http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10785220

This saddens me, not just because this is my daughters’ school, but because as a fitness coach, I know how important it is for children to have a PE program. As part of the Team Beachbody family, our goal is to end the trend of obesity, and I believe this includes childhood obesity.

Currently our children at Acacia get two sessions of PE each week, lasting about 40 minutes each. They have an educated PE instructor and instructional aide to manage the 90+ students in each grade level. While the students are at PE, their classroom teacher is getting much needed time to collaborate with the other teachers of their grade level to work on plans for educational instruction. If there is no PE teacher on campus, classroom teachers are forced to provide PE instruction for their class, which may result in less creative and less affective forms of physical movement. I’m not discounting the competency of classroom teachers in teaching PE, but someone whose daily job is to teach PE, and only PE, is going to provide a more exceptional fitness program.

In a last attempt to raise money for the Acacia Elementary School Foundation to try to save our PE program for next year, I will be holding a fundraiser throughout the month of February. Please consider helping to end the trend of obesity for children and yourself today!

Click here for more information!

When you wake up to a healthy breakfast, you are telling your metabolism that it is time to wake up and get to work. I know you’ve heard it before, but its good to be reminded, eat your breakfast!

Now what do you eat?

Its a good idea to have some protein in your breakfast. Protein will help you to feel full until your next meal, and it will help to give you the energy you need to get your morning work done. Here are some fast, healthy breakfast ideas:

1. Grapefruit with Greek Yogurt: This combo gives you healthy doses of vitamin C, lycopene (an antioxidant with anticancer benefits), and probiotics – good bacteria that aid in digestion and may boost your immunity. (As suggested by Dr. Oz in the January 2012 issue of The Oprah Magazine).

2. Cantaloupe drizzled with honey and low fat strawberry yogurt.

3. Cottage cheese and pineapple.

4. And then of course, my favorite, quick, easy, healthy, delicious breakfast – Shakeology! Shakeology can help you: Lose Weight, Feel Energized, Improve Digestion and Regularity, and Lower Cholesterol. It has all of the vitamins, nutrients and protein you need to be healthy. Visit www.shakeology.com/ocfitcoach to learn more.

I am not an athlete, never liked sports, so for me to go jumping around to get all sweaty is a real stretch for me. But I know its good for me, for my endurance, my heart, and my energy. So I push through it, I “do my best and forget the rest!”

Overall I go at my own pace, do as many reps as I can within the time they are doing theirs.

Here is how I modify some of the moves in Plyocide from P90X2:

Killer Katherine Lunge – I do a step back into the lunge with a little hop in between. I do hold the medicine ball and cross it in front of my body.

Jack In The Box Knee Tuck – I am able to do this at my own pace, jumping as high as I can. This week I was able to do 10 of these, which is an improvement, as I could only do 8 last week!

Spartan Squat Lunge – Again, I take my time and go at my own pace and was able to do 8 on each side this week.

Super Skater Kick – I was able to do 10 on each side, slow and steady.

Depth Charge – We do not have a fancy step, could probably use one of our kids step stools, but we always forget and don’t want to go get it in the middle of the workout. So I just take a step on the ground and jump up.

Frog Burpee Hop – I step one leg out and then the other into a plank and then step one foot at a time back to my hands. I could probably then do a little frog hop, but today I was tired at this point, so I just raised my hands up to the ceiling and then went back into the step burpee. I did 5 of these.

360 Tap – Since I know I won’t be hopping around the ball like the others on this one, I make it a point to really engage my core as I step tap my toe on the medicine ball.

Set Sprint Plank Plyo Jump – Yeah, this one is a little extreme for me right now. Someday, I’ll be there, but for now I just run (sprint) in place and watch in amazement at how fast they can get up and down and get up off the ground in the plyo pushup, wow!

That’s all for now, I would love to hear your comments on how you are doing with P90X2!

On www.doctoroz.com there is a recipe that includes all of these ingredients, which is called the Heart Healthy Power Dish. Here is that recipe as well as other recipes with most of these ingredients from ChaLEAN Extreme and P90X2 food and nutrition guides.

Heart Healthy Power Dish

Ingredients
Makes 2 servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups diced tomatoes (about 4 medium plum tomatoes)
3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable juice
2 cups frozen lima beans (1 frozen packet)
1 (10 oz) skinless salmon filet, cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 lemon

Directions 

In a medium-large saucepan, warm the olive oil and briefly cook the pepper flakes and garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the vegetable juice and lima beans and simmer, stirring occasionally for 7 to 8 minutes. Place the salmon pieces over the veggie mix, salt and pepper lightly, cover the pan and let it all steam on a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes – depending on how well done you like your salmon.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the dill, drizzle with a little lemon and serve.

