Tag / estero weight loss

by tessbrennan

Quick Tip – Rollerskating

There are many activities we do with our children, that with a bit of effort can increase the effectiveness, calories burned, and muscle strength.

Today, I went rollerskating with my daughter, a favorite activity of ours.  My goal is to get my heart rate elevated for a prolonged period of time, sweat a bit, burn some of those calories and even build some muscle.

If you hold your arms out to the side, up in the air, for a second, its easy, same thing when you squat down. BUT, if you keep your arms there for an extended period of time, you will begin to feel the burn as gravity does its work and the muscles begin to work as you are holding them there.  Same thing, with the squat.  So what I do is keep my feet moving and work my thighs by squatting down into the moves and using my thigh muscles to push my feet out and pull them back in, all while maintaining that squat.

Keep moving until you feel the burn, then hold it a bit longer to make it worth it.  I use the burst mentality to make the most of my time.

3-5 minutes of warm up.
3 minutes of stretching muscles.
20 second bursts of movement in the squatted stance with 10 second intervals of relaxed gliding between. (3 minutes 30 seconds total at a time)
3 minutes of cool down.

Today, we were only at the rink for a couple of hours. (1 hour of it that I could skate) So, I did several reps of the above workout.

by tessbrennan

Leucine and Weight Loss

I’ve recently been asked by a friend about the new Lysine produce being advertised on television with a 70% weight loss average due to fat loss.  Here is the information I have on a product that in test studies lost 99% of their weight from fat loss.

Being overweight or obese is the number one health issue of our day. Excess weight is associated with many diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. Excess weight increases suffering, decreases quality of living, reduces life expectancy, and places a large burden on already burdened health care resources.1

Reversing the obesity epidemic will no doubt require advances on many fronts, including public health policy, consumer and physician education, and community engagement in supporting initiatives to help people become more active. There are literally hundreds of weight-loss programs, most of which do indeed lead to weight loss—but no attention is paid to what constitutes healthy and sustainable weight loss. Loss of water weight or muscle mass (as occurs in all programs) initially looks good on the scale, but fails in the long term to achieve the goal of permanent weight loss.

Since lean muscle mass constitutes the majority of metabolism2, loss of muscle mass is unsustainable in the long-term as metabolism will plummet along with weight loss, which leads to regaining of weight unless permanent changes in diet and lifestyle have occurred. Maintenance of lean muscle mass, therefore, is a key element of a successful weight-loss program.3

PROTEIN MAINTAINS MUSCLE MASS

Since the time of the Roman Empire, protein has been known to help build muscles. When amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) were discovered, it was clear that only certain types of amino acids led to muscle building. The branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) were found to have the most effect on maintaining muscle mass, and eventually leucine emerged as the amino acid that has unique effects on protein synthesis.4

Leucine has been shown to have the following effects helpful for weight loss:

  • Leucine inhibits the breakdown of other proteins.5
  • Leucine increases metabolism (thermogenic effect).6
  • During a low-calorie diet, consumption of leucine helps maintain lean muscle mass so that weight loss can preferentially come from fat stores.7
  • Leucine stimulates a rise in plasma leptin and helps people feel full.8

Several long-term studies in obese participants who consumed a high-soy protein/low-fat diet suggested improved body composition by losing fat and preserving muscle mass.9 Leucine supplementation combined with exercise appears to be one of the most effective way for maintaining lean muscle mass for weight loss.10

http://www.shaklee.tv/v.ihtml/player.html?source=embed&photo%5fid=10782261

CONCLUSION

Excess weight continues to be a challenging public health problem. It is clear that increased protein content of meals during a weight-loss program not only increases satiety and modulates cravings, but also is the main metabolic messenger for the synthesis and maintenance of lean muscle mass.

