Fitness Forum: Eat Right! Train Smart! Live Well!

SnS Weight Management Program

2011-04-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Slim and Sassy Weight Management Program

Let me say to all the guys out there, before you turn and run the other direction I want you to know that this is equally the Slim 'n Studly Weight Management program. In fact, the men that are using the SnS Metabolic blend and associate nutritional products are experiencing phenomenal results. Men and women, I invite you both to read on and learn more about the program I'm using to assist thousands of individuals in achieving and maintaining their Ideal Body Weight!

I recognize that you may not yet have all of the items noted in the full protocol, so you will follow it according to what you have. The SnS products are not quick fixes or the magic bullet to fast fat reductoin - they are tools to accelerate the process and get your body functioning the way it is suppose to.

Remember that your daily habits are critical to success with your nutrition accounting for 85-90% of your results and exercise accounting for 10-15% of your results. Follow the principle of eating the right food, in the right amount, at the right times in order to optimize your metabolism and achieve optimal health. Increase exercise and/or physical activity to at least 30 minutes per day - incorporate cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility/stretching. If you have questions or feel like you need more customization of your regimen, please let me know.

For the individuals who choose to engage in the full Slim 'n Sassy Weight Management program, you are able to receive whatever nutrition and fitness coaching you need from me at no charge. This includes custom meal plans, exercise program design, nutrition coaching sessions and accountability check-in calls, and more. I am committed to your success!

SNS Weight Management Program Protocol

Slim ‘n Sassy Metabolic Blend is a proprietary blend of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils designed to enhance your weight management efforts by aiding the metabolic system to function optimally. If body weight is not an issue for you, SNS will still be important to the health of your metabolism and the nutritional cleansing of toxins from your body.

In brief, Cinnamon bark oil helps to improve insulin sensitivity and thus improve carbohydrate metabolism which helps to ensure more stable blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar leads to less dramatic appetite and less cravings for unhealthy foods.

Peppermint oil aids in healthy digestion and increases satiety which means you are less likely to get post-meal cravings. Healthy digestion also means better nutrient absorption.

Ginger oil is not only an important digestive aid it also increases lipolysis or the break down of fat cells.

Grapefruit oil is well known as an appetite thermostat, meaning it helps keep your appetite in check. In addition, grapefruit oil increases lipolysis and decreases adipogenisis (the creation of new fat cells) and it is a natural cleansing and detoxing agent.

Lemon oil is a powerful detoxifier and cleanser so it helps to improve liver function and it promotes the release of toxic fat cells (these are those stubborn fat cells that won’t budge no matter how hard you try). Lemon oil also is a powerful agent for increasing lipolysis and decreasing adipogenisis.

Daily Protocol:

· 3-5 drops in 16-24 oz of water 3-5 times per day. You can just always keep a few drops of SNS in your water and sip throughout the day for a total of about 20-30 drops per day. It is okay and in some cases strongly advized to start at lower initial intake and work up to the 20-30 drops/day.

· 6-10 drops in empty gel caps 3 times per day or 3-5 drops in empty gel cap 5-6 times/day. You can get empty gel caps at most health food stores or pharmacies or at www.aromatools.com. Note: ingest gel cap as soon as you fill them.

· Some individuals will choose to apply SNS topically in addition to one of the above mentioned oral consumption protocol. You can simply pour a few drops into your hand and apply to abdomen, buttocks, thighs, or bottoms of the feet. You can also use a carrier oil such as extra virgin olive oil or fractionated coconut oil.

Daily = Lifelong Vitality Pack (VMz, xEO Mega, Alpha CRS+), Slim 'n Sassy (~20-30 drops), Terrazyme capsules or DigestZen oil, Trim Shake or JP Complete Shake (1-2 per day maximum or 1 every other day minimum). You can use any other oils daily/weekly as you require.

Monthly = Nutritional Cleansing & Detox for Optimal Health & Weight Management

Month 1 = Zendocrine capsules & Zendocrine oil

Month 2 = GX assist + PB assist

Month 3 = Gx assist + PB assist

Month 4 = Zendocrine capsules & Zendocrine oil

Month 5 = Gx assist + PB assist

Month 6 = Gx assist + PB assist

Month 7 = Zendocrine capsules & Zendocrine oil

Month 8 = Gx assist + PB assist

Month 9 = Gx assist + PB assist

ETC....

To Your Success,

Melissa Guthrie

MBS Development Group/ Triumph Training

Nutrition Coach, Fitness Trainer, Health Educator, Healthy cooking Enthusiast, Athlete

Tel: 800.775.0712 ext 7015

Vitamin & Mineral Supplements: What's Essential?

2011-03-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Are vitamin and mineral supplements really necessary? Can they really improve vitality & longevity?

As a nutrition and fitness professional, I’ve been studying micronutrients and supplements for over 15 years. I have people ask me the following questions on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. Can you identify?

• I’m confused about vitamin/mineral supplements. I hear conflicting advice from different sources.

• Do supplements really work; will they really make a difference in my health?

• Can’t I get all the nutrients I need by eating really healthy?

• At what age is it necessary and/or safe to begin taking a supplement?

• Are all supplement brands created equal?

• There are so many different vitamin, mineral, and nutrient supplements on the market, how do I know what I should be taking?

• How do I know I’m getting the best quality supplements?

• Supplements seem pretty expensive, is there a way that I can get what I really need without paying a fortune?

If you would like to have these questions answered for yourself, then you are invited to join us for a special doTerra Lifelong Vitality Program webinar on Saturday March 12th at 9am PST/10am MST/11am CST/noon EST. You must pre-register below. This is an open webinar and you are welcome to invite others to register and attend.

1. Please join my Webinar.

https://www1.gotowebinar.com/register/630698641

2. You will be connected to audio using your computer's microphone and speakers (VoIP). A headset is recommended.

Or, you may select "Use Telephone " after joining the Webinar.

Dial +1 (484) 589-1011

Access Code: 324-103-067

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting

Webinar ID: 630-698-641

Presented by Melissa Guthrie, BSc, ACE – Nutritionist, Fitness Trainer, Health Educator.

To Your Best Health,

Double Your Weight Loss Starting Now

2010-12-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Many people think that gaining weight during the holidays is inevitable. I talk to people all of the time who accept holiday weight gain as a natural part of the season as much as they expect to see Christmas decorations in the stores. Unhealthy weight gain at any time of the year is not natural, nor desirable. In fact, the ideal is to maintain not gain. I have even coached hundreds of people in how to shed excess body fat during the holidays without feeling deprived or missing out on the foods they love. The key is the right foods, in the right amount, at the right time….Balanced Nutrition.

In addition, there is one super simple activity that can make a HUGE difference in not only whether or not you gain weight, studies show that it can help you double your weight loss (even during the final two months of the year!).

What is the secret? Bite It & Write It!! A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that by tracking your daily food intake in a "food journal" may double your weight loss efforts.

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research performed a study on 1,685 overweight and obese adults (men and women), whose average weight was 212 pounds. The researchers advised participants to adhere to a reduced-calorie eating plan ( DASH eating plan ) and had them record their daily food intake and their daily/weekly minutes of exercise.

After 20 weeks, the average weight loss was 13 pounds per person. In addition, researchers discovered that the more participants recorded what they ate, the more weight they lost in the end. Participants who did not keep a food diary lost about 9 pounds over the course of the study, while those who recorded their food intake six or more days per week lost 18 pounds—twice as much as those who didn't track any food!

If you’d like to learn more about achieving and maintaining your ideal body weight, you’ll want to attend…..

Get a Jump Start on the New Years Weight Loss Resolution &

Experience a Healthy Lifestyle Revolution.....

Simple Steps to Achieve & Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight

Healthy, Permanent weight reduction through….

• Reducing toxic load and releasing stubborn toxic fat.

• Increasing fat metabolism and improving overall metabolic function.

• Eliminating unhealthy food cravings & developing an appetite thermostat.

• Developing a simple, healthy balance of proper nutrition & physical activity.

Achieving & Maintaining Ideal Body Weight with Proper Nutrition & Essential Oils

Date & Time: Thursday December 16th @ 7pm - 8:15pm

Location: 4307 E. Blue Sage Court Gilbert, AZ 85297

Class Instructor: Melissa Guthrie - Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Health Educator, & Competitive Triathlete

Contact/RSVP: Jodi Lewis 480.213.6551 or Melissa Guthrie 1.800.775.0712 xt 7015 (Please RSVP!)

We look forward to having you attend. You are welcome to bring additional guests with you.

Gift Drawing & Healthy Snacks Provided.

Taught by Fitness, Nutrition Specialist, Health Educator - Melissa Guthrie. In addition to having two college degrees in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Science, Melissa was once the fat kid and has achieved her ideal body weight and has maintained it for over 14 years.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

12 Steps to a Lighter Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Week! There is so much to be grateful for. I am grateful to share with you some tips to help you stay on the lighter side this holiday. I am also grateful to share with you a couple of events I'm doing this week that I know will be a great blessing to all who attend.

Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving is a holiday centered around family, friends, & feasting (and for some football) as we express our gratitude for our many blessings. There are so many wonderful, positive, uplifting aspects of the holiday. What comes along is over-eating, excess sweets, lots of low levels of physical activity, and thus weight gain. For those who are susceptible to excessive holiday weight gain, this year lets focus on the "Maintain don't Gain" principle. We can avoid being part of the Big Fat problem by incorporating some of the following holiday healthification tips:

* Exercise every day of the week prior to and following the holiday.

* Exercise on Thanksgiving by going for a walk, run, bike ride, hike with friends or family.

*Participate in a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot (1-mile fun run/walk, 5K or 10K).

* Rather than just watching football on TV, participate in a friendly game of football with friends & family.

* If you have a tendency to splurge on Thanksgiving day, then be sure that the 2-3 days prior to the holiday you eat very healthy & clean (watch portions, eats lots of fresh fruits & veggies, some whole grains, and very lean proteins). Do the same for 2-3 days following the holiday.

* Be sure not to skip breakfast and/or lunch on Thanksgiving day. Doing so will result in overconsumpion and less likelihood to make healthy food choices. Not to mention meal skipping teaches the body to become an efficient fat storing machine.

* Use a smaller plate for your Thanksgiving Day meal. You will be less likely to overconsume. If you have a tendency to fill your plate with everything that is offered, select the items that special to you. For example, peas & carrots may be foods you could eat any day of the year. If you really love sweet potatoes and cornbread stuffing and these are foods you only ever eat on Thanksgiving, then skip the peas & carrots.

* Eat to the point of satisfaction rather than to the point of "I'm so full, I can't walk". We can eat small frequent meals throughout the day if we don't overconsume. This means more opportunities throughtout the day to enjoy these special holiday foods.

* Eat your calories, rather than drinking your calories. Opt for pure water rather than sodas, juices, alcoholic beverages, hot chocolate, etc. Water is what your body needs & it's calorie free. You can make some yummy flavored water by adding fresh fruit or CPTG essential oils to your water.

* Watch the sauces & gravies. Either skip them altogether or if you must have them, then consume just enough to get the flavor. Skip or go very light on whipped cream. Use the "dip 'n stick" technique rather than pouring your sauces/dressing directly on your food.

* Share a dessert or at least watch your portion size. Desserts are typically loaded with fat, sugar, & calories.

* Healthify your recipes - use applesauce instead of oil in your baking, use evaporated skim milk in place of cream, use more herbs/spices & less butter/oil in cooking, use chicken stock/vegetable stock in place of butter/oil in cooking, use lowfat or nonfat dairy products.

Events of the WEEK

If your week sounds like this...

Wednesday and Thursday:

Its beginning to smell a lot like turkey every where I go. Well the Turkey is not enough, add a ham to bake and glaze, stuffing to make and pies to bake and mashed potatoes too. I’ve been on my feet all day and soon the guest will come. The house is sparkling clean, the decorations hung, I’m worn out and wondering when the cooking will be done.

Friday and Saturday:

Dashing through the stores with a shopping cart or two, trodding down each aisle to find the super deals. My Arms are loaded down with packages and such, that cramping in my hand means I’m carrying too much. The shopping frenzy’s begun and will last almost a month; my head is throbbing from the noise and pressure – oh what fun. Hussle & bussle, hussle & bussle, stressing all the way!

You are invited to a Holiday Haven event on Saturday Nov 27th at 10:30am – noon. Come relax and receive an Aromatouch Hand or Foot Massage - Sure to refresh & renew, restore & revitalize, calm & soothe, invigorate and enliven not only your weary hands and feet but your whole body and mind.

Aromatouch massage reduces stress levels, increases blood flow & circulation, reduces inflammation, stimulates & boosts immune system, promotes whole body homeostatis. Aromatouch Technique developed by world renowned essential oil expert, Dr. David Hill.

How about a stress-less season with more peace, more calm, more joy?... Then stroll on over to the…

Holiday Haven Aromatouch Hand & Foot Massage Party

Date: Saturday November 27th at 10:30am – noon.

Location: 1263 E. Evergreen St. Mesa, AZ 85203

Cost: None – it’s a gift!

Hosted by Melissa Guthrie & Marianne Trask

Space Limited: Please RSVP to mmguthrie@hotmail.com 1.800.775.0712 xt 7015

Event will include healthy snacks, great prizes and gifts for all that attend.

Note: You will have the opportunity to receive an Aromatouch hand/foot massage and learn how to give an Aromatouch hand/foot massage (a great holiday gift for a friend or family member).

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Learn how to optimize fitness, improve athletic performance, and stay healthy & injury-free year round.

How would your fitness training & sports performance be impacted if you could significantly…

· improve metabolic function and increase oxygen uptake

· improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells

· reduce inflammation & oxidative stress associated with exercise, sports training & competing

· speed recovery from hard workouts and athletic injuries

· prevent injuries and boost immunity

· get better, deeper, more rejuvenating sleep

· and much more

Come learn how to maximize your fitness and sports performance naturally through optimal nutrition and the use of certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils.

Maximizing Fitness and Sports Performance with Nutrition and Essential Oils
Date and Time: Tuesday November 23rd 2010 @ 7pm

Location: 3087 E. Redfield Rd Gilbert, AZ 85234 (Higley & Guadalupe)

Presenter: Melissa Guthrie, Fitness & Nutrition Coach

RSVP/Contact: Sharon McDonald 480.275.9767 . Please RSVP as space is limited.

Give-Aways & Healthy Snacks!

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach, Fitness Trainer, Health Educator
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast
Competitive Triathlete & Runner

How Cool Are Cucumbers?

2010-10-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Until I began studying nutritional biochemistry, I didn't think cucumbers were very cool at all. I saw them as a pretty unimportant vegetable. Boy! was I mistaken.   Cucumbers are now a top pick in my book and a vegetable I've listed on my top 25 Super Foods list.

So What's So Cool About Cucumbers?   They are a great food for anybody, they are a super food for athletes!

Cucumbers are a great source of vitamin C and caffeic acid which are great for soothing skin irritations and reducing swelling - a natural anti-inflammatory. Of course, vitamin C is important for a strong immune system.   In addition, cucumbers are rich in potassium and magnesium, two nutrients that help us with electrolyte balance and bone health.  They contain a mineral called silica which is essential to healthy connective tissue - intracellular connective tissue, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, & bone.

Because of the high water content in cucumbers it is naturally hydrating.  Hydration is vital to everyone, especially since the majority of people are in a constant state of mild dehydration. Most people simply do not consume enough pure water.  Their high water content also makes them very alkaline so they hekp combat internal acidity. This in turn helps with disease prevention, strengthens the immune system, helps lower high blood pressure, and helps prevent osteoporosis and/or maintain a healthy bone density.

Cucumbers can be used topically to soothe the skin, especially sunburned skin.   They help prevent water retention. And when they are eaten skin and all - they provide a great source of dietary fiber which helps with digestion and maintaining a clean, healthy colon.

So I would say if you like cucumbers - eat up!

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Upcoming Events

Boosting Immunity and Natural Healing with Nutrition and Essential Oils
Thursday Oct 28th 7:00 - 8:30pm
1263 E. Evergreen St.   Mesa, AZ 85203
Seating is limited, please RSVP   to 800.775.0712 ex 7015
Special Gift for 1st 5 guests

Maximizing Sports Performance with Nutrition and Essential Oils
Saturday Oct 30th   6:15 - 6:45 AM (yep, early in the morning)
Freestone Park in Gilbert, AZ   (Lindsey Rd, btwn Guadalupe & Elliot)
Optional Group Run with the 1st Marathon Running Group to follow (~7:00 am)

Achieving and Maintaining Ideal Body Weight with Nutrition and Essential Oils
Thursday Nov 4th   7:00 - 8:30 pm
Location: TBA

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To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Competitive Athlete, Healthy Cooking Enthusiast
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology

What Do You Want to Know About Healthy Weight Loss, Balanced Nutrition, & Sports Performance?

2010-10-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am continually amazed at how in a time in world history where we have instant access to information about any topic, we are at large a society still living in the dark ages when it comes healthy living. It is my personal mission to learn all I can so I can teach all I can and thus empower people with the solutions they seek and help them achieve their goals as they relate to health, fitness and body weight.

I'm taking my business on the road to teach and empower people around the globe - it is my mission to reach as many people as possible and make a positive difference for them. This week I'm in Arizona presenting on the following 3 topics. I invite you to join me.

Balanced Sports Nutrition to Optimize Training, Performance & Recovery
Maximizing Sports Performance & Fitness with Nutrition & Essential Oils
Simple Steps to Achieve & Maintain Ideal Body Weight with Nutrition & Essential Oils

Details about each event is found below:

Attention runners, walkers, & sports enthusiasts!

Your nutrition habits can not only make or break your day to day training, they can be the primary difference between a stellar race day and a race day disaster. You are training hard, don't leave your results to chance. Come learn how proper nutrition will help you to get the most out of your training, to optimize your event performance, and recover better than ever before?

....Sole Sports invites you to a special evening with sports nutritionist & fitness trainer - Melissa Guthrie, BSc Exercise Physiology & Nutrition & Science.

Balanced Nutrition for Optimal Training, Competition, & Recovery

By attending this event you will:
* better understand your body's nutrient requirements before, during and after exercise.
* learn what foods every runner/walker should consume for better health, faster recovery, & optimal performance.
* gain greater insights into how to determine the right foods in the right amount at the right time.
* and more!

Date: Thursday October 14, 2010
Time: 7:00pm (if you'd like to join the group walk/run it starts at 6:30pm)
Location: Sole Sports Running Zone 6941 N. Hayden Ste B-4, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
www.solesportsrunning.com

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Learn how to optimize fitness,
improve race times, and stay injury-free with
the Essential Sports Performance Edge.

How would your fitness training & sports performance be impacted if you could significantly…
*improve metabolic function and increase oxygen uptake
*improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to the cells
*reduce inflammation & oxidative stress associated with training & competing
*speed recovery from hard workouts and athletic injuries
*prevent injuries and boost immunity
*get better, deeper, more rejuvenating sleep
*and much more

Come learn how to maximize your fitness & sports performance naturally through proper nutrition and the use of certified pure therapuetic grade essential oils.

Maximizing Sports Performance & Fitness with Nutrition & Essential Oils

Date & Time: Friday October 15, 2010 @ 7pm – 9pm
Location: 1263 E Evergreen Street. Mesa, AZ 85203 (Brown & Stapley)
Class Length: approx. 90 minutes
RSVP: call 800.775.0712 xt 7015, email mmguthrie@hotmail.com to RSVP . Space is limited.
Door Prizes and Give-Aways & Healthy Snacks!

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Slim ‘n Fit Seminar Series Announces a Free Introductory Education Class…

Simple Steps to Achieve & Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight

Healthy weight reduction through….
* Reducing toxic load and releasing stubborn toxic fat.
* Increasing fat metabolism and improving overall metabolic function.
* Eliminating unhealthy food cravings & developing an appetite thermostat.
* Developing a simple, healthy balance of proper nutrition & physical activity.

Date & Time: Saturday October 16, 2010 @ 10 am – noon

Location: 1263 E. Evergreen Street Mesa, AZ 85203 (Brown & Stapley)

Class Length: approx. 1 ½ - 2 hrs (optional bonus Start Right training class from 1-2pm)

Door Prizes, Give-Aways, & Healthy Snacks Provided.

