Every bit as delicious as a cheese burger or milkshake and a much healthier choice

With January well underway and New Year’s Resolutions still on everybody’s minds, I am getting many  emails with questions about what to eat to get the best results.  In my last newsletter, I touched briefly on supportive nutrition.

Today I want to share with you some information about foods that provide health benefits you may not be aware of.  We often hear about how certain foods boost immunity, reduce the risk of cancer or maybe even help with weight loss.

I have put together a list of 13 of the best foods you might not already be eating. Today I’m posting foods 1-7, tomorrow I will give you 8-13.  Enjoy!

Sardines – These tiny fish are super high in omega-3 fats and have virtually no mercury, like many other fish do.  They’re also a great source of calcium and vitamin D! They’re sold year round in the can … add them to salads, mix them in pasta sauce, or use them in place of tuna fish.

Swiss chard – This dark, green, leafy veggie is loaded with nutrients, called carotenoids, that help protect your eyes.  It’s also a great source of vitamin K and other nutrients.  Saute some with garlic and a bit of olive oil, with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Turmeric – This is the ultimate anti inflammatory spice.  Add it to rice, veggie dishes, or even try it in scrambled eggs!

Red cabbage – This cruciferous vegetable is  loaded antioxidant polyphenols – particularly anthocyanins, which give red cabbage its color, and may be responsible protecting the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.  It also has up to 8 times the vitamin C of green cabbage.   Add shredded cabbage to wraps, salads, or find a mayo free recipe for coleslaw and give it a try!

Cinnamon – Another powerful spice, just ½ tsp per day has been shown to lower LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides.  It may also lower blood sugar in those with diabetes and is a powerful antioxidant – sprinkle some on oatmeal, in smoothies, on cottage cheese, or yogurt.

Quinoa – This ancient grain boasts one of the highest protein contents of any grain, it’s high in fiber, and higher in many other minerals than most grains.  It’s great as a breakfast cereal, mixed with some dried fruit and nuts, or use it as a substitute for rice in recipes.

Broccoli – This cruciferous vegetable is particularly high in a nutrient called sulforaphane, which has cancer fighting properties.  Mix broccoli into omelets, on salads, in stir fry or pasta sauce.

Thank you Shannon may I have another?

So the same core group of us has been showing up to Shannon’s magical buffet of indoor cycling mixed with group personal training since October. We’ve all made significant gains in strength and endurance. Our hearts can recover really quickly from very hard efforts. Resting heart rates are dropping and fat is melting away. It is all good with two notable exceptions.

First, Shannon has yet to play any Metallica, Tool or even AC/DC. Second, because it has been the same group of people (now known as “athletes”) working out week after week, Shannon feels comfortable cranking up the intensity on us. And there is no end to the new and horrible things she can dream up. Have you ever had to scamper across a gym forward, backward and sideways with thick rubber bands holding your ankles together? I have and I’m here to tell you it is no picnic.

We can whine, whimper and complain all we want, but it falls on deaf and unsympathetic ears. She just keeps turning the screws. THE ONLY WAY TO GET HER TO TONE IT DOWN IS TO HAVE SOME NEW PEOPLE JOIN US IN JANUARY. So please, do yourself and us a huge favor. Get your ass out of bed and in to L.O.F.I.T.T. Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5:30. You’ll be sort of glad you did.

Looking for a new holiday tradition? How about getting (or staying) totally buff?

Love it or hate it, the holiday season is right around the corner. As soon as all the retailers get rid of all the Halloween crap, out comes the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Festivus gear. With so much to do (and so much to eat) many people let their fitness slide during the holidays. Their thought process is the same every year.

“New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, I’ll worry about working out on January 2.” And with that worry out of the way, the 60-day food orgy begins.

I’ve got a better plan. Instead of backing off this holiday season, why not ramp up? Why not look better at the parties? Why not have that little extra motivation to make better food choices all season long?

The last round of indoor cycling, group personal training was a huge success. In just 4 weeks of working out really hard and eating right, the entire group was able to achieve some very encouraging results. Some even claimed to enjoy it. So we’re going to do it again starting next Tuesday, November 2. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30am at LO FITT in Lake Oswego and run for 4 weeks. The December schedule will be announced soon.

Both of these classes will include a free holiday nutrition guide for all participants. So join us and go into 2010 looking and feeling awesome!

LO FITT is at 17449 Boones Ferry Rd, next to the Starbucks on Jean Way. Classes are limited to 10 participants so sign up early. To register, please contact Shannon via email at shanmc98@hotmail.com.

The Alter-G post sparked some great interest and discussion. Thought I’d post a little info on another innovative fitness tool and see what people thought of its potential. I haven’t seen one of these at LO F.I.T.T. yet, but I suspect it is only a matter of time. Costs a lot less than the Alter-G too.

Want to make a workout really hurt? Ignore supportive nutrition

We are already more than half-way done with week three of Shannon’s magnificent fitness buffet of indoor cycling and group personal training. Week one was manageable, but definitely a challenge.

Week two, as promised, was more of a challenge. We spent more time on the bike and Shannon raised the intensity level up several notches. Still, it seemed quite a bit easier. In fact, by Friday, I actually found myself wishing I could go again. I credit this to an extra week of eating healthy (at least for the most part) combined with a slight gain in fitness. I also discovered I’ve shed about 5 pounds since this whole ordeal began. Very cool.

Shannon took it up another notch this morning. After a few minutes on the bikes, we got right into a tough circuit of strength training exercises that had my heart pounding. Then it was back to the bikes for some intense intervals. Shannon has been talking supportive nutrition since day one. Today I discovered what happens if you don’t eat enough the day before. It makes the workout a lot harder and recovery doesn’t seem to come as fast. Last week’s 90-minute workouts seemed really short. Not the case today.

So, for me, it is back to the kitchen. Thursday will be here soon.

Alter-G Prototype

I recently learned about a new training tool called the Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill and feel like I should briefly share my thoughts on it with everybody because it is one of the most amazing pieces of fitness equipment I have ever seen.

So, what in the world is the Alter-G Treadmill? It is an odd-looking contraption that makes running almost as easy and pain-free as sitting on the couch. In other words, the Alter-G allows slackers to run like pro’s with only a fraction of the effort! Trainers and coaches have has also found the Alter-G to be an innovative and useful training tool that has been changing the way injured people recover and how athletes train.

So how does it work? Imagine what it would be like to be able to leave a certain percentage of your body weight at home while you go for a walk or a run (or, if you prefer, what it would be like to do a workout on the moon). The Alter-G gives you a similar experience, albeit on a treadmill.

Picture a giant mechanical bully sneaking up behind you and giving you a massive wedgie while you are running on a treadmill. The wedgie takes some of the weight off your lower extremities and running gets a whole lot easier. Now, instead of a mechanical bully, picture a giant pillow of air and instead of being held up by your skivvies, imagine a special pair of shorts designed to distribute your weight evenly and with much more comfort. That’s the Alter-G. By providing a type of virtual weight loss, it allows users run faster, gain additional strength and enhance cardiovascular performance while minimizing impact and stress on their joints.

The Alter-G is highly effective in rehabilitation and physical therapy because it also reduces impact loading on the lower extremities. The FDA has cleared the Alter-G for use in lower body injury and surgery rehabilitation, aerobic conditioning, weight control and reduction, sport specific conditioning programs and neurological retraining.

The Alter-G is also proving to be a highly effective training tool for both recreational and competitive athletes by allowing a person to train longer, run faster, gain additional strength, and enhance cardiovascular performance.  Moreover, until now, there has not been an effective method for athletes to maintain high fitness levels while they are injured.  The Alter-G allows injured athletes to match the aerobic intensity of their regular workouts while lowering the impact on his/her injured body during training.

The bottom line on the Alter-G treadmill is that is a very useful device for anybody who needs to achieve a higher level of conditioning with less impact as part of an overall exercise program. Want to check it out for yourself? Come see me at LO F.I.T.T.

Last week was week one of Shannon’s magnificent fitness buffet of indoor cycling and group personal training. We started with a seminar on “supportive nutrition,” which gave us a good idea of what we should be eating if we wish to have the energy to complete these intense workouts and shed some pounds at the same time. This seminar went way beyond the basic “if it tastes good don’t eat it” advice you get from some trainers. We talked about glycemic index, why fiber does more for your body than simply help you make a doodie (as if that isn’t enough), the benefits of eating pike and wild game and a host of other fun facts.

Two days later, at 5:30:01 am we were rocking the spinning bikes. After about 30 minutes it was time for strength training, which normally consists of a fast-paced circuit of whatever Shannon’s devious mind concocts. Much of her strength training involves using your own body weight rather than fancy machines. It is old-school, yet oh so effective, because it helps develop core strength along with everything else. We ended with about 10 minutes of stretching aided by the use of yoga straps. I’ve never stretched like this before, but it is definitely something I’m going to work into my road cycling routine as well.

