Author: Chris Brown (Page 13 of 41)

Nutrition Mechanic Dina Griffin - 119 BE

Nutrition Mechanic with Dina Griffin

November 22, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 119 – Nutrition Mechanic with Dina Griffin

In episode 119, Jill and Chris speak with Dina Griffin, a Sports Performance Dietitian with a passion for optimizing women’s health and providing personalized nutrition to endurance athletes.

Dina Griffin, MS, RDN, CSSD is the Owner and Founder of The Nutrition Mechanic, a nutrition coaching and resource company based out of Boulder, Colorado. As a Sport and Performance Dietitian, Dina works with all levels of adult endurance athletes to optimize health, vitality, and performance. She blends science-based and evidence-informed strategies along with “real life” considerations to devise personalized and sustainable nutrition plans.

Dina has a particular passion for working with women’s health, peri- and post-menopause, masters and ultra athletes, and supporting individuals who have a metabolic condition.

Dina is also the co-host of the Inside Sports Nutrition podcast, which covers a wide array of topics on all things related to “real life” sports nutrition.

“Consider a variety of things: How fast do you eat? What do you eat? Quality of the food? How much? Timing of the food.”

Some of the tips she mentioned: Prioritize vegetables for fiber rich foods. You’ll need a combo of nutrition and exercise to maximize metabolic efficiency. It’s the pattern of nutrition changes that affect it more than the exercise. Focus on food that is protein rich, with non-starchy complex carbs and healthy fats. The more you can stabilize your blood sugar curve, the more your fat stores become available.

We discussed:

peri and post menopause
how nutritional needs vary for women over 50
nutrition for female endurance athletes
how much protein to eat based on your body size
metabolic efficiency
testing for women over 50 available at her website
supplements
recipes and food plans

Links:

Website https://nutritionmechanic.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mechanicdina/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nutritionmechanic
Podcast https://insidesportsnutrition.com/

Fitness, Health and Mindset with Brian Keane

November 8, 2022 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 118 Fitness, Health and Mindset with Brian Keane

In episode 118, Jill and Chris talk with Brian Keane, an online personal trainer, nutritionist and best selling author. Over the past seven years, Brian has gone from working full time as a school teacher to one of Ireland’s and the UK’s leading thought leaders on all things health, fitness and nutrition.

Brian is the author of two best sellers: The Fitness Mindset and Rewire Your Mindset. On top of his ever-growing social media platforms, with over half a million followers, he also hosts one of the world’s top health podcasts which is regularly featured #1 on the iTunes Health Charts.

He has spoken at major wellness events around the world such as Wellfest Ireland, Mefit Dubai and was a Keynote speaker at Google HQ in Dublin for their 2018 wellness event.

Among his many fitness and athletic achievements, Brian has transitioned from a professional fitness model to ultra endurance athlete running through the Sahara, the Arctic, and completing a 100 mile ultra marathon.

We discussed topics of fitness, health and mindset:

Finding the best diet to fit a lifestyle and schedule
Improving the relationship with food
Setting clear goals for fat or weight loss
Building a mindset of mental toughness
Looking at fitness in a holistic way
Nutrition for weight or fat loss

Links mentioned:

Brian Keane Fitness Website: https://briankeanefitness.com/
Brian Keane Fitness BKF Podcast: https://briankeanefitness.com/podcast/ (over 400 episodes!)
Tiktok workouts and jokes: https://www.tiktok.com/@briankeanefitness
Quick Links: https://briankeanefitness.com/quick-links/

You are the Expert of You with Traci Fisher

October 25, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 117 – You are the Expert of You with Traci Fisher

In episode 117, Jill and Chris talk with Traci Fisher, the Founder and Chief Creation Officer of The Wellness Coach, LLC. She is a certified Health and Wellness Coach, motivational speaker, corporate wellness trainer, frequent media guest, managing director of two health and wellness companies based in Cleveland, Ohio, and a mother of three.

Traci began her leadership training as a cadet at West Point, The United States Military Academy. She is a former US Army captain & helicopter pilot. After leaving the military she started her career in the fitness and wellness industry. She created Live Active, a total-body workout series with Cleveland Clinic doctors; is a coauthor of Lean Body, Smart Life, and creator of The Wellbeingness® Model.

Her podcast is very motivational, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.

Topics of discussion:

Managing the stress in our lives
Staying emotionally and mentally healthy
Losing Weight and keeping the weight off
You are the expert of you
Improving decision making skills
How to choose what we should eat/how to work out
Dealing with brain fog from hormone changes

Links:
Website: The Wellness Coach
Podcast: The Healthy Leader
Traci Fisher’s link tree: https://linktr.ee/thehealthyleader

Intermittent Fasting Insider with Ellen Britt

October 11, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 116 – Intermittent Fasting Insider with Ellen Britt

Jill and Chris talk with Dr. Ellen Britt, an intermittent fasting expert. She is the co-founder and principal writer of The Intermittent Fasting Insider, a bimonthly newsletter that brings her audience the most compelling developments in intermittent fasting as well as innovation in practices that can be stacked with IF.

