Month: February 2017

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Adicto a la aptitud de Mexico

Not only is this the 40th episode of Addicted to Fitness, it is the FIRST international episode of the podcast, which you may have already known if you are fluent in Spanish or curious enough to put the episode’s title into a translator on google. Shannon and I decided our trip to Mexico to attend a friend’s wedding would be an ideal environment to record a podcast. Picturesque scenery, relaxing ocean waves and all inclusive access to resort amenities both healthy and not so healthy.

Shannon and I have been running and gunning since the start of the year and this weekend gave us the opportunity to recharge our batteries. Finding moments of temporary stress relief are important to both your physical and mental health. Another practice that can be beneficial to your health is a 30 day challenge. Whether it be 30 days of progressive pushup repetitions or 30 days without dairy, these periodic challenges can help you develop sustainable healthy habits.  I love doing 30 day challenges, and you’ll hear in this episode that I celebrated the completion of 30+ days without alcohol while on the trip. I did celebrate the completion of my challenge with a drink or two, but I quickly discovered why I started the challenge in the first place. Shannon and I may have made some naughty dietary choices while on our short vacay, but we did participate in an activity that was extremely beneficial to our health.

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If you’re an avid listener of the podcast, I’m sure you’ve heard me mention that I’m a big fan of massage. Well apparently Shannon heard me because she scheduled a surprise couples massage at the resort spa during our stay. Therapeutic massage is not only relaxing it can help you move more efficiently. “Tight” muscles can be painful and can create improper movement patterns that could lead to injury. If you know a qualified massage therapist and can afford regular treatments, I’d recommend doing it. Much like this trip, I think it would be money well spent.

We hope you guys enjoy this week’s international episode. If you do, please let us know by giving us a rating and review in iTunes. We’d also really appreciate it if you shared Addicted to Fitness with a friend. Simply copy one of the links below and paste it to their Facebook page or text it to them. We appreciate the support. ¡Mantente saludable esta semana!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/adicto-a-la-aptitud-de-mexico/id1121420986?i=1000381935294&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/adicto-a-la-aptitud-de-mexico

 

What’s on the Menu – Office Friendly Seafood Snack

I claimed in the title, and on Instagram, that this week’s menu spotlight can be an exception to the “no fish” rule that most office lunchrooms advertise. I make that claim for two reasons: smoked salmon does not have to be warmed up in the microwave to be enjoyed and I’ve never worked in an office before. Which is why you should take my office friendly claim for smoked salmon with certain level of skepticism.

One thing I can tell you with the utmost certainty is that smoked salmon is a FANTASTIC healthy snack food. Two ounces of wild caught sockeye smoked salmon from Trader Joe’s contains 6g of fat, 12g of protein and zero carbs. I always harp on the fact that you should try to eat foods that provide a significant amount of protein and/or fat because they’ll keep you fuller longer, which will prevent you from forging for snacks during the day. Not only does smoked salmon provide both those macronutrients, but the fat contained in smoked salmon is not only healthy, it’s essential.

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This bear knows whats up

Essential nutrients are nutrients that are body is incapable of producing on its own, which means we must obtain them through diet or supplementation. One such essential nutrient that all types of salmon (fresh, smoked, canned, etc.) is high in is omega 3 fatty acids. Research has shown that consuming omega 3 fatty acids on regular basis has been linked to decreased inflammation, lowered blood pressure and improved function of the cells that line your arteries (source). These benefits are uber important since according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the leading cause of death worldwide for last 15 years has been heart disease. Can you see why I’m such a fan?!

Let’s review: Salmon, specifically smoked salmon, doesn’t have a pungent fishy smell, IMO; it contains a significant amount of protein, which will help prevent additional snacking; it contains omega 3 fatty acids, which can help you avoid the #1 leading cause of death worldwide! The only problem I see is that a 4 oz package cost almost $9. But honestly, it’s a fair price to pay for a food that is packed with life saving nutrients.

I can eat it straight from the package but I know lots of people love adding some cream cheese and capers (yes, I purposely left out the bagel). Let us know how you enjoy your smoked salmon. We’d also love know what “nutritional powerhouse” foods you snack on. Leave your feedback in the comment section below and hit us up at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

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Addicted To Fitness Show Notes – A Conversation with the Creators of the Hemp & Coffee Exchange

I go into each podcast with a general outline of what topics I want Shannon and I to address, but we rarely stick to our outline. I’m not complaining because these seemingly scheduled detours lead to great conversations. Which is why it was no surprise to me that this week’s episode of Addicted to Fitness unfolded in a way that I could have never imagined.

