Patterson Health + Fitness

Eye Opening Experiences

During the third week of January, I spent my time at a beautiful place down in Mexico. Each and every day I woke up and watched the sunrise from my balcony while I listened to the ocean waves and got ready for the day. I then proceeded to meditation and energy medicine classes where I learned how to relax my mind and body and carry that sense of calm throughout the day. My days were filled with eating healthy, organic food, chatting with people from all over the world, and enjoying my time either in the therapeutic Thalassamo pools or walking along the grass soaking up the sun. This place that I was most fortunate to visit, along with my parents and two sisters, is called Sanoviv Medical Institute. In short, it’s a toxic-free environment dedicated to restoring the health and vitality of its patients while providing advanced functional medicine designed to heal the body as a whole. Now that’s a mouthful!

This place was basically designed to take away anything that might have a stress-inducing effect on your body and replace it with a sense of calm and relaxation. My goal while we were there was to strip myself of any remnants of ties that would remind me of who I was back in Victoria so that I could experience everything as bare as possible (e.g. no hair straightening, no makeup, no spandex, no planner, etc.). This definitely helped me get into a completely different state of mind and break down any barriers that I had while living in Victoria. What I was able to take away from this experience were tools that I could incorporate into my daily life in order to build a healthier body inside and out. What were those tools? Well, let me guide you (as best as I can) into the healthy world of Sanoviv.

First thing I took away from this experience was the importance of energy medicine and meditation in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes each morning before you get your day started makes a huge difference on your attitude and perspective throughout your day. When I brought this practice back to Victoria, I noticed that whatever came at me during the day was much more easily managed than when I didn’t meditate. This was also in combination with getting my day started at a much earlier time than my previous schedule (meditating at 7:30am vs. waking up at 9:00am) which also made my days feel more productive and efficient. I’m more prone to being a night-owl and getting my work done at night so this was definitely more of a shift for me. No more midnight Youtube sessions!

The second thing I took away from Sanoviv was the importance of good quality food and timing with meals. While we were there, we ate 3 meals a day in combination with green juice, wheatgrass shots, coconut water, and lemon juice timed throughout the day. The meals were perfectly proportioned and we always started lunch and dinner with a good sized salad as our appetizer. As for protein, it wasn’t solely attained through meat or fish which allowed for cleaner and more plant based options. Even though I haven’t gotten the entire schedule down to a tee, I did manage to incorporate the 3 meals a day (with the occasional lemon juice), the salad appetizer, and the smaller amounts of animal tissue as the main protein source. Personally, I’ve noticed more energy and a healthier body including my hair, skin, and digestive system. Because, who doesn’t want more of all that??

The third thing I took away from Sanoviv was the ability to realize that the world is a lot bigger than what we perceive it as in terms of the perspective we have in our daily lives. I’ve heard this from a lot of people who travel and I’ve definitely experienced it myself, but it’s always something that’s nice to be reminded of. For example, understanding that what we do throughout every single day is not the only possibility or path in our lives. This helps to open up your perspective and “go outside the box” to see what else there is that you might be missing. New experiences, breaks in your daily pattern, can all be utilized to get the feeling of a new understanding of life. Even a small change creates a new connection and experience in your brain. For me, there were tons of new realizations about the next steps in different aspects of my life including academics, business, and personal. But no, I didn’t figure out when I would make my first million…I guess I’ll have to wait for that :)

So there you have it. It was literally a physical struggle not to type an entire book about my experiences at Sanoviv so I hope you enjoyed the ones that I did pick out. If you want to check out their website, you can click on this link http://sanoviv.com/ and it will take you to an array of information! Again, if any of you lovely people have questions don’t hesitate to scroll to my contact info at the bottom and shoot me a message :)

Until Next Time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany Patterson
tiffany@pattersonfit.com

Holiday Tips for Staying in Shape

Well it’s that time of year again where every weekend is a new Christmas party adventure and most of your time is being spent with friends and family. Along with all of the celebrating, however, we sometimes lose track of ourselves and get carried away at the dessert table or start skipping workouts regularly. With this blog, I want to give you all some tips on how to stay on track while also enjoying yourself during the Holidays.

