I’ve had the sincere pleasure of meeting and getting to know Chef Craig King. As a personal chef to the stars, his knowledge, depth and worldwide reputation on organic gardening, and delicious, healthy food preparation is enjoyed and devoured by thousands. We are lucky to have him here preparing amazing menus, and of course seeing his garden of health literally grow here on the N. shore of Maui at the beautiful property known as Lumeria Maui. Here his known “farm-to-table” practice is enjoyed by many guests.
Besides seeing him prepare a feast for a special few or a few hundred, his kind ways and natural talents shine through in every bite. I was overwhelmed with the first samplings one evening and to taste not only the freshness of the buffet he prepared, but the blend of flavors that exploded from the simplest herbs and green selections were over the top.
Get to know Craig and watch these videos on how you too can eat for energy and I’m sure he will inspire you to not only grow your own fresh veggies but you’ll learn so much on how to sustain your own personal energy and vitality. Also scroll down to watch his “Here We Glow” video of his special cleanse. He is offering workshops on Maui on how you can do a “healthy” cleanse that leaves you feeling vibrant and strong. Contact and cleanse info below.
Chef Craig King:
Chef Craig King has been at the forefront of the healthy food revolution for more than 20 years. As the personal chef for some of the biggest names in the natural food business (Steve Demos, White Wave/Silk; John Mackey, Whole Foods; Michael Gilliland/Libby Cook, Wild Oats), as well as some notable Hollywood stars, Craig brings a deep understanding of food and its evolution to the show. He has a keen ability to create food that meets the client’s need in real time–– knowing how to balance what the client wants with what the client needs. He recently created and directed “Here We Grow”, a documentary film highlighting our troubled food system. His latest venture has been helping transform food in various institutional settings, including assisted and senior living centers. The installation of gardens in seven senior community centers helps highlight the beautification of the food transformation and demonstrate the practice of the farm-to-table philosophy. http://craigkingenterprises.com/
Here We Glow
Chef Craig King is offering his Glow Cleanse for you to enjoy. You can learn more here:
You may contact Craig direct at 820.281.2381 or e: ckcooking@hotmail.com to enjoy his company and receive a private consultation.
Feel free to share your comments.
Welcome to Maui Craig! We’re all thrilled to have you as our neighbor and a part of our healthy ohana.
Maui, HI. December 27, 2011 : Your New Year Approach to Health & Fitness Choices for 2012 on Suzie Cooney’s Radio Health & Fitness Segment with the Maui Breakfast Club, every Tuesday on Maui’s KNUI 900AM @ 7:30am.
Make a “lifestyle” choice for life not for one month. Reward yourself with a new surfboard, new running shoes, and make a plan and stick to it and see yourself in that lifestyle. Like what you see in the mirror, but love yourself on the inside first. Tweet
Most News Year’s resolutions fail because it is not motivating enough. Forget them, get real and get real simple. Reflect back and see forward. Trainers like myself can help you plan and chart realistic, simple changes that before you know it, it’s March and you’re still on track.
CLICK HERE to listen to Suzie's Health Segment Now
Feel free to share your comments and tell us your tips to help our audience can make long lasting, lifestyle choices. Let this be your year to set the pace for yourself, your friends and family. Live the life you always dreamed of now, make it healthy and simple.
Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trans Maui is a weekly guest on the Maui Breakfast Club with Tom Blackburn Rodriguez and Kellie Pali and shares every week, her healthy tip. From how to train for big surf, SUP stronger, train to be extra strong for windsurfing and kiting skills, or how to get off the roller coaster of yo-yo dieting and shed weight for good. For over 12 years she has helped hundreds of people get in the shape of their lives and live the life Maui offers. People come from all over to train and learn from her.
Tune in every week, Tuesday on Maui’s KNUI 900AM at 7:30am or click here to catch the daily, live broadcast from anywhere in the world.
Happ New Year Everyone! See you on the water! Check out my other website: http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/ Here you can change your life and discover a new way to get healthy with the awesome sport of SUP or stand up paddling. This is YOUR year to try something new!
Suzie Cooney, CPT
Suzie Cooney is available on the island of Maui for private, fitness training, stand up paddle ( SUP ) coaching, lifestyle coaching and for public speaking.