We took the podcast on the road this week to meet with the creators of an innovative coffee beverage. Jeremy Denny and Brett Schwencke are the owners/operators of the Hemp & Coffee Exchange, which focuses on providing “sustainable and progressive products to the conscientious consumer by focusing on renewable hemp merchandise and high quality consumables.” Their premier “high quality consumable” is a super coffee that combines the nutritional benefits of hemp hearts or seeds with single origin green coffee beans that they roast themselves. I was first turned on to their product by seeing a bag of it at my local coffee shop. This discovery led Shannon and I to take a trip out to Jeremy’s “Tiny Ranch” for a taste test of their products. What we got was an experience of a lifetime.

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Before we sat down for the podcast, Jeremy showed us around his small estate, introduced us to his four legged friends and demonstrated his affinity to a sustainable lifestyle. After our tour, Shannon and I sat down with Brett and Jeremy and began going over the history of the The Hemp & Coffee exchange. Jeremy’s extensive culinary experience combined with Brett’s knowledge of the hemp industry allowed them to create a unique product that meant both of their ridiculously high standards. Jeremy explained how combining hemp with coffee can provide additional macro and micronutrients not normally found in coffee like omega 3 & 6 fatty acids and fiber. Brett informed us that not only is hemp nutritionally beneficial, but farming it in the United States, where it is currently illegal to mass produce, could help rejuvenate our dwindling agriculture industry. Shannon and I were sold on the nutritional and environmental aspects of the super coffee, but what about the taste?

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The first blend we tasted was a combination of hemp seeds and coffee. Our first immediate reaction was that it tasted very similar to tea. We were both drinking it black and were surprised by how subtle the flavor was. Shannon normally can’t handle black coffee, but she had no problem with this blend. We then tasted the combination of the hemp hearts and coffee. Right away I could tell that I preferred this one. The hemp hearts provided a creamy and nutty flavor similar to that of my non-dairy bulletproof coffee. Interesting enough, Jeremy and Brett stated that their hemp coffee provided the same nutritional benefits, if not more than that of bulletproof coffee. Take that Dave Asprey!

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Jeremy and Brett from the THCexhange

I hope I’ve conveyed the fact that this episode is much more than just a taste test or interview podcast. You really have to listen to the episode to get the full scope of the discussion. Our conversation with Jeremy and Brett was not only educational, it was inspirational. Meeting and speaking with like minded people that are focused on sustainability, whether it be environmentally or nutritionally, is one of the main objectives of the Addicted to Fitness podcast. Do yourself a favor and order a bag of super coffee on the Hemp & Coffee Exchange website, and connect with Jeremy and Brett on their various social channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

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We really hope you enjoy episodes like this. If you do, please let us know. You can send us feedback at elementaltampa@gmail.com or leave us a rating and review in iTunes. We hope you enjoy the podcast as much as we enjoy producing it. Thanks again for your support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/conversation-creators-hemp-coffee-exchange/id1121420986?i=1000381428238&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/a-conversation-with-the-creators-of-the-hemp-coffee-exchange

 

What’s on the Menu – Following KISS

I’ve discovered that following KISS has brought a certain level of ease to my life. Just to clarify I’m not talking about the rock band Kiss. I’m referring to the acronym KISS, which stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid.” I try to apply KISS to all aspects of my life, but one aspect in which I use it the most is my nutrition. I’ve tried my best to convey my predisposition to consuming food & drink that consists of the fewest whole ingredients possible. Which is why it should be no surprise that my preferred protein powder consists of only one ingredient.