The majority of leucine-related literature confirms the significance of leucine as a dietary modulator of muscle maintenance that is useful for weight loss and maintenance. The leucine content of a meal may be the critical factor for determining the quantity and quality of proteins necessary at a meal for stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and/or decreased muscle breakdown, and the maintenance of lean body mass and metabolism.

For More Information:

Contact me or check out the Shaklee180 line which features Leucine and sports nutrition.

  1. Wolf AM, Colditz GA. Current estimates of the economic cost of obesity in the United States. Obes Res. 1998 Mar;6(2):97-106. PMID: 9545015.
  2. Zurlo F, Larson K, Bogardus C, Ravussin E. Skeletal muscle metabolism is a major determinant of resting energy expenditure. J Clin Invest. 1990 Nov;86(5):1423-7. PMID: 2243122.
  3. Deibert P, König D, Schmidt-Trucksaess A, et al. Weight loss without losing muscle mass in pre-obese and obese subjects induced by a high-soy-protein diet. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Oct;28(10):1349-52. PMID: 15303108.
  4. Layman DK, Walker DA. Potential importance of leucine in treatment of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):319S-23S. PMID: 16365106. PDF
  5. Zanchi NE, Nicastro H, Lancha AH Jr. Potential antiproteolytic effects of L-leucine: observations of in vitro and in vivo studies. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Jul 17;5:20. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-5-20. PMID: 18637185. PDF
  6. Tappy L, Jéquier E, Acheson K. Thermic effect of infused amino acids in healthy humans and in subjects with insulin resistance. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Jun;57(6):912-6. PMID: 8503362.
  7. Churchward-Venne TA, Breen L, et al. Leucine supplementation of a low-protein mixed macronutrient beverage enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis in young men: a double-blind, randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Feb;99(2):276-86. PMID: 24284442.
  8. Lynch CJ, Gern B, Lloyd C, Hutson SM, Eicher R, Vary TC. Leucine in food mediates some of the postprandial rise in plasma leptin concentrations. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Sep;291(3):E621-30. Epub 2006 Apr 25. PMID: 16638821. PDF
  9. Deibert P, König D, Schmidt-Trucksaess A, et al. Weight loss without losing muscle mass in pre-obese and obese subjects induced by a high-soy-protein diet. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Oct;28(10):1349-52. PMID: 15303108.
  10. Westcott W, Varghese J, DiNubile N, et al. Exercise and Nutrition More Effective than Exercise Alone for Increasing Lean Weight and Reducing Resting Blood Pressure. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. 2011, 14(4). PDF
by tessbrennan

A 7 day cleanse ruined my life!

I decided I had consumed way too much trash over the Thanksgiving-Christmas holidays. I felt sluggish, had no energy, and was bloated, not to mention I’d gained 9 pounds. I heard about this awesome all you can eat cleanse and that sounded like something I could do. I stocked up on healthy, fresh produce and embarked on this great challenge. No starvation, no crazy concoctions, no drugs, just tasty, pretty, raw veggies and fruit.

Day 1: I want to eat a wheel of cheese and a whole tuna. (Don’t forget the protein.) I did very well on this day. Not many cravings, but the knowledge that I should avoid it for 7 days made me want it.IMG_20150109_192701

Day 2: <Head hits desk> When my body doesn’t get protein it doesn’t function. I had misunderstood the instructions and omitted any protein on day 1. Unable to function, a half serving of a plant based protein brought me back to life and I commenced to shoving large quantities of food in my mouth.IMG_20150107_184019
Day 3: I began feeling clearer in the head, my energy picked up a bit, I wasn’t wanting to eat forbidden foods (as much) I was very thankful for the 2 avocados that had fallen off my tree. I ate half of each of those beasts each day.IMG_20150104_133659
Day 4: This was a Thursday for me. When I walked into Rotary, the meat entre’ smelled divine. This day was very difficult to get enough food past my lips…to which my hubby found very entertaining. I felt that I could not possibly force anymore raw veggies past my teeth. Yet, I continued on.IMG_20150106_191831
Day 5: Must I really continue to eat this stuff? I had lots of energy, felt very clear headed, yet fixing chicken and such for the rest of my family caused me to be jealous. For dinner, I told my husband, “I give up, I want a pizza. I’ll just eat a veggie pizza so it won’t be that bad.” He said NO, so I had slightly steamed tomatoes with avocado and some homemade Italian dressing.IMG_20150105_130904
Day 6: I’ve made it this far… could I eat a whole cow? Nope…one more day to go. Tomato juice warmed with right protein tastes just like cream of tomato soup! I packed an apple and orange in my purse for snacks at the hockey game and ate my salad when we returned home at 10 pm.

