-       Storing carrots next to apples turns the carrots bitter because of the ethylene gas that apples give off

-       Potatoes stored with onions may spoil more quickly

-       Squash, onions, and potatoes should be taken out of their plastic bags and stored in a cool, dark, dry place

-       Root vegetables such as carrots and leafy greens should be left in their bags and stored in the refrigerator

-       Bananas will ripen more quickly when placed in a bowl (not refrigerated) with other fruits, and once ripe you can keep refrigerated and they will last about 2 days

-       Asparagus should be stored upright in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with either an inch of water or with a damp towel wrapped around the base, just like you would have flowers in a vase. They’ll last three to four days that way.

-       Keep celery in the front of the refrigerator where it is less likely to freeze

-        To ripen peaches, keep them in a paper bag punched with holes, away from sunlight

-        Mushrooms will last two to three days in a paper bag in the refrigerator

-        Leafy greens should not be stored with apples, pears, or bananas as they will ripen more quickly

-        Tomatoes should never be kept in the refrigerator, the will lose flavor immediately and become mealy.

These are just some of the things I learned, but the next time you’re unsure about how or where to store your favorite fruits and veggies, do some research and save yourself and extra trip to the grocery store!

At boot camp, her performance has been extraordinary and her results are definitely worth all of her effort and persistence. She enjoys being active and always seizes the opportunity to do something outdoors. “I love to get my butt out the door and head to a beach I’ve never been before. I love to hike, snorkel, and take runs on the beach when I am feeling extra motivated”.

At the same time, she loves having good quality down time at home. She loves to cook new things, and experiment with her juicer, a newfound addition to her healthier lifestyle: ” I love to see how many foods I can take through my juicer”, she says. She also makes her very own almond milk and she has completely changed her eating habits, making healthier choices now.

When asked about her favorite hobbies, she says she enjoys reading a great book with a cup of tea and a good movie with a delicious cookie “just one, of course”, she quickly adds. She is also an avid googler and a youtube fan.

Justice is a great team member and loves to work out in a group. Whenever she feels exhausted, she likes to look over to see the others giving it their all: “I love it when the person behind me is pushing me to go harder and faster”, she comments. She loves to be on the other side of the spectrum, because other people tell her that they keep going because they see her: “It is much more motivating when someone tells you “you are my idol.” I love it that we all push each other to become our own personal best!”

Her favorite part of boot camp is that everybody can laugh and joke with each other, even at 6 o’clock in the morning. When asked about her biggest challenge, she says: “getting out of bed everyday at 5. I couldn’t do it without being able to look over and see my partner in crime already up and out of bed”. By that she means her boyfriend Marcelo, another very active boot camp member. Together, they are “the ModuVated dream couple”.

“I am motivated everyday because of my new found energy! The more I push myself, the better I feel! I am now addicted to the feeling of lightness and excitement I get each and everyday after boot camp!” she says. She also motivates herself with cookies now and then, a small reward from all of that hard work.

What’s the best part of being a Moduvated Bootcamp Rockstar? “The best part is meeting so many wonderful and driven people. I love the boot camp members!”

And everybody loves her too. Her energy and great vibe is contagious, and we are very proud to see her exceed her personal expectations. She feels great, and she looks great too: she is a true ModuVated trooper and, like Isabelle Gagnon would say “ a Wellness leader without a title”. Rock on, Justice!

Justice at the beginning and after her first boot camp. She is about to finish her second boot camp.

How to . . .

-       Stand on one leg with the opposite leg raised and bent to a 90 degree angle

-       Bend the standing leg, lowering into a squat as if you were sitting in a chair (shifting hips back)

-       Go as low as you can then rise and repeat

-       A good way to start is 12 reps per  leg, 3 sets each leg

-       If you are having trouble balancing, use a bar, bench, etc. to assist you until your balance improves or keep your arms outstretched straight in front of you

Things to avoid . . .

-       Just like a normal squat, don’t let your knees extend too par past your toes

-       Keep your toes straight, not turning in or out

Variations . . .

-       Add hand weights

-       Use a body bar

-       Make it a power squat, jumping to switch legs

-       Keep the lifted leg straight instead of bent

As you work at this move you will notice increased strength and balance, don’t stop challenging yourself!

The ModuVated Greentine helps your muscles to restore themselves, while the peanut butter and banana give you all the energy you need. Plus, this is an excellent choice for people who don’t have time after a workout and you can snatch it on your way to work.

Do you want it dairy-free? Ask for soy milk to replace the nonfat milk. You can also add a booster and personalize your smoothie to meet your nutritional needs, here are a few things you can add:

• Aminoacids
• Antioxidants
• Calcium
• Creatine
• Energy
• Fat Burner
• Fiber
• Flax

Come and try it out at Emerald City in San José del Cabo, on the Transpeninsular Highway next to Subway, and try one of the ModuVated Smoothies. For our lovely readers, Emerald city is giving a 10 pesos discount by mentioning this blog. For more info, go to www.emeraldcitysmoothie.com or send an e-mail to ecsloscabos@gmail.com.

I have always loved the idea of feeding my skin from the inside out, to keep it young and healthy.  But what gets me real excited is when I can double the nutritional effect, by applying a healthy dose from the “outside in”.  So I often give a “snack” to my face with some of the healthy fruits I eat, with papaya on the top of my list!

Called “fruta bomba” (bomb fruit) by the Cubans, papaya is indeed loaded with enzymes, is rich in antioxidants like vitamins A, C and minerals, which makes it not only a super fruit to snack on, but also a “super serum” for the skin.

I love the multi-purpose of the Papaya.  The skin of the ripe papaya is an inexpensive face wash.  I use some of the meat as a powerful face mask which stimulates collagen, diminishes fine lines, plumps the skin and gives it an instant glow!!  It’s also an effective remedy and “lotion” for dry skin, pimples and acne.

The papaya also helps to maintain healthy levels of blood glucose, thus ensuring a steady supply of glucose and high levels of energy all day.

So go ahead,  snack your face!!

A free weight exercise is any exercise where the resistance is provided by a barbell, dumbbells, or any other free moving object. Some common examples include any type of barbell or dumbbell press, row, curl, extension, or deadlift.  Basically, if you’re moving some sort of weight (like a barbell or dumbbell) from point A to point B, and that weight isn’t supported by or attached to anything other than you, it’s most likely a free weight exercise.

A body weight exercise is any exercise where the resistance is provided by your own body weight.  Instead of moving a barbell or dumbbell from point A to point B like you would with a free weight exercise, a body weight exercise requires moving your own body from point A to point B. Some common examples include push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, and dips.

A machine exercise is any exercise that works on a fixed path with the weight (and usually the entire movement itself) stabilized for you by a machine.  Rather than holding the actual weight that is providing the resistance and moving it from point A to point B (like you are with free weight exercises), you are instead holding handles that are in some way attached to some form of weight, and you’re moving that from point A to point B.  Some common examples include any type of machine press, row, curl, extension, leg extension/curl, and leg press.

The pros and cons will vary depending on your goals, abilities, and limitations.  Read on to see which is best for your strength training routine.

Free Weight exercises

Pros

• Increases functionality, you are typically performing movements that you would actually do in real life (lifting a box, pulling a door open, etc.)
• Completely natural movement. Allows you to move through a range of motion that is completely natural for your specific body. Nothing is restricted or put into any sort of fixed position that may not be perfect for your body.
• Uses more than just one muscle or muscle group.  Since you are in full control of the weight and stabilizing the entire movement itself, you are recruiting the use of other stabilizing muscles that would be unused with machines.
• Very little equipment needed, some weights and a bench are ideal for home use. 

Cons

• Require very little body awareness, as long as you lift and catch the weight in the correct position, your body will naturally follow suit.
• Usually harder to learn technique at first compared to machines.
• Higher potential for injury. There is a risk of injury with all types of exercise, but the potential may be a little bit higher with free weights than others.

Body weight exercises

Pros

• Require nothing but you, can be performed anytime, anywhere!
• Increases muscular endurance by requiring muscle groups to perform at high levels, over and over again (ex: squats, push-ups, sit-ups)
• Like free weights, they use many muscle groups.  Since you are in full control of your body weight and stabilizing the entire movement itself, you are therefore recruiting the use of various stabilizer muscles that tend to go unused with machines.

Cons

• Not all body weight exercises are created equal, the best ones use many muscle groups and require the most body awareness (handstand push-ups, bridging, one-legged squats)
• Sometimes too difficult for beginners. 

Machines

Pros

• Useful in rehabilitating an injury when free weights or body weight exercises are too strenuous or too difficult.
• Treadmills are good for sprinting drills if you cannot get outdoors
• Usually easier to learn and do. Using a machine is usually as simple as sit down, grab the handles and move them in the only direction they are capable of moving. Especially in the case of beginners, this is the easiest form of exercise to learn.
• Can sometimes be safer. While you can definitely still get injured using a machine, there is usually less risk of injury when compared to free weight or body weight exercises.

Cons

• No crossover benefit to real like situations/functionality
• Do not increase development of muscles; most machines have your body following an unnatural movement path, making it hard to progress.
• Require no balance, the machine is stabilizing the entire movement for you so it isolates  muscle groups as well
• Cardio machines lead to overuse injuries in knees hips, back, and feet
• Not ideal for home use. Machines are the most expensive (by far), take up the most space (by far), and are the least usable (one machine is typically only capable of one exercise, whereas a barbell or dumbbells can be used for dozens).

As you can see all three forms are very different, but they each have their use.  Free weights are ideal for increasing brute strength and packing on muscle.  They are best for football players, competitive lifters, and many other athletes.  Body weight exercises are the top choice for wrestlers, gymnasts, and people training for the armed forces.  Machines are not the best choice, but they can be very useful if you have had an injury or if you need to get a cardio workout in during poor weather conditions.  Ideally, try to focus on body weight exercises which work the most muscles and require the most body awareness.  Incorporate free weight exercises to challenge your muscles even more, and limit the use of machines.

So what does stretching do for your body?
The biggest benefit of stretching is muscular imbalance prevention.  Since our bodies are not perfectly symmetric, some muscles are overworked and some are underdeveloped.  One side of the body gets used more than the other and your muscles try to overcompensate, making the unused muscles weak.  By stretching on a regular basis you strengthen those muscles and lengthen the tight, overworked muscles.  This helps alleviates aches, improve posture, avoid injury, and increase flexibility.

What is the best way to stretch?
Experts say that the best way to stretch is to go slowly, only to a level of mild discomfort, and hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.  It is important to focus on breathing thought each stretch and to feel the strain on your muscles, not in your joints.  Make sure to avoid bouncing, also called “ballistic stretching,” as this can lead to muscle strains or tears.  Instead, move gently and slowly through each stretch, you should never feel any pain.

Keep this information in mind the next time you are rushing through your stretch routine or thinking about skipping it all together!

Bridge Butt Lift – Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.

Pushups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.

Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.

These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time. Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage, try these moves the next time you miss a workout!

It keeps your blood sugar levels on check

With all the running around during the day, there comes a point when your body screams for fuel. You start getting a headache, you shake a little or you are unable to concentrate anymore. This could probably mean that your blood sugar levels are low, and your body needs to eat. Snacking prevents this and stops you from grabbing the first thing you can put your hands on (usually you’ll pick carbs such as bread, or sugary treats) and overindulging.

It fills you up with the right stuff.

Choosing the right snacks can help you feel full longer and also provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Having a snack full of water and belly-filling fiber will make you eat less in the long run. Fruit, veggies, whole grain crackers and almonds are great options.

You make healthier choices.

When you’ve had a snack between meals, you don’t get that famished feeling of wanting to eat the whole fridge when you get home. It actually allows you to take your time to prepare your next meal, which helps you be more aware of what you put in your mouth and choose more wisely.

The true beauty of the Energy Blend is that it contains healthy ingredients that help you fight fatigue, increase stamina and boost vitality-all while reducing stress. Think of it as your own personal clean energy.

The ModuVated Greentine, the perfect combo of Whey Isolate and Pure Hemp, helps your body to repair tissue damage, feed your muscles and help minerals and nutrients to reach our cells.

This smoothie is perfect after a workout to give you lots of energy and help your body repair itself.

Come and try it at Emerald City in San José del Cabo, on the Transpeninsular Highway next to Subway, and try one of the ModuVated Smoothies. For our lovely readers, Emerald city is giving a 10 pesos discount by mentioning this blog. For more info, go to www.emeraldcitysmoothie.com or send an e-mail to ecsloscabos@gmail.com.