Food & Nutrition are Crucial to Lifelong Personal Power, Joy & Health

Food is Vitality and Life Force! 🍒

• How can you eat to get the best results possible from food?
• Is proper, balanced nutrition important to you?

When we eat well we can give our best to life, and life gives us the berry best too :-). 🍓

The latest Personal Power Life Coaching video discusses why nutrition is vitally important so you live at your best for the rest of your life - optimal body, mind and spirit harmonization. When we eat well and holistically we feel great inside and out: strong bones, muscles, mental performance, wellbeing, fantastic energy for all of life's activities, and a more pleasant life experience. 

Why? 

Healthful, conscious and aligned foods have the nutrients and prana, or Life Force, that is essential to harmonious chemical balance within our organism, including the constant neurotransmitter interplays in our brain and stomachs (both regions which control emotions, thoughts, mindset and energetic processes).

🏺 Key Points on Food from the Video:🏺

• - Being mindful, conscious and aware of the type and quality of foods you eat.

• - Look at your current diet - How do you plan your food intake and choices? Is it balanced? Is it chosen intentionally, or haphazardly? Do you eat peacefully sitting down and enjoying each bite, or do you scarff it down in a rush barely remembering what you ate or if you enjoyed it? This aspect matters to the digestion and nutrient absorption. 

• - So many diets and recommendations in mainstream media. What's true? With the overflow of information, often contradictory (!), this means: Get to know your body, tune into your body's needs, appreciate it/yourself and do not compare yourself to others. What works for someone else does not necessarily apply to you. 

• - Do your own Food & Nutrition research, check different sources, read a couple of books, self-experiment and try different methods and approaches until to find something that suits you best. You will know you've struck gold when you feel good in body, mind and spirit - you have physical balance, good energy and are also able to eat in a manner that's sustainable for the rest of your life with relative ease and mindfulness.

• - The key to long-term health is a daily practice of mindful food choices with balance and this doesn't mean always eating "healthy" foods. Balance means being finely attuned to your unique self, needs, lifestyle, health requirement, and goals and then eating in accordance with that which serves you the best, and this can vary each day in slight ways. Thus, do learn to know yourself and trust yourself to make the right choices on those days or moments when they don't fit "the plan". 

• - Finally, set your intention and identify what is most important to you in your long-term health and vitality. What is your main outcome? And what foods and eating style are most compatible with that outcome? 

Wishing you a great day and happy, healthy and wholesome Life! 🍎🍒🍞🍕🍦😉

I invite you to enjoy the full video: https://youtu.be/Avqa4zlHDUY  

Thank you & All the very best,

Jennifer
Personal Power Life Coaching
www.facebook.com/coacharcila -- Visit the Page and click Like for more positive-living content, videos, uplifting poems, card readings and more. :) Thank you!

Valuable Tips: Eating Out & Sticking to your Eating Plan - Stay On Track & Succeed!

We've all been there. You're on your eating plan and doing well. Food prep is going smoothly, you are hitting your daily targets and feeling motivated. And then we receive invitations to dine out and you're wanting to join.
What to do when you feel that you may veer off of your plan and possibly sabotage your goals?

Dining out can be pleasant and satisfying, and you can honor your eating plan if we follow some clear parameters to keep us on track.

Here are some tips and ideas to help all of us who are following a diet or healthy eating plan (clean eating) and are dining out.

Earlier on the same day or 1 day in advance:

• Review the menu in advance – Check out the menu online if possible and assess which is the best dish for you.

• Plan/Strategize Ahead - Plan out your meals and caloric distribution for the day so that you can identify how much you will budget for dinner. Chances are the dinner (meal X) will be higher in calories even when you estimate and will likely contain more fat than you can accurately estimate. This is especially true since it's not entirely feasible to weight your food at the dinner table. 

Psychological, Mental & Emotional Preparation is key:

Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally - Set yourself up for success with Positive Vibes in advance. 

Decide in advance of sitting at the table on how you want to feel. Example talk to self: 

• "By the end of the dinner I want to feel light and satisfied, I want to feel good, proud of myself, I want to enjoy the company of other diners. I want to appreciate this special moment and opportunity to take in fine food."
• "I want to eat well and make healthy choices that are aligned with my health, wellness and fitness goals. 
• I trust myself to make the best possible choices knowing what I know about good food selections. I can do this. I trust myself to make the very best, ideal choices for myself tonight. It's going to be OK. I'm going to be fine. It's alright and I feel good about this new experience. I've got this and I can do it. Most importantly, I WANT this and I believe in myself. 
• I am my own partner on this wellness, health, fitness journey. I trust myself! I love myself and I can do this. It’s going to be fine.

When seated at the table & you’re ready to order: This is where your power lies.

Make savvy choices when you ready to order. Here are some pointers that can support you in more easily and effortlessly making the best choices aligned with your goals:

• Simply ASK for what you want - Inform the waiter directly: "You know, I'm really careful with my nutrition. Can you please recommend the lightest or "healthy" dish available tonight? That with the most veggies and least oil/fat? The waiters typically know which dishes the restaurant would rate at on the 'healthier' side.

• Salads - Look at the salad options and if it’s enough for a main course, pick the salad. Request dressing on the side which includes oils. If there is a protein, ask how it is prepared to avoid inadvertently ordering fried options. Ask for grilled, steamed or boiled options (same for the vegetables).

• Appetizers - Try to avoid appetizers since these are normally small bites packed with loads of fat and calories but which will not fill you up as you will then have a Main Course (correct?)

• Inquire on the Cooking Method - Request grilled, boiled, smoked, or steamed options. Bypass the sautéed, fried, deep-fried, pan-fried, seared, buttered, breaded or such ‘rich’ sounding dishes. The restaurant will typically be generous with the oils/butter they use when preparing their dishes and this is true from simple restaurant to 5-star cuisine.

• Request grilled or steamed with little to no butter/oil. Mention, if need be, that you are allergic to excess oil/butter.

• No Fried Anything - Be wary of and avoid dishes that are deep-fried, or with a complicated-sounding sauce, especially because sauces are made with fine ingredients like butter, oil, cream, milk, etc.

• Sauces/Dressings - Request all sauces and dressing on the side so you can then control the amount you decide to ingest. You can sample the sauces, and thus not deprive yourself, by using the Teaspoon as a measuring tool.

• Avoid dessert. You do not really need it, do you? If you can exercise self-control then only take in 1-2 bites and call it a day. Desserts will be energy-rich no matter how you slice it and any dessert can easily add 100-500 extra calories, unless you choose simple fruits (without creams, sauces, or other accouterments, etc) - bear this in mind! 

You made it through the main course making healthy, mindful options; don't squander your excellent effort by consuming excess calories at the very end. Furthermore, if this is dinner remind yourself that desserts are pure sugar; large quantities of sugar consumed at night will have you buzzing with energy the rest of the night and thus interfere with getting deep and restful sleep. 

• Alcohol – Alcohol/Spirits contains calories and carbs (sugar) and thus you may want to restrict this particular item from the evening. Beer can cause bloating which you probably don't  want to feel after eating. However, if you absolutely feel obliged due to social/professional pressures, then go for 1 glass of red wine which is easy to account for and contains some positive qualities such as resveratrol which is an antioxidant (antioxidants reduce oxidative damage in the body). However, bear in mind that there are many mixed evaluations on the need to drink wine for its health benefits. You can obtain antioxidants through fresh fruits such as berries.  

   

When you receive your food; the process of eating itself. 

