I think that this is the first time in my life where I find that I belong to something bigger than myself! Fitness is so much more than big body builders on steroids chugging back litres of Creatine and/or Whey shakes and pumping iron 8 hours a day! It is an industry that ranges from, yes, those protein-chugging-muscle-heads  to calming and flowy yoga instructors, from kids sports to senior aquafit, from participants that weigh 90 pounds to Sumo wrestlers! It emcompasses so many areas and people of all shapes and sizes that there is a 100% probability that no matter who you are or what you do, you will find something that fits you!  Fitness is about getting you off the couch and moving to keep you healthy! So, I have found the programs that I know worked for me and then some…

My especialty and what I feel so excited to teach every day is what it’s all about for me! Zumba is dancing and feeling like you’re at a dance party, Turbo Kick has the best music mixes that keep you motivated and the cardio kickboxing combos are like a flowing movement from one to the next.  I am currently getting my Aquafit certification to teach water fitness and will be doing my PiYo™ and Bellyfit® certifications later on this year to complement my classes and have a wider selection for my students.  I want to have a full body and mind understanding of what fitness is to be able to integrate that to my classes. I just wish there were more hours in the day to teach! I want to eventually have my Yoga Teacher certification and keep finding other programs that I want to teach! Who knows? Maybe in the near future I will have my own little studio (or co-own one) and bring my passion to everyone who is willing to let me teach!

This road to my inner self has been over 30 years in the making, but I can honestly say that I have NEVER EVER felt so happy and so good about myself before. And all my struggles to find out where I belong, and failing or giving up, have prepared me for this moment in my life, I am healthier, happier and in the best shape of my life since I started this journey, I have met amazing and inspiring people and have forged some life long friendships. I know I am in it for the long haul… and I am looking forward to every single step of the way.

P.S. If you wanted to catch any one of my classes in Winnipeg here is my current schedule until the end of 2011.

Monday
5:45-6:45 pm Zumba Toning at Anunda Studio
7:00-8:00 pm Turbo Kick at Anunda Studio

Tuesday
7:40 – 8:40 pm  Zumba at Shapes on Nairn

Wednesday
6:00 – 7:00 pm Zumba at Silverheights Community Centre on Ness

Thursday
6:30 - 8:00 pm Zumba and abs plus full body stretch at Carpathia School

Saturday
9:30 – 10:30 am Turbo Kick at Anunda Studio

Hope to see you there!

When I started my “fitness venture”, as I like to call it, I looked into all the possibilities on how to get healthy, fit and loose the excess weight. After a lot of investigating I finally found something that works for me so, I now want to give my completely-biased-not-based-on-scientific-fact-or-studies-but-on-personal-experience account of my relationship with tea and how it helped me lose weight and get healthy. Before I go on I want to let you all know, in case you didn’t already, that I am not a healthcare professional, physician nor dietician, this is just me wanting to share my experience with the world and maybe helping someone else discover tea and help give them a boost to a healthy lifestyle. Ok? Ok!

If you’ve seen some of my previous posts you’ll notice that I have a bit of a healthy obsession with tea. I’ve loved it ever since I discovered Shakespeare as a teen, (not sure how I made the connection but I think it had to do with British history). I started to buy and keep a little stash of tea at all times, I was the only one in my family who drank it so it wasn’t hard to always have some in the house. I wanted to have tea parties but a) I was a teen in El Salvador so teaparties were not exactly part of the culture, b) I was a TEEN, teaparties were not really cool, and c) I had no idea how to do it (this was before I knew that could search for anything on the internet, I used it only for email purposes). No biggie, as long as I could have my cuppa I was happy.

Fast forward a few years to my move to Vancouver. My first job was at a gourmet tea shop called Murchie’s. Talk about destiny! I learned everything I always wanted to know about tea and where it came from. All of my questions were finally answered! Needless to say, I was on the road to a lifetime of tea love. My tea collection has expanded and I always have at least 30 types of loose tea at home, you may think that’s a lot but if you drink 4-8 cups a day it really isn’t, I like variety!

