New Zumba dance shoe review

Bloch Traverse Mid Dance Sneaker

(approx 70 bucks)

Things have been so hectic, but I must let you guys know what I think of my new shoes.  Although I am not a fan of the color, this is the best dance shoe I have worn yet!  I had a horrible ankle sprain several weeks ago, which as you can imagine made it very difficult to give it my all in class. I was forced to use my lovely students to demonstrate moves I wasn't able to do, and had to wear an ankle brace  for several weeks.

I am still wearing ace bandage daily, although I am so much better now. Thank God. I was having emotional meltdowns from lack of Zumba.  It was a difficult trial. The main trial was that it took a lot longer for my ankle to heal do to my flat feet, not to mention I didn't stay off it as much as I should have. I needed even more ankle  and arch support.

Now, a short while back I wrote a review of the Sketcher's Danza shoe and gave it great reviews.  But these mama jamas are the best. They give you that beautiful slip and slide that only a dance shoe could give, but without the slip that they usually give. The best is that they have the best arch support and ankle support all in one. Don't be fooled. They are not a bulky basketball shoe. They are very light and breathable.  I just wish they came in a nicer color design. I mean they can get some ideas from NIKE, really. Here are some spec about the shoe.

Description

• View the Video Description for this product!

(Please note that the color shown in the video may no longer be available.)

Get from one end of the performance floor to the other in style!

Full-sole sneaker specifically designed for dance fitness.

Mid cut offers ankle support.

Breathable mesh upper with synthetic overlays adds structure and support without weighing you down.

Reinforced toe area when engaged in floor work.

Multilayered midsole provides bounce and shock absorption for jumps and landings.

High density spin spot better facilitates free movement related to spinning and sliding.

Outer outsole acts as a brake when sliding and offers stability in neutral positions as well as quick movements.

Measurements:

• Weight: 8 oz

Product measurements were taken using size 7. Please note that measurements may vary by size.

Now Bloch does have another dance high top new sneaker on the market as well,
Bloch Apex Mid Grap
They come in four different color choices. Based on the reviews, this shoe had a narrower fit, so I didn't want to take any chances.  I hope this is helpful to many of you who need more info to make wise choices in a dance fitness sneaker. The right shoe can make or break your fitness routine. Stay healthy and fit.

Nefertiti
I must add. Alway buy you Bloch sneaker about 1 1/2 size larger that your normal shoe size. I am about a 8 1/2- and I bought a 10.

Important announcement

Hello Zumba ladies!
Important announcement. Wednesday morning classes will be canceled for the month of August. They will resume , in September based on interest. I am also working on an additional evening class to start in September.  See you all Saturday at 10 am. July 28th is National Dance Day!!!  There will be a raffle drawing for everyone who attends class this Saturday. Don't forget, bring a friend, their first class is free.

Class Canceled July 18

There is a first tinme for everything.
I unfortunately must cancel my class this morning at One For All Dance Academy at 10am. Class will resume next week. I apologize for any inconvernience. See you guys Saturday Morning at 8:45am.

