Gearing up to Roll Out Her Exciting New 21 Day Program
That's "A Journey To The Best You," The 16 Year Old
Health and Wellness Authority Offers Insightful Tips
To Deal With Holiday Eating Temptations and Depression
Emily Male, founder of Foodie Fittie
On a mission to help her fellow teens to overcome their low self-esteem and find a pathway towards good nutrition, fitness, confidence and hope, Emily Male is currently gearing up for the early 2017 rollout of FoodieFittie (www.foodiefittie.com), her extraordinary, multi-faceted new 21 Day program which she designed as a "Journey To The Best You."
But before all the excitement begins with that, the Georgia and Nashvillebased 16 year old health and wellness authority is looking forward to a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. Because of her incredible personal journey - including a dramatic 78 pound weight loss in a single year and a renewed commitment to healthy eating, staying physically fit - Emily has some great insights and tips on how to eat right, overcome those bad temptations when it comes to overeating and fatty and sugary foods and avoiding depression this holiday season.
Based on her experiences and the knowledge she has gained as she worked on her program, she believes that eating the proper foods while not denying oneself the pleasure of reasonable portions of the cookies, cakes and pies you want can go a long way towards combating the winter blues. She will make her choices this year based on what worked for her during the holidays in 2015.
"Last Christmas," she says, "I made healthier choices, like instead of eating high fat meat, I ate low fat turkey - but I still ate dessert. If I knew I wanted that dessert, during the main meal I would avoid eating mashed potatoes. Even though the temptation is there to gorge yourself because tasty things are hitting your eyes everywhere you look, I think moderation is the key. Still, it's the holidays and if you restrict yourself too much it might be hard on keeping a jolly holiday spirit!"
Emily adds that while she doesn't eat an unlimited amount of goodies anymore, she has given herself some restrictions. "We all have to do what works best for us," she says. "I work hard all year long to maintain a certain weight and stay fit, and I'm not going to NOT eat something during the holidays just because it's got low nutritional value. Holiday time with our friends and family is important, and food is part of those gatherings. I would avoid excessive snacking but allow yourself a small portion of dessert. And keep this in mind: even if on a few days you consume extra calories, your body will know what to do with it. If you eat badly for two days, but then on the third day go back to eating your normal amount and consuming your usual amount of calories, your body will drop the few pounds it may gain."
Emily is currently in training for a body building competition this coming February, so she's watching her sugar and fat intake this holiday season. But make no mistake, she won't deprive herself of a few decadent treats. She also advises that when you know you're going to eat a huge meal later in the day, like on Thanksgiving, it's a good idea to eat normally during the early part of the day. Starving yourself for hours until mealtime is a guaranteed ticket to overstuffing yourself later, which can make you gain weight and get sick.
"When you understand the FoodieFittie lifestyle, you know when to stop indulging and get back to the nutritional program that makes you healthy," she says. "Maybe it would make me happy in the moment to go crazy and eat more than one cupcake or piece of cake after dinner, but afterwards - you guessed it - I would feel bad. But if I allow myself to just have one, I won't feel bad about any of it, physically or psychologically. I always look at the big picture."
One of the days in Emily's FoodieFittie program is devoted to depression, and Emily chronicles the painstaking route she took out of some very dark places inside her. Now that she's on the other side of things, and wakes up every day full of joy and determination to live a better, healthier life, she is happy to offer a few bits of advice to make yourself feel better during the holidays (but if you have diagnosed chemical depression, that is something beyond the scope of her expertise).
"My message is pretty simple even if getting here isn't easy sometimes: love yourself," she says. "There are so many little things you can do during the holidays to combat whatever blues you are feeling. You can give yourself a facial, read a book you love, go for a walk, go to the gym, do yoga, watch a great movie, listen to music, write things you are grateful for in a journal..Any of those things are good. My story is that I say I ran myself out of depression. I learned that molecular biologists and neurologists have begun to show that exercise may alter brain chemistry in much the same way that antidepressant drugs do -- regulating the key neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. So even if you live in a cold climate and have to do it inside, get moving and you'll experience some surprising results! The one thing you cannot do when you're depressed is sit around the house thinking of how depressed you are. That will start a downward spiral."