If you’d like to join my confidential mailing list and keep up to date with Suzie Trains Maui and other health related news, go here:
TweetAh food, glorious food! You’ve heard of the jingle, and you’ve also heard of the book by now, “Eat This Not That” by David Zinczenko. He’s a great guy and it’s a good read but I want to give you a quick serving of what you may know, should know or simply choose to ignore. Yes, I’m pretty fed up with how unhealthy food is still king, drive-throughs are killing us, and that we simply choose not to choose the right food. Okay, I’m breathing and I’ll calm down here, but please for your own health or someone else you know, pass this along. I want you healthy, I want your family healthy and I even the dog and cat. Like the Jerry McGuire movie and Cuba Gooding Jr., “help me help you.”
You can enjoy food but food is for feeding your organs, skin muscles and everything else to function at high levels. Eating for pleasure is okay, but tone it down a bit and think of my 90/10 rule. Eat 90% for staying alive and 10% for pleasure. I may sound a bit sarcastic in this portion of information I’m sharing , but I’m very serious and very concerned about our nation’s health. Frankly, I’m embarrassed. I train people from all over the world and I constantly hear about how we ( Americans ) eat too much and eat terribly. I wish I was from Australia, or New Zealand or even Iceland, then I’d be too cold to eat, or to busy chasing kangaroos.
Soft Drinks
OMG or Oh my gosh. Help us all! I’m surprised anyone still has any teeth left and everyone is not one big, walking pimple. Sorry to be so graphic, but hello, is this America or what? Adult acne is a real problem caused by sugar. I’m happy to see more reaching for other drinks, but still be careful, soda is one of the leading sources of empty calories in America. Instead, have plain or flavored water, herbal iced tea or skim milk. If you crave a sweet drink, limit yourself to one glass of fruit juice a day—better yet, cut it with seltzer water. If you feel diet sodas help you lose weight, drink them—but try to get down to one a day or you’ll never lose your taste for super-sweet foods. Heck the chemicals alone in diet soda should scare you to death and the sodium content alone causes bloating and water retention. People drink more because of the “0″ calorie factor, but keep in mind the sodium from the carbonated water will cause fluid retention and bloating which is very attractive. Chemicals alone don’t cause the harm, it’s the behaviors behind those who drink the “diet” sodas.
Alcohol
If I could show you all my abs right now I would. You want to see your abs again, put a cork in it. Want to lean out now? I suggest change your party friends, change your scene and lifestyle and if you must, maybe once in a while, but drink less. I challenge my clients to stop cold turkey for 2-3 weeks and watch what happens. They come running in and lift up their shirts and say, “Suzie, you were right!” Maybe it’s only a 4 pack for now but the 12 pack is coming! What a difference.
More people are drinking to soothe and comfort some of our most challenging days in this new world. Besides adding to depression, and being a depressant to slow down your metabolism, alcohol and weight loss don’t mix. It’s hard to make good eating habits when the fog or buzz starts making decisions for you.
There’s lots of sugar in a chardonnay say vs a red cabernet. And that delicious margarita, look out and say adios. My point is obviously, alcohol can add a lot of extra calories to your diet, and it’s more caloric than other foods. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram (carbohydrates and fat contain only 4 calories per gram; fat contains 9 calories per gram). But there are reasons besides the calories to skip sipping.
Hop on the wagon and hold your wheels tight. Do your best and recognize how great you’ll feel.
Although the Thanksgiving Holiday is a time of family and friends, giving thanks and maybe a football game or two, it’s also a time, for some, a food free for all that can quickly add unwanted inches to your waistline.
But, if you have a game plan you can enjoy the day without adding the extra wobble! Here are a few tips to keep your weight loss and fitness goals on track:
Don’t exercise as an excuse to indulge. You might say to yourself, “oh I’ll have a second serving of mash potatoes.” Well, that extra 300 calories you can eat in under 15 seconds, will take you at least 40 minutes or more of moderate cardio to burn that off.
Slow down. Allow your body to register the food you are putting in your mouth. For those fast gobblers, your body and brain can’t keep up with your mouth to know when it’s full. So 20 minutes is a good target amount of time to eat. Also include a sip of water before each bite.
Cook with low-fat ingredients. There are many healthy substitutes for cooking a delicious meal. For example, try low fat, sodium free chicken broth, or low fat or fat free sour cream for the mash potatoes. Also, sugar substitutes can save you hundreds of extra calories. And remember to cook the stuffing outside of the bird vs. inside. Reach for white meat vs. brown meat.
Holidays can be stressful times for many and is one of the main factors why people over eat during the holidays. If there are too many relatives, kids or barking dogs all sitting around in one room, instead of reaching for 2 extra bread muffins, or another beer, take a break, get up and walk outside for some nice fresh air. If you’re the one who is so kindly cooking, plan ahead and have everyone bring a dish.
