Phil's Journal: Welcome to My World!

(TLN Editor Note: Before you start reading my banter below, I do most of my posting these days on Facebook and Twitter. Follow me for a daily dose of Tough Love Nutrition!)

To this point of my life, I have heard every "Wait until you..." prediction as to when I am going to fall out of shape. They include: "...get out of college and start working all the time.", "...start traveling a lot on your job.", "...get married.", "...have kids." and last but not least, "...turn 30, 40, etc".

Well, I'm now in my 40's and none of the above appear to have done their due diligence. I decided a long time ago to make a commitment to staying healthy. And through every stage of my life thus far--and as crazy as it has been at times--I’ve stuck to my word.

When it comes to eating right and continuing to exercise throughout the years, I sometimes go through what may seem to be great lengths to do so, but in the end, I keep beating the “Wait until you…” odds.

I want everybody else to do so as well.

This is why I created Tough Love Nutrition (TLN). It contains everything and then some to increase your knowledge and motivation AND most importantly, to stop making excuses for why you eat like crap or can’t seem to find the time to exercise.

Nevermind celebrity trainers, diet books and bogus supplements. It is all about learning (or learning again) the basics and how to get a grip on making good, consistent food choices and some form of regular exercise.

All of my professional and personal experience is rolled into the TLN Blog and TLN Group. Everything is here for you and your family to gain better health through proper nutrition and fitness.

That said, join in on all the TLN fun and, wait until you…start feeling a whole lot better!

Enjoy and be healthy,

Phil LeClair

Phil's Journal: Healthy Vending Machine

I was stoked to see this healthy vending machine in our town hockey rink for the start of the youth season.

From top to bottom, none of the products are ify whether they are healthy choices or not. They are all natural and/or organic.

Brands include Stonyfield Farms, Barbara's Bakery, Clif, Anderson (Pirate Booty), Late June PB Crackers and more good stuff.

Kudos to whomever was responsible for getting this in our rink, which like any rink USA, also has standard not-so-good for you offerings like soda, greasy hot dogs and nachos with fake cheese. So the new vending machine makes for a very nice snack alternative (especially around a sports activity!).

The company supplying the vending machine is Yo! Naturals.

Phil's Journal: TLN Springs Back Into Action!

I recently returned from vacation in Southern CA. It was great to see family, friends and colleagues--and enjoy some regular sunlight after an extra long winter in VT!

It was a must to include this picture of my family eating a healthy lunch at the San Diego Zoo (which is a fantastic place!). We packed our snacks for the day to not have to rely on high-priced, not-so-great-for you park food. Not denying the food factor that is related to hitting parks like this, we did indulge ourselves with ice cream!

I appreciate theme parks and family attractions like the San Diego Zoo that allow you to bring in small amounts of food and snacks. It is truly a bummer when you are held to dropping serious coin for every item you eat within their walls. Not only is it expensive, but to keep energy levels up for the long haul, Mom, Dad and kids need to be regularly nourished to prevent meltdown. I am sure that many of you parents out there have faced this very unpleasant experience. For those of you that haven't, take heed and pack snacks for the whole family on these trips! You won't be sorry.

During my vacation, I also completed updating the TLN Blog and TLN Group sites. There's now more than 100 articles, resources and insights in a more user-friendly layout. Please poke around the sites and let me know what you think.

Oh yeah...While on vacation, I also wrote a corporate wellness article that was inspired by my fellow co-workers at Epik. For any of the crew reading this, please take a gander at, "Just Minutes a Day for Better Health". There's something in it for everybody!

Be Healthy!

TLN Phil

Phil's Journal: Summer Update

With the summer weeks winding down, I promise to keep my journal entry short and sweet so we can get back to our barbecues and beach days.

First off, I want to thank my friends at FRS for kicking in samples to my home town's annual triathlon. Called the Colchester "Tri-Option" Triathlon, the race allows you to either swim or kayak the water leg of the race. This was the events 23rd year and brought 300-strong participants from all over Vermont, New York and New England. FRS was kind enough to provide each athlete with a bag of their excellent FRS Energy/Antioxidant Chews. Thanks guys!

The winner of this month's TLN Giveaway is Jillian B. of Burlington, VT. She gets a FRS Ready-To-Drink variety pack. Congrats!

As you can see from recent posts, there is out with the old and in with the new:

The TLN Store will no longer be online after August 31st, so you get one more shot to stock up on Anytime Energy Foods Nutrition Products.

The TLN Group page is a more recent addition to our network. It will serve as a Nutrition and Fitness Hub with resources such as guidelines, helpful lists and the opportunity to post questions about meals, food, supplements and exercise.

