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Welcome to Week 6 of the SKFitLife Challenge!
By Week 6 you should be seeing results.
Keep reading to see what I mean by “should”. This isn’t the same as “you should have met your own expectations by now.”
If you are, that’s fantastic! Keep plugging away.
If you aren’t, take a thorough and honest assessment of all the factors listed below.
More isn’t always better and in some cases can be detrimental.
And as always (if you haven’t noticed the pattern yet), please see steps 1-3:).
Step 1: Download your training.
Step 2: Watch/listen to the Week 6 SKFitLife Challenge Information Video.
Step 3: Do the workout.
Step 4: If you have been following along and are truly struggling with seeing results, make sure you read this email thoroughly. Sometimes it isn’t as simple as diet and exercise.
Watch for Week 7 in your inbox exactly 7 days from today.
Direct Training Links:
Download all 12 weeks of training and HIIT at once by clicking here: https://app.box.com/
Week 6 SKFitLife Challenge Information: Rest, Recovery, and Adrenal Health
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUZsoVsljXM[/youtube]
Weekly Lessons Covered in Audio:
More is not better, but make sure you aren’t letting yourself off the hook. It seems like a fine line until you have a better understanding of the bigger picture.
Do you know how we’ve said you can’t out train a bad diet? Well you can’t fix damaged adrenals by throwing more at them. Take a listen to this week’s video:
☀️ Why am I so tired all the time?
☀️ What does adrenal fatigue look like?
☀️ How can a lack of sleep cause weight gain?
☀️ There IS such a thing as pushing yourself too hard.
Motivation & Inspiration:
“Patience – Using time, pressure and patience, the universe gradually changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds. You’re being worked on too, so hang in there. Just because something isn’t happening for you right now, doesn’t mean it will never happen.” from one of my favorite blogs: http://www.marcandangel.com/
There is nothing more frustrating than doing all the “right” things when it comes to training and nutrition and then not seeing the results… the first thing to consider… how long have you been following the program? It takes 6-8 weeks to see results so please don’t be fooled by the quick results diets that you are bombarded with each and every day. Please read the rest of the blog post here:http://www.skfitlife.com/
“Being happy doesn’t always mean being perfect.”“If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not BIG ENOUGH!”“When you live in the moment…and let go of yesterday and don´t worry about tomorrow, the universe opens doors for you and tremendous blessings unfold. The only thing we truly possess is the NOW. So be here. Relish in it. Choose mindfully. Follow your bliss.”
Message from Steph:
Your food logs and the questions that accompany them bring up a VERY important topic… how much is enough and when is it too much???
I have seen too many women who think that the problem is them… their lack of will power, genetics, or other factors that are contributing to their lack of results or slow results.
I want to take a step back… first, I want to talk about WHO I guess will see results FIRST and WHY. Then we can dive into the other “why’s” of not seeing results…
First, I would expect to see quick results from someone who is an “over-eater” (I fall into this category… I don’t gain weight for any other reason than I have been giving myself too much fuel).
I would also expect to see quicker results from this overeater who has also been slacking in the exercise department… and is now kicking it up and consistently getting all 3 training sessions in as well as the 2 HIIT and 1 Steady cardio.
WHY??? Because when someone is “over-dieted” (aka has been restricting their calories), I have nowhere to go “down”. I can’t really take anything away from you calorie-wise. (Remember the yo-yo diagram???)
I also can’t ADD more exercise to an over-exercised body and expect to see results.
So, you have the typical profile of who sees results FIRST by following traditional advice (that is given just about EVERYWHERE you look… “eat less and exercise more”)… What to do if you have been restricting your calories and increasing your exercise and still no results???
RECOMMENDED READING:
The Secret Formula to a Lean, Athletic Body
I just want to reach my goal as fast as possible and maintain it.
Weekly Facebook Interaction:
How much sleep are you getting each night?
If you are having trouble seeing results, take an inventory of the following areas of your life:
☀️ Have you used diet pills in the past?
☀️ Have you been “dieting” for an extended period of time?
☀️ Have you recently had a baby?
☀️ How well do you handle stress?
☀️ Are you over worked?
☀️ Do you frequently perform long endurance activities (especially running)?
☀️ Have you restricted your food choices to the same 18 items for an extended period of time?
Harder, Faster, More?
