Celebrating Labor Day in (and around) LA



Labor Day is meant for relaxation, fun, food and family & friends. So having some ideas for things to do will keep you from stressing! There are lots of options, and here's just one highlight:

Fiesta Hermosa

This three-day arts & crafts festival with 270 vendors, live music and food galore is not to be missed.

Picnics and Potlucks this Labor Day weekend

Of course, a picnic or a potluck takes a bit of work (which goes against the purpose of Labor Day, yes) but it doesn't have to be too much trouble.

Check out these great Labor Day recipe ideas from Eating Well and spend less time with the prep work and more time with the picnic.



Ways to lower your blood sugar

The importance of healthy blood sugar levels is serious. In fact, it could be a matter of life or death. 

So take a look at ways to lower your blood sugar levels. There are so many good reasons to add these suggested foods to your diet, and keeping yourself healthy overall is just a cherry on top!

Labor Day weekend sauces & seasonings

We know...it's still five days until Labor Day. But it's only three days until the long weekend begins. Less if you're taking Friday off. And while it could be seen as being eager for the holiday weekend to begin, what's really happening here is helpful advice in advance. If you think about it, an idea for your weekend menu doesn't do much good after you've done all your shopping.

So we're just being helpful.

You're welcome.

Whether it's burgers, chicken, pork, eggplant and bell peppers or fruit you're throwing on the grill, you'll want the perfect spices and seasonings for your items. Check out these suggestions from Today Show to create great marinades from scratch.

After all, there's a very good reason to make your condiments and seasonings from scratch....here are five condiments which have been suggested as ones to avoid.

Breakfast no-nos

As the sun rises each morning, you're probably fitting breakfast into your routine. But there's a handful of choices to avoid when it comes to what you're having. 

Shape Magazine shares a list of what you shouldn't be doing or eating at breakfast. 

So grab your cup of coffee and read on.

Just peachy

With the long holiday weekend just a few days away, it's time to start thinking about the menu. And there's no better time than right now to incorporate peaches.

The Daily Dish at the Los Angeles Times recently shared nine lush peach recipes. From the perfect summer drink to a peach salsa perfect for your chicken, pork or fish recipes, they have you covered.

It never hurts to have dessert on hand, but why not create something delicious and healthy. Eating well is an art, but it doesn't have to be complicated. The Eat-Clean Diet shares a recipe for grilled peaches with greek yogurt. 

Summer winding down

 

It's not officially over....and even Labor Day weekend isn't the official end. But it feels like the end is near. School is back in session, vacations are winding down. The only thing to keep all of us from feeling summer is gone is the inevitable late-summer heat we are likely to experience here in SoCal.

 

 Dynamic You Fitness will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day.

So make sure you make this week count - sign up for classes and remember to cancel your reservation at least two hours before your scheduled class! We want everyone to have a chance to take the class they want.

 

The September schedule is up! You'll notice a few changes to the schedule so please be sure to note them and adjust your calendar.
 

 

 

We want to thank Carl for his challenging class and amazing energy! Carl is moving on after this week's class to continuing pursuing his work in health and wellness, and we will certainly miss having him in the studio on Thursday nights!

 

 



Label language

If you'll be wandering the grocery store aisles this weekend, make time to read labels!

 



The best dressings for your salad

 

 

If you select a salad today for lunch, you're making a healthy choice. Maybe. Keep in mind your salad is only as healthy as the dressing you drizzle on top. If you're wondering if there are any bottled dressings out there actually healthy enough to keep your best efforts in tact, you're in luck. Eating Well has done the work for you. Check out these eight healthy salad dressings.

 

Of course, a great option is always to keep a bottle of balsamic vinegar handy or use a small amount of olive oil + lemon juice.

 

Enjoy your salad!



"Fats make you fat" and other terrible nutrition information

By now, you've heard it all and you've probably felt really, really bad about what you choose (or don't choose) to eat. But a lot of information out there isn't really accurate. 

Check out this article from Prevention Magazine and see what you're doing - things you may have heard work and actually don't.

Keeping a break from being a 'break up'

Been neglecting your fitness classes lately? It can happen. Maybe you took a vacation and 'real-life' hasn't been easy to return to. Or perhaps you got sick and now it's time to return to your normal routine. Perhaps you just took a break. A break can be a good thing. But it's important not to let a break from your fitness routine become a break-up. 

The longer you wait to get back into the habit of being active, the harder it will be. And just as important - you'll begin to lose what you previously accomplished pretty quickly. In fact, in just two weeks you can begin to lose muscle - up to 12 percent. 

An article from Women's Health addresses the ways to make a come back whether it's been two weeks or two years. 