You still have the power to:

• Bless your food and thank life for having it available here and now to nourish your body.
• Infuse your food with positive vibes and trust that it will only have positive, desired, beneficial effects on your fantastic, special and unique body.
• Pace yourself whilst eating; take slow and deliberate bites. No need to rush because if you eat too fast and finish before others you may feel compelled to eat even more food such as bread or any leftover appetizers still on the table.
• Savor each bite. Detect the variety of favors. Appreciate the food that you are eating and its preparation. 
• Appreciate the different food components - spices, ingredients, etc -  all the more if you are dining in an elegant, refined restaurant with a noteworthy chef and top-notch cuisine.
• Engage in conversation with other diners so you enjoy their company and also give your stomach enough time to process the food being ingested.

Finally, may we always appreciate that one meal will not make or break our ultimate success. Overeating in one meal can leave you a bit puffier and bloated for the next day, or feeling mental fogginess if you've eating something completely off of your plan.

The most important thing is to realize that it's about the habits and actions we are taking on a daily, consistent basis. How are you eating every day at each meal? Are you being true to your plan and thus aligned with your goals and vision?

When it comes to eating out perfectionism usually jumps out the window. Rather, it's about eating as close to ideally as we possibly can. The more you practice and experience what works for you, your own psychology, your own triggers and your own strengths and weaknesses, you become a more skilled eating-out diner.

For those of you who must constantly eat out for business and social reasons, then you will definitely want to be more strict (dare I say militant) about your nutrition and eating with the above ideas in mind.

Practice, reassess and see how your progress goes. And if eating out if really complicated for you then do not do it as much - you can always say no and meet you friends and others within another context that does not revolve around food.

Wishing you the greatest health and wellness! 

Jennifer

Personal Power Life Coaching

Journey of Learning to Love Myself - Short & Sweet notes - Sept 2013-March 2014

Friday Sept. 13, 2013:

Universal principle for today: 

"The events in my life reflect who I am."

- Whatever catches my attention is trying to tell me something.

- Overheard conversation catches my attention - I'll take the words as a personal message from the Universe.

- I want to find the world that is inside me.

Sat. Sept. 14, 2013

Meditation-Sutra-

"The people in my life reflect aspects of myself"

- Friends and family serve as a group picture of me.

- Each stands for a quality I want to see in myself or want to reject, yet in reality, I am the whole picture.

- I gain most knowledge from those I intensely love and dislike.

- One reflects my highest aspirations. The other my deepest fears.

Sept. 19, 2013 - Coincidences

- Marcus Smith and Holly on Inner Fight podcast last night, and earlier in the day I researched MS and found out his wife's name!

- Yesterday I read about different astrological historical patterns, and now today Elliott Hulse talks about past traditions and different ways of raising families, different family prototypes.

Sept. 20, 2013

Last night clubbing with my friend I met a guy is also a traveler and freedom-loving person like me. 

We are probably attracting those most like us.

Sunday Sept. 22, 2013 - All these coincidences 

Thank you so much for all the ways the Universe works. Today I'll pay attention to the coincidences. Nothing is random. Everything has a purpose.

Sept. 23, 2014

Thank you so much already, so lucky + happy!!! Yahoooo... :-) <3

Sept. 26, 2014

My life is amazing. I desire to fully follow my path filled with joy, love, wisdom and health. I am always prosperous. I am always growing and tapping into my fullest highest potential. I want to express my creativity every day!

Tue. Oct. 15, 2013 - Such a marvelous, magnificent & magical day.

Things I love: My family <3

1- Sleeping deeply and fully to awaken refreshed

2- Spending time with friends

3- Nature, animals - their beauty - I really love it all.

4- my iPad

5- YouTube

6- My very healthy and loaded bank accounts!

7- Seeing new movies @Cinema - what a treat!

8- Fun music

9- Love to laugh!

10- I love and adore exercise

11- I love the way the cute guy at the gym makes me feel - I feel excitement, attraction, curiosity, sensuality, desire + passion & HOPE

I love the feelings he evokes in my inner self and I intend to channel these feelings and go general as it is the same excitement and vigor of love I have with my future BF and life partner.

I love the feeling! Yay! <3

Sometime between Oct 15 & Dec 13, 2013...

I want to hang out, have fun and love all with my heart & soul this blessed week! And then always :-)

<3

Dec. 13, 2013 - Goat cheese, 1 tsp = 7g

Jan 25, 2014 - Thank you 4 the food - amazingly delicious!

Feb. 7, 2014 - The woman's cycle & Exercise

Day 1 to Days 14/15: Hi-intensity exercise most beneficial; Lo-Carb diet; Less amino acids.

Day 14- end Month: Longer, slower aerobic exercise; less weight-training.

As per expert: Stacy Sims

Feb/Mar 2014 - Knowledge is one thing. Application of it is another.

March 12, 2014

I love who I am. I approve of myself. 

My life is full of love & wellbeing + I attract even greater, more magnificent, jovial love towards me. Thank you, God!

I deserve love in all its glory and splendor & I receive it constantly. I love this feeling of being loved and cherished.

March 13, 2014 - Dear Jen, Good morning!

You deserve all the love, well-being, abundance this time-space reality can offer and it's all yours! :-) 

Live a lot & love deeply.

Believe in yourself :-)

December 2013 - Mom visits Dubai. God's gift to us :)

March 2014 - Love is with me :-) Yay

Pool morning, rest day. Sunshine :-) Win!

Why do I weight train? Asking myself...

When it comes to fitness and training, which I deeply enjoy and use as a focal point to guide my daily life I sometimes wonder - “What do I truly want out of this lifestyle?” Am I doing this simply to improve my physique? Or, is there something more I want out of this?

It started the way it typically does for most people - I was a chubby child and once I joined the gym and witnessed the progress and positive changes experienced through aerobics classes I was hooked and wanted to continue getting slimmer, never being fat again and working towards a more perfect, ideal body. At 17 yr old I became a certified aerobic instructor and taught for 2 years at Lucille Roberts gym, a women's only gym in NY.  I then went to college and continued exercising and went through period of serious caloric restriction which I overcame. I wrote a long post about that experience (Anorexia) on my other page jarcila.blog.com.

It's been an 11 year journey since I started out. I still remember first measuring/weighing my food when I was 16yr old and my first food scale. Little did I know I would still be using the same cute reliable scale 10 years later traveling from New York to Dubai.

Fast-forward to today, I am the happiest with my body than ever, and probably the healthiest.

It's been a topsy turvy road yet the most important thing I realize is that I haven't reached my destination and I am on a quest of sorts. I want a leaner body composition (12-15% body Fat where am currently at 19%), tightness, definition, MUSCLES :-P

Baking protein cakes, packing my meals for the day, buying wholesome foods and trying as much as possible to limit the processed, packaged foods...and then training 5-6 days/wk. All basic components of living the 'fit, healthy' lifestyle. I wonder why I am so drawn to it and what I truly want from this approach. Some thoughts:

- I want to have a healthy, strong, vibrant body
- I want to look good, slim, fit, trim, sexy and toned for myself
- I like the structure and routine the training lifestyle necessitates if you want to do well at it
- it helps me keep things in a structure and hierarchy of priorities for my life, and basically I become my own priority which is healthy, emotionally speaking
- it is a challenge that I need to exhibit focus, consistency, practice and effort to achieve a specific physique goal
- I love how I feel moving my body in powerful ways and improving, enhancing my strength. As my physical strength grows so too does my self-esteem and emotional, mental security.

I like who and how I am at the gym, the feeling of strength and possibilities...Of taking control into your own hands to influence your life when many other aspects are out of our hands and when I've felt lonely in the past.

I've met like-minded friends at the gym and have a feeling of support and solidarity through the folks I see regularly.

Multifaceted motivation :) Haven't met my amazing man yet, I have faith he's on his way and we'll have a blast for the rest of our days ahead - Yay!

This is a nice one. Finding someone who loves the gym and nutrition as much as I do is GOLD :-) Hope I meet him soon.

Geat Plyos (Plyometrics) - Cardio boost + Carbs as Fuel

Every day is a great day for a great day :-)

This morning I had an amazing workout - I went in not knowing what I would train yet allowed myself to know/believe that I would figure it out and make it good once I hit the gym floor.
I had my oats and 7g protein and noted I felt sort of tired/lazy before leaving the apartment. I think it was due to the 1/2 tsp Magnesium salts I took in the morning. I should've known better! Magnesium is typically a relaxant and usually taken pre-bedtime to promote better sleep. I took it this morning because I was listening to a podcast (one of my faves, Ben Greenfield Fitness), and he mentioned that Magnesium is helpful in promoting Adinopectin which is a hormone integral to body fat composition and seems to be found in higher concentrations in lean people. From a 2005 study found on PubMed:

"adiponectin levels are lower in obese subjects than in lean subjects. Apart from negative correlations with measures of adiposity, adiponectin levels are also reduced in association with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes."
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15655035

To increase/promote Adinopectin production you can take magnesium which is found naturally in pumpkin seeds as well as through an MG supplement. Since I've recently been cutting down my pill supplements, including MG, I realized that I've been missing Mg and thus added it this morning. Thankfully, I counterbalanced the slight sluggishness by drinking my 2 cups of delicious coffee, ensuring it buzzed my system. In the end it most certainly worked its magic.

Going back to the original point, once at the gym I 'woke up' so to speak and realized I was going to focus on plyometrics and raising my heart rate throughout with some emphasis on biceps. It was tons of fun. Burpees, jumping jacks, supported pullups, inverted rows, high quick knee raises, mountain climbers, star jumps, squat jumps and quick alternating toe-to-bench taps. I definitely raised my heart rate and experience some challenge to the muscles, which is great.

I also observed I was very energized and had an amazing workout - it just may be the case that the carbs I've been adding to my system are serving as potent fuel for my workouts.

So far so good, and I hope for continued positive outcomes along the way.

Tomorrow is legs day - finally I have a full, normal weekend again! After one month of training classes, which were really stimulating and engaging, I am also thrilled I can sleep in, eat my breakfast with peace and ease and make plans to enjoy the two days of REST albeit without rest from the gym tomorrow ;-)

Finally, the most valuable aspect of this all, for me, is that I have a healthy, vital, active, functioning body. I'm so blessed and thankful I can jump around in creative, fun ways; i can grow stronger and have new experiences within my own skin n bones. It's remarkable. I realize one day in the distant future my activity levels will be modified; thus, I'm thankful for this moment now, this moment in time, this particularly stage and chapter in my 20s where I am so passionate, devoted and excited about weight training and being fit. It is just amazing that this can endure for the rest of my long and healthy, joyful, love-filled life. :-)

xx

New beginnings are always exciting! New Nutrition & Training - Getting lean!!!

Today is a new beginning, a fresh start, and it is a day we will never live again. Let's make the most of it!

It's particularly significant as it marks the 1st of April - a new month for the continuation of life's journey however colored with new details, elements and different beautiful aspects.

In this month, I'm going to change/tweak my nutrition and approach to training. Mostly a change in my nutrition.

Since Dec 17, 2013 (so 3.5 months) I started have 30g carbs (Oats) pre-workout + Protein and then weight training. I've continued training 5-6 days/week and eating a lower-carb intake overall. Most days I typically consume 65-90g (max) Carbs and 150-160g Protein, 25-39g Fat for overall 1400 cals, which I've bumped up to this amount in the last 2 weeks.

My goal is to become leaner and more toned; to go from 19% Body Fat (measured last week 27 Mar) to 15-16%. According to the caliper info, it's reasonable to have fat loss of 1%/month. So it will take 4 months at very least. I'm no expert and I could easily be missing some info although that isn't as important as having a specific outcome of what I desire and basic parameters to guide me.

• So the new nutrition approach?

