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Category Archives for "solo show"

January 22, 2016

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.

For health and fitness, sugar is the devil

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

Be a lab rat to find health and fitness

January 19, 2016

Tweaking to fit

In this client episode, John and Tammy evaluate their progress thus far and consider tweaking their program just a bit. They’re making progressions and improving their form, but they realize that alcohol consumption is also part of the equation. After all, alcohol calories are sugar. In the future, they will need to look at their volume and manage it against what other sugars they are consuming. Another important factor to consider is water consumption. They will want to keep drinking water to counteract the dehydrating effect with alcohol.

When evaluating their diet, John and Tammy recognize they are eating a lot of basic carbs—essentially eating a basic American diet. This will be one of the areas to tweak. They will reduce their carb intake, and once they start lifting weights, shift more to protein consumption than the carbohydrates.

Regarding their exercise plan, John is noticing his knees are more flexible and he’s having less pain at work. He’s doing push-ups, but would like to do more upper body work. Another tweak will involve starting push-ups in the standard position, not on his knees, and then dropping to his knees when he begins to struggle with his form.

Tammy mentioned she was having a bit of trouble with squats. While she is holding onto a chair to keep her balance, she will now try using the chair as part of her squat. She will adjust her positioning so that when she squats, her bottom will touch the edge of the chair, which will help take some of the pressure off her legs.

The key is to build the basic foundation and continue tweaking along the way. In the beginning stages, it will seem like progress is limited when you can only complete a small set. However, as progression grows, John and Tammy will be able to take on more reps and see a real improvement.

 

John and Tammy commit to health and fitness

Progression for results

Be a lab rat to find health and fitness

Want to know how you can get the best results for you? Become a lab rat to find your path to health and fitness! You can evaluate study data to see what might work best for you. Be wary of advice you see in the press or attention-grabbing headlines. Some of this is often based in fear-mongering to grab your interest. To be successful, you need to reflect about the true nature of the study. Usually, there is a test and control group to do a compare and contrast of results, from which statistically valid conclusions are drawn.

Some studies are metastudies. This is where several studies are evaluated and data is extrapolated to develop a new conclusion or bolster a prior conclusion. Look at how they were designed and pick apart why one was different than the other.

Some studies may have general assumptions. Analyze the data and think critically about the information that is presented. Some studies may include a very limited number of participants. The backbone of a good study will have a large pool of participants. Other studies may have bias or influence. In fact, some supplement companies will pay for a clinical study to be done. Be cautious of this as well.

All this being said, you have the opportunity to do experiments on yourself to be well-controlled. First, you must define your experiment. Determine how you will go about it and what your criteria will be. Do you want to lose five or 10 pounds in four weeks? Write that information down and keep track of your data. Want to try a low fat diet? Be clear on what that means to you so you can assess properly.

In the end, if you use common sense and do your research, you will be able to apply study findings to your own journey. Test something that you can sustain over time. If it works for you, systemize the program and make it a part of your daily life. Think of yourself as your own experiment—a lab rat on a journey to better health and fitness!

When what works for them doesn't work for you

 

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

January 14, 2016

Low carb versus low fat diets

Have you ever wondered about the science behind low fat and low carb diets? Which one is better?

In a study from 2003, 40 people between the ages of 24 and 61 were evaluated during a 10-week program. This program looked at health outcomes as a result of being part of a low carb or low fat diet.

Those within the low carb diet had no more than 15% of their calories coming from carbohydrates. Those within the low fat diet had less than 18% fat in their diet. In the end, both groups improved and lost nearly the same amount of weight, with the low fat group having lost 18.2 pounds on average and the low carb group having lost an average of 18.8 pounds.

In addition, both groups lowered their triglycerides and cardiovascular risk. However, the low carb diet increased their HDL but saw no change in LDL. The low fat diet saw improved insulin sensitivity, whereas the low carb group saw no change with this. The low carb group also saw their ketones increase, while the low fat group did not experience this.

So both diets worked well in their own ways and showed weight loss. But how do you decide what will work best for you? To do this, you have to prioritize what matters most to you. If you want to impact your insulin sensitivity, perhaps the low fat diet is for you. If you want to see your ketones increase, then the low carb diet might be the right choice.

Ultimately, the right choice for you is the one that will work with your lifestyle. If the changes are not sustainable in the long-term, it won’t be the right fit. Consider what food you have access to and the nature of your everyday lifestyle. Be realistic. If you know you cannot give up bread and carbs, then perhaps the low carb diet is not for you. Choose one or the other and stick with it. The choice over a low fat or low carb diet is truly yours to make!

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

January 11, 2016

Dealing with weight loss plateaus

In a health and fitness journey, there is one certainty. At one point or another, progress will slow and a weight loss plateau may occur. You may be doing all the right things, but the weight has simply stopped coming off. Perhaps the number on the scale is ebbing and flowing. This can last for days, weeks, or even months in a weight loss plateau.

Do a self-evaluation. Evaluate the quality and quantity of your food. Did you stop eating well? Start doing your food logs again. Are you stressed? A cortisol response with stress could be causing your body to store fat. If you’re having trouble being objective, you may consider bringing in a coach for ideas on how to improve.

Don’t overlook the importance of progression and patience. Over time, you will see great progression. At first, you may see drastic improvements—big losses of body fat and advances in strength. But over time, your body will level out in this plateau. You may come out of a plateau, only to end up in another plateau yet again. This is normal. Your body is trying to find balance.

Make sure you’re looking at several different measurements, not just the number on the scale. Check out this free infographic, 7 Health and Fitness Measures That Matter, to consider some other measurements. If you’re not seeing progress in one area, chances are you will see progress in other areas.

The key is to focus on health first. Stay on the plan. Don’t panic and don’t quit. Continue to work on what is showing results, keep progressing, and tweak the plan as you go. Have the patience to stay the course and you will overcome this temporary weight loss plateau.

 

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

January 7, 2016

Does music help during exercise?

In this science episode, we discuss the value of music in physical exercise. We normally think music kind of makes exercising easier. Is that true?

Let's see what science says about it.

There are some really interesting findings by some recent research. Yes, there are plenty of studies that have found all kinds of benefits of including music in exercise. According to researches, some of the common benefits of including music in exercise include:

  • increase in intake of oxygen,
  • decrease in blood pressure,
  • increase of flexibility, and
  • improvement of co-ordination.

The selection of music is an important factor when it comes to getting these benefits. Say for example; when you are walking for stress relief, you should not listen to hard music.  You should choose something soft and mild.  Conversely, a faster or harder beat can help you push harder when your running or lifting weights.

Unlike how you can get fully into the music when you're on a treadmill or elliptical, you should make sure you are aware of your surroundings when running outdoors or while weightlifting.

You should also consider the value of dance.  Dancing is movement and has some great health and fitness benefits.  If you enjoy dancing, then go for it!

Music can be quite beneficial during exercise, but there are some times when it is unsafe or inappropriate.  Look for ways incorporate music into your workout.  Dance when the spirt hits you.

The value of play part 1

Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

January 4, 2016

The fountain of life – water

While everybody knows water is essential, most people make no effort to ensure they're getting enough water daily. Three-quarters of the earth is covered with water. Nearly as much of the human body is water as well.

We can go a month or even more without food but you can only go a few days without water. Water is that important. We get some of the water we need from the foods we eat.  As a consequence, when you feel hungry, you may actually be thirsty.  For that reason, I usually recommend to my clients that they drink water when they feel hungry and wait 15 minutes to see if the hunger fades.

Now, let's get into some of the biology of water and what it does for us.

Muscle

When we work a muscle, the muscle draws in water to aid in the repair.  The water is valuable for flushing out toxins created by the workout.  That’s why it’s recommended you take enough water after a good heavy workout.

Organs

A vast majority of the water we take goes to our most critical organs like kidneys, the brain, and the liver. If you are not enough water, the functions of those critical organs will be interrupted. In your weight-loss process, you need to ensure you take in enough water to help your liver and kidneys can handle the toxins being released from the stored fat.

 

I recommend you drink 60-100 ounces of water every day.

How alcohol affects health and fitness


Music: Ben Sound Royalty Free Music