4 Reasons You Should Start Working Out Today

As much as the current fitness industry would like you to believe, fitness is not about perfect quads, chiseled, abs, and overall shredded physique.  Here are 4 Benefits that have absolutely nothing to do with you physique.

1. Reduce your risk of Coronary Heart Disease:  Studies have found that not only does exercise help reduce your risk of CHD, but studies have found that in patients who have already suffered a stroke, physical activity was more effective than drug treatment.  (Not saying toss the drugs, always consult with MD, but realize you should be exercising)
2. Improve your memory:  Aerobic exercise boosts the size of your hippocampus (responsible for memory and learning).  In women more so than man they have found that regular aerobic exercise decreases risk factor for dementia.
3. Strengthen your Immune System:  Regular aerobic exercise boosts your immune system
4. Increase your life span:  A study published in 2012 that contained 650,000 people found that 150 minutes total a week of moderate exercise, which is about 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week could increase your life by 3.4 years.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

Have you watched any Netflix health docs lately?

What the Health?, Forks Over Knives, Fed Up (personal fave), Food Matters, Vegucated, are just a few of the Netflix documentaries you can find on food.  There are plenty more, but those are the ones I’ve seen recently.  I must admit I have a love-hate relationship with most of them leaning more towards the hate than the love.

Here’s what I do love:

• I love how they are bringing awareness to fruits and vegetables and how we need to increase the amount we are eating.  The majority of us don’t even get half our recommended daily dosage.
• I love how they shed light on the atrocities of the meat slaughtering industry, because regulations NEED to happen.  The real animals are us humans, who choose not to find more humane ways to put down the meat that we do eat.  Personally I am a vegetarian, I believe in doing my part, but I also do not believe everyone needs to go vegan.  I’m a realist who believes it should be a personal choice as to whether or not someone decides to consume meat, and because I am a realist I know not everyone will remove or decrease the amount of meat in their diet, which is why more humane treatment of animals needs to be put in place.
• I love that they shed light on the amount of garbage they are adding to meat, poultry, and farm raised fish.
• I love how are they are raising awareness to the amount of added sugar the majority of us eat without realizing it
• I love that they bring awareness to how food can help prevent more health issues than the pharmaceutical companies want you to believe.  YOU NEED A BALANCE PEOPLE!

Here’s what I don’t like

• How EXTREME and one-sided they are.  The ones pushing people towards veganism more so than the ones warning people to stay away from wheat and sugar.  At least the one’s I have seen about wheat frequently give the disclaimer that the negative effects of wheat more so impact the gluten intolerant.  The documentaries about sugar also frequently express the need more consuming added sugar in moderation.  However the ones that promote veganism, never once touch base on the idea of grass-fed or organic meat and poultry alternatives that are worth the investment due to significantly less pesticides, etc.
• I do not like how they neglect to go over the differences between complete and incomplete proteins and how animal proteins are complete proteins where as plant based protein usually requires 2-3 different sources to reach the complete protein status.
• I do not like how they neglect to mention that for athletes looking to get stronger, IGF1 only found in red meat is a legal and natural “steroid” in the sense that is helps our strength gains.  I’m not saying you won’t get stronger if you only eat vegetarian or vegan because that is not the case.  The gains can come faster though with the help of red meat, but I opt out of that natural boost.
• I don’t like how they neglect to talk about the dirty dozen (aka the most contaminated fruits and vegetables) that everyone should prioritize as buying organic because of the amount of pesticides found in them.
  • Peaches, Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Pears, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Potatoes
• I don’t like how they do not touch on the subject of how easy it is to also be overweight and have health issues has a vegetarian or vegan.  I personally know way too many overweight, anemic, or overall unhealthy vegetarians and vegans

Overall for people who do not have extremist personalities and tendencies I would recommend educating themselves with these documentaries, however also keeping in mind that there are 2 sides to every story.  I wish they would make them with less of a bias.  I believe they’d have more success reaching larger audiences if they did.  I also believe they would make meat-eaters understand the POV of vegans and vice versa.  We all know that vegan or meat eater that tries to make the other side feel like terrible people for choosing to eat or not eat meat.  We need to educate people on both sides and THEN let people decide and respect their decisions!  The lesson continues to be that everything in MODERATION is key!

