Ilan Halfon

August 9 2016  Well, you don’t, mmm maybe! With veganism rising up and more people are “concerned” about  protein sources, I think it will be fair to clear something about the topic. To keep it simple, I will start by saying, that the average person’s body require 0.6-0.8 gr of protein per 1 kg of body. So if a person’s weight 60kg (132.2 pounds) that person’s body require 45-50 gr of proteins per day. Another way to look at it is to consume 20% proteins of your total calorie intake. Now, if you are an athlete or bodybuilder or trying to shape up your physic, than you might need some changes with the numbers of proteins. For example, bodybuilder (man or woman) might get to a point when they consume up to 2gr of protein per 1 kg body weight. So that 60kg person will consume nearly 120gr of protein per day. And it is in those kind of cases that protein supplement can be very helpful. Mostly protein supplements will be consumed after workouts but not only. I personally ...

September 25 2016  It is very often that I hear from people, clients of mine, or simple inquiries: “why is it that I am not loosing weight?” and then it begins, they start telling me what they had for breakfast, what they had for lunch, etc, etc. You see Ilan, I eat so well, yet, I am not loosing weight!!! Note:  I must say something, normally when I get this info, people often tell me what they wish they eat and not what they really do. we always glorify our desires   And in most cases, they will only notice it if I ask them to give me food diary of X amount of days. To begin with, you can’t lose something that you hold on to so hard, yes, you read me well, you can’t lose something that you hold on to so hard! What do I mean, you asked? I mean; that your weight is only the  end result  of your habits, and behavior, and that is what you are holding on so hard. Your habits that are very hard (or maybe not) to change, and your behavior that also might be...

 NOVEMBER 9, 2016 Obviously, I can only write on behalf of myself, every person and every trainer out there will probably be different. So I chose to make this post as a thank you and to share some of my own insights about health and fitness. This morning I was asked;  “How do you push yourself, what is it that make you keep going?” It is often that I am being asked those kind of questions and today it was by one of my clients. My respond was, simple and quick: YOU, you are my inspiration and motivation! You mean, latterly me, or…? I meant and still  do, yes, you and every single one of my clients and previous ones as well. You see, every-time I train, and I always do my best to bring the best I have in my workouts, I also have that voice in my head (not as often as it used to be, but here and there still shows up) telling me; “it’s OK, we already did 12 reps, lets just stop.” when I know my goal was, 18 reps, every-time I have that voice, telling me; “you workout yesterd...

  This post is for both, personal trainers and trainees. One thing that used to get me real frustrated when I was professionally younger was not being able to get my clients to really achieve physical results. Didn’t really get how it is possible that nothing is being transformed in their body. I was training them hard as possible, pushing them above and beyond during workouts, gave them all the right guidelines to follow, from what and when to eat and drink to in between sessions “homework” to follow, yet, nothing visible was showing. I really doubted myself as a trainer, as a coach, thinking that maybe I am not doing my job right and maybe I should do more, push more, not to mention that I was positive that my clients where frustrated with my achievements or luck of them. But honestly, I simply couldn’t think of something ells that I could do. Except:”Trusting the process”. When I did my men’s physic competition I hired a great nutrition coach, Steve Dupree, to help me with doing...

  May, 6 2017  Wait, Wait, Wait, before you all jump on me, but vegan is healthy etc. Yap, I am an advocate of Vegan/Plant Based lifestyle, I have nothing bad to write about that part, but I do have allot to say about business who take “the ride” on the vegan lifestyle. It is only my own opinion so please don’t take what I say in this post as facts, it is simply my opinion. I was invited by close a friend of mine to a new restaurant down town Toronto, called “Planta”, on Bay street and Cumberland.  http://www.plantatoronto.com/ She told me it is a new vegan place, I heard about it from 2 other people and when she offered I got really excited. dinning out is not really my thing and normally I like one place in particular when going out. However, I am flexible enough to try new things. Anyway, why this post come-up? when I looked in the menu, a lot of items were defined in “carnivorous spelling”, such as fish, bacon, meet etc, which normally, in vegan places you w...

MAY 7, 2017 Committing to something that is far from suiting your lifestyle just because another friend did and changed his\her body, or just because you read an article in a fancy fitness magazine is not good enough of a reason. It is very tempting to fall into the “quick fix” trap; Ill simply eat only cabbage and will transform my body. Or I will juice and it will be done, or whatever you might hear of is the new thing out there. First and for most, if you could, please don’t change your lifestyle for the look. Trust me, if you don’t like your body as is, you probably won’t like it even if you’ll change it, embrace your body proudly regardless of how it looks; I will leave that for another post. Anyway, if you think you should change your lifestyle find better reasons than your look. I don’t know, maybe feeling more energetic, maybe being more relaxed, maybe feeling lighter, maybe feeling healthier, sleeping better, whatever it is, make sure you feel the reasoning why instead of seek...