Because her oldest brother Ryan has been battling drug addiction for many years, Emily is keenly aware of the toll family tensions can take on the holiday season. Family meals can be uncomfortable for some, but Emily says it's best not to blame yourself for things outside your control and to simply "take relationships with your loved ones one day at a time." She adds: "I might have been sad to see my parents fight or feel like I was losing my brother because of what he was going through, but I got through some hard times simply by doing what I had to do, like going to school, doing chores, working and living life normally in spite of the problems. You have to live your life no matter what troubles are going on."
Happily, Emily is looking forward this holiday season to spending time with her family and her grandparents, who will be visiting from Florida along with her visiting brothers Ryan and Max. "It will be nice having everyone together," she says. "Everyone knows I love to cook, and I'll have the opportunity to make cheesecake and chocolate fudge cake, buffalo cheese dip and a bunch of other things - which I will eat in moderation of course! Cooking is another thing I find very therapeutic and when in doubt, that always makes my spirits bright around the holidays."
Having survived the trauma of being bullied, feeling lost and feeling sluggish and fearful of being mocked because of her extra weight, Emily's FoodieFittie program reflects her longtime desire to let her fellow teens (and others) in on many of the insights she's learned and put into practice that completely transformed her life. With the help of various mentors and fitness, nutrition and self-help experts, she created a detailed step by step process designed to change the lives of her peers.
"For the first time in my life," she says, "I'm on a mission, and that mission is a pathway to hope, a way for teens like me to make a comeback in their lives. I started FoodieFittie to help teen girls struggling with their weight and self-image, to help them feel more confident in who they are. From all of the challenges I have faced, I have learned that if you take control of your dieting habits and are consistent with your fitness activities, you will have great results."
New V-log Posted To The Train It Right Youtube Page
Train It Right - Alicia Bell
Working my butt off for an upcoming figure show - vlog002
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Last month I had the opportunity to model for Albedo100. It is a reflective spray that you can put on any clothing and stay safe running/walking etc at night time. This is me below in the photo:
Albedo100 was ranked #5 of the top 17 must have items for Canadian Winter ahead of winter coats, hats, slippers, touchscreen gloves, snow boots, winter tires, Advil and Netflix!
Partners team up to mark Diabetes Awareness Month and raise money for JDRF
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Ascensia Diabetes Care Canada Inc. ("Ascensia") and CONTOUR® NEXT are teaming up with professional hockey player Max Domi to "SCORE for Diabetes" during Diabetes Awareness Month. Throughout the month of November, for every point scored by Domi, Ascensia will donate $1,000.001 to JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.
"Getting support from my team is a huge part of how I manage my diabetes on and off the ice," says Domi. "Every single goal I score is special. This month I get to celebrate the two things I am most passionate about, diabetes and hockey, every time the puck crosses the goal line."
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a celebration focused on raising awareness for all forms of diabetes, its signs and symptoms, and gaining support for critical research toward preventing, better treating and curing all forms of the disease.2
"Lives are changed by raising awareness and funding research towards finding a cure for T1D and its complications," says Dave Prowten, President and CEO, JDRF Canada. "We are thrilled to be working with Ascensia and Max Domi to raise money throughout National Diabetes Awareness Month, and look forward to getting some goals in the net."
As the team progresses throughout November, the action can be followed off the ice through social media @Contour_diabetes and #scorefordiabetes.
Through their ongoing partnership, Max and Ascensia have also introduced CONTOUR® NEXT's Powered by Accuracy 16 Reasons Contest to continue to educate all Canadians about diabetes. Fans can also go to poweredbyaccuracy.ca and enter 16 reasons why they deserve to see Max play live. Fans can enter for a chance to win the grand prize of a trip for four to Edmonton, Alberta to attend the January 16, 2017 game.3
"As a company, we are dedicated to improving the health and lives of people with diabetes, and understand the vital role played by further scientific research and increased public awareness," says Russ Newsome, Region Head of North America, Ascensia. "We are thrilled to be working with all of these partners to not only raise money for the JDRF in Canada, but also to celebrate the power of the team that supports diabetes management."
For more information on how you can get involved and help raise awareness for diabetes in your community, please contact your local JDRF office. Help JDRF continue to raise awareness about and fund type 1 diabetes research http://www.jdrf.ca/T1DLooksLikeMe/.
About Ascensia Diabetes Care Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes.
Home to the world renowned CONTOURTM portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that help people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity.