Holiday parties are a gold mine for yummy desserts and appetizers but if you don’t come prepared, you might get lost in the process and wind up eating more than needed. I know from experience, and trust me it doesn’t feel awesome in your tummy. So here are some of my tips for when you’re feeling the festive desire to eat whatever you lay your eyes on. Sample everything. Instead of taking 3 or 4 items from each food dish, take one from each and enjoy the flavours. This allows you to taste everything but not overload yourself with goodies. Second tip, keep water close to you at all times. This will help fill you up over time so that you aren’t stuffing yourself with calorie-dense foods. Plus, it’ll keep you well hydrated which will help after many nights of cocktail drinking. Third tip, if you’re drinking white wine, add a little sparkling water to it for a nice spritzer that is still yummy to taste but won’t send you overboard. And last but not least, fill up on veggies! These little guys will keep you feeling full so that you can pay attention to hanging out with friends and family instead of how hungry you’re feeling.

Now onto the workout tips. Holidays can be a rough time to stay on track with workouts since you’re constantly rushing from one place to the next buying presents, attending parties, and getting things ready for the Holidays. Even though it can be a time crunch most of the time, working out and getting yourself moving everyday should not take a back seat for the whole month. If you can’t get in your usual workout (whatever the length) try to get in some 10 minute workouts that will leave you feeling as though you ran 10K. Try doing 10 jump squats, 10 pushups, and 10 mountain climbers for 10 minutes and then see how you feel. No resting unless absolutely necessary. If you want to do a quick run but don’t want to head out for too long, try doing 8-10 thirty second sprints with a 30-60 second rest in between and your legs will feel like jelly afterwards.

The key to staying on track during the Holidays is setting your intentions before you start anything. If you set the intention to work out 4 times a week and only eat one item from each dish, then it won’t give you any room to waiver and fall off the wagon. If you don’t set intentions, you don’t have any boundaries and that’s usually when things start to fall apart. So start setting your goals for the Holiday season now and your body will thank you in the New Year :)

Until Next Time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Revolutionary Rev3 Part III

Sorry about the delay on this last blog! The weekend was definitely jam packed full of socializing which meant that writing took a back seat for a few days. But here it is! The last installment of my Rev3 blog. Today I’m going to be talking about Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and the benefits that it can deliver to our bodies. There are a few different kinds of species of ginseng that are available in the world today but right now I’ll only be focusing on the one which is present in the Rev3 energy drink. So let’s get started.

There are many different benefits that ginseng can offer us. The first one that I want to talk about is the effectiveness that ginseng delivers to help our bodies fight cold and flues. Some studies have shown that people who took Panax ginseng had a reduction in the frequency and duration of colds and flues versus a group that didn’t take the supplement. Researchers also found that those who took the supplement had a higher antibody count versus those who didn’t take the supplement. Even though antibody counts aren’t said to be a significant factor in determining whether or not something improves immunity function, it’s still an interesting fact to know. This is also vital information just in time for cold and flu season! Double excitement is happening on this side of the computer as of right now.

The second benefit that I want to touch on is to do with athletic performance. Researchers found that even at low doses of ginseng, the appearance of fatigue when performing to exhaustion was postponed. The subjects were able to perform an exercise past their previous exhaustion boundary which means no more excuses when breaking down your exercise boundaries. The other result that they found was that after performing to exhaustion, those that were given ginseng showed accelerated restoration of fatigue. Basically, ginseng helped restore the subjects quickly back to normal to side step any harmful side effects to the body e.g. oxidative stress. However, keep in mind that this study was performed on mice which are great model organisms for humans but obviously not exactly the same. Studies on model organisms can be much more controlled compared to human studies which makes it easier to have accurate data but sometimes doesn’t quite transfer over to everyday human life. One example of this was when researchers studied the effects of ginseng improving aerobic capacity in healthy human beings. Each study was found to show different results in which ginseng either did improve aerobic capacity or did not at all. So make sure to read lots of information and draw your own conclusion instead of reading one piece of information and taking that as set it stone.

