DAVID KIRSCH IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

Sumo Lunges
1. Stand with your legs shoulder length apart.

2. Lift your right leg from the knee and move it in a circular roundhouse.

3. Land out to the side, wider than you started and immediately squat down, channeling a real sumo wrestler.

4. As you come out of the squat, lift your right leg and kick out, leading with your heel. (Each element should flow smoothly into the next. There are no breaks in a sumo lunge!)

Get more of David’s thigh-busting moves in David Kirsch’s Butt Book.

1. Start in a plie squat position, with your hands behind your head and your thighs parallel to the ground.

2. Waddle forward! Right foot in front of you left, stay engaged in that plie squat. Now reverse… (Make sure your knees stay out and your weight stays back in your heels throughout the movement)

Get more of David’s thigh-busting moves in David Kirsch’s Butt Book.

Yesterday, you may have seen me demo my Jiggle Test on Live! With Regis and Kelly. For those of you that missed it, here’s how it works:

Too often clients tell me that they’ve maintained their weight on vacations or work trips without ever stepping foot in the gym. Worse, they tell me they’ve done this while maintaining a less-than-stellar nutrition regimen. Because muscle weighs more than fat, all too often these clients have simply gained fat from overeating and simultaneously lost muscle from underexercising. Their weight on the scale may be the same, but they are “skinny fat.”

The best test of your fitness is a body-fat test administered by a professional, which gives you a true barometer of your lean tissue to fat mass percentage. In lieu of that, you can take David Kirsch’s Jiggle Test.

The Jiggle Test is an efficient self-administered test that determines your level of muscle tone.

Stand in front of a mirror and jiggle, shaking your arms, your rear, and your legs.

If everything stays motionless, you’re fit. If your skin is flapping, you’ve been skipping too many  workouts.

More on how to pass the Jiggle Test in my Ultimate New York Body Plan.

DAVID KIRSCH’S VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPER JUICE
 
A daily vitamin is essential for total wellness, but did you know that the right combination of vitamins and minerals can be as integral to healthy skin as the best skin creams on the market?
  
David Kirsch's Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice was one of the first products I developed. The idea was to create a drinkable, comprehensive vitamin/mineral juice that tasted good and was easy to use.

It is full of important nutrients like co Q-10, calcium, B-12, antioxidants and green tea for energy, and meant to be taken 2 - 3 times per day mixed in a bottle of water.

Many have found that the B-12/green tea combination has helped them reduce their coffee consumption.

Have you had the chance to experience my Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice?

How do I boost my metabolism?

Louise Z, age 53, mother of 4 

I’m 53 and post-menopausal. I workout 30 min. a day with weights and watch what I eat but still can’t lose weight. Help!

DK:
The reality is, the older we get the harder we have to work to keep our body looking fit and youthful. We start to lose muscle, we start to gain fat; we feel like we’re losing control. It’s not easy. The fact that you have made exercise a part of your routine and are conscious about what you eat shows me that you have the commitment and motivation to accomplish anything you set your mind to. So let’s get to it!

The following adjustments to your routine will help reboot your metabolism and shed those unwanted pounds.
 
1.    INCREASE THE INTENSITY OF YOUR WORKOUT. I recommend 30-60 minutes of vigorous, sweat-inducing exercise. The core of your workout should be cardio-sculpting movements, doing a high number of repetitions with lighter weights. My Ultimate New York Body Plan workout is known to incinerate calories and will turn your body into a fat-burning machine.

2.    MOVE FROM THREE BIG MEALS TO EATING FIVE MINI MEALS A DAY. Space your meals evenly throughout your day to keep your energy level up and your metabolism from slowing down. Concentrate on eating lean, clean proteins, fiber-rich vegetables and metabolism-boosting foods and drinks. Stay away from alcohol, breads, starchy carbs, dairy and fruits.

3.    SUPPLEMENT TO KEEP YOUR METABOLIC FURNACE BURNING. My One Of A Kind Supplements® with whey protein (Protein Plus Shakes, KIRSCHBAR®), branched chain amino acids (Muscle Restore™), green tea extract (Thermo Bubbles and Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice); my One Of A Kind® Omega-3, and David Kirsch’s Metabolic Makeover™ formula offering three supplements in one – an anti-inflammatory, an essential fatty acids supplement and a metabolic supplement — are all designed to help boost your metabolism and burn fat.

