What Does "Being Fit" Mean?

We all question what this phrase means when we either look in the mirror; judge ourselves against someone else's other physical condition, or simply appreciate the aesthetic look that we see or recognize in another man or woman.

According to the The United States Department of Health and Human Services, physical fitness is defined as "a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity". Fitness is more than just asking simple questions about what activities you do and how long you do them. 

There are 5 Main Components of Fitness:

1. Cardiorespiratory Endurance - This refers to how our body is able to supply fuel during our physical activity. We can improve our C.E. through activities that aid in causing an elevated and safe heart rate for a sustainable period. 

2. Muscular Strength - The ability of the muscle to exert strength during the activity. You can strengthen your muscles by making them work against resistance, hence the term "resistance training". A muscle has to be overloaded to be strengthened. This can be achieved by lifting weights.

3. Muscular Endurance - The ability of a muscle to continue exerting force without tiring out. Endurance can be improved by cardio-respiratory activities such as jogging, dancing, and cycling. Nutritional supplementation can support the body's ability to last longer during the activity.  Each supplemental need varies per individual, but can be safely accomplished/added for all age groups.

4. Body Composition - The body's muscle-bone-fat ratio. Just because your weight is not changing does not mean your level of fat is the same. Very important for those who constantly look at the scale for the end-all be-all answer for their 'weight loss' result. Don't discount your efforts too quickly. 

5. Flexibility - The range of movement across the joint. This is important to link movements smoothly and prevent injury. To improve your flexibility, try stretching or engaging in activities that lengthen the muscles such as swimming or yoga.

Whatever your reason for fitness and exercise, stay focused on your goals and your plan to achieve them.  If you need support and accountability, come get it.  

Stay focused on you! 

You can do it!

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

WBFF Muscle Model and Personal Trainer

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC
Surreal Body and Nutrition, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

Contributing Health and Exercise Author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Overcome Your Fitness Barriers with Zeke Samples

Overcome Your Barriers to Fitness

Sticking to a regular exercise routine is not easy. There are plenty of things we may find ourselves using as excuses to put off our fitness routines - time, boredom, and fatigue to name a few. Maybe its the weekend and you want to 'just take the weekend off' because you will start up fresh come Monday..

Some of the reasons may be more acceptable - health issues and injuries. But don't let these issues stand in your way to reach your goals and continue to succeed.  It may mean that the extra cardio session done on the weekend is just what you need to reach your fitness goals; eating-in instead of eating out, allowing yourself to monitor your calories more than the kitchen in a restaurant would give you.

How to get off the Highway of Challenge

Consider the following practical strategies as your Surreal support system for overcoming common barriers to fitness roadblocks:


If you don't think you have enough time, be creative.  Try squeezing in short walks throughout the day, get up earlier, drive less and walk more, or change your Saturday indoor activity with the kids to a Saturday bike ride through the park or a picnic.

If you are growing weary of the repetitive workout, shift your routine around a bit by choosing activities you enjoy, keeping you interested and active.  If bike riding or walking, take a different exercise route or change up exercises; exercising with a buddy may help.

If you think you are too tired you might be surprised by how exercise can boost your overall energy throughout the week. Start with small amounts at times when your energy level is highest, like a 30 minute walk in the morning or a brisk walk during lunch.

You may want to first see a sports medicine physician if you have specific health concerns or are worried about an injury. A professional can evaluate you and recommend specific treatment for your injury. 

To take it up a notch, consult a personal trainer who can support your exercise goals by offering mental support and motivation.  Feel good about where you are going and how you are going to have the help to get there. 

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

Exercises for the Home in today's blog: Spring is here; Summer is coming!

Spring is officially here and Summer is right around the corner! In this season of renewal, it's time to step up and take control of what matters most: Your Health!

Are you tired of feeling tired? Why spend another day wishing you had more energy to do the things that matter most?

