Category Archives: Health

BeachBody, Health, Newsletter

Sugar Addiction Detox 101

Sugar Addiction Detox 101

By Debra Pivko

Sugar, sweet sugar—a delightful minute on the tongue in exchange for what feels like a lifetime on the hips. But weight gain isn’t the only consequence of eating too much sugar. Ready for the not-so-sweet truth?

 Strawberries Covered in Sugar

Overconsumption of processed sugar can contribute to a number of conditions, including tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances, overgrowth of candida yeast, chronic fatigue, more severe PMS symptoms, anxiety—and yep, even wrinkles. On the other hand, if you start to cut sugar out of your diet, you can shed excess weight, increase your energy, improve your concentration, improve your moods, and possibly steer clear of diabetes. Ready to kick-start your sugar detox? To help you out, I’ll let you in on some reasons why we get addicted and how to read food labels for hidden sugars. I’ll also give you some tips on how to start your sugar detox so you’ll have a much better chance at living a long, vibrant, and disease-free life.

ChocolatesWhy we crave sugar. According to AskDrSears.com, “Sweets trigger an increase in the hormone serotonin—a mood-elevating hormone. The body and brain get used to this higher level of serotonin and even depend on it for a sense of well-being. So when our serotonin level dips, (we dip) into the (sweets) to ‘correct’ the situation.” According to the Web site, sweets also “trigger the release of endorphins . . . the brain’s natural narcotics, helping you to relax when stressed.”

You’ve probably noticed that although sugar gives you an initial high (a rapid spike in your blood sugar), you crash several hours later, leaving you wanting more. It’s because sugar takes away more energy than it gives. Eventually, you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody. I know I’ve definitely experienced this crash too many times.

Is the sweet taste worth the unpleasant effects? Think gaining weight is the only negative effect of consuming too much sugar? Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of Lick the Sugar Habit, describes some surprising ways sugar intake can negatively affect your health:

  • Suppresses the immune system’s defenses against bacterial infections
  • Increases the risk of blood clots and strokes
  • Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating
  • Can lead to hypoglycemia, kidney damage, an elevation in harmful cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay
  • Helps speed the aging process, including wrinkles and gray hair

The list goes on . . .

Sugar PyramidMake the decision to detox from sugar. The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is making the decision to stop eating it completely for at least a few days to start to get it out of your system. While it’s usually best to make dietary changes gradually, sugar has the unique ability to inspire cravings that are refueled every time you give in to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop feeding the fire. Then your cravings should subside substantially. Continue to resist large amounts of sugar and actively avoid situations that cue you to eat sweets. And whether you’re at work, at home, or at a party, just because a cookie is sitting out on a table in plain sight, that doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

Ask yourself why you’re eating sugar before you put it in your mouth. Are you eating out of habit? Because of circumstance? For a special occasion? Because everyone else is? Watch yourself like a lab rat. Begin to face your truth by keeping a food journal. I like to jot down what drives me to eat sugar, when I crave it, where I eat it, why I want it, and how I get it. For example, do you pop up out of your desk chair in search of cupcakes the second you hear people at the office singing “Happy Birthday”? Journaling can be helpful preparation for stomping out your sugar habit by making you aware of why you’re eating it.

HoneyBegin to eliminate sugar from your diet. For thousands of years, people ate whatever sugar occurred naturally in their diets, and it didn’t seem to be a problem; it was a treat. Registered dietician Becky Hand reports that the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day (about 25 percent of the average person’s daily caloric intake), and that sugar alone adds up to almost 500 extra calories each day! Our bodies simply weren’t designed to handle this massive load. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar should be limited to no more than 6 to 7 percent of your total calories (not including naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and dairy products.) To put this in perspective, if you eat 1,200 calories a day, you should limit your intake to 21 grams of sugar per day. That’s the equivalent of about 6 ounces of low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt or one 8-ounce glass of orange juice.

To begin eliminating sugar from your regular diet, simply cut out foods with sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup—including cakes, cookies, pastries, and most desserts. It’s okay to have a dessert or sugary snack on occasion, but make sure it’s not your main dish. Although sugar is generally found in desserts, added sugar can also be found in your main and side dishes, and even sauces. Look closely at the labels of processed foods, cereals, and sauces—like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and dressings. You can usually find nutritious alternatives with less sugar that taste just as good.

If you’re a Team Beachbody® Club member, you can get a personalized, balanced online meal plan to ensure that you’re getting the proper nutrition you need to meet your health goals. You can even use the food analyzer to search for the nutritional makeup of various foods, so you’ll know which ones are high in sugar and should be avoided.

Eliminate hidden sugar. As you begin to decode ingredient labels, it’s really important to know all the other words for sugar and sugar alcohols. Here’s a hint: Look for words that end in “-ose.”

