Making a Summer Fitness Routine Stick

5 Surreal Steps to Make a Fitness Routine 

Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight - even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem.

Some fitness routines are started due to medical reasons; others start to obtain the lost balance

For whatever reason you have to start a fitness routine, there are some easy steps to get you started:

Assess Your Fitness Level: 
Benchmarks measure progress. Set Goals 
Record your beginning heart rate in a resting state  
Time yourself in walking one mile
Record the number of pushups you can do
And a few stats: your waist circumference and body mass

Develop a Fitness Plan: 
Consider your goals
Decide on the frequency and duration you can maintain
Choose balanced and varying activities
Guess on the recovery time you may need.  You may find you need more at first if you are starting a brand new routine, but then you may decide you can do more; push and motivate yourself to be your best!
Most importantly, don't forget to right your plan down

Pick the Right Materials and Equipment: 
Having the right shoes and investing in equipment that you are enjoy can maximize your experience.

Practice the Fitness Plan and Stay on Point:
Start slow and build gradually. Break things up in 15 minute intervals throughout the day if its easier. And don't overdo it. If you are feeling shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness or pain, you are probably pushing yourself too hard.

Monitor your Progress and Adjust: 
Reassess your fitness level six weeks after you start and then every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving.

Most importantly, never give up!  We are available to help you stay accountable, focused, and motivated.  There is always something that we can discuss; a nutritional or exercise improvement we can reshape, mold, and develop to get the plan working again for you.

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Go ahead and eat some Dark Chocolate!

Forget waiting for that next 'cheat meal' ! 

Go ahead and give your sweetheart some dark chocolate this year! 

In 2013, more research has suggested a beneficial link between higher levels of chocolate consumption and the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular events. In one study, participants with the highest levels of chocolate intake had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in strokes, compared with participants who consumed the lowest levels of dark chocolate.

The secret behind dark chocolate’s beneficial effects on the heart is the effect of powerful micronutrients – flavonoids and phenols found naturally within the cocoa bean. Micronutrients Functioning like antioxidants, micronutrients help the body resist and fight damage to cells. Micronutrients are found in fruits and vegetables, an example of where free radicals are neutralized and destroyed. For example, flavanols help keep LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized and clogging up coronary artery walls.

Studies also suggest that the phenols found in dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure. Improvement in blood pressure has been found in people who consumed as little as 3 1/2 ounces of dark chocolate every day for 15 days. But, the effect may be short lived as one study found that after only two days without chocolate blood pressure returned to previous higher levels. Researchers believe that dark chocolate can help improve Endothelial function (the dilated and elastic function of the blood vessels); improving this function, dark chocolate reduces inflammation, and with normal endothelial function, promotes free flowing blood and prevents platelets from sticking together and forming a clot which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

Unfortunately, there can be a down side to the chocolate we eat every day. First, as chocolate is processed to eliminate the natural bitter flavor, the beneficial flavonoids and phenols are also removed. Second, the chocolate we consume is usually processed with excess fat and sugar. These extra calories can lead to obesity and diabetes, which can reverse any positive effects that chocolate may have on the heart.

Tips to make sure the dark chocolate you are consuming (in moderation) is doing your body good:

• Look for a cocoa content of at least 65 percent and remember the higher the better in terms of flavonoids and phenols. Milk chocolate has lower levels of cocoa, and white chocolate does not contain any cocoa. Even worse, both milk and white chocolate have more fat and sugar than dark chocolate. 
• Limit yourself to no more than 3 ounces (85 grams) a day 
• Balance the extra calories from dark chocolate by eliminating calories from your diet 
• Don’t wash down your chocolate with milk, as it may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate 
• Don’t forget about other sources of flavonoids and phenols like fruits, vegetables and red wine

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Flavorful Tomato and Onion Chutney

Happy Monday! It is hard to believe June is half over already! 
Here is a great Summertime chutney recipe to use with your favorite dish.  
Special occasions, parties, or just weekend cookouts, Enjoy! 

TOMATO AND ONION ­CHUTNEY RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 whole dried red chili pepper
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped tomato
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp minced cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (the oil should be hot but not smoking). Add chili pepper and mustard seeds and stir 1 to 2 minutes, until mustard seeds start to pop.
2. Add onion and tomato to skillet; cook and stir until onions are translucent.
3. Add turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir for a few minutes until mixture is well blended. Remove from heat. Cool.
4. Stir in yogurt and cilantro. Serve immediately or chilled.

Variation:
Add ¼ cup shredded carrots along with the onion and tomato in
Step 2. Add additional yogurt to desired creaminess.

Makes: ½ cup chutney

Nutrition (per 2 tbsp serving): 60 calories, 4g fat (0g sat fat), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 5g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Sleep issues have you restless? Try Tart Cherry Juice for Insomnia Relief

With the busy schedules we face on a daily basis, finding time to sleep the proper amount of time can be difficult.  Taking naps could be an option, but even that is tough, without or without children.  Now take it a step further: insomnia.  Being tired and not being able to sleep is the worst.  There are times that my mind can't rest because it is thinking of tomorrow, or what I need to do for my week, wether it be personally or for business.  Bottom line: I don't get much sleep either.  

