Nutrition Challenge

To give a bit of background, Sensei Nick and I have recently been working on several changes, including reworking the rank sheets for the Aikijutsu classes at his school. We are really happy with the results, but I will post about that later. We have also joined a CrossFit gym and we are loving it. I have to say that I really enjoy the CrossFit philosophy and work outs a great deal more then a typical gym workout. I have started referring to my crossfit work outs as "Ninja Training". It's good stuff.

You can find information about CrossFit on the CrossFit Home Page or check out the CrossFit Games, which is a competition whose aim is to find the most fit person on earth.

Starting in April I will be doing a nutrition challenge with my gym. I will be documenting everything and posting my experience along the way. I'm going to be trying out the Paleo Diet, which essentially encourages us to eat like Cave Men. Essentially, if you can hunt it or pick it you can eat it. I highly encourage you to look at the website and look at the research that has been done on this subject. It's pretty interesting compared to a lot of other diet and life style type eating habits I have looked into. Secondly, sometimes you need a nutritional supplement. I have always been on the hunt for good supplements, post work out sources, and such. I like to know what I am putting into my body is good. I recently learned about AdvoCare and I'll be test driving their products during my nutrition challenge. So I can let people know if they work as well as they claim. They do have a pretty good rep as they have an entire scientific and medical board behind them. I'm looking forward to seeing how the nutrition challenge turns out.

I am so ready to continue on my path to 'ninjaness' as it were. I want to be in great shape, I want to eat well, and I want to be healthy.

I have my 'weigh in' on Saturday where I will have my body fat % calculated. The goal is not to lose weight, it is to lose fat and build muscle, so I feel pretty good taking part in the challenge. I get sickened by the dual nature of our culture. The obesity rate is sky rocketing, but at the same time the desire to be skinny and look good drives millions of young people, boys and girls, toward unhealthy dieting and eating disorders. Fit is healthy and sexy, skinny is not. Meat is for the man, Bones are for the dogs. It's a difficult paradigm to overcome and a hard thing to find a balance.

My mother struggled with an eating disorder almost her whole life. I have seen how devastating it can be and how incredibly difficult it can be to overcome. (But, I have to say, my mom has been E.D. free for a few years now and she is looking much better. I'm so proud of her, I know how hard it's been and how much of a struggle it was, but if anyone out there is reading this and struggles with an eating disorder, you are not alone and there is help. You are stronger then you believe you are and you can overcome anything!)

I think that is what drives me so strongly towards becoming a personal trainer and martial arts instructor. I want to help people in the way my trainer and my instructors have helped me. I want to give people the gift of health, confidence and happiness. To help them feel good about themselves, to be genuinely happy with what they see in the mirror every day, to be confident in what they can do, and to achieve a healthy lifestyle. That is my hope and wish. I am working towards making all this happen, getting in super great shape, working hard on obtaining my black belts in Aikijutsu and Karate, and learning what I can about nutrition and supplements. I will make it happen!

More to come. Thank you sincerely for reading. :)

Stressed Out?

Feeling stressed out lately? I am. I'm in the middle of making some huge life changes. Changing jobs, changing states, moving, etc. Half my things are in Colorado, half of them are in Oklahoma, I have no job, and $1200 student loan payment to figure out how to make this month. In addition, Sensei Nick is on the other side of the world for the next 34 days or so. Wooo!

So, in light of all the apprehension and anxiety I've been feeling I wanted to share some facts about stress.

Stress is very bad for you. It is incredibly hard on your body.
Stress effects

• Your Brain: how clearly you think and make decisions as well as how you react emotionally to people and situations. It can also cause headaches and migraines.
• Your Teeth and Mouth: stress can cause you to clench or grind your teeth, which is very bad for them and can lead to TMJ, problems with joints in your jaw, and some studies show gum disease. Stress can also cause canker sores. 
• Your Heart: hormones released into your body when feeling stressed cause your heart to beat faster and blood vessels to constrict, stress has also been linked to high blood pressure, blood clots, and even stroke.
• Your Lungs: people with Asthma or COPD may experience extreme symptoms when stressed
• You Tummy: stress can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach aches, cramps and even ulcers.
• Your Skin: stress can cause break outs including acne, cold sores, and fever blisters. 
• Your Hair: stress can make your hair fall out! Its true. 
• Your Muscles: stress can cause tension to build up in your muscles, especially around the neck, shoulders and back which can lead to all over body pain
• Your Immune System: stress also suppresses the immune system and can cause you to be more susceptible to infections. If you want to avoid getting sick, try to avoid stress.

