baby

What’s On The Menu – Peanuts For the Peanut

Last week’s menu spotlight touched on the prevalence of the peanut allergies among children. In an effort to combat the likelihood of our little Ella developing this burdensome allergy, we asked our pediatrician when and how we should introduce her to peanuts.

Shannon and I were already aware that recent research suggest exposing certain children at a younger age to peanut products could reduce the chance of them developing the allergy, but we wanted to get the OK from Ella’s doctor before going off and feeding her spoonfuls of peanut butter. Thankfully at her 6 month check up, the pediatrician told us we could start introducing peanut products at anytime and suggested a specific type of food.

She suggested using Bamba peanut snacks as the peanut introduction vehicle. They only have 4 ingredients, 1 gram of sugar per serving and are composed primarily of peanut paste. They do contain a fair amount of refined grains (corn to be specific) so once we determine if Ella can tolerate peanuts, we’ll most likely start giving her more wholesome  foods that contain the faux nut.

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Tips on Staying Healthy During Holiday Travel

On the road again, I can’t wait to take Addicted to Fitness on the road again.

I’m no Willie Nelson, but I am very excited for this special “on the road” ATF episode. Shannon and I decided to podcast during our recent trip up North to visit my relatives for Easter. Here are the highlights

Listeners Talk Back

ETTampa member and close friend Adrien (@authenticadrien) is showing us tons of love by frequently commenting on ETT (@ettampa) and ATF (@TheATFPodcast) Twitter posts. She loves the fact that we’re always investigating new health trends & stories.

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#fridaymotivation – "The only rock I know that stays steady and the only institution I know that works, is the family." – Lee Iacocca. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of quality time with family last week and it reaffirmed my belief that without them, I’d be nothing. Be grateful to those family members that have helped you become who you are today & congrats on making through another week. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ •⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ #motivation #preparation #dedication #exercise #fitness #supportgroup #inspiration #positiveinfluence #lawsofattraction #friday #family #positivequotes #grateful #Tampa #tampabay #tampafl #tampafitness #seminoleheights #southtampa #healthytampabay #tampapersonaltrainer #Tampastrength #ETTampa

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We also received a comment from Tampa International Airport when we posted the pic of Ella and I (which you can see in the episode pic below) on my personal Facebook page. They apparently thought that Ella was the “cutest luggage” they had ever seen. I’m bias but I have to agree.

Staying Healthy While Traveling

This was Ella’s first plane ride. We know her immune system is still developing, which is why we wiped down all the chairs, arm rests and tray tables with antibacterial wipes. We wanted all her surroundings to be sanitized since she is in a “put everything in her mouth” phase. The good news is that Shannon discovered that her saliva can act as a partial barrier against germs.

I was fighting a head cold while on the trip which, in addition to the dehydration associated with air travel, compelled Shannon and I to drink a giant bottle of water while on the flight. I focused on eating non-inflammatory foods, which included lots of protein, healthy fats and veggies & fruits, for most of the trip. I also doubled down on immune boosting supplements (probiotics & herbs).

Roadie pod

This was a two-part podcast and in the second half we give a wrap up of our first multi-day trip with Ella and admit to indulging in holiday treats. If you did some traveling during the recent holiday weekend, we’d love to hear how your experience went. Drop us a line on the Addicted to Fitness podcast Facebook page.

You should also bookmark our new podcast website, addictedtofitnesspodcast.com, and our sponsors website, hempcoffeeexchange.com. As ATF listeners you can get 20% off The Hemp & Coffee Exchange’s awesome super coffee by simply entering the promo code “ATF” at checkout. Consider it a little thank you gift for the iTunes rating & review that you’ll be giving us in the near future.

Episode Links

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2&i=1000408477144

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/00QQYZorEDayFPTNaOvzvB?si=a50WTU7oQf2RVdw6o4ThOw

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/tips-on-staying-healthy-during

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – How Having A Baby Changes Everything

Hi all! Shannon here.

This week, we’re talking about our own “labor day” recap and how having our baby girl (whom we are madly in love with) has changed everything, including our sleep habits.

We know there are a number of listeners who have been following our pregnancy journey closely, watching when we posted to social media for any sign that we “popped.”

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Without getting into graphic details, here’s a quick recap of our labor story:

Our last doctor appointment was on a Friday and the doctor basically informed us that we were no closer to labor than the previous week’s appointment, but since we were overdue at that point (by three days) it really could happen at any time.

Well, our baby apparently was ease dropping and decided she didn’t want to wait for an induction, because less than two days later, contractions started. I powered through them at home for about 17 hours (they started around 4am on a Sunday) but we finally went to the hospital late that night in the hopes of being admitted (yes, they do frequently send you home if you’re not far enough along).

