Lifestyle Focus December 1 2006

A JOURNAL OF HOLISTIC FITNESS & HEALTH SHEPPARD’S PIE WELLNESS CALANDER DID YOU KNOW?

TAKING INVENTORY OF 2006 LOOKING

BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW YOU

SUGAR

TIPS ON DECREASING YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

LEARNING TO ASK 5 REASONS WHY

WE DON’T GET WHAT WE WANT

THE

ISSUE 11 DECEMBER 2006

LIFESTYLE FOCUS To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please click here

contents ________________________ December 2006

7

8

features 7

Linda Crawford This month Linda looks back at what 2006 looked like, and what changed.

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Karl MacPhee We can get what we want, as long as we know how to ask for what we want.

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Donna Woodhouse

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Amazing tips on how to decrease sugar from your diet!

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Recipe of the Month Amazing recipe for Vegetarian Sheppard’s Pie!

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Workout of the Month A new workout template which will be sure to get the heart pumping!

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contributors ____________________________

A mother of 2 beautiful girls,

Fitness Bucks in $25, $50 and $100 Values Available Now Great For Wellness Discussion Evenings

Fun With Fitness Classes

Linda Crawford juggles her time between her family, and her growing Personal Fitness and Lifestyle Coaching practice. Look forward to Linda’s monthly Lifestyle Article which is sure to make you stop, and think about your daily habits. To contact Linda, check out www.fitfouryou.com or e-mail [email protected].

As a former athlete who would spend most of his time honing his skills, Karl MacPhee changed his focus over the past 8 years and is now working towards helping others in the world of athletics, health and wellness. When he is not tinkering with the Lifestyle Focus, Karl is working at Ross Sheppard High School as the Fitness Director and Strength & Conditioning Coach. Contact Karl at [email protected] or go to www.kmptrainingsolutions.blogspot.com.

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As a Physical Education

Yoga Bliss Classes

Corporate and Wellness Seminars

Purchase Yours Now! 906-4288 or 975-6588

teacher at Ross Sheppard High School, Donna Woodhouse has been planting seeds of health and wellness for the past 10 years. In her free time, Donna studied Holistic Nutrition and is now growing her business, helping Albertans to create a happy and healthy lifestyle through positive nutrition and Holistic Lifestyle choices. To contact Donna, e-mail [email protected].

A Human Resources Professional for over 10 years, Jennifer

MacPhee recognized that the Lifestyle Focus had something missing. As of November 2006, Jennifer will be conducting lifestyle interviews of the many successful people in the Fit 4 you Community . Such interviews will allow the readers to connect with each other through “real life stories”. To contact Jennifer e-mail [email protected].

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Welcome Welcome readers,

fully receive what we want.

As I was in the middle of writing my article for this month’s newsletter, one of my students gave me a perfect example of why it is important to ask when unsure of how something works. I instructed him to move a bench - which is quite heavy and awkward - by specifically saying that he needs to grab one end so that he will be able to roll it into place. Well, he did not want to listen, so in attempting to move the bench (his way) he crashed into a post, tipped the bench and tossed himself over the bench landing on the floor in what looked like a pretzel. True, he didn’t ask, however he did not listen either. In my article 5 Reasons why people do not get what they want, I discussed how we should go about asking for what we want. What I neglected in this article is the skill of listening. When we are able to ask, things will start to happen for us, however if we are not able to accept or listen to what is happening around us, we will never

On behalf on all of us who work towards sending you our free newsletter, I want to thank all of you who have given us your feedback, we appreciate your honesty and enjoy the learning process. Yours in Fitness, Karl MacPhee PFT, CFC, AFLCA

Events

Yoga Bliss Classes Beginning Saturday December 16 at 10:00am Stillpoint Healing Center Karl 906-4288 [email protected]

Issue 11 December 2006 4

Linda 975-6588 [email protected]

Fit 4 You Community Last month Linda and Karl attended a 6 day Yoga Instructor course in Edmonton and had a great time. We were so excited about the week that you couldn’t pull us apart!

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The photos above and below were taken during the last day of the course when we were let loose to have some fun so we all decided that it would be fun to practice some partner Yoga!

Linda is demonstrating how to do the airplane to one of our classmates. The beautiful part of this class was that we were all able to create lasting relationships with each other through practicing, sharing and opening up.

What’s a Yoga course without a bit of community? Here we all got together with our loved ones for a winter Solstice celebration.

