Our clients know that we have high standards for the type of food we eat and recommend. It is hard enough to find decent offerings on most menus–so when we see a restaurant that we feel is doing a great job, we want to bring it to your attention.

The Silly Goose in East Nashville is just such a restaurant. We love that The Silly Goose strives to find local, organic, sustainably produced, minimally manipulated food. They are all about high quality ingredients and so are we. Some of their suppliers include Delvin Farms, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Noble Springs Dairy, and Provence Breads.

They have so many great options, even sans pork (since we don’t do pork) and it is always hard to pick, but here is a sampling:

Spalding
Roasted almond couscous, sundried tomatoes, lemon,
sage, red pep. goat cheese, and grilled port. mushrooms

Papa Mace
organic quinoa, sweet potatoes, dry, cherries, pistachios,
grilled onions, manchego, carmelized orange vinaigrette

Simple
Baby greens, avocado, shaved fennel, tart apple
pumpkin seeds, and a chili-grapefruit vinaigrette.

Dorothy Bailey
Roasted beets, goats milk feta, sweet onion jam, local
arugula, sherry garlic vinaigrette, flatbread crackers

Zipper
Smoked salmon, honey black pepper goat cheese,
caramelized onion, baby arugula on toasted marble rye

Saylor
Grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, avocado, basil,
arugula, lemon-kalamata olive aioli on grilled ciabatta

Citrus, Mint, and Ginger Green Tea

Not only is the food great, but the atmosphere is great as well. The decor is earthy and rustic, with distressed tables and mason jars–yet at the same time it is very clean and tidy with a modern touch, provided by the metal chairs and red chairs that pop in color. So if you get a chance, head over to The Silly Goose and you won’t be disappointed.

Many of you may know that we do not eat or recommend pork. First of all, we want to be clear that we do not feel bound or constrained in some way that we cannot eat pork. However, the first reason is definitely the best and surest reason: God in the Bible specifically instructed his people not to eat pork. Being Christians, we know that are not made right with God by keeping the law but through faith in Christ. Faith does not nullify the law–and the commandment is still good. So while we are free to eat what we wish, we choose for wisdom sake to not eat pork (or shellfish for that matter).

The additional reasons are also strong. Pigs are scavengers and will eat their own feces, and even dead carcasses. While it is also true that chickens and goats may also search through feces or eat unnatural items, the big difference is in the digestive processes of the animals. The chicken and goat has a process that cleans its food digestively, while the pig does not. The pig has a singular stomach much like humans and carries it viruses and worms without filtering them out. The pig, like humans, stores its toxins in their own fatty tissues. When consuming pork, this additional toxic load is transferred to you, the consumer.

Despite what all of these animals may eat, we definitely think they should be out on pasture in free range settings, eating grass and insects, and not in crowded pens or factory farms feeding on grains. So if one were to consume pork, there is still a difference in quality from pastured pork to feedlot pork.

A big concern with pork is that pigs frequently carry worms and can transfer an infection to humans called trichinellosis or trichinosis. The reason the CDC recommends freezing pork prior to cooking is precisely to kill off any worms. Um, yeah, I am gonna go with no on that one, and just avoid the pork all together. Pigs are carriers of multiple parasites, toxins, worms (Taenia solium tapeworm), and viruses (HEV, Menangle, Nipah). These can all lead to painful and debilitating conditions.

The reasons that we do not eat or recommend shellfish are very similar. Shellfish are bottom feeders and feed on parasites and dead skin, many times from dead animals. They do not have appropriate digestive and filter systems to purify toxins and parasites from their body and flesh. Most shrimp, for example, come from places where there are little to no restrictions on contaminants such as PCB’s and dioxins. Shellfish also are among the most well known allergens and one can react at any time, even after having consumed shellfish for years (most likely due to constantly being exposed to different toxins in the shellfish).

We hope that gives you some understanding to why we do not eat or recommend pork or shellfish, nor do we really even consider them food. As with all food that we do eat and recommend, we always promote getting the highest quality that you are able and eat nutrient dense and clean food. Enjoy your food, but always remember: eat to live, and not the other way around!

Welp. It’s here! Our new “You’re Welcome” tee – available for preorder right now.

