What is TRX?

HOkay, I do am teaching classes on this so if you're wondering what is TRX all about, here goes. I suggest you really come to class and give it a try! Real eye opener for those who have been at the gym doing classes and not PT workout.

Also, check out the 10 benefits of using them!

Taken from TRX Reviews HQ

Seriously, what is TRX? Don’t worry, I had the same question when I first discovered this unique training equipment.

TRX is all about suspension training. Suspension training was popularized by Navy SEALS, who discovered that it is a highly-effective way to develop strength, flexibility, balance, and core stability simultaneously.

The TRX suspension trainer will help you achieve these results by leveraging your very own bodyweight and gravity. You can easily perform hundreds of different exercises with many varying difficulty levels. By slightly changing your body position, you will add or decrease bodyweight resistance.

Suspension training is excellent for full-body training because of the compound nature. If you didn’t know, compound exercises are those that target several muscle groups within a single movement. For example, performing practically any TRX exercise will indirectly target the muscles of your core even if you’re using a chest exercise. That’s what makes TRX so unique. Compound exercises are the most effective way to improve core strength and stability.

TRX Suspension Trainer Features

Don’t be fooled by the Suspension Trainer’s simple appearance because they are actually quite versatile. With TRX Suspension Trainers you will not increase strength, balance, and flexibility, but you will also increase muscular endurance. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most elite athlete or someone who is just starting out, TRX Suspension Training can help you achieve some serious results.

And the best part is that these suspension trainers can be set-up in almost any environment including the gym, outside, in your home, or even your hotel room! You will no longer be able to make the “I don’t have access to a gym” excuse if you decide to purchase TRX.

TRX Training Philosophy

TRX’s philosophy is simple: no part of the body is an island unto itself. What the heck does that mean? To understand, perform a little experiment. Just simply try to pick up a pencil off the ground by only using your hand. As you should know, this is IMPOSSIBLE.

Even the most basic movements in our life simultaneously engage several muscle groups. This is the power behind TRX Suspension Training. Every single suspension exercise is a whole-body movement and will help you target an interconnect chain of muscles throughout your body.

Who uses TRX?

TRX Suspension Trainers are used by thousands of people at all fitness levels. These people range from the very physically elite or to people who are just looking to feel and look their absolute best. All four military branches actively use TRX Suspension Training is stay in shape while serving.

In fact, most military branches use the TRX FORCE Kit. The FORCE Kit is the sturdiest and most reliable TRX model on the market.

In addition to the military, TRX is also heavily used by MLB teams, UFC fighters, Olympic-level cyclists, swimmers, and even runners. And don’t forget out NFL quarterback Drew Brees who is the spokesperson for TRX, but also actively uses suspension training to strengthen his core.

So, what IS TRX? It’s awesome!

Don’t believe me? Read 10 benefits of TRX right now and I might change your mind!

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Raising Patient Children

For the parents out there, maybe a little tip? Just worth a read regardless :). It really sunk in for me as I do a lot of reflection on myself when I was younger. Anyway, any comments or thoughts feel free to shout.

Thanks OCPD

The quickest way to stop the crying of a child who is upset for not getting what he or she wants is to just give in and hand over the desired object to him or her. Although this may be the quickest solution, it is by far one of the worst solutions in the long-run. Instant gratification robs your child of the opportunity to learn some very important lessons: (1) we will not always get everything that we want so immediately; (2) our imperfect world can never be set in a way that it perpetually provides whatever it is that we want; (3) the difficult feelings associated with not getting what we want are a normal part of the human experience and they will eventually go away with mindful acceptance and positivity.

Mindfulness and delayed gratification build patience.

Let’s start off by exploring a scenario that all parents are familiar with. You and your daughter are in a toy store. She wants a toy. You say no. She cries because she is overwhelmed by some unfamiliar feeling of discomfort in her heart. What do you do? You help her identify and express her thoughts and emotions by getting her to think about what she is thinking in her head and feeling in her heart. She may be feeling betrayal and rejection because her thoughts are saying, “All this time I thought you loved me. How could you betray me like this by denying me of what I understand to be love?” After she puts these thoughts and emotions into words to the best of her ability, you deliver comfort, not by handing over the toy, but by giving her comforting words of truth and physical affection. You assure her that you love her. You teach her your more mature definition of love. You explain to her that, although it is ok for her to communicate to others what she wants, she cannot expect to always get that from them. You also explain that, in the context of generosity and gift giving, she is not entitled to a reason when others do not give her what she wants. Therefore, in most cases, you too do not give her a reason. Help her then to accept and feel her difficult emotions. Assure her that they are only temporary and that good emotions are just around the corner. Help her practice delayed gratification by getting her to wait for some time before she gets that toy. Ideally, you do not want to choose birthdays or special occasions as that will just transfer the sense of entitlement to those specific days of the year (I am not sure if there is any way to avoid that). All of this will greatly reduce your child’s chances of developing a sense of entitlement in his or her later years.