The experience of eating in this manner (off the floor) was different for most of the class, however one of our classmates came to Canada from Iran and demonstrated how it was to be done. Canadians were “too polite” and had a tough time getting to the middle of the mat.

In attendance were Linda’s husband Darren, and their two beautiful girls Emma and Maya as well as my beautiful wife Jennifer! Thanks to the Stillpoint Healing Center and Trinity Yoga for an amazing experience which will be introduced through our new Yoga Bliss classes!

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Taking Inventory of 2006... Linda Crawford

Wow to think another year already behind us. This month is typically one I enjoy taking stock of the last year and asking myself some thought provoking questions. Seeing how we have been spending time together over this last year in the Holistic Lifestyle Newsletter, I thought I would ask you some questions to think about or have discussions about them with your loved ones. Here are some of my favorite ones:

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What were my successes over the last year in the areas of health, career, finances and relationships? What were my challenges in these same areas? What are my greatest lessons taken from the last year in all or some of these areas? What do I feel most gratitude for? What are 3 key highlights that I will hold dear to my heart? I always find the holidays a great time to reflect, renew and to recharge my batteries. Pondering on these questions will give you great insight here and now and some food for thought to take with you into the New Year. I also have another challenge for you this holiday season especially if you are one to get somewhat stressed. I am delighted to share my Top Ten “Fit 4 You” strategies for remaining calm, present and relaxed during these upcoming weeks ahead. Here are my favorites in no particular order: Hit the Gym or the Outdoors: Exercise and movement patterns of any kind has a powerful effect on your overall mood and stress levels, so place priority on keeping active and getting some fresh air whether it be a trip to the gym for a group class, a Yoga session or a

walk in the River Valley. Watch your plate: Resist the urge for over-consumption by holding an intention for greater health near and dear to your heart. Eat sensibly remembering that a Whole food plant based diet will decrease typical cravings for sweets and salt. Set realistic expectations: It’s not worth having a meltdown if the Christmas cookies got burned or the decorations aren’t a match to the “Martha Stewart” catalogue. Some things are not worth the increase in your blood pressure, remember to always keep the bigger picture in mind of what the holidays really mean to you. Plan ahead: Make a list, check it twice and avoid waiting until the very last minute if you know that is what gets your heart rate up and anxiety buttons pushed.

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Continued on Page 8...

Taking Inventory of 2006... Linda Crawford

Set a budget: Predetermine an amount you feel comfortable spending on each person and avoid a monster credit card bill in January that you know you cannot afford. Sometimes the best gifts are from the heart rather then the shelf in the store. Choose what feels right and true for you.

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Be willing to delegate and ask for support: This can be a busy time with more errands to run, parties to attend, and gifts to wrap. It lends for a perfect time to practice what most of us are uncomfortable doing and that is delegating to our family and friends and asking for support to alleviate all the mechanics sitting on only your shoulders. People love to help and be of assistance.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: When you feel yourself getting tense, stressed, anxious or depressed the best cure for all of those is to BREATHE, literally breathing deeply even for 2 minutes will dramatically shift your mental state for the better. Live Fully, Laugh Often and Love Much: Repeat this mantra daily into the New Year to remind yourself of what is truly important no matter what shows up for you between here and January 1st. From my family and heart to yours, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for all your support, kind words and loving gestures over this last year. I look forward to serving you in 2007 and to grow together into an even deeper experience of Holistic Lifestyle for the New Year. I wish you and yours a blissful Holiday Season full of joy, adventure, and hot totties!!!

Take time for yourself: What recharges your batteries?, is it a massage, a walk in the park, time with children, arts and crafts, an entertaining “flick”, a green tea at a cofMay you have a blessed season! fee shop, for me it will be a once a week commitment to a restorative Yoga class to PS: A reminder that I will be away from remain grounded and at peace during December 23- January 1st and will rethis busy time, what will yours be? sume again on January 2nd. Make the season meaningful: Sincerely, Rather than the holidays feeling like one big headache of a trip to the mall – choose different such as adopting a charLinda Crawford ity or family or volunteering for a cause FIT 4 YOU that makes you feel like you are giving www.fitfouryou.com from the heart. Being in service is a 780-975-6588 wonderful gift to give back and to yourself.