The ever expanding selection of protein powders has, in my opinion, reached a ridiculous level. Trying to be educated on the laundry list of ingredients contained in certain protein powders can be even more overwhelming. That’s why I use collagen hydrolysate from Great Lakes when I want to add a little protein to my morning coffee or veggie & fruit smoothie. This brand of collagen hydrolysate is created by the application of heat and/or enzymes to beef collagen from grass fed cows to change its molecular weight. The change in molecular weight is what gives the hydrolysate the ability to dissolve in both hot and cold liquids. Not only does it dissolve in essentially any beverage, it is LEGITIMATELY unflavored. They don’t add any real or artificial sweeteners in an attempt to make your healthy meal replacement drink into a nummy milkshake. Nutritionally speaking, 1 tbsp contains 25 calories, 6g of protein and 0g of both carbs and fat. It is a pure protein that is high in amino acids like glycine, lysine and proline which are essential for the growth of hair, skin, muscle, cartilage and ligament cells (source). Oh and the price? Try about $23 for the can pictured below, which contains about thirty-one 2 tbsp servings. I’ll admit that the health benefits and affordability of this protein supplement are enticing, but it’s the recommendations from health & nutrition professionals I trust that really sold me on it.

I’ve heard nutrition experts like Vinnie Tortorich, Anna Vocino and Dr. Rhonda Patrick recommend Great Lakes collagen hydrolysate many times. I’ve even seen Tim Ferriss feature it in a recent video about his morning routine. I trust these experts and appreciate the fact that this particular protein powder matches my KISS approach to nutrition. Let us know if you practice KISS and which areas of your life you apply it to. Feel free to send us feedback at nick@elementaltampa.com or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – From the Vault: Protein Preferences

I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world, cold beer in my hand. Life is good today. Life is good today

I imagine I’ll be humming along to this Zac Brown tune while you all listening to this week’s podcast. Shannon and I are off to Mexico for a friend’s wedding, but we don’t want to leave you loyal listeners without your weekly dose of health and fitness information. Which is why we reached into the ETT Wrap show vault for a throwback episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast.

Shannon and I start off this classic episode discussing our weekly workouts, group training and ETT’s first team competition, the Mud Endeavor 5k. For those unfamiliar with the Mud Endeavor, its a great obstacle course race based out of West Central Florida. Having already ran this race, I highly recommend it and suggest anyone looking to challenge themselves, consider obstacle course racing. After all the mudrun talk, we get into the real “meat” of the episode.

The remainder of the podcast focuses on the wide variety of protein sources available to meateaters and non-meateaters. Shannon describes her experience as a vegan and lists off her go-to protein sources (legumes, nuts, seeds) along with what type of supplements she had to take in order to get all her essential nutrients (B12 & iron to name a few). We also read off a ton of our listeners favorite protein sources which include peanut butter, yogurt, eggs, cricket flour, red meat and many more. Reeling off our protein preferences leads to an interesting discussion about the importance of gut health, which we will definitely be talking more about in a future episode.

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We’ve got a lot of great podcasts lined up for you all, including next week’s episode which I believe is our best episode to date. You’ll definitely want to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t done so already, and please rate, review and share Addicted to Fitness with anyone and everyone. Thanks again for all the support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to the Addicted to Fitness podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=ff12ecccd3885916e7d604ce5fdecb63

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-protein-preferences-for-vegans-meateaters

What’s on the Menu – Grocery Shopping Prerequisite

We’ve all done it. It’s a mistake that I’m sure grocery stores are happy people make week in and week out. No, I’m not talking about forgetting your reusable grocery bags. I’m talking about going to the grocery store HUNGRY.

We seemed to be focused on grocery shopping this week on elementaltampa.com, and for good reason. The choices you make at the grocery store can have a significant effect on how you look and feel. You may not realize it but those choices can be influenced by the level of hunger you have before you step into the grocery store. In as 2013 study, researchers found that individuals that went grocery shopping while “hungry” were more likely buy high-caloric unhealthy foods (chips, candy, etc.) than those that ate before shopping for groceries. Another study confirmed these findings by documenting individuals that went grocery shopping before dinner time, 4-7pm, buying more unhealthy foods than those people that went shopping after lunch, 1-4pm (source). The “feast or famine” mentality left over from our primitive ancestors may want us to eat everything in sight when we’re hungry, but there are certain steps we can take to prevent us from bringing home a barrel sized container of cheese balls.

Shannon and I have discovered several ways to prevent impulse buys while grocery shopping, but none work as well as eating before you go. A couple of our go to pre-grocery shopping snacks are raw cashews and/or cured meat with cheese. Both snacks are nutritious (cashews: 6g fat, 4g carbs, 2.5g protein per ounce; genoa+provolone: 26 g fat, 21g protein, no carbs per package), shareable, portable and most importantly satiating. I’ve, and some scientific research, found that foods containing a significant amount of protein and/or fat will help you stay fuller longer and hold back that pesky hunger hormone gherlin.

