wellness

What’s on the Menu – The Fruit that Tells You It’s Summer

We discussed the optimum growing seasons for produce in a recent episode of the Addicted to Fitness podcast (click to listen), but we didn’t discuss which produce best REPRESENTS each season. My “season appropriate produce” list is as follows:

Fall – Pumpkins, squash and other gourds
Winter – Kale and Apples
Spring – Berries and Asparagus
Summer – Corn and Watermelon

I’m OK with people disagreeing with me on most of my choices, but for those who don’t agree that watermelon is the most summer produce there is I say FOR SHAME.

I can’t be the only one who attended summer cookouts where the giant green melon was used for the appetizer, main course and/or dessert. I’m sure if you go back and look at your family photos, they’ll be a picture of you standing next to a sprinkler with a giant wedge of watermelon in your hand. The fruit’s optimum growing season is May through September for PETE’S SAKE. Anything else go on between May and September?

How bout a little thing called summer break.

I rest my case.

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Now that I’ve established the fact the watermelon is THE summer produce, let’s discuss whether or not it’s healthy. One cup of watermelon contains less than one gram (g) of fat & protein and 11 g of carbs, 9 of those grams coming from sugar.

Not terribly uncommon for a sweet fruit, but somewhat of a departure from the items you’d usually see on this weekly blog. The relatively high sugar content translates to a rather high number on the glycemic index (GI), 76. However, unlike its GI, watermelon’s glycemic load (GL) is only 8, which is considered low. In layman’s terms, a serving of watermelon can cause a blood sugar spike but only for a short period of time, which translates to a minimal insulin response (source). With that said, if you are obese or a type 2 diabetic, I’d suggest asking your physician if it’s OK to add watermelon to your diet.

If you are fortunate enough to include watermelon in your diet, expect even more benefits than just its delicious flavor. In addition to a host of important vitamins (A, B6 & C), minerals (copper & magnesium) and amino acids, watermelon contains a significant amount of the phytonutrient lycopene. This carotenoid is not only responsible for giving watermelon its red color, it also provides the fruit’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Recent research also suggests that lycopene can be very important to our cardiovascular and skeletal systems (source). Both of which are super important when you’re 30 something year old going head first down a homemade slip & slide.

I mean it is summer after all.

Watermelon is also one of those fruits that pairs well with a wide variety of other foods. Shannon and I are big fans of watermelon salad with feta cheese and reduced balsamic dressing. If you have any other mouthwatering dishes that feature watermelon, please share them with us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).

Before I wrap up this menu spotlight, I want to give you a friendly reminder about ETTampa’s free fitness consultations. If you are looking for a little guidance, whether it be for exercise, nutrition or even accountability, send me an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – From the Vault: UFC Date Night & How You Like Your Eggs

Every so often, Shannon and I like to share an episode from the earlier version of the podcast known as the ETT Wrap Show. These throwback episodes act not only as an audio time capsule, but also share pertinent health & fitness information with our current audience. This episode from the ETT Wrap Show vault kicks off discussing our upcoming group workout on the Tampa Riverwalk (link).

Outdoor workouts, especially in a safe environment, are extremely beneficial because of the exercise involved and the fact that they get you outside. Remember, vitamin D, which is important to bone density and hormone regulation, is obtained by soaking up a little sun. If you have any parks, green spaces and/or riverwalks in your city, you should definitely think about incorporating them into your fitness routine.

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Locations like the Tampa Riverwalk provide a great opportunity to incorporate outdoor training into your fitness routine

After singing the praises of the Tampa Riverwalk, Shannon and I discuss our experience at our first UFC Live event. I doubt I even have to say this, but the UFC is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. I’m sure most of you probably already know that due to the upcoming boxing match involving the biggest personality in UFC history, Conor McGregor.