So, how does this all work?  Follow this regimen for maximum results.
First thing in the morning:
Drink your Thermo Bubbles
WORKOUT!
 
Post-workout:
Drink Muscle Restore™
Follow with Protein Plus shake or egg white frittata
Take first packet of Metabolic Makeover™
 
Mid-morning snack
Almonds or edamame
(Refer to my Ultimate New York Diet book for a complete snack list)
 
Lunch
Thermo Bubbles and/or Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice
Salad with 6-8oz. of lean, clean protein such as skinless grilled chicken or salmon
Take second packet of Metabolic Makeover™
 
Afternoon snack
Vitamin/Mineral Super Juice with half a KIRSCHBAR™

Dinner
Follow with Protein Plus shake or salad with protein
Take third packet of Metabolic Makeover™
 

If, after two weeks you do not start to see significant results, you may need to have your thyroid checked. Sometimes a change in thyroid levels can be the root cause of those unwanted pounds.

You can do it. I believe in you! DK

As a single father of twenty-month old twin girls and a business owner, the key to my successfully navigating through the many tasks and responsibilities that I face every day is following the precepts I lay out for optimal nutrition and regular workouts in my book, The Ultimate New York Diet.  The job as a single father – the most important job I have – requires me to stay focused and energized at work, and patient and playful at home with my girls.  There is little margin for deviating from my wellness plan if I am to remain 24/7 with my girls, while being a successful business owner.

You might ask: how I do it?
Prioritizing is the key to successfully accomplishing all of my tasks and responsibilities. First thing every morning (before the girls get up), I find time – as little as 5 minutes and as much as 30 minutes – to connect my brain and my body.  Stretching, yoga, pushups and jogging in place, are just some of the things I choose to do on a daily basis.  This is followed by a healthy breakfast that the girls and I share consisting of steel-cut oatmeal, organic eggs and berries.  It’s then off to the office where I work with clients, meet with co-workers and run my business.  Throughout the day, I am staying optimally fueled and energized with small meals – DK protein shakes, almonds, KIRSCHBARS™ and Energy Bubbles – all keep my optimally fueled and focused.  At the end of the day, it is time for me to put my parent hat on again. My girls don’t care how challenging my day has been.  They want poppa to be ready to read, dance go to the park and delight them.  This is followed by one of my home cooked meals for me and the girls, reading hour and bed.

I couldn’t do or be all of these things if I didn’t first take care of myself.  Remember: to be there for others, you need to first be there for yourself.

After reading the recent New York Times article which revealed that young mothers consumed more calories and exercised less than other women of their age, I feel compelled to talk about my extensive experience working with women pre-, during and post-pregnancy over the last 20 years. 

I have always stressed the importance of prenatal fitness/wellness for the expectant mother and father.  Studies have shown that eating well and regular exercise greatly benefits both mother and unborn child resulting in easier pregnancies and healthier calmer newborns.  All that established, why do so many go from being healthy and energized to eating unhealthy, saturated fats and drinking sweetened – natural and artificial – beverages? 

In my book The Ultimate New York Diet, I set out easy recipes and meal plans that take little or no time to prepare.  These meals are designed to both satisfy your pallet and energize you – both necessary measures for new moms.  It is just as easy to EAT healthy, energizing foods and drink. 

As for exercise, I realize that moms with newborns have little free time and are often sleep deprived.  This is why I created my 10-Minute Express Workouts®.  There is one specifically for new moms and their babies, which can also be found in my Ultimate New York Diet book.

Here is one of the exercises from the workout.
 

Ring Around the Rosy
You can play this “game” with one or more children. They will love it, and their enthusiasm will keep you going long after your legs have tried to call it quits.

1. Have everyone hold hands as you walk, skip, or run in a circle and sing, “Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

2. When you say, “We all fall down,” do a knee bend or squat. Get up and repeat until your childrenʼs interests are satiated. If you literally canʼt do another squat, try falling down and rolling around. It will make your children laugh and is a fun, active way to burn extra calories.