The last topic that I want to mention (and pay attention all you men out there reading this!) is that of ginseng having a significant impact on decreasing erectile dysfunction in healthy males. You wouldn’t believe the amount of studies I found that were focused solely on how ginseng helped decrease erectile dysfunction. Honestly, I could have written a 10-page report on it but decided to spare you all the details of how they tested it and what type of scale they used. You’re welcome. Just know that it does a pretty good job.

To tie all of these three blogs together and conclude the final installment, the versatility in each of the three components creates a synergistic energy drink that covers a spectrum of benefits. It not only gives you healthy energy, but provides your body with an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins, and all around goodness. I’ll make sure to put up details for getting your hands on this little guy within the next 24 hours so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Revolutionary Rev3 Part II

Alrighty let’s dive into the next part of my Rev3 blog. As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are three main ingredients in the Rev3 energy drink that give it that extra boost above other drinks that are in the market today. Last week I talked about L-carnitine and its benefits, and this week I’ll be talking about Rhodiola extract. Ready? Ok let’s go!

Rhodiola rosea is a plant that can be found growing in many cold regions of the world and has been shown to have many benefits for us mentally and physically. Some of these benefits include fighting mental fatigue, having anti-depressant effects in patients with mild to moderate depression, and improving performance in endurance exercises. These three benefits I want to focus on for the remainder of this blog since I believe that they are very important subjects in our everyday lives.

First I want to turn our attention to the cognitive benefits since having optimal super human brain power is very important. Studies have shown that not only does Rhodiola extract help fight mental fatigue, but it also helps to increase mental function to a higher level and help with mental acuity. This means that when you need to focus all your mental energy for a crucial time (e.g. final exams, meeting a deadline, etc.), Rhodiola extract can help you funnel your brain power. You almost become super human. Rev3 has definitely saved me on numerous occasions when I’ve stayed up way too late studying for an exam and have rolled into class without a clue of what I studied the night before.

The second benefit that Rhodiola extract showed was having anti-depressant effects in a study where researchers took groups of young and older patients with mild to moderate depression and conducted a double-placebo test. What they found was that patients who took the Rhodiola extract showed significant improvements in depression versus those who took the placebo. This is definitely interesting information especially for those who prefer more natural anti-depressants versus pharmaceutical ones. So basically it can make you happy and have super human brain power. What more could you ask for?

Well there is one more thing you could ask for and that would be as to how it might help you during your tough workouts when all you need is a little more energy. Yes, I definitely just shifted our story back to exercising. I couldn’t leave this blog without talking about exercise! Let me share with you a couple tricks this little guy has up his sleeves. It has not only been shown to help improve performance capacity during endurance exercises but also help stimulate the repairing process after intense exercise. No. Way. Apparently, Rhodiola extract helps to reactivate the synthesis or resynthesis of ATP in the mitochondria. To sum it all up, it helps give us energy throughout our tough workouts and helps our bodies repair from oxidative stress after our workouts.

Rhodiola extract can definitely be found in most stores today but just like every other supplement I preach about, you have to make sure it’s quality made. However, again, I prefer to take it blended versus solo, with a bunch of other kick-butt compounds that help me cover a wide scale of benefits and not just the ones listed above. Rev3 pretty much helps me keep my head and body together when it’s most needed…and no those times do not include doing Jӓgerbombs.

Well that concludes part II of my Rev3 blog and I still have one more left for next week! Next week I will talk about the amazing benefits of Korean Ginseng and how it may help you awesome people out there with your everyday life. So keep your ears open!

