Mike Cheliak: Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and Life

You might just be a Canadian

I would first of all like to acknowledge the comedy genius of Jeff Foxworthy.  It is his Redneck inspiration that brought me to do this post.  Without his down to earth comedic ability to poke fun at himself; this little line of quips wouldn’t be here!

If you map your route based on the location of the nearest Tim’s…you just might be a Canadian
If Poutine (Poo-Teen) doesn’t mean a teenager going for a dump…you just might be a Canadian
If you know how to speak Frenglish…you just might be a Canadian
If Don Cherry is your Canadian Idol…You ARE a Canadian
If you need rehab from July-September because Hockey Night in Canada isn’t on…you just might be a Canadian
If your alphabet begins with Eh and ends with Gee…you just might be a Canadian
If Walleye is the other white meat…you just might be a Canadian
If you have seen mosquitoes larger than a Chihuahua…you just might be a Canadian
If Lenny Kravitz singing American Woman was considered sacrilegious…you just might be a Canadian
If you don’t EVER put ICE before hockey in a sentence…you just might be a Canadian
If Dr. J means Jarome Igninla…you just might be a Canadian (or at least a Calgarian)
If you drink coffee with beer so you can drink more…you just might be a Canadian
If you have ever eaten Cod Cheeks or tongues…you just might be a Canadian
If a Beaver Tail means a nice hot sugar glazed treat…you just might be a Canadian
If you spell the words colour and flavour like this…you just might be a Canadian
If you actually know the Capitals of all the Provinces…you just might be a Canadian
If you actually know the Capitals of all the States…you just might be a Canadian
If you Bow and say we are not worthy when someone says Guess Who…you just might be a Canadian
If you consider the Hockey Hall of Fame the Centre of your Universe…you just might be a Canadian
If you really do dig Anne Murray…you just might be a Canadian
If the last thing you pack and the first thing you unload on a camping trip is the beer…you just might be a Canadian
If you have ever had a bag of nuts thrown at you on a flight from Halifax to Vancouver…you just might be a Canadian
If you have ever tipped a cow…you just might be a Canadian
If the May Two Four weekend is just an excuse to drink a Two Four…you just might be a Canadian

I hope you Canucks out there enjoyed this little look in the mirror and I also hope our American friends can now see why we should be the most feared threat on the planet…we give no quarter…we take no hostages…WE…ARE…CANADIAN!

I fun, happiness and health!

Mike C.

Mediterranean Hummus

I myself love hot and spicy food and my Habanero Hummusis my absolute FAVE!  My honey and kiddies however like hummus but are not hot and spicy fans.  through trial and tasting, I came up with my version of a Mediterranean sytle hummus.  If you are like me, you will want to play with the ingredients as well.  Just have fun and use your imagination if you want to add or adjust anything.  Hummus is very forgiving and quite easy to make and manipulate.

Ingredients
1/4  cup  chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers
1/4  cup  pitted kalamata olives
1/4  cup fresh lemon juice
1/4  cup tahini butter
1 head roasted garlic* plus 2 cloves fresh
2  teaspoons  extra virgin olive oil
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
2  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained (retain 1/2 cup of the liquid)

Method
Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl once. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.  You can use a little chick pea liquid to “loosen” the dip if it is too thick.  Serve with pita points or fresh veggies.

*Roasted Garlic- Take a head of garlic, hold it on its side and using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the top of the head just to expose all the cloves and be careful not to take too much off.  Place the garlic on a foil lined tray and pour 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil on top.  Place in a pre-heated 300 degree toaster oven (or regular oven) and roast for approximately one hour.  Let cool slightly and then squeeze like toothpaste into a glass bowl.  Take out any garlic skin that falls off.  I use this for tonnes of stuff like roasted garlic parmesan dressing, as a spread or in any kind of sauce.  It’s great with roasted brie and toast points for a treat!

Uncomplicated Nutrition and Fitness

OK, I like many or most of you have gone through, read through and tried numerous programs, plans and so called solutions that have had some effect, no effect or a negative effect.  Every time you are on the Internet there always seems to be a new magic potion or unbeatable diet plan or fitness machine that will burn away your inches like melting away ice.

WRONG!  There is only ONE solution to getting results.  Hard work!  You must work hard at your fitness, you must work hard at making healthy food choices, you must work hard at understanding your body and what it needs and you must work hard to stick with your program!

The more you complicate matters, the more convoluted your nutrition and fitness becomes.  I went through the exact same issues for years before I finally realized I was sabotaging my efforts.

You have to sort out a number of things when you are choosing your programs and methods.

1. You need to assess “where you want to be”.  This means you have to say to yourself, it am too fat and I don’t have enough muscle.  I want to lose 40 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle.  That is a definite goal and something you have to come to terms with.

2. You need to assess “why you want to be there”.  This is easy.  For most of us, we just want to live a healthier, more enjoyable quality of life.  It is really that simple

3. You need to STOP looking for a quick fix, easy way out solution.  It doesn’t exist!  Anything that gives you some crazy idea that with almost no work and no time, you will get amazing results is LYING TO YOU!

4.  You need to STOP making excuses.  This is the hard one because if you have been stuck in a pattern of poor health choices for a while, you really do have to enter into the psychology of your habits and change them one by one.  This is not a daunting task but one that should be taken seriously.  Excuses are easy to throw at a problem…it’s genetics, I don’t have time, I hate gyms, I can’t run, BLAH BLAH BLAH.

At 46 years of age, I have lost 50 pounds of fat and gained back almost 20 pounds of lean mass.  I don’t do drugs, I don’t use any magic potions other than the odd protein shake and I am not a magician.  I took me more than 2 years to achieve this and I busted my ass doing it.  Slip and fall…yep…but I got right back up and kept going. 

Now comes to the simplification factor.  We always tend to over think and in doing so miss the obvious.  Here are a some pointers that should give you an idea as to what you should look for in a fitness and nutrition program.

NUTRITION PROGRAM
Look for programs that preach eating whole foods.  You need to realize that the packaged crap on the shelves is just that, crap.  It’s easy to grab something that you can chuck in the nuke for 3 minutes but read the label!  It’s crazy what they put in those products.

You need to select fresh veggies and fruits, fresh lean meats, eggs, egg whites, nuts and seeds and if you are tolerant, good quality lower fat dairy.  Natural grain fed meats without hormones and drugs and organic foods can be more expensive but are also a good choice to make.

You need to avoid programs that preach supplements.  Protein shakes are a great treat once in a while and can act as a complete meal if you add a little fruit but they are NOT your ideal choice.  People who tell you to buy all these supplements are doing so because they get a kick back from all the supplements you buy.

You also don’t need to eat 6-8 micro meals a day.  That is a pile of crap and only useful if you are a competitive body builder or fitness competitor.  You need to manage your meals to fit your schedule but ideally you should have 3 main meals and two snacks per day so that you don’t go hungry and overeat at your next sitting.  Make healthy choices for your snacks like fruit and nuts or natural nut butter, veggies and hummus or any other number of healthy, easy to bring food choices.

The best solution for you is going to be one that you can stick with.  Remember to be human as well.  Complete adherence to a program means letting yourself have little treats!  If you stick to your guidelines 90% of the time the other 10% of the time you can have a little treat.  Just don’t overindulge.  As an example; if you eat 21 meals and 14 snacks per week, make 2 of your meals “cheat meals” where you can have something a little naughty and also make 2 snacks a little treat (maybe some chocolate!!!).

FITNESS PROGRAM
Do you like sitting on an elliptical trainer for an hour thinking how many lovely calories the machine is telling you that are melting away?  If you do, STOP…if you don’t, rejoice, it doesn’t do anything for you.  Cardio sucks…period!  The only time that long, steady state cardio is beneficial is if you are an endurance athlete.  It is NOT the answer if you want to manage your weight.

You need to realize right from the start that you HAVE to find a program that involves strength conditioning.  That means lifting weights and using body weight exercises that create resistance.  Muscle burns more calories than fat…more muscle = more calories burned every day = easier to maintain healthy weight.

The program you need to look for must be one that preaches strength conditioning first and foremost.  Second to that is a routine called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  Interval training makes you work as hard as you can for a period of time and then recover and repeat.  You will burn more calories in a much shorter time and your metabolism will continue to soar for hours after you have stopped.  Steady state cardio will only burn as you are exercising and also can be catabolic (burns muscle).

The strength conditioning shouldn’t get you all worried about getting “huge”.  The experts with good programs know exactly how to prescribe a program that will be just right for your needs.  Your program has to be one that you can grow with.  You really need to keep changing parts and portions of your workouts to ensure you don’t adapt.  About every 4 weeks you should be “shaking up” your routine and adding/changing parts of your routine.

Another thing to look for is a program that is time efficient.  If you are working out for more than 45 minutes, you are likely doing more harm than good!  That is a FACT!  You need to have a program that is efficient (super sets, short rest periods…).  Your routine including your HIIT should get you in and out of the gym (or your basement) in 45 minutes.  This is great because now in less time than it takes to watch a soap opera on TV, you have done yourself a HUGE service!

I hope some of this information is useful and invite you to email me at info@mikecheliak.com if you have any questions.  You can also sign up for my free Newsletter that I send out every month.  I have photography tips, fitness and nutrition articles and more.

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Inspire your BBQ

I pretty much BBQ all year round although I don’t do much in the snowy season here in Southern Ontario.  Now that April is almost over; I officially launch my BBQ season and do so with the same intention every year…Inspire my BBQ!

I have a Vermont Castings Grille and named it “Russ”.  Yes I named it!  I actually visited him in the store a couple times a week before my wife and kids presented him to me on Father’s Day (completely assembled I might add!).  The key to a good BBQ is actually having a good BBQ!

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a BBQ although you can.  You do need to have quality components (cast iron burners and grille plates) as well as a sturdy body.  I have 5 main burners, an infrared rotissary burner and side burner on mine but you can get away with 3 main burners.  Don’t go for two burners…it isn’t enough!

Thai Lime Prawn Skewers

Now to the point of all this…the food!  I am a die hard food lover.  I eat very healthy but I don’t allow that to get in the way of making and eating interesting food all the time.  Sure, the good old burgs and dogs are a great standby but 90% of the time, I opt for something “alternative”.

I grille everything!  Meat, veggies and anything else that needs cooking!  A typical BBQ season meal for us is grilled meat, grilled veggies including either yams or taters and a salad.  Easy, enjoyable and healthy.

Using your imagination to “Inspire your BBQ” is easy!  With the Internet, you can jump online, Google anything and come up with an inspired meal in less time than it takes to fetch the hot dogs from the freezer!  Try using ground lamb in a kebab or Greek Burger or flank steak (great when marinated and properly cut).  Grille your seafood and fish, use a cedar plank, search for ethnically diverse meals from Morocco, Turkey, India or any other country and continent.  Doing a “themed” meal is really a fantastic way to entertain and with great sites like Epicurious (www.epicurious.com) and tonnes of resource sites to help pair wines and beverages…you can WOW the crowd instead of just feeding them!

Being diverse on the grille is not difficult.  If you are able to grille your usual fare, you can grill more un-usual fare!  Your taste buds will thank you and trust me…your family and friends will thank you!  You WILL be the coolest Grill-Meister on the block.

In Happiness and Health as always!

Mike C.

Hartwell Shot of the Race

Hartwell Half Marathon

Click here to visit the Hartwell Challenge Photo Galleries.  All photos will be posted by later Sunday Evening.

RAIN…SCHMAIN!  No amount of cold temperatures or down-pouring rain could interfere with another very well run race by Sara from www.raceworks.ca and all the staff, volunteers and sponsors.  Great finishing times, a HUGE showing in the 5K by the Newmarket Huskies Track Club (they DOMINATED) as well a very safe, well organized course made this the best Hartwell Challenge yet.  The spectators should be commended as well for their die hard dedication to cheering on each and every finisher!

You Gotta love the kiddies running!  The Merry Mini Mile is a “Complete not Compete” format where EVERY kid is a winner just for taking part.  The little guys and girls toughed out the rain and made really short work of the one mile course!  Just seeing these little munchkins out and active is a great sign for our future generation of fit kids!

The 5K race was dominated by the Newmarket Huskies.  They had a tonne of entrants and ALL of them were amazing!  The two first place overall finishers were both from the club and came across in a dead heat.  Alex Denault and Robert Denault are both Under 20 Junior Males and finished in 15:56!  Quite a feat considering that the rain was heaviest from the start to the finish of the 5K.  Natalia Hawthorn from Bracebridge was the first overall female in a time of 17:44 and is in the 14-Under age group!

Christopher Graham repeated for the second year as the men’s Half Marathon winner in a great time of 01:20:00.  In the Women’s overall category, Paolina Allan repeated as well for the second straight year in a time of 01:24:09.  The top eleven finishers all came in under 1 hour 30 minutes which was great considering the heavy rain that was there for most of the race.

As to the photos, I was challenged as usual when shooting in pouring rain.  Keeping the gear dry was the key and making sure to really be quick

The Hartwell Race Crew

to pull in the auto focus was also important as the rain was at times heavy enough to distract the auto-focus.  I did have to bail out near the end of the 5K finishers for about 10 minutes to refit my rain gear on my camera as it got so drenched the Velcro started to release!

Lighting in a race like this is never an issue as the overcast gives you a very even lighting matrix.  The one challenge is how high to set your ISO.  I had mine ranging from 160-400 for the entire event and shot everything a f/2.8 and 1/500th of a second shutter speed.  Some neat shots were taken in the heaviest rain with a lot of splashing and water droplets.

I love shooting live action and don’t really care about the weather.  Does it make it more difficult..yes, but you just have to be prepared  for any possible weather with the proper clothing and protective gear for your equipment.

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Mocha Choco Monkey Protein Shake

I do like a good afternoon pick me up and from time to time I really enjoy this protein shake.  It is simple and VERY effective.  It provides good protein, a nice caffeine boost to energize the rest of your day and some simple carbs to help process the protein.  You can adjust as you see fit but here are the two variations that I use.  It sure beats the crap out of the garbage you get from the coffee shops!  Even the little decadent one is FAR better than any Ice Capp you will find in your local coffee shop.  This also makes for a GREAT post workout shake.  Just double the protein powder and enjoy!

VARIATION #1
1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
8 ounces 1% or skim milk
8 ounces ice cubes
1 TBSP Instant Espresso Powder (Nestle makes a good one)
2 TBSP Quick Chocolate Syrup
1/2 banana
Blend until smooth

VARIATION #2 (The little decadent one)
1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
8 ounces 1% or skim milk
1 Cup Frozen Yogurt (Low fat, no fat, low sugar, no sugar…your choice)
1 TBSP Instant Espresso Powder (Nestle makes a good one)
2 TBSP Quick Chocolate Syrup
1/2 banana
Blend until smooth

I use protein powder in a lot of different ways.  I make protein packed pancakes with oatmeal and oat flour (done by blending raw oatmeal) and also protein oatmeal cookies and muffins.  It is an easy way to “JACK UP” any baking recipe.  I don’t eat many processed carbs but when I do, I make sure they come from home cooking and have a “Good Side” to them.

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Soccer Photo Season Begins

Tomorrow marks the earliest date I have ever started my spring/summer league photography.  I usually go through most of my Dance Studio photography sessions first but this year the leagues really want a head start on everything which is why we are starting in April.

I am shooting the first part of a travel league division from a local Soccer club. I will have 6 teams done in under an hour.  There are just over 100 kids and the balance will be done on the following Wednesday evening (same amount, same time).  For a shoot like this, I have a very rigid method to keep the flow going.  Group first, any single shots second.

Being organized in advance and keeping the flow of things going is important.  I always double book time slots to ensure I have a complete team to do.  More often than not, one team will have someone coming late.  You have to get used to that and prepare at some point to take the shot without the absent person.

If you are shooting league photos, always ask for a team roster from them.  You can convert their rosters into a database in MS Access or an Excel Spreadsheet.  From there, you print and list every photo number from the camera as you take it.  You take Johnny Smith’s photo, turn to your assistant and tell them the Photo ID from the camera.  That will be their reference number for any additional photo orders and will make your life a lot easier when indexing your photos and orders.

For posing the players, you have to assess the  basics of the players.  Younger ones (5 and under) are more apt to enjoy either standing with their foot on the ball and their hands on their hips or sitting with the ball in front of them.  Either pose can be made to look really nice.  For players a little older; you can start using some alternative poses.  I like the kids kneeling on one knee with the ball just in front of them or standing with the ball tucked under the arm.  For that shot, you need to take the photo from the hips up and actually crop in quite close.

 The key as always is to make sure you are organized, make sure your equipment is ready and that you have a back-up ready to go.  The final thing before you shoot is to ensure you have a decent background, the correct lighting and the correct settings for your camera.  Take a number of test shots in advance to bracket your exposure and use a fill flash if needed.

If you are getting into sports league photography, make sure you are doing it because you like working with kids.  If not; DO WEDDINGS!.  Kids and parents are very intuitive and if you are not comfortable working with little munchkins and you don’t have a lot of patience (and a sense of humour), move on to a different type of photography.

Providing sports leagues with photography services is all about delivery and service.  Put together some simple products and packages (trading cards, magazine covers, posters and prints) and make sure you deliver WHAT you say WHEN you said you would have it.  It can be a very rewarding business financially but you have to work your A** off when the time comes.  Be prepared for it and you’ll do great!

If you are just starting in the Sports Photography business, feel free to email me at info@mikecheliak.com and I would be happy to provide you with some basic advice and point you in the right direction!

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Bodyweight Interval Circuits

Cardio.  Yuck!  Long, steady state cardio has no purpose for anyone other than endurance athletes.  This mantra is shared by thousands of REAL fitness experts.  Long cardio is catabolic in nature (it eats your muscles as well as fat).  This causes long term issues in being able to maintain adequate muscle mass.

While strength training is almost always first and foremost in any effective fitness and weight management program, there is another dandy tool that is widely thought of as your next best tool.  Interval training.  Interval or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is based on a period of high exertion followed by a period of recovery. 

Intervals can be performed anywhere.  A treadmill, a track, a stationary or riding bike, some fitness machines although most are not designed to provide the type of speed and resistance you need to get this done.  Intervals are also great because they are adaptive.  At first, you won’t push it as hard as you will eventually.  You can start at any level and you will be astounded at the progress you make.

My favorite intervals are bodyweight circuits or groups.  You can pick almost any bodyweight exercise and turn it into a fat burning monster in 10 minutes!  I often do a 5 minute bodyweight squat challenge and have managed to do 250 bodyweight squats in 5 minutes!  Your imagination can come up with any number of combinations of bodyweight exercises that you are comfortable doing.  The key is to push yourself hard, recover and repeat.

Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence Training is a master of the bodyweight Interval.  He has more combinations and permutations than anyone else I know.  Check out his video below, visit him online or check out more of his great videos on You Tube.

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Is there a monkey on your back?

Hey Mike, is that a monkey on your back and why does he look so happy?

The origin of the phrase “monkey on your back” dates back to ancient Kemet (Egypt) and has meandered through the millenia and morphed into what we now consider it…a constant burden.  Initially the phrase was associated with a great scholar, messenger and deity of writing named Tehuit.  The complete details and history of the phrase is found at http://www.newagejournal.com/monkeyb.shtml.  It’s a pretty interesting read.

Through the ages, the phrases meaning has completely changed.  The first practical application of the phrase was applied to the ancient scribes who spent much time transposing thought to page.  The “monkey on their back” was considered an inspiration and a connection to the esoteric ancient forms that were considered sacred. 

We now have twisted this meaning into a negative connotation that describes the monkey on your back to be that of a constant burden.  It isn’t unlike someone to twist a positive into a negative but how do we choose to deal with it is another thing entirely.  We can take almost anything positive and put a negative spin on it.  Many of us choose to do so in everyday life.  It has a lot to do with being constantly bombarded by negative influences.

I, like most of you have my moments of negativity.  I get frustrated, angry, sad and plain pissed off.  The one thing I don’t do, is drag that around with me like a negative “monkey on my back”.  I choose to vent, refocus and move on.  Doing so eliminates negative feelings, relieves stress and gives me a feeling of “cleaning my emotional house”.

My monkey is happy.  I choose to have him there and I invite his spiritual insight.  If I have a “monkey” sitting on my shoulder, I can guarantee you that I invited him or her and I also expect some work in the process.  My monkey motivates me, inspires me, challenges me and gives me hope.  My monkey never brings me down or makes me feel burdened or brings up negative thoughts. 

OK, just so you know, I don’t ACTUALLY think I have a monkey on my back!  I just choose to allow myself to have a motivating catalyst all the time.  Without motivation to do something different or do something better or just DO SOMETHING, you become a single minded, boring and uninteresting individual.  DO NOT LET YOURSELF BECOME THAT PERSON!

Find a monkey that is like mine.  One that brings with it a positive vibe and a productive mind.  Imagine the burdens you have in everyday life as little monkeys who are waiting to sit on your back.  When they arrive, make them your inspiration to get the task done and to stay focused on your goal.

Life is WAY to short to always walk around, slouched over with the burdens of your existence.  Everyone has their own burdens, what you choose to do with yours is YOUR choice.

I choose to have a Happy Monkey!

Happy Earth day…in happiness and health as always!

Mike C.