Chewing is not the first stage of digestion

There are several steps to the digestive process and all have a purpose.  I wanted to share something with you today that I think is awesome. 

Chewing is most often referred to as the first stage of digestion.  I even say that sometimes when my talk is a little more simplified.  If we look as digestion there are several steps and I’ll put them in order here:

• Chewing and saliva
• Stomach acids and enzymes
• Small Intestine absorption
• Large Intestine bacteria and more absorption
• Elimination

I’m going to share with you some things that happen before chewing that make a big deal in the digestive process. 

Selection and Anticipation

The food we choose to eat would be the first part of digestion.  What we choose determines much of the process.  Most digestive issues are fixed by selections of different foods.  Indigestion, bloating, gas, heart burn,...

“Conflict arises when there is a difference between expectations and reality” – Dr. Tim Elmore (on Andy Stanley Podcast)
 

I was listening to a podcast and pulled this quote out.  It was a great reminder to me.  This is in fact the only reason for conflict.  If we take this to one extreme.  If someone expects to be treated badly when they are it doesn’t cause a conflict.  If you expect to be treated fabulously and are treated mediocre there is a conflict. 

You could think that one solution would be to not get your hopes up.  And some people use this strategy.  I think there does need to be more of this.  Entitlement is the king of conflict.  Of you feel owed something you get a bit sad, upset, or angry if you don’t get it. 

I don’t know about you but I love dealing with thankful daughters rather than entitled. 

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled...

As a father of two girls and a trainer to many more, I’ve never liked the term “girl push-ups”.  When people say this they are referring to push-ups performed from the knees.  I have an equally yucky taste in my mouth when someone says “you throw like a girl.”  It’s not considered a compliment.  Throwing like a girl is really just an immature and/or unpracticed throwing pattern.  The most notable feature is that the right foot is in front when throwing with the right hand. 

We handicap our girls by using terms like this.  I’ve been a trainer for over 15 years now and I have never used the term “girl push-up”.  One of the biggest reasons is, that its not just girls that should do these.  I have trained many guys who need to start with push-ups from the knees before progressing to push-ups from toes.  If you get too greedy or feel shame in doing push-ups from knees and...

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

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My name is Megan and I joined Tall Trainer in December 2018. 

Since the birth of my daughter eight years ago, I had become fixated on losing weight. I placed a lot of my value in the number on the scale and wouldn’t be satisfied until I reached my “goal weight.” I read weight loss books, trained for 5K’s, logged food and the weight came off. 

Unfortunately, my go-to coping mechanism when things got stressful was food. My weight slowly started to creep back up. I also developed food allergies and started having issues with my gut. I felt frustrated trying to navigate these new restrictions. I felt so overwhelmed and my weight continued to go up. I tried other exercise programs and lost some weight but would always regain it during busy or stressful times. 

After years of feeling depressed with no motivation, no plan, no accountability and no success, I was gifted a free month of Tall Trainer (thank you Jeremy &...

In my coaching group we were tackling the idea of guilt and shame and how it affects each person. Each person had  a different story and example, but much of it tied back to food.

Often food is the "solution" to guilt and shame.

There is often a spiral associated with these feelings. Guilt, as in I did something bad, and shame, as in I am bad, each feel icky within us. We don't like those types of feelings, and so we seek a solution. Often times the solution is momentary and puts us in a worse spot.

Here is how the shame spiral typically goes:

1. You take an action that doesn't align with your values
2. You have a 'negative' emotion that follows it
3. You connect with the 'negative' feeling
4. You seek a way out of the feeling
5. You take an action to solve the feeling (often something that doesn't align with your values)
6. The spiral starts again!

Have you ever used phrases like:

"I was bad this weekend."

"I did not behave myself after the waitress asked if we wanted dessert."

...

Yeah?

It’s true.  I’m going to ask you to step outside of your own situation for a minute and observe our food from a different angle.  I’m going to focus mostly on breakfast cereal but most processed carbohydrates have at least some of this feature.  First, breakfast cereal is not a health food.  It is processed carbohydrates in a box.  While this is true, there are millions of kids surviving mostly on breakfast cereal.  A bowl for breakfast, a bowl when they get home from school, and maybe a snack before bed.  Shoot, my childhood had its share of breakfast cereal.  It was a staple of my diet too. 

We have a nutrition program we use with our clients that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  I have never seen any others breakdown that many nutrients.  Usually it’s Calories, Carbs, Fat, Protein, Fiber, Salt, and maybe a couple more.  It scores you in 26 nutrients.  You need to...

The fire in the Notre Dame cathedral is a tragedy on a grand scale. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. It has seen the rise of mankind through the middle ages into the renaissance. It saw the bloody transition of France from monarchy to a fledgling democracy. It survived both world wars. And today, despite an absolutely massive fire, the two bell towers and much of the stone structure continue to stand. 

The cathedral was started in 1163. It is over 850 years old. It is a cultural icon and has become a deeply cherished part of not just French culture and history, but world history.

Each of us has our own history and tradition that we carry with us. We are each the result of generations of cultivation and care. Much like the cathedral, some generations were better stewards than others. Despite all the trials that have come before, you are here today.

If Notre Dame had been completely lost it would have been a tremendous loss. (The current...

Looking for a healthy alternative with all the Christmas flavors? You must try this. Lots of veggies but tastes like a gingerbread milkshake!! This really satisfied me!

PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD SMOOTHIE

(serves 2)
Ingredients:
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use a plant based one)
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp ground ginger
1-2 tsp. black strap molasses
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

BLEND AND ENJOY!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Per 1 serving
185 calories
27g carbs
13g protein
4.6g fat

Blessings,
Sarah

There are all sorts of ways that people try to lose weight and get healthier. From what I've seen, there is one thing that separates permanent results from temporary results.

The willingness to be a continual learner. 

So many people start off in our bootcamp classes, and many of them have no direction or idea of where to start. We provide resources and ideas and opportunities. And many people take full advantage of what we offer. 

What separates the impressive, sustainable results from the flash in the pan weight loss that many experience is the ability to continue to grow on the journey.

This weekend I'm headed off to continue growing on my own journey as a person and as a fitness professional outside of Washington, D.C., where the blossoms are in bloom!

I NEED to step outside of my comfort zone and get coaching, advice, and knowledge from other sources in order to continue to develop and improve at something that is important to me.

Is your health important to...