Until next time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

The Revolutionary Rev3!

Well it’s definitely been a crazy few months since my last blog but I’m excited to say that I’m back on track and ready to give all of you the weekly updates that I’ve been slacking on this past little while. The reason for my absence was mostly due to my jam-packed work schedule at my other job and leaving Victoria for multiple events and family trips. Now, I know that everyone’s life is usually pretty hectic but in those times of mayhem, our body and brain become exhausted. It’s that wall you hit during the day when motivation is low and trying to remember even your phone number is like trying to solve world hunger. Fortunately, I use something that helps my brain stay focused and on track when most needed. Most of you already know about this product since Nikki and I preach about it pretty much every day but most of you don’t know what’s actually in it and why we love it. That’s why today I decided to write about the healthy energy drink called Rev3.

Now, I can already guess which words you picked up on in the last paragraph. If you’re health conscious and only want to provide your body with the best, as soon as you read “energy drink” your brain shut off faster than a power outage. This is where I would definitely agree with you. Whenever I hear the words “Red Bull”, “Monster”, or “Rockstar” they all make me cringe back in fear. Fortunately, this energy drink is absolutely nothing like the others which is mainly due to the ingredients included, the research behind it, and the technology used to create it. It’s the only drink, to my knowledge, that doesn’t give you a high and then rip it out from underneath you making your energy feel like it’s plummeting into a dark hole. That’s because instead of being loaded with sugar and caffeine, it’s loaded with anti-oxidants and plant extracts that help your body create energy within itself rather acquiring it from an outside source. With that said, I will dive into the first of three ingredients that I will be talking about for these next 3 blogs. This ingredient that I want to talk about is L-carnitine.

This little guy is an amino acid that your body is able to synthesize (i.e. create) and use to help combat free radicals. If you don’t know what free radicals are, think of them as little balloons that float around your body stealing parts of tissues and cells that are needed in order to maintain healthy function. L-carnitine has been shown to reduce tissue damage and muscle soreness that may occur as a result of exercise thus respectfully earning its name as an antioxidant. One main thing that I love about L-carnitine, and one of the main reasons I take it, is because of its ability to get rid of fatty acids in the body. That’s right. Fat being used up to create energy for you to keep exercising. Now, this little guy hasn’t been marketed as a weight loss drug and it’s probably because the data is inconclusive and there definitely is not enough research on it, but the fact is that if we didn’t have L-carnitine, fatty acids would have a harder time being used up to create energy. End of story.

You can find L-carnitine supplements in today’s health market but if you decide to go that route you need to make sure that it’s a high quality supplement or else you may as well put that money towards sugar pills. However, if you want to take something that is jam-packed with other powerful anti-oxidants (two of which I will be talking about over the next couple of weeks) then I would suggest Rev3.

Well that concludes the first installment of my 3 part blog! Next week I’ll be talking about Rhodiola and giving you the inside details of why this herb helps your body not only fight oxidative stress, but also helps a stressed out brain focus when it’s most needed.

Until Next Time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Ultimate Goal Setting!

The idea for today's blog started with a little statement from someone I don't know about a picture of muscular girl's body. The main point that this person seemed to be trying to get across was that it can be hard trying to find motivation in a picture of someone with a supposed “perfect” body. I completely disagree with this argument and feel that it is the equivalence of seeing someone with a fancy car and saying that it would be a lot easier to motivate yourself to make lots of money if the car didn't look so “perfect”. However, instead of running on a tangent about this subject (since this is called Tiff's Tips not Tiff's Rants) I'll try to intertwine this with some ideas for how to set goals.

