“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.”

Meet The Sapeurs–members of the Congolese society, a group of men united by style but bonded by an underlining moral code of inspiring others by example. I came across an article about them on Co.Create. The Sapeurs are “all about defying your circumstances through inner conviction–something which though small, is totally unique to human beings and extraordinary in its own right.” I like that mentality, not just for style, but for living a healthy life. I like the idea of celebrating people who put more into life to get more out of it. That’s the type of coach I want to embody everyday–a person who inspires their athlete to put their all into their effort, not because they’ll win but because they’ll get more out of life by going outside their boundaries. And as The Sapeurs remind us, it doesn’t have to be a big effort. It can be a small moment, a microsecond during competition where you think, “huh, why not change my frame of mind; do it not to be better personally, but to inspire others around me to be better.”

Here are a few tidbits from their life and how they succeed in living it:

1. you have to mix it up
2. look up to your elders
3. it’s not about money
4. it’s not the cost, but the man inside
5. respect others
6. be polite, not vulgar
7. peace

When there is peace, there’s The Sape. When there is peace, there is life. You can always choose who you are.

Shayna Robinson

1) Change your diet: Eat anti-inflammatory.

There are certain foods that reduce inflammation and cause positive cell turnover. I try to eat a diet rich in spinach, kale, blueberries, coconut water, olive oil, agave and peppermint. Watermelon and cantaloupe can be great during the summer. The best athletes will also supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals. My essentials include a proprietary blend for liver detoxification (NOW brand Liver Regenerator and Detoxifier), Thyroid health (NOW brand Thyroid Energy), Raw B Complex (Vitamin Code Brand), Undernatured Type II Collagen (NOW brand UC-II) and a hair, skin and nails proprietary blend (Nature’s Bounty Brand).

2) Sweat: Work out hard enough to detox.

Some argue sweat causes breakouts, but that’s only if you don’t shower immediately after a workout. Sweat is your bodies natural detox process, and it also helps maintain body temp and water balance. When you sweat, your body causes your metabolism to adjust to a burning mode. It’s struggling to maintain the internal body temperature, and your thyroid is engaged producing endorphins that make exercise feel easier so your body is more efficient. Sweating should be part of your goals in exercise to maintain healthy organs.

3) Electrolytes: Refuel the right way.

Both muscle tissue and neurons are considered electric tissues of the body. Muscles and neurons are activated by electrolyte activity between the extracellular fluid and intracellular fluid. Electrolytes work to aid the body in transferring water in and out of cells. Without proper electrolytes the ability of muscles to contract is weakened and can cause muscular contractions (such as cramping). It’s important to maintain this electrolyte balance when exercising so that there is proper contraction of muscle and nerve fibers in addition to maintaining the proper strain on the kidneys. In terms of aging, constantly being dehydrated can lead to cell death and a diseased cell turnover. Keeping yourself hydrated results in healthy cell turnover, muscular strength and correct rapid firing of the nerves. I love coconut water for it’s hydrating benefits. It makes my skin glow and unlike other sports drinks, it has a natural electrolyte component, as opposed to synthetically added electrolytes in Gatorade.

4) Regimen: Set your routine.

Your body functions better and more efficiently when it knows what to expect from your level of care. When you nourish your body with good food, exercise, sweat and electrolytes, it responds in the best possible way–glowing skin, a young complexion, a body that rivals a teenager and recovery from the common daily routine. Send your body a positive message in these three ways on a daily basis and it will function better and look better in 4-8 weeks.

Here’s a great example: “STATINS LINKED TO MUSCLE PAIN, SPRAINS” (read the headline of Reuters Health this morning)

The BREAKDOWN:

I read the article which cites the Journal of American Medical Association–a hefty and well established journal. It represents diagnosis and studies done in the past as well as peer reviews and editorials of today’s medical research.

Today Reuter’s reports that JAMA claims in a recent study that statins are linked to MUSCLE PAIN and SPRAINS/STRAINS.

Unfortunately the evidence is shaky:

For all of us not on Statins (drugs used for high cholesterol levels), 85% reported problems with muscles or joints.

For those of us on Statins, 87% reported problems.

That pretty much sums up this study: nearly everyone has muscular and/or joint pain.

This girl is now Laughing out loud. Cheers.

My new fav protein bar tastes like a rice crispy treat and is low cal at 140 cals for a whopping 13g protein. Huzzah!

We can’t always perfectly plan our day. Yes, there will be times that you are running around the city, literally, jam packed with errands. Yesterday was clearly that day for me. So instead of not eating and running on fumes, I stopped at Dunkin Donuts to grab a bite.

Normally, I hate using fast food as a meal choice, but in this case I didn’t have time to stop and eat and I forgot my protein bar at home. “Don’t use this as an excuse to skip a meal,” I repeated to myself. It is my mantra these days….

Luckily, D&D had my back. A fact friendly tear-off perfect for my pocket. And you can download the pic I posted or check out the details below.

Best Food Choices At Dunkin Donuts:

1. egg white veggie wrap (150cals)
2. egg white turkey sausage wrap (150cals)
3. egg and cheese wrap (180cals)
4. ham, egg, cheese wrap (200cals)
5. egg white flat bread (280cals)

Best Drink Choices At Dunkin Donuts:

1. Hot Tea (0 cals)
2. Hot Coffee/Ice Coffee (5-25 cals, depending on additives like sugar, cream, etc.)
3. Latte Lite/Iced Latte Lite (80 cals)