Come Together Fitness - Where East Meets West

02/02/2015

Start learning something today.
Cooking, dance, play an instrument, growing vegetables, anything. My favorite, yoga, Tai Ji & Kung fu.

24/01/2015

16/07/2014

11/05/2014

Causes of Inflammation in the body

Inflammation is the number one medical issue people face in the industrialized world today. Toxins cause inflammation by penetrating healthy tissue in your body. Your immune system responds with acute inflammation to eradicate them – even killing healthy cells to get rid of the toxins. Toxins are produced inside our body as well as ingested, inhaled and absorbed from outside our body. A common source of toxicity that we can control is our diet.

The Toxic 10
We should refrain from voluntarily poisoning ourselves by avoiding these foods. Any food that significantly raises your pulse rate is toxic for you, even if it is a good food. Let’s start by discussing the worst offenders in the average American diet.

Tran’s fats are not food at all but are used to make food taste good and add texture. You will find them in many processed snack foods. Just to give you an example of the foods that may contain Trans fats include: Margarine, Cookies, Crackers, Cakes, French fries, Fried onion rings, Donuts
Look in your pantry and check for Trans fats listed on the Nutrition Facts food label. You may also see hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil listed as ingredients. This means the food contains trans-fat and should be avoided!

Artificial flavors, colors and food additives are used to improve the appeal of packaged foods. They are among the most pro-inflammatory “excitotoxins” in the world. Avoid them like the plague! Almost all restaurants use monosodium glutamate in food preparation. If you want to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, don’t eat or drink anything with artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors.

Sugar seems quite harmless when compared with artificial sweeteners. Refined sugar is still responsible for much of the obesity epidemic in the world. It reduces the function of our immune system and causes sugar-derived substances called advanced glycation end products to clog our brain and blur our vision.

Refined and/or genetically modified (GMO) grains: Gluten intolerance is nearing epidemic proportions. This is primarily the result of over-consuming refined grains, hybrid-grain strains and genetically modified (GMO) grains. One physician commented on the damage to our digestive tract by comparing refined, GMO grains to sandpaper in our digestive system.

Processed meats contain high amounts of sodium. Far too much to be considered healthy. They also contain additives such as sugar and monosodium glutamate. The level of saturated fat is much higher in processed meats than in free-range or grass-fed whole meats.

Cooking oil imbalances the anti-inflammatory enzymes in our body by adding too much omega-6 oil to our dietary balance. We need omega-3 oils such as walnut oil, flaxseed oil, macadamia nut oil and olive oil.

Feedlot-raised red meat has more inflammatory acids than grass-fed red meat. For example, grass-fed beef is a good source of omega-3 essential fatty acids as compared to feedlot-raised beef which is higher in pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid.

Alcohol is a two-edged sword: drinking a little may offer some anti-inflammatory benefits. But drinking too much is a primary trigger for inflammation. If you don’t drink, don’t start. If you drink, limit your consumption to 1 drink daily with food for no more than 4 drinks per week.

Milk products are among the most allergenic of all foods. Many are sensitive to the sugars (lactose) in milk. This is called lactose intolerance. Many more are sensitive to the protein in milk. Casein is the primary protein. It is estimated that up to 60% of people cannot tolerate milk or milk products containing casein or lactose.

Foods to which you are personally allergic. These may be common, such as milk, egg whites, soy, chocolate or coffee. Or fish and shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. All foods to which you are allergic are inflammatory. Test them yourself by checking your pulse rate after eating a specific food: if it increases significantly then you are likely allergic to that food.

Conclusion
There are four basic causes of inflammation: toxins, injury, stress and deficiency. Work to insulate yourself with appropriate nutrients and nurturing. Work to isolate yourself by making good choices when it comes to the Toxic 10. Take control of the things that are easy to avoid and you will improve the quantity and quality of your life!

Take Control of Your Health by isolate yourself from inflammatory toxins:
• Avoid the Toxic 10
• Use “eco-friendly” household chemicals
• Use organic lawn care
• Specify certified organic foods
• Use air and water filtration systems
• Insulate yourself from toxins:
• Eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables
• Supplement with probiotics
• Help reduce inflammation with anti-inflammation supplements
• Take a quality multivitamin daily
• Take cold press flax oil or cold press fish oil to help your body resist fat-soluble toxins
• Reduce stress by practicing yoga, tai chi, qi gong, or any healthy exercises.
• Drink plenty of water and get enough rest and sleep each day

By Jenny Blaydow @ Come Together Fitness
For more information plz email me at [email protected]

06/05/2014

BROCCOLI-CHICKEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS (4 SERVINGS)
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into medium florets
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ cup pitted black olives, halved lengthwise
• 2 hot red spicy chilies, seeded and sliced lengthwise
• ½ seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached, sliced, and cooled
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION
1. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water
followed by the broccoli and cook until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a
bowl of ice water until cooled, then drain and set aside.
2. Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil followed by the shallot and garlic and
cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the shallots and garlic to a large bowl along with the drained broccoli, olives, red chiles,
cucumber, chicken, coconut aminos, salt, and pepper.
4. Toss to combine, then serve warm or chilled.

05/05/2014

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

05/05/2014

It's important to not envy others and want something they have. Instead use them as a reminder that, anyone can do it, with continued focus and dedication. You have time, just switch one thing out for another. Maybe, less TV or going out to restaurants.

03/05/2014

EDAMAME MISO HUMMUS DIP (Best edamame dip, so far)

1 1/4 cups (1/2 lb) shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
1 tbsp + 1 tsp mellow white miso paste
1/4 cup raw tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup baby spinach, lightly packed
5 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

1. Bring a pot of salted to a boil. Once boiling, add edamame. Cook until al dente. Not mushy, but still with a bite. Drain and set aside.

2. In a food processor, blend the edamame, miso, tahini, oil, garlic, and spinach very well until totally smooth. This may take longer than you might think, but should be easier if you have cooked your edamame. Blend in the lime juice and salt until the mixture is consistently smooth.

3. Remove the dip from the food processor, using a rubber spatula if necessary. Place it on your serving dish and scatter the sesame seeds on top. Serve with crackers and carrots for dipping.

I, also, like to mix this dip with cashew butter to give the dip an extra creamy flavor.

CASHEW BUTTER
2 cups raw cashew soaked in water over night. Process til creamy adding a teaspoon of water at a time as needed for a creamier consistency.