I am a firm believer in doing everything that you can to feel better.  I’ve been working on a few lifestyle changes that have helped me.

The first lifestyle change is exercise.  I’ve used exercise since I was young to deal with stress and pressures.  During pharmacy school, I began to depend on exercise to help me feel more relaxed, to feel more in control and to feel better.  Once I graduated and started working full time, the stress of being a pharmacist, pharmacy manager, and life in general started to take a toll on me physically and emotionally.  Stresses from my job led to pure fatigue and lack of energy.  I began to depend more on daily exercise to unwind, relax and continue to cope with my stress.  Stress and fatigue began to take a toll on me physically leading to pain and musculoskeletal problems.  Daily exercise helps relieve tension and pain in my muscles associated with stress.  I need my workouts even more now to keep me calm.  Exercise has been proven to release neurotransmitters that help with mood.  Exercise keeps me in better control of how I feel.  Some days I just want to come home from work and sleep because of the day that I had, but I choose to workout because I know I will feel better, be more relaxed and be a kinder person.

The second lifestyle change that I’ve incorporated is proper nutrition.  I’ve been studying and practicing clean eating 18 months.  Nourishing my body with consistent meals, clean foods, whole nutrition and Shakeology has helped.  Evidence shows that blood sugar imbalance, omega fatty acids, B vitamins, folic acid, iron, selenium and zinc all play a role in mood.  This is a simple way to make a slight improvement in my symptoms. 

The third lifestyle change that I’ve incorporated over the last year is support from others and allowing myself to open up more to others.  When I became a Beachbody Coach, I began hosting online challenge groups to offer support and motivation to friends on their own fitness journey.  By sharing tips and becoming closer to members of my groups, I’ve learned that having others cheer you on and support you makes all the difference.  The members of these groups help me while I help them.  It’s amazing!  What started as a hobby to distract me from worrying about the pharmacy and to get a discount on amazing products has literally changed my life.  Helping others gives me confidence, makes me feel valuable and gives me motivation to continue to grow myself and strengthen myself. 

And the last lifestyle change that I’ve incorporated over the last 10 months is making time for personal development.  I never believed in reading “self-help” books before because I didn’t think that they could help me.  Boy was I wrong.  Each new book that I read or podcast that I listen to allows me to be more confident, more open to change and more content in my own life.  But the more I read and listen to, the more aware I become of the importance of making the best life I can in the time that I have.

 

Making changes from the inside out has given me a new perspective on life and a new motivation to continue to grow myself and share my journey with others.  I share this story in the hopes that my journey will inspire one person to start making changes.  Little by little we can grow, become more confident and take on each day with a new sense of happiness.

Metabolism and Eat Clean Principles

The day I realized that my nutrition was the key to finding my success and reaching my goals, I began to read and learn all that I could.  The first books that I purchased were Tosca Reno's Eat Clean books.  Her Eat Clean Principles taught me the basics.  I applied these principles to the 21 Day Fix nutrition guidelines & portion control system and started seeing changes.  My extra "fluff" began to disappear and I've been practicing these principles for so long that they are second nature to me. 

The Clean Eating Principles are part of what I share in each of my monthly Challenge groups.  Learning about Clean Eating & proper portions, having a wonderful exercise program and having the support of me as your coach are the key components to success! 

The basics of metabolism – our metabolism is what breaks down the energy we get from food and turns it into fuel for regular body functions. 

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which your body uses energy at rest.  Your BMR and metabolism are dependent on weight, height, muscle mass and activity levels.

    Yo-yo dieting confuses our body.  Our metabolism is trained to take it easy or work overtime, depending on available food sources.  When food is scarce or when you skip meals, your metabolism slows down in response to your reduced caloric intake.  Your body is protecting itself by avoiding starvation, making it less likely to shed excess fat just in case you need to use it for fuel later when body believes it is “starving”.

   What can we do to speed up our metabolism?

The most important way to boost metabolism is to build muscle with resistance training.  One pound of muscle burns about 25 times more calories than a pound of fat.  Muscle tissue demands the most energy, thus it is your muscle tissue that determines the rate at which your body burns energy.  More muscle means higher metabolic rate.

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   The foods we eat also work to stimulate or slam the brakes on our metabolism.  To maintain a healthy weight you must nourish your body with high-quality foods at regular intervals. (This is on of the Clean Eating Principles)  If you wait too long between meals or skip one entirely, you trigger a starvation response in your metabolism.  Doing this chronically will slow your metabolism over time.

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   Another Clean Eating Principle is to eat the superior food combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal or snack to prolong digestion and encourage blood sugar to remain stable between meals.

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   Eating protein causes metabolism to speed up as a direct result of the chemical reactions required to digest proteins.  This is called the “dynamic action of protein”.

   Eating a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates with each meal causes your BMR to rise within one hour and this increase in your basal metabolic rate will last for three to twelve hours.

