Water and Caffeine

Most people are aware that caffeine is just not good for you.  But most people don’t know why…or wonder what the big deal is anyways???!!

Sure, coffee is awesome.  So is black tea, and green tea (just stay away from pop period!), but if you’re drinking too much of it, you’ll likely notice a few things happening.  Craving.  Addiction.  Jitters.  Insomnia.  Nervous Energy that just can’t expel.  Loose Bowels.  Constipation.  It varies from person to person, but usually these things happen when you’re drinking just too much of the “good” stuff.

Caffeine basically dehydrates you, and for every cup of black tea/green tea/coffee that you consume, you need 2 cups of water to replace.  On a typical morning, people will automatically be reaching for that coffee to help wake them up, not knowing that they are already in a dehydrated state.  So you wake up dehydrated, and you drink coffee, and dehydrate yourself even more.  So now your standard 7-8 glasses of water that you try to drink a day, now jumps to 12 cups you need to drink, or get from water-laden foods.

Caffeine has an acidic effect in your body, and when that happens, your body will do whatever it can to neutralize this damage and keep your body on this side of Heaven (um…acid BURNS and CORRODES y’know..), and will do so at the expense of your health.  Your body will leach calcium from your bones, tissues, blood to neutralize the acid.  Now you’ve got a caffeine addiction, AND the beginnings of serious problems like arthritis, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Did you know that caffeine flushes out magnesium? Magnesium is the ultimate relaxation mineral.  Shaky hands after drinking coffee usually indicates that your magnesium stores have been depleted. That would explain why people who are under stress are more prone to the nervous jitters….they are already magnesium deficient. Adding caffeine to the mix is a bad idea.

Exercising in a dehydrated state is insane.  Stress begets stress.  A dehydrated body is already under stress.  Then add some intense cardio and weight lifting, and you’ve got a one way ticket to a face plant on the floor.  Exercising is awesome stuff.  Over-exercising, not so awesome.  Over-exercising while dehydrated, because you have no time to drink water, and you’re determined to lose weight for that one event, will cause your body to go into Fight or Flight.  Stress.

And speaking from experience, caffeine can be a trigger to those susceptible to anxiety and anxiety attacks.  Seriously, coffee is not worth anxiety.

While there are studies and experts that say coffee is good for you (http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339) – it’s the caffeine in the coffee, teas, and pops that is the issue.  There are just too many health hazards when overconsuming caffeine such as damage to your gut, adrenal issues, bone loss mainly.  It’s pretty easy to look up on the internet some of the studies.

One thing I might add – the sheer size of the average coffee cup today is monstrous compared to how it used to be.  Much smaller sized coffee cups were used, and thoroughly enjoyed, because it was treated as something to be enjoyed.  It was not craved for with mad addiction.  Seriously, no one needs a large, triple, triple coffee….that size and volume of coffee and sugar and cream just didn’t exist 50, 100, 600 years ago.

But you like coffee, so what to do?

I kid you not, there are ways to have a nice cuppa without the caffeine.  I was recently introduced to DandyBlend, a coffee substitute which contains dandelion root, chicory (a well-known coffee substitute), beets, barley and rye.  My family used to drink Grain Coffee in the old country (Slovakia), but ours didn’t have the dandelion root.  But they’re both delicious!  And while some say you don’t need a sweetener for this drink, I found I did prefer a sweetener, but it was much less than what I used to put in my coffee (1/4 teaspoon of organic cane sugar from 2 teaspoons).  OR get this amazing Stevia product by Sweet Leaf – this is the real Stevia, and it tastes beautifully, low on the glycemic scale, and has some good fiber in there for ya too!  Now, back to the DandyBlend – you will have a coffee-like taste and smell to it, but with the addition of Dandelion, this is a very nourishing beverage for your liver.  So, Stevia and Dandelion?  Your body will thank you.  Now if you’re working towards eliminating that dairy cream, you can try almond milk, coconut milk, just experiment!

Here’s one to try….