  • Agave nectar/syrup
  • Cane juice crystals
  • Cane sugar
  • Caramel
  • Corn syrup
  • Corn syrup solids
  • Carob syrup
  • Dextrin
  • Dextrose
  • Fructose
  • Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, or pear)
  • Galactose
  • Glucose
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Lactose
  • Maltose
  • Malt syrup
  • Molasses
  • Sorbitol
  • Sucrose

Trick your taste buds. Using spices and herbs can trick your taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, or other sugar-free flavors and spices to your coffee, cereals, or other dishes and drinks that could use an extra kick.

Fruit ParfaitEat a healthy breakfast. What you eat for breakfast will actually influence your food choices for the next 12 to 15 hours, and influence your energy levels, moods, and overall sense of well-being. Dr. Joe Klemczewski, PhD, explains that eating a healthy breakfast balanced between lean protein (like egg whites) and slower-digesting complex carbohydrates (like oatmeal) will help you have good energy throughout the day, stabilize your blood sugar, reduce cravings, and make wiser food choices. Typically, your blood sugar is at fasting levels when you wake up in the morning. If you start the day off with a muffin and a latte, you’re choosing to ride the roller coaster for the rest of the day. If, on the other hand, you begin your day with a veggie omelet and fruit or some oatmeal, you’re opting for a balance of foods that will be absorbed at a slower rate. Then you’ll have a steadier flow of blood sugar that’s far easier to keep balanced than if it were fueled by a muffin, a bagel, or a cup of coffee dosed with sugar and cream.

Eat throughout the day. The best way to avoid impulse eating when you’re overly hungry is to eat several small meals, spaced throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar more stable than eating the traditional two or three large meals spaced farther apart from one another. Schedule your meals around your body’s needs rather than around your to-do list if you can. You’ll find it much easier to stop eating once you’re full; to make smart food choices from a rational, calm place; and to maintain even moods and energy levels. Eating balanced meals is essential for getting real satisfaction from what you eat and leaving cravings behind. For most people, this means approximately 50 percent of your meal should be vegetables or fruit, and the rest should be split between protein (beans, meat, dairy, etc.), grains, and a bit of oil or other fat. However, everyone’s a little different, and you should experiment to find what works best for you.

High-fiber foods fill you up—yet they bring less fat to the table, says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State and author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. Plus, eating high-fiber foods allows you to eat a higher volume of food while ingesting fewer calories. It’s a concept called “energy density”—the number of calories in a specified amount of food, Rolls explains. Some examples of energy-dense foods are: apples (skin on) and bananas, avocados, flax meal, and kidney beans.

CookiesFind alternatives for when you have a craving. Make sure you find alternative foods and activities that you actually enjoy. If they aren’t satisfying, you’ll eventually abandon them for your old habits. When I’m craving something sweet yet healthy, I usually go for either low-fat Chocolatey Cats Cookies (for People) from Trader Joe’s® (only 9.9 grams of sugar per serving) or chocolate Shakeology® (only 9 grams of sugar)—that’s not bad for a sweet treat. Yep, I’m a sucker for chocolate, but I can still enjoy the taste without overdosing on sugar!

Original Article: http://www.teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/253#150954335

Health

Science Shows How Exercise Might Help in Prostate Cancer

By Steven Reinberg


TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) — Vigorous exercise causes  changes in some 180 prostate genes among men with early stage prostate  cancer, a new study suggests.

Included are genes known to suppress tumor growth and repair DNA, which  might mean that exercise could prevent or delay progression of the  disease, the researchers said.

“There are many reasons to exercise,” June Chan, associate professor of  epidemiology and biostatistics, and urology at the University of  California, San Francisco, said during a Tuesday press conference. “Here’s  yet another great reason to exercise and it may offer a prostate  cancer-specific benefit.”

For the study, Chan’s team compared prostate genes from 70 men with  low-risk prostate cancer to normal prostate genes from 70 men.

The cancer patients in the study were undergoing “active  surveillance” — also known as “watchful waiting” — rather than active  treatment.

The men answered questions about how much and what type of exercise  they did.

Chan’s group found 184 genes that were differently expressed in men who  did activities such as jogging, tennis or swimming for at least three  hours a week, compared with genes in men who did less exercise.

Genes more highly expressed in men who did vigorous exercise included  well-known tumor-suppressor genes associated with breast cancer, BRCA1 and  BRCA2, the researchers found.

In addition, these men also had increased expression of genes involved  in DNA repair, they noted.

The researchers hope to confirm their findings in a larger group of men  who are undergoing active surveillance, and also among men who have  experienced a recurrence of their cancer.

There are limitations to this study, Chan said. Most important, the  study was small and so the results could be by chance, she said.

