On Air: Welcome to The Living Healthy Podcast

On Air: Welcome to The Living Healthy Podcast

by | Jul 18, 2018 | All, Community, Fitness, Home, Member Stories, News, Nutrition

Have you heard? LA Fitness has officially launched its first ever podcast!

The Living Healthy Podcast acts as an extension of the Living Healthy blog but in an audio format. It’s the perfect entertainment for your drivetime commute, or for those who would rather listen to health and fitness advice rather than read about it.

Listeners will get on-demand health, nutrition, and inspirational advice to better assist them in reaching their personal fitness goals.

The inaugural episode focuses on the Top 5 Myths of Nutrition and features LA Fitness registered dietitian Debbie James.

Episodes can be found on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Stitcher, and many others! Download the free LA Fitness mobile app to stream the podcast directly from our Living Healthy blog.

Jill Grueling, Executive Vice President of Operations at LA Fitness shared,

“We want to help cultivate a larger fitness network that would be able to help support and encourage each other to maintain healthier lifestyles. We believe the launch of the Living Healthy podcast will aid in providing another platform for our members and future members to stay motivated and inspired to live their best lives.”

What Are You Interested In?

Nutrition

Fitness

Motivational

We Want to Hear from You!

How are we doing? What do you want to hear about? Do you have an inspirational story you’d like to share with us on air? Send us your thoughts, questions, and stories to blog@fitnessintl.com or reach out to us on one of our many social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) and use the tag #LivingHealthyPodcast.

You or your question could end up on the air!

Recommended Podcast Episodes 

No Results Found

The posts you requested could not be found. Try changing your module settings or create some new posts.

AAT: Ep. 25 – How Often Should Stair Climbing be Incorporated?

AAT: Ep. 25 – How Often Should Stair Climbing be Incorporated?

by | Jul 13, 2018 | All, Ask A Trainer, Fitness, Home, Workouts

Ask A Trainer: Featured Question of the Week

LA Fitness Pro Results® Master Trainer, Stone T., and get his expert insight on the stair climbing machine. Is this machine worth the sweat? We find out.

Do you have a fitness question? Ask one of our certified Pro Results® trainers here! Your question may be featured in an upcoming Ask Our Trainer video.**

5 + 10 =

**Selected submissions will be featured on the LA Fitness blog and possibly other LA Fitness digital media entities & websites. By making a submission, you hereby grant LA Fitness a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable license to use and make copies of the contents of such submission for any purpose and in any medium whatsoever, and you hereby waive and relinquish any copyright or other intellectual property right you may have in the contents of such submission and your right to pursue any claim for LA Fitness’s violation of those intellectual property rights.

Recommended 'Ask A Trainer' Videos

7 Foods to Help Hydrate Your Body This Summer

7 Foods to Help Hydrate Your Body This Summer

by | Jul 11, 2018 | All, Home, Nutrition

Summer and sweat seem to go hand-in-hand. Longer days mean more exposure to the sun and the hotter temps can lead to dehydrated bodies.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to avoid this and keep your body properly hydrated this summer (and year around).

We spoke with Dr. Ronald Navarro, Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, and got his take on why staying hydrated is so important.

Q: How much water do people need each day?

Dr. Ronald Navarro: The most agreed upon recommendation is to drink six or eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. However, some adults may need more or less, depending on their overall health (certain illnesses and/or medications may affect this need), how much they exercise and the level of intensity, and how hot and dry the weather is.

Q: How many people on average, are dehydrated?

Dr. R.N.: Some polls have reported that up to 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration. Anecdotally, we see the rate of dehydration be higher in the summer and fall when temperatures are higher and perspiration or sweating is more pronounced.

Q: On a micro level, why is hydration important?

Dr. R.N.: Water is a basic need for cellular health. Cells contain water and are surrounded by water. In dehydration, cell membranes become less permeable, hampering the flow of hormones and nutrients into the cell and preventing waste products that cause cell damage from flowing out.

Q: On a macro level, why is hydration important?

Dr. R.N.: When we exercise, our bodies cool off by sweating. As we perspire, we lose necessary body fluids. If we do not replace these fluids, we become dehydrated. This makes it difficult to sweat and cool down, which can result in a heat injury.

