This book has been on my desk for over a year!  I think I was finally inspired to pick it after seeing so many older ladies take up Cross Fit, that I was just curious what this book was all about.   I know for a fact that we as women can be stronger, fitter and train smarter in our late 3o’s than we probably did in our early twenties.  There is just more knowledge out there- more successful methods have been shared with the world and what may have worked in the 80’s for training- is not as appropriate now.  We learn, we grow, we change- that’s life, right?

How many of you watched Dara win the gold in ‘08?   Anybody a big swim fan who’s followed her career since 1984?  I have not.  In fact, I barely knew of her before reading this book.

Dara Torres’ story is one of being a swimmer from age 6 on.   She competed in 2 Olympics by the time she was 24 (?), retired, made a comeback at age 32, retired, and then began training again when she was 38 or 39- with plans to compete at her fifth Olympics at age 41.  Age is just a Number follows her from the first Olympics to the last.

Honestly, this book didn’t do much for me.  The writing was horrible.  Her story didn’t inspire me.  It really felt like she could just up and do whatever she wanted when she wanted it.    Dara decides she’d like to make a comeback at age 32, and drops her entire life in New York, moves across the country and trains full time for a year- in order to qualify for the Olympics.  Sorry, but, who can just quit their life for another one at the drop of a hat?  How do you pay for such a huge life change?  And she does it twice.   “Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life” annoys me, actually, because yes she achieved high ranking swimming status but it does not talk about any hardships or difficulties or roadblocks at all.  She decides- therefore it gets done.   It’s not about how I can achieve my dreams at any stage nor does it offer any wisdom or guidelines on how I could just change my life in order to pursue XYZ, you know?!

That’s it.  It’s just my opinion, I’m sure all of you have one on this topic.  Women who inspire me include K. Switzer, Joan Benoit, Connie Carpenter and other women pioneers who carved their way into sports and made a name for themselves.  Who inspires you?

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One month ago, I posted that I would be starting the ZONE diet.  Even though I wasn’t overweight, I still felt like I could lose some body fat and in watching my Cross Fit trainers (you can read about them here), it looked like the right way to go about losing the fat.   Also, I had been having some dizzy spells at school while teaching and found that as soon as I went on the ZONE diet, that dizziness went away.

A little background on the ZONE:

The ZONE diet is not a high-protein diet.  At any one meal, you eat 3-4 ounces of protein and you are eating more carbohydrates than protein at any one meal.

Basically, the focus is on protein, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and no sugar.

“You will be protected from arthritis and osteoporosis.  Lowering insulin can alleviate tissue inflammation, because reduced insulin levels also mean reduced levels of the building blocks of pain- producing eicosanoids.  By decreasing these eicosanoids,  you relieve the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.  Essentially, the ZONE diet works in much the same way as aspirin: both control pain by controlling eicosanoids. (page 20 of Week in the ZONE)

PRODUCTS OF THE ZONE DIET, PART 1:

The ZONE Nutrition Bars:  These bars are an almost perfect combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats and would be considered a 2 block meal.   I found these to be an incredibly convenient snack in times when there was NO TIME for preparing real food.  I’ve tried several flavors and found the Sweet and Salty or the Cocoa Crisp to be the best tasting of all the bars.

The ZONE Nutrition Shakes: The shakes when mixed with milk provide a 3 block meal.  I’ve tried the chocolate and have loved them.  For me, I rely on these shakes when I’m in a rush in the morning or as a late afternoon meal.  Incredibly convenient, easy to make shakes for time starved people.

Here’s my opinion:

The hardest part of being on the ZONE diet (or any kind of diet) is the planning it requires.  To be successful, you need to plan all your meals and snacks ahead of time.  And, knowing the quantities to eat at any given meal.  The book says all you need is your eye and the palm of your hand- but I’d still prefer to use a measuring cup and a scale- but both take time.  The bars and shakes offered me time shortcuts for when I hadn’t planned my next meal.   One drawback of them is the price; they are expensive- both will run approximately $2.50 a piece.    However, I won’t hesitate to have them on hand- because I’d rather eat/drink these than have a non-zone meal.

