LIVE LIFE FIT
CLIENT OF THE MONTH

 Atlanta Personal Trainer

August Hammonds

March 2015

We are proud to introduce you to our March Live Life Fit personal training client of the month; August Hammonds! August, 37, has been on a path to success since the day she walked in the front door for her first session at Brad Kolowich Jr. Fitness Studio. Committed to waking up before the birds for her 6:00am sessions, August has yet to miss a single workout! Since the turn of the year, August has built a tremendous amount of healthy lean muscle by training efficiently and having a ‘can-do’ attitude! Her goal each and every workout is to train harder than her last and expend lots of energy, which she monitors through her Polar heart rate monitor. She has grown substantially stronger by working towards her goals; one of which was to complete a full-push-up. In the month of February alone, August increased her push-up record by 400%! August is also well on her way to achieving her fat loss goals due greatly to her efforts in the kitchen; as she has been eating healthy nutritious foods! She also monitors her daily caloric intake through MyFitnessPal. Great job August! We are extremely proud of your efforts to live life fit!

-Sean Runyan

breakfast smoothies Atlanta Personal Training

We hear all about the importance of eating fruits and veggies (6-10 servings a day) and for most people the fruit part of it is a no-brainer—it’s the vegetables that are a struggle. But if you throw some veggies into a blender with some fruit (which will mask the taste of the veggie), then getting your daily greens can be downright tasty.

Why does it seem that green leafy veggies are more important than other veggies? Well, they are and they aren’t. All veggies are important, and consuming a wide range of colorful veggies every day will give your body a larger variety of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Each color group is dominant in a certain type of antioxidants; for example, tomatoes are a great source of lycopene and butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene. Blueberries are full of anthocyanins and greens are good sources of carotenoids and flavonoids. A diet that’s as colorful as the rainbow will help reduce inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol and the risk of cancer, as well as give you energy and make you more successful at achieving your weight goals.

Green Smoothies 101

We have a pretty simple formula for making green smoothies: leafy greens + liquid base + fruit + superfood. Make sure to blend up the greens with the liquid first and then add the rest of your ingredients and blend until smooth. If you are looking to make a complete meal in a cup, add a source of protein and a healthy fat (avocado, coconut oil/butter or nut butter).

healthy breakfast ideas Atlanta Personal Trainer

Lean and Green Smoothies

Makes 1 serving

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 cups baby spinach
1 banana, frozen
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
ice
DIRECTIONS:

Place everything except ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes, a few at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Anti-inflammatory Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

6 ounces coconut water
1 cup baby spinach
1 pear
1 apple
1 tsp. fresh ginger
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
ice

DIRECTIONS:

Place everything except ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes, a few at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Hydrating Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

8 ounces coconut water
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup de-stemmed kale
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen mango
Juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp. chia seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Blend ingredients in order listed until smooth.

Energizing Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 frozen banana
15 frozen green grapes
1 tsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. matcha (green tea powder)

DIRECTIONS:

Blend ingredients until smooth.

 

Adapted from:

http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5235/4-green-smoothie-recipes-to-kick-start-your/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ACE-Fit-Life-02-04-2015&utm_content=Consumer+Outreach&spMailingID=22081608&spUserID=Nzc3OTkyMjU3NTcS1&spJobID=500424344&spReportId=NTAwNDI0MzQ0S0

Happy New Year! We welcomed 2015 just a couple of weeks ago, and with the turn of the year, many of us have set new year’s resolutions (many of which probably encompass bettering our health).  If working out or eating better was part of your new year resolution, you’ll want to read Brad’s article featured in Trainer Talk on WellATL.com.  The article (read below) was published January 7, 2015 and explains the best formula for you to follow post-workout to not only ensure you leave your workouts feeling your best but helps you recover quickly so you can hit the gym again ASAP!  And…if that’s not enough to motivate you to read the article, there are some great pictures of Brad (and Rocky, our labradoodle) to browse.

-Mandy

What Should You Eat After a Workout? Trainer Brad Kolowich Jr. Shares His Recovery Formula

Atlanta Personal Trainer - Brad Kolowich Jr

Ever wonder what workouts trainers do when nobody’s looking? What they eat after a tough workout? Or what their favorite exercise is? Wonder no more! WellATL’s new Trainer Talk column will get answers from coaches and trainers around the city. First up, Atlanta native and certified personal trainer Brad Kolowich Jr. shares his post-workout snack.

