Fitness

Start With a Clean Slate

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Happy New Year! The start of 2017 marks a new opportunity to wipe the slate clean. It’s time to hit the reset button and gain a more pleasurable approach to fitness. Turn the page, and get off to a good start.  Replenish your body and re-energize your life.

“Change your food to change your mood.”

You already know the way you eat is central to your well being. But you may not know exactly what meals yield the most satisfying and healthful results. The back to basics, old fashioned approach to nourishing our bodies is truly the way to go. Making meals from scratch with whole foods, eliminating processed foods, and enjoying all the colours of the rainbow is your answer. A simple clean eating and exercise plan incorporated into your way of life will be the catalyst to making 2017 healthier and happier.

If a desire to wipe your fitness slate clean is on your 2017 resolutions and you are looking for some direction, don’t miss our New Year New You Challenge launching next Monday, January 9th.

Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
Meryl

green-drink

Featured Recipe

Anti Inflammatory Green Drink

Combine everything in a blender:
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 stemmed and chopped large kale leaf
1 chopped apple
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-5 cubes of ice
Enjoy!

My Christmas Wish

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It’s really the only thing I want. And it’s what I want most for you too.

It’s the most important thing we can ask for. It’s the most wonderful gift we can have. And It’s the most critical thing we can focus on.

It’s not a given. It’s not to be taken for granted. And it’s definitely not something money can buy.

When we have it, cherish it. Be thankful for it. And do everything in your power to protect it.

What is my Christmas wish?

My Christmas wish for you and your loved ones, is HEALTH.

Wishing you and yours all the joy this season can bring.

Happy Healthy Holidays,

Meryl

So Thankful + Black Friday Deals

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I love Black Friday. With a little organization, Black Friday allows you to get your holiday shopping out of the way, leaving time to focus on the real meanings of the season. All with the added bonus of bargain shopping!

I’ve got my Black Friday lists ready, thankfully a lot of this can be done on-line nowadays!

And because I would truly love to help you or your loved ones with their fitness goals in the upcoming year, I’ve got some pretty cool Just Feel it Fitness Black Friday deals for you too.

Head on over to my Promotions Page to check them out!

Give the gift of fitness. Get your shopping done. And let’s focus on the holiday season without all the stress.

So thankful,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

No Bake Pecan Pie Bars

pecan-pie-bars

In an effort to make it feel a little more like Thanksgiving on this snowy day in Canada…I didn’t make turkey, I opted for these yummy no bake pecan pie bars. You’re going to love this recipe.

Crust:
1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup pecans
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup water

Combine crust ingredients into a food processor and process until a thick dough forms. Press the dough into an 8X8 square pan. Put in freezer while making the filling.

Add all filling ingredients into the food processor and process, add more water if necessary. Spread the filling on top of the crust. I drizzled melted chocolate chips on top and sprinkled chopped pecans. YUM.

Enjoy!

Should you workout with a cold?

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The common cold is coming. Tis the season! We all know the rules- wash your hands frequently, eat antioxidant rich foods, consistent exercise to help boost your immune system; nonetheless, the common cold can affect us all.

Should you still workout when you have a cold?

I like to use the following rule of thumb: if the symptoms are above the neck = OK to proceed.

When symptoms include sneezing, sinus pressure, or runny nose, then breaking into a sweat with mild to moderate physical activity is generally considered safe.

Symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion, hacking cough, fever, and muscle aches = give your body some rest for a few days until you are feeling better.

Remember, if you do choose to exercise when you’re sick, then reduce the intensity and length of your workout.  It’s not the time to be cranking out a HIIT workout. A light walk or jog and some core strengthening would be more appropriate.  Listen to your body, and scale back as necessary. You may even find that exercise will help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

Don’t let cold and flu season get you down for long!

Have a great week,
Meryl

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins

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The first day the big pumpkin display was outside the grocery store I was excited to bring the kids. Snapped a few cute “pumpkin stack, hay bale, & kid” pics and entertained myself watching the boys pick the perfect pumpkin to bring home.

pumpkin-stack

Of course I said they could each pick one. Then we ended up with 4. Then the next week another 2. And now I believe we’re up to 8. And who would have thought the kids would fight over where to place them? Yep, full blown tantrums because one wants the pumpkin family all together and the other wants each pumpkin nicely spaced out.

But we’re oh so thankful. Yes, today and everyday, we are thankful and grateful there are so many uses for all those pumpkins! We can make pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin smoothies, etc. and luckily pumpkin is very healthy!

Joking aside, Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers today! I hope you are celebrating amongst the company of loved ones as we are reminded of so many blessings to be thankful for.

And in case you’re wondering what to do with your pumpkins, here is an easy recipe to make your own pumpkin puree. Try adding your own homemade version of pumpkin puree to soups, muffins, and sides this fall.

Enjoy,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Pumpkin Puree

Smaller pumpkins work better for making the puree than larger ones.

Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. (Save the seeds to roast later too)

Place pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet face down and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. They should be nice and light golden brown when done.

Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces. Add the chunks into a blender or food processor, or simply mash it up with a potato masher.

Pulse the pumpkin until smooth. You can either use this immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you’d like, or store it in the freezer for later use.

To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into ziplock bags.

Do Sore Muscles = A Good Workout?

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Maybe you took a summer hiatus from your training program. Good job for taking the step to get back into it! (you have started back, right?!) When starting up again, or starting an exercise routine for the first time, you will most likely experience muscle soreness. (I most commonly hear grumbling related to trying to sit while using the bathroom, trying to walk up stairs, or when picking up the groceries/kids after a workout!)

But does this muscle soreness represent the quality of the workout you performed? The short answer is NO! Delayed onset muscle soreness (aka DOMS) is most pronounced when you have introduced a new training stimulus. This could be from returning to exercises after a break, trying a new activity, or simply by increasing the intensity or weights of your workout. The soreness is felt most strongly 24-72 hours after the exercise. The technical reason for DOMS is the micro trauma to your muscle fibers caused by the eccentric (lengthening) of the muscles during training. As your body adapts to your training program and learns to distribute the workload across your muscle fibers more effectively, you will feel less sore. Nonetheless, there is a genetic component to our individual response. Some people are more sensitive to pain and soreness. Proper nutrition also plays a role in how your muscles respond and heal.

We often believe if we’re not sore after a workout, then we’re not doing enough. Some like to think of soreness as their “good job!” sticker, but it’s not the case. There are many factors that influence how significantly DOMS presents itself. And you can perform a highly effective workout while not experiencing any muscle soreness.

So does the old saying no pain no gain really stand true when it comes to physical fitness? No! And DOMS should not be feared or revered. It is a natural muscular response to training.

Looking for that new program to get you back into a fitness routine? Don’t miss our Back to School Bootcamp starting next Tuesday, September 6th.

Have a great week,
Meryl

My Top 3 Tips to get back on track after summer vacation ☀️

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As summer comes to an end and the back to school zone starts, it is the perfect opportunity to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle.

Even if you stayed on track with your workouts, the all-inclusive vacations, pool parties, and one too many late night bar b q’s full of wine & desserts may have wreaked havoc on your fitness goals this summer. If summertime variables interfered with your weight loss attempts, don’t despair. It’s called life, and enjoying life is not something to feel guilty about. There’s a beautiful thing called balance and the ability to get back on track.
palm tree
Take this opportunity of back to school time to not only get the kids organized but to also get your nutrition back in line.

My top 3 tips to get back on track after summer vacation:

1. Re-haul  the pantry & refrigerator
Give yourself the chance to reach for healthy foods. Fill the fridge with plenty of salad and veggies. Wash it in advance and have snack size veggies easy to grab. Focus on adding lean proteins to each meal. Here are some of my favorites: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, vegan protein powder, tuna, salmon, and chicken.

2. Meal plan for the upcoming week
The only way to truly take control of your diet is to be proactive. Plan out the next meal or even the next 5 meals. I’m not saying  you have to cook something on Sunday and microwave it all week. Sure, meal prepping helps. But what I am saying is make a plan. Write the plan down. Buy the groceries. Have the plan of action and execute at meal time. Don’t leave room for the option of eating out.

3. Commit to at least 3 weeks of clean eating. 3 weeks is enough time to feel the actual benefits and re-establish your healthy habits.

I hope you look back at your summer vacation and enjoy the memories. Think fondly of the times enjoyed with family and friends. No guilt, no self sabotage, forge ahead and get back on track.

If you’re looking for more guidance and one on one accountability through this process, our Back to School Bootcamp starting September 6th is exactly for you. Sign up by August 27th and get $25 off! More details here.

Have a great week!
Meryl

Get your Groove Back

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Summertime, vacations, cook-outs, what’s your excuse? For me it was a bad landing on an exercise jump that left my knee in a big mess. Forget about squats and lunges, I was struggling to bend the leg enough to get in and out of the car. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective) this happened right before taking the flight to our Florida family vacation. So initial plans of beach workouts, filming new videos for my online bootcamps, runs along the beach, and water aerobics changed to sitting in the chair, elevated leg, ice, and a good dose of patience. Maybe a little R&R isn’t so bad every now and then.

Despite billions of dollars spent on gym memberships, diet programs, etc., a recent paper published by the Mayo Clinic reports that fewer than 3% of American adults are living a healthy lifestyle.

Less than 3%. Wow! Just Feel it Fitness has a lot of work to do! 😉

The study defined living a healthy lifestyle as meeting these four parameters:

  • Being sufficiently active (150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week)
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Being a nonsmoker
  • Having a recommended body-fat percentage (5%-20% for men, and 8%-30% for women)

The results of the study showed many people accomplished multiple healthy lifestyle goals. 16% met three of the healthy characteristics, 37% had two, but fewer than 3% met all four. Women were more likely to not smoke and to eat a healthy diet, and were less likely to be active, compared with men. Older individuals were more likely to be nonsmokers and healthy eaters, and were less likely to have a normal body-fat percentage and active enough.

