Your Sexy Body: Part One: Nutrition

Ready To Dis-Cover?

If your GOAL is to to be the proud and dynamic owner of a thriving, fine looking, compliment getting functionally fit and healthy body?

Then you'll need to pay CLOSE attention to BALANCE

BALANCE is the KEY to YOUR success

Whether you want more shapely muscle tone, or you just simply want to boost your immune system and improve your health the common denominator is, you guessed it ...BALANCE

YOU'LL NEED TO CREATE BALANCE IN:

YOUR nutrition

YOUR workouts

and YOUR general lifestyle choices

Today, in our first of a series of three, I'm going to share with you the NUTRITION BASICS that you'll need to know and use, to start CREATING BALANCE in your diet ...which will in turn ...will help you build a foundation of energy and mental capacity for a healthy, fitter body, literally from head to toe. My recommendations are scientifically sound and proven effective. If you have special circumstances, such as allergies, I recommend you consult and work with a Qualified nutritionist directly.

* At the end of today's post, I'm going to give you The Official PETEtheTRAINER BASIC Shopping List.

Remember (if you haven't already) Purge Your Pantry of the three poisons: 'food ingredients' containing the following words - (read the ingredients label).

1) High Fructose Corn Syrup

2) Partially Hydrogenated

3) Enriched (if you don't see the word ORGANIC on the package, it just means chemicals added)

Here's your 'To Do' Assignment: Print The PETEtheTRAINER Shopping List

...AND take your list with you (don't leave it behind on the kitchen counter) the next time you go to your favorite food market. Pick up everything on the list that you like or think you may like.

NUTRITION NUGGETS

...The Short 'n' Sweet Version

1) For shinier Hair and and stronger Nails: It's all about the fat ...healthy fat! Try olive oil in your cooking. Go for two 'card deck' sized proteins like chicken, lean beef, bison, ostrich or fish every day. Start drinking more water.

2) For stronger Eyes: Orange and green veggies are good ...you need about 2.5 cups a day. Try orange bell peppers and broccoli.

3) For more Radiant Skin: Get that celebrity glow by including fruits like 2 cups of blueberries and strawberries in your daily diet, also 3 glasses of 2% Organic milk a day is good. Don't forget your supplements: Pharmaceutical grade (NOT food grade) Multi Vit/Min. Flax oil, Fish oil(anti-inflammatory/post-training soreness recuperation)

4) For a healthier Heart: Trade-out saturated fats (butter, milk, cheese) and opt for more low fat milk/cheese, the leanest cuts of meat, also add salmon to your menu. Add in 6 teaspoons of healthy oils, such as olive or canola oil per day.

5) For better Digestion: Get a more healthy colon by making sure you get those 2 cups of fruit, also, 3 cups of veggies per day. You can also add a piece of WHOLE grain bread with breakfast for some good fiber.

6) For stronger Bones: Do you like milk? Keep osteoporosis at bay by downing 3 cups a day, and if you don't already, start using lowfat Greek yogurt to top off your high fiber cereal. (check out WholeFoods 365 brand).

7) For a cleaner Liver: Support your hardworking organ with those 3 cups of vegetables each day, broccoli and cauliflower are best, also, get in, 3 cups per week of beans, and your daily dose of whole grains!

* If you haven't already ...start your Complete Body Cleanse ...check out WholeFoods 365 brand as recommended (if you are already a Client remember this is part of your 24 'actions' CHECKLIST that you received during your initial Body Stat. & Goal Clarification Appointment.

8) Pump up your mojo: Enjoy an improved sex-life by adding pumpkin seeds, figs, avocado and asparagus to your nutrition plan, which will increase Chi & blood flow, especially to your 'passion function' ...and if you haven't already discovered ...exercise! IS one of the BEST free aphrodisiac on the planet!

I also recommend, Ginko Biloba (circilation & memory), MSM Sulfer (for joints & skin) along with Alpha Lipoic Acid and CoQ10 (antioxidants).

(check out WholeFoods 365 brand).

Er..? NO..!
if this is what this morning's breakfast

looked like, GET DOWN and give me 10 knuckle press ups

...and never do that again...!

REMEMBER>5 minutes on your lips, 5 weeks on your hips

#3 Mmn Yea..!

ditties, quotes, and things to make you ponder on your uniqueness.

self-esteem

What is self-esteem? It’s hard to know if you’ve never had a lot of it right?

There are several facets to self-esteem. It's a 3 level belief system that supports life.

