Shelf it! Do the Ultimate Reset

I'm doing the Ultimate Reset the first week of January. So is my family. This past weekend we've gone to three holiday parties. Last night Zane ate an entire row of fudge, Beaudy had two pieces of cheesecake, and I have to take a stand.  This morning they were an absolute wreck. Beaudy was so groggy, he left late for school. Zane could not leave the bathroom (he might still be there). I'm fixing it.  I'd love for you to join me.  Why? It helps with a few lil' things such as:

Mood/Patience

Before UR:

• Irritable because you’ve missed every traffic light this morning and are now running late because you hit the snooze one too many times;

• Impatient and unwilling to tolerate people who have a stack of coupons, gift cards that need to be redeemed, or want to count their coins as they pay for their groceries;

• Anxious that you are missing something, somewhere—something important—but you can’t put your finger on it;

• On-edge about the endless list of tasks you’ve built;

• Defensive when your smart phone corrects the word “are” into “ate,”

• Persnickity with your comment-making about people’s posts on Facebook.

 After UR: You will feel much more balanced. Not bubbly euphoria fake-happy balance, but true balance. At a four way stop, you will smile and wave for the person in the car kitty corner to you to go first, you won’t feel the urge to press snooze because you are SO eager to start your day, you will start tipping the cashier at Kroger because ringing the bell for service just won’t seem like enough. When you start to feel edgy about a pending project or frustrated about unreturned emails, you will bring yourself back to equilibrium. And you won’t feel the need to reach for food as a crutch.

We have two elves, they don't share a toilet.

 Digestion/Regularity

(Okay, well my boys really love passing all sorts of bodily gases. Even our elf on the shelf likes to pass gas)

Before UR: Frequent bloating, gassiness. Do you even KNOW if you are bloated? Or, are you walking around in a constant state of bloat and have become so used to it, you don’t even realize it?

After UR: Significant improvement, including much less bloating and better regularity than you could ever remember. If this is something you’ve never struggled with, be thankful. For those of you who have/do, you know what an achievement (and relief) it is to experience daily.

Join me, your tummy will thank you. www.myultimatereset.com/bodybybrig2

Looking for a Venti dose of energy with extra pep

Ultimate Reset and Energy

When people are feeling weighed down by stress, the chemical processes in our bodies result in fat storage and mental sludginess (not sure if that’s a word, but that’s what it feels like).  Our bodies are not able to digest food as well when we are harboring negative emotions; everything slows down inside of us and the fat accumulates.  Stress is high in my world right now.  Maybe it’s that the kids are getting older and need more of my direct attention; maybe I’m missing my dad, and won’t see him this Christmas; maybe I’ve signed on for one too many things; maybe I fear the “letdown” on the holiday season; maybe in my quest to help others, I’m pushing people away—and I’m internalizing.  For whatever reason, I know you are feeling it, too.  In the darkest dark of your night, I know you are ALSO stressed. Admit it. Stress is an energy thief.

BEFORE THE ULTIMATE RESET:  Zombie hood. You are tired by 4pm. You crave sugar. You are crabby, snappy, and irritable.  You've become snarky in your comment making. You skip workouts and flip on the TV rather than read to the kids because it’s “easier.” You decide to head to ______________ because you didn’t get that grocery shopping in yet, and now it’s cold and dark.  The grocery store will be busy; you don’t want to wait in line.  You justify your long day, and eat fast food. You feel exhausted, but know that when your head hits the pillow your list of things that “need to be finished” starts to tick through your brain. You eventually fall into a fitful sleep, waking up the next morning-- only to feel worse. You wait for Friday to catch up with your life.   You supplement all day long with your favorite form of caffeine, and maybe you supplement with your favorite form adult beverage at night. You tell yourself, “Caffeine is good for my metabolism,” and “The tannins in red wine help me relax.”

AFTER THE ULTIMATE RESET: You will no longer drag yourself through the day (don’t tell me you aren’t—you are not being honest with yourself)! You will have no problem hopping out of bed at 5:30am with sustainable energy. There is no mid-afternoon need to grab a Diet Coke or Snickers bar. You will have made it through “withdrawal” and won’t desire it. Yep, I said it: withdrawal.

