I am here.....

In Vancouver. Hot yoga training starts this morning. We are starting this morning with an hour practice....looking very forward to it as I haven't done a hot class since Easter weekend. And excited to be back at this place with this focus.

At the moment I am also doing a detox cleanse.....yesterday was supposed to be no food. Today as well. Good luck with that....although I did only stick to vegetables and whole grains.....no meat or meat protein at all. That is a new one. It is just nearly impossible to be on a liquid diet...even for two days!! Tomorrow is two shakes and one sensible meal.....only 3 meals? Hmmmm....not sure that will work. Especially with the two hot practices a day. And my body is used to eating every couple hours, 6-7 times a day. Maybe if I got up at noon and went to bed at 7.

Chase BootCamp

Thursday nite session as follows:

Warm up
1 minute jumping jacks
1 minute side shuffles
1 minute burpies

repeat for a total of 6 minutes

1.Sprints

• 100 yd slow jog there and back
• sprint there and back
• repeat 4 times

2. Squats for reps

• shoot for 100...get your rhythm!

3. 10 and 1's

Split into two groups - one group does pushups the other does shoulder presses with 5-8 lb dumbbells.
Push up group does one.....shoulder press group follows with one. Repeat with 2-2/3-3/4-4 etc until you reach 10 and then work your way back down to one. Switch and repeat.

4. Timed Planks

• 1 minute plank
• back extension from hands and knees alternating arm/leg 15 each side
  
• repeat above once more
  

5. Abs

• 20 full sit ups
• elbow to knee(bicycle) slow and controlled
• 40 leg paddles
  

Workout for F.L.Y. small group training

Here is the workout that we did last Thursday...hope you are all getting around okay!!

LEGS

4x10 straight leg BB dead lifts

SS 20 alternating reverse lunges

TS 20 mountain climbers

4x20 alternating single leg hamstring stretches

SS 20 alternating lunges (stepping forward)

TS 20 walking pump lunges

4x10 leg curls

SS 10 wide stance straight leg dead lifts with olympic bar

TS 10 wide legged squats at smith machine

Thursday Boot Camp Workout

Warm up -

10 side to side lunges no weight(10 each side)
Alternating arm swings with DBs 10 each side
Standing Pec Dec with DBs 10 reps

Repeat above 3 times - 10 reps first two sets and 15 last set.

4 minutes Tabata style cardio - 20 second sprint followed by 10 second rest. Repeat 8 rounds to complete 4 minutes.

Eight 8 count body builders - jump back to plank/pushup/pop feet out and back in/pop feet to hands/stand and jump.
SS 8 each side side planks with a leg lift.
TS 8 each side reverse lunge into knee up.

Repeat 3 times....last set with 10 reps.

10 elevated supine bar pull ups
10 SS tricep bench dips
10 TS plank position knee drive to elbow (10 each side)

repeat 3 times last set is 15 reps.

8 each side feet on bench plank hold with a leg lift.
SS 8 each side supine single leg extension.
TS 8 each side single leg push ups.

repeat 3 times last set is 10 reps.

Repeat above Tabata protocol sprinting for end.

Sugar=POISON!!

I just read an article about a recent study released by Stats Canada that revealed that Canadians consume 51 lbs of sugar per year. 51 lbs!!! You have got to be kidding me!!!

It has been linked with cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, dental decay and hyper active behavior.......to name a few.

There are a number of common sugars that we see in processed foods. If you stay away from processed foods...guaranteed you will stay away from almost all of these.

Glucose(or referred to as Dextrose) is the simplest form....absorbed quickly into the blood stream.
Your body breaks down all carbs into glucose for its main source of energy/fuel.

Glycemic Index(GI) is a scale that is used to measure how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream.
Foods such as certain veggies/fruits, whole grains/seeds, beans tend to have a lower GI and therefore do not cause weight gain or blood sugar and energy fluctuations....when eating proper portion sizes and consistently through out the day with lean protein.
Foods high on the GI are pop, candy, cookies, muffins, sweetened cereals, and white processed items. I won't even refer to these as food.

Fructose is the main sugar in fruits and veggies, absorbed more slowly than glucose and is healthier.

Sucrose is white or table sugar. Refined, refined, and then refined some more.

Lactose is the main sugar in milk. In order to be metabolized, lactose requires a lactase enzyme...people who are lactose intolerant have decreased levels of this enzyme. I still consider dairy processed....think of all it goes through and all the crap that is added to it before it hits the shelf. Yogurt is one of the biggest culprits of being sugar laden.....unless you buy organic plain yogurt that has bacterial cultures and no added fillers or stabilizers.

