Can Food Make Me Smarter?

Back in December I started eating less bread, rice, pasta and cereal. This was tricky because I already follow a plant-based (with occasional fish) diet. When you have already stripped out meat, cheese and eggs, what's left? However, I was motivated by a nagging reminder...I kept forgetting words.

I've been reading several books on brain health and there is a theory that the rise of dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and general brain deterioration may be the quantity of grains we eat. Grains raise our blood sugar and, consuming too much of them, can produce insulin resistance. Furthermore, some people experience inflammation (another brain combatant!) when they consume wheat-based (gluten-containing) products. While I am not in this camp, I thought I'd do an experiment on myself and eat more vegetables and fruit to replace the extra grains. What came was a surprise.

Kale and Carrot Salad

After a month of eating a daily salad, I actually started craving salad. Salads became my base for most dinners. Throw a piece of smoked mackerel or a can of sardines on a salad. Roast walnuts and sprinkle tofu on a salad. Crumble a veggie burger on a salad. What's more, while I used to think of salads as the thing that came before the main meal. Now, I feel full and satisfied with just a big salad. Beyond salad, I learned several tricks for making meals delicious without grains...

Matar Tofu on Cauliflower 'Rice'

Frozen "riced" cauliflower can be a substitute for rice under stir-fries and Indian dishes. Roasted vegetables make a fantastic, filling side-dish replacing white potatoes. Zucchini noodles (prepared correctly) are just like pasta. Pureed turnips and cauliflower make a mashed "potato" that is sweet and creamy. Lay a piece of pecan-encrusted perch on your mashed turnips for a mouth-watering dinner. Yum.

Nearly 3 months into my experiment, I've lost weight, discovered boundless energy and I've run two Spartan races. I spend a lot of time in the produce section of the grocery store and race through the rest. Am I thinking more clearly? Not yet. But, case studies show dietary changes can take 4-6 months to have an effect on the brain. 

Every dietary improvement can impact your life. Want to work on your nutrition plan? Email me at mark@betterlivingfitness.com to get started. www.betterlivingfitness.com

Thai Curry Soup with Zucchini Noodles

A Hands-On Approach to Helping People: Introducing Better Living's Newest Personal Trainer, Joshua Plonka

Josh Plonka joined the Better Living team back in November of 2016, working on the front desk to welcome members and schedule personal training sessions.

As of March, though, he's the one being scheduled – and we're thrilled to have him as our newest personal trainer!

Josh (left) with Will Burchfield

Josh has always known that he wanted a career focused on helping people, and first went to school to pursue occupational therapy.

“I've always been physically active, and I wanted to help people live healthier lives,” he said. “But after being in school for awhile, I decided I wanted to practice a more hands-on approach to helping people heal themselves, and decided that earning a B.S. in Exercise Science was the way to go.”
 

Josh in his kitchen

Eventually, Josh plans on earning a doctorate in physical therapy. In the meantime, though, he's enjoying learning even more about the ropes of personal training from Better Living Fitness founder Mark Thiesmeyer.

“Mark teaches Better Living trainers a lot about communication with clients, as well as the proper techniques for all of the exercises,” Josh explained. “I've also learned how to quickly spot when a client's form is 'off,' so we can prevent an injury before it happens, and muscle testing to help target areas where a client needs special attention.”

When he's not working with personal training clients, Josh said that he's still staying active with camping, Frisbee golf, and biking. When it's time to rest, though, Josh makes time for one of his abiding passions – food.

“I'm a foodie – I love cooking, going out to restaurants, and trying new things,” Chef's Table on Netflix, because it's not just a full hour of cooking. The show also looks at food culturally, and why people cook what they do the way they do.”

Back at Better Living, Josh said the biggest surprise he's had so far as a personal trainer is how quickly the time goes by during sessions. “The hour just flies because my client is having fun, I'm having fun – it doesn't feel like work at all. We're just having a grand old time together, while at the same time my clients are working toward their fitness goals.”
he said. “And I also love cooking shows. Right now I'm obsessed with

Josh, and our other Better Living personal trainers, are available to help you achieve your best body ever. Just click here for your free initial consultation, and we'll set you up with personal training that works!

Full-Body Fit Is a Family Thing for Kauser and Mike Shahpurwala

After trying - and leaving - other gyms and fitness centers over the years, Kauser and Mohamedi (Mike) Shahpurwala have been coming to Full-Body Fit since we opened the Better Living Fitness Center in January of 2016.

“I got a post card from Better Living in the mail and realized that this is near my

work, so I decided to check it out,” says Mike, who is the founder and president of Aven Tools in Ann Arbor. “It was fun, so I brought Kauser with me and we decided to do it.”