How Hydration Effects the Body

  1. Our muscles become more relaxed: This increases our energy, and in the cases of athletes, leads to better performance.
  2. Can help control weight: We often mistake thirst for hunger. Proper hydration can serve as an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss or weight management.
  3. It’s easier to go to the bathroom: People who drink enough water usually have regular bowel movements. Hard bowel movements or constipation can be a sign that you aren’t getting enough water (or fiber).
  4. Can improve the color and texture of our skin, thus giving us a healthier (younger) appearance: Our skin, the largest organ in our body, relies on water to produce new cells and give us that glow. Our skin also needs water to do its job of regulating the body’s temperature.

Tips to Help Stay Hydrated

  • Start off your day with a glass of water – if getting a cup of coffee or tea is part of your morning routine, add this extra step to it.
  • Always keep a cup or water bottle by your desk at work. Take several sips of water each hour, and when hunger strikes, take a sip first.  We often confuse thirst for hunger.
  • Add some flavor to your water: If you get tired of drinking plain water, add fresh fruit, a slice of lemon or lime or even a packet of sugarless flavoring to your water.
  • Drinking sparkling water is just as hydrating as drinking regular water and can help wean a person off carbonated sodas which have their own well-documented issues.

Nutrition and Hydration

Understandably, water plays a huge role in keeping our bodies hydrated, healthy, and better functioning when we add some extra H2O to our daily diet.

But if you’re not a fan of chugging water throughout the day, there are other options available to you. Here’s a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables that help hydrate our body provided by Nadia Borchardt, Registered Dietician at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are about 97% water, making them the food with the highest water content. In addition to providing the body with hydration, they also aid in eliminating toxins from the body and are a great source of magnesium and potassium. You can enjoy them in salads or as a snack.

Watermelon

Watermelon is considered a food rich in nutrients and low in calories. About 95% of its content is water and it’s full of electrolytes, which helps prevent dehydration. In addition, watermelon contains a large amount of vitamins A, B6 and C, minerals and antioxidants. Watermelon contains the highest level of lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is considered a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the body’s cells from harm.

Strawberries

Strawberries are made of 92% water. They are low in calories and like other berries, are rich in antioxidants, vitamins B and C, calcium and potassium.

Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is made of 96% water. Not only will it help quench our thirst, but it will also satiate our hunger.

Peaches

Peaches contain approximately 88% water. They are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline, all substances that support our heart health.

Spinach

Spinach is about 92% water, making it especially beneficial in keeping you hydrated. Spinach is also rich in magnesium, potassium, and B-vitamins, all of which are known to increase energy.

Celery

Celery has a water content of about 95%. It also has natural salts that help to replenish levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc in the body.

Questions provided by Mayra Suarez, Senior Media Relations Representative at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Recommended Reading

Member Spotlight | Healthy Is a Way of Life

Member Spotlight | Healthy Is a Way of Life

by | Jul 9, 2018 | All, Home, Member Stories

Janelle G. of Gresham, OR struggled with weight her entire life. She would make excuses of being big boned or having a poor metabolism as her reason for being overweight, but that was not the case. It wasn’t that Janelle was inactive – in fact, she was athletic for most of her life. Although her weight frustrated her, it never really became an issue until later in life. In 2015, Janelle’s blood pressure was borderline for needing to take medications. She found herself struggling to get an airplane seatbelt on. She recalls a time when a flight attendant offered her a seatbelt extension before she had even tried putting her belt on. It was at that point she knew enough was enough, and she wanted to do something about it.

[Kimberly] inspires me by her knowledge, experience, and her support of my success. I always look forward to our sessions – not just because they benefit my body, but my mind and soul too. She continues to build my confidence and gives me the encouragement I need to keep going, even when life throws a few curveballs at you.
Janelle G.

Pro Results® Client

Like many others, Janelle made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. In February 2016, she joined a local LA Fitness and began seeing Pro Results® Master Trainer, Kimberly D. One of the main things Janelle learned was that she had to make working out a part of her routine. She began working out 5 to 6 times a week, always in the morning because it helped start her day on the right foot. Aside from working out, Janelle began thinking about food differently. She began to understand that in order to obtain the results she wanted, fitness and nutrition went hand-in-hand.

Left: April 2015 | Right: November 2017

Two Years Later

After having first walked through the doors of LA Fitness two years ago, Janelle is down 65 lbs. and she’s keeping it off! She’s happy that now when she puts an airplane seatbelt on, she actually has to cinch it up a bit. While she has had great progress, she knows that her journey continues. Working out and staying healthy is part of her life now.

