Emily Miner

Spring Cleaning, Kitchen Edition: How To Prep For Your Healthiest Summer Yet

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As featured in the May 2014 issue of BossFit Magazine.

Not uncommon is it to purge old clothes between seasons, toss expired OTCs and prescriptions from the medicine cabinet, but when it comes to spring cleaning, we may be neglecting the one area in need of it most: the kitchen. Specifically, let’s focus on four areas: the pantry, the freezer, the refrigerator and the spice rack.

First, we’ll want to empty the contents of each space. Time to clean! Choose all-natural [cleaning] agents like water and vinegar over abrasive, often toxic household products. Toss anything that’s expired then group like items together to take inventory. Next to go is the junk. Think highly-processed, calorie-laden, nutrient-void foods whose ingredient lists are long and not easily pronounced. Anything that’s been opened and/or unused for more than six months? In the trash. In the pantry, this may include cereals, sugary breakfast bars, pre-packaged snacks, flours/meals, nuts, seeds and oils. Condiments are easily pushed to the back of the fridge, as are single-serve leftovers in the freezer. The spice rack is your last stop before the restock. Spices and dry rubs take meals from bland to bold in seconds, but lose their fragrance over time.

Now that you’ve weeded out, it’s time to refresh your supply with real, whole foods. Remember: the key to resisting temptation is preparedness, not willpower. Make a list prior to your grocery haul to avoid impulse buys, forgetting what you really need and overbuying what you don’t. This will also help you stick to a budget. NOTE: Real, whole foods can get expensive, yes, but consider it an investment in your long-term health. I’d rather spend my money on quality foods than on medical bills, no?

Now, what to restock with?

My pantry staples include old-fashioned oatmeal/oat bran, brown rice, canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, raw or dry roasted nuts, all-natural peanut and/or almond butter, coconut oil, olive oil, balsamic and apple cider vinegars, low-sodium salsa, no salt added canned tuna or chicken, protein powder, sugar alternatives (e.g. stevia, xylitol, erythritol), almond meal, coconut flour, shelf-stable almond milk or coconut milk, tea, coffee and waistline friendly snacks for on-the-go (e.g. protein bars).

Stock your fridge with loads of fresh produce, lean proteins and low-fat, organic, if possible, dairy products (if you can tolerate, of course). Frozen produce is just that: frozen fresh. It’s convenient and helps cut down on waste. Take advantage of local farmer’s markets to stock up on locally-grown fruits and vegetables, and locally-raised eggs and meats, the latter of which can be frozen fresh. Farmer’s market or not, know your food source!

Spices are cheapest bought in bulk. I buy in small quantities, store in labeled glass jars and re-buy as needed, but completely refresh my supply every six months. Spices add a flavor punch to your food without impacting your clean eating efforts, and dry rubs are great for summer grilling.

Now that you’ve restocked, practice dating non-perishables as you open them (they’re not non-perishable forever) and stay mindful of sell by, use by and expiration dates, discarding accordingly.

When was the last time you cleaned out your pantry, or looked to the back of your refrigerator? What are some of your food staples? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Eating Healthy On The Road: A How-To

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As featured in the April 2014 issue of BossFit Magazine.

Whether your job has you on-the-go weekly or on a more occasional basis, life on the road can be stressful.

Chronically high stress can lead to catecholamine resistance and catecholamines are one of two major fat-burning gas pedals of the metabolism. And so while stress may not have calories, its effects have been clearly established as a detriment to our fat loss efforts.

My Top 5 tips for healthy travel:

