Pics were taken at Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman.

(Sabra Harvey second from left)

I run quite a few 5k’s and 10k’s here in Houston and over the last few years I always look up the top winners and their finish times. One woman’s name (Sabra Harvey) is always at the top, and until recently I never looked at her age..only her time…which is FAST! Well, turns out she is 60! Yes, 60! Also, the cool thing is that she just started running 9 years ago in her 50′s! See, it’s never too late to start running. Are you telling yourself that you’ve “never been a runner” so why start now? Well, she never ran either…or played sports in high school or college. Go out this week and try something new, even if it’s not running. You never know…with a little practice and determination you could start winning medals!

Check out this article about Sabra and her coach: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/run/6562298.html

I watched this clip on Good Morning America this week and it was pretty shocking. It’s common sense to know that eating a large, greasy meal will tear up your insides and clog your arteries but what’s amazing is that it starts to happen immediately after you eat!

Most people don’t think about what each meal is doing to their body. Once they swallow and it’s out of sight – it’s out of mind! Next time you eat something that you know is bad for you…think about what your poor body is having to do inside of you for dammage control!

This video shows what happens to your blood and arteries when you eat bad and then what it looks like when you eat healthy.  Next time you go out to eat, look for the healthier options. Most restaurants DO have them but sometimes you have to get creative on your own (like ordering with no sauce or order smaller items a-la-carte). Don’t feel bad about being picky at restaurants – if we all start demanding healthier options, we might get them.

I’ve recently teamed up with Katrina and Karena at “Tone It Up” to be one of the authors for their monthly eMagazine! The newsletter will feature articles from top trainers and fitness experts about nutrition, workouts and staying healthy! You can sign up HERE!!

I was very excited when I was aked to speak at the National Kidney Foundation’s corporate wellness event this past Wednesday. I spoke to the crowd about nutrition and how to eat to prevent high blood pressure and diabetes. I will share my top 3 tips that I presented to them:

1) Eat Breakfast! Also, try to eat soon after you wake up, even if that means just something small (like a banana or nuts) in your car on the way to work.

2) Don’t go more than 3 hours without eating! Even if you aren’t hungry…eat a little something so that when you next meal rolls around you are so starving you make bad choices. Plus, eating frequently keeps you metabolism buring (think of my campfire analogy) and also stabilizes your blood sugar.

3). Eat “clean” foods! It’s best to simplify and you don’t need any special fad diet to eat healthy. The next time you are at the grocery store…keep it simple and choose fewer items from boxes and cans and go for fruits, veggies and simple protiens (including tofu, fish and eggs).  “Clean” choices mean simple foods with minimal processing or preservatives.

One of my closest friends introduced me to the foundation because she is a kidney transplant recipeint! The foundation does great things. You can check out their website here:

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Alright guys…the 4th of July is not another excuse to eat whatever you want! If you do…you will end up packing on the pounds over the weekend and head back to work nice and bloated on Monday. If you are like me, this weekend will be spent with family, friends and endless amounts of food and drink. Just thinking about the next few days makes me swell up. My weekend will consists of a family fish-fry one night and then a bbq party with plenty of snacks in between. So…here is my plan of attack:

Friday Night Fish Fry:

Have a few pieces of fish (small ones) and pass on the fries and hush-puppies. My Dad’s fried catfish is the best, so I will try my hardest not to go back for seconds! I may have some cole-slaw if it isn’t soaked in mayo but cole-slaw usually has tons of sugar. Instead, I’m going to see if my parents can make a mixed green salad with some veggies or I’ll offer to bring one myself.

Saturday Morning:

“No, Dad..I don’t need bacon AND sausage”.

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If your family is like mine…they  like 2 meats with EVERY meal. Kinda funny since I don’t usually eat meat. Instead, I’ll ask for a scrambled egg (with no butter), some wheat toast and fruit. I’ll leave the sausage and gravy for my dad.

