Congratulations Katie & Andre – Tessa has arrived!

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Katie and baby Tessa visiting at 5am

Another member of the Get Fit NH Bootcamp family has arrived – Welcome Tessa!

“I had the privilege of going to Get Fit NH for most of my second pregnancy. Staying active and being healthy was VERY important to me because I wanted to be able to be able to keep up with my two year old and all my other responsibilities without being in pain at the end of the day.

Nancy was awesome about keeping tabs on me throughout the workouts and making sure that I didn’t do anything that would compromise my health or the baby. My labor and delivery was an hour from start to finish. My body was in great shape for delivering a baby!

It’s important to have someone who can make sure you are doing a workout that is safe for you and your baby and Get Fit NH is suited perfectly to the needs of a pregnant mom!” – Katie Uy

Thanks Katie, and congratulations to you and Andre!

Super Quick for Breakfast – Eggs In A Mug

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This recipe can be adapted in an almost infinite variety of ways, and it can be prepared in about 3 minutes flat.

Eat Breakfast!

Ingredients:
2 whole eggs or (1/2 cup Egg Beaters Original)
One wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, cut into pieces

Directions:
Spray a large microwave-safe mug lightly with nonstick spray. Stir egg and cheese well. Microwave for about a minute. Stir gently, and then microwave for another 30 – 45 seconds, until scramble is just set. You can also add a teaspoon of salsa and one tablespoon of black beans for a Mexican mug. Or even 2 ounces of cut ham, or what about a ¼ cup of chopped asparagus and red pepper? And then there is an ounce of salmon and three cherry tomatoes. Oh the combinations you can come up with!

Make It – and Make It Happen!

The Pharmacy Inside You – How Much Does THAT Cost?

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As coaches we have heard it a thousand times… “Eating Healthy Is Expensive!”

I would suggest it is a matter of perspective. You see most of us tend to be very “short term” in our thinking, and perhaps our focus can be narrower than it could be.

We go to the grocery store, we make our purchases, we see the bill, and we marvel at how expensive it can be to “eat”.

But what else is in that cart, and why?

Nancy and I were talking about this very subject, and she brought up something I hadn’t thought of (smart lady, that Nancy)

What don’t we buy now that we are healthier?

It’s a fact - the human body does not work very well when we are feeding it pizza, cheesburgers, sugar, saturated fat, cereal, bread and pasta. It really doesn’t know what to do all that highly processed food you are jamming into it – pretty much anything from a box or a bag. Chemicals, fillers, preservatives and artificial coloring are, well, artificial to your body, and it reacts in some pretty nasty ways. Even a lot of the “healthy choices”  we think we are making can elicit a pretty nasty response. If you have ever eaten a low-carb “nutrition” bar sweetened with a truck load of sugar alcohols, you know what I am talking about.

You should feel good after you eat, and I am not just talking about Moose Tracks ice cream making you happy.

Here’s the rub – when it doesn’t feel good, we medicate it – sometimes with over the counter meds, and sometimes with prescriptions. We cover up the symptoms, when in reality the majority of the time it is our nutritional habits that are causing them! You weren’t born with a Prilosec deficiency – you earned that one all by yourself!

So back to what we don’t buy now that we base our nutrition on protein, produce and water:

  • Pepto Bismol
  • Mylanta
  • Lactaid
  • Tums
  • Metameucil
  • The Tylenol bottle in the cupboard had an expiration date in 2007 – oops! Guess we don’t use as much of that anymore either.

When I was 270+ pounds, those things went in the grocery cart all the time. How much does that eat into the “grocery budget”?

Take it one step further:

How much is your monthly cost for blood pressure and diabetes meds? We have had clients who take 7 or 8 different types of medications  (that ain’t cheap) that are now saving hundreds of dollars because they don’t need them anymore, and can now apply that cash to the grocery budget. Or how about the allergy meds that might be avoided if we would stop eating pro-inflammatory foods, or maybe get off some of the most common foods people are allergic to, like some dairy and wheat? It’s your choice!

So Now Is The Time To Take Action – What’s two items you can remove from the grocery cart so you can put something healthier in?

Let’s hear your thoughts, and then let’s…

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Problems and Solutions

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The Scenario: an all day conference in Chicopee Mass on Friday.