The next scenario is one that is not as obviously connected with instant gratification and I see a lot of parents, especially in the past recent years, just “giving in.” You decide to take your family out for dinner at a restaurant. Your son gets bored. He cannot stand the waiting time for the food to arrive and the time after he finishes his own meal. He becomes restless and starts to make a scene as an attempt to create more stimulation for himself. What is the quickest way to calm him down? I see a lot of parents these days just hand over their iPhone or iPad (full of games) to their children. It works like a charm!

This quick fix, however, robs your son of the opportunity to learn how to recognize and cope with the difficult feeling of boredom and understimulation. So what do you do instead? Like the example above, you get your son to identify and express in words his feelings of discomfort. You validate his experience by showing empathy. You let him know that he will be ok and then challenge him to accept and feel his difficult emotions. Assure him that they are only temporary and that good emotions are just around the corner. Help him practice delayed gratification by getting him to wait for some time before he gets his chance to play. All of this will greatly reduce your child’s chances of developing problems with inattention, impulsivity, addiction, and escapism in his or her later years. Many gifted people struggle with these problems because, growing up, no one really stopped them from utilizing their instantly gratifying coping methods to their intense feelings of boredom and understimulation.

Finally, the last scenario is one that is least likely to be recognized by parents as instant gratification because it is often confused with something else that is very positive. Your child looks upon the condition of his own work or the work of somebody else. He sees the gap between how things are and how excellent they could be. This gap causes him intense frustration inside. In attempt to remove this difficult feeling, your child takes immediate action and tries to close that gap. From the outside, the closing of this gap just looks like your child has great work ethic. What parent would not feel even slightly proud about his or her child having this from such an early age? What you fail to notice, though, is that your child is removing his own opportunity to develop patience in this area. After years and years of taking immediate action whenever this difficult feeling of frustration arises, your child grows up to be an adult who is incapable of being OK with this gap. The most painful part of it is… this person sees this gap everywhere and all the time. This is one of the main challenges of people with OCPD. So how do you prevent this? You stay close while your child is at work. You examine his motives. Is he doing it out of pure love, joy, and curiosity or is he doing it out of frustration? If it is out of frustration, just like all the examples above, teach him how to recognize, express, accept, and feel this difficult emotion. All of this will reduce your child’s chances of developing problems with obsessive compulsivity, workaholism, and perfectionism in his or her later years.

As a result of all the instant gratification I grew up with, I am not the best at giving 100% of my attention to anything that I am not hyper-passionate about. It all began in elementary school when I experienced the frustration of having to sit still and listen to the teacher. I noticed that, out of all of the words that came out of the teacher’s mouth, only a fraction of them were relevant and interesting to me. I figured that it was pointless for me to give 100% of my attention when I could just get the meat of the lesson with only 30% of my attention. I would then allocate the remaining 70% of my attention on some other activity, usually finishing my homework (to maximize my playtime once school was over). This continued all the way into my later years. But in university, I had a laptop computer instead. During all my business classes, I could now simultaneously work on other exciting activities like video editing. Having always participated in some other stimulating activity in these times of frustration, I now cannot help but feel intensely irritated when I have no way out of others’ communication that is long-winded, uninteresting, and disorganized. One of the most excruciating settings for me is group sharing circles where it is considered very rude to do anything other than give full attention to whoever is speaking. When I share, I make the extra effort to deliver my message in a concise manner by prioritizing the juicy parts of my story and minimizing the irrelevant “filler” parts of my story. But why doesn’t everyone else do this? My frustration then turns into anger and my mind gets bombarded with extremely negative and judgemental thoughts. “Why is it that the least interesting member of this group, who ironically begins her exhausting monologue with ‘I don’t have much to say,’ takes up the most time sharing about her bland life!?” The agony gets so bad for me that my heart rate goes up, I start to sweat, my nervous ticks and compulsions(cracking my knuckles, scratching my neck, touching my face, digging my nails into my head, shaking my legs, blinking my eyes) go on hyperdrive, and I feel sick in my stomach. I feel like running full speed into a brick wall. There have been numerous times when my pain got so bad that I had to excuse myself out of the room to cool down by stepping on patterns on the floor (one of my obsessive-compulsive cooling down strategies). Although this looks very much like ADHD, it is not (ADHD is actually the most common misdiagnosis of gifted people). Nevertheless, it is an area that I really need to work on building my patience in.

