A Must Read! Eat, Pray, Love

Want some homework?

A must read book is "Eat, Pray, Love".

Go... now! Read, learn, grow.

Enjoy.

K

Can one eat TOO healthy?

... YES... dying from Luau Leaf poisoning... help!

could have just had the spinach, but NOOOOOO had to go for some local fancy greens.

Just sitting here after eating a yummy but painful breakfast of eggs, bacon and a large side of something called Luau Leaves that looks like large lilly pads and is supposed to be Hawaii's closest version of spinach.

We bought spinach, we bought romaine and we bought luau... we went for the luau of course! All of you would have too.We were told at the store not to eat them raw... steamed or sauteed.

So I figured they were like swiss chard and have some sort of acid that can interfere with iron absorption if eaten raw... but I should have used my spidey senses, b/c why would this nice Waikiki grocery man care about my iron intake really. But he cares NOT TO POISON tourists... or at least do what he can do avoid us poisoning ourselves.

My throat has almost stopped burning, so I think I will live.

Before kalo can be eaten, all parts of the plant must be cooked, in order to break down the needle-like calcium oxalate crystals present in the leaves, stem and corm. These could be extremely irritating to the throat and mouth lining, causing an acrid burning and stinging sensation. Lu`au is the name of the edible taro leaf, from the word lau, leaf. The lu`au leaf is another kinolau of Lono. Lu`au supplies high amounts of vitamins A, B and C, as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus, thiamine and riboflavin. The cooked corm and poi have fewer vitamins, but are an excellent carbohydrate source and have the ability to balance the pH factor in the body, as they are an alkali producing food.

We did everything we were supposed to and told to (maybe we were being punished for cooking them in left over bacon fat?!). But further research reveals that the stem and vein must be removed.

I took off stems but not veins.So the burning is due to the highly acidic factor.Homeopathic uses are to induce vomitting... nice.

So lesson to you all:

1) Research your native grocery picks well before eating them unless you want to think you are dying.

2) When in doubt, go for the spinach.

3) YES, I guess it is possible to eat too healthy. ;-)

The good news is, it IS very good for me and I am not dying. Pain almost gone that was in my throat, inner cheeks and tonge.

K

Stop Hiding and you Will be Found

"...the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a very religious person, but I am very spiritual. One thing that has helped me get closer to becoming my best (inside and out), is telling the truth. It may not be verbally spoken per se, but at least being honest with myself and with those that I am closest to.

By bringing the truth to light, you are able to stop hiding behind or within the person you are pretending to be. Once you do that, you are better able to be yourself or your "true self".

It is a very empowering and enlightening feeling once you have spoken or acknowledged truths that have been buried within for, in some cases, a very long time.

Here as some examples of truths that can profoundly change your life and your future, by bringing them out:

• I am addicted to food
• I am judgmental of other people so I can feel better about myself
• I am a shopaholic (or workaholic, or alcoholic...); I do this to hide from the pain inside me
• I have an anxiety disorder
• I am an underachiever
• I am afraid of failure
• I am not happy with my marriage
• I do not want to work at my job anymore; I want to be a _________ instead
• I have been lying to myself for decades and it must stop
• I drink too much

Just saying it and actually acknowledging it as an obstacle that you need to overcome, rather than a matter-of-fact, and you will be one step closer to conquering it.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT!?

You cannot become your true self, the highest form of who you are, the most fulfilled "you", until you stop hiding, stop lying to yourself (first and foremost). It will hold you back in your relationships, your career, your health, your physical performance.... in everything. You are not complete. It also causes anxiety and stress and dissonance.

MY TRUTH

Recently, I was driving somewhere and I was struck by a TRUTH of my own. I analyzed some of my past, some patters, some chronic pain (hip) and I stated it both in my head and then out loud:

"I am an underachiever!"

I searched a bit deeper and realized that the futher truth behind this was:

"I am afraid of failure."

Think deeper... find the truth:

"I have an anxiety disorder."

There it was. I realized that for as long as I can remember, I have had severe anxiety over any type of competition, where the task is challenging for me. If it does not come easily or if I was not 100% certain that I would win, I would have excuses for not being able to continue on with the competition.

I remember in Gr. 3, I faked being sick so I did not have to compete in the 100 m dash at the All Schools Track and Field event. I was never afraid to compete locally because I knew I was the fastest and would win. As soon as I had real competition, I would crumble and wuss out.

Now over the years of competing in various sports and events, I have learned to face my fear and compete, but the fear and anxiety is still there. And that fear holds me back from being my best. It drains my energy, affects my digestion, my weight (loss of appetite) and overall performance. My hip, neck or back will also flare up (each of those represents something emotional).

I have taken yoga, done meditation, visualization, taken stress busting supplements, but the anxiety is still there (to a lesser degree however).

It was not until I simply stated that TRUTH "I have an anxiety disorder" that the disorder disappeared. It seems so simple, but this was a HUGE revelation. To recognize it, acknowledge it and state it. AND, not to be judged. We all have fears, flaws and truths to tell.

Now that I have stat.ed that truth, I am one GIANT step closer to becoming my personal best. With The Commonwealth Championships, just around the corner, I am ready to take it on anxiety free! I will simply do my best and nothing else matters.