I want to talk about 3 exercise pieces of equipment that you could add to the home that are affordable. Then touch on 5 exercises that you can perform with the resistance bands.  
Exercises in the home. You need just a few basic, very affordable items and accountability to perform the exercises below, each day. Each workout will get you in ether shape and put you in tune with your muscles and heart. Listed below are 3 equipment items I use with my clients; the exercises below that list, focus on movements using the third item, resistance bands.

Kettlebells: The kettle bell is a popular piece of workout gear; it's use stems back into ancient history. It is similar to a dumbbell because it comes in several different weights and is used for strength training. It looks like a bowling ball with a handle on the top of it; the handle allows for a larger variety of exercises while maintaining a stable grip. Mastery of the kettle bell calls for strength from the individual, but a safe move for a beginner is a two-handed swing, which works the entire body.

Medicine Ball: A medicine ball is another vital piece of outdoor gym gear to own. It looks like a kickball but is usually filled with sand to use as a weight. Not the same as a 'slam-ball' used in cross fit.  Medicine balls have a basketball-like exterior and come in several different weights, and you can use it for many different exercises. My favorite exercise to use with the medicine ball are medicine ball squats. The extra weight, when holding the ball, truly helps you to get more out of your normal everyday squat!  Raising the ball overhead at the end of each squat adds a shoulder press to the movement.  So versatile.

Resistance Bands: These are lightweight banded tubes, which are attached on both sides with handled grips. These are perfect additions to the home gym in so many ways; one major reason is because you can carry them anywhere. You can stash them inside your luggage when you travel, or ladies, your purse! Take them to a class you have at the gym; use them on breaks at work.. They are relatively inexpensive and on average cost around $15.

Resistance Band Exercises:

Upper Back Exercise:
Attach the bands to a stable location, preferably a few inches off the ground (the lowest spindle on a staircase). Lying on your Back, start the body posture low enough/far enough away to feel tension when arms are fully extended overhead before performing the first repetition.
Pull handles of cable attachment to your shoulders while squeezing your upper back when handles are by the tips of your shoulders. Hold this position for 2 seconds, while focusing on the contraction of the Back.

- Perform 3 Sets of 15-25 repetitions (rep range depends on the tightness of band/intensity of the exercise movement)


Standing Chest Press:

Attach the bands to a stable location, best at chest height. Standing with your Back facing what you attached the bands to, place each handle in a hand (grab the handles so that they are underneath the hands, not over the top).
With arms 90°, one foot forward, and one foot behind, extend the arms out and right before they are fully extended, bring the hands together to meet in the middle. Return to the starting point where arms were at 90° to begin the second repetition. If you need to increase your intensity, step out further to increase the tension of the band/bands that you are holding.

- Perform 3 Sets of 15-25 repetitions (rep range depends on the tightness of band/intensity of the exercise movement)


Standing Biceps Curl:
Place the band under one foot, holding a handle in each hand. Keeping elbows still by the rib cage, raise your hands from your side/hips to chest level, keeping the elbows stable during the raise. To increase tension, add another band, or the second foot.

- Perform 3 Sets of 15-25 repetitions (rep range depends on the tightness of band/intensity of the exercise movement)


Standing Side Lateral Raise (Shoulders):

Place the band under one or two feet, holding a handle in each hand. Elevate your hands to your side, stopping at the horizontal/shoulder height position, extending arms mostly straight, but keeping elbows slightly bent and slightly above wrists when you reach horizontal. Don't let the hands be above the elbows. (This form will give you the best shoulder isolation).

- Perform 3 Sets of 15-25 repetitions (rep range depends on the tightness of band/intensity of the exercise movement)


Lying Upper Abdominal Crunches (Core):

On the ground, keep the handles by the temples of your head. To gain the correct resistance from the beginning of the first crunch, you will need to slide away from the point of where the bands were hooked. Keep hands attached to head, elbows in, as you bend your upper body forward, flat feet on ground, knees bent. Bend upper torso just from the rib cage, (the lower back should not elevate), only the shoulder blades leave the ground. Exhale at the top of the contraction; hold for a brief 2 seconds. Repeat. 

