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September 2016 Client of the Month | Atlanta Personal Trainer

LIVE LIFE FIT

CLIENT OF THE MONTH

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Paige Crawford

September 2016

Cincinnati native Paige Crawford, 26, moved with her fiancé (soon to be husband) to Atlanta in July 2015.  Prior to moving, Paige visited the studio and consulted with Mandy to get a solid nutrition plan and set long-term and short-term fitness goals with the end goal being wedding ready for her September 17th nuptials!  Paige has set weight loss, body composition and strength and endurance goals this past year.  She has lost more than 18 total inches (4 in the waist) and over 14 pounds while gaining lean muscle mass and drastically decreasing her body fat.  In addition to her weight loss, Paige set a goal to complete her first Peachtree Road Race and has a new time goal for an upcoming ½ marathon in December.  She is also the current studio record holder for the V-Max and 500m row.

Paige’s dedication to setting goals and bettering her health and fitness is unbelievably inspiring!  Thanks Paige for filling the studio with your warm smile, positive attitude, caring personality and drive to succeed!

Please join us in wishing Paige congrats on her success in and out of the gym and best wishes on her special day and upcoming marriage!

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Trainer Spotlight: Mandy’s Favorite Exercise | Atlanta Personal Trainers

Trainer Spotlight: Mandy Malool

Mandy’s favorite exercise:  Deadlift

Why Mandy loves the deadlift:

  • Minimal equipment required
  • Works more muscles simultaneously than any other movement
  • Builds core stability
  • Helps increase cardiovascular fitness
  • Has real life application
  • The main muscle group focus is on the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Who doesn’t want to ensure they are looking good from the back as well as the front?!?!

Pictured Below: Mandy performing the deadlift.

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August 2016 Newsletter | Atlanta Personal Trainer

Happy August, Everyone!

We are excited to be bringing monthly newsletters back into the mix here at the studio. Through our monthly newsletters we will be sharing exciting events and news occurring at the studio as well as in our clients’ lives. If you are a client and have something big coming up in future months please keep us posted and we are happy to share in our studio newsletter!

We hope you all have an awesome August and continue to work hard to reach your goals and live the life you have always wanted to live. YOU can do whatever you set your mind to and YOU deserve to be happy; never forget that.

“In order to succeed we must first believe that we can.”

august newsletter

Best,

Caroline Kolowich

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Atlanta Personal Trainer | Favorite On-the-Go Snacks

Atlanta Personal Trainer | Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Like you all, our personal trainers are on a busy schedule and often find themselves on-the-go. While we are busy, we still do our best to eat healthy and make healthy lifestyle choices. Check out our list below of some of our favorite snacks and on-the-go breakfast options!

Snacks/Breakfast

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt + 1 tbsp nut butter (pictured above)
  • 1 scrambled egg + 2 scrambled egg whites + 1 slice cheddar cheese + veggies
  • 1 scoop chocolate whey protein + 1 tbsp all natural peanut butter + ½ cup unsweetened almond milk + water + ice
  • 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt+ 2 tbsp slivered almonds + 1 packet stevia + cinnamon
  • 1 can tuna + ¼ cup diced avocado + pepper + raw veggies
  • 2 boiled eggs + 1/8 cup almonds + 1 cup raw veggies
  • Veggie Omelette: 2 eggs + ¼ sliced mushrooms + ¼ cup diced tomato + ¼ cup diced onion + 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup Geek yogurt + 2 tbsp chopped walnuts + 1 packet stevia + cinnamon
  • 1 scoop chocolate whey + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + ice
  • 2 hard boiled eggs + 1 string cheese + veggies
  • 1 cup low fat cottage cheese + 2 tomato slices + ½ cup cucumber slices
  • 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder mixed + 1 tsp instant coffee + 1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + ice + 1 tsp olive oil

By: Caroline Kolowich, Evaluation and Transformation Specialist

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Grass Fed or Grain Fed Beef?

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Fit Chow Atlanta | Grass Fed or Grain Fed?

What’s the Difference between Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef?

Grass Fed Beef = cattle roam free on a pasture & eat only grass
Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef = Cattle confined in feed lots & eat mostly grain

What’s the Difference between Nutrition Profiles?

The label “grass-fed” refers to cattle who are given an all-grass diet. Grass-fed meats are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Studies show omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, and improve brain function. Studies also show, CLA’s may reduce the risk of cancer.  Grass fed beef is leaner and juicer, thanks to higher moisture content in addition to having more omega-3 fatty acids, CLA’s, vitamin B6 and beta-carotene. Also, grass fed beef has as little as 140 calories per serving plus lower cholesterol.  When you are shopping for beef, look for a meat that has fat yellowish in tint (not white).  This color in the fat is derived from the cows grass intake.

Grain-fed or grass finished beef is more greasy and not as juicy. Plus, it’s ‘fattened up’ on a variety of grain or corn by-products that are not healthy and highly refined (the fat will appear white in color in a grain fed cow). Regular consumption is not recommended as part of a healthy diet because there is risk in elevating bad cholesterol levels.

