New and existing Tony One on One subscribers will get a full sample workout from TurboFire, the new High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program. If you’ve been looking for a killer cardio program, this is it. High-impact interval training has been shown to rev up your metabolism and keep it revved up, long after your workout is finished. In fact, a TurboFire workout can burn up to 9 times more fat and calories than a traditional cardio workout.  We got to preview this workout at the Beachbody Coaches Summit and it is outstanding. The music is really cool.

TurboFire is a great idea for P90X^® users who want to add more cardio to their regimen and an excellent “graduate” course for Turbo Jam^®, Hip Hop Abs^®, or Slim in 6^® enthusiasts.

This month’s One on One is entitled “On One Leg 4 Legs”. I know I’ll be using this one to increase my lower body strength for extra power on the bike. Here’s the preview:

Adaptogens were classified by the ancient Chinese as the most effective plants to increase physical and mental capacity, reduce fatigue, improve resistance to diseases, and extend lifespan.  In particular, adaptogens help the body deal with stressful situations, whether those are mental or physical.  The reason for naming these herbs “Adaptogens” resulted from the scientific discovery, which proved their effectiveness in helping the human body to “adapt” or to “adjust” to strains and changes of daily living. By adapting to changes in the environment, mankind has survived. Scientific studies have shown that both humans and other organisms that are able to adapt best survive longer. In fact, these herbs have managed to survive harsh environments for centuries due to their unique composition of biologically active substances.

The two primary adaptogens in Shakeology are Cordyceps and Ashwagandha.  Cordyceps is a fungi that includes about 300 species and is found in Shakeology’s proprietary Super-Fruit Blend.  Ashwagandha root is the ‘ginseng’ of Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine of India and improves physical energy and athletic ability, increases immunity to colds and infections and increase sexual capacity and fertility.  Ashwagandha is part of Shakeology’s propriatary Enzyme Blend.

In her presentation earlier this year in Kauai, Hawaii, Isabelle Daikeler explained the role of adaptogens as going into the system and clawing out bad things.  Basically the adaptogens are able to help the body remove toxins and by doing so overcome stressful situations.  We are all under stress in our daily lives.  Much of this stress is mental stress, which causes a variety of biologic functions in the body, including the release of cortisol.  But we also place our bodies under physical stress.  If you are doing a vigerous exercise program like P90X or Insanity, your body needs the essential nutrients contained in a product like Shakeology to deal with that stress.

Adaptogens are only one way that Shakeology heals your body.  The antioxidents and phytonutrients in Shakeology also help:

• Get rid of harmful free radicals
• Help decrease inflammation
• Help boost your immune system
• Potentially decrease the risk of degenerative diseases
• May even increase longevity

These are essential functions and it is important to make sure that your body is working at an optimum level if you want to get the most out of it.  Doing a program like P90X while eating pizza is like pouring low-grade gas into a Ferrari and expecting top performance.  It just isn’t going to happen.  Addressing your body’s essential functions is the key to any sound nutritional program.  If you want more information about Shakeology, or a free sample, please CLICK HERE.

Dave

In March Beachbody offered new subscribers to the One on One series their first DVD for one cent.  That promotion is over, but the hits keep coming.  From April 5th through May 3rd, both new and existing subscribers will receive a special Shakeology gift package with their April shipment of One on One, which includes:

• Shakeology Chocolate packet
• Shakeology recipe card (yum!)
• Shakeology “Breakthrough” DVD

So, get One on One and you’ll get a sample of Shakeology.  You can find more information about Shakeology HERE and you can order the One on One Series by clicking HERE and then clicking the Shop button and finding One on One under the Trainer section.  Subscribe today to this excellent monthly series.

Dave

•    Protein and Essential Amino Acids to help build long, lean muscles and reduce food cravings
•    Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption
•    Antioxidants and Phytonutrients to help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases
•    Vitamins and Minerals your body needs to function for optimal health

But really, what’s in Shakeology?  The purpose of this series is to break down the ingredients in Shakeology and talk about the role each one plays in your nutrition.