The Problem: there are oh so many problems! The biggest, was no time to fit Bootcamp in to the schedule. I had to be up and out of the house by 5:30am to travel to Chicopee Mass for an all day conference 9-5p, with a 3 hour drive home. I’m gonna miss every single Bootcamp class- grr!

Another problem for me was waking up before the sun! that just isn’t right in my world.

Once at the conference, we were packed in like sardines into a tiny room filling it past its capacity. Feeling a little claustraphobic, please don’t put me by someone smelly. You laugh however, I have a very big aversion to overwhelming perfumes, and body odors… well who doesn’t really?!

Next, I had to sit in a chair for 8 hours and get this… pay attention?! Two things wrong with that picture: me sitting still and paying attention. We all know from Booty that I have a little trouble paying attention. So there I sat, or some would say squirming and twitching… now what was this conference about?

Oh and did I mention… it took place in a… shhhh! Library… really? could I be anymore tested than that? Within the first five minutes of having to be silent, I wanted to scream, or break out in song. We did eventually get to break for lunch and they provided it for us… ooh this could be bad. So many problems so little time.

Heck, who am I kidding I had 8 hours of time to come up with solutions to all my problems. Did I mention I have trouble paying attention?

The Solution: Well, first of all… the sun does actually rise, eventually, when normal people get up out of bed; which  just happened not to be me this morning. By the time I hit Brattleboro VT the sun was up, about darn time. Patience is not one of my virtues.

As far as sitting,  my well thought out plan of sitting in the back of the room enabled me to sit, squirm and twitch. I was able to stand and stretch without too much disruption. I could also sneak out of the room and walk around the library belting out show tunes. As for lunch, it was about making healthy choices. It was actually quite easy. There on the table was a veggie platter, turkey rollups, as well as cookies and chips. Nix the junk, hit the veggies, pick apart the wraps for the meat.

Then I laced up the sneakers and powerwalked my lunch break! Of course I texted Nancy, (shoot I should have photo-op’d it!) for a “Yeh, ME!” and to text my satellite positioning should I end up missing in Chicopee (it wasn’t the best part of town I was galavanting.) Even though I missed Bootcamp, i was still able to get some form ofexercise in for the day and made some pretty remarkable eating choices (for me anyway). I call that a good day.

Blog you later.

gretchen

The Official “Get Fit NH Bootcamp” Cookbook Is Here!

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The Get Fit NH Cookbook has arrived!

Titled “Making A Difference Making It Happen”, this cookbook is chocked full of healthy recipes from our kitchen as well as many from our incredible clients as well.

Here’s what’s inside:

  • Appetizers & Beverages
  • Soups & Salads
  • Vegetables & Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Breakfast Dishes
  • This & That

The cool thing about this particular cookbook (besides the overall general awesomeness of course) is that all the proceeds from the sale of the first run of 100 cookbooks is going toward a great cause – to help a little boy with Autism get a touch-screen therapy computer.

If you are new to the Get Fit NH Bootcamp family, please read Joshua’s story by clicking here…

During the Fall we collected recipes, did taste testings, and typed them up for printing. We think it’s the most happenin’ cookbook around!

So here’s the deal - the “Making A Difference Making it Happen” cookbook helps solve two very specific challenges – as  a way to fund Joshua’s therapy computer and get some healthy, tasty and easy to prepare recipes into your hands!

The “Making a Difference Making It Happen” cookbook is available for purchase for the super low cost of only $10. Get Fit NH Bootcamp has sponsored the production and printing of the first run of 100+ cookbooks, which means 100% of the purchase price for the cookbook will go to Joshua’s family.

The most common questions we get revolve around nutrition and healthy eating, so don’t miss your chance to grab a copy!

Make It Happen!

Coach Nancy and Coach Dean

Get Fit NH Bootcamp 3.0

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Get Fit NH Bootcamp 3.0On May 8, 2008 we held our first training session with 9 crazy people (some who are still with us) out in a grassy part of our backyard.  We had an absolute blast getting our face in the dirt, getting wet when it rained, running around our house – good times!

Get Fit NH Bootcamp was born.