“If confirmed, the results suggest that vigorous physical activity  might offer protection against prostate cancer progression,” Chan said.

Exercise has also been found to have benefits for breast and colon  cancer, the researchers noted.

The results of the new study are slated for presentation Friday at a  meeting of  the American Society of Clinical Oncology in San  Francisco.

Because this research is being presented at a medical meeting, the data  and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a  peer-reviewed journal.

Dr. Anthony D’Amico, chief of radiation oncology, and a prostate cancer  expert from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said that “this is an  interesting, hypothesis-generating study that will require further testing  and perhaps opens doors to exercise as part of future prostate cancer  treatment, but it’s too soon to tell.”

In two studies last year, Chan’s group found links between vigorous  activity, such as brisk walking, and a lowered risk of prostate cancer  progression and death.

In one study, which appeared in the February 2011 Journal of  Clinical Oncology, men with prostate cancer who participated in three  or more hours a week of vigorous activity had about a 50 percent lower  risk of death from all illnesses, and a 60 percent lower risk of death  from prostate cancer, compared to men who participated in less than one  hour per week of vigorous physical activity, Chan said.

In the other study, published in the May 2011 issue of Cancer  Research, men who walked three miles per hour or faster had about half  the risk of prostate cancer progression of men who walked at two miles per  hour or less, she said.

“These studies suggested that some form of cardiopulmonary exercise  might offer specific benefits for prostate cancer,” Chan said. “However,  the molecular mechanisms by which physical activity exerts this effect on  prostate cancer remains unknown.”

Original Article: http://news.yahoo.com/science-shows-exercise-might-help-prostate-cancer-001015233.html

Health

3 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Soda

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

America has a drinking problem. No, not booze. I’m talking about soft drinks. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the average American guzzles 44.7 gallons of the sweet stuff every year. Not sure what 44.7 gallons looks like? It’s about what you’d need to fill a small kiddie pool.

But the truth is, you don’t need me to tell you that soda isn’t healthy. We all know that America’s drink of choice contributes to our country’s ever-expanding obesity problem. But, as Rodale.com writer Leah Zerbe discovered, love handles are just the beginning. Read on for her report on three shocking soda facts that will have you saying “Just water, please” from now on.

Shocking Soda Fact #1: Soda fattens up your organs

A recent Danish study revealed that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in dangerous hard-to-detect fats. Researchers asked participants to drink either regular soda, milk containing the same amount of calories as regular soda, diet cola, or water every day for six months. The results? Total fat mass remained the same across all beverage-consuming groups, but regular-soda drinkers experienced dramatic increases in harmful hidden fats, including liver fat and skeletal fat. The regular-soda group also experienced an 11 percent increase in cholesterol compared to the other groups! And don’t think switching to diet varieties will save you from harm: Artificial sweeteners and food dyes have been linked to brain cell damage and hyperactivity, and research has shown that people who drink diet soda have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Shocking Soda Fact #2: Soda contains flame retardants

Some popular soda brands, including Mountain Dew, use brominated vegetable oil—a toxic flame retardant—to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. This hazardous ingredient—sometimes listed as BVO on soda and sports drinks—can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions and memory loss, as well as nerve disorders. If that’s not a good enough reason not to “Do the Dew,” I don’t know what is.

Shocking Soda Fact #3: Drinking soda makes you a lab rat

Many American soda brands are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a heart-harming man-made compound derived mainly from genetically engineered corn. The problem? Genetically engineered ingredients have only been in our food chain since the 1990s, and we don’t know their long-term health impacts because the corporations that developed the crops never had to test them for long-term safety. Case in point: Some recent findings suggest that genetically engineered crops are linked to digestive tract damage, accelerated aging, and even infertility!

Original Article: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/3-shocking-soda-facts

BeachBody, Health, Inspiration, Motivational, Newsletter, Shakeology

December 18th Newsletter

Gallery

CoachGShort Weekly Newsletter December 18th

Making Your New Year’s Resolutions

I love a new year.  It almost seems like we can start all over, finally become that wonderful, productive, healthy, happy person we’ve always wanted to be. The trouble is, the enthusiasm to make changes, especially with exercise and diet, tends to fade once we realize we can’t change everything overnight.  If you want to make lasting changes, there are three things you can do to make your resolutions work all year long: Adjust your attitude, change your lifestyle and come up with a plan for success.

