Welcome to the Fitness Section; An Introduction!

Here you will have virtually everything you need to know about getting in shape, ways to burn bodyfat that actually work and getting the body you want. Please use this website as your resource and check out Healthy Tart Diet Workout for your complete and total ‘take it with you’ guide to health and fitness.

A word from Christin:

If you’re making the commitment to exercise and change your body, you have to make sure you have the right game plan as easy to get really excited about changing your body and getting fitter, but it’s even easier to lose focus and get off course. This is why we’ve put so much effort into making sure you have everything you need to get on track and get your body back, or get the body you’ve always wanted.

If you’re starting your program for the first time, or have been skeptical about starting anything because you want to make sure it’s right, you need to remember that your body isn’t going to feel good when you first start. Your body is addicted to poor habits such as having a sedentary lifestyle, eating crappy food, not exercising etc. It won’t feel good to do anything else because it’s foreign and because your body is completely toxic and out of shape. With my clients I have noticed it takes about 2-3 months (if they have been sedentary) for their bodies to start working efficiently. Think of it as a broken down car that has been sitting in the junk yard for month; it’s no where near being able to run as it should, a fully equipped performance car. Your bodies take time to clean themselves out, depending on how much damage you’ve done… they need to be cleaned from the inside out. That’s why it’s so important you are eating good, quality foods, Healthy Tart style.

If you are just starting out, or have not been exercising regularly for the past month, year or so, I have designed workouts in my book to make sure you progress safely, effectively and efficiently. It is vital that you assess your Risk Factors and discern if you need a THRZ (Target Heart Rate Zone) or HRR (Heart Rate Reserve). Once you get to a better state of health and fitness, it’s not as necessary to be constantly checking your heart rate, and if you have questions, check with your doctor. I would recommend you get tri-monthly check ups on your cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat and blood sugars to track your progress and make sure you are adjusting your heart rate as necessary. Your body will naturally want to slow down if you’re going to fast, so just make sure you working out at a comfortable pace. Eventually, you will need to start incorporating more difficult workouts, and will need to increase your THRZ or HRR , that is why I have made progressive workouts:

1. Severely Overweight or Inactive
2. Beginner or Overweight
3. Intermediate
4. Advanced

I have provided you the correct 7 Day Layouts associated with each level of difficultly, with the right amount of total exercise time. If you feel it’s too much or too little, listen to your body and adjust it appropriately. You body will be the best indicator of what you are ready to do!

Your workouts should be challenging, but they also need to be fun! There are so many activities you can do outside that will interest you far more than spending labor some hours in a sweaty gym. For example: Running on trails, swimming in a lake, skiing, mountain bike riding, walking, hiking, climbing, playing sports etc. Some of the most fun workouts I have are outside, on the track. Also, you need to make sure you are changing up the modes of exercising that you do (as I have provided in the 7 Day Layouts). For example: Monday you do a land workout, Tuesday and swim workout, and Wednesday you take off. This will allow your body to recover properly, which will ultimately get you fitter faster, burn more body fat and will prevent injury, sickness or burnout.

For further information and questions, please use Healthy Tart Diet Workout and this website as a guide for your body! It has all the information, in detail, you need to know about properly progressing and training your body to be in the best shape it can be!

Introduction -

My daughter and her family came to visit me for Christmas 2007. I had been gradually putting on weight for a few years a little bit at a time and doing very little exercise… just a bit of walking, occasional tennis and a lot of xBox (I still love Halo).

I turned 50 in 2005 and seemed to just put on weight after that. I assumed it was part of being older, slowing metabolism and all that. I wasn’t doing anything much different than before and had always maintained a reasonable body weight. At least, no-one was calling me fat (to my face).

I knew I had to get my weight and general level of fitness under control as I had embarked on the Healthy Lifestyle project with Trisha Stewart (a excellent nutritionist I had met in England) and if I get involved in a project, I have to totally believe in it and get fully immersed. Being overweight and unfit wasn’t going to cut it.

I had been working with Trisha Stewart on her book ‘Healthy Tart’ for several months and it was time to put the advice contained in that book into practice. So on January 2nd, 2008 at 52 and weighing in at 215lbs, my quest to regain my body, my health and my optimal weight began.

In the past, I’ve been a bit of a fast food junkie. Not McDonald’s so much as Denny’s, Shari’s, Applebees, Chinese, Mexican, Thai… and any other restaurant that would get me out of cooking myself. My freezer was full of microwave meals. Trisha’s book, Healthy Tart, formed the basis of my nutritional journey to get my body back. One of the first things Trisha tells you to do is clear out all the garbage from your freezer and fridge, and unfortunately I don’t think she meant eat it… so out went all the microwave meals, ice cream, diet soda… in fact everything that tasted good but was filled with chemicals. Also had to get some semi decent knives.

The ‘30 day detox’ forms the core of Healthy Tart as it’s what kick starts your system into getting on track and healthy. More on that later.

At the same time as the nutritional element of my journey, I had to start exercising. When Trisha and I started discussing the Healthy Lifestyle series, it occurred to me that we should have a full workout / fitness training aspect to the program so a couple of months earlier I decided to look for a suitable personal trainer. As luck / fate would have it, a few days later I went to my weekly business network meeting and in walked a tracked suited, bespeckeled blonde who introduced herself as Christin McDowell, personal trainer!

My bullet point list for personal trainer was:

• Female
• Highly Qualified
• Assertive
• Attractive
• Able to speak and present well

Christin looked to be perfect for the task so I asked her if she would like to go for a coffee and discuss a proposition I had for her. She accepted.

At that meeting I told her about Trisha and the project. She loved the idea and was excited to be involved. I also told her that as project leader I had to get in shape and lose some weight. I mentioned that although I was somewhat overweight, I was still pretty fit. She managed to stifle her laughter. Little did I know what she had planned for me!

At this point I should say that anyone in their early 50s deciding to turn back the clock and shed 30 years of self abuse through bad diet and lack of exercise is in for some hard work, both physically and mentally.

So the stage was set… I had a nutritional / diet plan and a personal trainer. Time to get to work!

What is Healthy Tart?

The Healthy Tart approach to life takes you step by step back to an Eden-like existence that also factors in and works with the real world where you work and play. The Healthy Tart focuses on using natural and organic foods to promote healing and to nourish the body for a better and healthy life. The main components to Healthy Tart are:

• Pure, Natural, Local & Organic Food
• Whole Food: Food found in it’s entirety
• Gluten Free
• Vegetarian Based (though not ultra strict)
• 30 Day Detox based to cleanse and clear the body

Are you past the point of wanting to look like a malnourished super model? Have you come to the realization that being a size zero is neither an achievable nor a healthy goal? But, you still have the desire to be healthier, stronger, more fit…with more energy and vitality, right? You’re tired of being tired…tired of knowing you‘re not living your best life? Then you have the mind set to become a Healthy Tart.

Let‘s just get it out there…a Healthy Tart is NOT a skinny bitch. If you‘re a Healthy Tart (or are ready to become one) you live in the real world with friends and family. You do not have militant attitudes about what you eat that you shove down other people‘s throats everywhere you go. You’ve never freaked out because someone sautéed your veggies in a skillet that once browned ground beef. You don’t prefer packaged, processed vegan junk food to whole, natural foods – vegan or not. Sure, you may have tried a number of fad diets and schemes along the way…admit it, what woman hasn‘t used the ‘grapefruit diet‘ at least once? But over time you’ve realized that health does not come in a pill or potion and that eating from only one food group just doesn‘t work. Finally, you understand that unless it is a long-term, livable lifestyle change…’diet’ becomes another four-letter word you use in anger and frustration. Now you have (or are ready for) the TRUTH about food, cooking, supplements and exercise, and have achieved a balance that works consistently with your life. You just make the best decisions you can for you and your family when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle. As a result, you are actually enjoying your life without over analyzing everything that crosses your lips. You have learned ways to shop, cook and eat healthy that fit your lifestyle and therefore you can actually stick with it. You don‘t condemn yourself if you eat a slice of cake at your cousin‘s wedding. You are healthy and have eliminated or reduced all or most medicines you used to take for various ailments. With your extra energy you‘re exercising in ways that are fun for you…that you actually look forward to!

Sound appealing? Sound right for someone in those ―I’m really an adult and need to live that way years as a sane, sensible and workable way to cut through the crap, forgo the fads and just get it done right? Then this book is for you. I‘m going to outline the 10-step program that will convert you into the Healthy Tart you dream of becoming.

The Healthy Tart Book Series is a collection of books that are fundamental and foundational to your health. They will equip, motivate, educate and inspire you to greater health. Our Fitness Guru, Christin McDowell lays out, step by step, your plan of action to get in shape and get your body back. Her Book, Healthy Tart Diet Workout includes workouts for your body type, workouts for fat loss, muscle gain, workouts in the pool, track, gym, your home and more. Healthy Fitness Central is also an essential plan for your health if you are dealing with any forms of disease including high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more. Christin provides a medically graded exercise program for you that is safe, personalized and highly effective.

These books literally have everything you need to know about losing weight, detoxing, getting fit and changing your life forever! There are books for the whole family:

There are no quick fixes to great health and fitness.

Buy the 5 book series with free shipping and save over $20

It takes a whole host of positive changes to achieve health and fitness goals…but with the Healthy Tart Book Series, most people can achieve just that! How in the “Health” are you? What is a Healthy Tart? Are you past the point of wanting to look like a malnourished super model? Have you come to the realization that being a size zero is neither an achievable nor a healthy goal? But, you still have the desire to be healthier, stronger, more fit…with more energy and vitality, right? You’re tired of being tired…tired of knowing you’re not living your best life? Then you have the mind set to become a Healthy Tart!

Losing weight, getting fit and attaining consistent good health takes effort and determination.  Many fail and get into the’ crash diet – crazy exercise’,’ binge eating – couch potato’ downward spiral.  It’s a crazy cycle that’s hard to shake… and if that sounds like you, believe me, you’re not alone.

The Healthy Tart Diet was created to inspire you to eat well and eat HEALTHY.  If the Healthy Tart Diet program is followed diligently, you will head towards your goal of optimal weight and good health.  But on its own good nutrition and healthy diet it’s only half the story.  You need to exercise too, and that’s where the ‘Healthy Tart Workout’ book comes in.

Working with my good friend (and author or Healthy Tart Diet) Trisha Stewart, I have developed an exercise program that works for men, women and teens alike.   Used in isolation or in unison with Healthy Tart Diet, Healthy Tart Workout will provide all the tools and encouragement you need to get into the best shape of your life.

Whether you need to lose that gut, rid yourself the dreaded jelly thighs or just tone up, this book will work for you.  Utilizing a 6 Step plan, which can be followed right from the convenience of your own home, you’ll see results you’ve always craved.

The programs developed in this book are Physician recommended and Doctor approved.  More than 20 structured workouts are included.  No matter what body type you are, there’s a workout program for you.

Healthy Tart Workout will help you achieve your goals of losing weight, gaining muscle mass, increasing bone strength and improving your quality of life. There really is something for everyone in Healthy Tart Workout.

In the issue of metabolism, metabolism in the breakdown of calories will be the same for everyone. When you exercise, you burn calories, and the rate at which you burn them wont change unless you have a bunch of muscle mass, for which we women don’t need to worry about.

SO- with metabolism, you’ve got to exercise if you want to burn fat and lose weight. (I’m not addressing the metabolism of food right yet). 95% of the trainers out there train their females WRONG. That is why I highly encourage you both to come to my event. You MUST exercise to burn calories- lots of them. So this doesn’t mean weight training, riding on some stationary bike or even walking (unless you weigh 100lbs too much), this means running, swimming, sprinting- stuff that will burn SERIOUS calories. The good thing is that this form of training is the kind of training that will benefit your cardiovascular health the best… You don’t want to start off right away with that form of training if you’re just starting out, or if you have medical problems, but if should be your goal to get there.

I will talk more in detail during my presentation at the next Healthy Tart event, if you cannot attend, please get a copy of my book, Healthy Fitness Central.

As far as your food metabolism, I haven’t yet heard a woman out there who has a high metabolism. Our hormones were made to store fat, that’s what we were “blessed” with… due to this God given natural phenomenon, we have got to evaluate the foods we are eating. If you think you eat well, but you’re not losing weight, there’s no catch. YOU’RE NOT eating as well as you think. We’re not freaks of nature. Our metabolisms are all pretty much the same. We can alter them through exercise and how much of it we do, and we can alter it through drugs and shots, (which I don’t endorse!).

I can be in denial as much as I want to of why I can’t lose weight, but really what it comes down to is, how much and the quality of food I am eating. You must eat CLEAN food. This probably doesn’t mean what you are thinking.

I want you to take a look at this woman.

http://ola-life.org/videos.php Look at her making Living Cacao Cream Pie, Nori Rolls, and Spring Rolls.

She eats 100% pure and organic food and she is vegan. She is the leanest natural person I’ve ever seen, and she’s pregnant. OBVIOUSLY she’s got it down. She’s serving her body and her body is serving her. She inspires me to want to change and be even better. She eats like a Healthy Tart would.

So, even though you are thinking you are eating the right stuff, you’re not if you’re not at your optimal weight. Something is wrong. Something you are DOING is wrong.

We can explore this further together in the Healthy Tart event.

Yes, your metabolism slightly slows down in your 40’s and 50’s.. WHY? Because you become LESS ACTIVE and you start losing muscle mass because you are LESS ACTIVE. Chris is a testament to that. She easily lost 60lbs and she’s over 50. It’s not rocket science people, it’s really quite simple.

I implore you to come to our event to learn more about what you can do to change your body and the way you think and feel!

Your workouts should be challenging, but they need to be fun as well! There are so many activities you can do outside that will interest you far more than spending labor some hours in a sweaty gym. For example: Running on trails, swimming in a lake, skiing, mountain bike riding, walking, hiking, climbing, playing sports etc. Some of the most fun workouts I have are outside, on the track. Also, you need to make sure you are changing up the modes of exercising that you do (as I have provided in the 7 Day Layouts). For example: Monday you do a land workout, Tuesday and swim workout, and Wednesday you take off. This will allow your body to recover properly, which will ultimately get you fitter faster, burn more body fat and will prevent injury, sickness or burnout. 

If you are just getting back into exercise, or if you’re starting your program for the first time, you need to remember that your body isn’t going to feel good when you first start. Your body is addicted to poor habits such as having a sedentary lifestyle, eating crappy food, not exercising etc. It won’t feel good to do anything else because it’s foreign and because your body is completely toxic and out of shape. With my clients I have noticed it takes about 2-3 months (if they have been sedentary) for their bodies to start working efficiently. Think of it as a broken down car that has been sitting in the junk yard for month; it’s no where near being able to run as it should, a fully equipped performance car. Your bodies take time to clean themselves out, depending on how much damage you’ve done… they need to be cleaned from the inside out. That’s why it’s so important you are eating good, quality foods, Healthy Tart style. 

If you are just starting out, or have not been exercising regularly for the past month, year or so, I have designed workouts in my book and on this website to make sure you progress safely, effectively and efficiently. It is vital that you assess your Risk Factors and discern if you need a THRZ or HRR. Once you get to a better state of health and fitness, it’s not as necessary to be constantly checking your heart rate, and if you have questions, check with your doctor. I would recommend you get tri-monthly check ups on your cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat and blood sugars to track your progress and make sure you are adjusting your heart rate as necessary. Your body will naturally want to slow down if you’re going to fast, so just make sure you working out at a comfortable pace. Eventually, you will need to start incorporating more difficult workouts, and will need to increase your THRZ (Target Heart Rate Zone) or HRR (Heart Rate Reserve), that is why I have made progressive workouts:

1. Severely Overweight or Inactive
2. Beginner or Overweight
3. Intermediate
4. Advanced

I have provided you the correct 7 Day Layouts associated with each level of difficultly, with the right amount of total exercise time. If you feel it’s too much or too little, listen to your body and adjust it appropriately. You body will be the best indicator of what you are ready to do! 

For further information and questions, please use Healthy Fitness Central as a guide for your body! It has all the information, in detail, you need to know about properly progressing and training your body to be in the best shape it can be! You can also contact me with any questions and I will get back to you! 

Good luck and go Change Your Body For Life!

Some important tips you must consider to be successful: 

1. Clean out your intestines by eating Healthy Tart Style
2.  Train to BURN fat! This means less weight training and more holistic movement! Use My Workouts as your Guide!
3. STICK to your 7 Day Training Program
4.  Change the way you do Cardio
5.  Drink a lot of water
6.  Don’t be constantly Sore!!
7. Train for your Body Type 

My Fat Loss Workout Programs are specifically designed to make you burn fat. Not gain a whole bunch of muscle, but to BURN FAT. My years in personal and professional experience have enabled me to see a huge and widespread mistake in training for body fat loss with women. 

If you want to workout to burn fat, then work to burn fat! 

This means NOT sitting down riding a stationary bike, doing funky balance tricks on a physio or bosu ball, THIS MEANS: Running, Swimming, Sprinting- the major BASIC exercise modes (which don’t involve spending lots of money) that make your heart really work, and force your body to start shedding massive amounts of fat!

In today’s world, or in yours, you might find it hard to find time for anything, and it’s hard enough to make time for your workouts, especially if you a full time mom and employee! With that said, you must maximize the time you have for your workouts. This means that you must MOVE. Standing still or doing isolated weight training exercises like the leg extension do nothing. How many calories do you think you burn from doing exercises like that? Hardly Any! Oh wait, what the leg extension does do is make you really sore so you CAN’T move the next day, so in actuality, it is counterproductive. 

To burn body fat, you must move. You can’t get fitter and burn a load of fat if you aren’t moving! Sure weight training can build muscle, but so can running, swimming, high impact dancing etc.! Your muscles are always working during cardio; in fact, a whole lot more muscles are being activated and involved during cardio than weight training!

Use my Fat Loss Workouts to Minimize body fat and Maximize fitness! 

Remember, before you start any exercise program, make sure you first have:

1.  Assessed your Risk Factors
2. Get your Heart Rate “Prescription”

All of these can be found in my Online Personal Training Website!