Hopefully you are already practicing this pre-grocery shopping ritual. If so, send us pictures of your pre-grocery shopping snacks. We’re always looking to expand our repertoire.

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – The Macros Game Returns!

I’m giving Shannon the week off from writing the show notes to ensure that she is in tip top shape for our trip to Mexico next weekend. Even though she’s taking a week off from the show notes, it doesn’t mean you won’t get to hear her on the this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast.

We start this week’s episode with a recap of our past week of training. Even though Shannon was feeling a little under the weather, she was able to complete a couple short sessions on our beloved peloton cycle. After our training recap, Shannon discusses her upcoming yoga “immersion” weekend, which is part of her Bella Prana yoga teaching certification program. This certification process will provide Shannon with a whole new skill set and allow her to pursue one of her passions. Shannon discussing pursuing her passion was the perfect segue to my big announcement about Elemental Training Tampa (ETT).

If you’ve listened to the podcast before, I’m sure you’ve heard me mention that providing personal training through ETT is where my passion lies. However, I haven’t had the opportunity to make ETT my full time vocation, until now. I’m proud to announce that starting in March, ETT will be a full time health & fitness operation. We have been invited by the Tampa Strength Academy to operate our training system at their new location in South Tampa. When I started ETT back in 2014, I always wondered if I’d be able to go full time into fitness. Now that the opportunity has actually presented itself, I almost can’t believe it. I’ll be writing another post about the entire process of deciding to take ETT full time, but needless to say, I couldn’t be happier.  As if that announcement wasn’t enough, we’ve got a brand new edition of the MACROS GAME!

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For anyone that is unfamiliar with the Macros Game, it is a nutritional trivia game that requires contestants to guess the macronutrient (fat, protein or carbohydrate) when given its amount in grams contained in 1 serving of a specific food. It may sound complicated, but once you hear it in the episode, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. We’ve done holiday editions in the past, but this week we grab nutritional info from food items we picked up on a recent trip to the grocery store. We would love you all to play along at home and let us know if you have more nutrition knowledge than Shannon or I.

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When you all send your scores for this week’s Macros Game, we’d love it if you’d provide us any feedback on the podcast. Better yet, head to the iTunes store, and give us a rating and review. I say it every week because its true. Your feedback helps us create a better product. Thanks again for all the support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grocery-shopping-edition-macros/id1121420986?i=1000380846108&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/grocery-shopping-edition-of-the-macros-game

 

What’s on the Menu – Cauliflower: The Veggie Drawer’s Utility Player

If you all are anything like me, you knew when your mom or dad was cooking cauliflower for dinner. Hell, you could probably smell it before you even walked in the house. In today’s post, we’re going to go over several reasons why you should eat cauliflower, but I get why kids don’t exactly go crazy when they see it on the dinner table. The smell, the stark white appearance and the overall bland flavor would turn off any 8 year old. The beauty of this “blank canvas” of a veggie is in its versatility and the fact that it is a nutritional “powerhouse“.

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Cauliflower belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes other highly nutritious veggies like kale, broccoli and turnips. One cup of cauliflower contains 5g of carbs with over half of those carbs coming from fiber. The phytonutrients contained in cauliflower include a significant amount of Vitamin C, K and folate. It also contains an organic compound known as glucosinolates, which when broken down during the cooking process produces cauliflower’s less than appetizing smell, but also produces several other compounds that have been found to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects (source).

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You know me, I’ll sacrifice taste for a nutritional payoff (e.g. sardines). Luckily, cauliflower is so adaptable that you can use it to make some of your favorite carby side dishes. Instead of white rice, try riced cauliflower (pictured above). Instead of tater tots, try cauliflower tots. Instead of a wheat based pizza crust, try a cauliflower pizza crust. Yes that’s a real thing! Former guest of the Addicted to Fitness podcast Anna Vocino has an awesome cauliflower pizza crust recipe on here website. Give her recipe a shot and let me know how it comes out. We’d love to see pictures of how you dress up your cauliflower.