Slow down the aging process with Acai Berries!

The acai (pronounced "AH-sigh-EE) berry has twice the amount of anti-oxidants that blueberries have. Acai berries also have a strong anti-aging effect due to the high levels of anthocyanins and antioxidant vitamin content the fruit contains. Look for this power packed fruit as a new addition in upcoming changes to the Bulge Buster Meal Plan at www.nadeenboman.com.

Tomatoes, white tea, olive oil, and salmon are also super foods that keep you young longer. These foods taste good and incorporating them into your daily routine will get you looking and feeling great!

I took the "Would You Survive Bootcamp?" quiz on the Slice.ca website and wanted to share the results...



Take this quiz and others to see "What's Your Body Type?" and "Are You Good to Your Body?" It can be motivating and inspiring! Plus, it's a new month, a new quarter, and the start of a new season...the perfect time for a NEW YOU!

Your Bulge Buster Meal Plan Success Stories

Who completed the Bulge Buster Meal Plan successfully? This is the time to brag about your results and motivate others to get on the feel good train!

• Why did you decide to start the Bulge Buster Meal Plan?

• Was it difficult to follow or did you breeze through it?

• How did you feel in terms of energy levels?

• Did you see your weight drop in the first week or was the second week where all the progress was made?

• What was your total weight loss after 2 weeks?

• Would you follow the plan again to lose weight quickly?

• Who would you recommend the Bulge Buster Meal Plan to?
  

Watch Bulging Brides & The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp Online!

Full episodes of Bulging Brides (seasons 1 & 2) and The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp (first 3 seasons) are available on the Slice website. Both shows are currently airing in Canada, on Slice Network, and on Fine Living Network in the US.

Find Bulging Brides under the "Weddings" tab at Slice.ca Video Centre. The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp video is under the "Health And Fitness" tab. 

View Fine Living Network program schedules for your time zone:

Bulging Brides Schedule

The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp Schedule 

Nutrition is the HARDEST part!

I have to share with you this super insightful message from Lena G:

"The toughest part about diet and fitness is the nutrition part, let me tell you. Breaking bad habits (and many of them!) and learning to eat again is tough. I thought it would have been the fitness part for a couch potato like me but I've embraced that part. It's the food.

I watch The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp for a reason. In addition to exercise tips I watch closely to see what you're throwing out of those cupboards and what's in the meal plans you give people. Knowledge is power in the weight loss journey."

Lena is SO right and the nutrition aspect is under-rated! We're bombarded with so many messages every day from big corporations that want to have us believe junk food can be healthy. We all know that fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are superior to anything that comes in a package - no matter what the fat content is!

With exercise we get the automatic sensation of elation as endorphins are automatically released. Eating right is not as quickly correlated with enjoyment for a couple of reasons:

1. If you've been eating like a trucker most of your life (greasy burgers, high fat foods, and limited fruit/veg) then your body may initially have a "negative" reaction to healthy foods.

A detox effect can sometimes result at first as the body adapts to a healthier, more nutrient rich diet. The worse your current habits are, the harder it will be for your body to accept change. Be confident though that it will get easier and you will feel better, usually right when you're about to give up :)

2. Eating right takes more time and effort than working out.

Starting a new diet regime often involves changing the frequency, portion size, and content of your meals - changes that require learning and self-restraint, so it's not a surprise that stress and general dissatisfaction can follow as a result.

You'll notice instant mental and physical improvements from exercising even just 90 minutes a week. Unfortunately the hardest part of changing your nutrition is making it through the first week or two. You need to tough it out, learn how to properly feed your body, and focus on the positives even when the effort seems to outweigh the payoff.

You should feel more energized, leaner, and healthier in general soon after loading your body up with necessary nutrients. Food is your fuel and is a key element in getting all essential vitamins and minerals the body requires to function. Change your mindset and expectations to set yourself up for success!

7 Nutrition Myths Busted!

I found these on iVillage and they are a great addition to the National Post nutrition myth busting article from the other day. Many of you will be surprised and enlightened...read on!

1. The food pyramid is for everyone. For many people, six to eleven daily servings of grains, breads and cereals is just too much. It has been known to cause bloat, fat and ill health.

2. There is a perfect diet that will work for everyone. Some people do fabulously well on vegetarian diets, and some people crash and burn. One size only fits the people who come in that size.

3. All low-carb diets are like the Atkins Diet. There are many ways to get the healthful, weight reducing benefits of eating fewer carbs without going on the Atkins plan.

