It’s been a great 2011.  Here’s some of what we’ve been up to the past few months!

Renovated Studio

If you used to train in Studio A you won’t recognize the place when you walk in now!  We’ve transformed it from Personal Training to a Massage and Acupuncture studio and we scored 3 outstanding new team members to work with us!  We are so pumped about this new facet of wellness we can now offer that we have created some great specials to christen the new studio.  Check them out on our newsletter and our Facebook page.

NEW SERVICE – Acupuncture

It’s been around for over 3,000 years and now it’s made its way onto our list of wellness services.  The fascinating wellness discipline may be just the missing link you are looking for with your health.  It was for me (Christian) and after finding out how well it worked I couldn’t wait to bring it to our business.  Now it’s finally here!  We are pleased to have the extensive experience of Theresa Spradlin on our team.  She’s hand picked by us to help with whatever ails you.  You can check out her impressive resume here on our website.

NEW SERVICE – Massage

Who couldn’t benefit from a great massage?  We now offer various types of 60, 90 and 120 minute massages and we are fortunate to have TWO massage therapists who not only have an exception give of touch, but are also passionate about it because they saw it transform their own broken down bodies.  They (Annemarie Deale and Dave Shutler) are also Certified Personal Trainers who understand more than just massage when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.  Of course Nina and I had to “take one for the team” and try them out first to make sure they are good. J  By the way, they are awesome, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Fall Boot Camp

It’s been our best year ever with Boot Camp and we are looking forward to our last camp of the year.  It runs from October 17^th – November 11^th. We’ll meet every M, W, F morning at 6:00a.m.  This is likely to be a multi-location camp with all sorts of fun new drills, equipment you won’t seem anywhere else, and maybe Christian will even make another appearance for sprints day.  If you’re interested in joining, contact Nina at 571.242.4775.

Tough Mudder

The event is almost sold out but if you want to join us either as a spectator or as a participant on our team we’d love to have you.  We are running this fun, (and dirty) obstacle course through the mountains of the Wintergreen Ski Resort in Charlottesville VA this coming October 23^rd.  It should be one of the best fitness accomplishments we could brag about.  Come cheer us on, or get dirty with us.  If you want more information just send Christian an email or call and he’ll be happy to chat with you about it.  christian@healthandwholeness.info or 571.217.6712

New Videos

Look for some new videos to be released in the next few days about who we are and our new services.

New Personal Trainer – Aric Lee

Since our last newsletter we had another great trainer join our team as well, Aric Lee.  He’s a full-time fire fighter/paramedic, experienced trainer, and all around great guy.  He’s versed in the martial arts, loves making fitness into fun time, can train you for just about anything, and recently showed off his “stud-ness by running the 9/11 Memorial 5K in 70-80lbs fireman gear.   Welcome Aric!  We’re glad to have you.

Sumi Moves On

Our beloved Sumi Singh is moving to Texas at the end of the month.  You will be missed lady!  Sad to see you go!

Dave Flexes Him Muscles

We’ll technically he contracts his muscles and flexes his joints, but our own Dave Shutler will be competing in yet another fitness competition next month.  Be sure wish him luck, and not to hit him in the abs anytime soon…you just might hurt your hand.

Stop for a second and ask yourself how many servings of grains you get in a day. How much bread do you eat? A few pieces in the form of toast, or a sandwich perhaps, a little pita around your lunch wrap, a cliff bar after a work out, perhaps a bowl of rice for dinner, or that box of Fiber One you eat over the kitchen sink at midnight, a little cookie for a pick me up in the afternoon, a rice cake when you are trying to be “good”?  If you think that is all the grains you are getting, then most likely you are mistaken.  Most people consume far too many grains and if you are someone who eats processed foods, you are probably getting far more than you think.  Grains also show up in the form of corn byproducts (and there are several), in emulsifiers and hidden at the bottom of a list of complicated ingredients, and in so many other places that you might be shocked at how difficult avoiding grains can be.

But Aren’t Grains Good For Me?

