The Truth about Cellulite

Most of us are familiar with the rippled or dimpled skin on some parts of our bodies...the dreaded cellulite!  Usually it occurs on the legs or butt, especially in women.  So why the heck is it even there?  First of all it is fat storage, but the difference comes with the underlying connective tissue and the overlying skin.  Men tend to have less cellulite because the connective tissue under the fat is actually laid down in a different pattern than women.  Men have more of a mesh pattern creating a smoother surface,  where women's connective tissue is laid down in a parallel fashion.  This parallel arrangement can shift and move creating indents.  Paired with the fact that women tend to have a thinner top layer of skin than men, cellulite is more pronounced.  
So, naturally, the next question is, how do you get rid of it?  Unfortunately, for most people it will never completely go away.  The best way to lessen the appearance of cellulite is diet and exercise (sorry, no magical treatment here).  The less body fat you have the less storage you will have.  Staying hydrated and eating a clean diet is the next best way to fight it.  When you consume clean food and drink like fresh fruits and vegetables, the less water you will retain.  Sugar is a big culprit.  When you consume sugar (which also includes alcohol) your body sees it as a toxin and your cells surround themselves in a water casing for protection.  This is the bloat you feel.  This bloating of your cells also emphasizes the look of cellulite.  Of course there are all those treatments out there that are said to get rid of cellulite or smooth skin.  I've seen everything from lotions to lasers.  The truth is that those are expensive cover ups that don't last or do nothing at all.
So the next time you think about consuming that whole bag of M&Ms, think about what it's going to do to the rest of your body.  What's more important:  that craving or feeling good about yourself in swimsuit?

The Ragnar Relay Experience

I had heard of the Ragnar Relay Series before, but didn't think much about it.  All I knew is that a bunch of crazy people run from Madison to Chicago, which is exactly what it is, but way more fun than I could have imagined.
I was actually asked to do it about a month and a half before the race by a friend and client of mine.  I had been training for a half marathon so I was a good candidate for a fill-in.  There are 12 people per team (although you can have a 6 personal ultra team) that ride in two vans that leap frog though the course.  Each member of the team runs 3 legs of the relay with total mileage being somewhere between 14 and 20 per person.  It all adds up to the 200 miles it takes to get from Madison to Chicago.

The Evening Before the Race:
I arrive at our team dinner where we get together and go over operations for the next two days.  I quickly find out that there is a lot of coordinating that goes into making this race go smoothly.  We have to make sure that each van is equipped with food, drink and supplies as well as proper attire for running at night (yes, you run all day and all night).  You, of course, are responsible for your own running gear, sleeping necessities and other personal items.  There is also coordinating where we will rest.  We where lucky enough to have people willing to let us crash at their houses so we could get a little sleep... if any.  Finally we pack up the van and since I am in van 1, it's off to Madison.  The next day is a 7:30 am start.  We are able to stay at a friends home in Madison to be closer.  At this point, I am mildly uncomfortable.  I only know two of the people I'm with and I'm staying in a strange place.  I was having flashbacks to sleep overs when I was in grade school.  I didn't like them then either.

The Start:
We wake up early and leave in a hurry.  I think I only slept about 4 or 5 hours so I'm already tired.  However, I don't even begin to know what tired its yet.  We get to the starting line and check everyone in and at 7:30 our first runner is off.  The rest of us get in the van and make our way to the next hand off stopping periodically to check on our runner in case she needs water or electrolytes.  This is the way we roll as each runner takes a turn on their first legs.  Now it is my turn, runner number 5.  I'm waiting for the hand off and I'm nervous.  It feel like I was back running relays in high school track.  "People are watching me...what if I can't run fast enough?...what if I get lost?...what if my I.T. bands tighten up and I have to walk?..." and various other dramas run though my head.  I get the hand off and I go.  My legs are leading the way, the rest of me is just coming along for the ride.  My first leg was 6.3 miles and it was going well.  According to my Garmin, I had a half mile to go and someone says to me, "You're almost there.  Just over a mile to go!".  Excuse me!?  According to my watch I'm supposed to be almost done!  Little did I know they added about a mile extra to the course.  My brain was not having it.  That last mile was the hardest one I think I ran the whole race.  It felt like it took me an hour to run that last mile, but I finally passed it off to our last runner.  Runner number 6 hands off to the first runner in van 2 and we are on our first break.  Now I'm stiff and tired.  Sitting in a van directly following a run does nothing for flexibility.  It's now mid-day and we have a few hours to rest while van 2 runs their legs.  I was lucky enough that we were going back to my friends house which is only a few minutes from mine so I could go home and shower in my own shower and sleep in my own bed.  I maybe napped for and hour and grabbed a snack and it was time to run again.