Adjust Your Attitude

If you have the wrong attitude about fitness, you’re already setting yourself up for failure.  Most people look at exercise as:

  • Punishment for bad eating
  • An obligation
  • Painful
  • Time consuming
  • Impossible to sustain over a long period of time
  • Boring

If any of these sound familiar, how long do you think you’ll stick with your program?  Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory.  Before you throw yourself into weight loss, suss out your attitudes about exercise and figure out whether these attitudes are true or just lies you’ve been telling yourself for years.  Then, try a different perspective and look at exercise as:

  • A break from a stressful workday
  • A way to boost energy and mood
  • The only time you’ll have to yourself all day
  • A chance to get totally physical and let your mind rest
  • A chance to reward your body for working so hard
  • A way to improve your quality of life immediately

And here are some more key points about exercise that you must understand:

  1. Willpower won’t work.  Willpower is for short-term success.  Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding ways to motivate yourself every day.
  2. Motivation will not magically happen.  What motivates youwill change from day to day.  You have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your life.
  3. You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy.  Even the most committed exerciser doesn’t always want to do it.  Know that you will have to work on it every day.
  4. Diets don’t work.  Stop wasting your time following someone else’s plan for you.  Make your own plan based on realistic changes–if you can’t follow your chosen diet for the rest of your life, you’re wasting precious time.

Adjust Your Lifestyle

The facts about being overweight:

  • You can’t be overweight unless your lifestyle is set up to encourage it.
  • You can’t be overweight if you haven’t allowed yourself to eat too much.
  • You can’t be overweight if you’ve made a daily schedule that doesn’t allow time for exercise.

Never forget that losing weight and maintaining that weight loss is a lifetime prospect.  You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight.  So, before you start that same old diet or exercise program, ask yourself this question:  Can I sustain this diet for the long term?  Is this exercise program something I can do every day?

Once you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you’ll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal.

  • Figure out your bad habits.  Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week.  Do it without judgment or shame–you’re simply trying to figure out what you’re doing every day that may be hurting your weight loss goals.
  • Replace those bad habits, one at a time, with different habits.  Experts know that you can’t break bad habits without forming new ones.  If you take away your daily Egg McMuffin and don’t replace it with something else you’ll drift right back into the old McDonald’s habit.

This may sound simplistic, and it is.  Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn’t easy.  You have to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that Egg McMuffin.  Get started with these ideas:

  • Decide what you’ll eat instead of fast food.  Stock up on breakfast foods you like, keep meal replacement bars in the car or try healthy fruit shakes or smoothies.
  • Eat before you get in the car so you won’t be starving and, therefore, tempted to hit the drive thru.
  • Change your driving route to work so you don’t even pass by McDonald’s.
  • Don’t carry cash in the car (even if you DO have the urge to indulge, you won’t be able to), write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so, when you’re reaching for your wallet, you’re immediately reminded your goals.

Make a Plan

You’ve figured out how to change your bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and you’ve learned to create an environment that doesn’t allow those bad habits to exist.  Now, you need to make a plan for what you really want.

Set Your Goals

Write down specific goals you have (not just ‘I want to lose weight.’).  List everything, for example:

  • How much weight you want to lose.  Make sure the amount of weight you want to lose is reasonable for your height and frame.  This Ideal Weight Calculator will give you a starting point for setting your goals.
  • A target date to reach your goals.  Make sure you’ve given yourself a reasonable time to reach that goal – (a safe bet would be to lose a pound a week)
  • Why you want to lose this weight (i.e., I want to look good in a bathing suit for summer)
  • What you think will happen if you reach your goal
  • How you’ll maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal (remember, it’s a lifetime thing–even when you reach your goal, you can’t quit!)

For more, check out Setting Realistic Fitness Goals or How to Set Weight Loss Goals to make sure you’re setting goals you can really reach.

Set Up Your Program

To set up a good routine, you’ll need to know the basics of a complete program.  You’re program will involve cardio, strength training and stretching.

For help choosing a program contact me and we will find the right program for you!  You can find my contact information at the bottom of the newletter or visit my site www.beachbodycoach.com/coachgshort to look at the different products that BeachBody has!

Ensure Your Success

Success involves using every resource you have to keep you going.  Do whatever it takes to be consistent including:

  • Enlist all family members to get involved.  If everyone eats healthy, you won’t have to fight to avoid that bag of chips your spouse munches on every night
  • Join a BeachBody Challenge
  • Get a friend to exercise with you
  • Take time every week to schedule your exercise routines
  • Keep a workout bag packed so you don’t have to scramble for your gear
  • Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress
  • Reward yourself often with massages, new clothes or a vacation
  • Change your program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus
  • Re-visit your goals every three months and gauge your progress.  If you’re not reaching your goals, maybe you should change them to something more accessible

The important thing to remember is that losing weight requires that you change your lifestyle.  You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It’s easy to lose a few pounds, but it’s hard to keep them off for good.  Being prepared for what’s ahead is your first step in the right direction.

Using Meal Replacements For Weight Loss

Information & Research:

Do you find that losing weight is difficult because you are eating on the run with no time to shop, cook, or plan meals? Do you eat out or get take-out food a lot and then eat restaurant portions that may prevent you from losing weight and keeping it off? These are some of the reasons people who want to lose weight often consider using meal replacements.

