Burn Sports - Fitness & Nutrition

Top 10 Food Allergens part 3

2008-09-15T12:27:00.003-04:00

Here are 2 more food allergens that may be 'hidden' causes of stress, weight gain, digestive problems or mood swings.

Eggs - This is definitely one of the least common food allergens, but is a problem for many people, including children. If you don't know about possible food allergies you might have, remember what I told you before: use a food journal and record your response to eating eggs. If you feel great, energized and don't show any reaction, then you should be good to go.

The best way to cook eggs are soft boiled, poached of fried in butter or coconut oil. I suggest only eating scrambled eggs or omelets once in awhile.

Soy - If you have been reading my blog for awhile then you should be familiar with certain myths and misconceptions about food & Nutrition. Soy is probably the biggest 'health food' myth today. Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer and many other disorders.

Not only is it the 2nd most common food allergen, but its a nasty little bean that has been shown, in hundreds of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies that it is linked to:

Malnutrition
Digestive distress
Thyroid dysfunction
Cognitive decline
Reproductive disorders
Infertility
Birth defects
Immune system breakdown
Heart disease
Cancer

And NO, Asians don't eat nearly as much as Americans are - not even close.

Here are some myths & facts about soy you might not know about:

Men who eat soy-based foods may be harming their fertility after a study found a link between soy-rich diets and lower sperm counts.

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.

Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.

Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.

Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.

Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.

Truth: Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B12 in vegetarian diets.

Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B12

Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.

Truth: Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.

Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.

Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.

Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol improves one’s risk of having heart disease.

Myth: Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.

Truth: Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.

Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Myth: Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.

Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.

Taken from http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz

Soy Dangers Summarized
taken from http://www.westonaprice.org

High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.

Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.

Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.

Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.

Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.

Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.

Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.

Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Until next time
have a great week and PAY ATTENTION to how you react to food!

Antonio

Top 10 Food Allergens part 2

2008-09-12T14:52:00.005-04:00

Ok, so there are more than 10 on this list so I will post shorter blogs and give you great info so you can LEARN and see if you have any problems with nay of these foods.

Also, everything on the list is not really a food, but, the point is this: there are foods that trigger serious health issues in many people and these may be 'hidden' sources of stress or weight gain.

If you have been working out and 'eating right' (whatever that means) and your still not getting results, simply use a food journal and see what's going on after you eat and this will clue you in to possible problematic or allergenic foods.

What's next on the list?

Caffeine - similar to alcohol, there are a lot of false teachings in the media about this stimulant. Caffeine is a stimulant that disrupts your metabolism and triggers your 'fight or flight' (which is an emergency response system, not a daily lifestyle system) into FULL EFFECT.

Personally, I have never seen anyone in NYC who drinks coffee that isn't experiencing some type of negative consequence of drinking coffee.

Typically, people argue that there is some health benefit or they read some article that touted the benefits of coffee. What they fail to realize is that, like alcohol, even if there were some benefits, the negatives FAR OUTWEIGH any of these mythical benefits.

Caffeine is a stimulant that triggers the release of cortisol (stress hormone) that is associated with practically every disease known to mankind.

The primary reason people drink it in NYC is beaucase they are sleep deficient and exhausted. Sleep deficiency, although popular, is not cool, nor healthy and makes you age prematurely. Whenever you drink coffee to 'get you going' - you continue a cycle of exhaustion that gets harder and harder to break as you age.

And for my friends who are drinking coffee to help with 'number 2' (going pottie)....the caffeine is one of the main reasons why you cant go in the first place, fyi.

The other reason is because it dehydrates the human body, despite what the NY Times coffee addicted 'health reporter' says.

Coffee beans are also the most heavily sprayed crop on the planet and the acids in the beans are damaging to your digestive tract.

Enough said?

If you really want to drink coffee, at least find some good organic stuff and dont drink it on an empty stomach.

Seriously though, caffeine addiction is a widespread problem and a MASSIVE factor in hormonal imbalance (depression), burnout and weight gain.

Want to improve your health, look good and not age prematurely???? Ditch the drug addiction.

Oh, and for the hundreds of people that may say something like 'I got headaches last time I tried to quit' --> Getting headaches is not a reason for continuing your caffeine addiction. Headaches are a symptom of drug withdrawal and there are many things you can do to alleviate this. But any addiction comes with a price and if getting headaches is a minor consequence, than thats something you will have to deal with.

Peanuts - I am aware that most Men's Health and Shape magazines tell you that peanut butter is a good source of protein and when I was a teenager I thought the same thing. I have since discovered that not only is it a common food allergen, but its also a very low quality food source and loaded with mold. That's right. Even the healthy versions are full of nasty little critters that can make you sick.

Peanuts are also difficult to digest for many people. Want a better alternative? Try almond butter. You can also find cashew nut butter or macadamia nut butter and they are absolutely fantastic! Unless of course you can tolerate tree nuts...

Tree Nuts - as long as you dont have a nut allergy, most other nut butters are better than peanuts. However, another common food allergens are tree nuts.

Here is a list of common tree nuts and foods or products that may contain them:

Cashews
Pecans
Macadamia nuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Brazil nuts
Pine nuts
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
hickory nuts
Beech nut*
Butternut*
Chestnut*
Coconut*
Ginko nut*
Lichee nut*
Pili nut*
Sheanut*

natural nut extract
artificial nuts
nut meal
caponatanut meat
nut oil
nut paste (such as almond paste)
gianduja (a nut mixture in some chocolate)
nut pieces
pesto
mandelonas
marzipan/almond paste
nan-gai nuts
nougat
pralines
nut butters

Other names for tree nuts
Anacardium nuts
Mandelonas (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Marzipan (almond paste)
Nu-Nuts ™ (e.g. peanuts that have been altered to look and taste like tree nuts)
Nut meats
Pinon

Common Sources/Foods Containing Tree Nuts
Artificial nuts (peanuts altered to look and taste like almonds, pecans and walnuts)
Baked goods (cakes, cereal bars, cookies, doughnuts, energy/granola bars, muffins, pastries)
Baking mixes, cereals, crackers, muesli
Coffee grinders
Dressings/gravies
Chinese food
Gianduja (chocolate and chopped nuts mixture found in premium or imported chocolate and ice cream)
Ice cream/frozen desserts/frozen yogurts/sundae toppings
Natural flavorings and extracts
Nut butter
Nut-flavored coffee/liqueurs
Sauces (barbecue, pesto, Worcestershire)
Salads (Waldorf salad, curried chicken)
Spreads (almond paste, cheese, chocolate nut, nougat, Nutella)
Trail mixes

Non-food sources of tree nuts
Hacky sacks
Bird seed
Cosmetics, hair care products, lotions
Pet food

As always, use extra precaution when eating out at restaurants or eating foods prepared by others.

*As of 10/2006, the FDA has added these as tree nuts for the purposes of FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act).

Here is a great resource, provided you DONT HAVE ANY NUT ALLERGIES and CAN DIGEST THEM WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/
www.sweetwatermarket.net
www.bluemountainorganics.com

These are great websites with awesome products - check them out.

Untill next time
Have a great weekend!

Top 10 Food Allergens

2008-09-09T11:30:00.003-04:00

Are you ready to discover the 11 most allergenic foods and see if any of these
are causing you to be fat, bloated or fatigued?

Why is it important to know about food allergens??? Just ask yourself these questions...

Are you sick of getting bloated?

Have you struggled with anxiety or depression and can't figure out WHY?

Have you struggled with skin issues and acne?

Are you trying to lose weight but nothing seems to be working?

Do you often get that late afternoon energy slump?

The answers to these and many other similar questions have EVERYTHING to do with what you are eating.

More often than not, most people are eating crappy foods to begin with.
What also happens quite often is people who are trying to be healthy and lose weight are eating foods that trigger all sorts of health problems as a result of food allergies, sensitivities and intolerance.

I'll give you the list of foods and I suggest you pay attention over the next
couple of weeks and see how you react after you eat these foods.

This is one of the many reasons why Food Journals work so well.
Not for counting calories or obsessing over what you eat. But for paying
attention and noticing how you react to certain foods.

You might be surprised to find that some of these common 'health' foods are
anything but healthy.

The most common allergenic foods are:

Gluten - a protein found in wheat and most grains. Gluten is implicated in every single digestive disorder I have seen. Gluten is found everywhere, from BBQ sauce to 'whole grain' energy bars and everything in between. It is also responsible for all kinds of
neurological dysfunctions and mood imbalances.

Pasteurized Dairy - this is a HOT topic! I will cover more of what you need to know in the next few newsletters...you may want to hold off on your low fat yogurt (which is nothing more than glorified junk food) and get ready for this one!

Sugar - not just white table sugar, sugars come in many shapes and sizes.
Did you know that ALL Carbs are sugars? And
not everyone tolerates the carbs the same way?
Did you know that sugar acts the same on the brain as cocaine? Imagine
mixing it with caffeine and other synthetic ingredients and feeding it to
children? Actually, you don’t have to imagine. It’s happening right now.
I wrote a controversial article on the topic of marketing sports drinks to kids
that was immediately BANNED by some major corporations...wait till you hear
about this one!

Alcohol - yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Red wine has antioxidants,
right?

Well, possibly...but more importantly, did you know that it also contains
yeast, sulfur dioxide, histamine, additives and don’t forget about the pesticides
used to grow the grapes. Millions of people have been led to believe that
the antioxidants in wine are very healthy and in fact, I hear people use this alcohol industry marketing tool to justify their drinking habits.
Yet most fail to realize that when the food itself causes bloating, it ruins your ability to digest and utilize the antioxidants properly and sine it also contains all these other nasty, allergenic ingredients, the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. ...and let's not forget about the 'intoxication' part (key word being 'toxic') of drinking.

Did you know that what causes you to wake up around 4 am after a night of drinking is
the same thing that can make you fat and age prematurely?

Ever stop and think about the health consequences of being bloated for an
entire day after a night of drinking?

Your body is a beautifully designed, dynamic system of systems and when an
allergenic food gets into your body - all hell can break loose in many ways.
The list of problems associated with food allergies, intolerance and sensitivities is enormous.

The dramatic results people experience when they finally realize these issues and stop eating problematic foods are absolutely amazing.

I am going to save the rest of the list for the next newsletter, but don’t
worry. It will come much sooner than the last two. My new blog, cookbook, videos and forum are all 98% finished and will be up later this week...its really exciting and I hope you all will get involved in the forum discussions.

In the meanwhile, if you really want to get healthy and lose fat and look like
a superstar....use a food journal and pay attention to how these foods treat
your body and mind.

Talk soon
Antonio

Have a great week and stay tuned for my new blog and video updates!!!

Food Mood Connection part 2

2008-08-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

Do you know anyone on a ‘special diet?’

I don’t mean the obnoxiously trendy ‘drop a dress size in one week’ weight loss quick fixes that we see everyday in magazines & TV.

I am talking about really specialized and therapeutic nutrition programs like gluten free, casein free, anti-inflammatory, anti-candida, elimination or rotation diets?

People usually go on these programs to correct some sort of health problem –typically a digestive dysfunction, neurological condition or disease.

Experts in functional medicine and cutting edge nutritional science have been using these therapeutic nutrition programs for years with great success. Some of these approaches have also been used successfully by alternative and holistic experts in health and nutrition.

Many people who don’t feel well and who have chronic digestive issues, cravings, addictions, mood imbalances as well as infants with developmental issues (or who are constantly getting sick) have found relief by eliminating certain foods from their diet.

Also, some people go through several doctors and didn’t get an answer as to why they don’t feel well. They eventually find their way to a real expert that helps them discover certain foods that trigger reactions.

Some food proteins are allergenic and when someone eats them, they usually see a myriad of immediate issues like runny nose, throat swelling, asthma, wheezing, sneezing, skin rashes (hives, eczema), nausea and diarrhea.

These are less immediate but very common results from eating problematic foods:
Digestive Dysfunction (gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, reflux, IBS), headaches, inability to focus (ADD/ADHD type behavior), fatigue, mood swings, joint pains, unexplained weight gain/loss, infertility, muscle aches and pains.

For people with celiac disease, anaphylactic shock and death can occur from an allergic reaction to gluten.

People who continue to eat foods they are intolerant to typically end up with more serious conditions, including:

Anemia
Psychological & Behavior dysfunction (schizophrenia, depression, inability to focus)
GERD & Dyspepsia
Headaches & migraines
Higher mortality rates
Infertility, miscarriage, low birth weight babies
Neural tube defects due to folate deficiency
Nutritional deficiencies
Intestinal cancers
Multiple food intolerance
Osteoporosis, osteopenia

People who want to get to the bottom of their unusual health issues have to search high and low because of at least 5 reasons:

First, the majority of mainstream nutritionists and doctors in the US are really unhealthy themselves.

Second, many people accept small signs of poor health as ‘part of life’ or believe that’s ‘normal’ to feel like crap, have bad skin, be bloated, fart and feel foggy headed or depressed.

Third, modern medicine is not designed to address the root cause of health issues – it is designed to suppress symptoms or ‘manage’ disease.

Fourth, most people are totally unaware of how their food affects their mood, energy and overall health until they get sick or a disease. Even then, some people would rather die than change their diet & lifestyle.

Fifth, because we eat often, it takes a big commitment and a skilled eye to find a food culprit.

Don’t forget there are also over 3000 chemicals added to our food supply and 400 pesticides in use today.

Are you starting to see the big picture?

My next blog will list the most common food allergens and certain foods that people eat often that are causing all sorts of problems...

talk soon
Antonio

Hilarious Article on the Olympics

2008-08-15T20:53:00.001-04:00

Here is a hilarious short article on the Olympics

Are You Enjoying the Fake Olympics?

Food and Your Mood

2008-08-14T19:02:00.002-04:00

Do you want to know how food affects your mood?

Do you want to know the truth about why so many people are overweight, overwhelmed, exhausted, depressed, anxious, moody and craggy all the time?

It's true....it's scary as hell, but its true.

The FDA, you know, that jolly group of healthy, vibrant, compassionate individuals who loves us so much, allows 3000 chemicals in our foods - from food additives, colors, flavor enhancers and other strange things.

There are also 400 pesticides as well that are known to cause serious damage to your hormonal system and nervous system.

The craziest thing is this --> no one knows what happens when you mix these pesticides together or when you combine this noxious bug killer cocktail with the food additives.

Did you know there are laws governing the waste and removal of these poisons - laws specifically governing the mixing of these chemicals when they are disposed of -- but mixing them on our produce when they spray them seems to be ok. Way to go FDA!

If you didn't know - your moods are controlled by your hormonal and nervous system.

If you are eating foods that you are sensitive to - including any number of these harmful chemicals, or combination thereof, you can experience digestive issues which will inhibit the absorption of the foods you ate which means your body doesn't get what it needs to have normal function.

In fact, it may be getting what it needs to be dysfunctional.

Even if it your digestion isn't affected, you could be ingesting multiple chemicals that directly affect your brain function.

You know what's interesting?

