“each day is an opportunity to improve yourself. take it.”
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK
BEAST BEFORE THE FEAST 4 WEEK MEAL PLAN
Registered Dietician Nutritionist, Mary Trenda, created this plan with the idea that maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet should not be difficult. The meals are simple and easy to follow. This meal plan is packed with nutrient dense real food! It says goodbye to processed foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. It has sufficient calories and is balanced with healthy protein, fats and carbohydrates. This meal plan will keep you full of natural energy.
We created a private Facebook group where you can share your meals, track your progress and ask Mary any questions you may have. Juliann and I will be doing this meal plan along with you! Beast Before the Feast kicks off on October 25th! LET’S DO THIS! Sign up and purchase the meal plan here.
TIP OF THE WEEK
TIP OF THE WEEK
My TIP this week is to create a workout challenge for a cause you are passionate about. Is there a specific cause that really means something to you? Create a challenge that brings awareness to what you are passionate about. Post a video of yourself doing the challenge; nominate at least one person per day to complete the challenge, and ask them to nominate a person each day as well so your challenge spreads quickly! I will offer myself as your first nomination. This is a great way to support your community, connect with others and stay active!
siwicki fit fam
Every week, we highlight some of our Siwicki Fitness members!
meet joe
Name: Joe G
Age: 34
Children: McCovey (4-legged creature variety)
Job: Attorney
Current hometown: Arlington, VA
Alma Mater: Elmira College and the University of New Hampshire School of Law
Previous Gym: Equinox
Favorite Siwicki Fitness class: “Power Hour!”
Hobbies: Sports (watching and playing), wine, cigars, travel, the beach, good times with family and friends
Fun Fact about yourself: I had a cameo on the “Real Housewives of New Jersey”
What is your favorite book: “To Kill A Mockingbird”
What is your favorite movie: “The Godfather”
What is your favorite tv show: “The Office”
meet colette
Name: Colette Banet
Age: 33
Children: We have a 1.5 year old “fur baby,” a golden retriever named McCovey
Job: software sales
Current hometown: Arlington, VA
Alma Mater: University of South Carolina for undergrad (Go Cocks!) and George Mason University for grad school
Previous Gym: Equinox
Favorite Siwicki Fitness class: Power Hour! And abs :)
Hobbies: working out (duh!), drinking and learning about wine (specifically California cabs!), going on walks/hikes with my puppy and boyfriend, Joe (also a Siwicki fit fam member!), traveling and laying on the beach. Most importantly, spending time with my boys, family and friends!
Fun Fact about yourself: Warren Buffet has driven me around in his car!
What is your favorite book: “Be Obsessed or Be Average” by Grant Cardone
What is your favorite movie: Remember the Titans
What is your favorite tv show: I really don’t watch much TV but we are currently binge watching Selling Sunset on Netflix 😂
meal+snack ideas
fall harvest honeycrisp apple and kale salad
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/3 cup raw pepitas
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 heads kale, shredded
2 honey crisp apples, thinly sliced
arils from 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
CIDER VINAIGRETTE
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fig preserves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
kosher salt and pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On the prepared baking sheet, toss together the pepitas, olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Arrange in a single layer. Lay the prosciutto flat around the pepitas. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pepitas are toasted and the prosciutto is crisp.
Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the kale, apples, and pomegranates.
To make the vinaigrette. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots, cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly. Add the apple cider vinegar, fig preserves, and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with toasted pepitas, prosciutto, and feta. Eat and enjoy!
slow cooker herbed chicken and rice pilaf
Ingredients:1 1/2 cups wild rice blend (mix wild and brown rice)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup wild mushrooms, torn
2 pounds bone-in chicken breast and or thighs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
kosher salt and pepper
4 shallots, halved
1 sprig fresh rosemary
In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine the wild rice, 3 cups chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything up to combine.
Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, sage, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Toss in the shallots and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove the chicken and shallots from the skillet and place directly into the slow cooker, skin side up, along with any juices left in the skillet. Add the rosemary.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. If the rice is hard, add and addition 1/2 cup broth and cook another 30 minutes on high.
To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together.
chipotle chicken sweet potato skins
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained (optional)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2-3 chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped (more or less, to your taste)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
zest of 1 lime
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake directly on the rack until tender, 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool.
At the same time, cook the chicken. Place the chicken, and chickpeas - if using, in a baking dish. Add the olive oil, garlic, chipotle chiles, chili powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, lime zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper, gently toss to coat. Transfer to the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, scatter the spinach over the chicken and cook 5 minutes, until wilted.
Shred the chicken using 2 forks, then toss with the chickpeas, spinach and any oil left in the baking dish.
