holiday

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.

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 – Valentine’s Day Taste Test & Macros Game

Happy belated Valentine’s Day Addicted to Fitness listeners!

This may be a lesser, borderline manufactured holiday, but it’s still a great opportunity to give you all a holiday themed episode. You’ll be hearing this after Valentine’s Day but the topics discussed are applicable throughout the year.

We start off this week’s episode with the Listeners Talk Back segment. We asked the listeners which 100 rep challenge we should Facebook Live to celebrate getting 100 likes on the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page. The results are in and you all chose……

Push-ups

We will have already completed this challenge by the time you’re reading this but you can head to the ATF Facebook page and watch the video. Feel free to leave us a comment while you’re there.

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We keep our Training Recaps short and sweet this week. Shannon successfully completed a week’s worth of workouts that included a trip to her home yoga studio Bella Prana. She has to complete her workouts before Ella wakes up at 7am, which means she a has to wake up around 5am in order to get a 20-30 min HIIT, spinning or yoga workout in, and still have time to get ready for work. This is quite an accomplishment because Shannon does not enjoy getting out of bed

I on the other hand, am still knocking out personal training sessions at Tampa Strength, Title Boxing and client’s homes. The only other workout related info I have to share is that I inherited Shannon’s Fit Bit Charge 2, which we reviewed in a past episode. This particular fitness tracker is great if you want to track & log health data like heart rate, steps and calorie burn.

After a quick training recap, we jump into our holiday themed taste test. During a recent grocery shopping trip we saw that the diet & weight loss brand Atkins makes a peanut M&M knockoff. Being that peanut M&M’s are one of our favorite candies, we decided to do a blind taste test of the Atkins peanut M&M’s and the real thing.

atkins m&ms

I had already sampled the goods, which is why Shannon participated in the blind taste test to see if she could taste the difference between the two versions of the peanut M&M. You’ll have to listen to find out if Shannon could tell the difference between the real thing and the knock-off, but here’s the nutritional info for both candies if you’re curious

Real Peanut M&M’s

  • 1.75 oz bag contains 13 g fat, 30 g carbs (25 g sugar) and 5 g of protein

Atkins Chocolate Peanut Candies

  • 1.2 oz bag contains 11 g fat, 18 g carbs* (1 g of sugar & 15 g of sugar alcohols) 4 g of protein *also contains a small amount of artificial sweeteners

If you want to learn more about the effect sugar alcohols have on our body, go back and listen to our interview with the CEO of the sugar alcohol producing company, Swerve.

As if a blind taste test of candies you may have given your sweetie wasn’t enough, we also have a holiday edition of the Macros Game on this week’s episode.

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Oysters are often thought of as aphrodisiacs

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Macros Game, it is a nutritional trivia game that requires the contestants to guess the macronutrient (fat, protein or carbohydrate) when given its amount in a serving of a certain food.

This time around we test each other’s nutritional knowledge on foods that are often consider aphrodisiacs, which are foods that claim to increase libido when consumed. We tested each other’s knowledge on oysters, dark chocolate, sweet potatoes,  asparagus and other foods from Organic Authority‘s Top 22 aphrodisiac foods.

Make sure you listen to the podcast to find out if Shannon was able to maintain her winning streak. We also encourage you all to play along and send us your scores. If you get a perfect score we’ll share it on our social channels (FacebookInstagram or Twitter) with a special shout out post.

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You can definitely find that shout out on the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page. While you’re there, please leave us a rating & review, which we’d also appreciate if you could also do in iTunes. It only takes a few minutes and really helps us reach more listeners.

If you forgot to get a Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetie, get them a bag of sustainable super coffee from The Hemp & Coffee Exchange. Head to hempcoffeeexchange.com and use the promo code “ATF” at checkout to get 20% off your order.

Links to this week’s episode:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2&i=1000402930556

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/valentines-day-taste-test

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/valentines-day-taste-test-macros-game

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Predictions on the Biggest Health Trends of 2018

Happy New Year!

We’re sharing our predictions on some of the big health trends for 2018 in this week’s episode.

Before we get into our best guesses at some of the hot buzzwords you’ll be hearing more about, we want to remind you to head over to our podcast Facebook page for some exclusive content. SPOILER ALERT! We posted a Facebook Live taste test of the junk food flavored ONE bars.

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In sharing our training recaps, Shannon reveals that she is still searching for an opportunity to get back into her yoga home studio, Bella Prana. In the meantime, some walks with Ella, and occasionally our spastic dog Jaz, along the Tampa Riverwalk has been a sufficient way to get some activity in there. Fingers crossed she’ll squeeze a ride on the Peleton in before the week is out.

