March is National Nutrition Month, so what better time to explore one of the hottest topics being discussed with regards to nutrition, health and wellness: Gluten.

Best Body Bootcamp founder Roger Nahas tackles this timely topic for you for this weeks Wellness Wednesday offering… enjoy!

Giving up gluten isn’t easy, but you might be better off without wheat, rye and barley in your diet.

More and more I’m seeing gluten-free options in the grocery stores. Gluten is a protein molecule found in wheat, rye and barley. There is a dramatic rise in the number of people who are finding out that they are sensitive to wheat and wheat-based products.

If you look at human evolution and at what we ate 2.6 million years ago, grains were not on the menu. We evolved as humans eating predominately wild game, seafood, worms and insects, seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It wasn’t until about 5,000-10,000 years ago that farming began, and humans began eating grains. This is a very short timeframe in the scope of human evolution, during which our digestive machinery was formed.

Based on how our human digestion systems developed, it could be argued that we are not designed to eat grains at all. Regardless of this, grains have become a staple in many people’s diets. The problem today is that we are eating highly processed grains and lots of them. Many people are finding that they feel much better when they eliminate, or at least decrease, wheat and other grains from their diet.

You may not think that you are intolerant because you eat wheat all the time and feel “fine.” This doesn’t mean that you are not being affected at some level. You can find out if you are sensitive to gluten through a variety of blood tests, but the easiest way is to completely eliminate all grains except corn, rice, buckwheat and millet from your diet for 3 to 4 weeks. If you feel better when you are not eating it, you are most likely gluten intolerant.

Damage to the intestines is the most talked about consequence, but gluten can also affect the nervous system, hormonal system, liver, blood system and musculoskeletal system for people with intolerance.

Conditions that are associated with gluten sensitivity vary greatly. A few symptoms of gluten intolerance are: skin disorders, gas, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, ADD and chronic fatigue. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may have a gluten intolerance. You should consider eliminating gluten from your diet. It may seem hard at first, as wheat is in a lot of foods (make sure to read labels), but the foods you will be giving up for the most part will be processed, sweetened foods that you should avoid anyway.

Tolerable Foods:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Chickpea flour
• Millet
• Bean noodles
• Potato flour
• Rice
• Sorghum flour
• Tapioca
• Peas flour
• Taro
• Yam flour

Intolerable Foods:

• Barley
• Couscous
• Brown flour
• Graham flour
• Kamut
• Rye
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Wheat
• Teff
• Udon
• Pastas (unless corn or rice)

Yours in Health,

Roger Nahas

Until next week… Be Well!

And the winner is… RACHEL SOMMERS!

Looking for a little more inspiration to keep you on your wellness journey?
Look no further!

Each session, our Bootcamp instructors nominate 1 outstanding bootcamper from each of their classes who exemplifies the spirit of Best Body Bootcamp. A panel then deliberates and chooses one lucky nominee to reign as the Bootcamper of the Month.

We’re a little late in getting this announcement out as our January Bootcamper of the Month Nominee not only earned herself this award but also landed herself a new job at the same time!! We had some timing issues to work out, but work it out we did, and we couldn’t be happier to congratulate her for all of her good news!

What her trainer said:

Her motivation and willingness to succeed definitely rubs off on other members of the class. She always comes to bootcamp excited and ready to work hard and you can tell that she wants to be there.

People see how hard she works and they strive to copy her. Not to mention any new member that comes into the class she is always the first one to meet them and offer them help to get through the workouts!

Mark Reisler
Bootcamp Instructor – North York

We contacted Rachel with the news of her accolade, and asked her a few questions about her bootcamp experience! Read on…

What was your reaction when you were told you were Bootcamper of the Month?

I was so excited! I had a giant smile on my face.  I never would have thought , 6 months ago, that I would ever be Bootcamper of the Month.

What was your fitness regimen prior to Best Body Bootcamp? and what made you choose/switch to Best Body Bootcamp?

What fitness regimen? I walked to the subway, but that was about it.  I recently became a lawyer, and after being called to the Bar, I had to find a job.  I decided that being unemployed could be a great opportunity to make a change in my life, and after months of walking past the posters, I finally took the plunge and signed up for my first bootcamp.  I knew I needed the personal attention, but I couldn’t afford to hire a personal trainer.

What was your initial experience like (your first bootcamp) and what made you stick with it?

TERRIBLE. I felt like I was going to die.  And that was just the fit test day!  Looking back now, I can’t believe it was so difficult for me – I could barely make it through.  I literally dreaded bootcamp days for the entire first month.  By the end of the first month, I had improved in every section of the fit test.  I think that’s what made me stick with it past the first month.  After that month, the weight and inches started to drop as well.  By the third month, the dread had been, shockingly, replaced with excitement! To my surprise, for the first time in my life, I actually looked forward to workouts (though to this day, the dread comes back on leg days sometimes).

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to a new bootcamper that you wish someone had told you

Draw inspiration from others and celebrate small successes.  It’s easy to feel discouraged at first, when everyone seems to be in such better shape – remember that they were once in your position too.

What would you say has been your biggest improvement, both physical and emotional?

I’ve lost 31 lbs and almost as many inches since August! I can’t believe how great I feel, and I’m doing things I never imagined I could do.  I plan to run a 5K with one of my bootcamp friends in the spring – I never, in a million years, would have thought that possible.  My confidence in my ability to do things has been one of the best benefits.

Bootcamper of the Month fast facts:

My first class, I could only hold the plank for 42 seconds.  Now I can hold it for 3 minutes!

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In addition to the recognition and super spiffy certificate, Rachel has also been given a 4-week Best Body Bootcamp session on us so she can continue her wellness journey and encourage others continue on theirs!

We hope Rachel’s story inspires you to continue on your journey of health and wellness and to set goals for yourself.
And who knows, maybe this month we’ll show up at your class and call YOU to the front!

We are taking registrations for the March 22nd & April 26th 2010 sessions right now!
Head on over to www.bestbodybootcamp.com to reserve your spot now!

Look for the February Session Bootcamper of the Month to be revealed next week!! (maybe it’s you!!)

While we have been pretty lucky in the Toronto area with regards to snow accumulation, we still have to deal with the long gray days and long dark nights of winter. For some this can be quite depressing, manifesting itself both mentally and physically as the “blahs”. So what do we do? Tackle it head on!

Already the days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter, and the birds are returning to their springtime roosts, but as impatient as we are for the spring to arrive in a timely fashion, we Canadians know better than to put the boots and coats away just yet.

In the meantime, here is a little list of suggestions to beat those winter blahs into submission and get you through to spring!

1  learn your A, B, C’s & D’s In other words, get your vitamins! Ideally you should be getting an ample quantity and variety via your diet, but some, vitamin D especially, get depleted in the winter and should be supplemented.

2 Eat right! Don’t fall into the heavy carb loaded comfort food routine! It will only make you feel more sluggish! A balanced diet of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protiens, and healthy fats will do your mind and body good! Make sure to toss in some fragrant citrus & tropical fruits like papaya & pinepple! The scents and taste (not to mention all of those healthy vitamins and enzymes) will transport you to sunny days!

3 Get some Z’s! Make sure you’re getting a restful, regenerating sleep every night, but don’t over do it! Too much sleep actually has the opposite effect, and will make you feel more tired!

4  Do something creative! While the weather outside might still be frightful, there are plenty of indoor distractions to keep you engaged! Pick up a new or long dormant hobby. Better yet, learn a new skill. or get started on that renovation project you’ve been putting off. Just don’t sit on the couch complaining and waiting for winter to pass! Being proactive and keeping yourself motivated will pass the time away, and you’ll cross a few things off that to-do list!

5 Embrace it! You know it’s going to be cold. You know it’s going to be snowy. So prepare for it and face it head on! Wrap yourself with right outer gear & layers and you’re good to go! Just because the temperature drops a little, doesn’t mean you can’t get out there and walk, ski, build snowmen, or even find your inner 8 yr old and have a snowball fight!

6 exercise! (come on, you knew it was coming) Whether it be a group activity like Bootcamp or jogging with a friend or even just putting on some fun music and jumping around your livingroom for a while. Any activity will get your blood circulating and get those happy endorphins coursing through your system instantly making you feel better and giving you more energy.