It really was like military bootcamp in a lot of ways. Back in the “early days” we had a training manual from our friends Cynthia and Keith down at Cynergy Crossfit in Hanson, MA, the couple who introduced us to the “fitness bootcamp” concept in the first place. Although our training philosophies are not the same, we owe them a debt of gratitude for so freely sharing their time and knowledge with us. This is the phase I would call “Get Fit NH Bootcamp 1.0″. Back then the training was mostly calisthenic based – very little equipment, body weight intensive. Effective, but as we learned, limited in long range effectiveness.

Bootcamp 2.0 came about 6 months later. We built and opened the first of our two training facilities in October 2008. With the winter months ahead, we revamped our training, shortly after that introduced “Sven”, and over the  next couple years added more tools (such as resistance bands, TRX, Kettlebells). We opened a new location in Concord and thanks to our incredible clients outgrew that and moved into a larger facility in Concord. One of the things that our clients continue to tell us is that they love the fact they never get bored, and our training philosophy was largely built around keeping the training constantly changing. Our clients have seen incredible results and the training has proved incredibly effective.

So if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Toward the end of last year Nancy and I began to have discussions regarding our training, not because it is necessarily broke, but because we wanted to make sure it was the best it could be!

We sat down and crunched the numbers; since May of 2008 we have approximately 40,000 training hours (that’s a bunch) with our clients. We have attended numerous conferences, earned additional credentials in both training and nutrition, read dozens of training books, listened to CD’s and have an ever expanding library of training resources and DVD’s. We have added staff (CJ, Tyler and Dennis) and gathered their input and viewpoint.  We have learned and continue to learn how to design the most effective training for our clients.  We have collaborated with and mentored under some of the finest coaches in the country and even world.  As we have grown, our training has changed to reflect both the latest science AND (sometimes more importantly) the proven real world effectiveness as shown with our clients results. Our long time clients have seen this shift, sometimes noticeable, sometimes not so much.

Hi Dean & Nancy,

Last June when I signed up for my 2 week trial of Get Fit NH Boot Camp I really did not know what to expect. There was a girl I worked with that encouraged me to try it out. I would hear her come up the stairs ever so slowly, then pause outside my office door (she looked like she was in a lot of pain from something). I asked her if she was okay?

A few days later the same thing happened and she told me that she was going to boot camp. She said she had lost 20 pounds and I should try it out. So I took her advice and tried it. The first week was painful but I did not let it discourage me. I went the 2nd week – still painful but not as much. I was determined I was going to keep going. I find myself getting stronger and stronger. Accomplishing things I never thought I could.

I felt very good about the whole thing when I got on the scale for my 2nd fitness evaluation and I had lost 15 pounds. I had been trying everything and it just wasn’t working for me. I really do enjoy going and I even look forward to it. I find myself with a lot more energy and just happy again. I have a wedding to attend next September in Oregon for my niece and I have already bought a dress – 1 size down from what I would normally wear. I really hope that about a month before the wedding that I will either be bringing that dress to be altered or getting a new one in a smaller size. Keep pushing me – I have goals to attain!!!

Terry Reed

So here it is…

Bootcamp 3.0!

In fact our clients are experiencing it already. A radical new philosophy? Not at all, but rather the culmination of what we have learned to date about training, human physiology and performance, body composition and just plain having fun training!

We are committed to delivering the most effective group personal training anywhere, and to the concept of continual and never ending improvement (Kaizen).

And here’s the best part – you still won’t get bored! :)

We are excited about these changes, and are confident that our clients, who already get tremendous results, will crank their training up to a whole different level.

We look forward to seeing what you are going to accomplish this year.

Make It Happen!

Dean, Nancy, CJ and Dennis

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

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Give your traditional old chicken dinner some spunk with this exciting new marinade. Your taste buds will celebrate over the tender taste of yogurt and garlic with a hint of spice.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 bone-in skinless breast halves (6 ounces each)

Instructions

  1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill for indirect heat. Drain and discard marinade.
  3. Grill chicken, covered, bone side down over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20 – 30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.
  4. This dish can also be baked in the oven. Place the chicken in a 9×13 pan. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until juices run clear.

Healthy Fish Fingers

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This recipe solves the unhealthy dilemma of frying by baking these family favorites instead.  The crunchy texture and fresh taste will leave a smile on your face long after your plate is empty.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound cod fillets, partially thawed
  • 1/2 cup almond meal, divided
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 cup 1% buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Cut fillets into 3/4-inch strips; set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine ¼ cup of the almond meal, parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon peel, paprika, thyme and garlic salt. Place buttermilk in another shallow bowl and the remaining almond meal in a third bowl.

