Healthy foods have a bad reputation of being bland and boring on the taste buds.  But we can’t just let our taste buds run the show. If we did, we would be gorging ourselves on sodium-packed, sugar-laden, MSG-pumped foods all the time.  Yeah, I know… sounds great, right?  Well, your body would definitely not appreciate it, and, eventually neither would you!

There are endless creations that you can make with combining different spices and natural flavors that can make your food delicious and super healthy for you, while aiding in your health and fitness results!  And adding in these spices don’t require much work in the kitchen, either.  In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I tell you about five of my most favorite spices, why they’re beneficial to you, and what foods you can enhance with them!  Check out the list below for reference.

Cinnamon

• Anti-Inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Controls blood sugar levels and insulin
• Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Improves indigestion

Garlic Powder

• Antioxidant
• Manages blood pressure and cholesterol
• Improves circulation
• Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
• Prevents heart disease
• Cancer-fighting properties
• Benefits immune system

Cayenne Pepper

• Boosts metabolism
• Improves circulation
• Promotes healthy stomach and intestinal tract
• Cancer-fighting properties

Oregano

• Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
• Joint support
• Supports a healthy respiratory system

Ginger

• Anti-Inflammatory
• Good for digestion
• Relaxes blood vessels
• Cancer-fighting properties
• Prevents heart disease
• Shown to fight cold and flu symptoms

It can be so easy to fall into the same routine when you are training at the gym or taking group classes. Having a monotonous routine in a repetitive atmosphere may cause you to become bored with your workout program.  This can lead to a plateau in your results, or worse, having you give up on your goals altogether!

A program that challenges the entire body in strength, endurance, and creativity must include these four “C’s”: Cardio, Circuits, Compound Movements, and Core.  In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I show you how to incorporate all of these into a quick workout that requires no equipment at all! All you need is your local high school track and a sunny day!

We all have habits that serve and fulfill a purpose in our lives.  One that we can all relate to is the dreaded food cravings. We all have a sweet spot for something; fast food, sodas, coffee, frosting, cheese… the list of crazy comfort foods could go on.

Small indulgences are healthy once in a while.  But when those indulgences begin interfering with your thoughts, actions, and even your everyday life, that’s when you should take a step back and see if these “cravings” are not more of an “addiction.”

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I provide some tips that may help you fight those nagging food cravings that always steal your attention or sabotage your health plan.  In addition, I have provided some questions below that you can ask yourself to see if your cravings are something more severe.  Please note that if you believe that you may have an addiction of any kind, you should contact a doctor or specialist that handles that specific issue.

Are Your Food Cravings an Addiction?

Are you really hungry for what you are craving?

Do you overindulge to the point that you make yourself sick every time you give in to your craving?

Do you allow your cravings to dictate the events or outcome of your day?

What actions and/or events lead to the cravings? (Where are you when they happen? Who are you with?  What are you doing? What time of the day do they occur?)

How are you thinking when you crave? (positive or negative, happy or sad, angry or excited, depressed or content)

Do you place blame when you crave? (onto yourself, other people, situations, environment, entities, circumstances)

How do you function if you do not give into the craving? Do you turn to another addiction to fulfill the initial craving?

To be sore, or not to be sore? That is the question that many people wonder when gauging their exercise intensity.  Next-day muscle soreness, also known as “DOMS” (delayed onset muscle soreness), can be a necessary evil for many in a fitness program.  But muscle soreness does not necessarily mean you got a better workout than if you don’t experience it at all.

Feeling achy and tight can typically start anywhere from 12 hours to 48 hours after a workout.  It is the result of the tiny muscle fiber micro-tears that occur when stress is placed upon the muscles. These tears are very small and are necessary for muscle growth and increased performance.  Some people experience it more than others, and some training techniques and intensities can bring it on more than others.  It’s all relative to what your body is used to. The important thing is to understand the difference between a real injury and just DOMS.

In this week’s Made Fit TV episode, I explain how you can alleviate the discomfort that DOMS can bring post-workout.  There is no way to avoid it all-together, but you can learn how to manage it by knowing when to scale back your workouts, bump up your workouts, and how you can get the most out of your post-workout muscle soreness.  Check out the video and the list below for some tips!

1. Warm up with at least 5 minutes of a moderate cardio exercise to loosen the muscles

2. Foam roll any muscles that are tight or that you will be using in your workout (Check out episode 5 for more info on foam rolling and how great it is!)

3. Cool down with at least 5 minutes of moderate cardio exercise to bring down your heightened heart rate

4. Eat 30 minutes after your workout, combining carbohydrates and protein to fuel muscle recovery

5. Drink water, at least 64oz, per day to hydrate your muscles and help flush out built up toxins

6. Take a warm shower to alleviate any pain and to loosen the muscles to feel less stiff

7. Get a massage at least once a month to keep your muscles relaxed and free of knots

8. Take supplements such as multivitamins and glutamine to help tissue repair and to replenish nutrients lost during the breakdown process of the muscles

9. Next day recovery cardio is better than doing nothing at all because it gets the blood flowing through the muscle fibers, increasing recovery and repair

10. Know when to take it easy! If you pushed yourself to the point where you were immobile the following day, scale back your workout next time and up the intensity little by little after that.