The experts that are reversing autism and developmental disorders in children and helping people recover from serious life threatening diseases like cancer --> you know, the ones you don't hear about on TV, one of the first steps they have their patients do is eat organic, whole foods to get the chemicals out of their foods.

The next step is to eliminate foods that are common allergens.

Its easy to see how important foods are when we think of diseased or developmentally challenged people or children.

But what about the rest of us?

The absolute most important step anyone who wants to improve their health and lose fat and have normal brain function is to simply Go Organic.

What's more important than eating organic fruits and vegetables - is finding meats and fats that are grass-fed and organic.

Animals and humans store toxins (chemicals) in fats. That's right - the more fat a person or an animal is, the more toxic they are.

So eating meats and fats (eggs, butter, beef, lamb, chicken, etc) that are GRASS FED are better than meats that are only labeled 'organic.'

But if can only afford one or the other -- if you have to choose between organic produce and meats - choose meats.

I will have a list of the least sprayed produce in my book so you can still choose some produce that is non-organic if you have to and be safe.

One of my favorite places to get grass-fed meats is here in NYC at the Union Square Green Market.

For those who don't live in the Big Apple, check out: http://www.eatwild.com/ and you can find a source in your area.

For my readers and friends who live outside the USA, please send me your favorite website that you use to find grass fed and organic foods! I appreciate it!

If you choose grass fed meats whenever you can - you will be taking a massive step in reducing your exposure to these toxic chemicals.

Also m the more these smaller family run organic farms that have animals that are grazing on grass (as they are supposed to be) -- the less support these mega corporations that are producing crappy foods will have which means the organic industry will only continue to grow and that means it will become much easier to find organic and grass feds foods everywhere!

Stay tuned as next post will cover common food allergens that are producing allergic reactions, digestive dysfunction and brain chemistry imbalance in 90% of the client I have worked with in NYC - which means, it may also be happening to you.

Eat Clean - Go Organic and Grass Fed!

Peace
Antonio

Real Nutrition , Fitness and Wellness on YouTube

2008-07-31T22:00:00.004-04:00

You may know that I have a few books coming out...my main one is 'Fat Loss Psychology' and its gonna rock the weight loss world. Actually, that's not too hard to do. But it will be good...really good.

I started compiling videos on You Tube that I found to be valuable for my clients and anyone who gets the book so they can actually learn the truth about health, weight loss and wellness.

There are some that are really cool, some that are educational and others that are inspiring.

They are all related to AUTHENTIC, TRUTHFUL health, fitness, wellness and weight loss topics.

Real Experts who get real results with real people -- not chubby desk jockeys who work for Shape magazine, The New York Times or CNN.

Check it out--> CLICK HERE

How Food Affects your Mood

2008-07-31T21:17:00.003-04:00

FACT - Most people are obsessed with fat: gaining fat, losing fat, looking fat, looking skinny, 'does this make me look fat?', 'she's too skinny', 'is that fattening?' yada, yada, yada...

But another, much more important topic that affects every aspect of everybody's life - from their mental/emotional state to their energy levels, to their inability to lose lose fat - is how their foods affect their moods.

Your moods are governed by your emotions.
Your emotions are governed by your hormonal system.
Your hormonal system is how your entire body communicates with itself.

So, if you eat foods that negatively affect your hormonal system - WHICH HAPPENS OFTEN FOR MOST PEOPLE MOST OF THE TIME - then you will naturally have imbalances in all your body systems and this shows up in mood imbalances as well as body fat and the inability to lose fat.

Weight loss is governed by you hormonal system.
Only idiots, journalists (who know nothing about health, yet write about all the time) and people who are genuinely misinformed still believe the oversimplified concept that in order to lose weight you must eat less and exercise more.

However, the human being is way too dynamic and beautiful to be compressed into a simple mathematical equation.

Many people, women in particular, suffer unnecessarily from what I call 'false moods' - imbalanced perceptions, anxiety, depression, inability to focus and also endure cravings, addictions and insomnia --> issues that are correctable through nutritional therapy.

Hormonal imbalance --> which stems from nutritional deficiencies related to:
- Poor food choices
- Poor eating strategies
- Unmanaged stress
- Digestive dysfunction

Over the next few newsletters, I will share with you some of the most common
culprits that cause your 'feel good' hormones and neurotransmitters to become depleted which in turn make people crave junk foods and support addictive behaviors and cause weight problems and mood swings.

Not surprising if you follow my blog, many of these foods are what you see in the popular magazines, the USDA food pyramid and recommended by many so-called 'experts'.

I will also cover which particular foods balance your biochemistry and positively affect your mood, ending cravings and restoring healthy mental/emotional states.

I will tell you which foods & strategies supply the necessary ingredients to improve your cardiovascular health, brain and nerve function, eye & vision health as well as your ability to stay lean and enjoy radiant skin and vitality.

By the way, I cover all these foods in my upcoming cookbook (which is done by the way) and should be launched in the next couple of weeks around my birthday!

So stay tuned...

How the NY Times keeps you fat, tired and sick

2008-07-24T21:29:00.002-04:00

I have been a fitness & nutrition professional in NYC since 1994. Unlike most doctors and the vast majority of writers, journalists and editors -- I actually work with people weekly helping them improve their health, fitness and wellness.

So when an article from a well-known NY Times 'health' writer is printed and purports to be the truth YET, actually is spreading more confusion and misinformation, I tend to get a bit annoyed.

I get annoyed because one of the biggest problems most people face - in terms of health and fitness - is deciphering through all the confusion and misinformation and straight-up GARBAGE that inundates the media today.

So today I am going to cut through the confusion and first off would like to thank the NY Times and Jane Brody for making more people confused about health & wellness thereby helping to make Americans sicker, fatter and more tired than they already are.

On July 22, the NY Times and Jane Brody reported: 'Health 'Facts' You Only Thought You Knew'

A more appropriate title could have been 'Health 'Facts' I Know Nothing About'

Over the next few weeks Im going to have a little fun and show you how the media plays a huge role in the mass confusion and poor health of Americans.

Let me show you how this article, and many similar ones printed in many well-known papers, are what we here in the Big Apple call WACK! (that's NY slang for bullshit).

To be fair, not all of her 'facts' were crap - there was one about poison ivy which I dont know if its true or not, because I live in a concrete jungle and the parks and beaches I play at don't have poison ivy. The last time I knew someone who got poison ivy, I think I was in 4th grade. I don't even remember how old I was in 4th grade....So congratulations Ms Brody, your article is not only irrelevant to many people, its also full of bogus information.

Here is one of her main 'facts' that I would like to have a little fun with....

DRINK EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER A DAY I had long believed that eight glasses of plain water or caffeine-free beverages a day were important to keep the body hydrated and to prevent constipation. Perhaps the toilet paper manufacturers were behind this notion. Researchers have been unable to find scientific support for it.

The Institute of Medicine recently noted that you can meet your body’s need for liquids in many ways, including drinking coffee and tea (with or without caffeine) and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Two clues that you may need to drink more are thirst and the color of your urine, which should be clear like, well, water.

If you are physically very active, especially in hot weather, repeatedly sipping cold water is helpful. But beyond two quarts, you may need to also replace the salts lost in sweat — for example, by drinking a diluted sports drink or eating foods with salt and potassium.

My Response --> So you can get your water from caffeinated coffee and tea? Drink sports drinks?

Researchers have been unable to find scientific support that water keeps you hydrated?

Water does not prevent constipation or dehydration - what?

You must definitely be constipated to have come up with that one.

A good majority of people, especially New Yorkers, are chronically dehydrated AND constipated because they are not drinking water and drinking too much coffee and tea.

If you understood how our nervous and digestive systems worked, you might understand this. But your a writer, not an expert in health, nutrition, metabolism or human physiology so I really shouldn't expect you to.

By the way, your conclusion that toilet paper manufacturers constructed a myth to sell more TP is brilliant. The reason you were peeing too much is because your nervous system was overstimulated and you couldn't manage water. Ironic, don't you think.

While you were out at Starbucks with your doctor friends sipping your lattes, I was working with clients. One of the first issues I help my clients deal with is giving up their addiction to caffeine. Make no mistake - caffeine is a drug. Its speed. It speeds up your metabolism and anytime you speed up your metabolism, you will also have a crash.

This is hormonal volatility.

You don't need a major Institution to clue you into that one. There is a metabolic consequence of taking drugs...even the ones that are popular and generally acceptable in this society such as coffee.

Coffee will damage the delicate mucosal lining of your digestive system and since many people ALREADY suffer from constipation and other digestive dysfunctions - adding more fuel to the fire is not wise.

Caffeine also stimulates your 'fight or flight' nervous system (SNS) which makes all your muscles constrict, including your rectum. Yes, its true. Drinking caffeine will help you get constipated.

For the people out there that are saying 'I need my coffee just so I can poop in the morning'.....that's another can of worms that I will cover in a future newsletter and share lessons about pooping...it can be quite funny actually.

Listen, you got serious problems if you are using coffee to poop. That means you are already constipated and just piling up your health problems with your emergency pottie system. But don't sweat it, i will tell you how to break free.

Caffeine puts you into a chronic 'fight or flight' and this is also known as 'stress.' Gee, do you think we need more stress producing stimulants in our busy lives?

New York is known as the city that never sleeps. Partly because it has a thriving night life - and partly because many people are jacked up from too much caffeine and sugar all day long.

Congratulations Jane, while your at it, why don't you go ahead and tell the children and teens who hang out at Starbucks after school that Red Bull or their grande caramel cappuccinos are a good substitute for water as well.

Fruits and vegetables are good sources of water?

Well, yeah actually, if they are non-organic, commercially produced. Fruits and vegetables are supposed to be full of nutrients, not water.

Clearly you have been buying your produce at the corner deli.
All those fluorescent colored fruits and veggies are not normal. And the reason they taste like water, is because they are mostly water.

Listen people, industrialized agriculture grows produce in the cheapest way possible to produce the most amount of products. This produce is covered with poisonous pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that are loaded with salt.
Anyone get bloated from eating too much table salt??? Well the same thing happens to your produce when they are loaded with salt.

Fruits and veggies that are loaded with water are nothing more than commercially produced, artificially colored non-organic bags of water...but hey, when your tweakin from coffee all day long who cares, right?

Instead of blindly following the advice of any newspaper, magazine or celebrity - try these guidelines and PAY ATTENTION to the results you get. Only your body will tell the truth:

Drink half your body wight in ounces of clean water each day.
Drink room temperature water - esp. first thing in the morning.
Don't drink while you eat.
Don't read the NY Times while you eat.
Wait an hour after you eat before you start drinking water again.
If you are peeing a lot, try adding a small pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to your water bottles (you should not taste it).
Human beings (that's us) are designed to drink nothing but water, regardless of what any writer, editor or journalist (who is not a nutrition expert) or what some crusty old doctor who doesn't work out tells you.
Try this for yourself and you will see.

Have a great weekend and see you soon!
Antonio

To see the whole article, click this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/health/22brod.html

Foam Rolling for Better Posture

2008-07-21T11:27:00.002-04:00

Here is a simple foam rolling technique for anyone who sits at a desk all day long. You can do this before your workouts or at any time really. This will enhance your posture of your upper back and shoulder girdle if you sit at a desk and tend to slouch.

Why Calorie Counting Still Doesn't Work

2008-07-21T10:29:00.007-04:00

Check out this article.
NYC is leading the way in helping Americans lose weight - right? Wrong.
Counting Calories doesn't work and there are many reasons why.
If you read the article you will see one of the main reasons.
There is no consistency in reporting actual calories and there are way too many factors involved in healthy weight loss.
You cannot measure QUALITY by counting QUANTITY (calories).
To oversimplify the issue, which is commonplace in America, actually creates more confusion for people and gives a sense of false hope for many.
I have said this a million times and will continue to say it again: WHAT AMERICA IS DOING FOR HEALTH & NUTRITION ISN'T WORKING!
IT HAS NOT WORKED IN 40 YEARS - WAKE UP PEOPLE.
I have a book coming out soon called Fat Loss Psychology and I cover all these issues surrounding successful health, fitness and weight loss.
And in true Antonio style, I will also smash all the 'health and weight loss' crap that is talked about in the media which is one of the primary reasons why people are confused, overweight and tired.

Tips to help you improve your health and lose weight:

Focus on quality, not quantity.

Obviously, if you are overeating you will need to get a grip on total quantity per meal - what people refer to as 'Portion Control.'

The size of your Portions should be the amount of food it takes to give you 3-4 hours of feeling good and being energized - that is how you determine your portion sizes.

The ratio of those portions per meal - how much protein, fat and carb per person is highly individualized. I have already given you many resources to determine your unique metabolic type.

Not only can you focus on quality over quantity, but also focus on getting fresh, organic whole foods. Nutrient-dense foods are foods that are fresh and organic. This means you will have to go shopping every 2-3 days to get the freshest foods. That requires PLANNING.

I will be covering WHY calorie counting doesn't work and what does work in the next few posts so stay tuned....

http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MTI5NDM1OA==

Does Facebook Make Me Look Fat?

2008-07-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

Please come be my friend on Facebook

That's all I have to say for today -- I am getting ready for the torrential rains that are supposed to be coming our way here in New York City. I am also putting the finishing touches on my cookbook.

But have no fear --> I will post Fourth of July Fat Loss Survival Guidelines tomorrow so you can have fun and stay true to your goals!!!

Chocolate - the best of the best

2008-06-23T10:10:00.004-04:00

The absolute best type of chocolate you can consume is Organic Raw Cacao.
If you do a little online research, you will find that there are many health benefits of this superfood.

Almost half of the worlds chocolate is being produced with child slave labor in West Africa - so yes, the brands you purchase have a powerful impact in the world we live.

What we choose to eat will either improve or ruin our health and will also contribute or contaminate the consciousness of the planet we all live on.

I personally purchase Fair Trade and usually get chocolate or cacao from small, local companies that sell to my local health food stores. Since I live in downtown Manhattan, there is plenty of good health food stores all over that have great brands that I trust, eat and recommend.

If you use it wisely - that means choose a high quality product, and don't eat it too often and not too much, chocolate or cacao can be quite healthy.

Choose the wrong type (commercially produced junk foods, candies and chocolate bars which are loaded with sugars and artificial ingredients) and it can make you fat.

Either way, there is a stimulant (similar to caffeine) in chocolate & cacao, so be careful how much you use.

I only eat dark chocolate and not milk chocolate and recommend the same for most.

These are my favorites:

Sunfoods

http://www.ulimana.com/index.html

http://oneluckyduck.com

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/

http://gnosischocolate.squarespace.com/

http://www.livingfuel.com/

These are just a few of the cacao and chocolate products I like -- what about you?
Please email me your favorite chocolate treats!

Shakes - Gain Weight or Lose Fat, Your Choice!

2008-06-16T10:30:00.002-04:00

I hope you had a great weekend.
The heatwave has passed and we had a gorgeous weekend in NYC!

