Introducing

Introducing Leah Garcia’s Three Step Guide To Better Health And Fitness by Sheila Totten

 

One of the rising problems among our American Indian people today is the high incidence of type 2 Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. These are two conditions which can be turned around through diet and exercise. I am an example of this as I had high blood pressure ,Type 2 Diabetes and high cholesterol. I was a perfect candidate for a stroke or heart attack.; and I looked a lot older than I am. I decided to change my life and lose the excess baggage which was causing me these and other medical problems. After only three months on my diet program with Matrix I had lost enough weight that my blood sugar was completely normal as was my cholesterol and my doctor weaned me off of my diabetic and cholesterol medicine. After 6 months I was also off of my blood pressure medicine with normal blood pressure for the first time in twenty years.

Having lost 65 pounds quickly I was in bad need of toning my body and my friend, Leah Garcia cane to the rescue with her tips .Back in 2005 she had sent them out to friends at New Years and I had done a story on Leah and her exercises. I decided it was time to take them out and get to work. Then I decided that Leah’s tips could help many people tone up and lose weight; and among our people this would be a way to combat Type 2 Diabetes.

For those who are not familiar with Leah let me introduce you to her. Leah can currently be seen on the PBR BFTS broadcasts on Versus. She has been their back of the chutes interviewer for several years and the cowboys enjoy being interviewed by the vivacious and charming Ms. Garcia. She can also be seen on HSN and other channels doing infomercials and selling fitness equipment and her own fitness videos .Leah, who grew up in the world of rodeo in Northern California, has been an All Around Cowgirl., a high school rodeo Team California finalist (1980 and 81), district All Around Champion and Rodeo Queen. In 1984 and 1985 while attending Cal Poly she went to the CNFR and was the Poly Royal Goat Tying Champion in 1983,1984 and 1985.She was also the Poly Royal All Around Cowgirl in 1985 Leah claims it was World Champion Bull Rider Gary Leffew to whom she owes one of her Championships. The “Guru” as he is lovingly called by his rodeo friends taught Leah to visualize winning .In her own words: “He is so amazing. If he says visualize this, you do visualize it. I owe one All Around Championship to him as he made me visualize it and I won.” Gary became her coach and mentor and he applauded her choices when she hung her spurs up and went onto the next chapter of her life.

Leah went on to become a broadcast journalist, an amateur turned professional Mountain Bike Racer, Hotel Executive, Entrepreneur, Personal Trainer, Triathelete, Writer, Professional Model; and fitness instructor who has produced her own exercise videos.

For those of you who will be in Nashville the weekend of June 15 and 16th you can find Leah with the PBR at the Nashville Arena. Come on out and meet Leah and see a great show. With three time World Champion Adriano Moraes and 2005 World Champion Justin McBride and the many other PBR stars you will have an exciting time.

Here is Leah’s guide to exercise and weight loss. I hope it helps everyone.

Three Step Guide To Better Health and Fitness

By Leah Garcia

 

I am often asked how to maintain health and fitness, despite busy schedules and general motivational constraints. While it would be very easy to point out the obvious; eat well, exercise and reduce stress, there are a few details which will help this formula seem less obscure.

 

I would like to offer my recommendations and tips so that you may apply them at your convenience, using the information as you will. 

 

Here are some easy resolutions to live by:

 

THREE STEP GUIDE: These exercises can be done anywhere and without any equipment.  Make these your daily pledge, while mindfully using good form and slow movement.

 

1)    Do as many PUSH-UPS as your age!   

2)    Commit to at least 100 abdominal crunches.  Use a fit ball, the floor or a chair.

 

3)    Practice side lunges or reverse lunges as a substitute for “a walking step” daily.

 

Ok, I'd like to recommend more, but I want to be realistic.  This should be your DAILY GOAL regardless of your existing exercise routine (please note that losing weight and getting fit is a combination of strength training, cardiovascular training and proper nutrition.  I recommend 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise four to five times a week and strength training three times a week, as a well rounded plan, in conjunction with some Pilates and/or Yoga).  Nevertheless, to capture some maintenance and to stay sane, practice the THREE STEP PLAN daily (just in case the other stuff gets overlooked!)  Meaning, anywhere-anytime, daily, you will do upper body, core and lower body movement with the Three Step Plan.

 

Consider working out to the Leah Garcia Fitness®, Custom In-Room Workouts, a selection of exercise routines designed to be used 24/7, in the privacy of your home. If you have never hired a personal trainer, and have not had one-on-one instruction on proper form, I highly recommend ordering the DVD set. There are seven routines (cardio stretching, total body workout, core conditioning, sport fit, pilates, intermediate pilates and yoga). They range is beginner to advanced and every workout provides a foundation for healthy movement. You can find the Leah Garcia Fitness® DVD series at www.leahgarcia.com and on the Pay-Per-View Network in hotels nationwide. Visit www.leahgarcia.com for more information.

