The Healthy Bride

Some brides have a hard time getting started on their bridal fitness and weight loss programs.  There is really no better time in life to start down a path to fitness and health than now.  It’s a happy time, you are in transition, and you’re deciding who you will be as a married woman and couple.  Health is a gift, one both you and your fiance can decide to give each other – from this day forward.

Below are 12 steps to move you toward building a healthy lifestyle for the long term.

Step 1 – Admit you are powerless over your resistance to exercise – that your life is badly in need of a fitness make-over.

Step 2 – Come to believe that a power greater than your own “willpower” can restore you to activity.

Step 3 – Made a decision to turn your “willpower” over to the care of a well organized, balanced, realistic workout schedule.

Step 4 – Make a searching and fearless inventory of your obstacles, objections and resistances to exercise.

Step 5 – You are entirely ready to rely on the plan you have outlined that addresses and overcomes the issues you listed in step number 4.

Step 6 - Admit to yourself and to another human being that healthy eating and exercise is your path to a healthier future.

Step 7 – You have humbly resolved to start slow and build on your successes and you vow to believe that some activity is always better than none.

Step 8 – Make a list of all the diets and workout programs that have not worked for you over the long term, and vow not to go back to them.

Step 9 – Make a direct admission that diets do not work, and you will therefore embark upon a program of eating that includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats and you will eat in amounts that support your best health.

Step 10 – Continue to take personal inventory of your activity and eating programs and promptly correct what you find out of balance with your health goals.

Step 11 – Seek through planning, scheduling, support and forgiveness to improve your health through knowledge, awareness and the power to carry out your plan.

Step 12 – Having a healthy awakening as the result of these steps, you will carry this message to others offering your support and encouragement for their success.

If you need help organizing your 12 steps to bridal fitness bliss, give us a call, or send us an email. We are happy to help out!  It’s not too late to join our bridal bootcamp classes or our free 2010 Healthy Bride challenge.

According to Brides magazine, December is the most popular month to get engaged, which for most brides also means an engagement ring, which we all know leads directly to the wedding dress and wanting to feel fabulous on your wedding day!

Below are some other numbers related to engagements for some interesting reading:

85% Percentage of grooms propose with a ring
Average size of engagement diamond: 1.4 carats
Average cost of an engagement ring: $4,976
Most popular diamond shape: round (43%), princess cut (31%)
Most popular engagement ring settings: white gold (39%) and platinum
Avg. Engagement Time is 17 Months
Most (about 75%) first-time brides will receive a diamond engagement ring (67% of repeat brides)
Percentage of couples living together before marriage: 64%
Percentage of engaged couples who’ve known each other longer than 3 years: 69%

The luxury Fairmont Hotel Company did an informal survey of their guests regarding statistics on engagement rings and proposals and found that:

54% of the guests surveyed chose to drop on one knee when they proposed to their loved ones, and to help celebrate the engagement

59% made sure to have a favorite bottle of wine or champagne on hand.

45%, or most of those surveyed, dated one to three years before they decided to propose.

54% chose to pop the question locally, while the remainder chose to pop the question on a specially planned trip.

55% believe in love at first sight.

59% consulted with friends when planning the proposal, while 21% planned everything on their own.

54% were confident that their partner would answer with a resounding “yes,” while 46% were unsure.

Congratulations to all of the new brides this December!!

Time Magazine Monday, Jul. 06, 2009
First Comes Love, Then Comes Obesity?
By Bonnie Rochman

It’s full-on wedding season, but anyone about to pledge to have and to hold should pay closer attention to the bit about “in sickness and in health.” New research shows that within a few short years of getting hitched, married individuals are twice as likely to become obese as are people who are merely dating.

The study, published in the July issue of Obesity, set out to determine how romantic relationships affect the tell-no-lies number on the scale. Researchers tracked changes over a handful of years in the weight and relationship status of 6,949 individuals, and their findings don’t bode well for commitment. Not only are married people more likely to become obese than those who are just dating, but young people who move in with a boyfriend or girlfriend tend to pack on the pounds too. (See pictures of the busiest wedding day in history.)

