1.) Have you checked out our MiFit podcast? It covers everything from nutrition to exercise to recovery to mindset. They have a variety of guests speakers and experiences. I take away something new to implement after every pod cast. You can apply and trust what you hear from Chris and D.J. ​

3.) The Tim Ferris Podcast​ is eclectic. Yes it covers nutrition, movement, exercise science and health. It also touches on the economy, real estate, investing, entrepreneurship, body hacking and so much more. ​

Don't have time to do a sit down dinner?
Don't want to cook dinner tonight? 
Just in the mood for someone else to cook for ya? 

Check out these places for a balanced meal. 

1) HYVEE: Surprised?

Hyvee has a variety of "faster food" restaurants in every location. From sushi to Mexican, hibachi and salad bars. You can omit the rice, add extra protein, skip the fried sides and add extra greens. Their chefs will do made-to-order meals with any dietary specification. Next time you are hungry, check out their various locations. 

2) CHIPOTLE: I know the coaches will be glad to hear, and I hope you are too, that Chipotle is a fantastic out to eat option. 
​
Five Healthy Food Tips for Eating at Chipotle

1. Limit the three C'S SOUR CREAM and CHEESE and CHIPS
One ounce of cheese contains 100 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. 
One ounce of sour cream contains 120 calories and 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat.
Four ounces of chips contain 570 calories and 27 grams of fat. 

These are things you can have every now and then, especially if you are focused on body composition. If not, go for it! 

Depending on how much cheese/sour cream you request on your creation, you could be adding 100-500 calories to your meal. And possibly even 40 grams of fat. 

2. Bowl, Salad, burrito or tacos?

-Flour Tortilla: 290 calories, 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat. 
-Soft Tacos: (3 soft taco shells) They usually give you three, so I multiplied the per taco facts by three. 270 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, 3 grams sat. fat, 6 grams protein. 
-Hard Tacos: (3 shells) 180 calories, 6 grams of fat. Go for hard shell tacos if you are trying to be even healthier. It has more fiber.
-Bowl: All ingredients. 0 wrap. These are my favorite personally. 
-Salad: The dressing contains 270 calories, 24 grams of fat (WATCH OUT FOR THIS).  If you choose the salad, good for you, but replace the dressing with a few sides of salsa and even guac. 

If you aren't going for the burrito bowl,  the hard tacos are the winner for health. But even more interesting is the fact that the tacos are pretty similar to the burrito tortilla serving. Many people think that the soft tacos are much better than the burrito. No so much.

My suggestion: Order the burrito bowl, which is lined with peppers (yeah for extra veggies), throw in your protein, beans (skip or limit the rice unless you are eating this after your workout for dinner), load up on the salsa and healthy fats! 

3. Add the Fajita Veggies!
Wow, at only 20 calories per 3.5 ounce serving, you'd be a fool not to add these tasty veggies to your meal. Did I mention that they taste delish?

4. Salsa Salsa and more Salsa!
Salsa adds a ton of flavor, without the fat and calories. Load up on the salsa. Especially the Green Tomatillo salsa which is low in sodium and calories, only 15 calories per 3 ounces. Compare that to 240 calories per 2 ounces of sour cream!  Salsa can add lots of flavor without adding in a lot of calories. 

5. Where's the Protein?
The meat options at Chipotle are about the same. Just under 200 calories, hefty amounts of protein (barbacoa with 24 grams to the chicken with 32 grams). Around 7 grams of fat. Vegetarian or Vegan? Complete proteins are achieved by combining beans and rice. 8 ounces of rice/beans contains 9 grams of protein.Note that this option will be higher in total carbs. 
Meat eater? Go for it. Consider adding extra protein in (AFTER YOU'VE ADDED ALL YOUR TOPPINGS) Trust me, you will get way more bang for your buck this way. 
Vegetarians/Vegans will enjoy the rice and black beans.

Bonus Tip: What about the guacamole????
OK, I can't leave off my favorite part: the guac. Chipotle prides itself on delicious fresh guac, and I have to agree that for a "fast food" chain, this guac rocks. 150 calories per 3.5 ounces and 13 grams of fat. 11 grams of fat are heart-healthy monounsaturated avocado oils which have been shown to provide a plethora of health benefits. 

Yes guac is extra...but so are we, so go ahead and order it. 
***I used http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/02/eating-at-chipotle-five-healthy-tips.html for many of these nutritional facts. 

​What are some the topics you'd like to learn about?
Message me so I can incorporate them into my favorite things. 

