Trusted Sara's Trusted Saskatoon 2018 Fitness Focus Challenge Week nine: Rowing is hard

24. Jul 2018 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Fitness & Gyms, Trusted Tips

Trusted Saskatoon owner and founder Sara Wheelwright accepted a fitness challenge from the excellent team at Trusted Saskatoon gym Fitness Focus. Follow along on her fitness journey as she blogs and video journals her motivations, successes, failures, frustration and her pain as she struggles to get fit and fabulous in her forties!

WEEK 9 - NO TAKING IT EASY!

Let's start by giving my trainer Denise some kudos! This woman is an inspiration and so dedicated to fitness it is mind-blowing. She competed in Vancouver and as you can see she was in staggering shape. ( I think she should have won - but what do I know) She has been a big part of my fitness journey and there have been times when I have just dragged myself to the gym because of her.

I leave on vacation soon and I feel energized, healthy, lighter and I definitely look and feel better overall- the numnbers below really do speak for themselves.

Thank you so much Denise and the team at Fitness Focus for helping me change my lifestyle - I'm determined that I am not going back!

SARA'S PROGRESS BEYOND THE BIKINI

So its all great that I look better in a bikini - but true fitness is more than just being lean.

STRENGTH -FLEXIBILITY -STAMINA- the 3 pillars of fitness.

Strength - By doing resistance training and weight lifting I am getting stronger and I can feel my muscles and am starting to see them appear from under the layers of inactivity I'd formed over last 7 years!

Flexibility - Stretching, stretching and exercises like yoga. If you aren't flexible you will hurt yourself- so I stretch before and after every workout.

Stamina- Physical fitness is key to a long life and good health. Your body’s capacity to transport and use oxygen during exercise (VO2 max) is the most precise measure of overall cardiovascular fitness. Changes in VO2 levels equate to changes in aerobic fitness and this, in turn, can affect your chances of getting a cardiovascular and pulmonary disease....so this number is IMPORTANT!

After punching in the numbers my results were provided and they matched up exactly with what my Fitbit has been showing me.

In the first 2 screenshots, you can see that I have VO2 of 41 - this is an excellent score for a 44-year-old woman ( It increased from a VO2 of 35 in April) - and I have the same score as an average 29-year-old woman. Woo Hooo!!

The next 2 screenshots clearly show the change in my resting heart rate (RHR)

Resting Beats Per Minute (BPM).

What the RHR Numbers Should Say

According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate for adults is between 60-100 beats per minute. Well-trained athletes tend to fall somewhere between 40-60 beats per minute. Regardless of what your RHR is, that first baseline measurement will be an important number by which you’ll be able to spot trends over time.

This is why it is important to regularly check your RHR.

1. If, for example, you notice that your RHR is rising, it could be an early warning sign of a heart problem. Much research has been devoted to demonstrating the link between elevated heart rate and the development of conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and other cardiovascular diseases.

2. Alternatively, you can also experience a reduction in your RHR as a result of increased fitness, meaning your heart is working more efficiently. These numbers can be especially motivating as you progress through a workout program or training regimen. When you notice your RHR slowly declining over weeks and months, it’s an indication you’re getting fitter. ( THATS ME!!)

Methods for Lowering Resting Heart Rate

There’s a reason they call them “cardio” workouts. As previously noted, exercise is perhaps your best bet when it comes to decreasing your resting heart rate and boosting heart health. Going hand-in-hand with that is good nutrition and achieving a healthy weight. Hydration also plays a role in keeping your heart healthy. To be sure, good hydration means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. This thereby increases the overall efficiency of your cardiovascular system.

Another factor that can increase your risk of heart issues is a poor sleep over a prolonged period of time. When you get the right amount of high-quality sleep, blood pressure and heart rate drop overnight, giving your heart a break. What’s more, not enough sleep has also been connected to weight gain which is yet another factor that can affect resting heart rate and heart health.

Want to see where you rank for your age?

Based on the extensive research of The K. G. Jebsen Center of Exercise in Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, you can easily estimate your fitness level by answering a few questions. Simply click on this link to find out. www.worldfitnesslevel.org

ROUNDUP

Postive of week 8-9

I have lost 10lb
I feel energized and I am looking forward to working out.
Cardio is easier!
I feel the urge and the energy to do things I never had time for before - cleaning out closets and draws!
My resting heart rate has dropped from mid 80s range in April to high 60's in July!!
I have the fitness of an average 29year old!
I worked out 12 days in a row!!

