Why You Should Skip the Gym For a Better Workout

2 Comments May 19, 2015 ssbanisadr

It’s no wonder you don’t feel like going to the gym. Being crammed in a building with fluorescent lights and a bunch of sweaty strangers breathing heavily next to you is not my idea of a good time, either. Although I keep my gym membership year around, I’m able to be consistent about my workouts because 80% of the time, I lace up my sneakers and go outside, skipping the gym. I look forward to the fresh air, the sounds of nature and the freedom to move about.

There has always been something more inspiring to me about running a trail or even walking at the park or in my neighborhood than getting on an elliptical machine or a treadmill. Maybe you’re the same?

Here are 4 reasons why heading outside for your workouts is better than running that hamster wheel at your local gym:

1.  You get a better workout—when you’re outside, there are natural gradient changes in the road that boost your calorie burning power. Also, you don’t have the option to end your workout at anytime by pressing a button.
2. The air is better—as long as you’re not running alongside a busy road and breathing in car exhaust, the fresh air outside is much better than what you will find in a gym. Airborne germs from other people, dust and chemical laden cleaning products are all lurking at your gym.
3. You can tune in—to the changing of the seasons, the feel of the air on your skin and the sounds of nature. We spend so much of our lives indoors that we can lose touch with the natural rhythms of nature.
4. You have more freedom—to choose your route, to sing at the top of your lungs, and to never wait again! We all know one of the biggest drags at the gym is when you’ve gotten yourself there and have to stand in line to get on the treadmill.

Now, I’m not saying its a good idea to ditch your gym membership altogether. The gym is still necessary for weight training, classes and those times when it’s too cold or dark to head outside for your run.

At the same time, choosing to head outside for your next cardio workout may just give you the inspiration and the type of experience you’ll want to have again and again. And with any good workout routine, it only works if you feel compelled to stick with it.

Do you have a reason that you prefer exercising outdoors instead of at the gym? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Real Benefits of Meditating and Why We Should Be Doing More

Leave a comment May 14, 2015 ssbanisadr

Meditation is one of those practices that, like flossing, we know we should be doing but rarely are. Terms like “mindfulness” have become so mainstream now with meditators gracing the cover of Time magazine and huge corporations like Google offering courses to their employees so they can learn how to meditate. And all for good reason, there is plenty of research being done at major universities showing why meditation is good for your mind, your health and your life.

So why are we so reluctant to take the time to sit on a mat and just close our eyes for 20 minutes? Is it the mental racket that will inevitably ensue each time we slow down? Or maybe we just don’t have time. It seems like one more thing to do each day and there just simply is no space for it. I’ve heard all the excuses and cycled through them myself.

My meditation practice had been on and off for some time until 2012 when I decided to start a daily meditation practice to see if it had any real benefits. As you know, we don’t ever do something just to do it, we want results! And 10 minutes everyday of putting my butt on my cushion, turning my phone on silent and going inward have had some noticeable results:

1.  Feeling less stressed—meditation is a proven method to reduce stress from the body and mind. It removes physical tension and mental anxiety. Starting my day with meditation helps me to have a more calm stance when situations that are not so Zen come up. I can approach them and deal with them from a calm and relaxed state.
2. Having better health—mediation strengthens the mind/body connection prompting us to make better choices when it comes to what we choose to put in our mouths. It also allows us to tune in to the signs that our body gives us when we are getting sick or when we’ve over exerted ourselves. As a bonus, meditation also normalizes our blood pressure and strengthens our immune system.
3. Having more energy—people who have stuck to their meditation practice long term were found to have reduced signs of biological aging and higher energy levels than non meditators. They also had faster reaction times, a stronger immune system and significantly better eyesight and hearing. I have definitely found meditation to be more energizing.
4. Being better at work—the concentration that is necessary to keep your attention inward during meditation has noticeable effects on the brain contributing to neuroplasticity and increasing gray matter in the cortex of the brain. This results in the ability to focus and think more clearly. After my morning meditation practice, I’m able to prioritize my day and keep my focus on the things that really matter instead of constantly feeling distracted and pulled in different directions.
5. Honing in to your intuition—meditation quiets the incessant flow of thought and activity and allows us to access our intuition, which is always there but oftentimes ignored. Since meditating, when my intuition whispers something to me, my mind is quiet enough so that I can listen.

As a reminder–yoga, doing artwork, cleaning, or listening to music or doing any sort of activity when you don’t have to think much is NOT meditation. Sitting still in one place, closing your eyes and bringing your focus inward is how meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. There is really no reason to go and mess with a practice that has been working for that long!