Finally, with school right around the corner (hooray for parents!), I am going to be posting tips for healthy lunches. My SmartGroceries list is a good place to start for such options.

Enjoy and Be Healthy!

TLN Phil

Phil's Journal: A Bunch of Fluff

It is literally "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go" when heading from northern VT to my parents' house in central MA. During the the 3-plus hour journey we pass by lots and lots of trees, mountains and rolling green hills. Yet even in this beautiful territory, a Golden Arches or hybrid gas station/fast food mart are lurking at every exit. I am proud to say that for the hundreds of times making this trip, we've never stopped at one. The secret is preparation. Before each trip, I take 10 minutes or so to make us each a snack pack to cover us for the few hours of travel plus some extra for unscheduled stops or longer rides due to uncooperative weather. Extra snacks are also good for the kids because it provides them with a variety to choose from. The kids' pack contains car-friendly snacks including a cheese stick, dried fruit leather, crackers, kid-sized nutrition bar (uncoated in warm months!), raisins, juice box and water bottle. Sometimes I throw together a makeshift trail mix with dry cereal, raisins and dry roasted, unsalted nuts. Since I am driving, I like to keep things simple and usually take a protein shake, a couple of nutrition bars, water and a small bag of cashews or other nuts to munch on. Another key thing is to eat a solid meal before departing. Doing so gets you at least a couple of hours deep into the ride before the hunger pangs start. Check out more of my eating strategies during business and family travel in my daily meal scenario greatest hits post!

...which bring me to Fluff!

So after all my efforts to ensure my kids are eating healthy, we arrive at my parents' house. The first thing their grandmother does is say she has a surprise for them. Lo and behold it is a jar of Fluff; whipped marshmallow in all of its creamy grandeur! Made primarily of corn syrup and liquid sugar, it is definitely a junk food all-star.

So do I dig it the next day when my kids are munching on Fluffernutters for lunch? Not at all. But instead of playing the role of party pooper, I let them indulge. 1. I don't mess with a grandparent's right to spoil their grandchildren with a sugary treat or two (notably the traditional ones like Fluff. While sugar-laden, they do not contain a laundry list of nasty ingredients). 2. For 6 and 7 years old, my kids eat exceptionally well. They enjoy healthy foods and get treats just as the word "treat" is defined: On occasion. Not a regular occurrence.

Phil's Journal: YOU Do the Legwork!

So why the Hotel.com logo you say?

I was working out at a gym in MA recently and came across a Hotel.com ad with a tagline that read something like, "You Do the Upper Body Lifting and We'll Take Care of the Legwork" (surprisingly, Google could not find me a source to confirm the exact tagline or image of the ad).

OK, you likely get what Hotels.com point is. I read it differently:

Being Mr. Adamant about including leg exercises like squats in weekly weight lifting routines (see Fitness 101: Dumbbell Squats), the ad had me saying to myself, "So appropriate to be posted in a gym".

Many individuals, especially guys, will pound out arms, chest and back exercises, but when it comes to leg day, avoid it like the plague. Or they may justify a leg workout by doing a few sets of leg extensions, running for 20 minutes or walking the dog.

Come on people! Do not neglect the best workout opportunity of the week. A few sets of properly performed squats or deadlifts are not only great for leg strength, shape and definition. They help strengthen the lower back, abdominals and require every muscle fiber in your body to complete them. Turn up the intensity a little bit, and squats and deadlifts also give you a nice little cardio burst (similar to doing a wind sprint).

Moral of this little deity: Do the upper body lifting AND take care of the legwork!

Enjoy and be enlightened

Phil's Journal: Corporate Wellness

Since last November, I have been working the more routine 9 to 5 work schedule. I was previously working the Mr. Mom shift; shuffling kids, office and home responsibilities in pretty erratic fashion. I was able to pull off eating properly and working out regularly during this period, but it took a lot more focus and determination. It was not uncommon for me to do a late night or early morning workout (2am is my PR!). Sometimes you just have to get it done!

This brings me back to the comforts of my cubicle. It may get crazy at times with phone calls, meetings and such, but I also have the advantage of being in the same general area for an extended period of time. This is luxury in my eyes! My lunch, snacks and water bottle are all within my reach. No eating on the fly, missing a meal or forgetting to drink enough water.

The same holds true for scheduling workouts. I am done my shift between 5 and 6, have my pre-workout snack on the way home and hit the home gym within 30 minutes of walking through the door.

So why aren't more desk jockeys taking advantage of this golden opportunity to plan out their nutrition and fitness schedules?