Scrape the sweet potato flesh out of the peel, leaving 1/2 inch thick layer of sweet potatoes. Brush the skins with a little olive oil and bake for 5 minutes, until crisping. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with fresh cilantro and greek yogurt, if desired.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Guide to Boosting Your Metabolism
By Elaine K. Howley
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO keep the lights on in the human body? How does the body power everything from blinking and cell repair to washing dishes and running a marathon? In the simplest terms, all of these activities are powered by calories, which come from the food we eat.
“Metabolism is the process by which our bodies convert what we eat and drink into energy,” says Melissa Perry, a registered dietitian with Orlando Health in Florida. “Our bodies use that energy converted from food and drink to power everything from breathing to moving and thinking.” This process runs continually inside the body to keep your organs functioning properly for survival and everything else you do every day.
“However, when most people hear the word ‘metabolism,’ they usually think about weight and calories,” says Kacie Vavrek, a sports dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
“Your resting metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns energy when it’s at complete rest. Even at rest, you’re burning a lot of calories for bodily functions like breathing, digesting, adjusting hormone levels and growing and repairing cells.”
These maintenance functions in the body are actually what burns the vast majority of the calories you ingest, not that walk you took after lunch. As such, “when someone talks about their metabolism, they’re often referring to their resting calorie burn,” Vavrek adds.
How Many Calories Do You Really Need?
Your resting metabolic rate is largely determined by three factors:
Body size and composition. People who are larger and have more muscle mass tend to have a higher metabolism.
Sex. Males tend to have less body fat and more muscle mass, leading to a higher metabolism.
Age. As you age, you lose muscle mass and your metabolism slows.
For example, a sedentary 55-year-old woman who's 5' 4" tall and weighs 175 pounds only needs about 1,400 calories per day to keep the body going. By contrast, a 55-year-old male who's 6' tall and weighs 200 pounds needs nearly 1,800 calories a day to service the basic needs of maintaining the body at rest. When you add in exercise or physical activity, those needs increase no matter who you are.
You can calculate your basal metabolic rate – meaning the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest – with an online calculator that will give you a rough estimate of the number of calories you need each day to fuel basic bodily functions.
You can also visit with a dietitian for a more tailored and accurate test that will assess your individual body composition and physical activity levels, rather than just calculate a number using a set formula that considers height, weight, sex and age.
Metabolic rate figures are highly individual and they change over time. “How much you burn each day is a function of age, your weight and activity level,” says Dan Daly, a coach, trainer and co-creator of the Equinox Group Swim Program EQXH2O based in New York City. “Metabolism declines about 10% a decade. So, if you’re following a 2,000-calorie per day diet, that’s about one to two apples less per day,” each decade.
However, despite this natural slow down, Daly notes that weight gain isn’t always the fault of age. “Metabolism doesn’t slow down as much as it’s blamed for. Weight goals are more likely a product of a calorie surplus from eating and a decline in activity as we get older.”
Can I Change My Metabolism?
Many of us have been seduced by the idea of revving up or increasing the metabolism as a means of getting control over that aging process and trimming the waistline. But it might just be mostly a fantasy.
“Metabolism is determined by our genes, and there’s not a lot that we can do to significantly change our metabolism,” Vavrek says. “We might see small or temporary changes in metabolism by diet or muscle mass changes, but usually you won’t see significant changes in metabolism.”
Vavrek notes that while many people blame a “slow metabolism” for weight problems, “the truth is that a ‘slow metabolism’ is rarely the cause of weight gain. It would be more beneficial to focus on calorie intake and regular exercise than on ways to boost metabolism.” That’s because it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to “boost metabolism” enough for significant, long-term weight loss.
How to Support a Healthy Metabolism
That said, you do have control over what and how much you eat and how much you move. “The more active we are, the more calories we burn,” Vavrek says.
To support a healthy metabolism, consider making the following eight dietary and activity changes:
Take control.
Eat enough.
Boost protein intake.
Eat breakfast.
Limit sweets and processed foods.
Stay hydrated.
Increase or maintain muscle mass.
Get enough rest.
1. Take Control
“There’s no strong evidence to show a magic food or supplement can boost your metabolism,” Perry says, “but you can control what you’re eating and your physical activity.” Make a plan and keep track of how much you’re eating, how much you’re moving and get a sense of how many calories your body needs and burns each day.
2. Eat Enough
Starvation diets cause the body to slow the rate at which it uses energy by shutting down nonessential processes. This slows the body’s overall metabolic rate, which in turn makes it more difficult to lose weight. It’s a cruel irony that many yo-yo dieters know all too well.
What’s more, “regularly skipping meals and cutting calories too low can lead to muscle loss which can negatively impact metabolism,” Vavrek says.