I, on the other hand, was working training clients, which I’ve only really stopped doing on Christmas Day. With some clients still on holiday, it’s been a lighter training week, but new prospective clients are setting up their intro workouts. Hopefully, in the next week, we’ll be adding a few new members to the ETT community.

I also bought myself an early birthday gift and registered for a TRX certification course. TRX is a brand that focuses on suspension training, which uses only bodyweight & gravity as resistance. I’ve introduced every client to TRX and they have loved it because it is low impact, but super challenging, making it good for clients of any fitness level. Needless to say, I’m super stoked to be going to this course.

Let’s get into the 2018 health trend predictions:

  1. Resurgence of Dietary Fat – Low fat and Fat-free diets and products are starting to be seen as a hindrance to proper nutrition. Even recent USDA Dietary Guidelines removed their dietary cholesterol limitations.
  2. Sleep Optimization – Research comes out regularly about the importance of sleep and how the lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, anxiety and a weaker immune system. The entire industry around sleep optimization has become far more prevalent (pillows, mattress, etc). Shannon referred to how many aspects of our culture (technology, stress and pace) is turning us all into “sleep zombies.” Nick dropped a statistic from Chris Kresser’s podcast around 100 million Americans having pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes.
  3. Mindfulness – Living in the moment and being aware of your environment sounds easier than it actually is. However, it’s a rare habit in our country. Teaching children mindfulness is becoming particularly popular as research and organizations are emerging to prove how helpful it can be highly beneficial.  Shannon’s yoga training included a lot of mindfulness training, but both she and I have been working to improve our mindfulness through activities like meditation.
  4. Self-Care – Truly taking and making time for your own development and care (e.g. sitting & reading a book, going for a walk in the woods) and focusing on yourself, is so important. This is especially true for caregivers. People deplete their energy and then sadly think something like a week-long vacation is going to fix it. The reality is that the “vacation method” is similar to cramming for a test the night before – it’s going to fail. Shannon’s go-to self-care practice is yoga or the basic physical activities for early morning  (ritualistic morning practices).

Honorable mention trends – gut health (past ATF episode link) & boutique fitness

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Thanks for listening – Please rate, review and share – Like & follow the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page

Links to this week’s episode:

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/predictions-on-the-biggest-health-trends-of-2018/id1121420986?i=1000398835381&mt=2

Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/predictions-on-the-biggest

Website – http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/predictions-on-the-biggest-health-trends-of-2018

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Addicted to Fitness 2017: A Year in Review

Another year in the books!

For our final episode of 2017, we’re recapping some of our favorite episodes. It was harder than you might think, with more than 40 episodes logged over the year, including taste tests, interviews, reviews and personal updates. But, no worries! We are sharing our top six episodes with ya!

Before we get into the recap though, we give a quick reminder that Nick and Tampa Strength are launching Tampa Fit Moms in January. If you’re a local, you can sign up to get your year of fitness on the right track.

Now, let’s get on with the show!

Whether you’re new to the podcast or a seasoned listener, these are some episodes worth going back and giving a/another listen to.

  1. Cryotherapy (1/9) – One of the coolest experiences! It seems intimidating at first, but we took a group of people to try a cryotherapy experience with fun results. Then we dive into the benefits of this increasingly popular therapy.
  2. The Hemp Coffee Interview (2/20) – Nick and I interview the founders of The Hemp Exchange, do a taste test, and learn all about the incredible health benefits of hemp coffee.
  3. Crutch Foods (3/27) – We continue to reference this episode due to the importance of knowing our crutch foods so that we don’t get stuck in a dietary rut.

Coffee taste test pic

4. Fat & Coffee Taste Test (4/10) – Because we’re such coffee lovers, we had to explore the various fats that can be added to coffee and find out which were our favorites.

5. Mothers Know Best & We’re having a baby! (5/27) – Our largest personal unveiling on the podcast, when we announced our pregnancy.

6. 1776 Marcos Game (7/3) – We test each others’ nutritional knowledge of foods, but with a fun twist, by looking at foods from 1776 (the year of our country’s independence).

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These are our favorites from the year, but let us know what yours are! Head over to our Facebook page for some exclusive content and to share your 2017 highlights.

