​Well it is the month of February. This is the time where a lot of folks that made new year’s resolutions start to quit or give up on their dreams of goals of a better new year. They start to slow up a going to the gym, they start to nimble a little bit on items that are not on the approved food list due to the fact that they are seeing some progress, some even start to question God on the goal or dream that what put before them.
 
Well now is not the time to backslide into the same habits that got you into the mess you are in. Some of us lack grit. Angela Lee Duckworth defines “grit” as sticking with your future day in, day out and not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years.  As I kid I did not know it at the time but I got the chance to witness grit in action. One of the first accounts of grit displayed in my life was from my father. Early on my father was laid off from work. He worked a high paying job and at no fault of his own all of a sudden he no longer had the income that he once had. As a child of course I did not understand economics or what was really going on, but I as a child I was frighten that we would be homeless or worse. Of course my mother had a job and my father started three or four different businesses to make ends meet. We continued to say in our house, the utilities were paid, and of course there were still Christmas gifts for the family. This is just one of many examples of father showing grit. He probably did not know it but he was showing me how to be a man.
 
Whoever said life was supposed to be easy?
Some believe that when you become a Christian that life is supposed to be easy
Some belief that when you get married, some things in life are supposed to get easy
Some folks believe that when you join a gym your fitness journey is supposed to be easy
 
Well I am here to tell you that life is not easy. In life I believe you have to pick your hard. Being overweight and weak is hard and being fit and strong is hard. – Pick your hard. 

Are you eating the right types of foods that will help cleanse the body?
 
Dark leafy greens – These plants are fiber dense and great for scrubbing the gut. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the body needs to build strong immune systems. Kale and spinach are a couple of my favorites.

Chia – The first time I heard of chia seeds were form the commercial trying to market them as they grew on items for children toys.  I have since added them as a regular part of my nutritional intake. Chia seeds are packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein. It is amazing to watch them when they get wet and go from crunchy to a pudding like substance.  When these lil powerful seeds are digested they really get in there and collect toxins and cleanse the body. Chia seeds can be added to just about anything. I have heard that ancient tribes would take a hand full of chia seeds and go for a day’s run. Chia seeds
 
Garlic – This is a powerful superfood. It really helps support the your liver and it is vital in the natural detoxification process. Of course I have found that garlic is great to get rid of a lil itch in the back of my throat. Chewing the piece of raw garlic is not pleasant but I have found it to be very effective and I prefer this over getting heavily medicated or having to get a shot in the rump. Garlic is great for also adding some extra kick or flavor to a dish.
 
Wheatgrass – When I first heard of wheat grass I just thought it was for those folks that were really crazy about their health and that only folks on the west coast drank wheatgrass shots. Of course being from Mississippi it is very rare to find a place that sells wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a great pick me up and really helps in the area of restoring your body’s alkalinity. If you don’t have a placed that sells wheatgrass you can get it in your Shakeology.  Wheatgrass
 
 Lemons and Grapefruits – These fruits are high in vitamin C and they both help your body’s alkalinity. Most folks would think that these fruits are acidic yet they help detoxify the liver and help balance your internal pH.
 
Water – Water is an excellent detoxifier.  The benefits of water are vast. We are usually having a water challenge or something fun to help others make sure they are staying hydrated. Just because you are not thirsty does not mean that you are not dehydrated. Of course most studies will say that you should drink about 8 cups of water a day, but if you are exercising, working outside in the heat, or doing something to sweat you just might would to kick that number of glasses up a notch.    

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If you are looking for more help or tips join us in one of our facebook private groups like this one:
FitHouse Support Group
 
 
 
 
 

Don't be like this minion and get side tracked. We are going to discuss how eggs can help our health.
 
For folks looking to get lean and improve their health I have found eggs to be a great low calorie protein rich choice in working to high my daily macros goals. One egg is roughly 70 calories, contains about 5 to 6 grams of protein and has no sugar or carbs.  This is an awesome nutrient density which means you can get a well-rounded macro selection without looking and feeling round.  Tips & Tricks Did you know that in most cases folks that consumed eggs for breakfast consumed up to 300 fewer calories throughout the day compared to those folks that ate a high carbohydrate breakfast?
 
 
If you are old enough to remember this, at one time folks were claiming that the consumption of eggs was bad for your health in fear of dietary cholesterol.  It is important to note that cholesterol in our regular food intake doesn’t necessarily raise cholesterol in our blood. God designed our bodies in a wonderful way. The body yearns for good sources nutrition. We know that our liver produces large amounts of cholesterol every day. When we eat more eggs, the liver produces less cholesterol and balances things out. Eggs help raise our “Good” cholesterol in most healthy adults. Now after over 30 years of research it has been proven that healthy adults can in fact enjoy eggs without greatly impacting their chances of heart disease. In fact consummation of high amounts of over processed foods now a days has more folks at a greater risk of health concerns than ever before.  Salt Sugar Fat If we really want to find out the cause of our growing obesity epidemic we need to look closer at the food industry instead of a chicken.
 