Maximize weight loss during Ramadan

By: Mohammed Alo IslamiCity* - Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to shed some extra pounds. You are already resetting your metabolism by the protracted, long overnight fast, as well as the daily fasting. Your metabolism resets and your body begins to change the way it does things. Weight loss during the first few days is just dehydration. It may be exciting to see that you lost 2-3 pounds in the first day or two, but that's all water loss and dehydration. No human can lose 2 pounds of fat overnight. It's just water. But it's still exciting! So how can we maximize weight loss during Ramadan? The most important factor is to avoid gorging or "binge eating" at night. We have found that gorging once a day is the fastest way to gain weight. Your body thinks it's in a state of famine, and will store everything you eat as fat, because it is worried about food supply. Further, eating once a day scares your body and your body starts to shut down and slow down your metabolism. You don't want to slow down your metabolism or you will gain weight. Eating small meals through out the evening and morning (after sunset) is the best way to maintain an adequate metabolism level and avoid the highs and lows of blood sugar associated with eating one massive meal. After eating a large meal, our blood sugar level increases. In response to this, our pancreas secretes a ton of insulin to bring the levels back down. That extra sugar is stored as fat. That is very bad. We want to eat small, well proportioned meals and snacks throughout the evening to avoid the sudden rise in blood sugar. We want to maintain an even and balanced level of blood sugar. Certain foods raise blood sugar levels more than others, and we will discuss that thoroughly. Why do I feel hungry? A lot of people ask why they don't feel hungry throughout the day if they skip Suhoor (breakfast meal before dawn), but are starving by 9AM if they eat Suhoor. It all comes down to blood sugar levels. Eating a massive meal in the early morning hours (before dawn) leads to a large surge in blood sugar and a subsequent secretion of a lot of insulin to help bring down your sugar level. In about 2-3 hours your blood sugar levels will drop to lower than normal, and this triggers a hunger response. By 9AM you will feel like you are starving. And you have the whole day left. By noon that feeling will go away, but why do you want to do that to yourself? You can avoid that problem by eating the right things throughout the evening and early morning and you can avoid this feeling of hunger. Later on I will discuss what you can eat to minimize the hunger response. To fulfill the religious recommendation of Suhoor (not obligation), just wake up and drink some water. Water has no consequences in terms of blood sugar levels. You could also just skip it altogether and continue the overnight fast into the day, you are already living off your fat stores, and can continue to do so throughout the day. You won't feel hungry. Overnight, your liver makes sugar for you to live off of, but can only do so for a limited period of time. If you continue this overnight fast into the day, you can start living off your fat stores. Isn't that the best way to lose weight? By burning fat? So what can you eat? What we are talking about is "Glycemic Index". This is a measurement of your blood sugar response to certain foods. For example, consuming 50 grams of pure white sugar, has a glycemic index of 111. That's really high. The idea is to eat foods that don't raise your blood sugar level. This will keep you from feeling hungry and will fill you up with very healthy food choices. Vegetables like celery, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, and spinach have a glycemic index of less than 15. They have almost no effect on your blood sugar levels. Berries like strawberries, blue berries, raspberries as well as apples, have a glycemic index of 20-30 and are better than other fruit options. Some fruits like mangos and bananas have a glycemic index in 40-55 range. The fruit with the highest glycemic index is a pineapple with a GI (glycemic index) of about 66. This is still better than eating bread and baked goods. Some vegetables are higher in sugar than others and have a higher glycemic index. Potatoes, corn, tomatoes (really a fruit), and carrots are all higher in simple sugars than other more fibrous vegetables. In fact, a baked potato has a GI of 115! That's about as high as it gets. The reason is that a baked potato is so processed, that it is very easy for our stomach to get at the simple sugars. The stomach has to do almost no work at all to get to the sugars. They are all there and readily accessible. Leaving the skin on and eating the baked potato with the skin, decreases the GI to 98, but it's still high. The skin acts as a fibrous buffer that keeps some of the sugars away from the stomach. The more fiber you eat, the harder it is for the stomach to get at the sugars. Leave the peel on apples, cucumbers, peaches, apricots, dates, kiwis, and other edible peels. Eat a lot of fiber! Foods with the highest glycemic index are baked goods and simple carbohydrates like bread, cake, desserts, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit juices, candy, soda, pop, and coffee and tea that you put a lot of sugar into. Some of these have glycemic indices as high as 100 or more. The food with the highest glycemic index is Corn Flakes breakfast cereal with a GI