Today, we start with the macronutrient protein.  Shakeology has protein in it. I know this is major news to you.  Greenberry contains 15g of protein and Chocolate contains 17g.  The form of protein is what I’d like to discuss.  Shakeology contains whey isolate.

Whey is a dairy based form of protein.  It comes from cheese production.  For many years it was considered a waste product and discarded, but we’ve now come to use it as one of the most common forms of protein powder.

There are really three kinds of whey protein powders: (1) concentrate; (2) isolate; and (3) hydrolysate.  Whey concentrate is the most commonly used form of whey because it is less expensive to produce than the other forms.  Concentrate is good because it is less processed, but it contains less protein.  Concentrate contains some fat and lactose, so people with dairy allergies probably want to steer clear of whey concentrate.  Whey isolate, the form used in Shakeology, contains much less lactose due to the processing it undergoes.  Isolate is also 90 to 94% pure protein, giving it additional benefits when compared to concentrate.  The final form of whey protein is hydrolysate.  This is a predigested form of whey that is relatively free of potential allergens.  It is also extremely expensive.  Given the minor benefits of hydrolysate, the cost rarely justifies its use.

So there you have it, the skinny on Shakeology and whey isolate.  As you can see, Beachbody could have cut corners and used concentrate, but instead chose to use whey isolate as its form of protein.  If you would like more information on Shakeology including a free sample contact me HERE.

1. Whole Foods 

Avoid processed junk. Look past the nutrition facts and read the ingredients. The more ingredients, the lower the likelihood it is going in my mouth. A strawberry has ONE ingredient. So does an egg, or a chicken breast, or broccoli. Take a look at the ingredients in the foods you are eating. If you have trouble pronouncing them…keep moving.  Eat more stuff with less ingredients.

2. Supplements

I take Shakeology,  whey protein, and on occasion the recovery formula (sugar is an issue, but it has its place). The goal here is to give my body what it needs to run my basic bodily functions. At the minimum you need a good multi-vitamin. You have to focus first on making sure your body’s basic functions are addressed. It isn’t going to do you any good to take an expensive supplement if you can’t digest it and process the ingredients. Address your base nutrition first and foremost.

3. Lower carbohydrate intake

In particular SUGAR. The sugar has got to go. Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlI…layer_embedded. Understanding the insulin response and limiting the presence of excess insulin in your body is essential to health and fitness. The more I read about this, the more I feel it is absolutely essential to understand and then control.

4. Limit foods that make your blood acidic

 Huh? Watch this: http://www.thefitclubnetwork.com/200…makes-you-fat/. Soda…get rid of it. It is poisoning your blood. Water…drink way more of it. It helps refresh your blood. 

5. Limit dairy

Tony Horton said this weekend, “cheese is a spice”. Use it that way. A little parmesan on your food is ok, but otherwise ditch the cheese. It is high in fats that don’t help your body. Many people feel that our bodies are not conditioned to process milk from other animals. We are the only species that drinks milk that doesn’t come exclusively from our own mothers. Try to cut milk out of your diet and see how it works. I feel a lot better. Some people don’t have any adverse reaction, but if you aren’t sure, cut it out for a month and see how you feel. That’s what I did and I only have it in my coffee now.

6. Healthy fats 

You’ve got to get fat in your diet. Huh? Yes, fat is good for you. Most of your fat intake should be in the form of unsaturated fats (mostly monounsaturated). There is an ongoing debate about saturated fats and whether or not they are beneficial. The generally accepted principal is that they are not. I am currently reading Mark Sisson’s The Primal Blueprint, in which he presents the theory that saturated fats are not to blame for our society’s weight problems. I have to say the case is compelling, but I am not settled yet. Regardless of that debate, you cannot go wrong with increasing your intake of fatty foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Take the time to understand how fats work in your diet, because they are important.  Don’t be afraid to have an egg once in a while.

