C-Rave. Do you have it?

Editor's note: Contributing to Ashley Darkenwald's Patch Blog this week is Christina Zaczkowski, a certified personal trainer at InFit and Anytime Fitness in Albertville.

Have you ever experienced a C-Rave? Well I have! It’s one of these amazing events where you work out your chewing apparatus to the beat of your craving heart and stomach as if there was no tomorrow! What does “C” stand for? CALORIES!!

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie is a ca… Wait, this is the 21^st century and modern science has proven this to be only half the truth, terribly perverted by big companies that can afford to be half-truth tellers. (I can't afford a court case, so I'm not going to mention any names ;) 

Ever tried losing weight by ONLY counting calories? I have, and let me tell you that there is more to weight loss than just losing weight. Food journaling is a great idea to visualize your eating habits; you bite it–you write it–you read–you weep. Have a “diet” pop and no bad conscience? Sorry, the body is more than an equation and definitely more than a garbage can.

Are you familiar with frequent C-Raves? Do you have to sneak away so your parents won’t find out?

Let me speak light into your darkness: Our bodies are made for real food. If you crave junk on a daily basis you can from now on know that your body is in need of more than you are providing. More cheeseburgers?! Not so my friend, I am talking about real food, more important: Real nutrients. Why the heck do you tell your kids to eat their veggies? Because somewhere deep inside, hidden under layers of chips and crackers, you remember, that something was special about those raw foods from trees, bushes and the ground.

What is different? Well, in theory they are not processed. They have not been violated until there was no more reason to call them “food” anymore. Food is meant to nourish every cell of you so you are, feel and look healthy- saturated. To crave means that you are deficient of something. That WILL eventually result in sickness. Like a car that never gets an oil change or vacuum cleaned.

Today, let me point out to you that you need to consume FAT. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. FAT is fuel. FAT keeps your heart and other vital organs healthy. Am I talking about chips and cracker fat? No- I’m not! FAT is healthy for you if it is not processed. Like in an avocado, olive oil, nuts, real butter, coconut oil. You were created to have this kind of fat (unsaturated and saturated) daily, and, boy, let me tell you, it is yummy! But stay away from Transfats, hydrogenated fats, greasy or deep fried foods, they will not help you at all.

I try to eat an avocado every day. Yes, these little friends are potent in calories, but they are worth it. Calories from fat actually help you burn calories, because they provide the energy you need to make it happen! You can cut avocado into a fresh salad with some feta cheese, swap the dressing with two tablesppons of super food olive oil and smile as you are a good steward of your body, leaving you feeling saturated!

Schedule a weight loss consultation with me if you would like to learn more about what YOU need to eat to be a good steward! Call the gym (763-424-4435) or sign up online at www.infittraining.com.

Christina Zaczkowski, CPT

Would you like to read more? Check out my Spiritual Spa: Christina-SpititualSpa.blogspot.com