The following Thursday followed a similar format. Strength training focused on different muscle groups and we finished off the session with a group foam-roll. Foam rollers help you work the gunk out of your muscles. It is kind of like giving yourself a painful massage. While it does hurt, it is very effective. Rumor has it that it hurts less the more you do it. I think we are going to find out.

At any rate, after one week of Shannon’s training + one 35 mile road ride + eating I was able to drop about 5 pounds. This is something I have not been able to do all summer, even though I logged a ton of miles on my bike. Alas, I fear that eating right was the missing part of the puzzle, which means I am going to have to keep it up. Eating right can be a major challenge, but I suppose it is worthwhile.

The plan is to step up the workout intensity each week. Not sure what that means for next week, but we’ll find out soon enough.

This particular class is very similar to those Shannon used to conduct with a few significant improvements. Most notably is the facility. This time around, she is doing them at LO F.I.T.T., which is a very nice place with great equipment. After re-acquainting myself with this particular brand of group exercise, I remain convinced that it is among the very best workouts available. Every one of the 90 minutes is filled with some exquisite brand of torture, but it is intense enough that the time really does fly by.

The music for these classes will be hand-selected by Shannon and Lake Oswego's own DJ De-Z

Back by popular demand, Shannon Corey Fitness will be re-introducing indoor cycling to the schedule starting in October. With so many cyclists living in the Portland-area, it should come as no surprise that Indoor cycling (also known as spinning) is one of the most popular types of group fitness activities around.

As many of you already know, my approach to indoor cycling is very different from your average spinning class because:

• They are an hour-and-a-half long instead of 50 minutes and include both an on the bike & off the bike workout
• I integrate strength training and core exercises into every session
• Classes are limited in size so every participant will get individualized training and attention
• I provide guidelines for supportive nutrition

There is one other critical element that sets this indoor cycling classes apart – we’ll be spinning great music.

Best indo in L.O. fo' sho', yo

Good music is critical for this type of high-intensity workout, and music will be a central part of each and every class. I’ll be teaming up with a Lake Oswego-based musicologist to offer an eclectic mixture of classic rock, hard rock, punk, techno, trance, angry gangsta rap and hip hop with a smattering of psychedelic jam music, lounge music, bluegrass, and gospel thrown into the mix just to keep it interesting.

You will not be subjected to pop, tired 80s music or the generic milquetoast fluff that is served up in most of the big Portland-area spin classes. No George Michael, No Weather Girls (It’s Raining Men) and absolutely, positively no Five for Fighting – ever. That’s just not how we roll.

These classes are great for cyclists or anyone looking for a fun and effective way to work out. No cycling experience is necessary.

Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30am at LO FITT in Lake Oswego.  LO FITT is at 17449 Boones Ferry Rd, next to the Starbucks on Jean Way. The schedule will be four weeks on, one week off. The first four week series will start on October 6. We will meet the afternoon of Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 at LO FITT to discuss nutrition and proper bike fit. Classes are limited to 10 participants so sign up early. To register, please contact Shannon via email at shanmc98@hotmail.com.

Worth it or not? Watch the video and decide for yourself

We all know that high-fat food is bad for you, but what does this really mean? How bad is bad?

This video from ABC news shows you in a way that will make you think twice before you head out for your next meal. If you are craving a big, juicy hamburger and french fries — or worse, a big juicy hamburger wrapped in a quesadilla and chili cheese fries (with or without a side of bacon and blue cheese dressing and a Coke to wash it all down), this video should curb those cravings in a major way. The video is hard to watch, but that’s the whole point. A salad with some lean turkey and dressing on the side will never sound so good.

Marketing hype or corporate responsibility?

Kentucky Fried Fat Loss

This has been all over the news. Kentucky Fried Chicken is trying something new — Kentucky GRILLED Chicken.

This is taken right from a press release off the Kentucky Fried Chicken Website:

“The introduction of Kentucky Grilled Chicken is a defining moment in our brand’s storied history,” said KFC President Roger Eaton. “KGC is the latest menu innovation that showcases our commitment to meeting our customers’ ever-changing needs while staying true to the standards of high quality and great taste pioneered by Colonel Sanders. This product will transform the industry.”

Well, at least they’re trying. Or is it too late? Are they just doing this so they don’t get sued some day for their role in the obesity epidemic?

What do YOU think about the new “KGC”?