Exercise and Pregnancy: choose who you take advice from carefully March 10, 2010

I honestly don’t even know where to start on this one.

I was on the train heading into Boston yesterday and I picked up the day’s edition of the Boston Metro, which is a free local newspaper, handed out at train stations and other spots across the city.

It’s not a great paper. Basically it’s like cliff notes of the day’s local, national and international news, including sports, entertainment etc. but it’s quick, easy and free.  Just what you want for your morning commute.

Anyway, they have a well being section and yesterday’s topic was on exercise and nutrition for pregnancy and the go to “professional” and I put that term in quotes because the person in question; one Tracy Anderson, is only a “professional” fitness person because she gets paid.  She has no credentials in terms of a degree or certifications except that she trains celebrities.  Most notably, Gwyneth Paltrow.  Apparently she used to also train Madonna but I’ve heard they have parted ways.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Anderson

Now before I get into what Ms. Anderson said in the article.  Let me just explain why I think she’s a moron and no one with a brain should listen to any of her advice.  She tells women they should never lift more than 3lbs or they will get bulky.  Do I even need to say more?  I mean really, I don’t know about you but between my handbag, my gym bag, grocery bags, picking up children (if I had any but I’m trying to make a point) etc.. we should all be HUGE, muscle bound monsters.

She’s also said a bunch of other stuff that I won’t get into here because it would turn into an epic novel.

My point is she is no expert she’s an idiot.

Regarding exercise and pregnancy in the article Tracy recommends and I quote:

“Do exercise to keep your muscles tightly knit and your structure together. Walking on  its own won’t cut it, as muscles and tissue are continually stretching.- Work on keeping the skin close  to the muscle to regain firmness..”

What does that mean?  That doesn’t even make sense.  Muscles tightly knit?  They don’t come undone, muscles aren’t a knitting project.  They get stronger and more dense with training, or they atrophy and become smaller and weaker but they don’t unravel.

Now with pregnancy, your joints and connective tissue in the pelvic/hip region do loosen up in order for you to give birth .but they don’t unravel. And it’s not uncommon for women to have to adjust their activity especially in the late stages of pregnancy to account for this.

As for: Muscles and stretching, well that is sort of how they work, they contract, they stretch, they contract. That’s sort of the point, that’s how they work, it’s called full range of motion.

But I’m sorry the best part “keeping the skin close to the muscle”. WTF does that even mean?. I seriously don’t even know how to respond to that silly statement. Except that maybe she is referring to the skin stretching due to the fact that you have a little person growing in side you and there is going to be some stretching but that has nothing to do with your muscles.

The Expert you Want to take advice from:

Now I’ve never been pregnant and I’m not an expert on exercise and pregnancy, BUT if you are pregnant and interested in a true Fitness and Nutrition Professional who really knows what she is talking about?

You want to check out Cassandra Forsyth.  Cassandra is a Ph.D and R.D. in nutrition as well as a certified strength and conditioning coach who is also an accomplished researcher and writer.  She is also 37 weeks pregnant and has been blogging about her experiences.

The Pregnancy Fitness Expert you should listen to

Please, do yourself and your pregnant loved ones a favor. Do not take advice from charlatans like Tracy Anderson.  Just because someone trains a celebrity doesn’t make them an expert.  One should always be careful of who they accept advice from when it concerns one’s health but it’s even more important during pregnancy and remember always check with your doctor before starting or changing your exercise routine.

Until next time

Be Well, Train Hard

Michelle

TAZA Chocolate: A Review March 9, 2010

Anyone who really knows me,  knows that I am a chocoholic.  I especially love trying out new and interesting chocolate and if the product is produced locally even better.

TAZA is one such company.  Founded in 2006 and located in Somerville Ma, TAZA distinguishes itself from the rest of the industry by producing high quality, organic chocolate in the Mesoamerican tradition while seeking to remain socially responsible.

The biggest difference tasters will find between TAZA and more traditional chocolate is because TAZA is stone ground rather than melted, it does have a grainy texture as opposed to smooth.

TAZA comes in a variety of products from bars of 60, 70 and 80% dark chocolate, to chocolate covered cocoa nibs and Chocolate Mexicano discs.

Chocolate Mexicano: yerba mate

TAZA can be found in many specialty stores in the Boston, Cambridge area as well as Whole Foods.