All said, I have worked with scores of women and those that have adhered to my wellness philosophy have had easier pregnancies, have more energy and recover their pre – pregnancy bodies faster!

I for one am tired of looking at the plethora of fat-laden treats that frequent every newspaper I have read in the last two weeks.  Whether it is watching American Idol auditions as it crosses America, or walking the streets of Manhattan with my daughters, America is facing a huge - pun intended - epidemic!!  With over 50% of Americans obese, it is clear that something has to be done now!  

It always amazes me the most frequently watched channel in the cardio room of my gym, is the Cooking channel. Hours of unhealthy, high caloric, fat laden recipes … Bon Appetit’s advertisement for raw sugar - with a recipe for brownies being touted as the ultimate break-up cure … Type 2 diabetes is on the rise along with other weight related diseases … Too many in America are fat and getting fatter!  

It is time to stop the madness.  Magazines, newspapers and even the networks, need to take action and act responsibly. Stop facilitating the decline in the health and wellness of our country. I don't mind seeing a recipe for baked chicken wings (New York Post, February 5, 2011), but why not have a healthy alternative on the same page. Healthy food can be tasty, sexy and quite satisfying. I've spent the last 25 years cooking that way.

We all have a choice. As a single parent of 17 month old twin girls, I take great pride in cooking all of their meals.  I make sure to prepare healthy, mostly organic, nutritious and delicious meals for them. I feed them the way I eat. I have chosen to break with the trend and convenience of fast foods. You can all do the same. It starts with our kids. We have a responsibility to teach, nurture and help them thrive.

Here are some common myths I'ld like to debunk:

1.  “Healthy food is bland and boring." With the right preparation, it is anything but.

SPICE IT UP!!  I love using crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper and my favorite – Dijon mustard.

2.  “It is too expensive to cook healthy food.”
If you weigh the cost (to our health and society) of eating unhealthy, you'll realize that the "Baconator" really isn't worth it.

3.  “I don't have the time to prepare healthy meals.”

Think ahead – make Sunday your preparation day.  Turkey burgers, chicken breasts and soups can be made ahead. I have created and tested hundreds of healthy, delicious and nutritious meals that take no more than 30 minutes to prepare.

It's not too late. Let's make 2011 the year we started (or continued) to take care of ourselves and the people we love.

Eat to live, don't live to eat!!  Choose the foods that will empower you and fortify you. DK

Skinny Cow Cups as a healthy low fat snack option??  (This is a question I've been asked lately.) Look at the nutrition facts and ingredients - 17 grams of sugar, corn syrup, polydextrose (a/k/a fake filler). The notion is "utterly preposterous". Diet consumer beware!! Remember, a smaller amount of  the "real thing" is healthier than choosing a cup full of fake ingredients, flavors.

I don’t believe in excuses.  No (or few) excuses are actually valid including this one that I hear pretty often — and certainly can identify with:   “I HAVE SO MANY WORK AND FAMILY DEMANDS, I CAN’T SQUEEZE IN ONE MORE THING TODAY!”

There are all kinds of excuses for not doing it. You’re busy. You like to eat out. You have young children. You need to socialize.  Are any of them truly more important than taking time for your personal wellness?

How many times have you looked in the mirror and said: “I’m going to be ‘good’ today -- I’m going to make a healthy dinner, I’m going to start working out?” But how quickly did you forget about it once your day started to unravel?

If you’re like many, this represents a pattern of false promises that has gone on way too long — maybe weeks or even years.

It’s time to take a hard look at your life. It’s time to turn those excuses into opportunities.

First, I want you to pull out your calendar and your bank statement. Why? Because what you spend your money on and where you spend your time and energy should be things you feel are important. Are they?

For the next 3 days, I want you to track where you spend your time by writing everything into your calendar, including TV time and social time. On day 4, evaluate. Ask yourself: Did I really need to spend X hours at work or X hours on the internet? What can I give up in the short term so that I can have more energy and more confidence to do more in the long term?

Once you’ve nailed that, block out time for yourself, ideally, 30-60 minutes a day or as little as 10 minutes if you have to.

Remember: You’re much better for yourself and everyone in your life when you are healthy, energized and focused. Find the time and it will be time well spent.