Granted, this is only a study of 5,000 American adults, but the bottom line this study does an excellent job at providing four concrete steps anyone can take to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Things happen like injuries and vacations and busy periods at work. Life gets crazy. Getting back into a fitness groove can be tough. I know. But get your groove back. None of these steps are easy to take. However, even small improvements make a difference and any effort toward these 4 lifestyle goals can have a life changing impact. Become a nonsmoker, be sufficiently active, eat a healthy diet, and achieve a recommended body –fat percentage.

I’d love to help you towards meeting these healthy lifestyle criteria.  Do you need help getting your groove back?

Our next round of Summer Slim Down starts July 18th. This is a 6 week Challenge. For more details, click here.

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Tuna Salad Boats

Tuna Salad Boats

Ingredients:
1 can tuna
1/2 very ripe avocado
1/2 cup chopped purple grapes
Splash of white wine or champagne vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Large Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Mash the avocado with a fork. Combine with all other ingredients. Spoon onto large lettuce leaves and eat like a taco.

The Crunch Effect

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Yes, crunches are a powerful tool to strengthen the abdominal area, but there may be another type of crunch that can help your waistline. I’m talking about the crunch effect, the impact the actual sound of crunching can have in terms of the amount of food we eat. We all know our senses play an important role in the eating experience. You’ve heard it said we eat with our eyes first. Second comes our sense of smell, taste and touch. But what about our sense of hearing? The sound of masticating our food could actually be playing a role in the amount of food we eat. (That explains why I could drink smoothie after smoothie!)

Scientists performing research on the effect of food sound salience have found the more conscious a person is of the sound their food makes while they are eating; the less they are likely to eat. When you mask the sound of consumption by loud music or watching TV while eating, you may eat more than you normally would.

The main takeaway is to embrace mindfulness as part of your eating experience. We should be aware not only of the taste and physical appearance of food but also the sound it makes. For a delicious crunchy snack, be sure to check out the honey roasted almonds recipe below. (Warning: Not to be eaten while watching TV or amongst loud company!)

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Roasted almonds

Honey Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted almonds
2 tsp honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour almonds onto a baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, the almonds will start to split when they are ready. Remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle the honey on top. Vigorously shake the pan to cover all the almonds with honey. Allow the honey to harden (about 10 minutes).
Enjoy!

Who doesn’t love a good Challenge?

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push yourself

I love a good challenge. The feeling of working toward a lofty goal and accomplishing it at the end is an awesome feeling, right? Many of you heard me talking about my 60 day Master’s Hammer & Chisel Challenge I started back in January. This was an intense weight training program, a little different than the standard functional training I typically incorporate with clients. I would almost call the program something more like body building.

The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is an innovative resistance training system created by Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev of Beachbody, professional trainers and fitness competitors. The program focuses on SSP Training: Stabilization, Strength, and Power. I set a goal to complete this 60 day body sculpting program, 6 days a week of resistance training for a total of 8 weeks. And it’s done, woohoo! And the honest truth is that it kicked my butt! But I stuck with the workouts, and am proud to have accomplished the full program. Some days I felt like it was more difficult than marathon training even though these workouts only take 30-45 minutes each day and marathon training is more along the lines of 45 minutes to 2 hours some days! My physical results from this program include more defined muscles and definite strength gains such as: improved push-ups, pull ups, chin ups, pistol squats, etc. The program calls for light, medium, and heavy weights and I used 10, 15, and 20 pounds accordingly. Do I look like a body builder? No! Do I feel stronger, leaner, and proud of completing a challenging program? Yes!
flex
With nicer weather upon us and summer just around the corner, I’d like to encourage you to find a challenge that will motivate you and push you out of your comfort zone. Commit to something that will push you and that you will feel proud and accomplished when done. Need some ideas? Sign up for a 5 or 10k run in your community. Join a triathlon training group.  Or why not join the Just Feel it Fitness 6 Week Summer Slim Down Challenge starting Monday, April 11th!  This 6 week Challenge will focus on clean eating, cardio and strength training workouts that you can complete from home with minimal equipment. I’m running an amazing promotion on this program, guaranteed to help you achieve phenomenal results! Just ask me for more info today.

After the Summer Slim Down Challenge, I’ll be working on getting ready for the Montreal Half Marathon in September. I would love to help you find a Challenge that will motivate and push you out of your comfort zone and into confidence. Let’s do it!

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Nori wraps

Nori Wraps

Try this crunchy wrap instead of a sandwich for a light and delicious lunch.

Ingredients:
4 sheets Nori 

1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 mango, thinly sliced
Handful of alfalfa or pea sprouts
1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions:

Lay out 1 sheet of nori and moisten it by sprinkling water on it. Place the vegetables along one end and roll it up into a wrap! Enjoy!

Recipe from “The All-Day Fat-Burning Diet” by Yuri Elkaim.