Negatives from week 8-9

Darn friends - I just am not good at just hanging out without a drink!
Had a few cheat days for food because we had house guests.
I have not hit my weightlooss goal - but that is because of mey cheats - I take full responsibility. DRAT

Goals for vacation

1. Eat mindfully - 2 meals of each day to be healthy choices( so hard in Scotland !!)

2. Walk walk walk everywhere

3. Take my work out gear with me and actually use it.

4. Try NOT to overindulge drinking - this is particularly hard in my hometown in England and on Islay- the home of the best Scotch in the world!

Wish me luck.

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Trusted Realtor Marla Janzen Has You Covered

19. Jul 2018 Ahmad Saskatoon Real Estate, Trusted Tips

Marla Janzen is an award-winning SASKATOON REAL Estate expert she takes action to sell her client's homes and find them the perfect new place to live while negotiating the best terms and price possible. She loves what she does and takes great pride in providing excellence in customer service to all of her clients.

Marla Janzen is a TRUSTED SASKATOON REAL ESTATE EXPERT listed on the SASKATOON DIRECTORY and she loves to provide Trusted Saskatoon real estate Tips that help the public!

Thinking About Selling Your House?

Selling your home?

Overwhelmed with the multitude of options available to you to sell a home? Are you unsure of how to determine a fair and accurate market price? Do you just want to get the best price for your home AND sell it in a reasonable amount of time?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, it sounds like you need the help of MARLA JANZEN!

Marla not only has the experience needed to sell a home in the current market, but she is also committed to providing superior customer service. Choose to work with Marla to sell your home and see what it’s like to have a stress-free selling experience.

Marla’s Selling Process Includes:

- Establishing correct pricing for your home:

When potential buyers look to obtain financing, the appraised value of your home is taken into consideration by their lender. A Trusted Saskatoon Realtor like Marla has access to the same database as appraisers to determine your property value so she can price your home right from the beginning.
Marla factors in information on similar properties in your area, homes with the same square footage, and other comparisons to value your home.

- Making your home attractive to buyers:

First impressions matter and Marla wants potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home, making it their own.
Marla works with a professional photographer to get the best quality pictures of your home

She will do a run through of your home room by room to get it 'sale ready' by providing that expert opinion and design eye and give tips and tricks for reducing clutter, moving furniture around, etc.
Marla also works with a professional home staging company who she will happily recommend to you if you want to do a full stage of your home to sell it!

- Marketing of your home:

Marla creates and manages the listing of your home on mls.ca which reaches a large pool of potential buyers.
Marla is part of Trusted Saskatoon, a local directory of trusted businesses and was their first real estate partner who came on board when the directory launched in 2011.

- Providing top quality customer service:

In every contact, Marla works hard to ensure you're completely satisfied. She handles the coordination of viewings that work for you, open houses that make sense, all with the goal of finding the right buyer for your home.

As part of Trusted Saskatoon, Marla is contractually obligated to uphold the Trusted Guarantees, and that includes committing to providing excellent customer service.

Read what Marla's Clients Have to Say About He

“Marla continues to be a superstar. This is the third home that she has helped us purchase and always goes over and beyond any expectations we have. I couldn’t imagine that anyone would want to use any other realtor in Saskatoon and area to help them buy or sell their largest investment! Thank you, Marla Janzen. You rock our world! Marla continues to work past possession to help ensure every detail of the contract is adhered to. Top notch quality and effort. What would we do without Marla!” The Dale's

To read more testimonials about Marla Janzen, view her listing HERE!

Find Marla Janzen Online at www.marlajanzen.com she is a Century 21 Fusion Realtor and Marla Janzen is TRUSTED SASKATOON REAL ESTATE EXPERT.

Burnt Orange Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts Talk About Mac's and Hacks

16. Jul 2018 Ahmad Saskatoon Computers & Web design, Trusted Tips

The Trusted team at Burnt Orange Solutions are located in the Computers & Web Design Category.

Honesty and respect are important factors in the daily communication at Burnt Orange. Gareth and the team at Burnt Orange Solutions are YOUR Saskatoon IT stress solution. Burnt Orange Solutions are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts.

Burnt Orange Solutions Provides Advice About Hacks and Mac's

Locked Out of Your Mac?

If you’ve purchased a Mac expecting to never have to be concerned with malware or hacking, think again! A recent exploit is targeting Mac users. The good news? It’s preventable. Mac users have long touted the fact that Apple computers are much less likely than computers running Microsoft Windows to be hacked, but that era may be coming to an end. With four times as many Windows 10 computers currently in the marketplace than Macs, it’s not surprising that hackers choose to attack the system that is much more prevalent in the marketplace overall. A recent ransomware attack may be cause for Mac users to stop their taunts of the platform being hacker-proof, however. The good news is that by taking a few simple precautionary steps, you may be able to stop cybercriminals from locking you out of your expensive Mac.