Well... That's some pretty terrible stuff. As I said, stress is VERY hard on your body. Luckily there are things you can do to cope with stress and avoid some of these icky symptoms. These include:

• SLEEP - be sure to get a good nights rest, 8 hours if you can manage it.
• EAT PROPERLY - most people eat junk when they're stressed out, but by making sure you eat well balanced meals in healthy portion sizes you'll be doing your body a huge favor.
• EXERCISE - this one is huge, most people feel too tired when stressed out to work out, but this is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It helps you burn off some steam and is good for your body. Take a walk/jog/run or head to the gym and pump some iron for half an hour. You may not feel like you have time, but usually when you are stressed and feel that way is when you need to work out the most. Make time and you'll feel much better for doing it.
• PLAN AND PRIORITIZE - planning you schedule, making a to do list, and prioritizing things you need to accomplish can help if you're feeling overwhelmed. Start with some of the small easy stuff and cross these tasks off your list when you are done. This can give you a sense of accomplishment and be a moral booster. You can do it! Don't over-schedule yourself. Also, when setting goals, be sure you are setting SMART goals.
• RELAX and/or MEDITATE - be sure to take some down time. Take a hot bubble bath, lay down in a quiet place and just focus on breathing techniques, meditate, do something that you find enjoyable and non-stressful. Taking a little time to do something for yourself can help you feel rested and restored. It can quiet your mind and give you better focus and more perspective. One thing I think people don't do enough these days is slow down and relax. Sometimes it really is ok to just do nothing.
• TALK IT OUT - talk with friends or family, someone you trust about your anxiety, apprehension, and stress. Sometimes just being able to talk it out helps and you'll feel a lot better after you've just gotten it out of your system. Plus, friends and family also usually form a great support network and can be a great source of encouragement and helpful advice. Avoid negative people or people who are more likely to contribute to your stress. 
• AVOID IF POSSIBLE - finally, avoiding stressful situations (if you can) is the best way to deal with (or not deal with as the case may be) stress and it's side effects. 

So, if you're feeling stressed out, take a walk, eat some fruit and nuts, make a to do list, remember to breathe. Just remember, this too shall pass and you'll be all the stronger for it. Talk to people who are supportive and keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Have a good week all. I believe in you!

Sources: 

Stress Side Effects

Stress Management

A bit more on stress

Do It Till You Vomit!

Ok, not really. No one really wants to work out till they vomit. But I thought I'd make a quick mid week post in lieu of my work out this evening in which I DID almost do it till I vomited!

When you start training, it is pretty normal to feel horrible, out of breath, tired, weak, sick, nauseous, etc. I know the first time I trained with my trainer, I felt like I was going to puke, it was horrible. But, I went back for more! The trick is not to give up, the feeling will eventually go away as you get into better shape.

HOWEVER.

Sometimes, when you're working out really hard, you can push yourself so hard you can feel sick. In my case, it seems every time I do a particular exercise, High Knees, I feel like I'm gonna barf. Feeling exhausted, sore, sweaty, tired, these are all pretty typical when you're working out really hard, at least in my experience.

Pushing yourself till you really can't go anymore is fine, but at the same time be sure to listen to your body. My trainer told me what to do if you get sick today, because I definitely almost hurled!

If you really feel like you're going to hurl, then stop and walk it off. The worst thing you can do if you feel like you're going to barf is sit down because then it settles in your stomach and when you get back up and start to work out again you'll feel even worse.