Think of it as an experiment and challenge yourself to start a meditation practice of just 10 minutes a day. I think you will start to see profound changes in your life. I cant wait to hear how its helped you!

What a Workout Buddy Can Do for You

Leave a comment April 7, 2015 ssbanisadr

Let me tell you about an absolute transformation I’ve seen in my fitness over the past 4 weeks. See, I recently moved and joined a new gym and with it, I was given a killer deal on personal training. I’ve never been one to do training in the past. I’ve been witness one too many times to some poor sucker trying to balance on one leg while doing a squat and chest press at the same time, sweat dripping down his face and looking really uncomfortable all as his trainer looks on. No thank you, not for me!

But this deal I got on training is really good and it turns out that my trainer is also really fun and doesn’t liken contortionism to a good workout. Phew! But don’t get me wrong, she does kick my butt. She challenges me to put in more effort to each one of my workouts, pays close attention to help me tweak my form and gives words of encouragement when I finish my sets. And guess what, its paid off! I see a change in my body that I never would have seen if I didn’t have her alongside me as I work out.

It got me thinking that this is a lot like what I do with my health coaching clients. After we set goals for our time together, I help

The Choice to Eat Meat Again

1 Comment March 25, 2015 ssbanisadr

After following a vegetarian diet for nearly 14 years, I’m grappling with a choice to start eating meat again. I’m not taking the decision lightly. See, my decision to be a vegetarian wasn’t for animal or environmental reasons although I fully understand and respect peoples choices to do so for those very reasons. I decided to go vegetarian because I believed at the time that this was the most healthful way to eat. I stuck to my steady diet of brown rice, tofu and vegetables religiously and have never strayed from it…now, fast forward and after being slightly anemic for quite a while and recently learning that I have a B12 deficiency, I’m wondering if being vegetarian is the best choice for me.

“I think I’m getting sick” soup

4 Comments December 2, 2014 ssbanisadr

Last winter, I almost dodged the flu that was going around with my friends and family. As with things other than colds and flu’s “almost” doesn’t quite cut it and when a cold caught up with me at the end of the season, my naturopath told me to rest up and to make this healing soup for myself to keep the cold from progressing any further.

I found the recipe to be easy and nourishing and thats why I wanted to share it here with you.

4 Foods to Avoid if you have an Autoimmune Disease

3 Comments October 31, 2014 ssbanisadr

When I was 18, I was diagnosed with lupus. I distinctly remember one doctor telling me that there was nothing I could do to get better and that I could likely need to be on medication the rest of my life. I saw this as a challenge. I went out and researched high and low reading  books and articles to find out everything I could about autoimmune disease. I was relieved to find out  that there was plenty I could do to help heal my body and eventually get off medication.

Altering my diet had a huge impact on my health. I’ll share with you here the four foods I cut out and that I believe should be avoided for those with autoimmune disease.

I encourage you to share this list with anyone you know who might have an autoimmune disease ( lupus, celiac disease, graves disease, hashimotos, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or sjogrens syndrome). It could make a huge impact on how well they feel

1. GLUTEN: gluten is a protein found in grains wheat, barley, rye, kamut and spelt. The reason it is problematic for those with autoimmune disease is that many people with autoimmune have a condition called leaky gut syndrome where proteins, like the ones found in gluten) surpass the gut lining and into the blood stream. It has been found that gluten is often seen by the body as a foreign substance and therefore this sets off an autoimmune reaction.

2. SUGAR: white sugar and also white flour, i.e. (cookies, bagels, cakes, white bread, etc). The reason is that foods with a high glycemic load such as these cause our blood sugar to have a rapid spike and this causes inflammation and also an impairment to the function of T and B cells.

3. FATS: when I talk about fats, I’m talking about the trans fats found in processed foods. These are made in a laboratory and your body has a hard time recognizing what they are and, therefore, has a difficult time processing them. Trans fats also promote inflammation and impair normal immune function. Since fat is a an important part of the diet and helps with repair and immune function, stick to the healthy ones like avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

4. NIGHTSHADES VEGETABLES: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers. These foods have been seen to cause inflammation and pain specifically for those with arthritis. Although everyone with autoimmune is not sensitive to these vegetables, its a good idea to cut them out through an elimination diet to see if it makes a difference.

For a more personalized diet plan and support on implementing it, call or email me.

To your health!