We look forward to having you attend.  You are welcome to bring additional guests with you.  Please RSVP to 1.800.775.0712 xt 7015 or mmguthrie@hotmail.com as space is limited.

All Classes Taught by Fitness & Nutrition Specialist, Melissa Guthrie. In addition to having two college degrees in Exercise Physiology & Nutritional Science, Melissa was once the fat kid and has achieved her ideal body weight and has maintained it for over 14 years. Melissa is also a competitive runner and triathlete. For more info regarding Melissa visit www.gettingfitwithmelissa.com and www.journeytothegold.com

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
MBS Development Group
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
Tel: 800.775.0712 ext 7015
http://www.gettingfitwithmelissa.com/
Eat Right. Train Smart. Live Well.

What Does It Take to Achieve & Maintain Ideal Body Weight?

2010-08-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

What does it take to achieve and maintain ideal body weight?

There are no magic pills, no effortless elixirs, no quick fixes. It does take effort, it does take commitment, it does take discipline, it does take action. So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let me share with you the good news.

I went through my own journey to achieving and maintaining ideal body weight. It began at the age of 12 when I came to my breaking point and decided that I was not going to be the fat kid any longer. Through my own initiative I started a daily exercise program and began a self-study course in nutrition. I didn’t have much professional assistance – what can you do at twelve years of age? Can’t drive, no job, no money, can’t get a gym membership, etc. So doing the best I could with the resources I had, my journey to ideal weight took about 6 years. The great news is I did it!

I achieved my ideal body weight during my freshman year of college and have maintained it now for over 14 years. And because of what I know and the healthy lifestyle habits that have become who I am, not just what I do I will be able to maintain my ideal weight for the rest of my life. Now that is complete FREEDOM, especially compared to the bondage I lived in as a fat, unhappy, self-conscious, unhealthy kid.

Of course, my own experience led me to dedicate my life to the study of fitness and nutrition, including two degrees in nutritional science and exercise physiology. I feel one of my life’s purposes is to bless and serve people all over the world, of all ages in leading the healthiest lives possible as well as achieving and maintaining ideal body weight. Fortunately, I have been able to create and to discover resources that can aid and assist people in reaching their goals much more quickly than I did. I will be sharing some of what I’ve found this evening on a special webinar .

“Achieving and Maintaining Ideal Body Weight with Proper Nutrition & Essential Oils” Webinar

Date: Tuesday August 31st at 6pm PST/7pm MST/8pm CST/9pm EST
Location: Where ever you are – it’s a Webinar!
Please Pre-Register by going to: https://www2.gotowebinar.com/register/713601411

The hope of achieving and maintaining an ideal body weight can be a struggle and seem like the impossible dream for many individuals of all ages.

Join us for a special Look Young, Feel Young webinar event in which we will be discussing simple steps to achieving and maintaining ideal body weight through proper nutrition and the use of certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils.

Presented by Melissa Guthrie, BSc Exercise Physiology & Nutritional Science, Fitness Trainer & Nutrition Coach.

To Your Best Health,
Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
Health & Wellness Educator
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast
Competitive Triathlete

Summer Slim ‘n Fit Seminar Series

2010-06-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Announcing a Free Introductory Education Class…

Simple Steps to Achieve & Maintain Your Ideal Body Weight

Healthy weight reduction through….

• Reducing toxic load and releasing stubborn toxic fat.
• Increasing fat metabolism and improving overall metabolic function.
• Eliminating unhealthy food cravings & developing an appetite thermostat.
• Developing a simple, healthy balance of proper nutrition & physical activity.

Taught by Fitness & Nutrition Specialist, Melissa Guthrie. In addition to having two college degrees in Exercise Physiology & Nutritional Science, Melissa was once the fat kid and has achieved her ideal body weight and has maintained it for over 14 years.

Class Details:
Date & Time: Saturday June 12, 2010 @ 11am MST
Location: Richardson Home @ 2184 E. 1710 S. Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Class Length: approx. 1 hour

We look forward to having you attend. You are welcome to bring additional guests with you. Please RSVP to Jen or Rod Richardson Jen@rodalan.com or Rod@rodalan.com

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach and Fitness Trainer

New Recipes for Healthy Salads

2010-05-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the final day of May and in case you didn’t know May is National Salad Month. I have been creating and enjoying fabulous salads all month. Here are just a few. Fortunately, you’ll be able to enjoy many of my favorite salads in my soon to be released cookbook. You’ll notice amounts are approximate. I am a recipe creator and the first time I create something I go by feel, so amounts have not yet been dialed in. However, I enjoyed these salads so much I wanted to share it right away.

Creamy Black Bean & Corn Salad

1 (15 oz) can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
~ ½ cup sweet Corn, canned & drained or frozen, thawed
~ ½ - 2/3 cup Lowfat or fat free cottage cheese
~ 2/3 to ¾ cup Chunky Salsa
~ ½ cup Diced bell pepper, red or green
~1/4 cup Canned Green chiles, optional
~1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped green onion, optional
~ 1/2 to 1 TBS Taco Seasoning, optional
~ ¼ to ½ tsp Cumin, optional

In bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir to combine. Can be eaten as is or as a dip or atop a bed of leafy greens. Can be eaten cold or hot.

Balsamic Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

1 ½ cups Fresh Broccoli florets, cut small
1 ½ cups Fresh Cauliflower florets, cut small
~ ¾ to 1 cup Shredded carrots
~ 1 – 1 ½ cup Shredded green or purple cabbage, optional
~ 1/3 to ½ cup Raisins or craisins
~ 1/3 to ½ cup Slivered raw almonds, chopped raw walnuts, or raw sunflower seeds
~ ½ cup Plain nonfat yogurt
~ 1/3 – ½ cup Mayo, light or nonfat
~ 1 to 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt, to taste
~ 1 TBS EVOO, optional
~ 1 TBS honey or agave nectar, optional

In large bowl toss together vegetables. In separate small to medium bowl, combine plain nonfat yogurt, mayo, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and EVOO and honey, if desired. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat. Then add raisins or craisins and nuts mix until combined. Enjoy.

When you make these salads, I'd love to get your feedback.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

Triumph Training Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer

Take a Tip for your Day

2010-05-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Take a Tip for Your Day

Sometimes making improvements in our lives, our health, our fitness, and our nutrition can seem overwhelming. I always advocate just making one small improvement at a time. To attempt to make a complete overhaul is almost always a recipe for frustration and failure. Below you’ll find several simple actions you can take to improve your health one small step at a time.

Tip for Improving Hydration:

Most people are walking around in a mild state of dehydration; few people drink enough water. Water helps remove toxins and keeps the metabolism running optimally. #1 - first thing after you wake up drink 16 oz of pure water. #2 - replace one non-water beverage with 16 oz of pure water each day. #3 Work up to 10 to 12 8oz glasses of pure water each day.

Tip for Increasing Fiber Intake:

Fiber is essential to a healthy colon, helps you feel fuller longer, helps maintain steady blood glucose levels, & aids in weight loss/weight maintenance. Adults require 25-35gm of fiber/day. 100% Whole grains, beans/legumes, fresh fruits & veggies, & flax are great sources of fiber. Replace refined, processed foods with more wholesome, fiber rich whole foods.

Tip for Eating More Whole Fresh Foods:

Fast food franchises & processed food manufacturers deceptively pump their products full of harmful chemicals that are highly addictive which can lead to insatiable cravings. Fresh, whole foods & meals from-scratch are healthier & can be prepared in less time than it takes to get thru the drive thru lane. This week see how many quick & easy home-made, fresh meals you can consume.

Tip for Increasing Antioxidant Intake:

Antioxidants are the body's disease fighters, natural healing accelerators, and anti-aging agents. Eat a rainbow of colorful fruits & veggies everyday to ensure you are getting whole food sources of antioxidants. Track how many different colors of fruits and veggies you eat today.

Tip for Improving Metabolism thru proper Meal Timing:

Are you eating between 4 & 6 times a day? The body is designed to be fueled approx. every 3hrs. Eating smaller, frequent meals will help prevent overeating & unhealthy cravings, ensures consistent energy throughout the day, assists in maintaining steady blood sugar levels, & help keep the metabolism running at an steady & even slightly elevated pace. Take out a sheet of paper and make a note of what time you eat meals and snacks throughout the day. Assess how many time you eat something and how much time goes between your meals/snacks. Awareness is the first step. You may want to do this exercise for a few days in order to identify a pattern.

Tip for Making Breakfast a Habit:

Breakfast is for Champions. Eating breakfast is key to a healthy metabolism, weight management, & overall optimal function. Skipping breakfast slows the metabolism, leads to overeating & weight gain, decreases brain function, & compromises blood sugar control. A wholesome, healthy breakfast like oatmeal or whole grain cereal is always best, however eating something is better than skipping breakfast altogether. Breakfast can even be leftovers from lunch or dinner – yep that includes cold pizza. If you are a breakfast eater, focus on improving the nutrient content of your breakfast. If you are not a breakfast eater, set a goal to eat or drink something every day this week.

Tip for Increasing Lycopene Intake:

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant & is shown to play a vital role in the prevention of cancer, esp. prostate cancer. Foods rich in lycopene are tomatoes & tomato based products, pink grapefruit, & watermelon. Make sure you eat at least one lycopene rich food every day. Men should absolutely eat lycopene rich foods every day.

Tip for Caring for Your Skin Naturally:

Nutrition is more than what you put in your body; it is also what you put ON your body. Any substance that goes on your skin is absorbed into the blood stream. Beware of the chemicals & harmful substances in lotions, make-up, skin care products. Consider all-natural options: almond or olive oil as moisturizer, cornmeal as an exfoliater, apple cider vinegar as a skin toner. Step #1 read the labels on your skin care products Step #2 throw out those items that have harmful ingredients Step #3 Replace those items with an all natural replacement.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer

Do You Have a Perfect Pre-Exercise Food?

2010-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

What is your perfect pre-exercise food or mid-run fuel source?

For some of you it is gel or gu, while others prefer sports drinks, sports candy (like Sport Beans or Shark Bites), or bars. Many folks are not able to use these standard sports products due to sensitive digestive systems, and others choose not to use them for a variety of reasons. If you are someone looking for an all natural pre- or mid- exercise fuel source, then consider dried fruit. Dried fruit is easy to consume, easy to digest, and travels easily in a gym bag, fuel belt or pocket.

San Diego State University researchers found that runners who consumed raisins 45 minutes prior to endurance exercise got performance benefits similar to those who consumed energy gels. Dried fruits are smart fuel during a run, as they are easy to digest and provide working muscles a quick influx of carbohydrate energy.

Note: Dried fruits are more calorie dense than fresh. For example, a cup of grapes has 62 calories vs. 434 calories in a cup of raisins.

For a big pre-exercise energy boost give the following a shot: Raisins, Craisins, Mixed Dried Fruit, Dried Apricots, Dried Mango or Dried Pineapple.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer

Add First In Order to Subtract

2010-01-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

When most people talk about improving their nutrition, they begin listing off all the items they intend to stop eating or drinking and the unhealthy habits they intend to kick. They go on a “diet” or attempt to stop a habit cold turkey. Unfortunately, this may not be the most effective way to go about it. For starters, this can often feel like deprivation which results in an uncanny craving for the item that we’ve sworn to never consume again. In addition, nutrition habits whether healthy or not –so-healthy are often deeply ingrained usually dating back to our childhood. For most people it is easier to begin to establish a new habit, rather than break an old habit. So I recommend adding a healthy habit first before you subtract an unhealthy habit.

Here are a couple of examples:

If you would like to quit drinking soda – then start by first adding 2 eight ounce glasses of water each day. One first thing when you wake up and one just before you go to bed at night. Establish this new habit first, then gradually add additional glasses of water and eventually swap out a few sodas a day for water, until you’ve kicked the soda habit by first establishing a great water habit.

If you know you should stop eating sugary cereals and should replace them with 100% whole grain cereal. Begin by first adding a handful of 100% whole grain cereal to your bowl of sugary cereal. Each day/week increase the amount of whole grain cereal and decrease the amount of sugary cereal, until you’ve replaced the sugary cereal all together.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
Competitive Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Tried and True Energy Boosters

2009-10-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

A Boost of Energy

You are a busy person with a lot on your plate. You may be a parent, a spouse, a business owner, an employee, a volunteer. You may be part of many organizations related to business or personal life. And you are an athlete in training for a marathon or ½ marathon. With only 24 hours in the day, how do you do it all and keep your energy levels at optimum. Unfortunately many folks turn to artificial stimulants such as caffeine laden drinks including coffee, teas, energy drinks (Monsters, Rock Stars, etc), and caffeinated sodas. These may give you a burst of energy however that will almost always be followed by a significant CRASH! The tried and true healthiest way to experience long lasting energy throughout the day.

1. Get a good night’s sleep. Ideally 8 hrs per night with shut eye starting before mid-night.

2. Drink plenty of pure water. The recommendation is at least 80oz per day for most people. Athletes and those living in hot, dry climate may require more.

3. Maintain steady blood glucose levels by eating smaller meals every 3-4 hrs throughout the day. Make sure your meals and snacks include a balance between healthy complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

4. Shoot to eat at least 5-7 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables each day (the optimum is 7-13 servings). These foods are the vitamin/mineral and antioxidant powerhouses that help keep energy levels up.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer

Is Your Family Fit?

2009-07-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Join Team Chances on Saturday August 1st, Pacanna Park at 6 AM for
Maricopa’s First Annual Fit Family Challenge!!

TEAM Chances FIT Family Challenge
Cost: FREE
Where: Pacanna Park Maricopa
Program Duration: August 1, 2009-September 5, 2009
Program Days/Times:
Saturday August 1,8,15,22,29, September 5 6:00am-7:00am
Wednesday August 5,12,19,26, September 2 6:00pm-7:00pm

Program Details:
This is a running/walking and family fit fun activity program geared to prepare participants for the Maricopa Mile and 5k. Each week, the team coach will be on location leading a group run/walk and fun family park activities. During the official group workouts, participants will have access to Elite level coaches, nutritionist, and physical therapists. Families that chose to register for the program as official participants will receive 2 pedometers per family to use and track progress during the week. At the conclusion of the challenge, the family with the most distance accumulated will be declared the winner (Prizes to be determined). The award will be presented at the Maricopa Mile and 5k held on September 5th.

All participants will receive:
• Two family group fit fun activity and run sessions per week
• Raffle prizes
• Healthy snacks
• Professional Coaching and support
• Pre/post BMI and Body fat analysis (optional)
• Free injury prevention screening from Endurance rehab.
• Fit Family Challenge T-shirt
• Pre and Post fitness assessment
• Pedometer
• Time with your family and friends in a healthy environment
• Entry Fee for 1 mile and 5k: FREE if you participate and attend 8-10 FIT FAMILY CHALLENGE TRAINING sessions!!

Yes…You read this right! TEAM Chances will be hosting the 1st Annual Maricopa Mile and 5k! Our goal is to share with the community the passion for health, fitness, and recreation that TEAM Chances embodies.

Would you like to be part of Team Chances?

Calling all Runners and Walkers!!

Join Team Chances and Give to yourself-Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Philanthropically!!

Giving to Team Chances will:
• Help wipe out childhood obesity in Arizona
• Provide children and families in your community with the opportunity to take part in positive lifestyle activities
• Educate children and families in your community about nutrition guidelines
• Celebrate your health and provide you with a positive, educational and rewarding experience

Join Team Chances and get:
• Personal coaching support, with specialized Marathon and Half Marathon training plans, including group runs, track sessions and Team Chances supported training races
• Health assessment and testing for optimal results
• VIP race day support, pre-race pasta party and post-race victory dinner
• Marathon/Half Marathon entry
• Fundraising support, including fundraising event opportunities
• The opportunity to assist with our Fit Kids program-so you can meet the children who actually benefit from your commitment
Team Chances is holding informational meetings around the valley to get you started. Below are listed the dates of the informational meetings and locations.

• Tempe Team – August 12 @ 6pm, Location: Sole Sports, 1006 E. Warner Rd, Suite 104, Tempe, AZ 85284
• Maricopa Team – August 4 @ 6pm, Location: Chamber of Commerce, 44870 Hathaway Ave, Suite 5, Maricopa, AZ 85239
• Scottsdale Team – August 19 @ 6pm, Location: Endurance Rehab, 9376 E. Bahia Dr. Suite D103, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
• Phoenix Team – July 29 and August 13 @ 6pm, Location: Endurance Rehab, 4440 N. 36th St, Suite 240, Phoenix, AZ 85018

We would love for you to join our team to help make a difference for the children of our state. Please pass this email and information along to anyone you know who may be interested in participating.

I love being a part of Team Chances and know you will too!

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
BSc Nutritional Science
BSC Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Competitive Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Highly Requested Bread Recipe

2009-06-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

So you know how I am a huge fan of homemade bread and I make at least one loaf of homemade bread each week. Well, this past week I attended two potluck events and I took homemade bread to both. I created some raving fans. People couldn’t stop talking about “The Bread”. So now I’m going to help you create some raving fans too by sharing my recipes. This bread is 100% whole grain and as you read the recipe you'll see it has only pure healthy ingredients, unlike 99% of the breads you'll find on the grocery store shelves.

This is the recipe I made for the Women’s Cycling Group on June 20th….

Whole Wheat Oatbran Bread (2lb Loaf)
1 ¼ cup water
3 TBS honey
2 TBS applesauce, unsweetened
4 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup oatbran (farina or cornmeal can be substituted)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
2-3 tsp vital gluten

I know different bread machines have different instructions. For my machine, I put all of the wet ingredients in first, followed by the flour and other grains. I make a well in the flour and put my yeast in the well and then cover it up with some of the flour. Then I sprinkle the salt around the edge of the bread pan, to keep it as far from the yeast as possible. Then I sprinkle the vital gluten over the top of the flour. I bake this on the whole wheat cycle.

If you have any questions, let me know. Otherwise, ENJOY!

Recipes that are coming in the near future are Whole Wheat Strawberry Craisin Sunflower Bread, Whole Wheat Oatmeal Maple Bread, and Homemade Hummus.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training Fitness & Nutrition
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
Nutrition Coach
ACE Certified Fitness Trainer/Group Ex. Instr.
New Leaf Metabolic Technician
Competitive Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Fitness with a Focus

2009-06-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Fitness with a Focus

When I am doing a strategy session with a new client, we spend a significant amount of time talking about and defining specific goals related to their health, fitness, and nutrition. Have a goal to focus on is key to motivation and plays a very important role when challenges pop up, as they most certainly will. One of my favorite saying is “I see only my objective, the obstacles must yield” - Napoleon. Or stated another way, when the goal is big enough the obstacles don't matter.

The folks that tend to struggle the most with being consistent and persistent are those who have not set a meaningful goals or have not subdued their limiting beliefs. Others just have a low discouragement threshold or are too impatient. What I've found is the best way to move over, through or around these obstacles is to have a fitness focus that is outside of oneself, one that is far bigger than “self-gratification” or a number on a scale.

I have some personal experience with this which stretches back to my days in college. It was my freshman year that I really began to LOVE running and within a few years I was running races. I liked the challenge of racing and always trying to do better than I did at the previous race. However, there was something tugging at my heart that said “who are you running for?” I was running for my own health and fitness. I was running to challenge myself physically, mentally (racing is a big mental game). This thought kept leading me to ponder - is there someone else I should be running for? I often thought how I really wanted to run for my Lord - to bring honor and glory to Him. As I prayed, I would always express gratitude for my athletic abilities and tell God that I wanted all of my athletic pursuits to be for his glory. I received a feeling that God accepted my offering and this desire of my heart, yet there was still a nudge to run for something else or someone else.

It was not too long before I was introduced to a charity organization called Team in Training - they are a non-profit organization that fund research and patient aid for the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. Their cause and mission penetrated my heart and I knew that this was the cause I was to run for. Even though I didn't personally know anyone who had ever suffered from these types of cancers, I felt the importance of supporting and running in honor of those who were less fortunate than healthy, fit ME. I ran with Team in Training for many years and it brought a whole new level of purpose to my training, my competing and to my general fitness.

