THE SKINNY ON FAT

Here is the low down on FAT  Read through carefully......good fats will give you nice hair, skin and nails but bad fats can have a demising affect on our bodies when consumed regularly over time.

Education in KING.  Post by Andrea Guzzo, Body Exchange Fitness Coach.

Good Fat vs. Bad Fat

Unsaturated fats are known as the “good” fats. You want to choose unsaturated fats but be careful not to have too many. Unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats. Choose fish, flaxseed, wheat germ and walnuts more often – they contain heart healthy fats called omega 3 fatty acids

Monounsaturated Fats - are fatty acids that have a single double bond in the fatty acid chain some examples are;

Nuts/seeds and their butters

Non-hydrogenated margarines

Oil, Canola & Peanut Oil, Avocado

Polyunsaturated Fats - fatty acids in which more than one double bond exists within the representative molecule some examples are;

Non-hydrogenated margarines

Nuts/seeds and their butters

Safflower, Corn, Sunflower & Soybean oils

Omega 3 Fats - are members of a series of essential unsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon–carbon double bond in the n−3 position

Fish

Flaxseed & Wheat germ

Soybeans

Walnuts

Saturated Fats are known as the “bad” fats. Choose a diet lower in saturated fats. You can decrease the amount of saturated fat in your diet by choosing lean cuts of meat, skinless poultry and low fat varieties of milk and dairy products. Limit coconut and palm oils, butter, lard and tallow and bacon & sausage. Limit egg yolks as they are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. .

Trans Fats are the “worst” fats. Trans fats are made by a process called hydrogenation. Look for the word “hydrogenation” or “vegetable oil shortening” on food labels. Some examples are;

Donuts and Pastries

Deep fried & Fast Foods

French Fries & Chips

Hydrogenated margarines

Many commercial cakes, cookies and crackers

Cholesterol is a fat like substance found in foods of animal origin, mainly meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. It is especially high in foods such as egg yolks and organ meats. It is not found in any food that comes from plants. It is recommended that you eat no more the 200mg of cholesterol per day.

Read your labels!

DRAGON'S DEN AND THE BODY EXCHANGE

So after 3 years of building my business there seems to be some major momentum going on here and people are starting to hear about what we are doing more and more.  This is my dream come true and makes all the hard work totally worthwhile.  The Body Exchange has been a labour of love and something I am extremely passionate about. My goal has always been to bring this program to as many Canadians and even Americans as possible but with just me at the helm it has been challenging to navigate.  That is why when my friend urged me to look into the Dragon's Den (several weeks ago), I took her advice and went to the website to check out what the process would be.  I was surprised to find out that auditions were taking place in Vancouver in just 3 days so I wavered back and forth and really struggled with my fear. Finally at the last minute my friend took me and my rehearsed spiel on the road to Abbotsford to pitch to the producers of the show.  After waiting for 4 hours and meeting some MAJOR characters and seeing some interesting ideas and other people's labour of love I felt proud to be amongst so many creative entrepreneurs. Then it was my turn to go in and strangely a calmness overcame me because I knew I was not just speaking on behalf of myself and my business but now on behalf of all the overweight people out there who are too intimidated to get started with a healthier lifestyle.  I thought my pitch went well and I knew they were impressed but I also knew I was auditioning with thousands of other people across Canada.  I left the audition feeling good not because I thought I was a shoe in but because I walked through some major fear to do the audition and I totally survived and felt great. 

Yesterday I received an email from one of those producers who sat in my audition, her words were: Congratulations out of 4000 Elite Canadian Entrepreneurs YOU have been chosen to come to Toronto and pitch to the Dragon's.  Holy #$@% !! 

I am still holding a lot of fear but I will walk through it and pitch like you have never seen before!  No matter what the outcome is, The Body Exchange will press on and I will be able to add this process to my top 10 experiences in my life and a side benefit expose my business to over 2 million viewers (If I make the TV cut - not everybody does).  Life is a journey, I have always enjoyed experiencing as much as possible and living big.
I went to this audition because I felt I must practice what I preach but I am also following a dream and no matter what I am not letting it out of my sight. Thank you to everyone for all your support over the last 3 years and believing in what I am doing, it means the world to me!  I want to thank my Mom most of all, she has always been a huge inspiration to me and doesn't allow me to think negatively EVER. 
Pitch date:  May 25th - wish me luck!

LECTURE COMING SOON - CONCIOUS EATING - LIFESTYLE FIRST!

So when it comes to the overweight population we are usually bombarded with weight loss tactics everyday.  To name a few: cabbage soup, boxed foods, calorie restrictions, vitamin shots and more extreme, sometimes surgeries.  I receive e-mails all the time from the latest scheme that wants to align with my business to partner up and "help people". What they don't understand is The Body Exchange is not a weight loss program, although many just assume that we are since we work with overweight people. We are actually a fitness and lifestyle program.  We are a company that strives to provide a fitness community that promotes wellness at any size and if you lose some weight along the way and that makes you feel good, then BONUS!

