Work Smart

Paul Chek, a renowned fitness trainer, author, and mentor suggests that we should WORK IN, not just work out.

What does this mean, you ask?

When your work "out" you break down tissue. With the proper diet, you rebuild, re-synthesize and revitalize those tissues.

But what happens when that stress you place on the body is so great that it creates "distress"?

Well, it fires the sympathetic nervous system which creates the "fight or flight" response leaving you feeling more drained versus revitalized.

By all means, push yourself. Break through to the next level of fitness but try this:

WORK SMART. Cultivate more energy from your workout than that which you utilized during the exercises.

This is done by balance. Create a training program that is all encompassing. Include all the bio-motor abilities in moderation:

1. Flexibility
2. Stabilization
3. Coordination
4. Strength
5. Speed
6. Power
7. Agility


It's also done by LISTENING to your body. Take it at your pace, have FUN, and always give yourself a rest day. You should leave your workout feeling energized!!

And EAT RIGHT. So much of our bodily stress is due to improper diet. Use the fuel, progressively challenge your body, then repair it with the right building blocks and rest. Check out my approved foods list!

If you want to read a great book on proper nutrition and the balance of exercises by Paul Chek check out " Eat, Move and Be Healthy"



Best,
Kali

Practicing Presence through Meditation

"Live each present moment completely, and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each instant. Practice the presence of peace. The more you do that, the more you will feel the presence of that power in your life." - Paramahansa Yoganada

The benefits of meditating are endless. It's amazing how sitting still in silence can be so rewarding. Clear thoughts, focused concentration, deep peace that lasts, soul-satitation. Woah. Soul-satiation? It fills the voids. Give it time.

When I start talking to people about meditation, many tell me that they 1. need to 2. don't know how.

It's about slowing down. Being able to have focused thoughts in the moment, finding yourself present, and feeling peaceful.


Try this: Take a deep breath. Inhale for 5 seconds, hold it gently for 2 seconds, and exhale for 5 seconds. Try that three times.

Ok, back? Feel a little more at ease?

Here is some basic instructions from the Self Realization Fellowship Website. Take 5 minutes for YOU. Don't over think this. Just try. Just be :)

Erect Spine

One of the first requisites for meditation is correct posture. The spine should be erect. When the devotee is seeking to direct his mind and life force upward through the cerebrospinal axis to the centers of higher consciousness in the brain, he should avoid stricture or pinching of the spinal nerves caused by improper posture.

Sit on a Straight Armless Chair

Those persons whose legs are supple may prefer to meditate sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, or on a firm bed.

However, Paramahansa Yogananda recommended the following meditation pose:

Sit on a straight armless chair with the feet resting flat on the floor. Hold spine erect, abdomen in, chest out, shoulders back, chin parallel to the ground. The hands, with palms upturned, should rest on the legs at the juncture of the thighs and the abdominal region to prevent the body from bending forward.

If the correct posture has been assumed, the body will be stable yet relaxed, so that it is easily possible to remain completely still, without moving a muscle.

Now, close your eyes and gently lift your gaze upward, without straining, to the point between the eyebrows — the seat of concentration, and of the spiritual eye of divine perception.

Approved Foods List

If you’re trying to lose body fat, you have to eat the right food, at the right time, in the right amount.
Here’s a list of the good stuff.



Protein Foods
Beans + grains

Beans + nuts

Beans + rice

Beans + seeds

Chicken (Breast is best–you can even buy it in a can)

Eggs (I usually mix 1 whole egg with 3-4 whites)

Egg Substitute

Egg Whites

Fish (Salmon tops the list for the healthy fat it contains)

Ham

Lean Ground Beef (get ground sirloin or 90-93% lean–nothing else)

Lean Meat (top siloin, london broil, eye of round, top/bottom round)

Milk limit*(I only buy/drink almond or soy. Skim is ok)

Protein Powder/Protein Bar/Meal Replacement (Find one that you like, or you won’t use it)

Quinoa

Shrimp & Seafood

Tuna
Turkey Breast

Starchy Carbohydrate
Yams/Potatos

Brown Rice (Can take getting used to–I mixed 1/2 brown/white at first)

Cereals (Whole Grain, Kashi–not the kid’s stuff)

Corn
Crackers (Check the labels–you know better =)

Cream of wheat

Pasta (Lots of options, whole wheat is best)
Pancakes (Protein pancakes anyone?)

Pita Bread

Plain Popcorn

Oatmeal (My #1 for breakfast–not the stuff with the added sugar)

Oat Cakes

Rice Cakes

Tortilla (I always buy the whole sprouted wheat stuff)

Waffles (Kashi Go Lean, or try making protein waffles)

Fibrous Carbohydrate–Vegetables
Alfalfa
Sprouts

Asparagus

Avocado (contains healthy fat, but can be easily overdone–be careful)

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumber

Eggplant

Green
Peas

Leaf
Lettuce

Mushrooms

Onions

Tomatoes

Spinach

Zucchini

Fruits
Apple

Apricot

Banana

Blackberries
Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Grapefruit

Grapes

Honeydew melon

Mango

Orange

Papaya

Peach

Pear

Pineapple

Plum

Raisins

Raspberries
Strawberries

Other Stuff
Almond Butter (trader joe’s has a great raw one)
Cinnamon

Curry powder

Fat Free Cooking Spray (I use this one a lot.)

Fresh chives

Fresh cilantro

Fresh or dried basil, oregano and rosemary

Frozen Entrees (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice)

Garlic

Ground ginger

Hot sauce

Lemon pepper

Lemons

Limes

Low Fat Mayonaise

Lowfat salad dressing (use it to marinate chicken)

Nuts (easily overdone–be careful)

Olive Oil

Olives

Paprika

Peanut Butter (Natural is best, easily overdone–be careful)

Salsa

Red pepper flakes

Salt/Pepper