A big salad with
iceberg lettuce, bacon bits, croutons, fried chicken, and ranch drenched all
over it. Sound familiar? I’d say to its
too common among many people. Living a
healthy lifestyle is definitely becoming the popular trend. The problem is a lot of people don’t know how
to eat healthy. Just because it has the
name salad doesn’t automatically make it nutritious.
I would say most
people have the right idea, just need to switch some products out for better
and healthier choices. Like for one,
having some protein is good to have in your salad as it helps keep you full
longer and creates a well-balanced meal. Iceberg lettuce has the nutritional value of
cardboard opt for darker greens that are loaded with vitamins and minerals such
as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, folic acid and manganese. Instead of toppings such as croutons and bacon
bits, find more fresh harvests. Finally,
the dressing, which can make or break your salad, you want a light dressing
that is low in fat and salt.
Now let’s try again...A
big salad with spinach leaves, romaine lettuce, rocket leaves (you get the
point, the greener they are the better!!) Now that you have your leafy greens,
let’s add some cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. Next, add some
grilled chicken, nuts, a hard-boiled egg, or any other protein source you like.
Finally, add some light vinaigrette dressing (or at least some kind of light dressing,
just keep in mind the creamier the dressing the more fat it contains).Basically, the more fresh ingredients your
salad contains the better and the more filling they are to your tummy.
Now that you have
more knowledge and truths about salad, go out there and create your salad. You can always get more creative and make it
your own!!!
This being the month of Thanksgiving leads me to believe I
must address gratitude. One of the most driving forces in maintaining my
fitness level and weight loss is a positive attitude, which is kept alive by
being grateful. Kickboxing has given me much to be thankful for, other than the
end of a class. ;)
I make it a habit to do mental
gratitude lists on a regular basis, but I thought it would be fun to outline
some of my favorite things Kickboxing Classes Atlanta has done for me. In no particular order,
they are as follows:
1.I’m grateful for my newfound energy
I’ve acquired. I amaze myself day after day in how much I can get accomplished
without feeling like falling down.
2.I’m grateful for the strength I have
now, both mentally and physically. Mind over matter has become a mantra for me
and I love how my toned muscles can carry my forty pound son to bed with no
issue whatsoever.
3.I’m grateful that all of my weight loss means I’ll be getting smaller pants from Santa this year.
4.I’m overly grateful that my improved
health has resulted in a stronger immune system. Cold and flu season can kiss
my gloves.
5.I’m grateful that portion control is
already on my mind for the upcoming holiday meals. Small portions mean I get to
try a little bit of everything so I know what I’ll be aiming for when it’s time
for leftovers.
6.I’m grateful my random food cravings
have all but diminished and on the rare occasions I do give in, I can simply
work them out later on the bag.
7.I’m grateful for the double takes I
get and the knowledge that I could handle anyone who might try to do more than
look.
8.I’m grateful that I am more willing
to accept and conquer challenges in my life. Whether it’s a new combination on
the bag or a promotion and addition of responsibilities at work, I feel more
ready to meet it head on.
9.I’m grateful for my improved hand eye
coordination. Kickboxing has helped me to stop tripping over my own feet, which
is awesome considering I fall dramatically.
10.I’m grateful I can be a positive
influence on those around me just by showing my dedication in my workouts and
healthy eating habits. I love discussing with and encouraging my friends and
family to make better health choices, because they see the change and want to
know what I’m doing to obtain such great results.
I could go on for days about all of the wonderful benefits I
have seen through kickboxing, but then I might miss out on getting to show off
my new physique in front of my extended family, and that would be a shame.
Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy eating everything you plan on burning off in class
next week. I’ll see you there!
Do you want to be healthier,
in better shape, and improve endurance? Well, what would you think about
getting all three of these benefits in one exercise? Cardio exercise is the
answer to the success of these benefits.
Cardio
exercise keeps you healthy in many ways. Cardio, short for cardiovascular means
performing activities that elevate your heart rate thereby, strengthening the cardiovascular
system. In other words it keeps your heart strong. One of the important aspects
of working out is keeping your body healthy and your heart strong, the rest
will come naturally such as losing weight and looking AWESOME! To get all of
these results I suggest doing cardio workout 2 to 3 times a week 45 minutes to
an 1 hour each time; the more times a week the better.
Improving
your mood and releasing your stress, who doesn’t want that?This part of cardio kickboxing is my favorite
part, while getting to burn calories and strengthen my heart I get to punch out
stress on the bags! Sounds pretty good right; just like in any other workout
this also improves your mood in all aspects of your life. You think about the
everyday stresses in life and being able to forget about it all for 45 minutes
to 1 hour thinking about nothing but how hard you’re working to get results
that you want.
