January 2013

quick links

• The New Year is here, are you ready to lose that holiday weight? 
• Natural remedies for cold and flu
• Monthly promo
• We're Hiring!
• Recipe
• Multi-move of the month

The New Year is here, are you ready to lose that holiday weight?

You’ve indulged over the holidays, and now you’re feeling a little bloated, your jeans are fitting just a little too snug, and even though you said that you were going to get healthier this year and vowed to workout—the thought of going out in the cold (before and after work) to get to the gym, fighting to use those boring stationary machines, is something that you’ve experienced before, and the reason why you’ve given up on losing weight in the past.  If this sounds familiar, then think of hiring an in-home personal trainer (PT).  Not only will you save gas and the aggravation of fighting for machines at the gym, you’ll get a personalized training routine, catered specifically to your weight loss needs, the motivation to workout (there’s no escaping the trainer showing up at your door to workout),  and workouts that incorporate multifaceted routines that will keep you from getting bored.  And if you’re worried about how much it’s going to cost you, just think of your alternatives:

• Gym memberships cost you an average of $400/year without personal training—and if you’re thinking about those WagJag deals—they expire after a couple of sessions and then chances are you won’t sign up with them again, which means you won’t reach your weight loss goals
• If you purchase your own equipment—any good piece (treadmill, elliptical, etc.) will cost you over $1000 and you’re highly likely to stop using it once the excitement wears off, and the routine becomes repetitive and boring
• Exercise videos/Wii exercise games—although these are great, if you’re someone that hates working out, it’s really easy to turn the TV off on those days when the motivation is just not there
• If you decide to diet/use pills— if done improperly this can lead to other health problems and increased weight gain when you stop dieting
• Do nothing—chances are you’ll see increased visits to the doctor and an increase in prescription meds, since your immune system will be weaker and you’ll be more susceptible to getting sick, and if you keep eating unhealthily and are living a sedentary lifestyle, you’ll see higher weight gain and more health issues

So how much do in-home PTs cost?  Depending on where you live, your trainer’s experience and how much work you’ll need to do to lose that weight, in-home PT rates are very similar to gym PT rates—from $40 to $80 an hour, without the added gym membership fee on top.  Plus, they bring all the exercise equipment with them.  And if you think that you don’t have a large enough space to work out in—you’ll be surprised at what you can do to lose that weight in a relatively small space (remember, you really don’t need all those large stationary machines to lose weight).   And if you’re still not convinced, most trainers offer free deals so you can try them out before you sign a contract.

So stop procrastinating and make 2013 your year to look and feel great, because if you want to look good by June, you need to start working now!

Fill out our online form to set up a free consultation now. 

Natural remedies for cold and flu

As the winter season has arrived, many of you are inquiring about strategies that you can use in lieu of the flu shot to help prevent getting sick this winter. Important factors that should not be underestimated include “life hygiene,” such as dietary habits, sleep habits, stress management.

At this time of year, make sure you are still getting enough plant- based nutrients in your diet. This can be through easy to grab & in season fruits like apples & clementines; berries, pomegranate, “POM” pomegranate juice or other berry juices. Make sure you are still getting leafy greens through salads. Remember that the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables per day is 4-5 of each.

Anecdotally, I find that when I start feeling run down, increasing my intake to 2-3 apples (or other fruits) throughout the day plus one bottle of the POM or berry juices, and avoiding foods that dry out the throat like coffee, is often enough to ward off the cold altogether. If I don’t catch it early enough, then I incorporate certain supplements, discussed below, to kill the virus/ bacteria and stimulate immune function.

Avoid foods that are known to suppress immune function, like refined sugar. Find out if there are foods you may be reacting to (food sensitivities); for many people who seem to get recurrent or lingering respiratory tract infections, avoiding these foods makes a huge difference in the amount of time spent sick per year.

Getting enough rest is crucial. Getting sick may be your body’s way of telling you to slow down. Melatonin, a hormone produced by your brain during sleep, is also an important immune- modulating factor in the body. For instance, high-dose melatonin administration is one of the therapies used by Naturopathic Doctors to treat certain cancers, in part because melatonin increases the numbers of immune cells, and their activity, in the body (1).