One remedy, melatonin, works for me but I think if I take the supplement too late in the evening, I have a hard time getting up the next morning.  I have another remedy, natural tart cherry juice.  Organic Montmorency tart cherry Juice is made from 100 percent pure cherries grown on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, where they are washed, hand sorted and pressed using no pressing aids or chemical enzymes. Potent in antioxidants known as anthocyanins, that promote healthy circulation, stimulate proper nerve function and possess cancer-inhibiting properties, cherry juice is also helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and protecting against muscle damage caused by excessive exercising.

A small study from Louisiana State University suggests that 8 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice ingested twice daily may help older-adult insomniacs sleep better at night.  The researchers, who presented their findings at the Experimental Biology 2014 meeting in San Diego at the end of April, showed that older-adult subjects with insomnia who drank tart cherry juice both morning and evening over a 2-week period, increased their sleep time by nearly 90 minutes.

Study Details
In a randomized crossover clinical trial, seven older adults (average age, 63) with insomnia consumed 8 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily for 2 weeks and then, following a 2-week washout period, consumed a placebo beverage twice daily for a second 2-week period.
Subjects’ sleep was studied in a controlled setting, using overnight polysomnography to evaluate sleep efficiency, such as onset and duration of sleep. Participants completed questionnaires related to sleep, fatigue, depression and anxiety and submitted blood work.

When subjects drank the Montmorency tart cherry juice in the morning and evening, they were able to sleep more than an hour longer each night (averaging 84 minutes) than they did when taking the placebo, and sleep also tended to be more efficient.  The scientists pointed out in a press release that Montmorency tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The belief is that Montmorency cherries have sleep-enhancing benefits; in turn, studies were performed to understand if the benefits were due to the melatonin content or to another component in the juice.

They concluded the ruby-red pigments in the juice, known as proanthocyanidins, specifically  abundant in Montmorency tart cherries, play a large role. In the study, tart cherry juice helped to increase the availability of tryptophan, an essential amino acid and a serotonin precursor that helps with sleep.

Note
Tart cherry juice contains about 130 calories per 8 ounces, so if you decide to add this regimen to your diet, be sure to account for the extra 260 liquid calories per day.

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Foods: RAW vs. Processed - The Surreal Scoop

We all want to eat well and choose the healthiest eating plans, but we can also probably all agree that separating nutrition fact from fiction can be intimidating when all you want to do is succeed. 

Here are some persistent nutrition myths I often hear from friends, family and even the media, along with the Surreal facts that I pass along to clear your brain.

1. Raw Foods are Always Healthier than Cooked Foods

While raw foods are full of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that promote good health, some nutrients are more bioavailable when cooked. Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color, is absorbed three to four times better when cooked. Tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup and even tomato ketchup deliver more lycopene to the body than raw tomatoes. Kale is a rich source of beta-carotene and fat-soluble vitamins A and K, and all of these nutrients are more available to the body in cooked kale compared with raw kale. And the lutein in carrots, the compound that promotes healthy eyes and vision, is better absorbed in cooked carrots.

Cooking also makes proteins in meat and fish more easily digested, and let’s face it, meat or fish (unless its sushi) smells and tastes a lot better when cooked than it does in the raw state. Lastly, cooking helps destroy harmful bacteria that is present in foods in the raw state. So, enjoy raw foods as part of a healthy eating plan, but remember to choose the raw foods you consume wisely, and don't forget that that cooked foods have their own merits.

2. All Processed Foods are Bad

If you think all processed foods are bad, put down your morning cup of coffee, tea or almond milk, as all of these morning favorites are processed foods! Most people think of foods that contain excessive amounts of added sugars, fats and sodium as 'processed'.  This argument is supported by these foods contributing few healthful nutrients. Those types of packaged foods are not healthy, but processed foods aren’t all bad.
Baby carrots are processed; the kid-friendly apple slices sold in the produce section are too. While bagged salads are more expensive, who hasn’t enjoyed the convenience of bagged produce when meal prep time is limited? Recent research from the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that new methods of processing could be used to fight some cancers. So, before deciding all processed foods are “bad,” take a moment to differentiate between the processed foods that supply healthful nutrients versus those that contain too much sugar, fat and sodium.


3. Natural Foods are Always Healthier

Take a moment to think about when you hear the word “natural” in regards to food.
Did you think of visions of fresh-picked blueberries or juice from freshly squeezed oranges? If you relate the word “natural” to marketing, this buzzword (that is not defined by the Food and Drug Administration) makes us believe a food is more healthful when in fact it is high in calories, fat or sugar.  Snack foods are also being coined as natural. Snacks are less expensive so the market margins can be easier for companies to focus on.

A good example where this 'buzzword' is used is in reference to natural candy.  Sold as natural because it contains agave nectar or honey, candy sugar is still sugar to the body no matter the source, so that doesn’t make “natural” candy more healthful. Not all people who eat organic and natural are lean individuals are they? My point exactly.. 

Potato chips with the peel left on the potato before being fried into a chip are not more healthful than other chips. So, save your money on packaged foods touting to be “natural” and instead snack on truly natural foods like fruits, veggies and nuts from your local farmer's market.


4. All Sugar Should be Eliminated

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently recommended that we cut our sugar intake from 10% of total calories to 5% of calories. That equates to about 6 teaspoons of sugar or 25 grams per day. Naturally occurring sugar, like in milk or fruit, is packaged with many other nutrients, so aim your caloric focus on the reduction of added sugars; don’t worry about the few grams of sugar in your milk or fresh fruit.

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

NPC Physique Competitior

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation