Author: Jessica

Nutrition

Using Alternative Grains

Jessica

The research has been in and confirmed for awhile: whole grains are better for us than white or refined grains!

A couple reasons why:

More vitamins and minerals including selenium, vitamin E and magnesium.
More phytochemicals, which wage war against disease-causing free radicals.
More appetite-quelling, heart-protective fiber.
A lower glycemic index, which reduces blood sugar spikes and, hence, diabetes risk.

So what kind of whole grains are out there (besides whole wheat bread ; )?  I want to give booty camp two options that I’ve been trying and enjoying.

1. Quinoa! We go through this like crazy and use it as a substitute for rice, so we purchase it from Costco. We also use it in salads and as a side dish. Try mixing with feta cheese & cranberries, or other spices. Gluten-free!

How to prepare:
In The Kitchen: Quinoa has a nutty, palate-pleasing taste and cooks up in only 10 to 15 minutes. Much faster than brown rice. Use a 2:1 water to grain ratio and take it off the heat when the water has soaked in and the germ unfolds like a little white tail. To intensify the flavor, try toasting quinoa in a skillet for a couple minutes over medium heat till darkened prior to boiling and add spices such as turmeric or chili powder to the cooking water. It is also best to rinse quinoa well before cooking to remove any remnants of a bitter coating called saponin.

2. Buckwheat! This is a gluten-free option, and contains a good amount of the amino acid lysine, which makes it a fairly complete protein source and helps repair & rebuild our lean muscle mass.

How to prepare:
In the Kitchen: With a 15 minute simmer time, buckwheat is quick-cooking and versatile. It can be used in pilafs, salads, stuffings, stir fries and soups or in replace of a portion of meat in burgers and meatloaf. If you find the taste a little too overpowering on its own, try mixing some buckwheat in with other grains like rice or quinoa when serving as a side dish. On the stovetop, add one cup of buckwheat to two cups of boiling water, cover, reduce heat and simmer for roughly 15 minutes.

The amount of whole grains recommended per person will vary based on your total caloric intake and dietary needs, so I can’t recommend a particular amount without knowing your diet. Keep grains in moderation, and don’t forget to load up on those vegetables 🙂

Enjoy your whole grains!

Contributed by Trainer Melissa

Special Events

Booty Babes Snowshoe Expedition 2013

Jessica

Booty Camp Founder Jessica Breznau and Trainer Melissa Madgsick lead a group of intrepid booty campers on a gorgeous showshoe up to Source Lake Basin.  It was a brilliant day!  About half the group braved their first snowshoe and several joined us again that came last year.  Check out the slideshow below.  Highlights:  A discussion about whether or not wine should be allowed on our first ever Booty Camp Restorative Retreat this May ; )  Also Melissa brought along the star of the parade – baby Grace and also her hubby Greg of Freggies – one of our co sponsors!

 

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The Moves

Ain’t Pretty but yeah let’s Hold Pee, Hold Gas!

Jessica

2 secrets!

1. What will power charge your core workout? 

2. Why does it have a Code Name: H.P.H.G.?

Well my friends, the secret lies between your legs ;).

A few posts ago we were talking about kegels and why they are so good for us for so many reasons!  Well now, we are expanding on the kegel and bringing it smack dab into the middle of your workout!  As we covered in our previous post the Kegel exercises (tightening and releasing the muscles you use to stop your flow of pee) are miracle workers when it comes to prevention and treatment of many common health issues such as urinary incontinence that happens as we age.  Read more on Kegels here.

Your pelvic floor musculature could be described as a hammock of interwoven muscles made up of sphincter and sling muscles.

Theresa Freeman, one of our powerhouse Seward Park Booty Camp Trainer teaches her campers about these muscles incorporates them into most core exercises.  Theresa explains that when we don’t activate our pelvic floor muscles we let our bigger muscles take over which in the long run reduces our core strength and ability to support our spine.

And the code name?

