SNACKS is that Spark to Rev your Metabolism!

Snack – A small amount of food eaten between meals!!!!

Most of us love snack time…..it probably sticks with us from our younger school years when snack time meant cookies and juice and a little bit of down time from our school time.   Snack time should always remain a special part of your day, even as we get older an

d become even busier in our lives.  Snack time is an opportunity for us to unwind for a few minutes and enjoy the fulfillment of nourishing our bodies in order to be able to keep pressing them along the rest of the day. 

Unfortunately, snacks have a tendency to be unhealthy.  The “snack” aisle at your local grocery store is filled with all of the processed, high sugar items that do not actually fuel and nourish your bodies, nor give them the energy they need to keep pressing them on.  In return, these types of snacks lead you to unhealthy cravings, overeating, and weight gain (especially as we age). 

I believe it is time for us to shed some light on the beauty of snacking and begin flooding our bodies and our children’s bodies with the kinds of snacks that will sustain our appetites, fuel our energy levels and keep our minds intact throughout your day.  Healthy snacks also help to keep your sugar levels steady, which ward off irritability and impatience, and increases your metabolism, as a result, burning more FAT! 

So, here’s the dilemma.  Snacking adds an extra step to our already overbooked lives.  Convenience has become the mantra to our daily lives.  Picking up a pre-packaged bag of snacks seems so much easier than planning ahead and preparing snacks.  Even worse, some people are so busy that they go an entire day without nourishing or fueling their bodies at all. 

What are we lacking????  KNOWLEDGE!  What ARE those healthy, convenient snacks that you will love????  That’s where The Fit Life Coaches come in.  We dedicate our time and our energy to researching these things so that we can give YOU the knowledge you need to EMPOWER you so that you can live the Fit Life.

To get the biggest bang for your buck, your snacks should be a good balance of Protein and carbs.  The right amount of protein will keep you feeling full and the appropriate amount of carbs will help to sustain your blood sugar.   Here is your list of Fit Life approved snacks recommended by your very own Fit Life coaches:

Protein Bars   - The benefits of protein bars is the simplicity and convenience, it doesn’t take any preparation.   The downside of protein bars is they can be costly.  Having said that, here are some of our favorite protein bars. 

·        Quest Protein Bars (so many different flavors to choose from)

·        Advo Bar (Advocare)

·        Pure Protein Bars

·        Think Thin

Protein Powder –

·        Advocare Meal Relacement Shakes

·        Advocare Muscle Gain Protein Shake

·        Trutein Protein Powder

·        Bod-e

·        Quest Protein Powder

High Protein Snack Choices:

·        Cottage Cheese/Fruit

·        Beef or Turkey Jerkey

·        Mixed nuts or trail mix

·        Hard boiled eggs

·        Deli Roll up (low fat or weight watchers cheese stick with ham or turkey wrapped around)

·        Hummus and carrots

·        Brown rice cakes or slice of whole wheat toast with 2 tbs. of your favorite nut butter

·        Greek yogurt

·        Edamame

From time to time, we find ourselves having some extra time and wanting to be creative!  Here are a few extra healthy snacks that take moderate preparation:

Fiesta Turkey Mini Tostados (Biggest Loser Family Cookbook) :

40 Bakes Tostitos Scoops

Olive Oil Spray

1 pound extra lean ground turkey breast

Ground black pepper

1 cup medium or hot salsa

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, lightly coat with olive oil and add turkey, season.  Cook, breaking turkey into bite sized chunks until no longer pink.  Stir in the salsa, divide evenly among the scoops.

Hummus – Tuna English Muffins

1 16 oz can chunk light tuna in water, drained

¼ c roasted red pepper flavored hummus

2 whole wheat English muffins

4 slices red onions

Mix the tuna with the hummus and spoon evenly on the muffin halves and top each with a slice of red onion.

In conclusion, 2 snacks per day, ranging between 150-200 calories per snack is a very important part of living the Fit Life, even if weight loss is your goal.  

Kelli Montgomery: Fit Life Fitness Coach

Kelli has been helping people achieve their fitness goals for over three years and as a wife and mother of 3 she realizes the society obstacles of living the Fit Life.  Kelli also finds strength through Faith and has had a specific calling from the Lord to lead others to him through fitness.

5 ways to Relieve Muscle Soreness

5 ways to Relieve Exercise induced Soreness

First and foremost, I am excited that you started your journey to Fit Life.  I am very proud of all of you for starting and giving such a great effort.  Now for the Aftermath, good News: First time soreness is always the worst, meaning you will only feel this sore one time. After this, your soreness is considerable less. 

What is Muscle Soreness?

The smooth muscle tissue is located in the walls of your blood vessels, the stomach, intestines, and the bladder. If you overstretch your muscle fibers repeatedly, this triggers the onset of microtears, small tears that can occur within in the muscle fibers. When the muscle fibers tear, the muscle releases several substances that provoke an inflammatory response in the body. The inflammatory response yields aching symptoms that are thought to be one of the contributing factors to muscle soreness.  Great News is that after tearing down muscle fibers, your body automatically repairs them and builds that muscle Stronger.

Ways to relieve Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?

1. Consider taking your favorite NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, naproxyn, and acetaminophen) before you begin exercising and after exercising.

2. Ice the affected area to slightly reduce the affected area’s temperature to relieve any inflammation or swelling. This icing can be done with an ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables, or even a full water bottle. Ice the area for 20 minutes with the ice on for 20 minutes off for 20 minutes for appx. an hour to an hour and a half. After icing is complete, be sure to rewarm the area with some gentle massage and light movement.

3. Be sure to remember to stretch. This allows the exercised muscles to return to their length before you constricted them. You are not to try to force them to reach any particular distance.

4. If your movement is compromised, consider applying some compression. Use a neoprene wrap or support for the area. Remember that this approach will primarily serve to remind you specifically where the "injury" is so that you remember not to overuse the area when you resume exercising it.

5. Rest the affected area. Take a short break from performing the same movements, drills or exercises that induced the soreness. Start with 1-2 days and move to 1-2 weeks until pain subsides.

6. After the first day, if it feels better change from icing the area to applying heat. Again, remember that you do not need to cook the area, you are simply restoring normal blood flow. You can apply your heating pad or a commercial rub or cream.

Again I am excited that you started and this is the first step to GREATNESS!  Please let me know if you have any Questions or Concerns:

YOUR COACH,

Coach Brian Broussard  337-296-2960 

Free Enterprise Made America Fat!

Yes free enterprise is the reason why America is Fat. That Awesome Free Enterprise System that allows anyone to be an entrepreneur and build a fortune has made it easy and the status quo to live the Fat Life! Why?

1) Those smart food entrepreneurs found ways to keep cost down and increase taste and make more revenue by using less healthy products. Products like high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and food additives has gotten them wealthy and America Unhealthy.

2) The old thinking of eating Breakfast, lunch, and Dinner was actually derived from the eight hour work day. It was actually before work, during work, then after work.  The body needs a more consistent eating pattern but our old fashioned eight hour work week does not allow that many breaks.  But small changes in thinking is your solution.

3) "Work is too Stressful and I do not have enough time to workout" An excuse that I hear way to often but it is derived from the amount of stress placed on individuals from the Employer to meet revenue expectations and adhere to budgets.  But stress relief and Healthy Living i.e. Fit Life is the solution.

Fit Life's Employee Health program focuses on the Healthy Employee and their benefit to the Company.  Fit Life is you Solution to Health and Wellness!

EDUCATE AND EMPOWER through FIT LIFE, LLC.

Acadiana's Fitness Coach

Coach Brian Broussard

YOU are in the same postion as Johnny Football!

Everyone was paying attention to the NFL Draft to see where Johnny Football was going to be bringing his talents.  Of course everyone knew about Clowney and the first pick.  But this weekend does not mean much because they still have to go and perform.  They have to fulfill their "POTENTIAL".  They don't want to be the next Jemarcus Russell. They have to be disciplined and put in the work to become better versions of themselves.  Well I see you in the same situation.  Are you fulfilling your potential? What potential do you ask? I am sure you are thinking I am not football player, what potential are you talking about?

