click directly from Kathie’s Fitness Blog I get credit and I sure appreciate your business!! Thank you!!

The only diet software that “learns” your metabolism