BY JAMIE DUVNJAK, CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH & NASM PERSONAL TRAINER

Do you experience unwanted side effects after ingesting cheese or other forms of dairy?  It could be that your intolerant to the protein casein, which is found in milk and some dairy products.  It creates inflammation in some individuals, including myself.  I was bummed when I found this out, because I had always enjoyed various cheeses with my red wine at parties, but couldn't figure out why my body hurt so bad the next day.  For several years, I’d also been consuming sharp cheddar on a daily basis thinking it was a good source of calcium and protein.  I thought my body was constantly stiff and sore due to lifting weights and running.  It was hard to fully stretch and release the knots in my neck, shoulders, hamstrings and lower back.  I didn’t think it was related to eating cheese until I recently eliminated it for 10 days.  My body felt like new again.  Even my massage therapist couldn’t believe how relaxed my muscles felt.  Just to test it, I ate a small amount and the pain immediately returned.    

During my nutrition training, back in 2011, I learned the foods that give me energy, may not benefit you at all.  My favorite food could be your poison.  I’m definitely not telling you to avoid cheese or other dairy products just because they don't work for my body!  However, if you do experience gastrointestinal distress, headaches, fatigue, muscle/joint pain or any other side effects after drinking a glass of milk or eating cheese, try eliminating dairy for 7-10 days.  Do your side effects go away?  If they do, incorporate the dairy again to see if you feel the same effects.  If so, you may have a casein intolerance.  To be sure, have your doctor perform blood tests.  For allergies, they’ll perform the immunoglobulin E test.  For food intolerances, you’ll get the immunoglobulin G test.

If you find out you have an allergy or intolerance, there are alternatives.  Use Ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter; coconut milk instead of cow’s milk; cashew cheese instead of regular cheese.  To include more calcium in your diet, consume more broccoli, sardines, white beans, almonds, dark leafy greens and edamame.  

http://www.rheumatoidarthritisprogram.com/milk/ is a great article to learn more about the effects dairy has on some people.  It also offers success stories from those who eliminated it.    

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to schedule a nutrition/personal training session with me.  I’d love to work with you and get you feeling your healthiest in 2019.

Happy New Year!
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Jamie

BY JAMIE DUVNJAK, CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH & NASM PERSONAL TRAINER

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, approximately 4.5 million patients come in with shoulder pain each year.  That’s just the number who actually seek medical attention.  I train many clients who complain about aches in that area, but have never gone in to see what’s actually going on.  I’ve spent time researching safe exercises they can practice with me which help to strengthen, stretch and tone the muscles.  

Here is a safe workout for you or anyone you may know who suffers from shoulder pain, impingement or injury: 
 
1) Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio to work up a little sweat.  

2) Throughout the workout, ALWAYS keep your stomach in tight, tuck your pelvis under, don’t lock your knees, keep a slight bend in your elbows and don’t shrug your shoulders.  They should be down and retracted.  Imagine them in your back pockets. 

3) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart 

4) Gently take one arm and make a wide circle- back for 10 and forward for 10.  Switch arms and repeat on that side.

5) Go online and do a video search for the following exercises to make sure you're doing them correctly!

6) Shoulder External Rotation using either cables, bands or free weights.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  

7) Shoulder Scaption using free weights.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  

8) Reverse Flyes on an incline bench using free weights.  When you raise your arms to shoulder level, hold them for a few seconds before going back to starting position.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  
 
9) Cool down by rolling your shoulders up and back for 10.  Breathe in nice and deep.

10) Look up effective shoulder stretches on YouTube and you'll see some great ones.  Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds on each side.  

11) After the session, I tell my clients to ice the shoulder area for 20 minutes or so.  Foam rolling, chiropractic care and massage are other self-care tips I recommend.

I hope you found this workout helpful!  Let me know what you think!  

Happy Holidays,

Jamie  

By Jamie Duvnjak, NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Health Coach

Since 2011, I’ve helped clients transform their bodies.  They’ve managed to shed fat, firm up and get their diets in check.  The lifestyle I’ve seen to be most effective is a low-sugar one.  Once my clients reduce sugary foods and artificial sweeteners, the numbers on their scales drop.   

I have clients go without alcohol for 30 days.  After that period, they come back to me and it’s noticeable they’ve shed pounds.  Their pants feel looser and they have more energy.  Other clients refrain from diet soda and they look leaner within just a few days.  One lady on Weight Watchers was completely discouraged.  She said each week she’d weigh in and the number on the scale wouldn’t budge.  I asked her what she’d been eating throughout the day.  She said raisins, oatmeal, pineapple and watermelon. This was just for breakfast.  Sugar, sugar and more sugar!  I told her to stick to berries in the morning, consume more protein and healthy fats.  Three weeks later, I trained her.  She lost those last stubborn pounds and felt so much healthier by changing her diet.

If you eat a diet high in sugar and don’t burn it off right away, it’s going to get stored as fat.  In addition, too much sugar in the diet can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and many other dis-eases.  Artificial sugar is no better.  It triggers the body to release insulin, because it senses it needs to break down sugar.  When there is no sugar to break down, it still has insulin circulating through the body.  Too much insulin can cause weight gain and fat storage if it’s not burned off with exercise.  Check out this article for more information:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261179.php

I’m not saying to eliminate all carbohydrates.  Just be sensible and eat everything in moderation.  Berries are your best choice when it comes to fruit.  They are light on the stomach and will give you the energy you need to get through a work out.  Complex carbohydrates in the form of sweet potatoes at lunchtime are a good choice.  For dinner, I recommend just protein, a variety of veggies and healthy fat such as avocado or extra virgin olive oil.  

What can you do to boost your metabolism, burn off excess sugars/carbohydrates and get lean?  Strength train!  During an initial consultation, clients come to me, grab their stomachs and ask what they can do to get a flat belly again.  I ask them what they eat and what they do in terms of exercise.  The pattern has been the same.  Lots of fruit, wine and walking.  A little bit of fruit and wine is healthy, but too much is not.  Walking is always beneficial, but it needs to be coupled with strength training at least 2-3 times a week.  This can be in the form of TRX suspension training, kettlebells, free weights, machines, your own body weight, stability balls and much more!  When clients work with me, we train each body part and it’s always filled with variety.  When they are consistently training, eating less sugar and more protein, their body fat drops and their muscle percentage goes up.  Just for proof, I track these numbers using my gym’s comprehensive InBody testing machine. 
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If you’re interested in looking and feeling your best, I’m offering one free consultation to new clients.  Let me know if you need training, nutrition advice and food planning.  Get in shape and STAY in shape all year around!

I look forward to connecting with you,

Jamie