insoles

i battle with the concept constantly.....

knowing personally how much time, effort & patience it takes to realign your body

i understand!

NOBODY WANTS TO DO IT.....TO SPEND THE TIME

just slip something into their shoe to

INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Arch Supports are not just for arch pain. If you have toe, heel, ankle, shin, knee, or back pain arch supports may be able to relieve your pain by correcting alignment. Often when the arch of your foot is not supported correctly the rest of your foot alignment is disturbed, affecting the alignment in the rest of your body.

Insoles that come with running and other athletic shoes

lose what little shock-absorption properties they have around 50 miles,

leaving you susceptible to pain and injury.

Replacing them with a high-performance insole is the easiest,

cheapest way to protect against injury

and alleviate impact-related pain, jarring and fatigue.

Feet absorb about 300 tons of force per mile.

According to The American Journal of Medicine and Sports,

recreational runners have a 37-56% chance

per year of sustaining an injury.

We're each born with certain biomechanical idiosyncracies.

It shows in the way we move. And on occasion, it hurts in the way we move.

Insoles can help to properly align muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments,

alleviating the stress and strain innate flaws put on our bodies every day.

Most people overpronate, which means

their feet roll excessively inward with each step.

This twists the foot, shin and knee and can cause

pain in all those areas.

Insoles with arch support provide the kind of motion control

that can remedy painful conditions caused by pronation.

i have previously written about this

http://alphawhat.blogspot.com/2010/06/bare-foot-running-moderation.html

the problem is that i have this internal battle of options

would love to have a DR sit me down and explain her/his perspective

Harry Mitterbauer at Santa Monica Sports Medicine

i think is just the man to do it

SO HAVING SAID THAT, YOU CAN HOLD ME TO IT

I WILL CALL HIM ON MONDAY AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Care to Listen to my Internal Banter?

I AM ALSO OPEN FOR DISCUSSION....I WANT TO LEARN MORE

(will it still be internal if you read it?)

INSOLES/ARCH SUPPORTS

BAREFOOT RUNNING

DYSFUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

over time our perfect lil footsies change, our distribution of weight shifts

it can be from sitting all day or a pervious injury, but both lead to synergistic dominance

Synergistic dominance is defined as a condition when a muscle in a group of muscles ,that share similar actions, become more dominant and in turn, another becomes less dominant.

dominance of the hamstring can lead to

the glutes becoming inhibited or less active.

when one assesses prone hip extension

if hamstrings are activated first before the glutes,

this can create over increased dominance and strain to the hamstring

due to decreased glute activation to create the hip extension.

SOLUTION:teach glutes how to fire

NOW TO THE REFERENCE OF THE ARCH OF YOUR FOOT:

it is supported by

the tibialis muscles

anterior and posterior

when they become tight or over stretched the result is detrimental

the position of the arch/foot effects

the alignment of your entire body

......foot to knee to hip to low back to upper back and shoulders to neck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e54m6XOpRgU&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHizJzsNdEE

this one gives me anxiety

but reminds me of my brother xo

if nothing else please foam roll the tighter antagonist muscle (OUTER CALF)

and strengthen the weaker over stretched (anterior, if your arch is rolling in)

when your arch starts to drop your body is trying to communicate with you

listen.........or injury will slap you upside the head

bodies weren't designed with supportive shoes in mind

we are meant to be barefoot

WHAT GOOD ARE ARCH SUPPORTS WHEN YOU ARE BAREFOOT?

which brings me back to another entry i made on april 19

http://alphawhat.blogspot.com/2010/04/head-shoulders-knees-toes.html

the extreme benefits of removing the rubber between ourselves and nature

TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF

how much time to you spend daily with your feet in shoes?

for grounding purposes, put your feet on the earth

your body will make an instant connection

now i for one am the girl that likes having clean, non hobbit feet

but for as much time as you can daily...remove your shoes

believe me i am prob one of the biggest sneaker heads you will meet

but trust me

TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF

walk in the sand

walk on the grass

it will make you smile

and your body will thank you

IN CONCLUSION (BECAUSE I MUST WALK MY DAUGHTER)

-WORK WITH YOUR BODY

DONT TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT

IF YOU STILL NEED THE SUPPORT DURING THE PROCESS

OR JUST WHILE RUNNING

BY ALL MEANS!

