Personal Training Program Video 2
If you have a fitness goal you need a holistic fitness program, not the latest cookie cutter fad workouts. Here is the seconed of three video’s to educate you a little bit more.
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How To Choose A Personal Training Fitness Program For You in Santa Fe
How to choose Healthy Foods in Santa Fe
By Joris Van Cutsem
In my last blog post, I talked quite a bit about water intake and its importance to your body. So, I believe talking about (healthy) food would be a nice follow up. It is also a subject we talk about a lot on a daily bases at SolCore Fitness.
What are healthy foods? There is a lot of confusion about which foods are healthy or not. It definitely is a bit of a tricky question because everyone’s BODY is different and it depends on a myriad of issues from which a person may suffer, such as; ailment, disease, health issues, stress, sleep deprivation, exercise induced muscle soreness, hormonal health, exercise goals or food allergies.
In addition, we as a society are only at the beginning of learning how to heal various ailments and diseases with healthy foods, so there is a lot of confusion out there. Some of that confusion comes from the marketing and advertising companies hired to sell various products to the masses to turn a profit. Caring about ‘health’ is not of concern for them, money is. More confusion comes from the Pharmaceutical companies who would prefer to keep most people sick to make a financial gain, so they pour money into research for new drugs but not into research for prevention from foods. They sell you more pills and supplements to put into your cabinets that end up causing a slew of health issues and other ailments or side effects for which you will need even more pills – an endless cycle of pill popping. Preventative medicine comes in the form of lifestyle changes, not from taking pills.
So, what to do? First, it is important to know your body, so you will know what it needs to thrive. Find out what your metabolic type is to start you on the path to eating the foods that work for you. Connect to your body and if you feel like sleeping after you eat something then don’t eat it anymore, it’s probably not very good for you. Second, keep in mind that what we know today may not be true tomorrow because new research comes out every day as we evolve and learn more. Keep an open mind to unconventional methods of healing with whole foods and theories that run counter to mainstream. Questioning things, taking bits of truth from all and not getting stuck with tunnel vision are equally important. It’s not always easy, but these are things that I try to remind myself to do.
If you eat real foods, which are those that do not have an ingredient list that you can’t understand, that are not packaged, and that you can buy from a local farmer, then you are on your way to being healthier. Also, helping local farmers will create a rippling effect by keeping the bigger food companies from destroying our health with their genetically modified foods.
Hope all of this was helpful (for when you make your next grocery list).
Jo Van Cutsem
Healthy Foods
Proteins:
(grass or pasture fed) Beef, bison, lamb, pastured Liver, fresh/clean source Chicken, turkey, insect fed Pork – pastured only, Venison, Eggs – pastured chickens, Milk – raw or local Cheese, no additives Cottage cheese, no additives Ricotta Cheese, no additives Yogurt, Fish – cod, sole, etc., Gelatin Broth – homemade Shellfish
Fruits (organic):
Apples (ripe or cooked), Apricots, Cherries, Grapefruit, Nectarines, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, Pears (ripe or cooked), Pineapple, Plums, Watermelon, whole fruit juices, Tropical Fruits, Vegetables: Cucumbers, Peppers, Avocado, Summer squash/Zucchini, Tomatoes
Vegetables (organic):
Bamboo shoots, Beets, Carrots, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Sweet potatoes/Yams, Winter squash, Asparagus, mixed greens, celery, kale (my new favorite super food)
Fats (organic):
Coconut oil, Butter – organic cream, salt, Olive oil – extra virgin, Cream – organic cream
Avoid these Foods as much as possible:
Vegetable Oils – Canola, Corn, Cottonseed, Grape seed, Safflower, Soy, Sunflower, Trans Fats- Margarine, Crisco, Fats in processed food
Soy Products – Tofu, Soy milk, Soy protein powder, Soy sauce
Fried Foods – Avoid foods not fried in butter, coconut oil
Artificial Ingredients – Avoid foods with long lists of ingredients that you do not understand
Food Additives – Aspartame, BHA and BHT, Carrageenan, Food colorings and dyes, Gums (guar, locus bean, etc.), High fructose corn syrup, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Nitrates, rBGH (growth hormone in dairy), Sodium benzoate, Soy lecithin, Sulfur dioxide, Synthetic vitamins
(Soy blocks binding of important minerals like calcium and zinc, it is genetically modified here in the U.S., and it has been shown to possibly cause breast cancer because it acts like estrogen in the body and, although in Asian countries where women consume a lot of soybeans and have a lower incidence of cancer, it is not the same soybean as we get here in the United States and it’s now put into everything as an ‘unhealthy’ additive. Soybeans contain phytoestrogens that lower oxygen and thyroid levels and chemicals that lower protein digestion.)