Following sound advice of my nutritionist :-) I will start to gradually increase my calories and carbs.
40% Carb, 40% Protein, 20% Fat and approximately 1600 cals. I'm a bit hesitant to bump up my cals yet I do train consistently 5-6 days and thus my energy requirements are likely higher than I am giving myself credit. In fact, many fitness experts and nutritionists advise that eating below cal requirements can result in some fat retention as the body is holding on the energy in the body; if adequate cals are consumed then this can facilitate the body to build muscle, promote fat metabolism, and reaching the lean, toned, defined body I crave :).

Despite the fact that I am satisfied on my current eating plan (lo-carb, no wheat or limited grains), higher protein and average fat, I am willing and open to adopting and implementing a new approach to see if it will shock my system and yield the desired results.  If I do the same thing I've been doing, I'm going to get the same results, and thus I won't know until I give it a shot and self-experiment.

The best that can happen is that I start to tighten up! See more abs definition, more defined, lean muscles and overall stable, optimal energy levels. That would be incredible! I want to embrace the possibility for a great outcome and if I apply myself conscientiously and diligently I can totally evidence the outcome - whatever it may be, and it can be amazing.

Well let me see.

• Some of the carbs I will now include/continue emphasizing:

- Sweet potatoes
- Oats
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Gluten free pasta & bread
- Pumpkin
Basically, carb food items I've been excluding due to the higher Carb content. I haven't been craving, wanting or missing these. Nevertheless, I will probably enjoy the greater variety of food I can include in my daily intake.

• What else?

From my recent coaching session (I was being coached as part of our final exercises), I committed to tracking my metrics objectively so that I have concrete data to compare. Many times we are (I am) quite subjective, emotional, hard on ourselves and generally unable to accurately gauge our progress. Thus, I can best track progress with specific tracking - one of the components in achieving my desired outcome :-)

I'll start by (1) resuming weekly progress pics, (2) body measurements with tape measure and (3) taking caliper measurements for Body Fat %.

In terms of training, I've started incorporating higher reps for all weight training exercises to stimulate muscle activation and increase my metabolism, and I am also starting to include some HIT moves (which I had been doing although not necessarily consistently) at least 3 days per week.

Part of me thinks I could greatly benefit from having a personal trainer who can make a plan for me which I can follow without having someone there by my side. It's worth considering.

For time being, I will focus on just a couple of key changes: nutrition (40/40/20 macro split), higher cals 1600/day, and incorporating higher reps on weight training + HIT at the end of each session, or else sprinkled in between training.

Hilarious - I love this one cuz it's often true! haha :-P

I'm excited for this new approach and new start! I have a goal in mind, the desire and a plan to implement. Now it's just applying, trusting the process and having fun at every single opportunity.

 xx

Self-experimentation: Decaf

Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans in store for us all. 

Today is shaping up to be a wonderful day so far - it's the first of the week, and while Sundays (Mondays) can have us feeling a bit disoriented, dazed or fatigued, I've been noticing the recently I am really well prepped for the beginning of the new work week. It feels great.

I think it's because I have good weekends, really enjoyable weekends, and thus I feel refreshed and eager to resume a new work week. Sometimes I feel like the weekly cycles are just that - cycles. A cycle is inherently repetitive...so in order to redirect sensations of ennui, I've been listening to motivational podcasts, uplifting information and thus helping myself to view each day in a positive light. Specifically, that each day is full of new potential, surprises, unexplored possibilities and brimming with my creative capacity. I think that each day can be made even more significant and unique by creating something new. Perhaps writing a new poem, a new blog entry, a new article, or for those who are more artistic - creating a piece of art or taking some pictures that represent an artistic view on things that others may not capture at first glance.

I was hoping to go rollerblading this morning for a change however it was raining quite heavily and thus plans changed. I still had a window of opportunity to get a workout in, if only I scooted to the gym. I had an awesome HIIT cardio session on the treadmill, 45mins and I felt really uplifted. I normally prefer to workout for 1.5 hours to feel like I'm doing something, however, the experts all agree - you should workout even when you're strapped for time: 15min, 20 mins, 30mins... So considering I had 1 hour, it was an opportunity goldmine. 