Are Apple Products 'Hacker' Proof?

For more than a decade, there’s been a rumor that Apple products are hacker proof, but the reality is that no operating system or data structure is completely airtight. Historically speaking, there are fewer viruses and malware that are targeted to Macs than to PCs, but that doesn’t mean that any Apple OS is immune from threats. There have been more attacks in recent years as ransomware has leaked to the dark web. While Android and Windows will likely always receive a higher percentage of malware than Apple devices, the threats continue to multiply as Apple becomes ever more popular in the marketplace. It’s only a matter of time until specific devices are targeted with browser-specific hacks that bypass some of the security that is baked into OS X.

Mac Attacks

Phishing emails and third-party exploits of software such as Java or Adobe are also some of the current crops of attacks against Macs, but they’re not the only ones. Macs have been plagued by adware and bloatware — whether malicious or just annoying — that can float pop-up ads on your system to tempt users to download non-essential software tools. These problem spots can slow down the system overall or spawn additional pop-ups, and generally aren’t dangerous. Malicious iOS apps are another form of malware that is likely to be found on a Mac. It’s important to stick with only downloading apps from the official App Store, as others could potentially include subsets of code that can steal user information or infect the device in a much more widespread fashion. While buying from within the App Store helps combat nearly all malicious software, the ever-diligent app reviewers don’t catch everything. In the last 24 months, XcodeGhost was able to introduce a framework into legitimate apps that hijacked back-end servers and ultimately infecting the third-party advertising network.

Rise of Ransomware

Hackers are always looking for new ways to hold your device hostage, essentially locking you out of your device until you pay a ransom which is generally requested in nearly-untraceable Bitcoin currency. With ransomware up nearly 250 percent in 2017, cybercriminals have discovered that there is significant money to be made in locking down computers both for individuals and for businesses. Ransomware has often targeted PCs in the past, but mobile devices and Macs are a growing part of the threat landscape. The U.S. has been hit particularly hard, most likely due to the high number of available computers and relatively high per capita income — which translates into funds available to pay for ransom demands. Ransomware often completely disables the boot-up process for your computer, a crippling effect on any system.

Find My Mac

This recent risk is related to the Find My Mac application, or FMM, which is being targeted by hackers who then request Bitcoin payments in order to provide renewed access to the system. This particular app makes it simple to pinpoint the current location of your device and is helpful in the case of a lost phone or stolen Mac computer. Apparently, hackers have illegally obtained a large quantity of iCloud passwords and usernames, and are leveraging these assets to lock people out of their Macs and mobile devices. The good news is that there’s a relatively easy fix that doesn’t involve paying the ransom, but only if you’re willing to lose all of the data on your device by doing a hard reset. This can also be accomplished by bringing your Mac to an Apple store and verifying your identity.

Reducing the Risk of Loss

Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can reduce the risk of being hit by these cybercriminals. Creating a password that is highly secure is the first step, as is turning off the Find My Mac or Find My iPhone in your device’s Settings. Turn on two-factor authentication on your Apple account to ensure your password cannot be reset without your knowledge, and consider utilizing a password vault app that provides additional levels of security.

If your IT admins are struggling to keep security under control, let the professionals at Burnt Orange support your Saskatoon organization. They work to ensure that all risks are addressed in a timely manner throughout your fleet of devices and computers.

Contact Burnt Orange today for more information or to take advantage of your FREE initial consultation. View them on Facebook here. They are your Trusted Saskatoon IT Experts!

Trusted brags about Hounjet Tastad Harpham - Trusted Saskatoon Accountants!

12. Jul 2018 Ahmad Saskatoon accountants, Trusted Brag Blogs, Trusted Tips

The Trusted Saskatoon team is thrilled to welcome Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our Saskatoon directory of excellence in the Saskatoon Financial Services Category!

Hounjet Tastad Harpham

Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a locally owned and operated accounting firm in Saskatoon. While they are based in Saskatoon, they serve clients across the entire province. Hounjet Tastad Harpham has spent decades gaining the trust of the people of Saskatchewan and has gained a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and consistent accounting firms in the city, and province. They provide accounting and tax services for small, medium, and large businesses, as well as individuals and non-profit organizations. Hounjet Tastad Harpham is a partnership between Roseline Hounjet, Allyn Tastad, and Dustin Harpham.

Roseline Hounjet - CPA, CGA, CFP

Roseline has nearly three decades of experience in public accounting and is a certified financial planner. Roseline particularly enjoys the challenge of working with fellow entrepreneurs, assisting in the startup, growth, and continued success of their businesses. Roseline resides near St. Denis with her husband Denis and has three adult children who live in the Saskatoon area.