4. Stress does not make you fat. The truth is that the stress hormone cortisol leads to carbohydrate cravings and overeating, as well as to abdominal fat.

5. Metabolisms are all pretty similar. Metabolisms have as great a range as cars. Some of us are Jaguars and some of us are SUVs. You need to match the right kind of gas (food) with the right kind of engine (metabolism).

6. Blood type does not make a difference. Actually, blood type does play a part in weight loss. People with certain blood types are more likely to be allergic or sensitive to certain foods. Those with type O, for example, are far more likely than other types to be hypersensitive to dairy.

7. A balanced diet will provide you with everything you need. It's possible to have reasonable health without supplements, but it's virtually impossible to have optimal health without them.

___________
ivillage.com
Jonny Bowden

Five meal myths that need to be shelved

Some additional tips on my contribution to the article for how to make healthy pizza:

1. Control your ingredients by cooking at home.
2. Go vegetarian or opt for lean proteins like turkey or chicken instead of high fat, high calorie pepperoni, sausage and beef.
   
3. Go "lite" on the cheese (avoid varieties with over 30% MF) and remember that a portion is just 1oz.
   
4. Unprocessed foods are a healthier option as a general rule so avoid choosing processed (marbled, softer, pre-shredded) cheese and pick hard, smelly brands to top your pizza.
5. Load up on the veggies! Peppers (green, red, yellow, orange), mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and onions are all good options...and don't forget that spices are fat and calorie free!
   
6. Use low sodium tomato sauce to reduce your salt intake. 
7. Make your own whole grain dough from scratch or try cutting a whole wheat pita in half. The thinner the crust, the better.
   
8. If ordering out, (it's still OK once in awhile), Panago is a good option as they now offer a multigrain thin crust dough along with fresh salads. 
   
9. Always add salad whenever possible and choose greens over caesar. You can modify your caesar and cut out tons of fat and calories by trashing the croutons and subbing the creamy caesar dressing for a vinaigrette.
   
10. Remember that just because you've made some healthy substitutions doesn't mean you can eat an entire pizza. Overeating on ANYTHING will trigger fat storage in the body.

So there you go, it's pizza for dinner tonight :)

Basic Ab Exercises

These simple abdominal exercises work for Britney, and they'll work for you too! Check out the video below.

My Top 3 Fat Loss Tips

Exercise regularly and be consistent over the long term. 

Even if you miss a week or two don’t let it turn into a month or six! Working out even just twice per week every week beats training 5 days a week for a month then following it up by doing nothing for weeks. Invest in a professional (certified personal trainer) to gain knowledge and make the most of your efforts. Your workouts need to include resistance and cardiovascular training, regular stretching, plus appropriate periods of rest and recovery. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn and the more efficient your body is at burning fat. If you want to speed up your metabolism and burn calories rapidly even just sitting on the couch, make exercise a priority!

Use the 80/20 rule when making food choices. 

It’s unrealistic to believe you can completely eliminate all your favourite “sinful foods” forever. Imagine saying goodbye, you’re dead to me, to your most cherished sweet treat, creamy pasta dish, or crunchy kettle chips. The 80/20 rule works because 80% of the food choices you make are healthy choices (fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins) and the remaining 20% is dedicated to treats that are less healthy. Use this rule for each individual meal, each day, week, and month to master it and implement it successfully.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. 

The body is made up of 60% water and those reserves need to replenish frequently. Water performs many functions that benefit the body and several are directly related to fat burning. Overeating often results from dehydration as your body can misinterpret thirst for hunger. Dehydration also causes bloating when the body stores water as a survival technique. Storing water restricts the function of other water dependent processes such as waste removal. Not much of an explanation is needed to understand how hindering the removal of toxins from the body is bad in so many ways.

See 50 more fat loss tips!  

Facebook Links

This part of Facebook is sometimes hard to find so I wanted to include the link here.

Top stories include:

Weighty Matters: Bulging Brides trainer Nadeen Boman claims her show "encourages a guilt free attitude"

How fit are you? Take the trainer’s test and find out.

Weight Loss and Nutrition Advice From Nadeen Boman: Trainer and Nutrition Coach

Nadeen & Tommy - Get You Wedding Fit in the latest Issue of Weddingbells.ca

Fit & Fabulous - you don't need to be on TV to get healthy and look amazing! Check out the latest article from WeddingBells.ca where Tommy and I share top tips on how you can start getting in shape and feeling great today. Nutrition and fitness should be part of everyone's routine, whether it be daily or just a few times each week, make it a priority to invest in yourself - after all, there's only one of you!!!

Stretching is Important

I've just posted 8 basic stretches to Flickr. Use these images and accompanying descriptions to ensure you're stretching properly and keeping your body long and lean. You should stretch frequently and most definitely after a workout. Aim to lengthen your muscles every day.

Exercise causes our muscles to contract and shorten. Without stretching our muscles out, we risk injury and hinder our ability to increase strength. Tight muscles pull on our joints and put the body out of alignment.

When you have the option to stretch lying down this is the ideal situation. Stretching while standing is substandard as your muscles aren't able to fully relax, a requirement for any effective stretch. Still, a standing stretch is better than no stretch at all.

It's very important to hold your stretches in place for a minimum of 30 seconds. Use a timer. If you guess you'll almost always fall short of the 30 second minimum.

Do not bounce. Your body may activate a sensory receptor meant to protect you from injury. If you over-stretch you risk automatically contracting the muscle you're trying to relax.

You should not be in pain during your stretch. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 feels like your tearing the muscle and you can't feel anything at 1, aim to be at about a 3 where you feel the stretch but are comfortable to hold it. Every 10 seconds you can increase the intensity of the stretch slightly as your body adapts.

Now go be taller!

Nutribar Survey

Hey guys look out for me on Global TV this Wednesday. I’ve partnered up with my friends at Nutribar to bring you the latest stats in how us women are feeling about ourselves and how we can make the most of our looks. Its not that hard, we just need to help each other out and share our knowledge. Did you know that Vancouver women are the most likely to want to change something about themselves, of all the girls in Canada? Follow the recent revelations on my blog and make sure you know how to be your best.

 

Nadeen Boman Loses 10 Pounds!

Nadeen Boman Before & After a 10 Pound Weight Loss

Upload by Nadeen Boman

I found this neat website that can morph your body shape. It's similar to what we do with participants on The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp for illustration purposes, ie. here's what can happen if you keep these unhealthy habits. The difference with this WeightView.com website is that it morphs you thinner rather than heavier.

You upload a picture of yourself, choose your weight loss goal and the transformation begins. The results aren't instant but it's worth the wait to see yourself 10, 20, 50 pounds lighter. Check out my results - I'm virtually 10 lbs thinner in the after shot! Pretty fun stuff.

This is a great tool for those of us who need a little motivation to eat right and exercise regularly. Being able to visualize the end goal is a fundamental part of attaining success. Think about it: If you can't see yourself crossing the finish line, motivation diminishes, your action plan is vague, and your level of commitment isn't all it should be. Failing to visualize your success is essentially succeeding at visualizing your failure.

See more before and after photos. One of my favourites is this lady who virtually shed 20 pounds, and wow did it ever make a difference!

Precision Athletics has a special January promotional price for boot camps - sign up and start Monday! 

Nadeen Boman & Vata Brasil

I met with my friends Mario, Ananda, and Daniel from Vata Brasil today at their Richards store and left with a new outfit!  Thanks guys!! 

Vata has some really innovative new styles and their one-fit fabric is simply fantastic.  Anyone else out there love wearing comfortable, figure flattering clothes around town and not just at the gym?  Well, I do and Vata definitely delivers!

Check them out at www.vatabrasil.com!

Nadeen Boman & My Licious Living Team Up

Was meeting with my friends Katie and Deanna from Licious Living today. My meal plans are great if you have the time and ability for do it yourself food preparation but check out Licious Living for food delivery right to your door!

They also have a retail outlet at Bentall IV - 1055 Dunsmuir Street in Vancouver.  Stop by their store and try some of the healthy foods they offer...all are suitable for My Quick Start Meal Plan and Last Few Pounds Meal Plan!

Craig Pepe and Nadeen

Craig Pepe and Nadeen
Originally uploaded by Nadeen Boman

Just met with my friends Craig and Pepe from Precision Althletics to organize a promotion for boot camp.  Sign up to the mailing list at nadeenboman.com and watch for an email blast this week.  Boot camp starts Monday!!!

Pepe was my very first personal trainer and one of the reasons I got into the industry.  Now you really know he's good!  

Nadeenboman.com Website Launch

Launched my new nadeenboman.com website today and everything went very well! I've changed a few of my meal plans and the prices along with them...something that I'm sure will be well received :)  Check it out, check it out, check it out!!!  

Bulging Bride NOT but much in need of the Bulge Buster meal plan!