Gluten / Gluten Intolerance

I want to take a moment to share some insight on gluten. This is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. My brother was diagnosed with Celiac Disease approximately 4 years ago. For years,he was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and was told to treat his symptoms with OTC medications. As his symptoms became progressively worse, he sought the help of an Integrative MD and finally received a proper diagnosis.

According to Wikipedia, the very basic text book definition of Gluten goes like this: “Gluten (from Latin gluten, “glue”) is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.” Seems basic enough. So where does the trouble step in then?

Dietary Problems With Gluten

There is some controversy around the topic of how gluten intolerance may be at the heart of a number of diseases of the body, but it does seem as though more and more health and medical specialists are beginning to suggest the correlation. And it is generally agreed upon that “a gluten-free diet is the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease, the related condition dermatitis herpetiformis, and wheat allergy,” again from the Wikipedia page on Gluten-Free diets.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that is triggered by gluten. When a person with celiac disease eats gluten, their body attacks the lining of the small intestine which leads to malabsorption and a variety of symptoms. Some researchers are talking about the relationship between autism in children, and an increased sensitivity to foods, among them, gluten.

More Information on General Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance is a term that is used to describe three conditions: wheat allergy, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and celiac disease. According to research, between 5 and 10 percent of all people may suffer from some form of sensitivity. All three conditions are difficult to diagnose, however, so it is thought that many people are not aware that this intolerance may be the source of other health issues.

Most forms of gluten intolerance cause the body to produce an abnormal immune response in the presence of wheat or its proteins. An allergy to wheat can produce symptoms such as hives, difficulty breathing, and digestive problems; in serious cases, a person with this allergy can experience anaphylaxis, a sudden and severe reaction that can be life-threatening. People with celiac disease, which causes damage and inflammation in the small intestine, can suffer from bloating, weight loss, fatigue, and headaches as the body has difficulty obtaining all the nutrients it needs from food.

I have learned A LOT since my brother's diagnosis 4 years ago. If you need any tips on gluten-free diets and avoiding cross-contaminated food, please feel free to contact me!

Getting Fit and Healthy.......TOGETHER!

It's Swimsuit Time!!

I am SO excited about the progress I'm making with Team BeachBody's Burn It Up workout regimen. Last night, I decided to purchase my first bathing suit of the season. I found it on the internet, but I did not order it right away. I am NOT a person who purchases clothing, let alone a swim suit, online!! I am a very tough critic when it comes to my bathing suits, so I sure hope I like the suit when it arrives. If it does not fit, I will keep it as added motivation for later this summer. I am so excited about it - I actually pulled myself out of bed this morning at 5:00am to workout!! Once I was ready for my day, I jumped on my computer and ordered it!!!!! YAY!!!!!

I will keep you posted on how the swimsuit fits once it arrives. I sure hope it's what I want. I can honestly say, having it will be added motivation to reach all my fitness goals.

Hugs,
Gator

Week 2 - BeachBody's Burn It Up

I am on my 2nd day of Burn It Up - Week 2. I am really loving my morning workouts. I am already seeing some new changes in my upper legs, abs, and arms. It is a terrific feeling. Even after doing 4 rounds of Burn It Up last spring/summer, I still have not lost my love for the workout.

During this round, I've been doing some added cardio by running on the treadmill/outside. In addition, I've been doing various ab exercises using my stability ball. I cannot wait to see what my end results are on April 25th. The following weekend is when I go shopping for a new bathing suit!!! YAY!

If you are interested in learning more about Burn It Up or other Team BeachBody products, please feel free to email me by clicking on my profile to the right.

Have a great Monday!

Hugs,
Gator

A Great Start to a Tuesday!

Good morning!

I must say, it has been some time since I got up at 4:45am and WOWY'd in BeachBody's virtual gym. All I can say is I miss the early morning workouts. There's nothing like an awesome workout first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach! And, my workout is out of the way for today. I feel terrific! Again tomorrow, I am committing myself to a WOWY workout at 5:00am. If you wish to join me, log-on to the BeachBody virtual gym by going to www.wowy.com. If you need help, please email me. I'll be glad to assist you!

Hugs,
Gator

Shakeology! It's Finally Here!

Okay!! Many of you are asking for more information about the new BeachBody product - Shakeology!!! Well, here it is!!!! Read on for more information!

This is a meal replacement shake with 70 different ingredients in it (too many to name.) NO CAFFEINE. The ingredients cover 6 macro & micro nutrient groups: digestive enzymes, protein/amino acids, vitamins/minerals, anti-oxidents, phytonutrients, and pre-biotics. Bascially it takes out all the guesswork for proper nutrition. You literally get all the veggies you need in that shake. Of course, I still want you eating veggies. :-)

A 90-day clinical study led by a MD was conducted with 2 test groups. The first group only used Shakeology once/day. The second group used Shakeology once/day, plus exercised 3x/wk and ate healthy. The first group, on average, reduced their oxidative damage by 45%, reduced their degerneative disease (forgot to write down the %), reduced cravings, and lost 10 lbs. The second group had all of the effects of the first group, PLUS, on average, reduced their total cholesterol 30%, reduced their LDL (bad cholesterol) 38%, and reduced their cardiovascular risk 24%!!!!!!! In comparison to several other available products, such as Jamba Juice Acai, Herbalife, Monavie, and V-8 V Fusion, Shakeology blows them all away!!!!

Cost: For a 30-day supply (one shake per day,) $119.95 is retail, $107.95 is club members, and $89.86 is coach price. Once you start breathing again :-), I want you to know that this is actually a great deal. It's comes out to $4/shake for retail and $3/shake for coaches. Remember this replaces a meal. I mean, how many of us drink Starbucks? Starbucks runs, on average, $4/specialty coffee but may be 360 cal, 51 carb, and 46 sugar. Shakeology is only 140 cal, 17 carb (that's only 1 carb serving), and 9 sugar. As I started breaking down the cost, I want you to know that I realized this is the perfect time to become a coach. Coaches receive 25% off all products. The savings is $30/month. Coaches pay a $15/month business fee. We still save $15 from retail cost!!!!!!!! In essence, that is $180/year!!!!! The initial coach fee is $40. Because we have $30 discount from the retail cost, technically it would only cost $10 to become a coach!!!!!! This is an exciting time!!!!!!! If you have more indepth questions about Shakeology and/or becoming a coach, I'd be happy to converse with you via email or phone.

Hugs,
Gator

Hello Again!

It has been a whirlwind of a week! My son and I were both sick with different forms of the flu virus. It was awful! Unfortunately, I was unable to run in the 5 mile race I entered. I was so disappointed missing it. But, I am planning to run in a 5K run this coming weekend. I am looking forward to getting back into a regular regimen again!

As for my fitness regimen, starting tomorrow, I am getting back to my training schedule of alternating resistence training/Slim in Six and running - 3 days of each per week for a total of 6 days of training per week. As the weather becomes more consistent, my training will focus more on the running since I am training for the mini-marathon this fall.

There's a new BeachBody product out that you may be interested in! I will share more information in an upcoming post. It is a yummy shake that everyone is going CRAZY about!

Hugs,
Gator