From his 3,000-square-foot training studio on the Westside, Brad and his team train athletes, celebrities, fitness competitors, and anyone else looking to take their health to the next level. His abs are so legendary they were featured in Exercise & Health magazine and praised by Men’s Workout as an example of “peak physique.” We asked him what he eats to help his renowned body recover after a workout. Here’s his advice:

“The post-workout meal is the most important meal of the day because the body is so depleted. Anything you consume at this time will be quickly absorbed by the body to help in the recovery process. My suggestion is to consume protein powder in a combination of a fast-acting (absorbed quickly by the body) and slow- and medium-acting (absorbed at a slower rate by the body in the sustained release of amino acids in the recovery process). For a fast-acting protein powder, I suggest whey protein. For the slow- and medium-acting protein, I suggest a plant-based protein powder and/or one that contains casein protein (slow-acting) and/or an egg-based powder (medium-acting) and/or soy protein powder (medium-acting). You can find protein powder blends of some or all of the above ingredients, or you can purchase each individually and make your own combination. I’m currently doing a natural whey protein powder which I blend with a plant-based powder. I suggest shooting for 24 to 50 grams of protein post-workout.

In addition to protein following a workout, I suggest adding fast-acting carbohydrates such as dextrose (corn sugar) for best results. If you prefer to add more nutritional value to your post-workout meal, skip the dextrose and go for a faster-acting fruit-based carb source such as a banana, watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, or dates (to name a few), which are higher on the glycemic index. Consuming these faster-acting carbs in addition to protein will ensure that the protein is shuttled into the muscles at a quicker rate, speeding recovery and minimizing down time between workouts. A good starting point is about 20 to 30 grams of carbs post-workout, then vary that based on goals and specific individual nutritional requirements (in addition to the above protein recommendations). It’s a good idea to eliminate fats immediately following a workout since fats slow the absorption of nutrients. A good rule of thumb is to consume your post-workout meal within 30 minutes of the workout for the best result.”

JANUARY 7, 2015 /BY KIMBERLY TURNER

EatWellATL.com

Atlanta Personal Training

We hope you have had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! It’s a new year and new beginning for Fit Chow Atlanta! Brad and I are excited to announce we have a new executive chef joining our Fit Chow team beginning this week. Chef Mark Rhoads has over 30 years of culinary experience, and most recently has been working as a private chef as well as the Cooking School Director/Chef Instructor at The Viking Cooking School in Atlanta. Mark will bring a new level of elegance and taste to the Fit Chow experience while maintaining our high quality of health. Chef Mark’s moto is to “put a smile on your face with every bite of Fit Chow you taste!”

To view Chef’s new menu, please visit FitChowAtlanta.com/menu. Please place all Fit Chow orders by this Thursday, January 8th at 3pm. Orders placed by Thursday @ 3pmwill be ready for pickup Monday, January 12th between 12pm and 7pm. As always, if you have any questions or need help placing an order, please contact Brad or Mandy at FitChowAtlanta@gmail.com.

A little background of Fit Chow and the food we will be providing:

Fit Chow provides healthy meals using the freshest and most natural ingredients available. All our foods are natural, never frozen, processed or pre-packaged, allowing you to enjoy freshly made, fully cooked food prepared to absolute perfection. All ingredients have been carefully chosen by Brad, Mandy, and our Executive Chef Mark. Each health-conscious menu has been designed and constructed using hormone-free and antibiotic-free poultry, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pesticide free fruits and vegetables. No hydrogenated oils or margarine, MSG, fillers, white flour, white sugar, white salt or non-food ingredients are ever used! The focus of each menu is on quality, variety and health. We strive to take the monotony out of your dietary intake while also allowing you to invest your time into luxuries outside of the kitchen. Yet, rest assure you are eating a wholesome healthy meal that won’t keep you from reaching your desired health related goals.

Chow,

Brad, Mandy and Mark

Candy, candy, candy!  Tis the season!  Don’t let Halloween kickoff the holiday season by adding inches to your waistline.  Below are some healthy recipes that will help you feel as though you are cheating but will continue to help you focus on bettering your fitness and health!

Candy Corn Popsicles

candy corn popsicles Atlanta Personal Trainers

 

Turn yogurt and juice into a seasonal treat. Serve these on Halloween morning for a fun & healthy breakfast treat OR eat after your halloween workout!

Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla whey protein mixed with 6 oz water or unsweetened almond milk
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
Popsicle molds

To make these dairy-free, use coconut milk and veggie based protein powder.
If you don’t have popsicle molds, use paper cups and craft sticks.

Carefully pour two tablespoons of protein mix into the bottom of your molds. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Pour the orange juice evenly into all the molds. Freeze for another 20 minutes.
Pour the pineapple juice on top of the orange juice.
Freeze until set.