IMG_20150110_172052
Day 7: Easy, this is it. I am finished at dinner time. I shoved fruits and veggiez and plant based protein past my teeth with the knowledge of a small, grilled chicken breast for dinner, and maybe even a bite of ice cream.

IMG_20150118_200311

Free dinner -its over!  Hubby grilled the chicken perfect, but when I bit into it, it didn’t meet my expectations.  When darling daughter finished her dinner and got ice cream, I had a single bite of the fowl tasting frozen concoction..

The cleanse ruined my taste buds! I lost 7 pounds in the 7 days, several inches around my waist, increased my energy levels, and wrecked my taste buds for the crap that infiltrates our daily lives.

Chicken is better now, fresh caught grouper is amazing, ice cream still doesn’t cut it and I am craving more veggies.

Things I learned.
*I am thankful for my supportive husband, even if he  makes fun of me in the process.
*Fruits and veggies make me feel good.
*Iron can eliminate cheese cravings.
*Fresh and lightly steamed veggies make gorgeous meals.
*I can do anything for 7 days.
*If I can do it for 7, I can commit to healthier choices on a daily basis for life.
*Keep drinking water-it keeps things moving.
*Protein is an integral part of my daily diet.
*If I have “side effects” it is due to my errors in following proper protocol.

Cleanse-Why_Raw_Food-Side_Effects

I was devastated that the things I once coveted as delicious, no longer strike my fancy, however it is amazing how delicious these whole foods can taste when there isn’t anything skewed by hyper-palatable foods.  My “junk food life” was ruined! Now I focus on whole foods for my sweets and such!

For more information on this amazing All You Can Eat Cleanse, contact me.

by tessbrennan

Obesity and Preventable Death

Really?  You can do that? Don’t we all die?

YES, we do, ALL, die, however, our time here on earth doesn’t have to be riddled with pain and suffering.  Simple changes, made over time, can significantly decrease our chances of suffering from obesity (which can be crippling) which in turn decreases our chances of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

I recently received an email from Public Health Corps with some very valuable information, so I thought I would share it with you in regard to this important topic.

Nowhere is immune to this epidemic:

We already know the health risks associated with obesity, don’t we?

  • High Blood pressure
  • Stroke
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Abnormal triglycerides and cholesterols
  • Metabolic syndrom
  • Cancer
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Reproductive problems…
  • See more at this link.

The list is surprisingly long, however, there is something that can be done. I know, I’ve done it, I have friends who have done it, and with work, commitment, and teamwork, you can do it too!

What is this epidemic costing us? How much of our tax dollars are going toward obesity related issues?

Obesity Epidemic Costs World $2 Trillion a Year, Study Says

Obesity Epidemic Costs World $2 Trillion a Year, Study Says

Here are the Resources I promised you in the title and photo!

YOU ARE CAPABLE of making the change for the better. Whether you do it alone, with a coach, or with a group of friends, YOU CAN DO THIS!

I am here to be a resource. Simply contact me via email or on Facebook at The Healthy Grease Monkey. I have many resources and tools for all budgets and needs.

May your 2015 be the healthiest year for you yet! One Change Counts! Make it today!

by tessbrennan

STOP! Wait before you start that Cleanse!