 

Diet

 

The balance of both diet and exercise is necessary to make a substantial difference in the overall fitness and well-being of your life.  I recommend a balanced diet, which is a combination of pure, clean drinking water, adequate protein, moderate carbohydrates and good quality fats.  There is a certain level of commitment you must make to yourself in order to achieve and see results in any program or diet. 

 

Please note that I have been ordering and "paying" for my own nutritional product for years. It is a commitment I’ve made to ensure that I’m getting what I need to maintain a high level of health and vitality. I suggest you consider the same. Essentially, I would discourage you from getting your nutritional supplements from a “drug store.” Choose a reputable source from a well-established provider. GNC, Vitamin Cottage, Natural Markets and a select number of on-line and mail order companies would be a good starting place. While you may pay a bit extra for quality product, it will be worth it in the end due to the bioavailability of the ingredients. Meaning, you’ll get what you pay for.

Make it a point to learn the difference between a multivitamin/mineral formula, calcium/magnesium (especially for woman) and essential fatty acids. Remember there are certain nutrients that our bodies need, which we do not manufacturer ourselves, and therefore must ingest through diet and supplementation. If you are not paying attention to this balance, you may have a deficiency. Deficiencies are often insidious and may be hard to pinpoint without the help of a doctor or nutritionist.

 

Here are a couple more recommendations (in terms of my nutrition) that may work for you as a starting point toward better health and vitality.

 

Get in a routine with these simple suggestions (and please note that I do not intend for this to replace your existing nutritional plan.  If you have found one which works - please stick to it).  This if for those of you who are still scratching your heads wondering what you can do to help things along!

 

1)    Have a nutritional bar or a shake for breakfast when you're traveling - or heading off to work in a hurry.  This routine is the best for creating a habit, helping you to burn fat, and to condition your body to not over eat first thing in the morning.

 

2)    Eat five times a day.  (Easy partner!  Five LITTLE meals), Breakfast (see above), Mid Morning Snack, Lunch, Mid Afternoon Snack, Dinner.  Try to avoid all day grazing.  This should keep your metabolism revved up all day, burning more fat.

 

3)    Always think in terms of "What protein source” should I have for my meal or snack?  For example, always choose fish, poultry, beef, tofu, eggs as a main course and complement it with a side dish of vegetables or fruit.  When eating out, order Fish (for example) and ask to have the chief eliminate the rice, the pasta and the potato.  ORDER DOUBLE VEGETABLES.  Think long and hard about whether you REALLY need all that bread!  This will open you up, and allow for some nice indulgences, like a bite of chocolate, or a glass or two of wine!  Remember, being "good" 75% - 80% of the time, will give you a realistic 25% slop factor, but still keep you healthy and fit!

 

Nutrition

 

I recommend taking a multivitamin and Omega 3 fatty acids (commonly known as Fish Oil Supplement) daily.  For those of you questioning a multivitamin, even with a balanced diet, let me reiterate the fact that unless you're eating all organic foods, and a PERFECT balance of all your antioxidants and other vitamins, and minerals, you NEED a multi.  A friend of mine recently started taking a multi, and by that simple act alone, has lost weight and developed a leaner frame.  Your body will respond well to that which it's lacking!

 

The Omega 3 fatty acid supplement is a combination of essential fatty acids that are "ESSENTIAL" to our diet.  Meaning they can't be produced by the body and, therefore, must be supplied through our diet. They will help you with "Silent Inflammation." Silent inflammation is excess inflammation at the cellular level that is not perceived as pain.  It can linger undetected for years, constantly wearing down the heart, brain, and immune system.  It may eventually manifests itself as a chronic disease such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.  The short term (immune system) is KEY for travelers, and OMEGA SUPPLEMENT will help to keep you healthy and fit on the go!

Ready?

 

Simply put -- Your goal should be to exercise every day (minimum, do your push ups, your core exercises and a few lunges for lower body strength), eat a well-balanced diet. Pay attention to packaged foods, avoiding those with hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils are the bad stuff, and sadly, hiding in 80% of all shelf food products. And, finally, Take Your Supplements (No excuses here!)

 

Thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself.  

Much Fitness and Good Health to You,

 

Leah

 

About Leah Garcia and Naturally Caffeinated®, Inc.

Leah Garcia is the founder and President of Naturally Caffeinated®, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado, based company that offers custom fitness solutions, including video and Video-On-Demand programming, consulting, and corporate wellness services. Leah, a certified personal trainer and former professional mountain bike racer, currently travels the country as a television host for fitness infomercials and a guest with shopping networks, and a sidelines/features reporter for the Professional Bull Riders Tour on Versus TV network. Before her athletic career, she held sales and managerial positions in the hospitality industry. A frequent traveler, she logs over 100,000 miles and 200 nights in hotels annually.

 

Tags: Fitness