Serving Size: Makes 6 popsicles
Pumpkin Shaped Vegetable Tray

Atlanta Personal Training

If you’ll be going to a Halloween (or any holiday) gathering, make sure to bring an appetizer or food option that will help encourage you (and others) to fuel up with the healthiest alternatives to typically snacking foods.

 

Ingredients:
large shallow bowl
2 small ramekins
1 cup low-fat ranch dip or dressing (or another variety)
3-4 (1-pound) bags baby carrots
1/2 cup sliced cucumber, each slice cut into triangles
Dip:
16 oz Greek Yogurt
Ranch dressing mix

For garnish:
Pepper strips, olives, nasturtium leaves, etc.

Directions:
Pour the carrots into the dish.
Pour the dressing/dip into the ramekins and nestle them into the carrots where the jack-o-lantern’s “eyes” should go.
Arrange the cucumbers on top of the carrots as “teeth,” and place two pepper strips above the “eyes.”
Add the nasturtium (a type of edible flower) leaves as the pumpkin stem, or use a wedge of cucumber, cut side down.
Just before serving, place half an olive on top of each ramekin of dip.

Serving Size: 1 tablespoon dip, about 1/2 cup carrots

Number of Servings: 20
Banana Yogurt Ghosts

Atlanta Personal Training

These fun frozen bananas are as simple as they are healthy. You’ll need just three ingredients.

Ingredients
1 banana, sliced in half
2 popsicle sticks or wooden skewers
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein OR 1/2 pouch sugar free vanilla pudding mix
4 mini chocolate chips

Tips
Greek yogurt sticks to the bananas better than regular yogurt.

Directions
Carefully poke the banana onto the skewer.
Mix the yogurt and whey protein or vanilla pudding together.
Spread the yogurt mixture over the bananas.
Gently place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper.
Adorn with two mini chocolate chips as eyes.
Freeze until firm and serve.

Serving Size: 2 banana “ghosts”
Pumpkin Protein Cake Balls

Atlanta Personal Trainers healthy-cake-batter-paleo-dough-balls

Satisfy that chocolate craving with a high-protein, low carb healthy treat.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup protein powder (vanilla)
1/8 cup agave
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup pure pumpkin
1/8 cup almond butter
2 tbsp sugar free vanilla pudding mix
Lily’s chocolate chips sweetened with stevia (or sugar free chocolate)

Mix all ingredients together. Add little bits of water if needed. Dough should be thick like cookie dough. Form 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper. Freeze. Once frozen, melt chocolate chips and coat balls with a thin layer of chocolate. Freeze again and serve frozen or at room temperature. They stay fresh in the fridge for 5 days and in the freezer for 5 months.

Tip:  For an even healthier option, roll the cake balls in cocoa powder or cinnamon in lieu of the chocolate coating.

Makes approximately 6-8 balls.

 

Recipes adapted from Spark People

grass_fed_cattle

Fit Chow Atlanta | Grass Fed or Grain Fed?

What’s the Difference between Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef?

Grass Fed Beef = cattle roam free on a pasture & eat only grass
Grain Fed/Grass Finished Beef = Cattle confined in feed lots & eat mostly grain

What’s the Difference between Nutrition Profiles?

The label “grass-fed” refers to cattle who are given an all-grass diet. Grass-fed meats are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). Studies show omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, and improve brain function. Studies also show, CLA’s may reduce the risk of cancer.  Grass fed beef is leaner and juicer, thanks to higher moisture content in addition to having more omega-3 fatty acids, CLA’s, vitamin B6 and beta-carotene. Also, grass fed beef has as little as 140 calories per serving plus lower cholesterol.  When you are shopping for beef, look for a meat that has fat yellowish in tint (not white).  This color in the fat is derived from the cows grass intake.

Grain-fed or grass finished beef is more greasy and not as juicy. Plus, it’s ‘fattened up’ on a variety of grain or corn by-products that are not healthy and highly refined (the fat will appear white in color in a grain fed cow). Regular consumption is not recommended as part of a healthy diet because there is risk in elevating bad cholesterol levels.

The “Quick and Dirty”…

CTGB_Circles

Fit Chow Atlanta only uses meats that have never been treated with antibiotics or given hormones.  Our beef is always grass-fed and of the leanest cuts.

Source:

http://www.justaddgoodstuff.com/grass-fed-vs-grain-fed-beef/#.VCrbUkvXklI

dirty-dozen2

 

www.fitchowatlanta.com

Eating fresh produce is the best way to obtain the nutrients that support optimum health, but the pesticides used on many crops remain a major health concern. This is the primary reason why at Fit Chow we use produce that has never been treated with pesticides. By choosing organic foods, you can reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables without exposing yourself and your family to potentially harmful chemicals. Pesticides present real health risks, particularly to children and those with health concerns. The toxicity most commonly associated with pesticides in animal studies include disruptions in the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine system, and increased risks of cancer (http://www.drweil.com).

