Top Ten Post Holiday Tips

ok so thanksgiving, christmas, the holiday parties, & new years

are O V E R

now what!?

you join the ALPHA VENICE TEAM

and get that shit in gear PERIOD.

here are my top ten post holiday must see tips

to help get you to your new year's body

information that will help you get in shape

get back in shape

or just become healthier

any step, no matter how small it may be, is still a step

1. never workout on empty

breakfast

is what fuels your fire

the common misconception is that if we workout in the morning we will burn off the food that we ate the previous day.

WRONG ANSWER, that food has already been stored as fat. training on empty burns muscle, not stored fat. this happens due to the lack of (energy) carbs available to the muscle.

Keep it up & you will be forever SOFT.

do yourself a favor....eat a HEALTHY BREAKFAST

2. greens greens greens

they aid in digestion, re growth of muscle & increase in blood volume. things that grow from the earth are the cleanest forms of sustenance we can put into our mouths.

Obviously fresh foods & whole grains are the way to go, but if you can go ORGANIC, that is highly recommended. This way you don’t have to worry about pesticides & genetic engineering.

Clean greens will strengthen your immunity, improve circulation, all while assisting your energy & endurance.

3. cardio is your best friend – esp after a holiday

get movin!!!!!! anything over 30 mins gets you into the fat burning zone.

if you ate more than usual, (which is to be expected over the holiday season) add a few long duration cardio sessions into the mix. finish off your #get focused or 30 min NTC workouts with an hour of MODERATE cardio. this is NOT something to do EVERYTIME, but changing it up fights those extra cookies & pie.

4. hydrate your butt off

water is your best friend, it pushes things right along.

If you are sweating you better be increasing that daily intake. Did you know that you are supposed to drink ½ your weight in water? Take the number of how much you weight & cut it in half. That is how many oz you should be in taking daily.

LIGHT BULB, get with the program.

5. start the year with committing to more preparation

taking care of yourself

requires planning.

when are you going to get your workout in, what will your balanced meals be? where are you going to get your meals, how will they be prepared, when are you going to have them & what are the best snacks on the go? What is the proper time to wind down from your day so you can get a proper night’s rest?

6. breathe: it's a stress reliever

take 7 mins a day, just sit & breathe deeply.

7. stretch

as an athletes we must rebalance our bodies since we place such

a high demand on them. Stretching to open our muscles up, is the perfect form of self appreciation. For every action there must be an equal & opposite reaction. yoga, active stretching & foam rolling are positive ways to thank your body for pushing through these intense NIKE TRAINING CLUB workouts. be nice, allow yourself an extra 20 mins to cool down after a workout.

8. choose an alternate for of transportation

ALPHA VENICE members get their 10th class free when walking, biking, blading or running.

if you can get to the store, a friends house, the gym, the coffee shop without driving PLEASE DO SO. The environment will thank you & so will your tush.

9. wine or dessert: not both

best advise,

they should be considered the same thing. alcohol & dessert are both counted as EMPTY CALORIES in our bodies. Why torture yourself? If you have are attending a social gathering help yourself out. IF ANY, one or the other.

healthy desserts - alpha sweets

when having a treat, it should be properly balanced. Along with balance it should not be completely composed of sugar & unhealthy fat. ALPHA SWEETS are made with beneficial fats, unrefined sugar & even have added protein! this way your body can digest our “desserts” as a meal, instead of storing it for that extra cardio sessions.

10. REST: training is about knowing your limits

Your body will benefit

more from a day off, then it will from beating it to a pulp. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, if you have hit the wall be mature enough to let yourself rest. I for one believe in pushing yourself to the limit. but each athlete's individual threshold changes DAILY. know the difference between an excuse & your intuition.

REMEMBER: each day in the gym, on the track, in the pool, on the field, or even at home on the elliptical, is different.

what we can do is fuel our bodies with proper nutrition, rest, stretch & condition our machine to function to it's highest potential

this is all part of the maturity & wisdom of being dedicated to wellness.

let's detox from the holiday cookies & new years booze

JOIN US

35 MARKET STREET

VENICE CA

DAILY

www.alphavenice.com

It's a WONDERFUL life

my heart is with the bolton family

John "Roger" Bolton of Stillwater, OK born October 27,1942 died December 12, 2011, Died in Omaha, NE after a two month battle with a series of complications. He was born in Tulsa, OK. Graduate of Bishop Kelly, Tulsa University, Masters Degree from OSU. Retired from OSU as Director of Creative Service in 2003. Member of Corvette Club of Enid. Roger was proceeded in death by his parents John R. and Angeline Bolton, brother David and son Ryan David Bolton. He is survived by his wife of 47 years Kathleen Bolton, daughter Dana Vowell of Omaha NE and her husband Greg, grandchildren Joshua, Whitney, Cassidy, Dane and Jared. Son Brad Bolton of Santa Monica, CA and daughter April Frere of Bixby, OK and her husband Brian, grandchildren Riley and Avery. Brothers Bob Bolton and his wife Joyce, Richard Bolton and his wife Lisa, sister Teresa Keuchel and her husband Dennis. Many neices and nephews.

many thanks to those that have used their

kind words & warm hugs to help heal their family

allow me to offer you

a story that Roger's dear friend, Alan

shared with Brad, Dana & Kathy last night at the service

he had been running errands before meeting is wife for dinner

he came across a bell that he thought he could put onto his bike

to add some holiday cheer

as he purchased this beautifully crafted bell

Alan looked down to his watch

sure enough it was 8pm, and he was late to meet his wife

the salesman lifted it to his ear, rang ita few times & said....

that was MON DEC 12th.........the exact time Roger passed

there is nothing more real to me than "coincidences"

& nothing more honest than goose bumps.