I’m not denying that providing your body with high quality nutrients and fiber can’t have profound effects and allow you system to begin working more efficiently. I’m not saying that your liver couldn’t use a break from all the abuse it gets on a daily basis.

I AM saying, perhaps an additional day or two of good prep work could assist you in avoiding many of the “side effects” that many seem to get when they “cleanse” their systems.

As I watch all the social media and see everyone talking about “making a change for a healthier new year” I get excited that so many are ready to commit, and then, a bit sad in that so many will give up, feeling as if they have failed.  My goal in this article is to set you up to WIN! 

Why wait?

Some people, occasionally, will experience some side effects.  These are typically:

  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Headache
  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Flu-like symptoms

Day 2 is typically the day you will notice most, if any, of these symptoms, especially, if you have over-indulged prior to your cleanse.  This is the REASON – I suggest waiting a few days to begin – past New Years Day.

Almost always, these symptoms are from dehydration, starvation or withdrawal from caffeine, sugar or alcohol.

Why do people “cleanse”?

Why_Cleanse

Cleanse_benefits

What do I eat on a Cleanse?

Cleanse_-_What_do_I_eat

I don’t believe in starving myself, or my clients.  I believe in providing high quality nutrition to my body to allow it to do its job!  Here is a link to an 18 minute video that explains how to “cleanse” without the starvation portion so many think is necessary. I will also provide links to the 4 products mentioned in this presentation.  (NOTE: special parameters for those with Diabetes or Low Blood Sugar is at 10:00 Minute mark.)

Fresh Start supplements

Alfalfa Complex  *  Liver DTX Complex   *   Herb-Lax   *   Optiflora

If you would like additional information on how to set up your cleanse or to discuss what might be a match for your personal needs, please feel free to contact me at Tess@HealthyGreaseMonkey.com

by tessbrennan

6 Tips to Make Time for Health

As a mom, wife, health coach, entrepreneur, PTO member, Rotarian…  I find that my “time” is limited. (or is it?) 

The calendar on my “smart”phone is often filled with lots of running and back to back appointments across the county. It is very easy for me to get “so busy” that I forget about the things that are important – LIKE MY HEALTH!

Many times, as a mom & wife, I get so wrapped up in taking care of the needs of my family, that I forget what it is that I need to do for myself. 

I can remember my mom’s 30th birthday, when Dad took us all to Lafayette to celebrate HER birthday, but when we got there we spent all the time shopping for my sister and I and before we knew it, the time was up and we hadn’t done anything for mom. Sad smile  Her 30th birthday was a BIG sacrifice for us! (It happens – my 40th was a bit like this too, but that’s a story for another day. LOL)

Today, as Moms, it is SO important that we remember to take time to support our personal health and that we don’t get distracted by the little things (like Candy Crush & Facebook) and that we get the important things in there.

So, what is a busy mom supposed to do to make time for a healthier YOU?

  1. Dump list & Daily 4: List out all that you need to do for the week, then create the FOUR most important things to accomplish THAT day… (maybe 5… but NO MORE)  If you accomplish the first 4, then you can move on to other things on that list.  (At the end of the day, do yourself a favor and write down all you accomplished – then list the FOUR things for you to do tomorrow)
    Dump List
  2. Work on the 30 minute “FOCUS” time system:  As you begin to work on things from that list, remember the 30 minute rule.  SET A TIMER (your smartphone has one)  Focus on that one task for 30 minutes.  (Yes, you can answer your kids, redirect them, etc. but remember to return right back to that task.)   I am frequently amazed at how much I can accomplish in a 30 minute time frame when I put my mind to it!
    30 Min Focus
  3. If you are going to cook anyway, make it worth it! Prepare multiple meals at once. I don’t like to waste time in the kitchen, so if I need to be in the kitchen to make dinner/lunch/breakfast I like to prepare foods for future meals. Make the most of the time I am in the kitchen and save time in the future for food prep.
    Silly mom in kitchen shoes
  4. Remember your supplements! When my immune system is weakened due to holes in my daily nutrition, I tend to succumb to whatever crap is floating around.  It took me a while to learn to remember to take my morning supplements. I created my routine by using my smartphone alarm app.
    Schedule it in
  5. Squeeze in some workout whenever you can: I am NOT above doing squats in the bathroom whenever I need to “go”. Add a few extra steps when you head to the store. Be active WITH your family. Park a bit further from the store and walk a few extra steps.  (This is my daughter’s new favorite thing to do.)
    Adding steps is an easy way to improve our fitness

