Adventures In A Cooling Vest

My cooling vest arrived and it has been wonderful; although I think clients and class participants seem to think I have got my "mean" on, pushing them harder than usual. I decided on the Stacool Under Vest and Sylvia was wonderful in answering all of my questions and quelling any concerns.

I picked a cooling vest based on reviews on ActiveMSers. So a huge thank you to Dave for helping make my summer better.

I have been surprised at how much it has helped. I didn't realise how much my body was struggling until it didn't need to. I have been seen wearing the vest while ironing and gardening, and generally when it is too warm for me but not anyone else.

When just left alone, sitting on a chair, the vest stays cool for up to 6 hours. However, when I am wearing it, I get around 2-3 hours; less if I have doing cardio or if I'm in direct sun. I must generate more BTUs than I think.

The only modification I had to make was to spend 10 mins removing the clothing label. It was stitched on tight and very scratchy.

Either way, I cannot imagine life without a freezer and my beloved cooling vest.

Lots of sunshine to you all,

Fi

PS Oh, and before I forget, the vests are made in the USA.

Food As Fuel

My family is all about food. We plan vacations around restaurants we want to try, and usually greet visitors with "What would you like to eat?" instead of "How are you?". So for me to view food as something other than the center of my existence is quite different.

My favourite aspect of exercise is that it forces me to view food as fuel. When I exercise, I find I need to fuel my body well and thus, naturally make better food choices. Instead of a McChicken at the drive-thru, I find myself wanting a substantial sandwich with high quality proteins and vegetables.

"Diet" is somewhat of a dirty word to me, so it's not used in my household. And major overhauls to your food intake shouldn't be made overnight, unless under the supervision of a doctor or nutritionist. Instead, make small changes you can live with for the rest of your life eg this week, instead of regular pasta, I'm going to try kamut pasta, or this week, I am going to replace white bread with sprouted bread with nuts and seeds.

Whatever your change for this week, happy eating!

Fi

Update On Clean Eating

OK, so clean eating has been a little tougher than I thought. I still cannot bring myself to puree cauliflower or tofu in place of cream or coconut milk. LOL. However, switching to quinoa and soba noodles was a breeze.

We've also had some great surprises. One new favourite recipe is Almond Butter Choc Chip Cookies. I recommend an extra egg and 2 tablespoons of vanilla to give it a nice depth. It is also gluten free. When I was whipping up the first batch, I was a little concerned since it looked like runny yuck, however, 8 minutes in the oven and it was awesome!

I also made over our regular artichoke dip and it was tasty. We polished it off with celery sticks and carrot sticks.

Wish me luck for the rest of the year!

Hugs,

Fi

Power Plate Certified

I finally did it! After falling in love with the Power Plate in London last April, and working with several of you on the machine at Evolution Trainers, I finally scheduled time to go to LA and complete Level I & II Power Plate certification.

The course was very informative, and I was sore for several days but it was all worth it. I learned new programming techniques and more efficient ways to take people out of a plateau, and use the Plate to work with less mobile clients.

Interesting thing I did not know before the course: the way the Power Plate is designed, you can put as many people as you can fit on it, and each person will receive the same amount of vibrations. Very cool!

If you haven't tried it but are interested, I offer a free session on the Power Plate. So give me call or send me an email and we can set something up.

Cheers,

Fi

A Late New Year's Resolution

Nearly June, and I've finally figured out my resolution for the rest of the year. I know, late, but hopefully not too late.

I have a husband who travels frequently for work, and usually at the last minute. It has become well known that on Monday nights, I get a large pizza and eat it for the rest of the week, supplemented by burgers, and other noble takeaway meals.

Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to eat like a college student when one is no longer a college student. My body just can't cope.

So, for the rest of the year, my resolution is to eat well (and normally) when hubby is away on his travels. Wish me luck!

Cheers,

Fi

Move of the week: Kickboard Sit

I know the last thing anyone wants to do in California at the moment is get into a pool! But, one of my favourite ways of keep cool in the summer and working on my core.

The trick of this move is to keep your core pulled in tight and your spine nice and tall. If you do not activate these muscles, you will fall off the kickboard.

Sculling - Kickboard Sit - GoSwim!

I am particularly fond of this move when visiting hotels in Mexico. For some reason, they build their pools at a standard depth of 4'10" ... being 4'11", it means I am submerged if I stand vertically. This kickboard move allows me to stay in the pool and not bob up and down like a drowning rat!

Happy sculling!

The Twinkie Diet

I saw this on the news a few weeks ago; a professor of nutrition embarked on a diet experiment to lose weight while eating foods that are considered "bad".

As a result, he lost 27 pounds. However, there is no research into the long term health implications of such a diet.

The article stated:

"Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.

"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.""

So the diet dilemma continues. My recommendation is to eat healthy and keep an eye on your portions.

Happy eating!

Move of the Week: Mountain Climber

My favourite move this week. It works your core, lower back and hips.

You can place your hands on the bench/chair, or on the sides with fingers over the edge, or rest on your forearms.

Make sure your shoulder is aligned over your elbow.

Keep a plank position by dropping your hips a little, control your breathing, and pull up through your belly button.



Enjoy!

New in 2011

Where has 2011 gone?? I apologise for being extremely lackadaisical with blog entries, life has been going too fast for me to keep up!

One of the highlights for 2011 is I am training at Evolution Trainers in Mountain View. They have a fabulous facility with great equipment AND one of the few Power Plates in the Bay Area.



I discovered the Power Plate when I was in London last year and was thrilled with the muscle density assistance this machine can provide. If you are in London, do stop by one of the Good Vibes studios for a fabulous workout. The first session is free, but I can almost guarantee that you will be hooked and will keep going for more classes!

Looking forward to helping you meet your goals this year!

I'm working on my 2011 resolution and will keep you posted.

Fi

Finding those elusive deep ab muscles

In my classes, you'll hear me ask you to "zip up your belly button" or "pull your core in and breathe". Many times, I'll be told "I can't find my core". So, here's a quick little video produced by Prevention magazine that show you how to find your core.

Enjoy!