Saturday During the Day:

BEER TIME! We will be out on the lake all day and I’m sure I’ll be quite thirsty. So…my better option is to wait as late in the day as possible (not only to avoid extra calories but to prevent from getting drowsy and missing the fireworks that night!). Then, I’ll alternate one alcoholic beverage with H2O. I’ve recently tried Michelob Ultra’s new raspberry/pomegranate beer and it tastes really great and only has 107 calories (95 for the plain).

Saturday Night Neighborhood BBQ:

Here is going to be the challenge. TONS of food and very little healthy options. This is where I might try to bring my healthy potato salad (see recipe of the month) or some mixed fruit or watermelon slices (yum!). TIP: I’ll probably eat a healthy snack about an hour before I go to the party (like fruit, nuts or a low-sugar granola bar). For starters…again…light beer or a glass of wine and maybe some plain cheese and crackers or chips and salsa (don’t make eye contact with the queso!).  I will avoid anything fried, bacon-wrapped or mixed with mayo (which will be a challenge). Then, for my main meal…salad, salad, fruit and more salad. I’ll scope out the green salads (without a lot of dressings), baked beans and maybe a small amount of pasta salad if it doesn’t have mayo. Then, I’ll add on from there choosing any grilled veggies (corn on the cob, mixed veggies, etc), grilled shrimp/fish and my healthy potato salad (or other healthy version). Grilled chicken, steak or even some lean brisket is also an option as long as it’s in moderation.  Get it dry and add a small amount of sauce on the side (BBQ sauce is packed with sugar, sodium and empty calories). Also, most BBQ’s have pickles, olives and other tasty condiments that you can add to your plate for variety, flavor and few calories. As for desert…I’ll try to stick to my watermelon slices and maybe a bite of a brownie.

Workout Plan:

Even though we will be away from home, I’m taking my running gear and plan to get in at least 2 runs. I like to take advantage of the hilly road outside my parents’ house and if I go early in the morning it’s not too hot. Two 30-45 min. runs will definitely help me burn off some of these calories and I won’t feel so bad about the extra beer and bite (or 3) of brownie : )

Happy 4th of July! Be safe and have a great weekend!

-Cari

More than likely you or or someone you know is making one of these mistakes:

Eating too much protein and not enough carbs?

Skipping breakfast?

Replacing too many meals with bars and shakes?

GUILTY??? Click HERE to find out why you may need to change your ways…

Can I really lose weight or improve my health?

As a personal trainer, I get asked about detoxes or cleansing diets all the time. Lately these diets have really grown in popularity thanks to many celebrities and the media. Do a quick search online or at your bookstore and you will find a variety of detoxes from fruit drinks, liquid diets, intestinal “exfoliating” diets, liver cleanses, and many more. It can be quite overwhelming but at the same time tempting to try because they promise a quick solution to loosing weight. The major theme of most detox or cleanse diets is elimination. Most require you to eliminate at least one or more of the following: gluten, alcohol, sugar, refined foods, fats, cigarettes/drugs, etc to make you feel better. Well, this is not rocket science – of course you will feel better if you eliminate these! But, you can still do this safely while incorporating a healthy diet and exercise.

What exactly is a “detox” or body “cleanse”? Well, most of them consist of eating or drinking specific foods and drinks for a specific time days while eliminating toxins (certain foods, chemicals, drinks, etc) completely from your diet. Take for example the popular Master Cleanse which has been one of Google’s most popular diet searches over the last year and was made popular by celebrities such as Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow. It consists of drinking a concoction of lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for days and sometimes weeks with little or no food! Sound appetizing? Personally, I think it sounds horrible! Plus…there are so many things wrong with this…keep reading…

Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently interviewed again for ACE (American Council On Exercise) and gave them some of my to training tips I use to stay in shape. Check out one of my suggestions under # 9:

Konnichiwa!! I just got back from my trip to Tokyo and Hong Kong last night. When I was in Tokyo I decided to take a yoga class at a local studio not too far from the Shiodome area in Ginza where I stayed. I have a friend in Tokyo who teaches at another studio and recommended for me to try the Sun and Moon Yoga Studio in Tokyo near the Meguro subway station. My first piece of advice about yoga in Tokyo is be prepared go early in case you have trouble finding the location. Tokyo is super crowded and every large building has a mix of residential units, restaurants, shops and stores on every floor. Also, unlike the US, most only accept payment in cash and yoga can be price (my class was 3,000 yen – about $34!). I decided to take the Yin/Yang class from Akiko. When I first entered the tiny studio, I removed my shoes (this is important everywhere in Japan) and then changed into yoga pants in the small changing room. In Tokyo, you will not see many people (if any) wandering the streets in workout clothes or even nice yoga pants. So, if you are planning to go to a gym or take a yoga class…it’s best to change once you get to the facility. The class was pretty similar to other hatha style classes I’ve taken in the US but the instructor only did sun salutations for a small part of the class. Most of the class focused on holding seated stretches, including seated forward bends, spinal rotations, etc. with some heel balances in between. The instructor’s English was good and her instructions were clear. Overall, I enjoyed the class but probably would have enjoyed one of the more advanced classes that they studio offers.  If you are looking to take a class in Tokyo you can also check out these other studios that offer mostly English classes:

YogaJaya:
http://www.yogajaya.com/en/home.html

Furla Yoga:
http://www.furla.co.jp/yoga/?p=classes

Chances are you’ve wondered at some point if you should eat before your workout or not. This topic can be confusing because everybody is different and reacts differently to food choices. But the simple answer is, “Yes!” you should eat something before you work out to fuel your body and boost your performance, even if it’s just to get you through 20 minutes on the elliptical before you head to work.

Read the rest of this entry »

I hope all of you have recovered from Ike! I don’t
know about you, but I felt so helpless after the storm. I really wanted

some volunteer work at the End Hunger Network on I-45 where I was able to prepare food for disaster victims and the homeless. This was very rewarding (although washing dishes wasn’t too fun) and they are very appreciative of volunteers since they prepare 5,000 meals a day almost with 100% volunteers!

However, I still felt like I needed to help the community. So, the next day I went to the Red Cross but, without proper training, I was only given limited duties. I also tried to volunteer at the SPCA, but again…need to do their training and attend an orientation.This
was very frustrating, but I do understand that without training, some would just get in the way. So, I encourage all of you to join me and get some Red Cross training or other community service training (SPCA, Salvation Army, Food Bank, etc.) so that we will all be prepared to help out when another disaster strikes. Also, it is a good idea to plan ahead of time with your neighbors, homeowners association and community so that when a disaster strikes, you will not need to contact the Red Cross or other organizations to be told what to do. Instead, you will have an action
plan with designated duties for each person involved. Just some ideas!

Have you been looking for a good 5k (3.1 mile) race to try or are you looking to improve your race time? Join me and run (or walk) the Komen Race for the Cure here in Houston on Saturday October 4th. This is a fun race that is for a great cause. You can sign up HERE.
It’s not too late…you have almost 4 weeks to train for the race. Check back soon for some race tips!

Thought I would share a few of my current playlists with you guys in case you are getting tired of listening to the same old tunes! Here is a mix of what I listen to while working out and also my playlists for a couple classes that I teach. Enjoy!

When I Run Sprints (shorter workout on treadmill):
What I’ve Become – Ashlee Simpson
Break the Ice – Britney Spears
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
Elevator (feat. Timbaland) – Flo Rida
Shawty Get Loose – Lil Mama
See You Again – Miley Cyrus
Fuego – Pitbull
Face Down – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
It’s Not My Time – 3 Doors Down

For My Boxing (bags) Class:
Back In Black – AC-DC
Shawty Get Loose – Lil Mama
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor Read the rest of this entry »