Traditionally prepared grains (taking a whole grain and soaking it) are a fantastic form of carbohydrates—your body’s preferred energy source.  Breads and grains have sustained civilizations for thousands of years, but the truth is, no generation has been inundated with grains in the amounts or forms in which industrial food processing has done to us.  If anything, the past 30 years has shown us that the western dietary intake of grains (in the form of refined flours, fractionated bran, germ and starch, milled at high temperatures—think any grain product in a box basically) has created a lot of unhappy, unhealthy guts.

Why You Should Avoid Processed Grains – Especially For Your Kids

Think of a grain’s ability to sit in a storehouse for years without blossoming into a sprout—there were usable grains found with the mummies in the pyramids!  A single piece of grain has the entire DNA and life energy needed to sprout into a plant when given the right environment (i.e. placed in the ground).  The thing preventing it from doing so is a protective shell called phytic acid.  Like a vacuum seal for your T-bone, phytic acid creates a barrier for the seed and keeps the grain preserved.

Traditional (in contrast to modern) preparation methods would take grains such as rice, quinoa, oats, corn and wheat, and soak them for 12-24 hours in water with a slightly acid PH level in order to neutralize the phytic acid surrounding that grain.  Traditional recipes such as porridge or sourdough breads follow this method too.  Neutralizing phytic acid increases a grain’s digestibility, enhances its nutritional profile, and allows our bodies to access that nutrition more easily.  The main problem with modern grain processing is that it takes the grain, intact with its hard, phytic acid shell, and grinds it up.  Imagine taking your T-bone out of the freezer and with its plastic wrap still around it, throwing it into your food processor and making a burger patty out of it.  No way!  Phytic acid in our gut can bind with key minerals and leech them from the body, which over time can lead to nutrient deficiencies, create inflammation in the linings of our intestines and also lead to several food allergies.

So why should you avoid processed grains?  An inflamed gut is an unhappy gut. An inflamed gut cannot absorb nutrients optimally and a gut that cannot absorb nutrients means the body it’s in goes malnourished.  A malnourished body can be susceptible to nearly any disease process.

A Happier, Healthier Gut

Here are some steps to improve your gut health, followed by some delicious recipes to help heal your angry gut, or at least give it a break by cutting back on your non-soaked, non sprouted grain consumption:

1. Go gluten free for a month. Gluten is a protein contained in wheat, barley, rye and oats. It provides that elastic-gooey component to breads that we all go gaga for.  The issue is that many people are unable to digest this protein, which then signals the immune system to respond to the “invader”.  Over time, bombarding the body in this way results in mal-absorption of key nutrients, bloating, pain, diarrhea and hyper immune symptoms such as joint pain, acid reflux, heart burn, fatigue, even infertility.  Avoiding gluten is becoming easier with so many products on the market. Even MOM’s, a local health food store has a dedicated “gluten free” section!

2. Get to know your gluten-free grain alternatives. Some of my favorites go to gluten-free grains are: Brown rice pasta, brown rice, gluten free oatmeal, millet, and quinoa.

3. Consume Soaked and Sprouted Grains. If cutting out gluten isn’t in the cards for you at this time, make sure the grains you do consume are of a sprouted variety.  Whole Foods Market and MOM’s organic grocery store carry many options of sprouted grain breads, English muffins, tortilla shells, pizza crusts and cereals.  You will find most of these type products in the freezer section.

4. Get into the habit of soaking your grains. Before making grains such as rice, quinoa, millet and oatmeal, remember to soak them in a solution of water and whey (or lemons, or plain, whole milk yogurt) as listed in the recipe below.  The cookbook Nourishing Traditions talks about this extensively as the only way we are able to access the minerals in grains and avoid the negative health effects.  Here’s a picture of some oats I soaked.

5. Lastly, rely on home made, gluten free versions of your favorite baked goods.  Bake with grain alternates such as nuts, coconut flour and seeds.

Final Thoughts

Remember, our bodies preferred source of energy is from carbohydrate and that modern day grain products are not the health foods they are promoted to be. Hopefully the motivation you have to cut out processed foods from your diet just got a big boost!  Perhaps you have been struggling with some immune issues and are considering kicking gluten for the first time.  The next time you find yourself getting ready to carb load for your Sunday run, or are simply planning your balanced meals for the week, try to make whole food carbohydrates such as the grains listed in this article part of your dietary staple. Your gut will say “thank you!”

Yummy Recipies

2 ½ cups nut flour or ground seeds such as sunflower

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup maple syrup

½ tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

Mix together ingredients. Line cupcake tin with paper liners and fill batter into tins about ½ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

 

 

 

Coconut Flour Bread-my kids love this stuff!

¾ cup sifted coconut flour

½ cup coconut oil or butter melted

6 eggs

2 TSP honey

½ tea sea salt

1 tea baking powder

Blend together eggs, butter honey and salt. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk thoroughly into batter until there are no lumps. Pour into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Soaked Breakfast Porridge Recipe – Prepare the day before in order to allow 12-24 hours of soaking time.

1 cup oatmeal or amaranth

1 cup water

2TBS whey, or plain yogurt or fresh lemon juice

Let the mixture sit in a bowl on your counter in room temperature overnight in order to let the whey, yogurt or lemon juice work on neutralizing any phytic acid. The added benefit of probiotics in the whey or yogurt will also enhance the grains digestibility, but if all you have is lemon, that will work just fine.

In the morning, bring 1 cup water to boil

Add grain mixture

Dash of mineral sea salt

1-2 TBS of pastured butter

Bring to a boil, stir, lower the heat and let cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add-ons can include: raisins, soaked chia seeds, bee pollen granules, grade B maple syrup, more butter, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Soaked Rice

1 cup rice

2 cups warm filtered water

2 TSB whey (or fresh lemon juice or plain yogurt)

Place rice and water into bowl and add the whey. Place a plate or tea towel over the bowl and allow the grain to soak for 24 hours.

The next day, pour rice and water mixture into pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes or until the water reaches the level of the rice. Add 2 TBS of pastured organic butter to pot, a dash of sea salt, cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

And We Couldn’t Leave Out Dessert!

Amazing Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting This cake has so much coconut oil, (a healthy source of fat), and eggs, (a tremendous source of protein), we couldn’t feel guilty about the sweet maple syrup that makes this cake a real treat!

Here is the recipe, adapted from http://www.elanaspantry.com/chocolate-cake-coconut-flour-continued/

¾ cup coconut flour, sifted

¼ cup cacao powder

1 tea mineral sea salt

1 tea baking soda

10 eggs (the coconut flour is really dense and needs a lot of eggs!)

1 cup melted coconut flour (I prefer this over grapeseed oil)

1 ½ cups maple syrup (no agave nectar for my family!)

¼ teaspoon orange zest (I used the zest of an entire orange…I went a little crazy!)

1. In a small bowl combine flour, cacao salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, blend eggs, oil, maple syrup, vanilla and orange zest
3. Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend until all the coconut flour clumps are gone
4. Oil two 9” round cake pans and dust with coconut flour
5. Pour batter into pans and bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes
6. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before removing from pan

I followed her vegan chocolate frosting recipe, swapping out the grapeseed oil for coconut oil, and the agave nectar for maple syrup. It was AMAZING!

The texture of coconut flour can be a bit denser than regular flour. It is also rich in dietary fiber, packed with protein and lauric acid.  Here is what Dr. Mercola has to say about coconut flour!  http://products.mercola.com/coconut-flour/

Let us know how it goes!

Your friend in Health,

Nina

P.S. To further complicate our issues with the modern grain, “Other antinutrients in whole grains include enzyme inhibitors which put stress on the pancreas, irritating tannins, complex sugars which the body cannot break down and gluten, a hard-to-digest protein.”  Read more about this issue in http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/be-kind-to-your-grains

Addressing gut health is something that can benefit everyone, and most everyone can benefit from reducing his or her exposure to industrially processed grains.  Gas and bloating should not be commonplace, a distended tummy that feels hard or heavy after a meal is not normal, and skin conditions, irregular bowels, allergic reactions and cramping are just a few of the side effects that people live with and eventually accept as normal. What does this mean? Among other things, a gassy, bloated, crampy feeling gut after a meal (or between them) is not normal!

What brought you to Health and Wholeness?

Rob:  Originally, I was seeking an edge to my workout routine since I tend to reach a plateau with my body rather quickly.  As a result, I consulted with Christian Elliott who was my Personal Trainer between 2007 and 2010.  After a conversation with Christian during a Health and Wholeness Open House, he suggested a consultation with Sumi Singh for an aggressive, effective, and efficient nutrition and workout regimen.  This is precisely the edge I sought.  Based on the lack of results I noticed on my own, I realized that my challenge stemmed from my nourishment consumption.  I soon learned that Sumi was the solution to my challenge.

How many days of the week do you train and for how long?

Rob:  On my own, I was working out 4 to 5 times regularly for 30 to 45 minutes prior to my program with Sumi.  Of note, this was a gradual progression.  Originally, I started working out twice a week due a busy work schedule.  As I began to feel more lethargic and winded from simple everyday activities, I increased my workout frequency to 3 times per week…then 4…then 5.  At one point, I reached 7 times in one week and STILL no results.

Under the auspices of Sumi, she taught me how to be mindful of my caloric consumption coupled with a dynamic workout routine.  The results are irrefutable.  I began to notice significant progress within two weeks.  By the time I reached the first milestone date, I overshot my original goal.  This occurred with the second milestone date as well.

What are your biggest motivators?

Rob:  Maintaining a fit lifestyle has always been a goal of mine, however, this time I wanted more definitive, physical results.

What is the most significant change you have made/noticed since coming to Health and Wholeness?

Rob:  By far, the most significant change has been my nourishment (food and supplement) consumption and portion size.  I eat much healthier now than I did before I was under the direction of Sumi.  Of note, I ate healthily before, but my regimen lacked some basic elements.  Further, my workout routines had become static.

What have you learned about yourself since starting your journey with us?

Rob:  The best lesson I have learned throughout this journey is will power.  I am reassured that one of my strengths is pure will power.

What advice would you give someone starting on his/her own health journey?

Rob:  I have 3 pieces of advice that I have found priceless:

1) Be consistent…start small and continue with small progressions

2) Be persistent…do not allow obstacles to discourage you

3) The secret to success is 1 and 2.

My journey with Sumi Singh has been quite enlightening.  Not only have I surpassed my fitness goals, but I have also acquired some unexpected benefits as well.  I feel more alert in mind, agile in body, and confident in spirit.  Sumi has unlocked a whole new person within me, for which I am extremely grateful.  Thank you Sumi!

What to know a little Personal Training Industry secret?  Probably more than half of the people who hire a trainer to help him/her lose weight don’t have see significant body composition changes.  Why is that?  Well, answering that question is not easy, but the short answer is that real body composition change usually requires more time and more lifestyle changes than most people expect.  Many people don’t realize the extent to which their lifestyle habits are intertwined with the reasons they developed a body they are unhappy with, and unlearning long-term habits can be a long haul.

Getting Personal

Committing to changing your body is committing to a journey of continual improvement.  Worthwhile journeys have potholes and roadblocks from time to time.  If you’re serious about it, this journey toward improvement WILL disrupt your current habits.  It will also force you to face your “warts”, and deal with who you are, how you came to be who you are, who you want to become, and why.  Those aren’t easy topics to wrestle with, and helps explain why changing one’s body is not an easy process for many people.

What does it take to Change?

Is “Diet and Exercise” the answer?  It is absolutely true that changing your body composition without regular exercise is darn near impossible.  Yet, it is also true that you can do a lot of exercise and not change your body composition much at all.  The same two statements could also be made about improving your diet.  It’s hard to change your body without improving your diet, but big changes in your diet may still not improve your body composition (or your health). Yes, there is something more to the “equation” of change than just these two factors and there is a synergy that comes from understanding the bigger picture of an overall healthy lifestyle.  Fail to understand that truth and your body composition goals may always elude you.

The Big Picture – Think Like a Detective

One major component of lasting body composition change is the art of listening to your body.  Here is a great blurb from the blog by the guys over at the Metabolic Effect about taking the right mindset to fat loss.  While I take exception with some of their dietary advice, on this point about the right approach, they nailed it:

“Fat loss involves the mindset of a detective NOT a dieter. If you approach this like a dieter, that means you expect linear, predictable & consistent results. Nothing could be further from the truth. Approach it this way & you are bound to struggle. Instead, learn by uncovering clues & paying close attention to your metabolic reactions. Then adjust, experiment & take notes. Only this lets you solve the formula so you can practice & master it. This is the process for fat loss” –Metabolic Effect

Approaching your body compositions changes with the mindset of a detective…now we’re getting somewhere.  And you’ll definitely need to broaden the detective work beyond just food.  You’ll have to reflect on your priorities, your finances, your experiences, your mindset, your medical/injury history and…maybe even your career path.  Some of what it takes to change may not be immediately obvious or widely taught, yet the more you look for clues, the more you’ll figure out how deep the rabbit hole goes, and what it is that your body responds well too.  Approaching things like a detective will keep you from throwing your hands up in despair when something you’ve tried does not “work.”  Instead, such an experience can and should drive you to dig deeper.  Pursue your goals knowing that your body is not uninterested in healing and having a healthy body composition.  When your results take a while, ask yourself what you might be doing that’s standing in your own way.

Where do we Start?

The best place I could suggest to start is by focusing on being healthy first, and losing weight second.  We like to say that weight loss is a side effect of being healthy.  There are plenty of unhealthy ways to lose weight, but at that end of the day those ways can just make your life more miserable.  To get healthy you must appreciate that there are fundamentals aspects of health that all humans are affected by.  We all need water, sleep, good nutrition, well-managed stress, movement (exercise), play, hope, and more in order to live healthy lifestyles.  Couple our shortcomings in those areas with the reality that we live in a high stress society, on a toxic planet, in a society that values low-cost convenience more than health consequences, under a medical system that has us convinced that they can medicate our problems away, and we have a lot of learning to do.  There is no way to write a one-size-fits-all program that accounts for all the variables mentioned above.  Not a chance.  So instead of being overwhelmed we suggest you start with prioritizing.  Start with diet and exercise, master them, and learn what else you can do to make them both more effective.

Having helped people on their health journey for many years now it is easier to see common threads that people who make genuine change tend to possess.  Here are some of the things we’ve noticed:

Get Your Mind Right

Attitude

Your body composition changes start and end here.  If it’s true that you can’t change your body without exercise, it is equally true that you cannot change your body if your mind is not right.  If you don’t think you can change, you won’t.  The clients we see who get results have a common trait of a positive attitude, a determination (a tenacity) that does not give up. What attitude do you bring to your goals, and especially your workouts? Also, (ladies especially) reflect on what takes up more space in your head, gratitude or discontentment.  If your focus is on the latter you’ll have a harder time making changes.  Focus on what you can control; be grateful for what you have.  Pick yourself up and move forward.

Mental Preparation

As a Personal Trainer, when I’m about to ask clients to do something that is going to be a significant challenge I’ve learned the more I can set them up to be strong in their mind, to help them know what’s coming and how to push through, the better they are going to perform.  The same can be said for trying to change your lifestyle.   You already get it that’s it’s not going to be easy, so prepare yourself for the challenge with some mental foresight.   When it gets hard, step back and say “I knew this was coming and I know where I’m going is more important than taking the easy road right now.”

Torture

Thankfully I can say I’ve never been tortured before, but I’m told that anyone under torture eventually has a breaking point.  The same could be said about how much change a given individual can handle at once.  If you’re unhappy with your body/health, there is probably A LOT you can change about your health strategy.  Realize you can only handle so much change at once and prioritize.  Try to change too much too fast and you’ll crack.

Who’s Your Favorite?

Who is your favorite athlete (or musician, performer, etc.)?  Think about the effort level they put into being excellent.  Next time you go in for a workout, ask yourself this question “If, during a game, my favorite athlete put out the same kind of effort I’m putting into this workout, would I be pleased with his/her performance?” Everyone is allowed an “off” day now and then, and the above doesn’t mean you should run yourself into the ground every time you workout, but, does the effort your put into your workout match the requirements to meet your stated goal?

What Are You Willing to Give Up?

To say “yes” to better health means you probably have to say “no” to something else.  Sometimes that’s a fairly easy swap and other times it’s life changing.  A sad reality is lot of the time a person’s line of work (especially doctors and lawyers) is exactly the thing standing in the way of their health goals.  How badly do you want your health goals?  Are you willing to change significant portions of your way of life, possibly your career if necessary?

Get Your Movement (Exercise) Right

Master the Basics

Set yourself up for a lifetime of efficient movement.  Hire a good Personal Trainer to help you learn to safely perform the basic human movements.  Do these well, and you’ll take stress off your joints and add years, if not decades, to your youth.

Hold Weight Loss Formulas and “12-Week Programs” Loosely

There are some decent ones out there but none of them can account for all the variables of a healthy lifestyle, unique to your situation.

Move Often and with Enough Intensity

If you’re looking to change your body composition you will have to send a message to your body that it needs to be prepared to be fit at any moment.  Your body has to think that activity is more regular than inactivity.  Work toward being able to do all four of these each week.  (See what I mean about disrupting your normal routine?)

1. Walk 70,000-100,000 steps a week.  Get a pedometer, or better yet, invest in the best fitness gadget I know of: the FitBit.  In addition to tracking your steps it will also track your food, calories, miles traveled, activity levels, and sleep.  Great investment ($100) in full-time accountability.   Say goodbye to excuses!
2. Find a way to stand more than you sit: Think of standing for 20-40 hours per week – I just lost most of you right here!
3. Have a VERY challenging (appropriate to your body) workout at least twice a week
4. Have a moderate workout 2-4 times per week.

Get Your Eating Right

Who Do You Listen To?

There are so many competing voices in the nutrition arena.  Go to any local bookstore and you can see shelves full of books titled “The ___________ Diet.”  One thing most of these books have in common is a reductionist approach to fat loss.  While none of the authors would probably admit it, most popular diet books rely on tinkering with some sliver of human physiology and how we respond to that change (i.e. no carb, no fat, no salt, no sugar, no animal foods, no dairy, no…).  They bank on what they suggest as being different enough from what you currently do that you can sense change happening.  At the end of the day, the human body is an adaptable organism.  Change something (for better or worse), and the body adapts to that change as best it can.  In other words, change something as any of those books suggest and you’ll probably see some (probably short-lived) changes.  The question is, is the change they asked for sustainable?  Unless it is, the continuing/lasting change you are looking for will always elude you.  For what it’s worth we strongly recommend the nutritional wisdom discovered by Dr. Weston A. Price and the foundation started in his name.

Eat Breakfast, and Don’t Skip Meals

You’ve probably heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  It is!  Don’t skip it.  Breakfast should be loaded with nutrition (not, coffee, bagels, pastries, or cereal with skim milk) and bigger than your other meals.  If you skip breakfast you go roughly 18 hours between dinner and lunch the next day.  That’s awful for getting/keeping your metabolism running.  Feed your body intelligently and regularly and watch what it will do for you.

Focus on Quality Food Instead of Calories

While there is much more I could say here, the simplest pointer I could give would be that while the number of calories you eat is not unimportant, what is MORE important (in my estimation) is the quality of what you eat.  If you want to be healthy there is no substitute for healthy (non-processed) foods.  The “foods” of industry are not substances any human was designed to assimilate.  If you focus on quality, you’ll find that your body starts to sort out how much to eat and when.   Learning how to plan, find, prepare and eat farm fresh foods is for another article.  But know that if you do not provide your body with the fuels it needs to build and regulate a healthy structure, you will not have health.  Just like there is no substitute for sleep or exercise, there is no substitute for healthy eating.

Final Thoughts

The Counter Balance Scales

Think of the balancing scales and compare what you are currently doing well to what you do not doing well.  On one side of the scale are the positive health measures you take.  On the other side of the scale are things you do that don’t build health.  Which side of the scale weighs more? Unless you flip the scale in favor of more positive than negative, you can’t ever expect that your body will change.

A Bit of Hope

Like I mentioned above, your body very much wants to be healthy, and sexy!  If you don’t feel it is, start thinking like a detective.  Start prioritizing what measures you can and should take.  Seek out good advice and the stories of people who have been successful.  It’s a lot easier to keep a body you like than change it.

Here’s to your health!

Christian