The first question that you always need to ask yourself is what is your ultimate outcome? Is it ripped abs, defined upper body, increased cardio, or something else that's important to you? This is something that you have to nail down. If you don't have this, then you have nothing that you can draw back on when you're in dire need of some willpower and motivation. Saying that you just want to be healthier isn't necessarily a very good goal because that could mean anything to anyone. If being healthier to you means working out 3 days a week and eating a healthy breakfast every morning then use that instead. The vaguer you are about your goals, the less success you will achieve. Period. This kind of goal setting will usually lead to frustration because since you don’t have an end point to focus on you won't notice any significant changes. This is where using pictures or creating a vision board can be very useful because you'll create a lifestyle that you want on a board that you'll see every day. I always try to pick pictures that don't have a distinct shot of the person's face (or just cut them off, wow that sounds morbid) because then you can relate that photo more to yourself.

The second question is how do we get there? This is where most people fall flat because it's never the same for everyone. You can try the same diet and exercise as your next door neighbour and achieve wildly different results. The first thing to do is to start doing a little bit of research and also ask your personal trainer or bootcamp instructor for some help. They'll help you create a lifestyle around your goals so that you can achieve them faster. The second thing you need to do is set multiple small goals for yourself. For example, which one sounds easier to you? Lose 40lbs. in 5 months or lose 5 lbs. every 2 or 3 weeks? To me, the second one sounds easier and less taunting. Even though they both would achieve the same outcome, psychologically the 5lbs. every 2 or 3 weeks sounds easier and more manageable. It would also make it a ton easier to check in with yourself and stay on track.

The main thing that you need to do is commit to this lifestyle and follow through. It's much easier said than done. There will be temptations and times when you feel like no matter what you do, nothing will change. Well all I can say is, with that kind of attitude, you won't achieve anything. You need to change your state (as Tony Robbins once said) and live in a mental state that is stronger than the one you are living in now. Getting in shape and achieving something you've never done before isn't a fluffy cloud ride through the park. It's raw, emotional, and full of setbacks that test your character. It's not for the faint hearted. You have to be ready to become a 2.0 version of yourself. Once you know you can do this, nothing will stand in your way. It sounds scary and intimidating, but honestly, the things that matter most in life aren't easily achieved. You have to work for them.

So to conclude my blog and explain why I drew this topic from a simple statement is to show that these types of motivational posters are not only incredibly healthy but also far better than using a scale number or a picture of a model with no muscle tone. They are meant to inspire you to be and do your best every time you wake up in the morning instead of slacking off and saying “I'll start tomorrow.” Having feelings of jealousy, envy, guilt, anger, frustration, or anything else that isn't along the lines of inspiration, means that you need to check your attitude at the door and start working harder. When we put people down because of how they look, it should make you reflect on yourself to see if those are the same insecurities that you experience with your body. The type of feelings that I first experienced with those types of photos were more along the lines of guilt because I realized that I had the same amount of hours they did in the day and yet I still didn't look like that! However, experiencing those feelings will get you nowhere. So pick and choose the right ones that will push you through that next killer workout.

Just remember though, I'm not talking about pictures of emaciated women that some people like to use for inspiration to get thin because that is a legit type of psychological disease that needs to be treated. I'm talking about pictures of women with toned arms, six pack abs, and tear drop quads that they've worked endless months perfecting with the right amount of training and healthy eating. So, to quote the motivational poster that looks back at me on my computer desktop, “Stop Wishing, And Start Working!”

Until Next Time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Part II - Animal protein pros and cons

You know that feeling when you're ahead and then you make one mistake and all of a sudden you're way behind? Well that's kind of what happened with this blog. I started my writing expedition Thursday night and finished writing Friday morning before work. After I left for work, I left my computer at my house but didn't end up getting home until Saturday around midnight because I was helping Nikki house sit for a client. Bottom line is, my computer spent the weekend away from me and I didn't get the time to edit and post my blog. So my apologies! Anyway, let's get down to Part II.

Today I wanted to touch on the pros and cons of animal protein consumption. There's been much research in the past couple decades about whether consuming animal protein is a good thing or not. I'll try to give you guys some information that I've found and draw conclusions from it but remember, none of this set in stone.