High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS) is very popular and is derived from corn. Extends shelf life of certain products and has been linked to the surge of type 2 diabetes and obesity in North America. Do I need to say anymore about this nasty stuff?

There are alternatives. They take some getting used to....but they are healthier!! And I am not referring to artificial sweeteners.

Molasses is a byproduct of refining sugar cane or beets into sugar....but contains calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium and B6.

Sucanat is derived from evaporated sugar cane juice. Contains more minerals and vitamins than white sugar. Can be used in baking to replace white/brown sugar.

Agave nectar is derived from the Mexican agave plant and is very low on the GI...it has almost no impact on blood sugar and therefore is a great sweetener for diabetics. Much sweeter than sugar so you don't have to use as much either.

Stevia is derived from a plant in Central/South America. Completely natural with few to no calories. Can have a bitter taste but can be substituted for baking.

How can you reduce your sugar intake?

• Eat the fruit and drink the water....get the full nutritional value of fruit by eating it instead of drinking high calorie sugar juices that have been processed.
• Become a smart label reader. If any of the 'unhealthy' sugars are listed in the first 3 to 4 words of the ingredients....put it back on the shelf.
• Break sugar cravings by chugging water, drinking cinnamon/vanilla tea.
• Use natural sweeteners like bananas, plums, applesauce, raisins in baking/oatmeal etc.
• 5 in 5 rule - cereal with a minimum of 5g of fiber and max of 5g of sugar per serving.
• Perimeter shop......don't go down those scary processed crap aisles at all. All the healthy stuff is on the outside.

I truly do not understand why people knowingly consume these products and feed them to their children. If food corporations started putting toilet bowl cleaner in products to enhance flavor and you couldn't taste it......but you knew that it was 100% for sure going to cause health issues with you and your family.....and was causing health issues that you were choosing impose upon you and your family.....would it make a difference then?
It is such a simple choice to make....and by reducing your sugar intake your cravings disappear, your energy and health improve all around.
Sounds like a pretty great trade off to me!!


DON'T BE FOOLED BY BROWN SUGAR!!! It is just white sugar with a bit of molasses in it.

Always learning......

Every day is a learning experience for me.....whether I learn from my clients, my friends, my family, or something about myself....I am constantly trying to absorb everything that I can.

I am very excited, however, about the training that I will be participating in over the next few months.

First, I am heading to Vancouver on the 28th of this month for a week long intensive at YYoga for hot yoga. This is not Bikram style hot. My intention is to offer hot yoga in Salmon Arm....but INFRARED hot yoga. Amazing benefits.....check it out.

Then in August, I am heading to my home province of Saskatchewan to do a 10 day training session with Ryan Leier of One Yoga. The cool thing about this is that my husband is coming with me. 10 days at the Wood Acres Retreat center outside of Moose Jaw Sk. immersed in Ryan's incredible teaching, beautiful scenery, vegan cuisine prepared on site, no children(lol), with one of the people that I love the most in the world, sharing one of my biggest passions.

A significant shift has taken place in my life.....and I am back on a path that, although is taking work to travel, feels effortless and very fulfilling.
Jamie is back.

New beginning......

So....here is the start of something that I know is going to be amazing. Everything is starting to fall into place and today was a great day!! I will post everything as soon as I can tell all....right now this is all I can disclose.....but I am sure some of you can piece it all together already!!

Thursday

All I can say is....4 hours of cardio today. Why am I still up? Friday is looking as crazy as Wednesday and today.
Collapsing into bed now...... :)

HomeMade IceCream...the healthy fun way!!!

So I read this on Jamie Eason's fan page and had to share it because I tried it the other nite and it was delish.

You need one large ziplock bag(or a few...depending on how many people/kids you want to occupy)
and more small ziplock bags.
Ice

Table salt

I used Liberty Fat free Greek Yogurt....fresh strawberries..agave syrup....and vanilla.
I made my own chocolate almond mylk and tried it too.

So you put your yogurt/mylk/soy into the small plastic bag and seal well. Fill the large ziplock bag with ice and add 1/2 cup of salt. Place the small bag into the big one and shake around until the small bag mixture starts to harden.
My kids thought this was so cool that they could make their own icecream at home.

Be creative...but keep it healthy!!! I used greek yogurt because it is fat free(watch out because some have 11% M.F.) has no sugar in it, has bacterial cultures(yogurt with sugar in it kills the bacterial cultures...activia being a good example of a bad yogurt) no thickeners(carageenan/gelatin etc) and is FULL of PROTEIN!! Plus it still has such a creamy rich texture that you can't tell it is fat free!
Watch for yogurt with artificial sweetener as well.....they make you hold water in your gut....as well as a myriad of other nasty things to your body.
Buy your own plain yogurt and add stuff to it. It is cheaper in the long run too.