   This is Tosca Reno's chart showing examples of lean proteins and complex carbs

My next Sweating of Summer challenge group is starting June 1st and I would LOVE to have you be a part of this!  You will learn about clean eating, proper portions, you will be given recipes, you will learn about meal planning, you will have an amazing workout program to use at home AND you will have me as your coach for complete support and encouragement.  There is no need to wait -- get started now on a healthier you!   

All you need to do is click this link to make me your FREE COACH.  Then email me at kristingator@gmail.com or fill out the form below and we will talk about your goals to find the PERFECT workout program for you. 

How Meal Planning Has Helped Me

When something is written down, whether it’s a to-do list or a meal plan, it keeps me organized, less stressed and keeps me on track.  I haven’t always meal planned, I’ve been working on this for the last 10 months by making it a priority each week.  I choose a day each week to plan my meals for the upcoming week.  I prep some of the veggies, fruits and meats to make things easier for me during the week and to ensure that I always have something quick and healthy available so that I don’t snack on junk!

Step 1 is to determine what your calorie target is for each day.  This is why I use the 21 Day Fix nutrition system for weight loss and weight maintenance.  This program allows you to determine the number of servings from each food group that you need each day, then you can start dividing your foods up throughout the day.  I always plan 3 meals and 2 snacks.  And I always combine a complex carb with a protein based on the Clean Eating principles by Tosca.

A few quick tips for meal planning:

1. Decide which day of the week will be your planning & prepping day.

2. Write the meal plan down, either electronic or pen & paper

3. Meals don’t have to be complicated.  Find a few favorite, easy recipes to get started then you can add in different meals once meal planning becomes a habit. 

4. Include protein and complex carbs at each meal and snack.

5. Once you’ve decided on the meals for the week, start your grocery list.

6. Keep frozen veggies and frozen pre-cooked meats (such as turkey meatballs) on hand so that you always have a quick meal available.

7. After grocery shopping for the week, wash/cut fruit & veggies so they are ready to eat.  You can pre-cook meats such as turkey, chicken, ground meats, etc to use for packed lunches and supper.

If I know that I have a meal plan for the week, I don’t worry about what I will cook.  And I know that I will be eating enough food because when we are busy at work, etc, it’s easy to skip a meal or snack.  NOW, even with a meal plan, I still make changes during the week when something comes up.  And sometimes when work is crazy busy, I end up skipping a meal or snack.  BUT, with a meal plan (written down!) I am much more likely to stay on track with my clean eating goals 80% to 90% of the time. 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

My newest Sweating for Summer Challenge is starting June 1^st if you’re ready to get healthy, learn about clean eating & meal planning, start an amazing workout program, drink a superfood shake each day and have the support of me as your coach and a group of people on the same mission. 

It’s time to FIND YOUR HEALTHY!  Join us!

All you need to do is click here to make me your free COACH then email me at kristingator@gmail.com OR fill out the form below this post and we will get started!

Sweating for Summer Challenge Group

My Sweat for Summer Health and Fitness Challenge Group II is set and ready to go for June 1st!

I’m excited to invite you to join me on a journey to better health and fitness with the support of friends on the same journey.  Make this the summer you are comfortable enough to rock that swimsuit and forget about the coverup! This challenge group will give you the support and encouragement that you need to make the commitment of eating healthier and exercising more.     

And you will be coached through the ENTIRE process, each day, by me!  You will have a SUPPORTIVE, FUN online environment to ensure that you REACH YOUR GOALS!  There is nothing like a group of friends holding you accountable and supporting you.  You WILL be SUCCESSFUL and YOU WILL reach YOUR GOALS!

We will start on June 1st!  The first week will be our prep week to get everyone on track and ready for go time!

Our workout programs are created by the top trainers in the business and many are only 30 minutes a day.  Anyone can find time for that!  And each program has a complete & simple nutrition guide to follow.

All you need to do is let me help you find the program that is right for you based on your goals and be open to learning and changing! 

Your fitness package includes:

- A complete at-home fitness program with DVDs

   - Full workout schedule

   - Getting started guide

   - Complete meal plan and recipes (easy to follow!)

   - Clean eating advice and tips

   - Meal planning info

   - Shakeology (the Superfood Shake) to help you get complete, dense nutrition every day

   - Me as your personal coach

   - Access to our online challenge group for daily support, motivation, tips and accountability!

If you are ready to make changes, no matter how small, I want to help you find your personal healthy, stick with your goals and stay healthy!

Here's what you need to do:

Click this link to make me your free personal coach

Then email me and we will set a time to talk.  I will help you decide which workout program will fit your goals and we'll get everything that you need together so you're ready to go June 1st.

If you have any questions, email me at kristingator@gmail.com or fill out the form below and I will be in touch.