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Are you that child who grew up with too much instant gratification and now you have very little patience in one or more areas in your life? No problem. There is a solution! It certainly does not come in the form of a small pill that you just convenient pop into your mouth (come on now, that would just be another form of instant gratification!). The solution is to accept and experience the difficult feelings that arise every time you do not get what you want. This may be very painful at first but it will get easier with time.

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MORE READING

FOR YOU: “Mindfulness in Plain English” by Henepola Gunaratana
FOR CHILDREN: “A Boy and a Bear: the Children’s Relaxation Book” by Lori Lite

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The Time You Have (In JellyBeans) - Video

What will you do with that time? Worth a watch :)

There are 28,835 beans equivalent to the number of days an average American lives.

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8 Bad Habits That Cause Back Pain

TRy to avoid these! Thanks Discover :)

It is not always necessity to think about different illnesses and conditions when you have a back pain. Even healthiest individuals can experience this discomforts in everyday life. Read the article and you may be a bit surprised about some causes of your back pain.

Sleeping on an old mattress

A good mattress lasts eight to ten years. If you have not replaced yours for more than 10 years chances are that your spine is not getting the support it needs. Replace your old one with mattress that is not too hard and even not too soft. The curves of your back won’t sink in and won’t offer enough support.

Carrying a huge bag

If you are someone who likes to carry around your home, your back won’t be grateful. Carrying a heavy bag on a side of your shoulder causes your body to become imbalanced, getting your spine out of balance too. Switch to a lighter bag. Your purse with everything in it should weigh no more than ten percent of your body weight.

Wearing stilettos or flats

Heels which are too high for you force you to arch your back, putting stress on your joints. Flats can be bad for you as well, depending on your foot type. Sandals without a supportive back do damage, causing your feet to move from side to side and distributing your body weight unevenly. Everyone has an ideal heel height. Find yours.

Holding a grudge

Researchers at one university found that people who practice forgiveness experience fewer feelings of resentment, depression, anger and fewer aches and pains. Your emotions, muscle tension and thoughts can directly influence the strength of your pain signals. Not only are grudges bad for you physically, they do not do much for you emotionally either.

Sitting all day

Bad news for all of you with a desk job! It is bad for your health. Sitting around all day may feel nice, but most of you do not maintain proper posture while sitting in front of a computer all day, causing weakness of back muscles because of inactivity. Sitting also puts 50 percent more pressure on your spine than standing does. If your office does not get you a standing desk to help keep your core and back muscles engaged all the time, lean back throughout your day so you are sitting at a 130 degree angle to reduce compression of the discs in the spine. Finally, be sure your head is straight, not straining forward, when using the comp.

Stressing out

If you are stressed out, your whole body is also stressed including the muscles in your neck and back that contract and clench up. And if you keep stressing, those tight muscles do not get a chance to relax, causing pain. There are a lot of proven ways to lower your stress levels including exercise, meditation and a warm bath.

Skipping workouts

Exercise builds muscle tone that is vital for supporting your back. When you do not get enough of it, you experience stiffness, weakened muscles and your spinal discs become degenerated. Workouts that strengthen the back and abdomen are your best choice.

Eating too much junk food

Not surprisingly, an intake of high calorie and low nutrient food leads to weight gain. That weight gain can put a load on your back. Excess weight around the midsection causes the pelvis to pull forward, creating stress for the back. Overweight individuals are at an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Dropping even 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can improve your back condition.

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10 Ways To Get What You Want In Life

Thank you mind and body once again :)

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My Plate

Gone are the days of the food pyramid just because it was designed to suite the economic preference.

Really.

So, say NO to it!

These days it's called 'My Plate' whereby there is an even distribution on all basic types of food.

And...

Dairy is considered separate so you're more than welcome to have an ice cream after a meal! Haha, or perhaps milk and cookie :P

If you need or keen to know recipe ideas, or want to cook on a budget, head on to myplate for more info.

By the way, this is just a guideline and it works for me. Give it a shot to see if it satisfies the cravings as our body tends to know what is missed out but our brains just can't process it some times.