of 132. Breakfast cereals have some of the highest GIs. Instead eat real oatmeal with fruits slices! Real oatmeal doesn't have as high of a GI as the prepackaged ready to eat stuff. Or make your own yogurt parfait with real fruit slices and sprinkle oat meal on top. There is an entire section on Glycemic Index on the Alo Diet Website. Check it out! What can I eat? The key is to eat foods that have a minimal glycemic index impact, yet still eat healthy and nutritious foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, eggs, and lean meats are all very natural and very good for you. They also don't cause a significant increase in blood sugar levels. Timing of meals Here in the US, most Muslims indulge after sunset and don't wake up to have an early meal. Busy work schedules and busy lifestyles promote this bad eating behavior. This is a major contributor to gaining weight. The human body is very smart. The body figures out that it is only getting one meal a day and decides that it needs to store everything. So everything you eat gets stored as fat. Normally, we tell our patients to eat small frequent meals throughout the day. Well, you can't do that in Ramadan. So you have to eat small, frequent meals throughout the night. This helps avoid the spikes in blood sugar levels and will keep you even and balanced. So what do you eat? At Iftar time (break-fast time), eat the traditional three dates and drink plenty of water. If you are really concerned about the amount of sugar in the dates, eat one date, but take three bites (or skip the date). Then take a break, go pray Maghrib (sunset prayer) and come back for the actual meal. For your meal, drink plenty of water, start with soup and salad, and pace yourself. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it is full. So slow down your process. Drinking plenty of water also starts stretching the stomach earlier and lets you know you are full earlier. Then you can go to Taraweeh (the Ramadan nightly prayers), afterwards eat a small snack like a cheese stick or a handful of almonds or a bowl strawberries and light whip cream. You could even drink some unsweetened tea or coffee (or use a sugar substitute). Then you can go to sleep. Wake up before dawn, and do not eat cereal! Eat an omelette with spinach, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, and some other healthy alternatives. Even a few nuts and an apple is fine. Or you could eat a banana and dark chocolate. Or another bowl of strawberries and bananas and light whip cream, but put some cocoa powder on the whip cream this time! What should I avoid? Avoiding simple sugars, processed foods, and baked goods will go a long way towards improving your metabolism, your health, and your well being. You will also feel more energetic and feel happier. Simple sugars (carbohydrates) are the culprits we discussed above; sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, ice cream, sweets, candy, dessert, baked goods like cakes, muffins, and many others. You don't have to avoid these every day. You can have these once a week. But you must cut down on portion size. Eat a third of what you normally would eat. Cut a slice of cheese cake into thirds and eat just a small amount. You have to control your portions. Otherwise, you are just going back to your previous state of metabolism and gluttony. Ramadan is meant to be a month where Muslims feel what poor people feel. We are supposed to empathize with the poor and needy. We are not supposed to be gorging and over-eating at night. That is the opposite of what Ramadan is supposed to be about. Ramadan is supposed to be an exercise in control of our basic human desires. It's supposed to give us a taste of hardship. It is not supposed to be a month of feasting. What about desserts? Ramadan is a time when families make certain desserts and foods that they don't normally make. Kanafa, Katayif, Baklawa, special ice creams, and sweet rice puddings are all traditional Ramadan treats. You have to restrain yourself. Once a week is ok, but very small portions. Do not indulge. Otherwise, you will put weight back on. It's very hard to control yourself sometimes. But remember what Ramadan is supposed to be about. What about after Ramadan? Ramadan is a great time to start new good habits and stop bad habits. There is no reason why you can't continue eating this well and this healthy after Ramadan. Diets aren't temporary. You eat every day! Why not make sure you are eating the right things every day? Use this to kick start a new way of eating and living. If you quit smoking (or hookah) during Ramadan, use this opportunity to continue to avoid these awful habits. Make no mistake, smoking of any kind IS KILLING YOU! Use this time to reflect on that and stop smoking. In cardiology, we know that the single biggest risk factor for heart disease is either being a current smoker or having a history of smoking in your past. If you could make one single change in your life, it should be to quit smoking. I don't mind if you put on 30 pounds of fat, just quit smoking. Smoking is far worst than being overweight. Don't do it! From Nefertiti I will share my experience with fasting and weight loss during this month. Although I have always worked out during Ramadan, This is my first experience teaching Zumba while fasting. Below are some further links on fitness and fasting. See you on the dancefloor!! Gym Hazards During Ramadan The Ramadan Workout and Nurtition Plan for Success Exercise During Ramadan