JUST BE A BIT MORE AWARE

THAT IS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS I AM WORKING ON IN MY JOURNEY

HAPPY SATURDAY

SPLURGE

i dont know about you but i sometimes want to be a human

you can be healthy

logical

in shape

and occasionally treat yourself

my advice, treat yourself without going over board

lets take a look at exhibit A

PINKBERRY

i am assuming you can tell that mine in the one on the right :)

(the one one the left went straight to his ankles)

if you've been on a strict diet all week long and you've been doing it consistently for a period of months, then allowing yourself to have a cheat meal can actually do more good than harm.

Most competitors will notice that they look better the day after the contest

that the celebration meal of pizza, pasta, sushi & desserts has DONE A BODY GOOD

When you increase your calories and add foods that you've been restricting for a long period of time (fats and carbohydrates), this can actually speed up your metabolism and make you look leaner - it's like telling your body, "We're not starving anymore; it's safe to start burning more calories now." An occasional "cheat meal" make you look leaner, & your glycogen levels will increase from the all extra carbohydrates you take in.

so jump into that CHEAT MEAL with both feet

THE RULE OF THUMB

1. same size portion as you would normally eat

EX:you can have pizza but dont have a full pie

EX:you can have dessert, just not the whole cake

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?

Chicken Pasta Salad -I'VE DONE IT AGAIN

ok so for real

i am reading on the couch and minding my own business

when my internal clock tells me its chow time

since it is sunday i am making mass quantities of foods for easy access in the fridge

AND eating the same thing day after day, week after week can get a bit boring

i decided in the spirit of summer and y'all, i would play around

now i wont make your head explode just yet with my sweet relish recipe

so instead use SUNSHINE SPECIALITY FOODS CO from Whole Foods

here is the perfect

balanced side dish

to bring to any BBQ

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

CHOPPED BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST

HUMMUS

CHOPPED OR GRATED CARROTS

A BIT OF LIGHT MAYO

QUINOA SPIRAL PASTA NOODLES

(to be aesthetically pleasing go for the multi colored)

& sweet corn relish

-mix, chill & serve-

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!!!!

(i love the solo piece of corn doing a headstand on the top)

you must wait for my cookbook for the relish recipe

not ALL of the best things in life can be FREE

HAPPY SUNDAY

ONE LOVE

MOTIVATE.....didja get the memo?

Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-orientated behavior.

where do we pull motivation from?

how do we share our motivation?

more importantly...

how do we keep haters from deflating it?

believe & know that you can do WHATEVER you put your mind to

dont put things off....."i will be better in 2 weeks" (thanks mike),

BULLCORN!

NOW!

when opportunities present themselves

GO FO IT!

who is responsible for making you understand that you ARE ready?

YOU! nothing, no one, & no amount of time will change that............

if this is your choice, your line of work, how can you NOT believe in yourself?

everyone has something special to bring to the table

their own individual style and flare (getting back to the Office Space reference)

you will never know if you dont try

"a fool with a plan, beats a wandering genius 100 times out of 100"

i dont know about you

but i am a genius because i HAVE a plan

so everyday i take steps to better myself, my career and my relationships

not everyday turns out as i would like it

BUT THAT'S LIFE

you learn form each attempt

you laugh at each mishap and mistake

and take with it what you will

i love to help people find their buzz.....their gym high

some reach that more easily than others

most people need me to point them in the right direction

and i will gladly do so!

i am here to help you to get comfortable

this is my job

to hold your hand and guide you into the oblivion THAT IS your healthy lifestyle

then there is no turning back....you have rebuilt your life

and things that seemed so foreign to you

are now your recommendations to your friends and family members

my motivation is always

a goal & a date

it needs to be a commitment,

a promiss that you make to yourself

post-its (i invented post-ins) on the mirror

on your fridge

on your cabinets

whatever works for you!

write "i will get this job" in lipstick on your mirror :)

whatever your goal may be make it TANGIBLE

write it down somewhere you can see it

and look at it whenever you can

if it is fresh in your mind you will push yourself to get there

1. set your goal

2. why do you want to achieve this goal?

3. how will you achieve this goal?

4. when will you achieve your goal?

GOALS can be daily, weekly, monthly, annually or even just hourly..........

"my goal is to get through this hour without eating chocolate"

"today i will not deflect a complement"

"this year i will make healthier choices for my family"

"tomorrow i will call my best friend and apologize"

"this week I will make sure that i am more forgiving of my self"

"i will walk into this meeting and not be judgmental of my pin headed coworkers"

all of these things will change your life in little ways one day at a time

TO APPROACH EACH SITUATION WITH POSITIVE ENERGY

CAN CHANGE YOUR OUTCOME ON ANY GIVEN DAY

FIND YOUR MOTIVATION OR LET ME POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

AND GEEZ...DONT TAKE YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY,

LAUGH OUT LOUD WITHOUT CARING WHO IS LISTENING,

ALLOW YOURSELF TO LOSE CONTROL

(PREFERABLY WHEN I AM AROUND) IT TENDS TO BE CONTAGIOUS

but i am not sure if it gets any better than when

michael bolton sings "when a man loves a woman"

bursa? tennis elbow? stress fractures?

wanted to give a little info, since i find this condition to be pretty common.

Bursae are fluid-filled cavities located at tissue sites where tendons or muscles pass over bony prominences near joints. Their function is to facilitate movement

and reduce friction between moving parts. When a bursa becomes infected, traumatized, or injured it is referred to as bursitis.

usually this is caused by repetitive motions......

• Throwing a baseball or lifting something over your head repeatedly
• Leaning on your elbows for long periods of time
• Extensive kneeling, for tasks such as laying carpet or scrubbing floors
• Prolonged sitting, particularly on hard surfaces

good luck gym rats

this is why we change things up

Can be caused by chronic overuse, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or infection. Sometimes the cause cannot be determined. Bursitis commonly occurs in the shoulder, knee, elbow, and hip. Other areas that may be affected include the Achilles tendon and the foot.

Bursitis caused by infection is treated with antibiotics. Sometimes the infected bursa must be drained

surgically.

Tennis Elbow

a condition caused by inflamation of the tendon on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow at a bony prominence (lateral epicondyle) of the upper arm. Certain repetitive movements of the wrist can cause this condition.

Any repetitive motion of the wrist, including tennis, hedge clipping, excessive use of a hammer or screwdriver, painting, or any activity that requires excessive constant gripping or squeezing can cause the condition known as tennis elbow.

Treatments Include

Ice the area twice a day for 20 minutes to help to decrease inflammation and relieve pain. Freezing water in a paper cup and tearing away the top rim as the ice melts is an easy way to use ice. Do not put ice directly on the skin. Wrap it in a towel.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications

A stress fracture is an overuse injury. It occurs when muscles become fatigued and are unable to absorb added shock. Eventually, the fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone causing a tiny crack called a stress fracture.

Stress fractures often are the result of increasing the amount or intensity of an activity too rapidly. They also can be caused by the impact of an unfamiliar surface (a tennis player who has switched surfaces from a soft clay court to a hard court); improper equipment (a runner using worn or less flexible shoes); and increased physical stress (a basketball player who has had a substantial increase in playing time).

The most important treatment is rest. Individuals need to rest from the activity that caused the stress fracture, and engage in a pain-free activity during the six to eight weeks it takes most stress fractures to heal.

If the activity that caused the stress fracture is resumed too quickly, larger, harder-to-heal stress fractures can develop. Re-injury also could lead to chronic problems where the stress fracture might never heal properly.

In addition to rest, shoe inserts or braces may be used to help these injuries heal.

SO my dear friend with a stress fracture on the outside of your foot....we need to prevent you from rolling out

the distribution of weight on the foot needs to be worked on........once you have healed

PAVEMENT running was prob the last straw. WE WILL FIX YOU UP NICE!

LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES

AND ME

PLEEEEASE ASK QUESTIONS

NO SHAME IN KNOWLEDGE

XOXO

FREE CLASSES NEXT WEEK

WWW.ALPHASPORTLA.COM

CALL/EMAIL TO RESERVE

JOS@ALPHASPORTLA.COM

protein bar shopping?

the easiest...i wont say best, way to get your meals on the run is in bar form

NOW choosing a bar is the tricky part

most are loaded with sugars AND have an unbalanced carb to protein ratio

which means?????? BLOOD SUGAR SPIKE and then night nights, you are draggin ass

so we need a bar that...

A. tastes good

B. contains enough protein

C. balanced carbohydrates

D. little to no sugar

E. that is easily accessible

askmen.com says

the top ten bars are....

1.Nutribar by Stella Pharmaceutical

250 calories, 13 grams of protein, 32 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, and 24 grams of sugar.

NO THANK YOU

2.Protein Plus by MET-Rx

320 calories, 34 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar.

I CAN DEAL WITH THE SUGAR BEING A BIT HIGH, THIS BAR MAKES MY TOP 5!