This tee is no longer up for pre-order. If you are interested in getting one please email us (lifefitnessacademy at gmail . com) or contact us. Have you signed up for our newsletter? If not, that is a great place to hear all recent news and see new stuff!

Hit us up with any questions.

You’re welcome…

It’s that time of year again! The time of year where families, friends, and co-workers come together to give thanks, trim the tree, and EAT. It’s also the time of year when you freak out on your eating and gorge on all the wonderfully bad food that usually comes out of a can or feed lot. Instead of sabotaging your fitness and nutrition, why not learn how to be the star of the holiday season by cooking amazing food with amazing ingredients–now you can.

Life Fitness Academy is hosting a cooking adventure called “How To Survive The Holidays”!! In this cooking adventure you will enjoy a full holiday dinner with turkey, dressing, rolls, sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, and pumpkin pie! As you enjoy your meal, we will share some of the important ingredients that we used, tell you why they are good for you, as well as show you how to prepare some of the items!

This event will be hosted on:
Saturday, October 29th
12:00 pm
$15 for advance tickets
$25 at the door

**10% of all all proceeds will benefit The Nashville Rescue Mission

Get an education in healthy eating, while helping someone else during the holidays. Contact us for tickets or with any questions!

It seems to me that many people in this country have an eating disorder to some degree. Even if it’s only when you eat a huge bowl of ice cream and say something negative about how fat you feel now, or how much you’ll have to run tomorrow.

I recently heard someone say they ate poorly because it was the easiest route and they would just feel guilty about it afterward, not to mention sluggish, cranky and overweight. I understand that everyone else has regular jobs and doesn’t spend all day thinking about food like I do usually. But if you eat food that is good for you, you won’t feel guilty about it, and you can even eat a lot of it! The aforementioned guilty eater was concerned about portion size, and I told him, “You can’t overeat on vegetables. You just can’t, try it.” I dare everyone to try it. You can certainly get full on them though! You should actually eat quite a lot of vegetables to get all your vitamins and other nutrients, so why not get full on them and not eat the junk that makes you pudgy?

This is why it’s so important to know what you’re eating. When you know what your body needs, you can make good choices by default, almost. Plan meals around a nutrient you need for the day. For instance you might notice you haven’t had any greens that day. Pick two (or three!) green veggies that you like and figure out what to add to them to make a meal you’ll be satisfied with. Using that same example, you could grill asparagus, steam broccoli and bake kale chips. Add some grilled chicken, salmon, or a grass fed steak and a sweet potato to those and you’ve got a nutrient packed and satisfying dinner. It is not hard to cook any of those things and could probably be done in about 40 minutes depending on your culinary skills.

You have certain foods you know are good for you and that you should use. Get creative! Use the tools you know about (veggies, good fats, fruit, etc.) and create anything you can within our guidelines. It’s like “Chopped” on Food Network (it just so happens to be one of my favorite shows). They give the chefs a basket of ingredients and they have to make something delicious using those ingredients and what is in the pantry. Well that’s all you do. Enjoy your healthy food; make it taste good! Eating well doesn’t have to be a chore or something terrible that you can’t wait to be done with. Make a lifestyle change to eat better when at all possible. If for some reason you eat poorly, your body will probably let you know about it in the way of some digestive discomfort, then it will pass and you won’t have to feel so guilty about it.

If you would like to learn more about how to prepare great foods ask us here at LFA. We all love to cook on some level and can give you the skills you need to take your cooking to the next level. If that doesn’t help we can even cook for you but only until you learn how to do it for yourself.

By: Ashley Dance

Recently I had the opportunity to attend and receive my class 1-2 CKM certification. It was one of the toughest things if not THE toughest thing I have ever done. It was a physical and mental test of will and strength which made me reflective on my strength and what it’s good for. It also made me even more appreciative of my life, wife, family and this business. Why? Because there are guys and girls out there using this training to defend this country, high profile clients, families and themselves everyday–they put their life on it, and that was eye opening for me. My 4 day certification process began with some formalities such as learning what it feels like to pass out, and, just in case you don’t know–not that good. Moving on from there I learned how to get out of standing choke holds, how to strike in your escape and how to do it all efficiently.

