Women's Fitness Tips (and Men's too)....Finding your passion!

I was a lucky kid. Nope, I didn’t belong to a country club, or have extravagant birthday parties, or fly around the country for vacations, or inherit lots of money like some of my friends. Where I lucked out was that I had a dad who had a passion for staying fit. Where I might not have been so lucky is that he pretty much plunged me - along with the rest of my siblings, at a very young age - into the frigid North Atlantic waters of Rockport, Massachusetts...before I could barely walk!

Oops! A bit too far North

OK, well I might not remember that part exactly. But I do remember quite a bit of time spent in our upstairs bathroom, sitting on the edge of the big standing basin, learning how to blow bubbles and breathe bilaterally out of the side of my mouth, at about age 3. Then he threw me into the ocean!

This is more like it: Rockport, MA, our summer swim center

I never looked back.
Swimming became my passion.




Passion Begets Passion!

I was lucky that my dad had found his passion for fitness and was able to instill his passion in us kids. My dad had found the elixir of health and longevity. Before coming down to breakfast he did his habitual 45 minutes of exercise every morning in his room. He'd pull up the shades, open up the window to let the breeze come through (or in response to the complaints from my mom of the room smelling like a Grecian Roman spa), and set out his towel and weights, and go about his business of doing his version of Pilates: butt kicks, push-ups and pliets, along with various forms of leg lifts that would give even Joseph Pilates and Arnold abs of steel. He really worked up a good sweat.

I was not yet in grade school when I first started watching. Most of the time he never new I was there, crouched low at the door, getting my keyhole perspective on what would become my future career. And if it was my lucky day he'd let me in and hoist me up to the pull-up bar so I could show him my stuff, always eying those dumbbells on the floor. Sometimes, but not often, he’d let me lift the 5lb weights. So when he wasn't home I'd sneak back upstairs and pull out those dumbbells and go to town. (Those were the old-school, black painted, real-iron-dumbbells. You know the ones that actually looked like dumbbells).


I got plenty of iron growing up

My father was a real Jack Lelane-type guy. Although he didn’t know it then, I had found my passion, just like him, in fitness.

Unlike most kids today, I was lucky. I had a Dad who was fit, I had parents who cared about our health, and I inherited the ‘Passion for Fitness’ gene.

Why I do it

I was exposed to all sorts of sports at a young age. I competed in age group and high school swimming, took up running at age 14, and tried many other sport as well: Horseback riding, tennis, sailing, gymnastics, riding my bike. But even at the University of Michigan, while competing in cycling, triathlons, and nationally in Taekwondo, I still continued to participate with the Intra Mural water polo club and swim team. I loved the feeling I got every time I entered and exited the water. With all of the sports and activities that I have done throughout the years there is none that I feel as passionate about as swimming. Why? Because it makes me feeling great down to my core.

Exercise is my habit. But Swimming is my passion.

Finding your Passion

What if you could find a physical activity to do that made you feel invigorated, warm and fuzzy inside? Or, after completing your morning or evening workout, something that recharged your batteries and made you feel centered?

Now, what if that activity became a habit you couldn't live without?

What would you be doing?

When you have found 'that', you have found your passion for fitness.

Loving it

It's about finding something that you are passionate about that will make you move, give you energy and make you feel great. That's what it's all about isn't it?

Feeling great?

It may take you some time to figure it out. But the journey begins with trying out new sports, classes, and groups. I guarantee you this: there is something out there you will fall in love with. And when that happens, you will create your passion for fitness. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to pass along your ‘passion for fitness’ genes too!

Please watch this video.

Every word from each of these swimmers truly explains my passion for this one sport and why I cannot live without it. I think this sums it up for my Dad too!

WATCH THIS VIDEO, PLEASE!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2010/07/13/swimmingvideo.DTL&o=0

I still find it inspiring and I hope you do too. And I hope it will inspire you to find your passion and live a healthy lifestyle and of course, feel great!

It’s why I do it!

So I put you to the challenge to find your passion.

And when you do, let me know…leave your comments.

What's your Passion!

Enjoy!

And Stay ‘Fit4theday’ with DebbyK!

WATCH THIS VIDEO, PLEASE!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2010/07/13/swimmingvideo.DTL&o=0

The Bitter Truth

HI
Many of you have emailed me with questions about fructose and agave nectar. Based on the questions, I'm not sure you were able to access Dr. Robert H. Lustig's video, or maybe your fingers were too tired to cut and paste it into your browser!! So I'm going to make it easy for you...