My results thus far…ok, so, I forgot to take any measurements one month ago, but, if you saw this post, you know that I AM SHRINKING!!!!

Who has positive experiences of being on the ZONE diet?! Share, please.

P.S. I would like to thank the representatives of the ZONE diet for sending me these bars and shakes.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to try them.

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This is a good one!  Every single recipe is fresh, simple and looks delicious!  I have read the entire cookbook and with a few exceptions, I’d cook every recipe- even grilled swordfish.  For the vegetarian chili recipe, it calls for eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onions, corn, kidney beans, beer…My husband would not complain if I served this to him!  There is even some multicultural recipes with names I’ve never heard of like bahmi special or Nasi Goreng (Indonesian dishes) that look creative and interesting.  I also like that for 90% of the cookbook, you can find the ingredients in a regular grocery store.  Check out this interesting smoothie recipe!

Nutrition in a Glass:

1/2 dried dates

1/4 dried cranberries

1/2 boiling water + 2 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 slivered almonds

1 Tablespoon Flaxseed

1/4 minute oats

1 cup of Coconut Water

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.

Soak dates and cranberries in hot water with OJ for 5 minutes.  Blend the rest and add the fruit last.  Serve.

Although, I’ve spent the last few weeks reading this cookbook and not trying the recipes, this is definitely one you should have in your kitchen.  It’s creative, recipes would be a “crowd pleaser” and you’ll know just how healthy they are.

You can purchase this cookbook on Amazon for $19.77 and I highly recommend!

P.S. This cookbook was given to me for the purposes of review.

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One of my favorite things to read are cookbooks! I’m fascinated. Especially when it comes to vegan and or vegetarian cooking- being a non-vegetarian- but, always looking for ways to decrease our household budget, I’m very interested in incorporating some vegetarian dishes into our weekly menu. {Would also like to design ways to have a weekly menu that includes daily lunches that are quick, easy and in my hand when I hit the grocery store, ha ha ha…in the works for me}.

Tal’s book makes vegan eating look glamorous and delicious! Each recipe had at least three things in the title alone!! Pine-nut and basil seared gardein “chicken” with lobster mushroom beurre blanc, braised kale, and roasted fingerling potatoes; Or free-form ravioli with tofu ricotta and arugula pesto; or tempeh creole over brown rice. Those are just one each (which seems complicated to me) and yet, each could be considered a whole meal.

Yes, he has put Gardein products on the map for those of us non-vegetarian! Anybody tried these products yet? They look great, but, how do they taste? Would a big meat eater like my husband like it?

The simpler recipes are the ones I’m more inclined to try- such as agave-lime grilled tofu with asian slaw and mashed sweet potatoes or the split pea soup with tempeh bacon crumbles or even the celery root soup with granny smith apples. Although, for me, most of these recipes require ingredients that I don’t have on hand normally- like different types of seaweed or whole black peppercorns or Earth Balance. Trying new recipes is about hunting for new ingredients though, isn’t it?

So, would I recommend it?

I bet these recipes and meals would taste awesome- but, the work involved will be lengthy. This is a gourmet cookbook for those of you with the time and patience to work on cooking vegan meals. I found this cookbook to be a “holy grail” of sorts for vegan cooking- not really for the work full time, mother who likes to whip dinner together in 30 minutes or less!

You can see him on Amazon preparing the “chicken” scallapini here. He makes it look really easy, but, this kind of work I’d save for really special guests!!!

P.S.  I received this book for purposes of review!

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How many of you are tired of hearing about how you can lose 2 dress sizes in 2 weeks? Believe the crap about eating cereal twice a day will help you lose weight? Eating this or that will bring the changes you want to see in your body? Or how about lifting weights? Interval work, blah blah blah…You’ve heard it all before and so have I. I’ve also tried many of the current fitness rages and blogged about them here. I’m here to tell you that I’ve thrown all those damn rules out the door!

Kettlebell swing, kettlebell squats, one arm leg lunges, abdominal work with a kettlebell; all been done here.

Marathoning. Check.

Bike Racing. Check.

Basic Weight Training on the Shawn Phillips philosophy. Check.

David Kirsh’s methods of training via his book (2 weeks to Ultimate Body). Ok, book read, exercises tried, but did not follow plan.

Interval work on bike or feet. Check.

People, I could send you links to evidence to all of the above posts. In the last two years, I’ve tried MANY MANY methods in which to stay fit and healthy and lose body fat. At this point, finally, my youngest is 3 and 1/2 and my weight is lighter than I’ve ever been in my life. My food is fairly intuitive in that I eat a green smoothie, a salad, mostly fish diet, that includes dark chocolate, lots of NUMI tea, occasional beers and sometimes, crap. But, for the most part, I am leaner and lighter than I’ve ever been in my life.

Guess what?!

I AM NOT LIFTING WEIGHTS. AT ALL. That 35 pound kettlebell is sitting in my garage collecting dust. My stability ball is my desk chair. The elastic bands are used as jump ropes for my kids. The weight bench is used for all kinds of imaginary adventures for the boys but I’ve not lifted, pulled or flexed on that thing in almost a year.

Honestly, I still do something physical daily. But, the fact of the matter is that I am not specifically training with any particular plan. I simply run or do yoga. Once a week, I will do Graeme’s CORE AB-Blaster DVD that takes 14 minutes. That sounds simple enough right? The thing with the yoga is that it has made me stronger and leaner than I ever got lifting weights. When I was lifting weights 3 times a week, I was QUADZILLA!! Biggest legs of a girl you’ve ever seen, really. Take one yoga pose like Warrior 2. Hold it for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Feel the burn. Where do you feel it first? If it’s done correctly, you will feel it everywhere!! Take any yoga pose and hold it for even 5 breathes and you get tired. Because it is working your entire body at once!

Learning yoga has been the best gift I ever could have gotten for my body, for my mental health and for my sports. When people ask me about their various running related injuries, I send them to yoga.

It can only benefit you.

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How many of you have a Trader Joe’s near you? How many of you use that store as your first choice for groceries? This is basically my store of choice -most of the time. The three things I love most about my Trader joes is- their Hummus, their ready made salads, and their PRICE. I’d say it’s usually twenty to fifty cents cheaper than your standard grocery store. So, when offered the chance to review a cookbook with all things Trader Joe’s, that was an easy, YES.

This cookbook is a must if you shop at Trader Joe’s! Each recipe has only 4-8 ingredients- it’s easy to prepare and fast. It was designed for us busy moms who need shortcuts for healthy dinners! Yes. Some of the recipes are based on the ready made products that they sell in the store- such as Seafood Soiree- which is basically a bag of frozen Cioppino Seafood Stew. But, most, are recipes for quick, healthy meals. I would love to try Dairy-Free Creamy Cashew Smoothie! Ingredients include banana, frozen tropical fruit, almond milk, cashew butter, 2 very soft dates. That sounds delicious. The book is broken down into your usual categories of appetizers, main meals, side dishes, drinks, breakfast, bachelor quickies and deserts. There are a few designated vegetarian recipes- but many could be substituted with tofu or tempeh.

So, if you’re a Trader Joe’s shopper and looking for quick, easy meals, this is a good buy! It’s $20 on Amazon.

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Here’s what’s on my nightstand (not read):

Molokai

Food Matters

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar

Dorothea Benton Frank

Here’s the suggestions I got via Twitter and Facebook:

Still Alice

Janet Evanovich

US Weekly for smut

What is your favorite book for some light (or not) summer reading?

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David Kirsch answers my questions!

After my recent review of his book, The Ultimate Total Body Makeover, I was left with lots of questions on how to use his plan in a more reasonable way- I’m not one to promote a 2 week fat loss program ever- however, his workout plan is really creative. We all know I like to have strong muscles and will lift as heavy as I have in my garage (at the moment that means a 35 pound k-bell or 20 pound hand weights). But, I know some of you don’t want to lift heavy- you’d rather have a toned, yoga like body and his plans are more designed for you. So, here are his answers.

Q Which celebrity do you think really works their butts off and wants a lean body for themselves and not for the media?

A While the initial motivation may be media-driven, I truly believe that all of the celebrity clients that I have worked with consider their transformation an honoring process. We focus on achieving their wellness from the inside out. And in turn, they have strength, confidence and beauty that they never had before.

Q Do you train with kettlebells and if so what’s your favorite exercise to do with them?

A I love doing Plie Toe Squats and Assymetric Lunges with Kettle Bells

Q l love all your stability ball exercises that I have posted in my garage-
but I don’t have time to do them all in one session and I don’t think most
moms do either. What do you think is the best way to burn fat for those of
us who have a GRAND total of 45 minutes to exercise?

A You need to engage in intense and continuous movement. A combination of cardio with light weights is best. Attached is an example of a 20-minute fat-burning cardio + cardiosculpting workout from my book, The Ultimate New York Body Plan. This would be a great circuit to do twice leaving you a few minutes to stretch. All you need is a pair of dumbbells, a medicine ball and a jump rope (optional).

And, do you have any questions for David? Also, he sent me a workout that I’d be happy to email to any of you. Please email me at fitnessformommies (at) gmail (dot) com.

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How many of you remember this article in Outside Magazine (Oct.99)?

Putting the pieces together (FOR ME & YOU:)

Davis Phinney, Professional Cyclist (what a hunk!!) has a sister named Alice who was one of Jennifer’s first climbing friends! {And, I’ve ridden with him!!} Alice taught Jennifer how to ice climb. Amazing.

In 1999, I devoured this article (and am still fascinated by the mystery). How did George Mallory and Andrew Irvine die? Did they actually summit Mt. Everest or not? Conrad Anker was one of the climbers who discovered Mallory almost completely preserved on Mt. Everest. Jennifer eventually finds love and marriage with Conrad Anker who was Alex’s best climbing partner.

Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, was a good friend of Jennifer’s and together they have formed the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation.

BOOK REVIEW:

Ok, so now you have some points of reference, I’d like to share my thoughts about the book. I read a review of it in Women’s Adventure Magazine and knew that if they loved it, then I’d like it. Alex Lowe considered one of the best mountain climbers ever (read tribute article here). Forget Me Knot traces the lives of Alex and Jennifer from the time they meet in 1980 until 1999 when he dies. From the beginning, you know he’s going to die in an avalanche but what you find out through detailed letters, notes and events, is of how their lives fit together. Personally, at times I felt like I was watching a train wreck happen. Alex was an obsessive compulsive athlete who’s main goal in life was to climb. Period. Jennifer climbed with him for a number of years, but, grew tired of it. Eventually, she was able to turn him loose to his love of climbing (FIRST) and to her (SECOND). In her credit, she was also passionate, independent and created a life of her own as an artist. By the end of their 18 years together, she had made three kids with him. Alex was gone six months a year leading a life of climbing and guiding for North Face and she offers a real life glimpse of being married to someone who’s love of climbing (and possibly risking his life) at times seemed more important than her and their three boys.

From someone (me) who’s married to a cyclist, I understand my husbands need to ride on Sundays. And I can accept that 2-3 Sundays a month (spring and summer) he will be racing his bike. There are times when I resent it- he is out having fun and I am here caring for the children, but, he is MUCH happier when he comes back. He’s a better daddy when he had his saddle time. However, I depend on him heavily to come home at night and be there to tuck the kids in every single night. So, when I read of Jennifer having three boys with a man who’s gone 50% of the year, I have to question it. At times, I felt like maybe she glossed over the difficulties of her daily life with THREE boys and raising them alone. Perhaps the focus was more on Alex’s climbing career than her-but, I was more interested in her and how she managed to raise those guys by herself.