A Bit of Advice

“You have to make working out part of your daily routine. It truly has to be part of your life and your schedule, and you have to make time for it in order to achieve and maintain long term results.” – Janelle G., Pro Results® Client

Recommended Reading

Italian Eating Made Healthy

Italian Eating Made Healthy

by | Jul 4, 2018 | All, Home, Nutrition, Recipes

Photo credit: Katherine Parske 

If you think Italian cooking is only carb and calorie loaded, think again. We spoke with Chris Disney, Director of Operations for Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen and learned a thing or two about how healthy eating doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor or enjoyment of your meal. Check out the QA with Chris below and then make Picazzo’s delicious Chocolate Avocado Mousse recipe for dessert tonight!

Q: Italian food is known for being very carb-heavy. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a lot of our readers are looking for ways to work on their nutrition to become their best healthy (and fit) selves – what makes the food at Picazzo’s so healthy?  

Chris Disney: Healthy is such a broad term- for some of our guests, it means a gluten-free diet, while for others it means following a vegan diet or just eating “clean” foods. For us, it is offering something for each specific diet where our guests can be confident knowing that they are not filling their bodies with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, genetically modified organisms or artificial preservatives. We have many guests that have food allergies, digestive problems, cancers, diabetes and many other struggles or have made conscious decisions to live a vegan lifestyle and we offer these individuals a dining experience with choices that fit their specific needs. For example, we offer 99% of our menu gluten-free, while offering a completely separate vegan menu that has over 40 different menu items available.  

Q: What are some of your favorite ingredients to work with? Why those? 

CD: I actually like root vegetables a lot. They are so versatile; they can be braised, roasted, grilled or baked. They can be served hot or cold and they hold up very well. Right now our menu has an herb-roasted sweet potato that is great and we are also adding golden beets into the mix very soon. I also really like using fresh herbs- cilantro, rosemary, thyme, basil- they all have such flavor and aroma and bring a freshness to any recipe.

Q: On your website, you define what a “healthitarian” is, would you mind sharing with our readers? 

CD: We have so many guests with different dietary needs from eating gluten-free to vegan to organic. The one thing they all have in common is that they all focus on their health in one way or another, so we decided to define what that meant and become ambassadors of the movement to live, eat and be healthy. Our definition of what a Healthitarian is, is: 

HEALTH • I • TAR • I • AN  

/helth-ə-ˈter-ē-ən/  

[noun]  

  1. A person that enjoys a healthy lifestyle of nourishing the body with health-centric foods and supporting healthy habits. 
  2. An advocate for positive health, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Q: What are the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15”? 

CD: The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 is a produce list that outlines the 12 most pesticide-heavy fruits and vegetables as well as the fruits and vegetables that are considered to be the cleanest. Generally, the items that are more porous and exposed will absorb the most pesticides, while items that have rinds or natural barriers give the flesh protection from absorbing large amounts of pesticides. This guideline is helpful to those who want to avoid conventional produce but may not want to pay a higher premium or cannot obtain 100% organic items.  

Q: How does balancing a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle impact your way of life?  

CD: Balancing a healthy diet and lifestyle is important for me since I am always on the go. I oversee 5 restaurants and my wife and I have three young kids that are 5, 3 and 8 months old so it becomes difficult to sit down and eat a healthy prepared meal, especially on a regular schedule, for all meal periods. In the restaurants, you are constantly taste-testing your product and don’t realize how much grazing you do in just quality checks. I have to be conscious and plan ahead about my choices to avoid the “auto-pilot” of eating whatever is convenient and instead, plan on having healthier snacks available like a banana, granola, yogurt or simply grape tomatoes. It is the same way with physical activity- it has to be planned and prioritized for it to happen. 

Photography by: Katherine Parske 

Picazzo’s is located at the following locations:

Picazzo's

Picazzo's - Location #2

Picazzo's - Location #3

Picazzo's - Location #4

Picazzo's - Location #5

Chocolate Avocado Mousse 

Photo credit: Grace Stufkosky 

Ingredients

  • 2 Very Ripe Avocados, Peeled & Pitted 
  • 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 
  • 1/4 Cup Agave 
  • 1/2 Tbs Vanilla Extract 
  • 1/8 Tsp Salt 
  • 3 Tbs Unsweetened Almond Milk 
  • 1 Tbs Water 

Method

Step 1: Blend all ingredients in a food processor (or traditional/immersion blenders will work too) until a smooth and creamy texture is present. 

Step 2: Enjoy.

Featured Recipes