when we are in the the right space & hold love in our hearts

these things happen.

they happen to me regularly & i am thankful every time.

this bell was gifted to Brad.

we wil hang it in our home as a tribute to this wonderful man

that finally got his wings

after a 2 month battle with complications

i see the similarities in Brad & Rog

i was given the pleasure being able to sit with Roger over Thanksgiving

hearing stories of Brad the troublemaker

he told me that, the only time he feels truly peaceful

is when he has his son's hands on him

and i saw his eyes light up

i saw the deep relaxing breaths he would take,

as his son that he was so proud of,

would massage his legs or even just hold his hand.

i saw it in passing, as Brad would drop a hand on his father's should when leaving the room.

the love of a father & son is one that often goes unsaid, but you can see from a mile away

we will miss you Roger,

we will ring the bell in your honor

& hopefully since you already have your wings

each ring will grant you a full throttle corvette cruise

my love to the bolton family

and all the other family durning this holiday season

spend time, love, laugh & enjoy

Healthy Pumpkin Holiday Brownies

let's just call them anytime brownies

i prefer them next day & cold.........DARN that's gooOOd

1 1/3 cup coconut sugar

1 cup pumpkin

2 egg whites

1/4 cup apple sauce

2 cups brown rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp coca

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup mini 75% cocao choc chips

Preheat 350 degrees

Grease 9inch square pan

Combine sugar, pumpkin, banana & apple sauce.

BLEND

Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, all spice, salt & nutmeg

Smooth together

Stir in chocolate chips & pour into pan

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 mins

Cool, Smell & Taste

OFFER AS YOUR VERY OWN NEGOTIATION TOOL

CANDIDA

a build up in your system of back bacterial.....sounds fun

This cause could be anything from a few courses of antibiotics,

a prolonged diet rich in carbohydrates and sugar,

or even something as common as a lengthy period of stress.

Candida produces by-products

that cause damage to your body tissues and organs,

wreaking havoc on your immune system.

The major waste product of yeast cell activity is Acetaldehyde,

a poisonous toxin that promotes free radical activity in the body.

Acetaldehyde is also converted by the liver into ethanol (drinking alcohol).

Some people even report feeling a drunk or hungover feeling along with

debilitating fatigue from the high amounts of ethanol is their system.

Many sufferers of Candidiasis remain undiagnosed

many doctors don't recognize the systemic problems that Candidiasis causes.

They only treat the symptoms such as vaginal infection or oral thrush.

Some healthcare professionals don't believe in Candida,

see a naturopath, homeopathic doctor or kinesiologist

AVOID

Fresh Fruit

Dried Fruit

Canned Fruit

Fruit Juice

All pork products

Cured meats like salami, pepperoni, pastrami and hot dogs

Processed meats like lunch meat, bacon and spam

Smoked or vacuum packed meats

All fish except for sockeye salmon and sardine

All shellfish

Cheeses aged for 6 months or more

Citric Acid

Anything on the list of ingredients that you don't know or can't pronounce!

Wine

Beer

Spirits

Liquors

Cider

Coffee

Black & Green Tea

Diet & Regular Soda

Energy drinks

Sports Drinks

Malted Drinks (e.g. Ovaltine, Horlicks, Caro)

Coconut Water

Fruit Juices (fresh or packaged)

Anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley, e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta

Spelt products

Corn and corn byproducts

Cashews

Peanuts

Pistachios

Mushrooms

Truffles

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Relish

Horseradish

Soy sauce

Salad dressings

Sugars

Honey

Syrup

Lactose

Sucrose

Fructose

Chocolate

Molasses

Rice Syrup

Artificial Sweeteners (e.g. Asulfame, Nutra-Sweet)

Agave nectar

Coconut Sugar

All vinegars, except for Apple Cider Vinegar

Peanut oil

Cottonseed oil

Corn oil

Canola oil

Soy oil

Margarine

Shortening

if you have been eating healthy organic foods for years

and are now reading that some of them are contributing to your lethargy

& off set immune system, join the club

i had never known that this was my issue since childhood

growing up i was always on antibiotics for bronchitis or ear infections or SOMETHING

to later in my teenage years to develop chromic mononucleosis

then after years of battling it realized it was in fact EBV

my autoimmune issues had lead me to research Chronic Fatigue

though i would never let it get the best of me,

never let anyone or any circumstance keep me form doing what i wanted to do

now, years later, realizing that candida could have been the cause all along

the belly issues i had as a kid.....i could stink up any room (yes i said it)

the lack of stamina & how i always felt that i could never keep up, or had to try twice as hard too

today i cannot believe that fruit, oats & fish have dominated my imbalance

the occasional glass of wine & weekly gluten free baked good?

how about spelt products?

no no no, STRESS is eating me alive from the inside out

so let the detox games begin........

As you remove the bacteria from your body

you will experience some reactions.

To reduce the symptoms, drink lots of water, try a sauna or a hot bath

Take some Vitamin C supplements.

i am now taking green vibrance

a colon cleanse

& candex daily

the colonic is next on the list

will let you know how that goes :)

be aware of the damaging effects of antibiotics

only take them if absolutely necessary

the holistic approach to wellness is a much safer road

you dont achieve the instant gratification of pharmaceuticals

or the pleasure of the symptoms being masked

but the satisfaction of dedication & patience to heal yourself

there is nothing else quite like it

stress management has been on my mind for years

among the 10,000 other things i want to master

the problem is that

i love to be busy

i am bored without a full plate (pardon the pun)

micromanaging is my speciality, but that needs to subside

but how do you do the thorough job that people expect from you

and change your habits & the reactions your body has to them?

i am learning to not take things personally

to delegate, and review later :)

all things will be done in time

LET'S SEE HOW I DO

CHEERS