But, “you can support metabolic function by eating,” Daly says. “The thermic effect of food, (or the energy it takes to digest and convert food into energy) is responsible for 10% of total caloric expenditure daily.”
In other words, that means that for a person consuming 2,000 calories per day, just consuming and digesting that food will burn about 200 calories, leaving 1,800 left to be gobbled up by the brain, heart and other internal organs as well as any physical activity you engage in.
All that said, intermittent fasting appears not to have a negative impact on metabolism like starvation diets do. Some studies have suggested, in fact, that intermittent fasting can help rev up the metabolism. This is believed to be connected to how intermittent fasting can preserve lean body mass – remember that lean mass such as muscles burn more calories than fat. The fact that fast periods are interspersed with times when you take in more calories, rather than chronically limiting calories, means that intermittent fasting seems to help dieters retain more muscle mass than when following a starvation diet.
3. Boost Protein Intake
Not all food takes the same energy to convert, Daly notes. “Protein is the most metabolically costly to digest, and some fibrous fruits and vegetables cost more calories to digest than they actually contain.” These so-called negative calorie foods include high-water-content vegetables such as cucumbers, celery and lettuce.
Increasing the amount of protein in the diet doesn’t cause a significant increase in metabolism and it’s a temporary alteration, but Vavrek notes that “consuming adequate protein in your diet will help to maintain muscle mass.”
You don't have to go overboard with protein intake, but making sure you're getting enough – 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is typically recommended for the average adult – can help support the body's need to repair itself. To convert that into pounds, a 165-pound person would need about 60 grams of protein per day.
4. Eat Breakfast
Many dietitians recommend starting the day with a healthy breakfast that contains protein, fiber and some fat to help you feel fuller longer and to ramp up that thermic effect. Get your body fueled up for the day ahead.
5. Limit Sweets and Processed Foods
To support a healthy metabolism, adopt a “healthy diet filled with nutrient-rich foods,” Perry says. Look to consume mostly:
Whole grains.
Vegetables.
Fruits.
Legumes.
Lean protein.
Perry says you should fill your plate with these nutrient-rich foods instead of high-calorie and low-nutrient foods “by limiting your intake of highly processed foods, such as sweet baked goods, processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages.”
Ultra-processed foods are typically very easily broken down by the body into sugar, which means your body doesn’t use as many calories to process these items as it does when digesting unprocessed, whole foods.
6. Stay Hydrated
Taking in enough water is also part of the equation. Drinking water can actually support weight loss by raising metabolic rate slightly. Plus, drinking water helps the body flush out toxins and move waste products through the digestive tact, which can also support overall health and well-being and support the metabolism in its daily work.
7. Increase or Maintain Muscle Mass
To support the changes you’re making in the kitchen, you should also seek to increase “lean muscle mass through exercise,” Perry says. Strength training or weight lifting can help build muscle that can burn more calories.
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning that lean muscle mass burns more calories at rest than fat does. Vavrek notes that the biggest increase in calories burned occurs during exercise when the person has more muscle mass. It might not be a huge figure, but it does “highlight the importance of regular exercise for weight control.”
“All exercise boosts metabolism, but strength training and high intensity interval training may be more disruptive to (and thus increase) metabolism,” Daly says. This is because the body will have to work harder to repair tissues after a strength training session, and your oxygen consumption is typically higher after high-intensity cardiovascular training, which can also increase your metabolic rate temporarily.
“Eating regular, balanced meals can help you to maintain muscle mass as well,” Vavrek adds.
8. Get Enough Rest
It’s not entirely clear what the relationship between sleep and weight control is, but it’s been noted that people who sleep poorly or have disrupted sleep patterns tend to weigh more than those who get enough rest. They’re also at higher risk of a variety of chronic diseases including diabetes and cancer.
While you sleep, your body is busy repairing tissue and removing waste products. You need those processes to function optimally to support overall health, wellness and your metabolism.
A Race Against Time
Moving more and eating well become more important with each passing day. “Muscle mass can decrease with age, which can slow your metabolic rate. But exercise can help boost it,” Perry says.
Still, Vavrek warns to be wary of any outsized claims for diets or products that purport to boost metabolism. “There’s no magic supplement that will boost metabolism. This is a common marketing strategy among supplement companies. Products marketed to speed up metabolism are usually a scam.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Daly sums up the advice on supporting a healthy metabolism by saying: “Move more, eat often, hydrate and sleep. From an evolutionary standpoint, we were once hunters and gatherers, spending large amounts of time moving to find scarce food and taking time to prepare it. Modern work and convenience have left us largely sedentary, which is compounded by the abundance of calorically-dense prepared food. This has left us in a caloric surplus, overfed and under active,” all of which can add up to excess weight.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder
By Carol Pallarito
When daylight saving time ends, we gain an extra hour of sleep but lose something precious: sunlight. As daylight slips into darkness earlier in the day, depression diagnoses increase, according to a 2016 study published in Epidemiology. An estimated 5% of Americans slump into a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Millions more experience the “winter blues,” a milder form of seasonal depression.