Since that time, I've been introduced to another non-profit endurance training program called Chances for Children. Although I truly loved the people I met and the experiences I had through my involvement with Team in Training. There was something POWERFUL about Chances for Children, which called to my heart like nothing had before. Their cause and mission filled every fiber of my being. You see, their focus is to eliminate childhood obesity by teaching grade school (in many cases underprivileged kids) how to develop fit and healthy lifestyles. Chances for Children raises money to purchase running shoes for these kids, to set up running and fitness programs in their schools, to pay the entry fees for thousands of kids to run races each year and thus teach them how to set goals, work hard and achieve. As a once Fat Kid who went through my own amazing journey to fitness, and now as I am a fitness and nutrition professional, it is a dream come true to be part of an endurance training program such as Team Chances. I am privileged to be able to work with the Team Chances member athletes and soon-to-be the children and their families on their nutrition. My heart has found its home and my fitness and racing has an even clearer focus.

I encourage those of you who may be struggling with your own health and fitness and who could benefit from having a goal and focus bigger than YOU - come be part of the Chances for Children Community. Come improve your own health and fitness, meet incredible people, and make a huge impact in the health and fitness of kids all over the state. I can promise the experience will be priceless and rewarding beyond your expectations. You can learn more about Chances for Children and Team Chances at http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/

Melissa Guthrie

Triumph Training Nutrition & Fitness

Calling all Walkers & Runners!!
“TEAM CHANCES”
Information Meeting for 2009/2010 Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Training Programs
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
6:00 pm @ Sole Sports
(Rural & Warner in Tempe)

Whether you want to train for your first marathon or 1/2 marathon or whether you are a marathon veteran, training with coach Susan Loken and Team Chances will assist you in having a training and racing experience that is second to none! Groups forming for…Tucson Marathon, PF Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and Carlsbad Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.

ALL Team Chances Information Meeting Dates
June
· 23rd Tempe

July
· 21st Maricopa
· 22nd Tempe
· 23rd Scottsdale
· 29th Phoenix

August
· 4th Maricopa
· 12th Tempe
· 13th Phoenix
· 19th Scottsdale

Location of Meetings
Tempe…Sole Sports 1006 E. Warner Rd. Suite 104 Tempe, AZ 85284
Scottsdale…Endurance Rehab 9376 E. Bahia Dr. #D103 Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phoenix…Endurance Rehab 4440 N. 36th St. Suite 240 Phoenix, AZ 85018
Maricopa…Chamber of Commerce Maricopa

The Key to Success in Achieving Fitness Goals

2009-06-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

What does it take to succeed in achieving ideal body weight or optimal health and fitness?

I received an email this morning that brought me such joy and exemplifies the type of action and commitment necessary to achieve a worthy ideal. Earlier this year (late January), I began working with a gentleman to assist him with his nutrition and overall fitness. After discussing his current health and establishing some clear fitness goals, we developed a plan of action. He took the initiative to contact a friend who is a high school strength & conditioning coach and had him design a weight training routine. He also mapped out his workout schedule each week including his cardiovascular exercise. I, of course, developed a healthy, balanced meal plan (NOT a DIET) to promote maximal nutrient intake, increased energy, stable blood glucose levels, all the while allowing for him to shed some excess body fat.

In the email I received from him this morning, he let me know that he has reduced his body weight by an additional 25lbs. He is consistently working out each week doing his strength training and riding his mountain bike. He is doing very well following his meal plan, making healthier food choices and eating smaller meals more consistently throughout the day. In additional to shedding the excess body fat, he is greatly improving the health and fitness of his heart and body overall. His cardiologist is delighted at the progress, as they’ve done cardiovascular testing which has shown how much more efficient his heart and lungs are functioning.

I want to give a HUGE congratulations to Dan, for his diligence and commitment to improving his health and fitness. My greatest joy is seeing you succeed! Continued Success!!!

"You can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to dream it, the intelligence to make a realistic plan, and the will to see that plan through to the end." Sidney A. Friedman

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
BSc Exercise Physiology
BSc Nutritional Science
ACE Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Competitive Runner/Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Take the Ultimate Grocery Shopping Tour

2009-06-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am constantly confronted with folks who are at some level ready to make some improvements in their health and yet are a little stand offish because they tell me how hard it is for them to eat healthy. They tell me, if they are going to eat healthy, it's gotta be really fast, it's gotta taste really good, and it can't cost a small fortune. Excellent!! that is what I do best...fast and simple, delicious and nutritious, and super cost-effective.

Where do we start? I believe a great place to start is the grocery store. If our refrigerator & cupboards are full of unhealthy foods, then that is really going to make eating healthy hard. I often have people tell me things such as they don't buy fresh produce because it goes bad before they use it and that they just CAN'T resist the cookie dough ice cream at 9pm. Well, of course the cookie dough is going to win over the carrots, but for heavens sakes if the cookie dough wasn't in the freezer to begin with then we just might be able to tackle that issue. It's time to do a little kitchen klean out and purge those less-than-healthy heavily processed and refined foods. Then it's time to start fresh and take the Ultimate Grocery Shopping Tour...

Embark on a fun-filled, educational adventure through the untamed isles of the supermarket guided by nutrition coach, Melissa Guthrie. In this exciting 2 hour workshop, you will learn how to decode the deceptive food labels that mislead you (i.e. The SIX Sickening Ingredients), how to easily replace your favorite "not-so-healthy" foods with delicious & nutritious alternatives, how to get the entire family eagerly engaged in healthier eating, how to cut your grocery bill significantly, and how to save precious time by trekking the perimeter path, and more! Including the NEW segment on Functional Foods that can keep you and your family super healthy by developing strong immune systems and thus, dramatically reducing doctor's visits and the associated expenses.

All participants will receive: The ULTIMATE Grocery Shopping Guidebook.

Who: You, your children (8yrs or older), your spouse, your friends, your neighbors, etc
Fee: $30 per individual or $45 per household (2 people: husband/wife, parent/child, roommates, etc)
Where: Fry's Marketplace (Stapely & McKellips) Mesa, Arizona

RSVP is required by midnight June 3rd in order to attend. Call 1.800.775.0712 ext 7015 to RSVP.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training Nutrition & Fitness
BSc Exercise Physiology, BSc Nutritional Science
ACE Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Competitive Runner/Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Nutrition Tips for the Traveling Athlete (& Non-athlete)

2009-05-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Remember nutrition can make or break your race and when traveling to a race there are many additional factors to consider. Follow these guidelines in order to ensure you are properly fueled and hydrated. Take responsibility for your own success. (If you are not an athlete nutrition while traveling is still important and the following suggestions apply to you as well.)

· Bring your own food with you on the trip so you don't have to rely on vending machines, snack shops, convenience stores, or fast food outlets. This is especially important if you have special food needs, dietary limitations, and or a sensitive digestive system.

· In route to your destination, if you are flying you can request special meals for the plane ride, just ring the airlines about a week prior to departure to put in your order. Be sure to bring your own healthy snacks for the plane.

· Keep well hydrated on the plane and WATER is your best means of hydration. Humidity is around 10-15% on a plane and moisture is drained from you. Drink often.

· It is a good idea to avoid coffee and tea on the plane as these can act as diuretics and lead to dehydration.

· Long hours of traveling and sitting on a plane and/or in airports can upset anyone’s digestive system. Constipation is very common, so be sure to drink lots of water and eat plenty of fiber-rich foods (fruits, veggies, & whole grains).

· When you arrive at your destination, organize a group food shopping trip for additional snacks, breakfasts, and any other meals. Remember to get some fresh fruits and vegetables.

· When eating in restaurants, do your best to make the healthiest choices. Avoid deep fried foods, high fat meats, cream sauces, lots of cheese or cheesy sauces, rich & sugary desserts and highly- refined foods. Ask your server how specific dishes are prepared and remember it is your right to have it made YOUR way. You can always ask for certain ingredients to be left out, substituted and you can even ask for a custom-made meal.

· Avoid consuming alcohol prior to your event, as it is a diuretic and impairs mental and physical capacities. The effects of alcohol can be detrimental to race day performance, so if you choose to drink, save it for the post-race celebration.

· By now you should have your pre-race breakfast dialed in. Be sure that you either take this breakfast with you on the trip or you have the ability to purchase those foods prior to race morning. You do not want to leave this to chance.

· If you do not know what fuels will be provided on the race course, NOW is the time to find out. If you are not familiar with them and/or have not used them with success before, then race day is NOT the time to experiment. So be sure you bring your tried and true fuels with you to the race.

· Be sure you have your nutritionist’s phone number with you at all times while traveling. If at any point you require a life-line, call her and she will gladly answer your questions and guide you through making healthy choices while eating away from home. She is committed to your race day success!

Foods That Travel Well
Dehydrated or freeze dried fruit, raw nuts & seeds, healthy whole grain cereals including granola, healthy trail mix, nut butters (i.e. peanut butter, almond butter, etc.), pouches of tuna, beef jerky, healthy bars (i.e. Lara Bar, Pro Bar, Clif Bar, etc), bagels, protein powder, oatmeal (dry), whole grain pretzels and crackers, healthy popcorn, dehydrated soup packets, freeze dried meals (in packets), some fresh fruits (apples, oranges), fruit cups (in their own juice), v-8 juice…just to name a few .

To Your Success,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Kids Just Wanna Be Fit

2009-04-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with one of my nutrition coaching clients yesterday and what I heard brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. We were talking about how the decision that her and her husband have made to improve their nutrition has impacted their young children as well. They have a 5 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. My client was telling me that her son has decided that he wants to eat exactly what his mom is eating for breakfast every morning, he is focused on drinking more water and he’s going around school telling all the other kids that he is eating healthy now. I LOVE IT!!

You see, kids naturally want to be healthy & fit, actually we all do. I don't think anyone consciously decides "I want to age prematurely, be sick, disease ridden, tired and worn out." We are hard-wired for health, fitness & wellness. When a child or young adult establishes the importance of healthy living in their own lives, then they are much more likely to maintain those healthy habits for a lifetime, they have the ability to be a positive influence on their family members and their peers and they can affect the course of health and fitness that their future family will follow. What I’m saying is not just philosophy or theory – it is truth. I know because I am living proof.

When I began my health transformation at the age of twelve, my commitment to daily exercise throughout my teen years motivated my mother to begin exercising more consistently. When I cleaned up my own nutrition, and asked my mother to stop buying certain unhealthy foods and begin buying more nutritionally dense foods, well her nutrition improved too. I have had the opportunity and privilege of being a positive role model, an inspiration, and a mentor to countless friends, peers, business associates, and of course, clients.

I am not sure if my clients understand the incredible gift they are giving to their two young children. I commend and congratulate them, and all parents who follow suit.

It is such an honor for me to be affiliated with Chances for Children http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/. I am grateful to Janell Bolen, Susan Loken, Erin Dray and countless others who volunteer their time, energy, and resources to the cause of eradicating childhood obesity and improving the health and fitness of children who do not have a home environment that supports healthy eating and exercise. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to know how you can contribute and assist in our mission. 1.800.775.0712 ext 7015

Call To Action:

1. Be an Example: make a decision to improve one aspect of your health. For example: Go to the gym, take your lunch to work, make dinner instead of ordering out, drink water instead of soda, hire a fitness trainer or nutrition coach (I know a really good one :). Our actions speak louder than words.

2. Encourage a child or young adult to make a healthy choice today. For example: encourage them to play outside instead of playing video games or passively watching TV, support them in enrolling in an extra-curricular athletic activity, encourage them to drink water instead of fruit juice, gatorade or soda, encourage them to eat a piece of fruit or veggies instead of chips, cookies or candy.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Better than Bottled Water

2009-04-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at how little water humans consume, especially considering that the human body is between 60-70% water. The hard fact is that water is water and so beverages like soda, fruit juice, coffee do not really count toward the body's daily water requirement.

Many people under estimate the impact water has on their energy levels, their metabolism, and their over all health. For optimal health, it is essential to consume at least 80 oz of water per day while reducing and eventually eliminating some of the less-than-ideal beverages. Studies have shown that people will consume more water if it is flavored and if it is colder than room temp. I have a couple of simple, healthy ways to flavor your water.

Reduce: fruit juice
Reduce or eliminate: sugary drinks like Gatorade, lemonade, or kool-aid; alcohol, coffee, black teas
Eliminate: soda & energy drinks

Flavored Water: Take a pitcher of good water (i.e. Reverse Osmosis) add to it any of the following:
Fresh berries - raspberries, strawberries, etc.
Sliced citrus - lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, etc
Other fruits - watermelon cubes, cantaloupe cubes, fresh pineapple, fresh sliced peaches,
Vegetables - cucumber slices
Fresh herbs - lemongrass, mint

What can you create? Anything goes. You can choose just one item or multiple items. I enjoy a combination of lemon, lime and orange. Watermelon water is hard to beat. Cucumber & lemongrass is refreshing too. Store the pitcher of healthy flavored water in the refrigerator.

Healthy Iced Tea: Take a large sun tea jar. Fill with good water. Place any flavor of HERBAL tea bags in the water and steep in the sun. When finished steeping place in the refrigerator. I find that this is great without any added sweeteners. (For a faster version - boil water in a large pot, add tea bags and steep on the stove. Then pour the tea into a pitcher or tea jar and put in fridge.

The benefits of making your own flavored water verses buying flavored water is first, you'll spend a fraction of the amount of money making it yourself, second these homemade waters have real nutrients in them (nothing artificial or controversial) which comes from the fruits, vegetables or herbs themselves, third you'll be using pure water - 3 out of 4 bottled waters are really just tap water - what a scam!

Drink to your health!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

A BERRY Good Habit

2009-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

It is official...Spring has sprung and that means that fabulous spring and summer fruits are coming into season, this includes fresh berries. Berries are a considered a superfood because they are power-packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are one of the body’s inner warriors, they fight harmful free radicals that cause cell damage and can lead to degenerative diseases such as cancer. Free radical damage results in pre-mature aging as well. Free radicals are produced several ways, including through the environment and they are produced in the body as a result of exercise. The more you exercise, the more free radicals your body produces. Wow! Can you believe that something BAD can come out of something as GOOD as exercise. Do not take this wrong. This is not to say that we should all stop running and working out. Oh NO! The benefits of exercise far out weigh the negatives. What is vital is good nutrition in conjunction with exercise.

A daily eating plan that is rich in vitamin, minerals, and anti-oxidants is key. Since berries are some of the most anti-oxidant rich foods on the planet, it is a great idea to incorporate them into your meals and snacks each week, if not each day. Consider buying the actual fruit or a product made from the fruit at your next trip to the farmer’s market or grocery store: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, mulberries, marion berries, gogi berries, acai berries, etc. Incorporate berries into a mixed greens or spinach salad, smoothies, a top yogurt or cottage cheese, in a fruit salad, or a top hot or cold cereal.

If you are interested in learning more about proper nutrition and healthy eating, then you will want to RSVP to attend the upcoming FREE webinar:

Nutrition Myth Busters: Dispelling the Myths and Telling the Truth about Good Nutrition.

Thursday March 26th at 7pm PST/8pm MST. To RSVP email mmguthrie@hotmail.com or 800.775.0712 ext 7015.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Food Cravings: Kick Unhealthy Cravings to the Curb

2009-03-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

I, myself, was once plagued with unhealthy food cravings. I remember as a child I had a nearly insatiable craving for fast food & candy. Every day I wanted to eat out for lunch or dinner at places like Wendy’s (oh how I loved the breaded chicken sandwich and biggie fries), Pete’s Fish ‘n Chips (I couldn’t get enough of the shrimp ‘n chips), Filiberto’s bean & cheese burrito or mixed burrito were favorites as well. Breakfast usually was some type of sugary cereal and then on the way to school I would beg my Mom to stop by Circle K or 7-11 so I could get a bag of Skittles or Starbursts. As soon as school let out, my friends and I would walk to Circle K or 7-11 for a Slurpee and more candy. I just craved this type of food all the time. YUCK! The thought of it now makes my stomach do flip-flops. I cannot tell you the last time I ate out at a fast-food establishment like those I just mentioned or the last time I ate candy. For me those once unhealthy food cravings are a thing of the past.

I now crave vegetables – HONEST, I do. I crave wholesome, fresh foods including hearty whole grains, garden fresh vegetable, bountiful fruits, and lean & clean protein. I was able to overcome these unhealthy cravings and subsequent habits by practicing some basic healthy eating principles. It took some effort & diligence, but the FOOD Freedom I enjoy now is worth it all and then some. If I can do it you can do it!

I’ve had countless clients who once thought they’d never be able to overcome the cravings for unhealthy foods. They have all been amazed at how quickly they are able to kick those cravings to the curb by just implementing a few simple healthy eating principles I teach.

If you find yourself craving lots of sugary, sweet treats or salty, crunchy snacks or deep-fried, cheesy, greasy foods, then listen up! Cravings for unhealthy foods are your body trying to tell you it is not getting enough good, high quality foods that it really needs. It is not getting Balanced Nutrition. You may be asking why the body would crave unhealthy foods when it really needs the healthy stuff. The craving mechanism is predominately triggered by nutrient deficiencies, insufficient caloric intake, and low blood sugar levels. Cravings typically play out one of three ways – sweets, salty, fatty/greasy. The more we give into these cravings and attempt to satisfy them with the junky foods, the more we train and condition the body to CRAVE these nutritional dead-beats.

Unhealthy cravings can be kicked to the curb by:

1. Fueling the body every 3 to 4 hours with healthy well balanced meals/snacks and never skipping meals, especially breakfast.

2. Making sure each meal/snack has a balance of carbohydrate, protein, & healthy fat.

3. Eating a wide variety of healthy foods each week in order to make sure you’re getting the full spectrum of vitamins & minerals the body requires.

4. Give the body what it really requires – if you are craving something sweet, rather than grabbing a cookie, have a sweet piece of fruit & a string cheese or a few raw almonds.

For more on healthy eating.....

Balanced Nutrition Webinar

When: Thursday March 12th

Time: 11:00AM AZ time ( 2 pm EST) OR 7pm AZ Time (10 pm EST)

Where: Wherever you are - its a Webinar!

Instructor: Melissa Guthrie, Nutrition Coach/Personal Trainer

Seating is limited so RSVP right away via email mmguthrie@hotmail.com or 800.775.0712 ext 7015. When You RSVP, you must specify which time you want to attend, then the dial-in details will be sent to you.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Balanced Nutrition: Do You Have It?

2009-03-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Balance is an important ideal. Most of us want to have a healthy balance of our time between things such as work or career, relationships (family and friends), recreation and hobbies, etc. We want to have a balanced checkbook. In order to walk from point a to point b we require balance or we’d topple over. And throughout our lives we’ve heard about how important having a balanced diet is to our health. Well, anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of the word “DIET”, so I very rarely use it. When I am coaching clients on improving their nutrition, we talk about BALANCED NUTRITION.

Most of our American friends eat any way but BALANCED. With the skyrocketing obesity amongst all age groups and the 400, 000 plus people that die prematurely each year as a result of diseases directly related to poor nutrition and lack of physical exercise, I wonder if very many people even know what BALANCED NUTRITION looks like? I can tell you that it doesn’t look like how the majority of America eats. I know there is a gap between knowing and doing. People may know what to do, but for whatever reason are not doing it OR people may just be ignorant as to how to eat healthily and care for their precious, priceless bodies. It is true that we aren't born with a "how to care for.." tag attached, unlike those new jeans I just bought. Regardless, I am here to shed some light on Balanced Nutrition.

Most American’s are taking in far more calories then they are expending, hence the obesity epidemic. In order to achieve an ideal body weight, a person must BALANCE energy intake with energy output. To achieve optimal health and fitness, a person must balance eating the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right times. At the each meal there should be a balance of the three macronutrients – Carbohydrates, Protein, & Fat. When the macronutrients are balanced appropriately at each meal and throughout the day, the result is great energy all day, little to no craving for unhealthy foods, a feeling of satiety, and steady blood sugar levels.

If you are “ready and willing” to bridge the gap between knowing and doing and to become more nutritionally BALANCED, then read on....

Balanced Nutrition: Do You Have It?

Without Practicing Proper Nutrition Principles In Your Daily Life, Your Fitness Goals Will Be Difficult If Not Impossible To Achieve.

Imagine A Simple Way To Eat Healthy, Delicious Foods At The Right Times, In The Right Amounts In Order To Achieve Optimal Health & Look Fantastic! Whether You Are A Busy Business Professional, A Mom Always On-The-Go, A High School/College Student, An Athlete In Training, or Living The Retirement Lifestyle We Can Show You How To…

Begin Your Journey To A Healthy Way of Eating For A LIFETIME!

