Hey guys I wanted to share this yummy recipe for a healthy salad! Give it a try and let me know how tasty it was!!

Salad

#Zespri4Life Black Rice Salad with Kiwifruit and Cashews

 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Start to finish: 15 minutes

 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled black or brown rice

2 Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit, peeled and cut up

1 cup quartered strawberries

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup salted cashew pieces

 

In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. In large bowl, stir dressing into rice. Stir in remaining ingredients except cashews. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend. Stir in cashews just before serving.

 

6 (3/4-cup) servings

 

*1 cup uncooked black rice yields 2 1/2 cups cooked rice.

 

Recipe tip: A serrated peeler works best for peeling kiwifruit.

 

Serving Size: 1 Serving Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 80), Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 1.5g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 270mg, Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 7g), Protein 4g; % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 2%; Iron 6%.

 

*Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

GIVE IT A TRY! YUM!

Hey Guys! Below is my Beretta Farms Smart Snacking Review:

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Smart snacking can be a tricky endeavour. Whether you are hitting the gym mid-day or going right after work, eating for your workout can be difficult to fit into your schedule. This is why responsible snacking is so important! To avoid resorting to sugary granola bars or worse nothing at all, having an arsenal of portable snacks full of protein is key!

I recently had the opportunity to try Beretta's Last Rep Clean and Jerky and their Protein Puck Power Cookie! I totally loved them. ESPECIALLY the Last Rep Clean and Jerky! GRASS FED JERKY! WHEAT?!?! OMG! I love meat. Especially jerky. And this is healthy! What a great healthy snack! The bag was actually packed full and air sealed. I used it for a couple of different times I was running low on energy and needed some protein. It was a lot of servings and stayed very fresh. It also was delicious! By delicious I mean ADDICTIVE. I wish I had more 🙁 You can buy it on their site by the case... I would love a case....HINT HINT. http://www.berettafamilyfarms.com/shop/65-last-rep-clean-and-jerky

Beretta's Last Rep Clean and Jerky and Protein Puck Power Cookie are great on- the-go snacks made with all-natural ingredients. These snacks provide you with the energy you need to get through your workout or even just your day. I used the puck as my last snack after coaching track and it re-energized me.

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AliciaBell - telus - samsung

Who is Alicia Bell? She is a Toronto based Social Media Influencer, Kinesiologist, Strength Coach and Track and Field Coach who has devoted her life to helping people reach their goals in fitness and sport. She is a nationally recognized track and field coach who coached team Canada at the Maccabi games in Israel in July of 2013. She lead the team to 13 medals.  Alicia has over 10 years of practical and educational experience and is a published Fitness model for Zenzation with her pictures gracing their equipment and she leads their product DVD instruction.

Alicia has experience working with many types of clientele. She has worked as a Kinesiologist and an Exercise Rehabilitation Specialist. She is also experienced at weight loss, strength training, toning and athletic conditioning. She has worked with clients such as Dwight Howard (NBA), Rashad McCants (Former NBA), Geoff Harris (Olympic 800m runner), Lil Jon (Rapper/Dj), Karla Moy aka HustleGrl, Hill Harper (actor, author) and even the mother of the Toronto rapper Drake.

Alicia Bell and Telus Present - Living Better With Samsung S6

I have such a busy schedule! Not only am I a personal trainer in busy downtown Toronto, Canada,  but I also work for a water company (GP8 Sportwater) and I am also an athlete who trains to compete in the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) bikini category.

My life is filled with fitness, nutrition, travelling and social interactions. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of not only my own goals and activities but also my clients and other business adventures. I have to keep a very tight schedule, so for me timing is everything.

Since getting the new Samsung S6 from Telus  I have been living better! I love to take pictures and video of my clients training, my own workouts, the food I eat and the day to day activities and events that I attend. I have found that the Samsung S6 really captures these moments. Its dynamic, ultra-responsive camera captures the true-to-life brilliance of any moment throughout my day. It also has a quick launch camera so that I can pull out my phone and quickly (under a second) launch the camera to take an in the moment photo.