  1. Move early. With work to do, flights to catch and dinner meetings running late, your end time is unknown. Instead, set your alarm 30-minutes early and get moving! Take advantage of hotel amenities and get a quick lift in at the gym or a leisure walk on the treadmill. Or, complete a 20-minute bodyweight circuit in the comfort of your own room. If you find yourself in a pedestrian-friendly city, walk to a local coffee shop for your morning cup. 
  2. Stay hydrated. Not only does it keep us hydrated, but water helps balance our fluids and prevents feelings of hunger between meals. Sodium and alcohol cause water retention and dining out, our intake of both is likely to be higher than at home. But the more [water] we drink, the more we shed. Be intentional. The pipeline of coffee being dripped into conference rooms doesn’t help either due to the mild diuretic effects of caffeine. Alternate with water every other cup. A workaround to airport security? Carry a reusable bottle with you and refill on the other side. 
  3. Prioritize protein. The most filling of the macronutrients, protein has little impact on fat storing hormones and can help speed the metabolism. Its slow digestion helps to control cravings and balance blood sugar, preventing insulin spikes that can lead to fat storage. Comprised of amino acids, protein spares lean muscle so that the body burns fat for energy. It, too, can be used by the body for energy. Muscle is a major determinant of basal metabolic rate, which accounts for over two-thirds of calories burned at rest, and so maintaining it results in less rebound weight gain. Aim for protein at every meal. 
  4. Be prepared. Time-permitting, prep travel-friendly snacks at home. Alternately, stock up upon your arrival using the Metabolic Effect Label Rule for anything with a label: total carbohydrate – fiber – sugar alcohols – protein should be <10, negative numbers are best. A few of my favorites? Protein bars, almonds, fruit, jerky, protein powder and sugar-free gum. If you have access to a mini-fridge, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, pre-cooked chicken breasts and plain Greek yogurt are quick and easy. Have something with youat all times. Do not resort to the hotel mini-bar: the in-room vending convenience that is anything but for your wallet and waistline. Hit up room service, or a hotel restaurant. 
  5. The breakfast buffet (trap). Choose fat over carbohydrate, but not both. The combination is an atomic bomb for fat storage. Think egg white omelet with fibrous veggies and breakfast meat, or a serving of oatmeal with scrambled egg whites or protein powder. Prioritizing a protein-packed breakfast keeps hunger, energy and cravings balanced, which will set you up for success by enabling you to make better choices throughout the day. 

What’s your biggest obstacle to staying healthy on the road? Let me know in the comments below!


Top 10 Most Difficult Weight Loss Truths: What You Need To Know Now To Prepare For The Long-Term

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As featured in the March 2014 issue of BossFit Magazine.

  1. The extent to which you deprive is directly related to the extent to which you binge. Naturally, when we tell ourselves something’s off-limits it’s all we want. With willpower drained, cravings run rampant and compensatory binges result. Preemptive cheats help “take the edge off,” and won’t necessarily aid in your fat loss, but used strategically, will not cause you to gain. Knowing that you can eat anything you want, anytime is liberating. Jill Coleman’s approach? Intermittent sampling: “Taste everything, finish nothing.”
  2. Weight loss does not equal fat loss. If calories are restricted, you will lose weight but not necessarily fat. Fat loss minimizes muscle loss, and changes body shape. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for over two-thirds of the calories burned at rest and muscle is a major determinant of BMR. Research shows that if you lose muscle on a diet, you’re 15-30% more likely to gain 20+ lbs. over the next two years aka the rebound yo-yo weight gain. Lift heavy, and keep your muscle!
  3. Calories matter, but hormones matter more. The key to caloric deficit and hormonal balance is this: eat less, exercise less OR eat more, exercise more. Where the calorie model has ingrained in us the eat less, exercise more approach, the hormonal model teaches us to eat more of the right things more often. With exercise, more is not always better; it is just more.
  4. Stress and sleep. Chronic high stress raises stress hormones and impedes fat loss. Build stress-reducing activities into your daily routine. We all have stress but instead of hating yourself for it, or placing blame elsewhere, remember you control your attitude and effort. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Not feasible? Nap or meditate.
  5. Action beats intention. Intentions are meaningless until they are followed up with actions. Small actions over time can create big results, but inaction creates nothing.
  6. Nutrition = gross control. Exercise = fine control. If you only have thirty minutes, hit the kitchen not the gym. Be prepared. A diet high in protein, veggies (fiber) and water will balance hunger, energy and cravings and thus, hormones. Give yourself some wiggle room and practice letting good be good enough because good still gets results. If you can’t do it forever, you’re on a diet; you’re either ‘ON’ or ‘OFF.’ A lifestyle is sustainable over the long-term.
  7. Carb control. The amount of carbohydrate you need to sustain energy, and still get results, is based on your own unique metabolism. As a general rule of thumb, the whiter the starch the fewer the bites.
  8. Walking is not exercise, it is a necessity. Leisure walking lowers stress, reduces hunger (cravings, too?) and carries little concern for over training. If you can, walk outside. A little Vitamin D never hurt anyone, and the change of scenery is great to recharge.
  9. Focus on ONE thing and you will succeed. Small successes over time add up to be big wins. To think that you can successfully overhaul your lifestyle all at once is unrealistic. You can have everything, but not everything all at once.
  10. Consistency + enjoyment = success. Finding what works for YOU takes time, but fitness and nutrition are meant to enrich your life, not detract from it.

