Buckhead’s Newest Assistant- Tracy Osborne

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

Tracy

 

As we are sure you have seen her around, we want to welcome our newest BLAST ASSISTANT, Tracy Osborne! If you haven’t done so yet, introduce yourself when you see her in the studio!

A little bit about Tracy:

Hey, my name is Tracy Osborne. I am originally from New Jersey but have lived in Georgia for about ten years. I currently attend Georgia State University as a psychology major. I played three sports in high school and still have a love for all things exercise and fitness-related. This is exactly why working at Blast 900 intrigued me!

Favorite color: Royal Blue
Favorite song: Sail by Awolnation
Favorite actor: Leonardo Dicaprio
Favorite actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Favorite sports teams: Cowboys, Miami Heat, Yankees, Alabama college football, Duke college basketball
Favorite restaurant: Pappadeaux
Favorite TV show: scandal
Pet peeve: People who leave hair in/around the sink or shower in the bathroom
Favorite quote: “Everything will be fine in the end, if it’s not fine then it’s not the end.” -John Lennon

Which FATS should you be EATING?

Posted by & filed under Carolyn's Corner, Nutrition.

FATS

 

Today we will be discussing FATS! Carolyn’s article for the week comes from The Washington Post’s Health and Science category. Oh the debate whether or not saturated fats are bad! According to the most recent information from the United Nations and the independent Cochran Collaboration, the risk of heart disease can be reduced by replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats as well as reducing the risk of “cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and strokes.”Although unsaturated fats are encouraged, the question of mono vs polyunsaturated oils may be raised. According to the article, no conclusion can really be found. There is evidence of stronger “cardio- protective effect” in polyunsaturated oils over monounsaturated oils. While we are still on the subject of Polyunsaturated FATS, you might wonder about the Omega-6 vs Omega-3 comparison. While both of these are considered “good fats,” Omega-3′s seem to be the way to go.

 

A few words from Carolyn, “Eating fat will not make you fat. Eating the wrong types of fat, however, will negatively affect your cholesterol and your waistline. This article helps clarify which fats are good quality fuel and which are best avoided.  The key is that your portion is small!”

 

For the entire article visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/experts-disagree-on-which-fats-should-be-consumed-and-in-what-exact-proportions/2013/04/29/2d857574-97e7-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html

 

Photo Cite: fats_good.jpg

PAWS Atlanta… A No Kill Animal Shelter

Posted by & filed under Benefit Classes.

PAWS_banner7_1040x115_04-14-2010(4)

 

As most of you know, PAWS Atlanta is our BLAST Benefit for the month of May. PAWS Atlanta is located 5287 Covington Highway, Decatur, GA 30035. They are “a private, not-for-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1966, originally as the DeKalb Humane Society.” The “provide love, nutrition, medical care and basic training to enrich the lives of homeless animals until permanent, safe homes can be found.”

 

They are a no- kill animal shelter. By this, no animal is euthanized unless they are terminally ill or extremely aggressive. Independent, certified trainers determine these circumstances. PAWS Atlanta provides “pet adoption services, low-cost vaccinations, spay and neutering, discount health preventatives, behavioral training, a pet dental clinic, a pet food bank and education through community outreach.”

 

To donate directly to this cause visit: http://www.pawsatlanta.org/Donate.aspx

 

We are very excited to be able to give 50% of the proceeds from our BLAST Benefit classes to this wonderful organization. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of several animals. Our BLAST Benefit classes will be held at our Buckhead studio on Saturday, May 11th @ 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 18th @ 2:00 PM, and Monday, May 27th @ 1:30 PM. We hope all of you will join us for at least one of these classes and help up make a difference in the community!

 

Information/ Photo Cited: PAWS_banner7_1040x115_04-14-2010(4).jpg: ,http://www.pawsatlanta.org/Home.aspx

Oy Vey…. The Angst

Posted by & filed under Missi's Memoirs.


Olivia

Olivia is in the white sweatshirt

 

If you have never heard the term “oy vey,” it’s a Yiddish term that basically means major exasperation or “woe is me.”  Well, today was a major “oy vey” day for me.

When my daughters were born, we decided to send them to a Jewish Day School for elementary and middle school for two reasons.  One, we wanted them to have a firm understanding of their heritage, and two, we wanted them to experience Israel with their peers in a way that only a Jewish Day School can provide.

Today was the day my 14 year old boarded a plane with 70 of her classmates and is en route to her homeland.  OY VEY!!!!

Unfortunately for my daughters, I am the type of Mother who has a bit of a break down if they spend the night out.  They have to call or text me every few hours. I have to know where they are and who they are with.  It has been this way for them from an early age. They know that I am a bit dramatic and I accept this part of myself because try as I have to change, it is just not going to happen. I now just embrace it.

I have been preparing for her to go for nine years so you think I would have been a bit more together this morning driving her to the school where they would board the buses that would take them to the airport. (Yes, they are smart enough to know not to let us go the airport with them!)

I begged her to sleep with me last night; she acquiesced and I spent most of the night starring at her with tears running down my face. She would wake up periodically and tell me she loved me and to go to sleep.

This morning was a blur getting the last minute gear together, all the running back up the stairs because she forgot this and that.  Finally, we are in the car and I am sobbing, yes pathetically sobbing.  Olivia is, as usual, used to this behavior at these events and she pats my hand in between texting and snap chatting her friends.

I pull myself together and say to her, “Olivia, I wish I could be the type of Mom that could be laughing and smiling and saying how much fun you are going to have and what an experience of a lifetime this will be. While I believe that down to the depths of my soul, all I can think of is how much I am going to miss you and how far away you are going to be.”  She turned to me and said, “Mommy, you didn’t have to say that.  I know all those things.  I wouldn’t want you to be any other way than you are.”

Oy Vey- more hysteria on the part of the Mother…………

Safe travels my beautiful girl……see you in 15 days…….

 

27 Ways to Eat Healthier

Posted by & filed under Nutrition.

 

27

1. Bananas, eggs, and peanut butter are all you need to make healthy, gluten-free pancakes.

 

2. Dates are a great way to naturally sweeten smoothies and shakes.

 

3. Put fruit compote on pancakes or waffles instead of butter and syrup.

 

4. Upgrade sandwiches by spreading them with avocado instead of mayo.

 

5. Swap crispy baked zucchini for the usual fries.

 

6. Snack on frozen grapes instead of candy or cookies.

 

7. Cut the fat in dip way down by using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

 

8. Use Greek or regular yogurt instead of mayo in tuna, chicken, and egg salad.

 

9. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on popcorn instead of cheese.

 

10. Use potatoes or cashews (instead of cream) to make blended soups smooth and creamy.

 

11. Make a healthy, low-carb pizza crust with cauliflower.

 

12. Swap meat for whole grains (quinoa, bulgur, etc.) or mushrooms to make chili healthier.

 

13. Use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs to make healthier meatballs and meatloaf.

 

14. Peel zucchini into ribbons to make healthy veggie “spaghetti.”

 

15. You can thinly slice zucchini or eggplant to make pasta-free lasagna.

 

16. Cauliflower makes an amazing healthy alternative to rice.

 

17. Spaghetti squash does a very convincing impression of almost any noodle.

 

18. Bake crispy chicken with almonds instead of flour or breadcrumbs.

 

19. Try using lettuce to wrap tacos instead of tortillas.

 

20. You can bake high-protein, gluten-free brownies with black bean puree instead of flour.

 

21. Avocado is a great substitute for butter in baking.

 

22. Applesauce can replace oil (and some sugar) to make healthier cakes.

 

23. You can whip and freeze evaporated milk to make healthy two-ingredient ice cream.

 

24. Try using almond flour instead of wheat flour in baking recipes.

 

25. Turn frozen bananas into magic, delicious soft-serve “ice cream.”

 

26. Silken tofu makes amazing, creamy chocolate pudding that’s dairy-free and low-fat.

 

27. Instead of drinking soda, add cucumber, lemon, or mint to seltzer.

 

Making changes to your diet can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you set out to change too many things at once. This list provides simple substitutions for cutting added calories, fat, and sugar, so that you can start making changes little by little. Remember, the road to healthy eating is not a sprint – it’s a marathon!