Leg 2:
Our second legs started in the late afternoon and went into the evening.  The weather started out warm, but as the sun went down it got cold.  After your run you don't really have time to change or a place to change so you end up sitting in wet clothes and that can chill you to the bone.  My second leg started about 10 at night and it was dark.  You have to run with a reflective vest, headlamp and blinking light on your back to make you visible to cars and all the vans on the route.   I'm a little more relaxed now and actually excited to run (mostly so I can warm up).  Once a gain I get the hand off and my legs take off.  This one is only 4 miles and I'm on a mission.  It was a beautiful night and as I was coming up on a hill I see a deer walk across the street.  I felt like I was in the middle of the country even though I was running though the suburbs of Milwaukee.  Suddenly a guy ran up on me and asked me if a mountain lion had just walked across the road.  My first thought was where the hell are you from?  Chicago?  but I just told him it was a deer.  He seemed relieved and took off.  I finished that leg with the fastest split I have ever run for 4 miles.  It felt good, but now I really was tired and our break was short.  After we handed off to van 2 again we went to the house we were crashing at, changed into fresh running clothes and maybe slept and hour before we hustled out the door and were on our way to the last leg of our journey.

Side note:  Anyone who runs long distances knows what happens to your digestive system when your body is pushed to extremes.  Add very little sleep and a diet of peanut butter sandwiches and electrolytes and it is recipe for disaster.  Your nauseated, your stomach is cramping and when your body is ready to let go of whatever is in there, it's a train that's not stopping.  Yes, I did run with baby wipes in case of emergency.  Luckily I didn't have to use them!

The Final Leg:
Our first runner started her leg around 2:30 in the morning.  This is when you have to dig deep.  Not only is your system generally messed up, it is definitely not used to running at such strange time of day.     Our third runner got to see the sun come up over the lake and by the time I began my last leg through northern Illinois, it was around 7:30 am.  It was a beautiful day.  It was my last leg and I was ready to be done running.  I was cruising at a pretty good speed even though my body felt like I was barely moving. I was essentially on autopilot.  My last leg was 5.5 miles and I felt every mile...and the pile of dog poop I stepped in.  Finally, I was done and our van's last hand off was made.  Once our last runner handed off to van 2, we were done running but we still had to make it to the finish to come in with the rest of our team.  One of our teammates was gracious enough to let us all shower at her house.  So, shower, eat and off to the finish!

The Finish:
We arrived at the finish just in time after battling the Chicago traffic.  It was like those stories about epic journeys where you think they are in the clear and there ends up being one more battle or one more challenge before they can make it home.  We ran up just as the rest of your team was running down the shoot to the finish.  We made it!  We were tired and sore and we didn't really know what time or day it was, but we made it!  It was a feeling of being part of something special.  Something you wouldn't understand unless you had been thought it.  Our own little war in which we were fighting our bodies and our splits.  It have run plenty of 5ks, a 10k, a few half marathons, and even a 50k, but this was a different high.  Maybe it was the team atmosphere or maybe it was the lack of sleep, but I can't wait to do it again!

Lime Cilantro Shrimp

Ingredients:

2lbs of raw shrimp shelled and deveined
5 cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Cilantro chopped
1 lime
1 bag of broccoli and cauliflower (I used the steam-in-the-bag variety)
Salt and Pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of Quinoa

1) Prepare Quinoa according to instructions
2) In a large pan add oil and when it is warm add shrimp and salt and pepper to taste
3) Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes and add garlic
4) Continue to cook until all the shrimp turn pink  (Be careful not to overcook)
5) Steam veggie mix in the microwave  (Should take about 6 minutes)
6) Remove shrimp from heat and mix in cilantro and squeeze the lime into shrimp mixture
7) Plate a spoonful of Quinoa and top with shrimp mixture
8) Plate veggies and sprinkle whole meal with Parmesan cheese to taste
9) Enjoy!

Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers

This one turned out really yummy.  I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients

2 cans of diced tomatoes (I like to use the one with the chili peppers already in there)
1 cup of chopped yellow onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
3 tsp of chili powder
3 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of oregano
Garlic powder to taste
1 cup of fresh cilantro
1 lb of lean ground turkey
1 yellow zucchini chopped
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced
1 can of black beans
4 bell peppers (I used green)

Directions

1) In a food processor blend diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 of the zucchini, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of cumin, oregano, and 1/2 of the cilantro until smooth.  Pour half of the mixture into the slow cooker and set the other half aside.

2) In a food processor mix 2 tsp of chili powder, 2 tsp of cumin, the rest of the zucchini, 1 clove of garlic, the rest of the onion, and the rest of the cilantro with a 1/2 cup of water until blended.  Transfer this mixture to a bowl and add the turkey and black beans.  Add garlic powder to taste and mix together.  (If you want to make this recipe slightly less "clean" you can add 2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese to the mixture also).

3) Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds  Place the bell peppers in the slow cooker on top of the tomato mixture.

4) Fill each bell pepper to the top with the turkey mixture.  Top each with a slice of jalapeno and pour the rest of the tomato mixture on top of the stuffed peppers.

5) Cover and cook for 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Healthy Comfort Food...Chili Bake!

Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 large green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp salt
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 14.5 oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can black olives, drained and chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 9x13 baking dish with olive oil spray and set aside.

2) Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper and saute for 4 minutes until soft.  Add garlic, turkey and salt and saute until no pink remains in the meat.

3) Drain meat if necessary and add beans, tomatoes, olives, corn, chili powder, cumin, chili pepper and corn meal and stir gently to mix.  Transfer to baking dish.

4) Cover with cheese and bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Makes 8 servings at about 286 Calories per serving.

February Slump

It's February and for many people this is the time of the year they lose motivation.  The second week of the month is traditionally the one where the highest percentage of people give up on their New Years resolutions.  It's cold, there is nothing exciting happening and beer and pizza pretty much sound like the best thing in the whole world.  So how do we stop the winter blahs from killing our motivation?  One thing you can do is switch up your workout.  Take that new class that you have been eyeing up or hire a Personal Trainer (my personal favorite ;)) to mix up your workouts and add new challenges.  Even if you know what you're doing and have been working out forever, a Personal Trainer might have some exercises you haven't found in Fitness Magazine or Men's Health.
Another option is to start making goals for the summer.  Decide to do a 5K, half marathon or a century bike ride.  This will give you something to work toward.  If you sign up for a race in May or early June, you should be starting to train for it now.  You can hire a coach or there are many references online to help you train.  If you have never done a race and want to start with a 5K, the Couch Potato to 5K training program might be perfect for you.  Hal Higdon has some wonderful novice to advance running programs and bicycling.com can help you with a cycling training schedule.
Don't forget to keep a close watch on your nutrition too.  It is easy, especially in the winter, to make heavier and more fattening choices when it's dark and freezing out.  These fattier foods tend to increase our serotonin levels which give us a sense of well-being and happiness.  A way to avoid this is to increase your vitamin D levels since we can't get if from the sun in the winter.  The sun is to far away from us and its rays are too weak to penetrate our skin and produce vitamin D.  Light therapy can also help with this.  Another thing you can do is to bundle up and get outside for a walk.  The fresh air and nature with do you good.  
Remember beach bodies are made in the winter!  Avoid the May panic of putting on a swim suit and stick to your goals.

Grilled Halibut with Avocado and Grapefruit Salsa

Ingredients:
1 lb of halibut
1 avocado
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 of a red bell pepper
cilantro
lemon juice
1 grapefruit
5 scoops of plain Greek yogurt

Combine in a bowl and mix until well blended: 
Avocado cut up and cubed
Jalapeno pepper cut into small pieces removing seeds
1/2 of a Red Bell pepper cut up into small pieces
Grapefruit halved and pieces cut out.  Use as much as you like.  (Mine was a bit mutilated so I think one turned into about half of a grapefruit.)
Cilantro as much or as little as you like
Lemon juice to taste
Greek yogurt

When salsa is done, prepare your halibut.  Season with pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.  Wrap in tin foil and grill for about 8 minutes.

Remove fish from tin foil and top with salsa.

Makes about two meals.

Enjoy!

My New Torture Device

PVC pipe center and pressure point raised foam.  This baby isn't forgiving.  The best thing for getting those knots out of my leg muscles.  It hurts so good!

Cleanse Review

A few people have been wondering exactly what I did, so I am going to give a more detailed description.
First the basics.  The things I did not ingest: dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, salt or any wheat products.
What I did have: fruits (before 2pm), vegetables, egg whites, quinoa (the only grain I allowed myself), and decaffeinated tea.

In the mornings I would get up and have 4 egg whites with spinach or other veggies that I had cooked up the night before.  I would top it with homemade guacamole and salsa.  I would also have a few berries.
For a snack I would have fruits like clementines, kiwi, banana, pineapple or apple.
For lunch, which would usually come after my workout, I would have another 4 egg whites with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and quinoa topped with guacamole.
For an afternoon snack I would usually have tea or cucumber slices.
For dinner I would saute up tofu, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant or other veggies.  I wold try to have dinner before 6pm.  I would have some relaxation tea later in the evening.

Some of the other meals I had for lunch or dinner were a veggie chili I made with no-salt-added tomato sauce and a black bean salad which included avocado, tomato, cilantro, and lemon juice.  I would also have a fresh salad with veggies, tofu and a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

For my workouts, I mixed it up.  I was working out 6 to 7 days a week, which I usually do anyway.  I would also try to burn 500 calories per workout.  I did Bikram yoga twice a week, went for runs twice a week and the other 3 days I would lift weight or do a high intensity cardio workout like tabata.