Balanced Nutrition Webinar
When: Thursday March 12th
Time: 11:00AM AZ time (1pm EST) OR 7pm AZ Time (9pm EST)
Where: Wherever you are - its a Webinar!
Instructor: Melissa Guthrie, Nutrition Coach/Personal Trainer

Seating is limited so RSVP right away via email mmguthrie@hotmail.com or 800.775.0712 ext 7015. When You RSVP, you must specify which time you want to attend, then the dial-in details will be sent to you.

March is National Nutrition Month - Stay tuned for more fun and education, webinars and

workshops through out the month. wwww.gettingfitwithmelissa.com

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

MBS Development Group
Nutrition Coach/Fitness Trainer

Tel: 800.775.0712 ext 7015

Email: mmguthrie@hotmail.com
http://www.gettingfitwithmelissa.com/
Eat Right. Train Smart. Live Well.

The Story Behind International Pancake Day

2009-02-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

It is the eve of February 24th and why is that of so much importance, that I would write about it? It is important because tomorrow is a day I love to celebrate. The folks in New Orleans and some other places around the United States will be celebrating Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. In Latin America, they are celebrating Carnival – sounds fun! In England, Ireland and Australia people will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. No matter the term, everyone is celebrating the same day-- the day before the beginning of Lent.

When I first found out that there was a day specifically designated to eat and celebrate pancakes I rejoiced. I love pancakes and I know it started as a wee child when my mom would make all types of scrumptious pancakes for me and my siblings and even better, she’d make them into our favorite shapes. What’s not to love about a pancake shaped like Mickey Mouse?

I recently decided to do a little more research into Pancake Day because I noticed that it is not on the same day each year. I was intrigued about where it started, why it started and the customs and traditions around this fabulous day. Initially, I did not realize that it was synonymous with Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, both terms I was familiar with.

It seems that the Pancake Day originated in the UK, where they call the day before Lent Shrove Tuesday. The word shrove is the past tense of the verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution from one’s sins through Confession and doing penance. English Christians were expected to shrive or confess all sins prior to the beginning of Lent.
In Christian beliefs, Lent commemorates Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, and observant Christians mark this period by fasting themselves. In the UK, a tradition evolved of making and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday because it was a clever way to use up the “rich” ingredients that were given up for Lent - milk, butter and, particularly, eggs - which may not be eaten again until Easter.

I was impressed to discover that Pancake Day actually has a deep spiritual background, it is not simply a random holiday created by some Pancake Lover.

Join me in eating pancakes on this Pancake Day. You can look back to the archives of February 2007 to find some of my favorite pancake recipes. You may also want to do some research of your own and discover the countless varieties of delicious pancakes from all around the world. Have you ever had Blintzes, Crepes, Puff Pancakes aka. German Oven pancakes, Latkes aka. Potato Pancakes, Pioneer pancakes, or Swedish Pancakes??

Don't worry if you don't have time to make pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes are fabulous any time of day. Visit your local pancake house for lunch or whip up a batch of pancakes for dinner. Enjoy!!

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Have You Heard About The ULTIMATE Grocery Shopping Tour?

2009-02-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Grocery Shopping Tour

The Key To Healthy Eating is Healthy Shopping

Saturday February 21st 1pm - 3pm

Embark on a fun-filled, educational adventure through the untamed isles of the supermarket guided by your personal nutrition coach, Melissa Guthrie. In this exciting 2 hour workshop, you will learn how to decode the deceptive food labels that mislead you (i.e. The SIX Sickening Ingredients), how to easily replace your favorite "not-so-healthy" foods with delicious & nutritious alternatives, how to get the entire family eagerly engaged in healthier eating, how to cut your grocery bill significantly, and how to save precious time by trekking the perimeter path, and more!

All participants will receive: The ULTIMATE Grocery Shopping Guidebook.

Who: You, your children (8yrs or older), your spouse, your friends, your neighbors, etc.

When: Saturday February 21st 1pm - 3pm

Where: Mesa, AZ (exact store location TBA upon your RSVP)

Fee: $25 per individual or $40 per household (2 people: husband/wife, parent/child, roommates, etc) RSVP deadline is Friday Feb 20th at 9pm.

RSVP accepted by phone to 1.800.775.0712 xt 7015 or email mmguthrie@hotmail.com

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Putting Love & Passion in Your Valentine's Day Meals

2009-02-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

It’s Valentine’s Day, so I thought it would be timely to share a few fun ways to put some Love & Passion into your meals.

Homemade Heart Shaped Pizza
I love homemade pizza!! My favorite crust is a honey whole grain crust that I make in the bread machine.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups warm water, 110 – 115 F
¼ tsp sea salt (optional)
2 Tbsp honey
2 to 2 ½ cups whole spelt flour *
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp cornmeal

Directions: Put ingredients into the bread machine pan in the following order: 1. warm water, honey, flour. 2. make a small well in the flour, and pour yeast into the well, then cover over with flour. 3. sprinkle salt right along the wall of the bread pan, so it is as far from the yeast as possible. Now place the bread pan into the bread machine and select dough setting, press start. When dough is finished, remove dough from bread pan, let rest 2 or 3 minutes. Pat and genltly stretch dough into ~ 14 inch heart. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray then sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough onto cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 500F. Put pizza dough into oven for 5-10 minutes until dough is starting to firm up and lightly golden. Remove dough from oven and top with your favorite pizza toppings. Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is melted and crust in golden brown.
*Note: spelt flour is a whole grain, highly nutritious flour that can be found in the health food section of your grocery store. If you do not have spelt flour, then I recommend using 1 ½ c whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
** If you prefer a thin crust pizza, then divide the dough into two and make 2 smaller, thinner pizzas.

HEART-y Pancakes
My favorite pancake recipes are actually already posted here in the archives (see International Pancake Day post 02.16.07)
Pancakes can easily be made in the shape of a heart or in the shape of letters to spell a Valentine message like LOVE, LUV, KISS, I (heart-shape) U, etc.
You can also do some creative mix-ins like chopped strawberries, raspberries, or dried cranberries. You can put pureed strawberries, raspberries, or beets into the batter to create perfectly pink pancakes. Top pancakes with light whipped cream and berries for an extra lucious flair.

Luscious Love Muffins
Strawberries have long been associated with love and passion. They are heart shaped for heaven’s sake! These Strawberry Almond muffins will steal your heart at first bite. Using heart-shaped muffin tins will make these delights even more LOVELY.

Strawberry Almond Muffins
½ cup applesauce, unsweetened
¾ cup honey
2 eggs (or 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites)
1/3 cup skim milk*
1 ½ tsp pure almond extract
1 cup whole spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
2 cups strawberries, chopped
¾ cups slivered almonds**

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the applesauce and honey. Add the eggs and blend until fluffy. Mix in the milk and almond extract. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend until just combined. Fold in the strawberries and almonds. Fill muffin cups to the top and bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. You can test to see if muffins are done by inserting a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean their done. Yields: approx. 12 muffins
*non-dairy milk such as soymilk can be substituted
**if you do not have almonds or are allergic, any other nut or grapenuts cereal can be substituted.

Heart-Throb Eggs & Toast
1 slice whole grain bread
1 egg
Salt & Pepper to taste
Use a 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart shape out of the center of the bread. Spray a griddle or frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the bread in the pan and break the egg into the cutout of the bread. Lay the heart shaped bread on the pan and toast it on both sides until golden brown. When the egg is cooked on the bottom and before the bread becomes too brown, flip the egg/bread to toast the other side and finish cooking the egg, about 1 minute. Yield: 1 serving

Strawberry Crush
6 ice cubes
16 fresh or frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen limeade concentrate
½ cup water
Place ice cubes into blender and pulse until crushed. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth and thick. Pour into tall glasses with a long straw (if you find valentine straws – even better) Yield: 2 servings

Purple Passion Shake
1 cup grape juice
1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.

Love Potion
½ cup frozen or fresh strawberries
½ cup frozen or fresh raspberries
1 cup white grape juice or apple juice
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until uniform in color. For thicker potion, add more fruit. For thinner potion, use more juice. Garnish with cherries. Sip with the one you love.

I hope this gives you some ideas to make your meals extra special on this Valentine's weekend. Remember healthy cooking = healthy eating and even on holidays there are fun, creative ways to have fabulous food in a healthy way.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Pre-Race Sports Nutrition Tips

2009-01-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

We are days away from the PF Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona on January 18, 2009. Not only will I be running the marathon with a goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I am also assisting my Team Chances running team in being nutritionally prepared for a stellar race experience. (For more info about Team Chances go to www.chancesforchildrenaz.com)

Whether you are running a 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, marathon or participating in a multi-sport race, what you do or do not do nutritionally these final days can have a significant effect on your race. So remember a few things…Choose nutrient rich foods and steer away from empty calories. Your body requires pure nutrition to heal, repair, and prepare for the physical demands it is about to undergo. For example if you have the choice between a snack of a chocolate chip cookie or an apple – choose the apple!

What, When & How Much Should I EAT the morning of my race?

If you are not sure what to eat before the race, you’ve got a couple more days to figure it out. I hope you know by now what foods work best for you before running: Maybe it is one of the following: oatmeal & fruit, bagel & fruit, english muffin/toast & fruit, a (non-dairy) smoothie, a Bakers Breakfast cookie, pizza, turkey sandwich, peanut butter & banana sandwich, pancakes & fruit, cereal & fruit with rice, almond or oatmilk, whole grain muffin & fruit, chicken noodle soup, etc.? Go with what is familiar and with what you know agrees with your digestive system.

Second, now that you’ve determined what you’ll be eating for breakfast you want to determine how much you should eat and at what time. Remember that not only will the type of food you eat effect your race positively or negatively, but also the volume of food. It is better to eat a little bit lighter pre-race breakfast and then do a booster (light snack – like a banana, half a bagel or a GU) 30-45 min before the race and then do more fueling during the race RATHER THAN eating TOO MUCH for breakfast and feeling like you have a brick in your stomach from the start of the race (been there done that – uuugh!!). For example: You’ve determined that you’ll have a honey whole wheat bagel w/ 1 TBS almond or peanut butter and a whole banana as your pre-race breakfast. You have determined you need to eat breakfast 3 hours before race start in order for digestion and absorption to be complete.

Does It Matter What I Eat 48 Hours Before The Race?

This is also the week to pay close attention to what you eat the last 48 hours before race day. Determine what foods will work best with your body – remembering to avoid super spicy foods, a lot of dairy, too many high fiber foods (especially if you are not use to eating a lot of fiber), heavy meats, and high fat foods. I recommend keeping your meals light and clean. Carbs that typically settle well are rice, pasta, potatoes, light wheat breads, pita bread, tortillas, etc. Stick with vegetables that don’t upset your digestive system like salad greens, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, jicama, etc. (i.e. some people have a hard time with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and bell peppers). Go with light protein sources – fish, chicken, tofu, small portions of lean beef or pork. Beans & legumes may work okay for some people because they are an awesome source of complex carbohydrates and plant-based protein (however they can cause some digestive upset for some people – if these cause even minor gas or digestive upset please don’t eat them until after the race). You also want to time your pre-race dinner appropriately. It is best to not have this meal be too heavy, eat to the point that you are comfortable to slightly, comfortably full, and try to have this meal 3 to 4 hours before bed time. It is a really good idea to stay away from alcohol for at least 48 hours prior to race day (if you must drink save that for post-race).

Finish Line Nutrition for Optimal Recovery

Remember that post-race nutrition is extremely important as well. You will be tired, depleted and you will either not feel like eating anything or you’ll feel like eating anything and everything. Plan your post-race meals now. Your body requires high quality, pure nutrition as much after the race as it does before the race. You will want to balance carbohydrates and proteins in every meal post-race. Most importantly remember to get nutrients in your body as soon as possible after the race. If you do not feel like eating – a smoothie, chocolate or strawberry milk are a great post race beverage. Avoid the tendency to load up on high sugar, high fat, nutrient poor foods like cookies, candies, burgers & fries, & deep fried anything. Whole grains, lean meats or plant-based proteins, fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fats (like raw nuts, avocadoes, olives, etc) are what your body requires the most! Some salty foods will help to replenish the salt lost through sweat and will help your body absorb fluids to properly rehydrate. If you rehydrate with sports beverages these will have sodium in them. Alcohol is not the rehydration beverage of choice - it actually dehydrates the body, it hinders proper carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and provided plenty of empty, non-nutritional calories.

Eat Right! Train Smart! Perform GREAT!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Sports Nutrition during the Marathon Taper

2009-01-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Fueling for the Marathon: Two Weeks to Race Day

Over the past several months you’ve been diligently training and building up your mileage week by week. You’ve improved your cardiovascular fitness, your muscle strength and endurance, in the process you’ve depleted your muscle glycogen stores and caused micro-damage to muscle fibers and connective tissue. Race day is fast approaching and on this day, you will likely demand more of your body on that day than you did on any of your training runs. Therefore, these final two weeks of “tapering” are vital to how you will perform on race day. You are reducing your weekly mileage now, in order to give your body more time to recover, replenish and heal. It is not uncommon to feel as though you are losing fitness and/or gaining weight – do not worry it is only an illusion. Your fitness level will be maintain through the taper training and any weight gain you may experience if not illusionary will be a result of your body filling up the glycogen stores (the carbohydrates stored in your muscles along with water do weigh something). Now is not the time to cut back on calories, nor is it the time to over consume. Smart fueling now through race day will greatly increase the likelihood of a fabulous race experience.

The following are some guidelines for proper fueling during “Taper”:

Low levels of muscle glycogen will result in early energy depletion and fatigue. In order to keep glycogen stores full for race day your daily intake should be as follows:

Daily Carbohydrate Intake = 60-70% of total caloric intake
Or use the following calculations:
o 6-7gm/kg body weight for 1 hour training daily
o 8 gm/kg for 2 hr training daily
o 10 gm/kg for 3hr training daily
o 12-13 gm/kg for 4+ hr training daily

Carbohydrates are your body’s favorite energy source and the primary fuels source during exercise.

Recommended Carbohydrate Rich Foods: whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash, oats, barley, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables

Daily Protein Intake = 12-15% of total caloric intake
Protein requirement can also be calculate using 1.3 x kg body weight (there are 2.2 lbs per kg)

Lean Animal Protein &/or Plant-based proteins are important for muscle repair and growth, regular physical training tends to reduce muscle protein breakdown and protein loss from the body.

Protein Rich Foods: lean beef, chicken, fish/seafood, pork, beans and legumes such as lentils and split peas, tofu, tempeh, eggs, low fat cottage cheese, low fat cheese, nonfat/low fat milk and yogurt.

Daily Fat Intake = 20-25% of total caloric intake

In general, no less than 15% of your daily caloric intake should come from fat. Women of reproductive age need at least 20% of total calories to come from fat. Don’t exceed 25% of your total calories from fat, as the body prefers muscle glycogen for fuel over fat, also fat takes longer to digest than carbohydrates. Note: much of your fat intake will come through the meat, dairy and nut-based products you eat.

Healthiest Fat Sources: polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. Olive oil, plant-based oil, coconut oil, avocados, olives, raw nuts & seeds, all-natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, flax and fish oils (i.e. the fat in salmon).

Foods to Limit or Avoid During Taper:
Limit high-fat protein foods like hamburgers, fried chicken, extra cheese because these foods take longer to empty from your stomach and can contribute to sluggishness. Limit sugary sweets like candy, cookies, candy bars, cakes, ice cream, candy bars, doughnuts, pastries, etc. Limit overall junky foods like French fries, onion rings, potato chips, most crackers, all fried foods, and alcohol.

The final two days before the race your intake should shift to:
75-80% of calories from Carbohydrates
10% of calories from Protein
10-15% of calories from Fat

To Your Success!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Fight Childhood Obesity and Reduce Your 2008 Tax Liability

2008-12-26T19:02:00.000-08:00

Are you willing to join the crusade against Childhood Obesity?

I have a huge personal mission to eradicate this unnecessary epidemic. In case you don't know, I was once the "fat kid". Fortunately, I was introduced to exercise and healthy eating when I was 12 yrs old and it has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I have spent the last 14 yrs living in complete freedom when it comes to my weight, my health, & my relationship to food and exercise; even more, I get to enjoy that freedom for the rest of my life. I wish the same blessing for all children who struggle with their weight.

If you've struggled with your weight at any age, you know how it can have a negative impact on other areas of your life. Currently over one third of our children 6-18 years of age are suffering from obesity. Not only does this dramatically affect the quality of life during their important formative years, it seriously impacts their health & well-being for the rest of their life.

How you can you help me & the children of Arizona!

I've recently taken on a volunteer position as nutrition coach for TEAM Chances for Children AZ. Chances for Children is an organization whose mission it is to fight childhood obesity by providing nutrition education & fitness programs to children in Arizona, so that they can begin a healthy lifestyle now. Team Chances is a fundraising team training to walk or run the PF Changs Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon & marathon on January 18, 2009.

Along with the athletes who I am coaching, I am training to run the full marathon and fundraising to assist the less fortunate children of Arizona. I invite you to assist me and consider making a generous donation to the cause and give these kids a chance to succeed in life. To make an online donation – go to www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/teamchances/melissaguthrie. Click the orange link at the bottom, enter your donation amount and be sure to type Melissa Guthrie in the blank box. If you prefer to make a donation via check, please make your check payable to Chances For Children and contact me for the mailing address.

NOTE: Donations made by Dec 31, 2008 are tax deductible for your 2008 taxes. And if you are in Arizona you can receive a tax credit for your donation! See Tax Credit info below.

To learn more about Team Chances and how they are making a difference inthe lives of 1000s of children in Arizona and how you can get involved inthe crusade (see http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/ calendar for more details):

Thank you for your support,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Tax Credit for the Working Poor – Dollar for Dollar Credit on your Return
The state of Arizona provides an excellent incentive for you to help the working poor. If you donate money to a “Qualified Charitable Organization, Helping the Working Poor”, you can receive a dollar for dollar credit on your Arizona state return. You can use the credit to reduce your tax liability (dollar for dollar). If you are already due a tax refund, the credit simply increases your refund!

This credit is the Working Poor Tax Credit and you can receive a credit of up to $400 (married filing jointly) or $200 (single taxpayer.) The Working Poor Tax Credit can be taken in addition to the credits for public school contributions and/or school tuition organization contributions.
To be eligible for this credit, you must have itemized deductions and deducted charitable contributions on a prior year’s Arizona tax return (1996 or later). This prior year is your baseline year. You must exceed the baseline year contribution by the amount you donate to the qualified organization. The amount you donate to the qualified organization becomes your tax credit. The working poor donation can also be included as an itemized deduction on your Federal tax return if you are itemizing deductions.

Please refer to Arizona Form 321 and instructions for the annual reporting requirements of the credit on your Arizona individual income tax return. For information on the tax credits, visit the Arizona Department of Revenue Web site here http://www.enewsbuilder.net/eletra/gow.cfm?z=ascpa,308455,bbMlQj3h,2730778,bdyqNHV.

A Moment on the Lips, Forever on the Hips

2008-12-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

It is commonly reported that the average person gains 7 to 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years (and for most people this weight gain not easily reduces and is often maintained throughout the coming year). This is phenomenal to me. Typically it would not be well for an adult to gain that much weight over an entire year, let alone in 5 to 6 weeks. Some of the contributing factors to this astronomical weight gain include: overeating more than usual, consuming an excess of high calorie, high fat foods, and high sugar foods, dining out more often, higher stress levels, cutting back on exercise and overall physical activity, staying up later and getting less sleep.

Do you have any idea how many calories must be consumed in order to gain that much fat? Trust me holiday weight gain is 99.9% fat gain. There are 3500 calories (kcals) in 1 pound of fat. So if someone gains 1 pound of fat in a week, it means that they consumed an excess of 3500 kcals above and beyond what their body expended in energy that week. Another way to look at it is 500 extra calories were consumed every day for a week. Calories can add up quickly, so it is a good idea to keep a food journal to keep you in check. Use the rule: Bite it and Write it! If it goes in your mouth, it must be recorded in the journal. Following this rule is often enough to make a person think twice about picking up the cookie or going for a second helping of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy. Another key to journaling success it to have an accountability partner who you will show your journal to on a regular basis – this could be a friend or family member who is supporting your fitness efforts, a personal trainer, or a nutrition coach.