3.BALANCE Outdoors by BALANCE Bar Food Company

200 calories, 15 grams of protein, 21 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 12 grams of sugar.

TOO LOW PROTEIN TO HAVE THIS HIGH SUGAR

4.Myoplex Lite by EAS

190 calories, 15 grams of protein, 27 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat, and 17 grams of sugar.

NO THANK YOU

5.Pure Protein by Worldwide Sport

270 calories, 32 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar.

I CAN DEAL WITH THE SUGAR BEING A BIT HIGH, THIS BAR MAKES MY TOP 5!

6.PowerBar Performance by PowerBar Inc.

230 calories, 10 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fat, and 18 grams of sugar.

NO THANK YOU

7.Source One by MET-Rx

190 calories, 15 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fat, and 4 grams of sugar.

NOT ENOUGH FAT TO SUSTAIN YOUR HUNGER, TOO LOW PROTEIN

NO THANK YOU

8.Solid Protein by Nature's Best

270 calories, 30 grams of protein, 28 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 3 grams of sugar.

I WOULD LIKE A BIT MORE FAT, BUT I WILL GIVE IT A WHIRL!

YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE A FEW CASHEWS ALONG WITH YOUR BAR TO UP THE FAT CONTENT

9.Clif Bar by Clif Bar, Inc.

250 calories, 10 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat, and 21 grams of sugar.

NO NO NO THANK YOU!

10.MET-Rx Food Bar, by MET-R

360 calories, 27 grams of protein, 51 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar.

NO THANK YOU VERY MUCH

OTHER findings in my best protein bar google search:

Nitro-Tech

300 calories, 35 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, and 2 grams of sugar.

you need carbs to have energy........you would need to have some fruit and some cashews for the carb and fat ratios to match

THIS IS OK FOR MEN. I DO NOT RECOMMEND OVER 20G OF PROTEIN/300CAL FOR WOMEN IN A PROTEIN BAR

Detour

ALEX TURNED ME ONTO EATING HALF OF THESE BARS

340 calories, 30 grams of protein, 33 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fat, and 5 grams of sugar.

SAME THING, GREAT FOR MEN, 3/4 IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR A WOMAN

Hi Protein

296 calories, 33 grams of protein, 33 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 1 grams of sugar.

BEAUTIFUL FOR MEN, WOULD WANT TO ADD A FEW CASHEWS OR ALMONDS TO SUSTAIN YOUR BURN

MY TOP BARS.......

DRUM ROLL PALEEEASE

THINK THIN BAR (I HAVE GOTTEN MIXED REVIEWS ON THE TASTE)

230 calories, 20 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, and 0 grams of sugar.

ATKINS PEANUT BUTTER BAR (I DIE)

240 calories, 18 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat, and 1 grams of sugar.

MUSCLE MILK LITE (NEWEST FIND, BUT A BIT HIGH IN SUGAR)

170 calories, 15 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 9 grams of sugar.

PROTEIN PLUS (RECOMMENDED FOR MEN, THEY DO SELL MINI ONES FOR GIRLS)

320 calories, 34 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar.

PURE PROTEIN

(RECOMMENDED MORE FOR MEN)

270 calories, 32 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar.

OH YEAH (best tasting by a landslide, not balanced at all!)

380 calories, 26 grams of protein, 31 grams of carbs, 19 grams of fat, and 8 grams of sugar.

IF I WERE TO HAVE A CANDY BAR...THIS WOULD BE IT

THINK I ODed ON THEN AFTER THE USA'S LAST YEAR IN VEGAS

I KNOW LOCATING THEN ISNT ALWAYS THE EASIEST THING

MOST GAS STATIONS CARRY PROTEIN BARS

I'VE SEEN:

PURE PROTEIN

THINK THINK

ATIKINS

I WOULD OPT FOR THESE INSTEAD OF

LUNA, CLIFF OR OTHERS WITH LOWER PROTEIN & HIGHER SUGAR CONTENT

THE BEST THING TO DO ON THE GO IS TO

RUN INTO A GROCERY STORE GET REAL FOOD,

WHETHER IT BE PRE PREPARED CHICKEN WITH FRUIT OR COLD CUTS AND SOME VEGGIES.......

BUT THAT STEP TAKES YEARS TO COMMIT TO

FOR NOW THE GAS STATION STOP WILL DO

"THAT'LL DO PIG.....THAT'LL DO"