Watch out for pre dinner grazing. Sure, if you’re the cook, you can taste a little here and there. If you’re simply passing by the kitchen to “test” a few things before they are served, before you know it that could be an extra 500 calories.
Lastly, wear tighter fitting clothes! Leave the elastic pants in the drawer or use them to wash the car.
Motivation. It is the most important aspect of any fitness regime and yet sometimes it is so difficult to find! There are lots of tricks to stay motivated. For me it’s all about doing something I like to do. Then it’s easy to stay active. I also change up my activity… a lot. Winter for me means snow. Lots of snow. I love to snowboard, ski, snowmobile and cross country ski. In summer I enjoy being on the water, at least when the wind is blowing. For the last few years I’ve been learning how to kite surf. Continuing to challenge myself with something new helps me stay motivated. Having a friend to play with is also a great way to stay motivated. Sometimes when the couch seems more appealing than your bike… it’s great to have a cheerleader to help you get moving. And when you have an abundance of energy you get to do the same for your friend.
I’ve always considered myself pretty fit but certainly recognize that there are some big gaps. And at 45 those gaps are getting deeper. 3 weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get invited to tagalong to a Suzie Cooney workout. I hadn’t previously worked with a personal trainer and the session I did was tailored for someone else… but I loved it and immediately booked myself and my husband in for our own sessions with her.
My idea that a personal trainer was akin to an army sergeant couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yet Suzie provides a perfect motivational force! And she is a force. Moving weights back and forth a few hundred times is not on her program which is good because it has never been on my program. I didn’t know you could do some much with an rubber band and a ball. Every training session is different and each session is filled with an incredible variety of exercises. It is never boring. Suzie works hard at tailoring your work out to address each individuals needs. After our sessions my husband and I always compare what we did… and of course.. who is better at what!
I wish that I could take Suzie with me when I am not on Maui because with her help my current fitness goals are getting closer and closer.
Thanks Suzie!
Lisa is an inspiring, charging woman. I enjoy training and working with Lisa for she goes to task and beyond with a fierce focus like I’ve never seen. She has broke records in the studio and takes pride in perfecting and executing all the exercises I put forth and eagerly accepts ANY challenge that I place before her.
For example, standing on a stability ball is no easy exercise. Then why don’t you add some dumb bells to the mix and some shoulder presses. Follow this by a grueling “weighted” session on the Vew Do Board, INDO Board and then finish off with a leg burning round of high performance land surfing on the Brett Lickle special SURF BALL trainer pictured here:
Besides her outer beauty, she is a walking, living example of health and fitness and I hope everyone who reads her story will step it up a notch. When you see her photos you know, this is an athlete! Lisa and I have much in common like fast motors, and fast action packed adventure. You can be sure Lisa will be charging on her snowmobile faster than ever with more body confidence and her training will help her in any condition that is demanding of her catlike, quick reactions. Also be sure to look up if you’re kiting or windsurfing on Maui, she could just be soaring over your head catching some big air. She’s also taken a quick learn to SUP and is already stepping into some tight step turns on her second day! She is real and she is mighty and I’m glad to know her.
Do not let other’s “shape” your thoughts of how you feel about yourself or your body. I’ve written this article for those who have yet to learn how to love the skin you’re in.
When you look in the mirror what do you see? Remember the mirrors at the fun house when you were a kid? You laughed and giggled when you saw your body as short or wide and a little distorted. But as we come up in age sometimes in real life we may feel awkward or uncomfortable in our bodies.
As a fitness expert and lifestyle fitness coach, I often work with individuals who sometimes come to me with a picture of a movie star, or model or someone that has an entirely different genetic body type than what may be realistic. They say, “Suzie I want legs and arms just like that.”
There’s nothing wrong with desiring a shapely or fit body, but the reality of how we are made can often prevent us from being real with who we really are and accepting that genetics, medical conditions and other physiological factors play a role in how our bodies literally take shape.
The key to feeling good about your body is to learn and respect our natural shape. We must get rid negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. We can do this by learning more about the physiological factors that may influence the result of your training efforts and desired outcome.
Body Image is…
How you see or picture yourself.
How you feel others perceive you.
What you believe about your physical appearance.
How you feel about your body.
How you feel in your body.
It’s been studied, that people with negative body images have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem and obsessions with weight loss.