7. Add some colour into your life! Wrap yourself in an eye catching scarf! Dig out that bright chartreuse top reserved for summer now! Give your powder room that much needed makeover and add a punch of Wow! to it with a brightly coloured wall.

8. On those rare sunny and temperate days, throw up the shades and open the windows a crack to let in some much needed fresh air! Go for a walk, or sit near a window and soak up some of those Vitamin D rich rays!

9. Pamper yourself! Go to a spa, get a mani/pedi with a friend, or just light some candles and enjoy a quiet soak in the quiet comfort of your home. Sometimes the dark days of winter are the perfect opportunity to grab a little “me time”

10. Find your happy place! Whether it be treating yourself to your favorite coffee from your local Barista, rewatching your favorite movie for the hundredth time, or curling up in your big chair with a book and your favorite CD playing, recognize the signs of the “blahs” and have one of these “happy” items at the ready to nip it in the bud right away! And don’t forget to harness the power of getting together with friends, family, co-workers, etc… Most people when they start to feel the blahs, shut themselves away. Don’t!! Make a quick phone call, arrange to meet for coffee, go for a walk and chat! Not only will you feel better, but you might be helping them out of a funk too!

Do you have any sure fire “spring can’t get here soon enough!!” winter blah cures? Share them with us!!

Until next time… Be Well!!

Whether it’s your spouse, your sibling, your significant other or your bff, working out with a partner definitely has it’s advantages and benefits! Best Body Bootcamp co-founders Roger & Daniela Nahas know that better than anyone! Which is why Daniela thought it was the perfect topic for this week’s blog! While she is specifically referring to a couple, the same concept can be applied to a platonic partnership. Enjoy the read!

There is certainly a lot to be said about couples that work out together and make fitness a priority in their lives.

Making fitness something that you both do together could be extremely motivational, especially if one of you is on the competitive side! Not only that, but you will explore a different side of each other that perhaps you have never seen before. On the flip side, it is extremely hard to want to make a positive change in your life but have a partner that is indifferent or does not hold the same values and goals. Sound familiar?

It may be hard to find the time for quality bonding time with your partner, and often the only chance you get is at the end of the day in front of the television. Meeting for an after-work workout a few times a week could be a great way to rekindle your romance! And you might just find each other more attractive than ever!
Time to give your partner a good nudge and get them to join you at your next sweat session!

In the meantime, here are a few partner-assisted exercises that you can do together to challenge each other:

Partner Situp with a twist (great oblique exercise):
Sit facing your partner and intertwine your legs together, so that your feet wrap around each other ankles. Now both of you should lower to the bottom of the situp position. Place your hands lightly on either to the side of your head, or you can keep your arms loosely to your sides to assist you.
In unison, bring torso up to perform standard sit-up movement, each of you twisting slightly to the opposite side and reaching your hands to clap together. Make sure to pull your shoulders back and keep your back from rounding.

Partner Assisted Pull Ups (engage your core and work your back muscles):
Whether your using a pull up bar or a Gravitron machine, you can assist and push each other to go past your usual limits.
The partner performing the exercise should wrap their lower legs together so that the partner assisting can grab their legs and assist them by lightly pushing them up when they are reaching failure. To the person assisting, make sure that you are in a safe stance, feet about shoulder width apart or slightly wider, knees bent and back straight.

Partner Facing Pushup & Clap (great chest and core exercise):
Begin by facing each other in pushup position. You should be close enough that you can extend your arms and touch each other, but not so close that your heads touch as you lower.  Lower your body down in unison and as you lift back up, lift opposite arms off the ground and clap your hands together. Lower again into a pushup and this time switch to the opposite arm.

As with any exercise, make sure to use proper form and go at your own pace. Repeat these exercises until one of you begin losing your form and repeat for 3 – 4 sets.

Yours in health and fitness,
Daniela Nahas

What do you think? Are you part of a dynamic duo that is reaping the benefit of the buddy system? Share you stories with us! We would love to hear your opinions. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the motivator for another couple suck in a rut on the couch.

Until next time!
Stay Well!