Healthy Shoes for Healthy Feet

Baby feet. So small, chubby and wide. We are born with toes wider than the rest of our foot. Unfortunately, once we throw shoes on most distort our feet into unnatural shapes. Being barefoot as much as possible is key to continued strength of the arch muscles of the foot, continued balance, proprioception and well-aligned bones. It also moves up the chain to healthy knees, hips and backs.

 Of course shoes are needed for school, work and cold weather. If you are wearing shoes with heels - even most athletic shoes and running shoes have a heel lift - give your body the gift of slowly transitioning to being closer to the ground.

Here are some tips for finding your next pair of shoes for you or the kids in your life…

 1.    Wide toe box – when trying on shoes, take out the insole if you can. Step on the insole with toes spread. If toes are wider than the insole, the shoe is too narrow. For running/walking shoes, Altra and New Balance have wide toe boxes and still have cushioning until you’re ready for less under your feet.

2.    Flat – the shoe should be flat from heel to toe. This is what’s called zero drop. Flat is the goal, but this is the change where if it’s done too drastically your muscles and other tissues will rebel. Slowly change the heel-to-toe drop. For example many running and athletic shoes may have a 12 mm drop so don’t change to a 4 mm drop shoe; pick a 8-10 mm shoe for your next one.

3.    Flexible – look for shoes you can bend with your hand. Can you bend it in half? Can you twist it? Thick, sturdy marshmallows under our feet are not allowing the muscles of the feet to adjust to the ground and stay strong.

The more you transition to kicking off your shoes when possible, the more your feet will thank you.

Shoes we wear and recommend.:

Cushioning underfoot with wide toe box

Altra Shoes https://www.altrarunning.com/ Topo https://www.topoathletic.com/

Minimalist/Barefoot

Soft Star Shoes - https://www.softstarshoes.com/ Vivobarefoot https://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/ Xero Shoes https://xeroshoes.com/ Lems Shoes https://www.lemsshoes.com/ Unshoes https://www.unshoesusa.com/ MINIMALIST CLEATS! https://www.naturathletics.us/

Written by Kristina Cagno, MA

 Sources:

Bowman, K. Whole Body Barefoot. Here is Katy Bowman’s list of minimal shoes for kids and adults.

Dicharry, J. , Anatomy for Runners

Gangemi, S. Get Your Kids Active and Healthy – Outside! http://sock-doc.com/movnat-kids/

 ©2019, 2023 Cagno Fitness LLC

How to Invest in Your 5-Year Older Self

We’ve heard the common question, “Where do you want to be in 5 years?” How have you answered it?

“I want to have $___ in the bank.”

“I want to be working for ___company.”

“I want to be retired, own a house, volunteer more …” You get the idea.

Have you ever thought about how you want to be moving your body in 5-10 years? What are you doing today to invest in your 5-10 year future self? What you do today is changing you for tomorrow.

Our human bodies are meant to move in all different ways and on all kinds of terrain. During most days, we are indoors, walking on flat, smooth surfaces, wearing cushioned and supportive shoes, and sitting while looking at screens.

I challenge you to get outside and walk barefoot in the grass or sand (it will help ground you and calm you too). Sit on the floor or on a low surface. Lift heavy weights at least twice a week. Climb up things higher than a step, balance on downed trees, duck under things, step over things, reach high for things. Place daily use items in your kitchen so you are reaching and squatting down more. Jump and move fast - sprint if you can. Change direction fast. Doesn’t it sound like being a kid again?

Think of movement like we do food. If your days are packed, get some movement “snacks” throughout the day. Skip from one room to the next. Side shuffle to your kitchen. Squat down to pick something up and stay there for a moment.

All of these fun ways for us to play can be done at home or in your neighborhood. If you are in our area, we have Outdoor Classes and private training. Follow us on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook for exercise videos and tips.

Written by Kristina Cagno, MA Exercise Science

©2023 Cagno Fitness LLC

Small Goals with Big Gains

On days when time it tight, instead of doing nothing, which is the easiest choice (and I would be lying if I tell you I’ve never done that), pick three exercises . Just rotate between these three exercises for 8-12 repetitions each and repeat 1 or 2 more times. Here’s an example…

1. Upper body push - do push ups, from a wall, counter, bench or floor.

2. Upper body pull - get a pull up bar or find a good tree branch. Do a modified (feet on ground) or full chin up.

3. Lower body hip focus - Deadlift - lift a heavy object off the ground and lower it back

Another example

1. Lower body knee focus - Squat - chair squats, goblet squat or split squat

2. Core - plank for time

3. Upper body push - overhead press

Written by Kristina Cagno, M.A.

©2023 Cagno Fitness LLC

Fast Breakfast in a Glass

Anytime there’s a pint of blueberries in our house, the container is empty in no time. Strawberries and raspberries don’t last long either. When my boys were younger, our summer hikes were for the sole purpose of “hunting” wild raspberries. Little did they know these bountiful fruits were helping their most important organs.