I got lots of emails last week asking about protein shakes so I decided to tell you about another big fat loss mistake and let you in on one of my favorite products!

You know, there are tons of protein powders and shake mixes on the market - and most of them are garbage.

Why are they garbage?

Well, most are using denatured whey protein that, believe it or not, is actually a waste product form the dairy industry.

Another reason is that a great majority of people cannot tolerate dairy (and soy) products and close to 99% of the people I have talked to in my 15 years as a fitness & nutrition professional have all said the same thing about protein powders:

'They make me bloated!'

And please don't fall for the alternative 'health' food protein powder: soy.

Today, I want to share with you my favorite shake - it has no dairy, soy, other allergenic, synthetic ingredients or artificial fillers or products.

In fact, it is the 'original' organic & raw shake on the market and it works really well with everyone I know who has used it.

It's called Living Fuel.

And its called 'Living' for a reason.

It's loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and probiotics.

It's easy to use and is excellent for busy people on the go.

I have a cookbook coming out soon where I share some awesome shake recipes I use with Living Fuel. Untill then, you can check out their website. They do have other great products, but this is by far, my favorite.

My Favorite Shake

2008-06-16T10:04:00.004-04:00

Unlike some popular nutrition 'experts' and fitness celebrities, I am not sponsored by any company, I don't make money promoting anything and my message and core values are never compromised by any corporation.

This is my favorite shake and I do recomend it to my clients.

I will have a whole section on shakes in my upcoming cookbook - so stay tuned!

In the coming weeks, I will also be sharing some of my favorite places to get organic food on the go! For those of you who don't live in NYC and read this blog --> it's not Sex and the City, but it will get you healthy and help you lose fat fast!

Check it out at Living Fuel

Snacks for the Success

2008-06-09T11:12:00.006-04:00

As I mentioned, you need good snacks in order to get healthy and lose fat.

You don't wait until your hungry and then go hog wild at the local corner store.

Here are just a few of the bars and snacks I use and recommend.

The main reason I don't sell a 'diet' like all the other so-called nutrition, fitness and fat loss 'experts' is because we are all individuals and there is no one size fits all approach that works.

So please PAY ATTENTION to how you feel after you eat -- as some people cannot tolerate nuts and seeds.

The one good thing consistent with all the snacks and bars I recommend is that are no GRAINS and NOTHING ARTIFICIAL.

They are all whole foods, mostly raw and SHOULD ONLY BE USED ONCE IN A WHILE AS A SNACK!

TRAIL MIX
http://www.jkgourmet.com/

http://www.enjoylifefoods.com

Homemade Mix -- http://www.elanaspantry.com/2008/03/31/my-favorite-trail-mix/

BARS
Cliff Bar Nectar - Note, this is the only bar from Cliff that I recommend.
http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_nectar/

http://www.organicfoodbar.com/

https://www.larabar.com/

http://www.thinkproducts.com/organic-bars.php

One of my favorite companies - they have all kinds of goodies:
http://www.oneluckyduck.com/

My Favorite Exercise

2008-05-27T18:10:00.003-04:00

One of my colleagues in Australia trains the world champion in surfing and you can see them training some sick athletic drills in a '60 minutes' segment that was aired recently.

You can check out the video by clicking HERE

Biggest Mistake in Women's Fat Loss

2008-05-25T20:19:00.000-04:00

I want to share with you the biggest mistake I have seen in my 15 years as a fitness & nutrition professional:

Its the 'one size fits all approach' to exercise, eating and lifestyle.

Look, the majority of nutrition 'experts' today and practically every magazine and email newsletter I have ever seen constantly regurgitate the same guidelines that everyone else has for the past 30 years -- and even though it CLEARLY isn't working, we are inundated with the same generic 'one size fits all' info daily.

However...

YOU are UNIQUE.
Your eating, exercise and lifestyle needs are unique.

You dont buy cookie cutter dresses that every one else is wearing out of a Sears catalog do you?
No, most women I know do a lot of 'research' in fashion magazines and people watching and are expert shoppers.
They are crystal clear on what they will or will not wear.

You dont randomly pick and choose what some anonymous author or editor tells you to wear - do you?

Yet, when it comes to eating & exercise - thats exactly what I see & hear almost daily.

How do you know how unique you are?

Your mom probably gave you some insight in to this as a child...and if she is like my mom, she still tells you how special you are (even as an adult) :-)

But when it comes to eating & exercise, if you are not working with an expert,
I suggest getting Paul Chek's book 'How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy.'

It has a simple questionnaire to tell you:

What your individual requirements for eating are.

What level of stress you have which is how you determine what type of exercise you should do to get the best results.

Stress Management Exercises to reduce specific stress you may face.

Also, over the next 4 weeks, I am going to cover Hidden Sources of Fat and Reasons Why You Cant Lose Fat.

You may be able to find something you have been doing that is inhibiting your fat loss results, so stay tuned to the next 4 weeks of newsletters.

By the way.....
I dont make any mo.ney promoting Paul Chek's book.
But I do see hundreds of people getting amazing results because they got this book.

Go to amazon now and get it now

If you already have it, stay tuned to the next 4 newsletters for hidden issues that may be stopping you from sculpting a killer body and flattening your abs forever!

Mind Body NYC

2008-05-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

In case you don't me, here is a little bit of my history that will help you understand what this email is about...

I started training in the martial arts when I was 5 years old.
I lived in India and learned Yoga from real masters between the ages of 19 and 21.
When I came to NYC and developed my business, I created a holistic fitness, nutrition and lifestyle system that would help people not only get healthy and burn fat, but also reduce stress and achieve inner peace.
Yes, even in the middle of the concrete jungle, you can have a sense of inner peace and clarity.

I created four levels of fitness – from mind-body through high performance - and the one I find that offers some of the best benefits for busy New Yorkers is mind-body fitness.
I integrated various mind-body systems like Chi Gong and Yoga, into my own full body workout.

In fact, I teach a morning class several days a week along side the Hudson River down here in the West Village.

Mind-body exercise allows busy people, just like you, to take a moment and bring your attention inward instead of always thinking about everything outside and around you – it allows you to go inside and quiet the mind.

What are the benefits of mind body exercise and what does it have to do with fat loss???

Anytime you are challenged (stressed), you immediately go into a 'Fight or Flight' mode.
This is part of normal life - everyone's life has both support and challenge.
The problem arises when you have non-stop stress from too many sources and your body cannot adapt.
Stress produces cortisol, stress hormone, that interferes with most metabolic processes, and helps you store fat and age prematurely.
Excess cortisol is involved with almost every disease known to man and especially involved in fat distribution and weight gain.

The more stress you encounter and don’t manage properly --> the more your body stores fat and the less your body will be able to burn fat, because managing stress is more of a priority for the human being than weight loss

The more stress, the less your body's ability to tolerate aggressive exercise 9Like fat burning strength or interval training)
So, sometimes the best way to burn fat is to slow down and take it easy.
Allow your body to return to its natural state of balance and metabolic function.

For busy New Yorkers who face stress all day long and need some work-life balance, I teach a simple routine of mind-body exercises that focus on proper breathing patterns and quieting the mind that they can do in the morning or immediately after work.

Some of the benefits of mind-body fitness include:

• Reduce Stress and Manage Cortisol Levels
• Resilience to Everyday Stressors
• Dissolve Emotional Charges
• Balance Emotions
• Enhance Presence and Clarity
• Integrate Body, Mind and Spirit
• Reduce Muscle Tension and Anxiety
• Increase Focus and Sense of Purpose
• Improve Memory and Concentration
• Better Learning & Retention
• Increase Energy
• Improve Health & Wellness
• Reduce Insomnia
• Enhance your Ability to Enjoy Life
• Increased Self Esteem & Self Worth
• Improve Relationship with Self and Others
• Reduce Biological Aging

All of these benefits translate into looking and feeling better about yourself.
Mind Body Exercise will help you store less fat and improve your metabolic function and significantly improve your health.

There are many ways to learn and practice mind-body exercises.
The most obvious is Yoga and Chinese Exercise like Chi Gong.

Another simple way I suggest is to get Paul Chek's book 'How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy' and practice the Energizing Exercises in Chapter 6.
If you live in New York City and want to join me for a morning mind-body workout along the Hudson River, please email me for info and come join us!

Peace Out

Go Girls!

2008-05-02T09:28:00.000-04:00

New Stealth Chemicals Hidden in Your Food - Articles

2008-05-01T14:19:00.000-04:00

New Stealth Chemicals Hidden in Your Food - Articles

Another example of why WHOLE FOODS is superior to anything that comes in a can, bottle or bag or box.

If it wasn't here 10,000 years ago - DON'T EAT IT!

This is also a great reason why you can't trust the Food Manufacturing Industry.
This article also shows us that conventional food manufacturing and the FDA could be the biggest threat to our health and the future of our children.

A Pomegranate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2008-05-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

A Pomegranate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Here is an interesting article that explains some of the health benefits of whole foods - in this case, pomegranate. Now, I am not talking about fruit juice or 'POM' that is popular these days. I am talking about the whole fruit and the seeds as well.

There is no substitute for whole foods and since juices that you purchase in stores are pasteurized and are very high in sugars (even naturally occurring fruit sugars), packaged or bottled juices are simply not a good idea.

If you want to lose fat - or want a good snack for your kids - or want something sweet that wont derail your health, fitness and fat loss success, then i suggest finding out WHERE and WHEN you can get your hands on fresh, organic produce.

If I can find fresh, organic foods in the heart of the concrete jungle - then I am sure you can find them wherever you live as well.

Here are some powerful tips that will skyrocket your health -- Go online and find your local green market, Whole Foods or health food store and find out:
WHEN the produce is delivered
WHICH fruits and vegetables are grown locally
WHICH fruits and veggies are in season

Figure out HOW OFTEN you need to go grocery shopping as fresh produce goes bad withing 2-3 dyas

Follow these healthy lifestyle tips and your body will thank you!

Organic NYC

2008-04-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

In case you don't know, I live in the Lower East Side of New York City.
It has a reputation for being not only the puck rock, but also the organic foods capital of the US.
There are more organic restaurants and health food stores here than most any other city anywhere.

I love it because I can get almost anything I want, whenever I want it.

I'm going to share with you a couple of my favorite spots for getting organic treats and eco-friendly skincare products....

Now, the treats I eat once in awhile are sweet...

In fact, I can get Strawberry Shortcake, Terra Misu, Coconut Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Mint Milk Shakes and other treats
that have NO DAIRY, NO FLOUR, NO SUGAR and NOTHING ARTIFICIAL!

They are gourmet raw food treats and yes, they are delicious.
In fact, they can be very nutritious...but, they can also be heavy in calories and if you’re not careful, they will make you fat.

If you don’t know much about raw foods, also known as 'living foods' or 'life foods'...then you might be missing out.

A raw foods diet is very trendy right now, but it’s very unnatural.
It is also very unhealthy and built on a faulty premise and more importantly, it doesn't exist in nature.
There are some wonderful raw food people and powerful health benefits to eating raw foods, but overall it’s just
not wise for most people.

Raw foods are loaded with nuts and seeds which are difficult to digest for most.
There is also not enough saturated fat and protein to make it truly healthy.

Be warned - if it’s your first time to these places, raw foodists will try to sway
you into believing that their raw food diet is the one diet that’s perfect for all humanity -
this 'one size fits all' concept is one of the biggest myths and health obstacles people face today.

They do have excellent whole food snacks though that are loaded with enzymes and are nutrient dense.
They also use 'super foods' - foods like acai, maca, goji berries, Irish moss and coconut which are powerhouses of nutrition.

I encourage my clients to check out these places and try their snacks.
If you live in NYC, LA or other major metropolitan area - you are in luck, as raw food restaurants are popping up all over the place.
If you live elsewhere, just do an online search, get a cook book and a few ingredients and
try some of these recipes for yourself.

Here are some of my favorite places and some online resources to help you get started with raw food snacks....

http://www.purefoodandwine.com
http://www.live-live.com
http://www.caravanofdreams.net
http://www.organicavenue.com
http://www.highvibe.com
http://www.jubbslongevity.com
http://www.living-foods.com
http://www.sunfood.com

The Most Important Nutrition Study Ever

2008-04-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Do you want to know what many experts consider to be the most important study on nutrition ever done?

Click on the link below to watch a short story on you tube, but you may want to understand the reasons first:

It was the only study ever done to compare eating habits of different cultures around the globe.

It was the only study ever done to compare the effects of industrialized, processed foods compared to organic, whole foods diet within the same people.

It discusses the first stages of degenerative diseases.

It also shows you some of the healthiest Nations in the world.

It is also the basis for biochemical individualization of nutrition - in other words, this study was the first and foremost study ever to demonstrate the importance of eating according to your unique Metabolic Type.

See a short video about this study by clicking HERE!

20 Worst Foods in America

2008-04-28T08:53:00.000-04:00

I am going to let you in on a secret...

America is not leading the world in obesity, overweight people anymore
We definitely have the largest amount of obese teenagers, but...

Other countries have taken the lead with total obese people and other countries are quickly catching up

Here are 20 reasons why Americans are some of the fattest people on the planet -- and you just gotta laugh

Some of these meals have more calories than what some people eat ALL day long!

There is much more to successful fat loss than how many calories you take in -- the quality of those calories is more important, but even more importantly, the real question to ask is WHY are you eating whatever it is that you are eating?!?!

This article is pretty funny...check it out

20 Worst Foods in America

The most Important Nutrition Study ever done

2008-04-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

Do you want to know what many experts consider to be the most important study on nutrition ever done?

Click on the link below to watch a short story on you tube, but you may want to understand the reasons first:

It was the only study ever done to compare different cultures around the globe.
It was the only study ever done to compare the effects of industrialized, processed foods compared to organic, whole foods diet within the same people.
It discusses the first stages of degenerative diseases.
It also shows you some of the healthiest Nations in the world.
It is also the basis for biochemical individualization of nutrition - in other words, this study was the first and foremost study ever to demonstrate the importance of eating according to your unique Metabolic Type.
See a short video about this study HERE

Why don't the French get FAT?

2008-04-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

Why don't the French get Fat dammit!?!

I am going to tell you why French people dont get fat
It has to do with their mindset
Mindset is what my upcoming book Fat Loss Psychology is all about

Your mindset is your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and strategies about how you see and live in this world
mindset is also the number one reason people are unhealthy and why 98% of dieters 'fail'

I will tell you why in a minute - but I am also going to let you in on a secret that might be more important:

Being skinny does not equal being healthy
In fact, being skinny or thin can be very unhealthy

I know lots of people who use extreme methods to get skinny
These methods are promoted in the media
People try these methods because they are popular

The first lesson I teach in my book is FOCUS
Instead of focusing on getting skinny
I suggest something much more empowering - focus is on getting healthy

WHY?
You cannot lose weight to get healthy - You must get healthy in order to lose weight
A simple sift in focus can have profound effects

Now, on to the French...