For my test taste, I chose to purchase two different varieties of the Chocolate Mexican:  Yerba Mate and the Vanilla.  Whole Foods also had the salted almond and cinnamon varieties as well, along with the 60, 70 and80% dark chocolate bars.

I will admit it was a hard decision. I would have liked to try all of  the Mexican varieties as well as the 70% bar but at about $4.50 each for the 2.7oz  discs and $6.50 for the  3oz bars I had to make a choice.

TAZA 70% dark chocolate bar

On to the test.

Presentation. I’m a total pushover for products that are presented well.

What first drew me to TAZA was how the Mexican Chocolate is presented.   It’s round, you don’t often see round bars of chocolate and then it’s wrapped in waxy paper with very Mexican inspired graphics.  It just looks really interesting. Perfect for those waiting at the counter at the café or bookstore impulse buys.  Even if you don’t buy it, you can’t help but pick it up and look at it and think,  this looks interesting.

Opening the wrapper you find 2 round discs of chocolate imprinted so that the disc can be easily broken into 8 pie shaped pieces to be shared.

Taste:

Let me first say, this is NOT the type of chocolate you eat for a snack like a snickers bar.  This is the type of chocolate you savor. The kind that you eat a small amount maybe 1 or 2 pieces after dinner with a cup of coffee or during the day because you just need a little chocolate pick me up.

Also, you don’t want to just pop the piece in your mouth and start chewing.  Nibble a little, let it sit on your tongue.  At first it just tastes sweet but once it hits the back part of your tongue where your taste buds register bitterness that is when you start to appreciate the full flavor.

Of the two flavors I found the Vanilla to be a bolder flavor which I prefer. My husband also enjoyed the vanilla over the Yerba Mate.  Although we think of vanilla being the opposite of chocolate, I found the inclusion of the vanilla provided a nice introduction of flavor that prepared me for the full flavor of the chocolate.

My preference for the vanilla does not imply that I didn’t like the yerba mate variety.  I did, it’s just different.  I thought it was a little sweeter than the vanilla and that the yerba mate overpowered the flavor of the chocolate in that it took longer for the full flavor of the chocolate to hit my tongue.

A lot has been made over the texture of this product.  As I mentioned I really didn’t think it was gritty. I don’t like that term as in my head it makes me think of dirt, sand that type of thing.  In fact, I expected it to have a harsher texture.  I would say the texture reminded me of granulated sugar or honey that has become granulated.    Unlike a fine creamy chocolate that I would normally let melt on my tongue in order to appreciate its full flavor, with the TAZA you will want to nibble small amounts to experience the fullness of the flavor.

My final analysis:

Was TAZA the most awesome thing I have ever tasted?  No, I didn’t have an OMG moment.  However I did really enjoy it and look forward to trying additional varieties.

I would highly recommend this product.  I found TAZA to be an excellent high quality chocolate product.  I do think that the price point is a little high at least for regular consumption, but again with good chocolate a little goes a long way.  The novelty of the product in that it’s produced in the traditional Mesoamerican way, combined with the exceptional way it’s presented and some of the more unusual varieties and the flavor makes it an excellent option for those who appreciate chocolate.  So if you are looking to treat yourself to some chocolate goodness or are looking for a gift for a favorite chocolate aficionado then make sure you include TAZA.

TAZA Tasting set

Until next time:

Be well: train hard

Michelle

Monday, Monday and the birds are chirping March 9, 2010

Monday Monday:

Happy Monday everyone.  Hope you had a nice weekend.

The weather here in Beantown has been spectacular, bright, sunny and a warm 60ish degrees.  The birds were even chirping.

It’s really amazing how much better I feel when the warm weather starts up after a long, cold grey winter.  Granted it’s still only early March and it’s still winter and for those of us who are native New Englanders it’s not safe to say Winter is over until about May.

I don’t know about you, but with the advent of nicer weather and the hope that I’ll be back in shorts, t-shirts and Teva’s in a couple of months, I feel re-invigorated in terms of reaching my physique goals.

For me what helps me stay on track is to constantly picture myself the way I want to look. Imagine how I will feel in a cute pair of shorts and cute top or better yet, imagine how good I’ll feel when I go shopping and try on a bikini.  If you’ve never tried this technique, I encourage you to try it.  Take a moment, close  your eyes and imagine yourself in the body you want.  Think about how you will feel, how your clothes will feel, even how your friends and family will comment on how fabulous you look.

