Thanks to The Jets Blog.com for posting our video of Hayden Smith’s Combine testing, our video has gotten over 2,500 views in the past couple of days. He is one of the Jets newest players and at 6’7″ 260, Hayden ran a 4.72 40 yard dash, 1.5 10 yard split, and a 4.31 pro-agility.
Getting injured is an active person’s worst nightmare. Maybe you have experienced it first hand or at least know someone that has been injured. I think we can all agree that it something that none of us want to go through.
When I work with clients that have had an injury, serious or minor, I see one of two things: They either push themselves too far to where they know they shouldn’t have (i.e. running a race two days after pulling something at the gym). Or, their body wasn’t nourished enough with the right foods to help it heal quickly or function optimally.
The good news is there is plenty we all can do to prevent these situations. And if prevention is after the fact, then at least we can take care of our bodies well enough to have it heal quickly.
Here are my top tips for keeping your joints healthy:
We’ve got one body, so let’s take good care of it!
Lindsay Cobb- EZIA Nutrition Coach
As most of you know, I like to do this thing called ‘bouldering’.
When I boulder indoor, I like to climb at Vital Climbing Gym in Carlsbad. Vital is an awesome 24 hour climbing gym with a welcoming community and is a great place for the novice to learn and the experienced to still progress. If you become a member, they literally give you keys to the door, allowing you to climb “after hours”. Recently, I was climbing the cave with a couple buddies of mine.
We were working a problem that involves going upside down, and it is pretty stinkin’ hard. I went to try a move but hesitated and dropped off the wall and squealed, “Ooooh, I’m scared!!”
My friend asked if I wanted him to move the pad beneath me and my matter of fact response was: “No I’m fine, I’m not afraid to fall.”
Jokingly, he asked, “What are you afraid of then?”
Hm.
Several days later and that question resounds in my head. What was I afraid of? Such a light-hearted question weighed heavy in my mind.
What was I afraid of? What the heck was I afraid of?!
Then it struck me: I was afraid of failing, not falling. If I didn’t actually attempt the move, I wouldn’t be let down if I did not meet the expectation I placed on myself.
How many of us do not make the next move because of the fear of failure? I am not talking about climbing anymore. Whether this involves changing our dietary habits, working out of pain, breaking through a plateau of strength or getting out of the yo-yo weight battle. The list can go on.
Psychologists are ever fascinated with identifying human motivation. In the 60′s, psychologist John Atkinson explored human motivation and discerned the ‘fear of failure’. Essentially, he theorized that we tend to fall in one of two categories, avoidance of failure or desire to achieve. These tendencies greatly influence how we make decisions.
So how does this effect your health and fitness? How do we move forward?
Come to terms with your fear. We actually become stronger by identifying our weaknesses. Know your goal. Shift your focus from your insecurity to your motivation. Establish a strategy to achieve your goal. Surround yourself with support and be forgiving of yourself if you make a mistake along the way. Just be sure to get right back up and carry on.
EZIA offers an environment that meets you where YOU are.
Yes, we have the scientific and intelligent approach to achieving your goals. More importantly, we also have the passion, the patience and utmost regard for you. We really truly care about your success and thrive off of making ourselves available to help you achieve it.
Sunday is my regoup and refocus day. It’s a day for me to make a menu for our family, get to the market and prep as much as I can. I make a few sandwiches for the kids, season up chicken breast or fish that I have planned to cook, made a fruit salad and most importantly, rinsed and chop my veggies for quick salads.
This week I am going to make it easy on myself by making a salad base that I can top with whatever protein we ate the night before. For example, I am slightly obsessed with mexican salads so I will chop up my cabbage, red onions, sprouts, heirloom tomatoes (so yummy right now) and add some black beans that I have rinsed before I put it all in a giant bowl. Then each day at lunch I will put some of this yumminess on a plate (or a container if I know I won’t be able to get home for lunch), top it with some salmon or chicken & avocado from the night before, chia seeds and salsa. Just a little side tip, don’t add the chia seeds until right before you eat it. They absorb any moisture and swell up into almost a gel like substance… not so great on a crunchy salad.
