"Here comes Peter Cottontail..."

Happy Easter to our Dynamic You clients, staff and friends!

Enjoy this healthy idea from Eating Well Magazine and we'll see you tomorrow. No fooling.

Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata

(click to receive directions)

Wild Rice

2 cups water

1/2 cup wild rice

1/8 tsp salt

Frittata

5 large eggs

2 large egg whites

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tsp extra-virgin olive or coconut oil

1 cup chopped red onion

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried

1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, white button, shiitake) sliced

1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

4 thin slices prosciutto (2 ounces), chopped

What do you do Tuesdays at 7 pm?

 What are you usually doing on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm? If your answer isn't 'Boot camp with Josh' we suggest you check your calendar and make some room for this class.
This class isn't like most Boot camps.

And Josh isn't like most trainers. He wants to push you further than you think you can go. His goal isn't just to make you sweat, but to challenge yourself to do more than the time before.

And he'll be right there with you every step of the way, showing you it's possible. He takes fitness and health seriously, without taking himself too seriously. But don't just take our word for it.

Though very busy training and instructing many of our clients at Dynamic You Fitness, we had the chance to grab him for a conversation about how he came to be a professional in the fitness world. And he didn't even make us do spider-man push-ups during the conversation. 

Here, in his own words, is his story.

           

                                 

I began working in construction as a carpenter, both residential and commercial work. Honestly, I hated it. It was not fun, to me, working in the elements, I didn't feel passionate about it, there was no personal reward, and I knew deep down it ultimately wasn't going to take me anywhere. There wasn't a great deal of joy in my life at that time, other than when I was in the gym. I loved working out and was into fitness. I enjoyed the self-improvement and increased endurance that came with spending time at the gym. As a kid, I was always thin. I envied the muscles and strength of other people my age, as well as what they were capable of doing. As I spent more time working out, I began to feel so much better and the endorphin rush I experienced each time was amazing. Ultimately, my confidence improved. 

Since then, I've always loved fitness because no matter what I did it improved me in some way. And I love the fact that there's not just one kind of training that makes a difference. It only matters that you're physically active. I also know it kept me away from trouble, away from the wrong crowds - especially at a younger age - and away from partying. Fitness, to be honest, saved my life.

I wanted a future to be hopeful for and as I began to think about where my life was going, I had an epiphany.  One day, a friend asked me what I liked to do. I realized the only time I was truly happy at that point was when I was active and working out. I knew then I wanted to be a personal trainer and help others experience the same great feeling I had. So at age 21 I enrolled at LSU to study Kinesiology. 

School was great.  I volunteered for a year with the Athletic Training program. I had the opportunity to work with a variety of athletes in the local high school outreach program who were competing in different sports (including football, basketball, tennis, soccer and more.) I had the chance to learn all about rehab and corrective moves for student athletes with injuries. Though my heart stayed with personal training, this experience truly helped me learn about the body and how to continue the healing process without sacrificing movement.

The day after graduation I moved to Northern California, where I had already lined up a job with a wellness company. Several corporate businesses in the area had small gyms within their buildings and I worked with employees doing group classes and nutrition. This allowed me to fully realize my goal of working one-on-one with people and their personal goals.

The most rewarding aspect of this profession is seeing people improve and increase their endurance. Witnessing and being a part of personal milestones is truly the best part of what I do. People count on me and rely on me to help them reach their goals, even small ones.

During my first job, within a wellness facility, there was an older woman who was an accountant. She had neglected her health for so long, she had diabetes and was very out of shape. I know I was the reassuring voice and encouraged her to do just something. 

At first, she could do only cardio for two minutes, it was so taxing.  After six months she was doing 30 minutes straight. She lost body fat, her attitude improved, and she worked really hard. She often worked late, so I always kept the gym open late to get her to stick to it. Because our work together mattered; her blood pressure went down, diabetes improved.

When she thanked me, I responded immediately with the same thing I tell all my clients who truly commit: "You did all the work, I just told you that you could."

I'm happiest when I'm jogging down the beach, and forget I'm jogging. Instead, I'm part of the ocean, the sand, and the sun.  I feel alive and grateful I'm here to experience it. I have a great friend I jog with and I love our deep talks during the run. At the end I'm like 'oh yeah we ran 12 miles'

There aren't a lot of other places we could have those kinds of conversations.

We asked Josh what his best advice is for those who think fitness, or even just beginning to add movement to their life, is too hard. 