Whether you’re an advanced athlete or re-entering fitness, enjoying your workout is important. We can all agree that working out has to be fun. Let’s face it, if it’s not fun, it’s not going to happen!
I’ve designed a simple workout for you to add to your current routine, or start fresh with this one. In my workouts, I always try to touch every muscle group, including the core, and also incorporate a little balance training. Everyone is so different and has different workout goals. But remember — we don’t want our bodies to plateau. I’ll often grab a workout that I’ve designed for one my clients and do theirs. Granted, I’ll adjust it to suit my training needs, but it’s fun, it’s different and I love it.
This workout will be about 45 minutes and offers a little something for everyone. I recommend you try it first in the order I’m presenting, especially the warm up and the core work. You can mix and match the strength training portion in any way that suits you. I like to save abs for last since they support us all throughout the workout.
Equipment: Medicine ball (4-8 pounds), resistance tubing with handles, tube circle or Thera-Band®, stability ball, dumbbells (5-15 pounds).
Training Tip: When you change “variables” in your training routine, your body will likely respond more quickly vs. doing the same old thing. A variable may be increasing or decreasing the number of reps, changing the order in which you select the exercise, changing the platform you are training on; such as an inflatable disc, or increasing the amount of weight used for the exercise.
Let’s begin…
Active Warm Up
I prefer and recommend my clients to do active warm up exercises vs. static stretching (stretches where you hold the stretch for a period of time). It can be a quick spin on the stationary bike, walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes, or try the exercise below.
As most of you know, SUP or stand up paddling is a big part of my life and I enjoy teaching others and sharing the health benefits of this sport.
Here is an article I wrote for ATHELTA to share my knowledge and enthusiam for how I see the sport shaping the world but more importantly, how it’s getting more people healthy.
Well, by the overwhelming response and stories I read as one of the judges for the most recent ATHLETA and SIREN SUP contest, one can say that any age, any person can “sweep” their way to better health, just about anywhere there is water. People all across the world are “sweeping” their way to better health and having more fun than they ever imagined. “Sweeping” is a slang term used to describe the sport that is going viral faster than any social networking media and changing the world of sports on any body of water — and just about anyone can hop aboard.
Stand up paddling, paddle surfing, or SUP is helping people of all ages and sizes catch the surfer’s glide, and helping people in all walks of life get fit and healthy, faster and safer. People are simply getting addicted. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the rise in popularity — not just for those, like me, who are fortunate enough to live in Hawaii or California, but anywhere there’s an ocean, lake, bay, or even river rapids, you can find this world phenomenon catching on. There are SUP fitness boot camps and clinics popping up anywhere there is water. You may have noticed more races and events happening in your community too.
Below are some photos of a recent FREE women’s Sup clinic last month, and these gals were wonderful. In the first hour, there were smiles across the ocean and a new found ticket to health. I do these monthly to ensure the health of our community and introduce women and men to a new way to get fit! For “fun” I had the girls attempt a few push ups. They were amazing. On the right is Amy Hampton, the Director of Maui’s American Heart Association, getting her heart pumping!
WHAT’S SUP?
According to Wikipedia:Stand up paddle surfing (SUP), or in the Hawaiian language Hoe he’e nalu, is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. The sport is an ancient form of surfing, and began as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of learner surfers, as standing on the board gave them a higher viewpoint, increasing visibility of what was going on around them — such as incoming swell. To begin with, this started with using a one-bladed paddle, whilst standing on a normal length surfboard. The popularity of the modern sport of SUP has its origination in the Hawaiian Islands. In the early 1960s, the Beach Boys of Waikiki would stand on their long boards, and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing”, another name for Stand Up Paddle Surfing, originates.
THE BENEFITS OF SUP
Not only can you lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol and feel more energized after a session, but the overall experience of being on the water is often touted as “aqua therapy.” The benefits of having a sport you enjoy and can do on a regular basis can alter many of the morbidity factors that decrease our health and plague our society.
I use this sport as a cross-training tool for almost all my clients who are comfortable in the water and who can swim. It is low impact on all joints and is also being used to improve balance and core strength for people recovering from serious injuries. I used my stand up paddle board to recover from a serious bilateral leg and ankle accident. I have also witnessed this sport transform people’s lives overnight, by instilling a new found level of confidence and achievement, making them feel invincible!
As a sponsored team SUP rider for Naish International, instructor, and SUP clinic organizer, I love to introduce the sport to everyone who visits Maui, and help others perfect their paddling stroke — from flat water fun to waves, and the really popular coastal long distance down winders we do here on the North Shore of Maui.