Ascensia Diabetes Care was established in 2016 through the sale of Bayer Diabetes Care to Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd. Ascensia Diabetes Care products are sold in more than 125 countries. Following the close of the transaction in all countries, Ascensia Diabetes Care will have around 1,700 employees and operations in 38 countries.
CONTOUR™ is a registered trademark of Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG.
1 Up to a maximum of $30,000.00 2http://www.jdrf.ca/t1dlookslikeme/ 3 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority as of the date of entry. Enter by completing all required fields in Contest entry form on www.poweredbyaccuracy.ca. Limit one entry per person. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.
SOURCE Ascensia Diabetes Care
FinTech lender Health Smart Financial Services announces new senior credit facility with CWB Maxium Financial
Health Smart Financial Services ("Health Smart"), a technology-enabled specialty lender, announced today that it has closed a new senior revolving credit facility with CWB Maxium Financial ("CWB Maxium").
Health Smart's technology platform allows healthcare providers to offer their customers affordable monthly payments for services and products that require private out-of-pocket expense. Health Smart has a rapidly growing base of over 1500 merchant partners who benefit from the company's instant credit approval and paperless transaction capability.
"CWB Maxium is a great partner for our business," said Wayne Pommen, President & CEO of Health Smart. "This new revolving facility replaces our existing facilities and provides us with substantially increased funding capacity to grow our consumer loan portfolio. Combined with the growth equity investment we received from iA Financial Group last month, we are very well capitalized to continue our pace of growth in 2017 and beyond."
"We are pleased to be a funding partner for Health Smart as they capture the point-of-sale financing opportunity in Canada," said Neil Cruickshank, Vice President at CWB Maxium. "Health Smart has tremendous potential to attract quality financial assets. The transaction aligns with our strategy for creative and innovative financing, and supports our growing portfolio in the Canadian financing sector. We look forward to ongoing growth opportunities and collaboration."
About Health Smart: Health Smart Financial Services is a leading Canadian point-of-sale consumer lender focused primarily on the healthcare sector. Using Health Smart's platform, healthcare providers can have their customers approved for affordable monthly payments on-location or remotely using desktop, tablet, or smartphone interfaces. By partnering with Health Smart, merchants provide their customers with greater access to services while growing their sales. Health Smart's major segments include dentistry, fertility, audiology, mobility devices, veterinary services, and cosmetic procedures, in addition to selected segments outside the healthcare sector. Health Smart has approved over $170 million in consumer credit since inception.
About CWB Maxium: CWB Maxium Financial is a CWB Group company and offers creative structured financing that responds directly to the specific needs of each customer. Maxium Financial Services Inc. was founded in 1993, and on March 1, 2016, it became a CWB Group company. Today, the portfolio exceeds $1 billion. With over 35,000 customers, CWB Maxium is earning a reputation for innovative lending solutions coupled with an unparalleled ability to build long-term relationships. Learn more at www.cwbmaxium.com
Launching Soon Vlogs - Workouts etc on my Youtube
Im super excited to start my youtube channel and do it the right way! Ive been inspired lately by a lot of bloggers and v-loggers and I've decided to up my youtube game. I hope that I inspire more people and that you will enjoy getting to know me a little bit better!
Did you know that squatting is a fundamental human movement pattern that involves nearly every muscle in the body? Squatting improves fitness, performance, and mobility for daily-life tasks. But do you always do the same type of squat? You shouldn’t and here’s why:
Have you ever noticed that when you do an exercise you haven’t performed in a few weeks, you experience a much more intense delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) for two or three days afterwards? Well that is because your muscles are moving in a slightly different plane of motion than what they are used to and they’ve become unaccustomed to this newly reintroduced movement. Don’t get stuck doing the same exercises each and every week! Change it up so that you can wake up muscles that may not be getting used if you are continually doing the same exercises week after week.
When you add variations into your workouts you can add strength faster and see more development and changes to your physique. Try new exercise movements, add extra weight or perform more sets and reps each workout. It’s all about the variation. Variations also help keeps you mentally stimulated and non-stagnant in your workout regime. This keeps the workouts fun and exciting as well as challenging. When you add variation exercises to your program you will hit the muscles from different angles, helping to stimulate more muscle fibers and create a nice, fully rounded muscle that really pops. Add variation – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Try these examples of variations for squats that can be built into your current training program. Remember to engage the mind-muscle connection and focus on the contraction, negative and stretch phase of the lift. Don’t rush through the reps, keep tension on the muscle through the entire range of motion to get the full benefit of each exercise.