Hope you had a great year and we look forward to spending 2018 with you!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-2017-a-year-in-review/id1121420986?i=1000398314746&mt=2

Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/addicted-to-fitness-2017-a

Website – http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/addicted-to-fitness-2017-a-year-in-review

Weekend Workout – Nothing like a little Holiday Spirit to Fuel your Fitness

I made this very festive workout video almost 3 years ago when I discovered that a very common holiday activity actually burns calories. According to calorielab.com, one hour or “light” present wrapping can burn approximately 40 calories. Not a ton, but what if you combined it with one of the most effective compound bodyweight exercises, the squat?

The interval workout featured in the video below combines several minutes of body weight squats with several minutes of present wrapping. This workout will allow you to simultaneously finish your necessary wrapping and provide you with the ever important holiday season workout. If you’re as busy as I am during this holiday season, this may be just want St. Nick ordered.

Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level. Connect with us on social media and share pics/videos of you performing this or any weekend workout (FacebookInstagram or Twitter). HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – What’s Up with Coconut Oil & The 1776 Edition of the Macros Game

Nick let me take over the show notes today for our special holiday episode.

First off a couple of special announcements.

We want to thank you all for your nominations for Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2017! Later in the month, voting will start and we’ll most likely need your help once again. For now, mark your calendars and check back on cltampa.com/botb2017 later in July.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in a free fitness consultation from ETTampa, email Nick at elementaltampa@gmail.com. He’s offering up a 30-min phone/Skype call, regardless of location.

Training Recap

While Nick is lifting more at Tampa Strength, he’s also using some new toys. One, called a landmine attachment, is especially great for rotational exercises.

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Landmine attachment image courtesy of amazon.com

I’ve been making some adjustments due to the pregnancy even on the Peloton, since my heart rate spikes up faster these days during training. I’ve also been taking prenatal yoga classes, which teaches you how to move with your body when you’re going through some pretty incredible changes. It’s definitely helped me to see what an important need for prenatal and even beyond (fourth trimester) yoga is and has me thinking it’s an area I might want to take my training.

Now onto the main events.

Many people have been talking about the recent USA Today article, “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy.”

People have been reaching out to Nick for his opinions, which is ironic because it followed a blog post that he published a few weeks before this one was published. The USA Today article reports that the American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommendation is NOT to use coconut oil because it could raise LDL cholesterol which could lead to cardiovascular disease.

Coconut oil is almost entirely saturated fat, which we’ve discussed the beneficial aspects of before on the podcast, but it is still being vilified by certain organizations. Stating that coconut oil doesn’t provide any health benefits is untrue; it’s great for skin, anti-pathogenic and does contain medium chain triglycerides, which are less likely to be stored as fat.

After examining the details, the article’s title is total click-bait because it actually goes on to discuss why you should keep your coconut oil including how coconut oil won’t turn to trans fat like certain vegetable oils, which the AHA recommends you use.

Our recommendation is not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Use coconut oil in moderation and check out some more facts, like those in the TIME article on coconut oil, which is more non-partisan.

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The 1776 Edition of the Macros Game

For anyone that is unfamiliar with the Macros Game, it is a nutritional trivia game that requires the contestants (Nick and I) to guess the macronutrient (fat, protein or carbohydrate) when given its amount in one serving of a specific food.

So, since this comes out in time for Independence day, we’re doing a 1776 edition of the Macros game featuring foods that were popular at that time and are still available today (in some form or another).

You should definitely listen to the full game on the podcast. Some of the food items featured in this edition of the Macros game include:

  • mutton (adult sheep – which particularly grossed me out)
  • oysters
  • scrapple (one of Nick’s fav’s)
  • corn chowder

This Macros game has a shocking result so make sure you listen! Feel free to play along and send us your scores.

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As we wrap it up, here’s a friendly reminder to take advantage of the ETTampa free fitness consultation. If you are looking for a little guidance, whether it be for exercise, nutrition or even accountability, send Nick an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com. We’d also love it if you connect with us on social media (FacebookInstagram or Twitter).

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-up-with-coconut-oil-a-1776-edition-of-the-macros-game/id1121420986?i=1000389464597&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/whats-up-with-coconut-oil-a

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-fourth-of-july-edition-of-the-macros-game

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Our Holiday Gift Guide

Notes by Shannon.

No doubt, all of you put a “new episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast” on your holiday wishlist, but the good news is you don’t have to wait until the 25th to unwrap that particular present!

We have a special Holiday-themed episode which includes Nick and I sharing some of our favorite Christmas memories (the heartwarming and the funny). I’m sure you all can relate to one or the other!

Plus, you will get a sneak peek listen into a future podcast topic this week, as we visited a local cryotherapy center with a group of brave souls from ETT, and quite literally chilled out together.  Nick hosted an interview with the owner and got the group’s reaction post cryo-session, which we’ll be bringing to you after the new year.