Supplementing with vitamin C, vitamin D, and a good probiotic can also help reduce your chances of getting the cold or flu. Find out what your vitamin D level is to determine your appropriate dose.

Finally, if you do succumb, there are many natural agents that can help you to recover faster. Some of our favorites are high-dose vitamin C, a high-dose Garlic extract, and a combination herbal formula containing Echinacea, Goldenseal, Myrrh and other herbs, dosed frequently throughout the day. (This formula would be modified for kids, with child-friendly herbs!) Ginger tea made from real ginger root does wonders for a sore throat!

These agents help to strengthen the immune response as well as directly kill the organism, virus or bacteria. We keep these on hand at home, and use to ward off a cold or flu, as well as to speed up recovery time, and we invite you to do the same this winter!

References
1. Seely D, Wu P, Fritz H, Kennedy DA, Tsui T, Seely AJ, Mills E. Melatonin as Adjuvant Cancer Care With and Without Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials. Integr Cancer Ther. 2012 Dec;11(4):293-303.

Monthly promo

Buy Now!

 We're Hiring!

Want to make more money actually training clients instead of spending time cleaning gym equipment at your local gym? 

multiTRAINERfitness has an immediate opening for an exceptional Certified Personal Trainer to service our in-home/on-location clients in our current Service Areas.

To submit your resume, please click here.

Recipe

This month we're focusing on detoxing our bodies from all the unhealthy treats that we enjoyed over the holidays.

Green Detox Smoothie (courtesy of wholeliving.com)

1 cup kale or collard greens firmly packed, stems removed, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped 
1 ripe banana 
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Combine kale, apple, banana, parsley, and 2 1/4 cups water in a blender; blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water. 

Serves 2. Per serving: 105 calories; 0 g saturated fat; 0 g unsaturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbs; 32 mg sodium; 2 g protein; 4 g fiber.

Check out wholeliving.com for more smoothie ideas.

multi-Move of the Month

 Dumbell Pushup Row—works back, chest, abs and glutes.

1. Get into pushup position with your arms straight and your hands resting on light dumbells. Drop your knees if you're not able to comfortably perform this move in the plank position.

2. Sqeeze your abs and glutes as you perform a pushup.

3. At the top, pull one dumbell off the floor and toward you until your elbow is above your back. Slowly return the weight to the floor and repeat with the other arm.

November

This month's newsletter addresses some of the concerns that I face with my clients on a daily basis, such as "Why am I not losing weight, even though I'm exercising?" and how sugar is contributing to weight gain. We also have a great recipe from our newest Partner, Stacey Fokas, author of Best Selling Cookbook freshalicious! And our multi-Move of the Month....

Healthy Regards,
Anthony Lepiane
Owner/Certified Personal Trainer
multiTRAINERfitness.com
647.328.8729

I'm Exercising but Why am I Not Losing Weight? 

Most of our clients are concerned with the numbers they see on their weight scales even though they are losing inches and their clothes are fitting better. Those numbers on the weight scale seem to forever haunt them, telling them that they're not doing a good job and that they'll never be able to achieve their goals. What they don't realize is that fat weighs less then muscle, so when the numbers are going up, but the inches are coming off, they're actually on the way to their ideal body.

Of course, there are alot of other reasons why they may not be losing weight, check out this article from About.com, for a good review of the top 10 reasons why people don't lose weight. 

Hidden Sugars are Contributing to your Weight Gain

Have you looked at the labels on the food you eat lately? Chances are most of them contain some form of sugar, starch or they may be high in carbohydrates. All of these ingredients turn into glucose in your blood steam once injested and eventually stored into fat if your body doesn't need the extra glucose.

And don't forget about fruit, even though this is probably the healthiest sugar treat you could have, don't over indulge.  Make sure to pair it up with some form of protein (like plain greek yogurt, or a handful of almonds) since most fruit has a high sugar content which can  be stored into fat if your body doesn't need the extra glucose.