A belief that:

1. You deserve to exist. This is the base level, your fundamental core.
2. You are competent. At the next level, you believe in your general ability to handle life and its unpredictable events.
3. You deserve affluence. The highest level of self-esteem goes beyond your ability ...it's a trusting of the world at large around you (and The Universal Spirit or Higher Power) to provide for your needs ...you deserve to be loved. You deserve an exellent job. You deserve a big comfortable house. These are things that you have influence on, but cannot necessarily create only by yourself. You need help, or 'luck' from the world-at-large — and you trust that that help will come when you need it.

Though the word “belief” suggests that self-esteem is a conscious thought ...it actually goes a lot deeper than that...it's hard-wired in your Sub- Conscious . Self-esteem is innate, a state of being that is you in default mode, triggered when we are born. From the very start of life, we start out with “full” esteem.

Think of a baby in the womb. It is easy to see how it satisfies all the three levels. A mother’s body is naturally set up to provide for your every need. The baby's only task is to grow — and I’m not just talking in multiplying your cell counts. We know that babies move in the womb, testing out various physical abilities, experimenting ...and they are paying attention to what’s going on 'outside', by receiving signals from the mother. Fundamentally they know they deserve to exist — because they do exist. Nothing in their whole world, (which is only the womb at this time) is suggests otherwise. All their systems are wired and working together to affirm and sustain their existence. Their cells are nourished and vibrant with life’s energy.

You are born with full esteem.

Esteem is a sense of well-being (happiness), and a trust in that sense. It permeates through all channels of our consciousnesses, from the cognitive thoughts we are aware of, to the deepest subconscious depths ...the foundation of our psyche, which tells our body to go on functioning, living and thriving.

Many people unfortunately lose touch with this 'inner child' and their connection to happiness is short changed ...because of what has happened to them, along the way. They've lived ...or are living a lifestyle that has been/is exposed to various unhealthy episodes of shock, guilt and shame, which causes the anti-life condition known as negative stress.

Correct structured, healthy exercise is a excellent way to undo' the damage' and realign your natural, full, self esteem.

"According to Buddhist teachings, the life of all beings - human, animal, and otherwise ...is precious, and all have the same right to happiness.

The TOOLBOX Tip

OK, let's continue our 14 Tips For Starting And Sticking With It ...so you don't fail before, it all starts to look real good series

#10 JUST SHOW UP! ...98% of life is SHOWING UP. Just GO to the gym, get to that class, get that workout handled. Once you're there, it's hard to say no ...in case you didn't know, each time you walk through the gym's front door, all your relatives that have passed on, are standing and cheering for you and saying "yay..! there you go!"

...Hold this visual thought EVERY time, you walk through the door for another workout.

GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED to really organize your nutrition requirements, and get real good at all the related clever kitchen stuff.
Tosca Reno's best selling 'The Eat Clean Diet' book is at the top of The PETEtheTRAINER Recommended Read List and is also on The PETEtheTRAINER START RIGHT CHECKLIST. Each page is a glossy, easy reading, life empowering experience, that offers practical information.

This amazing book will show you HOW to eat & organize for success so you can build a powerful nutrition foundation. Approx. $16. TARGET and even less on Amazon.com

Hey! ..GOT A MINUTE?

- quick questions,

precise answers

Q. I don't eat breakfast 'cos I'm not hungry, besides I don't have time to eat anyway ...so can I still do The 12 Week Transformation program?

A. No, here's why, The 12 Week Transformation program has very specific nutrition requirements, such as correct protein, fats and carbohydrate ratios and timing of consumption. Breakfast is the foundation that sets up the rest of the days success with each nutrition element having a synergistic effect on the next element to create maximum results and overall success over the 12 weeks of training and nutrition ...also, realize, there's three reasons why you eat ... (1) for comfort (2) for entertainment ...and (3) for a purpose (which is ...to make sure you have the necessary nutrients available in your body to create the correct biological conditions, such as providing energy, creating muscle and/or releasing body-fat).

If you are NOT willing to commit to the program 110%, give it a pass 'till you're ready. (physically, emotionally & spiritually). Having said that, if you are NOT YET ready for a 12 week commitment, or you want to ease into having quality exercise & healthy nutrition part of your life, ask me about the various Foundational programs available. For many, overwhelm is a very real problem (especially if your brand new, or coming back from a lay off). Any successful workout avoids, shock, guilt, shame and blame.

Everyone approaches working out differently (uniquely) ...either way, I believe every workout should be empowering, fun and of course, result producing, AND leave you feeling energized ...it's ALWAYS about stimulation (personal growth) NOT annihilation (feeling drained or un-empowered). By emphasizing correct form, safety and avoiding 'overwhelm', you'll enjoy your workouts and create the fastest results.