2. Coat fish strips with plain almond meal; dip into buttermilk, then coat with seasoned almond meal mixture. Place on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with peanut oil. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15  -  20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Autumn Apple Shake

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I love the tastes of autumn – who can resist a crisp apple eaten right off the tree?

Here’s a great way to enjoy a power packed protein shake with all the flavors of apple pie!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 scoop UMP Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons dry oatmeal
  • 1 Tablespoon flax seed
  • 3 Tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons mixed nuts
  • 1 apple cored and sliced
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Add all ingredients in order to a blender. Blend until smooth. You can also add two-five ice cubes after initially blending shake. Blend again for 30 seconds for an ice cold shake.

Are You Chicken?

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I love to watch chickens peck and scratch. For some reason it is relaxing, unless of course they are scratching in our mulch and scattering it across the driveway.

The labels on chickens and eggs at the grocery store reveals a need to write a book to decipher them for us to sort through. Chickens, like many other protein sources, should come with a dictionary to explain the terms used on each different label.

Since I’ve never seen a government regulation book at the store (not that I want to) we need to study in advance. Otherwise, we are left to the advertising departments pretty pictures of chickens roaming freely to entice us to buy “healthy”.

And while the label makes it difficult, so do the array of commonly accepted words used by the media. “Free range”, “Grass – Fed”, “Pastured Poultry”, all can be found on chicken labels in the meat department. Lets explore what each of these means.

The term grass-fed poultry is a very broad term. It is so broad that “Free Range and Pastured Poultry” can fit under this term. Grass-fed poultry means birds that are allowed to forage on as much living grasses as they desire. Using our chickens in Epsom as an example, they used to be allowed to roam free from morning to night. The only time they were confined to their coop was at night to keep them safe from predators.  All day you’d find them in the front yard, hiding in the weeds, and up near the road.  That is what most consumers envision when they hear or read the term ‘grass fed’. We did supplement our chickens diet with a grain based feed mix. Chickens unlike cows are adept to eating corn. Only a very few chickens are truly grass fed. Unless you can interview the farmer when it comes to “grass fed” and chickens, assume they have access to grain feed as well.

“Free range,” as used commercially today, simply indicates chickens that are not in cages and do not have a physical barrier between them and the outside of their building. That sounds wonderful but without knowing the farm where your chicken grew up, it could mean the outdoor space is bare dirt. “Free range” conjures up picture of chickens running around a healthy, bustling farmhouse, eating grass and other things to their hearts’ content. It is the term of choice. The term sells chickens at a high price but doesn’t necessitate that the bird was given all the grass and other goodies it naturally eats. The chickens we keep at the house would be termed free range. If you come to Epsom you will find our chickens confined to a small pen with an attached coop.

Pastured poultry is raised right on top of living grass. This is most commonly done with chicken tractors. “Chicken tractors” are movable pens. They are moved to a new spot of fresh pasture as often as necessary.  Dean and I would love to move our chickens into a “Pastured” system. They’d have access to the outside but would be protected from any animal that loves to eat chickens. (Remember our dog, Annie?)  It is an ideal system.

So what does all that mean when it comes to the chicken on my plate?

Go back to the vision of chickens roaming freely. The closer you can get to chickens raised that way the better the nutritional value. Pastured Poultry has an increased nutritional value compared to chickens raised in cages, confined to eating all processed feed. Essential fatty acids, which control a myriad of bodily functions, fall into two families: the Omega-3′s and the Omega-6′s. The Omega-3 group comes from the leaves of green plants, while the Omega-6 group comes from the seeds (for example, grain used in animal feeds). Animals that eat quantities of green plants have very high levels of Omega-3.

A healthier more naturally raised chicken is higher in Vitamin A, plus their meat has a significant decrease in total fat compared to chickens raised in crowded pens.

The very best, most healthful way to eat is to build a relationship with a local farmer, which allows you to eat as fresh off the farm as possible. There is something in farm-fresh produce of all kinds that imparts health like nothing else can.

Or better yet, don’t be a chicken, and raise your own!

To your best health,
Coach Nancy

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