Front Squat
Place the barbell at the upper chest height in the rack. Step forward and position bar in front of shoulders. Cross your arms and place hands on top of barbell with upper arms parallel to floor. Then move the bar from rack. Squat down by pushing your hips backwards while allowing knees to bend forward, keep your back straight and your knees aligned with your toes. Squat down until thighs are just past parallel. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Bulgarian Split Squat
This can be done with a barbell across your back or dumbbells in both hands. Stand with dumbbells in your hands or bar across your back. Extend leg back and place top of foot on bench. Lower yourself down by flexing both the knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to your starting position and repeat. Then switch legs.
Hack Squat w/ Barbell
Position barbell just behind your legs. With feet flat on floor shoulder width apart, squat down and grasp barbell from behind with overhand grip. Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension to stand up tall. Squat down by bending hips back while allowing knees to bend forward, keeping back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet. Squat down as far as you can possible while keeping your head and chest up. Repeat.
Heels Elevated Hack Squat
Place some plates or a step behind you. Position barbell just behind your legs. With toes on the floor and your heels on top of the step making sure that your feet are shoulder width apart, squat down and grasp barbell from behind with overhand grip. Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension to stand up tall. Squat down by bending hips back while allowing knees to bend forward, keeping back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet. Squat down as far as you can possible while keeping your head and chest up. Repeat.
Goblet Squat
Stand holding a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest. Then squat down between your legs until your hamstrings are on your calves. Keep your chest and head up. At the bottom position, pause and make sure that your elbows are on the inside of your knees and legs. Return to the starting position, and repeat.
Sumo Squat
With bar upper chest height, position bar on the back of your shoulders and grasp bar to sides. Place feet wider than shoulder width apart and make sure to point your toes outward 45° to 30°. Begin by squatting down by bending hips back while allowing knees to bend forward. Keep your back straight and your knees aligned with the direction that your toes are facing.. Descend until thighs are minimally just past parallel to floor. Return to the beginning position and repeat
Curtsey Squat
Stand with your feet hip width apart and hands on hips, weights in your hands or barbell across your back. Move your right foot behind your left leg, as far past your left foot as is comfortable. Using a "curtsy" motion, squat down. Keep your weight in the front leg, head up and chest up. Return to the beginning position of standing and repeat.
Box Squat
From rack with barbell at upper chest height, position bar on back of shoulders. Grasp barbell to sides. Dismount bar from rack and back up until contact is made with box immediately behind. Stand with either a regular squat position with feet shoulder width or a wide stance with feet flared out slightly. Then sit back onto box by bending hips back while bending knees, keeping your knees in light with your toes and your head and chest up. Using a controlled movement then lower your glutes onto box. Once contact is made stand back up returning to the starting position and repeat.
Much of how you use the above squat variations comes down to what you are currently doing in the gym. While I am not suggesting to drop your current routine and start this one, there is value in adding some variation to your training sessions so that you can stimulate the muscle in a different way and keep it responding without hitting plateaus.
At the end of the day, it is important to realize that no matter where you are in your training experience, there is value in the occasional variation adjustment. Whether it is to bring up weak points or to keep your body healthy and in balance, varying stance and bar placement, using dumbbells instead of a barbell can add that missing element and help with your progress.
Happy Training!
The Great Train It Right Pumpkin Butt Challenge
Summer is over and fall is here. That meals its pumpkin season. And if you are like me you love all pumpkin everything. The problem is that most pumpkin treats are loaded with sugar. Here is the great train it right pumpkin butt challenge that will show you how to combat those delicious treats! Grab your workout gear and get your butt on the move!
Stand with shoulder width stance. Start holding the weights in a standing position with your legs straight. Lower weights toward top of feet by bending hips and keeping the weight close to your body. Hinge back to starting position while keeping the legs straight making sure to squeeze the glutes at the end range for 1 second. Repeat.
Single Leg Glute Bridge
Sit on the ground with your upper back against the floor, with your knees bent, place one foot on the bench in front of you. Lift the other leg and keep it straight. Squeeze your glutes as you raise your pelvis high enough off the floor to create a straight line between your knees, hips, and shoulders. Pause for 1 second at the top before lowering. Repeat for both right and left legs.
Squat Jump
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, drop down into a squat with your head and chest straight. Then power through your feet jumping up as high as you can. Return to the squat position and repeat.