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Another convenient feature for me is the quick unlock finger print option. Instead of keying in a password (which you can also do) you can use your very own finger print to quickly unlock your phone. It was very easy to set up and when I need to open my phone fast to read a message it only takes a quick second  to unlock from being secure.

Another one of my favourite features is that it has a super charger. What does this mean? It means that because I am always on the go I can plug the S6 in for just 10 minutes and get up to 4 hours of battery life!!!! When you take as much photos as I do and you are constantly travelling from one place to another and listening to music this is crucial. I don't have the time to leave my phone plugged in for hours at a time.

The apps that I have found useful on the Samsung for my busy and active lifestyle are:

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S- Health: This app you can personalize and sync your health data with your Samsung account. You can choose your personal units of measurements and receive notifications of events in the status bar. Within the app you can download extra things. I use the Workout Trainer (if I need a quick workout for myself), Recipes & Nutrition(for finding healthy recipes) and the Hydro Coach (for recording my water intake). There are so many useful apps to help with staying on track and these three are just a few. You can completely personalize the S Health and the apps that you use within it for whatever your goals are.

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The phone can also counts your daily step count and allows you to adjust your goals for the count. I have it at 10, 000 steps per day. The only downfall is that if you don't have the watch to go with the phone you have to have the phone in your hand or in your pocket for it to keep track.

The sleep tracker is also key. As an athlete and trainer I cannot express how important sleep can be. If you don't get enough sleep your body will be high in cortisol. A stress released hormone that can trigger your body to store fat. Keeping track of your sleep will help you with your fitness goals.

Another awesome feature with the phone is that it actually has a heart rate sensor that allows you to instantly measure your heart rate and record it. This is great when training because it allows you to check if you are working in the right zone for your goals when you are doing an intense training or cardio session.

I also use the food recording within the S Health application. This can let you see what you are eating and how many calories are in it. Its great to achieve your goals. Whats also really cool is that if you haven't recorded anything for the day it will ask you if you feel like tracking your food? It will also remind you. Which is great if you are as busy as I am and often forget.

Check out the phone for yourself in this video from Samsung:

GIVEAWAY CONTEST AND ENTRY INFORMATION

Two ways to enter:
1) Tweeting a contest-specific entry:
If I win a Samsung Galaxy S6 from @trainitright & @TELUS, I'll USE IT TO HELP ME REACH MY GOAL OF_____ #TELUSS6
2) Either sharing or commenting on my Facebook post for this contest on the Facebook page. www.facebook.com/trainitright
  • The contest is Canadian only, no Quebec entries, 18+
  • A random winner will be selected
Check out my fellow bloggers perspectives on how they use their Samsung phones as well. The phone is so versatile for whatever your life may bring.  You can completely personalize the Samsung S6 and for me that is what makes it such a great phone.
Joel Blog.

Caseys Blog.

 

 

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Alicia Bell - Personal Trainer Transformation

ITS NOT JUST CLIENTS WHO TRANSFORM

I want to motivate anyone that I can. So When you think you can't...you can. In the past two years I've had two knee surgeries, a motorcycle accident that gave me 7 stitches in my hand and 7 rounds of chemo for a tumor, worked full time with no disruptions and I still managed to do this. Someone out there has it worse than you, are busier than you, and they still find ways that they CAN. So stop making excuses and just do it. I don't care if you're tired, angry, sore, etc.... You will be happy that you did in the end.

Alicia Bell - Transformation

GMOs have resulted in MILLIONS of pounds of herbicides #ConcealOrReveal - Train It Right

Just in time for Mother's Day weekend, Just Label It just launched a very special video with some celebrity power to drive home the message that MOMS are a very powerful part of all this--Protecting their babies from all the monsters in the world.