Here's to a healthy week!
~Coach Kristin 

1. Hard boiled eggs: On the road? You can even buy these pre-packaged at gas stations and at Costco
​
2. String cheese: easy to grab and go, also available if you’re on the road and stop at a gas station

6. Yogurt or kefir, preferably unflavored without artificial sweeteners.  Any yogurts with “fruit on the bottom,” flavor in general, or tasty add-ins like chocolate chips, granola, etc. are likely sugar bombs.  If you find plain yogurt to be too tart, try adding a small drizzle of honey or fresh fruit.  In regards to granola, for the most part, this is NOT a health food if you are purchasing from the store.  Watch the sugar content!  For a healthier option on granola, check this out: https://www.lodownhealth.com/the-cost-of-obesity/2017/12/12/health-granola-recipe

The view of meal proportions has changed drastically in the last 15-20 years.  Remember the Food Pyramid of the 90s? YIKES.  Highly processed carbohydrates were the base of what we were supposed to be eating, at 6-11 servings per day.  Fruits and vegetables, for the most part, were to be consumed in equal amounts, dairy and meat products were towards the top of the triangle, with fat, oils and sweets finishing out the tip of the pyramid. (Photo courtesy of www.dvo.com)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has changed the format of how meals should be built through the use of MyPlate.  The largest section of the plate goes to vegetables, second largest to grains, with protein and fruit finishing out the plate. This is a much better approach to nutrition than the previous 20-30 years, but there is still improvement to make.
 
While each individual’s dietary needs will vary based on weight, activity level, gender, etc., we have seen great success in both weight management AND health with individuals following a primarily vegetable and protein-based diet.  Another easy way to consider each meal is that you incorporate a protein, a fat, and a carbohydrate source.  It’s important to note that carbohydrates are not just the “bad” carbohydrates that we try and avoid; fruit and vegetables are carbohydrates, too! For a deeper look into the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates, check this out: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-carbohydrates

I’ve included a sample meal of what this type of eating would look like.  The vegetables make up the majority of the meal, with the chicken being a “side dish.”

 Ingredients:
-1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-BBQ sauce of your choice (choose one that does not include high fructose corn syrup as one of its ingredients!)
-1 head broccoli
-4 medium sized sweet potatoes
-Oil of choice (I used EVOO for the broccoli and coconut oil for the sweet potatoes)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Put chicken breasts in Crockpot on low for 5-8 hours (high for 4-ish usually)
3. Peel and cube sweet potatoes, toss in approx. 1 tbsp. melted coconut oil (or oil of your choice) put in oven for 35-45 minutes or until able to pierce with a fork
4. Chop broccoli into florets, toss in approx. tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until bright green and able to pierce with a fork
5. Shred chicken and add desired amount of BBQ sauce, continue to cook on low in Crockpot for 20-30 minutes

Makes approximately 4 meals

This is merely an example of how to set up a meal, there are no hard and fast rules!  If we’re taking the protein-fat-carbohydrate approach, I’ve got my chicken as protein, my coconut and olive oil as my fats, and my broccoli and sweet potatoes as my carbohydrates.  The only processed carbohydrate that I’ve got in this meal is the BBQ sauce, which I simply used to cover, not drown!, the shredded chicken.

Hopefully this sheds a little bit of light on how to plan meals; it doesn’t have to be complicated and we don’t have to follow crazy recipes.  Ask yourself two things: 1. Is my meal primarily plants and protein? 2. Do I have a protein, a fat, and a carbohydrate?  If you said yes to both, you’ve got a great meal!

Reach out with any questions, comments, or suggestions on what you’d like to see in regards to nutrition going forward!

Coach Laurel

Memorial Day weekend 2017 was one for the books. I was fortunate enough to compete in my third consecutive CrossFit Regionals. This year the competition was held in Nashville at the Music City Center. Going into the weekend we had our sights set high on finishing in the top five and qualifying for the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin.

This year’s competition included 6 events (2 per day) to find the fittest male, female, and team in the central region. My team (CrossFit Detour) had a great outing by finishing in the top 10 for all six workouts. Our best finish was event 2 with a third place finish. After day 1 we were sitting in 4th place and feeling really good about our chances to move on to the next stage. Unfortunately we had some questionable calls and poor execution on a few of the events and we finished 6th overall on Sunday night. For those who don’t know, the central region is the largest and most competitive region in the world. We have 11 states in our region where other regions in the U.S have 4-6. All in all we competed hard and put everything we had on the floor. The hardest pill to swallow is the fact that in any of the other 7 regions in the world, we would have qualified for the CrossFit Games. However, that is sports and with every experience comes something to learn for next time.

