out with the BAD & in with the GOOD

there are a thousand different lessons that I am learning while reading
"I Will Not Die An UnLived Life" by Dawna Markova
the one that is currently resonating.......


is how our society always focuses on the negative
we assume that in order to progress we need to improve.....
which I believe to be true
BUT
what if, now stay with me here, you already possess all that you need to move forward
maybe you just need to rearrange a bit.  
priorities, confidence, as well as other tools that tend to be on your back burner.

at a young age we become blind to our assets & only see our defects.
we are programed to focus on improving by "fixing" what is wrong, 
instead of rewarding what is right.
positive reinforcement will bud confidence & allow your talents to shine through.
by the time we are adults we are incredibly well versed on our limitations, making it easier to use them as a crutch.

 a friend was recently quoted saying, 
"I get frustrated because I am working so hard but the changes I am making are not noticeable, they are all on the inside"
to which I say, the inside you will have for a lifetime on an upward climb to wisdom, the outside will hit a peak & decline.
this I find with my clients, friends & myself to be the biggest challenge of all....



in improving your mental awareness & internal growth the only perception that matters is your own. how funny.....this is why we need to do the internal work in the first place.  to grow is to be proud of yourself & to understand what you are doing is taking action to sooth your soul.  there should be no need for external recognition.  this work will be ever changing & wavering.  be kind to yourself.  As you start becoming your own biggest fan, the world looks a whole lot brighter.

"when any of us are stacked up against our limitations, we are disconnected form our spot of grace"

ask most people what they do WELL there tends to be more of a pause 
then when asked where they falter
emPHAsis on the wrong syLLAble
understand what it is that makes u thrive,
find your purpose &; allow the negative or less benefiting things to dissipate

weightless, free & graceful.....

each time we switch from the foot of mastery to the foot of risk it takes a leap of faith, 
the little gasp of the unknown is where god can enter. 
maybe that's were grace comes in.

we can ALWAYS be more prepared or improve before a challenge to move forward, take a breath. just jump. sometimes you have to build our wings on the way down.

NJ follow up - BANANA MUFFIN TOP RECIPE

Thanks to all my Jersey folk that came out for the 1st of many classes 

at Bfit in Pompton Plains.
love that you
support 
ALPHA VENICE
from afar.
working on bringing ALPHA NYC/NJ
to life! 

I know your experience with NIKE TRAINING CLUB was EPIC!

Please help spread the word so we can grow & add other days & times for this class.

It was great to see all of you.  I am impressed by how important your health & the health of your families is to you!

To answer some questions:

Protein Powders:

I prefer Proto Whey by BNRG
You can always find it on AMAZON as well as in most Vitamin Shoppes
I have my own supply & you can always order from me

Vega is a great one as well, creator fellow fitness enthusiast Brendan Braizer is a friend & will always support

Shakeology I really love the green & the chocolate
(i am working on having my own supply to send out to clients)

if & when you run out the best place to go is WHOLE FOODS any
365 Whey Powder is do-able

Protein Bars/Snack options:

Perfect Foods Bars
Power Crunch Bars
Think Thin Bars

The best snack options are always REAL FOOD OPTIONS:
from lowest to highest

bars > cold cuts > grilled meats
cheeses > mixed nuts > nut butters > avocado > fish oils
breads > rice cakes > starches > grains
veggies > veggies > veggies

SNACKS:

deli meat, crackers & a string cheese

grilled chicken fingers, rice cakes & 1/2 an avocado

brown rice salmon hand roll

tofu sticks, fruit with nuts/nut butter

prepackaged HEALTHY purchases 

ndividual edamame containers

fage yogurt

grapes, apples, bananas, berries....any kind of fruit & nut is already pre packaged

CARBS ARE GOOD....
they fill up your muscle & energize/FUEL the body
this is why Atkins people lose weight quickly & are skinny fat

normally people think that they will lose fat if they dont eat enough or at all, as crazy as that sounds
your body wont go right to fat to use as fuel when you dont eat it goes directly for the muscle.

so yes, you lose MASS, but your metabolism is in the toilet & you will be flabby #justsayin

so please EAST CLEAN COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES & all of the simple carbs you can
the move veggies you consume the healthier your GI tract will be
when you choose to eat complex carbs such as grain & starches
(yes it is in fact a choice what to put into your body)
balance the carbs with proteins & fats.....so your blood sugar will balance your energy levels
intake more COMPLEX carbs with breakfast & lunch
& try to stick with SIMPLE with dinner
FRUIT does amazing things BUT high in the type of sugars the SPIKE BLOOD SUGAR
to watch your energy levels only have fruits with breakfast, morning snack, or lunch
this is make sure you dont hit the mid day gloom around 4.

