Checkley’s Natural Method of Training – Part 5

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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

You are what you eat is a truer phrase than most people realize. This is another one of those common sense things people forget to think about logically. Nutrition is a wonderfully complex and interesting study, but there are a few things that are just so simple. And again, there is a lot of bad information out there. Understandably, many people won’t know what Kombucha is (or how delightful it is), or how to make cauliflower taste like mashed potatoes (it can!), but to think you can eat doughnuts every day for breakfast and not have some physical consequences is ridiculous.

I know a lot of people don’t, or don’t every time, but think about how many people feel sick after eating fast food. My dad (who does love them) calls Krystal hamburgers, “gutbombers”. I don’t think he’s the only one who calls them that, either. You eat food because you need the energy to fuel your body to live and move around. Why would you put bad fuel in? Indigestion is a clear-cut sign that your body didn’t like what you just gave it.

Back to the you-are-what-you-eat part. So many friends in high school would eat a greasy fast food meal and say, “ugh, I’m gonna break out so bad because of this.” Without processing it, teenagers realize that greasy food makes for a greasy face based on their experiences with it. So why continue to eat it, when you know it makes your insides greasy too? Rather eat fresh food as close to its natural form as possible. Cheez-Its do not grow on any tree, or in the ground, nor do most of the ingredients that make them. Natural vitamins and minerals are more readily absorbed and used by the body. Just eat what is natural, pure and nutrient-rich. You will have what you need for your body to effectively provide energy for itself, and not anything extra weighing you down. You feel better and are less tired when you eat the right things because your body doesn’t have to spend all its resources on digestion. It will spend hours and hours trying to pull usable energy from those bad foods and store what it can’t do anything with. You’re body is weighed down by stored uselessness and tired from digging around for the good stuff.

By: Ashley Dance

It seems to me in a world where everyone is so obsessed by looks, appearances, body image etc., there would not be such an obesity problem–because you can change what your body looks like. You can’t do much about your face; if you’ve got an ugly one, you’re out of luck. Your body, however, can be shaped to your liking. So as I’m wondering why there are so many obese people, I realize it must be because they just don’t know. It boggles my mind that people are unaware that eating fast food is so terribly unhealthy for you, or that you have to get off your butt and move around a little!

Granted, there is a lot of bad information out there and a lot of people get confused and go wrong. How do you know which information is correct, and which is gibberish? I say look at nature and how things naturally occur. For instance, with working out, say you want to have nice shapely legs like a sprinter or jumper in the Olympics (maybe not to that extent, but you know). It makes sense to me that if nearly all sprinters have nice, muscle-y legs, you should work out like a sprinter;even if you aren’t one. They do bursts of powerful motion. They jump. They work their fast-twitch fibers. Next, look at cross country runners or long distance track runners. I know there are exceptions, but generally those dudes (and gals) are super skinny, with less muscle than the aforementioned sprinters. So, if your goal is to use up a lot of energy and lose weight, you should run long distances. And I mean long. Those guys are crazy, going for hour(s) long runs all the time.

The trick is to find the balance, because most people want both. And there are a lot of different ways to go about it. Obviously running isn’t the only way to loose weight or build muscle. Although it is one. Again thinking about nature, animals that run are lean–cheetahs, lions, gazelles, etc. But when perusing other options think about it logically and compare it to what you know based on your own observations and experiences. Have an open mind about trying new things, but be wary of programs that seem too good to be true. Use your common sense, people forget about it too often.

By: Ashley Dance

How To Live A Detox Lifestyle

A seminar series from Life Fitness Academy

If you have done reading on detoxing, tried a detox of any kind, or even heard the word detox you MUST come to this workshop. We will take you through the foundations of not just doing a detox, but living the detox lifestyle that will promote weight loss, healing, less depression, renewed energy, and more. Join Terry (owner of LFA), Tim (Head nutrition consultant at LFA), and Chris (ER Nurse and Nurse practitioner for Vanderbilt health) as they guide you through why we need to detox, what the medical community doesn’t tell you about toxins, and what you can do to avoid toxins no matter what level you are.

There’s something for everyone in this workshop! We will have refreshments, worksheets for you to follow along, and answers for your questions. Don’t miss this necessary seminar for taking your health to the next level. The workshop will be at 12:00pm on August 27, 2011 at our Edgehill Village location. The cost is $20 if you RSVP by 8/24. Contact us to RSVP!

Life Fitness Academy is passionate about whole food nutrition and that means ensuring that we have access to whole, unprocessed foods that God gave for our good and enjoyment. One of those foods, whole, unprocessed raw milk has been embattled for some time.