It's NOT what you do IN the gym that gives you THE MOST RESULTS

...IT'S WHAT YOU DO 'BETWEEN' WORKOUTS.

Working out is the 'stimulation' for creating the results.

As soon as you finish a great workout, you'll want to start your RECUPERATION PROCESS: For best results, after your workout, within the first 30 minutes, you'll want to consume a protein smoothie(add fruit/simple sugars) to replenish your glycogen levels, THEN eat a small balanced meal within 90 minutes of your workout end time and THEN take a 15 min nap or meditation.

The Official PETEtheTRAINER 'BASIC' Shopping List

MEATS/PROTEINS: eggs, skinless chicken breasts, turkey breasts, extra lean turkey bacon, ground turkey & beef, deli roast beef, top sirloin steak, salmon, tilapia, white tuna, lean deli ham, peanut butter.

WHOLE GRAINS: oatmeal, high fiber cereal, whole wheat bread & pasta, whole wheat English muffin.

PRODUCE: bananas, cauliflower & broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, blueberries, cherries, green beans, asparagus, salad mix, zucchini, squash, grapefruit, oranges, avocados, pineapple, butternut squash, edamame, onions & scallions.

DAIRY: cow's milk (low fat-2%), shredded mozzarella & cheddar cheese, cottage cheese (low fat-2%), cream cheese (low fat-2%), Greek yogurt (low fat-2%).

BEVERAGES: sports drink, orange juice, lemonade.

CONDIMENTS: lite mayonnaise, low-fat ranch dressing, mustard, salsa, honey, low sodium spaghetti sauce, marinated artichoke hearts, cinnamon.

SUPPLEMENTS: whey protein powder, soy protein powder.

Please realize this is a very basic list. There are more foods & supplements that are effective. For a complete list, please refer to 'The Eat Clean Diet' for further details.

Thank you for your visit. I hope you had a few 'Aha..!' moments.

Keep dis-covering your potential, and if you enjoy what you find here at PETEtheTRAINER, please consider becoming 'A FOLLOWER' by clicking on the tab at the top right hand side of the page.

In PART 2 of Your Sexy Body we'll talk about Balance in YOUR WORKOUTS.

We'll also literally take a pictorial look at the many aspects (and shocking extremes) that some people call health &/or fitness ...DON'T MISS IT!

'till next time

Peace & Blessings

^P.

Today's The Day

Use The

STING Method

& procrastination's
a thing of the past

Overcoming procrastination, is one of the biggest hurdles for many people, especially those brand new to body-shaping/strength training. During the first few weeks of training your body is 'forced' to adapt and recuperate from post workout 'soreness'.You fight and struggle for results and step by step, you create a solid foundation of fitness.

Around the 7 week milestone (of your body-shaping program), procrastination rears it's ugly head again, this time it sidelines your resolve and scatters your focus ...this happens to many because, when real progress (results) start to show, the complements start to flow and you suffer a 'slack attack'. This is classic 'self sabotage'. Novice trainees often make the mistake of thinking they can just miss a few sessions ('cos, after-all look at how far I've come, and how good I feel..!) ...and before they know it, the weeks have flown by and they are MIA running free, unfocused and feeling pangs of guilt and shame!


One method I teach to help deal with this kind of situation (although some people will 'self-sabotage' repetitively no matter what) is called The "STING" method, and it addresses and handles procrastination in a simple, practical way.

STING is an acronym that stands for:

S - Select one task.
T - Time yourself.
I - Ignore everything else.
N - No breaks.
G - Give yourself a reward.

Ready for a test drive?

Set the timer for say one hour to accomplish a chosen task (3 x 20 minute increments, works well for 3 small related tasks).

O.K. quit your email program and browser right NOW, grab your workout bag, close the front door. You've got one hour to get to the gym, do your thing, and back home on time.

The beauty of it is ... it works! Follow the STING Principle and you may find it actually works better than you could have imagined- and if you get enough momentum to keep going a while longer, that's even better! ...Oh, the reward? ...preferably something that's in harmony with your short term goal ...if you choose chocolate! ...think, moderation, dark and organic.

Here's a puzzle for you:

What do you see in this grid?

What do you think it represents?

The answer is "one year." The columns represent days and the rows are the twelve months of the year, so each day of the year occupies one square.

"Okay," you ask, "so what's the big deal?"

You may be used to thinking about one year as a long time. When a year is represented like this, and you can see every day of the year at a glance, suddenly a year looks like an opportunity that can be organized.