Think…are you reading this post at a time in your life when you really need a change? Are the words hitting you where it hurts? Is it making your wonder about your life and choices? If it is—please join me on January 5, 2013 with the Ultimate Reset. You will be a different person at the end of the journey. www.myultimatereset.com/bodybybrig

Withdrawal from Addiction

The Ultimate Reset is one of the hardest things I’ve done. Basically, you put yourself though “withdrawal” much like a drug addicted person would.  Only, you DECIDE purposely to do this (and in my case, with my family).  You decide it because you have finally figured out that your health, your functioning, and your life needs to be at its peak level. 

Why? It makes you a better parent, better spouse or significant other (or opens you up to this possibility), better worker, friend, sibling, member of the community, boss, employee, athlete. Breaking free of the unclean cycle of eating and drinking is life-changing.  Mind altering.  I’m not kidding.

The Ultimate Reset creators takes a holistic approach, provides exact guidance on what to eat, when to it, and how much to eat (no room for error or guess work). The UR enables you to address stress—even if you think you’ve got it all under control.  UR helps you focus on your breathing, sleep, relationships, how you handle situations, how you react to the world, and physical activities.

Doubters will condemn, “I’m not taking a bunch of powders and pills, that’s nonsense.”  Nay Sayers will refute, “There is nothing wrong with me, I feel fine,” People who spend tons on money on fast food will justify, “I can’t afford it." But, just how much are you spending in prescription drug care per month? Or, how much will you end up spending at the pharmacy for allergy medicines, Tylenol or Advil, migraine meds, eczema creams, eye drops, nose sprays, and other stuff?

The UR is much more than an expensive “diet.” The Ultimate Reset is an experiential lesson in self-care, cooking, slowing down and being present. If you commit, if you find it in your budget to purchase (no joke, its expensive—but most likely the best money you will ever spend because it changes you), and if you follow the program, you will be a different person at the end of the journey. 

I am starting the Ultimate Reset on January 5, 2013. Would be honored if you join me in the journey.

www.myultimatereset.com/bodybybrig

Need to lose 3 pounds by tonight's Christmas party

www.bodybybrig.com
I have a holiday party tonight. A holiday party for athletes. Last night, I ordered take out; this morning my face is almost swollen shut.  I need a flatter belly and looser jeans by 7:00pm. Should I go to one of those wrap places? Only drink water all day? Suck down a pot of coffee to up my metabolism? Who am I kidding? I should not have ordered the Chinese. Everytime I do, I tell myself, "This is the last time." Whatever.

Holiday Party pants

Losing 3 pounds today won’t be possible, but it  IS realistic to drop 3-5 pounds in five days—or at least drop  enough to make you feel better. Even more jolly, you don’t have to crash diet, swallow strange purple pills that are no longer legal in the United States, or feel like running to the gas station convenience store to get your cravings under control on the drive home from work.

I’ve got a few tips (besides foam rolling everyday) that will work. Staying adequately hydrated, exercising for a reasonable amount of time (have you watched my 10 minute quick workouts for December?), and breathing deeply – will help our bodies thrive in the midst of our stressful, chaotic, and emotionally exhausting lives (ironic how these little tidbits contribute to weight gain—and Chinese food ordering--in the first place).  Did I mention I’m doing the Ultimate Reset in January?

So put down that Sonic drink, and get a jump on sliding into those Rock and Republics by Monday. Here's one way how.

Get rid of the salt.  Who knew your favorite granola bar or canned tuna could double as a salt lick saltier than one you could buy at Bass Pro Shop? In a recent report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about American sodium consumption, researchers found that approximately 75 percent of the sodium in the typical American diet doesn't come from the shaker -- it's added to commercial foods during processing.

Cut the added sodium and you'll lose water weight and bloat (there must be a ton of sodium in Chinese food). Even a lot of "healthy" foods—Whole Food grocery store and Market Street type of foods-- (think Kashi cereals, cottage cheeses, and even some frozen vegetable mixes!) are high in salt. So? These can easily be replaced with oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and fresh veggies.

