I was going through some photos and ran across this great shot taken last year when I visited the Grand Canyon.  AMAZING is all I can say about how I felt.  It inspired me to share with you my love for deep breathing and how wonderful it feels to be in touch with your mind and body, empowered and relaxed at the same time.

Here is a simple “chillout” practice you can do at home if you have 10 minutes.  The results over time are amazing.

Remember… new habits take time so start slow and be patient. Make it a habit to set aside time daily.  You can start in any calm place or play soothing music to help you relax. Over time you will find yourself breathing deeper and tapping into so much free energy that is available to you.  Ditch the coffee and enjoy!

Practice the Three Part Breath (Yoga)*

1. Sit or lay in a comfortable position
2. Begin by observing your natural breath, try to relax and let thoughts go
3. Begin to inhale deeply through the nose (place hand on belly) and feel your belly rise
4. Exhale, expelling all the air out from the belly as you draw your belly towards you lower back (Repeat 5x)
5. Continue with deep inhales but this time go deeper and draw the ribcage up causing the ribcage to widen.
6. On exhale let ribcage lower and slide together, then release the belly and draw navel in towards the spine (Repeat 5x)
7. Continue to breathe deeply and move into last phase.  On inhale fill the belly, lift and expand the ribcage and go deeper letting your breath fill the upper chest all the way to a rising collarbone.  Expand and rise.
8. On exhale let chest and collarbone release first, then ribcage and lastly the belly drawing the navel in toward the spine.
9. Congrats! You are now FULLY BREATHING LIFE ENERGY!

Repeat 5-10x

** NOTE – Often  people say they have a hard time working from the bottom up as outlined in this three part breath.  If this breathing practice is making you anxious, reverse the order starting to fill from the top down and then releasing from the bottom up as outlined above.  The goal is for you to fill your lungs, increase oxygen and chill.

** Breathing fully may initially cause lightheadedness or dizziness because you are retraining your system.  Take your time and as you continue to practice proper healthy breathing this will come more naturally to you and you will enjoy the benefits of this great energy!

For those of you running I thought I would post a few quick reminders on

Hydration and Replenishing. How much and when to drink during racing?

Visit my other blog for tips on Carb Loading and Post Race Tips.

Key Points:

• Dehydration and loss of electrolytes is the number one contributor to fatigue, sluggishness and cramping during exercise.
• An athlete can lose 1 liters or more of water per hour
• Just a slight drop in body weight % due to water loss can result in impaired judgement, decreased reaction time, cramping and increased heart rate

On the other hand too much water can cause bloating, slushing stomachs, heaviness and frequent bathroom break so … how much and when?

Pre-Race

• Start your day hydrated (you should be drinking 500 ml of water morning well before race start and had your 2L day before)
• 1/2 hour prior to exercise consume 1-2 cups of Juice (quick energy before event – 100% juice works great or you can do an electrolyte drink)

During Event

• 500 ml of water per hour (16oz)
• Broken up absorbs best- drink approx 4 oz every 15 min – this is why water stations are great places! Drink 4 oz

After first hour

• Continue with 500 ml of water per hour (16oz) but ADD Electrolyte Replacement or Gel
• Ideal is to continue to drink water but add in one to two gels per hour.  Your body will use 40-50 g of carbs per hour so 1 -2 gels will replace electrolytes and offer carbohydrates
• Other option is to continue with Water mixed with sea salt to replace sodium and take in dried fruit as an energy source (carb/potassium).
• Continue for duration of race consuming 1-2 gels per hour plus water.
• * Note: Gels and Sports drink are not the only form of electrolyte replacement.  Sodium and potassium are lost in the greatest amounts via sweat followed by magnesium therefore  when you are considering gels, sports drinks or food consider those that provide sodium and potassium as well as 16-30 grams of carbohydrates, which your body will need for energy.  Did you know?  A medium banana provides 450 mg of potassium and 1/2 c of pinapple has about 175 mg vs Gatorade which offers 30 mg.  Most fruits will have potassium and are a good alternative to gels.

My power combo:

• Pre race juice/water
• at 45 minutes take 1 gel (*Note: Carbs take about 15-20 minutes to hit your blood stream so plan ahead)
• During second hour use water/dried fruit
• If going into third hour move back to water/gel

Hope you found this helpful! Feel free to add to this post…

For those of you running I thought I would post a few quick reminders on Carb Loading here.  Visit my other blog for tips on hydration and eating During Race.

All Runners: Remember what you do a few days before the race sets you up for success so try to stick to clean, natural foods, whole grains as well as lots of fruits and vegetables and lean protein.  Avoid processed foods and packaged goods. They are often full of additives and sugar that zap your energy and leave you feeling sluggish.  Also drink 10 glasses of water per day to hydrate and prep muscles and get your rest at night.  Sleep is one of the easiest and best things you can do for your body pre-race.

10k and 15k Runners:

No need to carb load! Just follow a healthy diet and hydrate well for  these few days prior to race day and you should be good to go!

30k Runners:

Yes! CarbLoading is recomended for races lasting longer than 90 minutes in duration.

Follow the advice for all runners but on Saturday try to consume 60% of total calories from quality carbohydrates – fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, pastas, rice etc.  If you have a sensitive digestive system you may find food lower in fibre on the afternoon/evening and morning of the race to be better options so you aren’t running to the bathroom mid run!  Include small portions of lean protein throughout the day on the day prior to race day but try to stay away from processed or really fatty foods as they may also leave you feeling weighed down and lethargic.  An ideal day would look like :

Breakfast: Steel Cut oats with berries or 1/2 banana, maple syrup and milk, Snack: Whole grain crackers with hummus and veggies,

Lunch: Small Greek pasta salad with chicken and veggies, Snack: PB and apples and low fat yogurt,

Dinner: Pasta or Brown Rice with Aparagus, Red Peppers and shrimp and salad.  Fruit cup for dessert w yogurt.  Hyradate throughout the day.  Easy tip – drink a glass of water before and after each meal/snack.

Morning of Race: Do what works best for you.  This is not the day to be experimenting with new things.  Oatmeal, Whole grain toast, waffles or pancakes with fruit are all good options.  I like drinking a glass of juice just before race time (within 30 minutes).  The fructose quickly absorbs into your bloodstream supplying quick and readily available energy.

Remember to go into the race hydrated so you should have been consuming water the few days prior to the race.  Morning of go into the race having drank 500 ml of water so you are good to go.  Don’t chug it just before you start though…give yourself time for that bathroom run first.

- Submitted by Christine Line, Run Coach and Head Trainer

I will see you on the course!

For more tips on what to do during the race click here.

What’s your favourite carb loading tip or recipe?  We want to hear from you!

Have a goal to complete your first 5k race?

• What: 10 week Run Clinic for beginners with a goal to complete a 5k distance
• We will be working towards the Moon in June race on June 2
• Why:   To accomplish a new goal and learn to run correctly so you can enjoy it!
• Weekly Coached Run on Tues 6:30 pm, drop in runs Thurs 6:30 pm and Sat 8:30 am* Saturdays are Family Runs! Bring your family out to the clinic and complete a new goal today.  Ages 9 and up welcome.
• Perfect for beginners or those new to running who want to improve their cardiovascular fitness.
• Coached by Christine Chisholm and Christine Line
• Get more info or sign up today…

Monday         8:30 am – GroupFIT Level 1

Wednesday  8:30 am – GroupFIT yoga and core

Friday             8:30 am GroupFIT Level 1

Book in now! Follow the link below to download the new schedule:

February 2012

Having resolutions to eat well or eat to lose weight are great, but many of us start with a big goal and quickly discouraged when we miss the mark once or are less than perfect when it comes to discipline.  So let’s start with some simple goals and I guarantee you will see real results!  I challenge you to FOUR mini goals for the month of January.  Start focusing on only one per week and then move to the next continuing with what you picked up in week 1 and then building on week 2.   If that is overwhelming start with goal #1 for two weeks and then move to goal #2 for the next two weeks… build from there.  These new habits take time but are worth it!

Skipping breakfast is actually one of the biggest nutritional mistakes you can make because it plays such an important role in revving up your metabolism. Not typically hungry in the morning? You might have eaten too many calories the night before, whether in a late night dinner or while munching your way through a bag of potato chips. Try to avoid eating 3 hours before going to bed. No time for breakfast? Remember it doesn’t have to be a sit-down meal. A piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter mixed with some protein powder, topped with a few banana slices can be a great on the go option.

Since our bodies are made of mostly water, it needs water to perform optimally.  Making sure you consume enough water will not only keep you hydrated but will keep you alert, help your body detoxify naturally and also reduce the amount of extra calories entering your body from either liquids (pops, juices etc) or food that you keep eating when really you are just thirsty!  Easy tip: Start the day with a water bottle (500ml) and put 4 rubber bands around the top.  When you are finished off with one bottle take a band off, repeat.  See how well you did by the end of the day! Your goal is all 4 bands are removed = 8 glasses of water.

Split lunch into two halves and eat equal amount at both times.  Try to spread out your calories throughout the day by starting with a healthy breakfast of protein, carb and healthy fats.  Repeat at lunch with a high quality tuna or chicken wrap with fruit or veggies, snack on greek yogurt w nuts and berries, and finish the day with dinner.  Remember to include high quality proteins at every meal, avoid saturated fats and consume lots of fruit and veggies throughout the day.  Spreading out your meals helps keep your metabolism going so your body will constantly be burning energy for fuel because it knows another small meal is coming soon. Skipping meals forces your body into “survival” mode, holding on to calories which will slow down your body’s calorie burning… avoid skipping meals at all costs!  Eating often keeps your energy up and helps to stabilize your blood sugar.  Ideally aim to eat 4-6 small meals per day every 2-4 hours.

You can do it!  Stop eating 3 hours before bed.  If you have had a full day of proper eating (small meals, lots of protein and enough water) chances are you are eating out of boredom.  Eating late at night is usually most peoples downfall and the time the worst choices are made.  If you are always eating at the same time, re-evaluate your day.  Did you skip meals?  Did you take in small meals throughout the day with enough protein?  If you are eating out of boredom or for something to do, replace that activity!   Go to bed early or choose something else to fill that time – read, go for a walk, have a tea… Address late night eating by determining whether it is truly hunger or habit then make a plan to break it.

These are small steps towards a healthier you and a great place to start with those nutritional resolutions.

Have a question or another tip? Leave a comment!  What is your best tip to conquer the goals listed here?  Share your ideas and wisdom with us…

With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations on the way, feel and look your best this Holiday Season!

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