Archive
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Robin sets a stretch goal
Robin’s health and fitness path was not a direct one. She weighed 350 pounds and had undergone several unsuccessful attempts to lose the weight. She kept all her emotions bottled up and used food to fill any voids. However, she soon found herself with some big goals.
After her mother passed away, Robin’s brother kept encouraging her to do something about her health. She went to the doctor, who told her that her life would be shortened if she didn’t take action. A month later, Robin was diagnosed with high blood pressure and needed medication. She knew it was time to act. A friend introduced her to My Fitness Pal and she began tracking the food she was eating and finding support among the online community. This, coupled with the support of her friends and family, made her thrive.
She joined a new gym in town and began working with a personal trainer. This trainer helped her see what she could handle at the beginning of her journey. Her trainer had her walking on a treadmill for a minute, then jogging for 30 seconds. Though it was tough, it made her hungry to run even more. Running was the only time that her mind could let go and she felt free and clear.
Since she had this newfound love to run, Robin made a stretch goal to run a half-marathon. Before the race began, she had her doubts. Could she really do it? Did she belong to be out there with everyone else? When the race began, she knew she was right where she belonged and she successfully finished the race.
For Robin, one key to success was having a specific goal in mind—something to work toward. She also credits the support of her friends, family, and the online community of My Fitness Pal. Having a workout buddy and doing food prep were also critical components that worked for Robin. All of these elements created the exact formula necessary for Robin to reach her goals.
Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music
Should I be taking fish oil?
Today we will discuss the benefits of fish oil.
It should not come as a surprise that fish oil has many health benefits. The use of fish oil can improve heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's, eye-health, and arthritis. It is one of the best nutritional tools to improve heart and brain health.
What is it about fish oil that makes it so special?
Well, fish oil has a particular type of fat called omega 3 fatty acids. There are two components to that; EPA and DHA. Both of these have the mechanisms that help our hearts, eyes, and brains. They have benefits for individuals with diabetes. Even some studies have found fish oil may reduce the pain from women’s period. So, this is a pretty amazing substance.
The best source of fish oil is fish!
Yes, there are people who do not like fish much. They don’t like to taste a fish. But there are things that you can do to prepare it better. The advantage of taking fish is the protein it contains besides its oil. When you eat fish, you know a little more about it. So, make sure you pick a good quality fish.
But not all fish will give you equal benefits. There are some fish that are fatty than other fish. Some of the fish will not give you as much fish oil as you get eating same size or part of another fish. It is healthier to get wild and fresh fish instead of firm fishes.
How you cook and prepare fish for eating is important as well. You should try to cook the fish in a way that you can get the health benefits from it. If you want to fry something, make sure you use fatter oil is no going to break down or degrade.
If you are someone who does not like fish, there are some quality supplements in the market. But you have to be careful about the fish oil because if it breaks down and oxidizes, you can harm your body.
Understand the benefits of fish oil and make sure you're getting it from quality sources.
Links: Pub Med – Fish Oil
Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music
January 27, 2016
- in fitness , guest/interview , health by julie
Primal Prescription | Dr. Doug McGuff
This is the first of a two-part interview with author, Dr. Doug McGuff. Dr. McGuff coauthored his new book, Primal Prescription, with Dr. Robert Murphy.
Dr. McGuff became interested in exercise and diet at the age of 15. He went on to graduate from medical school and trained in emergency medicine. As an accomplished physician, he served as Chief Resident and in 1997, he opened Ultimate Exercise, a personal training studio specializing in high intensity exercise.
Primal Prescription evaluates the current state of healthcare. The public is sold on the concept of failures of the free market system in healthcare. The fact is that no semblance of a free market system has existed in medicine since the Great Depression. Price nor quality is cared about. Excellent healthcare providers are all trapped within a dysfunctional system of delivery. The book speaks about all of this and provides practical tips on how to survive the system.
To manage your health in the current system, it is best to “starve the beast” or adopt dietary discipline and exercise. When you do not do this, you become complicit in your own demise, eventually needing to be saved. Of course, there are always unforeseen illness and accidents to consider.
It’s important to pursue health by eating, lifting, and moving to prevent illness. Pick what appeals to you and what works with your lifestyle. It’s important to make sure you have a personal physician and develop that relationship. You will eventually need someone to guide you through this complex system. Consider someone who practices a broad range of medicine – a family practitioner or internist.
The key to being superhuman is to realize you’re only human. You have to engage in a way that will be livable over the long-term. Have a system that you follow on a daily basis. Do what’s best for you and what will cause the least amount of stress in the process. To learn more about Dr. Doug McGuff, visit www.drmcguff.com. Primal Prescription is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music
January 26, 2016
- in personal training , solo show by julie
Progression for results
Clients John and Tammy are seeing real success in the program. They’re checking in once again and have taken another round of measurements. Both are down ½-inch across the board.
John even has shorts that don’t fit anymore. He recently got his A1C blood test done to review his blood sugar levels. In the four months since his last test, he dropped 2.1 marks. His doctor was so impressed that he feels John will be off his medication in three to six months and under 200 pounds in six months. John now has a goal to reach 180 pounds. He can see what’s possible and what he is capable of achieving. He’s setting slightly bigger goals and placing milestones along the way. He understands what is coming next in the natural progression of his health and fitness journey.
Tammy has seen a shift as well. She has noticed her mindset changing as she is building new habits around healthy eating. She is no longer looking for the quickest meal, but finding the healthier option. She knows she has a choice to make and is using her willpower to make the right choice. She can even consider planning ahead and packing a lunch. She is encouraged by the fact that her measurements went down as well. Her hip measurements went down by almost three inches!
John and Tammy are true examples of patience, perseverance, and progression. They know the weight usually comes off faster in the beginning, but are prepared to stay the course. They are truly seeing their progression and know that they can accomplish anything with the help of patience and perseverance.
Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
4 fitness modalities that matter
When beginning a fitness journey, people often need to lose weight and may only be focused on what the scale says. In reality, different fitness modalities need to be considered to help you achieve all of your fitness goals, which should be so much more than just weight loss.
Here are four important fitness modalities to consider:
Cardiovascular
Many people assume cardio is essential to fat loss, but it’s not always one of the most important modalities in the equation. It simply needs to be sustainable and work with your diet. Some examples include running, walking, or riding a bike. Perhaps the most effective way to get to a high level of fitness through cardiovascular exercise is by cross country skiing. As long as you’re moving and getting your heart rate up, you will see the real benefits of this fitness modality.
Balance
As you get older, you lose that brain-muscle connection and run the risk of falling. Working to improve your front, back, and side to side balance will help you in the long run.
Mobility
You want to be able to move through a full range of motion so you can continue to have the ability to do things for yourself. As you improve your mobility, you will feel more flexible and capable. Just be careful not to injure yourself.
Strength
Building muscle will keep you healthy. You will be less likely to injure yourself and have the ability to move something heavy in one direction or another. Improve strength by doing resistance exercises. Add in free weights and machines if you’d like. Challenge the muscle and then rest the muscle.
Find a good cross-training program that includes all of these important fitness modalities. Then pair it with a good diet to build and fuel your body. Soon enough, you will be in much better shape.
Message me to get our guide – The 7 Health and Fitness Measures That Matter. It will give you some guidance to know that you’re focused on the right things with your health and fitness program.
Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
January 22, 2016
- in health , solo show , weight loss by tajirul
Nutrition is personal
The concept of personal nutrition has been kind of a hot topic in the nutrition field, bio-hackers, and health advocates alike. This study found is that individuals react to food slightly differently based on their genetic profile and their lifestyles in the past.
A 2015 study on “Personalized Nutrition by Prediction of Glycemic Responses in Cell” examined 800 individuals, 60 percent of which were female with mean age of 43. The study sought to understand the blood sugar response relative to certain foods. Another goal of the study was to come up with a predictive model to allow people to manage their blood sugar. They monitored the blood sugar of 800 people in five-minute increments. Over the period of the study, the participants were encouraged to eat different types of food. After a week of examination, another 100 people were examined through the same process. When the algorithms of both examinations were compared, the individuals were, in fact getting highly predictable blood sugar results. There was a correlation between the algorithm and participant results. The results went beyond the genetics of the study participants.
There are companies now that will evaluate your gut microbiome. But there are easier and less expensive ways for you to do something similar yourself. You can purchase a blood sugar monitor and test strips. You can test your blood sugar before you eat and again 15/20 minutes after you eat. You may even want to take another reading 90 minutes afterward. This way you can see how your blood sugar rises with that particular food. Some food items like cake, cookies and alcoholic drinks can give you a surge in blood sugar, pretty much no matter who you are. Once you know how particular foods affect you, you can modify your diet to keep your blood sugar stable. This will help you lose fat much easier.
Conduct an experiment of one and identify the food that best suits your body.
Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Patty’s health choices
Patty was on a quest to change her health. But it wasn’t just weight she wanted to lose. Patty also needed to kick her smoking habit. In her 40s, Patty was morbidly obese, topping the scales at 350 pounds. She was on four different medications and was smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes each day. She knew she needed help.
Patty’s daughter saw the My Fitness Pal app and encouraged her to download it onto her phone. It sat untouched for two or three months. Truthfully, Patty was scared to begin. Once she did, she found exactly what she needed—information and support.
She started eating less and moving more. She began with walking and religiously tracked the food she ate and the exercise she did through the app. After a while, it even became easy. She has the tools at her fingertips.
In her first year, Patty lost 115 pounds simply by eating less and moving more. By her second year, she was off all of her medications. This was great, but she knew there was one more hurdle to overcome—quitting smoking.
She had been wanting to quit smoking for so long. When she first tried to run, she couldn’t breathe and her lungs hurt. She made the decision to quit and after two months of not smoking, she ran her first 5K and felt great doing it.
Her biggest tip is that even if you think you can’t be successful, you can be. You have to want it bad enough and have a strong reason as to why. For Patty, it was being able to be active with her grandchildren.
Though she did put on a little more weight after quitting cigarettes, she now knows how to take it back off and will do so. Now, Patty knows that adopting a health and fitness lifestyle is forever and she is committed to staying healthy for life. To get in touch with Patty directly, contact her through My Fitness Pal as Pattydi.
Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music