What Is A Meal-Replacement?

A meal replacement is a portion-controlled, prepackaged meal, shake, drink or bar that contains approximately 100 to 200 calories and is used to replace an entire meal or snack to help you reduce your total calorie intake and thus lose weight. These include nutritionally fortified diet protein shakes, snack bars, and low-calorie meals.

The weight loss shakes and bars are usually low in fat and calories, with about 100 to 200 calories, 2 to 5 grams of fat, about 10 to 15 grams of protein, various vitamins and minerals, and up to 5 grams of fiber.

How Do Meal Replacements Work?

Meal replacements help people lose weight by providing a controlled amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat in a prefixed portion. They simplify meal planning because they are convenient — easy to store, and requiring little preparation. They are also reasonably prices, usually costing less than the meal they replace.

Meal replacements reduce the number of decisions you have to make about what to eat and reduce your exposure to tempting foods that might result in overeating.

Many effective weight loss plans that use meal replacements recommend either using them in addition to eating 1 or 2 healthy “grocery” foods meals, or replacing 2 or 3 meals and several snacks per day to lose weight, and then replacing 1 meal per day to maintain weight.

Using a meal replacement instead of an entire meal or snack can help you to reduce your calorie and fat intake and your blood sugar levels. When you first start using meal replacements, you will likely notice an immediate reduction in your blood sugar levels because you will probably be consuming fewer calories and less carbohydrates than you would with your usual meal.

How Effective Are Meal Replacements?

Recent studies show that meal replacements have an important role to play in the diet of anyone who wants to lose excess body-fat and build healthy lean muscle.

A good example comes from a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from the University Hospital of Ulm in Germany assessed the effects of low-calorie diet combined with meal replacements on weight loss in a group of 100 obese patients.

Half of the group followed a self-selected diet of 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, which included three meals and two snacks. The other half followed a similar self-directed diet except that they replaced two snacks and two of the three meals with meal replacements (shakes, soups or hot chocolate).

After three months, the people on the
self-selected diet lost an average of 2.9 lbs., while the people using meal
replacements lost an average of 15.6 lbs.

After the first three months, everyone was asked to replace one meal and one snack per day with a meal replacement. Over the next 24 months, original self-selected diet group lost an average of nine additional pounds, and the original meal replacement group lost an average of another seven more pounds. At the end of the study, the self- selected diet group had a 5.9 percent weight loss, whereas the original meal replacement group had an 11 percent weight loss.

Another study by researchers from the University of Nevada report similar results. Women using meal replacement supplements were able to maintain a far greater weight loss over the course of a year than those using other methods to control their weight.

For the full articles and more studies please click here: Using Meal Replacements For Weight Loss

I truly believe in this product! I recommend giving this product a try and with the Beach Body Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee if you are not totally satisfied in the first 30 day you can return it for a full refund (less s&h). If you are interested in trying a sample please either message me on teambeachbody.com or send me an email at gshort@shortfam.com

Beach Body Coaching Team!!!

 

What are you doing to fight obesity?

Who else is looking to spread the word of health and ready to “END THE TREND”?

Contact me @ me@coachgshort.com for details on how you can spread the word, get in shape and help your finances!! Together we can end the trend!!

Success Story Of the week!!

Please contact with any questions.
Gregory Short – Independent BeachBody Coach

Health

Rubio’s how I will miss you…

So rubios has been one of our favorite local resturants and I always thought it was fairly healthy but Tuesday I found out the truth.

I ran out of time and decided to drive home for lunch and called my wife and asked if she had lunch yet, she hadn’t so I asked what she wanted and she had just had a NEAT treatment so she couldn’t have sugar.  So I head off to Rubio’s and get her a grilled Veggie Burrito and myself a HealthMex Chicken Burrito.  So calorie wise I am golden with only 500 calories for the burrito, but then we look at the ingredients.  There are so many processed items in all of there food.  I commend Rubio’s for providing this information.  Rubio’s Ingredient Statement

Needless to say I was very disappointed and so I say farwell to Rubio’s.

Ignorence might be bliss, but knowlege is power.

BeachBody, Health, Motivational, Newsletter

October 22nd Newsletter

CoachGShort Weekly Newsletter October 22th

Metabolic Efficiency: Working Hard or Working Smart?

By Dr. Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., FMS

If you’re involved in fitness, health, or the pursuit of a lean, toned body, you’ve undoubtedly heard the word “metabolism.” You’ve probably also heard that the more highly your metabolism functions, the better your results as far as fat loss and maintaining a slim, trim body. But “metabolism” is actually defined by Wikipedia® as “the set of chemical reactions that happen in living organisms to sustain life.” Simply sustaining life isn’t that challenging a goal to aim for. If you’re engaged in doing a Beachbody® home fitness rogram, mere survival shouldn’t be your standard. Thriving, growing, exceeding, and surpassing should be what you’re working toward!