One trick: The more potassium you consume, the more your body will get rid of sodium, says Reardon. Sweet potatoes, coconut water, apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, figs,  and  oranges are all sodium reducers. Sodium flushers, if you will.  So...I’m off to grab a banana and swig down some coconut water. Maybe I won’t need pliers to zip up my jeans tonight.

Shakeology versus Isogenix

Sure, I want you to SWITCH to Shakeology from whatever shake, drink, mix, pill, or infusion you are currently taking. Today, I'll talk about Isagenix.

Here is the comparison Isagenix, it is also a meal replacement shake that founders John Anderson and Jim and Kathy Coover have created to try and help the obesity problem around the United States. It comes in two main flavors: chocolate and vanilla.

The positives of Isagenix is that it contains 23 grams of protein per serving (compared to Shakeology’s 18 grams of protein per serving). Isagenix, like Shakeology also contains many naturally occurring ingredients which set them apart from other meal replacements. However, I have not found other components that set Isagenix apart from Shakeology. You should order some from me for Christmas!

On the negative side, Isagenix contains 1100% more fat than Shakeolgy(6 grams compared to less than half a gram). It also contains more cholesterol and sodium than is found in Shakeologyand contains 240 calories per serving when Shakeology only has 150 calories per serving.

Isagenix lacks to potency of the vitamins and minerals that Shakeology contains. Isagenix has only 40% of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin C versus 300% in Shakeology.  It lacks significance of other vitamins contained in every Shakeology drink such as Vitamin B1, B2, and B3. You would actually have to drink 2-4 Isagneix shakes to get the same concentration of vitamins and minerals found in just 1 Shakeology shake.

I do feel that Isagenix is one of the better meal replacement shakes, but it just does not compare to Shakeology. Shakeology is a step above the rest.

Scooters and Sloths

This morning on the way to work I counted 14 kids riding an electric scooter to school. I passed a line of 23 cars long dropping off kids in the school safety zone. I watched as no less than 7 parents carried their children’s backpacks into the building. Hmmm…Over the last 25 years, caloric intake in toddlers and young kids has gone up three or four percent, but the level of physical activity has dropped nearly 20 percent to 25 percent," says Ken Reed, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Physical Education.

I attended an elementary school where we had two recess periods a day.  And, I realize as I type this that I sound all old and crotchety. I  don’t remember how long they were, but there were two of them; morning recess and after lunch recess. My memories include jumping rope, kick ball (I was horrible), a tisket a tasket (I dreaded getting the “basket”), monkey bars, and hopscotch.

"The situation isn't good and it's getting worse," says Reed. "Physical activity levels have dropped dramatically in the last 25 years and we believe there's a direct link there to childhood obesity, as well as a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in children.”

If you’ve been listening to the news, reading the papers (or paperless papers), and not simply trolling through the news feed on Facebook, you know that your kid has a lower life expectancy than you. How scary is that?

What can you do?
You as a parent are the primary person responsible for the health and wellness of your child. I’m not lecturing, I’m citing a fact. For one, make sure your child has plenty of opportunities to exercise. Kids need exercise and movement. They were not designed to be plopped in front of a TV screen or an X-Box game for hours at a time (believe me, I KNOW this keeps ‘em quiet and out of your way—but it is a slacker way to parent—I know it, I’ve done it :D).



The solution is for each one of us to keep trying.  Start packing lunches if you don’t already. One person can—and always has—made a difference. Because one turns into two, which turns into three, and pretty soon you have network of parents who are doing the same thing. If you are too busy to be “meal and fitness” organized for your children, you’d better rethink your “busy-ness”.  Start small, if not already doing it; try it one time a week. Little things make a difference. Little sacrifices (of time) have an impact. You can do it, I know you can.

Halloween Horrification

Trick or Treating last night lasted for about 2 hours.  Impressed by Zane, I watched as he carefully selected red-dye free candies from the multitude of cauldrons, bowls, and tubs full of Halloween “goodies.” At times, he would jerk away from a red sucker or other obviously red treat as if it were poison (well, it actually is…for him). We ended the trek around 8:45pm, trudged into the kitchen and dumped the candy onto the center island. It felt like midnight.  We’ve discuss label reading so much that both boys automatically began to sort candy into piles of “dye” and piles of “corn syrup.”  This only lasted for a few minutes as I realized that vampire and jester make-up needed to be washed off, so we left the candy out on the counter and each headed to the shower. The thought soaked in again. Sugar everywhere.  Sugar in Skittles, Blueberry Nerds, Pay Days, Tootsie Roll pops, Lemon Drops, Jaw Breakers and fruitless fruit snacks.