If you want to try making your own almond mylk.....

take one cup of organic raw almonds and soak them in water overnite. If they still have skins....pop them out before you put them in your blender. Add about 1 cup of water and blend...it will be a thick mixture when done. Add 2-3 medjool dates and blend again. I add a bit of vanilla and sometimes cinnamon. Blend and add more water until you have your desired consistency. If the kids want chocolate milk I just add cocoa to the mixture.

It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Super yummy on Kashi Go Lean cereal and awesome on oatmeal!!!

Workout for F.L.Y. small group training session 2

Second group training today....showed the girls a great cardio workout.....so they could see that you don't have to sit on a machine for an hour staring into space.

5 minute warm up skipping.
10 burpies
10 pop squats
20 mountain climbers
20 crunches
50 skips on rope

60 seconds rest

20 bear crawls
20 spider walks
10 pushups
20 reverse spider walks
50 skips on rope

60 seconds rest

3 minutes maximum effort on your choice of cardio machine.

Repeat all above using a different cardio machine every time.

Continue until you reach 60 minutes......let me know how many times you can make it through the circuit in an hour!!

Crazy Wednesday

Wow what a Wednesday. I have really been working on not scheduling myself out of control.....seems as though I forgot about that yesterday.
My day started at 4:45 yesterday. Not that it is new for me to get up that early....but I have added a new practice into my day. Early morning meditation before I start out. That felt great and I was off to a fantastic start. Then I taught spin class at 6 til 7. Great class. Finished my ab workout and headed home to get kids ready for school....get my food together...see my hubby off as he was heading out of town on business....and then finally back to the gym to train a couple girls. Did I breathe in there at all?
Did a bit more cardio....showered and off to take Giorgia to swimming lessons. Giorgia then to babysitter.....home to eat....change.....needed chicken from downtown....pick up Selkirk from school and to the babysitter....then very important meeting about info that I will disclose later.....
Home to change again....pick up stuff for outdoor bootcamp.....add more food to the cooler.....back to the gym for kickboxing/sparring....and then off to Chase to teach bootcamp.
Picked up the kids around 8:15 and get my last meal in around 8:45.
Laundry.
Kids lunches.
Collapse into bed.

Today seems a little slower.
:)

Today's Cardio :P

Here's my cardio for the day. Lather, rinse, repeat......

Treadmill: 60 minutes or you can head outside & do this workout

For this workout you will alternating between walking and running for a challenging HEART Rate workout – meaning you will be in and out of your anaerobic threshold zone.

Begin walking at a brisk pace, 3% incline. Walk for 3 minutes, then decrease incline to 0% & increase your speed to RUN for 1 minute, then decrease speed & jog for 1 minute.

Next, go back to the brisk walking pace, but increase the incline by 1%. (You will always walk with an incline but the run will be @ 0% incline for this workout). You’ll follow the minutes/pace below:

Time/Speed/Incline

0-3/Walk/3%

3-4/RUN/0

4-5/Jog/0

5-8/Walk/4%

8-9/RUN /0

9-10/Jog/0

10-11/RUN/0

11-14/Walk/5%

14-15/RUN/0

15-16/SPRINT/0

16-17/Jog/0

17-20/Walk/6%

20-21/RUN/0

21-22/SPRINT/0

22-23/RUN/0

23-26/Walk/7%

26-27/SPRINT/0

27-28 /RUN/0

28-30/Walk/3%

30-45/Walk/8%

45-48/Walk/3%

48-49/RUN/0

49-50/Jog/0

50-53/Walk/4%

53-54/RUN /0

54-55/Jog/0

55-56/RUN/0

56-59/Walk/5%

59-60/Walk/0%

Cardio 2

Booty Boot Camp: Approximate 60 minutes

*You can do this session at home or in the gym.

5 minute warm up w/the jump rope

Then do each of the following as quickly as possible:

10 burpies

10 pop squats

20 mountain climbers

20 crunches

50 skips on the jump rope

- Rest for 60 seconds (make sure you are set up for the next set of exercises)

20 bear crawls

20 spider walks

10 push-ups

20 reverse spider walks

50 skips on the Jump Rope

- Rest for 60 seconds (make sure you are set up to start the RUN at the end of the 60 second rest)

3 minute run on the treadmill (as fast as you can go for the 3 minutes!)