- Perform 5 Sets of 20-25 repetitions

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

Best Tips for Mindful Eating: The When and How

The hunger game! We all play it, but how we let it control us is the difference between reaching our goals quickly, or taking a little longer..

When we start to get hungry, it can be too late.  What I mean is that when we start to get hungry, the taste bud cravings kick in and there tends to be more of a submission to sub-par eating that we encounter.  The decision to eat what is readily available: i.e., fast food, higher carbs, more portion leading to more extra calories than normal, etc., can be our body telling us that "to be satisfied, you must not make me get to the stage of being hungry."  Carrying snacks with you in a lunchbox, bringing water, basically preparing the hours of your life that you will be 'without your kitchen', will keep you regimented on your goals and the ability to reach them in the near future.

Here are a few helpful tips I want to share to guide you through how you can think about hunger and how it relates to your daily schedule so that you can succeed!

Wait Till Your Stomach is Empty or Almost Empty

• The first step to mindful eating is to eat only when your stomach is (almost) empty, or when you have a slight sense of hunger. This tends to be about 2-3 hours after the last time you eat something.

Mind Your Environment

When mealtime arrives, it’s important to dedicate all your attention to the food. So:

• Sit down, preferably at a table with a nice arrangement that appeals to you visually.  
• Remove external distractions: no television, phone, tablet or computer.
• If you cannot be completely stable when eating (eating in the car, for example) then try your best to consume the meal in 15 minutes or less.  Don't take 30-45 minutes to eat the meal.  I don't mean you have to inhale your food, but make it the priority to finish in a short amount of time so your metabolism stays elevated.  Avoid a full conversation on the phone, or typing on a keyboard (it takes longer to eat when I type a paper or blog while I am trying to eat; I eat and then type).

Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your body is being fed. So, slow down. Wait until the food enters your stomach before you take the next bite; this will slow the pace of your eating and can prevent heartburn, acid reflux, stomachaches and some intestinal issues. 

More Tips

• Really chew “ about 15-30 times per mouthful.

• Stop eating when you feel about two-thirds full (use this tip only when you have to gauge your food with your eye: i.e.: eating in a restaurant).  Otherwise, your measured portion is your complete meal, so finish; your nutrition plan should be designed for this to happen. This will help you tune in to your body’s satiety signals. Because you’ve been enjoying your food, you’ll start feeling full more quickly.

• Ask yourself why before you eat that second helping: Is it hunger or habit?

Remember, mindful eating takes practice. Your mind will start to wander so you constantly need to pause and refocus.  The practice of mindful eating will help reinforce and remind us how powerful the mind/body connection really is, and that the practice of mindful eating can improve your physical and mental health and overall well-being.  If you are a client of mine, you have heard me speak of the mind/muscle connection within your exercise; now we are applying it to your nutrition.

Make it Happen !! 

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

The Distinct Phases of an Exercise Movement

Did you know there are three phases of an exercise movement?  All three are not just important in helping you exercise, but understanding how to use each one in your workouts is vital to experience the best results and reap the physical benefits. 

Using either one phase alone (isometric) most of the time during your workouts, or using a blend of all three of them gives you variety and changes up the tempo.  Do you ever feel like you experience a few consistent weeks where you just aren't sore like you were in the past?  It could be because the tempo of the workouts needs to change and the use of the exercise phases need to be incorporated.

If you are using the same tempo on the concentric portion of the movement that you are using on the eccentric portion of the movement, then a variety of count could be altered.  There are many varieties of tempo and repetition range.  A constant one second count (concentric) and one second count (eccentric) could be altered with a one second count (concentric) and three second count (eccentric).  