  6. Take time to rest! Our kids aren’t the only ones who need rest. By rest, I don’t mean 20 minutes sitting in the recliner playing Bubble Witch2 or scanning FB from your phone.  I MEAN, 20 minutes of quiet.  I have implemented a 30 minutes a day reading requirement for my daughter (she’s 7 now).  That is my time to reflect, pray, meditate, or read something to provide myself that needed recharge time.
    Reading child with momReading child

I have other tips, but these seem to be the most important for my daily sanity and health.  A few simple focused minutes now can set me up for easier, quicker, healthier sailing later on!

Make it a GREAT day!  For additional information, personal coaching, or events happening in your area, contact me.

by tessbrennan

How strong is Your Foundation?

So, as I have embarked on my “reading plan” for 2014, He sent me the text from Matthew 7:24-27.  It immediately stuck in my head.  Thoughts were flying at me.

If WE are HIS temple, then we MUST WORK to build a solid foundation to allow that Temple to remain strong, stable, and available as a testament to others.

So many people I know are so STRONG in their faith, their love of God, and their work for Him, yet their health is failing due to their lacking a sound nutritional or the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Local Vegetables for Healthy Diet

As my friend, Camille says, “Its all about the choices we make every day.”  Sure, I can choose chocolate cake or actions that don’t support a healthy life. I am also CHOOSING to face those consequences – whatever they may be.

My thoughts on Temple Maintenance and a Strong Foundation.

I do have a Temple Maintenance class beginning February 11, 2014 at Estero United Methodist Church.

Plans are in the works to begin a Lifetime Waist Reduction Class – where you learn to make the lifestyle and nutritional choices that shrink your waist and help you maintain that health for the long term, as I have.

I am currently accepting new coaching clients as well.  Contact me for more information!

by tessbrennan

Why I don’t care if you are skinny!

I actually HATE the word skinny!  I hate it as much as I hate the word fat. I always have and most likely always will.  Let me explain.

Growing up, I was very active.  I participated in multiple sports, FFA, F.I.L.E., my Church, and many contests for public speaking. At one point my father or mother tracked my caloric intake during the peak of my junior year.  I was eating 10,000 calories a day!  Literally. I don’t know how my family kept from going broke.

0108140201081403

Breakfast was usually some hot cereal with butter and brown sugar, a glass of juice and a glass of milk, a multi-raw egg smoothie (because dad was doing it for his running and such, so would I), two large school lunches, mega snacks right after school, a HUGE dinner, and whatever else I could find.  I was a PIG… and I was SKINNY!

When I say skinny… I mean NO CURVES, NONE. (Well, I did have some lovely calves.)  No butt, no hips, no chest (even with a padded training bra), nothing.  A skinny girl with short hair and braces!  To the point that during long jump at a track meet, a classmate thought it would be funny to register me as one of the boys… The track official didn’t even notice the different uniform!  I hated to buy clothes because nothing fit and it all fell off because of how I was built. (My dad would go shopping for clothes without me to save me the frustration.)

Everyone used to comment how “skinny” I was! Meanwhile my mom was struggling with weight in the other direction, wishing she had my metabolism.

Fast forward to grown-up life. Post college and all its intermural sports, the walking to class, and the dancing the night away. LIFE… and 200+ pounds.