High
intensity cardio workout such as kickboxing is a great way to get in better
shape. You think about doing that 2 to 3 times a week for 45 minutes; you’re
going to be burning a lot of calories which helps melt the fat!! Also, the cardio
workouts it will make you hungrier since you’re burning so many calories.Just remember to make good decisions on what
you decide to snack on such as fruit, veggies, and anything fresh! I suggest
bananas after your workout because potassium plays a big role in muscle
function and you sweat potassium out of your body while working out.
Now,
with all of these great benefits to cardio workouts you have no excuse not to
do them! Look for your local Ilovekickboxing.com facility and come have a
rocking workout with us to have all of these awesome things in your life.
Contact Information:
Ilovekickboxing.com
(470)377-3854
This one little word represents one of the most
feared diseases in the United States. And with good reason, the statistics are
scary. According to the American Cancer Society, 1:2 men and 1:3 women living
in the United States will develop some sort of cancer during their lifetime.
All cancers begin by the rapid multiplication of a single
mutated cell. But research has yet to pinpoint exactly what causes certain
types of cancer to develop. If one specific cause could be identified,
prevention and treatment would be simple. It is believed, however, that most
cancers are caused by the combination of two or more risk factors over a long
period of time. These risk factors can be broken into 4 main categories:
lGenetics
and family history
lEnvironmental
exposures
lLifestyle
choices
lObesity
and diet
Most people believe that a family history of cancer means
their own risk of developing cancer is practically inevitable. Research has
shown that genetics accounts for only 5-10% of a person’s total cancer risk. This
means the vast majority of cancers are NOT inherited.
Environmental exposures account for 25% of a person’s risk
of developing cancer. Repeated exposure to hormones and pesticides in foods,
household cleaners, secondhand smoke, and toxins in the air, soil, water, and
workplace contribute to this risk.
30% of a person’s overall risk of developing cancer has been
linked to his or her lifestyle choices. While smoking is the number one cause
of cancer, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity have also been shown to
increase cancer risk. Moreover, not smoking, consuming little to no alcoholic
beverages, and consistent physical activity can decrease the risk of developing
cancer.
35% of a person’s total risk factor is linked to diet and
obesity. Increasing evidence suggests that carrying excess body weight not only
raises the risk of developing cancer, but also raises the risk of cancer
recurrence and lowers the chances of survival for many types of cancer.
With an overwhelming 65% of a person’s total risk of
developing cancer attributable to diet, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyle
choices, a cancer diagnosis can no longer be seen as a horrible twist of fate.
Rather, this should be translated to mean that each person has control of 65%
of his or her overall cancer risk. By eating a healthy diet, maintaining a proper
weight, staying physically active, and not smoking, it is possible to
considerably reduce the odds of developing cancer.
In response to increasing evidence that a healthy lifestyle
can decrease overall cancer risk, organizations such as the American Cancer
Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the International Agency for
Research on Cancer have published guidelines for what is now believed to be a
cancer-preventative lifestyle. They include:
lEating
5 or more servings of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
lSelect
whole grain breads and cereals over those made from refined grains.
lLimit
the consumption of red and processed meats. When possible, replace them with
lean meats.
lReplace
regular milk and dairy products with low-fat versions.
lLimit
daily intake of salt, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and sugar.
lAvoid
sugary juices and carbonated beverages.
lLimit
consumption of alcoholic beverages.
lControl
your portion sizes.
lExercise
for 30-40 minutes five days a week.
lAchieve
and maintain a healthy body weight.
lStop
smoking.
A healthy diet and daily exercise classes in Atlanta cannot prevent a person
from ever developing cancer. But even modest changes have been shown to have a
positive effect on fighting cancer, both during its initial development in the
body and during treatment. It is possible that by making only dietary and
lifestyle changes, 20% of the American population currently expected to receive
a cancer diagnosis could instead live their entire lives without ever being
diagnosed with cancer.
At iLoveKickboxing.com in Atlanta (A Buckhead Fitness Kickboxing Gym) we make it our goal to provide a workout and atmosphere that motivates Atlanta residents to lead healthier lifestyles. We hope to get as much of Atlanta into great health as we can!
When do you work out? Is it first thing in the morning, during
your lunch break, or maybe after work? Like most people, your work out time is
dictated by everything else on your schedule.Between work, school, kids’ activities, and family dinners, at some
point during the day you carve out time to exercise. Go you!
But are you thinking about the food you’re choosing to fuel your
workouts? How many times have you had a workout interrupted by a sudden lack of
energy, dizziness, side cramps, or that dead weight in your stomach from a
large meal? Both the food you eat and when you choose to eat it have an impact
on your ability to complete your workout. Eating too much too close to your
workout can leave you feeling sluggish or cause digestive issues, while eating
too little can make you feel lightheaded. Either way, you body doesn’t have the
energy it needs to power through your workout.