The first point I want to touch on are the benefits of eating animal meat whether it's eggs, chicken breast, or turkey. Animal protein is loaded with all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. This means that you would only have to eat a chicken breast in order to get all of the amino acids that your body needs to repair muscle tissue. Not only does animal protein have all the amino acids but it also has a large amount of them which makes it easier to meet your daily requirement of protein.

Unfortunately, with everything else, there always seems to be a downfall. One of the findings that researchers have reported on has been the increased number of hip fractures in cultures that follow a Western diet. Let me try to break this down for you. Basically, when animal protein is broken down, it releases amino acids into the body that have an acidic pH. This causes an acidosis effect in your body that has to be buffered. The buffer of choice is, you guessed it, calcium. And where do we get calcium from if we don't consume it? Our bones. So it is thought that after repeated consumption of animal protein, your bones might have released so much calcium that they take on a sort of swiss cheese look. This makes them brittle and weak which then might lead to hip fractures or easily broken bones. Even consuming milk is said to have this kind of acidosis effect on the body. The only good thing about milk is that the amount of calcium in it is supposed to provide a good enough buffer effect so that it doesn't have to be taken from elsewhere inside your body. I, however, prefer to skip milk and simply take a good calcium supplement.

The only problem with this last finding is that there are researchers who contradict it and say that both classes of protein sources, animal and plant protein, have similar effects in the body e.g. Creating an acidosis effect in the body. Other findings, however, show that consuming either protein has a slightly positive effect on your bone mineral density. Meaning that protein might actually somewhat increase your bone mineral density and not make them brittle. So, like many other conclusions in the science community, more research is needed in order to arrive at a general consensus. It's really up to you what you want to eat and what you want to believe. For me, I like to stick to fish, chicken, and whey protein shakes with the occasional soy one. I also eat a lot of spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, celery, and other leafy green vegetables.

Honestly, if you feel good eating it, then go with your gut feeling. I can't give you an exact diet to follow because I honestly couldn't tell you what the perfect diet would be to eat. Mostly because I don't believe that there is a perfect diet out there. However, if you eat ample amounts of fruit and veggies with some of the cleaner animal proteins tossed in there (wild fish, chicken breast, egg whites) then I'm pretty sure you'll do just fine. Just remember to portion control and take a high quality mineral supplement to make up for anything you've missed.

Part 1: Plant-Based Proteins - The Good and the Evil.

Ever wondered what the difference is between animal protein and plant-based protein? Well it's definitely something that I've thought of over the years and it's recently become a new “trend” per say to eat strictly vegan and abandon animal meat/tissue consumption entirely. It's not necessarily the vegan diet that's new but it's the motivation and mindset behind it. People are now starting to adopt plant-based diets because of the potential harmful effects that animal meat has attached to it. This blog will be a two part article (one today and the other on Friday) that will try to shed some light on the pros and cons of eating animal protein vs plant-based protein.

The first ones I'll start off with will be the plant-based proteins and the types of benefits that come from consuming these products. The awesome thing about following this diet is that you don't come into contact with the antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals that are used in meat production in today's market. I don't know about you but I think my body produces enough estrogen that it doesn't need anymore coming from any outside sources. Consuming these additives will usually cause an imbalance in your body which may result in a bunch of different outcomes that you don't want: disease and obesity to name a couple. That's why consuming plant-based food tends to be a more cleaner approach to eating than consuming meat.

More benefits to eating a vegan/vegetarian diet include weight loss and lower consumption of fat including cholesterol and saturated fats. However, just because you eat a vegan or vegetarian diet doesn't mean you're safe from sweets or processed food. It just means that since you have to eat such a variety of foods, it doesn't leave much room for anything unhealthy that you might be able to shove into your mouth. I also find that when I eat loads of vegetables and small amounts of meat, I tend to feel lighter and less weighed down in my stomach. People who consume plant-based foods report having more energy and feeling healthier.