1 cup unsweetened Almond milk or other milk substitute (Cashew milk, hemp milk)

1 tablespoon DandyBlend or coffee substitute

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Coconut oil

Heat.  Then with a hand blender, mix until frothy.  ENJOY the BLISS!!!

**you can also add cacao nibs if you want a chocolatey kick, you can try it with ghee, you can add turmeric for some heat – be ADVENTUROUS.

    

Mix the Stuff!Drink!!!

Those of us who drink coffee here and there, and don’t have any jitters or shakes, it just means that we still have magnesium stores left to counteract the caffeine effect. But while you may not get the shakes, the caffeine still has its effects on you – makes your blood sugar go wonky, does NOTHING to help with stress, depletes all B vitamins and vitamin C, produces gonad malfunction, dehydration due to its diuretic effects (makes ya pee!!) and causes mineral malabsorption – not just the magnesium and calcium, but iron as well. Tired a lot? Drinking a lot of coffee? Possibly caused BY the coffee to help with your tiredness.

So, what to do? Maybe cut back? try it out? Yes, those who are addicted will experience withdrawal symptoms – most notably, headaches for about 3 days on average.  Drink more water.  Reduce the size of your coffee cup.  Try green tea – still has caffeine, but big improvement over that drive-thru coffee, and may be easier on your withdrawal headaches.   Make coffee a treat, not your “water.”   You’ll enjoy it more, and won’t suffer the effects so much.

If you are not liking drinking so much water to replace fluid loss, then try drinking herbal teas (most don’t have caffeine) – but with no sweetener and cream/milk.  Herbal teas is an appropriate substitute for water, and you get some added benefits of herbs.  Just use caution if you are on medication.  Also, foods high in water content will help as well – such as watermelon, cucumber, celery, spinach, starfruit and strawberries to name just a few!

Enjoy your cup!

By: Rebecca Ramdeholl, RHN

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KARSTEN DICKIE

Hey BBBC family! My name is Karsten Dickie and I am a coach at King West Best Body Bootcamp.

Growing up I was very involved in sports. I played competitive volleyball, basketball and hockey. I was always fascinated with how the body works, nutrition, strength training and anything that involved athletics. Applying my knowledge I noticed improvement of my health, energy and body transformation which then had me hooked on weight training. That’s when I knew I wanted to help impact people’s lives and share my knowledge about exercise, mobility and nutrition to help achieve their goals.

I received my diploma from Algonquin College for Fitness & Health Promotion and I have been doing group training for six years now. Additionally, I’ve trained hockey teams, volleyball teams, large event groups, and one-on-one training.

I’m passionate about enhancing the health, fitness and overall well-being of clients. With my skills and knowledge, I help clients achieve their goals in and out of the gym.

Outside of training I like to do yoga, read, play team sports, and spend time with my friends and family.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Algonquin College Fitness & Health Promotion
CanFitPro PTS
Lucas Parker Barbell Cycling
CPR/AED2

ANDY RANDHAWA

Hey there!
I’m Andy Randhawa, the newest addition to the Best Body Bootcamp family.

You can’t hear my accent while reading this but I’m Australian.
I grew up playing a lot of sports like tennis, basketball, boxing and footy (Aussie rules football) and competed professionally in tennis.

I have transformed bodies for over 12 years and also helped them show it off on stage.

I have an extensive knowledge about training and nutrition which I can apply to my clients to bring them closer their goals.

When I’m not making people sore or make them complain while training I spend my time doing filmmaking, videography and hanging out with friends (I need new ones in Canada).

Look forward to making you get your dream body.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Diploma of Fitness
Bachelors of Exercise Science
BoxFit Level 1&2

DANIELA NAHAS

My journey in fitness and health began about 15 years ago. Before that, like many of you I struggled with yo-yo dieting, and doing countless hours of cardio just to stay looking slim. Boy I wish I could talk some sense into my past self! But health is a journey and I am so grateful for all of my experiences, which have shaped what I have to offer our members today.
Over the years I have experienced first hand the life changing benefits of incorporating the right kind of exercise into my life. That motivated me to become a personal trainer 15 years ago, and it still continues to motivate me today. I want everyone to be able to to experience what exercise can do for their well being, self confidence and physique.
I used to struggle with my nutrition in a big way, so I completely empathize with you, if this is the hardest part for you when it comes to seeing long term change. I once struggled with eating disorders, followed by any years of a very negative relationship to food, even during my initial years as a personal trainer.