It is not laziness as much as it is the need for regular guidance. I work with a great group of hard-working, young professionals (at 38, I am the senior citizen of the group!). They are all active and possess a pretty good grasp of healthy eating habits. However, even they get sucked into "work, work, work" mode and don't always make correct food choices, or neglect opportunities to exercise. Like so many other desk jockeys, just as they manage their job responsibilities, my fellow co-workers simply needed some insight for better management of their meal choices and exercise schedules.

Being the unofficial wellness coach at EpikOne, I am proud to announce that the team is doing great! As you can see from the pics above, not only are we working on weight training, but also very important wellness factors like good posture and desk jockey ergonomics.

Several of my recent posts on Tough Love Nutrition are corporate wellness-related. While I wish I could pay a visit to everybody's office for a month or three to jump start employee awareness of good health and nutrition, TLN is the next best thing. Use it so you don't lose it (or gain it)!

Enjoy and be enlightened

Phil's Journal: Don't Unresolve Resolutions for Better Health!

Happy New Year's 2007!

There is no doubt that the following three choices regularly fall somewhere in the annual top ten list of New Year's resolutions: Lose Weight, Get In Shape and Eat Better.

Will another year come and go with these resolutions being abandoned after feeble attempts to make good on them?

Don't let it happen!

Every year of blowing off good health goals creates a deeper and deeper hole - one that eventually becomes very difficult to crawl out of - and sadly, millions of Americans are currently trapped in one.

Sparing you from the cheerleading and flowery "you can do it" pep talk, the few legendary pointers that do hold truth are:

• It is ultimately up to the individual to make changes in their eating, exercise and lifestyle habits
• Don't expect dramatic results overnight. It's not going to happen
• Appreciate making small strides towards better health. They are milestones that compound with time and consistency of good eating and exercise habits
• K.I.S.S. - I'll let you decide what the last "S" should stand for in this popular acronym. All I need is the first three letters to get my point across. "Keep It Simple" says it all. Tedious diets and fitness programs are products of flashy marketing campaigns. They are making billions of dollars each year selling books, fat burning supplements and wacky exercise apparatus. Don't get sucked in! Nothing is more effective than simply eating smart and doing just about ANYTHING to keep you moderately active on a regular basis

That said, the new TLN blog is overflowing with very straightforward and effective information on better health through proper food and fitness choices.

Please direct special attention to the 1/1/2007 post: The TLN Short Course to Eating Healthy. I roll this one out every New Year's as my annual offering to get everybody off on the right foot

Enjoy and Be Healthy!

Phil's Journal: Productive Trip to Santa Barbara

Sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was able to scoot out to Santa Barbara, CA for a few days to meet up with several of my fellow colleagues to talk shop. Visits included three of my Tough Love Nutrition Advisors: Marcus Elliott, M.D., Mikki Reilly (both pictured with me above) and Simon Goode.

You can see Marcus's credentials in an earlier TLN post, but for now I can say that this very well-respected sports performance and conditioning expert is in high-demand these days. Walking into his new Peak Performance Project (P3) training facility was a virtual who's who of new Major League Baseball talent, top high school athletes and professional cyclists.

Mikki, of course, is a regular contributor to TLN. Her strength and fitness expertise is well-represented in a variety of topics on TLN, and especially her site FitnessTransform.com. I recommend giving all of her articles a serious gander.

Simon is the VP of Marketing for New Sun Nutrition. An old buddy from Balance Bar days, Simon's knowledge of the nutrition industry and its unyielding barrage of marketing trends is tremendous. He's an invaluable resource and sounding board for me as I continue to spread the benefits of Tough Love Nutrition to the masses. I am a big fan of New Sun's flagship product FRS Healthy Energy Drink. You'll be seeing more on this as well at Tough Love Nutrition.

Being the poster boy for TLN, how did I do eating and exercise-wise on this whirlwind trip? Quite well. Even with an unexpected extra day tacked on in Chicago due to air traffic control issues, I was able to eat very well through a combination of smart on-the-road meal choices and stash of nutrition bars and meal replacement shake packets. For the three non-travel days in Santa Barbara, I was able to knock out two decent workouts as well (if you are ever in Santa Barbara, I recommend the gym, Key2Fitness). The only thing that caught up to me after I got home was lack of sleep. After running around for a week and then getting back and trying to play catch up at the office, I hit the wall hard! Let's just say it took a couple good nights of sleep to get back into full swing!

Until next time...Be Healthy!