And this is post-Halloween sugar, probably more sugar than we normally have in the house.  At this point, the sugar is obvious. But what about the sugar that isn't?

The first step to slashing added sugars is to know where they lurk.

The CDC report found that children guzzle about 40% of added sugar as soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sugar-sweetened fruit concoctions, such as lemonade, sweet tea, Gatorade, and Powerade. However, while sugary soft drink intake is excessive (I blister when I see kids swigging a “sports” drink whose first ingredient is corn syrup), everyday foods, including baked goods, cereal, granola bars, breakfast bars, and cookies contribute the most added sugar – 60%–to kids’ diets.

Some sugar-laden sources are more obvious than others. Take the case of certain sweetened dried cranberries: One serving supplies as much added sugar as eight ounces of regular soda. Other dried fruits, including raisins, are naturally sweet and contain no added sweeteners. This morning as the boys got their lunches from the fridge, they each got to “add” one Halloween treat to the containers.  While we are not keeping all of the treats accumulated last night, we are keeping a few. Zane chose dehydrated apples. No prompting, no reminding, no nagging. He chose them.  What an amazing kid.

What to do? Pay attention to what you and your kids are eating. Small changes can have big impacts. I can help.

Sugar Addicted Mom (SAM)

Watching Weight of the Nation as part of an October/November accountability group, and researching red dye as an obsessed mom who is trying to help her son (without medicating him)… has me thinking about sugar.   

Sugar is an addiction. I know, I was addicted.  One of my favorite combinations included red licorice and Diet Coke. Another included peanut m&ms and Red Bull. A third…Grape flavored Venom and Snickers.  At one point, I remember having to stop at a gas station on the way to the gym to get combination number two before I worked out. I just craved it so much!

Remember books like Beyond Sugar Shock? Sugar Busters? – They are not something to roll your eyes about (I did, but I don’t anymore). Recently, another study reports that seeing ice cream triggers the same parts of the brain as cocaine.  I know you are laughing and thinking I’ve lost my mind.


Dr Kyle Burger, from the Oregon Research Institute, in Eugene, said that overeating "high-fat" or "high-sugar" foods appeared to change how the brain responded and in turn downgraded the mental "reward", the Telegraph reported. "This down-regulation pattern is seen with frequent drug use, where the more an individual uses the drug, the less reward they receive from using it," said Dr Burger, the study's co-author.

The very same thing happens to me when I eat sugar-laden carbs. As recently as this week (Anybody? The relatives are in town? Anybody?), it happened to me. Take the last several days, for example. Monday morning at work, a precious friend brought me a Starbucks scone. It was chilly outside, the cinnamon smell from the scone wafted up into my nose like a blanket of sun—and I ate it.  Fifteen minutes later, I was already hungry and tired.  Lunch was provided that day, too.  Subs from a local restaurant.  Since I had already indulged, I thought (or did I crave?)…why not? I ate not only my portion of the sandwich, but some of my co-worker’s, and a bag of crunchy salt and vinegar chips.  I felt bloated immediately, but hungry again only an hour later, and tired.  Dinner that night was the ringer.  The ringer? Where is that saying from? My relatives wanted to go to the Olive Garden (breadsticks, fettuccine, and Alfredo).  Triple Carb dinner. 

Today I woke up with a swollen face, felt slow, tired, and unable to move in my normal patterns. I’ve been agitated, irritated, and easily annoyed.  I attribute it all to sugar. Sugar in the processed foods. Sugar in the carbs. Sugar in the choices I made yesterday. Oh, and one more thing. I woke up with a cold sore. Zane and Beaudy both work up and wanted either pancakes or French Toast. They, too were craving sugar and carbs because of yesterday.  It happens, it is real. It is not in my imagination.