Research shows berries, especially blueberries, give your brain a cognitive boost to get through mentally taxing days. Have an important presentation or kids have a test? Eat some blueberries. They are also rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals which are heart healthy.

Add them to yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, baked goods or eat them straight.

Here’s what we typically put in a Protein Berry Morning Shake

1. Frozen mixed berries, frozen blueberries - 1 cup or more

2. Yogurt, 1/2 - 1 cup

3. Protein powder

4. Cashews, handful (optional, adds protein and magnesium and a creamy flavor)

5. Banana, 1/2 to a whole banana depending on sweetness (tip - we store overripe ones in freezer)

6. Greens of choice (optional - spinach, kale, collards)

Add water to cover contents in the blender, add more if too thick. Blend and drink. You can store any extra in mason jars in fridge.

Written by Kristina Cagno, M.A.

©2021 Cagno Fitness LLC

Sources

Mixed Berries and Cognitive Function https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31698695/

Blueberries and Cardiovascular Disease https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530101221.htm

Get to the Floor

In fall of 2020 when I was getting ready to teach remotely, I decided to build a standing desk. I also bought a used coffee table with straight legs so I could sit on floor cushions or squat and teach my ZOOM classes. Although it’s not the same as standing in front of a classroom and walking around, I love the options to stand, squat or floor sit in my dynamic workspace. Recently, I picked up a fascinating book that confirmed my opting out of chairs was not so crazy and well-supported by others around the world.

Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones decided to visit several communities in different countries where the greatest number of active, vibrant centenarians live.

One part that really struck me was the author’s experience visiting Gozei, a 102-year-old woman from Okinawa, Japan. She invited Dan into her home to sit on the floor for tea. When he arrived and slowly lowered his body to the floor, Gozei proceeded to get up and down from the floor nine times to attend to different tasks. She was springing up from the floor mat effortlessly.

Although there were other daily routines that Gonzei and fellow centenarians followed, squatting to the ground and daily walking were common practices that potentially contributed to their longevity.

In my life, I make it a daily practice to open my mail while sitting on the floor. I find opportunities to get off a chair, get to the ground and maybe hang out in a squat position. Try staying in a squat as you get something out of a lower kitchen cabinet. You may need to prop a rolled towel under your heels to feel more comfortable if you plan to stay there awhile.

At some point in our life journey, most people lose the ability to get to the floor and then the ground becomes scary. Make room for shifts in daily rountines and maybe you too will be popping up and down like Gonzei.

Written by Kristina Cagno, M.A.

©2021 Cagno Fitness LLC

3 Reasons Why We Want to Lift Heavy Sh*t...Especially Women

To lose weight, we need to do tons of cardio and diet, right? I could go on and write a book about how the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar money maker and diet is a four letter word that is not sustainable. Cardiovascular exercise has many important benefits that should not be discounted, but the missing piece is typically resistance training. Here’s a simple list of why we want to lift heavy shit.

What lifting weights does for our bodies

1. Improves the strength of our muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. We not only strengthen our muscles, we are strengthening all the tissue around our joints and our bones! Hello stronger and more mobile joints! Hello improved bone density for women!

2. Increases lean tissue and in turn, decreases body fat. Your metabolic rate is increased during your recovery days. If you want to change your body composition, strength training is essential. A person who weighs 150 lbs and has 120 lbs of muscle will burn more calories just to exist compared to a 150 lb person who has 100 lbs of muscle.

3. For any athletic pursuit or activity of daily living, you will be more resilient to injury. Increased strength creates a reduction in effort needed for a given load. This means if you are a runner, each stance phase of your gait is better able to handle the force of your body weight and gravity. Or this means that stack of clean dishes is now easier to lift from counter to cabinet.

The best way to get started is to find someone who is FMS2 certified where you live to view your movement patterns and provide the most effective program for you. Here’s to getting stronger!

Written by Kristina Cagno, M.A.

©2020 Cagno Fitness LLC

Lean up on Protein

Why do we need protein?

Why do we need protein?

Protein is essential for all cellular processes in the body. Especially when we start exercising and strength training (or kids who are always active), we need adequate protein for muscle repair and growth. We have to eat sources of protein each day in order to thrive. Children/Teens need more protein than adults relative to their body weight to support continuous growth.

What kind of protein is best?

Quinoa a plant-based

protein with all 9 essential amino acids

What kind of protein is best?

Meat, fish, plant-based protein? No matter what you eat, the proteins break down into amino acids with digestion. Some of these foods have the 9 essential amino acids we require daily and others do not. The foods that do have all 9 are called complete proteins. Animal protein such as eggs, dairy, meat and fish are complete proteins which supply all 9 essential amino acids. Two plant sources, quinoa and soy are also complete proteins. But I’m not a fan of soy, which is another post for future. Protein is best consumed from real food rather than in supplement form with amino acids (our bodies view individual amino acids as foreign) (1)

If you eat beef, chicken, eggs, dairy, fish or any other animal food each day, then you are getting your essential amino acids. 

Plant-based diets need to have a variety of vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts to supply all the essential amino acids each day. A vegetarian diet of just pasta and cereal will not get you there.