If you are dizzy or light headed, then you need to sit down and take slow deep breathes. Breath slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. To help control your exhale, you can make your lips into an O shape, kind of like you're puckering up to give a big smooch, and breath out through your lips.

To be honest, I felt pretty silly today, having to stop and walk through a gym full of people into the cardio room to get on a tread mill and walk a little bit because I thought I was going to puke. But my trainer assured me, this happens to a lot of people. She said she's even thrown up before. Do not be embarrassed! You're just pushing yourself to epic awesomeness! But on your way to epic awesome bad ass-ness, take time to take care of your body. No one really WANTS to throw up, so if you really feel like you're gonna puke, go walk for a few minutes till the feeling goes away, it shouldn't take long. If you're dizzy and light headed, sit down for a bit, drink some water and take some deep breaths.

Finally, to help prevent feeling sick, weak and tired during your workout, remember: Consume those complex carbs within an hour before you work out! Between an hour to half an hour before is best. That will help provide you with the energy needed to make it through.

Have a great week, no barfing! ^.~

~Samurai Girl Sahara

Abs in April

The start of a new month!

For anyone, having a strong and stable core is very important. Core muscles include obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes. When you have a strong core, it helps with every activity you do. Here is a list of some of the benefits of a strong core:

1. Strengthening core muscles will improve posture and prevent low muscular back pain.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes old people seem to be hunch-backed? This comes from slouching, looking down a lot (to read, to sew, to type, etc), weakening of the muscles and settling of the joints. If you maintain a strong core and good posture, you won't get a hump back when you age.

2. Helps avoid back injury.
In my case, I have a condition called Spondylolisthesis, where the lowest vertebrae in my back doesn't line up properly. If I do not keep a strong core, I have extreme lower back pain. By having a strong core and good posture, I can alieviate this pain without medication or surgery!

3. Improves physical performance
Every Martial Artist needs a strong core! Power comes from your center! Strength and posture come from our center. By having a strong core it will help every aspect your art, stance, punches, kicks, breathing, etc. Your core ties it all together.

4. Improves balance
Also essential to every Martial Artist is balance. Balance will help you perform techniques better, hold stances longer, and maintain control over your opponents in grappling arts.

So, with all that being said, here are some of my favorite abs exercises, in no particular order. Most of these can be done at home without any equipment. Be sure to to squeeze your abs during each exercise and maintain steady even breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. (How to descriptions courtesy of About.com)

1) Bicycle exercise *considered one of the most effective abs exercises working the rectus abdominus or 'six pack' muscles and the obliques
-Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
-Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
-Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.
-Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
-Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

2)Captain's Chair Leg Raise *requires equipment, also works the six pack and the obliques
-Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
-Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
-Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
-Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

3)Balance Ball Crunches *Targets the six packs
-Lie on the ball, positioning it under the lower back.
-Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
-Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
-As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).
-Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

*An alternate option, one that my trainer showed me which I really like, is to start with the ball under your upper back, do one set of crunches going only a small ways up, target your upper abs, roll the ball down to the middle of your back, doing the second set sitting up further to target your upper and middle abs, then roll the ball down to your lower back doing one set coming all the way to a sitting position, working all the abs, then going back to the middle and back to the upper abs. You will do a total of 5 sets of 10 - 15 crunches, increasing the amount of crunches are you are able. You can rest in between sets of 5 doing a total of 3 or more sets of 5.

4) Verticle Leg Crunch, also Toe Touch Crunch
-Lie on the floor and extend the legs straight up in the air and toes pointed.
-You can place your hands on the floor for support.
-Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet. *You can also reach for your toes
-Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
-Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps

5)Reverse Crunch

-Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head. *to challenge yourself, lay on a bench with your legs straight out, off the edge of the bench.
-Legs straight out, toes pointed, bring them straight up.
-Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling. (Bring your hips straight up, do not bring them back, your legs should not come back towards your head at all.)
-Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
*It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.

6)Plank Position

-Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
-Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
-Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
-Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle.
-Hold for 30, break for 10, hold for 30 more, or do up to 60 seconds straight if you can, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.


Enjoy your sore abs friends! Have a good week.

~ Samurai Girl Sahara