Here is the highlighted link to the video in the previous blog. NO excuses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Stay 'Fit4TheDay' with DebbyK!

If it falls too far from the tree...

Hi Fitness fans,
If your reading my blog you most likely are here to get the most up to date information of health and fitness, which of course includes nutrition. Now, although I don't claim to be a doctor or nutritionist, I do have a background in exercise physiology and a certificate in sports nutrition so I feel comfortable talking about healthy alternatives to what most of you are choosing to put in your mouths on a daily basis.

As some of you know I send out a bi monthly fitness newsletter.(Send me an email to subscribe) My last issue, June 15, had a recipe for grilled salmon that used Agave nectar as a sweetener for the glaze, along with the alternative, honey. I hemmed and hawed whether or not to include the recipe. However as it was coming down to the wire to hit 'send' I didn't have the time to research an alternative for the syrup while also including the nutritional values, so I left the recipe as it was. As it turns out I made a huge mistake. I received an email from a subscriber, who happens to be my cousin, who just happens to live in that beautiful healthy paradise, Sedona AZ, reminding me why fructose is poison to our bodies. Cousin Dan sent me a video on the research done by Dr.Robert H. Lustig, Professor at UCSF, Division of Endocrinology. I felt it was my duty to get this information out to you ASAP. I have based much of this blog on his video so make sure you watch it.

So why should most of us we steer clear of fructose?

Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver and the liver is used to process poisons, which then wreak havoc on our bodies causing disease. Don't get me wrong. A highly trained athlete like a marathon runner is able to use the fructose and replete their glycogen stores faster than with glucose alone, eg. Powerbar drinks and bars. But if you are using it other that consuming it for athletic training then you are most likely doing damage to your body. Without getting too technical when you take in fructose you generate certain enzymes that are bad for your body. And when you take a compound into your body and in the process it generates various problems, you are basically left with poison.

Make sure you check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM (cut and paste into your browser)


One of my objectives as a fitness trainer and wellness professional is to help fight obesity. Everyone always asks me what they should eat and how much. My answer is: if it falls too far from the tree then don't eat it. Have you ever seen a bottle of juice hanging from your apple tree in the back yard? How about a carton of fortified orange juice? Have you ever seen an ITZ clinging onto a package of real cheese? I don't know about you but in my yard their are no glass shards beneath my plum tree, only plums. Nor are their ITZ clinging onto my cheese(Well,I don't eat cheese, since I don't consume dairy products, other than whey protein powder as a supplement. Which is another blog all together. But I do gift a nice bleu!). You get the point. So if it's processed it is most likely not in my house and never on my plate. But one of our problems today is that we as a nation...hmmm, let me rephrase that...a world population, are consuming way too much processed foods, including sweeteners. And if you start reading your labels fructose is in almost everything. And Agave nectar is just that, processed fructose.

Is Agave good for you?

Well, after doing a little research, listening to the above video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM , as well as the research done by the sought out raw foods specialist John Kohler, http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html, I'll let you make that decision. Although I am not a raw foods only gal, whole, raw foods are the building blocks of a healthy vital body, free from disease (notice the word, dis-ease) and including them as the bulk of your diet will allow your body to function at its optimum.

Here is why you want to stay away from Agave nectar as well as honey. This is an excerpt from an article by John Kohler, raw foods specialist( email me if you would like his sitings):

'1. Agave Syrup is not a “whole” food. It is a fractionated and processed food. Manufacturers take the liquid portion of the agave plant and “boil” it down, thus concentrating the sugar to make it sweet. This is similar to how maple “sap” that comes directly from a tree is heated and concentrated to make maple “syrup.” Agave Syrup is missing many of the nutrients that the original plant had to begin with.

2. Agave Syrup was originally used to make tequila. When Agave Syrup ferments, it literally turns into tequila. The enzymatic activity therefore MUST be stopped so that the syrup will not turn into tequila in your cupboard. Raw or not, if there is no enzymatic activity, it is certainly not a “live” food. As Raw Foodists, we want the enzymes intact.

3. According to my research, there are three major producers of agave syrup. Some of these companies also have other divisions that make Tequila. For the most part, agave syrup is produced in the Guadalajara region in Mexico. There are those within the industry who I have spoken to at various trade shows who say that some of the agave syrup is “watered down” with corn syrup in Mexico before it is exported to the USA. Why is this done? Most likely because Agave Syrup is expensive, and corn syrup is cheap.

4. Agave Syrup is advertised as “low glycemic” and marketed towards diabetics. It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic. We have to consider why agave syrup is “low glycemic.” It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%). Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally. One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup used in making soda(HFCS 55), which only contains 55% fructose. Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners:

A. Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism. This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form. Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.1 A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.2

B. Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. 3 Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver. This is similar to the livers of alcoholics.

C. “Pure” isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.4

D. Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions. It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors. Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.5

E. Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid. An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.6

F. Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes. Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.7

G. Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.8

H. Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage. Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose. These changes are thought to be markers for aging.9

I. Fructose can make you fat! It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.10

5. Agave Syrup and other concentrated sweeteners are addictive, so you end up trading a cooked addiction (eating candy bars or cookies) for a “raw” addiction which is not much better. Eating concentrated sweeteners makes it harder to enjoy the sweet foods we should be eating – whole fresh fruit since they don’t seem as sweet by comparison.
6. Long-time raw foodist and Medical Doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. says that agave nectar raises blood sugar just like any other sugar. Dr. Cousens wrote a book, "There Is a Cure for Diabetes".

Whole fruits generally contain a much smaller amount of fructose compared to sucrose and glucose. In addition, fruits contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and other nutrients. Our bodies are designed to digest a complete “package” of nutrition that appears in whole, fresh, ripe fruits. Could nature be wrong? For example, it’s always better to eat fruits whole or blend them rather than juice them. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of the sugars. Concentrated sweeteners also contain no fiber and have much greater concentrations of simple sugars than are found in fresh fruit or even juices.

Now that you have a better understanding about Agave Syrup, hopefully the companies selling “raw” agave won’t dupe you. They are out to make a buck, which in this case is unfortunately at the expense of your health. If you are making a “raw” recipe and it does require a concentrated sweetener, I have some recommendations for some better options to use instead of agave: (Listed in order of preference.)

1. Use ripe fresh fruits. Ripe fruits contain nutrients, fiber and water, a complete package, as nature intended. I find that ripe and organic fruits are usually sweetest.

2. Use fresh whole stevia leaves. Stevia is an herb that actually tastes sweet but contains no sugar. This herb can be very hard to find fresh, so I personally grow my own. If fresh leaves are not available, get the whole dried leaves or the whole leaf powder. Avoid the white stevia powder and the stevia liquid drops as they have been highly processed.

3. Use dried fruits. If you need a “syrup” consistency, just soak the dried fruits in some water and blend them up with the same soak water. Dates, figs, and prunes are some of the sweetest dried fruits that tend to work well in recipes. Try wet Barhi dates blended with a little water for an amazing maple syrup substitute. Please note: Since there are no raw labeling standards, some dried fruit may be dried at higher than 118 degrees, and thus, not really raw. If you want to ensure you are eating really raw dried fruit, it is best do dehydrate it yourself.

4. Raw Honey is a concentrated sweetener, and although not recommended, in my opinion it is better than agave syrup because it is a whole food and occurs naturally in nature. Of course, honey is not vegan and that may be a concern for some. I recommend purchasing local honey from a beekeeper.

Other “concentrated sweeteners” that are often seen in raw food recipes include:

1) Maple Syrup which is not raw and heat processed. If it is not organic, it may also contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals.

2) Sucanat or evaporated cane juice is pure dried sugar cane juice. Unfortunetly this is processed at a temperature above 118 degrees and therefore can’t be considered raw.

3) Yacon Syrup is a syrup from the root of the yacon plant in South America. It is once again, a concentrated sweetener processed at a temperature of up to 140 degrees farenheight.

The moral of this article: Eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables, they are always best. Always question processed and concentrated foods that are not found in nature, even if “raw”.'

And instead of reaching for the processed sweeteners try using instead organic fruits and vegetables to make delicious syrups and glazes for your meals and treats!

If you'd like more on this topic or recipes without processed sweeteners send me an email.

Stay 'Fit4TheDay' with debbyK

Change Is In The Air!

Hey fitness fans,

Did you know that research has shown that self-change is a staged process? We move from not thinking about changing a behavior, to thinking about it, to planning to change, and then testing out ways to do it before we actually start.

I started thinking about writing a years ago. I can't even recall how far back...it's that far! I would dream up stories in my head for a novel; and I've had designs of a book about fitness and food. The words would flow into my mind so effortlessly, but somehow I could never find the courage to put pen to paper. These inspirations would come in waves. For instance, on a three hour bike ride I would have written the outline and first chapter for the novel I'm considering. But because I didn't take Action when I had the inspiration all those perfect lines of prose would fade away and I'd have to start over... again, and again and again. Well, as you can see I'm now a blogger as of March '10. But I was in the preparation stage for about three to six months before this; and it seems like I was in the pre contemplation stage forever!!! But now that I'm in the Action stage? I feel great!!