By keeping it simple, I have elminated the guessing game in the 12th hour of my crazy week days. No excuse for me to skip it or put something crappy in it’s place. I have the carbs, fiber, fat and protein that will get me through my afternoons without picking at the kids snacks (the bain of my dietary existance).
Planning and prepping for my week will not only keep me and the fam on track but will help my husband’s respectable obsession with our budget. So, if you’re good with spreadsheets, take some time to put one together that will spell out what you plan on eating for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the next few days. If you’re an old fashioned type, then it’s perfectly fine to go old school with your plan by taking pen to paper. After you have pinned it down then make your grocery list. Be sure to put everything on there, because once it’s made, you need to print out the list or put down the pen. Don’t add anything as you go and don’t be swayed by the shiny wrapping of anything in the market isles that isn’t on your list. Only, get what you need! If you have decided to try some new recipes in this plan, clip them to your menu and post it on the fridge. This will be a reminder of your commitment and make it easier when it comes time to cook.
Of course, if you need a little hand holding along the way (let’s face it, we all do), come to the club and have a sit down with me. The first consultation is always complimentary at EZIA, and I will be able to walk you through the tools we use in our program (grocery lists, recipes, meal planning, etc…).
Now, no more stalling, time to turn my words into actions… guess I should start by getting off the couch!!
Happy planning,
CC (Christina Canfield)
Wake up, rush to work, quick lunch, speedy workout and a hurried dinner later, we finally lay our head on a pillow preparing to do it all over again. Coupled with a book I recently read, an article entitled “Put Food Back in its Place” written by friend Cassandra Jella (rootedtransformation.com) elicited awareness to just how fast our lives pass us by. We as a society feel overwhelmed attempting to keep up with the daily demands of work, school and family obligations. With lives set on “fast forward”, we mindlessly go through the motions in such a way that we simply don’t take the time to stop and smell the roses. We miss the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. Life is amazing and it is meant to be experienced. When you feel like the world is spinning faster than you can handle, hit the brakes and remember that you never have to deal with more than one moment at a time.
The organization through which I obtained my Nutritional Coach certification had us take part in the following challenge (it was called eating meditation): We were given 10 raisins and asked to hold the raisins in our hands, first examining each one – its color, size, texture, the way it rolled or didn’t roll in our palms as we moved them. Then we smelled them, seeing whether they made us salivate. Then we were asked to place one raisin on our tongue and swish it around, noticing the texture and how the flavor bursts on the tongue. Then we were asked to chew the raisin, tasting it. The task was to spend 10 minutes eating these 10 raisins.
For most of us who live life on “fast forward”, these 10 minutes feel like an eternity!
In the middle of the chew, we were asked to think about where the raisin came from. Imagining the grape on the vine, imagining its color, the way it was allowed to dry in the sun. We were asked to imagine the farmer who planted the grape seed, imagine the farmer picking it and placing it in his basket. We were asked to give gratitude to everyone who had been involved with that raisin. Imagine all the thoughts that came up.
I recently read a book titled Buddhism for Busy People (no pun intended) and found signiciant similiarity amidst a conversation between a novice monk and an old experienced yogi. The novice asked, “What do you do, as an enlightened being?” to which the older yogi replied after a pause, “I walk, I eat, and I sleep.” The young monk was taken aback and hastily responded, “But I also walk, eat and sleep.” “Yes,” the wise yogi smiled. “But when I walk, I walk. When I eat, I eat. And when I sleep, I sleep.”
There is a lot to be learned from the conversation above. How often do we find ourselves turning on the television as we sit down to eat for a few moments? Why do we distract ourselves by wearing headphones as we walk along the beach? How often do we actually stop and watch a sunset?
I urge you to experience life. When you eat, try to just eat. Notice the flavor and texture of food rather than mindlessly shoving it into your mouth while catching up on TV reruns. When you walk along the beach, notice the smell of the ocean and feel the water as it kisses your feet. Watch a sunset, admire its beauty and know that this beauty can be found in all things. Hit the brakes, invite awareness in and enjoy the ride.
-Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow-
Mike Sherbakov
Mike is one of our newest coaches at EZIA Human Performance. He currently coaches at our Carlsbad and Downtown San Diego Hard Rock location. Feel free to contact him with any questions about coaching, nutrition or yoga! mike.sherbakov@eziahp.com
