Along with being a certified swimming instructor, and having a post-secondary education in the fitness field and over 10+ years as a Personal Trainer, Diana is one of the most sought out, and top Yoga Instructors in Toronto!

Diana is an advanced elite Yoga instructor, who's been sought out by some of the top gyms in Toronto, as well as many public and private organizations to teach Yoga classes, so I'm extremely happy to add Diana to our team!

Being – who I personally consider – to be the top Yoga instructor in the entire GTA, Diana is extremely in-demand, so space with her is very limited.

If you're interested in one on one Personal Training, or one on one Yoga sessions, please act fast, and Contact Her today!

I hope to see a lot of new faces!

Hope to see everyone soon! Stay healthy!

Rare aggressive cancers like mesothelioma affect the internal organs by damaging the thin layers of skin that cover them. It can affect many different parts of the body and can often be deadly. However, by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly, it is possible to increase your chances of recovering from surgeries or other treatment methods that will improve your quality of life. Mesothelioma often develops from asbestos exposure, which is a natural mineral that can irritate the stomach and lungs. Although it may take years to develop, mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that should be treated as soon as possible. Symptoms of mesothelioma include, but are not limited to: unexplained weight loss, chest pain, unusual lumps under the skin, and pain when coughing. Although there are certain things you can do to avoid mesothelioma, such as avoiding asbestos, a healthy diet and regular exercise can also improve your quality of life as well as increase mesothelioma life expectancy. The typical treatment options for mesothelioma include radiation or chemotherapy and surgery. While the body may react negatively to these treatments, by keeping your body fit and healthy it will be able to recover more quickly from surgery or chemotherapy. It is important to remember that the body treats food as nutrition, and if the food is high in nutrients, your body will be able to use it to repair damages because of illness. The better the food you eat, the more prepared your body will be for any ailments or treatments because of mesothelioma. The same is true for exercise, because exercise keeps your body in good shape and enables it to better react to illness and injury. Mesothelioma life expectancy varies depending on the stage of the cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are four stages of progression for mesothelioma. The further the cancer has progressed, it is typically that the life expectancy will be shorter, although it is important to maintain regular consultations with your doctor for check-ups and status updates. However, no matter how far the cancer has progressed, a healthy diet and regular exercise is paramount to healing from surgeries or chemotherapy treatments and for increasing your life expectancy throughout the process.

I'LL ONLY BE CONTACTING THOSE WHO I CHOSE FOR AN INTERVIEW.

By Greg Groves

Here’s a good guide line for calcium, if you’re looking to avoid dairy. Remember that this is just a suggestion. You should always consult with a nutritional expert first!

Calcium tablets are good for supplementing your foods, but only if you’re taking them with the foods they’re meant to supplement. Here's some good ways to make sure that you’re choosing the right brand for you: put one tablet in a cup of warm water for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. See how long it takes to dissolve. If it doesn’t dissolve well, or not at all, then it's probably not a good brand. Your best bets are usually chewable or liquid form; they automatically dissolve. Buy a brand that doesn’t exceed 500 mg's; making sure it doesn’t come from oyster shell or bone meal. Make sure the brand you chose is also a purified brand. Also make sure they don’t cause gas or constipation. If they do, they’re not right for you! Remember: you get what you pay for!

When taking calcium supplements, remember you need to take vitamin D as well (the sun vitamin!). This is especially important for women, because women are at a higher risk of bone density diseases (Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, etc) then men are. With vitamin D, take between 1000 IU's to 1200 IU's per day (closer to 1200 during fall/winter months, as your vitamin D levels tend to be lower). That's usually more than enough. Consult a nutritional specialist to see what’s best for you.

Here's some that are great sources of calcium.

Chose 2 to 4 per each meal, remembering you shouldn’t consume more than 500 mg's per meal. As a rule of thumb: your body can't process or digest more than 500 mg's at a time, so till go to waste, and even make u feel sick.

-One portion of Atlantic sardines: 325 mg's. I know: sardines are nasty, but the soft bones in sardines are an excellent source of calcium. Make sure they’re unsalted/unseasoned, preferably backed in fresh water.

-One cup of fortified soy milk: 200 mg's (this is one of Olivia's favourite ways to get calcium, lol)

-One orange, or one glass of unsweetened orange juice: 48 mg's (my favourite way)

-One cup raw broccoli: 43 mg's

-One cup raw kale: 90 mg's (a little bitter tasting, but great when mixed in salads!)

-Three ounces Atlantic salmon, mackerel, or tuna (be careful with tuna though; there's always the scare of mercury!): all have MORE vitamin D than one cup of milk.

Other foods such as almonds, or almond based products, and whole grain breads and cereals are usually great sources of calcium as well.

Whey proteins and creatine can be horrible ideas for most people. Our bodies usually generate enough creatine through natural foods as it is, and too much can be damaging to your liver, stomach, and your digestive system. And whey protein is dairy based, which on its own can be a bad idea if you’re lactose intolerant. Another issue with whey is usually cholesterol, fat, and sugar. If you insist on using whey based products, I recommend an isolate based brand. I’m not going to go into too much detail here, only because this blog is more about calcium, not protein.

Hey all!

I usually only write blogs about health and fitness, but I'm going to make an exception here. I had the pleasure and privilege of reading an incredibly inspiring book: Finding My Voice: Stories From My Life, by Donald W. Smith with Jane Field. Don was born with brain damage and severe cerebral palsy, which has left him unable to walk, or speak - in the traditional sense anyways, and the use of only one arm and hand.

This short 68 page story tells Don's story from his time in PEI, to his move to Toronto. You'll read about his highs, and his lows. From isolation and loneliness to being a role model in his community.

This book will make you laugh, it will make you angry, and it will make you cry. I've gotten to know Don a little bit over the last few months, and I never truly understood all the struggles he went through until I read his book.

This is a must read!!!

If you'd like a copy, you can order it online by clicking HERE, or let me know, and I can get a copy for you. I believe the price is $28.01 if you order it online, and $20.00 through me.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM MARI!

I’m often asked “what is your style of training?” Well, I’m going to try and answer that in this latest blog.

My style of training incorporates a lot of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training); using a unique blend of sports conditioning and kickboxing incorporated with compound resistance and functional training. Most of my clients can tell you this.

What I like about HIIT (or any high endurance resistance based training system) in comparison to standard cardio training is that it will boost your anaerobic metabolism, which can increase your metabolism for up to 18 to 24 hours after the workout. Also, with standard cardio you're body gets use to the exercise – or plateaus – much quicker and your body will actually start to store calories (which means it'll store fat) because your body adapts to this type of exercise much easier, and “prepares” itself for it by storing fat/calories. So, you can burn more calories with HIIT than traditional cardio in a fraction of the time.

The down side to HIIT however is that if you're a new exerciser, you will burn out, and very fast! You have to start a little slower, and work your way up. Also, with certain exercises – if you have weak joints or cardiovascular ailments especially – it can actually be harmful, especially right off the bat. You also don't want to train with this style of training anymore than 2 -3 times a week, as your body needs time (at least 24 hours) to recover. For these reasons, I start at a much lower level, and work you up to it; this will minimize your risk of injury, and prepare your entire body for HIIT. It's very important to always start with foundation training before moving on to any high-intensity training because bad form in any exercise can cause permanent injury.

Talk to you all again soon!