 BeforeJingle Jog 2013

I want to tell you, you can be healthy, look great and be happy and NOT be skinny! 

Today, I am at 145 pounds. I’ve been told that my ideal weight is 135, but I am comfortable, happy, and healthy at 145.  The extra 55 pounds didn’t make me fat… they made me sick and unable to function. 

By making smart choices, healthy choices, by choosing foods and supplements that SUPPORT my health and eliminating the poor choices… many of the aches and pains, the need for my prescription meds, the inability to participate in things all went away and all the extra weight went away too!

I am thankful for friends who showed me healthier ways. Thank you Betsey for guiding and teaching. The research I am seeing today states that losing just 10% of your body weight (when overweight or obese) could GREATLY impact your health!  Its time to get started!

Contact me, when you are ready to begin making healthier choices! We can discuss the best route for your needs!

As my dad used to say, all. the. time. “Zig Ziglar says, Keep on, Keepin’ on!”

by tessbrennan

Could your Gut be making you fat or sick?

Do I think your “gut” could be making you fat and sick?  Fat –Possibly? Sick – Very Possibly.

Obese couple

 

Our bodies are miraculous functioning gifts.  They are complex machines that need many things in balance to keep functioning properly. Our bodies were created by God (Genesis 1:27).  They were created to function as a whole entity, complete and perfect.  Our bodies were created with mechanisms to keep us warm, cool us off, fight off disease, heal from injuries, and in the case of our skin and bones, regenerate when broken.

The problem: Our digestive system is under attack from many different directions!

Our “gut” or digestive system is very, VERY important.  We get all of our nutrition (fuel) through the digestive system but it isn’t just a transport system, it also includes our immune system, and everything else.

Today, everything we see advertised on the television is meant to KILL germs and bacteria. The soap most use has the antibacterial component Triclosan along with many of the items we buy.

When we get sick, they give us anti-biotics to kill all the bacteria in our body. Unfortunately it kills the bad AND the good bacteria in our bodies.

The foods many choose to consume on a large scale, feed the bad bacteria which then can overtake the good bacteria and begin to cause havoc on our system as well. (2)

In the news today, they mentioned the fact that the microbiota in your system could even contribute to obesity.  (The key here is contribute – there are many facets to consider when looking at obesity.)  (1)

A solution: Add a quality probiotic to your daily routine/diet.  Remember that your stomach acids can kill 85-95% of the good bacteria moving through, so eat your probiotics with a good sized meal, (like dinner) to improve its chances of making it safely through OR choose a probiotic supplement from a trusted source.

ALSO, avoid excessive sugar intake. This includes refined flours, sugars, sugar substitutes, and highly processed foods and juices. 

Eat a balanced diet INCLUDING LOTS of Fruits and Vegetables. A recent study showed that those who ate a diet HIGH in Meat & Dairy caused the microflora in the digestive tract to change rapidly, and not necessarily for the good! (2)

Veggies - LifeInBonitaSprings

You always want to be sure that the supplements you choose are from a company that guarantees their product, that what it says it contains is REALLY what is in there and that nothing unwanted will be in the supplement as well!

There is a LOT of research going on right now involving the gut and the microbiome in our bodies. The hope is to understand more and to be able to help more people stay healthier to start with. (3)

For more information in regard to digestion and how it can affect our health here are some links.  An audio recording of Digestion Is the Key to Health by Dr. Frank Painter (43 minutes long)  and a video presentation entitled Protecting The Most Important Organ in Your Body. (40 minutes long)

For more information on healthy eating, healthy weight loss, and improving your health, contact me!

(1) http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/predicting-2014s-top-medical-innovations/ (beginning at 1:55)

(2) http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/10/250007042/chowing-down-on-meat-and-dairy-alters-gut-bacteria-a-lot-and-quickly

(3) http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/03/12/microbiome-health-blaser

Photo of vegetables courtesy of Chris Griffith, LifeinBonitaSprings.com.