There are several reasons why they are not as fat as Americans

First they eat more whole foods
Food, in general, in Europe is not as processed as it is in the US
Second, they eat more saturated fats
Third, they enjoy life and are not driven by fear & stress like Americans typically are
Finally, their Mindset!
They use internal cues - such as no longer feeling hungry to stop eating,
reports a new study from Cornell University. Americans tend to use external cues -
such as whether their plate is clean, they have run out of their beverage or
the TV show they're watching is over.

The reason they are not as fat as Americans lies in mainly in their mindset

However, if you are eating non-foods that are grown with synthetic pesticides or have
artificial ingredients you will find it difficult to know when you are done.
The brain has an appestat control system that lets you know when you are done.
The more distracted you are (TV, etc) or the more intoxicated you are (alcohol, food allergies) and the more junk foods you eat,
the more difficult it is for your body to function and your brain to get its signals.

I teach my clients to pay attention and be present when eating.
Having an 'attitude of food gratitude' will help you enjoy and digest your food better
Dont watch TV when eating
Chew your food well
Dont drink when eating

Simple tips = profound results.

Antonio

Best Supplement Ever!

2008-03-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

...if you are coming from one of my newsletters...I pasted the links at the bottom of this post.

Here it is

My favorite supplement for burning fat, eliminating PMS and doing SO MUCH MORE!
There are tons of other benefits!
You would have to be a fool (or a vegan) not to use this food.

Here are some of the benefits found in this powerhouse food or supplement:

Improves overall health
Protection against heart disease, depression, bipolar disease, ADD / ADHD, alcoholism,
postpartum depression, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes & arthritis
Promotes optimal LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio
Promotes cellular integrity
Supports energy levels, concentration & mental acuity
Helps promote healthy pregnancy
Maintains normal blood sugar levels
Helps keep tissues & joints healthy
Fights free radical damage

What is it?
Omega 3 fats

The best source of these essential fats is from fish. I generally promote the use of the oil as a
supplement as opposed to eating fish because the oceans have become so polluted and most fish have
heavy metals, petrochemicals and other poisons....sad, but true.

If you want to learn more, check out:
http://www.sas.org.uk/

www.gotmercury.org

I generally prefer cod liver oil because it also has vitamins A & D

Living in NYC and not seeing the sun for the past 6 months can make you a little cranky. So vitamin D is crucial for optimal health & mood and has these benefits:

Essential for a strong skeletal system
Helps regulate blood levels of calcium and phosphorus
Promotes bone formation and mineralization
Regulates cellular integrity
Promotes healthy immune function
Plays a role in healthy blood sugar levels
Improves mood
Promotes a healthy heart
Helps regulate proper body weight
Helps maintain a healthy reproductive system
Promotes healthy tissue
Helps contribute to an overall sense of well-being

Here are some benefits of Vitamin A:

Helps maintain healthy vision
Promotes healthy thyroid function
Promotes a healthy immune function
Keeps mucous membranes healthy
Promotes normal inflammatory response

The liquid form is superior to capsules
Certain brands are superior to others

For all my readers outside the USA, you may have to do some research.
The brands I get and recommend to my clients are:

www.drrons.com

Dr Ron's is the highest quality product on the market
Dr Ron's also comes as a liquid with a butter oil and cinnamon and it actually taste like candy!
I am not kidding!

www.carlsonlabs.com

Carlson's cod liver oil is exceptional in quality and purity

What about Flax Seed Oil?

Just to clarify a common misconception - flax seed oil is an inferior form of
Omega 3 because you may be getting rancid oil and most people cannot convert
the ALA into DHA and EPA which are the main benefits of fish oil.

There it is folks!
Feel free to email me any fish oil brands you find outside the US and I'll do my best to research the company.
Have a great weekend and talk to you next week

peace
Antonio

Ready for the Beach?

2008-03-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

Are you Ready for the Beach?

Spring time officially started last week and that means 2 things here in NYC:

1) It's still cold, so be patient :-( but you can get excited and start planning! :-)

2) Get the shorts and bikinis out NOW and get ready to hit the beach! Woohoo!!!!

Have you followed the advice in my newsletters?

I get feedback every week from my subscribers and the ones that have followed my tips are getting amazing results.

Here are my top 10 tips to get your beach body now:

1) Eat 4-6 times per day - NO MATTER WHAT!

2) Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day - spaced out in between your meals!

3) Have a very clear reason WHY you want to get in shape and create a new, lean sexy body.

4) The way to stick to your fat loss goals - and not fall off the wagon - is to KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE WHY!

5) Keep your WHY on an index card, business card, document on your desktop or in a folder and have it on hand all day long.

6) Visualize your new lean, energetic, sexy body at least twice a day.

7) Make a vision board of the life you are creating and update it often. Have much more than just your body, add all elements of a healthy, fulfilling life to your board - including material items you want (car, clothing, surfboard, etc), spiritual, social, financial, personal, relaionship and your ideal career.

8) Make a plan! How will you create this life? Start with the top 7 steps to get it done!

9) Take action every day - from your top 7 action steps - from exercising, shopping, and spending time with people who support you and share the same values.

10) Appreciate what is working in your life and practice an attitude of gratitude. I coach people in stress management and one of the most important techniques I teach is not only how to cope with challeneges in life, but how to cope with the blessings in life: Count your blessings!

Yes, these are simple tips.

Some of them might be blatantly obvious.

Often, the simple and obvious tips are the most effective.

Don't get caught up in all the details, and don't focus on what you don't want - simply look at the big picture and create a vision for the life you are creating.

Count your blessings and go out and kick ass today!

I have a fr.ee tele-seminar coming up with the author of The Diet Solution so stay tuned....

Yours in Health

Antonio

Professional Stress Crusher
www.BurnSports.com

Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink...

2008-03-12T00:09:00.000-04:00

What to do about drinking water?

I recommend drinking bottled water from European or other remote lands far away from the U.S. as the cleanest sources of water.
Try to find glass bottles, if you can.

Why?

There are no clean water sources in the U.S.
Glass bottles are healthier, not only for the environment but also for your health.

Plastic bottles leach fake estrogens and other harmful particles (that don't belong in our bodies) into the water and there are serious health problems that arise from this. The longer the water sits in plastic, especially with the heat involved in shipping, the worse it is for you.

Why expensive European brands?

The quality is better and they spend less time in the bottles in shipping and on shelves and therefore are generally healthier.

You can also look into in-home water filtration systems, but they also present some difficulties and some of them waste a lot of water in the process as well.

OMG - But what about the environmental cost of importing something that's available here and plastics are not good for the environment!!!

Remember this -- there is an environmental issue with EVERYTHING you eat, drink or purchase!

So I suggest you make wise decisions that create health for you and the planet. Honestly, how much can you contribute to this planet when your sick and tired from drinking crappy water?

If you sacrifice your health to save the environment, you end up with a healthy planet and sick people.
Why not recycle and save yourself and the planet?

You are the most valuable component to this planet & environment.

The health of the planet is a reflection of its people's health.

When you are healthy, you set an example for others to follow.

So by taking responsibility for your own health, you can do a lot more for the planet than you can when you drink tap water that is full of parasites, heavy metals, PCB's, industrial waste, sewage, petro-chemicals and not to mention the massive quantities of pharmaceuticals that your Brita filter just can't clean.
Three final notes --

1 - Don't be fooled by Dasani or Aquafina - they are made by Coke and Pepsi and are nothing more than toilet water.

2 - If you can't afford bottled water, then get a better job. Seriously, if you can not afford to be healthy, your job sucks. Life is not meant to be a struggle, so get clear on your dreams and using a smart plan, follow them diligently with all your heart & soul, and the money will come. You can do more for this planet the more money you have.

3 - In case you run up against a trendy, neurotic GREEN co-worker who is self-righteous and makes passive aggressive comments about drinking bottled water, remember this --

...their Gap jeans and Nike shoes were made in sweatshops in third world countries where underage and underpaid 'employees' are being exploited

...their Starbucks liquid crack is draining their hormonal system, making them irritable and unable to reproduce and those supersized cups can't be recycled anyway

...their junk food diet is being manufactured by mega-corporate giants who are selling addictive foods and harmful chemicals to children

....the alcohol they drink is a massive waste of natural resources

....and last year when they didn't give a damn about the environment, you were already working out, eating organic and saving the environment....you get the point.

Keep an eye out for new developments in water filtration systems.
Drink clean water & eat organic food from small, local farms and you can do more for the environment when you are healthier.

peace

Antonio

Drugs in Your Drinking Water

2008-03-12T00:06:00.000-04:00

Would you like drugs with your drinking water?

You may have heard about this by now, but it's something everyone needs to know about.

A wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in drinking water supplies across the U.S in 24 major metropolitan areas - from Southern California to New York, Philly, Detroit and Louisville...to name a few.

The Associated Press completed an extensive research project and surveyed the nation's 50 largest cities and here is what they came up with:

* Officials in Philadelphia said testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts were found in the city's watersheds.

* Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a portion of the treated drinking water for 18.5 million people in Southern California.

* Researchers found metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizers in drinking water from a water treatment plant Northern New Jersey which serves 850,000 people.

* A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water.

* The drinking water for Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas tested positive for six pharmaceuticals.

* Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson, Ariz.

* How about New York City which has a reputation for the best drinking water in the country? They found trace concentrations of 16 medications including heart medicine, infection fighters, estrogen, anti-convulsants, a mood stabilizer and a tranquilizer.

This is just a small portion of the reports findings.

How do drugs end up in our water?

Simple, they pass through the body and end up in your toilet, which eventually ends up back into your drinking water.

Awesome! ;)

I don't know about you, but I'm not drinking that kind of water. I would imagine that you feel the same way.

And let's not forget chlorine and fluoride. Do a little research yourself and you may be surprised what you find. There's evidence that adding chlorine makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic.

If you know me, you know I have been saying this for years and it's finally hitting the mainstream.

So what's the solution for drinking water?

* Drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

* Don't drink tap water. Drink clean, spring water from European sources, in glass bottles if you can.

* If you can't get clean spring water, then add a tiny pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to your water bottles.

Now, I know some people are going to whine about how plastic bottles are not good for the environment - and anything being shipped overseas is a waste of natural resources.

So just wait until Wednesday for my next newsletter covering these specific environmental issues that everyone 'going green' needs to hear.

Until next time, don't drink toilet water and talk soon

5 Steps to Success

2008-02-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since my last newsletter.

The reason is that I have been super busy with all my amazing clients and I am finishing up my book Fat Loss Psychology.

Just so you know, I am also working on a multi-media cook book. It's going to be really cool!

Here are your top 5 Secrets to Success in Health, Fitness and Permanent Fat Loss.

1. Planning & Preparation - You must plan your shopping, food prep and cooking. You may want to cook for 2-3 meals at a time. You don't have to become Bravo's Top Chef, but you also don't want to be Chef Boyardee. If you want success, take responsibility by planning your shopping, prep and cooking times, or hire a personal chef.

2. Planning your Workouts in advance. It's simple. Go to Outlook or your Daily Planner now and block out the days and times you WILL workout. Don't try to 'find' the time - 'make' the time and it will happen. Workout with friends or get outdoors with family and friends and go hiking or play at the beach.

3. Managing your Self. You can't manage your health until you can manage your self. Also, you can't manage time, but you can manage your energy and your schedule. How much time do you spend alone quieting your mind? Do you practice some form of meditation or prayer? Do you visualize the health, vitality and the sculpted body you are creating? Managing your self involves planning your life - your ideal life that you would love to live. It also involves managing your energy, your workouts, your eating, your weekends, your vacations and who you spend time with. This is a critical step to having a healthy, fulfilling life.

4. Eat 4 - 6 times each day - NO MATTER WHAT. The most common reasons people are overweight, unhealthy, depressed and can't stick to their goals is because they skip meals. You cannot lose fat, get healthy or improve your health & energy levels if you skip meals - so eat often.

5. Pay Attention! Every meal and exercise session will produce physical and mental/emotional response. The food you eat becomes your hormones. Your hormones are your emotions. You cannot manage your health until you can manage your emotions. Eat fresh, whole organic foods and notice what meals do to you afterwards. Do you get craggy, sleepy and have mood swings? Do you feel focused, centered with balanced emotions and have good mental clarity and energy for 3-4 hours?

Many people are desperately searching and mistakenly believe 'the answer' to looking and feeling good is losing weight. This may be popular, but it's totally false.

The majority of people who lose w.e.i.g.h.t, do it using very unhealthy methods that have devastating effects on the metabolism. In fact, 98% of those people gain it back and have now damaged their metabolism.

'Losing w.e.i.g.h.t' and looking good happen when you do the right thing and take responsibility for your life and improve your health.

Feeling good comes from having clarity and a balanced perspective, setting & achieving specific goals and living from your heart. It is impossible to have that when you eat crappy foods, skip meals and do excessive amounts of cardio.

Follow these 5 simple tips and consider yourself successful.

Are Your Beauty Products Making You Fat?

2008-02-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

The world 'organic' is not carefully regulated on personal skincare and beauty products like it is used on food.

These days, because government policy is heavily influenced by food manufacturing industries, the only way to know what you are truly getting is to do a little research into the companies you purchase to see if they are truly organic.

If you want to be healthy and lose fat, eating organic and using organic skincare products is essential.

Why?

Your body stores toxins in fat.

If your skincare products do not have the green USDA label on it, your products most likely contain synthetic ingredients (toxins) that are making you fat, tired and may cause serious damage to your reproductive system as well as give you cancer.

Government, industry and academic studies consistently show that ingredients in common skincare products are linked to cancer, developmental /reproductive toxicity, alleriges & other immunotoxic issues, neurotoxic (poisonous to the brain), endocrine disruptors (damage your homronal system), persistant and bio-accumulation, organ system toxicity, skin/eye/lung irritation and may have other contamination issues.

There are huge loopholes in the public health laws governing these industries that allow manufacturers to include toxic ingredients and not list them, including those which are illegal and well known to be toxic and carcinogenic - even things like lead, mercury, and placenta.

Commercially produced skincare, frangrances and 'beauty' products may be destroying your health and your ability to lose weight and get pregnant.

The avergae American woman actually ingests (eats) about 5 lbs of make up through her skin each year. The popular saying 'You Are What You Eat' takes on a whole new meaning here, doesn't it?

If you want to be healthy, lose fat, improve your mood, brain chemistry and prevent disease - go organic. Not just in your food, but in your skincare and beauty products.

Here is a list of websites with REAL healthy, organic products that are safe for you, your baby and our planet.

www.iamapeacekeeper.com
www.safecosmetics.org
www.store.annabellina.com
www.greenproductsalliance.com
www.aubrey-organics.com
www.bestorganicsforhealth.com
www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org - click on Cosmetics Companies and Breast Cancer
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
www.ewg.org
www.organicconsumers.org
www.mercola.com

Remember, if you want to be successful in health, fitness and permanent fat loss - you need 3 things:
The Right Nutrition
The Right Exercise
The Right Mindset

Part of having the right mindset is knowledge. Knowledge of the companies you are supporting and making sure that the stuff you put on your skin and in your body are naturally pure, free from harmful chemicals that will disrupt your hormomal system's ability to burn fat and be healthy.