High calorie holiday foods to beware of:
Egg Nog - An 8 ounces serving contains 350 kcals, 19gm fat (11gm saturated fat) – this is not good for your waistline or your arteries.
Pie – a generous serving of Pecan Pie can be as high as 800 kcals.
Candies – 3.5 ounces of Peanut Brittle will add up to about 485 kcals
High fat meats – Prime Rib. The healthy serving of meat is 4 oz; the typical person consumes double that. For 8oz of Prime Rib you’ll take on about 850 kcals.
Potatoes – Candied Yams will add about 400 kcals for ¾ cup serving. Mashed potatoes (often loaded with butter & cream) will tack on close to 470 kcals per cup.
Gravies & Sauces – gravy made from fat drippings 375 kcals for ¾ cup.
Stuffing
Alcohol
Hot Chocolate
Cookies
Chocolate

Dining Out: Most people have no idea how many calories they are consuming when they eat out, even when they are attempting to order healthier. It is not uncommon for a restaurant meal to have 1200kcal, 70 grams of fat, 2000 mg sodium. This is as much fat, salt and calories and some people require in an entire day (and they are consuming it in one meal). YIKES!!

Holiday Spirits: Consuming alcohol promotes fat storage, especially when alcohol is consumed with a high fat, high calorie meal. The body does not process the carbohydrate in alcohol the same way it does the carbohydrate in fruit and whole grains and in the process of metabolizing the alcohol sugars, fat metabolism is hinder and fat storage is enhanced.

Stocking of Sweets: High sugar foods are not only high in calories; they also cause a spike in blood sugar levels followed by a surge of insulin into the bloodstream which promotes fat storage, especially when sweets are consumed later in the evening.

Season of Stress: High stress levels increase the body’s production of cortisol (the stress hormone) which promotes fat storage.

No Time to Sleep: Sleep deprivation can lead to overeating, making poor food choices, and can temporarily alter hormone balance which means increase likelihood of weight gain.

Exercise your options: Exercise is what I call damage control for the holidays. Every extra calorie expended means one more calorie that doesn’t end up in a fat cell on your thighs. Ten minutes of exercise is better than no minutes. Simple ways to burn extra calories: Take two laps of power walking around the mall before you start your actual shopping. Park at the farthest parking spot from the door of the store and you'll burn a few extra calories walking and you are less likely to feel the stress of fighting for a close parking spot. . Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Schedule your workout for early morning, so you get it done first before anything else has the chance to thwart your plan. Find a workout partner so you can keep each other accountable to your exercise plan throughout the month of December. Spending time with friends or family – opt to go for a walk and talk rather than sitting on your behind. There are plenty of ways to keep exercise and physical activity a priority during the holidays. Extra benefits are exercise reduces stress levels and improves mood.

Happy Healthy Holidays!

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

MG's Favorite Bread Recipes

2008-12-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

[imagine me singing] When the dog barks, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad... Hopefully, you've seen the "Sound of Music" so you are familiar with the tune in which I was singing to.

One of my absolute favorite things is homemade bread. In fact, I love homemade bread so much that I stopped buying bread at the grocery store when I was in college. I've been making my own bread ever since. I remember the day...It was a Saturday and I had been studying for an upcoming exam. I took a break to run to Wal-Mart and pick up some household items. While I was there I strolled through the kitchen appliance department and found that there was a bread machine on sale for $40.00. One my meager college income $40 was still quite a bit of money. I figured I could sacrifice some other things in order to justify the purchase, not to mention I figured I'd be saving money by making my own bread. Well, I believe that was one of the best $40 I've ever spent. That was back in 1999 and I still have the same bread machine. I still use it every week, it works like a charm and has never required any service or maintance work. An interesting side note is that my Mom received as a gift, a very expensive ($200) bread machine manufactured out of Japan. No matter what we did that thing could never make a decent loaf of bread. I think she either sold it in a garage sale or it is boxed up and sitting in her garage.

I know that not everyone has a bread machine or the patience to make yeast bread from scratch. I thought I'd share my favorite whole grain breads that are made without yeast. These breads get rave reviews. I love using these breads for a hearty sandwich or as a companion to soup, stew or salad. The Rye variation makes the most amazing Reuben on the planet. These are also great breads to take to a party or pot-luck. Enjoy!

Melissa Guthrie’s Quick & Hearty Multi-Grain Bread

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cup Spelt flour
½ cup rolled oats, quick cooking
¼ cup wheat bran
¼ oatbran
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 ½ cup organic skim milk (soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or any other non-dairy milk can be substituted)
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce or nonfat plain yogurt.
¼ cup honey
Optional: 1/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds ( 1 or a combination of the following: walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc)

Heat oven to 350F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch round casserole dish or a bread-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all flours, oats, brans, baking powder & salt. Mix well.

In small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, applesauce & honey; blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once; stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently fold in nuts/seeds if desired. Spread dough in to spray coated pan. Bake at 350F for 42 – 47 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 1 (16-slice) loaf

Melissa Guthrie’s Quick & Hearty Rye Bread

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup rye flour
½ cup rolled oats, quick cooking
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
¾ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp fresh orange zest
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 ½ cup organic skim milk (soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or any other non-dairy milk can be substituted)
3 Tbsp nonfat plain yogurt.
¼ cup honey

Heat oven to 350F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch round casserole dish or a bread-loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine all flours, oats, brans, baking powder & salt. Mix well. Stir in caraway seeds & orange zest

In small bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, yogurt & honey; blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once; stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Spread dough in to spray coated pan. Bake at 350F for 42 – 47 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 1 (16-slice) loaf

To Your Best Health,
Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science, BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast

Making Your Workouts Work With a Fitness Buddy

2008-12-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

It seems that for me the theme of this week has been accountability in business, in fitness, and in life. It is amazing the difference it can make in ones desire and motivation to take action, to be consistent, to stay true to one’s word when there is someone to report to. I have had the great fortune of having a weight training partner for the past 6-months and it has been a great benefit to us both as we’ve been committed and consistent to our weight training regime. Whereas, before we started working out together we always did our cardio, but were inconsistent with our weight training. Last night I had an impromptu coaching session with my business mentor. She challenged me and told me she wanted a detailed report on my activities today. I was not about to let her or myself down, so I took massive action today and accomplished much. Earlier today, I was speaking with a friend who invited me to a party tonight. I told him I wasn’t going to be able to attend because I am running 20 miles at 6am tomorrow. He responded like I had three eyes and hair on my teeth. “Why in the world are you running 20 miles and why are you doing it at 6am?” That’s simple – I’m training for a marathon, I’m training with a team and the team is counting on me to be there. Most people would think to themselves, "well there will be at least 40 other people there to run in the morning so if I don't show up it won't be a big deal and no one will even notice." Perish the thought! It is amazing the support each team member contributes to the successful training of each other team member. When you know the team is going to be there at 6am to train, you don’t want to have to run all those miles by yourself, then you don't even consider hitting the snooze button. A coach, a mentor, a training partner, a personal trainer, or a team can be one of the most valuable assets in reaching your goals.

Earlier this week, I was not able to make it to the gym to meet my workout partner, Kim on our appointed weight lifting day and I felt badly about letting her down, because we both really look forward to our training sessions. Did she just go home? NO! She stayed and did the workout. Today Kim was sick and didn’t make it to the gym. I was already there doing my cardio workout. I rolled off the stair mill and hit the weights. Going home or skipping weight training never crossed my mind. What I’ve found is the few times that Kim is unable to make it to the gym, I’m just as motivated to complete my weight workout as when she is there. In speaking with Kim, I know she feels the same, she knows I’m going to ask her how her workout was and she doesn’t want to tell me that she bailed out of weight training just because I wasn’t there. I think she actually takes pride in being able to say “Melissa, I kicked my own butt today. You would’ve been proud.”

Having a fitness buddy, workout partner, or personal trainer is a great asset any time of year, but especially now during the holiday season. We get busy with holiday parties, shopping, and working extra hours to make up for the time we’ll be taking off from work. With the cooler weather, the sun rising later and setting earlier, our motivation to workout can wane. Having someone to report to and or someone depending on you to show up can be that little extra nudge we require to be consistent with our workouts during the holidays and throughout the winter months.

Suggestions in choosing a fitness buddy and making your workouts work:

Choose someone you actually like to spend time with, a person who is motivated and who will hold you accountable. You don't want to work out with a waffler.
Make sure that your workout schedule can be consistent – same days, same time each week. Also be willing to be flexible as occasional adjustments are required. Choose someone who is punctual.
Choose someone who has a similar level of fitness to you. You don’t have to be able to lift the same amount, but it is important that you can both do the same exercises. If you are doing cardio together, make sure if you are running, walking or cycling outside that you are both at a very similar level otherwise both of your workouts will be sub-par. If for some reason you are at different fitness levels, be sure that you can each do the workout at your own pace, while still doing it together. i.e. You are walking on the treadmill at 3.5 mph, 4% incline and your buddy is walking on the treadmill next to you at 2.8 mph, 2% incline.
Make sure your workouts are planned ahead of time. Don’t show up to workout and say “what should we do today.” Know before you go. Have a plan and work your plan. As Jim Rohn says, those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Success to you!

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

A Thanksgiving Challenge & The Big Fat Problem

2008-11-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

Do children come out of the womb screaming “give me soda…I want ice cream…cookie cookie cookie!”? Of course not, the truth is that we as adults are guilty for introducing these low quality, low nutrient, empty calorie foods into our children’s lives. I’ve heard of an experiment in which toddlers ages 2 to 4 were put in a play room which had two tables of food in which the children could partake without restriction. One table had cut up fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese cubes while the other table had chips, cookies, sugary fruit snacks. The experiment revealed that the children naturally migrated to the fresh fruits and vegetables without any adult interaction or coaxing.

In case you’ve not noticed, we have a big, fat problem here in the United States. More than 6 out of 10 people are classified as obese. I’d venture to say that only 1 or 2 people out of 10 are at a healthy weight. Our children are at risk like never before, with 1 out of every 3 children classified as obese. This means our children are on the fast track to developing a myriad of degenerative disease while they are still in their youth and for the first time in hundreds of years, a child born today has a greater likelihood of dying before its parents. We, the adults, are to blame. We set the example by how we eat. The poor food choices we make become the poor choices our children make by default. Our lack of self control and our gluttony become that of our children.

I was recently out for a morning run and I ended up running past an elementary school just before 8am. There were children walking to school and I was baffled to see two overweight children drinking soda pop as they were walking to school. I thought, who taught them to drink soda for breakfast? Most likely it was the adults in their lives.

I have recently attended several family birthday parties and I’ve been amazed as several of my nieces and nephews, who are all under the age 12, have wolfed down 3 bowls full of cake, pies, brownies, and ice cream in one sitting. Who teaches our children to behave this way? The adults in their lives are again guilty.

So as we head into the holiday season, tomorrow being Thanksgiving, the day most noted for total GLUTTONY, I challenge every adult to take some time and reflect on the example your setting for these precious little people who have been put in your stewardship. Consider what it means to truly love another person… does it mean you only want the very best for that person? Does it mean that you want that person to be the healthiest they can be, to be the best they can be? Does it mean you want to protect them from any harm or danger at any cost?

Life is precious and our bodies are a gift from our Creator. Children are a priceless blessing. Isn’t it time that we start taking our own health more seriously and that we set an example and teach our children to care for their bodies like the temple God created them to be? May we all care for ourselves and others in a manner that reflects the love and honor we have for our Creator and for ourselves.

Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving:

BE active – go for a walk, run, hike or ride a bike. Play a game – like football or Frisbee.
Participate in a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot – walk or run, push the baby in the stroller. It is a fun event for the whole family.
Eat sensibly prior to the Thanksgiving Feast. Have a balanced breakfast. Depending on what time the turkey dinner takes place have a balanced snack and/or lunch too.
Eat smaller portions of your favorite holiday foods. Eat to a point of feeling satisfied or just slightly full. You’ll know if you ate the proper amount if you are hungry again in 3 to 4 hours. Now you can take your second helping. If you are not hungry for 6 or more hours after your meal, then you overate in a BIG way.
Use smaller plates. Put your fork down between bites. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
Focus on family and friends and strengthening your relationships instead of focusing on the food & feasting.

Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving to you!

Melissa Guthrie

BSc Nutritional Science

BSc Exercise Physiology

ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor

New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician

Triathlete/Runner

November Fitness Spotlight

2008-11-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today I am spotlighting the success of my client, Mickey G. She began working with me at the end of August 2008, after she had been advised by her doctor that she had the preliminary stages of a health issue that could be controlled and even reversed through proper nutrition. During out initial meeting, we discussed Mickey’s goals which included being proactive about her health issue and following a custom meal plan, getting back to a consistent exercise routine, and reducing her body weight. She was not overweight by any means, but she knew where she felt her best and desired to get to and maintain that ideal weight once again. The course of action we devised focused on mainly on nutrition. We determined that after several weeks of her focusing on her nutrition, and then we would put together an at-home exercise routine.

About 3 weeks into the nutrition program, Mickey and I met for a follow up session. She was amazed at how great she felt, how much energy she was experiencing, and how much she was enjoying the more balanced meals. Not to mention, she had lost a few pounds. Her husband happened to stop by during our meeting and it came to my attention that by default he’d been following the nutrition plan as well, and was also experiencing renewed energy and weight reduction. I was delighted that he was beyond just being a supportive spouse, he was engaging right along with Mickey.

I met with Mickey a week ago to take her through the first session of her custom at-home exercise program. She reported that she has reached her goal weight – having reduced her weight by 14 lbs and her husband has reduced his weight by 27 lbs. They are both feeling great, of course looking great, and are sold on the healthy lifestyle they are living.

I am delighted about their success and want to congratulate them on making the decision to improve their health and fitness and taking the consistent action required to reach their goals.

What can you learn from Mickey? Mickey is a mother of six, five of which are still at home. Her children are very actively involved in extra-curricular activities. She home schools and works a job outside of the home. You do not have to be perfect in following the plan; you do have to be consistent. Nutrition alone is a huge component of the fitness pie. To be at your best for your family, your work, and your fellowmen you have to take great care of yourself. You have to make you a priority and take time for your health & fitness.

Congratulations Mickey & Darryl! You are Super Stars!

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner

Stop The Weight Loss Landslide

2008-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Recently I've had several runners ask me how to prevent the landslide of weight loss than can accompany endurance training (especially marathon training). And, YES, it is most the gentleman who have been inquiring on this topic. The bottom line is that the weight loss is occuring because energy output (calories burned) is in excess of energy input (calorie consumption). If you are experiencing this yourself, it is very important that you begin keeping a food/training journal if you are not already doing so. This allows a nutrition professional, like myself, to more easily assess exactly how many calories you require in order to maintain or gain weight.

In order to maintain or if necessary gain weight during endurance training, one must increase calorie consumption to meet or exceed energy expenditure i.e eat more calorie dense foods. Some calorie dense foods to incorporate into your healthy sports nutrition plan include: healthy granola cereal, dried fruit, raw nuts & seeds, all-natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter, kefir, 100% fruit juice, rice milk, oat milk, honey, agave nectar, avocados, olive oil, and flax oil.

Calorie boosting ideas for Breakfast and Snacks:

1. Instead of cooking your oatmeal in water, cook your oatmeal in 100% fruit juice, cows milk or any milk alternative i.e rice milk. Add dried fruit, raw nuts/seeds, flax meal, honey or agave nectar, and/or nut-butter i.e. almond butter to your cooked oatmeal.
2. Choose calorie dense cereals like grapenuts, healthy granola, or shredded wheat. Eat healthy granola cereal as a snack. Top your yogurt with a hearty portion of granola or grapenuts.
3. Make your own healthy trail mix with dried fruit, raw nuts/seeds, dried coconut flakes, and your favorite whole grain cereals i.e Kashi.
4. Pour Kefir on your cereal instead of milk.
5. To boost calories in your shakes/smoothies add any of the following: honey or agave, peanut butter or any nut-butter, kefir, lowfat/nonfat yogurt, lowfat cottage cheese, flax oil or flax meal.
6. Top whole grain toast, french toast, pancakes, waffles with hearty serving of peanut butter and/or 100% maple syrup or 100% fruit spread.

Calorie boosting ideas for Lunch or Dinner:

1. Dip your carrots, celery, banana, and/or apple slices in peanut butter or your favorite nut-butter.
2. Have a glass of milk, kefir, or 100% fruit juice with your meal.
3. Sautee veggies in olive oil. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your deli sandwich.
4. Add avocado and/or nuts/seeds, olives, raisins or craisins to your salads.
5. Add avocado to your sandwiches. Use a hearty, dense whole grain bread (with nuts or seeds) for your sandwiches. Use a large bagel for your sandwich.
6. Use dips, sauces, and spreads such as hummus, pesto, peanut sauce, tapenade. tzatki, etc.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner

Hydration Tips For Outdoor Exercisers

2008-11-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

The temperatures are dropping around the country, even here in Arizona. What I commonly witness is that as the temperatures drop and winter sets in, outdoor exercisers become more lackadaisical in consuming and/or keeping water with them during their workouts. Why do they do this?

When it is cooler outside, it is not as desirable to drink cold water. When it is warm outside, we are motivated to drink to cool ourselves off. The truth is you can become dehydrated as easily in cool weather as in hot weather. During exercise, we lose body water through sweat and also through breathing. When it is cooler outside, we do not sense that we are sweating as much and thus, we do not feel the need to drink as much. In addition, cool air tends to be drier than warmer air. So during the winter when we breathe, we are losing more water through our exhalation and we are breathing in drier air. During warmer weather, we are typically breathing in moister air, so some of the water we lose through exhalation we recapture when we inhale. When it is warm and our sweat rate is reved up in attempt to keep our body cool, we typically feel the need to drink more.

Remember even mild dehydration will result in a decline in performance. Mild dehydration is extremely difficult to identify while you’re working out. The key is to always have water with you when you workout, regardless of how hot or cold it is. Listen to your body, if you feel the sensation of thirst – DRINK! Thirst is your body’s real-time feedback mechanisml of hydration needs. The sports nutrition recommendations are to consume approximately 4 oz to 8 oz every fifteen minutes of exercise. For exercise sessions lasting 60 minutes or less, plain water is your best bet. Drink UP!!

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner

Every Child Should Have The CHANCE To Succeed In Life!

2008-10-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am currently serving as the sports nutritionist for a running team that is training for the PF Changs Rock 'n Roll Marathon on January 18th, 2009. The team is part of a non-profit organization call Chances for Children (http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/). Chances for Children's mission is to eliminate childhood obesity in Arizona by providing fitness and nutrition education programs to underprivileged school children in greater Phoenix area. Having been the "fat kid" myself, I am honored and excited to be part of the Chances for Children team. Members of Team Chances not only train to run the PF Changs Rock 'n Roll Marathon or Half-Marathon, they also fund-raise so that these school children can have opportunities they otherwise would not have. Because of the success Team Chances is having, hundreds of children get brand new Nike running shoes, they get running programs set up at their schools, and they get to participate in local races for free, and much more.

I love Chances for Children's mission, however it is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to do. With at least one-third of all children and youth falling into the over-weight and obese category, this puts our children at risk for low-quality of life, all types of disease manifesting themselves in their teens or young adulthood, and even premature death. Not to mention the emotional and social implications of being overweight. Having been on both sides of the fence, I know the heavy (pun intended) burden of being overweight. I know the feelings of being unhappy in my skin, not liking myself, being self-conscious and being teased by the other kids who were a healthy weight. It is not a fun way to live - at any age. I also know the freedom, the fun, the joy, the confidence, the peace of mind, the energy that comes through being healthy. I believe that the body’s natural state is to be lean, to be healthy and disease-free, and energized. I wish everyone could know how it feels to live this way.

I believe that I went through the experience of being an overweight child for a specific reason. I believe God blessed me with this challenge and with the tools, resources and opportunities to overcome it so that I could help countless individuals around the world who are dealing with being overweight or obese. But it is not just about achieving a healthy body weight; it is really about life success. Yes, I was able to achieve my ideal body weight, which I’ve maintained for over 13 years. Even more importantly, as a result of my childhood weight issue I learned life skills and principles of success that I have been able to apply to all aspects of my personal and business life.