Silver Spring class update

Due to low attendance , I am afraid for a limited time I will have to cancel my Silver Spring Sunday classes. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please contact me if you bought a class pass. See you soon!

Class Time Change July 21st

Important announcement! Saturday July 21st!

Rise and shine ladies! Saturday
July 21st will again be at 8:45-9:45am. Get your workout out of the way and enjoy the rest of the beautiful day. Class will resume to its normal time of 10am the following week. Hope to see you then.

Yes you can, workout during Ramadan

Proper Nutrition, Supplementation & Exercise During Ramadan

by Nick Mitchel

 Proper nutrition, supplementation and exercise during Ramadan are very thorny issues for some.
The “rules” of Ramadan as I understand them, and if I have got anything wrong please will someone correct me, are that for a calendar month (the ninth in the Islamic calendar, the dates of which vary and are governed by a visible crescent in the astronomical new moon) a total fast (no food, no drink, no sex) must be adhered to from sunrise until sunset. For anyone seeking to improve their health, fitness and physical appearance this is something of a metabolic disaster and as much damage limitation as possible needs to be put into action – nutrition during Ramadan being typically a low blood sugar induced gorgefest. This is especially true as Ramadan seems to occur most often in the summer months when daylight is close to it’s peak. In many Islamic countries I believe that daytime life moves at a slower pace during Ramadan (in Dubai for example) and then picks up at night when people are eating, being sociable and generally feel more energetic as they have some food and drink inside their stomachs. This isn’t something that happens in the West however, and the thought of trying to maintain a functioning, healthy daytime lifestyle in London, during the month of August, without even water to subsist on must be a true test of religious observance that I for one can only marvel at.

My own rules for maintaining fitness, muscle tone, and minimizing a metabolic shutdown over Ramadan are as follows-
Nutrition, Supplementation & Exercise Rules For Ramadan:
1) Don’t use Ramadan as an excuse to not exercise. It is crucially important that you do some gym work over Ramadan as without it, and in the absence of a regular eating pattern, your metabolism will go on strike quicker than a British Airways cabin crew.

2) The best time to hit the gym during Ramadan is either early in the morning (after your first meal of the day) or after sunset (after your first meal post fasting).
3) Ensure that both your Ramadan “breakfasts” (by breakfast I literally mean the two meals following a fast, one following sleep or opening the fast, the other following the day’s fasting) contain easily digested protein and, depending upon body composition goals, some complex carbs and essential fats. If you are due to follow one of these meals with a hard workout something like a whey shake with essential fats, an apple and a handful of nuts would be great. I personally would wolf down 6 eggs, some coffee, and then go bang the weights – but not everyone could digest that and then train hard.
4) Unless you are feeling on top of the world I wouldn’t go seeking new personal bests in the gym during Ramadan. My advice would be to switch up your routine from the norm, so that you don’t feel down in any way about a noticeable decrease in physical performance, and try to make the workouts as fun and varied as possible.
5) Workout duration during Ramadan should be kept very tight. Get in and out of the gym in under one hour and preferably aim for 45 minutes of hard work. If you normally take much longer don’t worry, you can still get an awful lot done in 45 minutes and for those of you who are looking to gain muscle Ramadan is more about anti-atrophy workouts than super mega blasting hypertrophy!
6) During the time that you are allowed to drink you should be thinking “hydration, hydration, hydration!”. In past periods of Ramadan I have seen hardcore Muslim bodybuilders at Muscleworks Gym in Bethnal Green almost pass out as they tried to push themselves without drinking water. A good goal for a 200lb man should be to try to down 3litres of water between sunset and sunrise.
7) Some people get into a little panic before Ramadan thinking that they will lose all their hard earned gains as it is impossible to benefit from good nutrition, supplementation and exercise during Ramadan. This isn’t so, and with a bit of organization and thought there is no reason to take a big step backwards. 4-5 meals over a 24 hour period are very possible, and this alone should be enough for maintenance, and maybe for the very lucky ones, even some small improvements. For example (and I may be slightly off in daylight times here so please forgive me), one could eat a large pre Ramadan fast meal at 5.45am, then break the Ramadan fast at 7.30pm, eat again at 9.30pm, and finally have a supper at 11.30pm. It isn’t ideal, but it does show you that your physique doesn’t have to come crashing down. If minimising fat accumulation (or fat loss for the super ambitious) is your goal the mainstay of my macronutrients would be from protein and “good fats” (think unprocessed, natural fats and you won’t go far wrong).
8) There are also a few supplements that would definitely help ease the metabolic challenges of Ramadan. My top ten Ramadan supplement picks would be:
Acetyl L Carnitine (3gms upon awakening)
Essential Amino Acids (snack on these as much as possible during the hours of darkness)
Greens Powder (add several tablespoons to a large bottle of water and sip constantly)
Casein Protein Powder (for supper)
Whey Protein Powder
Multi Vit / Mineral
Magnesium (at night to aid sleep)
Omega 3s
A good digestive enzyme complex
Phosphatidylserine (at night before sleep to reduce any extra cortisol production caused by daytime fasting / and to aid sleep)