Happy shopping!
Antonio

Fitness Inspiration #2 - Must See!

2008-02-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

Fitness Inspiration

2008-01-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

Bloating and Gas and Farting - Oh My!

2008-01-30T17:03:00.000-05:00

You giggle about it with friends, but you would never do it on a date.
You can’t stand it when your fiancé does it, but…

Would you like to know what causes gas, bloating & farting?

More importantly, would you like to know how to stop it????

FOOD SENSITIVITY
Flatulence, a.k.a farting (go ahead say it! You know it’s funny!) is one of the best indicators of food sensitivities / intolerance.

Some flatulence (flatus, wind or gas) is a normal once in a while. It's a product of all mammals’ digestive process; if you have a dog then you know what I mean. It’s basically methane - a colorless, odorless gas – that should pass easily, should not feel hot or stink up the place!

If you feel pressure or heat, or if you are constantly making jokes about your boyfriends’ Dutch oven, this may be a sign of not digesting certain foods properly and that slowly damages the digestive system. Gaining weight will happen, but is the least of your worries in this case.

Keep a food journal and notice what happens immediately and for 2-3 hours after you eat. Look for bloating, gas, farting, mood swings, acne and fatigue.

You'll be doing yourself a favor and, more importantly, you can avoid possible serious health risks if you want to be lean, have children and live a long and fulfilling life.

FIBER
Some people suggest 20 to 40 grams of fiber daily are an essential part of a healthy diet! But as I discuss in my BLOG – this ONE SIZE FITS ALL approach to eating doesn’t work. Some people may need more, some people less.

Many people over 35 have digestive systems that are simply too weak to digest raw vegetables. Yes, some fruits & vegetables should be eaten raw, but until your inner ecosystem is healthy, you may have trouble digesting raw vegetables.

I suggest lightly cooking vegetables by baking, simmering, sautéing or lightly steaming them to make them more digestible. You can also use butter or coconut oil to make them more nutritious and delicious.

DYSFUNCTIONAL DIGESTION
Most people over 35 have a dysfunctional digestive system. Years of dieting, diet sodas, coffee, sugar, unmanaged stress and artificial/synthetic ingredients in processed foods have damaged their metabolism.

I have most of my clients over 35 take a Digestive Enzyme until we figure out exactly what’s going on. My favorite is Support Digestion from www.BioMatrixOne.com

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE
Gluten is the protein found in most grains except buckwheat, millet, rice and corn. Gluten intolerance is very common and found most frequently in people with Irish, English, Scottish, Scandinavian, Northern European and Eastern European backgrounds.

The best way to discover if you are intolerant, is to cut out breads, pasta's and all grains for 2-3 months. After 90 days add a small of gluten back into your diet. If you show any signs and symptoms, then you are gluten intolerant.

If you cut out grains and processed carbs for just a few weeks, YOU WILL LOSE FAT - since all carbs are sugars!

If you really want to eat grains, you can purchase gluten free products (breads, rice pasta's, bars, crackers, etc) from Whole Foods.

You can visit websites such as these to order gluten free products online.
www.glutenfree-supermarket.com
www.glutenfreeda.com
www.foodchoices.com

4 Unhealthy 'Health' Foods

2008-01-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

I meet LOTS of women in NYC who tell me they want to get in shape, lose body fat and look & feel fabulous.

Many of them are really excited to tell me about their diet and exercise routines and say things like 'this works for me' or 'I love it.'

I have yet to figure out WHY they are meeting with me in the first place if what they are doing is 'working so well' or they 'love it' so much.

The truth is this - the dark circles under the eyes, fatigue, late afternoon energy drop, coffee addiction & sugar cravings, bloating and excess bodyfat tell me a different story.

Just because something is popular in magazines, gyms or on TV does not mean that is true, that it works or that it is HEALTHY.

Here are 4 'health food' myths that are very popular right now in New York City that are anything but 'healthy.'

1 - RAW FOOD DIETS - Yes, its popular and no it is not natural, sustainable or healthy. Plan on skiiing this year? What about a trip to Costa Rica? Visiting family in Illinois or Florida? Other than fruits, vegetables and some nuts, you won't have much luck finding raw foods restaurants anywhere except Manhattan or LA.

It is very important to have raw foods in your diet, including fruits and certain vegetables. However, there is insufficient protein and saturated fat to make raw foods a healthy diet for any human being. The idea that saturated fat is bad for you or clogs your arteries is completely false and not supported by any real science and I discuss this in my f.r.e.e report www.12FatLossSecrets.com.

Since raw foods are heavy in calories (loaded with nuts & coconut), one small desert can pack on the pounds. If you have a sweet tooth, these are better desert choices, but you'll have to plan your meal accordingly.

I love Pure Food and Wine take out, as an addition to my main course and only once in awhile.

The premise of the raw foods philsosophy is that raw foods are 'alkaline' and becoming too 'acidic' makes you sick and diseased. They say that eating meat or cooked foods makes you 'acidic.'

What they don't understand is that exercise also makes you 'acidic.'

So if you the 'alkalinize or die' motto were true, all my female clients who are lean & strong, yet still maintain a beautiful feminine aesthetic with excellent posture and have an abundance of energy - would have died a long time ago from all the squatting, interval training or med ball conditioning that we do.

Also, there are cultures around the world, who live healthy, robust and long lives and are free from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many other self-induced diseases adn they eat plenty of meat - including raw meat and organ meats.

The idea that any one food acts the same in all people is ignorance. This 'one size fits all' approach to eating is DEAD.

Don't fall for it. Get my report or go to www.mercola.com and sign up for his newsletter to learn what works and what doesn't work for women's nutrition.

2 - WHOLE GRAINS - Yes, whole grains are better than refined, processed grains, but they are still not healthy. If you compressed human history into one year, we have only been eating grains for about one day. The human being is not designed to eat grains and all you have to do is look at your co-workers to see who eats the most grains and who eats the least and you will see the difference.

This is a popular myth that causes many women to have skin problems, bloating and excess body fat. The bottom line is this - grains are carbs. All carbs are sugar. Reduce grains and you reduce sugar in your diet. What does that mean? You will lose more body fat, stabilize your blood sugar levels & mood, improve your health and prevent disease.

I suggest my new clients avoid grains except for millet, buckwheat and starchy carbs like brown rice & corn. Since 75% of the poppulation is sensitive to gluten (the protein in grains) grains are best left alone to the rest of America who is addicted to sugars.

3 - Dairy Products - Although yogurt is popular and your OBGYN may have suggested it for its active cultures(aka probiotics), pastuerized dairy is anything but healthy and may be causing your skin issues and bloating and make it difficult to lose that last 5 pounds.

Simply put - commercial dairy products contain hormones, antibiotics and pesticides from their feed. Commercial dairy cows are fed grains, not grass, like they are designed to. This changes the composition of the fats, especially the CLA content.

Here is an excerpt from Sally Fallon, author of my favorite cookbook 'Nourishing Traditions':

'Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

Calves fed pasteurized milk die before maturity.'

You can get better quality probiotics whi I highly recomend from www.mercola.com or www.vsl3.com

Do your body good by finding raw milk in your area or just don't touch it. Look up www.realmilk.com

NOTE - even people who cannot tolerate dairy generally can eat butter. I recomend butter to everyone.

If you want to learn the importance of butter and see why pasteurized dairy products are crap, go to www.westonaprice.org to learn more.

4 - Cliff Bars or other junk food 'health' food bars -
Here is where raw foods comes in handy. Raw food bars are the only healthy bars on the market and the most popular bars are usually the worst, especially Cliff bars, Power bars and Balance bars. These 'energy' or 'protein' bars that you find at Whole Foods are full of sugars, grains and synthetic, processed dairy products and other ingredients and require MORE ENERGY TO PROCESS than teh actual energy they deliver. Thats one of the problems. The bloating and farting is another.

What does that mean to people who love these bars?

It means you will have to eat real food and plan your meals if you really want to be successful and lose fat, get fit and live a healthy and inspired life.

Making some of these changes may seem difficult if you are just starting out, but go back to the previous posts about Planning Your Success and everything will work out for the best. I promise.

Peace
Antonio

7 Pieces to the Fitness & Fat Loss Puzzle

2008-01-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

There are 7 pieces to the health, fitness and fat loss puzzle
It's not just about exercise
Its not just about eating

A truly holistic, or whole person approach to health, fitnes and fat loss involves
understanding and managing:

1 - Mindset - your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and strategies about life.
This includes your goals and balancing emotions. Not managing your mindet is like letting
monkeys run wild in your office. When you have a clear Vision... set goals to achieve your
vision....stay focused and enjoy the process of your creating your Vision...understand
that everyone and everything has a purpose in your journey and every event is designed to
keep you on track to your Vision so you can live the life you deserve.
It might not be popular, but it is essential for a healthy, fit and inspired life.

2 - Breath - breathing sits at the top of the health totem pole. Learning how to breathe
properly is necessary for a strong metabolism.

3 - Eating - boils down to 2 things: quality & quantity. Awareness of how food makes you
feel is the first step to success. Everybody is unique and discovering
what works best for you is part of the journey. Each person tolerates carbs differently and
requires differnt amounts of fat and protein - discover what works best for you or refer
back to my last email to get Paul Chek's book so you can learn right away.

4 - Exercise - again, this is individualized. The more stress one has, the less cardio and
strength training needed. The more sress, the more mind-body and restorative work
should be done. The less stress, the more strength training the body can handle.
You can get great results with a 'less is more' approach when you learn a few intelligent
exercises.

5 - Hydration - simply put - drink half your body weight in ounces of clean water per day.

6 - Rest - 'wind down' before hitting the sack and do your best to get to bed by 10:30 pm.
TV stimulates your nervous and hormonal systemsand thats not conducive for fat loss or
health & vitality.

7 - Stress Management - unmanaged stress produces cortisol which makes you fat, tired and
age prematurely. It is associated with almost every disease known. There are 6 types of
stress and I will cover this more in upcoming newsletters. The two biggest are mental/
emotional stress, either from yourself or others. Refer to #1 above for the first step in
reducing stress. The other is chemical stress. Chemicals can come from industrialized
household cleaning products, recreational drugs and mostly from processed (man made)
foods as well as alcohol, soda and coffee.

Understanding this whole-person, or holistic, approach to fitness & fat loss gives you an
advantage over 95% of the fat loss programs out there. Yes you will lose fat, but you will
also IMPROVE the QUALITY of your life.

Focus on these 7 pieces of the puzzle will help you get fit, lose fat and live a healthy and
inspired life.

Untill next time,
Antonio

www.BurnSports.com
www.12FatLossSecrets.com
www.burnsports.blogspot.com

Cardio for Fat Loss...plus a cool video

2008-01-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

Lesson 3 Cardio for Fat Loss
...plus a cool video...

Everyone seems to be doing cardio right after New Years.
So it must be the best thing to do....right?
Wrong.

Most people have good intentions, but bad ideas with exercise.
Cardio is the perfect example...

What if I told you that cardio is actually the worst type of exercise for fat loss and health?

Would you doubt me because everyone at the gym does it?
Do you need research or can you think for yourself and just LOOK at people running in the streets or on the treadmills to see how unhealthy and miserable they are?
Look at their faces and you will see desperation, stress, pain or the look of someone fiending from a high they're getting....

Getting high doesn't erase depression or burn stress...
When you come down from that high, guess what?
Metabolism slows back down and the depression and stress are still right there!
Next time you go to the gym or health club - look at the people who are there consistently doing healthy strength training. It's rare, but if you look, you will find them...and they look good.

Then look at those people who are doing cardio. There is more of them, they are inconsistent and the look on their faces or their posture says it all...

Cardio does not burn fat.
Cardio does not burn stress.
FACT - cardio causes hormonal stress that makes you fat and age before your time.

If you are overweight, cardio is a bad idea because you have too much weight to be pounding into your joints and already have hormonal stress - cardio makes it worse.

The BEST way to burn fat, improve your health, get strong and lean is with a LESS IS MORE approach to exercise.

If you are overweight:
Walk outdoors for 20-30 minutes and follow the eating guidelines in my fre.e report.

If you are healthy and have just a little fat to lose:
Exercise 3-4 days per week with total body exercises that use Swiss Ball and bodyweight exercises only.
Workouts should last 30 minutes.
If you really want to do cardio, do less than 20 minutes at a time on alternate days from your strength training. Or you can do 1 or 2 interval training sessions per week - that's it!
Interval training is much more effective - 10-15 seconds of high intensity walking/elliptical followed by 45 seconds easy walk and repeat 2-3 times.

If you are overwhelmed, overstressed, underslept, addicted to coffee and tired during the day - you don't need traditional gym exercise, you need:
Walking, yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong
Reduce your stress
Get more rest
Drink more water
Eat better QUALITY food, especially more fat and protein
Find a job you LOVE

Since everyone is an individual - internet fitness guidelines don't make a lot of sense. I strongly suggest you get a book or hire a coach. Even if you see a coach once a month.
My favorite book to get started and INDIVIDUALIZE your plan is Paul Chek's 'How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy.' You can get it at www.amazon.com.

Also, I am building an online community where you will get direct access to me, my coaches, my goal setting system, recipes, a blog and guidelines on how to live a healthy and inspired life - so stay tuned.

In the meanwhile, check out this short, but VERY COOL video and hit the gym before you go out tonight...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA

Have a great weekend
Antonio

Antonio Valladares
Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach
Exercise Specialist
www.burnsports.com

www.FatLossPsychology.com

www.12FatLossSecrets.com

#1 Fat Loss Tip for ‘08

2008-01-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

Planning Your Success part 2

What’s the most effective way to burn fat and achieve all your health, fitness and fat loss goals this year?

It’s not generic crap that we are seeing all over the internet this week.

It’s Planning.

That’s right – planning for success. You plan your vacation, don’t you?
You plan your finances, right? Some people even plan their outfits for the next day. Yet how many people plan their health, fitness and fat loss success?

In the last newsletter I shared the first half of this successful formula. If you set New Years Resolutions – write down what they are and refer back to Lesson #1.

Here is the second half that will show you how to stick your goals and master the fitness mindset.

Lesson #1 and 2 can be found at our blog – www.burnsports.blogspot.com

I also added some fat burning exercise tips as well ;)

Step 3 - Aligning Your Goals with What You Love
Go through each area of life in your Vision and list 10-20 ways that achieving your goal will benefit, serve or enhance that area of your Vision.

For example -
How will losing 10 pounds of fat enhance or benefit your CAREER?
Will you have more energy, less fatigue and better focus?
Does that help you to be more effective & efficient at your work?
Will reduced stress make you a happier, more productive person?
Will you earn more respect from co-workers or your boss?
Will your productivity increase your chance for pay raise or promotion?
Will you have more clarity & confidence after exercising and eating a healthy breakfast first thing in the morning before work?