​I want to say thank you for every member at Mi5 Fitness who has helped me get to the point in my career where I am at right now. Being a professional CrossFit athlete is an extreme honor and I wouldn’t be able to do it without my support system and the people at my box. Also, thanks to everyone who purchased a shirt and donated money to help fund my journey to regionals. You guys are all awesome and I am very thankful for you!

First of all, lets breakdown the science behind building muscle. A major misunderstanding most people have is that working out DOES NOT build muscle. The recovery AFTER your workout is what builds muscle! Any type of exercise, weightlifting in particular, breaks down your muscles through a process called catabolism (think the opposite of anabolic steroids). This results in micro-tears in your muscle tissue. When your body repairs these micro-tears, it wants to build a bigger, stronger, thicker muscle to prevent injury the next time you perform a similar task or exercise. If you continue to exercise without proper recovery time or nutrition to support muscle repair and growth, the micro-tears will eventually build up to a point where they become a larger tear. This can be a specific injury such as a muscle strain or tear, or a widespread overuse injury such as Lifter’s Shoulder. This is also why some people will plateau even though they are putting more and more time into the gym.

“muscle anatomy” by Mrs. Garippa is licensed under CC BY 2.0

​Note the size of the single muscle fiber in comparison to the entire muscle belly. Now note the size of the myofibril and sarcoplasm. These tiny cells are where the actual muscle hypertrophy takes place! To maximize muscle growth, each individual cell needs proper rest, proper nutrition, and of course, proper exercise. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow when exercising.

​The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles in the shoulder; the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, and Teres Minor. Each of these muscles attaches to the shoulder blade, or scapula, and the humerus. Together, these 4 muscles are responsible for the majority of shoulder stability and initiation of most shoulder movements. 

​These muscle act synergistically to stabilize the shoulder while performing complex movements. If there is an imbalance or injury to one of these muscles, it will affect the entire shoulder girdle. This can result in pain, weakness, and impact your ability to train other muscle groups. In fact, many people report increasing their bench press & military press by 20 lbs. after training their rotator cuff!

Strengthening the muscles of the rotator cuff is the best way to prevent injury. As you increase the weight you are lifting, additional strain is placed on the rotator cuff to stabilize the shoulder joint. A session with a personal trainer is one of the most sure-fire ways of addressing your muscular imbalances and ensuring proper form during your lifts. We usually prescribe exercises using low-weight dumbbells or therapy bands to go through each motion the rotator cuff is responsible for; Lateral Raises, Front Raises, Internal & External Rotation, and Extension. These exercises should be performed in the 10-15 rep range. Start with low weight (under 8 lbs. or your larger muscles will take over) and progress as the exercise becomes easier and you can hit 15 reps with proper form. Your posture also has a SIGNIFICANT impact on protecting your rotator cuff from injury. According to this study in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, after examining over 500 patients, "Prevalence of rotator cuff tears was 2.9% with ideal alignment, 65.8% with kyphotic-lordotic posture, 54.3% with flat-back posture, and 48.9% with sway-back posture. Logistic regression analysis identified increased age, abnormal posture, and past pain as factors associated with rotator cuff tears.” Improving your posture is one of the best ways to decrease risk of rotator cuff injury, and comes with other benefits such as increased strength, increased respiratory function, less pain and fewer headaches. 

Pain, weakness, decreased range of motion, and clicking/ratcheting through your range of motion can all be symptoms of rotator cuff dysfunction. In office, we run through a complete set of orthopedic tests to determine the specific cause of your shoulder pain. Here are a couple of simple tests you can do at home to check your rotator cuff.
​
First, have a partner evaluate your range of motion behind your back. Place a hand as high between your shoulder blades as you can and compare both sides. As you can see, Dr. Jeremy is demonstrating a significant loss of range of motion on the right side. Overuse tendinitis resulting in loss of range of motion is very typical in right-handed people. Since we perform many actions with our dominant hand, it is common for damage to build up over time.

​Next, check your internal and external rotation against a wall. Place your arms in the 90/90 position and rotate as far back and as far forward as you can. You should be able to touch the back or front of your hand to the wall. Dr. Jeremy is bending his wrist and cheating to touch the wall in internal rotation, and his right hand can’t touch the wall in external rotation. Again, this is classic for rotator cuff tendinitis.

The last test is called the Empty Can Test. To perform this test, pretend you are holding a can of soda, then rotate your arm as if you were dumping the can out (Empty Can Test). With severe tendinitis, this motion will be painful. If no pain is present at this time, resist an upward force with your arm. Mild to moderate tendinitis will usually produce pain with resisted motion. This is a specific test for the Supraspinatus muscle.