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Personal Training Success Story in Santa Fe
Personal Training Success Story – Carol Petersen
Carol has lived a full life. You wouldn’t know it while just casually talking to her. But when you sit down with her and really get to talk to her, you hear things that show you what a full life she has had.
In her 70 + years she been blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren. She has worked as a high level educator at UCLA and has traveled to exotic lands as a photographer. This drive for a full life has led her to our program. She was looking for a program to help her with some of the injuries and imbalances that she had acquired throughout her life. But even more than that, she was looking for a program that she could do and that would help her continue to live to her life to the fullest.
I am happy to say that Carol has not only achieved many of her goals, but she has thrived! And she did this while working through some challenges. So it is no surprise that she is the August personal training success member of the month. (Note: the reason you don’t see a photo of carol above is that as she puts it “I enjoy being on the other side on the camera.” She is in the shot above, but you’ll just have to guess who she is.) 😉
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
I was looking for something that would help me with past injuries and imbalances that I had. I was also looking for something that was doable and that helped me live my life to the fullest.
2) What did you do before?
Right before this I was just doing a regular gym workout of using the machines and some cardio. Prior to this I was really into Yoga for years but unfortunately had to stop due to the teacher pushing me too far.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
My neck feels amazing! My posture is much better. I feel really aligned, which helps me move my best but also emotionally has me feeling my best. And unintended… I have really toned up and lost weight. (She asked me not to say how much, so we’ll just say double digits.)
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them?
I love the 90/90/90 (obturator internus – deep hip and pelvis muscle) it just feels so good afterward! I don’t hate any of the exercises, they all have such great benefits.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
I want to live my life to the fullest. At the start, it was really hard to show up to the classes and the exercises were challenging. But after 2-3 months, I found my groove and the results have been amazing. I had some internal challenges and personal challenges along them way, but I just kept coming. I want to continue this path and be respectful to my body.
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?
That I got my body back! It is not a good feeling to feel disconnected to your body and all the aches and pains that are associated with that feeling. I love the fact that you guys help me do it right and make adjustments.
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Hey let’s do this!
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
Try it!
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What About Clean Water In Santa Fe?
Recently, at SolCore Fitness, I have had some conversations discussing the intake of water and I wanted to elaborate. Because we live in a dry, high desert environment, and the temperature has been rising in Santa Fe, staying hydrated is obviously very important. I also believe it is essential during exercise.
Water affects every organ and cell within your body. You may not have known this, but water even plays an enormous role in the health of your back and spine. The lack of proper hydration could affect your back and could be a cause of back pain. Between every two vertebrae lies a disc, which functions as a shock absorber. This disc has two parts: an outer, flexible and tough ring, and the inner, which is primarily water. All day long, as gravity works on our upright spine, water is slowly squeezed out of the discs.
At night, when we are lying down, the discs slowly rehydrate. Our daily dehydration and nightly rehydration of the discs is the reason why most of us shorter at night than when we woke up! Regular movement helps to keep discs hydrated – as the spine moves, the discs will absorb the water we have available in our bodies.
As long as there are adequate water levels within the body, nightly rehydration will occur. When there is not enough water available to fully hydrate the inner part of the disc, the whole piece becomes compromised. When the inner piece of the disc are dehydrated, it cannot support the load on your spine as intended, and it stresses your body causing pain. This means that drinking lots of clean water helps you to have less pain and easier movement. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink, that means you are already dehydrated.
Because discs do not have a blood supply, they exchange nutrients when pressure is decreased. This is why when you lie down or sleep at night, the discs will rehydrate. This process nutrient exchange can be increased even further and have more lasting results when ELDOA exercises are performed. One of the benefits of the ELDOAs is that they assist to reinforce the tissue responsible for supporting the spine in a more elongated state. The result is that the spine becomes more resilient to the compressive forces placed upon it throughout the day, as there is less water loss from the discs. However, there needs to be enough free water available in the body for the ELDOAs to be affective.
