Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

Halloween is going to be different this year.

So why not actually do something different too?

Candy is nothing new, but have you tried these types of nature’s candy?

I don’t know about you, but I love trying different fruits!

There’s so many out there besides the boring typical banana and apples.

This year try some different fruits instead. You can even make a day out of it and take the kids with you to pick out new unique fruits at the grocery store or farmer’s market.

Of course, fruits still have a lot of sugar, natural or not, but at least you’ll actually be getting nutrients rather than just sugar, artificial flavours and food colouring.

Because let’s be honest, you’ll get far more health benefits from consuming fruit than eating candy.

Here’s some to try (along with just some of the many benefits)*:

These are my favourite!

I grew up with these in my Caribbean household.

They originate from Africa but is also grown in India and other tropical countries around the world.

I have to say it, but to me they look like poop! But they taste anything but. They are so sweet and a little tangy and have hard seeds inside it’s flesh that you can easily eat around and spit out.

Health benefits:

• an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
• lowers blood sugar
• ​weight loss benefits
• used in multiple forms of medical treatment
• high in magnesium, potassium, iron and more

​

Also known as a custard apple.

The flesh is soft and sweet "certain parts of cherimoya contain toxins that may damage your nervous system if consumed in high amounts" ( ,). Do NOT eat the skin peel.
​
Health benefits:

• high in antioxidants (are you seeing a trend here?)
• some studies have shown a positive effect on eyesight and vision
• ​fights against damaging free radicals
• can be used as a food source to treat depression

Isn't this so pretty?

It's easy to cut and eat and has the texture of a watermelon and cucumber and is light tasting and not as sweet as you'd expect.

It has been studied on the glycemic control of pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes but more research is needed.

Health benefits:​

• an antioxidant which has cancer fighting ingredients as well as probiotics
• low in sugar, high in carbs, fiber, iron and more​
• good for gut health
• "a valuable ingredient in foods and may also be useful in cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications" (Kim, 2010)​

This to me is like a slightly watered down honeydew melon. Still delicious and had what seemed like more water content.

I could definitely see myself adding this to a smoothie with some greens.

Health benefits:

• ​high vitamin A content
• ​high in fiber
• low in calories high in water content
• helps with high blood pressure and diabetes

This is not the guava I’m used to. The ones I’ve had before tend to be small so I was eager to give this a try since there’s so many different ones out there.

To me this tastes like a sweet and crisp apple with an undertone of guava. An unlike an apple, you can eat the whole thing. Skin, rind and all.

Health benefits:

• may help reduce gingivitus if consumed before oral hygiene
• may help to reduce tumours (more studies needed)
• helps with a range of health issues such as diarrhea, stomach pain, indigestion, UTIs, liver problems, menstrual pain and many more but often times the leaves are listed as a form of treatment

When I dug into the fruit with the spoon I reached the rind which was quite bitter, but overall the taste of this fruit was interesting! I couldn't put my finger on it because the fact that it tasted like a sweet tomato of some sort. Which explains why it's called a tree tomato. 

Health Benefits:

• ​a range of B vitamins include B6, B1 & B2
• may help to keep type 2 diabetes under control 
  
• helps control and regulare blood pressure
  
• may aid in weight loss
  

Native to Latin America it looks like how it sounds but luckily not as prickly. Go ahead and eat the skin if you'd like. I found the overall taste to be mushy and sweet with a crunch because of the seeds.

Benefits:

• helps with hangovers (more studies are needed) but try this next time you're hung over!
• rich in antioxidants
• satiates hunger

​

There's also passion fruit, durian (the stinky fruit!) and so much more.

The beautiful thing is that you'll sugar craving will be satisfied, you'll feel so much more full after consuming some of these fruits as a lot of them have a high water content and lots of fiber.

Have you tried any of these fruits? Which was your favourite?



*Do your own research and before trying anything new, check to see if there's any interactions with current medications you’re taking and the negative side effects of the food you plan to consume. If you're unsure, talk to your doctor.

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

When was the last time you checked your blood pressure?