As a quick and easy reminder Theresa started calling these muscles “Hold Pee, Hold Gas” to remind campers of the full pelvic floor sensation of the muscles we want to engage.  Some campers didn’t like this name and instead started calling it H.P.H.G.  And this name stuck!  There you have the birth of our code name.

So next time you are doing any core exercise like a “chair” sit, try to H.P.H.G. and see how much more stamina and stability you build with this new secret weapon!

Nutrition

Massaged Kale Avocado Salad

Jessica

One of the many wonderful things about Kale is that it grows all year ‘round.  So it’s healthy and fresh and can be found locally even in our cold and grey winter months.

We just came out of holiday food-a-palooza and whether your December was full of latkes or sugar cookies or none of the above you can probably use some more kale in your life.

Rather than focus on what NOT to eat things tend to work better when we have concrete healthy and delicious things we ARE going to put into our bodies.

One of my favorite dishes to counter balance the grease of a delicious latke meal is the simple yet amazing Massaged Kale Avocado Salad!  I first learned about this salad as a raw foodist favorite. Because it’s raw it’s a terrific form of cleansing refuge and it provides a perfect contrast to the heaviness of the usual holiday fare.

A plug for the massage:

Don’t skip the massaging step.  I know it might feel up close and personal, it’s a perfectly healthy way to handle your food as long as your hands are really clean and you’re not sick.  Massaging the kale with your hands works the acid and salt into the leathery kale and alters it’s properties effectively “cooking” it making it soft and yummy to eat.

You’ll need:

  • 2 avocados
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 large bunches of kale with stems and ribs removed
  • Olive Oil 2-4 tablespoons (depending on your taste)
  • Cayenne – a pinch
  • Salt – a pinch

Here’s what you do:

Mix the avocados, oil, cayenne and salt in a bowl with a fork.  You can also use a food processor if you prefer.

Rip your washed and stemmed kale into bit sized pieces or for a fancier affair you can chiffonade the kale by rolling it tightly and cutting it into long thin ribbons.

Now this is important – WASH YOUR HANDS… including under your finger nails.  We’ll wait (you’ll thank me later)…

…

Ready?  Okay, in a large bowl with breathing room place your kale and massage your dressing into you kale with your hands until each leaf is coated thoroughly.  You can serve with a garnish of avocado or tomato.

Enjoy!

 

Contributed by Camper Becka Tilsen

Community News, Special Events

5th Anniversary Holiday Party!

Jessica

 

Southside Booty Camp celebrated our 5th Anniversary in style this holiday season!

Thanks so much to all who attended and made it special.  Highlights were the mid dance party plank contest.  Camper Kathleen Skeels (the champion) and Laura Shoemaker each won a week of camp each, with both coming in at over 7 minutes 30 seconds!  So you all can expect some longer plank holds during camp now!  The table was set with amazing food from so many excellent kitchens.  Randi Rascal gave us the sweetest burlesque act which involved clothes being shed in the effort of trying to fit into a box… And Camper Xena Harris performed and showed us how to get our Bollywood on as we all took the dance floor.  We celebrated 5 years of sweating together and plan on many more to come.  Extra special was Jessica getting to present “I’m a Booty Babe’ onsies to FIVE campers who will all give birth to new booty babes early this year!  Congrats all around!

Many thanks to Cheri Pearl Photography, Waid’s Haitian Lounge, Mean Girls Massage, Dahlia Spa, Freggies, and Communichi Acupunture.
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The Moves

Push it up!

Jessica

Push it; push it real good! 

Is getting fit harder and slower than it needs to be?

This is something that a lot of us do.  When we are new to a type of exercise and we don’t pay attention to proper form, we can actually make getting in shape a LOT harder than it needs to be.

We are going to take on one exercise today: The PUSH-UP.

The push-up can be a dreaded part of class for the newbie, but it doesn’t have to be!  These rules apply whether you are doing push-ups on the ground, from knees, on a bench, table or desk, or even the wall.  I encourage you to get up and try this right now so that you can get the information into your muscle memory.  Try it out!

 

1. Shoulders LOW AND WIDE

You want your shoulders over your wrists or slightly forward, NOT behind your wrists.  If your shoulders are behind your wrists when you lower down to the mat it’s impossible to not hunch your shoulders up around your ears.  This causes strain through your neck and upper back.  Yuck!

If you keep your shoulders over your wrists they remain stacked and therefore low and wide, and when you descend your scapula (shoulder blades), pull together.  Your mantra – shoulders low and wide!

2. Elbows HUG your ribs!

In the basic push-up form elbows should skim the side of your body as you lower down.  Push up until your elbows are straight but NOT locked.

3. BREATH in rhythm with your push-up

Draw your breath in as you lower.  Exhale as you push-up. Exhaling at this point allows you to put power behind your push from your shoulders and chest and core. This small change will make your push-ups more productive and will make them FEEL easier.

4.  Head in line with the spine.  Do not reach your forehead towards the ground separately from the rest of your spine.

You got that?  Okay then…

Enough talk. Try it!  Right now.  Really.  If you don’t feel better after 5 quality push-ups then write me an email and I’ll drop and give you 20!

 

Contributed by Becka Tilsen

Community News, Motivation

Why “News and Goods”?

Jessica

Our Camp Tradition: News and Goods

Every Thursday after a tough and terrific roving day in the park we circle up.  Sweaty campers with cheeks flushed all share a “New and Good”.

Why do we do a “New and Good”?  SSBC is about so much more than getting a bangin’ workout.  It’s about bringing more power, balance, energy and health to women individually and as a community.  When we circle up we:

  • Take a moment to connect with the collective group of powerful women
  • Share a bit about lives beyond the mornings of mats, weighs, and circuit sprints
  • Pause to reflect on something going well in our lives

But wait!  What is a “New and Good”??

Great question! A “New and Good” is a bit of news about you that is BOTH new AND good.  It doesn’t have to be big news, it can be a small moment.  A New and Good can be:

  • A pleasant moment that you recently experienced like a beautiful walk, a visit with a friend or family member or a recent adventure.
  • A recent accomplishment from your life or from Booty Camp (i.e. showing up for camp!)
  • Something fun coming up that you’re looking forward to
  • A *Brag* this is addition was contributed by our brilliant Seward Park Trainer Stephanie!  It’s so good (and uncomfortable!!!) for most women to get some practice bragging about ourselves!  Thank you Stephanie!

What if I don’t have one of these “News and Goods” to share??

Well first ,if you’re asking this question then I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough way these days!  L  The tendency to feel crummy is actually precisely WHY we do New and Goods in the first place.  This exercise is not about making anyone be falsely positive or forcibly upbeat.   We do News and Goods because it’s a practice to train our minds to notice even the smallest uplifting moment, something warm, gentle, sweet, loving or tender that happened to us that week.

Is it okay to share sad news during New and Goods?  Yes it is!  The goals of the circle is to building connection and community and hard times is part of keeping it real between us and not being isolated in grief or loss.   Sometimes sharing a sad or hard bit of news can open up our attention to notice something sweet or comforting inside of it.

For example, just a few weeks ago I shared that a lovely colleague of mine died suddenly.  As I shared this I found myself telling the group about the amazing experience of seeing how many people loved this person, fighting back tears I reflected how profound it was to get to know someone so much more deeply after they have left our world.   When I looked up others were crying with me. It was comforting to be with my workout women and get to feel the strength of our compassion and connection for each other.

 

-Contributed by Becka Tilsen

Community News, Partners

Birth Days of all Shapes and Sizes

Jessica

Today is a BIRTH DAY.  No it’s not our fearless leader Jessica’s Birthday (although stay tuned for the upcoming Booty Camp 5th year anniversary party!).  Today we are honoring Booty Camp Sponsor and Camper Marge Mansfield and her organization Seattle Home Maternity Service and Childbirth Center.

Located in Columbia City, this is the oldest practice and birth center in the state.  Marge is one of the founders!

Some of you may know Marge as your fellow camper in Stephanie’s 6:15 class.  When she’s not doing her reps with you at camp she is working with women all around Seattle since the late 1970’s to have satisfying and empowering births.

“Brilliant” is what Marge calls Southside Booty Camp’s outdoors exercise experience.  She makes connection between her work and SSBC through empowerment, education and community building.  Marge appreciates how SSBC gives women tools you can use anywhere for their own personal fitness.

“Midwifery care is a different kind of care…it’s client driven” she says.  Marge wants everyone to know the breadth of options available to pregnant women.  For example, did you know?

– Most Midwives offer a free consultation

– With a Midwife you can give birth at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital

– Midwives are covered by essentially all health insurance plans, including Group Health and state Medicaid

Marge reminds us that Seattle is an incredible place for options:  “you deserve to have a care provider who is responsive to your needs and concerns.”  She advises – not to accept a care provider who doesn’t know or can’t tell you:

– her/his c-section rate

– time you can expect her/him at your bedside,

– If she/he is open to having a doula present

What to do if that happens?  Marge says “It’s never too late to change providers.  If you’re not comfortable, fire them!  Look for someone who’s right for you.”

For new parents she stresses a healthy recovery and adjustment time, validating self-care; trust yourself and your ideas of your body’s capacity, “come home to that trust” she reminds pregnant women and new moms.

Want more information for you or a friend? Check-out these resources:

Contributed by Camper Becka Tilsen

The Moves

WORKOUTS FOR BREAK WEEK!

Jessica

Here are 4 workout ideas for break week or for when you are on vacation and want to take us with you!

With all the workouts start with a 5-10 minute brisk walk or jog to get your body warmed up and ready to go.
Then mobilize your joints with some dynamic (moving) stretching like we do in class.
When you begin the  workout remember to belly breath as much as possible, and strive for maintaining good form over
completing the right number of repetitions or time, and stay hydrated.  When you are finished the main work set
take 5 minutes or so to stretch out the muscle groups that you have worked.  Have fun ~ even try putting a smile on your face when
it starts to feel hard, and whenever possible get a buddy to join you, that always makes it more fun.

There is a core workout, a lower and upper body workout. You can always take a piece of each of those
workouts and combine them together for a more full body session.

CORE STABILIZER WORKOUT

You will need a watch for this one, or if you are doing it inside a wall clock with a second hand works well.
using a 30-45 second interval with 10- 15 seconds to rest/transition to the next exercise.

Round 1.
Forearm plank hold – press through your whole forearm, and draw your shoulder blades down your back
Side plank hold –   lift  your top hip up, and try to keep your your body in one long line
Bridge  –  engage your core before you lift up, and press through your heels to make sure you are using your glut muscles
Superman –   keeping your core engaged, lift your legs and arms up and down for a count of 5.

In between rounds 1 and 2 and  then 2 and 3 take a run and or do 1-2 minutes of the cardio move of you choice
(jacks, mountain climbers, skipping etc)

Round 2 – same exercises or if you want to increase the challenge add the following modifications
Plank- try body saws, hinging you body forward and back
Side Plank – lift your hips up and down
Bridge – lift your body up and down, with spine straight (no curling)
Superman – lengthen your lift to a 10 second hold

Round 3 – continue where you are or modify further
Plank – while holding plank, alternate lifting you legs out to the side
Side plank – lift top arm and leg up . Now try going up and down…!
Bridge – hold bridge and march your legs by extending your lower leg out till it is level with your thigh
Sea turtles – as you lift up through your spine, sweep your arms back by your sides and spread your legs out to the sides

