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VIETNAMESE SHRIMP SALAD WITH MINT-CHILI DRESSING

June 21st, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon raw honey
1/8 teaspoon chili paste

Salad
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
6 cups romaine or butter lettuce, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts or julienned zucchini
2 Persian cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber), diced or thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julienned or grated
1 red Thai bird’s-eye chili or red finger chili, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raw unsalted peanuts, toasted

Directions

For the dressing:
In a blender or food processor, purée dressing ingredients until smooth. For a chunkier texture, mince the garlic, chop the mint and whisk all ingredients together. Set aside.

For the salad:
Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet set over medium heat. Add shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, turning halfway, until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 4 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers, carrot, chili, and peanuts. Top with shrimp and drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.
Serves 6

Health Talk with Dr. Ginger, Wednesday, June 20th @7 pm

June 6th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

“Your body, if given the proper tools, can heal itself from disease”.

Ginger Southall, D.C., known as, “Dr. Ginger” (@thedrginger) is a board-certified chiropractor that specializes in preventing and reversing disease through mind-body techniques, super-nutrition, detoxification, and other natural methods. Dr. Ginger is an internationally recognized author and expert on natural healing, nutrition, and fitness and has appeared on radio and television shows, including The Sam Sorbo Show, RadioMd, Fox News, and The Dr. Oz Show, among others.

Plan to join this rare opportunity to listen and learn from Dr Ginger. Presented by DBM Strength Training and FIT BY STRENGTH.

 

 

 

Strength-Training Can Help Older Women With Aging

June 4th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

Researchers from the University of Buffalo looked at 46 women across two different age ranges, 60-74 and 75-90, to learn how physical activity affects frailty differently in the two groups. Researchers found that there was a larger difference between the two groups in terms of muscle strength and endurance among those who were very physically active. The study found that older women who engage in a high level of daily physical activity may be able to reverse certain markers of aging, such as slow walking and decreased function.

Resistance training, in particular, can preserve muscle strength and endurance, if started at a younger age.  It appears that committing to regular exercise is not yet a standard part of older women’s lifestyles and is instead a reactive behavior to, for example, falls or illness.

Many women said they stay active by doing light housekeeping or light gardening, and while that is better than nothing, it may not be enough to counteract the effects of aging on the body.

“But for women over the age of 75, muscle strength and endurance declines. 
Starting resistance exercise when they are young and continuing it is important so
that when they reach a very advanced age they have already
built up their strength and endurance reserves,”

The researchers advise women to walk more and consult a physical therapist or trainer to learn about exercises that will build muscle strength and endurance.

Let’s Talk About Pastured Chicken

June 4th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

Factory-raised animals are given growth hormones, genetically modified diets, antibiotics, and more harmful chemicals. With no real way of tracking it, you’re ingesting everything they are. Their diet is your diet. There’s also the quality of life and welfare of the animals that need to be considered. Crowded cages are cruel.

It’s easier to hold your food producers accountable for what their animals eat and their quality of life when you’re buying from small, local farmers. Don’t be fooled by the “Natural” label that big grocery stores are using as of late.  It means nothing and should be a red flag as opposed to a reassurance. Eat meat for to keep your protein intake up and make sure it’s healthy, pasture-raised meat, from a farmer you can trust.

Courtesy of  Doorganics

Buttery Broccoli and Spinach with Fried Eggs

May 22nd, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces broccoli (11⁄4 cups), stems peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds, florets cut into bite-size pieces
  • 11⁄2 tablespoons Ghee
  • 1⁄2 yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted, grass-fed butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into slices

Step 1
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of filtered water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli. Use a spatula to keep the broccoli submerged in the water and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a plate.

Step 2
In a large sauté pan, warm the ghee over medium-high heat until melted. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and the cooked broccoli and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the salt and the pepper on top and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Step 3
In an 8-inch skillet, warm the butter over medium heat until foaming. Carefully crack an egg into each quadrant of the pan and cook until the egg whites are fully set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. (For over-easy eggs, use a metal spatula to gently flip each egg and cook for 1 minute.)