So let’s take a closer look at your metabolism to see how to optimize it.

The human metabolic process is broken down into two parts: catabolism and nabolism.  Catabolism is the “burning” or digesting of food or fuel sources to provide cells with energy. This is the part of metabolism that provides muscles with the energy to maintain posture and create movement. Anabolism, in turn, uses energy to link chemical compounds together to produce larger molecules, like muscle mass.

For catabolism to be efficient, you need to give your muscles the maximum number of opportunities to burn fuel like fat, carbohydrates, and sugars. So it stands to reason that if you’re training your body for the purpose of burning off excess weight, you want to engage the maximum number of muscles in the most efficient and safest manner possible.

One way to think of your body’s muscles is as their having two main functions: stability and mobility. Most of the big muscles people develop for cosmetic reasons, with prime examples being the quadriceps muscles of the thighs, the pectoral muscles in the chest, and the deltoid muscles of the shoulders, are centered around dynamic mobility. In other words, they’re muscles that allow you to go through a full range of motion. The stabilizing muscles, however, are generally those muscles that are deeper and closer to the joints. These are smaller muscles that include the spinal multifidi, the rotator cuff of the shoulder, and the core musculature of the midsection, and if they’re doing their job properly to stabilize your body while you’re in motion, they also play a major role in energy consumption.

Don’t be fooled, though. While some fitness coaches argue that it’s better to focus on the bigger mobility-oriented muscles because they burn more calories, any weakness or poor functionality in the smaller stabilizers can force the prime movers to pull double duty, making them attempt to both stabilize and move at the same time. This kind of inefficiency can overload one muscle group (prime movers) while robbing another group (stabilizers) of training. This scenario can lead to joint dysfunction and pain, which your body reads as a stressor. When it’s under stress, your body dumps the stress hormone cortisol into your bloodstream. And cortisol keeps packing the flab on around your midsection.

The bottom line is pretty simple. If you want to look good, you’ve got to move well. In order to move well, you have to feel good. In order to feel good, your body has to function well. So to get the most out of your metabolism, both in catabolic, fat-burning reactions and anabolic, muscle-building processes, your training has to involve both dynamic, explosive, gross movements and slow, controlled, precise movements—without pain. Pain is a silent enemy that constantly undermines the effectiveness of our workouts and hampers our metabolic efficiency. So to improve the functionality of your training, make sure you incorporate stability and postural training in addition to your dynamic, high-intensity workouts.

The correct mix of stability and dynamic motor control exercises along with explosive, high-output routines can give your body an incredible boost. By training muscles to perform their correct functions, you work more muscle groups with your exercises, perform those exercises more safely, and dramatically drop your risk of injury. Coordinated functioning of both your stabilizers and your prime movers is the essence of metabolic efficiency. As the stabilizers kick in and increase your caloric burn, not only do they consume more calories through their own action, but they also help the prime movers operate more efficiently with more powerful contractions, creating stronger movement and burning even more calories than ever.

If you want to get past the hump of “those last few pounds,” “the bulge that won’t go away,” or “the little spot I’d love to just tone up a little,” giving your stabilizers a chance to play in concert with your prime movers will set the stage for great movement. And when you move well, you’ll be happy to move more often. As you move more often with metabolically efficient movement patterns, you’ll be able to handle higher-intensity fat-sizzling workouts like P90X® without the cortisol setting you two steps back for every step forward you take. You’ll love how your athletic movements improve, how your quality of life blossoms, and how your lean, healthy, toned body evolves!

Why shakeology?
Just look at the results BeachBody got from an internal 90-day research study where they replaced one meal per day with Shakeology:
By the end of WEEK ONE
  • Improved digestion and regularity
  • Reduced cravings

By the end of WEEK FOUR

  • Increased energy and stamina
  • Lost weight
  • Improved mental clarity

By the end of WEEK TWELVE

  • Lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off waist on average
  • Reduced risk for heart disease and other degenerative diseases
  • Lowered cholesterol on average by 30% and even up to 70%
  • Healthier skin, hair and nails

I truly believe in this product! I recommend giving this product a try and with the Beach Body Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee if you are not totally satisfied in the first 30 day you can return it for a full refund (less s&h). If you are interested in trying a sample please either message me on teambeachbody.com or send me an email at gshort@shortfam.com

 

Beach Body Coaching Team!!!