Birthday wishes

 

Dynamic You Fitness Personal Trainer & Instructor, Megan, is celebrating a birthday today 

and because Megan has been with Dynamic You Fitness from the very beginning we felt the day couldn't go by without a little celebrating. Every day she works to help our clients build their strength (both physically and emotionally), improve their coordination and balance, and achieve a healthier lifestyle.

She doesn't just see her clients as people to train, she befriends them and cares about their success.

And though she loves cake and other treats as much as anyone, we know she'd be excited about this spicy chicken, spinach and tomato stuffed avocado so in honor of her we're sharing the recipe!

Happy Birthday Megan!!!!

The facts about Salt

While we need salt in our diet, it's important to watch those sodium numbers. And salt is hidden in so many foods, which often don't even taste salty.

Oprah Magazine recently released a list of some of the most salty foods to simply avoid. 

But perhaps instead of completely avoiding these foods, you can consider making them at home or finding brands with lower sodium numbers. 

"We can't spot treat"

There's an instructor at Dynamic You Fitness who has been known to say this a lot..

But they're not talking about carpet.

They're talking about parts of your body. Whether it's perfectly toned triceps, abs, legs or glutes - it's going to take hard work all over to achieve those. Not spot-treating. 

That doesn't mean, however, there aren't some great moves to work on specific muscles. So we're sharing two great articles today. One from Prevention Magazine about three moves you can do to create even more definition in your arms. 

And ways to inch ever closer to those well-toned abs from Shape Magazine.

The good old days

The good old days of sleep, that is. If you're like a lot of people you probably used to be able to sleep in or you didn't have quite so many 'to-do's' on your list and you slept more. Maybe you had less on your mind, and nothing could wake you from the deep sleep you easily found each night.

If all that has changed, regular exercise over a long period of time (no quick fixes here) might be the solution.

Check out the article from Shape Magazine which adds yet another reason to get that workout in.

Smile. It's Friday!

We don't know either. But today isn't the day to concern ourselves with this.

It was a busy week at Dynamic You Fitness! Great job to all our clients who showed up, worked hard and walked away stronger!

Be sure you continue to sign up for ALL classes you wish to attend...and should you be unable to sign up, or secure a place on the wait list, please be sure to pick future classes. Our class numbers are small for the safety of all clients and the integrity of our fitness classes. We want all clients to get a great workout and the attention they deserve. 

So what classes are you signed up for this weekend? There's still plenty of room for you to join the Dynamic You Fitness RUN CLUB at 11:45 am this Saturday! 

Enjoy your weekend. We'll see you in class.

Are you doing HITT? You should be.

If you're a regular client at Dynamic You Fitness, a HIIT workout isn't new to you. You might be doing it without even realizing it. And if you're not taking some of these classes...you should be. Less time spent working out, but with greater efficiency IS the way to go.

And we've yet to meet someone who isn't interested in being more efficient. 

There are so many benefits to HIIT training, and Shape Magazine recently shared eight of them.

Whether you're interested in burning more calories, fitting in a great workout in less time, shredding fat, improving heart health - all these and more are what HIIT training will help you accomplish.

Join our Dynamic You Fitness instructors and personal trainers* for the following classes (if you're not already) and you'll see what the fuss is about.

Mondays

7:00 am Power Cardio Blast with Kayte (45 min)

6:00 pm TRX + Kettle bells with Donna

Tuesdays

7:00 am Power Boot Camp/Strength Training with Kayte (45 min)

6:00 pm Intense TRX + Kettle bells with Rachel (45 min)

6:45 pm Boot camp with Josh (45 min)

Wednesdays
8:00 am TRX + Kettle bells with Megan
6:00 pm TRX + Kettle bells with Megan

Thursdays
9:00 am Sculpt & Tone with Kayla
6:00 pm Total Body High Intensity Interval Training with Sarah Ann (45 min)
7:00 pm TRX + Kettle bells with Carl (45 min)

Fridays
5:30 pm High Intensity Training with Donna

Saturdays
11:00 am TRX + Kettle bells with Megan (45 min)

Sundays
11:00 am TRX + Kettle bells with Eagle

*Schedule/Trainer subject to change

Checking out the facts about Carrageenan

If you haven't ever heard of Carrageenan as an ingredient in some of your foods, don't feel bad. We hadn't either.

Essentially, it's a water-soluble fiber found in certain types of seaweed. It forms a gel so it's used as a thickener or stabilizer in products like soy milk, ice cream, whipping cream, cream cheese, cereals, baking products and more. 

According to Prevention magazine, it's a natural food which should be permanently banned from your diet; while others aren't so sure. As with any information, be sure you ask your physician or registered dietician. There's no need to start throwing out your entire kitchen before you have all your information.