List the benefits and don’t stop until you feel inspired and have certainty about your goals.

This is a powerful mental exercise and it pays BIG TIME. Do the work.
List 10-20 benefits and your goals become much more meaningful and you will achieve them - success is guaranteed! You may have to do this daily, weekly or monthly – all depends on you and it’s worth it.

Step 4 - Planning
Plan your workouts in advance – what days and times are best for you?
Create your food shopping list IN ADVANCE.
Plan your grocery shopping, grocery delivery or online ordering - usually 2-3 days per week if you eat whole, fresh foods.
Plan your weekly meal schedule - do you need to cook for 2-3 days in advance and have ready-to-go meals?
Which restaurants or deli’s are close to work so its EASY for you to get your meals?
Collect the menu’s, phone numbers and websites of what you need to have your food ready to eat – BEFORE you get hungry.

Fat loss tips -
The healthiest & leanest people only workout 3 or 4 days per week for less than an hour each time ;)
Don’t waste your time with cardio –it does NOT ‘burn’ stress or fat!
Get Paul Chek’s ‘How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy’ book and you will know more than 95% of the personal trainers in the industry www.amazon.com
Every meal should have a protein, fat and carb.
Eat 4-6 times per day.
Crappy food = crappy body.

Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. Plan your success.

Holiday Tips so You DONT Gain Weight

2008-01-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Holiday Tips so you DON’T Gain Weight….

Although everyone likes to give and look out for others during the holidays, if you are tired, bloated, hung over and beating yourself up emotionally from partying and overeating, you cant really ‘give’ much of yourself or ‘look out for others’ when you don’t feel well - can you? To have a wonderful holiday experience and get started on your fitness and fat loss goals and still enjoy some parties, follow these simple, yet powerful tips that are proven to work and you might even lose a pound or two during the holidays….

1 - Take care of yourself FIRST and you will have plenty of love & energy to give others. Set goals to not overextend your self, your bank account or your stomach this holiday season. Set health, fitness and weight loss goals NOW, not New Years. New Years Resolutions DO NOT WORK so don’t bother. Instead, go out and have fun on New Years and forget the whole resolution thing! Set realistic goals NOW for the next 4-6 weeks. Then make your personal projections for the first quarter of 2008, by asking yourself these health, fitness & lifestyle questions – Who would I love to be? What would I love to do? How would I love to look and feel? Ask yourself daily.

2 – Get in mini-exercise sessions whenever you can. Don’t worry about getting to the gym for an hour and don’t waste time with cardio. My 15 min body weight workouts will do the trick. Exercise the morning of your company or family parties and stay true to your self by setting realistic goals for eating and drinking and getting to sleep at a reasonable time.

3 - Focus on food quality and quantity throughout the holidays. Every meal should have a protein, fat and carb. Your stomach is not any bigger during the holidays so don't treat it as such. Every meal should have a protein, fat and carb. Split the meals up into thirds untill you know what your metabolic type is.

4 – Get Up, Get On Up! Dance or go for a walk after dinner. If you’re at a company party and want to dance, wait a little while to start digestion and then get on up and hit the dance floor! If your home with family, go for a nice walk with your nephews and your brother’s dog. Walking is man’s best medicine and will help digest your meal.

5 – Alcohol - if you are going to drink alcohol, set goals and limits. Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Have a small snack like a handful of walnuts or almonds or bring fish oil pills or get a fat/protein appetizer like cheese, fish or avocado. If you wake up hung-over, don’t beat yourself up. Just get up and set goals to take better care of yourself and feel better more often.

6 – You cant BURN OFF what you did on the treadmill. That’s a lie so don’t buy into it. Don’t drink sugar-loaded mixed drinks just because they are cute or trendy. Also, there is no difference between red wine and tequila – all alcohol is a highly refined sugar that causes intoxication, inflammation and weight gain. No, there is no antioxidant benefit to drinking wine – especially when your getting smashed and eating crap. That’s another lie so its best not to lie and just be honest. Want to be healthy? Stop getting drunk. Period.

7 –Drink water – half your body weight in ounces every day. Add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt and drink 10-15 minutes before dinner. This will help you digest your meal better.

PS– I will be switching to another newsletter service in the nest week or two – you will be sent an email asking you to confirm your subscription in order to continue receiving these newsletters. Remember, this newsletter is now weekly AND you also get a 5 week e-course, a preview of my upcoming book and a complementary teleseminar with a world-class nutritionist….or you can beat the crowds and head on over to www.12FatLossSecrets.com and sign up NOW!

PSS – I am teaching a live workshop in January on achieving ALL your health, fitness and weight loss goals. Discover exactly what you need to know if you want to sculpt the body of your dreams, reduce stress and live a healthy and inspired life! Keep your eyes open for my next newsletter with details!!!

Planning Your Success

2008-01-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

Getting results doesn't happen by chance or by miracle - it happens with intelligent planning. This exercise includes the secret that
most 'experts' know nothing about - setting and achieving goals.
Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail.

If you don't want to be one of the 98% of dieters who fail, then take the time to do this exercise - it will change your life.

1 - Start with a Vision

Your Vision is your mental image of the life you would love to live. Your Vision is much broader and more compelling than a goal. Your goals are easier to achieve when they are attached to a Vision that you created.

When you encounter challenges, which you will, your Vision will inspire you to keep going because it is more meaningful than a goal. You will have less distraction and will not allow obstacles to slow you down when you have a clear Vision. Your Vision involves all areas of life and you can start with 2-3 sentences in each area. Ask yourself, who would I love to be in each area:

a) Physical - health/fitness/material goods like clothing, car, house, etc
b) Personal - mental/emotional growth; what makes you unique?
c) Career - do you love what you do? what would you love to do?
d) Financial - how much would you love to earn, invest and spend?
e) Family - immediate or future family
f) Social - socializing, networking, contributing to society
g) Spiritual - your connection with god, the universe or others

2 - Set Specific Goals

List 2-3 SPECIFIC and REALISTIC goals you would love to achieve THIS MONTH ONLY. Don't just say 'lose weight' or 'I want to be happy' - get crystal clear on what you would love to do with your body, health and fitness. Be creative and think outside the box - workout schedule, grocery shopping, fun & creative endeavors, energy levels, body fat, drop one dress size, lose inches, new wardrobe, weekend sports with your nephews, snowboarding or surfing lessons, hiring a coach, quality sleep, better focus and clarity, balanced emotions, etc...

3 - Attach Your Goals to Your Vision

Go through each part of your Vision and list 5-10 reasons how achieving this goal will enhance or benefit that part of your Vision. For example, if your goals is to lose 5 pounds of body fat, start with your favorite part – i.e. Spiritual - and list how being lean, healthy, stronger and 5 pounds lighter will enhance your ability:
to connect with, be more present and compassionate with others, love yourself & family better, less focused on body image and bloating and more focused on journaling, reading or spending time developing a spiritual practice or studying world religions. Whatever your definition of spiritual is – just list the benefits and your goals become much more inspiring than just 'lose wei.ght' or ‘join a gym.’

I am sure you are anxious to get the real deal on fat burning foods and exercise -but trust me, this first lesson is THE way to guaranteed results. The following 4 lessons are all about fat burning foods, how to individualize your eating, the best and worst exercise for fat loss and lifestyle factors that contribute to flatter abs and leaner bodies.

Talk soon
Antonio

PS - If you have any questions or want to see something specific in
your newsletter, please email me at info@burnsports.com

April-May '07 Newsletter

2007-04-26T13:22:00.003-04:00

This issue is dedicated to FAT-LOSS and a little something you should know about supplements. Do you know anyone who takes fish oil, calcium or wants to take a pre-natal someday? If you do, then you may be interested in this...

CLA for Fat Loss
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a good fat. Actually, it’s a trans-fat, not the man-made trans-fats used in restaurants, but a very healthy fat found in certain animals. CLA has been researched extensively and some of the benefits include:
Decreases abdominal fat
Prevents fat-storage
Increases metabolic rate – This is critical to burning fat and staying strong and healthy.
Enhances muscle growth - Muscle burns fat, which also contributes to increased metabolism, which is useful in looking and feeling your best!
Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
Lowers insulin resistance - helps prevent diabetes and makes it much easier to control your weight.
Reduces food-induced allergic reactions - Food allergies cause weight-gain, fatigue, acne and poor health
Enhances immune system
Antioxidant benefits
Anti-inflammatory
Powerful Anti-carcinogen

CLA is found naturally in beef, buffalo, bison, lamb and raw dairy products from grass-fed, organically raised animals. It is critical to understand the difference between grass-fed, organic animals and commercially-raised, factory farmed animals:

Animals that roam free to exercise are not only stronger, healthier and leaner, but are also free from growth hormones, antibiotics and pesticides.
Grass-fed milk contains 5 times more CLA than grain-fed milk.
The toxins in factory-farmed animals will not only make you fat, they will make you sick! Remember - YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

To find out where to get grass-fed meats in your area, go to www.eatwild.com

Top 10 (or so) Fat Loss Tips

$30 billion dollars is spent each year on weight-loss. Unfortunately, the majority of those big spenders are losing their money, not their weight. Here are 10 free tips that work better than anything you can purchase.

First things first -

1. You cannot lose weight to improve your health - you must improve your health in order to lose weight.

2. More of the same = more of the same. If what you are doing is not working, stop doing it and hire an expert.

3. On a similar note, it does not matter what celebrities or your co-workers are doing. Each person is unique and there are proven methods for finding which methods work best for you. Look at the previous posts for Paul Chek's book or email info@burnsports.com to learn exactly what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat and to create an exercise program to meet your needs.

4. Eat 4-6 times each day no matter what! Do not skip meals and do not get hungry!
5. Eat according to your metabolic type.
6. Eat organic whenever possible.
7. Every meal / snack should have protein, carb and fat.
8. The best time to eat a carb that's not a fruit or a vegetable (i.e. rice, potatoes, quinoa, millet, etc)is immediately following exercise.
9. Eat whole foods - not protein shakes, bars or other man-made processed foods.
10. Eat fat to lose fat - There are 3 types of fat - saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated - we need all 3.
Saturated fat from organic, free-range animals and you can use butter or coconut oil for cooking.
Monounsaturated fat from mixed nuts, avocado and olive oil.
Polyunsaturated fat should from fish oil, eggs, flaxseed oil and walnuts.
11. Separate cardio and strength training days. Hire an expert coach for appropriate types of strength training and minimize or eliminate cardio for best results.
12. Drink nothing but water - half your body-weight in ounces per day.
13. If you are addicted to coffee (as most New Yorkers are) and you think you can improve your health and lose weight - you are delusional and need to grow up.
Switch from coffee to green tea if you want results. Becoming free from addictions is not easy and requires a strong vision for your health / life, comittment to making your vision a reality, support, the right diet, the right exercise plan and the right mindset. Make a plan and hire a coach.

Supplements
Do you take a multi-vitamin, vitamin C, fish oil or folic-acid? Did you know you are about to lose your right to purchase supplements?
The FDA and pharmaceutical manufacturers want a piece of the $30 billion dollar a year industry and your right to purchase supplements are 5 days away from being taken away. It's true. Congress is about to pass a law that takes away your right to purchase supplements. It's already happened in parts of Europe and it's quietly happening here. To protect your right to take responsibility of your health, please visit these sites:

www.jonbenson.com/fda_threatens_your_freedom.php

www.healthfreedomusa.org

January - February 2007 Newsletter

2007-01-29T20:20:00.002-05:00

I will keep this newsletter short and get right to the point. The vast majority of everyone you know who sets health and fitness goals will fail. 95% of those who diet fail. That few 5% won't even last 5 years. There are a few reason: the wrong diet, the wrong exercise, the wrong reasons, not setting goals the right way, etc...

It has nothing to do with willpower. The main point everyone seems to be missing is this -- success (in any realm) happens first in the mind. In order to be successful in health and fitness you need 3 things: the right diet, the right exercise program and most importantly, the right mindset. Even if you have the first two, if you don't have what it takes to succeed mentally, the best trainer and metabolically appropriate diet will do nothing for you when you lose motivation or get distracted or tempted by your 'friends' to eat something that will make you fat. DO you see what I'm saying? Yes, it can be simple.

I wrote an article and have abook coming out called 'Fat Loss Psychology' which details the whole process of setting and acheiving goals and exactly what people need to do to create the body of your dreams - keep your eyes open for an announcement soon, but in the meanwhile, follow these proven tips and YOU WILL SUCCEED.

The Secret - The Secret is one of 10 primary laws of our universe that has been idetified by modern science. Not the science you learned in high school or college 20 years ago. But cutting edge science which many people are totally unaware of. And if you live in NYC and have a high performance lifestyle / career, you shouldn't expect yourself to keep up to dayte with modern science.

There are laws that you and I are subjected to at every single moment. Understand how your world works and you will be successful in any endeavor. Its a fact. Its proven. Get The Secret and learn to appreciate the power of your mind in creating the life of your dreams! www.thesecret.tv or pick it up go to East West Books on 5th Ave between 13 - 14 street.

How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek. You might know who Paul Chek is unless you know me or work with one of the FEW in NYC. Chek Practitioners are the elite in health and fitness industry and there are less than 10 of us in NYC. If you ever took my famous Burn classes at Equinox, you are definitley familliar my Sucker-Free Fitness programs and hardcore attitude. I was so hardcore because there is so much nonsense being offered in teh fitness industry and peoplke were so accustomed to it and health clubs continually promote it and I just couldn't stand it! Get this book and you can by-pass all the crap that is offered in health clubs, gyms, magazines and TV. This book is considered the Bible of health and fitness by some of the leading experts in this industry and every person should have it for a few key reasons - there are questionairres to determine:
1 - Your unique metabolic type so you know what to eat
2 - Your unique exercise needs - there are 3 exercise systems:
a)Mind-Body/Wellness
b)Functional Fitness
c)Performance Training.

You can determine your overall stress level and learn valuable lessons about your TRUE state of health and fitness which helps you determine which exercise system is most appropriate for you at this time. You can then dive into several chapters of exercises, eating and stress management techniques based on your results from these questionairres. Both of these books are essential for anyone who wants to look, fell and function better!

Got Goals?
If there is anything that you want in life that is different than what you currently have (your body, health and fitness levels, career, income, lover, etc) - you must change. The first thing that must change is your mind. Study any of the world's leading experts in personal and professional development or the few elite health and fitness experts and they will all tell you the same thing - success happens in the mind FIRST.

The reasons people do not achieve their goals has NOTHING to do with will-power, not having enough time or any of the millions of excuses that you have heard or may think.

In order to create the health, fitness and body of your dreams - a lean, sexy, strong and well-defined body, radiant health and abundant energy levels, the resiliency to deal with long work days and jack-ass co-workers and still feel great, sleep well and wake up refreshed, energized and excited about your life - you must first get CLEAR on what you want.

1 - WHAT
GET CLEAR ON WHAT YOU WANT. Not what magazines, TV, your parents or your boyfriend has told you you should look or live like, but what EXACTLY do YOU want to create in your life? Identify exactly what you want in all key areas of life - mental/intellectual, physical (health, fitness, toys or material posessions), financial, relationship and career. Most people are focused on what they don't want and they contunally attract what they don't want. This is where the Law of Attraction comes into play. Get clear on exactly what you want.

2 - FOCUS OF WHAT YOU WANT
I'm not saying focus on what you want, I am saying THE focus of what you want is critical.
Are you trying to 'lose weight' or 'improve your health'?
Do you want to 'lose'? Is your focus on 'weight'? The focus of your goals is critical. Saying 'I want to improve my health, strength, vitality and energy levels!' -or- 'I want to shed unnecessary body fat.' is much more conducive for success. The first examples are focused on what you dont want and based in negative emotions which will not inspire you.

What do you really want? You want the emotion that is associated with looking and feeling better, right? Focus on positive feelings, which are motivating.

Choosing goals that come from your heart and are based in positive feelings will create a healthy foundation on which you can build the life of your dreams. Take your time with this section and don’t be afraid to ask yourself important questions regarding your goals.

4 - GOALS or LIFESTYLE?
Goals have an end point. Success, however, is a direction, not a destination. You lose 15 pounds and then what? Where do you go from there? Choosing a healthy lifestyle where you exercise 3 days a week and eat to feel good as a goal allows you to do more, be more and enjoy life more and it is not only more rewarding, but more sustainable than just 'losing weight'. How you live promotes health and fitness. You only need to exercise about 3 hours a week to be healthy, fit and look fabulous. What you do the other 160+ hours is more important and impactful. The solution is in Lifestyle, not weight-loss.

5 - WHY?
This is a critical step to effectively achieving goals. Setting goals for the sake of setting goals almost always ends up in failure. Goals must be set in alignment with what is truly valuable to YOU. This will require some self-exploration to discover who you truly are, what your core values are and what your purpose is in this life. What is your purpose in this life? What are your physical needs? What are your mental health needs? Your scheduling needs? Your personal and professional space needs? What about family needs? Cultural or social needs? What is your spiritual phiolosophy? Do you know who you really are??? Once you have addressed these critical issues, you will then be driven to achieve your lifestyle goals. Losing 15 pounds so you can fit into your 'skinny jeans' is shallow, it will not inspire you to do what you need for the long-term to be happy and healthy.

6 - WHEN?
Any goal is just an idea untill it is written on paper - then it has power. Write out your goals and the reasons why you want them and make a realistic time-line to achieve them. What are your daily, weekly and monthly goals to achieve your new lifestyle? I am sure you have heard the saying 'Failing to plan is planning to fail.'

7 - DAILY PRACTICE
What is your daily practice? Writing down your goals is great, but it is not enough. YOU MUST TAKE ACTION EVERY DAY. You must review your goals every single day and be intimately involved with them on a regular basis throughout your day or it won't happen. Get excited about the body you are in the process of creating. Most people spent 30+ years living an unhealthy life ful of alcohol, soda, chips, pizza and ice cream and then expect to look skinny in a week or two?!?!? Come on now. Every single thing you do contributes to your future. You create your future one day at a time. Be patient and do not get discouraged. What will you eat today? When are you going to the gym this week? When wiull you walk to work instead of taking a cab or subway? What will you do differently today that will help you become the person you WANT to become?

8 - WHAT'S THE PRICE?
Ask yourself every morning - What must you happen for it to be ineviatble to reach my goals? What must you do every day? Every week? When will you go grocery shopping? What will you have to give up in order to achieve your goals? If you think you do not have to sacrifice something in order to be successful, you are only fooling yourself. You will have to sacrifice the the things that made you fat or unhealthy or unhappy in teh first place - the junky processed foods, hours of television, meaningless magazine reading or useless socializing or whatever it is that made yourbody something you don't like.

9 - USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION
Use positive language and the present tense when setting a goal. It is better to say “I weigh a healthy, trim and fit 115 pounds” than “I want to lose 20 pounds.”

10 - SMALL VICTORIES
Give yourself credit when credit is due. Follow the 90/10 rule. Follow the principles you learn from us or in Paul Chek's book 90% of the time and plan the other 10%. If you eat 4 times a day, 7 days a week and follow this rule, how many meals can you 'cheat' and still get results? When you do something that makes you proud and happy, celebrate by doing something for yourself. Go get a massage, by some new clothes in a smaller size, get a subscription to Yoga Journal, etc

11 - SUPPORT
Creating a support network is a necessary step to success. Be very careful of who you tell your health, lifestyle and fitness goals to. Most people who are not fit and healthy DO NOT have the courage to do so and will judge you, criticize you or will encourage your failure with a smile and a seemingly 'harmless' joke. Introduce yourself to NEW co-workers or neighbors who go to the gym regularly or make new friends at the gym. Hire a CHEK Practitioner in your area or a personal chef or life coach.

These are some of the more important points to follow if you want to be successful in health and fitness. The real issue is IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. If you don't truly want success from your heart, it won't happen. So take these tips to heart and create a new life. Please let us know if you have any questions or success stories you want to share! All the best to a new year and a new you!!!!

Antonio & Francesca

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." – Zig Ziglar

November Newsletter

2006-11-18T23:32:00.000-05:00

At Last! Welcome to the premiere issue of the Burn Sports Newsletter! It's taken some time, but as you will see, it is well worth the wait! This newsletter will serve one simple purpose and that is to cut through the confusion and give you the right info. I will share (and occaisonally review) books, dvd's, websites, movies, recipes, restaraunts, events, fitness tips and anything else that is essential in women's health and nutriton so you can look, feel and function your best!

As this newsletter grows, I will add my own column, have guest articles, interviews and more hot links to cool articles! Feel free to email with any questions or suggestions to info@burnsports.com. Enjoy!

Healthy Urban Living

Everything You need to Know to Feel Go(o)d
by Candace Pert, Ph. D., former Chief of Brain Biochemistry and the Clinical Neuroscience Branch of the NIH. Candace is currently Scientific Director of RAPID Pharmaceuticals where she is developing Peptide T, a therapeutic for treatment of HIV. She is featured in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know!? and Bill Moyer's TV program Healing and the Mind. She is a former Research Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine and Section Chief at the National Institute of Mental Health.

This new book is Candace Pert's response to the questions she’s been asked in her worldwide travels ever since the publication of her book 'Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine' and her appearance in the film What the Bleep Do We Know!?.

I first learned about Candace Pert a few years ago from my coach, Paul Chek, during a lecture titled Flatten Your Abs Forever! He explained how the right diet will balance your hormonal system which is the critical link to health and performance. Then I found out that my best friend Adam is her Massage Therapist. So I immediately read her book 'Molecules of Emotion' and was blown away! I saw her speak the other night and absolutely loved her. Candace is the cutting edge in science and she is often recognized as a champion of a modern, more dynamic undersatnding of our biochemistry which parallels what an emerging, powerful new paradigm in science Quantum Physics - is telling us. Candace Pert brings life to a new understanding of ourselves and blends it beautifully with classical neuroscience to give you just what the title promises.

Candace is absolutely wonderful and her important work has already changed the face of health and science as we knew it. I've been in the fitness industry for over a decade and can whole-heartedly tell you that her new book Everything You Need to Know to Feel Go(o)d is exactly what people need, not more treadmills, fitness classes or magazines.
www.candacepert.com
www.whatthebleep.com

Real Food: What to Eat and Why,
As many of my clients already know, this book is one of the most important books on food and nutrition to come out in years! If you eat food, you need this book!

Nina Planck is a food writer, entrepreneur and the leading expert on farmers' markets and local food. In New York City, Nina was Director of the famous Greenmarket, the largest network of farmers' markets in the US.

This book brings to mainstream light many of the important ideas I teach my clients - that real, whole foods - not processed, industrialized foods, are the cornerstone of healthy, robust cultures. These same foods have sustained people for thousands of years and the main ingredient that is found in these foods can also be seen in people that eat this way. In contrast, this most critical ingredient is exactly what's missing from the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle. Just what is this essential ingredient??? You can say something like freshness or enzymes or the basic raw ingredients needed for healthy brain and hormonal function, or you can call it as you'll recognize it best -VITALITY.

Her website is full of interesting and insightful articles on health, nutrition, local food, shopping and cooking. There is a blog, links and some of the best articles you can find on the pros and cons of dairy products.

My favorite articles on her website are The Virtues of Raw Milk, Can The Poor Afford Real Food and Factory Farms and E. Coli which was published in The New York Times, in response to the e.coli spinach scare a few months ago.

I am super excited for her next release - Baby Food.

Here is an excerpt from Publisher's Weekly on Real Food:
Nina Planck is a good, stylish writer and a dogged researcher who writes directly, forthrightly and with an edge. She isn't afraid to make the occasional wisecrack ("No doubt, for some people, cracking open an egg is one chore too many") while taking unpopular positions. Her chosen field—she is a champion of "real" (as opposed to industrialized) food—is one in which unpopular positions are easy to find. As Planck reveals, in her compellingly smart Real Food: What to Eat and Why, much of what we have learned about nutrition in the past generation or so is either misinformed or dead wrong, and almost all of the food invented in the last century, and especially since the Second World War, is worse than almost all of the food that we've been eating since we developed agriculture. This means, she says, that butter is better than margarine (so, for that matter, is lard); that whole eggs (especially those laid by hens who scratch around in the dirt) are better than egg whites, and that eggs in general are an integral part of a sound diet; that full-fat milk is preferable to skim, raw preferable to pasteurized, au naturel preferable to homogenized. She goes so far as to maintain—horror of horrors—that chopped liver mixed with real schmaltz and hard-boiled eggs is, in a very real way, a form of health food. Like those who've paved the way before her, she urges us to eat in a natural, old-fashioned way. But unlike many of them, and unlike her sometimes overbearing compatriots in the Slow Food movement, she is far from dogmatic, making her case casually, gently, persuasively.
www.ninaplanck.com

Francesca's Fitness Tip
Q - What is one important thing that people need to know about geting results?

A - What you do for those 23 hrs outside the gym are much more important than the 1 hour you spend working out.

The benefits from exercise come after the workout, so you can’t get the most from your workout if you’re not eating right, sleeping right and managing stress. One mistake I see often, is people try to compensate by going to gym and working really hard to ‘burn off’ the bad choices they made the night before. That never works. If they made the right choices in the first place, they would feel better about themselves and work less to get better results! It’s all about the choices you make on a regular basis!

If you change your diet and lifestyle a little, then you can actually workout less and be more efficient and effective because your body responds better.

In this column, I will healp you create a new workout using core exercises that you can add to your current routine to get more energy, lose fat, improve strength, posture and confidence.

To start off, we'll focus on understaning the blueprint of successful workouts. First things first - we like to use the less is more approach. We have seen the best results from ourselves and our clients working out only 3 or 4 days per week. Your workouts should never last more than 60 minutes. It should start by stretching the short/tight muscles only and the warm up has to mimic the exercises you are planning on doing. Woodchops, breathing squats and swiss ball exercises are great ideas for warm up.

Then your workout – in order for your workout to be efficient, you should know exactly which exercises to do. Therefore, your workout should be based on some type of assessment. If your trainer isn't assessing, they are just guessing! Like most trainers, they are giving you random exercises that may not get you where you want to be. Talk to your trainer and if he/she does not know how to perform an assessment, then you should probably find someone who more qualified. You can search for a Chek Practitioner in your are or get Paul Chek’s book ‘How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy’ and learn how to do a simple assessment yourself.

Most everybody should be doing some type of 'Real Life' movement patterns such as pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, bending and some type of rotational movement. After the main workout, do your core and swiss ball work. Always finish your routine with a breathing exercise, usually done in the Horse Stance position.

Each month we’ll show you a new exercise and over the next few newsletters, you’ll be able to combine these new exercises into a brand new Fat Burning Circuit Routine. In the meantime, practice each month's new exercise and add it to your current routine and have fun!
Francesca
www.burnsports.com
www.chekinstitute.com

Secrets of Female Fat Loss

Homemade Ginger Tea
It's easy to make and has been used for thousands of years for health and healing. It bolsters your immune sytem, improves digestion, relieves nausea and has anti-cancer properties. You can enjoy it hot or cold and make it as strong or as weak
as you like.

It's really simple - get some ginger, preferably organic, from your local green market or health food store. Cut off a piece that's larger than your thumb. Slice it up thinly and boil it. As soon as it boils for a moment, not even a minute, turn off the heat. Squeeze in an entire lemon and it's done. To give it a kick, add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. If you are congested, this will do the trick. To make it sweet, add a small pinch of raw organic honey.

Warning - If you are sick, you want to stay away from all sugars, including honey. So yeah, that old wives tale about honey being good for you when your sick, is like most everything we have been led to belive about food and nurtition - it's wack. If you get sick during the winter months, the first thing I suggest is STOP doing what it takes to get sick and start doing what you need to do to be HEALTHY! Re-examine your mindset - what are your thoughts on health and disease? If you notice people around you, those that believe in 'cold and flu' season are typically the people that disagree with what I'm saying here and are constanlty getting sick! Go figure. If you get sick during the winter months, your diet and lifestyle need a change.

Stay tuned for next month's recipe - Coconut Avocado Soup! Woohoo!

For more information on how your thoughts and beliefs control your reality, check out The Secret.
www.thesecret.tv

Wellness

Breathing for Stress Management and Fat Loss?
Do you have a high performance lifestyle and need strong energy levels all day long?

Learning how to breathe properly will not only increase your energy, but will also improve focus, relieves fatigue in minutes, reduce stress, enhance metabolism and fat burning and if done correctly, will help flatten your abs. You do it 20,000 times per day. Breathing correctly can improve your health and vitality dramatically. The question is, are you doing it effectively?

The FDA now approves breath-training as a recognized treatment for hypertension and over 1,000 additional studies show its effectiveness in relieving anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue and more.

You only need to learn the proper technique and practice it for a week or two before it happens naturally:

Sit up tall in your chair and place one hand on your tummy and the other on your chest. Inhale through your nose and fill up your tummy first - 2/3 of your breath should go into your tummy (its actually your diaphragm thah pushes out) and the last 1/3 goes into the chest. You fill your core like a baloon fills up with air.

As you exhale through your nose, draw your belly-button in towards your spine and perform a kegel exercise. Pracitce this correct technique as often as you can - at your desk, in a cab or subway, at home, whenever and wherever untill it happens naturally. This exercise is best done at the end of your workout, as your last exercise: go to your hands and knees (Horse Stance) and practice this for 10-20 breaths. After a week or two, you will be breathing like this without any effort or without having to 'think about it' - it will happen automatically. Breathe deep and breathe slow. Notice how long it takes you to take a full breath and try to increase that over time. Pay close attention to how you feel and you may be suprised to experience everything you read in the first paragraph above!