And in a twist sure to tick off all the ladies in the house, the study notes that unmarried women who have been living with their sweeties for five years or less run a 63% increased risk of obesity. What about unmarried men? On average, they have no increased risk during cohabitation.

“With women, we saw incremental risk after one year,” says Penny Gordon-Larsen, one of the two nutrition epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) who conducted the study. “The longer she lived with a romantic partner, the more likely she was to keep putting on weight.” Meanwhile, the risk of obesity among guys — married and unmarried — spikes only between the first and second years of living together.

What’s behind the weight gain? Gordon-Larsen and the paper’s lead author, Natalie The, have their theories after questioning 1,293 couples for a separate part of the study. Mealtime may become more important than it was when the people were living alone. Gym memberships may not get the same workouts they did before nuptials. And maybe, after months of prepping to squeeze into crinolined and cummerbunded finery, couples just let themselves go.

Scientists have known for a while that having a close relationship with an obese person, whether a friend or a spouse, makes you more likely to become obese. So how to break the cycle? Perhaps by drawing inspiration from the same person who helped get you into this mess: your better half. Amy Gorin, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, published a study last year that showed if one spouse participates in a weight-loss program, the unenrolled spouse tends to lose about 5 lb. Now Gorin is exploring whether enlisting the support of spouses can help both partners shed more pounds. In June she wrapped up a 16-week pilot study of 20 couples, in one of which, the support person lost more weight than the main participant in the study.

Couples don’t have to live chubbily ever after. And studies show that marriage conveys some health benefits, like living longer and being more likely to quit smoking, notes UNC’s The, who lives with her boyfriend but insists her obesity findings haven’t scared her away from the idea of marriage. “This is an interesting paradox,” she says, “but it certainly wouldn’t stop me.”

The Happy Bride and Groom

Karen (Healthy Bride) and Sonia (Healthy Goddess)

This Monday, April 27^th at 6PM Angela Pifer, Certified Nutritionist with Nutrition Northwest will offer a 45 minute talk on the Three Principles of Healthy Eating. Straight talk on strategies you can use to improve your health and get ready for your special day.

We have just started our Vancouver Half Marathon Training Program, so now is the time to start talking about how to fuel up before, during and after those workouts.  The details below are from Angela Pifer, The Healthy Bride’s official nutritionist. 

How to Fuel Up for Your Workouts

To eat or not to eat before early morning workout is a question that is bounced around in many gyms
across America. Some people just don’t have time to eat in reasonable proximity to their workout, but
others deliberately go without food. One client told me she believed she’d burn more fat by exercising
on an empty stomach. Her reasoning was that if no food was available for fuel, her body would tap
into its fat reserves. As it turns out, if your goal is to maximize your workout and get (or maintain) a
lean body, eating, not starving, is your best strategy.

How Food Fuels You. Although your body burns some stored fat when you exercise, its main fuel is
carbohydrate that’s been stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen. When your glycogen
stores are depleted, your body will indeed tap more of its fat reserves, just as my client anticipated,
but at what price? Without readily available fuel, you’re not likely to feel too energetic. When you eat
before exercise, whether it’s a large meal several hours in advance or a small snack only minutes ahead
of time, you’ll have the extra energy you need for an effective workout.

Here’s the reason: Before carbohydrate is stored away in your muscles and liver as glycogen, it enters
your bloodstream in the form of glucose (also called blood sugar), a readily available source of energy
that helps perk you up when you’re feeling hungry and fatigued. If the glycogen stored in your muscles
and liver is low, your body can rely on glucose for fuel; if you already have a fair amount of stored
glycogen, your body will use the glucose as a secondary source of energy and spare the glycogen. This
means that you have two sources of fuel as opposed to one, so you’ll have more endurance.