This grid is the layout of a typical table blotter calendar that you can find in any office supply store. It's quite an ordinary, everyday thing. Why should it be any different from a regular yearly calendar that shows the same thing month by month? I'm not sure. Perhaps it is because we've also been conditioned to think of a month as a long time. Perhaps the irregular number of days in a month and the space between months all contribute to that illusion.

In any event, confronting the grid and contemplating its meaning is a sobering experience for me. You cross out a square with each day passes, and no power in the Universe can bring that day back for you. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. And when another year has passed, all the squares will be crossed out, irrevocably lost. You have to move on to another 'grid'.

How many more grids do you have? And what if the number forty? It can be expressed as a five-by-eight matrix. With the passing of each year, one square from this tiny matrix disappears, never to exist again.

For all I know I may have just a few more table blotters remaining. The same is true for you.

When you see it this way, you come to the inescapable conclusion that, indeed, life is too short. We hear this platitude so frequently, it has all but lost its power. But now, seen from a fresh angle, the message regains its dark potency. We, all of us, really don't have that much time in this plane of existence. If life is a lesson, it's a crash course.

Did YOU START YOUR DAY with 16 oz of cold H20

...waited 30 mins, THEN

enjoyed a Protein Shake along with a Multi Vitamin/Mineral?

The TOOLBOX Tip

#8 Don't be foolish and think you can save money AND not waste time

If you think you can get fit and healthy by buying a gym membership and then making stuff up as you go along, you're just fooling yourself, AND asking to get injured. Smart folk hire a Certified Personal Trainer with 'street cred expirience' to teach them what they need to know so they can accomplish your goal in the shortest amount of time.

Invest the necessary funds required to learn the exercises correctly (movement, breathing, focus & grip), learn how to keep records (these will come in handy once you have built your Fitness Foundation and you are ready to take it to the next level) and learn how to eat to achieve your goal.

To create the best/fastest results your training will progress in phases (also known as periods). These phases progress as follows, and then they are all repeated (except the Foundation phase of course). At the next level they are repeated with more intensity.

a) Foundation (Stability) 4 -12 weeks

b) Hypertrophy 4 -6 weeks

c) Strength 4 - 6 weeks

d) Power 4 - 6 weeks

e) Replenishment (7 - 10 days)

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The The Yin/Yang Thang

Enlightening facts, oddities and Aha moments that I have learned from various Martial Art masters during my many travels learning and teaching around the world.

#3 BRUSH YOUR SIDES -

...Economy of energy along with the creation of maximum effectiveness and personal safety is why you practice a movement or practice an exercise. When you perform a 'classic' punching motion, just as you perform a 'classic' Dumbbell Press, it's important for safe, energy production to initially keep your elbows 'in tight' to your body, so the movement of your body can be transferred to the hand. In the case of a press I'm referring to taking the Dumbbells from the 'seated/thigh' position to the arm extended/ready to descend (to lower) position. In the case of say, a right hook, I'm referring to the, elbow 'covering' your floating rib just before the body twists/the elbow comes out and the punch is executed. If you've ever taken a Karate class you would have heard your Sensei (teacher/leader) many times command - Brush your sides!

Here's the latest in our NEWarticle features, it's called,

Mmn Yea..!

This new PETEtheTRAINER section will touch on ditties, quotes, and things to make you ponder on your uniqueness.

#1 Mmn Yea..!

ditties, quotes, and things to make you ponder on your uniqueness.

Remind Everyone Today

If you woke you this morning with more health than illness, you are more

blessed than the millions who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of

imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are

ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a gym without fear of harassment, arrest,

torture, or death, you are more blessed than

many weakened, inflexible and poorly toned people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead,

and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish

someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are alive and happily married, you are very rare.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,

you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,

you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch

If you can read this message you've just received a double blessing in that

someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over

two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

Cherish every minute today, pass along blessings, pass this post along to remind

everyone today, how truly blessed we all are.

Hey! ..GOT A MINUTE?

- quick questions,

precise answers

Q. Should I be wearing a weightlifter type belt when I exercise?

A. No, and here's why ...most people who are learning how train correctly in the gym, need to get functionally fit, in other words they are learning HOW to squeeze their muscles and control their body (Kinesthetic Perception). By wearing a belt, knee wraps, compression shorts, and using wrist straps etc. you are actually defeating this. I recommend you wait to use these extra tools until you reach the POWER phase of your body-shaping journey where you will be locking-out your joints as you perform basic exercises and using much heavier weights.

Hope you had some Aha moments

'til next time, keep dis-covering your potential

Peace & Blessings

PETEtheTRAINER