Thankfully, we got the thumbs up to stay and after another 11 hours of contractions, a number of which were seriously intensified due to a dose of Pitocin, I finally asked for an epidural. It had been a total of 28 hours of labor at that point – it was time. Things happened pretty quickly after that and about four hours later our doctor arrived to give us the go ahead to start pushing. Less than an hour later our little lady made her grand entrance into the world.

Story time with Ella

Some respiratory concerns resulted in a trip to NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), but thankfully, she recovered en route so that she didn’t actually have to be admitted. A couple hours of observation in the nursery later, she arrived to our recovery room healthy and hungry.

As new parents, we were terrified for those two hours, but we knew she was in the best possible hands. Finally getting to hold her and have her in our arms was the best feeling we could imagine though.

Two days at the hospital consisted of all the usual tests, check-ups, visits, baby care lessons, administrative chores, and sleepless hours, but we were still just so grateful and happy. Our baby’s nocturnal habits didn’t match up with hours though and he need to be fed every 2-3 hours was one of the more challenging aspects. We knew it was coming, had been warned in all our books, classes and by all our friends/family, but that doesn’t make it any easier to prep for. Regardless, our exact words on the whole experience were, “We are deliriously exhausted and deliriously happy.”

Sleepy with Ella

Deliriously happy & exhausted

Once we returned home with baby in tow, life continued to change. Likely because we were struggling with sleep, a recent headline on the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Medicine caught our attention, as this year’s went to three Americans for their work on Body Clock Studies.

Their study focused on the health effects that the circadian rhythm has on adult humans who are naturally diurnal (meaning we are wired to be up during daylight hours). The scientists discovered that a protein actually builds up in the body during sleep (at night) and then dissipates during the day, which is concrete evidence that explains how our sleep syncs up with our natural body clocks. The discovery of this protein could lead to future advancements in treatment for chronic conditions that cause or are caused by a misaligned circadian rhythm (that is HUGE!).

At the end of the day (literally), sleep is crucial to your health, so if you’re not getting enough (like us right now) it is really important that you try to get back to that natural sleep rhythm. Until more studies result in a way to counteract or alter the circadian rhythm, we’re all attached to that body clock!

Nick and I will be trying to encourage better sleep habits in our household as soon as we can so that everyone stays healthy. In the meantime, we’ll stumble a bit through our days, but the podcast will keep coming!

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In fact, we are making some big moves regarding the podcast, including a new sponsorship and a discount code for you listeners. Please make sure you share the podcast with a friend and give us a rating and review in iTunes and on our new Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page.

Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) for loads of other updates and to see some proud parent pictures of our baby girl. We try to keep the posts balanced though, so don’t worry – they’re not all baby related.

Until next time, we hope you’re looking after your health and fitness and look forward to bringing you some new info in the next episode!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-having-a-baby-changes-everything/id1121420986?i=1000393567380&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/how-having-a-baby-changes-everything

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – How Nutrition Affects Postpartum Depression

This week’s Addicted to Fitness kicks off with a brand new announcement! I encourage you all to keep emailing me to schedule a free fitness consultation and follow-up, but I also want to let you know that you can train with Elemental Training Tampa from anywhere. Contact me at elementaltampa@gmail.com to learn how you can participate in our online training program.

I start off this week’s training recap discussing the fitness contract I drew up for myself and my clients. Staying accountable to the goals you set for yourself is one of the many steps to achieving them. I believe signing a physical contract that you can see on a regular basis can help you be more accountable. My personal fitness contract stated that I will take at least one jiu-jitsu class a week. If you’re interested in using the fitness contract to reach your own goals, click here to download a .pdf version.

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Free fitness contract; download by clicking link above

Shannon is closing in on the big day, which means the type & amount of exercise she’s capable of doing is becoming more limited. Instead of morning rides on the Peloton cycle, she’s made it a goal to walk approximately 30 mins every morning. This benefits both her, the baby and our a 4 legged child Jaz.

She also discusses her recent experience assisting in prenatal yoga classes in her training recap. Shannon is coming to the end of her yoga teacher training program, and has noticed that most fitness professionals are over-cautious when working with pregnant women. In her current state, she knows that pregnant women love and appreciate a little extra hands on attention.

We stay on the subject of pregnancy for our main discussion on this episode. Shannon bravely admits that she’s worried about the anxiety symptoms associated with the postpartum period. We did a little research to find out why the baby blues occur and discovered that a large contributing factor is a massive shift in hormones.