Allyn Tastad - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Allyn has been a public accountant since 1988. He provides tax and accounting services to a wide range of clients, from individuals to large-scale enterprises. Allyn is also a regular contributor to the Western Producer as a columnist. He is still actively involved with the family farm near Loreburn, SK, and lives in Saskatoon with his wife Pattie and their two children.

Dustin Harpham - B.Comm, CPA, CGA

Dustin has been working in public accounting since 1996. Dustin brings diverse tax expertise to the firm and enjoys applying computer applications to accounting and tax problems. Dustin lives in Saskatoon with his wife Angela and their three children.

Why Hounjet Tastad Harpham are Trusted Saskatoon Accountants.

We knew about Hounjet Tastad Harpham as they have been Trusted's accountants since 2011- in addition they have been the personal accountants of Sara the Trusted founder since 2006. They have an exceptional reputation within the Saskatoon business community. Therefore, we were thrilled when they showed interest in joining the family of TrustedSaskatoon.com businesses. While interviewing clients for their verification, they received stellar ratings - 10/10 after 10/10!

Don't just take it from us, check outwit their other clients had to say !

Yvonne Crozier of Straightline Builders had this to say about Hounjet Tastad Harpham:

"Hounjet Tastad Harpham took over our accounting after a bad experience with another firm. They took over and fixed the issue right away. The experience working with Hounjet Tastad Harpham has been nothing but wonderful."

Another satisfied customer from Saskatoon had this to say:

"Roseline has always been at the forefront of non-profit accounting. I appreciate her cautious and careful approach to avoid any potential issues. They always went above and beyond to educate us, and their bilingual service is a great added value that not a lot of accountants offer." - Julien Gaudet (Saskatoon)

While interviewing clients, a couple of themes consistently came up.

The first was that the accountants at Hounjet Tastad Harpham go out of their way to educate their clients on their accounting affairs in a straightforward way that the client can understand. The second was that Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants are very customer service focused; they are very attentive to their client's needs and provide prompt responses and feedback.

Trusted Saskatoon warmly welcomes Houjet Tastad Harpham Accountants to our directory of excellence in the Saskatoon financial services category, and we are proud to give them the thumbs up!

Check out the Hounjet Tastad Harpham Accountants listing and read more reviews here.

Trusted Sara's Trusted Saskatoon 2018 Fitness Focus Challenge -Week seven -Hard work does pays off

9. Jul 2018 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Fitness & Gyms, Trusted Tips

Trusted Saskatoon owner and founder Sara Wheelwright recently accepted a fitness challenge from the excellent team at Trusted Saskatoon gym Fitness Focus. Over the next few months, you can follow along on her fitness journey as she blogs and video journals her motivations, successes, failures, frustration and her pain as she struggles to get fit and fabulous in her forties!

WEEK 7 - GETTING INTO A STRIDE & SEEING RESULTS

I am back - eating better, seeing Denise and I am starting to see ( and feel ) the results. I have more energy overall and even spent time last week organizing my closet and drawers ( If my Mother in the UK reads that she will be shaking her head in disbelief!). I am finding the cardio easier and, I must admit, I am starting to enjoy myself.

In the last 7 weeks, I have had to navigate many many many temptations. Mothers Day, events with girlfriends, Grad parties, my 44th Birthday, time at the lake and even multiple shows at Jazz Fest. I have spent time in hotels, on the road, eating in restaurants with clients. May, June and the beginning of July this year has brought hot temps and it has been perfect for sipping cocktails on a deck. I cannot hand on heart say I have not lost my way a few times and overindulged, but what I can say is for the first time I haven't let that get in the way of me moving forward.

The team at Fitness Focus have not judged my slips, and that is why I love the gym ( Also the coffee protein shakes!! GENUIUS!) - such a supportive, relaxed atmosphere.

Denise is the best trainer ever, and she really does inspire me with her dedication and the passion she has for fitness. You go, girl!! She is competing this week.

As I count down the last 3 weeks to my UK trip, I pledge to be better, to be more focused and to get fully onboard with the drinks, eats, cardio and activity. I know it is working and I look forward to the final weigh-in ( of phase 1 ) at the end of July.

You can see some of the results in the video and pic below - the rest you will have to wait and see.

ROUNDUP

Postive of week 6-7

I have lost 5lb
I feel energized and I am looking forward to working out.
Cardio is easier!

Negatives from week 1

I am 44 now.

Week 3 goals

1. Eat clean

2. Increase cardio and weight load.

3. Go to bed earlier!

4. For England to Win World Cup!

Wish me luck.

Trusted Tips & Resources

Trusted Sara's Trusted Saskatoon 2018 Fitness Focus Challenge Week nine: Rowing is hard