Adrenal fatigue and even failure is closely linked with lack of sleep. I know I have experienced ALL of these signs and symptoms in my life and some of them not too long ago when I was working full time and trying to start my business.
I have had several competitive athlete clients who have suffered from this and some who have joined the challenge because they connected with me in my experience of having a bad “post show” experience. BUT this is not limited to competitive athletes… MANY people suffer from this and don’t even know it… until they get to a point where they just HAVE to figure out what is going on…
In my research for a recent blog post, I have found these great articles related to adrenal burnout. This is something that EVERYONE should be aware of.
I know that since getting more sleep and reducing my stress levels, I have had to workout less in order to maintain my weight along with many other positive changes.
Our hectic lifestyle and super-charged pace is just as (if not more) unhealthy than eating fries and drinking soda.
Adrenal Fatigue
Does any of this sound familiar to you: Inability to lose weight (in spite of exercising and eating “right”), excess weight around your middle, low energy- especially upon waking in the morning, fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, low libido, cravings for sugar/carbs- oh, the cravings!? While some might initially think they have thyroid dysfunction, it might actually be a precursor to that, which is adrenal fatigue.
The adrenal glands are two walnut sized organs that sit on top of your kidneys. They are responsible for producing cortisol (a.k.a. the stress hormone), DHEA (the anti-stress hormone, if you will), and adrenaline (the fight-or-flight hormone). When the adrenal glands have to constantly overproduce any or all of these due to the lifestyle you’re living- you may experience adrenal fatigue/adrenal exhaustion.
Adrenal Research
I don’t want to get too lengthy here and stress you out further, nor do I want to start citing my work, so you can certainly read more about the science of adrenal fatigue here:http://www.drnorthrup.com/
I’d simply like to address some of the key ways many of us may be exhausting our adrenal glands, as well as some ways to begin to correct the behavior.
How and what you eat is paramount. Your body likes to be in a state of homeostasis- that’s balanced blood sugar and an alkaline state. Certain foods wreak havoc on our blood sugar, and certain foods are very acid forming. Also- carbohydrates are not a cardinal sin!
There are three categories that foods comprise: protein, carbohydrate and fat. This has to do with chemical structure and the processes that occur in the body to break these foods down, and how we utilize them. You need carbohydrates. Vegetables are carbohydrates.
VEGETABLES ARE CARBOHYDRATES
It would best serve us to start looking at carbs in terms of their glycemic loads (not index)- which has to do with how much insulin a food demands our body to produce when we consume it. You are right to believe that white bread and white pasta are not your friend. The glycemic load of these highly processed foods is quite high, causing an insulin surge, causing stress on the pancreas and other bodily systems, including the adrenal glands.
Protein
Too much protein is not the answer either. TOO MUCH PROTEIN causes the body to have to produce too much glucagon, which creates an acidic state in the body. This is also not ideal for optimum health- it does not create the optimum acid-alkaline balance.
What is too much protein?
Well, keep in mind that everything has some amount of protein in it- protein is not isolated to animal foods. Brown rice has protein, quinoa has incredible amounts of complete protein (meaning all the essential amino acids), wheat, beans, nuts…even kale has a little bit of protein. A person does not have to rely heavily or solely on animal foods to get enough protein. While I am neither advocating for or against meat consumption (though I will speak very strongly against factory farming of animals and advocate for free range, grass fed, organic and hormone free…), it is simply the truth that meat is acid forming…and for wellness we need to be alkaline.
Fat
Fat is also not a culprit, but type of fat is crucial. Egg yolks do not raise your cholesterol, and there is even new research showing that low-fat diets may be one of the worst culprits in raising bad cholesterol and causing fat storage in our cells. Essentially, fat isn’t what makes you fat, per se. Our bodies need some fat in order to function.
It almost goes without saying that packaged and processed foods are what to avoid- that is, the entire middle section of your grocery store. There is nothing you need from a box. Processed foods containing excess sugars, salts, corn syrups, hydrogenated oils, etc…will deplete the living daylights out of your adrenal glands. No one needs Oreo cookies, no one needs boxed cereal…and anyone can re-train their palate so that they no longer have a mental or physical need for such “foods”.
Then how do we eat?