http://zumbawithnefertiti.blogspot.com/2012/09/tone-firm-and-tighten-in-as-little-as.htmlIn summary, the discipline of Ramadan need not prevent proper nutrition, supplementation and exercise. Yes, it will be challenging and require both discipline and moderation, but that is obviously what part of the whole process is about.

Fascinating Blog Nomination

I am not sure who nominated me but it is a honor that someone thought I was worthy. Please take the time to cast your vote. See you in class ladies!

This is the notice that I received:

Fascination Awards Congratulations Ladies Only Zumba on your nomination for The Most Fascinating Blog in 2012, Category: Zumba Teacher Blogs.

The Fascination Awards are an annual collection of the web’s most inspirational and thought-provoking blogs. All participants are nominated by our editorial team and voted on by our readers.

We know that all blogs are not created equal, so we want to recognize websites that go above and beyond, providing truly engaging content for their visitors. Again, congratulations on your nomination!

"An article you wrote in 2011 titled Instructor Training has earned your blog a nomination for a Fascination Award: 2012's Most Fascinating Zumba Teacher blog.
The comments posted in response to your post prove that your content not only inspires your audience, but it also creates discussion around your posts, both of which are requirements for the nomination of a Fascination award."

Now, all I have to do is have people agree that my blog is the most fascinating/inspiring. You can help by voting for me!

1. Go to Fascinating Awards-Google+  by clicking on VOTE FOR ME above.
2. Scroll down until you see "Cast Your Vote for the Most Fascinating Zumba Teacher Blog of 2012".
3. Click on "14 comments" at the bottom of the post, or the double-down arrow beside "14 comments".
4. Find "http://zumbawithnefertiti.blogspot.com/" and click on the +1 above the link on the right side.

Thank you so much and see you on the dancefloor!!

70's Girls' Night Out this Friday July 6,2012

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

July 6th 2012

7:30pm-10:00pm

Guest Instructors, food, non alcoholic drinks, prizes, venders and, henna!!!

$15.00 advance payment $20 at the door

This event will repeat every two months. 50% the proceeds will go to The Natalie Hill Fund

www.fundrazr.com/campaigns/bHyw0

.

70's costume contest!

Groovy Baby.

.Don't Miss it! Register here or pay in class

Online event registration for 70's Disco Girls Night Out powered by Eventbrite

(The only Ladies Only Zumba in Maryland)

No class this afternoon in Silver Spring

No class today in Silver Spring at Mirror Image Fitness. The power is still out. I will see you all next week! Stay cool and hydrated.