Prenatal yogi

After her yoga teacher training program, we’ll technically have 2 yogis in our household

From what we read, postpartum symptoms are at their highest 5 days after childbirth and are significantly influenced by a lack of estrogen and the presence of the enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). This enzyme can prevent the brain’s utilization of “feel good” hormones like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.

A recent clinical trial demonstrated that a supplement containing blueberry extract and the amino acids tryptophan & tyrosine had prevented “any depressed mood” in a group of women during their postpartum period (study link). Shannon’s already a fan of blueberries, so we researched the top 10 foods that contain tryptophan and tyrosine. You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear the entirety of both lists, but below is a couple of Shannon’s favorites.

Foods High in Tryptophan – egg white powder, spinach, soy protein isolate & spirulina (link to entire list).

Foods High in Tyrosine – cottage cheese, salmon, turkey & spirulina (link to entire list).

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We hope that this episode helps people understand a little more about what happens to women after childbirth. I also want to reiterate that we BARELY scratched the surface of a very complex issue. If you want or need more information about postpartum depression, PLEASE consult a medical professional.

If you’re looking for feedback about your current fitness plan, you can reach out to me via email and/or social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We’d also really appreciate it if you left us a rating & review in iTunes.

I say it at the end of each episode, and I’ll say it now, you’re feedback help us get better. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-nutrition-affects-postpartum-depression/id1121420986?i=1000391275086&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/how-nutrition-affects

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/how-nutrition-affects-postpartum-depression

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – How being a new dad affects your fitness

This week’s Addicted to Fitness is an on location, interview and throwback episode all in one. I return to the conception site of the podcast, which is also the home of Tyler, my former cohost. Tyler reached out a few weeks ago with a concept for a podcast that related to his new found vocation, fatherhood. He wanted to discuss life after having a kid and how it impacts willpower in terms of nutrition and workout out. Being that I’m about to become a dad, and we’re less than a week away from Father’s Day, I thought this would be a great topic for us to explore on the podcast.

Before we get into the dad centric discussion, I had to recap my week of training with Tyler. I’ve really been putting a lot of effort into doing more hypertrophy (fancy word to build muscle) training in between clients at Tampa Strength. I’d like to think with these workouts and the addition of 500-1000 quality calories a day, I could add 5 lbs of muscle in 8-12 weeks. Tyler got a real kick out of hearing this and quickly accused me of “BULKING BRO!” I’m only a few weeks into the process, but have still yet to see any significant muscle gain and the workouts are starting to take their toll. I’ll keep you updated on my progress as time goes on.

After discussing my workouts, we move the conversation to how Tyler’s new baby boy has affected his fitness. A lack of sleep and free time has drastically reduced Tyler’s ability and desire to workout. However, he is a big fan of Dr. Eric Goodman’s Foundation Training (workout example above) which incorporates a lot of isometric exercises that help participants increase mobility and alleviate common ailments like lower back pain. Tyler mentions how helpful these workouts have been to improving his posture and they take less than 15 minutes a day, which is perfect for a new dad. Unfortunately, Tyler has yet to find a solution to the obstacles fatherhood has created in regards to his nutrition.

Tyler works full-time and when he comes home, he looks forward to spending as much time as possible with his son and wife. This leaves very little time for meal prep and/or cooking, which has resulted in Tyler eating more “ready to eat” foods. He realizes that eating more processed foods can have a negative impact on his fitness, but believes that spending time with his infant son is paramount. I agree and anticipate I’ll be faced with the same predicament in a few months.

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Tyler and I go off on a couple other topics, some fitness related, some not, in this episode. I found it extremely beneficial not only because I’m about to be a dad, but because it allowed me to reiterate the idea that everyone’s fitness is different. Physical limitations, circumstances at home and access to resources can all affect how fit a person can be. It’s important to remember that you need to set a level of fitness that is customized to you, not to the bodybuilder you see on Instagram or the crossfit athlete you see on ESPN. It’s great to use those individuals as motivation, but don’t let them set your level of fitness.

I truly hope that this podcast is a resource you can use to help determine where your level of fit should be. We really want to provide useful health information that allows you to enhance your quality of life by improving your fitness. We’d love to hear your opinion on whether or not we’re achieving that goal or not. Send your feedback to elementaltampa@gmail.com or reach out to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). Your comments and support continues to help us grow and we are extremely grateful. Keep rating, reviewing and sharing the podcast!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-being-a-new-dad-affects-your-fitness/id1121420986?i=1000386428965&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/how-being-a-new-dad-affects-your-fitness-0