How much do we need?

How much protein do we need?

Adults can divide their body weight in lbs. by 1/2 (or if it’s kg body weight you will eat your body weight in grams of protein) and that’s approximately how many grams of protein to eat per day. For example, if you weigh 170 lbs and exercise moderately 3-5 days per week, you need 85 grams of protein per day. If you weigh 60 kg, eat approximately 60 g protein if you exercise regularly.

Children and teens need closer to their body weight (lbs) in grams of protein. They are metabolic machines building tissue and need protein to supply their systems. If you have a 100 lb teen, and he is active, he needs 70-90 g of protein a day. (2)

In general, focusing on exact protein intake is not necessary as most people tend to eat more protein than they require just through standard meals. But, if you want to keep track with an app MyFitnessPal is decent.

Protein Recommendations ²–

Type of Individual	Grams per lb body weight	Grams per kg body weight
Sedentary Adult	0.4	0.8
Recreational exerciser-adult	0.5-0.7	1.1-1.6
Endurance athlete-adult	0.6-0.7	1.3-1.6
Growing teenage athlete	0.7-0.9	1.6-2.0
Adult building muscle mass	0.7-0.8	1.6-1.8
Upper limit	0.9	2.0

Keep it Spaced out!

Unlike carbohydrate and fat, protein can’t be stored as well for later use. We can pack on the body fat, we can store glucose in our muscles and liver, but we can’t store protein. The body can only assimilate a certain amount per meal. If you need 60 grams of protein a day, space it out so you are getting close to 20 g for breakfast then the same for lunch, dinner and any snacks in between. If you eat a giant steak in one sitting, there’s a good chance some protein in it is not being used and will either be converted to fat or excreted and can even increase the loss of calcium in the body.

Some protein source examples (CP -complete protein)

CP	3 oz cooked meat (pork, beef, chicken, etc.)	25 g
CP	3 oz fish	20 g
	1 C cooked beans, black, lentil, white, etc.	18 g
CP	1 C of yogurt	8 g
	1 T peanut butter	8 g
CP	1 C cow milk	8 g
CP	1 C cooked quinoa	8 g
	1 C green peas	8 g
CP	1 oz cheese	7 g
	¼ cup nuts	7 g
CP	1 egg	6 g
	1 C cooked oatmeal	6 g
	1 C cooked buckwheat	6 g
	1 C cooked brown rice	5 g
	1 C cooked spinach	5 g
	1 C cooked white rice	4 g
	1 T hemp or chia seed	3 g
	1 C almond, hemp milk	2 g

What a 3 oz. serving looks like.

An example of a 20 g protein breakfast may be 2 cups of oatmeal (12 g) with 1/4 C walnuts (7 g) or 2 eggs (12 g) with some spinach (5 g) or cheese (7 g)

To sum it up, eat a variety of proteins, space it out and don’t eat excess.

Written by Kristina Cagno, MA

Sources:

1. Blaylock, R. Excitotoxins, Neurotoxins and Human Neurological disease, lecture, 2011

2. Clark, N. Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. 5th edition. 2014

 ©2019 Cagno Fitness LLC

5 Tips to Defeat the Sugar Beast

I know, I’ve been there. It’s like an energy and emotional roller coaster. I feel sluggish, low and hungry…grab chocolate, grab a cookie, grab a bagel. Ahhh, that feels better. BUT, it happens again in about two hours! How did I jump off this roller coaster?

I cut out sugar. I cut out bread, baked goods. Was it hard? Absolutely! Was it worth it? Yes!

I don’t have red rashes on my cheeks that look like I was in the sun. I don’t have inflamed, itchy fingers and toes. My days are super constant with energy like being on a scenic country road rather than that gut-wrenching amusement park ride.

Here’s what helps:

1. Eat breakfast that has protein and fiber. Examples: eggs, oatmeal with nuts or seeds, and berries for sweetness, whole grain Ezekiel bread with nutbutter. plain yogurt, homemade protein smoothie. Protein and fiber help to stabilize blood sugar levels.

2. Don’t restrict your food intake. Skipping meals and reducing portions to the point of still being hungry after meals sets you up for craving sweets. Eat high-quality foods more often. Snack on fruit which is better choice than sugary sweets since it provides fiber and other nutrients.

3. When the craving happens. ask yourself, did I just eat? Go for a walk, do something to distract. If you are truly hungry for something, take the time to eat a meal.

4. Try one day of no sugar, no sweeteners and see how you feel. You can do it. The first day is the hardest. If you are certain you will have a craving that’s unbearable, have some fruit on hand.

5. No to artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are neurotoxins and should be avoided.(1) That blue, pink or yellow bag is not doing your brain or body any good. Try stevia instead.

Let me know how it goes.

Written by Kristina Cagno, MA

1. Blaylock, R. Dangers of artificial sweeteners. 2014. Retrieved from https://www.newsmax.com/health/dr-blaylock/splenda-artificial-sweetener-danger/2014/02/03/id/550558/ and another article here

 ©2019 Cagno Fitness LLC