Phil's Journal: Post-Thanksgiving Update

One calorie-drenched holiday down and two to go! Hopefully by now you are finished up with your Thanksgiving leftovers--especially the baked goods, potatoes and stuffing--and getting back to basics. If not, I suggest reading the previous, Nutrition 411: Eating Around the Holidays post. My family and I made it out of the weekend in good shape and finished it off with a trip to Trader Joe's on our way back to VT from MA. As you can see from the photo of the kids, me and the overloaded carriage, we stocked up!

For those of you reading this post, you are the first to preview TLN's new blog format. A more formal announcement will be made in December, but basically the new format is going to be much better at delivering a wider variety of nutrition and fitness topics. In fact, I added a couple of more sections including Fast Food Hall of Shame and Quick Meals.

Well, I am off to Santa Barbara this week to meet up with a host of associates including TLN Advisors Mikki Reilly of Fitness Transform and Simon Goode of New Sun Nutrition (makers of FRS Plus). I will post you from CA with all the details.

Until then...Be healthy!

Grocery 101: Wild Harvest Store Field Trip

It was a great privilege to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Wild Harvest Natural Foods set (store-in-a-store) at Shaw's Supermarket in Waterbury, VT. Store manager Cathy Ladd gave me the VIP tour of her impeccably-kept store; providing me with insights on what Wild Harvest requires for products to be stocked on their shelves.

In a nutshell, products must contain: NO artificial preservatives, colorings or flavorings, NO hydrogenated or cottonseed oils, NO artificial sweeteners and NO phosphates or chlorine.

There is no doubt that the products found in Wild Harvest, or other health food stores for that matter, come with a higher price point. However, being a customer of Wild Harvest myself, there are always rotating sales that allow you to stock up on staple items at excellent prices.

Don't be intimidated by the prices or products at Wild Harvest. Venture in and poke around. Buy a couple of items to try out. They are almost always going to be a healthy grocery choice.

Don't be shy to ask questions. If there is not somebody on hand to answer them, get the website address off the product or feel free to drop me an e-mail at info@TLNutrition.com! You can also checkout all of my posts under SmartGroceries. Many of these items are purchased at Wild Harvest.

Finally, sign-up for the Wild Harvest mailer at http://www.shaws.com/. Along with getting some nice, little health and nutrition articles, there are several dollars worth of coupons. I saved 10 bucks on my last visit!

Phil's Journal: Fitness Raking and the Trick with Treats

With autumn in full swing and winter right around the corner, I will be dedicating a weekend to raking an ungodly amount of leaves. As much as I can’t stand this last rite of the outdoor yard season, it’s a pretty darn good workout! From a fitness perspective, raking works essentially every muscle in your upper body, and by keeping the consecutive strokes to several at a time, provides a nice little cardio burn. My routine is: Ten strokes. Pause to curse under my breath how much I hate raking. Repeat.

Fall also marks the beginning of the holiday binging season. Serving as warm-up for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, Halloween gets kids and adults alike exposed to a spiked volume of sugary treats. To help keep this ritual under control, I addressed this very topic in a recent post for Moms' Nutrition Hotline.

Mom's Nutrition Hotline and other TLN Blogs are really starting to gain some attention. I am receiving excellent questions and replies from TLN Members as well as TLN Advisors who are now chiming in to offer their expert opinions. If you are not signed up for TLN's e-newsletter, sign up and join in on all the fun. Why not? It’s FREE!

I close my entry with a “Happy Raking” to all of us who, through each fall and spring clean-up, wonder why we did not buy a condo (or at least a smaller lawn)!

Enjoy and Be Healthy,

Phil

Phil's Journal: Back to School, Back to Work!

With my two kids back to school, I have been granted the wonderful privilege to work again in an uninterrupted stretch of more than 46 minutes at a time. As much as I enjoyed working at all hours of the day (and night) and completely messing up my sleep patterns, I gladly take the "back-to-school" 6-hour workday!

A great thing about working from home with the kids this summer was that I was responsible for all their meals, snacks and completing the grocery shopping. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be documenting this info into various areas of the site, including a nutritionally sound grocery list and menu for parents looking for help on getting their kids's eating habits in check.

In theme with "Back-To-School", I posted a topic regarding a recent Dateline episode. It covers Fast Food and its correlattion to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. There is special emphasis on children and how they are influenced by the bombardment of advertising by Fast Food and Junk Food mega-corporations. You just have to see the video clips of the kids choosing a rock with cartoon character stickers on it over a banana as a breakfast choice!

If you are not a member of the TLN Network yet, join us. It only takes seconds to sign up for a FREE membership!

Enjoy and Be Healthy,

Phil