Step 4
Divide the vegetable mixture among 4 plates, and top each portion with an egg. Garnish with the avocado slices, dividing them evenly, and serve.

By Mark Hyman, MD

Grilled Salmon with Cucumber Salad

May 22nd, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

This meal makes a great weekend brunch dish because the dill and the caraway are so refreshing and uplifting.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon, plus a pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • Four 6-ounce boneless, skin-on wild salmon fillets
  • 5½ ounces baby arugula
  • 1 Belgian endive, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon almond oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions

  1. Combine the vinegar, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat. Let stand, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the salmon.
  2. Heat a well-seasoned stovetop grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the flesh side of the salmon fillets with 1⁄4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Place the fillets, skin-side up, in the pan and cook until the flesh releases easily from the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until the salmon is just opaque throughout about 4 more minutes.
  3. While the salmon cooks, toss the arugula, endive, dill, and oil with the cucumber mixture.
  4. Divide the salad among four plates. Top each with a salmon fillet and garnish with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill. Serve immediately.

By Mark Hyman, MD

Student Athletes Prevent Injuries and Optimize Performance

May 22nd, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

High school athletes can be an inspiring bunch to work with. Enthusiastic and driven, many adolescent sportsmen and women give their all in the court, track, field, and pool in pursuit of victory. It’s a shame that many of them get stopped short by a fundamental lack of strength. But as anyone who’s played high school sports can attest, coaches often overlook strength training in favor of more straightforward drills.

When coaches leave strength training out of the schedule, athletes pay the price. Many high school athletes join teams with little to no strength. Some may be quicker or more agile than others, but their prowess proves temporary and fades quickly after the first half of a 3-month season. Injuries are common among those left to rely on inborn talent and effort: without the buildup of relevant muscle groups, they quickly succumb to shin splints, tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, and a number of other common ailments. Many a future star has fallen after a few seasons of such frustration.

That’s where strength training comes in. One of its central goals is to reduce the risk of injury. In high school students, strength training is often necessary to target muscle groups that need to do their share in supporting proper form. This is as true of cross-country runners as it is of basketball players.

Young athletes are unique because unlike professionals, they are still growing. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that they gain strength – within one academic year, their bodies can easily be asked to suddenly accommodate an inch or more in new height. The fact that strength training aids in bone density is often overlooked in this context. Studies have shown improvements in bone density after several months of strength training, which is why it’s one of the best protectors against osteoporosis in aging adults, and injury in children.

Of course, strength training isn’t just about injury prevention: it optimizes performance. Studies have consistently shown that both endurance athletes and their high-intensity counterparts do better if strength training is mixed in with their normal routine. Improved strength allows athletes to employ proper form, to explode down the court, field, and pool, and to enlist key muscle groups from around the body in executing a dynamic movement.

Courtesy of www.vertimax.com

Why Mom’s need strength training

May 16th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

In owning a personal training studio I am often confronted with a Mom trying to find time and energy to get back in pre-baby shape. Walking, jogging, spin class, yoga maybe even some boot camp interval type classes are the standard go to’s they try.

The second common scenario is Moms that did not get back to their younger body and thinking they need to be realistic that their pre-baby body is gone forever. They simply can’t keep up the cardio and can’t always eat like a bird because they need energy, as well as help, relaxing and ‘keying down’.

Enter the best, yet most unknown solution – once a week weight training. What Mom has lost isn’t her figure but her muscle. She may have put on some fat but that is for feeding the child. The reason the fat doesn’t come off well is cardio won’t do it. Lost muscle from a changed hormone profile has reduced her metabolic rate. She has become the best fat storage machine on the planet.

The side effects are:

– lowered overall energy

– change of body shape

– the beginning of osteoporosis

– disrupted sleep

– back and joint pain

The crazy fact is Mom’s who have stuck to once a week strength training find the bulk of the side effects listed are staved off almost entirely! Even Mom’s who are relatively young and don’t immediately notice big changes in their body see them crop up big time in their 40’s. Again they chalk it up to their lot in life and slowly lose the cardio battle of the bulge and ‘sag’ wins out.

What we have witnessed over the years is those Mom’s and mom to be’s’ who retain once a week strength training do not face these supposed aging issues and in fact often improve their overall body fitness over the years. This because women, as opposed to men, already deal with having less lean mass. Working on the muscle they have in their 30’s pays huge dividends later in life.

The number of drugs and semi-helpful holistic remedies being prescribed to Mom’s is in the billions of dollars…all of which can be almost completely replaced by a simple solution. It is time the fitness and wellness industry stop feeding into the combination of an anxious and overtired mentality of a Mom with sales of symptom masking band-aids.

BY WEFIT.CA 

SPICY SHRIMP RECIPE

May 14th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta
Ingredients
  • 1 lb shrimp, cleaned
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
  • 1 juice of a lime
  • ½ tsp parsley
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat skillet on medium with coconut oil
  2. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeno and cook for 4 min
  3. Add red pepper flakes and parsley and continue to cook for 4 min
  4. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 min
  5. Add shrimp, lime, salt, and pepper and cook for another 3-4 min
  6. Serve with cilantro and Enjoy!

Why Weight Training Is Ridiculously Good For You

May 14th, 2018 by Debbie Martilotta

“Sound familiar? It should if you have been paying attention in the studio. This is why we do what we do! And if you aren’t doing it, you should get in touch with me!” DBM

For many, weight training calls to mind bodybuilders pumping iron in pursuit of beefy biceps and bulging pecs. But experts say it’s well past time to discard those antiquated notions of what resistance training can do for your physique and health.

Modern exercise science shows that working with weights
—whether that weight is a light dumbbell or your own body—
maybe the best exercise for lifelong physical function and fitness.

“To me, resistance training is the most important form of training for overall health and wellness,” says Brad Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science at New York City’s Lehman College. During the past decade, Schoenfeld has published more than 30 academic papers on every aspect of resistance training—from the biomechanics of the push-up to the body’s nutrient needs following a hard lift. Many people think of weight training as the exercise that augments muscle size and strength, which is certainly true. But Schoenfeld says the “load” that this form of training puts on bones and their supporting muscles, tendons, and ligaments is probably a bigger deal when it comes to health and physical function.

“We talk about bone resorption, which is a decrease in bone tissue over time,” he says. When you’re young, bone resorption is balanced and in some cases exceeded by new bone tissue generation. But later in life, bone tissue losses accelerate and outpace the creation of new bone. That acceleration is especially pronounced among people who are sedentary and women who have reached or passed menopause, Schoenfeld says. This loss of bone tissue leads to the weakness and postural problems that plague many older adults.

“Resistance training counteracts all those bone losses and postural deficits,” he says. Through a process known as bone remodeling, strength training stimulates the development of bone osteoblasts: cells that build bones back up. While you can achieve some of these bone benefits through aerobic exercise, especially in your lower body, resistance training is really the best way to maintain and enhance total-body bone strength.

One study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that twice-weekly training sessions helped to control insulin swings (and body weight) among older men with type-2 diabetes. “Muscle is very metabolically active, and it uses glucose, or blood sugar, for energy,” says Mark Peterson, an assistant professor of physical medicine at the University of Michigan.

During a bout of resistance training, your muscles are rapidly using glucose, and this energy consumption continues even after you’ve finished exercising, Peterson says. For anyone at risk for metabolic conditions—type-2 diabetes, but also high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and other symptoms of metabolic syndrome—strength training is among the most effective remedies, he says.

Strength training also seems to be a potent antidote to inflammation, a major risk factor for heart disease and other conditions.

Lifting “almost to failure”—or until your muscles are near the point of giving out
is the real key, regardless of how much weight you’re using.

If all that isn’t convincing enough to turn you onto weights, perhaps this is: maintaining strength later in life “seems to be one of the best predictors of survival,” says Peterson. “When we add strength…almost every health outcome improves.”

by MARKHAM HEID