The Three Phases:
- Concentric (Contracting)
- Eccentric (Extracting)
- Isometric (No Movement)

    Resting/Isometric (1)      Concentric/Isometric (2)     Complete Repetition (3)

Using the bicep in the following example, I will describe the three parts to visually help you understand the correct path of each phase:

Concentric :
- Bringing the wrists from by your side to a horizontal plane, or bent at 90º, contracts the bicep muscle (Concentric).  Continuing to raise the wrists to your shoulders will complete a repetition, this leading you to a full concentric movement.  Concentric training is expressed through the use of performing repetitions.

Eccentric (The Movement of Negatives):
- When lowering the wrists back down to your side, you are performing a eccentric movement.  The muscle is returning back to its starting point.  

Isometric (Flexing - Not Moving):
- The isometric movement in a bicep curl is best represented by holding the arm at a 90º angle.  Because the bicep has contracted as the arm bent to obtain this angle of 90º there is a greater resistance and a better result of fatigue than there is when the arm is at your side (and flexing). 

Try using a variety of these phases or exercise tempos in your next workout.  At Surreal Body Solutions, we are always incorporating a variety of these tempos.  To make it unique and special to our client's specific needs, we choose which tempos to use for the different exercises within not only one muscle group, but also the hundreds of muscles in the body.  The body can respond to different tempos, different timing, and different exercise methodologies.  Hopefully with this overview, you can now see the importance of the phases and have begun to imagine how they could apply to your own workouts.  

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Set 'Realistic' Fitness Goals

Why is the word realistic in quotation marks?  

Who defines realistic?  We do.  

Who also defines extraordinary? We will.

  

So, it is safe to also add that it is a reality that to be successful, you need to have realistic expectations in regards to your improvement and performance curve, while setting the standards high by keeping yourself accountable and pushing yourself to the max.  To set realistic goals, some of the challenges are to test your body to limits it can handle while staying motivated.

Think small at first.  Your goals should be a process of taking the next logical step to get fitter each day, every week, and consistent months of the training cycle. Concentrate on the steps you need to take to improve each day, as opposed to focusing on the end goal itself.  Enjoy the process and how it is relating to your current fitness level. You will hopefully then gain not only patience, but a more focused understanding of the individual systems it takes to build your workout volumes.

    

Focus on the process, train consistently, stay healthy, and keep moving forward one day, week and month at a time, and remember to have fun.  

Part of staying motivated is enjoying what you are doing !

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

Personal Training | Nutrition | Supplements | Motivation

Need a Reason to Workout? How About 4: Toxin Release, Stress Release, Tone Muscles, and Anti-Aging

There are always plenty of reasons to ditch your workout and save it for another day...
The Kids are out of school now...
The day was too hard and you are out of energy..
You are too tired..and many other potential reasons.

We’re often too busy or too tired; a cleanse could help; but simply starting to exercise can give you more energy!

While exercise is great for maintaining a healthy body weight, it also does extraordinary things for your skin. In fact, breaking a sweat can improve the overall quality and health of your body’s outer layer.  So, if you still need some reasons to hop on the treadmill, here are a few that may give you the motivation you need:

Releases Toxins
When you’re sweating during a workout and your skin becomes rosy and flushed, you’re actually purging your body of the toxins that clog pores and cause pimples and zits. Contrary to popular belief, your sweat is actually helping your skin more than hurting. According to Sandra Johnson, dermatologist with Johnson Dermatology, physical activity increases both neuronal stimulation and blood flow to the skin. This allows your sweat glands to really do their job and clear out all of the unwanted toxins filling your pores. If you’re still breaking out after a workout, it may be because of tight-fitting clothing, headbands or makeup.

Reduces Stress

Unfortunately, when you’re stressed out, worrying about your skin doesn’t make your stress levels any lower. Undergoing stress causes your body to release cortisol – a stress hormone. Cortisol then triggers glands in your hair follicles to increase the production of sebum, an oil that can block up the follicle, which causes inflammation and acne. Exercise, however, lowers your stress levels and prevents your skin from going through that process. It lowers cortisol levels and even provides you with feel-good endorphins.