Now, when I started my fitness journey a few years back I tried to kickstart my body with thermogenics, which just have me jitters and palpitations and whenever I stopped taking them I found that I gained any weight I’d lost back. I didn’t want to stay on those supplements forever! I wasn’t until I got really serious about fitness and health about a year ago that I started to do more research into boosting metabolism and staying healthy, that’s when I started to drink tea not only for the taste but for the health benefits as well. I’ve followed a little “tea regime” to help me out. However, I think that the whole fitness regime, for me anyway, really narrows down to 2 types: Oolong and Pu-erh.

Oolong (or Wu-Long) Tea:
Green tea is green because the leaves are un-oxidized. Black tea is black because because it’s fully oxidized. In between the two you have oolong tea which undergoes the most complex making process mastered only by the Chinese makers. Depending on the variety, it can range from 10% to 70% oxidized.

Oolong has been found to promote heart health by reducing triglycerides, cholesterols and atherosclerosis.

Oolong tea has the highest concentration of essential oils than any tea. The reason why oolong tea and weight loss are being paired up so much these days is that oolong tea causes us to burn 157% more fat than green tea. Doesn`t that make it the fastest way to accelerate healthy weight loss? Yes, it does! It has been found that drinking 2 cups of oolong tea a day boosts metabolism, which helps shed weight and also blocks the fattening effects of carbohydrates. Even for those who don’t need to loose weight, oolong is great to keep slim and toned. It helps by keeping the fats from piling on. It is a natural fat burner and can be a great substitute for the fat burner supplements. And, oolong is great to loose belly fat, so if you couple it up with flat stomach exercises you will have the answer to the question, how to burn stomach fat. It also reduces cholesterol.
Keep in mind that this tea works but how much and how soon cannot be guaranteed. In case you hear someone guaranteeing effects in a certain amount of time, please beware. Oolong tea requires patience and other methods of weight loss to have optimum impact. Along with a healthy diet and a regular workout routine.

How does Oolong compare to Green tea?
Green tea has more proven health benefits, partly because it is more extensively studied. However, with its stronger fragrance and aftertaste, oolong tea has a larger spectum of tastes and flavours than green tea. My favourites? The Weight Management Oolong with notes of pink grapefruit or Iron Goddess Oolong from Steeped tea or the Kamiya Papaya Oolong from Teavana.

Pu-erh Tea
Although Pu-erh tea tastes a lot like black tea, it isn’t black or oolong tea, it has its own category. This is what I found about the processing of Pu-erh tea: “The tea is picked, processed and partially fired allowing the leaves to retain moisture. The slightly moist tea is then piled. The natural bacterium on the leaves creates a reaction similar to that of a compost pile. The tea is then aged, in special underground rooms or caves, adding to its unique character. One of the most significant distinctions of this tea is that it gets better over time. These aged teas are prized and can be found in vintages, like wine, some dating back 40 to 50 to 100 years.” Pu-erh comes in green and black.

I “discovered” Pu-erh at the Vancouver Yoga Show. Looking around all the booths I came across the Namasthé booth and the lady let me try their ginger pu-erh tea. I loved the earthy tone of the tea and started to research more about it. I found so many health benefits that I don’t even know where to begin! First, and most interesting, I found that this tea has been considered for centuries as medicinal in China. It helps (and here I am speaking for personal experience, didn’t just take the articles’ words for it) in digestion and it’s excellent after a heavy and/or greasy meal. I know I feel a LOT better when I have it after dim sum, a cheat day’s burger and fries meal or a slice of pie. Other studies also indicate powerful cholesterol lowering effects, blood cleansing properties and aid significantly in weight loss efforts. (HELLO!! I’m SOLD!).

Now, let me warn you, in my opinion I think that Pu-erh is like a Lapsang tea in that it’s an acquired taste. If you try a hight quality pu-erh you may judge the brew by it’s smell, which can be quite pungent and earthy. I personally don’t mind it, heck, I love lapsang tea as well and it smells like you’re smoking meat! However, if you feel you’re a little faint of heart or are a total tea beginner then I suggest you try a blended pu-erh like the Pu-erh Ginger tea from Namasthé, the Strawberry Slender pu-erh from Teavana or the Toffee Caramel Pu-erh from Steeped Tea. I am 100% confident that you will be impressed with the health benefits alone!

Ok, so there it is. If you think about it, wouldn’t you rather drink 2 or more cups of these teas a day than to take those very controversial thermogenics? I know I can commit to drinking tea for the rest of my life but can’t see my self forking out the $20 or more for a month’s supply of supplements that I’d have to take everyday. What about you? I really suggest you go on your own tea journey and see where it will take you. You won’t be disappointed!

Tea Quote:
“Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.”
- Chinese proverb

Summer is in full swing, gotta take advantage of every second of it since we get very short summers here in Winnipeg. That is one of the reasons why I haven’t spent much time cooking lately. I’ve also been spending a lot of time dancing. I was dancing 4 hours in a row twice a week! I was practicing for a dance performance and really wanted it to be perfect. The costumes that the girls chose for this performance where so much more revealing than anything I’ve ever worn in public. Talk about a motivator for exercising and eating well! I learned about the performance in early April when I joined the ladies dance group and 2 weeks later I found out about the costumes so, I did what any one would do and kicked my healthy routine up a notch. The first performance was two weeks ago and, even though I haven’t been as diligent in my routine lately I still was able to break through my plateau! I wanted to share some of my tools with everyone, just in case you were looking to kick things up a notch…

First thing’s first… Journal it! You may have heard this a million times over but I tell you, it really works! Whenever I want to try to lose a few pounds I keep a food journal, it’s a way to keep and stay accountable. You want to make it even better? Have a friend (if you have a friend in the fitness industry it would be a plus!) review your journal once in a while. I know that most personal trainers will make you keep a food journal for weight loss.  Now, after getting an iPhone recently I found an app that helps you keep a journal on your phone. I have tried several but I found that Lose It! is one of the better apps out there. It has everything you could think of for a food journal, from calorie counter to an exercise tracker. I tell ya, it’s an excellent tool!

Ok, you’ve started a food journal, now what? Well, there’s no other way around it, you gotta exercise. It’s the only way to keep a healthy heart and healthy weight (unless you’re one of those lucky they-don’t-know-how-good-they’ve-got-it types that can eat anything and not gain an ounce) but the healthy heart part is good no matter how thin you look.  Anyway, the way to kick start your metabolism or even to stay healthy is with exercise. Now, to some people it is a dreaded chore, for others, like me, it is something I enjoy but sometimes life gets in the way of my exercise so I have found dancing helps me.  For those of you who haven’t found anything that keeps you, or even makes you attempt to try to stay motivated I want to ask, have you tried Zumba or Turbo Jam?

Zumba: I discovered this gem in 2003 after reading an article in “Latina” magazine. It took me a couple of years but I finally broke down and purchased the DVD’s in 2006 and I haven’t looked back since. If you love dance then this is definitely the workout for you! Their slogan says it all: “Ditch the workout, join the party!”. Zumba is a freestyle dance based class, it’s almost like you’re learning a short and easy choreography routine for each of the songs that the instructor plays. What I love most about the class is not just the 80%  latin music but that each class is as different as the instructor teaching it! There’s no cookie cutter class where  all the instuctors have to have the same choreography and music. The instructors are encouraged to come up with their own choreography if they want to. If you go to one of these classes there’s no way you’ll be bored, there’s a reason why there is a very loyal following to these things.

Turbo Jam: This is the program that got me started on my weightloss journey. The creator, Chalene Johnson, is so a great motivator that you can’t help but fall in love with her programs. Turbo Jam is like a cardio kickbox class with a little pizzaz! The music and the workout sucks you in to the point that when you’re done you can’t believe that you’ve just finished a 45 minute class. This program has a little something for everyone and if you speak to anyone who has tried it they will tell you to try it as well. It’s a great way to stay motivated. And, do I have to ask, what better way to exercise than to the beat of great music?

