Spring Bacchus

Tomorrow is officially Spring Harvest Bacchus. For everyone not familiar, Dionysus was the Greek god of the grape harvest, winemaking, ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek Mythology. When in Rome he goes by the name Bacchus. Spring Harvest Bacchus is in celebration of indulgence.

As a person who breaths fitness, indulgence doesn’t come naturally. Some people may even say that my “indulgences” are health food for most. I mean come on… who is going to argue with decadent hard boiled eggs & parmesan cheese over GG Scandinavian Bran Crisp Bread? Ok, ok when its written in black and white it doesn’t sound so extravagant but its tastes so good it should be decadent.

Back to the point though. Bacchus is a made up holiday where everyone is encouraged to eat and drink whatever they want. Its a day when guilt is not recognized. Its a day to enjoy life’s bounty in the form of food, wine and… well… anything else you can think of that goes well after a nice meal and some wine. Bacchus is a day of indulgence. (Note: there is a huge difference between indulgence and over indulgence. We are not trying to bring back the Roman vomitoriums.)

There are two official Bacchus’, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. To determine the date of Fall Bacchus find Yom Kippur (a day of fasting in the Jewish tradition) on a calendar. Bacchus will be found exactly one month later to the Saturday of Yom Kippur. Spring Harvest Bacchus is exactly 6 months after that, which is tomorrow!!!!

The first ever Bacchus was celebrated October 16, 2010 in neighborhoods all around NYC. The day started at the Breslin with an oven baked three cheese sandwich with smoked ham and egg. On to Pasticceria Rocco for hot cocoa, biscotti and a sfogliatelle (also known as a shvigadel), down to Chinatown for pork dumplings, over to Union Square for street pizza and finally to Vesuvio Bakery for a basketball sized chocolate chip cookie. Dinner never happened that evening but it was the first Bacchus and the rules are a little clearer now.

Rules of Bacchus:

1. Plan a menu
2. Map out a course of action
3. Walk to each rendezvous point
4. Start early
5. Share

Check, check and check… now we are ready to begin. Come one, come all In celebration of all that is decadent and indulgent. I hereby christen April 16, 2011 the first official Spring Harvest Bacchus.

Keeping It Light

What to do, what to do… what workout am I to do? This week is technically a week off of training bootcamp for me but I still want to get a sweat on.  I just don’t feel right without it.  So in keeping with the slower pace of an “off” week I put together this workout for myself and anyone else who wants to give it a try.

On Monday I did this workout in 40 minutes, burned 500 calories and got my heart rate up to 175.

The equipment you will need is a jump rope, a track or street or anywhere you can run and a stair case.  Note: substitute a hill for a staircase if you don’t have one close by.  So lets recap for a sec, rope, flat running surface that leads to either a staircase or hill.  Check, check and check. OK next, I have a timer that sounds after 2 minutes but if you don’t have one count till you jump rope 200 times.

Here is the workout… drum roll please……

Monday’s Workout

-Start with a 10 minute warm up jog.

-Jump rope for 2 minutes or 200 times.

-Run to staircase (or hill) and up.

-Jog back to the rope.

*Repeat this circuit 10 times.

Wednesday’s Additions

Today I did the same drill just added 10 push ups after the return jog to the rope.

And for a closser today I did:

-2 minutes of lateral lunges

-1 minute alternating single leg squats

*Repeated the circuit 2xs

I finished this workout in 55m and burned 605 calories.

And for Friday

Friday’s workout will be just a tiny bit more challenging.

-Start with a 10 minute warm up jog.

-Jump rope for 2 minutes or 200 times.

-10 Jump Squats

-Run to staircase (or hill) and up.

-10 Squat Thrusts

-Jog back to the rope

-10 Push Ups

Repeat this circuit 10 times.

Finish with a long set of walking lunges from the bottom of the steps or hill back to the rope.

Now you are done with the week’s workouts.  Nothing to crazy, just some movement.  Lets leave the crazy for class on Monday.

