Have you ever gone on a trip and found out you’ve been UPGRADED?
 
Maybe it’s for a flight, car rental, or even your hotel room.
 
Everything feels like a treat … better seats, better ride, better sleep.
 
Well … that’s what your body feels like when you UPGRADE your nutrition choices.
 
When you STOP feeding it ultra-processed food and START giving it food that’s flooded with benefits (more fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.), your body feels like it got an upgrade!
 
Basically, it’s all about SWAPPING out things that block you from your results …
 
and replacing them with foods that move you closer to your goals!
 
Here are just a few examples of upgrade swaps to try:
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1) Chips → Nuts
 
Why upgrade? Potato chips contain very little in the way of positive benefits for your results or your health. They’re high in sodium, usually contain unhealthy fats, and their refined carbs can send your blood sugar up.
 
Meanwhile, nuts contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, and micronutrients your body needs.
 
Fun fact: people who regularly eat nuts are 14% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 20% percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease!
 
TIP: Portion control is everything. One serving of nuts equals about 1 oz., or about ¼ cup (38 grams). Savor each and every bite!
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2) Cookies/Cakes/etc. → Dark chocolate
 
Why upgrade? You’re swapping out all the unhealthy refined ingredients (sugar, white flour, unhealthy fats) … and you’re replacing it with an ingredient that actually helps you!
 
The cocoa in chocolate contains flavanols, which (among other things) can help lower your blood pressure and improve how your blood vessels function.
 
Again, it’s all about moderation – 1 ounce (30 grams) equals 1 serving.
 

3) Soda → Herbal Tea
 
Why upgrade? Most of us already get way too much added sugar.
 
The American Heart Associates suggests that women get no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar (24 grams) a day, and men, 9 teaspoons (36 grams).
 
But ... get this!!!
 
A single 12-oz serving of soda contains 7-10 teaspoons of sugar. GROSS.
 
Not only that, but studies link diet soda to weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.
 
Herbal teas are a MUCH better choice. Some (like chamomile) can help you relax, others (like peppermint) can energize you, and some just plain taste great!
 

4) Steak → Salmon
 
Why upgrade? You’re swapping out saturated fats for healthier fats that protect your health.
 
Steaks, burgers, and hot dogs are all high in saturated fat that can raise your level of LDL (“lousy”) cholesterol that’s linked with heart disease.
 
But fatty fish like salmon and albacore tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which most of us don’t eat enough of. These healthy fats lower how much fat is in your blood and cut back on plaque buildup in your arteries.
 

5) Pasta/Rice/Potatoes → Veggies...
Especially Green Veggies!
 
Why upgrade? For starters, most of us don’t eat nearly enough veggies.
 
If your diet is heavy on starchy carbs (like pasta, rice, or potatoes), one of the easiest ways to get more is to swap out a serving (or 2!) for vegetables.
 
Starchy carbs contain a lot of calories for how many nutrients they contain. Plus, they can raise your blood sugar.
 
By swapping in veggies instead, you can boost your micronutrient intake AND reduce inflammation that contributes to disease.
  
TIP: To add a little more snazz to your veggies, experiment with the recipes in our new this month
Healthy Sauces, Marinades & Salad Dressings Recipe Guide! 
 

As you can see, upgrading your food choices has nothing to do with deprivation. It’s all about foods that taste great … and have great benefits.
 
Small changes really can make a big difference in your results, and in your life.
 

Happy upgrading!

​Wilcox Wellness & Fitness
                                                                                                                                                                                                             
PS: If you aren’t working with us already, we would love to invite you to get started with our training program completely for FREE.  We call it The Greatest Gift because we believe that health and fitness is the greatest gift!  Click here to get started with us for 2-weeks of FREE group personal training plus lots of extra support from us!

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REFERENCES:
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks/
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-hearthealthy-food-swaps

You guys!  I am so excited to introduce you to my friend, Heather Lux.  Heather is the owner of True North Beauty - which is a Maine-based beauty business specializing in all-natural, clean, beauty products that use Chaga as their special ingredient.  

Heather and I have been in a Mastermind together for a little over a year and I am so happy to call her a friend.  She is brilliant, kind, and her mission in life is to help women stand tall in their confidence.
 
I invited Heather to talk with me today because as you probably know, we have created a Mini-Course to help you clean up what you put IN your body, what you put ON your body, your environment, and how you nourish your mind.
 
I couldn’t have thought of anyone better to bring on to talk in more depth about what you put on your body.  I am excited for you to have a listen here!

Lots of love,

Paige

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WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

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Happy July! I just wanted to give you an update on some of our ongoing charitable giving efforts. We are committed to developing programs to support our community and we believe that TOGETHER, we do more good.

We currently have 2 charitable giving programs that occur on a monthly basis:

1 - Our Greatest Gift Referral Program where we donate $10 to a local charitable organization for each referral you send us.
2 - Our not-so-talked-about Check-Ins for Charity Program where we donate to Sarah's House every time you check-in on Facebook.
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I explain everything in this little video I recorded for you:

​Here is the down and dirty if you prefer to read rather than listen:

Greatest Gift Referral Program

The Greatest Gift Referral Program is designed to help you share the gift of health and fitness with the people you care about most. This program gives your people access to 2-weeks of UNLIMITED group personal training with us (either in person or ONLINE - so they can join from anywhere in the world) plus a lot of coaching extras from us - a 1-on-1 Success Session, a personalized program workbook, and tons of support from our team.

For every referral that signs up for a success session, we:

(1) donate $10 in your name to a local charitable organization - right now we are raising money for a backpack program to give kids access to school supplies.
(2) enter you in a drawing to win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant.

CONGRATULATIONS - Deb Storm - you are the winner of the June drawing! Thank you for your referrals!

Check-Ins For Charity Program

Every time you 'check-in' to Wilcox Wellness & Fitness on Facebook, we donate money ($0.40 for each check-in) to Sarah's house which is a place for cancer patients and their caregivers who live outside Bangor to stay while they are receiving treatment.

Our Check-Ins for Charity Program accomplishes 3 goals:

(1) it helps hold you accountable to attending your weekly training sessions.
(2) it helps more people become aware of our training program so that they can commit to healthy living
(3) provides much needed and appreciated donations to Sarah's House

We have been running this Check-Ins for Charity Program for a few years now and we have donated just over $2,000 to date.

We donated $44 for the month of June and we would LOVE to see this donation closer to $100 per month so please - check-in and let people know about your training experience!

​We are so thankful for you and our ability to do more good in our local community. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions at all.

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Lots of love,

Paige & Mike


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WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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​I don't know about you... but when COVID hit, I very quickly went from cleaning with essential oil, vinegar, and water to ALL THE BLEACH.

(Pictured here - me on a plane in March 2020 spraying my kids with STRAIGHT rubbing alcohol. Not kidding - this is our evacuation last year from a family vacation in a developing country where they didn't have hand sanitizer during a global pandemic.)