Optimum Bodies Blog

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:

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

Usually when I am at work (which I will be in 6 weeks when my mat leave is up..) my post workout shake is simply some whey protein funnelled into a water bottle.  However while I have access to my kitchen and all the goodies in my cupboards and fridge I have been making some very tasty blender protein shakes.  Here is my recipe for Blueberry Vanilla Pomegranate Protein Shake:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond breeze
• 1 scoop vanilla whey isolate protein
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup crushed ice

Mix all ingredients into a blender and enjoy.

You want to make sure you eat a mix of fast absorbing protein and simple carbs as soon as possible after your workout.  Try to eat within a half hour.

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

Here is an amazing recipe I found yesterday on foodtv.com. I made a few small changes to
the original recipe based on some of the reviews. This is really quick to prepare on a busy
weeknight. It’s definitely a keeper in my recipe binder. This is my version:

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2  1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning
• 4 (6-ounce) pieces halibut fillet, skin removed
• 5 cups steamed spinach
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 packet truvia or 2 teaspoons splenda
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa, for serving

Directions

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer about 5 minutes.

Season the halibut with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish in the pan and gently shake the pan so the fish is coated with the sauce. Cover and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 7 minutes.

Arrange a pile of steamed spinach in the bottom of 4 soup plates. Top with the fish fillets. Stir the cilantro, scallions, truvia or splenda, and lime juice into the sauce and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the fish and serve with rice or quinoa.

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