Something else you should consider is that the muscles and liver can only store so much glycogen. It’s
important to “top off” your reserves fairly often, even if you haven’t been doing much. During a long
night’s sleep, the body depletes as much as 80 percent of the glycogen stored in the liver. This is why
eating a little something before you exercise in the morning can really help. Moreover, it doesn’t take
long to deplete stored glycogen during exercise; this process will speed up when it is warm outside.

Here are Some Guidelines that will Help you Fuel Up Around Your Workouts

Pre-Exercise Snack:

Very light fare, only “if needed,” like fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers or whole wheat bread. To
tell whether you might need a pre-workout snack or not, ask these questions:

Do I frequently run out of energy during exercise or my workout?
Do I have a quick metabolism…do I feel the need to eat small amounts of food often?
Do I often not eat enough food for my pre-workout meal? For example, a bowl of cold cereal
with milk at 10:00 won’t give you enough calories to sustain energy through your 1:00PM event.

Suggestions: 100% fruit juice, whole wheat bagel, bread or crackers, dried fruit, energy bar (Luna
or Lara), fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, rice cakes, raisin bread, small smoothie or yogurt. Here is a
snack list to help you pull together a healthy well balanced snack 75% carbohydrate: 25% protein (choose one from each column…the serving sizes listed are general guidelines and will change based on your individual caloric needs).

Carbohydrate List
1 piece fruit 
5-6 whole wheat crackers
1 whole wheat piece of bread/ toast
½ whole wheat pita
¼ C Go Lean Cereal
¼ C high fiber cereal
4-5 pcs dried fruit 1 cup raw vegetables )

Protein List:
2 Tsp nut butter
yogurt (cascade fresh nonfat w/ fruit)
1 svg nuts:9 almonds, 7 pecans, 3 walnuts, 1 macadamia
2-3 oz meat or tuna
1 egg (hardboiled)
1 oz cheese (harder cheese has less fat than soft)
2 T hummus
8 oz milk or soy milk, nonfat or light

Pre-Exercise or Event Meal Plate:
45% grains, breads, pasta, potatoes
5% nuts, cheese, butter, olive oil
35% vegetables and fruits
15% beans, fish, chicken, meat, eggs

What if I exercise first thing in the morning?

If you exercise first thing in the morning, then have your pre-exercise meal the night before, have
a healthy snack before you go to bed and then a snack in the morning. The morning snack is
essential here…eat as early as possible, without interfering with your sleep schedule. At least 30
minutes before your workout, preferably.

Post-Exercise Snack:

By eating here muscle glycogen is synthesized three times faster than if a snack is not eaten here.
This happens for two reasons. The first is that increased blood flow to the muscle cells brings more
nutrients to make glycogen and the second is that muscle cells are more sensitive to the
substances that transform nutrients into glycogen immediately after play.

Aim for a ratio of 75% complex carbohydrates: 25% lean protein. Suggestions: ½ turkey, chicken
or tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread or fruit, cheese and whole wheat crackers. Pita and
hummus, gram crackers and peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat, rice cakes
with spread, yogurt and fruit.

Hydration:

Are sports drinks necessary? No. You will get more nutrients by drinking water and eating an
apple. Hydration is incredibly important…the focus should be on water. Hydration is not about
being thirsty as much as it is about your body’s need to regulate its temperature, hydrate muscle
cells and remove waste. Carry at least 1 liter of water to each practice or event and make it a habit
of drinking consistently throughout the event. This will ensure you are well hydrated, ready to
perform and ready to recover. Suggestions: diluted juice (8 oz of water to 2 oz juice), seltzer or 100
% juice (sparingly).

Angela Pifer is a Certified Nutritionist, with a MS in nutrition from Bastyr University,
in private practice, specializing in food sensitivities, emotional eating, digestive
conditions, sports nutrition & weight loss. She founded Nutrition Northwest Co in
2005; the premier provider of sound nutrition and wellness advice in the Northwest
with offices in Seattle and Kirkland. Angela has a unique approach to helping her patients create new healthier habits: offering customized nutrition programs that inspire &
educate along with a high degree of support & accountability to help them become fit & fabulous
from the inside out. www.NutritionNorthwest.com Angela Pifer, CN 425-747-5282

And the winners are:  Nate and Beth!  Congratulations to both of them!