We didn’t get to see Conor at the event we attended, but we did see his next potential MMA opponent, Khabib Nurmagomedov (yes that’s his real name). Shannon was especially impressed by Khabib superior takedown skills and his luxurious headwear. Click the link to learn more about this special hat and see a picture of UFC announcer Joe Rogan wearing it.

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Whole eggs, egg white or egg yolks. Which do you prefer?

After recapping the UFC fight, we move onto a discussion about my favorite whole food of all time: EGGS! One whole egg, yolk & whites, contain 5 g of fat, 6 g of protein and no carbs. Essentially the perfect no-carb snack that will keep the pesky hunger hormones leptin and gherlin at bay, IMO. We go on to describe the different nutritional profiles for egg whites and egg yolks on their own. How you like your eggs is a question we know can vary widely from person to person based on which version they believe is the healthiest.

We put the call out to our listeners to tell us what type of eggs they thought were the healthiest. Much to my delight the overwhelming response was the whole egg. I’m pleased by this because it wasn’t too long ago that everyone believed that eating eggs increased the cholesterol in your blood. However, according to a 2015 press release from the Mayo Clinic (link), dietary cholesterol, which whole eggs are high in, does not raise cholesterol in our blood. HOORAY!!

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We hope you all enjoy these throwback episodes as much as our normal episodes. If you do, please let us know by giving us a rating & review in iTunes (link). Also, we’d really, really, REALLY appreciate it if you vote for Addicted to Fitness as the “best local podcast” in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay contest. Voting will be opening in a few weeks so bookmark their website (link) now and check back at the end of July to vote.

To show our appreciation for all the support you give us, I encourage you to take advantage of our current free fitness consultation offer. If you are looking for a little guidance, whether it be for exercise, nutrition or even accountability, send me an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com. Let’s make your fitness a top priority

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-vault-ufc-date-night-how-you-like-your-eggs/id1121420986?i=1000389968387&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/from-the-vault-ufc-date-night

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-ufc-date-night-how-you-like-your-eggs

Weekend Workout – Bringing Back Some Gym Class Memories

You’ll have to break out a few cones for this weekend workout. Incorporating speed drills into your exercise routine can help you improve reaction time, build oxygen capacity, develop fast twitch muscles and strengthen ligaments.

I recommend performing three to five sets of these speed exercises. It’s especially important that you warmup and modify this workout to match your fitness level. Head to the Tampa Strength YouTube channel (link) if you’re looking for additional exercises to add to you weekend workout.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

Weekend Workout (3)

What’s on the Menu – The beneficial aspects of being bitter

I think I can count the number of sugary sodas I’ve consumed over the last 5 years on two hands and still have a few fingers to spare. I’m sorry if you feel that I’m gloating but after recent research suggested that sugar, specifically sucrose, may be more addictive than COCAINE, I’m OK tooting my horn a little bit (source). I’m not trying to alienate any individuals currently addicted to sugar because we’re learning more about how legit that dependency can be.

I get it. Water is boring. Sure, all living things need it to sustain life, but as an animal with approximately 10,000 taste buds, we enjoy our beverages with a twist of flavor. With the information about the detrimental effects of sweetened beverages coming out seemingly on a weekly basis, what options do we have left?

Thankfully, mother nature provided us with such a well know flavor enhancer that restaurants are just giving it away!

Picture courtesy of Shannon’s blog (adashofsparkle.com)

Lemons belong to the citrus genus that include other fruits like grapefruit, oranges and limes. The beneficial aspects of citrus were first documented in the late 1700s when James Lind discovered that they effectively treated scurvy, which is caused by a Vitamin C deficiency. One lemon contains approximately 50% of our daily value (DV) of this important nutrient. Research shows that the symptoms of the common cold, anemia, asthma and ischemic stroke may be significantly reduced by the consumption of foods high in Vitamin C, but the health benefits of this nutrient don’t stop there (source).