So, be honest with yourself, are you drinking enough water? Take responsibility for the health and longevity of your spine by doing these 3 simple things:
1. Drink water first thing in the morning before your coffee or tea and breakfast
2. Carry a water bottle that you really like – this will help keep you drinking throughout the day to reach your daily target of fluid ounces
3. Do 2 or 3 ELDOA exercises each night before bed
Happy Hydrating!!
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Personal Training Success Story In Santa Fe
Personal Training Success Story – Barbara Radov
The desire to be the best! Striving to be a better you! Commitment to excellence! These are philosophies that we truly believe in and what our company is built upon.
In fact the “commitment to excellence” is one of our Core Values. It is always our desire to attract people who need our assistance and who are aligned with our core values. This makes the process smooth, because since we all “think alike” they have no problem following the directions and understanding the process.
Barbara fits this to a T. She is a person who really thinks things out first and likes to understand what is to come. But she is also very much an action taker and pretty competitive.
These two defining attributes have really propelled her to some amazing results. I am proud to announce Barbara Radov as our June member of the month.
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program.
I knew that I needed to do something besides cardio. I am really good getting my hikes in and walks, but I knew that to have good physical quality of life, as I got older I needed to improve my strength and posture.
2) What did you do before?
A lot of hiking! I had taken yoga and at one point joined a gym, but I never found what I was looking for.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
I drink so much more water than I ever have. My posture has improved and I am much stronger. I now notice how much better my posture is on my hikes and how my legs aren’t tired or sore at the end of a long hike. And my balance and awareness is much better. I used to loose my balance and do things like run into the walls, but that is gone.
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them.
I have a love hate relationship with the roll up roll down abs. I see and feel how good they are for me, for my core and spine… they are just so hard! My least favorite exercise is the frogs. That is a really tough series.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
I want to keep improving my posture.
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?
The expertise in class is wonderful. The other people in class really motivate me. And the fact that you guys are always bettering yourselves is really inspiring.
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Isn’t this fun! Doesn’t it feel good to push yourself in such a positive way!
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
If you REALLY do it. It will change your life.
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Why I Race As Part of My Exercise Program In Santa Fe
The first race of the season, for me, it’s probably the most anxious time of the year.
By now I’m pretty sure everyone knows how I have a knack for bicycling. As much as I like wrenching on bikes and getting others on bikes, I also like to pedal, fast!
There is something really special about racing. Something that no amount of prize money, no amount of articles written about you, no amount of Facebook friends, or Instagram followers can give you.
All I want to do is get better, go faster, and have fun. This was my first time competing in the La Tierra Torture, but I have raced Mountain bikes before. It was a new venue for me and there were racers from all over the state, as well as some from Colorado. The course itself is mostly single-track with a lot of flowy sections and winding uphill and downhills. It also has some technical, rocky sections throughout.
I went into this season wanting to be the best, wanting to be better than I’ve ever been. I believe in myself that I can be, that I can and will do better than last year. But throughout this winter, I felt like I had forgotten why I race.
I didn’t start racing because I wanted to win. Obviously, winning is something special and no matter what it always feels good, but I started racing to be a part of something, to find a hobby, to have fun, and to challenge myself. I’m lucky my sponsors and family believe in me, they cheer for me and it brings joy to me to know someone cares about what I do.
I believe mental attitude is a large part of racing and can make or break your race.
I’ve found that in the past, I’ve been too caught up in worrying about results. How am I going to be better than last year? Did I train enough? Where am I going to finish? Too focused on results!
Just like SolCore Fitness, commitment to training and consistency with your exercises are more important than immediate results. It takes time and dedication to reach your goals, and sometimes things don’t always go as planned.
When I race, I concentrate on myself and tend to challenge myself against time, more than against other competitors. I focus on the upcoming obstacles on the course. I focus on my breathing. I focus my mindset to keep pedaling as hard as I can.
Some races everything goes well, but sometimes you encounter adversity from unexpected angles. During this race, I had two mechanical issues on the first (of two) lap.
While pedaling uphill, a rock wedged itself between my rear shifting mechanism and the wheel, causing me to come to a standstill. I had to stop because I could not pedal. This resulted in bad shifting and jumping between gears, especially going uphill. This was frustrating while going uphill, since I needed to shift to continue pedaling. I tried my best to not get into my head when this happened, to not be disappointed, and just go with the flow.
