Victoria Wellness Professionals

Well, it is that time of year. Xmas is fast approaching and at our Facility, it is also time for our Body Transformation/Fitness Challenge. Our Challenge lasts 6 weeks. It starts on November 1 and runs until Dec. 15, 2009. We have two components – Nutrition and Aerobic/Cardio. The Nutrition plan is basic, healthy eating – no white anything, no junk food, no alcohol – primarily lean protein, vegetables and fruits. For every day that you follow to the letter you can add a star to that date on a Calendar.

The aerobic portion is included to encourage getting active every day! Count the total minutes of cardio you do each day and add it to your calendar. We are looking to accumulate minutes every day!

Measurements are also done at the gym – tape measurements, weights and body fat are all recorded at beginning and end.

To help get going on the Nutrition component here is another one of Todd’s great recipes.

Zucchini Pasta with Homemade Orange Pepper Tomato Sauce

The Recipe:

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with different variations of this pasta dish, which doesn’t even include pasta…Trust me you will not miss it.

Orange Pepper Tomato Sauce:

In a food processor combine, 4 Tomatoes, 2-3 cloves of Garlic, Half of an Orange Pepper, 6 or more prepared Sun dried Tomatoes, a healthy handful of Fresh Basil Leaves, a large pinch of Fresh Thyme, 3 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Cracked Pepper. Finally, mix until desired texture. After you have the texture you like, stir in a can of well-rinsed & drained Chick Peas before adding on top of your Zucchini Pasta. This Pasta Sauce can be served hot or right from the mixer?!

Zucchini pasta:

Simply, decide how many are eating & use Zucchini in place of pasta. Cut into pasta-ish strips, lightly sauté in a little Olive Oil, until desired texture 2-4 minutes “andante”. Garnish with a Tomato, Avocado, a few mint or Basil leaves; perhaps Fennel. Drizzle some Olive Oil.

Till next time,

Narina

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One of the problems with most people today is finding time to exercise. Well, even most of us can find 10 minutes sometime in a busy day. This little workout is just one circuit of bodyweight exercises. Repeat it twice for 10 minutes and 4 times through for a full body 20 minute workout.

Core Exercises

The four core exercises we use primarily at our facility is bridges, superman (or birddog), prone plank (isoabs) and side plank (isoabs). The one thing I notice with most people is they forget about engaging their glutes. The glute muscles pay an important role in all of these vital core exercises. Check out the video and practice engaging the glutes with each repetition.

Please feel free to leave comments or questions. Till next time,
Narina

Uncategorized core workout, fat loss, glutes, gym workouts, muscles, strength training, Victoria Wellness Professionals, workout

My favourite supplement company is doing it again. They are offering Prograde EFA Icon on sale celebrate Halloween. The sale will run for for 31 hours.

Starts Wednesday, October 21th at noon EST. Ends Thursday, October 22nd at 7:00pm EST

Grab a botlte of EFA Icon in the next 31 hours and start protecting your body from the damaging free radicals that contribute to disease. Also, learn how EFA Icon can control your blood sugars while eating that Halloween candy this year.

It’s on sale for just 31 hours!

All the details are right here:

http://victoriawellness.getprograde.com/specials

Till next time,
Narina

Uncategorized burn fat, nutrition, prograde, Prograde Nutrition, supplements, weight loss

I am happy to add Michael Mahony as a contributor to our Victoria Wellness blog. Please enjoy this article about motivation. You will see more articles from Michael in future blog posts. Enjoy……
Narina

Motivation Not Included

I’m sure you’ve seen these on TV and the web. There is the Perfect Pushup, the Perfect Pullup, and P90X. They all claim they will sculpt and change your body. They show you long infomercials that have individual after individual giving testimonials about how wonderful Product X is and how their body has changed by using it. There is one thing they don’t tell you.

Motivation is one of the key factors in any physique transformation. Don’t let my use of the term physique transformation scare you. I’m not necessarily talking about a 12 week transformation. I am speaking of any exercise routine that changes your body over a period of time. To me, that is a transformation. Whatever the program, without motivation you are not going to achieve your goals.

Motivation is the factor that is not included with these programs. It is the number one reason the majority of people who buy these programs fail. They just cannot get motivated to complete the program they start. It isn’t the fault of Product X. It is entirely up to the individual to figure out what motivates them and then leverage that.
Our society has a quick fix mentality. When faced with a problem the quick fix is the most desireable to most people. Thus, they see a P90X infomercial and the slick marketing and they break out the credit card. When the program comes they start out on fire and hit it hard for a week or maybe two weeks. At some point they begin to slack off and miss workouts. When 90 days has passed they begin to tell people that P90X just doesn’t work. They may even claim to have realized this all along. What a scam!