​The treatment for a rotator cuff injury depends on the specific injury. A full thickness tear will not heal on its own, and will require orthopedic surgery to repair. If a full thickness tear is suspected (usually a traumatic injury and more severe pain) we will refer for imaging to evaluate the need for surgery. A partial thickness tear will heal on its own in conjunction with aggressive therapy and rehabilitative exercises. For most tendinitis injuries, the first line of treatment is RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate). Home strengthening and stretching exercises are also recommended and should be obtained from a trained professional. Additional treatment is primarily aimed at the soft tissues involved. Therapeutic ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, myofascial release, and Graston Technique are all valid treatment options used for a variety of injuries to the shoulder. To learn more about rotator cuff injuries or other conditions, visit http://www.martychiropracticandwellness.com.

                 A common question from our patient-athletes is usually something along the lines of “What should my diet look like for my sport?”  This can be a difficult question to answer since different sports come with very different needs.  An offensive lineman is going to need different foods than a marathon runner.   Someone who works out every day will need a different meal plan than a weekend warrior.  For today’s post, we will be focusing simply on building muscle and improving recovery time.
                First, let’s look at the macros in the Standard American Diet.  The average American eats a diet consisting of 50% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 35% fats1.  Now, keep in mind that there is a huge difference between the carbohydrates we SHOULD eat and the carbohydrates most of us DO eat (fruits & vegetables vs. soda, desserts, and other empty calories).  Most people eat or drink far too many of the empty calories, but that is a discussion for another article.  An athlete needs nutrient dense foods, full of vitamins & minerals to get the most out of their hard work!
                In order to optimize muscle-building, you need to increase protein and fat intake.  Carbohydrates are still important though!  Many bodybuilders, dietitians, and nutrition coaches recommend a more even split of your macro intake.  Mike Roussell, Ph.D. in Nutrition, recommends an ideal macronutrient split of approximately 40% carbs, 30% proteins, and 30% fats2.  An important thing to note is that each meal you eat will not necessarily follow these macros.  For example, someone who works out first thing in the morning can benefit from a higher carbohydrate breakfast to replenish the glucose used by the muscles in that workout.  For about 2 hours after a workout, insulin sensitivity increases to allow for this recovery3!  A meal such as oatmeal mixed with protein powder, nuts, and fruits is great for this purpose.
                Later in the day, the body needs more fats rather than carbohydrates.  Fat provides satiety, or the feeling of fullness, along with a whopping 9 calories per gram (carbs and proteins only have 4 calories per gram).  If your metabolism is a campfire, think of carbs as the kindling to get it jumpstarted and the fats as the logs that burn throughout the day and keep the fire going long-term.  This is also why people who eat a high carb diet (upwards of 65% carbs) are constantly hungry throughout the day.  They constantly have to throw more kindling on the fire so it doesn’t burn out (sugar crash).  Fats are also essential for joint health and growing healthy connective tissue to improve performance!
                Finally, your protein intake should remain steady throughout the day.  If you work out regularly, your body is constantly building new muscle and repairing current muscle.  The rda for protein intake is 0.8g/kg/day to maintain muscle mass in an adult with normal activity levels.  Athletes should bump this number up to 1.5-2.5g/kg/day depending on workout intensity!  While timing isn’t everything, it can be an important part of maximizing the benefits of your workout regimen.  To summarize, eat a heavier carb meal soon after your workout and eat less carbs and more fat throughout the rest of the day.  Protein intake should remain steady to allow muscles to recover and continue to grow more strength.
 
References

1. Last, Allen R.; Wilson, Stephen A. (2006). "Low-Carbohydrate Diets". American Family Physician. 73 (11): 1942–8. PMID 16770923.
2. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-macro-manager-muscle-building-ratio.html
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091

Starting January 9, Mi5 is offering a one-of-a-kind Kick Start program for anyone interested in joining a supportive community with trainers dedicated to helping you build a lasting, sustainable, and effective fitness and nutrition lifestyle. This program is for both the new and seasoned athlete, and will challenge you over 8 weeks to build the best version of you.

REGISTER FOR The Kick Start Program HERE

And what better way to complement this dynamic kick-start fitness program than with an additional challenge? Whether you are participating in the Kick Start program or are just looking for a fun and unique approach to a New Year, New You challenge, then join me and thousands of others in the Young Living Slique in 60 Challenge.

The Slique in 60 challenge consists of two 60-day challenges, or a combined 120-day challenge, designed to help you focus on body transformation using our Slique in 60 pledge.
The first 60-day challenge will run Monday, January 9–Friday, March 10.
The second 60-day challenge will run Monday, March 13–Thursday, May 11.
Complete either challenge or both and you’ll automatically get a prize. Finish the challenge with amazing results and you could get some big-time bonuses!