The success I achieved in my own health and fitness truly has served as a model of success for my entire life. At a very young age, I learned about the importance of staying true to correct principles, as I committed to achieving my goals through proper nutrition and exercise. Fad diets, weight loss medication, starving myself, binging & purging, and any other unhealthy practice was not a consideration, not an option. Even at times of major frustration, when I wondered if the weight would ever come off despite all of my healthy eating and exercise, I would not give into the "quick fix" mentality so highly promoted in the media. I learned the importance of consistency, as I set a daily exercise routine and faithfully followed through. I learned that you cannot manage what you cannot track, as I committed to keep a daily food diary of everything I ate and drank (which I still do on a regular basis). I learned the joy of accomplishing goals – both big and small. I experienced the rewards of persistence and resolve of never giving up, even when the results were not happening as quickly as I would have liked and as I faced bumps in the road. I learned how to make decisions based on what I really want in the long – term, as opposed to what I want right NOW. As I would look at the pizza, milkshakes, chips, cookies, French fries my friends were eating, I would ask myself, “what do you want more? Melissa, would you rather have the cookie now or would you rather move closer to your goal of 112 lbs?” By asking myself that question, I learned that I was the one with the power, not the food. I learned the difference a positive mental attitude makes, as countless physicians and health care provides told me I was just going to have to accept that I’d always be heavy; they said it was in my genes and that I was just a big boned, husky girl (for those of you who know me – that is FUNNY!). I learned the power of positive self-talk, affirmations, and visualization. I began by writing my goals in the present tense and posting them all over the house, by taking the beautiful dress I wanted to fit into and hanging it on my closet door where I could see it everyday and imagining how great I would feel and how good I would look wearing it. I also put a penny in my shoe every morning when I got ready for school and every time I felt that penny in my shoe I’d tell myself things like “I love my lean, healthy body. I am a lean 112lbs.”

I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to share my experience with people of all ages and that I may assist them in reaching their goals. It is most important to me that I reach those young people who have so much of life in front of them. It is my hearts desire and my mission to assist them in achieving optimal health and fitness, such that they may reach their full potential, live long healthy lives, succeed in all areas of their lives, and contribute greatly to society.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
BSc Exercise Physiology
BSc Nutritional Science
ACE Certified Personal Trainer/Group Ex. Instructor
New Leaf Certified Metabolic Technician
Triathlete/Runner

If you would like to know more about Chances for Children and/or Team Chances, please visit http://www.chancesforchildrenaz.com/.
If you would like to know how to contribute to the Chances for Children Fundraising program, please contact Melissa
If you are local to Arizona and would like attend the upcoming Chances for Children Silent Auction on Nov 11th, please contact Melissa.
If you would like more information about Melissa’s Nutrition and Fitness Coaching Services, please contact Melissa

CEREAL SOLUTIONS

2007-05-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

I often get asked what is the best breakfast cereal. There are many healthy breakfast cereals and there are countless not-so-healthy ones too. I opt for cereals that are not sweetened with sugar and that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, but preferably 5 or more grams of fiber. Fiber is so important to overall health, disease prevention stabilizing blood glucose levels & weight loss/maintenance. I find that many people, especially those who are attempting to lose weight will chose low calorie cereals that are low in nutrient density in an effort to keep their calorie count low. They will choose cereals like Special K or Rice Krispies, which are low in calories, but also low in fiber & protein. I also see that often people will eat the same cereal every single morning week in and week out. If this is you, then here is my recommendation: add some variety to your breakfast by adding some different cereal choices to your pantry. Chose high fiber whole grain cereals that are rich in nutrients and maybe even have a little more calories, which in the end will leave you feeling more satisfied and better nourished. There are many healthy high fiber cereals that are also rich in plant-based proteins too which is a great bonus. One thing I like to do is create my own cereal cocktail. I will mix 3 or 4 different types of cereals together to create a completely new cereal – it is fun, yummy, & keeps my breakfast interesting and my taste buds LOVE it! See what tasty cereal creation you can come up with.

Every time I go to the store I spend at least 5-10 minutes reading breakfast cereal labels to find ones that are loaded with whole grains, high in fiber, and have little to no added sugar (preferably sweetened with fruit or fruit juice concentrate, honey, or brown rice syrup.) Here are a few brands and cereals by name that I have found.

Cereal brands that tend to produce high quality, nutrient rich cereals:

Arrowhead Mills
Natures Path
Health Valley
Back To Nature
Benefit Nutrition
Kashi

Some specific cereals that are whole grains with little or no added sugar:

Weetabix
100% Shredded Wheat (also Shredded Wheat ‘n Bran)
Grape Nuts
Puffed Cereals (puffed wheat, puffed rice, puffed barley, puffed millet, puffed corn, etc)

On my last shopping trip I found these cereals that I liked:

Benefit Nutrition: Simply Fiber, Protein Plus
Back To Nature: Heart Basics
Natures Path: Flax Plus, Heritage Whole Grains, Multigrain Oatbran
Health Valley: Organic Amaranth Flakes, Organic Golden Flax
Weetabix: Weetabix Crispy Flakes

Top of The Morning To You! Make Today Your Best Day!

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor – Melissa Guthrie
Melissa@Yourlifestylementor.com

Becoming A Breakfast Champion

2007-03-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am the self-proclaimed "world's biggest breakfast champion". I love breakfast. I love breakfast foods. I love the morning and my morning ritual of a great workout followed by a hearty breakfast and my personal study time to feed and nourish my mind, as well as my body.

I am a person who loves variety, especially when it comes to my food. I often speak and consult with folks who eat the same things day in day out with little to no variety. How absolutely BORING! Not to mention how unwise. Even if those few foods they eat are super healthy, they are not getting enough variety in their meals to ensure that they are meeting all of their body's nutrient requirements. Now if the choice came down to eating the same thing for breakfast every day versus skipping breakfast, of course eat the same thing. However, living in the free-est, most abundant country in the world, no one should be in a situation where those are their only two choices. The possibilites and options are truly endless. If you happen to be one of those people that claim to dislike breakfast because they don't like breakfast foods in general or you get bored with the same old foods, hopefully I can shine a new light on breakfast food options. In the last article, I wrote about there being no strict rules for breakfast foods because any food can be eaten for breakfast.

Oatmeal: Many of us know that oatmeal is a very nutritious breakfast. Many of the clients I work with tell me that the only way they can eat oatmeal is with a bunch of brown sugar dumped in it or they only like the little instant oatmeal packets that come in a variety of flavors (the reason we like these so much is because they are loaded with sugar). A healthier way to have oatmeal is to buy "old fashioned oats" or even "quick cooking oats". Then cook them on the stove, in the microwave (I personally try to use this less often b/c oatmeal tends to overflow in the microwave), or in a rice cooker. Here are some ideas to jazz up your oats:

* cook oats in half water/half fruit juice (100% fruit juice - no sugar sweetened juices) for added sweetness. Use apple juice & add chopped fresh apples or other fresh or dried fruit. Use orange juice and add a few tablespoons of dried cranberries (craisins).

* cook oats in non-dairy milk such as vanilla or chocolate soy, rice, almond, oat milk. Add fresh fruit if desired

* add cinnamon & vanilla extract to oatmeal as it cooks. Add some raisins or dates if desired.

* add any fresh, frozen or dried fruit to cooked oatmeal. (if using frozen fruit add it to oatmeal as it cooks. Banana, apples, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, raisins, craisins, dates, berries of all kinds.

* add 1 - 2 tablespoons of vanilla or chocolate protein powder to cooked oatmeal.

* add a drizzle of honey or agave nectar to cooked honey.

* add a few tablespoons of non-fat/lowfat yogurt to cooked oatmeal

* add couple of teaspoons of nut-butter to cooked oatmeal (i.e. all - natural peanut butter, soy butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.)

* soak oats in fruit juice or milk (or non-dairy milk) overnight in the fridge. Oats will soak up the liquid. Add a dollup of yogurt, some chopped fresh fruit &/or nuts. You'll have a refreshing cool & hearty breakfast. (Quick version of Bircher Muesli)

*Another thing I love to do is mix my hot cereals so I often make combo cereals like: oats & oatbran, oats & farina (cream of wheat), oats & grapenuts, oats & oatbran & farina, oats & 6-grain, etc. Be creative!

Other hot cereals I love are: farina (cream of wheat), cracked wheat, 6-grain, 9-grain, Irish oatmeal, oatbran, brown rice cereal, etc.

Stay tuned for more on creative breakfasts & becoming a breakfast champion

Melissa Guthrie -- Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor

Breakfast Is For Champions

2007-03-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Most of us know that the “breakfast of champions” is Wheaties cereal, right? Well, Wheaties may have created a great slogan for themselves; however I find it highly unlikely that a person will become a champion as a result of eating the cereal. What I do know without a shadow of a doubt is that “Breakfast Is For Champions” or in other words, if a person wants to be a champion at anything then eating a healthy breakfast is the key.

Benefits of Breakfast
Increased metabolism throughout the day
Greater mental clarity and ability to focus
Greater sense of energy
Increase ability to stabilize blood glucose levels
More likely to maintain a healthy body weight
More likely to meet all of the body’s daily nutritional requirements
Decreased tendency to overeat later in the day and/or to make unhealthy food choices later in the day

I feel that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And one of the greatest of all nutritional mistakes is skipping breakfast.

Common Effects of Skipping Breakfast
Slow down the body’s metabolism and teach the body to become an efficient fat storing machine
Feel ravenously hungry by late morning
Tendency to feel as if you are chasing your hunger the rest of the day
More likely to overeat at lunch and most likely dinner
Greater tendency to make unhealthy food choices when you finally eat
Increased cravings for sweets and high fat foods
More likely to be deficient in meeting the body’s daily nutritional needs
Decreased ability to concentrate & focus
Low energy, fatigue & feelings of lethargy
Irritable & short-tempered

Common Excuses of Breakfast Skippers
I hear these excuses on a daily basis and bottom line is that for every excuse there is an equal or greater reason to eat breakfast.

”I don’t have the time…”
“I’m not hungry in the morning”
“If I eat breakfast, I feel hungrier throughout the day”
“I’m trying to lose weight & don’t want to eat too many calories, so I eat 1 or 2 meals per day.”
“I don’t like breakfast foods.”
“I don’t know what to eat.”
“All I need is coffee to get me going and I’m fine until lunchtime.”

Breaking It Down
I’m going to break down a few of these excuses and provide some insights and solutions so you can take these excuses and flush ‘em. They just don’t fly.

I don't have time... – I wake up before the crack of dawn to get ready. Then I’ve got to get the kids up & ready, get them fed and out the door to school, before I head off to work and with all the rushing around (and ever-too-common morning catastrophes) there just isn’t time for me to sit down and have breakfast.

This scenario or one’s similar are all too common and probably rank #1 in most frequently used by breakfast skippers. A little planning can go a long way here. I understand and agree that a person can only squeeze so much activity into a given period of time and something has to give unfortunately it really shouldn’t be breakfast because of the major negative effects it will have on one’s health & productivity in the rest of the day’s activities. Here are some solutions to consider…take a few minutes the night before to plan ahead. For example, set your wardrobe/clothing out ahead of time, pack a grab & go breakfast to take in the car, delegate some of the morning activities to some other capable person so that you have a little more time for YOU, re-evaluate all of your earlier morning activities and eliminate any that really are not necessary, look for ways to combine activities to free up some time.

I’m not hungry in the morning – most often the reason someone isn’t hungry in the morning is because they have consume too many calories too close to bed time. Since the metabolism slows down at night, those calories aren’t burned off as fast as during the day and thus, you may not feel hungry for a few hours after waking. If you are spacing your meals properly throughout the day then you will most likely wake up feeling hunger pangs or will feel them shortly after getting out of bed. In addition to no morning appetite, eating a heavy meal or over-indulging in unhealthy foods late at night will almost inevitably lead to weight gain and even nutrient deficiencies if too many unhealthy foods (fast foods & junk foods) take the place of more healthy, nutrient rich foods.

If this happens to be your challenge, then I encourage you to first lighten up on your evening meal and snacking. Set a time such as 7pm as your calorie consuming cutoff, such that as a rule of thumb you do not eat or drink anything (besides water) after 7pm. Then when you wake up if you do not feel hungry right away – within 1 hour of waking have something that is light and liquid based (this is typically easier to get down that something solid and you’ll be giving your body some calories to rev up that metabolism). For example, a 6oz – 8 oz low fat or nonfat yogurt, a small fruit smoothie, a glass of milk or orange juice with a scoop of protein powder mixed in, a meal replacement drink.

I’m trying to lose weight… -- Skipping breakfast (and eating a skimpy breakfast i.e. less than 300 kcal) in order to cut calories for weight loss is a plan destined for failure. Breakfast skippers commonly have greater struggles with body fatness than their breakfast eating counterparts. Skipping breakfast to cut calories is reversed thinking because it is impossible that this one meal could cause a person to get fat; let me explain. The body’s metabolism, if running properly, will be highest during the first ½ to 2/3 or the day, as the day goes on the metabolism slows to prepare for sleep (when it will recover, repair, & rejuvenate for the next day.). The calories consumed earlier in the day will be used up for energy as a result of the day’s activities. From another perspective, by taking in more calories during the day a person will have energy and thus be able to be more active and will be able to burn off those calories & then some. You are more likely to gain unwanted weight by skipping breakfast, getting too hungry and then over consuming later in the day when your body has less time and opportunity to burn off those calories. There was a study done back in the 1980s in which the subjects all required 2000 kcals/day to maintain their weight (Halberg 1983). In the first part of the study they had subjects consume all 2000 kcals at one meal in the morning. All subjects lost weight. In the second part of the study the subjects consumed all 2000 kcals in one evening meal. Four of the 6 subjects gained weight this time and the other two lost less weight than they had when they consumed the calories in the morning. Now I am in no way advocating just eating all of your calories at breakfast and calling it a day. The point I am making is that breakfast is actually an essential part of a fat reduction strategy (I am not a fan of the term diet.). If fat reduction is the goal then I recommend consuming the majority of your calories during your day time meals & mid-meals and having the lightest meal in the evening.

Often time when someone has been a breakfast skipper and/or breakfast skimper and they begin eating a more substantial breakfast they find that their craving for sweets and other less healthy foods either greatly diminishes or goes away completely and they are less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner. As well as they no longer felt the need to binge on unhealthy foods late in the evening, close to bed-time. I recommend consuming 4-6 small meals throughout the day, so if you’ve been a meal skipper and have only been eating 2 times a day, the first goal is to bump that up to 3 times and then to 4 and so on. That being the case, you’re breakfast meal should be at least ¼ of your total daily calorie needs. For example, if you require 1600 kcals/day to either lose weigh or maintain weight, then breakfast should be around 400 kcals. Consuming these calories at breakfast may be the missing link in your weight loss efforts as you teach your body to become a fat-burning furnace as opposed to a fat-storing vault.

I don’t like breakfast foods/I don't know what to eat – First of all who was it that put the rule out that only certain foods could be eaten at certain times of the day? Just look at how different cultures/countries eat at breakfast. In Asian countries it is not uncommon to have Miso soup, rice & tofu at the morning meal. In the British Isles, broiled tomatoes, boiled &/or fried potatoes, & a variety of meats & eggs are standard breakfast fare. In some places in South America, pasta dishes or rice & beans are eaten for breakfast. If you are not a fan of some of the American standards like cold cereal & milk, toast & eggs, pancakes, waffles, hot cereals like oatmeal, omelets, fruit & yogurt, then I encourage you to start thinking outside the box. You can eat any type of food at any time of the day and your body will still function. Some out of the box breakfasts might be: leftovers from dinner such as a casserole, pizza (especially good if it is made on a whole wheat pita bread crust), a PBJ or PB and banana sandwich on whole grain bread, a turkey sandwich, a tortilla wrap, a quesadilla, a baked potato topped with lowfat cottage cheese & broccoli & a little pasta sauce. Anything goes.

If you ever find yourself in the situation where you are limited in your breakfast option and it comes down to the choice between skipping breakfast and eating something that is not so healthy like coffee cake, a pastry, doughnut, or fast food breakfast – I say eat something. Give your body the energy to rev of your metabolism and it will burn off the calories, just focus on making better food choices the rest of the day. I, myself, make it a point to always have a healthy “grab ‘n go” meal with me in my bag or purse so that if I meet with the unexpected at any time during the day I know I have something healthy to fuel my body. It takes a little planning but for me it is worth it because it keeps me right in line with my health and fitness goals.

In the upcoming edition of Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor we will be continuing on the topic of ‘Breakfast Is For Champions” by discussing more creative breakfast ideas, the hot topic of breakfast cereals and of course, some of my favorite recipes.

Till next time. Healthy Eating…Healthy Living!

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor – Melissa Guthrie

Celebrate National Nutrition Month

2007-03-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

March is National Nutrition Month.

March 5th - 9th is National School Breakfast Week. Hooray to that. A healthy breakfast is so vitally important for proper health no matter a person's age. Breakfast gets your metabolism reved up so you burn more fat & calories through out the day. Skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism and can lead to your body becoming an effecient fat storage facility -- YIKES! Breakfast helps your brain function optimally as well -- Very important for those young learning minds as well as those adult minds on the job.

How Much Is It Worth? The Car, The Dog, My Body

I am often amazed at how little people know about how to properly care for their bodies. For heaven's sake, most people know more about how their automobile functions, all of its parts and how to keep it running for ideally for well over 100K miles, yet they can't tell you what their resting heart rate is or what their percent body fat is and most of them don't even know what their percent body fat should be, and they have no clue how fast they can walk or run a mile. You better believe they know how fast their car goes from 0 to 60 mph. Most people don't even know all of the parts that make up their body, they don't know the names of their muscles, how they function, they may know the names of their inner body organs, but most don't know exactly what the organs do or how they work in synergy or how proper nutrition keeps them working optimally.

Then their are those folks who are animal lovers and they go to amazine lengths to make sure that their pets are supremely healthy. They spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars a month ensuring that their pets have the best veteranarian care, the top of the line pet food, and they dedicate time everyday to their pets health and nutrition and take time weekly or monthly to research & study better ways to care for their pet, all the while neglecting their own incredible, priceless body. The cars can be replaced, even though our pets hold a special place in our hearts and in our families they too can be replace. You, my friend, cannot be replaced you are the one and only. How much is your body and your LIFE worth? I'll say it again...PRICELESS!! Furthermore, the cars and the pets are not of much value to us if our own health is so poor that we cannot care for or enjoy them. So I encourage you to re-assess how you are caring for you own body and make it a priority to start educating yourself on this priceless body temple you are living in. Here are some educational resources for you to dive into during this magnificent month of March -- National Nutrition Month.

GET Smart! Educate Yourself

If you'd like a list of nutrition books -- everything from nutrition for kids to nutrition for treating illness to healthy eating on the go -- there is an extensive book list on the American Dietetics Association website www.eatright.com. Look for the tab that says "Good Nutrition Reading List." There is another tab "Nutrition Fact Sheets" that has a lot of great articles on everything from artificial sweetners, fats & oils, nutrition for kids, grains & pastas, etc.

www.nutrition.gov has some great information articles as well. I liked what I found under the link "Smart Nutrition 101."

Another great resource website is that of my friend & colleague, Deanna Latson. She's got articles on everything from sports nutrition to childhood nutrition to organic nutrition. She also host education teleseminars. www.gotohealth.com

This should give you a great start on gaining greater knowledge and wisdom about your amazing body and how to take the very best care of it nutritionally and otherwise. Check back to this article throughout the month of March for additional websites & books & resources that will be posted on a weekly basis.

To Your Best Health!!