So when should you eat? Well, it depends on when you work
out. Ideally, you should eat a nutritionally balanced meal 1-2 hours before you
exercise. This meal should contain no more than 50% of the calories you expect
to burn during your workout. If your workout normally burns 500 calories, then you
should aim to eat 250 calories. 50-60% of these calories should come from
carbohydrates, 25-35% from protein and 15% from fat. Carbohydrates, such as
fruits, vegetables, bread, cereal, and pasta, help keep your blood sugar levels
stable and provide energy for your workout. Protein from meats, cheese, eggs,
dairy and soy help build and maintain muscle. Some good meal choices include:
·Low-fat yogurt with a piece of fruit
·Raw vegetables and hummus
·Cottage cheese and fruit
·Half a chicken, turkey or lean roast beef
sandwich on whole-wheat bread
·Low-fat string cheese with whole grain crackers
·Hard boiled eggs
·Trail mix containing nuts and dried fruit
For a morning work out in Atlanta, plan on waking up early enough to
eat breakfast. Don’t rely on the previous night’s dinner to provide the energy
for your workout. Most of that energy was used up while you slept, leaving you
with low blood sugar. Exercising with low blood sugar can cause you to feel slow
and unsteady. If you can’t bring yourself to wake up more than an hour before
you exercise, have a lighter breakfast. And if the thought of eating anything
in the morning causes you distress, try having a sports drink. They generally
contain sufficient carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar and fuel your
workout. Otherwise, some good breakfast choices include:
·Whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk and a piece
of fruit
·Fruit and yogurt smoothie
·Small whole-grain bagel with peanut butter
·Oatmeal
If you haven’t eaten in awhile, or you only have 30 minutes
before a scheduled workout, choose a small snack of easily digestible, simple carbohydrates
containing 100-200 calories. Simple carbohydrates will cause fewer digestive
issues during your workout than complex carbohydrates since they take less time
to digest. Some good snack choices include:
·Banana
·Fruit juice or smoothie
·Sports drinks
·Raisins
·Crackers or pretzels (not whole-grain)
·Applesauce
It is important to think about the food you eat before you
exercise. A combination of carbohydrates, some protein and a little fat will
provide you with the energy you need to power through your workout. But even
the best food choices can derail your workout if not
given enough time to digest. The key is to find the foods and timing that work
best for your body, and be consistent. If you are concerned about your pre-workout
diet, schedule an appointment to speak with your doctor or a registered
dietitian. There are tons of qualified people in Atlanta who would love to see a healthier and more fit Atlanta!!
Kickboxing has been an incredibly rewarding
experience for me that has had a multitude of benefits. I have lost
fifteen pounds as well as acquiring muscle tone I haven’t had since high
school. Getting in shape has never been so easy for me, especially
since having my son. I absolutely love getting to tell others how I did
it.
I began my foray into kickboxing about six months ago when I became
bored with running and found I had no motivation to work out at home. I
found ilovekickboxing.com while searching for alternatives and was
immediately intrigued. The Atlanta Kickboxing location was nearby and I couldn’t
resist the deal that includes free boxing gloves. At least I would look
hardcore by having the gloves in my car if I didn’t love the class, so
it really was a win/win situation in my mind.
I am pleased to report that my first class was such a great time! The
instructors were very supportive and helpful right from start, teaching
technique and encouraging everyone to push themselves a little harder.
Everyone was pleasant and welcoming, which is a big deal to someone like
me who has never been a big fan of working out around strangers. I felt
immediately comfortable and had a blast.
Classes have gotten better and better over time, too. My fellow kick
boxers are great for motivation in not only workouts, but also for
improving health in general. I love seeing the updates from everyone on
Facebook daily, as it keeps me encouraged to eat better and work harder
on my fitness goals. I also enjoying trading tips before and after class
about staying loose, as I give my muscles a good push every time!
Now I look hardcore not just for having the gloves, but because of my
lean and sexy body. Kickboxing is an exercise program that has given me
rapid results that are apparent to all of my family and friends. I
maintain two to three classes a week, which is made incredibly easy by
the multiple classes, even with my busy schedule as a single mother. My
strength and energy levels have increased vastly since starting and I
love the way I feel after every class.
Kickboxing is by far the most challenging and rewarding workout experience I have ever had. Every class brings a new opportunity for me
to reach a physical goal I was unaware I had before entering the
building. I leave sweaty and proud of myself every time and look forward
to continuing my training at the Cumming location. I can assure anyone
contemplating kickboxing that you never know what you can accomplish
when you reach out and try something new. Hope to see you in the next
class!