In my opinion eggs are pretty much one of nature’s perfect foods. I still wonder what made the first person crack an egg and eat it, but I am glad they did. 

Alright first of all make sure you are not taking an apple from an wicked queen and make sure the apple does not has green goo on it. If your name is Snow White you might want to make sure your apples are organic, you grew them and picked them yourself. LOL
 
Now back to health and fitness:
 
Have you ever heard the ole saying? “An apple a day will keep the doctor away”
There are several studies that show that enjoying whole apples help some folks peel off extra pounds.  In one highly respected journal half of the group ate 3 to 4 apples daily in addition to their regular food intake and the other half of the group ate oats 3 to 4 times a day in addition to the regular food intake.  This test was held for a 12 week period of time. Which group do you think had the greatest weight loss?
Remember whole grains and oats are good for the body.
 
At the end of the study the apple group lost the most weight. They averaged about 3 pounds lost per person. Some may ask … Why?
Apples contain a great source of fiber in the peel of the fruit so don’t get cute and peel the fiber right off. The fiber is what keeps you full.
Apple Study
 
If you are online and a part of just about any social media site that has health and fitness groups you will see ladies sharing testimonies about the benefits of apple cider vinegar and weight loss. My wife was the first to share the claims with me of apple cider vinegar helping folks in the area of lowering their blood sugar levels, improving their diabetes symptoms, helping in weight loss,  and helping their immune system.  She tried several different makers of apple cider vinegar and over the years really fell in love with Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar  which our family still uses today.  The information she shared with me was important to me not just because of weight loss but because of how it helps type 2 diabetes.  My father has diabetes and he has seen great improvement by changing his nutritional intake and exercising. For those looking to lose weight studies show that in some cases folks eat anywhere from 200-275 fewer calories daily by adding vinegar with their high carb meals. Of course this is not a miracle weight loss find, but our time this equates to reduced weight over time.  The results in the 12 week test really mean nothing if you do not change your eating habits and add some sensible exercise as good habits in your life. 

Health Benefits of Drinking Water
 
We all know that our bodies are made up mostly of water.  Consuming enough water daily plays a vital part in our overall health and as an added bonus water does not contain calories, fat, sugar or carbs lol.
 
Some may ask next, well “How much water should one consume?”
Some experts recommend drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day to maintain good health. In talking to most trainers and people in the fitness industry they recommend about a gallon of water a day.
 
How do you know if you are getting enough water?
Well you cannot judge by weather or not you are thirsty. Nine times out of ten if you are thirsty then you are already dehydrated. I have found it helpful to look at the color of my urine as a helpful tip to make sure I am on task with my water intake.  Urine Chart
 
 
Remember our bodies are made of mostly of water and we lose water daily:
 
 Sweat – We don’t have to do P90X to sweat. Just to keep our bodies at a normal temperature our bodies sweat and most of the time we don’t even know it because it is so minimal unless you do not bathe regularly, that will be a blog or video for another day, lol. Believe it or not an average adult can lose about two cups of sweat just living. If you live in the south like I do of course sweating can be a lot more obvious.
 
Breathe – This can vary greatly depending on your environment. Here in the south at times you can just about drink the air. With our high levels of humidity in the south we would not lose as much water through our lungs as someone in in Arizona. I remember as a kid I would love to form little clouds with my breath when the temperature would drop on a cold day.
 
Feces – This might not be a popular topic, but of course we all need to have regular bowel movements. Water plays a part in this process, it helps to moisten the feces so it can flow out of the colon better.  Experts say that adults lose about 100 to 200 milliliters of water as part of feces in a day.  When someone has diarrhea they really need to increase their water intake.
 
So to sum it up we lose water constantly at the rate of about 1.5 pounds in just normal everyday living. That means we have to replace that water lost to prevent dehydration. Water being lost through the skin, waste and breathing all plays a part in the water lost throughout the day. Top 10 Ways to Stay Hydrated
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Circuit training is a well-known method where you perform a series of exercises in rotation with varying loads and minimal rest. We normally take workout moves that we have taught from P90X Live classes and create a fun sweaty total body workout that many in the community have come to love.  This has been very successful with children, older members and large groups of individuals. There are normally several trainers onsite to help with form and make sure everyone is getting the most out the workouts.

Changing from lower body to upper body and having those cardio moves in-between make for a great way to start the day. I have found this to be very enjoyable while keeping clients lean.  Most clients burn around 300 to 500 calories during the time there so we highly recommend bringing water and staying hydrating because you will sweat. The sets will consist of resistance exercises using body weight, free weights, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, med balls, etc., with an endless number of combinations.  

​Whether you are a ripped athlete or just getting started our circuit training classes are a great way to have fun, challenge your body and help get you into great shape.