5 secrets you must always remember

Hey Friend

Happy Thursday,


This memorial weekend was amazing. Three full days to relax, enjoy the sun and spend time with those who we love.



Even during long weekends like this one I still keep my nutrition on track, eating balanced meals that provide me with all the macro and micro nutrients my body needs.



Last week I was talking to a client who was asking me about how to brake from a "plateau". You see, most people think that hitting a plateau is normal and that once your body reached a certain point, it can't improve anymore.



This is a very inaccurate statement, and it generalizes the process of body transformation to some personal experiences that may be the exception, not the norm. Through working for years with people just like you, I have learned that your body can change as much as “YOU WANT  IT TO.” Yes, it is that simple, as long as you have the determination and desire for it.


So how do you brake form a “PLATEAU,”??? by changing your actions. You cannot look ripped, lean, and toned unless you get out of your comfort zone. It is your comfort zone that makes you get to that point. In order to beat it, you need to restart your body, shock it, confuse your muscle, change your routine and eating habits, and break old molds.


So whats the solution? Start changing what you are doing, and start implementing positive changes that will bring your body to the wake up call it needs to re kick your metabolism.



I will give you 5 nutrition/lifestyle secrets that I use often to stay on track and always improve my metabolic status:



1) Start the day with a healthy nutritious breakfast. My favorite choice is a Chocolate flavor Whey Protein shake  mixed with water (I have about 40 grams, most females should aim for 20 grams), 6-8 oz of oatmeal (plain flavor, nothing on it), 1/2 handful of almonds (unsalted).

2) Drink plenty of water everyday. NO MORE juice, soda, etc... water, water, water is all you should be drinking  (coffee in the morning is ok)

3) Prepare ALL of your meals in advance. Never leave your house without your home-cokoke food. Preferably 5-6 meals (measured in small quantities, 6-7oz each). Eat frequently, every 3-4hours. This will help with the urge to eat bad snacks during the day.


 

4) Have someone who you report to. This can be your spouse, friend, coworker or even better a TRAINER. Make sure this person understands what your goals are. Or at east try to keep a food journal you can share with your trainer.

5) Change your routine, if you are used to doing the same amount of weight, or the same amount of cardio with the same days off...switch it up. Try less cardio one week, more weight training another, or even go HARD for a few days in a row and then take two days off to rest and recover for a change.

I hope you find these tips helpful, and motivate you for the rest of this week and upcoming weekend :)


Let me know if you have any question about this, I will be happy to help you reach your goals.


Eat Clean, Train Mean, and Live Lean...


Your Coach,

JP
(954) 543-2119

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Protein Pancakes... One of my diet SECRETS!

Hi Friend,

How was your weekend?

I hope your answer is “AAAAAWESOME…” because mine was. I finally got some free time to go to the pool and enjoy the beautiful weather of Miami.

The reason why I’m writing to you today Tuesday, is because last Friday I was talking to a client who has been training with us for over a year and she asked me what do my meals look like. She wanted to know how do I eat on a daily basis with such a hectic schedule and still keep a lean body.

So from now on I will be sharing with you, on weekly basis, some of my own personal secrets, routines and recipes to help you get toned, defined and leaner than ever.

One of my secret recipes and almost daily mid afternoon snack (always accompanied with coffee… yes, I’m a big coffee fan) are my “protein pancakes”

Recipe:

-          10 organic egg whites

-          2 organic whole eggs

-          2 large bananas

-          2 packages of truvia

-          2 ½ cups of raw oat (oatmeal)

-          EXTRA: I like to add 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder

Instructions:

1) Place oats in blender on high until it becomes flour.

2) add egg whites and whole eggs

3) add bananas, truvia and protein powder

4) the consistency of the mix should be pretty thick

 

Turn kitchen burner on “medium” and heat up pan. Apply PAM Spray "cold press olive oil" (You can get it at wholefoods) on pan so the mix does not stick.

Pour the mix on the pan. I make my pancakes of about 3-4 inches in diameter. Leave 2-3 minutes on each side but check constantly so they don’t burn.

NOTE: Sometimes I add walnuts, blueberries or any other topping I want. I do this while one side is cooking, before I flip them.

This is a great and easy recipe. I usually get about 20 pancakes which last me a week. 2-3 pancakes provide you with enough nutrients to substitute a meal.

 

I hope you enjoy this new series of emails I will be sending to you every week and if you have any questions, concers or ideas about any topic you would like me to write about, that’s what I’m here for. Just shoot me an email and who knows, your question could be the topic of my next email.

Best,

JP Montanari

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How junk food can affect your kids‏

Quick question for you...

Do you eat junk food at all during the week? If you're like most people, you probably do, even if it's a small amount.

That's why you might be surprised at what you'll discover in today's article...

Yet Another Good Reason To Steer Clear Of Junk Food

You already know “junk” food isn’t good for you or your well-being.

It’s calorie density, doesn’t deliver the kind of nutrition your body needs, and in excess it can wreak havoc on your health.

But if that’s not a good reason enough to stay clear of the stuff, here’s a recent study that gives us one more…

Published in the March 2013 edition of The FASEB Journal, this study looked at what might happen when pregnant mothers eat junk food.

To come to their conclusions, the researchers studied the pups of two groups of rats. The mothers of the first group were fed a regular, healthy diet throughout their pregnancy. The second group of moms was fed a wide range of human “junk” foods, also during their pregnancy.

Once both groups of pups stopped nursing, researchers gave them daily injections of opioid receptor blockers. Simply put, these blockers help prevent the brain from releasing dopamine – the “feel good” hormone that comes as a result of doing or consuming anything pleasurable (think: eating a big Thanksgiving meal, having a glass of wine, eating a piece of chocolate, receiving a loving hug, etc.).

Giving the pups these injections gave researchers a good way to “level” the playing field when it came to comparing both groups of pups. As it turned out, despite the daily injections, the first group of pups (the ones whose moms ate a healthy diet during pregnancy) ate less total fat and sugar.

This is due to the fact that their brains received the “feel good” signal fairly soon, so they didn’t have to eat a lot to get pleasure from it.

The second group of pups however (the ones whose moms were fed “junk” food) still ate more fat and sugar than the first group – even with the daily injections.

Because these pups’ moms had eaten junk food while pregnant, their brains were already desensitized to the pleasure gained from eating fatty and sugary foods. Put more bluntly, the second group of pups were already junk food addicts, from birth! [1]

Think of it this way: It’s like when you try coffee or any other kind of caffeine-containing beverage for the first time. At first, even just a little gives you quite a “buzz.”

But as soon as you turn it into a daily habit, it’s going to take MORE caffeine for you to get anything remotely close to that first “buzz” you experienced. That’s because over time – just like the “junk food” pups – your receptors become desensitized over time.

That's why the results of this study are so significant - if you’re a pregnant mother, you should watch what you eat!

It really CAN affect your children.

Gerald Weissmann, M.D. – the Editor-In-Chief of The FASEB Journal, said it best: "This study shows that addiction to junk food is true addiction. Junk food engages the same body chemistry as opium, morphine or heroin. Sad to say, junk food during pregnancy turns the kids into junk food junkies." [1]

Instead of being a junk food “junkie” or risk turning your kids into junk food “junkies,” develop an overall healthy lifestyle. Learn to love to cook simple, easy-to-cook, delicious meals. Make eating nutritious, all-natural foods a priority.

Incidentally, this is also the best way to get your kids to eat healthy.

According to a recent Michigan State University study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the most effective way to making eating healthy a habit in your children is to do it yourself and lead by example. [2] Sharon Hoerr, one of the authors of the study states:

"Mothers should stop forcing or restricting their kids' eating… They'd be better off providing a healthy food environment, adopting balanced eating habits themselves and covertly controlling their children's diet quality by not bringing less healthy foods into the house."

So there you have it - yet ANOTHER reason not to eat junk food. It can turn your kids into junk food addicts. And if you yourself are a junk food addict, do what you can to wean yourself off.

Little by little, start eating less junk and more unprocessed, "good" foods. Do that, and before you know it, you'll have kicked the habit and your health and those around you will be better for it!

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