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Shannon and I at US Cryo Tampa

If you’re interested in learning more about cryotherapy in the meantime, listen to our past episode which documents Nick’s first-ever experience with this innovative form of therapy.

The second part of our episode goes into our holiday gift guide for the fitness fanatic in your life. Don’t worry, we’re sharing gift ideas that are also perfect last minute finds – no need to fret about an item not shipping in time!

Nick’s gift suggestions:

  • Jump Rope – Inexpensive, easy-to-find and an amazing workout on the road or at home.
  • Resistance bands – Portable and challenging, but simple to use.
  • An Audible membership – Quick and extremely handy for those looking to learn new health info on-the-go.

Shannon’s gift picks:

  • Fabletics Gift Card – Who doesn’t always need new workout clothes, especially stylish ones?
  • Cryo session – Give the gift of recovery!
  • Socks – The best gift you never thought of, but everyone needs, especially for working out.

I share more ideas in a recent post over on my blog.

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Regardless of whether you’re traveling or staying home for the holiday, we’re going to be doing a little extra something special for you – the first ETT Facebook Live! Tune in on the ETT Facebook page on December 26th at 11:00 a.m. EST for a HIIT workout to kick your butt in gear after the holiday weekend.

That’s right! You’ll get a live-stream of Nick and I, plus an awesome workout all in one!

Mark your calendars.

Meanwhile, if you have a topic or interview that you want to hear us discuss in a future podcast,  send us an email – elementaltampa@gmail.com – or give us a shout on our social channels.

Addicted to Fitness is now a 5 star rated podcast in the iTunes store and it’s all thanks to you. We so appreciate all your support and don’t forget to keep the feedback coming either on Facebook or by leaving a review in the iTunes store. Thanks again for listening and have a happy and healthy holiday!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-holiday-fitness-gift-guide/id1121420986?i=1000379106952&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/our-holiday-fitness-gift-guide

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Holiday Eating & Travel Survival Guide

This post coming at ya from Shannon.

Along with the twinkling lights and chipper holiday music, the holidays bring some health challenges for many people – food, drinks, more food, travel and visits, and seemingly less time than normal.

This all adds up to some serious challenges for keeping your health and fitness goals intact. In fact, the urge to throw your hands up and surrender to the over indulgence for the balance of the year is overwhelming tempting.

This week on the Addicted to Fitness podcast, we’re bringing you some proven tips and tricks on how to battle the food and travel obstacles.

We also get chatty about:

  • ETT news including welcoming a new client and our recent group workout recap.
  • Yoga with a Twist at the Epicurean: A meal is donated to a child in need, via Feeding Tampa Bay, for each ticket sold. Yoga hosted by Megan Blizard of the Conscious Coconut, each month.
  • Friends get the Peloton bike.

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Now for those tips.

You’ll have to listen to get all the details (we use these ourselves and have truly put them to the test), but here’s a quick rundown:

  • Enjoy your holiday – Eat like it’s a holiday on the day. Then, get back to it the next day and remember your body can take a day of splurge, just don’t forget to take care of it after indulging.
  • It’s not just about what you eat, it’s also about how much you eat – Tryptophan making you tired is not exactly true, it’s your digestion working hard that’s really slowing you down.
  • Order light when you’re out – Share an entree or appetizer versus going for the full meal.
  • Pack your own snacks  when traveling – Control what you eat on the go and be prepared when your stomach starts rumbling with some healthy snacks.
  • Drink loads of water – Dehydration can lead to illness and fatigue, so be sure you’re traveling with plenty of water.
  • Plan a pre-travel workout – Specifically target this around stretching out your muscles and joints to prepare for being cramped in tight spaces while traveling.
  • Hit it hard after the feast – Once you’ve digested your food and had a good night’s sleep, tackle a kick-butt workout the next day to start burning off the excess from the day before.

Don’t forget to get in that holiday spirit!

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After you listen to this episode, tell us what you think either on Facebook or by leaving a review in the iTunes store. Stay tuned this holiday season as we continue to bring you interesting and helpful health and fitness information each week. Have a topic or interview you want to hear us discuss in a future podcast? Send us an email – elementaltampa@gmail.com – or give us a head’s up on our social channels.

We truly enjoy producing the podcast and hope you enjoy listening. Thanks again for all your support!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-survive-holiday-eating/id1121420986?i=1000378331756&mt=2

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

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/how-to-survive-holiday-eating-travel