The “Quick and Dirty”…

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Fit Chow Atlanta only uses meats that have never been treated with antibiotics or given hormones.  Our beef is always grass-fed and of the leanest cuts.

Source:

http://www.justaddgoodstuff.com/grass-fed-vs-grain-fed-beef/#.VCrbUkvXklI

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The Dirty Dozen

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www.fitchowatlanta.com

Eating fresh produce is the best way to obtain the nutrients that support optimum health, but the pesticides used on many crops remain a major health concern. This is the primary reason why at Fit Chow we use produce that has never been treated with pesticides. By choosing organic foods, you can reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables without exposing yourself and your family to potentially harmful chemicals. Pesticides present real health risks, particularly to children and those with health concerns. The toxicity most commonly associated with pesticides in animal studies include disruptions in the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine system, and increased risks of cancer (http://www.drweil.com).

You may be familiar with the term “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of produce (fruits and vegetables) used to identify the produce with pesticide residue found in them. If you don’t want to eat bug and weed killers, when shopping on your own you most definitely want to purchase organic or pesticide free versions of the produce listed on the the Dirty Dozen. However, rest assure, at Fit Chow you will only be served organic and/or local pesticide free fruits and vegetables.

The Dirty Dozen

Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen™ list of produce includes apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes. Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.

In particular:

Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.
A single grape sample contained 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides a piece.
The Clean Fifteen

Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen for 2014 – the produce least likely to hold pesticide residues – are avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides. So when shopping, if cost and saving a some money is a concern for your family, you may choose to use the conventional versions of these produce items.

Notable findings:

Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
Some 89 percent of pineapples, 82 percent of kiwi, 80 percent of papayas, 88 percent of mango and 61 percent of cantaloupe had no residues.
No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
Detecting multiple pesticide residues is extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.
Source:

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

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What’s in your lunchbox?

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What makes a great lunch? Is it something new, colorful, warm, hot, sweet, spicy, or one that comes neatly packed in a tupperware container? As a personal trainer and fitness nutritionist, I would say yes to each of these lunch characteristics. However, with a full schedule, time is a rarity in my household and making the time to create healthful meals is a challenge. There are many benefits to eating a healthy balanced meal mid-day, and Fit Chow helps me do just that without any time consuming preparations!

Eating in the middle of the day reenergizes your body and continues to provide your body with the energy it will need to stay productive throughout the rest of your workday. In addition, eating lunch (or small frequent meals) helps to keep your metabolism revving. It is a common misbelief that skipping meals to cut calories may help propel your weight loss. However, this strategy rarely produces long term, sustainable weight loss. In actuality, people who skip meals tend to weigh more than people who eat often throughout the day (according to Weight Control Information Network). Skipping lunch (or other meals/snacks) can rev up your appetite, causing you to over indulge in poor food choices.

Eating lunch is important, but what you are eating has equal importance! Some foods pack more nutritional value than others. Combining protein and complex carbohydrates (fruits and veggies) will give you a long-lasting source of energy. At Fit Chow we have combined our expertise in nutrition, health and fitness with Chef Curry’s exceptional cooking skills to create meals that fit this criteria perfectly. Ideally, a healthy lunch should be balanced with protein, complex carbs (fruits and veggies), and healthy fats. By simply packing 4-6 oz of the protein of your choice (1/2-1/3 of the protein in a container) and 4 oz (or 1/2 a container) of vegetables, you will have rapidly created a nutritional lunch to fuel your body through the rest of the work day. We have worked to create options for you that take guessing on healthy choices at fast food restaurants out of the equation.

So, take a lunch break and nourish your brain with healthful foods such as the foods Fit Chow Atlanta provides and I guarantee it will lead to a better and more productive afternoon!

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Atlanta Magazine Features Top Personal Trainers

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Several weeks ago, Atlanta Magazine sent undercover reporters out to investigate some of Atlanta’s top personal trainers and nutritionist.  We were “lucky” enough to be one of the personal training studios being anonymously visited.  Unbeknownst to Brad, Christine Van Dusen put him to the test in a rather entertaining first consultation and then wrote about her visit in her column of Atlanta Magazine.  Amongst asking the typical questions a person new to personal training would ask, Christine had a special request.  Christine was hopeful that Brad would be able to help her learn to sit up from the lying position without using her hands!  Check out the comedic article in the 2014 July edition of Atlanta Magazine (page 33), on st

ands now!

-Mandy

 

Mandy

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Atlanta Personal Training | Anniversary

This week marked two years since opening the doors to the Brad Kolowich Jr Personal Training Studio!  Since the grand opening in 2012, the luxury private personal training studio has added two trainers, expanded the workout space, added multiple pieces of new equipment and continues to add special touches that rank it among the top fitness studio’s in Atlanta. The picture below features the six trainers who currently train in Brad Kolowich Jr’s Fitness Studio.

(Jonathan, Madeleine, Mandy, Brad, Tisch, Andy and Rocky a.k.a. the “Ruffer-ree”)

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In celebration of the second birthday of Brad’s fitness studio, we sent our clients off with a HEALTHY post-workout protein cake ball!  Below is my secret recipe for an easy and healthy post-workout treat.