Lung Transplant

A client of mine celebrated her one year anniversary of being in Bootcamp.  She started last February only a few month after getting a lung transplant.  She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease which affects the entire body, causing progressive disability.  The life expectancy of someone with cystic fibrosis is around 30 years old. Today she is in her 50s and has attended boot camp class for over a year, without missing a session.  She can run up to 4 miles without stopping and can do military style push ups.  Against all odds she continues to improve.

Due to her exceptional condition her health is closely monitored by her doctors.  They were initially cautious with the idea of her taking my bootcamp, but after a few weeks they liked the results.  She comes to class three days a week, regardless of the weather.  So when I hear people say, “Oh I can’t work out in the rain because…blah, blah, blah…I say if someone with cystic fibrosis with a lung transplant can start class in February, there are no excuses.”

N.Y. Times: Not Always A Beacon Of Good Information

Speaking of excuses, recently there was an article in the NY Times, “A Fighting Spirit Won’t Save Your Life.” Author, Richard P. Sloan says, “There is no evidence to back up the idea that an upbeat attitude can prevent any illness or help someone recover from one more readily.” He compares Congresswoman  Gabrielle Giffords to Elizabeth Edwards to demonstrate that a “fighting” spirit doesn’t save lives.

Just to give you some background, Giffords was shot in the head in an assasination attempt, but survived and her condition continues to improve.  Edwards was an attorney,  best-selling author, health care activist but possibly best known for being the wife of former US senator John Edwards. She recently lost her battle with breast cancer.  Both women were described as having a fighting spirit but there was one obvious difference.

While Elizabeth was fighting breast cancer, she was also dealing with her husband cheating on her. In the public eye, she put on the front of supportive wife but we can only imagine the mass of negative emotions and stress that she experienced behind closed doors. Studies repeatedly show that there is a strong correlation to stress and tumor growth. In fact a recent study published April 12, 2010 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that stress hormones, such as adrenaline, can directly support tumor growth and spread.  Her psychological condition could have exacerbated the tumor and worsened the condition.

Relaxation Techniques

Is there really something to our emotions and our body’s ability to heal itself? You bet there is!  Science and Western medicine have only recently begun to look into this idea. Research is showing that the effects of positivity versus negativity do indeed have physiological effects on the body.  Professor Leslie Walker, from the University of Hull (UK), looked at eighty women diagnosed with breast cancer. All received exactly the same treatment and emotional support, but half also received training in relaxation techniques – they were taught to visualize their body’s defenses “overcoming” the cancer cells. Professor Walker said: “Our results show that relaxation and guided imagery can bring about measurable changes in the body’s own immunological defenses.”

Other research has also shown that people who have depression, in addition to another serious medical illness, tend to have more severe symptoms of both depression and the medical illness.  They also have more difficulty adapting to their medical condition, and more medical costs than those who do not have co–existing depression¹. Research has yielded increasing evidence that treating the depression can also help improve the outcome of treating the co–occurring illness².

So while you won’t find scientific research that shows irrefutably that a fighting spirit effects health and disease there have been hundreds of case studies that postive thinking makes a difference.  Some may argue that case studies are all exceptions, but science historically starts with exceptions and continues to find supporting results. We are at the dawn of a new ear. Up until recently science believed that human brains cannot regenerate brain cells.  This was a common belief held by the brightest minds at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and the list goes on.  Its now known that the brain is “plastic”, not static.  It grows and changes with each new experience throughout life.  The point is that while medicine and science have helped us tremendously, we need to remember that doctors and scientists actually spend more time getting things wrong than they do getting things right.

A Gut Feeling

Last night I spoke to my client about her fight with cystic fibrosis.  When she was in the hospital waiting for the transplant, her friends and family saying their final good byes she couldn’t help but feel bad for them.  She knew all along she wasn’t going to die, she knew because she hadn’t given up.  She wasn’t ready to go.  She might be the “case study” in this story but you can’t deny that against all odds she continues to fight, she is still alive.  That a girl… keep up the fight!