Obviously, you can’t control seasonal changes, but going into hibernation during the fall and winter is not the solution. “If you wake up and you want to pull the covers over your eyes, that's the worst thing to do,” says Norman Rosenthal, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He says the best thing to do is exactly the opposite: “Get more light, get out of bed, get active.”
While very depressed people may need to see a physician or therapist, many cases of seasonal depression can be self treated, adds Dr. Rosenthal, a pioneer in the field of SAD research.
Read on to learn about some tried-and-true treatment methods, plus a few strategies that may be worth giving a whirl if you have seasonal affective disorder.
Try light therapy
A daily dose of bright light, especially in the morning, has been shown in multiple studies to be an effective, mood-elevating therapy. It’s one of the main treatments for people with SAD and is thought to help make up for the lack of natural light people get during colder, darker months.
“When light hits the retina of the eye, it’s converted into nerve impulses that pass back to specialized regions of the brain that are involved in emotional regulation,” explains Dr. Rosenthal, lead author of the first-ever report describing seasonal affective disorder and the use of light therapy as a treatment.
You’ll find any number of bright-light-emitting lamps and light boxes on the market for this purpose. Treatment involves 20 to 60 minutes of daily exposure to cool-white fluorescent light, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Catch some rays
Seasonal affective disorder strikes when there’s a dearth of natural light, usually during the fall and winter months. So it stands to reason that soaking in sunlight on a bright fall or winter day may help lift people from their seasonal despair.
Here’s why it works: Natural light boosts levels of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical that helps brain cells communicate.
So bundle up and bask in nature’s brilliance. “You’re getting a lot of light coming into the eyes that way,” Dr. Rosenthal explains.
Exercise
A regular workout routine is great for body and mind. Heart-pumping exercise reduces symptoms of depression in general and also benefits people with SAD. There are many theories as to why exercise improves mood: It may raise levels of “feel good” neurotransmitters in the brain, it may promote the growth of brain cells, or it may simply have a meditative effect. Studies show exercise is even better when combined with light. “That could be a brisk walk on a sunny day or the exer-cycle in front of a light box,” Dr. Rosenthal says.
Consider antidepressants
Two types of prescription medicines have been shown to help people cope with seasonal affective disorder. One option is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. These prescription antidepressants work by boosting serotonin levels in the brain.
Generic bupropion (Wellbutrin and Budeprion) is another option. It improves mood by boosting brain levels of three different chemical messengers: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Extended-release bupropion taken early in the fall before seasonal depression set in reduced recurrence of depressive symptoms in SAD patients compared with a placebo in three studies.
These drugs carry risks of side effects, including suicidal thoughts and behavior in some children, teens, and young adults, and may not be the right treatment for everyone.
Try cognitive behavioral therapy
Of all the different types of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) “has the most going for it,” Dr. Rosenthal writes in his book, Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder. CBT helps seasonal depression sufferers replace negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with positive thinking and actions.
The cognitive part is recognizing that SAD isn’t a personal deficit, Dr. Rosenthal explains. “It’s part of your genetic makeup and your response to the seasons and light, so you don’t have to blame yourself,” he says. The behavioral part is taking time for yourself to do something you enjoy, like practicing yoga or grabbing lunch with a friend.
Ditch junk food
When you’re stuck in a seasonal funk, it’s tempting to reach for sweet and starchy comfort foods. Sure, you’ll get an immediate energy boost. But the feeling isn’t sustained, and those sugar binges can pack on the pounds.
A large study found women who consumed the most refined carbs, found in picks like white bread, white rice, and soda, had higher blood sugar levels and were at greater risk of depression (although not SAD specifically). Those with higher fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake had a lower incidence of depression.
Manage stress
If seasonal depression saps your energy every winter, don’t let yourself become overwhelmed. Adapt by lightening your load, Dr. Rosenthal says. “Let’s say you’re used to making a big Christmas, and it’s so stressful. Well, take everybody to a restaurant, and decide to have your big party in the spring or summer,” he says.
Other stress management techniques can help you cope with seasonal depression as well, including practicing meditation, scheduling big projects and deadlines for the summer, and taking breaks to walk outside in the sun.
Take a warm winter vacation
Dreary New England winters bringing you down? A change of venue might help.
“Many of my patients have learned that if they have a choice, it’s better to take vacations in winter than in summer,” Dr. Rosenthal writes in a chapter of his book on alternatives to light therapy. “Two weeks in a sunny climate in January can effectively interrupt the worst stretch of winter,” he writes.