  It is very often in our busy life to have days out of office,  away from home or simply off our daily routine. Most of us are struggling with maintaining the proper choices with  eating and activities on those days. Surprisingly,  it could be much easier than we think to keep ourselves on track. The simple questions I ask before I end my day; *When am I going to eat my first, second and third meal? A. Writing down my meal schedule a night before helps me stay focus on the out of routine day and kind of keeps me feeling like a normal day. *Where am I going to eat them? A. Knowing my locations during my day, will help me set and decide a night before where am I going to get my meals or snacks. *What am I going to eat? A. Once I have set my stopping points, doesn’t matter if it’s a gas stop or grocery store or a restaurant,  I can write down exactly what I’m going to choose. This way, I am minimizing the options and confusions I might confront if I wouldn’t be re...

  Most conversations about weight loss or healthy living normally involved or around; eat healthy, eat clean, drink water, excercise or be more active, and yes, it is a huge part of a being healthy or feeling healthy. But I must say, to my own opinion and based on my own experience,  the beginning of being healthy, eating healthy, drinking healthy, sleeping healthy, the beginning for all of that is: THINKING HEALTHY. You can eat clean and drink water and sleep well and yet, not really feeling the best of yourself. Thinking healthy could be our jump-start to improve our well-being. Thinking healthy is the key to your physical success. Lift yourself up with every thought you hold. Embrace your mental challenges to create a better version of your own. I would like to add; Thank you to a spacial person who inspired this post. Yours truly Ilan Halfon

  This one is pretty simple tool to make sure we are on the right track for us. You can use it at the end of the day as a check list tracker or you can use it as to do list at the beginning of your day. Either way, be consistent with it. Whatever you choose, do it daily: Did I have my 4 or 5 clean meal; Color full meal with mix veggies, portion of complex carbohydrates, portions of protein and fats. Have I drunk enough water today, between 6 to 8 cups maybe more? Have I stopped for few minutes to “follow” the rhythm of my breathing? Have I stopped to take few dip breaths? Have I done good for someone and for myself, Made a person feel good? Gave a compliment? Have I showed gratitude to at list one thing that I am grateful for in my life? Anything. Hope you find it helpful. Yours Ilan

  Found a great interview about the 10 uncommon vegan superfoods, I did some copy paste for you with this one so you can get the 10 superfood, if you wish to read the article itself and maybe listen to the interview where Tim Ferris talks with Rich Roll, you can find the link at the end of the post. 1. Natto: Heart Health.  A popular fermented soybean food prominent in the Japanese diet, natto is a must for anyone concerned about heart or circulatory disease. High in pyrazine and the enzyme nattokinase, blood thinners that can prevent thrombosis (blot clot formations) by essentially devouring arterial plaque, natto significantly reduces the risk of suffering a pulmonary embolism (arterial blockage) that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. Also high in vitamin K, it’s excellent in maintaining bone density.  Warning:  natto is a very acquired taste. In fact, it’s horrible, unless you’re a fan of strange exotic cheese. Prepare with turmeric and sea salt or alternati...

  I am not good at following maps, I am amazing at creating ones. A lot of times if not always I find myself responding to clients and people who reach out to me via messages that it is not about the weight. It is not about the weight and it doesn’t matter how much weight they will lose. As far as I see it, I don’t even think that losing weight is a goal, but that will be for another post. So if it is not about the weight, then what is it about? We all struggle with what or where we should be in relation to where we believe we are. That gap, between our expectations to our observation is the key. If I expect myself to be 20 pounds less and my scale does not show me that, there is a frustration that could push one way (gym, eat less, etc) or another (chocolate cake, luck of activity etc) either way it will be a game between the two of those, since this gap, this frustration will send me either to take action or to give up and none of those choices will get me 20 pounds less, at list...

  Our body, at list the way I see it, is a great reflection of our being. It reflects our life story, it reflects our potential, emotionally and mentally, it reflects our fears, our energy and if we look closely even our state of mind. Doing what I am doing for so many years have given me the privilege to observe people close enough to see more then what most of us see in ourselves.  And that got me to think about workouts, yoga, activities etc. Most people who take the pat of working out don’t always know exactly what they want (losing weight, for me is not really knowing what you want) they might have a dream, they might have a desire, but they don’t really know what they want or why they wish for it, which by itself is en essential to anyone’s journey.   So even if they know what needs to be done to get it and might even start doing so, in most cases, they fail to maintain the action for a long period of time. So what I am trying to say here is that maybe it is ti...