It takes practice, but once you get into the habit, it can help especially when dealing with cravings or times when you don’t feel as in control.

It’s now early March.  There have been requests for updated pics, I will probably have them soon.

Until next time.

Be Well, Train Hard

Michelle

Of Slugs and Cheesecake March 3, 2010

I’ve been a complete slug.

There I’ve admitted it. I know I promised to get back on track with blogging and I promised reviews, my favorite exercises etc and I have done none of that. So what have I been doing the last week or so? Good question, the answer I’ve been in a complete funk. I have no excuse, it could be the weather, that time of the year late winter, I really need a vacation, blues or just who knows. I just haven’t felt like doing anything. What I do know is that the only person that can get me out of this is me. I need to pull my head out of my ass and just get to work, set some goals and get moving again.

I’ve been studying, sort of, for my American College of Exercise (ACE) Lifestyle and Weight Management Consulting certification. I need it because my personal training cert needs to be renewed and I need the continuing ed credits. During my reading on bio-mechanical principles the book went into Newton’s 3 laws of motion. The first being the law of INERTIA, which states that a body at rest will stay at rest and a body in motion will stay in motion UNLESS acted upon by external forces. Now external forces doesn’t necessarily have to be another person such as hiring a personal trainer to kick your butt. We can be our own external force. What I mean is we can make a conscious decision to do something to get moving.

Basically for the last couple of weeks I feel like I’ve been in a state of inertia. This is a common phenomenon for people attempting to make lifestyle changes. You start of full of energy and enthusiasm, start to feel good, start to see some progress and then all of the sudden the novelty wears off and it can become a grind. You start to question why you are putting yourself through this. You start to rationalize not working out or relaxing on your nutrition plan a little. You haven’t slipped back into old ways, you’re still holding on but you’re stuck.

The danger with being in this state is it’s easier to slide back into old bad habits than it is to keep moving forward and developing good habits. For me, the issue of not training, isn’t an issue. I may not train as hard as I should, or I may go from 4 training sessions a week to 3 but I can usually get myself going because I have been training for so long that I know that I’ll feel worse if I don’t go.

Nutrition on the other hand is where I can really start to slip, and as I’ve mentioned before Nutrition is 100% of the equation. You cannot out train a bad diet and for me where I have so little to lose, I don’t have a lot of wiggle room.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve been craving chocolate, the cravings have been coming and going and this weekend I just felt I need a real break. Not a I’ll have a cookie break, but a real full meal with desert diet break. My thinking was, eat it, get it out of my system and get right back on track the next day.

Now that didn’t mean I went and pigged out all day on Sunday but I did have a controlled cheat DAY not just a meal but a day. Saturday is normally cheat meal. I was home by myself as my husband was away, so I ordered a small pizza and a salad. I had 2 slices of pizza and ½ the salad. On Sunday I had 2 more slices of pizza and the rest of the salad and then Sunday night, I met a friend for dinner. We went to Rock Bottom Brewery where I had a turkey burger, with French fries and then we split a piece of chocolate stout cheesecake (the picture below is not from Rock Bottom)  Believe it or not I didn’t have any beer.  For me, I really don’t care about alcohol, I’d rather have desert.

YUM CHEESECAKE: CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Can I tell you how good that cheesecake was. OMG It was exactly what I needed. Because it had been so long since I’ve eaten anything like that, it tasted even more amazing. It made me really appreciate the fact that I haven’t been eating that type of food, because now when I do, I just appreciated it so much more.

Did I feel guilty for eating what I did on Sunday?. No, because I had decided before hand that I was going to and I knew that I would get right back on track on Monday. For me it was like a little vacation and it was enough to get me refocused. The point of all of this, is that sometimes, you just need a break, we need to do something different to get us going again. It doesn’t need to be anything huge, like going on an exotic vacation; it could just be going out for dinner and allowing yourself to eat something not on the plan. It could be instead of going to the gym, getting out to a park and taking a hike. Just something different to break things up and help you refocus. However, just be careful that you get right back on track, that the one meal cheat doesn’t turn into days or weeks. So with that, hopefully I’m back on track.

Until next time

Be well, train hard

Michelle