Trends Are Meant for Marketing, Not Transformation

Don’t eat carbs. Cut out sugar. Try this new cardio routine; you’ll lose 20 pounds in 20 days. New exercise DVD workout scientifically designed to help you lose weight, lose inches, sculpt your body, and get flat abs.   

We all want to look and feel our best, and perhaps that is what we’re doing when we buy the latest and greatest new product to come down the line. But people who yo-yo diet, do extreme cardio, and resistance train to fatigue for years on end, eventually burn out, get injured, or just stop because it doesn’t fit into their lifestyle anymore. But then what? What happens when we stop and our bodies fall apart?

Typically, this is when we look for the next trend. And the next best thing usually fails us, we fail at the program, or we cannot maintain the extremes of the program. So how do we prevent ourselves from falling into the next trend? You first have to find something that fits you, your needs, and fits into your schedule and lifestyle that you enjoy and can maintain. And be prepared to let your body naturally fall into its correct weight and size.

I tell all of my clients that the key to true health and wellness is to be good to yourself. Of course, treating ourselves well means taking care of our bodies, and that means our insides. The foods we choose affect our daily life, energy levels, skin, internal organs, cholesterol, weight, and our future. Combining smart food choices and regular exercise offers the best chance to reach your weight loss goals, and maintain your health.

Your refrigerator should look like a flower garden. Color. Color. Color. My refrigerator is always stocked with fresh cut veggies: red and orange peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, beets, kale, cucumbers, and radishes. 
When I’m hungry, I can grab a handful and eat them, or, I can whip up a
quick salad. You say, who has the time? Well, I believe that everybody has
20 minutes one day a week. I go to the farmers market every Sunday and when I get home, I wash everything, cut it up, and put the veggies in Tupperware. Takes
20 minutes, and I have a great source of snacks readily available. I can also steam up the veggies if I’m going to grill some chicken or cook some fish.

Working is sometimes hard to fit in our daily schedule, but it is important to move our bodies. As a Traditional Pilates instructor, I am a complete advocate of Pilates.  But Pilates is not for everyone. Some people are better fit to do yoga, weight training, TRX, Gyrotonics, or whatever it is that they connect with for their resistance training. I always recommend doing some sort of movement activity at least five days a week. I do three days a week of Pilates for my resistance training, and go for a long walk on the beach or a trail with my dogs, or 30 minutes on the elliptical machine to get my heart pumping at least twice a week. Remember, you don’t need extreme cardio; you just need something to keep your heart healthy.

Fitness and diet trends come and go, and in my experience, trends are meant for marketing and not for transformation. With exercise paired with a healthy diet,
which includes cheat food and cheat days, you’re bound to have a body that you’re
comfortable with.

One of my favorite recipes for fall:

Spicy Turkey Italian Sausage with Tomato Sauce and Spinach

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Extra light olive oil
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• 2 cans of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• Fresh basil
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• Spicy Italian turkey sausage
• Parmesan
• Spinach
• Angel hair pasta

Sauce: In a large pan, pour in three tablespoons of olive oil and a table spoon of butter on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, put in the onion and let cook. 
When the onions are golden brown, add in garlic. Be careful to not let the garlic burn. After the garlic begins to cook, add in the tomatoes, carrots, sea salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of butter, and basil. Turn down to a low heat and let simmer for 2 hours.

Sausage: In a separate pan, put a small amount of olive oil and place the sausage in on medium heat. Sear the sausage so it’s golden brown on all sides. Place the sausage in the oven on 400 for 20 minutes to let the sausage cook all the way through. Once the sausage is cooked thoroughly, take it out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes so the sausage stays moist. After, cut it into slices.

Spinach: While you’re cooking the sausage, heat up a pot of water until it boils.  Throw in your fresh spinach for about 2 minutes. After two, minutes drain. 

Pasta: In a separate pot, cook your angel hair pasta.

Serving: Put 1 cup of angel hair pasta in a bowl.  Place the sausage and spinach on top and cover with tomato sauce. Add some parmesan shavings to the top.

Zipping & Scooping,

Erica Kristin Zappettini is a Peak Pilates Comprehensive Certified Instructor/ Educator. She can be reached at 858-999-1253 and ekpilatessd@gmail.com. She can also be found online at EKPilates.com.