Day 2 started out with a warm up and review of the previous day’s work. We quickly moved on into ground work like: ground survival, grappling escapes, and how to guard yourself from deadly blows to the head. What does a blow to the head feel like? BAD! After my new lump was added to my ringing head I got to feel what it’s like to take full punches to the stomach (8) and open hand slaps to the face (8). New perspective was gained–as well as a new headache that lasted the duration of the training. We moved on to gun disarming and defense–this was a good time. Taking a gun is only a portion of what I learned, I also learned about the psychology of a gunmen–how to not make him nervous and how to not give away your intentions to turn the tables. It was eye opening as well as a long day, learning these things without any breaks may actually have been a good idea. My notes were benefitted by the experiences that I witnessed, some stories that were told, and information from the very knowledgeable, but equally punishing instructor.

Day 3 started much like the others, warm up and review, but unlike the other days I’m in a new place both physically and mentally. After having some sense beat into me, or out of me depending on your view, I was now really more cautious of the instructor and the craziness that we were subjected to. All the while he assured me that this was a laid back class–more so than the others. I felt like it could be way more laid back, I mean who needs to suffer through so many beatings? If you guessed that I did, you are right! Because after the review of gun training, learning some break falls, striking and kick defense as well as offense, it was time for the knife…

Knife training seemed simple enough, and for some reason I thought that guns were way worse than knives. I soon learned that that was incorrect. For instance, a knife can cut like a pen can write, endlessly. That means how ever you can think about it a knife can cut you, any combination. I learned to respect the knife after being attacked by my instructor and left with slice marks from what I thought was a plastic/rubber knife, it sure felt like a real one. If you would have seen my neck and stomach you would have thought that I had been attacked by a real knife. I learned a lot to say the least.

Day 4 was crazy stressful, as I had my test and what I was told would be a suicide mission. If that wasn’t enough, I was in a lot of pain from defending myself the day before. My body looked like I just played shirtless paintball. My wrists were swollen and very tender, but that aside I had to get back to the knife review which was really painful on my wrists. After my test and surprise attacks by 3 guys with weapons for 7 minutes I found myself in a workout session that was vomit inducing–thankfully I didn’t–I wish I could say the same about one of the other guys. Then we topped it all off with more slaps to the face (20) and more punches to the stomach (20). After all that I passed the test and am now certified as an instructor of CKM, which is different from traditional Krav Maga in the sense that it’s always being bettered with elements of other fighting systems as well as evolved in the sense that if something doesn’t work it’s changed or taken out all together. It is, in my opinion, the best reality based tactical self defense/military training out there. If you want to know more or would like to get busy training let us know.

FORWARD is a new running class that will run once a week for 8 weeks that will be offered here at Life Fitness Academy 10/13/11. Ashley will draw from her experience running NCAA track and field to improve form, speed and endurance. Classes will feature drills, strength training and, you guessed it, running! Some days will be short speed work and sprints and other days will focus on longer endurance runs. Running is a great workout and an easy and effective way to lose weight and get in shape. Whether you want to take up 5ks, marathons or just race your friends (or kids) in the yard, this is the class for you! This class will be an effective way to keep your body up and running through the fall, the best time to run. Get moving FORWARD in your life one quick step at a time.

Early registration is open now–get all 8 weeks for $189. As of 10/10/11 the price will go up to $199. Get in and get your run on! Contact us to schedule or with any questions.

Sale on midday training!

For new clients – Get 30% off if you book training between the hours of 10:00am-2:00pm. Available with any trainer and for as long as you train consecutively (without an extended break). Contact us to schedule or with any questions! Offer expires September 30, 2011.

Buy some get some FREE

For training with Terry, buy two sessions and get the third for FREE! You can book at any available time slot! For training with Ashley or Russ, buy four sessions and get the fifth for FREE! Contact us to schedule or with any questions! Offer Expires September 30, 2011. View pricing.

Last week, I talked about the importance of fats to transport vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your cells. This time, I’ll be sharing a way and get these nutrients: with kale! I’ll even tell you a scrumptious way to eat it.

