Simple ways to get yourself fit-minded (#Simple Sunday) - By Shannon

Are your workouts feeling like a chore?  Can't seem to motivate yourself to workout?  Here are simple ways to get in touch with your inner fitness freak.

• Buy new workout gear!  Yes, this really does work.  Get a super cute sports bra, shorts, yoga pants or even a new pair of kicks.  Once you get in your brandy new workout clothes, you are halfway there!
• Find fitspiration.  Follow health and fitness minded people on social media.  Go on Instagram and search for hashtags like #fitfam, #igfitness, #fitspo or of course #TeamFitini.  Watching other fit-minded people will get you engaged and excited about their progress.  Wouldn't you love to see the same success?  If they can do it, so can you!
• Find a workout you really like.  All too often, people do workouts that they really don't enjoy. For example, I don't really like running - I never did and likely never will.  I do add running to my workout regimen every now and then, but if running was my only workout, I certainly wouldn't be able to stick to it for the long run.  I love mixing it up, so circuit training programs with variety work well for me.  Try different workouts and find out what you love.  There are so many options out there - classes at your local gym, home fitness programs, recreational sports teams - the choices are endless.  When you find something you enjoy, it will no longer be a chore.  You will actually start to look forward to it!  
• Join a group and get support.  If you have other fit-minded people around you, your chances of succeeding are much higher.  Find a fit group where you can stay accountable for your workouts, find motivation & support and post the progress photos that you would never dare to post on your personal Facebook account.  The amazing feedback you receive will keep you pushing forward.  If you are interested in joining Team Fitini, you are more than welcome to join my private motivational group.
• Take progress photos and measurements.  
  
  One of the best ways to get excited about working out is seeing your progress right before your very own eyes.  Do not rely on the scale, it will do nothing but frustrate you.  Things like muscle gain and water retention can make your weight change.  Take photos of yourself before you start and take progress photos along the way.  Also take your measurements so you can document the actual loss.  When you have a bad day, you can always look back at your photos and remember how far you have come.
• Earn $$ for becoming healthy! It is true, you can actually cash-in for bettering yourself!  How amazing is that?  


• There is a new app called GymPact that is an exercise incentive program.  The way it works is you make a "pact" regarding how many days a week you will workout.  Next, you set the stakes and decide how much money you will pay if you DON'T workout.  During the week, you check-in your workouts via your smartphone.  At the end of the week, the money from all the "non-exercisers" is divvied up to the group that stayed committed. Cha-ching!!
• The Beachbody Challenge is another way to earn from your amazing fitness results.  After you finish your Beachbody program, you can enter your before and after pictures and be eligible to win weekly, monthly, quarterly or the annual grand prize.  Weekly winners get $500 and the annual prize is a whopping $100k!  Even if you don't win, you earn a free t-shirt to prove that you are a Beachbody graduate!
• By becoming a Team Beachbody coach, you are getting paid to live a healthy and fit life!  You don't have to be a fitness expert or in perfect shape - anyone can become a coach if they simply want to help people become more healthy and fit. Many people start coaching because they are doing the programs themselves and their friends and family start to ask them how they are getting such great results.  If you become a coach, you can be the one to start earning on those referrals.  Click here or email me directly at TeamFitini@gmail.com if you would like to become a Team Fitini Beachbody coach.  I will be your sponsor and personally help you build your own successful at home business!  In addition, you will get 25% off on all Beachbody products.
• Just do it!  The best way to get fit-minded is just throw your excuses out the window and get moving!  The more you workout, the better you will feel and before you know it you will be looking forward to getting your sweat on!

If you have any questions, please email me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

www.teamfitini.com

www.teamfitini.blogspot.com

Simply wanting to understand your food (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

My story, and why I’m so conscious about what I eat.

During the last few years I have become extremely interested in the food that I consume.  Unfortunately, the food we eat today is very different than what our parents and grandparents ate growing up.  I always considered myself a “healthy” person.  I ate what I thought was good for me (which looking back was not necessarily the best) and never had any health issues.  This changed in the early 2000's when I suddenly started to have allergic reactions.  One incident left me in the hospital on Christmas Day during one of the worst snow storms the East Coast.  It was scary, and I started to really wonder, why all of a sudden am I having these problems?

The hospital recommended I get an allergy test, and I was quite surprised by the results.  I found out I had numerous allergies that I did not have growing up as a child.  Some of the food related allergens included nuts (tree and peanut), peas, carrots, avocado and coconut.  I didn’t understand how I went from someone that could eat whatever they wanted, to someone that now had to worry about how the foods were prepared and exactly what the ingredients were.  It was a tough time for me, and I actually started to develop a bit of anxiety every time I ate out.  I was so afraid that I would have another allergic reaction.  I had a few incidents, but thankfully did not end up back in the hospital.

My health continued to suffer.  I never really felt good and was constantly trying to maintain or lose weight.  I got sucked into the trap of eating a lot of so-called convenient and “healthy” processed foods (think of the healthy options that you can find in the freezer section) and low calorie/no and low sugar alternatives.  I was frustrated, confused and really didn’t know how to make the situation better.

I remember the day when I started to understand what was happening to me. I found a research article that talked about the rise in allergies and other sicknesses being connected with the increase of genetically modified products.  It ALL made sense now - the timing…the food…the allergies.  The food I was eating was making me sick, and it was time to change.  I was on a mission to get back to a healthy place.

Click here for an article that talks about the research and the potential effects of GMO products.

I’m still trying to figure it all out, but I’m in a place now where I’m feeling better than I have in a long, long time.  I try to stay away from processed foods and eat real, nutritious organic foods.  I’m also happy to be able to share this information with others, in the hopes they can avoid some of the problems I've had to deal with.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

GMOs are organisms that have been genetically altered or changed.  Genetically engineered (GE) seeds were introduced commercially in 1996 to develop “Round-up Ready” crops, meaning they are developed to survive the chemicals that are sprayed on them.  In addition, some of the crops are engineered to produce toxins that kill pests.  “According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 70% of processed foods in American supermarkets now contain GE ingredients” (cited from OrganicItsWorthIt.org). GMOs are heavily found in corn, soybean and cotton crops. 

Natural Vs. Organic

Natural does not have a defined and enforced regulation (except for meat/poultry/eggs, where there are some loose guidelines), while organic does.  So called “natural” products may indeed be processed, contain hormones, antibiotics and artificial flavors.

Check out this definition of “natural” from the USDA site:

Natural. As required by USDA, meat, poultry, and egg products labeled as “natural” must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. However, the natural label does not include any standards regarding farm practices and only applies to processing of meat and egg products. There are no standards or regulations for the labeling of natural food products if they do not contain meat or eggs.

So basically this is telling us that “natural” means absolutely nothing in regard to produce/crops.  In regard to meat, poultry and eggs, a farmer could in theory inject his animals with hormones and feed it GMO feed, but process it in a certain way and be labeled  and marketed as “natural”.  What does this tell us? Be VERY leery of the natural labels.  I’m not saying every “natural” label is going to be a bad product, but every “natural” labeled product isn’t going to be good either.

Another thing I will point out is it is very expensive for a farmer to gain the USDA Organic seal.  So there are many farms that are doing the right thing in terms of growing/producing their animals and crops, but don’t have the money to become certified organic.  There is another non-governmental program called “Certified Naturally Grown” where smaller scale farmers can certify that they are using truly natural methods.   

    

Here is a great guide from the USDA to better understand what the various labels and marketing tactics mean.  It is up to us to educate ourselves, because there is a lot of deceptive marketing happening.

Organic means the production of the food was heavily regulated and they followed the farming or production practices created by the USDA.  Here is the definition from the USDA website:

Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. These methods integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.

If something has the organic seal, it should also be non-GMO.  Here is an article from the USDA that explains this.

Hopefully this helps you to better understand the various types of food that are available and what you should be looking for.  It is so important to be educated about what you are eating, because not everything is good for you.

Sources:

www.organicitsworthit.org

www.usda.gov

If you have any questions, please email me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

www.teamfitini.com

www.teamfitini.blogspot.com

Simple ways to eat healthy during the week (#SimpleSunday) – By Shannon

It doesn't have to be difficult to make healthy food choices during the week.  The key to this is one word – PREPARATION.  Here are a few easy ways to get ready for the week ahead of you and make smart choices when it comes to what you eat.

• Go food shopping on Sunday.  In my opinion, this is the best way to prepare for a healthy week.  Make your shopping list for the week and pick up all those healthy things you know you should have stocked in your fridge and pantry.  If you need help in this area, check out my post on simple nutrition and grocery shopping.                

• Prep your food.  I know that mornings get busy and it can be hard to find the time to pack a breakfast, lunch or snacks.  If you know it is unlikely to happen, prep in advance.  One option is to prepare your food on Sunday after you've gone grocery shopping.  Consider things like making enough grilled chicken and veggies to last you for a couple of days or buying fruit or vegetables  that are easy to put into single baggie servings (I do this ALL the time with berries and eat it with my Greek yogurt).  If you aren't ready to spend your Sunday doing a weeks worth of food prep, then take some time the night before and prepare your food.  A real easy way to have lunch the next day is making extra dinner.  Put the extra serving in a container and you are all set for tomorrow’s lunch.  The more prepared you are, the more likely you will be successful.

• Workout in the morning.  I find that working out in the morning is a great way for me to stay healthy throughout the whole day.  After all, who wants to bust their rump doing an intense workout and then ruin it by eating a bunch of crap?  Starting healthy sets an example for the entire day.  Yes, it is hard to get up, but I promise you will feel so good afterward.  Who doesn't want to start the day on a positive note?!

• Get inspired!  We are all influenced by what is around us.  Surround yourself with health and fitness!  It can be as simple as following someone on Facebook (I heard www.facebook.com/thefitini is a good page - ha ha), find a great blog and subscribe or get on Instagram and follow hashtags like #fitspo, #fitfam or #igfitness.  When you see the healthy lives that others are living, it is more likely to inspire you.

If you have any questions, please contact me at TeamFitini@gmail.com.

www.teamfitini.com

www.teamfitini.blogspot.com