Recipe created especially for The Dr. Oz Show by food stylist, Ulli Stachl.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/heart-healthy-power-dish

Cherry Tomato Salmon

Ingredients

6 – 8 oz. salmon filet
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tbsp chopped thyme
1/2 tbsp chopped rosemary
2 cups kale, cleaned and torn
sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil

Preparation

Place salmon filet in a baking dish, and season with lemon pepper, thyme, and fresh lemon juice. Top with cherry tomatoes. Bake at 325 degrees until done, about 20 mintues. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet coated with olive oil over medium heat; add kale leaves and season with sea salt and pepper. Simmer until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipe from Fat Burning Food Guide as part of the ChaLEAN Extreme program.

Broiled Lemon-Basil Salmon

Ingredients

1 tsbp olive oil
2 4-oz. salmon fillets
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 fresh lemon (half for juice, half sliced)

Directions

1. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with olive oil.
2. Place salmon fillets skin side down on foil and brush with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle salmon with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and 1/2 of basil.
4. Squeeze juice from lemon half over salmon filets.
5. Cover, place in refrigerator, and marinate for at least 1 hour.
6. Position oven rack 3 to 4 inches from heat source and preheat broiler.
7. Broil salmon until opaque in the center, about 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Transfer salmon to warm plate. Garnish with lemon slices and remainder of basil.

[You can serve with a side of lima beans]

Recipe from P90X2 Nutrition Guide.

Why dark chocolate? Here are some health benefits…

Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and has been known to lower high blood pressure; and new research indicates it may also help you see more clearly.

The epicatechins (antioxidant) of cocoa is known for its fat-burning ability, and cocoa increases insulin sensitvity and helps to keep the balance in the amount of sugar maintained in your body, thereby preventing the sugar from converting into fat.

If you are an emotional eater, having some dark chocolate will help with uplifting your mood, which can prevent you from overeating.

And if you are looking for an increase in energy, theobromine, found in abundance in cocoa, can help with that as well as weight loss.

Now, please don’t take the veggies off your plate and replace them with a dark chocolate bar, I’m sure you can find one unhealthy thing to replace with a little dark chocolate. Moderation, balance and quality dark chocolate is key.

Data collected from WebMD, January 2012 issue of The Oprah Magazine, and http://www.darkchocolatehealthbenefits.org/

The first thing is that I didn’t worry about how fast everyone on the screen was going. I went at my own pace, and just did as many reps as I could. Here are specific modifications I did for particular moves:

Half Angel: I stayed on a bent lower leg, and was able to do 7 reps on each side.

3 Speed Med Ball Push-Up: I did wide push-ups on my knees, and stepped my hands to the center and then out between each push-up. I was able to do 7 of these.

Core Circle: I did not do circles, I just held the straight position for as long as I could.

Holmsen Screamer Lunge: I did not go fast, I just kept at my own pace and did 10 reps on each side.

Med Ball Dreya Roll: I held my 8lb med ball, but I am unable to get up out of the roll like they do, so I got up by getting on my knee. The key here is to keep your core engaged. I was able to do 4 reps.

Plank Burpee on Stability Ball: I did not use the stability ball for this one. I did a basic burpee on the floor, stepping out and in instead of jumping, alternating my lead foot. I did 4 of these.

Banana Ball Switch Crunch: I was able to pass the stability ball by bringing my feet closer to my hands. I was able to do 3 reps.

At this point I had to push pause and catch my breath!

Slo-Mo Balance Climber: I did not use the stability ball. I did a plank on the ground and brought my knee up to my elbow as much as I could.

X2 Diver: I was able to do 3 of the moves that Barbie was doing to modify.

Ryan Sphinx Twist Crunch: I was able to twist my arm under, but instead of lifting the leg and touching the foot, I kept both feet on the ground and reached my arm up to the ceiling. I was able to  do 5 reps on each side.

One Leg Med Ball Burpee: Again I did basic step-out burpees on the floor.

As I work through the program, I look forward to reporting on how I’ve progressed and maybe can even do some of these moves full out!

I hope that this helps someone that may have a lot of weight to lose, and/or is scared that P90X2 is too much or too advanced for them.

I would love to hear from you!

Green tea leaves contain the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called catechins. Due to their potent antioxidant capabilities, drinking green tea is being studied to be associated with a lower risk for some cancers and diseases. Other research suggests that having multiple cups daily can lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Green tea contains caffeine and Epigallocatechine which can increase fat metabolism and lower the appetite.

My favorite green tea is Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life. Comment below and share your favorite green tea.

And good news to Shakeology drinkers! Green tea extract is included in your daily shake, with the caffeine taken out.

Data collected from The O Magazine, January 2012 and http://greenteaweightlossfacts.com/ which both did additional research.

May health, happiness and joy fill your Christmas celebrations!

Your accountability and support coach,
Christy Carter