I am a Coach so I always think about Potential.  I know that if you live the Fit Life, Exercise 5 times per week and Eat 5 times per day you will fell better than if you live the FAT Life.  Is your body able to handle the load of life efficiently?  Are you having physical limitations or feeling heavy?  Are you dealing with sickness and sluggishness?  What in your life can you change? 

If you are not exercising you are not reaching your full potential.  If you are eating high fat and high sugar foods your body is not using optimum fuel. I you are skipping breakfast you are not at full potential.  So if Johnny Football bombs in the NFL, then the country will be talking about his lack of discipline and perseverance but no one is there to tell you that you failed when you gain 30 lbs but truth is you are failing, you are not at Full potential.  Your family deserves your full potential.  Start harnessing your full potential TODAY!

Coach Brian's mission is to EDUCATE and EMPOWER the Busy Professional and Family to achieve the FIT LIFE, as a result Feel Great and Look Great! 

Summer Body 2014: Don't Let you stop YOU!

Summer Body 2014: YOU ARE YOUR COMPETITION!

As you know I have taken the big leap into entrepreneurship by opening Fit Life, LLC.  Now Is when the fun starts.  But as I was writing my business plan last October I started on the Competitive Analysis part of the Marketing Plan and as I was writing about my "Competition" I remember a quote from a successful business man that was told to me about three years ago.  "I only have one Competitor and I look Him in the Mirror every morning, I tell him that he will be defeated every morning."  Wow! That still resonates with me especially now that I have opened my own business.  Its more about what you do and less about what someone else does.

Now about YOU!  The only competitor in Fitness is looking you in the mirror.  You are the reason that you will get results, you are the reason that you will look great this Summer, you are the reason that you will quit, You are the reason that you will Fail.  Now that we understand that, what are we going to do about it.  Guess what? Summer is coming, are you giving your Fit Life all you have to give.  Can you give more effort?  What is going to be?

Life is about Choices, Fit Life is about ACTION!

Acadiana's Fitness Coach,

Coach Brian Broussard

Summer Body 2014: Confidence is your friend!

Of all the benefits of exercise and this crazy Fit Life that I preach, the most rewarding is CONFIDENCE!

But where does it come from: if you do not workout then you don't know; but if you live the fit life and workout regularly you know that confidence come from Hard Work.  With every workout an accomplishment in life happens.  On The Biggest Loser the contestants confidence increases not only because they look different but also because they understand the amount of work it took and that they deserved it. They deserved their new Body!  At this point, they are entitled to that new body!

DESERVE VICTORY! was my college football slogan but what I had no clue what that means until now. Everyday after my workout I feel better, I feel stronger, I feel more confident because I have Accomplished My Goal, which is my workout!  With the workout you become better, Fit Life is the way to YOUR BEST BODY!

Go DESERVE VICTORY - DESERVE your Summer Body!

Acadiana's Fitness Coach

Coach Brian Broussard

Commit to be FIT!

I have been training for over ten year now so i guess I am now a veteran with experience.  That kind of makes me feel old.  I have done one on one training, small group personal training and large boot camp training and what I realize there is not one solution for all.  Some people work well in group and some are better in a private setting.  Some like huge fitness centers and some are great at a very small facility.  Some workout at 5 am and some at 10 pm.  But in all my experience what I realize is goals are reached and results are achieved when that particular person find their particular lifestyle. I challenge you to find out what is for you!  If you are living the Fat Life right now, try my Fit Life Approach but be careful it might just work.  Not sure if you can handle fit life, you know that felling of Looking great, feeling great and getting excited about fitting clothes again!  It is your choice at your time.  Ultimately its your choice, but remember Memorial Day and Warm weather is coming quick, so now is your time to choose: Fit Life or Fat Life!

Fit Life has a mission to Engage, Educate, and Empower YOU to change your lifestyle.  With programs like Coach Brian's Boot Camp and Fit Life Health and Wellness, I want to give you all of the tools to not only make the change to the Fit Life but also to enjoy and embrace the changes.  With my expansion to Opelousas and also I am happy to announce the Corporate division is expanding as well.

Acadiana's Fitness Coach,

Coach Brian Broussard
337-296-2960