While I didn’t achieve the result I wanted, I achieved everything I wanted that day. I fought hard to chase back as many spots as I could. I dug where I knew I needed to dig, and sat in where I knew I should sit in. I remembered why racing my bike is fun. I remembered why I race my bike. And when I finished, I finished with a smile and a sense of accomplishment.
I don’t need to be out there racing and thinking about what place I’m racing for, I need to be out there to RACE my bike, to focus on each turn, each acceleration, and enjoy every moment. I’m racing to be a better person and a better racer. I’m racing for the challenges it brings on and off the course.
I want smiles and hugs and positive attitudes, and that is what I want to bring to the races, that is why I love to race my bike.
Jo Van Cutsem
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Personal Training Success In Santa Fe
Personal Training Success- Julia Gelbart
When I do these interviews, I am usually trying to dig a little deeper to find out more about the member of the month. I want to find out what makes them tick to be so successful. I generally know this person through being around them all the time, but I always find out more through sitting down with them and talking. This month’s member of the month is much more simple than that. And in her simplicity you discover an admiration as to who she is.
Julia Gelbart is not very complicated in her desire to improve herself. To her, it is just common sense. As she grows older, she doesn’t want her body to fail her so she does something about it. And of course she wants to commit to herself and work hard, because anything worth getting involves work.
It is this absoluteness about why she is doing what she is doing and an incredible positive attitude that have made Julia Gelbart our personal training success May Member of the Month.
1) What made you decide you wanted/needed to start a program?
I was swimming with a friend of mine Vikkie, who was in your program and she raved to me that I had to do it. I am not in this to being tall and beautiful, I knew that I needed to wake up my muscles and strengthen my body especially in the upper body.
2) What did you do before?
I do a once a week yoga class, I walk and I swim.
3) What results have you achieved since starting your program that you are proud of?
I wanted a preventive program to help me age gracefully and improve my strength and balance. I have a great story to demonstrate the different benefits I have achieved.
It was the end of the day out at a house that I was getting ready to show and was walking up these long flights of stairs. Well on one of the times I was walking up them, my foot caught in my dress and started to fall face first toward the stairs. Well I was able to quickly react and put my hands out in front of me and slow myself down and then push myself back up! I avoided really getting hurt.
So first off, I wasn’t tired at all. Just normally in a regular day, I would be a little tired like most people. But I wasn’t even winded from walking up and down those long flights of stairs! And of course I was able to react fast enough and then have the strength to push myself back up! I had noticed a lot of great improvements over the year or so, like better posture and better movement, but after that incident I knew and felt what great progress I had made.
4) Do you have a favorite exercise? Least? What do you like or don’t like about them.
Frogs! Even though I know they are good for me, they are so difficult.
5) What are some challenges or goals you are currently working on?
I will always be working on gaining and keeping my strength.
6) What do you like best about our program/ having a trainer?
Three things:
1) Being in the group environment is really inspiring. When I first started I wanted to quit, but I didn’t because I am competitive and because nobody else in the group was quitting.
2) The corrections that we are given in class are great. They help me make sure that I am doing the exercises correctly.
3) The accountability. You guys notice when people are not in class and you track them down!
7) What advice would you give to the other SolCore Fitness members?
Don’t quit!
8) What would you say to someone on the fence about joining our program?
If you are looking for a program that will empower you, as you grow older by keeping your body strong and balanced, this is it. If you truly want to commit to yourself and your health and fitness, this program works!
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A Holistic And Scientifically Based Cure For Back Pain In Santa Fe ELDOA
ELDOA, Along With A Holistic Personal Training Program Will Eliminate Back Pain.
Being in the health and fitness field and helping people get rid of back, neck and hip pain, I get a lot of articles sent my way for examination. And I love it! So keep them coming. I love reading about what is going on in all corners on the health and fitness field(s). I really appreciate that people are trying to learn more and are looking for solutions outside of surgery and consistent pain medications. This article is influenced by an article published in the Wall Street Journal about back pain. You can see the WSJ article here: ( http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-help-for-back-pain-1448311243 ).
A little Backgound On When I Had Back Pain
SolCore Fitness Personal Training Santa Fe was birthed out of the necessity. I had back pain from a pinched L4-L5 vertebrae and intermittent Sciatic pain. I tried medications (knowing full well it wouldn’t cure me), chiropractic (helped for a week or so), yoga (didn’t work and made it worse) and some physical therapy exercises that also didn’t work and made it worse. And even though I had all these failures I knew that there had to be some way to “put myself back together.”