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

10 Non-Fitness Facts About Me

1. My favorite animals are Giraffes: Why? Aside from their awkward dimensions being their most beautiful asset. Their markings are like the human finger print, no giraffe has the same markings.  They’re vegan (goals!). Giraffa camelopardalis is there scientific name which came from the ancient greeks thinking they looked like camels with a coat of a leopard.  How do I know this?  I wrote a paper on them in General Bio a few years back.  So I could go on…
2. I’m a workaholic:  To the point where I wake up in the middle of the night with new ideas running through my mind.  My brain does not shut have an off button and  I don’t take days off.  Even when I go to the beach., outing, etc. I have to answer to clients, talk to other people I meet about what I do, or create content. Even our honeymoon I worked everyday (a little less extreme than normal, but still got my 4-6 hours a day), but hey it pays off…lierally.
3. I think I’m still considered a newly wed:  I got married on December 17, 2016.
4. I have 3 pets:  They’re all hairless!  1 Chinese Crested Hairless dog (secretly looking for another) and 2 Sphynx sisters we recently rescued in January. It’s a lot easier to love on them when you don’t have hair going up your nostrils.  But seriously, they’re the best they don’t shed or smell!  My cats do require more baths than my dog though…the irony
5. My favorite color is pink:  It’s just a happy color
6. I have a shoe problem: Christian Louboutin to be exact.  Back when I lived care free at my moms when all I did was save money to reinvest in the future because I had no serious bills to pay my once in a while splurge would be a new pair.  Since my priorities have changed however I foresee my 7 pair collection to stay at 7 for a good while and that’s 100% ok with me.
7. I have a mug collection:  I use about 3-4 a day, but somehow I’ve ended up with over 50 mugs (and counting…oops)
8. I should not be allowed at TJMaxx or Marshalls:  Overtime I go it’s $70-$100 on new mugs, candles, or home decor.  (new homeowner with an empty house over here)
9. I cannot be trusted at petsmart:  I go in for food or litter and come out with new outfits every time.  They’re more styling than I am.
10. I hate sleeping in:  I feel like it’s wasting the day.  Don’t get me wrong I believe in sleeping 6-8 hours a night but definitely no more than that.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

Grass-fed, Free range, Wild Caught Labeling

As discussed in my previous post, the food labeling industry has all sorts of labels without offering explanations.  We go to the store and see organic, grass-fed, cage free, free range, wild caught labels, but many of us don’t exactly know what they all mean.  Because organic labeling was already discussed, today I will be touching up on grass-fed meats, Free Range/Cage Free eggs, and wild caught fish vs their counterpart.

Wild caught fish are simply fish that are found and caught in the wild.  Compared to farm raised fish they are a more natural source of omega 3s, have more calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium.  They also contain less fat and depending on the type of wild caught fish, they may also have less calories.

Farm raised fish are fed unnatural diets, including antibiotics to combat the diseases many of them obtain because of their enclosed, dirty environment.  The pink in farm raised salmon, for example is an artificial coloring.

Grass-fed meats come from pastor that was fed their natural diet of grass and contain more omega 3s, less fat, more vitamin E and conjugated linoleum acid (CLA) compared to conventional meats that are filled with steroids and pesticides.  PLEASE NOTE: Grass-fed meat is not the same as organic meat as organic meat can come from animals fed a grain diet (better than steroids, but not as clean as grass-fed meat).

Eggs are in my opinion one of the most complicated because you can have free range, cage free, vegetarian fed, or omega enriched eggs, and they do not necessarily mean the same thing.

vegetarian fed hens, while their diet is clean, their environment may not be. Below is a useful chart that helps you understand the labeling.

conventional eggs for the most part come from hens that are not only fed unnatural diets, but are also kept in horrid living conditions.

Wether your an animal lover, health nut, or curious about what the different labels actually mean, the choice is up to you!

Welcome to My World!

Hi Everyone! My name is Melissa Letellier, I am a 21 year International Relations, Political Science, and Nutrition Dietetics Major as well as a business minor.  Crazy, I’m aware.  I changed my mind a little late in the game and decided, why not finish IR and Poli Sci? Aside from being a full time student, I am a Martial Artist turned Crossfitter.  I also, teach a woman’s glutes group.  My love for fitness and of course funky leggings, inspired me to develop my own line of fitness clothing for both Men and Women, called LetlerFit.  To go with the apparel I am publishing my very own workout program; “Get LetlerFit in 30 days.”  “Get LetlerFit in 30 days” will become to first installment of body weight at home programs that will eventually be expanded into dumbbell and resistance band training program (Yes, I am Personal Fitness Trainer certified). Aisde from helping people reach their fitness goals through health and fitness, I love the color pink, animals (I’m a vegetarian-for health and animal loving reasons I respect everyones diet), knowledge, my boyfriend of 3 and a half years, my pets handsome (chinese crested hairless), spike (chinese crested powderpuff), tigger (rescue cat), asuna (rescue cat/demon), marshmallow (Male Dwarf Rabbit), snuggles (Female Dwarf Rabbit), and blooper (accidental dwarf rabbit).  I am a workaholic, heavy-metal listening,  and goal driven.  Please excuse any grammatical errors/typos in this or any future posts.  I save my grammar for my academic papers.  No need to be perfect all of time.   I am excited to start my first blog, any suggestions on topics you would like me to blog about, do not hesitate to let me know! And remember, “Stay so hungry, you never stop eating.”  my own personal transformation.  Have a goal? I would love to coach you and help you become the best version of yourself.  LetlerFit@gmail.com