She also co-facilitates with her colleague Denise Wakeman an 1800 member free Facebook group for entrepreneurs interested in intermittent fasting, as well as their latest paid membership project, The Longevity Experience.

Ellen has over two decades of experience as a PA in emergency and occupational medicine. She holds a doctorate (an Ed.D.) in biology, as well as a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. Ellen lives and works just south of Atlanta, Georgia.

You may remember our interview with Denise Wakeman: Adventure Travels with Denise Wakeman

During this episode we discussed:

Various types of intermittent fasting
Research findings concerning the health benefits of intermittent fasting
Which type she recommends for women over 50
Medical reasons for not doing an intermittent fasting regime
How to get started with intermittent fasting
The easiest hours to do an intermittent fast
How long to do an intermittent fast
Using intermittent fasting with other eating plans like paleo, keto, or vegan

Links for more information:

The Intermittent Fasting Insider, a bimonthly newsletter
Facebook group for intermittent fasting

Weight Loss after 50 with Lisa Swanson

September 27, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 115 – Weight Loss after 50 with Lisa Swanson

In episode number 115, Chris and Jill speak with Lisa Swanson, a sought-after expert who helps women over 50 crush their weight loss goals in a naturally progressive way that boosts metabolism, burns belly fat and keeps it off.

Through her signature B.A.S.E. model, combining fitness, nutrition and mindset, women over 50 get the results they’ve been struggling to get on their own without deprivation diets or hours in the gym.

She teaches her clients how to enjoy the journey and let go of limiting beliefs that may hold them back.

Lisa is a Certified Health Coach, personal trainer, orthopedic exercise specialist through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and a nutritionist through Precision Nutrition and the American Academy of Sport Dietitians and Nutritionists (AASDN) and she has 35 years of experience.

During this episode we discussed:

Why weight loss after 50 is different than when we were younger
How does menopause affect our bodies
What weight and fitness problems are linked to menopause
Why she combines fitness, nutrition and mindset in her work
How she handles fitness, nutrition and mindset with her clients
How she helps her clients stay motivated
The value of goal setting
What she recommends for cardio and weight training for women over 50
The metabolic framework
Her personal morning routine

Links to follow Lisa Swanson:
Website: www.bodyandsoulcoaching.com
Instagram LisaSwansonFit
LinkedIn: LisaSwansonFit

Yuka App Review

September 20, 2022 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

When I heard about the Yuka app I thought it was something to do with Yuka plants, but that is something different.

I am trying an app called Yuka that is supposed to help you make the right choices for your health by deciphering product labels and analyzing the health impact of food products and cosmetics.

Right off the bat, I realized the food without a label is most likely 100% whole food (apples, bananas, etc) and therefore gets a great rating. But I was curious if it would help me figure out some of the other things I eat… and stuff I put on my skin. It’s easy to forget that the skin is our largest organ and it’s important to know that it allows things to get into the body too.

This app been around since 2017 when it was first launched in France. Yuka is now available in 8 other countries and has 18 million users. It’s available for both iPhone ios and for android.

I use Cetaphil daily scrub almost every day on my face. Hmmm

I’m going to ask my dermatologist for a recommendation of what would be a better choice for my face. It’s been my experience that a lot of the skin care items are very expensive and not that great for the price. (If you have something you swear by, please let me know!)

When I tested some butter, the only thing good about it according to the app was that it didn’t have sugar! Ha ha. I guess we all know butter isn’t considered a health food.

Next I tried a couple of “whole” foods to see what it said:

Not too bad.

I love to add Ro-tel tomatoes to chili or cooked cabbage recipes

Glad that my go to tea came out with an excellent.

I was a little worried about bread but was pleasantly surprised when I checked this out!

I usually get the green wrapper with sesame seeds, so I’ll have to check that one out too.

Do you have any experience with this app or one like it? Do you use it’s guidance or do you rely on common sense? Let me know if the comments below.

Sharing Love of Tennis with Katie Orlando

September 13, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 114 – Sharing Love of Tennis with Katie Orlando

In episode 114, Jill and Chris talk with Katie Orlando, a professional tennis player. Katie played college tennis at the University of Akron where she was All MAC Conference in 1993 and now is in the University of Akron’s Sports Hall of Fame. In August 2022, she was inducted into the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Midwest Hall of Fame. Katie was also named the 2019 USPTA Midwest Professional of the Year.

She is currently the Tennis Director at Towpath Tennis Center in Akron, Ohio. Katie is sponsored by Wilson for racquets. She has won numerous awards for her volunteer work in tennis.

Katie enjoys passing her passion for the game of tennis to others. She wants to bring her love of tennis to all the communities she can and is also teaching adaptive tennis.