Here are some great articles about all forms of sugar and why you should avoid eating it:

Shocking Sugar Content of Common Food Products

Six Surprizing Foods with More Sugar than a Twinkie

There's an awesome graphic in the last article that explains how carbs are making us fat!

The Flu Shot: Some Lesser Known Facts

Article contribution: Bolton Naturopathic

To get the flu shot or not to get the flu shot - that is the question... With flu shots being promoted so actively, it is easy to be swayed on this question. We offer you some lesser known facts that should also be taken into consideration when making this decision. We draw on the work of prominent flu researcher, Dr. Thomas Jefferson.

1. Difference Between Influenza and “Influenza Like Illness”

The World Health Organization defines the flu as “an acute respiratory infection with sudden onset characterized by fever >38°C and at least one of the following: headache, malaise, rigors and sweating, asthenia and at least one respiratory symptom such as rhinitis and pharyngitis [runny nose and sore throat]” (1). Influenza viruses only account for a minority (7-15%) of these episodes, however (1). There are some 200 other agents such as rhinoviruses and parainfluenza virus that are responsible for “Influenza Like Illness.” The flu vaccine does not immunize against non-influenza viruses.

2. Effect Size 

When the flu shot has been shown to work, it has a very small effect size. A review of 50 studies in healthy adults found that if the vaccine was able to match the circulating viral strain that year, 4% of unvaccinated people developed influenza symptoms compared to 1% of vaccinated people, a risk difference of 3% (2). In this review, good matching between the vaccine strains and circulating strains was cited as “uncommon” (2). In real-life terms, this means that for every 100 people who get the flu shot, 3 fewer people will get flu symptoms (assuming good strain matching).

3. Strain Matching 

As described above, it is not easy to predict circulating strains for the next year, and so the strains in the vaccine are often not those that are in the community that year. This lowers effectiveness.

4. Questionable Effectiveness in Susceptible Populations 

Immune function in children and the elderly is different than in healthy adults. The immune system of children is still developing, while the elderly have less responsive immune systems. This may impede their ability to respond properly to the vaccine with the production of antibodies. In fact, there is a lack of research investigating the flu shot for safety or effectiveness both in children under the age of 2, and in adults over the age of 65 (3,4) despite universal recommendations for vaccination beginning at 6 months of age (4)!

5. Publication Bias 

Industry-funded studies are more likely to show favorable results and be published in high ranking journals. A review of the studies published up until 2007 found that studies funded from public sources were significantly less likely to report conclusions favorable to the vaccine. This review, published in the British Medical Journal, concluded in rather strong terms that, “reliable evidence on influenza vaccines is thin [and] there is evidence of widespread manipulation of conclusions and spurious notoriety of the studies” (2,5).

Dr. Thomas Jefferson is a flu researcher affiliated with the highly regarded Cochrane Collaboration, an evidence-based medicine research group. Videos and articles of his on the topic can also be found online.

What is effective for preventing the flu - and enhancing recovery - is good hygiene, sufficient sleep, good eating habits, and the use of specific nutrients when appropriate.

 

Monthly Promos

  Due to it's popularity, we've extended our Rose Reisman promo!

Sign up with multiTRAINERfitness for 3 months and receive a $60 gift certificate for your selection of healthy frozen entrees from Rose Reisman's Personal Gourmet!

Recipe

This month's recipe is courtesy of our newest Partner, Stacey Fokas-author of freshalicious and founder freshalicious "Food for Kids"

Hockley Blue oyster and Shiitake Mushroom Soup

To download the recipe, click here.

Our New Partner

Stacey Fokas delivers a simple and easy approach to her “eat local” lifestyle. Most North Americans are looking for easy solutions to live a simple, practical and healthier life around the food they eat everyday. freshalicious® is a cookbook packed with valuable tips and resources to help you get started living local within your community.