You may be familiar with the term “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of produce (fruits and vegetables) used to identify the produce with pesticide residue found in them. If you don’t want to eat bug and weed killers, when shopping on your own you most definitely want to purchase organic or pesticide free versions of the produce listed on the the Dirty Dozen. However, rest assure, at Fit Chow you will only be served organic and/or local pesticide free fruits and vegetables.

The Dirty Dozen

Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen™ list of produce includes apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes. Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.

In particular:

Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.
A single grape sample contained 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides a piece.
The Clean Fifteen

Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen for 2014 – the produce least likely to hold pesticide residues – are avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides. So when shopping, if cost and saving a some money is a concern for your family, you may choose to use the conventional versions of these produce items.

Notable findings:

Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
Some 89 percent of pineapples, 82 percent of kiwi, 80 percent of papayas, 88 percent of mango and 61 percent of cantaloupe had no residues.
No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
Detecting multiple pesticide residues is extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.
Source:

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Benefits-of-Coconut-Oil1

Heat, along with light and oxygen, can destroy the beneficial fats in some oils. Polyunsaturated fats are the most fragile and are not recommended for cooking. Coconut oil, being mainly a saturated fat, is able to withstand higher temperatures than other oils, making it one of the best oils for cooking. It also gives a delicious taste and superb texture to foods. (http://healthyeating.sfgate.com)

At Fit Chow Atlanta, coconut oil is the only oil being used during any cooking that requires high heat.  To try Fit Chow, visit our website at www.FitChowAtlanta.com.

Fit Chow
Now serving the Atlanta area!

Fit Chow Atlanta healthy all natural meal service

Brad and I are excited to announce we have launched a healthy meal service! We know how challenging it can be to manage jobs, family, chores, working out, appointment, etc. and still manage to cook/eat clean meals. Fit Chow was designed to not only help you balance all of life’s challenges, but will allow you to spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love and less time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

Fit Chow provides healthy meals using only the freshest ingredients available. All of our foods are all-natural, never frozen, and are never processed or pre-packaged. You will enjoy freshly made, fully cooked food prepared to absolute perfection. All ingredients have been carefully chosen by Brad and myself (A.C.E. certified personal trainer, longevity specialist, specialist in fitness nutrition) and an award winning executive chef. Each health-conscious menu has been designed and constructed using hormone-free and antibiotic-free poultry, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pesticide free fruits and vegetables. No hydrogenated oils or margarine, MSG, fillers, white flour, white sugar, white salt or non-food ingredients are ever used! The focus of each menu is on quality, variety and health. We strive to take the monotony out of your dietary intake while also allowing you to invest your time into luxuries outside of the kitchen. Yet, rest assure you are eating a wholesome healthy meal that will keep you on track to reaching your health and fitness related goals.

To view our weekly menu and to learn more about Fit Chow Atlanta, go to www.fitchowatlanta.com.

Client of the Month

Kat Carney

top personal trainer atlanta

September 2013

Kat Carney, an award-winning broadcast journalist, a former CNN consumer health anchor, spokes person for Nutrisystem, sports broadcaster for “Football Friday” on GPB, and creator of the GPB series, “The Weigh We Were”, has a lot of tasks and events to juggle on her daily calendar. Kat’s struggle with weight began in her youth. She has used her personal story to relate to many worldwide and in doing so has built a reputation for herself as a top health reporter in the broadcasting world. In addition to Kat’s never ending list of daily commitments in her career, Kat gets in five workouts a week with Brad after work and wakes up and gets her high intensity cardio sessions in every morning prior to beginning her busy work day. In the month of August, Kat got in a total of 22 workouts with Brad! In a little less than a month, Kat lost a half inch in her waist, one and one-quarter inches in her hips, a half an inch in each arm and three-quarters of an inch in each leg. While losing body-fat, Kat maintained lean muscle mass and increased her strength. Congrats Kat on all your hard work and accomplishments! Mostly, thank your for sharing your story and being an inspiration for so many who aspire to reach goals similar to yours!

To read a little about Kat’s journey as transcribed in Best-Self Magazine, click on the link below.

http://www.bestselfatlanta.com/Best-Self-Articles/Life-Enrichment/Exclusive-interview-with-Award-Winning-Journalist-Kat-Carney.html

-Mandy Malool

Certified Personal Trainer, Specialist in Fitness Nutrition