KISS Method for Eating Clean

Soft Boiled Eggs in Avocados

Healthy Eating

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to lose weight with greater ease than others? Or why some “Diets” fail shortly after you attempt them? Some diets are so complicated that extensive research and meal prep and Pinterest perusing is a must before diving into it. I’m not trying to say that meal prep is a bad thing, because it can be very beneficial, especially for those who lead very busy lives. What I am trying to get at is a lifestyle of eating that requires no brainstorming or overthinking.

Concept #1

Keep your foods SIMPLE! try to eat foods in their original forms. For Exaple, instead of eating pre-packaged pre-sliced banana bread, eat a whole banana. If you are eating whole foods, there will not be an ingredient list to have to worry about.

Concept #2

Eat at HOME! Eating out means you risk sabotaging your clean eating lifestyle. When you prepare your own meals, you are capable of controlling how much salt, sugar, etc you consume. A good rule of thumb is to incorporate a leafy green vegetable (ex: arugula salad), lean protein (ex: ground turkey/chicken) whole grains (ex: brown rice), a healthy fat (ex: avocado, olive oil)

Concept #3

Take your TIME! Eating is not a race, rather a time of fellowship with those whose company you enjoy (it really helps when you have a toddler you are feeding at the same time!) Try putting your utensil down between bites and actually carrying a conversation with someone, it really helps!

Concept #4

Listen to your BODY! Eat only when you are hungry and do not wait too long in between meals. Stop eating when you feel satisfied, rather that over stuffed. Waiting until you are ravenous means you are more likely to eat something processed and full of ingredients you do not want and will leave you feeling immediate regret.

Concept #5

Do not Live to Eat, rather Eat to Live. This is key! Do not eat out of boredom or stress; nourish your body with foods that it needs to thrive, and with foods that are easily digestible.

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Build a Stronger, Leaner, and More Defined Core with These Exercises

Six Pack

Are you sick of doing endless amounts of core exercises, videos, classes, diets, and the list goes on and not seeing the results you crave? There are many secrets to building a solid core without having to commit a lot of time. Yes, while diet plays a big role in losing fat around the midsection, this alone does not help build up your abdominal muscles and give you those sexy cuts and definition. Start by doing these core exercises to start building a solid six pack today!

Plank

Planks are a great way to strengthen your core isometrically while also being able to incorporate a number of variations to target multiple muscles. Here are several variations of planks. If you are new to working out I would recommend starting with the first exercise. Once you have mastered a traditional plank, then I would recommend working your way down the examples each set or workout until you reach the last one.

Tips: Make sure you don’t forget to control your breathing. This is something most people forget to do with this exercise. Also, aim to keep your elbows or hands if in a pushup position below your shoulders, back straight, your abs and butt flexed/tight while completing this exercise and variations to keep your core more engaged. 

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Prone Iso-Abs

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Planks with Alternating Toe Touch

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Plank with Side Knee Raises

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Plank with Straight Knee Raises

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Crunches

Crunches are a great exercise to strengthen your abs and core through flexion and extension of your spine.

Tips: Most people when doing crunches usually overcompensate with their hips taking tension off their abs. It is important to remember when performing a crunches to only bring your shoulders up until your feel a pinch in your upper abdominal muscles, then slowly lowering down until you feel a slight pulling in your upper abdominal muscles. When targeting your lower abdominal muscles with exercises bringing your knees up towards your chest, bring your butt up just slightly off the bench, ground, or swiss ball until your feel your lower abs engaged. Then, slower, I repeat slowly lower your legs down in a controlled manner so you don’t put unnecessary pressure on your lower back and/or hips. 

Swiss Ball Crunches

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Swiss Ball Crunch with Weight

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Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch (Knees Bent)

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Swiss Ball Reverse (Straight Leg Raises)

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Oblique Extensions

Oblique extensions are a great way to give your obliques and sides more definition. When you are looking to sculpt your sides, these are the best exercises to do just that.

Tips: For the best results without compromising your form or spine it is important to keep your abs tight and drawn in, your body in a straight line, shoulders pulled back, and to lower in control without jerking with your hips.

Oblique Extensions 

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Oblique Extensions with Reach

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Weighted Oblique Extensions 

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Standing Weight Oblique Extensions

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 Overhead 1-Arm Kettle bell Oblique Extensions

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For more information on training, exercises, tips, and more please signup for a Free Consultation with one of our certified personal trainers or email us at BodyByDaveInc@gmail.com.

Pictured Fitness Models: Nico Johnes – Certified Personal Trainer with Body By Dave, Ricardo Velarde – Body By Dave client, and David Troupin – Owner/Certified Personal Trainer of Body By Dave

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4 Reasons To Eat More Protein


Complete Proteins

Are you consuming enough protein? For the majority of you the answer is no and I’ll explain the 4 reasons why you need more protein in your diet. There are so many different types of food, protein shakes, bars, powders these day. It’s hard to know which actually provide an adequate amount or quality of protein and which supplements are just sugar and fairy dust these days with the amount of health misinformation out numbering the actual health facts.

1. What Is Protein, and Why is It Important?

First, lets start with what protein is, and why it’s so important to get sufficient amounts of it in even if you are not a frequent visitor to the gym. The building blocks of muscle are protein and the building blocks of muscles are amino acids. They are used for many functions such as building/repairing body tissue/structures, synthesis of your hormones, and enzymes. There are two main classes of protein: essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body or can but in insufficient amounts. Non-essential amino acids are called non, due to the fact the body is able to manufacture them from dietary nitrogen as well as from fragments of carbohydrates and fats.

2. Not All Protein is Created Equal!

While most of you eat protein in almost every meal, not all protein is equal. What does that mean? There are two types of proteins: complete proteins and incomplete proteins. A complete protein is any food or dietary supplement that supplies all of the essential amino acids in the appropriate ratios. An incomplete protein on the other hand lacks in one or more of the essential amino acids the body requires. If one or more essential acids are missing or there is an inadequate amount at the time of digestion your body’s protein will be reduced.

Types of complete protein sources are: Whole egg, meat and poultry, fish, milk and milk products, quinoa, and whey protein. If you are a vegetarian or vegan there are a list food combinations you can eat together to ensure you are consuming all of the essential amino acids. These combinations are rice and beans, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, yogurt and granola, oatmeal with milk.

3. Why does cutting your caloric and carbohydrate intake actual hurt you more then help?

I’ve come to learn that most of us hurt our metabolism and weight loss programs more than help it when drastically reducing our carbohydrate and caloric intake in addition to increasing our activity levels. The reason for this is due to your body’s constant need for energy for our brain and nervous system. When cutting your calorie or carbohydrate intake too low, the body has no choice but to utilize your protein intake for immediate energy needs then using it for building muscle and other essential functions.

4. How much protein should you consume?

This is a component of peoples diet that most struggle with. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for sedentary adults is 0.4 grams per pound. According the Center for Disease Control, it’s recommended that 10–35% of your daily calories come from protein. These percentages vary depending on what your goals are. For instance, a strength athlete requires more muscle and in turn more protein to gain muscle mass while endurance athletes don’t require as much lean body mass, so the required amount of protein needed is less. No matter what the percentage amounts to at the end of the day, your protein numbers should fall within the recommended ranges below depending on the sources/types of protein, weight, and goals according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

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