What do you struggle with most? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Strength In Numbers: How Groups Make Weight Loss Easier

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As featured in the February 2014 issue of BossFit Magazine.

So we’re a month into 2014. Perhaps you’ve made strides toward those “get healthy in the new year” resolutions or perhaps you started strong January 1, but your time, energy and motivation are beginning to wane. Good news is that the more individual it feels the more universal it probably is. Group exercise, in the traditional sense of a formatted class or just a network of individuals sharing health/fitness goals, facilitates the weight loss process.

Community promotes accountability. To be a part of something bigger than oneself, a group of other people that “get us,” creates a circle of trust among its members. A community need not necessarily be comprised of friends and in fact may be detrimental to our development, despite our best intentions. Friends are apt to be more permission-giving than mere acquaintances and in the pursuit of health, empathy not sympathy is most productive for personal growth.

Camaraderie that breeds friendly competition can also give us a boost when the going gets tough. Push each other to be the best version of your unique selves, but be wary of adopting an “I’ve got to beat so-and-so” attitude because no, you don’t. First, it gets you nowhere. You can only control you so focus on nothing, but that. Second, it’s a waste of energy – a finite resource. Instead, channel that energy toward doing you. This is a mindset switch, but something you choose. Be each other’s support and share in both your successes and struggles.

Accountability creates consistency and consistent action over time gets results. We talk about it [consistency] with relative ease, yet find more difficult to put into practice. Pick a new fitness class to try with a coworker, or schedule a workout with a gym “friend” (they’re aplenty this time of the year, just FYI). No gym access? Not to worry. Throw on your tennis shoes, grab your kid/dog/coworker/significant other and just go for a walk. You’re less likely to blow off your exercise if you know someone else is expecting you.

Results keep us going. Will we be losing weight forever? Of course not! But, motivating results don’t have to be physical in nature. What about more energy? Or reduced hunger and cravings? Quality sleep, less stress, healthier relationships and improved self-confidence, for example, are worth something, too.

When in doubt, just do something. The best kind of exercise is something that you will actually do. So find something you enjoy and do that. Action trumps inaction, always.

Bear in mind, your environment reinforces your habits. Do not underestimate the power of your support network. Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Be it family, friends or even complete strangers, you get to choose who you surround yourself with. What are you doing to create an environment conducive to your wellness success? Let me know in the comments below.

9 Top Tips for A Healthier Summer BBQ

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Heading into the holiday weekend, I wanted to share a few of my #fatlossfoodie QUICK TIPS to help you through a guilt-free and stress-free Fourth full of family, friends, fun and yes… food.

As featured in the June 2014 issue of BossFit Magazine.

With summer just around the corner, it’s inevitable that a barbecue or two (or ten!) will pop up on your social calendar. Good weather, fun times with friends and oh-so-good eats/drinks that are not oh-so-good for your bod. And while one afternoon of continuous boozing and indulgent eats won’t pack on the pounds, multiply that by a season of cookouts and you’ve concocted the perfect recipe for fat gain.

Here are my Top 9 Tips to make the backyard barbecue a bit healthier whilst still enjoying both the company and the food:

1. Workout early. Intense exercise (e.g. weight training) primes the body to build muscle and increases insulin sensitivity post-workout. This means that additional calories and/or carbs consumed in that window are less likely to go toward fat storage and instead, toward muscle repair and growth. Be it a heavy lift, bodyweight workout that incorporates plyometric movements or even just a walk, something is better than nothing.

2. Eat before. Have you ever deprived yourself in the hours leading up to an event, “saving” your cals for later, only to arrive ravenous and wanting to eat/drink everything in sight? Eat as you would before and make adjustments accordingly; NOT the reverse. By stressing less, you’ll leave yourself the mental energy to make better choices come time of the event.

