Optimum Bodies Blog

I found a recipe for low fat zucchini bread the other day – it seemed a bit too bland so I  started playing around with it. My husband and my 2 year old absolutely LOVE this bread.

Though yoga has been around for thousands of years, its popularity exploded in the

early 2000ʼs, and seemed to infiltrate every inch of our popular culture. From bank ads

featuring fancy head-stands, to yoga pants being a staple in every womanʼs wardrobe

(used for practice or not), yoga it seems, is here to stay. With the benefits of yoga

touted by health-care professionals, athletes and your neighbor next door who swore

that the poses cured her chronic back pain – yoga is, for the first time in millennia,

accessible to everyone.

These days, we can choose where to practice, at home, at a local studio, a gym, or

simply follow along with a DVD. While there are merits to each mode of practice (home

= convenient, studio = knowledgeable teachers, gym = you already have a membership,

DVD = economical), if you are a beginner at yoga, or simply want to deepen and

expand your practice, the yoga studio is a wonderful starting point for you. In this three

part newsletter series, we will explore why:

Educated Teachers

Yoga teachers are extremely passionate about their craft. Instructors at a specialized

yoga studio train for a minimum of 200-250 hours to certify before they teach, with most

of them practicing many years before they decide to take their training. This training

prepares instructors to plan a class which is not only effective, but safe. They learn

about contraindications of the many poses, proper alignment, breathing techniques and

safe modifications for those injured or absolute beginners. Additionally, they also learn

about the history and philosophy of yoga.

However, the majority of teachers go above and beyond this initial training, and

continuously upgrade their education and never, ever stop learning.

In a yoga studio setting, it is encouraged that students cultivate a relationship with their

teacher and vice versa. For instance, say a clientʼs who has been coming to yoga

practice for several months, has a nagging shoulder problem that isnʼt going away, it

would be helpful for that student to have a one on one with their teacher at some points.

Chances are, that teacher will be able to help the student with safer modifications for

poses that may be aggravating the shoulder issue – or tell them what poses to avoid.

Perhaps the teacher will suggest trying a different style of class. Unfortunately, this type

of personalized service is something you wont find on a DVD.

During a class, a teacher keeps a constant and watchful eye on their students.

Teachers help with physically aligning their students in an optimal way, so as to avoid

injury or strain. If they think you are working too hard, and need to rest, they will say so.

Conversely, if they think you are strong enough to hold a difficult pose for 3 more

breaths, they will gently encourage you to hang in there. Teachers are trained to temper

the class, in such a way that will help their students in the best way possible.

Our yoga teachers are here to help, if youʼve got a question or concern, feel free to ask

them after your class.

Ingredients:

Made this great smoothie this morning. I was feeling a little spent and foggy this morning and this smoothie definitely did the trick. This is a great start to your morning, especially if you are someone who constantly tired both mentally and physically. It’s such a pick me up it! Forget the caffeine folks. This is way better. And this is from a guy who used to drink 6-8 cups of coffee a day. Ever wonder why everyone is walking around like tired zombies these days yet they all have Starbucks in their hands?

Here the recipe:

It will have a very mild taste. If you like sweet add a tablespoon of organic honey.

1/2 avacado

1 ripe locally grown peach

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut or almond milk

4 ice cubes

2 tablespoons of Udo’s 3/6/9 oil

1/2 teaspoon of sea vegetables.

1 scoop of Protein Powder (I like Original New Zealand Whey – it’s the purest around – no gmo, antibiotics, etc fed to the animals that the protein is produced from). A plant based protein power is fine as well.

Blend for 40 seconds and enjoy. Makes 1 large glass or 2 small servings.

Do you have a clean recipe you want to share? Send it to us at recipes@optimumbodies.com.

Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca

As we know, it is important to keep hydrated – especially before, during and after exercise.  This refreshing recipe brings water to life and helps fight bloating.

Directions & Ingredients

• Fill a jug with water (about 8 cups)
• Thinly slice and peel one medium cucumber
• Thinly slice one medium lemon
• One teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• A few stalks of celery
• 12 spearmint leaves

Combine all ingredients with the water, let the flavors marinate with each other.

The goal is to drink one jug by the end of each day.

I can definitely see this becoming a family favourite at our house. If you haven’t tried bison – this is a great first buffalo recipe for you!

BISON MEATLOAF

1 tablespoon salad oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground buffalo
1 large egg
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (2 slices ezekiel)
1/8 cup milk
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Chili sauce
For topping -
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/4cup Chili sauce

1. In 10″ skillet over medium heat, in hot salad oil, cook celery and onion until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix ground buffalo, egg, bread crumbs, milk, horseradish, salt, chili sauce, and cooked onion mixture. Form into a loaf and place in non stick loaf pan (about 5 x 9). Bake meat loaf 45 minutes.

3. In small bowl, mix mustard and remaining chili sauce. Spread mixture over top of loaf; bake 15 minutes longer.

Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Do you have a clean recipe you want to share? Send it to us at recipes@optimumbodies.com.

Optimum Bodies Personal Training & Wellness Studio
619 Kingston Road West, Ajax ON
905-231-2234
www.optimumbodies.ca

It’s no easy feat to balance life when you are trying to make big changes to yourself. In the past few years I have experienced many different aspects of this firsthand.
In the beginning it is the constant stress and fear of slipping up. This is the stage when you need to count every calorie you consume and weigh every portion of food. This is when you have to avoid all situations that could set you up for failure in any way. It’s like walking a tightrope each time you open your mouth.
Next comes that failure. I think that everyone who has ever made any drastic changes to their weight and life will agree that at some point we all have some level of failure. Mine was Christmas of last year when I gained back 16 lbs of the weight lost. I had just become comfortable with myself and felt like it was OK to stop thinking about it because I had accomplished so much and thought I deserved a reward break.
Then you come to coping and acceptance of your life and the routines you have established over the time. With this you are OK with allowing yourself some freedom to live life without being weighed down with the guilt or without fear of returning to your old patterns. I am at this point now and let me tell you it is a great feeling.
Not everyone in your life is going to understand what you are doing. Some people may actually resent you for it, others will understand it but not fully support it. This is when I am thankful I am at the stage I am. Case in point would be this past weekend with terrific friends but not so terrific food choices. I can now respect that not everyone around me is going to want to eat just egg whites, veggies and chicken and that’s OK. It is also OK to allow myself some indulgences in moderation.
These days I find that I am perceiving food in an entirely different light. When I hear that someone had a snack of a Big Mac my brain thinks about that in a new view. Once I would have been right on board with a quick “snack” like this, then in phase 2 I would have analyzed the food choice and called my friend out on that bad decision. Now I can respect that its not my decision to make and that I should remember that rather than being quick to judge that not so many years ago I would have done the same.
Would I eat a big mac as a snack now? Not a chance.
Would I eat a big mac as a cheat meal? Its quite possible I would do it.
The point is that you have to find a balance in life and put things in perspective. You are not defined by your weight, nor is it the only thing that validates your existence (although at times it feels that way) but when you first make these drastic changes its easy to feel this way. The good news is that with time and persistence you will learn a great deal more about yourself. This weekend I learned that rather than stressing about bacon, eggs and pancakes consumed for breakfast on 2 days I should focus on the positives of my days. I know now that I can get lost in the beauty of green trees and sparkling lake water with a silly grin on my face as I launch into a morning jog. I have learned that I can run and play with my children with unbounded energy and soak in the memories. I am learning a balance between my diet, my exercise and my life and reinventing myself each day at a time.

Taking it one day and one step at a time,

Natasha