Mother, local food guru and entrepreneur Stacey Fokas has taken her “eat local lifestyle” above and beyond its traditional meaning, proving that everything you need is right in your own backyard. Her “local” encompasses North America from sea to sea starting with your community first.

Stacey Fokas is the author of freshalicious and founder freshalicious "Food for Kids"

multi-Move of the Month

This month we're concentrating on your core muscles. These 4 moves target your muffin top, lowerbody, shoulders and obliques, helping to strenghthen your entire body.

Overhead Lunge 

1.  Hold a medicine ball at arm's length over your head, your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.

2. Step forward with your left foot and lower your body so that your left lower leg is perpendicular to the floor and your left thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, keep your arms straight and lower the medicine ball to your right until it's even with your left thigh. Return to the starting position by pushing off your left leg and raising the medicine ball back over your head. Repeat, stepping forward with your right leg. Do 12 reps, six for each leg, alternating legs.

Side Plank and Plank Reach 

3. Lie on your left side, elbow in line with shoulder and feet stacked. Contracting abdominals, lift hips so body forms one long line. Lift right leg and hold for 10 seconds. Do 3 reps on each side.

4. Start in plank position. Raise right arm in front of you and opposite leg behind you so that they are parallel to the floor. Repeat with alternate arm and leg to complete 1 rep. Do 6 reps, 3 for each arm and leg combination.

September/October 

This month has been extraordinarily hard for me, my wonderful Mother, Carmela Lepiane, spent the last 12 months of her life battling ovarian cancer and recently succumbed to the disease on August 27th. This month I dedicate this newsletter to my Mom, and for anyone who has been or currently is afflicted with the disease. I have attached an article on the benefits of fitness for people with cancer and how exercise helps prevent the disease in the first place.

Also, I've included a new exciting promo, monthly healthy recipe and information about our new partners, Rose Reisman's Personal Gourmet, Commercial Fitness Canada, Better Health Clinic, Newmarket Naturopath and the Running Room! We've also included a new "Move of the Month." This month's multi-move incorporates a squat and bicep curl with a front lateral raise, working your total body.

Healthy Regards,
Anthony Lepiane
Owner/Certified Personal Trainer
multiTRAINERfitness.com
647.328.8729

Fighting Cancer with Fitness

With all the cancer fundraiser events that are constantly being promoted to support cancer research (aka big pharmaceutical companies), you would think that there would have been a cancer cure discovered already. Instead, cancer rates are up and we are sending countless victims in for chemo, to die from complications of treatment, instead of the cancer itself.  My mother, Carmela Lepiane (pictured on the right), was one of those victims, dying from ovarian cancer after her chemo treatments completely killed her immune system, destroying any capability of her body naturally fighting and killing the cells on their own. 

Perhaps cancer is too profitable to cure?

If you have been recently diagnosed with any type of cancer and at any stage,  my advice to you is to do your research, don’t let your oncologists tell you that you have to do treatment right away, take the time to really understand what they’re suggesting and how it’s going to benefit/harm your body.  There are lots of alternative treatments that actually help build your immune system and fight the cancer instead of damaging your immune system to the point of no return. And if chemo is your last resort, make sure that you incorporate alternative treatments along with fitness to help fend off some of those bad side effects and help you get better after chemo is done.  Unfortunately, my mother didn’t believe that diet, fitness or alternative treatments would work. My wife, who was diagnosed with colon cancer this April, stopped her chemo treatments after she saw what it did to my mother, and since there was no proof to suggest that it would actually work, she sought out alternative therapy and has since been following a strict diet and exercise program and is feeling better than she ever did when she was undergoing chemo.

If you’re doing chemo right now, you may be thinking “But how am I going to exercise when I’m doing chemo, I hardly have any energy?” Any form of exercise helps you gain some of your energy back. Whether it’s taking a little walk down the block or on your treadmill, or doing some yoga, or light exercises, your body will feel more energetic when you’re done.  