Walk for 2 minutes.

Now, go back to the beginning of the workout (starting with the burpies) and REPEAT! Keep doing this until you have reached 60 minutes.

Tuesday-Thursday

At some point during each of these days do the following:

4 sets of 30 abs

15 push-ups

10 step-ups on bench (10 starting on right foot, 10 starting on left foot)

20 jump lunges (10 each leg)

30 toe taps

Theberge Swimwear

I have had a custom suit designed for me...and should be getting it in the mail any time now. Tanya Theberge of Calgary has a business that is on fire - Theberge Swim - in the fitness industry. She is an amazingly creative designer who is very passionate about creating unique suits. Stay tuned to see pics of mine very soon!

Green detox smoothies

Been adding a green detox smoothie into my diet. This morning I blended 4 small red apples cored, 5 kale leaves, juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of chlorella plus extra water. I drink a large glass of it before breakfast...half an hour before I eat my first meal. Then add it in twice more through out the day....half an hour before eating.

Workout for F.L.Y. small group training

Here is the workout that I have in store for the first session. It is a different kind of weight training routine than what I usually do....and it may look very innocent....give it a try and you will see what I am talking about!

Start with a 5/10 minute easy warm up on a spin bike.

Single leg hamstring curls with low weight - 20 reps each leg pumping quick.
Back extensions with toes pointed out and a 25 lb plate. 15 reps

Leg press focusing on glutes....push thru heels - use low weight and pump quick - 20 reps

Stiff leg BB dead lift - low weight - 15 reps squeeze glutes at the top.

Smith machine squat - wider stance - toes foward - low weight - 15 reps squeeze glutes at the top.

Single reverse lunges off a step with 4 risers on each side - 30 lb BB on shoulders - 10 reps each side

Knee ups on same step from reverse lunge with same BB - 5 reps each side

Single leg press on sled - pump fast - low weight - 20 reps each leg.

Bench curtsy step downs with 30 lb BB on shoulders - 10 each side.

Bulgarian lunges - rear leg on bench behind you - 10 lb DB's - 3 sets of 10 each leg - back to back no resting between sets.

Circuit - 3 times thru

Plie squat pumps with 35 lb DB for 30 seconds

Jump lunges 30 seconds

Up and over bench hops with medicine ball slam - 30 seconds

Repeat all above exercises with no rest in between....and continue to circuit to repeat thru 3 times with out rest.

Finish with a 10 minute cool down of easy spinning on the spin bike.

Food this Week

Here it is. Looks delicious I know.

Meal 1 - 3 tbsp green peppers and 5 egg whites
Meal 2 - 1/2 c. whole oats 2 tbsp. Almond Butter 1 scoop protein.
Meal 3 - 6 oz. tilapia 1 c. green beans/asparagus
Meal 4 - Raw Meal shake - Garden of Life - with 1 tbsp Almond Butter
Meal 5 - 1/2 red apple and 5 almonds
Meal 6 - 6 oz. chicken 6 oz. yam 6 asparagus
WED/SAT I have 6 oz. lean flank instead of chicken
Meal 7 - 4 egg whites 2 tbsp low sodium salsa(usually make my own) with 1/2 an avocado.

One cheat meal on Saturday at Meal 6......salmon or steak with lots of veggies and some quinoa!!! And a couple ounces of really good dark chocolate. :)

I eat all these meals at the same time every day for a week.....and then the diet will change again next week.

9 weeks out.....

I will be competing in the Alberta WBFF competition July 3rd. That means I am 9 weeks out. I have waffled a couple of times the past month regarding competing.....my head just hasn't been in it. So.....I thought that some of you may be interested in what I go through during contest prep. So for your entertainment....I will post my diets/workouts here!!

Try this for breakfast

Yummy Pumpkin Oatmeal

1/3 c. whole oats
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. almond butter
1 tbsp. raisins
1 scoop low carb/low cal protein powder

Add enough water to your oats in a microwavable bowl...or a small sauce pan for the stove top. Cook oats until water is absorbed. Add remaining ingredients.

Up and coming....

Small group training starts tomorrow....9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.....8 sessions for 169.00.....awesome option for those of you who cannot afford a trainer. Interval weights, spin, power yoga, kick a$$ cardio, boxing...and then some. Kick it into high gear this spring to get ready for the beach and boating!!

Monday......

The first post. My first blog. So many things on the go.....and this is a cheap(free) way to keep all my clients and friends updated with new classes, workouts, recipes, and spontaneous ramblings.
So for now...this is a test.