Did you know that it's known as "the silent killer"?

When a client books a consultation part of the consultation includes me taking their blood pressure.

​Why?

Because it’s one of the leading cause of death world wide and many don’t even know they have it until it’s too late.

For liability reasons I can't even train an initial new client during the consultation if their blood pressure is 140/90.

"About 1 in 3 adults in Canada has HBP. HBP itself usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body" (Life Source Canada, 2019).

​If you get a high reading, while not an immediate need for alarm, it is an indicator of your current health and whether or not you should seek treatment. The “normal“ range for blood pressure is 120/60.

If you're blood pressure stays above normal most of the time, you are at risk and should talk to your doctor. Especially if it’s in that 140/90 zone.

See below for what your blood pressure numbers represent:

The one I purchased cost me $50 but there are many that range from as low as $30 and more. 

It's such a simple, cheap and useful piece of health equipment I truly believe everyone should have. 

Out of all my senior clients I don't know a single one that doesn't have a blood pressure machine.

The older you get the more your blood pressure and overall health needs to be monitored. 
​
I recommend checking your blood pressure once a week if you're over 30-50+ and more if suffer from high or low blood pressure. 

​Buying a Home Blood Pressure Monitor? 6 Things You Need To Know
Heart Team - https://health.clevelandclinic.org/buying-a-home-blood-pressure-monitor-6-things-you-need-to-know/

​Get the Most Out Of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20047889#:~:text=The%20first%20measurement%20should%20be,the%20same%20times%20each%20day.

https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/assets/page_documents/EIM%20Rx%20series_Exercising%20with%20High%20Blood%20Pressure_2.pdf

https://lifesourcecanada.com/faqs-2/

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

We can all be lazy sometimes.

So before you get out of bed in the morning, consider trying some of these great exercises to get you energized and ready to start your day before your feet even touch the bedroom floor.

You can do these exercises as a whole routine or pick and choose which ones work best for you!​

For all the modified versions feel free to prop up pillows where needed.

Let's break it up into 4 sections:

​Warm up starts at 0:27

• ​Snow angels​
  • modified: bend the knees to take any pressure of the back as you open and close the legs and arms. Press the back into the bed to engage the core. 
  • intermediate/advanced: straighten out the legs and the arms like a full jumping jack. To make it even more advanced lift the legs off the bed. 

 

• Hand to leg tap
  • modified: bend the knee and arm instead of having them fully extend.
  • intermediate/advanced: lift up the head and upper body to extend the reach to the leg. 

 

• Clam shell to butterfly​
  • modified: do the clam shell only or the butterfly only. Whichever feels better to you. 

Stretches starts at 5:05

• Lower back stretch turned into pretzel
  • ​modified: bend both knees, prop up pillows and don't do the bretzel or use a sheet to wrap around the ankle to pull it back into a bretzel.
  • intermediate/advanced: when going into the bretzel open up the chest to face the ceiling.
• Hug knees to chest
  • ​modified: hug one knee to the chest at a time, keep the other leg bent and foot flat on the floor.
  • intermediate/advanced: rock side to side and/or forward and back 
• Reach for toes the right way ​
  • ​modified: lean forward and don't reach forward at all or reach just to the thigh.
  • intermediate/advanced: prop a pillow under your ankle to lift your leg up higher.

I hope this helps! 

Have you ever done exercises on your bed? Leave a comment below!

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

​I truly love what I do and don't see myself ever stepping foot out of the fitness & health industry. After making my list about 20 things I hate about being a personal trainer, I of course had to make a list about the many things I love. 

1. My own hours
In the beginning this was hard to achieve but now I have more control of my time and schedule which gives me total control of when I want to work. Now I take don't train clients past a certain time and I take weekends off for myself.

2. The positive environment
It's not like working in a bank or high stress level job.

My job is to de-stress my clients. That's why there's a lot of laughing, dancing, and just a general stress free environment.

3. Transformations
It's not just the "before" and "after". It's way more than that.

It's the improved sleep, reduced or eliminated back pain, knee pain, joint pain. It's the increased confidence boosts, more energy and so much more.