7. Quality over quantity

What you eat is far more important than how much you eat. Spend more time focusing on what type of foods you eat and less worrying about how many calories you are taking in on a daily basis. Knowing your caloric range is important, but don’t get too caught up in that analysis. If you are hungry and have something healthy to eat, then eat it. If you are not hungry, don’t feel like you have to force food down to get to some predetermined caloric count. Just go with that feels right and eat healthy. Once you condition your body to process healthy foods, your hunger will correspond to your body’s needs rather than corresponding to cravings for sugar or unhealthy fats.

Hope this helps. If you are reading this, and have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at dave@thefitclubnetwork.com. I’m happy to help.

Dave

Here are a few of the top reasons:

1.  Protein boosts your metabolism. It takes twice as much energy to break down proteins as it does carbohydrates.  Your body can charge through carbs pretty easily, but it has to work to break down proteins.  This means after you eat a high-protein meal your body must burn calories to break it down.  Some studies have shown people with high-protein diets burned up to twice as many calories in the hours after their meals, than those on high-carb diets.

2.  Protein flips your “satiety” switch. Huh?  That’s a fancy way of saying it makes you feel full.  Would you keep eating if you felt full?  Probably not. High fructose corn syrup has the exact opposite effect, which is why they make a 64 oz big gulp. That’s between 800 and 1,000 calories, but you don’t feel full after you drink one.  “Satiety”…important stuff.  You shouldn’t want to eat a bag of chips and a hot dog after consuming 800 calories of anything.

3.  Protein is the building block of muscle.  This is oversimplified, but true.  Lean protein helps promote muscle growth.  Muscle burns fat.  Huh?  Adding muscle mass requires your body to expend energy to sustain that muscle.  Adding one pound of muscle requires your body to burn up to 50 calories a day to maintain it.  That’s one pound folks.  Try adding 10 and you can see why people that add about 10 pounds of muscle look the way they do.  Their bodies are simply working more efficiently.

So, that’s a nutshell of the benefits of protein.  There are more, but I want to keep this simple right now.  In addition, we reduce high fat foods and reduce carbs with Phase I of this plan.  Trans fats and most saturated fats tend to be stored in the fat cells very easily.  We are trying to change that.  Some fats are healthy for you, and we’ll talk more about that elsewhere.  Suffice it to say now that we want to reduce the traditional American diet types of fats that are getting put in our bodies.  the reasoning behind reducing starchy carbs is a little more complex.  When the body takes in a lot of starchy carbs it treats them like sugars.  The body responds by producing insulin to process those sugars in your blood.  That in turn causes the body to store more fat because it just does not have any where to store those carbs.  In addition, this insulin response actually tells your body to store fat as a precautionary measure. Keep that up long enough and you are headed for diabetes.  Here’s a video illustrating this principle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYlIcXynwE&feature=player_embedded

When you eat a lean chicken breast, you make your body work for it and it pays you back by building muscle.  It also makes you feel full when you’ve consumed an appropriate amount of calories.  When you eat a burger meal the fat gets stored as excess fat, the fries and bun create an insulin response and the high fructose corn syrup in that yummy soda keeps you from feeling really hungry even though you’ve gobbled down a huge meal from a caloric perspective.  That’s just not a good mix.  The soda also increases the acidity of your blood, which you can read more about here: http://www.thefitclubnetwork.com/2009/11/how-diet-soda-makes-you-fat/

So, given the range of alternatives and the benefits of protein is it any surprise that the P90X Nutrition Plan focuses on it so much in the first Phase of the diet?  Hopefully, all that makes sense.  If not, shoot me an email at dave@thefitclubnetwork.com.

Dave

GREAT TO SEE THE ENTHUSIASM!!!

We are soliciting your help.  We get a lot of questions from people and we’ve been tracking the most commonly asked questions for this updated post.  Now we want to know what you think.  Tell us what gave you fits.  Tell us what was easy.  Tell us your success tips.

Here is a short video with our plea! Let us know your thoughts and how we can make those resources even more helpful.

Thanks,

Dave