But, before you hop aboard, I’d like to offer my professional experience and expert resources about water safety, board and paddle selection, and how to maximize your fun to maximize your health so you can glide into your later years with a smile and healthy body!
You want to exercise regularly, but you keep encountering roadblocks—those creative, persuasive excuses you come up with for not sticking to your plan. It’s a lifestyle! Identify what is in your way and charge ahead! I wanted to share with you a few tips that may help you keep your fitness goals on track. Some days or weeks feel like a huge mountain before you. Schedules, lack of sleep and other demands of life can creep in.
Don’t get discouraged and if you have one day that’s off, simply regroup and begin again.
Here are a few tips that I think might help:
A perceived lack of time is a common excuse for not exercising. When life gets hectic, exercise is usually the first thing to go. It’s easy to convince yourself that the morning jog can wait until lunchtime or after dinner, and then tomorrow!
Not enough time!
Excuse #1: I Don’t Have Enough Time.
Solution. Commitments, responsibilities and the demands of work, family and social life are always going to be there. You can choose to prioritize exercise now—or you can wait until you are forced to make it a priority. You will be more productive! Even just 10 to 30 minutes a day of exercise, if done consistently, can provide heath benefits. How about scheduling 30-minute appointments with yourself in your day planner?
Excuse #2: I Have No Energy. When you have had a long day at work, it’s tempting to want to go home, sit down on the coach and “zone out” in front of the television.
Solution. Schedule your workout for a different time. Get up 45 minutes earlier and go for a walk. Or keep your fitness gear in the car and go straight to the gym on the way home. It may be a good idea to schedule workouts with a friend—you won’t want to disappoint your buddy by not showing up. Know, too, that exercise gives you more energy!
Excuse #3: I Hate Exercise. Exercise can seem like a chore if the activity you’ve chosen doesn’t appeal to you.
Why Diets Fail and Tips on What You Can Do To Be A Success
Suzie Cooney, CPT
Are you a chronic dieter? How many fad diets have you tried? Diets statistically just don’t work. The pounds come off you put them on again, and so the yo-yo cycle continues.
When we set out to go on a “diet” we are not truly committed. Take the word “diet” out of your language and replace with “lifestyle.” Also, instead of using the word “lose” replace with “shed”. It also requires you to dig deep and discover what is the true convincing factor, as to why you want to shed the weight once and for all. It has to come from deep within and include daily reinforcement.
Most diets are simply not sustainable. It’s going to take more than just a book, a few low- cal recipes and a DVD they sell to go with it, to make the critical mental shift. Depriving yourself, viewing your diet as a miserable journey adds to the failure component.
Diets also fail because our expectations are too high. We are a society of instant gratification. One needs to be patient, make simple changes and recognize your mistakes and not beat yourself up over them. Move on. Long term goals are good, but set short term goals that you can achieve daily and weekly will add to your overall success.
Fad diets set you up to fail. Right around the corner of a good day, a ferocious binge awaits. Surround yourself with supportive people who don’t sabotage your efforts.
For every 3-5 pounds you lose, everything starts to feel better! You have more energy, your stress levels drop, your blood pressure drops and your joints of your body and move more freely.
In closing, my clients who are seriously successful with their shedding of weight are serious about their portions and measuring their food. They are also very good at keeping simple food journals to help them keep on course.
Keep up the good work everyone! Aloha,
Suzie Cooney, CPT
http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com
If I can help you achieve your short and long term “lifestyle” goals, I’m here to help! You can reach me at suzie@suzietrainsmaui.com
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Category: Nutrition | 
Tags: calcium, celebrity chef, Chef Craig King, cleansing, Craig King, detox, Diet, digestion, eat, eating, eating behaviors, food digestion, gardening, ginger, Glow Cleanse, Google, Hawaii, Hawaiian Spirulina, health, healthy diet, healthy food, healthy food choices, John Mackey, juice, juicing, losing weight, Lumeria Maui, magnesum, Maui, Michael Gilliland/Libby Cook, mineral broth, nutrient dense, nutrients, performance eating, shedding weight, Spirulina, Steve Demos, Suzie Cooney, Suzie Trains Maui, toxins, trace minerals, vitamins, weight loss, Whole Foods, Whole Foods Inc, Wild Oats, You Tube
Suzie Cooney is available on the island of Maui for private, fitness training, stand up paddle ( SUP ) coaching, lifestyle coaching and for public speaking.