Happy pumpkin butt training!
The Real-Time Nutritional Biosensor, One X, Nears $50K Funding Goal on Indiegogo to Give Individuals Control Over Diet and Lifestyle
One X measures antioxidant levels directly from one’s palm and helps individuals make healthier choices by tracking habits that impact their body
Mountain View, CA - One X’s Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for their nutritional biosensor has raised over $44K, putting them just $6K shy of their $50K funding goal. One X is designed with the most advanced materials and sensors to provide the most accurate insight on how habits, such as nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress, alcohol, pollution and sun exposure, impact the body and its health.
One X is the first real-time nutritional biosensor that measures skin carotenoids from fruit and vegetable consumption and the effects of eating well. By measuring skin carotenoids, One X’s feedback reflects what the body effectively absorbs and actually stores. One X has an elegant, functional design with a soft touch and ergonomic shape, and it’s the first non-invasive, consumer antioxidant tracking system.
“We believe in creating an accessible way for everyone to uncover how their lifestyle affects their daily wellness, and we want to provide them with ways to improve their health,” said One X CEO Anthony Weil. “One X is perfect for families, couples and anyone looking to improve their day-to-day health. We used the perfect blend of science and technology to develop something that’s simple, portable and affordable for most.”
Users activate the device through the finger-touch sensor to automatically pair their measurement with the One X ID. By using fingerprint recognition, it allows the tracking of up to five different individuals on one device. Users will then hold One X in the palm of their hand for 20 seconds and will start to see the lateral LED start displaying the ongoing measurement. One X automatically syncs with the mobile app so that users can easily check their previous antioxidant levels and quickly track their progress. Individuals can also set challenges with their friends and measure their family at home.
One X is available on Indiegogo and will give individuals control over their diet and lifestyle in ways that other diets, apps and tracking devices fall short. Early adopters can pre-order one for $109, which is over 50% less than the market retail price. For more information on all of One X’s features, visit http://bit.ly/OneXIndie.
ABOUT ONE X
Based out of Mountain View, California, One X was created with the vision to empower everyone to take back control of their health. One X’s non-invasive design was created to be simple and affordable so that everyone can measure how their lifestyle impacts their body. For more information, visit www.one-x.co.
I may have always been an athlete. But since moving to Toronto to be a personal trainer and fitness expert I’ve had many ups and downs in my life on my personal fitness journey. Big set backs continuously seemed to occur. They always needed up preventing me from reaching my fitness goals each time. However never did I get down on myself. I always picked myself up each and every time and kept going. I did not complain and I did not blame anyone or anything for my circumstances.
First I had a full and complete ACL tear. When this happened at the same time I also ended up rupturing my meniscus while fracturing the tibia at its plateau. It took me over a month post op to even be able to do a full cycle on a pedal bike. I had to have a second surgery less than a year later to remove scar tissue and shots of synvisc (a synthetic synovial fluid) as well. To this day I still don’t have full range of motion. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
Then the following spring I was on my way to coach my track team and a cab driver cut me off as I was riding my motorcycle through an intersection. I t-boned him and flew over the cab. Hit my knee that I had the ACL repair on pretty bad, got whip lash, hurt my back, got road rash and also had my hand caught in the street car track as I was sliding. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
Finally, as I was still going through physio for my motorcycle accident I had some crazy symptoms.The biggest and most obvious one was that I was exhausted all day long and had no energy (very unusual for me). So I went to the doctor and they did some scans and said you have to go to emergency now! I still had no idea why. They admitted me and performed an emergency surgery to remove a mass of cells in my stomach. This mass was very rare. And no it wasn’t cancer. From September until November I had to have blood work every week to monitor my body and make sure it didn’t come back. And it came back. Again very rare. Based on where it was my only option was chemotherapy. I had 7 rounds before I got to ring the bell that I completed my chemo! Wahoo! The whole time I kept on training my clients and I even began my very first prep while still undergoing chemo. The chemo made me very puffy and swollen but I didn’t get down on myself. I honestly didn’t even tell many people. Did this stop me? No. Does it prevent me from doing anything? No. Do I use it as an excuse? No.
I hope that you realize that sometimes the journey can be hard and tiring. There may be obstacles in your way but persevere, follow the plan, find a support system and be honest! Good things will happen and your consistency will pay off! Don’t give up and don’t let anyone or any circumstance bring you down!
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