 So, stop rolling your eyes. Invest some time in reading, researching, and implementing healthy changes for yourself and your family. It’s not easy, it does not happen overnight, and it takes hard work.  Please, consider it! I can help.

Pizza, Garlic Bread, and Alfredo...Oh My!

The Ultimate Reset take two? In pushing my commitment out to the "public" (not sure if anyone even reads this, but I feel a sense of accountability), I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve committed to doing Beachbody's Ultimate Reset  again.  End of April, beginning of May, I completed Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset with a small group of friends. I complained about the price, groused about the cutting and shopping, organizing, sorting, and packing. Was ticked off that I could not have a glass of wine at the end of the day, irked that I could not swirl up some Energy and Endurance pre-workout. But, I did it because after a convo with my BFF, I HAD to see if this "thing" was "life changing" as everyone claimed.  I usually feel excluded from things: last minute parties, group texts, workouts, GNO's. Thus, I did not want to miss "this." (I know, I'm working on this issue). 

I followed all of the directions, did not substitute anything (because my upline coach sponsor told me not to), learned to nutrient-time, increased my water intake, measured my food, used a scale (OMG, hated it--we must have a mass scale burning) to record my progress,and only ate 3 meals a day.  I did not work out--which was a totally new concept--another issue I learned to deal with.

The first week was rough. I did not sleep well—but was exhausted, felt sluggish, had eye twitches, slow reaction times (like stepping on the break at a stop light), tingling in my toes and finger tips (started to Google symptoms of MS), some stomach pain, and general irritability; snapped on my kids and husband more than once, maybe even used a bit of profanity. It was sort of like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.  I was so used to WAY over-portioning (even the healthy stuff!), that I was starving most of the time, and watching the clock to get to my next supplement or meal.  The meals were paltry, I resented the menu. However, my internal monologue was more like, "Holy Cow, how far 'gone' am I...I thought I ate clean!?" 

Week 1 was over, money was spent, I still complained ,and this thing was doing something—I just wasn’t sure what.Still volatile and vociferous, I kept to the menu and the nutrient timing. 

The second week was rough (in retrospect, I apologize to hubbie and kids). Rage built and spewed about things that should not have been issues: The veggies one day (packed lovingly by my husband) were packed in plastic, not glass. WHAT was he thinking!? How DARE he!? Someone moved my ipad from the kitchen to the office; WHAT did they wish to accomplish with that move!?  I noticed everyone else's flaws, quirks, idiosyncracies (except mine). I slept better, but had calf and foot cramps during the night; my skin broke out, I was always painfully bloated (felt much like Dudley  in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone during Dudley's birthday when Harry gets angry), and resented people who were breezing through the UR with no ill effects, happy as clams, and loving life. I was even more exhausted at the beginning of phase 2—All I wanted to do was sleep. Zero energy. It felt like the first trimester of my pregnancies.  The MOST I could do was shuffle to the bed after work, and fall asleep. 

Mid-week two, things changed. I noticed everything, smelled everything, and reacted to everything (felt much like John Nash in A Beautiful Mind). Walked around saying things like, "Oh my gosh, can you smell the rubber on the tires of that car next to us?" and "That guy had some kind of deli meat for lunch, and the nitrate-smell is giving me a headache." I had to pull the Glade/Airwick plug-ins out of my outlets because the smell was too chemical,I "unsubscribed" from Yankee Candle coupons,  had to switch shampoos from Bumble and Bumble to Pureology because B&B formula (with behentrimonium chloride) was too harsh. I know it sounds crazy, but I was “awakened.” It was beyond crazy to realize that my senses had dulled, my reflexes had slowed, my reactions had gone fuzzy, my perceptions were misguided...all due to the food I was putting in my body. It felt like a revelation--think Steve Martin in Leap of Faith. 

Week three I noticed that the wrinkles around my eyes were less noticeable, my décolleté wrinkles were gone, my nails grew faster, my breakouts from week two cleared up, and I had more energy.Happy energy, like the kind of posts you read on Facebook where people are living the perfect life-type of energy (and you block them from your news-feed because you do not believe it is possible; they must be lying).   My mood was ebullient, I never felt like I needed caffeine, and my bloating disappeared.  I can say that I felt AWESOME. Bubbly. Giddy. 

Week Four I started working out again. I lost strength, endurance, stamina. YES, I lost it…but it came back harder, better, stronger, and faster than I had EVER been before. My dumbbells increased in weight, my run and bike pace significantly improved, I did two-a days (and sometimes 3) like they were nothin’. I recovered faster, was more flexible.  Three weeks and change bigger than words can capture.  Measurable changes. Noticeable changes. More than cost, time, or inconvenience changes.

For several months that followed the reset, I continued eating reset food. Somewhere in the last few weeks, I have jumped off of that wagon with reckless abandon.  Since I’m training more  (bootcamp, running, swimming, cycling, speed work and trying to do everything my USAT coach tells me), I have also justified WAY over-portioning (and not always the healthy foods). I’ve adopted the “I worked out for 3 hours, so let’s order pizza, garlic bread, and fettuccini alfredo…and top it off with pecan pie. On the way home from a ride the other day, I stopped at a 7-11 gas station and bought a purple Gatorade (first ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup). I know that with working out, I’m burning the calories, too--I understand the whole calorie in and out thing. But, they are not good calories. They are not healthy calories. They are not making me feel AWESOME, they are making me feel awful. I’m craving caffeine and bad carbs.  I almost feel trapped, imprisoned in the cycle of "yuck." 

So, it’s off to the Reset again. I won’t complain about the cost (because one night of Italian or Chinese takeout with tip is much more expensive than reset food). I’m in it because I recognize that I need it, and it is so much cheaper to eat clean and right than pay for it later. 

Join me for the Ultimate Reset

One of "those" kids

What follows is a composite of over 2 decades of teaching in public schools; these four students are a blend of many unique tapestries woven together over time and memory; each of of them is also a little piece of myself.

Meet one of my students. She is amazing, a great writer—especially with dialect, reads more than I do, knows every fact there is to fathom about Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, is a wiz on the computer, but prefers to hand write things, burns through Kindle titles faster than anything, volunteers at the library, talks about Rachel’s Challenge…and hides in the bathroom during lunchtime because she doesn’t know how to talk to other kids.

Meet one of my students. He is amazing, a karate and art enthusiast, can throw and sculpt a piece of pottery better than any local artisan, but is pigeon toed and sometimes trips over his own feet. Knows Algebra without actually having to work out the problems because he does them in his head, watches The Big Bang Theory every night, is quick to help with a dropped backpack, an errant piece of paper, an unopened door, but is sometimes made fun of because of his tripping…and spent the last semester of school with a “stomach ache” during gym class.

Meet one of my students. She is amazing. Walking before she was 12 months old, an athlete from the time she was two, a shelf full of trophies and medals, private lessons, coaches, training, “select” never “rec” teams. Perfectly styled hair, Miss Me jeans, coordinates everything from her Vera Bradley purse to her pencil case, can text without looking at her phone, is always in the middle of the fun…and spends her morning time before school trying not to chew off her nails because someone told someone else that they thought she was fat.

Meet one of my students. He is amazing. A pleaser, a hard worker, a kid that feels bad when he doesn’t get picked by the  captains, a kid that works his tail off to get good grades because they don’t come easy, and can cry when he gets less than an “A” on his homework . A kid who stands up for the underdog, but not himself. A kid that’s worried about his hair, his batting average, and being on a winning team—and has insomnia at night before a game because he suffers from low self-esteem.

Meet one of my students. This kid is amazing. Aces all of the tests without studying, reads voraciously, takes advanced placement math courses, loves all things science, and gets the lead in the school play.  Handles maintaining first chair in band, two select sport teams, gets recruited by the older teams, plays “up.” Blends in well with all crowds, understands adult humor, is known by all of the students and teachers (even if not in the same class), wears an “I love my mom” t-shirt. Wants to be the next Michael Jordan or Mary Lou Retton; needs to be challenged to dig deeper and is afraid of staying stagnant—but no one notices because the kid seems so confidant.

I’ve been teaching in large public schools since 1991. These are my children, these are your children. These are America’s children. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means saying that your kid is fat. I am by no means saying that your kid has a problem.  I am by no means saying that your kid has low self-esteem.  I am by no means asserting that you recognized your child in the introductions. 