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor -- Melissa Guthrie

International Pancake Day

2007-02-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

Celebrate International Pancake Day February 21st

I first learned about International Pancake Day as a college student. I was working at a small private fitness center as a Health and Fitness Specialist which included everything from being a personal trainer & group fitness instructor to membership advisor to writing a health & fitness newsletter and much more. As I was doing research for the newsletter one day I learned that there was a day designated to celebrate one of my favorite foods – PANCAKES. I believe one of the reasons I love pancakes so much is because of my Mom. I remember growing up my Mom would fix pancakes on the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday. She never made boring old pancakes, my Mom was always making meal time fun. One of her favorite things to do was to make different varieties of pancakes everything from Buckwheat pancakes to Banana pancakes to pumpkin pancakes & more. To top it off she rarely if every just made plain old round pancakes – she’d make pancakes in the shape of letters for each of her childrens’ names, she’d make animals shapes (like pigs, dogs, snakes, & fish) and of course the famous Mickey Mouse pancake complete with fruit loops for eyes and a raisin smile. How could a kid not love pancakes like those?

With my new awareness of this ever important and seemingly unheard of Pancake Day holiday I took it upon myself to spread the good news. I decided to throw an International Pancake Day party (every February 21st or as close to that date as possible). The first year I let all of my friends and neighbors in college know and invited a busload of people to the party, the invitation was open to anyone I bought the ingredients for and made the pancakes and required nothing from my guest except that they bring their favorite and/or creative pancake topping. This included everything from the standard maple syrup to fresh fruit, peanut butter, fruit butter ie. Apple or pumpkin butter, jam, ice cream, whipped topping, chocolate sauce, applesauce, yogurt, honey, etc. I typically make 3 or 3 varieties of pancakes – 1 batch plain multi-grain pancakes, 1 batch of fruit flavored like banana or blueberry, 1 batch of savor dinner (meat & cheese) pancakes and a pan of Oven Pancakes (aka. Puff pancakes). Then I’ll make a few sweet pancakes at the end for dessert like chocolate chip or rocky road pancakes. The first annual event was a raging success and so the tradition was set. To date the biggest party I’ve thrown served well over 75 pancakes to a swarm of poor starving students.

My mom’s example creative culinary expertise coupled with my passion for food & nutrition led me to always seek ways to “healthify” recipes. So I’ve created and/or adapted several scrumptious and supremely healthy recipes for pancakes. I hope you will enjoy them as you celebrate International Pancake Day and throughout the year. (Feel free to email me for additional pancake recipes and look for my pancake cookbook on bookshelves in the near future).

Melissa’s Multi-Grain Pancake Mix (AKA MG’s Perfect Party Pancakes)

This recipe makes a huge batch of pancake mix which can be stored for future use (a great healthy alternative to Bisquick or Krusteaz) .

3 cups spelt flour (or all-purpose flour if spelt is not available)
3 tsp baking soda
4 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup 7 grain cereal (avail in health food section of grocery store or health food market)
1 cup cornmeal
4 TBS wheat germ

In large mixing bowl, sift the spelt flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt. Add in the remaining flour, cereal, cornmeal, & wheat germ and stir until thoroughly blended. Store mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Yield: 7 ½ cups, enough for ~ 7 batches of 10 pancakes

Multi-Grain Pancakes
Per Batch (10 pancakes)

2 eggs or 1 egg + 2 egg whites or 4 egg whites (egg substitute also works well)
½ cup nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt (light or nonfat sour cream can be used)
½ cup lowfat buttermilk or skim milk (non-dairy milk works also)
1 cup pancake mix

In medium bowl, lightly beat egg with yogurt and milk. Add pancake mix and stir until smooth. Ladle batter (~1/4 cup) onto warm skillet.

Variations:

Blueberry – stir in ½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries into batter before cooking

Almond Berry – stir in ½ tsp almond extract, ¼ cup slivered almonds, & ½ cup fresh or frozen berries into batter before cooking

Cranberry Orange – add ½ cup fresh or dried cranberries, 1 TBS orange juice concentrate & 1 tsp orange zest to batter before cooking.

Apple Walnut – stir in to batter ½ cup finely chopped apples or grated apple, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, & ½ tsp cinnamon.

Banana Nut – stir into batter ½ cup mashed banana, plus ½ cup finely chopped banana chunks & 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Savory Dinner Cakes – stir into batter 1/3 cup chopped green onions, ½ cup lowfat cheddar or mozzarella cheese, ½ cup finely chopped ham, Canadian bacon, or reduced fat turkey sausage.

Cottage Hotcakes

½ cup cottage cheese, lowfat or nonfat
½ cup wheat germ
2 to 4 TBS honey
1 egg (or equivalent substitute)
2 TBS applesauce, unsweetened
1 cup milk (1%, skim, or non-dairy alternative)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup spelt flour, oat flour, or all-purpose flour
Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, & dash of cloves
1/3 cup raisins

Heat a griddle over medium heat. In medium bowl, beat together the first 7 ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and spices (if desired). Gently stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mix until just moistened. Pour onto a hot griddle. Cook until the edges are done and bubbles form on top. Turn over and cook until golden. Serve warm with healthy topping such as pureed fruit, light yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, low-calorie non-sugar syrup, drizzle of honey, 100% fruit jam, or just plain. (Pancakes can be frozen and thawed & reheated).

Yield: 3 servings
Kcal per serving: 400
CHO: 54 gm
PRO: 19 gm
Fat: 12 gm

Golden Pancakes from Eating For Life (www.EatingForLife.com)
Recipe modified by Melissa Guthrie

Prep Time: ~ 15 min

1 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
6 egg whites
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 TBS honey

Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle w/ cooking spray; place over medium heat. In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour batter, about ¼ cup at a time, onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and dry around edges, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook other side until golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Serve warm pancakes with your favorite healthy topping such as fresh fruit, 100% fruit spread, unsweetened applesauce, agave nectar, or lite nonfat yogurt.

Yield: 2 servings

"When you listen to people who have a heart of a champion tell you that you can succeed and you can do something big with your life, you pretty soon start to believe them yourself and it actually assists you in having the heart of a champion." Jerry Clark

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor -- Melissa Guthrie

Check Out My other Blog-site: www.journeytothegold.blogspot.com

Be A Saavy Label Reader

2007-02-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

Just because foods are available on a store shelf doesn’t mean they are healthy or safe for human consumption. Most of us consume foods each day being unaware of the harmful ingredients they are really made of and if we did know we’d probably think twice about putting it in our mouth or letting our loved ones put it in theirs. I have a book in my library called “Body By God” by Dr. Ben Lerner and one of the ideas that stood out to me was when he was talking about children & nutrition. He talks about the “kid foods” and the ingredients in most of these foods; they are just loaded with sugar, fat, artificial flavors & colors and have no real nutritional value. He says in many cases our kids would be better of eating the wrapper or box the food came in. With all of the stimulating colors coming from the dyes put in kid foods our kids might as well be eating the crayons they color with. So often I hear parents tell me that they know their nutrition is sub-par because eat “kid foods” or the foods their kids will eat, like pizza, hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, cheese burgers, crackers, white bread & fruit snacks. This blows me away if it is not healthy for you as an adult – then why in the name of all that is good and holy is it okay for your kids to eat. I also have a challenge with parents who tell me that it is so hard for them to have to buy healthy foods and eat different foods then the rest of the family is eating. Shouldn’t the whole family be eating the same HEALTHY, nutrient rich foods?

Well first of all, our children are not born into the world with a natural craving for those foods, food likes and dislikes are learned behaviors. We, the adults who do the shopping, drive cars, and have the monetary resources as well as mental capacity to make decisions buy, offer, and provide those foods to our little children who know no different. Our children would grow up loving and craving whole grain bread & cereals, fresh fruits & veggies, beans & legumes if that is all we offered them. So there is nothing that makes me cringe like having someone talk to me about so called “kid foods”. If there is every a time in a person’s life that healthy, nutrient dense food is most vital it is from conception through the growth & development years. We as Americans fill out kids with crumby foods and then to excuse ourselves for training there bodies to crave it, say things like “its all my kids will eat, my kids won’t eat anything else, my kids won’t eat anything I cook, my kids are picky eaters, my kids will only eat it if it comes from a drive thru or out of a box or can.” We really can take control and begin teaching ourselves and our children to love and crave healthy, fresh foods. Foods are best when they are closest to their natural state, minimally processed. We have a stewardship over our own bodies and our children, so if we love ourselves, our Creator, and our families then isn’t it time we start taking a serious look at our nutrition and make improvements (no matter how small and incremental) each day to eat and live healthier?

I encourage you to become a saavy food label reader. Let’s become aware of what we are actually putting into our bodies. Here are a couple of things to look for when reading labels.

1. Remember that ingredients are listed by amount (greatest to least). The ingredient that occurs first composes the greatest proportion of that food, the item listed last contributes least to the composition of that food. This can often be misleading especially when it comes to sugar. We may read a label and the first ingredient is oats, followed by whole wheat flour, sugar is listed #3 and then we find high fructose corn syrup at #5, brown sugar at #8, maltodextrins at #10, and corn syrup at #13. Oats are healthy and listed as number 1 so this food must be mostly made of oats and pretty healthy right? WRONG!! Although sugar is listed #3, the greatest component of this food is sugar because some form of sugar occurs 5 times in different amounts. The amount of sugar and refined sugars is very high compared to the healthy amount of oats & whole wheat.

2. Enriched doesn’t always mean healthy. Often we look at the word enriched in a positive connotation. However when it comes to food it is sometimes a different story. Enriched means they’ve taken the good stuff out and then add a couple of other good things back in as if to make up the difference. The most notable is enriched flours. Whole grains are the best because they are nutrient dense and complete. When flours are milled and refined they take out all of the healthy nutrients like the bran and the germ – this strips away the fiber and most if not all of the vitamins and minerals. They’ll enrich the flour by adding a couple of vitamins and minerals back in. When buying whole wheat bread if the first ingredient says “enriched wheat flour” it is not the same as “whole wheat flour” – it is lacking nutrients and essentially no better than refined white bread. Keep reading the ingredient list after “enriched wheat flour” and you’ll find that they’ve either added molasses or artificial coloring to give the appearance of “whole grain wheat”.

3. Fortified means that they’ve added something to a food that the food didn’t naturally have before. For example, calcium fortified orange juice. Which happens to be a good source of calcium for those who do not consume dairy products. Most breakfast cereals – even the sugary, junk food cereals are heavily fortified with vitamins and minerals. So these are better than not eating breakfast at all or eating donuts or pasteries which are highly refined and loaded with fat, empty calories and SUGAR. Fortification can help us get more of the good stuff we require.

4. Be aware of cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat on the food label. These are all big contributors to heart disease, cancer and more. Watch the sodium level in foods which is often very high in pre-packaged, processed foods.

My friend & fellow nutrition expert, Deanna Latson, talks about the “dirty 5” ingredients found in foods. We consume foods on a daily basis without realizing what we are actually putting in our bodies. The 5 ingredients she is referring to are high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils, artificial colors (i.e. yellow #5), artificial flavors (including sweetners), and enriched flour.

Exercise 1: For the next week be a label reader. Go through your cupboards and fridge see how many foods you find with the “dirty 5” ingredients. You will be surprised. Then make it a point to eliminate one of those foods from your household and replace it with a healthier alternative. If you are not sure of what a good alternative would be for a certain food – email me and I will assist you.

Exercise 2: Find a fun and creative way to incorporate a healthy food or healthy meal into your own and/or your family’s meals. For example, rather than giving your kids packaged fruit snacks, make fruit kabobs by cutting up chunks of fresh fruit putting them on wooden skewers and serving them with light nonfat yogurt as a fruit dip. Rather than eating the sugary instant oatmeal packets, buy quick oats cook them on the stove and sweeten with something like fresh fruit, dried fruit, a little honey, agave nectar, or non-sugar peanut butter or other nut butter like almond butter.

Exercise 3: Check out Deanna’s website www.gotohealth.com as it is a great resource for alternative and naturopathic health & nutrition, she’s got great recipes for raw foods, vegetarian & vegan foods. She and her husband Patrick are dear friends and major inspirations to me.

"When Health is absent Wisdom cannot reveal itself, Art cannot become manifest, Strength cannot be exerted, Wealth is useless and Reason is powerless."- -HEROPHILIES, 300 B.C.

Melissa Guthrie – Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor

The NEW Shoe -- The RIGHT Shoe

2007-01-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

Many people are ignorant to how vitally important it is to wear a really good pair of shoes for working out. When we are exercising in either a formal exercise setting, in recreational activities or in athletic competition we are putting a lot of stress and force upon our joints, muscles, tendons/ligaments and often times that all begins with the weight bearing impact from our foot against the ground or some other surface. For example in running, each time the foot hits the ground forces over 10 times one’s body weight are sent down into the ground and then an equal and opposite force is sent back up through our foot to the rest of the body. It is our muscles, bones, joints etc that absorb the impact. A good pair of shoes is vital to help absorb and dissipate those forces so that we don’t sustain injury during or after activity. I cannot tell you how many times I've been working with or speaking with someone who complains about how their feet, knees and/or ankles hurt during exercise and after assessing their shoes, I conclude that the shoes could likely be the culprit. I've sent them or even gone with them to buy shoes and almost instantly the problem is gone. A NEW SHOE -- The Right Shoe can make all the difference.

The following are some questions and answers regarding SHOES:

What is the best brand of shoe to wear for exercise?

There are many different shoe companies that make fitness & athletic shoes. My recommendation is to go with a brand that specializes in fitness shoes only.

Is there a specific shoe I should wear for different types of exercise?

There are specific shoes for specific activities. Each shoe is designed for the types of movements involved in the activity, the forces & impacts the body will sustain, & even the surface that may be involved.

For example:

Running shoes are made specific to running (although they can be used for general fitness & walking). There are different types of running shoes for different body types such as those with high arches, low arches or flat feet, people who run on their forefoot vs those who have a definite heel strike. And there are also Trail Running shoes which are specifically deigned for running on trails with uneven surfaces and rough terrain.

Hiking shoes are made for uneven surfaces, rough terrain, and varying temperatures.

Basketball shoes are made for basketball and the fast, quick movements. The tread is specific for the court.

Tennis shoes are made for the fast, quick multi-directional movements of tennis and are tread for the court.

Aerobic shoes are made for the types of movements of a dance/step aerobics routine.

Cycling shoes are made specific to road cycling, mountain biking, triathlons, indoor spinning respectively.

Cross Trainers are best if you are just lifting weights and or doing the cardio machines. Although a running shoe can work here as well, provided it is the right shoe for your body type.

How often should I buy new shoes?

There is not a clear cut answer to this question. It can vary from how often you work out, whether you only use those shoes for working out or whether you use that shoe as an everyday, everywhere shoe. Here is a rule of thumb – a shoe breaks down from the inside out. Which means your shoe could look pretty good on the outside, but inside the structure is broken down and is no longer providing you the support your body requires. In running, it is recommended to buy a new pair of shoes every 500 miles or every 3 to 5 months, which ever comes first. If you are just a general fitness person who exercises 3 to 6 times per week, you may want to re-new those shoes at least every five or six months. If you are wearing the shoe for other activities and/or all the time, then you may want to replace them more often.

Where is the best place to buy shoes?

I always recommend going to a specialty store to buy your gear. So runners should buy their shoes from a specialty running store, cyclist shoes can be purchased at a bicycle shop, etc. One of the advantages of this, is that the sales people are most often active in that sport themselves and they are highly knowledgeable about each brand and model their store carries. They also will allow you to test drive the shoe by taking a run on an indoor treadmill or outside on the sidewalk. Really good stores will have you run on an indoor treadmill while they video-tape you running in a neutral shoe, based on how your foot strikes the ground they can determine whether you require a cushion shoe, a motion control shoe, or a stability shoe. Shopping at big department stores and even athletic chains like sports authority you may not get the best advice on what is the best shoe for you. Once you find a shoe brand and model you love, you can search for on-line discounts or make purchases on e-bay.

Here are some of my shoe buying secrets:

Myself being a triathlete, I buy my cycling shoes (specific for triathlons) at a cycling store. I buy my running shoes at a speciality running store. My favorite brands of running shoes (based on my body’s running mechanics and the shape of my foot) are Mizuno and Saucony and some models of NIKE. I buy at least one new pair every 3 to 4 months depending on my mileage. I like to have two different pairs of shoes that I alternate through my training cycle. For my everyday fitness shoe, I wear a running shoe however I do not use this shoe for running; its “sole” purpose is for walking around, weight training, cardio machines in the gym. I always ask the running store if they offer a discount to fitness professionals, athletes (often certain athlete groups will get discounted rates at shoe stores), or if they honor competitor and/or on-line prices. When I lived in Utah, my running store honored on-line prices and so I’d search on-line for the cheapest price of the shoe I wanted. I’d print the price sheet off the internet and take it into the store and I’d end up saving $10 to $20 on a pair of shoes.

Keep your joints, bones, & muscles happy by wearing the right shoes for you and the activity your engaging in and remember it is better to replace the shoe too soon than too late. If you have been wearing the same pair of shoes for more than a year, I highly recommend racing over to your nearest athletic specialty shoe store today. Your feet will thank you!

If you have any questions regarding shoes or shoe buying, please email me at Melissa@yourlifestylementor.com or MGuthrie2@Lifetimefitness.com

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor – Melissa Guthrie

Check Out My Blog: www.journeytothegold.blogspot.com

Fruit & Veggie Tales

2007-01-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

I often hear people say that they don't like eating fruits & veggies. More often than not it is the "taste" that they seem to have challenges with, and then there are a few people who simply don't know how to store or prepare fruits and vegetables so they don't buy them and thus, don't eat them. I wanted to share with you some of the reasons I am a huge advocate of making fruits and vegetables the basis of a healthy eating lifestyle.

Why do I absolutely LOVE fruits and vegetables?

They are packed with vitamins and minerals.

Fruits are a source of “healthy” carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, & numerous vitamins, namely Vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant, as well as many important phytonutrients.
Vegetables are truly nature’s vitamin powerhouse. Loaded with antioxidants, carotenes, phytonutrients, fiber & numerous vitamins & minerals that are health promoting & health protecting.

They are high in fiber.

Fiber is not a food group, but a component of many plant based foods. The great thing about fiber is that it cannot be broken down by the body and thus does not contribute calories when consumed. There are two types of fiber found naturally in foods – soluble and insoluble fiber and each are important to ingest daily. Dietary fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels, lower blood cholesterol and help prevent heart disease, slow down digestion helping you feel fuller for longer, and fiber also promotes regularity and thus a healthy colon. The recommended daily intake of fiber is 25-35 gram/day for adults. Fiber sources are fresh fruits, vegetables, beans & legumes, & whole grains. Note: If you are not use to eating much fiber, increase your fiber intake gradually over a couple of weeks. This will allow your digestive system to gradually adapt to the bulk of the fiber, otherwise you may deal with some less than desirable digestive issues if you increase your fiber intake too much, too fast.

They are low in calories, big in volume.

When weight management and/or fat reduction is the goal then it is imperative to consume less calories than we expend in a day. Eating low calorie, bulky foods means we can eat a greater volume of food while consume relatively few calories. Fill up for less, what a bargain. For example, a base-ball size piece of fruit like an apple or orange is roughly 60 to 80 calories compared to eating 5 saltine crackers or 1 fig Newton for 60 calories.
Vegetables are especially low in calories, with the exception of the starchy vegetables like corn, peas & potatoes which actually have a composition more similar to grains. This means you can really eat as many vegetables as you want without risk of consuming too many calories. For example, 1 cup of cooked broccoli has only 50 calories, 1/3 of a medium cucumber has 25 calories, & 1 cup cooked green beans has 30 calories, and you can consume several cups of raw leafy greens for well under 50 calories.

They are portable, great eaten raw and often come in their own packaging.

We live in a very fast paced society and most people I consult with say that “time” is the number one challenge or obstacle to them eating healthfully. I hear “I don’t have time to cook, I don’t have time to shop, I don’t have time to sit down and eat a meal, I don’t have time to….and what is underlying is “My health, my physical & mental well-being is not a high enough priority for me to take the time from all the other activities I’m involved in to take care of me properly.” In the end, all those hours worked, all that money, all of the status symbols, and well-meaning activities will mean little to nothing if one is not healthy. Eating well and exercising does take a little investment of time, yet it doesn’t really take as much as most people may think. Having said all that, fruits and vegetables are great “On The Go” foods that require little to no preparation, and are great eaten raw. Items like fresh bananas, oranges, apples can be thrown in a bag, briefcase or purse without any special container or packaging – a great ready to eat snack anytime, anywhere.

They are colorful, versatile, and simple to prepare.

