Part 3 of 3

Good Habit #3 is Healthy Spokane Food

Even with the good habits I have started, I still have those moments when my schedule conflicts threaten to derail the nutrition side of my get fit plan. I scoured the city to make sure Spokane food can be my ally when I am in a hurry or when I just want to go out.

Emerald City Smoothie, Spokane Food in a Cup

On those days when I don’t have time to make a post workout shake or don’t have the ingredients at home, I stop in at Emerald City Smoothie. Every smoothie is completely customizable. They believe in helping other achieve their health goals and they do it through their great tasting smoothies. Healthy Spokane snacks are available here. They have healthy energy drinks and make for a good alternative to fast food for a person on the go. Spokane Food Recommendation: the Slim N Fit.

Huckleberry’s Natural Market, Shop for Spokane Food

Huckleberry’s is the alternative to the conventional supermarket. They have a huge selection of natural and organic Spokane food. Even the meat department carries only free range meat products. This store is on a mission to make sure your food’s manufacturers and its grocery store are committed to being earth friendly. Huckleberry’s also offers a wide selection of products available in bulk. They believe that purchasing in bulk means less packaging thus there is less impact on the earth. They also have a natural bistro, juice bar and an organic espresso shop. If you are going to eat healthy, this is the place to shop. Spokane Food Recommendation: Huckleberry’s Bento Boxes from their natural bistro.

Mizuna, Spokane’s Finest Organic Restaurant

Classy and healthy, what more could you want from your Spokane food? Their seasonal menu uses only fresh organic ingredients found in the northwest. They use local organic farmers, fresh fish and organic meats. The chef, Tom Nichols makes sure to keep many vegetarian and vegan selections on the menu, regardless of season. He even goes so far as to prepare meat selections in a completely different area than his vegan and veggie items. Mizuna believes in simple honest food. They have been called Spokane’s finest restaurant. Spokane Food Recommendation: Roasted beet and lentil salad or grilled polenta.

One World Spokane, Spokane’s Organic Community Kitchen

Healthy food and social responsibility are the two resonating factors that keep this Spokane restaurant busy. One World Spokane is a non profit Organic
Community Kitchen. There is no set menu. Patrons customize their meals by choosing their own portions of creatively crafted food. They go one step further by allowing their customers to decide what to pay for their plate based on what is fair and respectable. They also allow customers to volunteer in exchange for a meal. In addition, no tip is necessary but if you do, it support’s volunteer’s meals. They use only unprocessed, organic, locally grown Spokane food. One World aims to eliminate waste in the food industry and hunger in the community. They believe everyone should be able to eat healthy and organic. Spokane Food Recommendation: Everything!!!

This is another one of my new good habits and I hope you have enjoyed this series. I have been eating healthy Spokane food, using Udo’s Oil and drinking protein shakes since August and I feel amazing. Combine good habits like healthy Spokane food and Spokane’s Physzique Personal Training to successfully support yourself on your way to a happier, healthier body.

Go To Spokane Fitness Coach Home Page…

^{Part 1 of 3}

I hit a new a new mile stone last week. My weight dropped from 207 to 204. I think its three good habits I have been working on. After the last few months of struggling to maintain healthy eating and consistent exercise, it was closest I have been to weighing under 200 than I have in the last year. Are my three good habits the key to my body’s weight shedding momentum?

How I found my three good habits…

In June I decided to start losing the extra weight. As I began to research for a way jump start my new momentum, I threw myself head first into working out with a personal trainer. The workouts were great. My body was changing but I wasn’t dropping the pounds as quickly as I desired. I began to ask Zach Hunt, my Spokane personal trainer, questions about nutrition, cardio, supplements etc. Zach was eager to help me. He answered each question with valuable information. It was then I began the first of my three good habits.

Good Habit #1 is protein, thanks to Spokane Personal trainer Zach Hunt.

I used to be a vegetarian. Not educated properly, I never ate protein. Zach Hunt taught me that protein is used for the production of muscle tissue. When you work out, using resistance training, muscle tissue tears. Protein allows the tissue to heal quickly. This is especially beneficial in avoiding injury if you over train your muscles. Some other benefits of protein:

• Provide a source of fuel or energy for your body.
• As a result, you eat less. Protein helps you feel full and reduces your appetite.
• For women, high protein, low carb diets send the body into ketosis. Ketosis is when the body’s metabolism begins to burn fat. That is because protein controls many of the important highways in the body that are related to the metabolism.
• When you eat the proper amounts of protein you can maintain muscle tone and still burn fat.
• Proteins help repair most of the body’s cells.
• High quality protein or “complete proteins” also contain amino acids

How I calculated the proper amount of protein for this good habit…

I was unsure about how much protein I needed when I started. Endurance athletes, body builders and non active people, all need different amounts of protein. When judging how much protein you should eat, first look at how active you are and what your goals are.

Here is a formula to calculate your own protein needs:

• Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2= your weight in Kilograms
• Your weight in kilograms x (1.2 – 1.8 g depending on your activity level)  = the proper number of grams of protein you should consume

Support your new habit with protein shakes in Spokane…

There are many ways to increase your protein intake. One of the best is by drinking home made shakes that utilize protein powder.  You can use it as a meal replacement, or a post workout boost or to help your body recover at night.  It, again, depends on your level of activity and what you want the protein to do for you.

Zach Hunt at Physzique helped me find a protein powder that would make a good post workout shake following my sessions in his resistance training program. I also wanted a powder that could double as a meal replacement if I needed it to. When I can’t make them at home, you can find me at Emerald City Smoothie where all the shakes are completely customizable. Here are two great recipes that helped support my good habit.

Berry Fantastic

¾ cup soymilk

1 cup frozen mixed berries

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

2 tbsp flaxseed oil or Udo’s Oil

2 tsp liquid vanilla stevia

Zach’s Power Shake

½ cup oats

½ tsp xanthum gum

1 tbsp instant coffee

1/8 cup ground flaxseed

2 scoops chocolate protein powder

My new habit is great. I have been using protein shakes since August and have seen a metabolism spike, decreased appetite, a weight decrease and more energy. Combine good habits and Spokane’s Physzique Personal Training to successfully support yourself on your way to a happier, healthier body.

Check back all this month, to read Part 2 and 3 of “Three Good Habit’s for You Spokane.”

Go To Spokane Fitness Coach Home Page…