 

This is a great article! For more information, visit: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/healthy-ingredient-swaps-substitutions

Photo: http://www.refreshreload.net/2010/refresh-and-reload-episode-27-a-magical-number/

Komen Atlanta Race for the Cure

Posted by & filed under Events.

SGK

 

The 2013 Komen Atlanta Race for the Cure will take place this Saturday, May 11th at Atlantic Station. This race is conducted by Susan G. Komen Greater Altanta Affiliate. Their mission is to enable women to detect and survive breast cancer. This organization started in 1991 and has raised more than $35 million in support of it’s mission. 75% of the money this organization raises stays right here in Atlanta to fund breast health programs for the medically underserved. The other 25% goes to the National Komen Foundation. This race has anywhere from 10,000- 17,000 participants. We wish all participants Good Luck!

 

Information and photo was taken from: http://www.komenatlanta.org/ Any questions that pertain to race day can be found on this website as well!

Charleston’s Instructor of the Month…. JD Procelli

Posted by & filed under Blast Team.

JD

 

Name:  JD Procelli

 

Nickname:  Johnny Dominic, Johnny Domination, or just Johnny Dom

 

Hometown:   Hartford, CT

 

Date of Birth (Month/Date):  July 13th

 

Top 5 Workout Songs:

1. Remember the Name

2. Jump

3. Testify

4. We Rejoice

5. Make War

Favorite Restaurant in Charleston: Crave

 

Top Hobbies: I enjoy playing music in my band, paddleboarding, cooking, and the show, Duck Dynasty.

 

Favorite Sports Team:  My favorite team is the team I play on.

 

Pet Peeves:  My pet peeves are bad driving, rudeness, and people complaining.

 

Accomplishments:  One of my greatest accomplishments, I would have to say, is when I surfed in Hawaii!

 

Top Fitness Tip:  When you are working out, pick up heavy stuff. It will maximize your workout.

 

Words to Live By (favorite motivational quote): “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

 

Share One Thing That No One Knows About You:  If I shared, then everyone would know!

 

Favorite Thing about BLAST900: I would have to say my favorite thing about BLAST is the clientele. They make coming to work everyday totally worth it!

Atlanta’s Instructor of the Month… Paige Castor

Posted by & filed under Blast Team, Uncategorized.

BLAST 900

 

Name:  Paige Castor

 

Nickname:  P-Nasty (given to me by Bri), PrincessP, P-Lo

 

Hometown:   Atlanta

 

Date of Birth (Month/Date):  October 2nd, 1980 (!!!!)

 

Top 5 Workout Songs:

1. Glowing by Nikki Williams

2. Back to Love by Jay Sean

3. All I Do Is Win by T-Pain

4. B.O.B by Outkast

5. Every Word by Ercola.

I like to mix in some random new music with some familiar fun tracks.

 

Favorite Restaurant in Atlanta:

Any restaurant!  It is tough to eat out with an 18 month old, so any time I can enjoy a nice dinner without food being thrown, I am a happy woman.  Haven in Brookhaven is an old favorite of mine.  My husband proposed to me there, and we also revealed our baby’s gender there.  The truffle hay is amazingly sinful!

 

Top Hobbies:

Working out!  Yep, my job is my hobby.  On my days “Off” you will probably find me in a class.  I simply don’t know how to start my day without a workout!  I also love hosting parties and decorating my home.  I have recently been enjoying antique hunting.  My parents have a beach house and a sailboat and we love to go sailing whenever possible!

 

Favorite Sports Team:

GEORGIA BULLDAWGS!  I am a former letterman (Equestrian), and we are season ticket holders for the football season.

 

Pet Peeves:

I really can’t stand it when people are constantly negative.  Life is too short and too beautiful to be a downer.