The more colorful the better. The rich, bright colors of many vegetables and fruits are an indicator of high nutrient content. Just for the fun of it take one day and eat nothing but bland color foods like oatmeal or cereal with milk, bread with peanut butter, baked or mashed potatoes, rice, white pasta, cauliflower, cottage cheese, nuts, popcorn, chicken or turkey, tuna, cod or halibut, etc. You'll come to truly appreciate and love eating colorful foods if nothing else, just for the visual stimulatoin. So eat a rainbow everyday. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten by themselves or as a side dish, put in casseroles, soups, stews, breads, hot and cold cereals, as a topping or garnish, added to yogurt, cottage cheese or put in a smoothie. They can be eaten raw, steamed, grilled, broiled, stir-fried, baked, cooked in the crockpot or pressure cooker, and even microwaved (although I'm not a big fan of microwave cooking). Be creative and find new ways to incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals & snacks.

They are inexpensive.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are so inexpensive. I remember going to the grocery store with my roommates in college, you know the typical poor, starving students grocery budget. My cart was loaded with fresh produce and theirs were usually full of packaged, processed foods and of course, junk food. I’d end up with 6 or 7 grocery bags of food and pay around $20-25. They’d have 2, maybe 3 bags of groceries and end up paying at least double what I did. Not only that, I rarely got sick so my medical bills and time off from school & work were almost non-existent. Eating more fruits and veggies is an often overlooked and very essential part of a proper financial plan as well as a health plan.

Training the Taste Buds

Now for those people that whine about hating the taste of fruits and veggies or who complain about their kids hating them, I am going to be honest and blunt. First of all, our dietary likes and dislikes are a learned, conditioned behavior. We don’t come out of the womb craving chocolate and cheese fries, and our kids don’t either. We, along with the powerful assistance of the media, train them and ourselves to only want fast food or junk food. The more often we eat a certain type of food, the more conditioned our bodies come to expect it, it is in our system, much like nicotine or alcohol works in the system of someone addicted to those substances. If you are addicted to fatty, sugary, salty foods, it can be overcome and typically with relative ease. The following exercises are key to creating a healthier nutrition plan that incorporates loads of healthy, disease fighting foods – FRUITS & VEGGIES!!!!!

Exercise 1:

If you are re-training yourself to like fruits and veggies. Simply start by re-programming your mind through the use of positive self-talk. I promise it works. Write yourself messages and post them where you’ll see them, tell yourself several times a day things such as:

I am a happy fruit and veggie eater.
I am building vegetable loving taste-buds.
Everyday I crave fruits and veggies.
Fruits & veggies are my friends.
Fruits & veggies are my favorite foods.

Exercise 2:

For those people who have a food jag – meaning there are only a very select few fruits and veggies you claim to like. This week eat 1 different type of fruit/veggie that you either have never tried before, or haven’t eaten in a very long time, or claim to hate since childhood. I encourage you to eat at least a small serving of it everyday for 1 week and see how you feel about that food after 7 days. You will most likely be very surprised at the end of the week. Remember our tastes are a trained conditioned behavior, we have trained our taste buds to love and crave – refined carbohydrates, sweets, salty & fatty foods. We can just as easily train our body to love and crave the healthy, nutritious foods that will improve and protect our health.

Exercise 3:

If you are currently not eating any fruits and veggies or very little. Then set an objective for the next 1 to 2 weeks to eat just 1 additional piece of fruit and 1 additional serving of vegetables (non-starchy vegetables) each day. Track this in your food journal and celebrate your win each day that you succeed. Once that becomes a natural way of eating, add 1 more serving of fruit and vegetables each day. Baby Steps…Baby Steps…Baby Steps.

May this be the healthiest week you’ve every had.

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor -- Melissa Guthrie

A New Year and A New You

2007-01-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of decades, the #1 New Year Resolution has been "to lose weight & get in better shape." I recently learned that this resolution will be bumped out of the number one slot and go all the way to number 3. "Get out of debt" is now taking over the #1 position, followed by "Make More Money" in slot 2. Nonetheless, with obesity rates skyrocketing along with stress levels, depression and general poor health countless Americans are once again setting a New Years Resolution to lose weight and get in shape. We've heard the statistic all before, the majority of those who start an exercise and healthy eating program will stick to it diligently for about 3 weeks at which point their enthusiams will start to fade and within a few more weeks they'll be back in their old rut and feeling worse than ever for not persisting and following through on their good intentions. Why is that? Is it because people are lazy by nature? Maybe. Is it because they are on the wrong type of program? Maybe. Is it because they just don't have what it takes to be successful. Definitely not! Is it that they don't have the will power? Maybe. What I truly believe is the problem is that people are not clear on how to manifest the results they desire by behaving in a manner congruent to that desire.

BE...Do....Have!

The Be...Do...Have principle is very simple and this is how it works. First, you have to decide very clearly on what it is you want most. Do you want to be a lean, healthy energetic person or do you want to be overweight, out of shape, low energy always sick & tired person? Of course, you want to be the healthy, fit person -- so get a very clear image in your mind of what that person looks like, how they behave, how they dress, how they utilize their time, their habits, their relationships, etc.

Exercise 1: Once you have a clear image of the ideal healthy, fit person. Take out a piece of paper and start writing all about this person -- how they look, how they feel about themselves and others, what type of relationships they have, how they talk, how they walk, how they dress, their daily habits, how they eat, how they care for their body, how they manage themselves in time, their work habits, etc. Now imagine that YOU are this person. At this very moment start acting as if you are this person and you already possess everything you've just written. Read and re-read this every day! You will find that when you become this person in advance of having the results, you will automatically assume the behavior of the healthy, fit person and then it is only a matter of time before you literally possess all of those ideals you wrote about.
(BE...Do...Have Principle in a nutshell)

Exercise 2: Find pictures of your ideal body/physique, ideal healthy lifestyle, etc. Perhaps you have photos of yourself when you were in your best shape or find photos in magazines. Post these photos all over your house, car, desk, so that you are constantly seeing and visualizing what you are becoming.

Exercise 3: Write "I AM" Statements. Take a sheet of paper or a 3 x 5 card and write positive statements affirming the healthy, fit person you are. Read these every morning & every evening and multiple times throughout the day. You may also consider writing some of these on your bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker and/or laminating them and posting them in your shower.

For example here are some of mine:

I AM a lean healthy 112lbs. (put your own ideal weight, of course you want it to be realistic for your body frame)
I AM sleeping 8 hours per night and feel refreshed and renewed each morning.
I AM eating 5-6 small healthy well-balanced meals each day.
I AM drinking a gallon of pure water each day.
I AM exercising daily and love the energy and mental clarity I feel.
I AM a super healthy eater -- eating whole grains, fresh vegetables & fruits, and healthy, plant based proteins every day.
I AM a fat-burning machine.
I AM building a beautifully balanced life.
I AM a healthy role model and inspiration to others.

Reducing unwanted body fat and becoming optimally fit is an inside-out project. It isn't just about having the right exercise program and following a specific eating plan. Everything in life has to be created mentally, emotionally & spiritually before it can be created physically. Working with countless clients over the past 10 years, I see a dramatic difference in the degree of results and the time frame in which the results are obtained and sustained when they use the strategies I have outlined above. I firmly believe it is because they are reprogramming their subconscious mind for success by creating a healthy self-image and assuming the behaviors that naturally lead to the desired results. We can never out-perform our self-image. So I encourage you before you jump into that new exercise and eating program, take some time to got through the exercises above. Create the ideal you, then become the ideal you, consistenly & persistently do the things that healthy person does, and you will with out fail, yes I said WITH OUT FAIL, have the results you desire.

Here's to the IDEAL YOU in 2007!

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor -- Melissa Guthrie

check out: www.journeytothegold.blogspot.com

Who Is Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor?

2006-11-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hello! I want to personally welcome you to the Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor debut. I am very excited and want to properly introduce myself and then tell you who and what Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor is all about. Let's get started!

Who is Melissa Guthrie?

Perhaps you already know me and are somewhat familiar with my background, on the other hand you may not know me from Adam and have no clue who I am, where I came from or what I stand for. I'll cut right to it. The world of health, fitness, & nutrition has been my life's passion since I was 12 years old. You may be wondering how such a young person could determine their life's mission and purpose at that age. Let me back up a few years so you can clearly understand. In 1977, I was born into this world and I was born fat. True a lot of babies are born fat, but I was born really fat. I have two older brothers and an older sister and they recall their friends asking them why they put rubber bands around their baby sisters arms and legs. They didn't really put rubber bands around my arms & legs, I just had such pronounced fat rolls that it gave that appearance. Often times fat babies outgrow their baby fat in their toddler or early grade-school years, not me. Now to clarify, I definitely was not roly poly obese, but I was a chubby kid. I remember being very self-conscious about my body at the ripe old age of 5. I was on the local swim team and I remember looking at the other little girls with their twiggy arms & legs and bean pole bodies and then looking at my shapely body wondering why I looked so different. I always weighed more than the girls my age, typically I weighed as much or more than the boys my age and that I didn't like one bit. I was the brunt of a lot of teasing by the typical snotty nosed, freckled faced boys and to make matters worse I had to get glasses when I was six, so I was the chubby & had 4-eyes. I managed to get through elementary school without any major emotional trauma, aside from the occasional crying session when I had my feelings hurt by ignorant children making jokes and poking fun at me. As a result of my weight, I did suffer from self-esteem issues. I thought I had to be really cute and skinny to be popular and for the really cool boys and girls to like me. The funny ideas we get as children. Then I came to a transition point. I was 12 years old and would soon be embarking upon my teenage years. I decided that things had to change and I knew there was only one person who could make it happen -- ME! I was going to be different and feel different. I did not want to spend the rest of my life feeling self-conscious and having low self-esteem, nor feeling like I was out of shape and unhealthy. I decided first that I was going to officially get rid of the glasses and become a full-time contact lens wearer. I knew I also wanted to get thin, I just wasn't sure how to go about it. I was somewhat active in sports, but I did not equate sports and athletics with weight loss at this point. I also knew that my Mom was overweight and was always on and off diets -- obviously that wasn't working for her, so I wasn't going to do that. I also had enough sense at this point to somehow realize that diets were not healthy. I knew my Mom had worked out at a gym a few times, but again because she was not successful in weight loss I didn't really understand how exercise affected body weight.

The Day That Changed My Life

I was 12 years old when I had the first major defining moment of my life. I was invited by a friend Shannon to spend the night at her house. There is really only one thing that I remember about that slumber party and that was what I witness the next morning in their basement. My friend Shannon, had an older sister and she had a friend spend the night as well. That next morning Shannon's sister and friend were in the basement bright and early doing exercise in front of the TV to an aerobics program aired on ESPN. I asked what they were doing and the answer I got was that they were exercising to lose weight and get in shape. The light bulb went on for me. The next morning I began my own weight loss program. I found out what time the aerobics show was aired. Nearly every morning during the summer between 6th grade and junior high, I would wake up and do a 30 minutes aerobics program (it was actually about 5 minutes of warm up and stretching, followed by 10 minutes of aerobics, & 5 minutess of cool down and stretching and had another 10 minutes of commercials mixed in). After the show was over, then I'd do another 15-30 minutes of stretching on my own. I video taped as many shows as possible so that I could exercise on days the program wasn't aired such as weekends. I really liked how I felt after exercising and I had begun to establish a habit. To make a long story short, when I enrolled in junior high I was exstatic to find out that I could take elective courses for my physical fitness, which included an aerobics class. I signed up immediately and loved every minute of aerobicising with Jane Fonda, leotard, leg warmers, big 80's hair & soup can weights. Then the next year, I had the option of taking an advanced course which incorporated step aerobics (this is when step aerobics was the new hottest thing in exercise) and weight lifting. I had never lifted weights before and I absolutely loved it -- I felt so empowered, energized & strong physically & mentally. As well, in this course my instructors began to teach us some basic nutrition principles. A whole new world opened up to me. I took the knowledge I was gaining and I applied it, made incremental changes in my food intake and I felt great. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. I began a true study of nutrition & exercise. While the other girls my age were reading books like the Babysitters Club, I was reading books like EAT & Be Lean by Dana Thornock & The FAT book which had calories, fat, & nutrient content of every food imaginable. During the summers when others kids were glued to a TV screen all day, or laying on a raft in the pool or on a towel at the beach, I on the other hand was in the pool doing water aerobics, playing summer sports leagues, & riding my bike.

So what happened in terms of my own weight loss & fitness?

Well, between 8th and 9th grade I shed a lot of weight and became thinner than I ever had been. I was no longer one of the heavier girls, I was more of an average weight -- thinner than a some of my friends although I was not as thin & lean as some other girls. I honestly was more concerned with how I felt, how much more energy I had, how much better I felt about my self and life in general, and I knew that I was following proper methods of a healthy lifestyle that I could and would maintain for life.

The Bump In The Road

Then I faced a challenge. I was staying active and I was consistantly improving my eating habits. Despite all of my efforts, I began to rapidly gain weight toward the end of my freshman year and that summer before high school. It just so happened that at about this same time I was dealing with some adversity at home. My parents had divorced a couple of years earlier and now my Mom was dating. To top it off the guy she was seriously dating was not a cool dude. I could sense it and I didn't like it one bit, but at 15 years old what do you know about life, right? Well, I knew more than some people gave me credit for. This was not a good situation for my Mom or for the family as a whole. Irregardless, my Mom got engaged to this man and they were married during my sophmore year of high school. I slipped into a depression and despite my efforts to eat healthy and exercise the weight kept adding on. I was so frustrated. I went to doctor after doctor at the Mayo Clinic and no one could give me an explanation that was satisfactory. Of course, all of the tests came back showing that I was perfectly healthy. What I did get was every thing from " your weight is genetic look at your Mom and grandma. You will always be heavy, just accept it, " to " women drink too much juice, stop drinking juice and you'll lose weight" (now what absolutely flored me about the whole juice thing was that I didn't drink juice ever & I told the doctor that, but he seemed to either be deaf or have some fixation with juice drinkers). I went from frustrated to beyond frustrated. Yet I was not so desperate to resort to unhealthy measures, I wasn't interested in a quick fix. I wanted to be healthy and fit for the rest of my life and I knew that if I was eating healthfully and exercising that irregardless of what the scale read -- I'd be healthy. I was determined to figure it out -- I knew I just had to be missing some small thing that would allow me to realize my weight loss goals. I was eating healthier than anyone I knew especially teenagers. I was eating fresh fruit & vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, & non-fat/lowfat dairy products and my only vice was nonfat frozen yogurt. Now compare that to what my friends were eating pizza, chips, french fries, candy, burgers, & cookies, I could not understand why I was not losing weight. Finally during my senior year of high school when I had reached the heaviest I'd ever been, I set an appointment with a registered dietician. She taught me about portion control. I was eating all the right healthy foods, I was just eating too much for my caloric needs. I took the dieticians counsel, began monitoring my portion sizes and that made a world of difference.

The summer between high school and college I revamped my exercise program & set some clear cut goals. First of all, I had been introduced to the power of positive thinking and goals setting. I was currently wearing a size 9/10 and I knew that since my sister wore a size 5/6 I could too. I found a fabulous dress and I hung it up in my room where I could see it every day. I wrote my goals out, I creative positive affirmation statements to support my goal and I put a penny in my shoe. Every time I felt the penny in my shoe I'd repeat my affirmations such as "I am a lean fat burning machine" "I am a healthy eater" "I love my lean healthy body". Then I put together an exercise routine that included twice a day workouts -- 5 am cardio session and an evening weight lifting session 6 days a week. On the weekends, when my friends were going to movies and wasting time driving around town or sleeping in, I was in the gym. I began losing some weight that summer and I was excited and I felt awesome. I was a bit concerned about going to college because I had heard stories of the Freshman 15 -- college coeds gaining at least 15 lbs their freshman year from all the unhealthy, fattening dorm food. I was determined that this was not going to effect me. I was going to lose 15 pounds not gain it. I knew that I could eat healthy at the dorm cafeteria -- there was an abundance of healthy options like the fruit bar, the salad bar, whole grain breads & cereals, etc. No one was going to force me to eat pizza, french fries, pie and cookies. I ate lots of fresh fruits & vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and even had an occassional treat of frozen yogurt, fig newtons, or rice krispie treat. I definitely didn't deprive myself, I don't believe in that. But for anyone who has altered their eating habits, you know how your taste buds and cravings actually change so that you no longer crave the sugary, fattening foods. I didn't have a car so I walked everywhere, I'd even walk while I studied becaue I couldn't stand to sit around. I enrolled in aerobics class my first semester and I started running a couple of times a week. I lifted weights at least twice a week. The next semester I signed up for weight lifting and began a daily exercise program to help my friend Kristin get in better shape, I led her in aerobics in the basement of our dorm building every morning at 5 am. It was during this second semester that the fat melted off my body by the bucketfuls. I will also note that Kristin got in the best shape of her life that semester too and has continued a healthy eating and exercise routine since then and is due to give birth to her third child any day now -- Congrats Kristin & Dave!!

The Proof Is In The Pudding!

Between graduation from high school and the end of my freshman year of college, I reduced my weight by over 25 lbs and went from a size 9/10 to a size 1/2 and my body fat percentage went from around 29% to around 15%. I completely transformed my physique. I looked great, I felt great! And I have maintained the fat loss for 10 years.

Credibility & Credentials

The summer between my freshman and sophmore years of college I certified as an ACE group fitness instructor and the following summer I certified as an ACE personal fitness trainer. I have taken up competitive athletics as a runner and most recently a triathlete. I have had the honor of representing and compating for Team USA in the ITU Triathlon World Championships and am currently sponsored runner/triathlete by Team Snickers -- Snickers Marathon Energy Bar. I have received two Bachelor of Science degrees -- one in Exercise Physiology & one in Nutritional Science. I have pursued a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology with a Sports Nutrition emphasis. I have had the opportunity of working in various capacities of the health & fitness & athletics. I been priveleged to speak around the country for small and large audiences on the importance of proper nutrition and exercise for a healthy lifestyle and have taught healthy cooking classes. Some additional certifications I have are Johnny G Spinning Instructor & Body Flex Instructor. I've also taught fitness classes at Brigham Young Univeristy including Beginning & Intermediate Weight Training, Aqua Fitness, Relaxation/Flexibility, & Jogging. I loved teaching these courses and assisting fellow college students in improving their health and fitness, teaching them some of the skills to lead a healthier lifestyle, and celebrating with them in their own body transformations of fat loss and lean muscle gains and overall improvement in their body composition. One of my greatest joys comes in sharing with others correct health principles and to assist them in transforming their health and lifestyles for the better, whether it be on a college campus, at a health club, in someones home, over the phone, or on an island in the Carribbean.

So that is a little bit about me, Melissa Guthrie. I would love to hear from you and know how I can assist you in creating the optimal level of health & fitness in your own life. If you are ready to get into the best shape of your life, increase your energy & productivity, look & feel your very best, learn how you and your family can easily & naturally live an optimally healthy lifestyle and much more, then I look forward to being Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor.

What You Can Expect From Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor:

Education -- In many cases the reason that we do not make improvements in certain areas of our lives is that we simply don't know what we don't know. We do not have the education, the knowledge or the awareness to even know what steps to take to make a positive change. I will provide you with education along with the tools & resources you'll require in the areas of alternative & preventative health, fitness & exercise, general nutrition, sports nutrition, gender and age related health issues, recreational & competitive athletics, injury prevention & treatment, weight reduction/fat loss, and more. You'll find an every growing collection of healthy, delicious recipes, healthy cooking tips, exercise & training tips, reviews of diet, exercise & weight loss programs, along with credible resources, books, websites, etc.

Inspiration -- You'll hear from not only myself, but also from individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life sharing their stories & experiences of success & triumph, overcoming challenges, & incredible life transformation. Your heart will be touched, your mind will be enlightened, & your spirits elevated.

Empowerment -- You will have access to tools, resources, strategies and techniques that when applied consistently will allow you to access your immense inner power to achieve "Your Best Self & Healthiest Lifestyle."

I will post to this site on a weekly basis and often times more frequently so please visit often and email me your questions, suggestions, and any requests you have on topics specific to you and your family.

Have a very Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday!

To Your Best Health!
Melissa Guthrie
Personal Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Competitive Athlete
Melissa@yourlifestylementor.com

Check out my other Blog: www.journeytothegold.blogspot.com