I'm sure this is how many of you feel when you start to think about getting fit, or changing the program your stuck in that's just not working, or losing weight. So let's get you to your Action stage for whatever it is you want to change about your fitness and health and wellness.

Here is something I learned of value in my Wellness Coaching certification. http://www.wellcoach.com/

When we think about changing or adopting a behavior, questions we ask ourselves are:

• Why do I really want to change the behavior (the benefits or “pros”)?
• Why shouldn't’t I try to change the behavior (the obstacles or “cons”)?
• Do my “pros” outweigh my “cons?”
• What would it take for me to change the behavior and overcome my “cons” (what’s my strategy)?

To move forward, our “pros” must outweigh our “cons” and we need realistic strategies overcome our “cons”.

Behavioral scientists recognize 5 stages of readiness to change behavior:

 Precontemplation (I won’t or I can’t in the next six months)
 Contemplation (I may in the next six months)
 Preparation (I will in the next month)
 Action (I’m doing it now)
 Maintenance (I’ve been doing it for at least six months)

A number of techniques can help you move from not thinking, to thinking, to planning, to doing, and to continue doing.

Print out this questionnaire and place it somewhere strategically(like on your fridge, at your computer, maybe your gym bag) where it will be in the forefront of your mind throughout the day.

1. The goal or behavior I want to work on first is:
2. My reasons for wanting to accomplish this goal (same as change this behavior) are:
3. The obstacles standing in the way of my changing this behavior are:
4. The efforts I made toward changing this behavior in the last week are:
5. My goal for next week with respect to this behavior is:
6. My readiness to change this behavior is (type yes beside the level that best describes where you are):

Ø I won’t do it
Ø I can’t do it
Ø I may do it
Ø I will do it
Ø I am doing it
Ø I am still doing it

Good Luck!

Remember, Stay "Fit4theday" with debbyk!

P.S.: Feel free to email me with your progress, make comments, or ask for advice.

Are you lovin' that fitness feeling?

Hello all my fitness fans,

Ya know?... I JUST LOVE BEING SO FIT. I know and love that feeling, down to my bones and through to my heart. It is truly invigorating. And I know I was born to spread the word and feel the force. Over the years I have honed the skills needed to connect my mind to my body and experience my body down to a cellular level. But this didn't just happen overnight. I had a vision, put pen to paper, made a commitment, and mapped out my plan to get the body I wanted, along with the high level of fitness and wellness that I have achieved thus far. I'm not going to sugar coat anything. There were some detours along the way and I put in long hours and made what most of you would call 'sacrifices'. But I guarantee that once you find your path and make that commitment and start making changes-small at first-you will feel powerful. And when fitness and wellness becomes you, you will be none other than intoxicated by the feeling it imparts, and you will never go back to being the unfit YOU.

Are you really ready to change? The questionnaire in my next blog will set you on your way to being the fittest and most powerful you. So, stay tuned for my next blog......

Remember, stay 'fit4theday with debbyk'

Women's Fitness by Deb Kaplan: Everyone Needs To Get Started

Women's Fitness by Deb Kaplan: Everyone Needs To Get Started

Everyone Needs To Get Started

HI Everyone!

Every January most of us make some type of commitment towards making our lives better. I'm no different. Although the top resolutions are usually to lose weight and get on a fitness plan, mine was slightly different and I was not living up to my commitment: to write and blog. In fact, that was on the top of my 'to do' list: to start my fitness blog. The reason? Well, I have been in this industry for over 25 years. I walk the talk, have experimented on myself with almost every type of exercise routine and trend, including supplements and nutrition, and I was there at the inception of the fitness craze back in the '80's. I have truly been a testament and witness to it's growth and transformation. Not to mention I am considered one of the fittest women around and want to show off my hard fit body! So now I think it's about time to bring to you my more than 25 plus years of experience in this industry. Yah, I know, New Years was well over 3 months ago. "Where have I been, and where was my blog?", you are asking. Well, better late than never!. So, I'm up and 'running' so to speak!

I will post a bit more about myself in my profile and bio, and as you follow me you will learn more about who I am and what drives me to be my best and how I can help you get to where you want to be in your fitness and wellness program. Stay tuned for great videos, pictures and posts.

Follow my blogs and stay tuned for all sorts of information on Health, Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition, and your general well being.

Happy trails and stay 'fit4theday with debbyk'