1. (Cassano P, Fava M. Depression and public health, an overview. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2002; 53: 849-857)
2. Katon W, Ciechanowski P. Impact of major depression on chronic medical illness. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2002; 53: 859-863)

19 Charles Street

Last weekend my boyfriend and I had big plans to cook a delicious dinner in honor of our three year anniversary.  We meticulously planned out the menu: eggplant parmesan, roasted brussels sprouts with crispy pancetta and a hazelnut olive oil cake to finish, with a delicious bottle of Ribolla Gialla of course. Early Saturday morning we mapped out our shopping destinations.  Union Sq farmer’s market for veggies, Italian Wine Merchants for wine, and down to Di Palo’s for cheese, pancetta and hazelnuts.  Veggies… check, wine… check, cheese… check.

So what happened? By the time we circled around Manhattan and made it back home, we lost our steam.  The groceries were packed away and we decided to order take out.  We had great aspirations for cooking, but the follow through was lacking.  Reflecting on our failed efforts I thought, “Why can’t you order gourmet groceries like a restaurant?  Turns out you can.

Nineteen Charles Street is what Daily Candy called “Fresh Direct for Foodies.”  It offers time-strapped city dwellers top of the line ingredients, home delivery, and easy to follow recipes.  They do the shopping, you do the cooking.

Their vendors include Union Square Greenmarket, Murray’s Cheese, Raffetto’s pasta and Blue Ribbon Bakery.  They are expanding to include more shops and guest chefs.  Some high profile restaurants like Blue Hill are included in their recipe lists.

How It Works

Each week 19CS selects four recipes, like Lightly Breaded Flounder with French lentils and sautéed leeks.  They select the exact amount of raw ingredients and neatly package them for delivery.  This way you don’t end up with a pound of left over parsley.  Orders need to be finalized 5:00 PM Friday, for the following week.  All deliveries are made on Monday or Wednesday to coincide with the farmer’s market.  There is no minimum, they will deliver as little as one meal or as much as an entire dinner party. An average meal costs about $30 each, which is not bad considering the door to door service.  And think of it this way, your meals won’t ever be cold.

So now there are no excuses.  If you are one of those people who holds a college degree, passed the Series 7, or the Bar and still claims they “Can’t cook” then I am forwarding this to your bosses.  Anyone can cook, that’s why they make recipes.  If you don’t have time to go shopping and squeeze in cooking, 19 Charles Street will do the shopping for you.  Its time to give up eating baby food for adults like microwavable veggie burgers and how many times can you really order Chinese food?  Make the switch, eat healthier, live longer, and maybe impress your boyfriend.

http://19charlesstreet.com/login

The Power Of Words

Last week I was traveling to parts of India I had never seen before.  I took a dip in Gangaji (the Ganges River) to erase my karma, received blessings from an aarti ritual, and made offerings to the deities.  While I am not an official Hindu, the ceremonies gave me a sense of inner peace that is lacking in the hustle and bustle of NYC.  Could it be that the Gods and Goddess were really looking down on me and bestowed to me this serenity?

I like to believe they were, but what if it was all in my head? Or what if my intent on going to India to find this peace was really the impetus to the calm? What if my intentions shaped my reality? How many more questions can I ask before I get to the point? LOL…

Ok, on to the point then…

Pretty Snowflakes

The idea that intention and emotion have an effect on our physical reality has been around since before the time of Buddha (600 BC).  Science is finally catching up to the spiritual world.  In 1999, Dr. Masaru Emoto (not to be mistaken with Iron Chef Morimoto) published a book called “Messages from Water,” where he documented the effects of human speech and thoughts on water droplets.  After loving praise or berating insults the water is frozen and the crystals are photographed.  The geometries of the frozen crystals are shocking.  Those who received love and support adopt beautiful symmetry, while the abused waters freeze in irregular patterns which look disturbed.

Expanding on this theory that speech can affect water molecules, he did an experiment where he placed cooked rice in two identical glass containers. He talked to the rice everyday saying “Thank you” to one and “You fool” to the other. He did this everyday for one month to see the results. After 4 weeks, the rice that he said “Thank you” to was still pretty white while the other jar of rice that he said “You fool” to, had turned black and rotted.

The point is that intentions have a real, measurable impact on our physical reality. The implications for this are enormous when you think about how many negative thoughts we have about ourselves on a daily basis.  How many times have you told yourself, “I am fat,” “I hate my thighs,” “I can’t do xyz?” It is the self fulfilling prophecy.  You are not just negative self talking, you are actually having a physical effect on your body.

Its Up To You

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or if you think you can’t, either way, you’re right.”  The moral of the story is that we are actually hurting ourselves with negative emotions and intentions.  We have to do something about it.  Here is a practice that I use with one of my clients.  Every time she negative talks herself, or even if I just think she is, she does 15 push ups repeating the mantra “I am beautiful.” After a few months she hasn’t had to do any “extra” push ups… only the 1,000 we normally do in one session.

Stay positive guys, its not just in your head.

Eating Smaller Portions

Beans, Tuna, and More Beans

Step one in my year long journey to find the best diet ever concluded last Friday.  During the 2 week test of Timothy Ferriss’s “Slow Carb Diet” I learned a few things about the beans but more importantly about the psychology of dieting.

The Review

Tim Ferris’s “Slow Carb Diet” would be great for people who need to lose a significant amount of weight.  Its menu is very monotonous, but the “Anything goes” cheat day is the saving grace for six days of suffering.

With the increase in protein my usual aches and pains decreased dramatically. My energy levels were up and muscle soreness after workouts decreased.

While there was no weight loss I do feel leaner.  So in 2 weeks I must have lost body fat and gained lean muscle tissue.  As we all know muscle is the active tissue in the body which increases our metabolism even at rest so we DO want muscle!

During the second week, I felt less bloated than normal and my energy levels were great.  My workouts felt strong and I slept really well.  The food recommendations in the second week called “The Last Mile: Losing the Final 5-10 Pounds” looked something like this:

Breakfast

• 2 eggs, 2 egg whites
• 3 GG Scandinavian Bran Crisp Bread
• 1 cup steamed broccoli

Snack

• Grilled chicken breast
• Steamed spinach
• 1/4 cup almonds

Lunch

• 6 oz. jar of Tuna
• Huge salad with arugula, red pepper and endive
• 2 GG Bran Crisps

Snack

• Grilled chicken breast
• Steamed cabbage
• 1/4 cup almonds

Dinner

• 6 oz. jar of Tuna
• Steamed broccoli
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

I was averaging 1650 calories a day and I worked out only 3 times a week instead of my usual 4 times a week .

Will this diet work for you? If you can stomach eating the same thing over…and over…and over again and have more than 10 lbs to lose, then go for it.  If you are looking to lose the last 5-10lbs skip the slow carb diet and go straight for the recommendations outlined in “The Last Mile.”

Food for thought: We don’t live in bubbles. My boyfriend was ready to strangle me after a week of the diet because its just not fun. Food is not just about nourishment. Its about life, its about family, friends and culture. Life is not found in a dress size so don’t forget to enjoy yourself, just don’t enjoy too much

Coming soon.. I’ll put together some quick and easy recipes, and even do a video demonstration, of ways to spice up, no pun intended,  the meals so you don’t die of boredom.

Get Paid To Loose Weight

The 3rd Annual Lose Weight & Win Big competition is underway. The contestants are weighed, photographed, and ready to compete for the cash prize of $1,400.00. Getting paid to lose weight, not a bad idea. Today you will all meet your fellow competitors.

Contestants:

1. Male, 222.5lbs
2. Female, 186.5lbs
3. Female, 144.5lbs
4. Female, 143lbs
5. Female, 151lbs
6. Female, 155.5lbs
7. Female, 229lbs

Remember we are going by the person with the highest percentage of body weight lost not the total amount of weight. Below I have included the amount of weight you have to lose to lose 10% of your body weight.

1. 22.25lbs
2. 18.6lbs
3. 14.4lbs
4. 14.3lbs
5. 15.1lbs
6. 15.5lbs
7. 22.9lbs

In an effort to keep everyone on track, we will be weighing in every 2 weeks.

Last years winner lost almost 20% of her body weight, won $3600, and continued to make progress after the end of the competition. Prior to entering the competition in 2008, she ran her first NYC marathon. In 2010 after losing the weight and continuing to come to Stacy’s Boot Camp she completed her 2nd NYC marathon and took off 45 minutes from her total time. Take that, all you runners club who say bootcamp is not good training for marathons!