I'm not selling exercise, I'm selling exercise and health which is what we all need.

​To see my testimonials click here.

4. No vacation limit
It's nice to know that I'm not limited to a certain amount of sick days or vacation days.

5. I'm my own boss
This is bittersweet as it comes with other cons. However, I also work as an executive assistant at another fitness company so I get the best of both worlds.

In today's age many are entrepreneurs and for good reason.

You are in control of your destiny and being your own boss is part of that.

6. Help people in ways I never imagined
For instance, I trained one client and then his family member decided to join and then another family member started to eat healthier and it had a ripple effect on the whole family.

I also had two female clients that struggled with infertilely and I kid you not, within 2 weeks they fell pregnant!

I still talk to clients I no longer train to this day and they are happy to share how far they've come in their fitness and health journey.

7. Cancellations are oh so bittersweet
If a client lets me know at 7am that they have to cancel I get to roll over, sigh, smile and go back to bed.

However, it's bittersweet because that time slot could have gone to another client and if they cancel within 24 hours of the appointment I can lose out on income. 

8. Doing something I love
Clients often say "I don't know how you do this all day" but the answer is simple: because I love to exercise!

9. No judgment
I've had clients breakdown in tears, share embarrassing stories or vent about their day.

I provide a listening eat and they know this is judgement free zone. We're both here to work on their goals and with the mutual trust and understanding, it makes it that much more worth it to do my job.

10. My clients inspire me
When they ask me a question I don't know the answer to and seek to find it out, it inspires me to have the answer for the next client.

So many clients have inspired me to write blog posts and when a client is struggling with something I'm also struggling with, we can work on it together.

11. Working as a team
"We'll work as a team" This is what I often tell my clients because ultimately, they know their body better than I do. 

Even better, if they have a physio, chiro, osteopath or other health professional working with them, I'm able to reach out to them to ensure that we're on the same page with helping the client reach their goal. 

12. Peek into different lives
I have clients that are lawyer, work in real estate, social work and more.

Hearing about their profession is interesting and the advice they have to offer is always insightful.

13. Gifts
Sometimes it's a downright gift giving battle.

14. Variety
There's kick boxing, circuits, HITT, Tabata, yoga, Pilates, big box gym (which I don't see myself ever returning to) and more.

I'll never get bored and I'm always on the hunt for new and creative exercises and receipts. 

15. I'm more than a personal trainer
I'm a teacher, coach, detective (if you're doing everything right and not getting results, you're doing something wrong), a listening ear, a mediator (sometimes my clients family members can be hurtful), and an influencer (not necessarily in the social media kind of way).

While I specialize with clients who want to achieve weight loss, I also prescribe rehab exercises to those who need it (which is most). 

16. Busting myths 
There's nothing like explaining why what a client believes to be true is in indeed not accurate.

I provide them with the articles and resources and let them make their own decisions.

Their faces are priceless when they realize that not everything is classified as "bad" and "good".

17. I get to wear fitness clothes all day 
Have you noticed that more people are wearing fitness clothes as every day wear?

I'm one of those people.

I never have to worry about getting all dressed up to go to work because that's never been me. I am way to lazy to wear heels, make up, get my hair done all nice ugh forget it. 

18. In-home training is a growing industry 
It's sad to say, but more and more people are falling into the overweight and obese category, which means I'll never be out of a job.

Plus, the convenience of having a personal trainer come to your home and provide you with equipment and a nutrition plan AND a specific exercise program prescribed to you? It's too good to pass up.

19. CECs
This is known as Continuing Education Credits all personal trainers must stay up to date by doing new courses to reach a certain amount of CEC "points" within their certifying body. So this forces me to continue to be the awesome trainer I strive to be. 

20. I learn about myself
I don't know it all and I need to practice what I preach, sometimes my clients put me in my place (rightfully so!) and each day teaches me something new.

More specifically, I've learned to better organize my time, my client documents and sort through the never ending information on fitness and health.

​Are you in the personal training industry? What are the things you like?