I see first-hand what happens to children who are even or slightly different. Trust me; they won’t talk about it with you, the parent. They won’t talk about it with their friends. They won’t say anything to address their concerns out loud. However, THEY WILL CHANGE. Their hearts will shatter if left unaddressed.

The change happens slowly at first, as a parent, you may not even recognize it.  They might have few friends, not get invited to parties like they did in kinder, have trouble sleeping at night.  They might be moody towards you, teary when you ask them what’s wrong, have headaches, stomach aches, panic attacks. The signs are slight and insidious—and they become good at coping: tips of the ears turning red, eyes watering, hair twirling, nail biting, eye lash pulling, refusal to eat, excessive sleepiness. Sarcastic.   Combative.  Rocking. Withdrawal. Stuttering. Non-participatory. Excluded. Ostracized. Lost. Victimized. Bullied. Depressed. Abandoned.   

And thus, Kids Performance Camp was born. Kids Performance Camp gets those kids. Kids Performance Camp understands those kids. We can help those kids. These are MY kids. These are YOUR kids. These are our kids. These are America’s kids. And, many of them are in crisis. Get them to Kids Performance Camp—we are slightly different, too. Let us help them awaken their pride, bolster their confidence, value their coordination, and celebrate the slightly differentness that makes us each strong and beautiful. Let us help your child find their inner athlete. 

bbbrig.com

Bring it with Blessings,

Brigbbbrig.com

Cut the C.R.A.P.

Okay boys and girls…I’m talking about food now.  Why? You and your diet are important to me. You and your diet are important for your children. You and your diet are important for your future.

Why your “diet” matters is important to understand when it comes to tweaking it.But, first things first--let's stop calling it a diet.  Nutrients or fuel represent every single food and drink you put in your body. I can remember my step-dad calling it “rabbit food” any time my mother dared stray from the ubiquitous roast beef, potato, corn combination plate.  The key to nutrition is simple:   the better you eat, the better you’ll feel, the better you’ll feel, the more you do (and for some strange reason, Beans, beans the musical fruit…is running through my brain right now.)

What do you eat, and when? First things first, toss out all the C.R.A.P. (Carbonated, Refined, Artificial, Processed foods) I know it is a daunting task which flies in the face of excuses like, "I'm wasting money if I throw this food out," "I'll wait until I need groceries again," and my all time fave: "I'm too busy to cook." Toss it. Get it over with. Do it to live longer, feel better, relax easier, perform smoother. If you need me to come over to your house,  scrounge through your cabinets, and throw out your junk, I will do it for you.  Make a list of all of the C.R.A.P that infiltrates your house. Then, cross off 2 or 3 things you can immediately toss. Make it a small goal each week to get rid of one  item on your list of C.R.A.P—embed this process into your goals for the month.

Have an eating schedule—and I’m writing this to myself right now because since June 4, I’ve been all over the map with my nutrient timing, and need to get a handle on it. Once you figure out how many calories per day you will be eating, next you will need to decide how many meals you will eat a day, then you can distribute the calories accordingly. If you need my help with calories, I will help you.

Keeping a schedule and eating even if you do not feel hungry is important because it will keep your blood sugar regulated.  Nutrient timing is the application of knowing when to eat and what to eat before, during and after exercise. It is designed to help athletes, recreational competitors, and exercise enthusiasts achieve their most advantageous exercise performance and recovery. Not an exerciser? Nutrient timing still applies. This avoids the peaks and falls which can happen and then lead to over eating and making poor eating choices. Think about the last time you “were good” all day until you got home from work, and then raided the pantry and ate everything in sight. Or the last time you committed to a "diet" and ate perfect portions of everything until the kids slammed into the room with a project that was due the next morning, and you lost it. Or the last time that Chick Fil-A looked and smelled so good as you were driving by--and running late--and did not plan--and did not feel like cooking---that you drove through the drive-through and got a party platter of nuggets for yourself?

 If you need me to help with nutrient timing, I will help you.

Cut the C.R.A.P.

Bringing it with Blessings,

Brig