Month: September 2016

What’s on the Menu

This week’s #whatiatewednesday post is meant to help those who’d like to add a little flavor to their food without adding empty calories. It’s true, sauces can sometimes be a stumbling block to healthy eating. Whether it’s preservatives or added sugar, something as simple as store bought tomato sauce can be detrimental to your quest to eat better. That’s why I wanted to highlight a sauce that in my opinion, and according to the label, seems legit. Publix Greenwise’s roasted garlic tomato sauce contains only 4g of sugar per 1/2 cup and has an ingredient list that I could recreate at home if I were so inclined. If you do use it, I’d suggest sticking to the serving size or less and use it to add a little flavor to veggies, not pasta. 

screen-shot-2016-09-27-at-5-17-22-pm

Dairy: I have nipples, can you milk me?

This week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast kicks off with Shannon and I recapping the most recent ETT group workout. We’ve been offering free group workouts since the inception of ETT and have used several different venues with varied experiences. After this month’s group workout, I believed we’ve found our go-to venue. The Tampa Riverwalk is a nearly 3 mile walkway that snakes its way through downtown Tampa. ETT has used it the last few months for our group workouts which consist of a run, stair climb and striking exercises. After hearing feedback from several workout participants, I believe we’ll be hosting our group workouts there from now on.

 

After reminiscing about the workout, Shannon and I dive into the main topic of this week’s episode, DAIRY. The benefits of this food group seem to be frequently contested. Some people claim we’re not evolved enough to digest dairy. Others advocate the consumption of fermented dairy products, like yogurt, is key to maintaining proper gut health. What’s the truth? We discuss our relationship with dairy and review an article from Self magazine that describes several key points about human’s ability to digest dairy products. Sticking with the dairy theme, I go on a rant about a flavored milk product that will certainly make you cringe. I won’t give too much away because I want you to listen to the rant, but I will say that any chance of TruMoo being a sponsor of this podcast in the future is pretty much zero. Sorry I’m not sorry.

img_6660

Check out the nutritional facts of this product

We love sharing the most up to date health and fitness information with you all. Not only do we want to educate ourselves but we also want to educate others in order to reverse some of the unhealthy trends we as humans are currently experiencing. By rating, reviewing or sharing the podcast, you will help us distribute that information to more people. You keep helping us grow and we’ll keep searching for ways to lead healthier lives. Thanks again for your support and stay healthy this week folks!

Links to this week’s podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=ba0d1d6e7f17b650159edae59a92b899

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/dairy-ive-got-nipples-can-you-milk-me

img_6659

Image created with screen grab from “Meet the Parents” trailer

What’s on the Menu

I have to admit that I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s. They don’t always have the widest selection of groceries, but the price of their quality items (organic, grass-fed, etc.) is hard to beat. One of those quality items that I’ve sorta already professed my love for is avocado oil. Yes, if I had to choose between an actual avocado and avocado oil, I’d choose an avocado all day. The actual fruit has way more macro and micronutrients. However, as someone who’s trying to be more fat-fueled opposed to carb-fueled, avocado oil is a healthy addition to my fat sources. The consumption of monounsaturated fats, which this oil is high in, has been linked to lowering the risk for certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes (source). Looks like I’ve found a new salad dressing.

screen-shot-2016-09-20-at-3-38-54-pm

From the Vault: An Interview with Author L.A. Jennings, PhD

This week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast features a great interview I did a few months ago with a fitness & health professional who happens to be a very close friend of Shannon and I. Dr. L.A. Jennings received her PhD in literary studies from the University of Denver in 2013 and has contributed numerous articles to Fightland, a section on vice.com dedicated to combat sports. She is also the author of She’s A Knockout! A History of Women in Fighting Sports which MMA journalist Jack Slack called “The most complete history of women in the fight game that you will find.” In addition to being a fantastic author, L.A. owns a MMA gym called Train. Fight. Win. in Denver, Colorado with her husband Mike. TFW is where I first meant L.A. and I’m proud to say we’ve been good friends every since.