Nate and Beth won a His and Hers Gym Bag full of workout goodies from Lululemon along with a Personal Training Package from The Healthy Bride.  They also won a Honeymoon to anywhere they want to go (out of 600 locations world wide).  That and airfare to get there, Nate and Beth are pretty happy!

In second place were Johan and Alisha, third place Robyn and Kenny.

The Pike Place Fish Market was the last stop in the adventure race.

Many, many thanks to everyone who participated and made this a great event. 

Special thanks to Copacabana Cafe for being such gracious hosts!

Today is Valentine’s Day and the Grand Finale event of Battle of the Betrothed.  The Grand Event finishes at approximately 1pm at Pike Place Market.  Join us at Copacabana to see which lucky couple wins our Honeymoon and Healthy Bride Prize Package! 

See you there!

• Have Fun: You’re engaged, and in 12 months or less you’ll be a darling bride. Banish Bridezilla moments — schedule a few minutes of fun every day.
• Exercise: Gotta do it: at least three days per week, or four, if you want it to really show. You’ll be healthier and less stressed too!
• A-line or Strapless: Pick your dress style early and gear your workout to toning your body exactly for it. Make it easy, effective and convenient.
• Lifestyle: Take a look at your life and keep your “wants” balanced with your “needs.” If your list is out of whack, you will be, too.
• Time Management: One word: Delegate. What are mothers and friends for?
• Habits: Forget the bad, and just focus on the new — good nutrition, stress management and exercise. One great tip: Eight glasses of H20 daily and bonus points for adding a cup of green tea.
• You! It’s all about you, so make sure to take time for yourself.
• Buff: For arms your bridesmaids will envy, weight training must be part of your exercise program — at least twice a week.
• Rest: There’s no rest for the wicked, so get plenty of sleep on a regular schedule. Your skin will look better too!
• I deserve the best! From this day forward!
• Diet: The D word. Focus less on what you can’t eat and more on eating whole grains, plenty of fruits and veggies, calcium-rich foods and lean protein.
• Energy: If you follow these Tips, you’ll be brimming with endless energy, so you’ll stroll down the aisle with grace and style … and into married life with your Mr. Right!

Find us in the winter 2009 issue!  We are super excited!

New Beginnings

Start fresh with eight healthy habits to pick up before you walk down the aisle.

From:

You’re pretty much guaranteed instant wedding-day glow as soon as you spot your groom standing at the altar. But for clear skin, toned arms, and a vibrant smile, you’ll have to adjust your health and beauty routines several months before you walk down the aisle. The good news, though, is that you don’t have to adopt a radically different regimen; all you have to do is fine-tune your habits. “Your wedding is a great time to decide what kind of lifestyle you want to lead,” says Christi Masi, a personal trainer and author of The Healthy Bride Guide: Be Fit and Fabulous From This Day Forward. Here, Masi and her co-author help you develop a new M.O. to keep you looking and feeling great through your first anniversary — and your fiftieth!

You’ve sampled every skin product you could get your hands on, but you’ve never found anything that really works.
What your skin craves is commitment, but what you’re offering instead is a mixed message. Think twice the next time you toss out a new product after just a few days of using it. Not only are you doing your bank account a disservice, you’re also short-changing your skin. It takes at least one month for a product to truly start working, and constantly switching products or changing the frequency with which you use them can cause inflammation and breakouts. Visit a dermatologist at least six months before your wedding to figure out what your skin needs, recommends Doris Day, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Langone Medical Center. Then, be sure to stick with the products you’ve decided on. 

Bottom line: When it comes to skin care, be a creature of habit and stay loyal to tried-and-true products.

You diligently wash your hair every day, just as your mom taught you, but it’s still looking unhealthy.
Sudsing up once a day often does more harm than good: Shampoo can strip your hair of its natural oils. Not to mention that a daily shampooing often comes hand-in-hand with daily usage of styling products, which can further dry out your tresses. Try soaping up every other day instead, or every third day if your hair’s on the dry side. If you feel greasy on off-days, run a toner-soaked cotton ball over your roots, or try a dry shampoo that absorbs oil on your scalp and leaves your mane smelling fresh. If daily shampooing is an addiction you just can’t kick, look for products labeled “gentle” or “suitable for daily use.” 

Bottom line: For healthy hair, wash your tresses on an as-needed basis.

You go to bed at the same time every night. Why are you waking up exhausted in the mornings?
You’re halfway there: In addition to maintaining a consistent bedtime, the National Sleep Foundation also recommends you wake up at the same time every day — including Saturdays and Sundays. Catching up on Z’s over the weekend may be throwing you out of whack. When your body is in a regular sleep-wake cycle, you’re less likely to reach for junk food if hungry or bored. “Bodies need to rest and recharge, especially bridal bodies,” says Masi. 

Bottom line: Wake up at the same time every day. If you like to rest up on weekends, take the early hours slow: Read the paper or have a simple breakfast.

You’ve cut down to just one cup of coffee a day! You can’t do better than that, or can you?
Yes, you can. Limiting yourself to a single a.m. mug of java is good, but a cup of white tea — which has just a fraction of the caffeine found in coffee but can deliver a similar buzz — is even better. “Don’t rely on caffeine to get you through the day,” urges Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D., an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern. Recent studies have also shown that white tea has antiviral and antibacterial properties. 

Bottom line: Break up with Joe and make a date with white tea.

Your grocery list is becoming a laundry list of processed foods.
“If you can’t pronounce the words on the ingredients list, put it back on the shelf,” says Masi. Here’s what you should load your shopping cart with instead: For strong nails, teeth, and bones, buy calcium-rich dairy products and dark leafy greens. For glowing skin, stock up on dark-orange vegetables (like carrots and sweet potatoes), which are high in Vitamin A. Another good-skin basic is Vitamin C, which is easily available in fresh fruit. Last, don’t forget to buy fish, which has omega-3 fatty acids, a “healthy fat” that nourishes hair, skin, and nails. Just remember that the Environmental Protection Agency recommends avoiding shark, swordfish, and king mackerel (which have higher levels of mercury). On the safe list: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, and catfish. 

Bottom line: Skip the foods that come packaged in plastic and opt instead for vitamin-rich whole foods that work hard to help you look and feel great.

Your wedding is just a month away, and you decide to start running in an effort to get into shape.
While cardiovascular exercise — including running, speed walking, or using the elliptical trainer — will burn calories, you’ll need to do a little weightlifting to get toned muscles fast. Instead of following a cardio-only routine, Masi recommends brides mix two days of cardio with two days of strength training. (Gym-goers can download her free work-out podcasts from iTunes by searching for “healthy bride.”) bottom line: A combo of cardio and strength training will give you the most noticeable results.

You’ve broken your fast-food habit and now favor sports bars and diet shakes for quick meals.
Because these products are formulated to help you lower your calorie intake (and thus lose weight), they often come up short nutritionally. “They’re basically multivitamins”, says Sandon, “which is not a bad idea, but no vitamin in the world contains all of the nutrients you need to protect your health.” Besides, vitamins and minerals are best absorbed when they come from food sources. 

Bottom line: Sports bars and diet shakes are okay now and then, but you should base your diet on balanced meals.

Cutting out carbs has totally worked for you. You’ve lost weight, but you’ve also lost energy.
Low- or no-carb diets always work in the short run. Without its favored source of energy, the body has no choice but to deplete fat and muscles, which causes rapid weight loss. Because your body is working inefficiently, however (running on protein instead of carbohydrates), you’ll have less energy. You’ll also crave the “forbidden” foods. “Crash dieting leaves you feeling tired, irritable, and hungry,” says Sandon. 

Bottom line: The best diet? Eat less and eat well. Instead of eliminating all carbs, swap out processed carbohydrates (white sugar and white flour) for lean protein, fruits, and complex carbohydrates such as veggies and whole grains.