Listen to your body. Eat whole food. As Hippocrates said- let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food. Remember that food cravings are your body’s way of telling you something is out of balance. Carb cravings are often a sign of nutrient/mineral deficiency, dysfunction of your adrenals, OR maybe you are simply starving your body of carbs and it is telling you it wants/needs some!! My favorite quote is from Michael Pollan: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Life out of Balance
Another reason for adrenal fatigue can be that our life is out of balance. Are your relationships stressing you, your job, are you exercising too much or too little, are you connected spiritually? We all need to find ways to take time out for LIFE. We need rest, relaxation and recreation! They aren’t luxuries we can’t afford- they are an essential part of our overall health. We can’t afford not to take care of these important areas of our lives.
You could eat the purest and cleanest diet of anyone anywhere, but if your very LIFE is out of balance…you will still suffer from physical ailments like adrenal fatigue.
Lastly, I would like to stress that there is no “ideal” of well-being. What works for some may not work for others. We need to learn to be more intuitive and to listen to our bodies. Try something that sounds like it would work for you, evaluate how you feel after a few weeks, and if it isn’t working for you- move on! For example, I have found that I simply cannot workout every day and feel good. If I lift weights 3x a week and run 3x a week…I completely flatline. I reach a point where I can barely get through my day. It is clearly not optimal for me, or perhaps I need to work up to it more slowly.
For others- they can do that and more. I have a friend who does competitive racing and Ironman competitions, and has a full time job, and a social life!! He always seems bouncy and energetic! If I lived like this, I know through experience that I would collapse. This doesn’t mean that I am not good enough. It means that I am uniquely ME, and I have to find what works for my body, and what will make me happy- not stressed.
To use myself in a food example- I can honestly say that I eat better than most people I know. I also exercise consistently. However, I do not experience perfect health. Very recently I was experiencing frequent colds and exhaustion. If I eat right and exercise- why? Well, if I look at my life, I have stress I haven’t gotten a hold of in some other areas (mainly, I haven’t mastered the art of living with a 2 year old!). I’m working on it. And that is what you can do! You can start taking an honest look in to where you are and where you want to be…and then you can start addressing it!
Find MORE from April
Check out www.aprildawnreigart.com and April’s fan page for recipes, wellness tips and more- at www.facebook.com/
How much sleep do I need?
7-8 hours is ideal so our bodies will recover. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol (a stress hormone), decreased activity of human growth hormone (which is active during tissue repair), and decreased glycogen synthesis. All of these things will affect your ability to recover.
I have silent reflux and I’ve read that lots of protein can make the body very acidic, is this true and what are the best foods to help combat this?
A: Two things come to my mind immediately—you need more probiotics and more fish oil/omega 3s. Do you like to drink kefir? Or kombucha? Also- you need a pure source for fish oil, but you need 2.5grams/day….this will decrease inflammation. Also– you could add a slice of lemon to your water and sip on that all day….lemon is an acidic fruit that actually alkalizes the body! Also– try including more fruits and raw vegetables into your normal diet. Eat your fruit alone….not with other foods. This is a factor for some people with their digestion.
What are the best foods and supplements to counteract adrenal fatigue?
A: I think it is important that you have enough minerals in your diet. Including seaweeds and using Himalayan or Celtic sea salt will help you to have more minerals, and you can also take a supplement. I think a good source of fish oil is important (I like Nordic Naturals), and I also use fresh turmeric– which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, as well as having many other properties.
Try to eat many more vegetables, as well as raw vegetables and probiotics….whether it is from yogurt, fermented vegetables, kefir, or kombucha. I would limit caffeine intake (to none ideally)….herbal teas are great for promoting calmness. Here is an article on supporting the liver and adrenals with food and supplements: http://bodyecology.com/
Do you recommend a certain daily vitamin and any other supplements?
A: It is important that vitamin supplements be from cultured whole food sources….this means they are digestible (won’t hurt your stomach) and bioavailable (meaning our body can actually use it, as opposed to pee it out)…. I suggest Rainbow Light, or New Chapter Organics….women’s daily. I also suggest extra B-complex, 2,500mg fish oil (omega 3s), a probiotic, 1,000 IU Vitamin D, make sure a mineral complex is included with the multi. And- if there isn’t enough iron in the multi (10mg)….or if you are low around the time of the month….I love FLoradix Iron + Herbs
B vitamins are crucial for so many bodily functions, as well as brain function ad energy!! They are water soluble, so we lose them every day when we pee!! It is important to take a B-complex to have enough….most people don’t eat enough form their food…. Nutritional yeast is a good source of b vitamins, as well as kale and egg yolks. Sometimes exhaustion can just mean you need more B vitamins!! Kombucha is also full of b—anything fermented, really. Don’t take any one b vitamin in isolation….it will cause imbalance in the other.