Tones muscles

You wouldn’t think that toned muscles and great skin go together, but they do. The more toned your muscles are beneath the skin, the healthier it will feel and look. These muscles give your skin more support, preventing sagging. Working out and getting fit also reduces the appearance of those always-unwelcome and unsightly pockets of fat: cellulite.

Benefits of Massage 

- pain relief

- reduced anxiety and depression

- temporarily reduced blood pressure and heart rate

- improve range of motion in neck, back and knees  and joint flexibility 

- enhances immunity by stimulating lymph flow- the body’s natural defense system

- enhance athletes of any level prepare for and recover from strenuous workouts

- pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation  

- reduce spasms and cramping 

- helps improve the condition of the body’s largest organ, the skin

- promotes tissue regeneration

- reduces post surgery adhesion and swelling

- help to release endorphins-amino acids that work as the body’s natural pain killer

- relieves migraine pain

Exercise brings more oxygen and blood flow to the skin. This increase also carries nutrients that are vital to the health of skin, giving it that natural glow. Your skin also produces more natural oils, which help you look healthy and clean.

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

surrealbody@gmail.com

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

Dr. Mercola and Tony Swain Discuss the Power Plate

Natural health physician and Mercola.com founder, Dr. Joseph Mercola and Tony Swain of Power Plate North America, discuss Power Plate benefits and Acceleration Training

You may or may not remember the Space Race back in the 1960s…But, nearly thirty years later, we discovered that, in their pursuit to win, the Soviets experimented with techniques to help their Cosmonauts stay in space longer.

One of the problems back then with space travel was muscle atrophy – or severe muscle wasting – of astronauts' bodies. This, along with bone loss, typically occurred when astronauts spent extended time in zero-gravity space.  In one aspect, the Soviets won. What they secretly discovered enabled their Cosmonauts to endure an average of 400 days in space at one time while U.S. astronauts lasted only 130 days.

The Soviets had discovered the secret of vibrational training – or the ability to make gravity work for them.  The Soviet's secret spread quickly throughout Europe about how vibrational or Acceleration training could enhance muscle health.  The technology underwent refinements and improvements, and was soon incorporated into overseas Olympic athlete training as well as with professional sports teams.

What this new vibrational training did was increase the force by increasing the acceleration or the force of gravity.  A simple example of how you can benefit from increased G forces is by using a mini trampoline.  A mini trampoline or rebounder subjects your body to gravitational pulls ranging from zero at the top of each bounce to 2 to 3 times the force of gravity at the bottom, depending on how high you jump.  And, unlike jogging on hard surfaces which stresses your ankles and knees, rebounding helps protect against this stress.

- If you struggle with weights – as many people do – I'll bet that you're going to love what accelerated training can do.

- If you don't have the time it takes to get a decent, regular workout at your gym, you're also going to be pleased.

Accelerated training allows you to reap all the benefits of strength training with ease and in just a fraction of the time. Just like the cosmonauts.

How can it possibly do this?

With Acceleration training, your body's muscles contract between 25 and 50 times a second as you make gentle body movements. It's this constant muscle tensioning that increases muscle strength.

And it only takes three 15 minute sessions per week to get you started building lean muscle with accelerated training.  That's only 45 minutes a week!

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

surrealbody@gmail.com

Only 33% of Americans Have an "Active Lifestyle"? ..Read On !!

Are you one of 33% of Americans who have an "active to healthy level" when it comes to sports, fitness and recreation in America?  That was the percent of people the 2013 Participation Report by the Physical Activity Council estimates are doing high calorie-burning activities or going to the gym at least three times a week.

  

So which activities burn the most calories per hour?

1. Cross Country Skiing
2. Biking
3. Running
4. Jump Roping
5. Boxing
6. Canoeing/Rowing
7. Squash
8. Swimming
9. Rock Climbing
10. Soccer/Rugby

How Much Does Intensity Matter?