1917195_572479818938_6879036_n

L.A. and I doing some mittwork

In this episode, L.A. and I discuss her book, past and present female fighters and how the image of women in the ring and in the gym has evolved. We also talk about the effect current UFC fighter Cris Cyborg (who is headlining the upcoming UFC card in Brazil) is having on the expansion of the women’s division in the UFC. After hearing this interview, you may be surprised by the role women have played in combat sports throughout history. I know I was.

img_6539

Pic created with image courtesy of LiquidSteelPhotogs

Do yourself a favor and check out all of Dr. LA’s literary pieces (links above) and if you’re in Denver, stop by Train. Fight. Win. for an awesome MMA/fitness class. Interviewing professionals like LA is one of the main reasons I started this podcast. I’m currently lining up our next interview, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, we’re still looking for a few more reviews to get rated on iTunes so do us a solid and give us a review and when you share this episode, tell your friend to do the same. Thanks in advance and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-vault-interview-author/id1121420986?i=1000375468392&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-an-interview-with-author-la-jennings-phd

FU IIFYM

This week’s episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast kicks off with a ton of exciting Elemental Training Tampa news. Shannon and I talk about a pair of diehard ETT personal training clients, the date for our next group training session and recent/future equipment purchases. You may not realize it but if you’re reading this you are a part of the ETT community. First off, THANK YOU and please feel free to check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

In addition to our ETT updates, Shannon and I go in-depth on a crucial vitamin that most Americans are deficit in, Vitamin D. Known to most people as the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D plays a large part in variety of bodily functions including creating strong bones. Thanks to an infographic provided by the great Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Shannon and I let you know about the possible reasons behind the current deficiency statistic, the possible side effects of being deficit and what you can do to avoid this deficiency.

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-5-00-33-am

Image courtesy of foundmyfitness.com

Last but certainly not least, we dive into the topic that spawned the title for this week’s podcast. I heard about the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) diet from friends of the show Vinnie Tortorich and Anna Vocino. They were discussing a Yahoo article that was singing the praises of a diet that lets you eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your prescribed daily macronutrient count. That’s right. IIFYM claims you can eat fast food and still lose weight. We debunk this calorie counting fad diet and give our opinion on the best approach to eating healthy.

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-5-11-38-am

Image courtesy of memecrunch.com

Thanks to you listeners, the podcast recently surpassed 1000 total downloads. I know of other podcasts that would immediately shut down if they had an episode that got only 1000 downloads, but we’re excited about this milestone. Primarily because it means you’re listening and more importantly you’re sharing the podcast. You can’t imagine how much that means to us. We deeply appreciate your support. If you haven’t done so already, please leave us a rating and/or review on your preferred podcast app (an iTunes rating/review would be especially awesome). Thanks again and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fu-iifym/id1121420986?i=1000375192544&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/fu-iifym

What’s on the Menu

This week I have a bite(s) size edition of #whatiatewednesday for you. Snacking healthy can be difficult but with a little forethought, it can be a breeze. There are plenty of great healthy snack options like hard boiled eggs, olives or hard cheeses (if you can handle dairy). Take this snack I pack in my lunch everyday. A small Tupperware of walnuts (heathy fats + protein), raisins (glucose for immediate energy) and dark chocolate (caffeine + theobromine for a coffee like pick me up) is the perfect afternoon health snack. The fish oil supplement in the pic is not required to complete this snack but can be beneficial if you don’t eat enough fatty fish.

FullSizeRender-22

The Return of the Macros Game

In my opinion, we have a lot of silly holidays in the United states, but Labor Day is not one of them. Labor Day is a celebration of the decades of hard work American laborers put forth to make the United States an economic powerhouse. Hopefully you get to enjoy a paid holiday thanks to all that manual labor, and what better way to spend your holiday than listening to a new episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast. NOW THAT’S A SEGUE!

IMG_6157

We kick off this week’s episode talking about the recent weather event we had to deal with. Hurricane Hermine screwed with several ETT personal training sessions, but luckily we were able to complete most of them without incident. We also discussed my new favorite Peloton cycle instructor Jessica King (pictured above) and get into a pair of nauseating smoothie stories. The smoothie stories are especially troubling because one deals with people catching Hepatitis A from contaminated fruit sold at a national smoothie chain. We go into more detail in the episode but if you’re looking for more information about this story check out this news article from the CDC.

IMG_6159

Last but certainly not least, everyone’s favorite nutritional trivia game makes it’s long awaited return to the podcast. That’s right! The Macros Game is back, and we’ve got a special Labor Day edition for you. Shannon quizzes me on the macronutrient content of several Labor Day cookout staples. Make sure you play along at home and send us your scores. In addition to your scores, we would really appreciate you all giving us a rating and/or review on iTunes. Help us spread the good word of fitness and share the podcast with anyone and everyone. We appreciate the support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-return-of-the-macros-game/id1121420986?i=1000374926964&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-return-of-the-macros-game