It is a love story. It’s a story of how they were able to love each other while each pursuing their dreams of either being an artist or a professional athlete. It’s incredibly well-written and interesting from the first page. Both Jennifer and Alex have a gift of writing which I thoroughly enjoyed.

How far would you go to follow your dreams?

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My fascination with Kettlebell’s continues with this book by Pavel Tsatsouline. In fact, I’m ready for a 35 pound (funnily referred to as a “1-pood” in the book) Kettlebell! (hurry up tax return!) The exercises that I am currently using it for include the 2 arm swing, the 1 arm swing, squats, side squats, and lateral lunges. I found this book on Amazon for $23 and I am so glad I bought it. Not only is Pavel funny- he’s blunt about what kettlebells can do for you. But there is a step by step guide to the proper technique for each and every exercise that he recommends for women (like 4 pages per exercise!!)

Love this quote: “Shed cellulite, get a hard butt, and enjoy the cardio workout of a lifetime with the SNATCH!” What I’m finding with the k-bell is that I can jack my heart rate to 170 just by swinging it around! For me, the options to build muscular strength and get a heart busting cardio workout in a short amount of time is really WHY I LOVE IT. I believe once you master the basics, you can totally design your own workout.

Pavel’s philosophy about lifting is completely opposite of what every personal trainer has ever told me or that I’ve read. He believes in “greasing the groove”. That is you work out 6 days a week but you alternate your hard and easy days- but he does NOT believe that you can’t work the same muscle on back to back days. He is from Russia and uses lots of Russian analogies about how the successful weight lifters and gymnasts worked the same muscles day in and day out. The difference is that on Monday you do two sets of your repetition maximum and on Tuesday you do two sets of half that number. Honestly, this sits well with me. I’m happier if I do something almost daily- I just don’t go hard everyday. And kettlebells are fun to play around with and on the easy days– it’s fun to experiment with the harder techniques so that I can go hard when it’s TIME.

The Plan:

It is very well thought out and easy to follow. I also like that he starts you off on week 1 with 2 exercises to do. Box Squats and Power Breathing daily. Week 2, he adds one exercise; the one -legged deadlift. Week 3, there is nothing new added except the number of sets or repetitions changes. And, week 4 is a “rest week” and the workouts are scaled back to Box Squats and Angled Power Breathing Crunches. From week 5-8, things get noticeably harder. But, there is still only 4 exercises to do!

As for the food?

He says “yours truly does not have the knowledge to write on the subject!” And, he says as long as you follow a reasonable diet, you will lose plenty of fat! For added testimony, he interviewed the two women who are featured in the book D.C. and Andrea. Andrea (dark haired model) takes a bazillian supplements and focuses on protein and a healthy dinner. D.C. on the other hand offers her advice from the perspective of the mother who is always carrying a 10 pound load in a 5 pound bag. She works out HARD 2-3 times a week and is cut like a body builder and she says nothing about her diet!

I highly recommend this book. His no nonsense approach is hilarious. He doesn’t make any crazy statements like eating 2 egg whites for breakfast and a protein shake for dinner. The plan is simple and it’s very achievable for a woman to start a program with just one kettlebell. In fact, it’s taken me weeks to read and reread/highlight.  I love the detailed descriptions of each exercise. Man or woman, this book will take you where you want to go- low body fat, fast effective workouts, ability for TONS of choices..the list goes on and on…

On a side note:

There are two types of kettlebells- the kind GO FIT makes and the REAL THING offered by Russian Dragon Door. The difference is in the slick handle that the Russian Dragon Door bells have. They are a little more expensive which is why I don’t have one (yet). The problem with my Go Fit bell is that it has a rough handle that is causing some ugly blister like calluses on my hands. But, for $30 to start, I’m okay with that!

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