Weekly Recipe Ideas:
Zucchini “crab” cakes – Modified from Spiral Path Farm
Ingredients
- 3 C Grated, unpeeled Zucchini
- 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
- 2 C Ezekiel Breadcrumbs (I used a mini food chopper)
- 1 T Old Bay seasoning
- 1 T mayonnaise
- 3 eggs
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together. Form into patties. If too moist, keep adding breadcrumbs until they can be formed without too much stickiness. Pan fry with a little bit of olive oil until browned. Makes about 10.
Bison/Grass-Fed beef Meatballs
Meatballs
- 1lb of ground Bison (I used Wegman’s organic version for both of these meats)
- 1lb of lean ground grass fed beef
- Use 1 whole egg per pound.
- 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- Handful of fresh Italian parsley (chopped) (I was told that this is a must)
- Tsp of the following: Salt, Pepper, fresh chopped Basil. (I added a bit more Basil)
- ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese
- Handful of Italian seasoning bread crumbs
- (I substituted bread crumbs for wheat germ with Italian seasonings added into it)
- Dash of milk (I used ¼ cup of unsweetened plain Almond milk)
- Mix it all together by hand and roll into balls
Sauce
- 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 2 – Tbsp of olive oil
- Can of tomato paste (used the larger can)
- 1 – Tbsp of dried/minced onion, oregano, pepper, dried basil, dried Italian parsley
- (I also used fresh basil and Italian parsley*- Put the above ingredients into a large pot and heat together for about 5 minutes before adding the items below.
- 2 – 16oz cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 – 16oz can of tomato puree
- 2 Bay leaves
Instructions
Mix all together and let simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Add the meatballs into the sauce and cook on low so that it simmers for 4-5 hours.
Stir at least once per hour.
Clean Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 8 oz of crab – I use Jumbo lump crab meat
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1 slice of Ezekiel bread made into dry crumbs
- 1 T Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
In one bowl whisk together Yogurt, egg, and mustard. In another bowl mix dry bread crumbs and Old Bay. Drain and rinse canned crab meat. Add crab into wet mixture, stir to coat, then add dry ingredients and combine. Form 2 large crab cakes. Spray piece of foil with olive oil spray and place on broiler pan. Broil on high, 4 minutes on each side.
Grilled Eggplant Steak – Spiral Path Farms
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Eggplant
Instructions
Combine ingredients for marinade and let them “brew” for 15 minutes.
Slice eggplant (unpeeled) lengthwise into 1/2 inch steaks. Pour 1/4 cup dressing into a 9″ x 13″ pan–this size works well for the steaks. Dip each steak into the dressing, coating both sides. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge. Grill or broil for 4-5 minutes on each side until soft. Remove from heat. I eat these with fresh tomato and pesto, other veggies, or just on their own! Keeps in fridge and microwaves nicely!
Weekly Need to Know:
Are you keeping a journal? It doesn’t have to be an elaborate book… just your daily thoughts, accomplishments, etc. will do!
Using the Private Facebook Group
The private Facebook Group was created to encourage sharing tips, tricks, insights, truisms, connecting, getting questions answered, and helping each other out. This is where you can connect with ME, Stephanie, too! If you have questions, please feel free to post them and either I or a member of my team will help to answer you. You can also reach us at challenge@skfitlife.com.
Weekly Resources:
☀️ These are great reads: http://www.
☀️ http://www.womentowomen.com/
☀️ Healthy Attitude, get a great mindset: http://crazysexylife.com/
☀️ Discover new superfood kombucha http://bodyecology.com/
☀️ How does stress make you fat? Harsh blog post title? Maybe, but it got your attention, right? Great because this is a VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.http://www.skfitlife.com/2012/
☀️ Science of adrenal fatigue: http://www.
☀️ Adrenal self diagnostic quiz: http://www.
☀️ New recipe bank http://www.eatliverun.
☀️ 9 most dangerous health foods http://www.livestrong.
☀️ Some helpful thoughts on relapse http://psychology.about.com/
☀️ Some info on food intolerance http://en.
☀️ Vegetables that cause bloating http://www.ehow.com/
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