You just have to identify, decide and go for it.

DECAF COFFEE EXPERIMENT

Since last week I am trying to stay on decaf coffee in the morning pre-workout to see what changes I experience in my body and mood. Caffeine causes our adrenal system to get into high-gear in order to clean it out of system. Add to that the stress and cortisol induced by exercise, work stress, relationship and life/road stress, and you can see how adrenal fatigue easily manifests and can take a toll unless you actively apply relaxation techniques (yoga, meditation, deep breathing, massage, and such). 

Adrenal fatigue impacts energy levels and also sleep. And so, last week I had decaf coffee Friday-Wednesday. Everyone says that missing your regular cup o'Joe will make you feel cranky, moody or else "not yourself". I admit, the first 2-3 days that I was going sans-caffeine I did feel slightly moodier, 'off' and like I was missing that extra zest or fire. In fact, one of my friends noticed during our lunch together that my eyes were a bit tired, as if I had not slept well. I had slept just fine, however it was my first workday without the caffeine. Anyhow, I just got on with it. The more we live, the more I realize that you just have to crack on and not get too attached to a minor physical temporary discomfort since it's ephemeral, and there will be discomforts anyways so it's more about the mental strength of facing that unease, accepting it and overcoming it/moving past it.

In terms of exercise:  At first, in the beginning of my workout I was a bit calmer than usual however by the time I was 30mins in, I was energized as I normally am and pushed on. In any case, I rationalized that in reality the energy for the weight I'm moving comes from muscle glycogen stores, and these were replenished since I have my oats pre-workout. So basically, I can manage well w/Decaf coffee before a workout. Yes, Caffeine has that desirable fat-burning mechanism...well, I just have to trust that I am working out and giving it my best shot to build muscle which will in turn increase my metabolically active lean body mass and thus burn more calories and fat overall throughout the day.

It's recommended to avoid caffeine after your workout because your body's cortisol levels have been elevated by the exercise and thus you want to avoid further increasing cortisol production since it wouldn't be beneficial in the post-workout window.

Excessively elevated Cortisol --> Belly fat!

How I felt after 6 days caffeine-free:

Wednesday night, Feb 5, completing the 6th day caf-free, I slept amazingly well. So deep, full and wonderfully. I awakened on Thursday eager and joyous to seize the day and attack my full-body circuit workout. It was awesome.

These days, I am really well-energized for my workouts and sleeping well. Overall, I think comes down to prioritizing sleep 7-8 hours per night, cutting the caffeine, and I also take Valerian Root, 5-HTP, and Magnesium at night pre-bedtime. Keeping a regular, consistent sleep/wake schedule might also be beneficial since the body is allowed to maintain a healthy, stable rhythm of bodily processes. I also don't smoke or drink alcohol...

The oats+protein powder pre-workout are my staple now in the morning, and it's been really pleasant to have this meal in my nutrition. I added the oats (30g carbs) on December 17, 2013 (almost 2 full months ago) after reading Layne Norton's article "The Ultimate Cutting Guide". So let's see. Since then, I've also incorporated 1 TB milled flaxseed and 3g Black Chia Seeds into the Oats to deepen the nutrition and make the plain oats more exciting. I add 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt and mix different spices such as nutmeg, all-spice, cloves, cardamom, coriander, and cinnamon of course!

Oats are yummy and good all around. Simple, quick and nutritious - a real power-food in my kitchen.

Other power-foods in my kitchen aka favorites:

- Chia seeds, flaxseed, coconut oil, coconut butter (manna), cinnamon, dark unsweetened cocoa, celery, spinach, ginger, nuts, and Raw Protein powder (although I love the other commercial protein powders that are not so chemical-free). These are the ones that first come to mind.

Eating well and nutritiously is satisfying, fulfilling and medicinal - I love it! 

Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”