During the podcast, we discuss:

How she motivates herself to stay fit
Why tennis a good activity for women over 50
How does she protect her knees, elbows, and other joints
Types of cross-training
Advice on getting started
Mental, physical and social parts of the game
Important lessons she has learned as a professional athlete
How healthy eating influences her game
How she fuels when she is on the court for 3 to 3 1/2 hours at a time

Links:
Website: Towpath Tennis Club

Tomatillias – a New Vegetable for Me

August 27, 2022 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

We’ve been growing tomatillias in the garden!

A while back we had a veggie challenge and I find I am still adding new vegetables to my meals, especially in the summer.

I didn’t know a whole lot about tomatillias. They’ve been on the edge of my veggie list for a while. Maybe you aren’t familiar with them either. If you’ve ever had verde salsa, you’ve probably eaten tomatillias. That’s the green salsa. Until this summer, that’s been the extent of my knowledge about the tomatillia.

They are a vegetable fruit – basically a member of the nightshade family, like the tomato. (Other nightshade members are eggplant, peppers and . They often have a little elf cap on their stem.) When they grow, they’ve got a husk surrounding the fruit.

It’s been quite fun growing them in the garden, because they are little different.

Some of the husk layers on this plant have turned purple-ish which reminds me that this is a cousin of the eggplant.

The plants like to grow leggy like tomato plants, so staking them or using tomato cages tends to help the plants from drooping and the fruit laying on the ground.

Each tomatillia is covered with a thin skin layer, a husk. It didn’t remind me of corn because there isn’t any silk.

You know when they are ripe because the fruit inside the skin is as large as the skin. Usually the husk begins to darken as well. There are different varieties. We have the green tomatillias but I understand that there are some that are purpleish also.

You can see the fruit of this vegetable underneath of the husk. The husk should be more tan, so this one isn’t quite ripe.

One of my favorite ways to eat them are chopped up and tossed in a salad like the photo below, with tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped onion and avocado. I’ve enjoyed this veggie salad with tomatillias several times this summer. tomatillias salad

Besides eating them in a salsa or salad, I understant that the tomatillia is great in a chilim too.

Here’s one of my favorite salsa recipes:

I chop up the veggies and throw them into the vita mix. If you don’t have a vita mix, then you may want to continue chopping until the pieces are very small, like diced or minced.

Chop up:

3 large tomatoes
3 medium green peppers
1 medium onion
3 medium tomatillias
fresh cilantro
parsley

Add to this:

small clove of garlic
add a little salt
dash of lime juice

Put into your Vitamix or blender and pulse it until it gets to the consistency you like. Serve!

Do you enjoy tomatillios? How do you prepare them. Leave a comment below or send an email to Chris@becomingelli.com. Thanks!

#VeggieChallenge

Not Your Average Runner with Jill Angie

August 23, 2022 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Episode 113 – Not Your Average Runner with Jill Angie

In episode 113, Jill and Chris interview certified running coach and personal trainer Jill Angie.

Jill Angie is the author of the book, Not Your Average Runner; Why You’re Not Too Fat to Run and the Skinny on How to Start Today. She has also published 5K and Half Marathon training plans for beginning runners.

She hosts the “Not Your Average Runner” podcast and website to show that runners come in all shapes, sizes, and speeds. She wants to live in a world where everyone is free to feel fit and fabulous at any size. Jill and her coaches help women to start running or to improve their running.

In this episode, we discuss:

Mindset and her Not Your Average Runner philosophy
Cross training
Running equipment – bras, shoes
Joints – misconceptions about running hurting your knees
Coaching women who feel they are too old, too fat or too slow
How she helps women start running with the body they have now

Links:

FAQ Ask Us Anything with Chris and Jill

August 9, 2022 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Episode 112 FAQ – Ask Us Anything with Chris and Jill

In episode 112, Chris and Jill answer frequently asked questions from listeners and women over 50 in the Becoming Elli Community.

In this episode we discuss:

Getting started with Strength Training
The importance of Light and Sleep
Recipes for Sheet Pan Dinners, Instant Pot, Grilling
Summer Exercise

Links mentioned:

Beginning Strength Training
The Importance of Light and Sleep:
Sheet Pan Recipes
- Joyce Gunther’s favorite sheet pan dinner recipe for Mediterranean Chicken Sheet Pan
- Jill’s sweet pan veggies chopped up with olive oil and spices like garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper.
- Salmon sheet pan dinner with lemon and
- Chicken Fajitias or shrimp fajitas
In the Instant Pot
Summer Exercise and Activity
- Replacing Electrolytes
- Casual summer activities like Kayaking and Bike Riding
- Rock Climbing with Carol Simpson

Have any comments about this episode? Or do you have a question that you’d like discussed on the Fit Strong Women Podcast? Please leave a comment below or email us at Chris @ BecomingElli.com or Jill @ BecomingElli.com. We’ll do our best to add this to our future podcasts. Looking forward to hearing from you.