The only downfall that I can find to eating a solely plant-based protein diet is that you can't get all of the essential amino acids that you need from one plant source. In order for your body to work at an optimal level, you must consume all of your essential amino acids. This means that at every meal you have to have a variety of plant-based foods so that you don't skip out on any important nutrients. Researching the types of foods that you need in order to consume all of your essential amino acids would be a key asset. Types of foods that you need to consume on this type of a diet include all leafy green vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other protein rich sources like soy and tofu. Whole grains can definitely benefit you but be sure to choose more nutrient-dense grains like steel cut oats or breads like whole spelt.

Also, try to pick organic as much as possible and since it's difficult to get all the nutrients you need from food already, take a multivitamin and multimineral as well to supplement your body.

On Friday, I'll give you guys the run down of animal based proteins and try to draw a conclusion to all of this research. I'll also try to post some awesome recipes on our Facebook page that will be easy to make and healthy too!

Until next time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Sickness and Injuries...Every Athlete's Worse Nightmare.

Usually in my weekly write ups I like to talk about things that might inspire people to get up and move or even add to their daily routines. Well today I'm going to give you guys something that isn't necessarily negative but that's not talked about all the time. That something is what to do when your body succumbs to injury or sickness.

The reason I've decided to write about this is because I've been sick this passed week with strep throat and didn't even know it until I was about 4 days in. Now, I know that strep throat is cured faster with antibiotics (which is why I'm thankful I got those little plump orange pills to bring down the pain and swelling) but what about when you have a head cold or a fever? Or what if a muscle is bugging you but not necessarily in pain yet? I have guidelines that I've developed over the past few years that I always think people know about but am surprised daily by the amount of people who think it's ok to work out on a hamstring that only occasionally hurts during squats or lunges. Today's blog is not scientifically researched, and perhaps your opinions are different than mine, but it will give you some techniques that I've used over the years that have helped me deal with injuries in and sickness.

First things first, prevention in sickness and injuries. There are tons of things that you can do to prevent sickness and injury but if you follow basic ones, then you should be good to go. The best thing that you can do to start off is to get your 8 hours of sleep in each night. When your body isn't fully rested, your immune system suffers to keep up with all of the daily things you come into contact with. If it can't keep up, low and behold, you get hit with the flu and are out of training for the next week.

The next thing in prevention is to eat healthy. Just like environmental pollution/toxins, processed food takes hits at your immune system and weakens it. Healthy food, on the other hand, is something that your body is built to use to keep it running in tip top shape. I know that most of you probably know this, but in this busy world you often forget the simplicity of it all. Basically speaking, if it was grown (organic is best) then it's probably the best thing to eat. And no, I don't believe in doughnut trees.

The last thing in prevention is to supplement your diet. The reason for this is because research is starting to show that over the past few decades, the quality of food is starting to decline dramatically. This is because of the massive demand in food production which has weakened the quality of soil that supposed "healthy food" is now grown in. So when you think you're getting your daily requirement of calcium, you may only be getting half or even a quarter amount. Finding a supplement that is pharmaceutical grade and high quality is your best bet to make sure that your body can make it through daily activities.

Now let's move onto treatment. Sometimes life get's away from us and we fall victim to an injury or a cold. Now what do I do? Well, to be honest, rest. When I'm sick, all I do is sleep, eat healthy, and take my supplements. I don't use any type of drugs unless I absolutely need to. I'm not the type of person to take pain killers or over the counter meds but if it works for you then good on ya'. For me, I like to let my body heal itself because it usually knows what it's doing. I usually end up taking a couple days off, whether it's an injury or head cold, and then get right back to it once I'm feeling better. However, I always start off slow. Whenever I start off too quickly, I send my body into overdrive and I go right back to square one.

So that wraps up my quick tips for you guys! In addition to these, exercise is another important part to staying healthy but I think you've all got a handle on that ;) If any of you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them on our Facebook page or email me directly at tiffany@pattersonfit.com.