It occurred to me one day that I could not help my clients make changes and make better choices, without first focusing on myself. It was through completing my Holistic Lifestyle Coach Certification that I was able to change my relationship to food and be able to genuinely help clients get closer to their goals.

My increasing passion for nutrition and health led me to become certified as a Health Coach. As a health coach, I am able to help my clients delve deeper into your relationship with food and their health. What lies beneath our patterns and habits is fascinating and when you can tap into that it can have an incredibly powerful impact on our lives, and bring about real change!

These days I leave most of the bootcamp training to our awesome trainers, but I continue to share my passion for nutrition and fitness in our private member facebook group and work on our ever evolving member offerings.

My other passion? I am the luckiest mom to a 9-year-old boy. He keeps me on my toes and I must admit has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. Together with hubby Roger Nahas, we like to spend plenty of time outdoors, along with the latest family hobby – board games.

When I get me time, I like to do yoga, read, cook, and spend time in nature.

I look forward to having you join us!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Health Coach Certification – Health Coach Institute
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Human Kinetics Exercise Anatomy
SPI Advanced Training for General Fitness
SPI Technical Aspects of Strength Training
SPI Nutrition for Sport and Performance
Emergency First Aid & CPR

ROGER NAHAS

My journey in fitness and nutrition is a little different than most. You see, I’m a former fat kid! The kid who was a total introvert! I was always the guy who was too embarrassed to take his shirt off at the beach! But I remember the day everything changed for me – I looked in the mirror and wasn’t happy with what I saw. I made the decision to change my body and my life. It was 1999 and I took a before pic and measurements and body fat and I entered the Body for Life Challenge. Over the next 90 days, I completely changed my eating habits, and worked out regularly. I actually was awarded the Canadian Grand Champion for my age category!

I was no longer the fat kid. I looked forward to getting to a beach so I could take my shirt off and I became more outgoing and fun! After seeing the difference it made in my life I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping people realize the amazing benefits of optimal health and fitness.

I started out as most trainers do in your typical gym. After years of working in a gym setting, I was getting disillusioned with how Big Box Gyms operated. I wanted to train people functionally and to make their bodies strong in the movements they used in the real word. I wanted to make working with a highly trained instructor more affordable, and I wanted to make fitness fun because let’s face it; if you are having a blast, it makes it that much easier to stick to it. The result was the launching of Best Body . I have to tell you that although I looked great in the after pic above, the food and exercise plans I followed to get that after pic, hurt me in the long run. It made me look good from the outside but my body was breaking down on the inside. The way I was working out and what I thought was healthy eating was in fact hurting me in the long run. I was over training, taking longer to recover from my workouts, I tore my rotator cuff and had gut issues. Nothing I could do was helping and then I was introduced to a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach who helped me. Turns out I was stressing my body beyond repair and then giving it food that wasn’t helping but was actually stressing my body even more. He made me look at my body and the food I put into it in a totally different way.

That lead me to complete my certification as a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach and we pass that knowledge on and encourage holistic nutrition to our members.

In addition to running the day-to-day operations of Best Body Bootcamp, I also work with individual clients doing fitness training as well as holistic nutrition and lifestyle coaching.

When I’ve got a bit of free time, I spend as much of it as possible with my wife and son, I bike year round, play hockey, practice Tai Chi daily, read & take courses.

I hope to see you soon so we can transform your body and life!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute

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I am very happy to be a member of BBBC. Even if November has been busy and I could not come a lot, my coach was following with me and I was pushed to come back. When I came back, I felt so much energy.

Samuel LECLERC