This is also a reminder that GMOs have resulted in MILLIONS of pounds of herbicides, something the World Health Organization has deemed a probable carcinogen, into our air and water creating such an intense public health danger that 60-100% of the rain samples in the MidWest are testing positive for glyhosate via the US Geological Survey. Glyphosate is Monsanto's Roundup, which is spayed on over 78% of GMO crops. It's literally raining carcinogenic herbicides because of the increase of GMOs.
#ConcealOrReveal Petitionhttp://www.justlabelit.org/quaker
For some more background on the issue here is a recent interview with Gary Hirshberg on Bloomberg, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-05-01/u-s-denied-knowledge-of-what-s-in-food-hirshberg
Your Sleep Patterns May Be Preventing You From Weight Loss
Did you know that your sleep patterns can effect weight loss and can even cause weight gain? Lack of sleep may increase your appetite, effect your metabolism, and cause weight gain. Follow these steps for sleep and nutrition to help you with your weight loss battles.

1) Try to get six to eight hours of sleep a night. Less than this has been linked to a slower metabolism and weight gain.

2) If you are restless and need better sleep eat foods high in tryptophan at night. Tryptophan acts as a natural sedative and is used in your body to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter best known for calming your body and making you sleepy. Foods like this cause what we know as (the itis) and include turkey, lentals and whole grains. Eat these with a carbohydrate source such as brown rice, broccoli, milk or honey. This works because in order for tryptophan to be used, it has to make its way to the brain. When you eat carbs, insulin is released, which transports competing amino acids into your muscle tissue and it then leaves tryptophan alone, so it can make its way to your brain.

3) Don’t drink caffeinated beverages late in the day because it will effect your sleep pattern and ability to fall asleep at night.

4) Don’t drink a lot of liquid late at night. This will cause interrupted sleep to use the bathroom.

5) Give tea a try. Chamomile tea is a natural sedative and can help you fall asleep at night.all asleep with ease.

So the next time you are having problems losing weight make sure to check your diet because it could be causing irregular  sleeping patterns and in turn your ability to lose weight.

Follow Alicia on twitter

 

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

Protein is the major source for building material for the body and next to water is the most plentiful substance in the body. Protein is important in the growth and development of all body tissues and is used to build and maintain muscles in addition to many other bodily uses.

Protein requirement always differ according to your body size and activity levels. Some calculations are very simple, and many nutritionists calculate your protein requirements by dividing your total weight by two and the result indicates in grams the amount of protein you require each day.

For example, a person weighing 160 pounds requires approximately 80 grams of protein daily. Lean meats such as chicken and fish are great sources of protein. A 6oz chicken breast contains approximately 30 grams of protein and 6oz of white fish contains approximately 35 grams of protein.

 

5 Tips To Help You Lose Weight

aliciabell - train it right

Here are 5 tips to help you lose weight and it’s easier than you think.

1. Don’t be afraid to lift weights.  Total body strength training is one of the best ways to get improve your metabolism. Lean muscle burns more calories than fat. Try strength train between 2-3 times a week and it will help you tone up and lose weight faster.

2.  Do cardio. If you’re doing cardio make sure you are doing intervals on any of the machines between 15-30 seconds long are the best. Try going at a good pace for 15-30s then increasing the resistance and intensity for 15-30 seconds. Do tis for 40-60 minutes.

3. Get into a proper sleeping pattern. Get to bed at the same time most evenings. The best sleep you can give your body to recover is between 10 to 12pm. So try and time your sleep between those hours. The ideal amount of sleep is between 5 hours to 8 hours.

4. Eat 3 to 5 times a day with healthy snacks in between! Make sure to have a protein and a dark green with every meal. If this snack is a shake, be sure to add more than just water to your protein, and try to make a delicious smoothy with your favourite fruit.

5. Identify the mental and emotional stressors in your life. Try to write out everything in your life that is a stressor and decide to a) get rid of it, b) change the stressor or the situation or c) accept the stress and move on. Stress also causes your brain to release cortisol (a hormone that causes fat storage).