3. Protein and veggies first. This combination will leave you feeling satisfied more quickly, and you’ll likely end up eating less overall. Meat on the menu? Opt for grilled chicken or burgers made with bison, lean ground turkey or lean grass-fed ground beef; hot dogs if you must. Even double your protein, but ditch the bun. Make a lettuce wrap instead. Craving crunch? Enjoy raw veggies liberally, even with a dollop of fresh guac, salsa, Greek-yogurt based dip or mustard. Avoid cheese-based dips to slash cals and fat. Or whip up a batch of sweet potato or kale chips – both clean and quick.

4. Choose fat over carb for fat loss.

5. Choose carb (starch) OR alcohol, not both. E.g. Enjoy your margs, eat your dip with a fork or veggies. Or, eat the chips but forgo the margs. 

6. Drink water to balance fluids. It will help offset high sodium consumption and keep you hydrated. Non-negotiable 1L before bed.

7. Alcohol. Forgo the sugary stuff and opt for vodka/club soda with a squeeze of lime, if you choose. Follow every alcoholic beverage with a glass of water.

8. Don’t want to be the only one eating something different? Bring enough of your favorite fat loss-friendly dish to share! If there’s nothing else to suit your food preferences, eat just that.

9. If you do overindulge, accept, acknowledge and move on! *Remember, you’re only ever one meal, one potential workout away from being back on track.

What’s your favorite fat loss-friendly dish to share? Any fun plans for the Fourth? Let me know on my Facebook page! :)

 

Top 5 Tips To Becoming A Badass Group Exercise (GEX) Instructor

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As featured by GEXhub.com,  April 25, 2014.

  1. Be kind and professional. Be the class people want to take because of YOU, not because of what you’re teaching. Do not talk about other class participants with your regulars. As the instructor, we are responsible for the energy in the room and it is our job to make everyone feel welcome. Holding judgments will accomplish anything but. Respect that everyone is at a different point in their health/fitness journeys, but that they are exactly where they need to be; honor their process. Exercise, let alone in a group setting, is outside the comfort zone of many. Be inviting and smile. It makes you more approachable, tenfold. 
  2. Be accessible, but set boundaries. Arrive to class with sufficient time to get situated and, of course, be available to any first-timers requiring assistance. Be sure these individuals are tended to before engaging in small talk with regulars. Being a GEX instructor means that we know a thing or two about fitness and/or nutrition and naturally, people will approach us for guidance in these realms. Even if it’s not your area of professional expertise, you only have to be one step ahead of your students to help. Don’t pretend to know something you don’t, but also don’t underestimate all that you DO have to offer, right now. Still, your time is your most valuable tool. Guard it, and know that you owe your students nothing more than the best class you can deliver, every time. If you offer additional services that you think you might serve them (and you!), direct them there. *An example from my own life. My students know that I am around for five minutes after each class while equipment is returned and am available for questions/comments then. If I am available and want to stay beyond that, I will, but beyond that it’s a consult or training.
  3. If others teach it, take it. This proved hugely helpful to me at the beginning of my career in GEX. An invaluable learning experience not only to understand how class formats vary, but in taking from different instructors who teach the same class you can take bits and pieces from each to make it your own. At this point, I know how I like to run my classes but still take on occasion when my routines are feeling stale and I am in need of some new ideas.
  4. Be open. You may be good, but you can always be better. Seek out opportunities for growth, and never stop learning. Take feedback for what it’s worth, but bear in mind that you can’t please everyone. And while it’s nice to receive compliments, we can’t depend on them to keep us going because they won’t always be there. Find it [inspiration] within you.
  5. Rest. Do NOT overcommit. Downing cough drops like it’s your job? May be an indication that you’re teaching too much. Though we’re inclined to want to help our colleagues every time they need coverage, do not feel obligated. My mantra when it comes to avoiding burnout? If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. While most of us are more than [physically] capable of picking up a few extra classes, our mind, body and voice need rest. The last thing you want is for your classes to suffer because you’re fighting exhaustion.

 What keeps you on your A-game when it comes to GEX? Let me know on the GEXhub Facebook page!