If you are busy like most people, you might only have an hour a day to get in your exercise.  You probably want to get the most from the exercise you do by engaging in activities that burn the most calories.  

One measurement to look at is the MET (Metabolic Equivalent).  This is the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly. A MET also is defined as oxygen uptake in ml/kg/min with one MET equal to the oxygen cost of sitting quietly, equivalent to 3.5 ml/kg/min.

Take a look at some of the MET values listed athttp://calories-burned.findthedata.org/ that can varydepending on the intensities in running:

• Running 5.5 min mile or 10.9 mph (17.12 MET)
• Running 6 min mile or 10 mph (15.21 MET)
• Running upstairs (14.26 MET)
• Running 6.5 min mile or 9 mph (14.26 MET)
• Running 7.5 min mile or 8 mph (12.85 MET)

The more intense you exercise, the higher your metabolic rate and the more calories you burn; However, watch your heart rate during training; be careful that it does not exceed 70% MAX for longer than 8 minutes, or you will burn more muscle than fat..Running can be ok, if you stop to do burpees or push-ups every 5 minutes (allowing the heart rate to calm down by changing the constant frequency that 'only running long distances' does NOT give you.

Why and How does it burn Muscle?: 

1g of Protein = 4 calories

1g Fat = 9 calories

When your body's heart rate exceeds 70% MAX for too long, it will try to preserve fat (the higher caloric value) by burning muscle you worked so hard to build (the lower caloric value). It saves the high caloric value because the body thinks it "needs to survive". A lot of people do not know this; I teach it to all of my clients so they don't get frustrated with toning, or reaching the goals they are trying to achieve.

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

surrealbody@gmail.com

Better Hydration and pH for an Effective Workout

Keeping your body hydrated is an important part of your fitness routine.  

As you grab that water bottle, fill it with alkaline water.  By drinking alkaline water your body maintains better hydration and pH balance.

Your body can naturally maintain a proper pH balance.  However, during a workout your muscles produce acids - more acids than your body can handle. 

Muscles perform best within a narrow pH range.  As more acids are produced you get muscle fatigue.  When you are drinking alkaline water throughout the day, your body is starting at a better pH balance that extends your effective workout time before muscle fatigue sets in.

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

surrealbody@gmail.com

Workouts for Traveling: Hotel Room

Need a few workout ideas when traveling??
Try a few of these ideas for a quick, high-intensity workout. You will stay in shape and not lose your momentum!!

12 Burpees
12 Push-ups


150 Burpees


50 Crunches
50 Walking lunges (25 each leg)
50 Crunches
50 Walking lunges (25 each leg)
50 Crunches
15 Burpees
50 Crunches


5 Rounds of:
50 Stationary Squats
30 Frog-Hops
15 Pushups


100 Stationary Squats
10 Burpees
200 Push-ups
20 Burpees
100 Stationary Lunges (50 Each Leg)


As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
25 Push-ups
25 Burpees
25 Frog-Hops
25 Toe-Taps



Repeat for 15 minutes:
20 seconds of Push-ups
20 seconds of Crunches
20 seconds of Frog-Hops


As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
25 Frog-Hops
50 Push-ups
75 Stationary Squats


100/75/50/25 reps:
situps
Flutter-Kicks (4 count)
Single Leg Lunges


5 rounds of:
50 Walking Lunges
15 Push-ups

In Health, 

Zeke Samples - IFA, - IDEA

Contributing author for www.FitAphrodite.com

surrealbody@gmail.com

Control Insulin Resistance to Prevent Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's are the most common and most costly health problems in the United States.  What is the worst, is that they are "lifestyle diseases", meaning they often can be prevented through changes in the diet.

Many Americans today, eat diets that throw off the balance of the body because the blood sugar was changed.  One side affect is inflammation.  This factor, along with lack of exercise, underpin the development of many chronic diseases today.