"Failure breeds success. You need the right encouragement from the right people. Not everyone has that determination - so surrounding yourself with positive people who believe in you and encourage you. That's the best way to find success. Have someone back you up. No one wants to go at it alone.  I guess that's why people hire trainers.  But the right trainer feels almost like a friend. Actually, work with them long enough and they might feel like a best friend."

Josh wants to take what he does and touch more lives; his goal is fitness that's affordable for most people without compromising the value of it.

My former boss once told me he started running because he liked the sound of the wind in his ears, but over time he got faster and stronger and healthier. Sometimes you have to spend some time thinking about what you love, and the answer will follow."

Headed to the grocery store soon? Let's talk about snacks.

 

You've heard it all. Eat three meals a day. Don't snack. Snacking is bad. No, snacking is good. Eat six small meals a day. Drink a LOT of water. Don't drink soda. Limit your coffee. Actually, don't drink any coffee. Drink tea instead. Avoid alcohol. Have a glass of wine each day. The suggestions, advice, recommendations ... they are enough to make almost anyone dig into a carton, bag or box of (fill in the blank) your favorite food. 

From our perspective, the best way to maintain your energy, positive mood and metabolism, as well as avoid consuming the first thing you can find when you are starving, is to eat every two to three hours. 

Breakfast is a must. And depending on your day and your schedule, lunch and dinner may not always come at the 'regular' time. The most important thing you can do is prepare for your day ahead of time.

Mr. Bell probably wasn't talking about snacks. But if you think about it, his words ring true when it comes to food. The more prepared you are - whether for a long day at the office, being out of the house all day running errands, and more - the more likely you are to succeed in making nutritious, wholesome food choices throughout the day.

There are some key factors when it comes to planning ahead. It's gotta be quick, it definitely needs to be easy, and it should be healthy.

 

All these different suggestions are terrific. It's just important to remember there's a need for moderation. You can have all the bell peppers, carrots and celery you want. But if you're going to pile it with Almond Butter, dried fruit or hummus, be mindful of how much you're eating. Those foods can certainly blow through a significant portion of your personal caloric needs for the day quickly.  

 

If you don't already have a box of plastic bags, or even better re-usable containers, get some today! The best way to create your own portion control is to bring the right amount with you. That way, if you're grabbing a snack while making phone calls or working at your desk you're not mindlessly eating more than you should.

As discussed at our recent "Night of Nutrition" workshop, Larabar's are one of the best options for a quick snack. Keep one in your purse, bag or briefcase for a mid-morning or late afternoon snack as a healthy option.

It's Friday....most of us are headed to the grocery store in the next 48 hours. So when you're making your list, think about adding some healthy snack options to it. You'll find next week goes a whole lot better.

 

The Art & Importance of practicing Yoga

If you aren't familiar with Yoga, this blog post is for you. While not solely a Yoga studio, Dynamic You Fitness offers several Yoga classes per week, and today we're sharing some of the reasons why practicing Yoga is so important for everyone. 

For more than 5,000 years Yoga has been a practice of millions of people. If you are accustomed to a workout involving moderate to heavy weights, intense cardio, and a lot of sweat you may think an hour spent practicing Yoga isn't really the key to building strength or reaching your ideal weight, body fat percentage, and size. Often times, it's challenging to find a full hour to devote to fitness in a given day and because of this some believe the best way to spend it is doing something related to resistance training or a workout which raises the heart rate. In other words, a major calorie burn = success. 

The truth though is that if you'll add Yoga to your life you'll likely find yourself burning more calories during those intense workouts the remainder of the week.

We want to encourage you to add at least one hour of Yoga to your weekly routine for a variety of reasons. The health benefits of Yoga, as outlined by WebMD, are many. We'll keep it simple.

1. Yoga improves strength

Whether vigorous in style such as power yoga or less intense such as hatha, you'll build endurance and muscle strength

2. Yoga improves posture

Core strength is built through Yoga, and with a stronger core comes a heightened awareness of your posture

3. Yoga improves lung capacity

Deep, mindful breathing will enhance your fitness performance and endurance. Translation: when you do take TRX + Kettlebells you're going to be able to work a lot harder

4. Yoga relieves stress

We could spend days discussing the ways in which stress negatively affects our health. But that would be stressful. With regular Yoga comes a more calm mind, better concentration and improved mood.

If you've never practiced Yoga, we know our classes are the best place to start. Our Yoga instructors, Donna & Rachel, are committed to meeting you where you are. There's support, encouragement, and calm within their classes. 