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is needed for the creation of numerous bodily structures including bones, muscles, skin, ligaments and more. In order for our bodies to produce collagen, it requires Vitamin C. Being that Vitamin C is an essential nutrient (one we must gather from food or supplementation) consuming foods that are high in it, like lemons, may increase our collagen production. Increased collagen production could increase muscle mass, reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis and minimize skin lines and wrinkles (source).

Let’s recap – consuming more Vitamin C could allow you to gain more muscle, reduce soreness and look younger?! Let’s all go suck on a lemon.

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Ok, maybe I’m being a little bit over zealous. Sure you could eat a lemon to get that precious Vitamin C OR you could add the juice of a lemon (1 oz = 23% DV of Vit C) to salad dressing, fresh fish or that water bottle you carry around all day.

See what I did there? I brought it all back around to how we started this post. If you’re trying to kick that sugary soda habit and plain water isn’t cutting it, add a twist of lemon to your water. Better yet, add an ounce of lemon juice to soda water. You still get your carbonated beverage fix without the damaging sugar.

If you have a recipe that incorporates lemons or lemon juice, please feel free to share it with us. You can send a pic of your tart recipe to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) or you can email it to elementaltampa@gmail.com.

You can also take advantage of the complimentary fitness consultations we’re currently offering by emailing us. Whether you need advice on nutrition or just want workout tips, I’d be happy to set up an appointment with you to discuss how you can improve your fitness.

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Interview with Creator of the MP45 Workout Program, Jaret Grossman

We have a great interview for you all on this week’s episode!

Before we get into a recap of the interview with the creator of the MP45 Workout Program, Jaret Grossman, we have a couple general updates for you.

First of all, as some of you have called out to us, we jumped the gun a tiny bit on asking for votes for Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay contest. The nominations have closed (thank you to everyone who nominated our podcast!), but voting will be opening up at the end of July. Put a note on your calendar now to visit cltampabay.com at the end of the month or just keep listening for more updates.

Visit cltampabay.com later this month to vote for the ATF podcast

Second, if you’re looking for a jumpstart to a new fitness goal, or just want some inspiration to reenergize your current routine, be sure to take advantage of ETTampa’s free fitness consultation and follow up, by emailing Nick at elementaltampa@gmail.com. Thanks to modern technology you don’t need to live in Tampa Bay to participate, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of this offer and start living a healthier life.

Now onto the interview!

This week’s health and fitness professional actually reached out to us about coming on the podcast (we love hearing from listeners and folks in the industry alike). Even though Nick admitted that he was initially worried the interview could end up being just a sales pitch, after he started his research on Jaret Grossman, he truly started getting excited to speak with him about his diverse experience and numerous projects.

Image courtesy of mp45.com

You should listen to the podcast for the full interview, but here are some of the highlights:

Jaret created the MP45 gym system and is co-creator of the popular Muscle Prodigy fitness brand, as well as serving as a motivational speaker, author and inspirational YouTube personality.
He developed a large portion of his work ethic during his time as an elite wrestler (he’s a 3-time collegiate All-American), which taught him about the importance of accountability and how prior preparation can help you achieve the results you want.
Jaret actually created the Muscle Prodigy brand with his childhood friend, wanting it to serve as a resource for anyone, regardless of their fitness level, to learn how to live healthier lives.
MP45 is a 45-day workout plan and meal plan guide that Jaret created based on High-Intensity Stimulation Training. Jaret incorporated the best training practices from multiple exercise disciplines like bodybuilding, powerlifting and athletic training. The training protocol is the same for all groups, but it’s the intensity that varies depending on a person’s starting fitness level and goals.
Jaret is also a YouTube creator. He actually produced one motivational video a day for an entire year!
Another part of Jaret’s busy life is as a life coach/mentor for specific individuals, and he admits to not be a fan of the term “life coach” as it’s hard to tell who is truly genuine. Jaret shared some great advice to keep in mind if you’re ever looking for a good quality coach.
His book Cracking the Code focuses on bringing your life into balance, in all its aspects, which will allow you to live a more fulfilled life.
Find out more about Jaret Grossman by visiting jaretgrossman.com and visit mp45.com to find out more about the MP45 workout program.