So there you have it. These three tools are what helped me get the confidence I needed to stay on a healthy lifestyle track and I’m still going strong. I then started going to dance classes and events which helped get me even more in shape and in love with movement. I recently performed with an amateur dance group and have found kindred spirits that have the same love of dance that I do. It’s such a great community! The only regret is that I waited so long to join them. I was so hesitant to go to these things on my own that I missed out. I finally bit the bullet and went by myself (my friends were all busy doing their own thing and not so interested in taking salsa classes with me) but I don’t regret it. I’ve meet a wonderful group of people and some very good friends. So let me tell you to Carpe Diem and get out there, this latina finally found her place in the world, and it’s definitely on the dance floor!

Ladies Dance Group

Today’s Quote: There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.”
~Vicki Baum

I can’t necessarily say that I’ve struggled with weight all my life, it was really when I hit puberty when the pounds started to accumulate. Just because my priorities changed, you know, not playing outside or joining in sports, I had other interests… mainly boys and hanging out with my friends.  So it began. I supposed the older I got the more I realized how important it was to make some changes, I just wasn’t sure where to start.  About a year ago my closest friend, and personal trainer, helped me by making up a program for me. I basically do weight training and 20 minutes of cardio Monday, Wednesday and Friday and do some other type of cardio or exercise the rest of the week.  Right now I do 30-45 minutes of either Zumba, Turbo Jam, jogging or yoga.  I cut out most sweets, soda pop, junk food and deep fried foods (I do have my “cheat days” once in a while but I really don’t miss what I have cut out).  Amazingly enough, It’s now been almost 3 months and I’m still not tired or bored of it. In fact, I feel great and that is enough motivation for me to keep going.  I am “snacking” on the Xocai healthy chocolates which have helped A LOT in curving cravings for sweets and, since they are so full of antioxidants (three chocolate nuggets have as much as a pound of spinach). My transformation has begun, slowly but surely. I am already 3 inches (overall) smaller and 12 pounds lighter.

Ok… so the point of this story is really about my motivation. I find that I really cannot workout without music. Zumba is awesome since it’s really just dancing, Turbo Jam has great mixes, yoga I do with relaxing music and when I do cardio or jog it’s always with my trusty iPod. Now, jogging is not the easiest for me but I find that if I mix up my music it keeps me motivated enough to finish my 30-40 minute jog. I get bored easily though (short attention span) so I have to mix it up every week or two. I’m always looking for great music that has the best beat to keep up with my jog, I will post my music every time I change it so you can check out what keeps me pumped, of course, in keeping with the international theme of my blog, it will include music from all over the world and hope that if you come accross this list and want to recommend a song or two (or ten!) please do so. Like I said, I am always on the lookout for great music! You will see that the trend is music from movies I like, predominantly from martial arts or fighting movies. What can I say? I’m a nerd.

Power Mix - Week of August 31st (keeping it from 40 mins to an hour)

Run it – Chris Brown
Wo You Wo De Young – Fahrenheit (Taiwan, I don’t understand a word they’re saying [yet] but if you catch the video on YouTube you will understand my choice)
Rollin – Limp Bizkit
Best of the Best – Stubblefield and Hall (from the Best of the Best movie soundtrack)
Suda el Jamón – Debi Nova (Costa Rica)
Nookie – Limp Bizkit
Remember the Name – Fort Minor
Fight to Survive - Stan Bush (from the Bloodsport movie soundtrack)
You’re the Best Around – Joe Esposito (from the Karate Kid movie soundtrack)
Made – Jamie Scott (from the Step Up movie soundtrack)
Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins (from Top Gun… yes, that’s right!)
The Champion in Me – 3 Doors Down
You Can Do It – Ice Cube
Once In a Lifetime – Keith Urban (Australia – to cooldown/stretch)