Enter ELDOA.
Because of the belief that I could put myself together, I found a program called Soma Training/Therapy, which contains ELDOA. This program completely blew what I knew out of the water and got rid of my back pain. Prior to finding this system, I did what most people did and used general formulaic answers to problems that arose for myself and my clients. But after getting hurt and seeing that this formulaic way of thinking wasn’t working, I was forced to find what would work consistently.
Which brings me to the article. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that people are realizing consistent surgery and medications are not the way. It has been said that only 1% of the people who go in for back surgery even need it. This article ( http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39658423/ns/health-pain_center/t/back-surgery-may-backfire-patients-pain/#.Vxu1iZMrLeQ ) talks about how surgery is being used as a cure-all and as a bi-product for pain medication (particularly opioids). But it’s not working. And as the article just prior states, it is really hard to see the cause of back pain from an MRI. Further, if you are looking at a person 30 years old or older, you are going to see some sort of damage to the spine. The problem is that the observed damage is generally asymptomatic and/or is not the root cause of the pathology.
The idea should be to look at the body holistically, to see how multiple different factors are playing into the issue. Once you do this, you can start to think about using specific stretches and exercises to normalize (correct) the different areas that are causing the imbalanced body. And when you talk of specifics you must take into the consideration the biomechanics of the body.
The initial WSJ article that was sent to me, lists four exercises that should help your back pain. However, as I stated before there could be numerous reasons that you have back pain. The exercise recommendations used in the article seem to assume that the issue is coming only from the spine. In an effort to analyze the exercises and for ease, let’s just go ahead and assume that indeed the problem is originating in the spine. Now let’s examine the exercises.
- The first, is an exercise that you execute while seated and you roll yourself over between your legs. This exercise is working with the idea that leaning forward will open the back part of your spine, which it will. But it is not very specific as to the level of the spine and as to where the disk bulge/herniation is happening. When you subject a force on the discs, you are going to be working under Pascals Law. This law states that the pressure is distributed evenly on a spherical surface (like the nucleus) and it will go to the weakest point. Meaning that in this exercise you may be trying to open the back of the spine by flexing forward and closing the front. However if your issue originates in the front that creates a problem because the pressure will go to the weakest point.
- The second exercise is performed lying on your back knees flexed to approximately 90 degrees with your feet on the floor. In this position you rock your legs back and forth. I am not a fan of this exercise… AT ALL! Here’s a little spinal biomechanics. Any time the spine is subjected to a rotational force it gets compressed. If you have some sort of pinch or bulge, a compression will make it worse. Now add the fact that your lower back is the fulcrum of the movement and you have the weight of the legs as you move into this rotational motion. Adding that force (your legs – weight and length) to the movement and you get MORE force compressing the pinch or bulge.
- The third one is called the Mckenzie press-up or, in yoga, the cobra. The idea here is similar to the first exercises in that the move opens the front part of the spine by closing the back part, “pushing” the disc back in. Since most pathologies are posterior lateral (back and to the side) it makes sense that you would want to migrate it forward. The first problem with this is, again, Pascals Law. Laws are funny like that. The second issue is whether the spine is in a good enough place and whether it has enough space to move properly to allow it to go forward. Considering most people don’t because of our modern lifestyles, it would not be a good idea. This is one of the main movements that caused me to get worse. I tried it first in PT exercises and then in a yoga class that I was told would be good for my back. Woops.
- The fourth is a standing side bend with your hand on the wall for a fixed point. A little more spinal biomechanics. When you side bend you will also get some rotation. And remember rotation causes compression which will more than likely cause the issue to get worse.
If you want to mobilize and give your spine some space, then the best things to do are to be able to translate it side to side and to do ELDOA’s. You can see an info video here and a montage of ELDOA’s and Myofascial stretching…. HERE. (This video is for example purposes only and was not designed to be followed).
Again your back pain could come from a lot of different sources and needs to be addressed as such. Don’t settle for a formulaic system to solve it.
If you are truly looking for a cure to back pain, find a practitioner near you who is educated in Soma training/therapy and knows ELDOA. I have been back pain free for 8 years and I’m not held back in the least. ELDOA along with a complete health and fitness program has also helped hundreds of our members get rid of pain and achieve a level of fitness greater than they ever thought.
If you are in Santa Fe and would like to attend a free ELDOA class this Saturday April 30th at 11 am please register HERE.
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