Who we do align with are other professionals who provide expertise to contribute to all the pieces of the puzzle.  Many people are using food as a tool for coping, if you are familiar with the new show HEAVY on A&E almost all of the people on that show have had a traumatic event occur in their life, hence their morbid obesity. They go to the program to learn life skills as well as fitness and healthy eating primarily because it has become a serious health risk and they must lose weight.  Many times the show follows young people in their prime so the outcome after 6 months is fantastic because they have gained control of their lifestyle and in turn their weight and almost all of them say "they have their life back".  Great show...http://www.aetv.com/heavy/

At The Body Exchange we offer the fitness and can show you the healthy eating but if you are interested in digging deeper and examining your relationship with food and exploring "conscious eating" and the correlation between food and your emotions we invite you to attend our Emotional Eating Introduction Lecture with Heather Bach, MA, CCC.  Heather specializes in Emotional Eating and has been practicing for over 17 years with offices in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

If you desire weight loss and have attempted many times only to fail chances are it is more than calories in and calories out. Our previous lectures have been a huge success with many of our clients, the feedback has been that they gained life changing tools to move forward.

Weight loss does contribute to better health, it's not just about looking hot on the dance floor.  My stand on the subject has always been follow a healthy lifestyle first and the rest will follow.

Saturday, April 16th @ 2:00pm - 4:00pm in West Vancouver $55.00 (includes HST).  To register contact Louise Green:  info@bodyexchange.ca

CHUBBIES? DOES THAT SOUND POLITICALLY CORRECT?

WOW, I guess we really have come along way!  I came across this old Lane Bryant Ad, it is truly amazing how far we have come.  No wonder people grew up with a complex about their bodies. Hey Chubbies, shop here!  Sounds really inspiring and inviting.  Doesn't really give the message of Celebrate your Curves! So glad times are changing.  And Change they have; check out the latest link for Lane Bryant below!

The Cacique lingerie ad that ABC and FOX did not want their viewers to see, this commercial was banned from these networks until such controversy overtook and they allowed it to run during specific shows only.

So over decades we have gone from Chubbies to way to Sexy and even racy (I like it)!  Interesting, check out the link:  Too Sexy for TV - Lane Bryant

THE POWER OF FELLOWSHIP

I am amazed at all the "fellowship" that is going on amongst our members outside of our regular program.  I think it is wonderful to hear about people hiking, snowshoeing, setting up runs, going to Zumba and Yoga, trading recipes and sometimes even crock pot meals and the list goes on. It is all amazing!
I set out to provide a welcoming place for people to come and get active without the intimidation so many people feel.  New clients usually immediately "hook in" and start to become a part of our active community because our members are so supportive and welcoming.
I cannot take credit for the fellowship these groups are cultivating but it definitely lies with my vision for The Body Exchange.  Suddenly when everyone around you is healthy and supportive and you are regularly active it is a clear indication that your lifestyle is changing.  Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new you!

Congratulations!

WORKING OUT YOUR CURVES! (Boobs and All)

Guest Post by Claire Dumican: Butterfly Collection Lingerie

The place for Canadian women to find beautiful bras in E cup and up!

Positive body image goes a long way to living a very happy life. Being proud of your physical and emotional self allows you to forge the professional and personal relationships you want and deserve. It also frees you from the wasted mental energy spent on wishing you were ‘different’.

Women who appear to have ‘perfect’ bodies may in actual fact have very poor body image, so it’s nothing to do with physicality. Positive body image in fact stems from your self-esteem. A positive body image allows you to look at yourself completely naked in the mirror and see your body as a beautiful vessel for your spirit, personality, knowledge and soul.

Every inch of your body is unique and is made up of more than your flesh. Your eyes, hair, smile even your posture all contribute to your physical presence.  Your confidence radiates out in more ways than a dress size.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is important for confidence no matter what size you are. Being thin doesn't necessarily mean you`re healthy and being plus sized doesn't necessarily mean you`re unhealthy.  If you have a bigger chest however, you must support your boobs when working out.  Breasts don't have any muscle in them, they are held in place by two things, ligaments and skin. The ligaments (technical name Coopers Ligaments) stretch and contract to accommodate your movements. Your skin also stretches to allow for the force and impact of your movements. Unlike muscles, there is little you can do to alter your ligament and skin elasticity and strength. The evolution of our breasts is mostly dictated by genes.

When you workout your boobs are moving more and greater distances than when you're doing everyday activities. During this time you need to protect your ligaments and skin from getting over-stretched. If you stretch them too far, they can't bounce back as effectively and this causes sagging. So to minimize the stretch factor you need to wear a sports bra that is designed to absorb the impact and protect your breasts.  CHECK THE FULL BUTTERFLY COLLECTION SITE HERE.

Supporting your boobs during your workout will allow you to achieve more and hurt less!

MEET ME IN PARADISE, TULUM MEXICO HEALTH RETREAT!

So we have been planning our Body Exchange Women's Health Retreat for almost 6 months and we are now 6 weeks away!  I am heading down to the Mayan Riviera on April 29th and my group will follow on April 30th for an extremely rare opportunity to focus on yourself with no distractions.  This is one of the world's most beautiful corners and is an amazing place to unplug and focus 100% on you.  The retreat end of my business was designed because I was often hearing from people that they feel like they are starting all over again when they return from a vacation (I am sure we can all relate to this).  Imagine visiting paradise and coming home feeling so empowered, healthy, fit and on track!  But the best part is, we still have room!  Join us, we have 10 ladies heading down, are you lucky number 11, 12 or ?
Included:  Air Flights, Transfers, Accommodation a stones throw from the ocean, Healthy Mediterranean Style Meals / non-alcoholic drinks, Fit Camps every morning, Yoga at every sunset, 2 spa services, a evening of private Salsa Dancing Lessons and a special Mayan-Shaman Spiritual Ceremony private to our group.  Additionally, there will be snorkeling and kayaking.  For more information contact me at louise@bodyexchange.ca
See the beautiful Hemmingway Eco Resort below: