You may have heard of probiotics, but what’s the deal with prebiotics? First off, let’s talk about probiotics. Probiotics are healthy or good bacteria that live in our digestive systems and they help keep the balance between the good and the bad bacteria. Probiotics can have some excellent health benefits such as improving symptoms of

Do those Cadbury Mini-Eggs have you salivating every Easter?  There’s just something about them – perhaps they release more endorphins that other sweets giving us that natural “high”.  Regardless, the time has come to, once again, resist the temptation to having those sweets; because, we all know, once we start, there’s no turning back! Have

Poached Eggs Over Cauliflower Quinoa Cakes For Cakes (non/reduced-dairy options in italics): 1 cup quinoa, well rinsed 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 2 cups cauliflower, chopped 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Daiya cheese is a dairy-free option here) 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for dusting (either skip this, use goat parmesan for less allergens

You constantly hear us talking about mobilizing joints such as your hips. One way to do this is to simply move (remember when we taught you about primal movement patterns?). Another way to do this is by stretching. Stretching is great for everyone, however, what we need to remember is that everyone has different limits.

The thought of waking up any earlier than you already have to for work, just to do more work can be a daunting one. When you decide that yes, in fact, you will plan to working out in the morning, often that plan becomes tomorrow’s plan as you turn that alarm right off that wants

Not sure what you should be bringing to your workout? Here are some essentials to help make the most out of your workout. Water: Water is extremely important at all times!? You should constantly be hydrating. This means drinking water prior to your workout, during your workout, and after your workout. You lose a lot

Earlier this week, we discussed the potential benefits of coffee. Now, let’s take a look at the flip side and chat about why coffee may not be the best choice for you.. Cons: Although the research is unclear, it has been suggested that coffee holds inflammatory substances that relates to an increase in blood pressure

Enjoy one or two or even three or more cups of coffee a day? Heard that coffee is bad for you one day and good for you the next? Technically, both are correct. Here’s a closer look at what that cup of joe is doing for you: Pros: Studies have shown that coffee, being a

Every once in a while we all need a little treat so I started making these at the recommendation of one of our clients and love them!  They are a great alternative to the store bought version, which often only use milk chocolate along with peanut butter.  I love them because I get the choice

At AOC, we’ve always been about functional movement exercises. What is that? Functional movements are literally movements that have function.  They mimic real-world patterns that we use day in and day out.  Thankfully, functional exercise is becoming more and more popular, and we could lend some thanks to compound exercises for that. Compound exercises are

During my school years, the question was asked:  “What’s more effective:  running for a long period of time or running a shorter period of time but faster?”  Back when I was still learning, I really gave this question some thought but didn’t know what the right answer was. What I learned was this:  work as

Clients of AOC surely hear “pigeon toed!” in their sleep.  Yes, we do sound like a broken record but we promise, it’s all for the greater good of the body!  When we perform an initial assessment, majority of the people we see look like a duck.  No, they don’t have a beak, don’t quack or

In the fourth part of this series about maximizing fat burning, we are going to be talking about the last part of the equation:  food!  We’ve been letting you in on the secrets of getting great results and have covered: Metabolism and how it relates to fat loss Strength training and how it ties in

So far we’ve busted the cardio myth about fat burning and gave you the up and up on how metablolism works and how it relates to fat burning and lean muscle mass. So you get it, right?  You need to build muscle via strength training to keep that metabolism fire burning hot.  But how?  There

We helped you to re-think cardio and weight training as it relates to fueling your metabolism and fat loss. Today we’re going to take a closer look at metabolism to more fully understand how this piece fuels fat loss.  Over the next two blog posts we’ll be looking at how the performance of strength training

For those of us that stay away from legumes, this hummus recipe is a good alternative and simple to put together. If you’re trying to stay on track when heading out to a party, one of the best things to do is bring some food to share that you’ll be A-OK eating.  This little appie

Ask an average person on the street how to boost their metabolism and burn fat and I’ll bet you five bucks I know what they’ll say:  “You should go for a 45 minute jog or head to the gym and get an hour on the stationary bike.”  Yep, the go-to solution that most will come

Lots of our clients come from a past of doing hard, long workouts with less than satisfactory results.  When we talk about our classes and specifically about how long they are, they often ask, “Really, 27 minutes is all it takes?” Yep, you got it.  Our philosophy and practice is grounded in proven methodologies.  After

If you’re getting up early for a workout or need a quick meal after your workout, we’ve got some winter inspiration for you.  It’s packed with protein and the pumpkin is a great source of fiber.  It’s also pretty quick to make. 1-2 scoops of Thorne’s Vanilla Protein Powder 1 cup unsweetened almond milk ½

Everyone’s an athlete, baby, that’s the truth! Seriously now, everyone?  Yep.  Whether you are a mover and a shaker or a couch surfer, our philosophy is grounded in the belief that every single one of us has the potential to be an athlete.  All movement stems from the core.  You hear a lot of about

Need a hot drink in the morning?  Try these 5 alternatives to coffee: Green Tea: Get the altertness without the buzz + aids in weight loss. Green tea is a great alternative to coffee.  Although it is still caffeinated, it contains the amino acid l-theanine that counteracts the caffiene buzz by calming the nervous system. 

Now we know that less sleep can lead to a higher level of cortisol and an increased storage of fat, is there anything else we need to know about hormones and sleep and what can we do to make our sleep better? Yes!  There are some more hormones at play here.  The amount of sleep

We’ve all heard that by getting more sleep you can lose weight. There’s even an entire diet labelled around this idea. Is it true?  Well, sort of. It’s not quite as simple as getting 8 hours of sleep and shedding pounds overnight without changing any other bad habits!  But there is some truth behind it

Great alternative to the traditional pancakes! Try this recipe! Paleo Pancakes: I made these on Sunday and they turned out amazing! (Courtesy of Robb Wolf) Ingredients: 2 eggs 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup nut butter (I used sunflower seed butter) 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (careful with the one you use as

We have a BIG offer on Living Social that started today! Get one month unlimited of our semi-private personal training-style classes, plus a 30-minute individual assessment and a 30-minute Fundamentals of Movement class. For ALL NEW Clients and those of you that LOVE AOC, now you can invite your friends and family to be apart