Now, your homework is to figure out which truths are holding you back. "Be not afraid." "...the truth will set you free".

Remember, the hardest truths to speak and acknowledge are the ones that will move you further ahead and towards your "true self".

Yours in Strength,
Krista

Build the Muscle to Burn the Fat

This weekend, I heard "I don't want to get big, just lose weight" one too many times. I have written articles on this and related topics before (Let's Deal with Toning Once and For All), but I thought a friendly reminder may be in order.

YOU NEED TO BUILD MUSCLE TO BURN FAT

So let's clear the air on some Muscle Misconceptions:

• Muscle does not make you look bulky - fat over muscle does
• Do not focus on gaining / losing weight - body composition is what matters
• Aim to first build lean mass through strength training & "lean and green" eating
• Once you build new muscle, your body will be better able to lose fat
• You CAN and SHOULD gain lean mass and lose body fat at the same time - the key is the right eating, training and supplementing
• Anyone can strength train at any age - strength training is not just for the young, healthy athletes
• Almost everyone can strive towards advanced movements such as chinups, squats, deadlifts and Olympic variations.
• Muscle is not just for men - the more muscle a woman has, the sexier her physique will look (and perform)
• Increasing strength and lean mass is not just great for aesthetic reasons - more muscle and strength means improved posture, reduced aches and pains, increased mobility and speed and a longer, more active, healthier, happier life.

Here are some things I would love to never hear again:

1. I don't want to bulk, just tone
2. I don't want to get bigger muscles, just lose weight
3. I don't want to look like a football player
4. I don't need to lift weights, I am a pretty active person
5. I'm too ________ (old, busy, fat, small...) for that

Three Weeks of 3 x 3 for 3

Go pick up a set of Dumbells today (anywhere from 8's to 20's) and incorporate 3 simple movements, 3 days a week for 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for 3 weeks.

1) Chair Squat - hold DB"s at your shoudlers. Start seated on a chair. Get up from the chair and stand up. Reverse it to come back down to the chair with control. That is one repetition. If this is too hard holding onto weights, start with no weights in your hands and hand straight out in front or on your hips.

2) DB Pick Up - Put the DB's on the ground parallel with each other about a foot away. Stand in between and slightly behind them. With a flat back and flat feet, slowly bend over by bending at both the knees and waist, grab the DB's and pick them up while holding them at the sides of your body. Stand erect at the top with military posture. Return them down with a flat back looking slightly upwards. That is one repetition.

3) Overhead Press - Standing with one foot slightly ahead of the other (staggered stance) holding DB's at your shoulders. Knees slightly bent and posture tall and strong. With a parallel grip, press the DB's overhead aiming for a finishing position where your arms are in line with your ears. Lock them overhead to finish. Return the weight to shoulders. That is one repetition.

Give 3 x 3 for 3 a go for three weeks. Send this to your friends and family who currently are not lifting weights. Feel free to contact me and let me know how it goes for you!

Increase Your Performance

Runway Walking & Seated Football Drills

Just picked this up from my ART Practitioner during my deadlift workout (ART - Active Release Technique).

If you want to improve your muscular coordination, nervous system coordination and strength, do long stride walking on the treadmill before you train. Particularly if you are doing some advanced movements or attempting a new PR (personal record). The patterned opposing movement (right arm forward as left leg back and so on and so forth) improves coordination which makes your body perform optimally (thus, improved strength if you are attempting a PR as a stength athlete).

The walk cannot be short choppy movements however. The more exaggerated the movement, the better for your hip mobility at the same time. Dr. Aras Kvedaras introduced me to the long stride walking before training and competition (and after is great also), thus, we call it Aras Walking. Envision someone walking on the cat walk - a model's strut. That's kind of what you are going for.

An extra tip I picked up today ... we are flying to New Zealand to compete in just over 2 weeks and may be be able to do long stride walking on the plane. The solution? Seated Football Drills, we will call them.

• Sit on a chair or bench
• Cross your hands / arms over each other
• Your left hand over top the right knee and right over left
• Run your feet / toes up and down quickly like football drills
• Just high enough that your knees will touch your hands (a few inches)
• Do this long enough to pattern the movement

Important: Do not do same hand to same knee because this will lay down a poor movement pattern and have the reverse effect (poor coordinator and thus poor performance). This is why, if you are nervous before having to do something physical, you should not adopt the nervous habit of sitting and tapping your feet into your hands (same hand, same foot). You will give yourself something to be nervous about!

If you can't help it, don't worry, just cross your arms over each other and you will have absolutely nothing to be nervous about - you will likely give your best performance ever!

So now you know.

Take Home Messages

1. There is a time and place for steady state walking
2. You are encouraged to walk like a model on the catwalk
3. Adjust your nervous habit for improved performance
4. ART practitioners rock! (they do more than just inflict pain on tight muscles)

Dr. Kvedaras has learned many of these Tips for Increased Performance from studying under Dr. David Leaf DC (http://www.anatomytrains.com/). You can find Dr. Kvedaras in Hamilton, Ontario are Kvedaras Family Chiropractic (near McMaster Hospital) at 905.527.6250. He is THE BEST I have ever worked with, and I have worked with lots.