Check out Lori’s testimonial

“After winning the Biggest Loser Competition, I was all set for my next challenge. I found out I got into the NYC marathon. I had done it before in 2008, however, I had not incorporated Stacy’s bootcamp into my marathon training. This time I did Stacy’s bootcamp right up until the week of the marathon. WOW- what a difference it made. The strength and resistance training, sprints, hill work and all the other things we love to do in bootcamp made me into such a better runner. My running friends are amazed by my ability to tackle hills. I was able to knock off 45 mins from my previous time. That is truly an amazing accomplishment. Thanks Stacy for getting me into such great shape!”

We’re Back!  Classes are back in session after a three week break for the holidays.  I spent the time off designing exciting new workouts for the upcoming year. Bootie campers often complain when I have too much time alone, the workouts get tougher.  Some of my “Lovelies” claim there is correlation between difficulty of class and a lack of “Action,” if you know what I mean.

Resolutions

So what should you expect in 2011? My New Year’s Resolution is to make sure everyone reaches their goals; tighter butt, flatter abs, or whatever else you want in life.

There are a few interesting projects that I am taking on in order to do this.  First, I will use myself as a Guinea Pig.   Over the next year, I will be the test subject for the diet, exercise, and health related questions we all have.

• What effects will different diets have on me?
• How many days a week should I workout?
• What can I figure out so you don’t have to suffer through it?

In the past, I have guinea pigged myself (is that a verb?) with juice cleanses, colon cleanses and colonic therapy (ouch!).  All of which promote the idea that we need cleaning on inside to restore our health.

My Conclusion: If you stop eating Chinese food and chicken wings, in favor of healthier choices you will clean yourself!  No need for the anal invasion as a last ditch effort to mop up the mess.  Doing a “cleanse”  messes up a balanced system.  They all rest on the assumption that the body doesn’t function properly.  Give it what it needs (aka good, natural food) and I believe it will work properly.

For the next experiment, I am following the diet advice from the New York Times Best Seller “The 4-Hour Body” by Timothy Ferriss.  Before/after photographs and weigh-ins will track my progress.  The updates will be posted on Twitter.

“4-Hour Body” Diet

• Avoid all “white” carbohydrates. (bread, pasta, rice, wraps, ect.)
• Eat the same, few meals over and over again. (This may seem boring, but I don’t mind)
• With each meal I can have protein, legumes and veggies.  All of which I can eat to my heart’s content.
• Don’t drink your calories. (Work functions are the down fall of American health, IMO)
• Don’t eat fruit. (This one will be tough, I love fruit.)
• Take one day off per week. (Party!)

Timothy’s exact quote on what a “day off” is, “There are no limitations or boundaries during this day of gluttonous enjoyment.” His cheat day usually starts with a breakfast of a large glass of OJ, (2) bear claws and (2) chocolate croissants. Thats just breakfast!

Besides the diet I’ll be following some of his other techniques on how to increase fat loss with little to no exercise. He came up with things like placing ice packs on strategic places to make the body work harder to stay warm (5 days a week for 20-30m) and doing squats and wall push ups (only for about 1.5 minutes each) before and after “off day” meals.  Supposedly this will enhance energy absorption into the muscles rather than converting it to fat…all that and more.

Lets see how it goes.  My goal is to see if I can lose 10 lbs. of fat in 21 days, which Timothy says is possible.

What do you have to do?  Nothing! Sit back and enjoy the show.  If you have any nutrition, exercise, or health related topics that you want to know about but are not ready to try yourself, ask ME! I will be your guinea pig.

Welcome Back Lovelies!

-Stacy

So what is a person to do? I know…. I put together a “Last of 2010 WORKOUT” to do for you and me.  I am in a hotel and didn’t even bring my sneakers with me so there are a few substitutions I’ll make to the workout.  Instead of running I will substitute jumping rope for a minute.  Feel free to do the same if you have space and/ or equipment restraints.

The workout for today will get your metabolism revved up like some tricked out Ferrari (sorry about the Italian sports car reference, but when in Italy…. )

Without further delay here it is, have a ball with it and enjoy tonight.