And if you haven’t been diagnosed, but are inactive, highly stressed, or eating a poor diet, then exercise will help you prevent the cancer diagnosis (along with healthy eating and reducing the stress in your life) and make you feel better. But it’s all up to you, it may seem unattainable now, but don’t give up, because putting your health on hold can lead to deadly consequences.

Love you Mom, RIP.

Here are some helpful resources:

Suzanne Somer's books Breakthrough and Knockout and her website

Why Exercise Should Be Part of Standard Cancer Care

The New Natural Wonder Drug for Cancer

Exercise for Cancer Patients: Fitness After Treatment

Canadian Cancer Society: Physical Fitness

Breast Cancer Survivors: Nutrition and Fitness Tips

If you're looking for a cancer specialized naturopath in the GTA area, then I would recommend my wife's doctor, Dr. Tina Konstantinou. You can visit her website at drtina.org.

Monthly Promos

Sign up with multiTRAINERfitness for 3 months and receive a $60 gift certificate for your selection of healthy frozen entrees from Rose Reisman's Personal Gourmet! 

For a limited time, new clients signing up for a 3 month in-home personal training contract receive a $60 gift certificate for Rose Reisman’s Personal Gourmet Frozen Entrees. For full offer details, click here.

Recipe  

Creamy Potato Leek Soup  

This recipe is courtesy of nourishingmeals.com, a great website if you're looking for healthy and tasty recipes. With cooler weather around the corner, this creamy potato leek soup (without cream), is a great comforting edition to your family's kitchen.

Click here for the recipe.

Our New Partners

Rose Reisman's Personal Gourmet

Created by Rose Reisman, Personal Gourmet is a daily food delivery service designed for people who want to eat healthy great tasting food! They offer both fresh and frozen delivery plans for weightloss and healthy living.

For more information, click here. 

Commercial Fitness Canada

Need exercise equipment? Check out CFC's great selection of exercise equipment delivered straight to your door.

Visit CFC by clicking here.

Better Health Clinic

Whether it be Massage Therapy, Naturopathy, Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Nutrition consulting, or our infrared sauna, we’re sure that you will find something at Better Health Clinic that can help you to feel better and optimize your quality of health. Located at the west end of Orangeville, the practitioners here at Better Health Clinic are committed to promoting healthy living for people of all ages within the Dufferin community.

Visit BHC by clicking here.

Newmarket Naturopath—Alexandra Lee

Alexandra Lee is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic health care for the whole family. She is known for her compassionate care and thorough individualized treatment plans. Her objective is to help patients reach their individual health goals and to maximize their individual potential. She emphasizes preventative medicine, as well as educates and empowers patients to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Visit her clinic by clicking here.

Running Room

The Running Room is North America's largest specialty Running & Walking Retailer of sporting goods, apparel and footwear, operating 114 corporately owned stores from coast to coast.

Visit the Running Room by clicking here.

multiTRAINERfitness will be at the Vaughan Running Room on October 17, 2012, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Come and visit us and enter for a chance to win 3 in-home personal training sessions!

multi-MOVE of the Month

Try these multi-moves to add some variety to your workout routine. These total body move works your core muscles; legs/gluteus maximus/hamstrings/quadriceps, biceps, shoulders and trapeziums'.

Equipment Needed to Perform these Moves:

• Stability Ball
• Resistance tubing (at your level of resistance), or dumbbells if you don't have tubing

Step 1. Bicep Curl with Squat.

Start with feet hip width apart, stability ball placed behind your mid-lower back, resting against a flat surface, and tubing laced under your feet and palms facing outwards. As you begin to squat down, bring your hands up into a bicep curl, making sure to bring your hands up to shoulder level. Hold the squat and curl for a few seconds and then go back up to your starting position. Then go to Step 2.

Step 2. Front Lateral Shoulder Raise

From your starting position (in Step 1), rotate your hands so that your knuckles are away from the wall behind you, keep your arms straight, and slowly raise your arms up until your arms are parallel to the floor and at eye level. Hold the raise for a few seconds and then go back to our starting position.

Perform these 2 steps within 90-120 seconds and then start again for 3-4 sets. Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets and repeat again.