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Did You Know? •

• •

•

•

Some plant foods, such as soybeans and • lentils, contain even more iron than meat generally does—though the body absorbs the mineral slightly better from meat. Whether you’re lean or heavy, inactivity • may worsen your cholesterol profile. The risk of adverse drug reactions increases dramatically as the number of drugs you take increases. Individuals who are looking to begin a new exercise program are more likely to commit long term when they seek out the help of a professional fitness trainer. This commitment increases 88% when the fitness trainer has a competent back- • ground in Lifestyle Coaching. Gel squeezed from a leaf of an aloe plant is more potent than many commercial preparations.

Exercise boosts circulation to the brain which helps prevent brain– damaging strokes and ministrokes, and appears to stimulate the growth of neural connections. For many people, regular exercise relieves depression as effectively as antidepressant medication and may have longer lasting effects. • For people watching their cholesterol, every meal can make a difference. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a diet with plenty of tofu and other soy products, nuts and other fiber rich foods such as oatmeal, lowered cholesterol levels by 20% or more in 1 year. We don’t create joy when we practice Yoga, we create space for joy to flow more easily through our bodies.

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It’s Never Too Late to Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

www.fitfouryou.com

Issue 11 December 2006 9

The 5 Reasons why people don’t get what they ask for... Karl MacPhee Imagine this scenario… you come upon a mysterious lamp and read the inscription which says “ Ask and it shall be given”. You shake the lamp and all of a sudden, in a puff of smoke, a Genie appears and asks you “What can I do for You?”. Nervously you ask the genie for a few things, some appear while others don’t. “But Genie, I asked for this and that, however you only gave me this and none of that” you exclaim. The Genie responds by saying “it was because you were not clear in what you asked for that you did not receive everything”. Have you ever wanted something but

were too afraid to ask for it? Have you

ever settled for something because you were too proud to ask? Or maybe you

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didn’t ask for something because you

had a misleading belief that asking was not appropriate. Think about when you

were young and had a crush on someone in your class. You desperately wanted to ask them on a date yet didn’t have the

“guts” to do so. Maybe they wanted the same and were also afraid to ask!

Understanding why you don’t get what you want unlocks your fear of asking

because it provides you with a blueprint

What would you ask the Genie for? How

would you ask the Genie for the “things” you want? How would you be certain

that you will receive exactly what you asked for?

Let’s take a good look at why it is that people don’t get what they want... Ignorance Many of us don’t know what to ask for.

Maybe it is because we don’t know what is available to us or that we are no

longer able to understand our real needs and wants. Maybe you grew up in a

home where asking was not modeled, or you were not taught to ask in school.

The result is that you don’t know how to ask, or when to ask, and eventually this leads to the common answer of “I don’t

care”. Have you ever tried to come to an agreement with 5 of your friends on

which restaurant to choose? This one is

always a tough one, especially with people who aren’t able to effectively

communicate their preference. Simply stating that you would like to go to a

certain restaurant may be what everyone is looking for, after all, they did ask you where you wanted to go!

of reasons why you may not be getting

Misleading Beliefs

plenty of new ways to ‘exercise your ask-

The second reason is that because of our

what you really want. Also, you will learn

ing muscles’ so that in the future you will no longer have to settle for less.

programming, we have misleading be-

liefs that are engrained in our subconscious mind. We are all born with a

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Lunging for Daily The 5 Reasons whyActivities... people don’t Karl MacPhee get what they ask for... Karl MacPhee clean slate, and are programmed from day one. For example, many North Americans are taught to believe that they need to drink milk to build strong bones, and for the rest of their life they drink milk; even if milk causes them digestive issues. Another area of our lives where we either learn to ask or learn to hold back is in school. How many times have you been laughed at or told “that was a silly question?” This form of learning can be traumatic for many people and thus forms a belief in their mind that they shouldn’t ask in the fear of sounding silly. In my youth, I was taught to trust the doctor, the coach and anyone else

Fear

Negative or painful experiences from our childhood cause us to fear the

things we desire because we are afraid

of failing or rejection. We become passive, and learn to settle for less and

eventually we spend most of our time wasting our energy on being angry/

resentful of those who are successful.

Wouldn’t it be much easier to apply our energy towards the things we want like

health, love, relationships and financial freedom to name a few. I know from

experience that there was a point in my life when I was angry at people who

were financially successful,

who was in a position of

and because of that, I was

‘power’. This resulted in a very polite young man who was al-

on the opposite side of the

ways afraid to ask people

spectrum...unhealthy, un-

questions like “Why”, “What

wealthy and frustrated.

happens if”, and “Is there any

Another example comes

other way?” In my adult years,

from an experience which I

I had an unfortunate experi-

had in grade 6. My family

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ence with my health and trusted the doctors with my care. This lead me to taking too much and the wrong meds,

as well as not eating the proper diet which would help in improving my health. All I had to do was take the time to ask a few questions. Not having the knowledge to ask, and allowing misleading beliefs to control one’s daily patterns, facilitates a fear of asking...which leads us into the next reason for not getting what we want...

moved to a new province,

Advertise here! Call and in my new school we had 906.4288 for more info. an area to wash our hands Which was completely foreign to me. Because I did not understand how to use this washing area, I did not use the washroom for an entire 6 months because I was too proud to ask how the washing area worked! This brings us to the 4th reason…

Pride

How many times have we heard the

joke about men who are too proud to ask for directions? The fear of losing

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Lunging for Daily The 5 Reasons whyActivities... people don’t Karl MacPhee get what they ask for... Karl MacPhee the respect of others, causes many people to forgo the idea of asking for help to “figure it out on their own”. Unfortunately, for those of us who live by this principle spend most of our time looking, and trying to figure things out when all it takes to swallow some pride and ask for help. Here is a classic example of how our pride or ego gets in the way of progress in the gym setting… An individual who is working out in the gym has always been taught (by reading muscle magazines and listening to his friends) that is it best to lift as much weight as possible. Quite often this individual is seen in the gym struggling through a ‘set’ and the gym manager asks if he needs ‘a spot’. He refuses and goes about his training session, and is working on the bench press. Pretty soon, this individual has a few hundred pounds resting across his neck and he is not even able to call for help. Rather than taking the time to ask someone in the gym for ‘a spot’ he nearly kills himself because

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he is too proud to ask. Now, what do you think happened to his pride when everyone in the gym notices him choking with a bar

Some people have had the experience of consistent broken promises which

leads to never wanting to ask so that they will never have to fear that they are not important.

Another example occurred early in my fitness career. I was often asked my

rates by prospective clients and immediately I feared telling them what I

charge because I was not yet confident in my service; therefore when I ex-

plained the reason why my rates were “so expensive” I lost people instantly. Now I understand what others in my

industry are charging and I know the

value of my service, so to explain my

rates today is not as gut wrenching as it had been in the past.

Now that you understand the 5 reasons why people don’t get what they want, take the time to think about what

questions you have always wanted to ask and have been fearful of asking. Whether it is to improve your health

across his neck?

and wellness, or to attract a new job, a

Low self esteem

come clear with what you want so that

When we don’t get what we want we begin

Once you are in alignment with what

raise or a life partner, you must be-

the universe can allow that to happen!

to believe that our needs are not important, even worse, we tend to lean towards the

idea that the needs of others are more im-

portant than our own. What happens

then is that we stop asking for anything at all!

you want, you are able to make the

necessary changes in your life so that you CAN GET WHAT YOU WANT! Best of luck, Karl MacPhee PFT, CFC, AFLCA

[email protected]

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Tips to Cut Down on Your Sugar Intake Donna Woodhouse

Last month we took a look at some of the negative effects sugar can have on our health. With the holiday season upon us and treats all around us here is a list of some of the ways you can choose to reduce the amount of sugar you consume everyday. Every little bit helps and remember it takes time to change your habits and develop new tastes so be patient and your body will reward you and thank you! 1. Eat whole unprocessed foods with no additives. For example: whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh vegetables and fruits and unprocessed meat, poultry and fish.

6. Let desserts be special versus an everyday affair. Serve them alone from the meal as many are difficult to digest with protein and fat meals. Fruit is always a great choice. 7. Use unsweetened juice or make your own fresh squeezed rather than using processed. 8. If you choose to use canned fruit – buy the ones with no sugar added or canned in their own juice. 9. Do NOT use sweets as a reward (remember – sugar is addictive)

2. Eliminate soft drinks, sugared fruit juices and baked goods made with sugar.

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3. Read all labels and be aware of the other names sugars hide behind.

10. Do not put sugar on the table and never add it to your cereals. Eliminating refined processed cereals from your diet entirely is a great step.

4. Do NOT use sugar substitutes, especially aspartame or aspartame sweetened foods. Aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid, phenylanine and methanol, which degrades into formaldehyde – a well known toxin. If interested further on this topic check out: Defense Against Alzheimer’s Disease” a book by Dr. H.J. Roberts where he and others have stated there are 167 documented side affects to aspartame, from ‘stimulating neurons of the brain to death, causing brain damage of various degrees”, to “consuming aspartame at the time of conception can cause birth defects.”

11. Ensure you have a good quality multivitamin, mineral, 2-3 grams of Vitamin C, an antioxidant formula and essential fatty acids as a regular part of your supplementation to reduce cravings and ensure your are balanced in regards to these essentials.

5. Buy cookbooks that have recipes that cook without sugar to help you learn ways to replace this product in your diet.

Best of Health,

12. DO NOT have sugar in the house…. As always, I encourage you to drop me an email if you have any questions I might be able to answer or suggestions for topics on which you might like more information. Have a healthy and happy holiday season!

Donna Woodhouse B.PE, B.ED, CNM, RHN, RNCP [email protected]

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Quote of the Month “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in the world than there is for hunger.” Mother Teresa

Sheppard’s Pie This savory vegetarian pie features an intensely flavored mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms, celery, carrots and tomatoes, topped with mashed potatoes and two cheeses. Leftover mashed potatoes work perfectly here. Your guests will not resist having seconds!

Preheat oven to 300 F In a small pot, heat about 3 cups of water to boil. Add mushrooms & remove from heat. Let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add all fresh mushrooms and cook for about 20 minutes, uncovered stirring occasionally,

Serves 10-12

until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add shallots,

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carrots and celery and continue cooking for another

1 package (2oz) dried mixed mushrooms 3TB olive oil 3 cups sliced Portobello mushrooms 5 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed, rinsed, cut in half, then sliced crosswise 4 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and dried, stems removed 3 shallots, peeled and chopped 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 6 celery ribs, peeled and chopped 2 bay leaves 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes Sea salt, to taste Ground pepper, to taste 5 cups leftover mashed potatoes (made with butter and milk) 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 2 TB grated Parmesan cheese

5 minutes. Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and add the mushrooms to the pot. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer and remove any grit. Add strained liquid to the mushroom mixture. Stir in bay leaves, tomatoes and one cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low heat until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste & adjust seasoning. The mushroom mix can be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Spread the mushroom mix in the bottom of a 3qt baking dish. Cover with the mashed potatoes & sprinkle with cheddar cheese and then the Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted & pie is heated through, about 45 minutes. Serve! 290 cal(130 from fat), 14g total fat, 6g saturated Fat, 11g protein, 32g carbs, 30mg cholesterol.

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Fit 4 You empowers people to choose their own path of health and wellness by providing expert knowledge, support and direction in the key areas of Strength, Nourishment, Heart and Attitude.

The 4 Pillars

Strength Call today for a Healthier You 780.975.6588

One-on-One & Group Fitness Health & Wellness Seminars Pre/Post Natal Fitness Group Fitness Events Lifestyle Coaching Boot Camps Retreats Yoga

Workout of the Month “Movement” This workout was designed to develop full body functional strength through the combination of dynamic and strength exercises. Training session should take between 40-45 minutes from warm-up to cool down. Phase 1(Warm-up): 5 minutes cardio of choice

Phase 2(Dynamic Preparation): Dynamic Warm-up (page 11)

Phase 3(Strength): This workout is in triset format. Complete prescribed repetitions of the first exercise and then move on to exercise 2, and 3. Rest at the end of the triset and complete 3 more rounds.

Jumping Jacks Sets

Repetitions

Rest

1

30 seconds

none

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Lunge with Twist Sets

Repetitions

Rest

1

30 seconds

none

Dumbbell Disco Drill (floor touch with shoulder press) Sets

Repetitions

Rest

1

10/side

30 sec

Phase 4(Intervals): Speed walk or run: 4 x 2 minutes fast with 2 minutes slow for recovery

Phase 5(Flexibility): Find 5 stretches... Hold each one for 10 seconds and repeat circuit 2 more

times.

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Workout of the Month “Dynamic Warm-up” This workout was designed to warm-up the body by moving through each exercise dynamically for a prescribed period of time.

Complete 3 rounds of the following exercises x 30 seconds each. Only move through your range of motion, and abilities.

Single Leg Cone to Cone touch x 30 seconds

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Ankle Touches x 30 seconds

Bowling Lunge x 30 seconds

Lying Leg Whip x 30 seconds Issue 11 December 2006 18