10 minute warm up jog

Jumping Jacks

Mountain Climbers

High Knees

Jump Squats

Repeat circuit 5xs

Push Ups

Run

Squat Thrusts

Run

Lunges

Run

Jumping Jacks

Run

Push Up with Row

Run

Squats

Run

Repeat circuit 2xs

Cool down and stretch!

Starting Jan 2011 set your goals and lets get them done.  I am dedicated to helping everyone reach their fitness goals this year.  Lets start by making 1 month goals.  Send them in so I can keep you on track!

Happy New Year!!

MTV Send Two Competitors To The Hospital

I am embarrassed to admit, but the other day I watched MTV’s “Cutthroat” finale.  These MTV challenge shows end with some grueling, long distance event where contestants compete in physical challenges and puzzles for over 6 hours.

This season the course was 13 miles of running, memory games, rolling truck tires, carry a teammate on a stretcher, swimming across a lake, and crawling under barbed wired.  Half way through the challenge two relatively strong and healthy people were rushed to the hospital.  Mid race, they vomited uncontrollably, lost consciousness, and could barely sit upright until the medics arrived.

They did not fall prey to Dengue fever, but they had skipped breakfast.

Eating Before Or After

The next day, waiting for the bus, I read an article in the NY Times called, “Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast.” The article outlined a study done on twenty eight healthy, young men to test the effects of high-fat, high-calorie breakfasts ingested before a workout or after.  The findings suggest that those participants who exercised on an empty stomach burned more fat and didn’t gain as much weight as their study counterparts who ate breakfast before training.

“Hmmmm,” I said to myself, “MTV or NY Times?”

MTV might not be the media source to get official news, but the episode magnified what happens when you try to workout hard on an empty stomach… IT SUCKS! I see this all the time in class. Newbies often show up without having eaten anything and wind up feeling dizzy, nauseous and throwing up.  It happens all the time.

There are a few issues I take with this study.

• The study was done on twenty eight healthy, young men.  This does not represent an “average” demographic.  Remember Wall Street is packed with active young men, who make it a habit of drinking and blowing coke and still working, what people would consider to be successful, 16 hour days.  Young men may be resilient, but that does not mean they make good decisions.

• While working out on an empty stomach may cause you to burn more fat, you also burn more muscle.  Muscle is the active tissue in the body which means it allows you to burn more calories even at rest.  By decreasing muscle you actually slow your metabolism down in the long run.  This results in the skinny fat look, someone who is small in size but has a high level of body fat.  Call me crazy but I prefer the toned, tighter look.

• There is no way that you can workout to the same intensity on an empty stomach as you can with some food in our system.  If you take your car out without giving it some gas, what happens? The likelihood of making it to your destination without having to be towed is pretty low.  Same with your body, you might get through the workout but just barely.

• Working out on a empty stomach is a guaranteed way to feel nauseous.  While you might burn the most fat on an empty stomach, you are also unable to exercise to your fullest potential, because all the tanks are empty.  Leave these feats of deprivation to Navy Seals.  They exercise with doctors on hand and double as science experiments testing the limits of the human body.

Ron Maughan, a professor of sport, exercise and health sciences at Loughborough University in Britain said working out on an empty stomach, “…might help you get very good at burning fat, but you won’t be very good at whatever exercise it is you’re doing.”

Bacon, Eggs, & Sausage

So in the end, scarfing down pancakes with bacon and eggs on the side might not be a wise choice right before a workout.  While the media will always look for an all in one solution to exercise, the real answer is moderation.

People often ask me things like “Well Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day, shouldn’t I do something like him…”  He is an olympic athlete, that does not work 10 hours at a desk, while juggling a family or school or any of the other challenges that fill our lives.

What To Eat

Eating a light snack 1-2 hours before working out will give your body a balance of immediate energy, before it goes digging into the reserves.  By balancing the body, as it burns fat and builds muscle, you will be less likely to quit a workout because of nausea, exhaustion, or lack of energy.  A small bowl of oatmeal, piece of fruit, toast with some peanut butter is all you need to start a workout right.  After the workout you can eat a meal with more protein, but three pancakes with a side of bacon and home fries is not the energy your body needs before or after a workout.  Save the Louis XVI breakfasts for the weekend.