Recently, representative Ron Paul introduced a bill (HR 1830) that would allow the interstate shipment of raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption. As the Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund states, “While the consumption of raw milk is legal in all fifty states, the sale of raw milk is illegal in about half the states. Passage of HR 1830 into law would enable everyone to exercise their right to consume raw milk, whether they live in a state where the sale of raw milk is illegal or in a state where the sale is legal but sources are limited.”

We ask you to sign the petition with us which will automically fax your legislators and show your support against a federal ban on our ability to obtain whole unprocessed food.

Here is the link:
Sign the Petition

We offer personalized nutrition consultation services to help you achieve your goals in health and fitness. Most people do not understand the food that they are putting into their bodies, in fact, most people cannot pronounce half of the ingredients on the labels of the food they eat. Our consultation services help to teach you about food and provide guidance on a short or long term regimen that can be geared to specifically address and heal issues with your body or provide a long term way of eating that will promote health and disease resistance. With a willing and determined spirit, we can guide you to foods that will dramatically improve the way you feel.

We are happy to have a personal consultation with you either over the phone or in-person. Whether you need direction and motivation for your fitness or nutrition plans, we are here to help! Contact us with questions or for prices, click here.

Of the most common food borne infections, half are found in poultry, pork, beef, and other meat products. A study, as noted by the Washington Post, showed the pathogens that have the greatest burden on society as a whole.

In order of ranking, the study found that the greatest burden economically was from campylobacter in poultry which sickens approximately 600,000 people per year and costs $1.3 billion. In second place was toxoplasma in pork, a nasty parasite that costs an approximate $1.2 billion per year. Third ranked was listeria in deli meats at a cool $1.1 billion a year. All told, the top ten pathogens tied to specific foods cost society approximately $8.1 billion in one year.

The most disease and distress was caused by salmonella, but it was not tied to one specific food as salmonella can be found in produce, eggs, poultry, and other foods. Overall salmonella cost society $3 billion.

One of the best ways to avoid food borne pathogens is to seek out high quality food! Look for pastured poultry and grass-fed beef, find out where your produce is from and look for local farms that you are able to see how they grow their food.

If you do get foodborne illness, some of the things that can greatly help are lots of probiotics, raw apple cider vinegar, and depending on the situation, activated charcoal. Hopefully you never have to deal with foodborne illness, but judging from its prevalance, you may just face it someday. Now go fight!

Not sure what grass-fed beef is? Jordan Rubin explains below:

“The American Grass-fed Association defines grass-fed products from ruminants including cattle, bison, goats, and sheep as ‘those food products from animals that have eaten nothing but their mother’s milk and fresh grass or grass-type hay from birth to harvest all their lives.’

Being raised grass-fed truly makes a difference in the produce. Grass-fed animal products are higher in beta carotene and other antioxidant vitamins, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and omega-3 fatty acids, which support healthy brain function and cellular health as well as healthy cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.”

The Nashville area has some nice choices for obtaining grass-fed meat. We recommend checking out the following places:

1. Gourmet Pasture Beef – Used by lots of local Nashville Businesses, they provide an excellent product at a good price. 100% Grass-fed and Grass-finished. For the money, they can’t be beat.

2. West Wind Farms – They have a great operation going and you can get lots of great things from them (check out their dairy), they are a little pricey, but it is worth it.

3. Triple L Ranch – They produce nice beef, better than anything you would get at a grocery store, although not completely grass-fed as they do give some feed which consists of corn, wheat, and soy. The cows are raised in the open on pasture.
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Continuing our series from Checkley’s Natural Method of Training, we have some more highlights for you today where Checkley discusses issues for women.

Checkley’s Natural Method of Training
By: Edwin Checkley
Second edition, published 1922, excerpts from page 104 and 111.

On Training For Women

“In the case of the bust it is of importance to remember that there is here, as in all other parts of the body, a muscular system. The muscles of this region are, of course, almost invariably unlocated by their owner, and most supports soon leave them unused also. Now, by persistent effort a control over these muscles may be established until it will be possible to voluntarily contract and relax them, with the result that a sunken and flabby bust may be made full and firm. Thus, unless she is absolutely deformed, there is no reason why a woman should not develop and mold her entire form by simply acquiring muscular control of the parts deficient in contour. The gaining of control requires a distinct effort of will, but the results surely justify the effort.”

“Women should, in fact, cultivate all the exercises that might give suppleness to their bodies. There can be no grace without suppleness. That complete flexibility in all the muscles of the body which the exercises enumerated have been calculated to secure is absolutely necessary to the charm of carriage which distinguishes one woman above another. Unused muscles, resulting from an absurd idea of the essential restrictions of a woman’s position, are worse than no muscles, because they are irritated under tension and retard the movement begun by the muscles that are fit to use.”