Someone asked me why did you become a BechBody Coach? I didn’t hesitate to tell them the reasons why. It is the feel that you get when helping others. The best way I can explain it is when you do a service project for the needy you get that great feeling. But after the service project you may ask about the people that you helped but in most cases that is the only time you have contact with them, where as when you become a BeachBody you help people though their program for 30, 60, 90 and beyond.

Have you ever thought about the people around you that you could help by sharing a BeachBody product?

Who else is looking to spread the word of health and ready to “END THE TREND”?

Success Story Of the week!!

Please contact with any questions.

Gregory Short – Independent BeachBody Coach

BeachBody, Health, Motivational, Newsletter

October 9th Newsletter

Gallery

CoachGShort Weekly Newsletter October 9th

This weeks article comes about based on the fact that we have a new team thread and with a new thread comes new team members.

10 Common Mistakes Made by Individuals Who Engage in Stretching Exercise

1. Not warming up before stretching. Because stretching cold muscles increases your chances of injury; you should always warm up before stretching (i.e., perform activities that will increase your body temperature enough to “warm” you up sufficiently to safely begin exercising). Contrary to popular belief, stretching is not a warm-up.

2. Not stretching the muscles you’re trying to stretch. Too many people don’t stretch what they think they’re stretching because they don’t perform their flexibility exercises properly. More often than not, either they don’t know how to do a particular exercise properly, or they make an inappropriate adjustment in their body position while stretching.

3. Not watching how much pressure you place on your ligaments. Unfortunately, some people stretch their ligaments too much (rather than stretching their muscles) when performing stretching exercises. As a result, they develop excessive ligament looseness. As such, when you’re stretching, you should always avoid holding your joints in a position that places too much weight or pressure on your ligaments.

4. Not watching how much weight you place on your joint capsules. While stretching, if you place more weight on your joints than they can safely stand, you increase the likelihood that you may damage them. Accordingly, you should avoid activities that can injure your joints, such as standing toe touches.5. Not performing a balanced stretching regimen. To avoid the consequences of stretching unequally (e.g., the muscles that receive inadequate attention tend to tighten and shorten, causing such notable conditions as rounded shoulders), it is essential that you don’t stretch in one direction without balancing out that effort by also stretching in the opposite direction.

6. Not performing each stretching exercise slowly and smoothly. You should avoid using fast, jerky, or bouncing movements when performing stretching exercises. Doing so may force your muscles to stretch to an unsafe range of motion before your nervous system has time to protect them by signaling your muscle(s) to contract.

7. Not stretching to the point of maximum extension. When you stretch, you should move your body or body segment at a controlled speed through its maximum range of motion. You reach this point when you place a mild – but not painful – stretch on the muscles. On each subsequent repetition, you should attempt to go a little bit farther, while again avoiding pain and overstretching.

8. Not performing an appropriate amount of stretching exercise. A certain degree of subjectivity exists concerning what constitutes too much or too little stretching exercise. As a rule, it is recommended that you perform stretching exercises for each of the major areas of your body. ACSM recommends that individuals perform static stretches with each stretch being held for approximately 10 to 30 seconds each. Generally, static stretches are preferred because the risk of injury is low, and they require minimal time and little assistance.

9. Not stretching often enough. At a minimum, most fitness experts recommend that stretching exercises should be performed four to five times per week, and preferably daily. As a rule, because most flexibility gains are (far too) easily lost, the basic rule of thumb is that you should stretch often.

10. Not understanding that being flexible is not synonymous with being in good shape. Flexibility is just one of the essential components of physical fitness. As such, you should combine aerobic exercise, strengthening exercises, and adherence to sound nutritional practices with your stretching exercises in order to “attain and sustain” a desirable level of fitness.

Why shakeology?
Just look at the results BeachBody got from an internal 90-day research study where they replaced one meal per day with Shakeology:
By the end of WEEK ONE
  • Improved digestion and regularity
  • Reduced cravings

By the end of WEEK FOUR

  • Increased energy and stamina
  • Lost weight
  • Improved mental clarity

By the end of WEEK TWELVE

  • Lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off waist on average
  • Reduced risk for heart disease and other degenerative diseases
  • Lowered cholesterol on average by 30% and even up to 70%
  • Healthier skin, hair and nails

I truly believe in this product! I recommend giving this product a try and with the Beach Body Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee if you are not totally satisfied in the first 30 day you can return it for a full refund (less s&h). If you are interested in trying a sample please either message me on teambeachbody.com or send me an email at gshort@shortfam.com

 

 

Beach Body Coaching Team!!!

Someone asked me why did you become a BechBody Coach?  I didn’t hesitate to tell them the reasons why.  It is the feel that you get when helping others.  The best way I can explain it is when you do a service project for the needy you get that great feeling.  But after the service project you may ask about the people that you helped but in most cases that is the only time you have contact with them, where as when you become a BeachBody you help people though their program for 30, 60, 90 and beyond.