 

Accomplishments:

Being a BLAST instructor?  Ha!  I think becoming a mother, of course, would be a huge accomplishment, but mostly I think daring to live a life I never dreamed possible would be my biggest accomplishment.  I do what I love, I work with people I love, and I am in love with my husband and my family.  Life doesn’t get much better.  It seems like a different life than when I looked in the mirror and I saw a girl who weighed 215+ pounds.  I don’t even know who that girl is anymore and I am so happy with where my life and my fitness journey have brought me.

 

Top Fitness Tip:

Remember, when you are performing a lunge or a squat, really brace your weight in your heels.  That will activate your glutes and shape your booty!

 

Words to Live By (favorite motivational quote):

Speaking of squats, “If you don’t squeeze it, no one else will!”  I also will always believe that, “you are always stronger than you think.  Get out of your body’s way and let it do its work!”

 

Share One Thing That No One Knows About You:

Back in my modeling days I appeared in Seventeen magazine in a Target ad!  Yep, I was a big timer back in the day!

 

Favorite Thing about BLAST900:

Is it cheating to say EVERYTHING!?  I love the music, the energy, the amazing clients, the treadmills, the intensity, the excitement, the equipment….well, I do hate the “pink squishy disks of death” (versa disks) so that is one thing.

The Big Peach 5K Run/Walk Benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Posted by & filed under Events.

Robbie
(Photo taken from :http://www.lls.org/#/aboutlls/history/ )

“The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was born out of a family’s grief following the death of their teenage son. Robert Roesler de Villiers, son of a well-to-do New York family, was only 16 when he quickly succumbed to leukemia in 1944. Five years later, frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then considered a hopeless disease, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers started a fundraising and education organization in their son’s name.

Headquartered in a small Wall Street office, the Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation had only a few volunteers and a tiny budget. The task was daunting. Most leukemia patients, especially children, died within three months. Even by the mid-1950s, when the first-generation chemotherapy drugs began appearing, the disease remained a stubborn challenge. The Foundation reported in its 1955 annual report: “As of this date, Leukemia is 100% fatal. This is almost a unique situation among the many diseases to which man is susceptible.”

Driven by the de Villiers’ nearly boundless belief that leukemia and other blood cancers were indeed curable, the Foundation grew steadily, opening its first chapters in the New York City area. The organization, after changing its name to The Leukemia Society, was renamed The Leukemia Society of America in the 1960s to communicate a broad, national reach.”

(Cited/Quoted from: http://www.lls.org/#/aboutlls/history/ )

“The mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. ”

Their “Key Priorities will ensure that: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society helps blood cancer patients live better, longer lives.”

(Cited/ Quoted from: http://www.lls.org/#/aboutlls/mission/ )

 

BIG PEACH

 

“The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is once again gearing up for the much anticipated 8th Annual Big Peach 5K Run/Walk for Blood Cancer set for May 4 and sponsored by Nike and Brookhaven-based retailer, Big Peach Running Co.  Since 2006, this popular neighborhood event has raised over $107,000 towards the fight against blood cancer.  This year’s event will feature a new start and finish area at Town Brookhaven to coincide with the future relocation of the Big Peach Running Co. in March of this year.  An estimated 2,000 people will participate in the event.

The scenic course will be certified to comply with USA Track & Field standards and will be a 2014 Peachtree Road Race qualifier.  As in past years, the finish line area will host a party with food, refreshments and plenty of fun.

On-line registration on Active.com opened February 1 and in-store registration at all seven Big Peach Running Co. stores will open on Friday, February 15.  Participants have until Wednesday, May 1 at 3 p.m. to register.  Registration fees are $25 until April 15, $30 until May 3 and $35 on race day.  Teams of five or more participants can sign up together and take advantage of a team member discount.  All finishers will receive a Nike technical training T-shirt.”

(Cited/ Quoted from: http://www.lls.org/aboutlls/chapters/ga/events/bigpeach ) 

 

Also, a few of our BLAST Instructors will be leading a pre-race warmup! We will also have our prize wheel present! We have some great prizes in store. Who knows, you could be one of our winners! We hope you all are as excited about this event as we are! See you there!