According to Kauser, she wasn't very enthusiastic about the idea of working out at first – “...but when I started coming I saw the advantages of the Full-Body Fit class, and I was having a good time.”

Both Kauser and Mike say they appreciate the variety of workouts offered during Full-Body Fit, and they enjoy the friendly group atmosphere.

“We've tried other gyms, and I was a member of a country club that has a fitness center, but working out by yourself isn't very fulfilling,” Mike says. “Not only that, but normally with fitness places you get bored after a certain time. That hasn't happened with Better Living and Full-Body Fit, because the sessions are very interactive and because of the group setting.”

“The people in our classes (on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays) are a lot of fun to work out with, and we really support each other” Kauser adds.

They also like working out together.

According to Kauser, “When we started working out together Mike would push me, and now we push and encourage each other.”

The couple also love the fact that, even though Full-Body Fit is a group session, Better Living trainers customize exercises as necessary to fit the needs and limitations of individual participants.

This is particularly important for Mike, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

“I have to be careful not to move my shoulder beyond what it can tolerate or to use overly heavy weights, but I'm still able to get a good workout during Full-Body Fit,” Mike says.

In addition to helping Mike strengthen his shoulder and enabling him to work out without further injuries, Mike and Kauser say that they're enjoying the results of coming to Full-Body Fit regularly.

Kauser says that she's more energetic, and Mike adds that he's seen a lot of improvement in his weight.

“I'm more toned, and I feel more fit in general,” he says.

Join the fun at Full-Body Fit! Full-Body Fit is a strength and cardio conditioning session that also features exercises that improve balance, posture and flexibility. We offer Full-Body Fit several times a week to fit a variety of schedules – whether you join Kauser and Mike's sessions or come another time, we guarantee you'll get fit and have fun!

Full-Body Fit is included with our Lifestyle, Comprehensive, and Unlimited memberships. Click here for more information about membership, and get ready to start experiencing your best body ever.

Better Living Members Burn Over 11,000 Calories & Raise Over $3,000 for disabled veterans

Our October 14th Cardio Relay charity event for the Michigan Department of Disabled American Veterans was a huge success:

• Fifty-six participants got their sweat on by walking or running, rowing, or by working out on one of our elliptical machines – in all, our cardio machines were kept busy during the eleven-hour event!
• In total – we counted – Cardio Relay participants burned over 11,000 calories!
• Thanks to the generosity of our Cardio Relay participants, our co-sponsors, and the support of local businesses, we raised over $3,000 for the Michigan Department of Disabled American Veterans to help disabled vets in Michigan plow through the mountain of paperwork standing between them and the health care and other benefits they've earned and deserve.

We owe a huge thank you to our co-sponsors, Tortoise and Hare Running & Fitness Center and Between The Lines. I also want to thank the local companies that made the donations, either in the form of refreshments or items for our silent auction:

A2R3 Therapeutic Massage
Anderson Paint
Campus Barber & Beauty Salon
Nicola's Books
The Lunch Room
The M Den
Washtenaw Dairy
Zingerman's

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Communities: Ongoing Charity Initiatives at Better Living Fitness Center

One of the reasons I opened Better Living Fitness Center was to have a place that can serve the better health of our entire community in addition to helping Better Living members achieve their health and fitness goals.

To that end, every month we donate a portion of our proceeds to a local charity that we select during a staff meeting. Our Fitness Center has only been open since January, but it was important to me to start this business off right as a solid corporate citizen here in Ann Arbor.

This month, of course, we're making our donation to Michigan Disabled American Veterans. As time goes on, we plan to support all sorts of organizations that make life better here in Ann Arbor: nonprofits that serve homeless individuals, charities that take care of animals, and more.

Likewise, we aren't able to give a huge amount now as a relatively new fitness center – but as we grow, so too will the amount we're able to give to local nonprofits.


This means that your membership with Better Living Fitness Center isn't only a fantastic investment in your health and fitness goals – in addition, you're also contributing to the health of our wider community! (Check out our fitness classes and memberships today and you can start making your dual investment – in yourself and in our wider community – right away!)

Stay tuned to our blog, website, and/or Facebook page for information the charity we choose each month. I'm looking forward to creating a thriving partnership between Better Living, our clients, other locally-owned Ann Arbor businesses, and the entire Ann Arbor community.

Health Note: $99 month Unlimited Memberships are still available for a limited time. Better Living Fitness Center Unlimited Memberships include all of our classes, allowing you to customize a weekly and monthly workout routine to target all of your health and fitness goals: strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. In addition, a portion of your membership (or membership upgrade) will benefit a local Ann Arbor charity through Better Living Fitness Center's monthly donation program.

Take a moment to check out and sign up for your Unlimited Membership today.