In other words, there's no expectation of this pose on the first day (or any other days for that matter)

We invite you to join Donna this coming Saturday morning at 9:00 am for Yoga at Dynamic You.

Namaste.

Step away from the shiny can

It might be the feel of a cold can in your hands. It might be the bubbles. It might be the taste. It might just be a habit that now feels like a required part of your day. 

Either way, the news is not good about soda. Except it's not exactly news. But recently there was an article in the Huff Post Healthy Living section about the ways in which diet soda can ruin your nutrition efforts. 

This article, which we certainly encourage you to take a look at, emphasizes the risks of soda 

And the myths surrounding it. 

It discusses some other myths as well, about fats and more. It's important, especially if you are someone who consumes soda (diet or otherwise) on a regular basis, to consider making better, healthier choices going forward.

After all....

Taste it Tuesday

Dynamic You Fitness instructor Kayla only had to mention Sushi Salad once and we were begging for the recipe. It is with great appreciation to her that for Taste it Tuesday we're sharing her
Sushi Salad Recipe.

What you'll need:
2 cooked rice cooker cups sushi rice (there are numerous recipes...here's an example of a vinegar seasoning (recommendation: a short grain Sushi or Calrose rice)
3-4 Nori Sheets/Toasted Nori cut or crumbled into strips or bite-sized pieces (poultry sheers work well)

3+ finely Julienned or shredded carrots
2 Julienned cucumbers (peel and use a food processor for these)
About $18 worth of fine quality broiled boneless organic wild salmon filet (with skin) seasoned with
Ginger
Black pepper
Garlic
Toasted sesame seeds

Broil seasoned salmon for seven minutes

Unflavored Panko bread crumbs (recommendation: Kikkoman Brand)
Drizzle with toasted sesame oil
Serve with low sodium soy sauce (or Coconut Aminos) on the side

- Optional Additions/Substitutions -
Fake crab (Kani) for the salmon
Brown rice for the white rice
Select shredded lettuce, cabbage or mix of greens instead of rice
Add diced avocado
Raw diced scallions

Flavorings for the rice are important. Fan the rice as you add your Sushi Rice Vinegar mixture/seasonings. Fan, stir, add. Repeat.
(Important tip: The rice should have a glossy sheen. Adding vinegar or seasonings to the rice when it's too hot, you may get mush...too cold, it may not taste right (i.e. too salty or too sweet)

Prepare the salmon in advance, cool and refrigerate (up to one day before)
Be sure to assemble the salad at the time you plan to serve it.

Keep this reminder from Kayla in mind:
Although many view Sushi as a healthy food, depending on how it is prepared it can actually pack a caloric punch. Spicy tuna rolls prepared with mayo for instance can climb into the 400 calorie range, and Tempura rolls can be even greater in calories. Though this Sushi Salad is healthier, I view it as a treat food. If you are being conscious about the glycemic index in your foods or you simply want a healthier version, I suggest you minimize the flavorings/sugar in the rice, opt for brown rice, or serve it over shredded lettuce, cabbage or greens and skip the rice entirely.

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to let us know how it goes.
It may sound a tad complicated, but Kayla has assured us it will impress your guests or your family.
Thank you Kayla!

Motivation Monday

The final week of March is here, along with the arrival of Spring! (at least for those of us here on the west coast)

So that means it's time to set those intentions for beach weather, longer days, shorts & flip flops. 

If the winter months make you want to curl up and enjoy comfort food more often than not, then it's time to enjoy the warmer weather, and trade your soups and breads for green smoothies, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. To make these and other changes part of your life, not just a phase it's important to set goals and specific milestones you want to accomplish.

That last piece of advice is critical. So often we compare ourselves to the people around us.

Don't spend too much time focused on others, simply focus on what makes you feel lighter, happier, fit and strong. Every day as you begin to reach those goals, you can celebrate being a day closer to your best self.

The Dynamic You Fitness April classes are up! Take a few minutes, sit down with your planner and pick which classes fit your schedule this month! Make a commitment to yourself and put at least three classes a week on the calendar!

A nutritious food to add to (almost) anything

 If you're not putting avocados in your grocery cart most weeks, you're missing out on what is both a nutritious and delicious food. Avocados usually come to mind when we think of guacamole ... a delicious and fun food. It's the chips that cause most of the problems with that yummy snack. 

Darn grains. 

But there are so many other uses for avocados ... before we get into some different food options, consider this...

We're into eating though, so while we'd be curious if you notice any of the above changes let's talk about a food packed with nutrients we want you to think about adding to just about everything you make to eat, in moderation.

Whether it's a salad, eggs, burgers, sandwiches, casseroles, pie (yes, we said pie), soups or even ice cream this amazing fruit (that's right, it's not a vegetable) can be used as an ingredient in a lot of different meals.

There are some really fun facts about avocados .... our favorite: 

A single avocado tree can produce about 500 avocados (or 200 pounds of fruit) a year. And there are 5,000 avocado growers in California. You should be relieved...when you start adding them to your grocery list you won't have to worry we'll run out. 

Aren't you grateful we took that worry away from you. You're welcome :)

Meet Megan, Ya'll

You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl.

That said, she loves the sand, surf and sun as much if not more than just about anyone we know...so you'd think she was a California girl since day one.

Megan has been a Personal Trainer and Instructor with Dynamic You Fitness from the beginning (and in case anyone is eager to mark their calendars for the big one year anniversary bash, we'll be celebrating in mid-May) and though our clients know and love her, we want everyone else to fall in love with her too. We recently sat down to chat with her about how she got her start in fitness, what brings her true happiness, and why going to the studio every day feels nothing like work. 

What prompted you to decide to become a personal trainer?

I enjoy daily interaction with people and knew I wanted to help inspire them to be better. In mid-2011 I began to realize I wanted a career to sustain me through my older years, as well as one that carried importance. 

What were you doing before you made the change?

Before embarking on a fitness career I was working behind a desk in title and escrow in the field of Real Estate going crazy and feeling depressed. So I did some soul-searching about what was most important to me - being around people, communicating and sharing a love for activity.

Tell us about your process of being certified 

Becoming certified as a personal trainer required a ton of studying (it was gross,) a ton of reading, doing boot camps for free for my husband and his co-workers to practice. I ran two or three boot camps a week to practice language, correction and leadership. I began to realize my leadership experience with dance helped as well.

What inspires you

Dance is my soul, it makes me absolutely happy; it's been part of my life for 20 years and there's nothing like it.

I honestly do not have talent in any other type of artistic expression! Dance is an expression of life, I love to to perform and be in the spotlight. I'm a Leo. We like attention. Movement is critical for everyone, and for me the activity of movement (whether in fitness or dance) makes me feel good about myself and about others.

What makes the relationship between you and your clients so special

Personal Training is incredibly, well, personal; and sometimes things can be awkward but knowing everyone has awkward moments and we're all a little weird makes it very easy to let it go. I have had some moments myself. Once, while dancing for the Spurs, there was a time-out and we needed to grab frisbees for a promotional segment. I was running off the court and fell flat on my face. I wasn't even sure where I was as I got up. I had run into another girl, and I guess we knocked heads (from what little I remember.) I do remember we had just finished a dance to the "Car Wash" and instead of a cute outfit we were wearing mechanic jump suits! 

Share with us one client you know you've made a difference with

Muriel, who is about to celebrate her 87th birthday, walked in to Dynamic You last June at a slow walking pace, really unsteady. It has been amazing and inspirational to watch someone her age go from having never worked out, to being in the studio with me three times a week. She is now using an agility ladder!

She's not just a client, but a friend and mentor; she tells wonderful stories and lives her life as fully as possible. Her progress from barely walking to being able to use every single piece of equipment in the studio has been incredible.

I feel really good knowing I'm not only teaching Muriel health and exercise, but she is teaching me about life. I feel fortunate to have a special relationship with all my clients; each client is different, each is special.  

Every day it's important to adapt to each client and their mood.  If they don't want to do something they have to be encouraged to do it; if they feel they can't do something it's my responsibility to show them they can or at least that they should try.  It's a true gift to be in this role and I'm thankful for finding something I'm truly passionate about. I am smiling each time I come in to work and jam out to 93.5 - my favorite station.

When are you happiest?

When I'm spending time with my husband of nearly seven years, Scotty. Being around people is what brings me immense joy. Being alone is never better than being with people. Except when I'm catching a nap.

You can find Megan teaching TRX + Kettlebells, with her gracious style and southern charm, every Wednesday at both 8:00 am and 6:00 pm (book your 6:00 pm class early - there's always a wait list) and on Saturdays at 11:00 am. We promise you'll work hard, be sore the following day and be running back for more.