Follow Alicia on twitter

 

Are You Making These 12 Workout Mistakes?

4bc76c7d8d7e1Going to the gym alone is tough. There are many mistakes. Below are some of the most common problems that I see at the gym on a day to day basis. They are simple and easy to correct. Once adjusted you will feel better and achieve a more efficient and effective workout.

1. Proper Workout Wear. For your own saftey proper gym shoes should be worn. Weights could fall at any moment and land on your toes and break them or your foot if you are in sandles etc. Also for women a good sports bra goes a long way when exercises, and makes your workout more comfortable and enjoyable. Make sure to shower after your workout because sweat can cause bacteria growth. The last thing you want is something along the lines of athletes foot.

2. Abdominals. Keep your back pressed against the ground, and your belly button pulled in. Try and not bend your neck to keep everything in line.

3. Breathing. Inhale during the negative motion, and exhale during the positive motion.  Don’t hold your breath, this could cause hernias or other injuries.

4. Using Weight Clips. Proper safety at the gym is very important. Too many times we through the weights on the bar for squats, bench, or curl bar without putting on the clips. Without the clips any slight movement left or right could send the weights flying, and could cause injury to yourself while lifting or to others next to you.

5. Stretching. Stretch at the end of your workout. Don’t bounce while stretching. Instead, hold the position; bouncing can cause injuries. Stick to static stretching, and hold for at least 30 seconds.

6. Lunges and Squats. Don’t let your knees go past your toes during any exercise. The best example is the squat or lunge. Drop your hips down, and sit back when squating as if there is a chair a little to far back for you. Keep legs shoulder with as well. This will help you avoid injuries.

8. Biceps Curls. Be sure there’s no space between your elbows and the sides of your body when performing bicep curls. A lot of times we like to hold the arms out from the body.

9. Running. Heel to toe if you are going for the distance. Dorsi flexed and on the balls of your feet if you are doing sprint intervals. Both should not be performed heavy, but light footed. Don’t forget to use your arms. They are just as important as your feet and legs, and when used your running economy is better (i.e. more efficient).

10. Diet. Lack of water decreases your energy level, and fatigue almost always lead to poor technique. You should replenish your stores after your workout no more than 20 minutes after. This helps with muscle growth and recovery. Try a scoop of chocolate promasil added to water or non fat milk.

11. Personal Trainer. When you get a personal trainer, make sure that they are properly certified and have their CPR. Also make sure that they are just taking you through mindless workouts. It is important to have a periodized plan for best results, and always have a goal. The goals are what will keep you motivated besides having set appointments with your trainer.

12. Holding on tight to Cardio Equipment  You should hold lightly and keep a tall posture posture. If you feel confident it is even better to do it hands free. When you naturally swing your arms it promotes more calorie burning and improves your balance. That will help with day to day activities.

Follow Alicia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trainitright

 

Lets Talk Carbohydrates And Individuality

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Carbohydrates are only used in the body for energy while fats and proteins are used for production of hormones, cell membranes AND energy. What most people don’t realize is that this means the intake of carbohydrates should correlate with the amount of exercise that you do in a day.

When you have a high intake of carbohydrates such as white bread and refined sugars it causes your blood sugar levels to rise and will then cause hormonal changes in the body that causes most of us to become unhealthy and store fat. In children it has also been linked to ADHD, mental health issues, development of diabetes and obesity.

While there is some controversy regarding the amount of food an individual should eat from each of the four food groups to maintain a healthy diet, one should also keep in mind that each person has individual nutritional needs (i.e. athletes versus non-athletes, diabetics versus non-diabetics). These differences mean that one diet will have a very different effect on different individuals. This means that the required carbohydrate intake will vary from one person to another and is largely determined by the amount of lean muscles and the amount of daily exercise. It is suggested to make sure that your diet includes but is not limited to lots of lean meat, fish, eggs and is combined with lots of dark green vegetables.

Follow Alicia on Twitter