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13 Alternative and Healthy Baking Ingredients

For the Avid baker like me! Lovely alternatives indeed :)

October 24, 2013

By Lauren Caster

As an avid baker and someone who is passionate about nutrition, I am constantly striving to find the best healthy alternatives for my baked goods. Healthy baking doesn’t necessarily need to be gluten-free and vegan. In fact, some gluten-free options have just as much sugar and as many calories as the real deal. The same goes for vegan.

When swapping out ingredients for healthier or allergy]-free options, there are four major components of the baked good that need to be considered.

White flour alternatives

The first is white flour. This is important for people who have gluten allergies or if you are trying to control glycemic load and increase the fiber and nutrient value of a dish. Here are a few white flour swaps that work well. 

• Black beans – If you are making brownies, try using one cup of pureed black beans (about 15 oz.) instead of one cup of flour. You won’t be able to taste the beans, and they give the brownies a terrific fudgy texture.

• Whole wheat flour – In most recipes, whole wheat flour can be used instead of white flour. However, it will change the flavor, texture and density of the pastry. If you are making cake or muffins, or other recipes that should be light, try using whole wheat pastry flour instead.

• Almond meal  - For a more rustic tasting pastry, try using almond flour. It is naturally gluten-free and adds protein to your pastry. I like to use it for berry cakes or tart shells.

• Gluten free flour - If you would like to make a gluten-free option of your favorite recipe, try using a gluten free flour blend like this one from Bob’s Red Mill. You can also make your own by playing with a mixture of your favorite alternative flours like brown rice or quinoa.

Dairy alternatives

The next ingredient that you may want to substitute is dairy. In most cases, we are talking about butter in baking. To make something vegan, the butter needs to be replaced with a plant-based alternative. 

• Coconut oil - A great fat replacement! You can use the exact same amount of coconut oil as you would butter. It will give your cookies a delicious crunch and have you well on your way to vegan baking. 

• Avocado – This is a great replacement for butter if you are baking with chocolate, which will cover up the green color of the avocado. Pureed avocado will add some nutrients to your baked goods, as well as make them very moist and soft.

• Banana – Bananas can be used in much the same way as avocado. However, it’s important to note that they do have a very strong flavor. It’s best to use bananas in place of butter for recipes that you want to be banana-flavored, like loaf cake or muffins.

Sugar alternatives

Sugar is a tricky ingredient to eliminate from baked goods. This is because it not only sweetens cakes and cookies, but it is also reacts with the starch to help provide structure and acts as a tenderizer by absorbing water.

• Coconut palm sugar – This is an excellent alternative to brown sugar, as it adds a caramel flavor and color to your finished products. It can also have a slight coconut flavor, so it’s important to take that into consideration when choosing a sweetener.

• Raw honey – Using natural honey is a really good way to sweeten your baked goods. You can use the exact same amount of honey as you would sugar, or even a bit less. Because it is a liquid it brings a lot of moisture to the finished product.

• Stevia – This is a somewhat controversial sweetener, but if you are a stevia fan then I encourage you to use it for baking! Stevia is much sweeter than cane sugar, so it’s good to use in a recipe that doesn’t call for much sugar, or to substitute half the sugar for stevia. You could also combine stevia and honey or maple syrup.

Egg alternatives

The last ingredient that you can replace to make your recipe vegan or allergy free is eggs. Eggs also have a specific purpose in baking. They bind the other ingredients together and add moisture to the final product. When choosing an egg substitute, it is important to identify what the egg does in the recipe. For example, eggs are necessary for soufflé or cheesecake because it is a key ingredient. However, for cookies or cake, you can use a vegan alternative.

• Flax seed – To use flax seed instead of egg, just combine 1 tablespoon ground flax with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Once it is mixed together, add to your batter just like you would an egg.

• Chia seed – Chia can be used the same way as flax to replace eggs, except it does not need to be ground. Because chia is so gelatinous, it is a great binding agent in baking.

• Egg replacer – If you are making a dish with a big egg emphasis, you can try using an egg replacer like Ener-G Egg Replacer. These products are usually a mix of potato starch and tapioca flour, and are often gluten-free.

What are some of your favorite alternative baking ingredients? 

About the author

Lauren Caster is a contributing writer to Wellness Today. She resides in Portland, Oregon where she enjoys cooking for friends, doing Bikram yoga, and exploring new restaurants and food carts in town. She is one part of the bloging duo behind the blog Brooklyn-Portland, she received her diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and is a 2013 graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. 

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