Kale is not a very common vegetable in most people’s diets, but it should be. It is a dark leafy green that is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables out there. It is a wonderful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory food. It is not a new or exotic vegetable. It has been in the same form for over 2,000 years. Records exist of Greeks and Romans eating kale.

It has a high content of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin K, potassium, manganese, copper and the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid). In addition to the carotenoid beta-carotene, kale contains other very important carotenoid molecules called lutein and zeaxanthin and a variety of others.

Extensive research is being done with kale in cancer prevention and treatment because of its anti-oxidants, mainly the carotenoids and flavonoids. Specifically lutein and beta-carotene are the antioxidants that are so beneficial because they work to protect against oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is what happens when oxygen is not properly used by cells, and it can cause cataracts, atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and of course, cancer. These antioxidants are prime examples of what fight the free radicals running rampant in our bodies.

So how do you prepare kale? I’ve seen tasty kale salads, which can just be a nice change from spinach and lettuce. However, it does sometimes have a kind of bitter flavor, so a lot of people don’t like it raw. I have found the most enjoyable form of it is kale chips! It’s so easy to prepare and really and truly delicious!

The stem is pretty tough, so pull the leaves off of it and tear them into smaller pieces, not tiny, though. Spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzle melted coconut oil over the leaves. Lastly, sprinkle them with sea salt and stir them around to coat them evenly (if you’re a little OCD like me). Then pop them into the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Oven times and crispness preferences differ, so just watch them. You want them to be crunchy and dark green in color. I usually let the edges turn black so I know they will be crispy. If you’re feeling really adventurous try sprinkling some garlic powder on them before you cook them. Everyone I’ve made them for are amazed at how good they taste. What a nice surprise–enjoying healthy green food! Another easy way to include kale is to throw a leaf in your smoothie. Be sure to include plenty of berries so you don’t get a bitter smoothie, and blend really well or you’ll get kale chunks in your teeth!

By: Ashley Dance

Today we are going to talk about an excellent sweetener. We know you like your sweets–the problem is they may be debilitating to your health. If you are going to eat your sweets we recommend you do so with unprocessed, unrefined, whole, natural, and clean sweeteners. That means you should be throwing out the white sugar in your cabinet–and the high fructose corn syrup in most of the processed foods in your cabinet. Go ahead. We will wait while you throw it out.

Ok, now that you are back we shall continue. We are going to talk about palm sugar, also called coconut sugar. While the names may be used interchangeably, palm sugar and coconut sugar can come from different trees–like the date palm or sugar date palm and the coconut palm. We are specifically referring to coconut palm sugar in this article.

Coconut palm sugar, which comes from the sap of a coconut blossoms, is high in potassium, zinc, magnesium, and iron and has trace sources of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and Vitamin C. Most places thicken the sap under controlled heat to maintain the flavor and nutrients in the sugar. Some places such as Coconut Secret process the sap at low temperatures to keep it raw with enzymes intact.

A benefit of coconut palm sugar is that it has a lower glycemic index (35-40) than other sugars and has a better makeup than sweeteners such as agave. Agave nectar is also low glycemic, but is high in fructose and many times over processed. Coconut palm sugar is mostly sucrose which is made up of fructose and glucose, however when fructose is in this bound up form of sucrose it responds better in the body by not immediately being processed in the liver–as is the case with high fructose corn syrup or agave nectar. The presence of trace minerals also aids in balancing blood sugar levels (minerals such as chromium have been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes). Always look for sweeteners that are less refined with some trace minerals.

Another benefit is that palm trees are highly sustainable and produce 50-75% more per acre than sugar cane. One problem with coconut sugar is that the sap that comes from the flower is what nourishes and eventually allows the flower to become a coconut from which we get coconut oil, flour, and dried coconut. Without the sap there are no coconuts! Some trees have been set aside particularly for the purpose of collecting the sap, which is a great idea, as many times the sap is used for alcohol or vinegar. However, demand is currently extremely high, while supplies are limited resulting in high prices across the board for coconut products. (So go ahead and plant some coconut trees so we can have enough for both sugar and oil).

We recommend checking out:
- Coconut Secret
- Sweet Tree
- Navitas Naturals