I hope this helps!

The Cleanse Day 10

It's the final day of my 10 day cleanse.  I got on the scale this morning and to my surprise l had lost 10 1/2 lbs!  I have done other cleanses before, but I have never had such good results.  This made me ask myself two things..."What the hell have I been eating?" and "What is it that is making me fat?".  Lets be honest, it could just be the booze.  I do have a bit of a wine problem, but I was only trying to drink on weekends.  Is it the gluten?  I was gluten free the whole 10 days, which I am planning on sticking with.  My best guess is that I had just been eating too much, not planning my meals and grabbing whatever was around.
Confession time.  Let's just say that I'm not perfect.  I did have a few discrepancies.  First, I was using olive oil to cook most of my veggies.  It made the meals much better.  Most of them were quite yummy.  The last two days I was feeling a bit disoriented.  Yesterday I actually went to my Bikram class at the wrong time on the wrong day.  I was having trouble with time management too.  Something was off and I wasn't ok with it.  I went and purchased some gluten free granola from Whole Foods and went to town on it.  It was a bit of a binge situation, but honestly I felt much better today.  Other than that, I stuck to the plan.
I am very happy with my results.  I am planning on sticking as close to the cleanse diet as I can.  I do plan on adding in lean meats and some complex carbs, but keeping it gluten free. I'm going to try to greatly limit my alcohol intake and dairy as well.  I still have a few more pounds to go until I get to my goal weight.  I will write up a summary of what I ate and the workouts I did during my cleanse soon.
It feels good to have made so much progress!

Pretty Colors

Three different colors of peppers, spinach, tofu, tomatoes and mushrooms....tum!

The Beauty of Yoga

I just wanted to share because I think this is so amazing!

Cleanse Update #2

So, I'm on day 5.  I hopped on the scale today, just to see how I'm doing half way through.  I was down 5 1/2 lbs!  Motivation to keep it up.  It did suck going to the movies and not having popcorn and sitting through a whole Packer game without an adult beverage and snacking on cucumber instead of chips, but it's paying off.  Just 5 more days.  No, I'm not going to go back to eating garbage and I definitely plan on curbing my drinking after this is over.  The whole point of this is to teach yourself to eat healthy again and remember how good it feels to wake up on a Sunday morning without a hangover.  I do feel really good and my skin looks great.  Your body truly is the result of the choices you make!

A Little Lunch

Spinach, eggplant, tofu, mushrooms and quinoa.  Vegetarian and gluten free!

Cleanse Update

Just a little update on how the cleanse is going.  I'm on day 4 and doing ok.  I have plenty of options for  food and meals so I'm not that hungry.  I made a veggie chili with no salt added tomato sauce and tofu.  Not as good as regular chili, but it's filling and tasty enough.  I have also been doing egg whites scrambles with veggies and homemade salsa.  Probably my favorite thing so far.  I miss coffee and wine and meat.  I really miss fish, but I'm holding strong.  My big challenge for the day is going to be no popcorn at the movies.  Sadness.  I will be strong with cucumber slices in hand.

Cleanse Time!

Once again, it's cleanse time!  After all the holiday drinking and eating, I am more than ready to be nice to my body!  I never use pills or fancy packaged cleanses for this.  I go with all natural, clean foods.  This year I am doing 10 days of only fruits, veggies, legumes and egg whites.  Why egg whites?  Because I still work out and want to maintain my muscle mass.  What I'm not going to consume is alcohol, caffeine, meat, grains, dairy and any processed foods or sugar.  The natural sugar in fruit is ok, but I will be only eating it before 2 pm.  Nuts are also out this year because of the higher fat content.  I would love anyone who wants a clean start to join me in this cleanse. You can start any time.  Just pick a day and go for it.  

A few pointers to keep in mind:

1) Workouts are going to be less intense because of the low carbohydrate consumption.

2) You have to be prepared.  Prepare and pack your meals for the day.  Otherwise you will get hungry and then it is much easier to make bad decisions when you are starving.  

3) Eat every two to three hours. You aren't going to be eating the normal amounts of protein  and grains to keep you full for long periods of time.  

4) Drink non-caffeinated tea and plenty of water.  It will keep you from thinking about food so much.

5) Don't give up and don't cheat!  What's the point of going to all the trouble of you're just going to cheat yourself.

6) If you can't do the whole cleanse because of heath issues or other reasons, do as much as you can.  Something is always going to be better than nothing.    

You know you are ready for a change.  Stop waiting for the right time.  Just go for it!