TURN UP YOUR METABOLISM ~TABATA STYLE WORKOUT

Tabata is a pretty quick way to fit in a workout and get your metabolism fired up for the rest of the day.
You will need a watch or a wall clock for this one, using the 20 ‘on’ and 10 seconds rest timing for a total of 4 minutes.
if you have any physical restrictions feel free to substitute another cardio exercise of your choice
Between rounds take 2 minutes of rest (or more if you need it) and drink some water

Round 1
Jacks ( plyo jacks will increase the intensity)
butt kicks (jog in place but kick your heels up high behind you.

round 2
Mountain climbers
jump squats or quick pulse squats

Round 3
Skipping (if you don’t have a jump rope pretend..!)
Punches  stay active on your feet as you punch out in front about shoulder or eye level.

UPPER BODY STRENGTH WORKOUT

This is a ascending/descending ladder. Do each of the exercises below 5X, then 10X then 15X, then 10X,  then 5X
in between rounds bring your heart rate up with 30 jacks, mountain climbers or punches or if you prefer take a 200 meter run.

PUSH UPS
SQUAT WITH OVERHEAD PRESS
DIPS (use a chair if you are doing this inside, or a bench outside)
LUNGES WITH BICEP CURL (step back into lunge, then bring same leg forward so that your knee is raised as you do a bicep curl)
LEG LOWERS (laying on your back with your legs raised, and knees bent with your feet up in the air, engage your core muscles, maintaining
your neutral lumbar curve, and slowly lower your heels to the ground.  This can be done with straight legs, but make sure you are not flattening you spine
into your mat)

MY LEGS ARE ON FIRE WORKOUT

Make sure you warm your legs up well for this one with some jacks, squats and around the world lunges (right leg lunges forward, to the side, back, then left leg lunges back, to the side and then forward) and get your core engaged by doing some balance work on each leg.

1.’SHUFFLE SQUAT SHUFFLE’
Standing with your legs hip width apart, wrap your band around your knees or ankles (the lower the more challenging).
Bend your knees and take 10 steps to the right, keeping your upper body steady over your pelvis as you walk.
10 squats  pressing your knees out into the resistance of the band to feel the engagement of you hip muscles.
keep your knees bent and take 10 steps back to the left.
Repeat this sequence 3x resting if you need to in between sets, take a jog after 3 rounds or do 2-3 minutes of cardio moves of your choice.

Alternate between sets 2 and 3 3x, resting as needed between rounds

2. WALKING LUNGES
10 lunges per leg.  For extra challenge add arm weights with a bicep curl or fly as you lunge.
jog backwards to where you started, 10 push ups (or burpies if you are looking for extra challenge!)

3. SQUAT, SQUAT, SQUAT
15 jump squats (regular, low squats are fine if you don’t jump)
15 bodyweight squats   (pulse in the lower range of the squat if you did regular squats the first time
Low squat hold   30 seconds, keep chest lifted and try not to put your hands on your thighs

6.  RUN or WALK RUN INTERVALS

This is a great way to break into running more if you typically walk or gain speed if you already a runner.

1.Alternate between 2 minutes of  brisk walking or easy running and 1 minute of jogging or moderate intensity running
(Repeat 5 times)

2.Alternate 30 seconds of walking or jogging with 30 seconds of jogging or high intensity running.
(repeat 3 -5 times)

Repeat 2 minute/1 minute interval 3- 5 times finishing with an easy effort to bring your heart rate back down.

-Contributed by Trainer Stephanie Levine

Special Events

End of Season 5k/10k and Harvest Picnic!

Jessica

An abundance from the earth was shared at our Harvest Picnic.. many mother – daughter teams ran and walked the trails together… and it was simply an altogether lovely September day to share fitness, camaraderie, fun and food!

Thanks to our awesome sponsors and camper crafters… our campers went home with drawing prizes that included fresh produce boxes from FREGGIES, Mean Girls Massage, Communichi Acupunture, and Camper Tina Fogall’s Big Spoon Jam! xoxoxoxoxo

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