English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

This is one of my FAVORITE recipes and it's super simple to make.  And it's 21 Day Fix approved!  And you can easily make an entire tray of these for the family.  You can use any kind of breakfast meats, but I was able to find a healthy chicken sausage option at my local grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat English Muffin - sliced

1 medium tomato

1 breakfast sausage patty (I used chicken sausage)

mozzarella cheese (1 blue container)

1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 450 and line baking sheet with parchment     paper

- dice tomato and breakfast sausage

- sprinkle tomato evenly over both slices of english muffin

- drizzle olive oil over tomato and muffins

- divide breakfast sausage between 2 halves

- sprinkle cheese over top

- bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown       slightly

21 Day Fix Portions:

1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green and 1 teaspoon

Why I completed the 3 Day Refresh

I completed the 3 Day Refresh last week for a few reasons, the most important was to detox my system from the added sugars that I had eaten earlier last week (peanut butter eggs!) and a little stomach bug.  Anytime I eat added sugars from candy or junk food, I always have bad cravings for quite a few days after.  The cravings happen after we eat added sugars because our bodies are literally on a sugar high that releases endorphins and causes our brains to release serotonin and dopamine, making us feel better.  And excess sugar causes our bodies to secrete the hormone insulin and insulin blocks the hormone leptin.  When we have high insulin levels and low leptin levels we feel hungrier.  When our body is tricked into thinking that we are starving from these hormone imbalances, it will store the excess sugar as fat.  After this “rush”, there is always a “crash”.  This is a vicious cycle that causes more harm than it’s worth – that piece of candy really doesn’t taste that good!

So that whole cycle in itself is enough to make me want to detox my system.  But another reason was to actually FEEL better.  Sugar’s effects on dopamine can literally leave us feeling moody.  I always feel horrible after a couple days of sugary treats, I lack energy, I’m bloated from fluid retention and my skin always breaks out. It’s true, excess sugars will cause hormone fluctuation leading to breakouts.  

Because I’m a pharmacist, I research every supplement that goes into my system and every supplement that I recommend to my patients.  The 3 Day Refresh program is scientifically designed and safe.  And the shake mixes do not have added chemicals or fake ingredients that are unsafe.  And this 3 day program is not a juice cleanse or liquid fast where you literally starve yourself.  This program supports metabolism with Shakeology, healthy protein shakes during the day and actual fruits & veggies – no starvation involved. 

Here are my 3 days in a nutshell.  I completed the first 2 days of the program while I was working, which made everything easier.  I didn’t have time to think about food.  The 3^rd day was a little bit tougher because I was home and there are more temptations at home.  But day 3 is always the hardest for me to finish because I always crave meat by that time.  I did eat the same foods all 3 days because this was easier for me and I could prep it all the day before I started.  The most important part of this program is to stay on schedule with your meals and snacks because if you go too long without eating, you will feel hungry.

Each of the 3 days I had:

Warm lemon water immediately after waking

Breakfast: Shakeology blended with serving of fruit

Morning serving of green tea

Mid-morning fiber sweep drink

Lunch: vanilla protein shake, 1 serving strawberries/blueberries, sautéed zucchini with coconut oil

Afternoon snack: cucumber slices and almond butter

Afternoon serving of green tea

Supper: vanilla protein shake and mixed green salad with veggies & olive oil (I added salt/pepper because it just tastes better!)

My results were WONDERFUL, as always!  I felt much better after completing the 3 days, I slept better during the refresh and my energy levels are back to normal.  The sugar cravings are gone, I lost quite a bit of water weight that I was retaining (12 pounds to be exact) and my skin cleared up!

There is FINALLY a safe, all-natural mini-cleanse product that I, as a pharmacist, can actually recommend in good faith and that I will actually use myself.  No starvation involved, no unsafe herbs or chemicals AT ALL.

I host monthly challenge groups for fitness and nutrition support.  We can use the 3 Day Refresh to jump start your clean eating habits and start your new workout program on the right foot.

If you would like to check out this product, click this link 

3 Day Refresh

You can also email me at kristingator@gmail.com for all the details on the 3 Day Refresh AND my monthly Challenge Groups.
Make Kristin my FREE Team Beachbody Coach

Homemade Guacamole with Steak Quesadillas

Last night's dinner, in honor of Cinco De Mayo, was homemade steak quesadillas with homemade guacamole.  The quesadillas were made with whole wheat tortillas and included steak, sauteed red onions & sweet peppers and a little cheese.  The guacamole was my best yet so I had to share!   

Guacamole Recipe

- 2 avocados, mashed with fork
- juice of 1/2 lemon (not lime)
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced 
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- sprinkle of cumin   

Combine all ingredients, mix well & ENJOY!  
** For my 21 Day Fixers: serving of guacamole would be 1 blue container (and you could count 1/4 green from tomatoes & onion)