As I’ve already stated, it isn’t P90X that is the problem, it is the lack of motivation. Motivation is the one thing that no program can provide on its own. Motivation cannot be purchased. It is a very individual thing. What motivates me may not motivate you and vice versa. It takes work at times to figure out where your own motivation comes from, but the time you spend is worth it. It will give you the edge that is missing from the program you purchased.

If you take one thing away from reading this hopefully it will be that you can buy a book, DVD, eBook or any other fitness product, but without motivation you are wasting your money. Before you start down any fitness path figure out what motivates you and then work that angle. You won’t be sorry.

Now get back to lifting!
Michael Mahony

Michael Mahony is a fitness guru wannabe, computer specialist, huge hockey fan, loving husband, proud father and motivated speaker. He encourages everyone to work hard and work with intensity. His philosphy is that you never work hard enough because you can always work harder than you just did. Michael’s other sites include http://thefatburningmachineblog.com (where he chronicles his own training adventures) and http://fitnessexpose.com (where he exposes fitness misinformation overload). You can connect with Michael on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michaelmahony and on Twitter @MikeMahony.

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Love Chocolate???

I am always searching for protein powders that provide the right nutrient mix and tastes good. Well, Prograde Lean Meal Replacment has brought my searching to an end thank goodness. I have always used a protein supplement. And, over the 30 years I have trained with weights, there have been hundreds of different protein powders – from an ugly yellow powder that refused to dissolve to Prograde products today.

Prograde is not only an exceptional product but it tastes awesome and it satisfys my chocolate craving very nicely.

How great it is then that Prograde is putting its Chocolate Meal Replacment “Prograde Lean” on sale. And, for just 31 hours!

In honor of Halloween – 10.31% off Prograde Lean – starts Wednesday Oct 14 at Noon EST and end Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7.00 pm EST

All the details are right here:

http://victoriawellness.getprograde.com/specials

Get yours now!
Till next time,
Narina
“Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation”

Uncategorized fat loss, nutrition, Prograde Lean, Prograde Nutrition, supplements

I’m am not usually alarmed when flu season rolls around. With the start of the new school term also comes flu season. Of course we have all been following the H1N1 (swine fu) news. A few people at the gym have asked regarding flu shots. The most recent information on who should get flu shots is listed at the the Center for Disease Control in the U.S. http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

Prograde Nutrition (my fav supplement company) has just released a great article on reducing the impact of the flu and how you can start feeling better right away. You can access the article at: http://victoriawellness.getprograde.com/Swine-Flu-Prevention.html

Til next time,
Narina

PS – Remember, an ounce of prevention…read these 7 simple things and keep yourself healthy.

http://victoriawellness.getprograde.com/Swine-Flu-Prevention.html

Uncategorized Health Links, Prograde Cravers, Prograde Nutrition, supplements, Victoria Wellness

Well, October 1 has come and gone. That means it is getting closer and closer to the Holdiay Season. This can be an extremely stressful times for most people as they try and fit in all the social commitments that the Xmas season brings. This is also a time of year when taking care of yourself and your health usually takes its place at the bottom of the To Do List. With all the other expectations, how can you possibly think about taking care of your body and your health.

Well, now is the time to think about it. There are 3 very simple steps you can take to offset the inevitable weight gain of Xmas parties and the damage Xmas can do to your exercise regime.

Step #1 – Make time for you. I know easier said that done, but it is imperative that even with all the demands on your time, you try and set aside 10-20 minutes a day to do something physical. It could be as simple as going for a 10 minute walk after dinner or on your lunch hour at work. Remember exercise benefits are cumulative. It is not necessary to be able to devote 30 minutes or more in one session. Break it up into doable portions throughout your day.

Step #2 – Start now! If you aren’t involved in a scheduled exercise plan, start now. If you are new to exercise, start now so by the time the Holiday season rolls around, you have established a habit of exercise and it will be easier to maintain when the craziness begins. Don’t wait until the last minute to develop an exercise strategy because once the stress of Xmas time rolls around, it will be too late and it will be forgotten and put aside as other things take priority.

Step #3 – Seek Help. If you haven’t exercised for a long time, or maybe this is your first venture into fitness; seek out a fitness professional to help you get started. A personal fitness coach will help you establish healthy eating habits, devise a sensible workout program and keep you focussed and motivated on the task at hand. Something as simple as enrolling the help of a friend as a workout buddy will ensure that you make progress toward your goal of health and wellness.

3 Easy steps to get a head start on that 5-10 pounds that you know wants to become a permanent part of your life. Take control now so you are better prepared to take control in a a few months times.

Till next time,
Narina
“Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation”

Uncategorized exercise, fitness, Holiday Season, narina prokosch, Prograde Nutrition, Victoria Wellness, Xmas