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As we wrap-up this week’s episode, Nick talks about why he was so “stoked” to talk to an elite combat sports athlete and we chat a bit about the “cliche′” stigma attached to life coaches. Jaret’s advice on how to tell the good ones definitely helped clear up a few things!

Finally, if you’d like to receive a little guidance with your fitness, don’t wait to email Nick to schedule a free fitness consultation.

We’ll talk to you next week! Don’t be a stranger in the meantime – give us a shout in social or send us a comment.

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-creator-mp45-workout-program-jaret-grossman/id1121420986?i=1000389711920&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/an-interview-with-the-creator

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-the-creator-of-the-mp45-workout-program-jaret-grossman

Weekend Workout – The workout you’ll want to do before you hit the beach

Wanna up the intensity of your workout in a shorter amount of time? Then you need to try a superset. These workout sets involve performing the desired number of repetitions for 3 separate exercises in succession. Below is an example of a core centric superset workout that will get those abs popping before you hit the beach.

I recommend performing five 10 rep supersets of this workout. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level. Head to the Tampa Strength YouTube channel (link) if you’re looking for additional exercises to add to you weekend workout.

Let us know in the comment section below if you completed this or any weekend workout. ENJOY!

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What’s on the Menu – Should we believe the hype?

Kale seems like another one of those foods that has gained a ton of popularity in recent years. I was exposed to it at a young age because my Dad grew it in our garden, but I don’t recall seeing it on restaurant menus or in grocery stores like I do today. After doing a little research, it looks like my assumption isn’t totally unfounded.

Statistics from the Department of Agriculture show that the number of farms that produced kale between 2007 and 2012 increased by 60% (source). Farm to table restaurants, veganism and “food porn” (definition) are just a few trends that surely contributed to kale’s recent popularity, but the cruciferous veggie’s superfood status is what keeps its hype train a rolling.

Kale belongs to the Brassica genus, which includes other nutritious veggies like collard greens, cabbage and turnips. The macronutrient breakdown for kale is pretty unique as far as veggies go. One cup of raw kale contains 7 grams (g) of carbs, 3 g of protein and almost 1 g of fat. May not seem like much but kale’s 3 g of protein is three times more than spinach and 30 times more than iceberg lettuce. Also, the nearly 1 g of fat contains 121 mg of the omega 3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid, which certainly contributes to kale’s ability to improve cardiovascular health (source).

Kale’s effect on cholesterol is extremely interesting to someone like myself who has high LDL cholesterol, which is currently thought of as “bad” cholesterol¹. A 2008 study demonstrated that the daily consumption of kale juice could raise HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering LDL cholesterol. Kale also contains bile acid sequestrants which help lower the amount of total cholesterol in our bodies (source). However, the way you prepare kale can have a major effect on which of its nutrients you end up absorbing.

¹ – Recent research suggest that LDL particle number is more important to predicting heart disease than LDL cholesterol (source)

Both raw and cooked kale contain a significant amount of micro & macronutrients, but the latter appears to allow for better absorption of those nutrients. Not only does steaming kale enhance its cholesterol lowering abilities, it also greatly reduces the oxalic acid contained in the plant. Oxalic acid can bind to important nutrients like calcium and iron rendering them useless to us and lead to kidney stones in certain individuals (source). However, I want to be clear that after researching the potential detrimental effects of eating raw kale, its beneficial aspects still out-weight any possible hazards.

You can see above that one of Shannon and I’s preferred kale preparation methods is a casserole that combines kale with sausage, butternut squash and liberal amount of shredded parmesan. If you’d like the recipe to this mouth-watering dish, feel free to email me at elementaltampa@gmail.com. We could also setup your first FREE fitness consultation. Let ETTampa help you optimize your life by improving your fitness.

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.

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.

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 (Facebook, Instagram 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

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