DOLCE LIFESTYLE: 7 Steps to Success in 2015

2015_Goals

7 Steps to Success in 2015

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

1) Eat Right
You can bust your butt in the gym every day for an hour, but what you do in those other 23 hours is what’s really important. You simply can’t out-train a poor diet. And the better you feel overall, the more productive and happy you will be. Wellness encompasses so many more things than what you look like in the mirror. Do you FEEL better? That’s the goal. Remember the Dolce Diet Principles!
2) Get Physically Active
Being physically active reduces your likelihood for developing chronic diseases and conditions such as, heart disease and diabetes. Did you know that physical activity produces an insulin-like effect in the blood, which helps reduce blood sugar? Stabilizing blood sugars is crucial to prevent the onset of fatigue/confusion and aids in lowering your risk for diabetes development.
3) Stay Organized
There are so many ways to keep your schedule in an organized spot. You can use your phone, tablet, computer, or just go the old-fashioned way, like I do, and use a day planner/desk calendar to write down all your appointments, events, activities, and even your eating and workout schedule. The more organized you are, the more likely you are to stay on track with your other goals.
4) Write Down Your Goals
Until you’ve written down your goals, they are just puffs of white noise. Being able to go back and visualize your goal every day or week will make it more likely for you to achieve those goals. And don’t be afraid to modify your goals! Changing them doesn’t make them failures. Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew, and only until we realize what we are truly capable of can we go back and reassess a more realistic approach.
5) Spend More Time Doing the Things You Love
Like to read? Pick a new book to read every week or two, or join a book club. Like hiking with friends? Plan a bi-monthly weekend excursion. Hate your job? Find a career you’re passionate about. You should never dread your work, that’s what makes it feel like work. Don’t be confused, you must work hard to succeed, but you can still do that by doing something you enjoy. Don’t just work for the paycheck. If you enjoy the work you do, you will likely be more productive and produce better quality work.
6) Try Something New
Don’t get stuck in a rut. Get out there and try something you’ve never done before. Always wanted to try CrossFit? Grab a friend and drop in for an intro class. Get out of your comfort zone! It may be scary at first, but sometimes change is good. It doesn’t just have to be some physical activity either. Try new foods, read new genres of books, go to the theater, go paddle boarding, volunteer at an animal shelter, dye your hair, get a tattoo (just remember that one’s a lifetime commitment!). There is so much you probably haven’t experienced yet! And you don’t have to break the bank to do so.
7) Don’t Dwell on the Past. Let It Go! (not to quote Disney’s Frozen – just sayin’)
The past year may have brought heartbreak, sorrow, sadness, emptiness or confusion at times. This is the perfect time to start anew. As hard as it may feel in this moment, letting go will truly set you free to accomplish things you never thought possible. Whether it was a break-up, a death, a big move away from those you are close to, you can’t change the past, and worrying won’t make it better, especially if you’ve done your best. By letting go, you will free yourself. It will take time though. And everyone heals at a different rate. Take all the time you need. You’re the one who has to live your life. Remember, you don’t NEED anyone or anything to make you happy or realize your self-worth. You may WANT those things in your life, which is very different. But you carve your own path, and you don’t need anyone else’s approval or recognition to do so. Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from living your life!


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January 4, 2015

THE MIKE DOLCE SHOW – Ep. 100 New Year's Show Part 2

The Mike Dolce Show

In Part 2 of our New Year’s Show, Mike answers your questions and discusses using fitness as a foundation to create the lives that we want and deserve!
Mike Dolce is the 2013 World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year, 2014 NJ Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee and 2014 Men’s Fitness Top 30 Game Changer for fitness. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the weight cuts of UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks, Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Alves and more!
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com, TheMikeDolceShow.com and UFCFIT.com.
Listen to the latest Mike Dolce Show fitness and lifestyle podcast and get motivated and inspired!
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January 1, 2015

THE MIKE DOLCE SHOW: Ep. 99 New Year's Show Part 1


In this episode of the Mike Dolce Show, Mike discusses how we can better ourselves in 2015, battling lifestyle related illnesses, getting out of financial distress, motivation, re-committing to our goals and more!
Mike Dolce is the 2013 World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year, 2014 NJ Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee and 2014 Men’s Fitness Top 30 Game Changer for fitness. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the weight cuts of UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks, Ronda Rousey, Gilbert Melendez, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Alves and more!
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com, TheMikeDolceShow.com and UFCFIT.com.
mike-dolce-show-app-download-itunes