Who knows the Glycemic Index?...YES/NO?

Well, The GI is based on a numerical system that takes a value from Zero to One Hundred (0-100), and allows the individual to see exactly what they are consuming in relation to Fiber content Vs. Sugar content.
Fiber is a Zero on the GI, while Sugar is a One Hundred..
From my knowledge, I can tell you that a piece of white bread is a 71, while a doughnut is a 76!
So, your taste buds notice the difference, but your body digests them equally.

Wheat bread is higher in Fiber, so the glycemic index is lower (around a 55), but there are may categories that can mislead the individual into a confused state of knowing what it best for them and what isn't.

I can help you understad the GI and accomplish your goals using the nutrition as the 'backbone' to your exercise success.  Contact me to learn more.  I have added training via Skype, as well as ability to post to YouTube under a password protected file that only you can see.  From exercise to nutrition, let's meet your goals and aspirations now!!

Happy Monday Evening!

Zeke Samples, IFA, IDEA Certified
Surrealbody@gmail.com

Happy Sunday!! - Prep For Monday!!

Start your morning off right tomorrow!! 

A New Week is Here.

Eat well, Look Fab!!

www.FitAphrodite.com

Tell me How Many Ounces of Something to Eat; What Works for Me??

I have never combined nutritional plans before, but today, I have.  Two clients both work at the same restaurant, are both room mates, eating about the same thing 75% of the time, and so I I decided that it would be a good advantage to them.  The first and biggest wall I had to take in to account before I pursued this was to make sure that they were eating similar amounts.  While one is physically larger than the other, the smaller of the two is more of an ectomorph (hard-gainer), luckily they are workout partners as well and the ectomorph's metabolism is through the roof.  A few of the many reasons I came up with the comfort level of combining the nutrition are that they would know..

1. What each other was doing to help them both stay accountable and motivate each other
2. This will make it easier when it comes to the restaurant and the accessibility to the foods that they have to eat.
3. One gave me a 3 Day Food Log with ‘pieces’ as the description of food. After dining a lot on the same things myself, I can understand and relate to the size of the ‘pieces’.  In the past during my competition phases of hard dieting and micronizing every ounce I consumed, my friends laughed when I could pick up a yam at the grocery store, bounce it once in my hand, and could tell them how much it weighed..  In addition, I know when meats are cooked, the water can be removed from the meat and this will make the meats lighter, so “pre-cooked weight’ is what we want to measure from all the time.  The other (fortunately the ectomorph) gave me 'ounce' measurements in his 3 Day Log; this is great because it is the weight we need to keep track of during the nutritional goal planning.  

Fact: 4oz = +/- 25 grams of protein.  Remember, 1 gram Protein = 4 calories, so 25gx4cal/gram=100 calories of Protein within 4 ounces of meat.  So, when I see 15 ounces of meat consumed, it means you consumed 93.75 grams of protein.  The kidneys will only be able to handle about 40 to 50 grams ‘tops’ of protein per meal.  So this means many things.  The extra protein could have the risk of being stored as fat on the body because it is on overload trying to digest more than the 50 grams.  Note:  Females need to stay between lower numbers; much lower; nearly half no matter what goals they have (build muscle or tone).  Remember ladies, without pharmaceuticals, you will not gain so much muscle that you resemble a man or show a man-like resemblance.  

So, with a lot of education from me that will guide them for the future, a few tweaks to associate the carbohydrates consumed to the meal time, time of day, and what workout they are doing that day, we can make you see the results they want to see very quickly.

- Zeke Samples, IFA, IDEA Certified

Super Foods: Add These to Your Diet to Super-Charge Your Health !!

5 Super Food Duos

Vitamin C and Iron - (Peppers and Artichokes)..

Green Tea with Lemon..

Tomatoes and Avocados..

Dark Chocolate and Apples..

Bananas and Yogurt..

- Zeke Samples