Breathing Resources:
www.soundstrue.com

DVD of the Month

The Meatrix 2.5
Watch a colorful cast of cartoon characters uncover the horrors of modern industrialized farming methods and see why it's so important to support local family farms and GO ORGANIC!
www.moremeatrix.com

Burn Sports Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching

Create the body of your dreams.

A truly holistic, or whole-person, approach to nutrition, exercise and stress management. Learn the Secrets of Female Fat Loss by NYC's leading expert in Women's Fitnes.

Rev up your metabolism and reach your ideal weight
Fuel your body for explosive energy, radiant health and fat loss
Enhance your beauty and happiness with simple lifestyle changes

Get your own 70 page Healthy Living Manual
Lean exactly what to eat, how much to eat and when
3 Steps to a New You!
7 Critical Factors for Permananet Success
Avoid the 4 Main Reasons 95% of dieters fail
Learn simple exercises to balance Total Body Stress (emotional and physical).

For your free consultation, email: info@burnsports.com

What do you want to create?

Special Treat for reading this far
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlrq84970mc&mode=related&search=

Thank you for checking out my first Newsletter! Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would enjoy it!

Yours in Health,
Antonio
President, Burn Sports

About Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching

2006-11-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

I did not go to university to study nutrition, well, I went to school for a minute, but I decided to leave Ohio State and pursue a different path. I have been a musician my whole life and so I left school to tour with a friends' hardcore punk rock band and toured all over the country. After my first US tour, we all headed off to India. as it turned out, leaving school turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life.

During long train rides through the jungles of West Bengal , I met some amazing people. I also read some amazing books. Books like Siddharta, The Bhagadvad Gita and Think and Grow Rich. I studied Ayurveda, practiced yoga and martial arts, didn't drink or smoke and lived a life in exact opposite of what other 21 year olds were doing at this time in their life. After I returned home from my first trip to India, I packed my bags and my guitar and toured all over North America and Europe. I learned from being in a couple of really popular bands that if you want to be successful, a leader or live a life different than the masses, than you have to think, study, eat, speak and live differently from what everyone else is doing.

Since so many people in this country are obese, overweight, unhealthy or diseased - I looked for those who were not part of the masses and did things differently. I looked for people who were the best at what they did, especially in health and fitness. And since my mother dropped out of high school and later became a professional race car driver, a pilot, a sucessful entrepreneur, owned boats, really cool sports cars and property all over the world...oh wait, she also raised two kids all by herself and loved us unconditionally - I didn't care about what college degrees they had or where they went to school. I only cared about who they were as a person, what they had to offer and what kind of results they got with the work they do.

After my years touring in bands, I choose to settle down in NYC and pursue my professional education at the CHEK Institute for these key reasons:

Paul Chek, the founder, is one of the very few Nutrition experts that is actually healthy, in awesome shape, is ridiculously intelligent and practices what he preaches. The Chek Practitioners that I have met, are also some of the most knowledgeable and healthy experts in the field. More importantly, what are the RESULTS of their clients???? I have seen unbelievable, life-transforming RESULTS from people who have worked with Paul Chek or other students of the CHEK Institute. From professional athletes, to people of all ages with all types of crazy conditions...some conditions I never heard about. Many of these people had already seen multiple doctors, nutritionists, specialists of all types and got NO RESULTS. This was the most impressive factor - not what school you went to or what degree you had, but the RESULTS from the work you do and whether or not you practice what you preach.

The Burn Sports approach to nutrition is based on the teachings of Weston A Price. Dr. Price found that there is no ideal diet for all people and that each person has their own unique food requirements. This concept of identifying your unique biological requirements for food became known as the Metabolic Typing System and was popularized by William Wolcott in his ground-breaking book The Metabolic Typing Diet. Weston A Price found that real, organically grown foods were the corner stone of all healthy people, no matter where they lived and that processed, industrialized foods were the main causative factor in most physical degeneration and disease.

For great articles on Metabolic Typing, go to www.metabolictypingonline.com and click on FAQ

Also, go to Health Excel,
www.healthexcel.com and click on Information Library

For truth in health and nutrition education, go to
www.westonaprice.org

Intro to CHEK Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching Program

C.H.E.K. Certified Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach is much more than a title. It is a precise definition of a person’s knowledge, competence and experience working with a variety of clients with a variety of conditions and goals. After passing three levels of comprehensive certification programs involving metabolic typing, clinical nutrition and clinical management, and agree to abide by a strict Code of Ethics, healthcare practitioners earn the C.H.E.K. certification. Not all nutritionists are C.H.E.K. certified and therefore can not offer the following:

• A truly holistic, or whole-person, approach that addresses nutrition, exercise and stress management, lifestyle factors and spiritual development.

• Proven techniques and exercises to balance Total Body Stress (emotional and physical).

• An in-depth understanding the relationship that food, water, sleep and exercise has on your overall emotional and physical health and performance.

• The ONLY nutrition program that emphasizes getting yourself healthy as a requisite qualification to helping others.

Furthermore, the C.H.E.K. NLC Program offers and in-depth understanding of the relationship between organic food, organic farming and the health of both humanity and the planet.

When you choose a C.H.E.K. Certified Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, you will be working with an international team of distinguished professionals dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives by serving the nutritional, lifestyle and wellness needs of individuals, families, corporations, professional sports teams and athletes.

It is a fundamental principle of the C.H.E.K philosophy that C.H.E.K. Practitioners are fit, healthy, intelligent and compassionate people that lead by example. The world is filled with unhealthy health and fitness ‘experts’ and the C.H.E.K Institute’s Certification Programs seeks to rectify that problem by producing healthy leaders! For more information, go to www.chekinstitute.com.

Two of the most unique and useful health and nutrition resources available:

The Weston A Price Foundations
Weston A. Price Foundation stand united in the belief that modern technology should be harnessed as a servant to the wise and nurturing traditions of our ancestors rather than used as a force destructive to the environment and human health; and that science and knowledge can validate those traditions.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated non-industrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.
www.westonaprice.org

The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, a non-profit educational organization, is a clearinghouse of information on healthful lifestyles, ecology, sound nutrition, alternative medicine, humane farming and organic gardening. To learn how physical degeneration occurred when our ancestors ate "modern" food, click here:

About Burn Sports and Antonio

2006-10-22T11:54:00.000-04:00

BIO 2006

Antonio Valladares is president of Burn Sports, a Holistic Health and Performance Coaching Company based in New York City. He is a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, Sports Performance Specialist, Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist, licensed Massage Therapist and has been a Certified Personal Trainer since 1994.
A pioneer in the fitness industry, Antonio offers an alternative to mainstream fitness – purposeful training that delivers results far beyond those offered by bulking up or endless running on treadmills.

Throughout his career, Antonio has pursued specialized training and education from world leaders in holistic health and nutrition, rehabilitation, exercise and sports sciences, psychology and human performance. Working with hundreds of clients for over ten years has given Antonio the experience to refine the art of individualized coaching. This education and experience has helped Antonio sharpen his skill for designing customized fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs that deliver powerful, life-changing results.

Antonio grew up in the sand and sun of Miami Beach - the perfect integration of urban culture and beach life. He started training in Shotokan Karate at 5 years old and was scuba diving throughout the Caribbean by 12. He spent his youth exploring endless miles of beaches and undeveloped land by horseback, motocross and BMX creating a lifetime appreciation for outdoor sports and healthy living.
He spent his teenage years involved in water sports, snow sports, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and played football. He attended Riverside Military Academy and later, high school in Israel, before studying at Ohio State University. Soon thereafter, music and curiosity propelled him around the globe touring in some of the most well-known hardcore punk rock bands of the time. These ‘straight-edge’ bands not only promoted a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle, but also practiced and encouraged healthy living, yoga and martial arts.

Antonio continued to travel throughout Europe, Central America, Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Each new locale meant a different culture and a unique take on healthy living.

He attributes his trips to Israel and India as the catalyst to his personal growth and career development. Traversing India into the Himalayas, Antonio studied Ayurveda and practiced hatha and bhakti yoga. He had his first article, Ayurvedic Secrets for Health Living, published at 21 years old.
Surfing in Costa Rica, scuba diving in Belize, mountain biking and snowboarding in Vermont along with his own practice of calisthenics, yoga, martial arts and sport specific training demonstrated the importance of total body balance and usable strength. ‘Real-life’ movements were an integral part of his well-rounded fitness program that included flexibility, stability, agility, coordination, balance and strength.

Antonio settled in New York City to develop his health and fitness career. Personal fitness would never be the same again.

The History

Antonio became a certified personal trainer in 1994 and soon thereafter became a licensed Massage Therapist. He graduated from The Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences where he studied Eastern and Western techniques, including Shiatsu, medical and sports massage. Antonio integrated fitness and massage and consulted for several healthcare practitioners including The New York Institute for Brain and Spinal Surgery.

On-going professional development has kept Antonio on the leading edge and his innovative programs have set examples many others would follow. He is the creator of Burn! – a series of programs that brought a thoughtful approach to total body fitness and emphasized ‘real-life’ movements, core conditioning and strengthening the entire person from the inside out.

In 1998, Antonio’s Mountain Bike Burn! was the first ever action sports class in NYC and rated ‘Best Outdoor Workout’ in 1999.

In 2000, he created Burn! Med Ball which brought medicine ball and functional strength training to the forefront of New York City’s premiere health clubs - Equinox and Sports Club LA. The black sheep of group fitness, Burn! offered an alternative to the frantic energy and ‘one size fits all’ approach that is the hallmark of group fitness. Burn! played no music and provided individualized instruction in proper exercise technique.

In 2001, he created Burn! Women’s Fitness – a semi-private, women-specific fitness program integrating mind-body exercise with high performance fitness.

In 2003, he founded Burn Sports – a health and performance coaching company which provides holistic health coaching: fitness and nutrition combined with stress management. Unlike most fitness programs, the Burn Sports’ method utilizes a time-efficient, ‘less is more’ approach to fitness training. More important than customized fitness programs are the lifestyle and nutrition solutions for the 160+ hours the client is not exercising.

In his quest to be the best in his field, Antonio found The C.H.E.K. Institute -- the only organization to offer a comprehensive exercise curriculum integrated with a nutrition and stress management program. More importantly, it is the ONLY program that requires getting yourself healthy as requisite qualification to helping others.

A sample of his professional development and educational achievements include:

• ACE American Council on Exercise (1994)
• ACSM American College of Sports Medicine (1996)
• LMT New York State Licensed Massage Therapist (1996)
• AAHFP American Academy of Health and Fitness Professionals (1996)
• Madd Dog Athletics Spinning (1998)
• APEX Fitness and Nutrition (2000)
• NASM National Academy of Sports Medicine (2003)
• CHEK Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiology (2004)
• CHEK Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach (2006)

The Method

Based on the individual needs and goals of each client, the Burn Sports method safely and effectively addresses the health, wellness, fitness, posture and performance needs of any client, with any goal:

• Rehabilitative and Corrective Exercise
• Wellness and Mind-Body Techniques
• Youth Fitness and Nutrition
• Pre-Post Natal Fitness
• Specialized Medical Fitness
• Weight-loss through High Performance Fitness
• Performance Training for Athletes

The success of the Burn Sports method comes from Comprehensive Health Appraisals, Fitness and Lifestyle Evaluations. These detailed assessments allow us to develop individualized blueprints for each program, by addressing:

Total Body Stress
Medical & Injury History
Exercise History
Posture & Gait
Joint Stability & Range of Motion
Muscle Balance
Flexibility
Functional Movement Patterns
Coordination
Strength & Conditioning
Lifestyle and Nutritional habits Metabolic Typing

Today

Burn Sports is New York City’s leading edge in customized fitness and is well-known for shaping and transforming the lives of clients with a wide variety of goals. Burn Sports provides one-on-one coaching and group workshops in:

• Personal Fitness Coaching
• Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching
• Sports Performance Training and Nutrition
• Youth Athlete Development
• Corporate Wellness and Stress Management
• Workshops for Fitness Professionals

Burn Sports has developed an integrated model of care by connecting with other world-leaders in holistic health, wellness and performance. We offer acupuncture, shiatsu and sports massage, sports chiropractic, sports nutrition, holistic health and nutrition, fitness and performance coaching services. We offer a range of tests to determine the hidden, causative factors of poor health, decreased performance, fatigue and disease. Testing is done through BioHealth Diagnostics, www.biohealthinfo.com

• Hormonal Balance (Adrenal, Thyroid, Sex Hormones)
• Metabolism (Liver Function, Oxidative Stress, Digestion)
• Digestive and Gastrointestinal Testing
• Immunology and Blood Chemistry

Antonio has successfully helped hundreds of New Yorkers improve their health and vitality with a holistic approach to diet, exercise and stress management. Antonio’s results-driven, integrated fitness system has been featured in Sports Illustrated Women, The New York Times, Woman’s Day, Time Out, Mountain Bike, Paper, NY1 and he was voted Personal Trainer of the Year by Quest Magazine. To book Antonio for corporate workshops or personal coaching, please contact info@burnsports.com.

Antonio also serves as a health & fitness mentor for underprivileged and at-risk youths in Harlem. To find out more or to get involved, please go to www.concretesafaris.com.

An introduction to The Corrective High-Performance Exercise Kinesiologist (C.H.E.K) Certification Program.

Developed by Paul Chek MSS, HHP, NMT, the C.H.E.K. Institute Certification Program is founded upon fifteen years of Mr. Chek's clinical experience in the fields of orthopedic rehabilitation and strength coaching. His unique approach to rehabilitative exercise has served as the foundation upon which many elite professional teams and organizations build their performance programs.

The C.H.E.K Certification Program is designed to produce the finest and most highly trained exercise therapists and strength and conditioning specialists in the world.

Unlike any other certification program for exercise professionals, the C.H.E.K Certification Program is completed in four blocks ranging from five to nine days of intensive modules, taught in a focused small-group setting, followed by three to four days of examinations at the completion of the program.

Graduates of the C.H.E.K Certification Program have proven proficiency by practical and written examination, demonstrating:
• In-depth understanding of advanced level functional anatomy and kinesiology
• Mastery of strength training theory and practical objective assessment
• Ability to proficiently design both rehabilitative and sports performance exercise programs
• Ability to critically analyze current research and theories
• Effective communication skills with clients and other health care professionals, both orally and in writing.

Prior to being certified as a Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiologist each student must pass extensive written and practical examinations, complete a written thesis and submit a video presentation.

The C.H.E.K Certification Program is a two- to four-year program with approximately 6 months between modules. Students are expected to practice and become familiar with all techniques taught in each level of the program, before applying for the next level.

It is a fundamental principle of the C.H.E.K philosophy that C.H.EK. Practitioners are fit, healthy, intelligent and compassionate people that lead by example. The world is filled with unhealthy health and fitness ‘experts’ and the C.H.E.K Institute’s Certification Programs seeks to rectify that problem by producing healthy leaders! For more information, go to www.chekinstitute.com