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December 31, 2014

Prebiotics and Probiotics: Vital for a Healthy Gut

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Prebiotics and Probiotics: Vital for a Healthy Gut

by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD

Prebiotics and Probiotics. You may hear these terms thrown around a lot, especially at health food stores. I have had a lot of people ask which one is best? Well, you actually need both. They need one another for them to be as beneficial as possible. We will discuss this further below:
What Are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that are connected to increasing the growth of good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics may improve gut health, increasing fecal transit time, and could potentially improve calcium absorption.
Sources of Prebiotics
Prebiotics are found in bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, soybeans and whole-wheat foods. You don’t need powders, pills and potions!
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are the actual “good” bacteria, also known as live cultures, similar to those found in the gut. These active cultures help to balance gut flora (bacteria). Probiotics have been used for treatment of constipation, irregularity or irritable bowel syndrome. Some strains of these live cultures may reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance, however, each person is different and not everyone experiences the same benefits of probiotics as others.
Sources of Probiotics
Fermented dairy foods including yogurt, kefir products and aged cheeses are excellent sources of probiotics due to the high live culture content found within them. Kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh are also great non-dairy sources. Again no powders, pills or potions needed!
So Why Do We Need Both?
Prebiotics (“good” bacteria promoters) and probiotics (“good” bacteria) are synergistic (known as synbiotics) and work together. Think of prebiotics as the breakfast, lunch and dinner for probiotics. We need to feed our probiotics with prebiotics. Just like complimentary proteins, we can combine food sources to get both in at the same time. For example, try bananas over nonfat, plain Greek yogurt.
At the very least (as the FDA has no claims about prebiotic and probiotic use as nutrition boosters, only structure-function claims), prebiotics and probiotics are helpful for good gut health. You can incorporate these ingredients into your diet without even trying since the sources are Dolce-Approved anyway!
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics


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December 30, 2014

Staci Shares Her Dolce Diet Progress!

Staci Shares Her Dolce Diet Progress!

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Staci Blythe via Instagram: Fiiirrrsstttt poooosstttt!!!!! A progress picture, of course!! Pictures are about a year and 2 months apart!! #Fitfam #progress #girlswholift #dolcediet #getonnit

 

How did your workouts start?

 
 

I started by reading the first book, then ordered the cookbook, and then later the 3 weeks to shredded.

 

Thoughts?

 
 

@thedolcediet no stinkin joke! Been Dolce and #onnit for a year and a half, never felt better and never looked better. Heard you talk about frozen grapes on the Jason Ellis show and it helped me break a sugar addiction. I lost 7 inches in my waist alone and I love what I eat!!

 

Advice?

 
 

Stick with it!! Every healthy meal is a step in the right direction! Every single healthy choice counts!! I found that if I’m wanting fast food or something, I’ll do 25 burpees and remind myself how many more of those horrible things it will take to try to negate fast food, then I fill up on something awesome as healthy instead. The gratification from good choices will continue to motivate you!

 

Follow Staci Blythe on Instagram


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November 30, 2014

Fun Facts About Hemp Seeds

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Fun Facts About Hemp Seeds

by Samantha Coogan-Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD

If you’ve ever had the famous Dolce Diet Breakfast Bowl, you are no stranger to the power of hemp seeds! Below are some fun facts along with a new recipe to try!
• Comes from the Cannibas plant…..yes, the one you’re thinking of, but doesn’t contain THC.
• 2 tbsp. = 90 calories
• Considered a high-quality protein with 5 grams per serving
• 2 grams of fiber per serving
• Great source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and vitamin E
• Can be eaten raw, ground or even made into milk and oil
• Nutty flavor that works well in both sweet and savory dishes
• Substitute hemp seeds for pine nuts when making pesto
• Hemp milk can be used in place of cow’s milk
• Hemp oil has a low smoke point, so it’s best used as a dressing
• Be sure to store in airtight containers in a cool, dark place since they are purchased raw
Pumpkin Hemp Seed Bread
Serves 18
Ingredients
• 1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup honey or ¾ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup hemp oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup hemp seeds
•½ cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional
• Grapeseed oil
Directions
1. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, honey or maple syrup (depending on what you chose), pumpkin, oil and water.
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in hemp seeds and cranberries.
4. Coat 9×5 inch loaf pan with grapeseed oil. Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.


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November 24, 2014

The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded Named An Amazon Editors' Best Book of 2014!

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Thank you, Amazon Editors for naming
The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded
an Editors’ Best Book for 2014!

– Buy Now At Amazon –


More About Amazon.com’s Best Books of 2014 (from Amazon.com)
All year, Amazon.com’s editorial team reads with an eye for the Best Books of the Month, plus the best books in popular categories like Cooking, Food & Wine, Literature & Fiction, Children’s books, Mystery & Thrillers, Comics & Graphic Novels, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, the best books for teens, and more. We scour reviews and book news for tips on what the earliest readers have loved, share our own copies and tear through as many books as possible. Then we face off in a monthly Best Books meeting to champion the titles we think will resonate most with readers.
In October, we collect all our favorites, look at upcoming 2014 titles, and cast our ballots for the Best Books of the Year. The titles that made our lists are the keepers, the ones we couldn’t forget. Many of our editorial picks for the best books are also customer favorites and best sellers, but we love to spotlight the best books you might not otherwise have heard about, too.
The books included in Amazon’s Best Books program are entirely editorial selections. We are committed to helping customers find terrific gifts for booklovers and drawing more attention to exceptional authors. Our passion is for uniting readers of all ages and tastes with their next favorite reads.

November 8, 2014

The Dolce Diet Featured in Elle Magazine Series: Six Weeks to a Beach Body

The Dolce Diet Tells Elle Magazine Readers how to get a beach body in six weeks

June 3, 2014, 2:07 pm by Katherine Flemming

Original article
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elle-canada

I might be a health editor, but I really hate working out. Strangely (and, sorry, inexplicably), however, I put myself in really uncomfortable workout situations (CrossFit, Tracy Anderson) where I curse and cry, just to test my ability to withstand pain. And who knows more about painful training than a mixed-martial-arts trainer?

Mike Dolce is the go-to guy in the world of MMA. He helps the fittest men in North America get even more lean, whether they have 26 weeks or 24 hours until their next fight or weigh-in. In our Lazy Girls Guide in our June issue, Dolce shares tips on de-bloating before the beach; he’s also the bestselling author of The Dolce Diet: Living Lean
andThe Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook.
Dolce understands that I hate working out, so he created a custom fat-shredding, glute-lifting, arm-firming workout plan for me—and you, dear readers. I’ll be checking in weekly and updating you with new workouts every two weeks—this will keep boredom at bay. Enough of me! Let’s hear from Dolce:
“Right now, I’d like to see you hit the weights at least three times a week to sculpt those curves on your soon-to-be-lean body. Don’t worry about adding too much muscle in this time. Instead, focus on enhancing the muscle you already have. Nobody wants to be a skinny bag of bones at the beach. In order to turn heads, ladies need curves! Also, muscle is a great way to burn body fat. It increases your metabolic rate, allowing fat to be used as energy even when you’re sitting at your desk.“
Well, I do like the sound of that.
Here’s the plan’s breakdown. You’ll work out often; at least six days a week. Alternate cardio with strength training and put your feet up on Sunday. I’m going to leave the eating part up to you, but I think you should try to eat as clean as possible: no booze, no sweets (save for fruit) and really try to avoid packaged food.

Mike Dolce’s Beach-Body Plan

Monday, Wednesday and Friday
-Plank hold: 3 sets at 30 seconds each
-Squat: 3 sets of 10
-Lying leg raise: 3 sets of 10
-Deadlift: 3 sets of 10
-Leg press: 3 sets of 10
-Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10
-Pushups: 3 sets of 10
-Wide grip lateral pull-downs: 3 sets of 10
-Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 10
-Side deltoid laterals: 3 sets of 10
Triceps press-downs with V-bar handle: 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell bicep curl: 3 sets of 10
Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 10
The weight you select will depend on your personal strength level. It shouldn’t be so easy that you can fly through them while scrolling through your Insta feed, but it shouldn’t be so heavy that you can’t perform more than a few reps. *Rest 45 seconds between each exercise.*
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Perform what Dolce calls “steady state” cardio: 45 minutes at a moderate pace. You should be huffing and sweating but not gasping for each breath. Try swimming, hitting the treadmill (or sidewalk), dancing, a boxing DVD (Dolce likes UFC FIT) or a yoga class. (Be sensible: Don’t go for yin or restorative—think power flow or a quick-moving hatha.)
So, are you in? Will you join me in this insanity?

Stay tuned for weeks 2 & 3 coming soon!


Get Mike Dolce’s Books

June 4, 2014

Mike Dolce shares bikini weight-loss and anti-bloating methods in ELLE Magazine

Mike Dolce shares bikini diet weight-loss methods in Elle Magazine

Mike Dolce shares bikini weight-loss and anti-bloating methods in ELLE Magazine

Mike Dolce, founder of The Dolce Diet, is featured in June’s ELLE Magazine. Mike offers bikini diet friendly anti-bloating techniques that will help you look lean and trim for those beach days and pool parties this summer!
For a full bikini diet shredding plan, pick up Mike Dolce’s
3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook
and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean, available at Amazon.com and in The Dolce Diet Shop.

Pick up a copy of ELLE, on shelves now.


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May 27, 2014

VIDEO: Thiago "Pitbull" Alves Is About to Chow Down on Dolce Diet Skinny Sumo Stir-fry

Thiago “Pitbull” Alves is making his long-awaited return to the Octagon and Mike Dolce is on site to offer guidance…as well as some signature Dolce Diet dishes! Take a look at The Dolce Diet Skinny Sumo Stir-Fry! This recipe, as well as over 130 other delicious & healthy meals can be found in #1 International best-seller The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. Alves is set to return to the UFC on April 10 in Orlando, Fl., against Seth Baczynski.


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March 28, 2014