GLUTEN FREE is safe & better than processed wheat the country consumes with every meal
it is definitely a step in the right direction for your families
though the transition is not usually that smooth, these days it is much easier to find these options at the market.  be patient & do your research!

AS PROMISED here are a few of my RECIPES

Keep your eyes open for my release date of the  

ALPHA SWEETS cook book

PUMPKIN PROTEIN PANCAKES
pancakes are great to go breakfast options
i usually make a bunch for almond butter sandwiches.....on the go they are DIVINE

PUMPKIN BROWNIES
best thing to bring to parties, then you know what you are snacking on

GINGER BROWNIES
a holiday fav, not for all tastes but GINGER is amazing for you tumtum

Banana Muffin Tops

MY NEW FAV

3/4 cup of earth balance (non dairy butter)

1/4 cup of maple syrup

4 bananas

a tspn of vanilla

a tspn of baking soda

pinch of salt

1 cup of buckwheat flour

1 cup of millet flour

bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 for 10 minutes

GLUTEN FREE & VEGAN

if you want to get fancy you can get a muffin top tray

please follow me on 

instagram @alphavenice

twitter @josalphavenice

facebook/alphasportla

facebook/alphasweets

facebook/joselynne

I don't eat salt

My mother dearest dumps piles of salt on everything before she tastes it, which drives me CRAY

The recommended daily sodium intake is 

2400 mg

Here is a hint : 1 tsp of salt is equivalent to 2235mg

NEGATIVELY, salt is correlated with-

High blood pressure

Water retention

Asthma

Heart burn

Osteoporosis

Ulcers

Edema

That being said, if you consume the correct amount of NaCl there are obvious benefits.  Whether it's salin solution or table salt, your body does in fact NEED salt (in moderation).

Hydration requires a balance of electrolytes: sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium.  After exercise it is necessary to replace not only the water lost through perspiration, but the important electrolyte, sodium, as well. Hence 365 Electrolyte water & Gatorade.

BLOATING

WATER RETENTION

On top of all the health altering effects high sodium has on the bod is bloating.  Water retention in itself is annoying as hell, but also leads to other issues. It can be the first sign of other things to come. 

I have seen clients lose 5lbs or more just from removing/lowering their sodium intake.  The main reason for this - pre packaged foods, they require preservatives which almost always include high sodium.  Yet another reason to eat non processed, organic meals....LESS BLOATING. That's enough for me!

Our bodies are fairly intelligent machines.  Do you ever have those days were all you need is something salty? Chips? Pretzels? Popcorn? That is a sure sign that you are not drinking enough water.  Just like our sugar cravings come form a lack of energy/carbohydrates. Your system will let you know when you are running low on supplies.  The trick is beat it to the punch! If not learn to understand your body enough, to know how to properly cure the CRAVING.

"All I want is something salty" cheers to not being the person that says this daily. (it's tiresome) LEARN: By increasing your water & decreasing your salt, you will see a drastic result.  Your desire for a salty crunch will vanish. You will also see a difference in your waistline in just a couple of days!  By balancing clean carbs into your meals, you can wave g'day to your cookie monster alter ego.

Learning to listen to our bodies is the NUMBER 1 lesson to learn in this lifetime.

It can be anything from knowing when you are hungry, 

to understanding a food allergy.

From understanding how your foods effect your REM cycles, 

to acknowledging your intuition.

Being evolved enough to know that sometimes you need a day off,

& sometimes you need to do an evaluation on how the people in your life effect you. 

When we were children, 

learning how to explain what you are feeling is very important

Some of us never learned

Some of us will never learn

But most of us will take the time to work on ourselves

to figure it out....so we can make it easier for our kids

THE LESSON IS

to treat ourselves with love & kindness

allow yourself to have emotional, physical reactions to things.

to put the best foods into our bellies

& surround ourselves with those that make us feel like we deserve only the best

and that is what we want for them in return. 

be there to ask & listen to how someone is feeling

as well as being able to ask someone for help when needed.

Let's make it our mission, 
with the power of love in our hearts

& organic yummies in our tummies:

To change the way the next generation feels about themselves

& how they view the world.

START WITH MORE WATER