Until next time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany

Eating At Social Events: a.k.a. PHF GALA!!

Today I'm going to quickly run through some strategies for eating healthy/semi-healthy during social events or get togethers. I know how tough and tempting it can be sometimes when you're out at a party or at a restaurant with friends and all of a sudden you're craving the most calorie dense food item you see on the menu. Well I hope that you can take some tips away from this blog on how to work around those situations and still feel great at the end of the night!

The first thing that I always try to do is stock up on the veggies. Whether I'm eating at a restaurant or there's an appies table at a social gathering, I always head for the veggie platter first and fill up there. That way, if I'm feeling hungry after and I've got my eye on the calorie-dense items, I'll eat a lot less of them vs. if I go for those first. Plus, they occupy your hands so that you don't feel the need to grab something unhealthy to munch on. Try to watch the dips though if you're a dipping kind of person. Usually for dressings, the more transparent it is, the more healthy it is. Therefore ranch = not quite so good for you. If hummous is available or a homemade tzatziki sauce then go for those. They are mostly protein and are way better than you're average dressing.

The second tip I can offer you is to try to eat before you get to this event. That way, you have control over what you eat and won't be so tempted for the dessert table. Even if it's just a protein bar or an apple, it'll still help you in the long run. If the event is a late-night one, then most definitely eat your dinner before you get there so that you won't be snacking until the wee hours of the morning. Since you're body doesn't burn as many calories while sleeping, it doesn't need a dessert fix at night even though sometimes you might feel differently. The best time of the day to eat anything calorie-dense is usually around lunch time because that gives your body the chance to use some of that up before you go to sleep at night.

The third tip I can offer you, and this is usually for restaurant situations, is to take half of your meal home. If you followed the first couple of tips, then you'll probably be too full to eat your entire meal which gives you the chance to take it home for another time. And trust me, the restaurant would rather you take the meal home vs. them having to throw out food so don't worry about getting a to-go box. This allows you to control whether or not you want to eat the meal later on or even give it to someone else. And if you're lucky enough to have that one friend who has a bottomless pit for a stomach, then perhaps they will want your food! The choice is yours.

The fourth tip I can offer you is to become a master sampler! This is usually for appy events that are loaded with dessert and calorie-dense quiches. If there is absolutely no veggie platter, and you forgot to eat before you got to the event and are now starving, then becoming a master sampler is one of your last options. I usually take one of each quiche or dessert (depending on how many there are) and slowly eat one at a time and really try to taste the little bundle of evil :) Go for the ones that look the healthiest and then slowly move towards the ones that look like they could send an elite athlete into insulin shock. Eating them slowly will also allow your brain to catch up and tell your body that it's full instead of stuffing your face for 15 minutes and realizing later on that that was a big mistake.

The fifth and final tip that I can offer you is to keep a glass of water in your hand or near you at all times. This will go hand in hand with the fourth tip and will help you fill up instead of feeling like your stomach is eating itself. This also keeps your hands busy so that you can only eat one dessert at a time instead of creating a stockpile in one hand and catapulting it into your mouth with another hand. Drinking water will also psychologically make you feel healthier and sometimes will help steer you away from eating anything unhealthy. Either way, water is always my go-to beverage no matter where I am!

So that concludes the off-the-top-of-my-head tips that I can give you guys for tonight's PHF Gala event. If you guys have any other strategies please let me know so that I can utilize them for my next outing. Remember, none of these strategies are fool-proof and the common denominator will always be you and how you're feeling that night. If you feel like you'll eat something unhealthy but really don't want to, then steer clear from the situation so that you won't become stuck in it and tempted. My last resort option is to always remember my health goals. Those goals have super strong emotions attached to them and those become the only thing that matter. So if you're willpower is a little weak, revisit those goals and recharge yourself to become a social event eating mastah!

Until next time,

Live Happy, Live Healthy

Tiffany