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1/3 cup chocolate whey protein

1/4 cup dry milk

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp peanut butter

sugar free chocolate (or dark chocolate)

(water as needed)

Mix all ingredients together and add water slowly, until it forms a cookie dough consistency.  Scoop dough out using a tablespoon.  Form balls and place on wax paper sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.  Freeze for 30+ minutes.  Eat as is for a healthy, high-protein, low carb snack OR dip coat in melted chocolate for a post-workout treat.

-Mandy

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What to Eat This Spring

Enjoy This Seasons Finest Foods

In the US, we enjoy practically unlimited access to any food any time of the year. Although it’s nice to have watermelon in February and asparagus in August, many people don’t even know that foods have a season, let alone what foods are in season at any given time of year.

But in the food world, local is the new exotic. Farmer’s markets are popping up in every neighborhood as consumers are realizing the benefits of eating food that was grown within miles of their mouths. Local food boasts a host of benefits, including better flavor, higher nutritional value, and less environmental burden. It’s healthier for you because you get the higher nutrient levels from just-picked produce. It’s healthier for the environment because local food uses less fossil fuel for transport. It tastes better because it really is fresh (not shipped-from-across-the-country-yet-still-bearing-a-label-that-says-fresh). And it’s also interesting, as each season brings a new crop of foods that you haven’t had for an entire year. Before you’ve had a chance to tire of its bounty, the season changes to bring new, flavorful foods.

If you want to eat healthy, home-cooked meals without all the fuss, try a seasonal pantry makeover! To do it, stock up on locally-grown foods—a fun trip to your local farmer’s market will yield the majority of the ingredients you need—and simply create meals based on what’s in season in your region.

Availability will vary from region to region, but here’s a list of foods that make spring their season, along with tips on how to incorporate the new-to-you ingredients into your meals.

Atlanta Personal trainer - What to Eat This Spring

 

Artichokes. A perfect springtime appetizer, serve artichokes that have been boiled until tender (about an hour) with homemade garlic butter for dipping. Or add cooked artichokes to pasta sauce, pizza or salads.

Asparagus. Although you can pick up asparagus at the supermarket any time of the year, it never tastes as good as freshly-harvested springtime asparagus. Grill, steam, or braise, and sprinkle with some kosher salt for a simple side-dish.

Carrots. Pair them with peanut butter for a quick and healthy midday snack, or make a side dish like glazed carrots for a gourmet dinner.

Collards. Abundant spring through fall, this dark leafy green is the main ingredient in famous southern greens recipes. Collards are also a rich source of calcium.

Fennel. Fennel slightly resembles celery, with a bulbous base, which is the part that you eat. Chop into small spears and sauté in olive oil and minced garlic until tender, then sprinkle with minced fresh parsley and cook a minute more.

Morels. These wild mushrooms are so treasured, there’s even a website dedicated to morel “hunting,” complete with message boards and photos of people’s finds. Morels are delicious sautéed or roasted, and boast a nutty, meaty flavor and a rich and creamy texture.

Mustard Greens. High in antioxidants and vitamins K and A, these dark leafy greens are as nutritious as they are flavorful. The raw leaves can be added to salads or steamed or boiled until tender.

New Potatoes. Although they can be mashed, these springtime babies are best roasted or boiled and topped with a pat of butter and some kosher salt to accentuate their fresh flavor.

Rhubarb. Most famous for its part in rhubarb pie, this perennial vegetable can be cooked and pureed to make a sweet sauce, or even used to make oatmeal-rhubarb bars. Just make sure you don’t eat the leaves, which are toxic.

Spinach. Mix with baby lettuce for an exceptional salad, or sauté with garlic to make a delicious side dish.

Spring Fruits
Fruit is always easy. It is ready to eat, and tastes great. But if you’re looking for some new ways to incorporate fruit into your menu besides the “grab and bite” technique, try fruit smoothies, fruit cobblers and fruit-topped pancakes and French toast.

  • Apricots. These delectable and delicate fruits are delicious fresh, cooked into a sauce, or grilled. Get them while you can, because they don’t last long!
  • Strawberries. Strawberry shortcake, strawberry smoothies, strawberries al a mode…the possibilities are endless.
  • Avocado. Avocadoes are an excellent source of healthy unsaturated fats, but many people don’t know what to do with them outside of whipping up some guacamole. Try them sliced on a sandwich, or cubed into salads. Just remember that they don’t keep well, so try to use them immediately.

Spring Seasonings
If you’ve done a little cooking, you probably know that the seasonings can make the meal. Here are some seasonal seasonings for your spring suppers.

  • Chives
  • Cilantro
  • Dill
  • Mint
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Sage
  • Rosemary
  • Watercress

If your pantry isn’t stocked with the season’s tastiest and most nutritious staples, then get yourself to your local farmer’s market and add flavor to your meals with the best spring seasonings. To find a farmer’s market near you, visit www.localharvest.org, and enjoy the bounty of spring!

 

Resourced From: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1049

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