  Every morning and every time I go on the mat for my daily Yoga practice, I pray for three simple things, that could be challenging to simply maintain. First, I pray to have the child in me to join the practice, then I ask the wise in me to watch us closely, then I pray to have my fait, my trust. All the 3 together, makes the practice an unforgettable experience. The child will help us to keep it light and fun, to try to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone in the asanas to explore our mental limitations. The wise within us, will make sure to keep the practice as graceful as grace can visit, and will tune down the ego within our child. Faith or trust, my precious state of mind, will allow the energy, the breath, the yoga, the “God”, whatever it is you wish to call it that flows within you, to complete the pose. So when you practice on the mat or in life, it is the same, consider carrying with you: Childhood. Wisdom. Faith. Yours truly. Ilan

  If you listen to your body but not your mind and emotions, you might get physically hurt. If you listen to your emotions but not your mind and your body, you might end up in a big drama. If you listen to your mind but not your body and emotions, you might end up losing yourself. When you hear your body, emotions and mind at the same time, trying to get them quite by responding to their voice instantly, you might end up miserable, frustrated… But if you stop, you pose If you listen to your breath, really listen, you’ll hear the sound of your inner peace. It might take time, it might require practice, but it is there, all you need to do is stop. Mute and then listen. Stop moving so much, mute the sound of your mind and simply listen. So what the practice is all about: Feed your body with pure food, as close as you can to the freshness and the source of it, such as seeds, fruits, veggies. Feed your emotions with pure vibes, go run, exercise, maybe good music that you can dance to, a...

  Well. Let me start by saying. TO FRUIT. And please fruit it up. Lately I am hearing more and more people declaring that they don’t eat fruits because they don’t like them. Personally I don’t really get it, as a lover of fruit and veggies. I was never really “fruitophob” (my kind of word) because I think that those who are not allergic to fruit could be afraid of the sugar content in fruits. I think that most of them tainted their brain that fruits are fattening. Well, yes, fruit are high in sugar, but, they are also high with vitamins and minerals, fibers. Fruit can actually help to change your mood, if you feel a bit down, or lucking in energy, try having a slice of watermelon, or an apple, and see how you feel. Most people, who avoid fruits because they so called “don’t like” them, would take a piece of cake or a cookie before they will even think of having a fruit. But let me tell you this, as someone who is having 6-7 bananas a day (1 serving = 140 g ( 1 large ) High in ...

  Here is a short video I have created for my clients on why loosing weight should not be on your mission. In a way a part of me really is fed up by all those statement of: I wish I will loss X pounds, I wish I could run 30 k”m and so on. First, don’t wish for things, wishing is a dream with no desire to act on. Second, find out what is it that you really want. There is this show, “Lucifer” that I used to watch here and there, one thing that I really loved was the question he used to ask someone to know what is the truth they are trying to hide. He was asking: “What is it that you truly desire?” And that my friends is what you should ask yourself. And don’t get me wrong, finding your mission treatments could be much harder then actually creating it. So take your time and dive in, dive deep inside your desires and figure out what is it that you want. This is a short video that I created for my dearest clients, helping others understand why loosing weight is not a goal! This is a sho...

  Pain, suffering, pleasure and desires, is what moves us. But those are a result of the way we think, the way we tend to look at things. And the way we think influence on what we feel. Not sure what comes first, what we think or how we feel, and maybe, it happens at the same time and it is only an illusion that there is separation between the two. But I am sure about this:  we have the ability to control our mind. We can control how we think and what we think. And that is a matter of a choice. So next time you feel down or thinking some demotivating thoughts, take a slow comforting breath and remind yourself: “it’s ok, this two shell pass”  and look for a uplifting thought. Find time to meditate, to run, dance, play a song you love, anything that can help you think differently!

  Sorry, long post, but… I’m starting this one with a question, How much or when is it enough? Enough trying? Enough pushing? Enough self biting? Enough self criticism? Please note, this is not a bragging post, it is simply as transparent and vulnerable as I can be at the moment. I’m sure I’m not alone here, and it is a big deal for me to talk about it, but I really don’t get it. When will we feel or be enough? For the ones who don’t know me, here are some highlights about them: I have lost over 60 pounds and kept them away from me for over 20 years and going. English is a second language for me, and I’m only high school graduate, yet I wrote a great book in English. “I am healthy”. I ran 450 km in less then 28 days, actually in 24 days ( couldn’t run for 4 days) to raise money for #ccc (colon cancer canada). I hold gold medal in Men’s Physics Canada for natural bodybuilding. Just to prove #vegans do get proteins  I run 2 businesses. I fought many common addictions. I can coun...

  No, I am not talking about the sign we place on our hotel room door when we wish to sleep in. As a matter of fact I am talking about the most brilliant icon on your smartphone, aside to shut down  To keep this post simple: Before you are heading to your workout or practice or whatever you wish to call it, you should set your phone on DO NOT DISTURB mode. Why you ask? Because it is hard as it is to keep focused and center with our tasks. We are surrounded with distractions so why not help ourselves by keeping our mind clear as we can. If your phone is on DND (do not disturb) mode it is one thing less to question about. It is just to make sure you are 100% at your task. With love and gratitude Ilan Halfon