MAX MUSCLE HERS / ARCHIVES

FEBRUARY - 2011 Hello February, the month known for love and all things from the heart.
Ironically, February is national heart awareness month. Heart disease is the number one killer among women, and if heart problems run in your family, you are at even greater risk. For someone like me, this is a scary statistic, because heart disease is common on both sides of my family.

Let's be honest, ladies, when you hit the gym for a workout you are looking to improve the overall appearance of your body. We are lifting weights, doing crunches, running like crazy all in the attempt to achieve that "perfect" model body that will finally makes us feel satisfied with our bodies.
If you are like me, that true "perfect" body on the outside will never come and that's because as women we are our own worst critics.
What if we stopped trying to achieve perfection from the outside, and started worrying about our insides?
If you reach that ideal weight, or fit into that desired jean size, would it matter, if your internal health were not in check?
I get asked a lot what supplements do I take to maintain my weight, and I think most people are surprised to find that I do not use metabolism boosting or fat burning products.
I don't need to as long as I am eating healthy, and exercising regularly. The supplements that I choose to use are all geared toward muscle building and repairing, heart health, brain function, and immunity boosting. The healthier I can keep my insides, the better I can work on maintaining my body from the outside. This brings me back to heart health, and being aware of the risks you may have either from a familial stand point, or weight and diet issues.
Since I have grandparents on both sides who have died from heart attacks and 2 uncles and my dad who have had heart by-pass surgeries, I want to do everything I can to protect the health of my heart.
One supplement that I use on a daily basis is EFA's, or "essential fatty acids". These are the healthy fats that contribute to our general health, and are especially great for our hearts.
Isn't this great news, that we can add to our arsenal to combat heart disease? Isn't it even better to know that you can get educated at Max Muscle, with not only meal plans, but also general health products that will you keep you healthy and looking great from the inside out?

This February take the initiative to love yourself enough to get your heart in shape, so that you can keep giving your heart to the ones you love the most.
Your family and friends will thank you for years to come.

Happy Heart Month
Yours in Health,
Heidi Case JUNE - 2010 Here we are in the middle of summer, drowning in the heat, and trying to wrap our heads around how quickly school is approaching. As the mother of three small children, who are already involved in so many activities, it seems as if summer comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Not only that, I cannot believe how hungry our children are throughout the entire day. I know this is not only because they are growing, but also because they are expending so much energy between all their camps, time at the pool, and the afternoons spent running around the block with all the neighborhood kids.
One of the hardest jobs as a parent is teaching kids how to eat a healthy diet. We are all guilty of grabbing quick snacks, such as gummy treats, animal crackers, and the occasional candy bar, however, just because they are young with high metabolisms and often skinny little bodies, does not mean damage is not being done through this high sugar, high carb, low protein diet. Kids are no different than adults, their bodies need the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and they need to learn early on how to make good, healthy choices. What should we do as parents, when not only are kids so fickle about food, but the convenience of a quick snack makes it so easy to satisfy a child in a moments notice? For starters, we have to stand our ground, and start offering healthy foods and snacks.
Our children start every morning with a glass of protein and a bowl of low sugar cereal. The cereal is optional, the protein is not. If you are one of those moms who does get up and cook eggs for breakfast then that is a great source of protein to start your day. However, I seem to always be rushing around trying to get us all out the door on time, so a protein shake is a great alternative for our family. One of our kids' favorite snacks is apple slices with Skippy natural peanut butter. I like to have strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on hand to toss in with some low sugar yogurt and I have a cool snack for a hot summer day. I am lucky, as our kids really enjoy mixed nuts and nuts are a terrific snack as they are high in protein and loaded with healthy fats. As for lunch and dinner we offer the kids the same foods we are eating and since my husband and I both eat healthy diets, are kids are already on their way in learning how to make healthy decisions.

Yours in Health,
Heidi Case