Have you ever thought about the people around you that you could help by sharing a BeachBody product?

Who else is looking to spread the word of health and ready to “END THE TREND”?

Success Story Of the week!!

Please contact with any questions.

Gregory Short – Independent BeachBody Coach

BeachBody, Health, Newsletter

October 2nd Newsletter

Gallery

CoachGShort Weekly Newsletter October 2nd

This weeks article comes about based on the fact that we have a new team thread and with a new thread comes new team members.

How to Exercise Safely during Daily Workouts

October 2, 2011 | Author: fernando | Posted in Fitness
Many of us do not consider the importance of exercise safety when we embark on a workout regime. We are usually more concerned with burning calories and shedding those unwanted pounds, but being safety conscious should be a priority if we want to achieve the best benefits from our workouts.
We must consider two important exercise safety categories: strains and other injuries that can occur from the exercises themselves, and external dangers which can jeopardize our safety during exercise. Below we will point out some of the most common dangers from both categories, and suggest tips to help avoid them.
Exercise Safety Tip #1 – Proceed with caution.
When we begin a workout regime, it is important to gradually work our way up to higher levels of intensity. There are numerous common injuries sustained by over doing things too soon. These include injuries such as torn ligaments, back damage, strained muscles, sprained wrists, ankles, shoulders and knees so we should take a more cautious approach and take things easy when we are first starting our exercise programme.
Exercise Safety Tip #2 – Awareness of surroundings.
Whether we are exercising in our own home or outdoors, it is vital that we are aware of our surroundings. Whether we want to avoid banging ourselves against furniture or being hit by a vehicle, awareness and prevention can help to keep us free from injury and ensure our safety.
Exercise Safety Tip #3 – Use equipment correctly.
Many exercise injuries can be attributed to the use of unsafe equipment, or improper use of exercise equipment. Whether we are lifting weights, riding a bicycle or using a rowing machine, we should make sure we use the equipment available is intended for this activity, and make sure that we are using it as the instructions intend it to be used. For example, we should not try to use a bicycle that is intended for street use as a mountain bike, or a couple of bricks and a piece of wood as a step.
Exercise Safety Tip #4 – Dress appropriately.
Different forms of exercise will require different types of clothing and footwear. We should look into which type of footwear are the best for walking, running, aerobics and other sports such as tennis and dance. We should also consider different types of fabrics and find out which ones will allow our skin to breathe and keep us cool and dry during workouts. If we are exercising outdoors in the early morning or evening when the lighting is poor, we should wear reflective clothing and footwear to make sure we are seen.
Exercise Safety Tip #5 – Keep well hydrated.
We normally sweat during a workout, which means fluid loss, which can lead to dehydration unless we are drinking adequate water before, during and after our workout. We should keep a bottle of water close at hand so that we can drink plenty of water during our workout. Ideally we should drink 8-10 8oz glasses of water daily, plus an additional glass or two during a 30 minute workout session. We can safely drink more than this, particularly in high temperatures or if we are especially thirsty.
It is really only common sense to follow a safe exercise regime. We should try to not be careless, and try to think ahead to avoid any possible dangers. If we think and plan ahead we can avoid the common injuries associated with exercise and fitness.
 
Why shakeology?
Just look at the results BeachBody got from an internal 90-day research study where they replaced one meal per day with Shakeology:
By the end of WEEK ONE
  • Improved digestion and regularity
  • Reduced cravings

By the end of WEEK FOUR

  • Increased energy and stamina
  • Lost weight
  • Improved mental clarity

By the end of WEEK TWELVE

  • Lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off waist on average
  • Reduced risk for heart disease and other degenerative diseases
  • Lowered cholesterol on average by 30% and even up to 70%
  • Healthier skin, hair and nails

I truly believe in this product! I recommend giving this product a try and with the Beach Body Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee if you are not totally satisfied in the first 30 day you can return it for a full refund (less s&h). If you are interested in trying a sample please either message me on teambeachbody.com or send me an email at gshort@shortfam.com

 

 

Beach Body Coaching Team!!!

Take a moment and congradulate Bill Nichols as he will finish his second round of P90X and has decided to help “End the Trend”.  He has signed up to be a BeachBody coach!!  He will continue to spread the word of health and well being!

Who else is looking to spread the word of health and ready to “END THE TREND”?

Gregory Short – Independent BeachBody Coach

Health

Your favorite footwear could be making you less perky

Gallery

Yes, we’ve all been told to “sit up straight”–or suffer the consequences of poor posture. But that’s just not a particularly scary warning. So let us explain it in a way that’s a little more specific: a bent spine might mean saggy breasts.

Did that get your attention?

Here’s how it works: When you slouch forward all the time–like you probably do while working on your computer or driving your car–your chest muscles actually stiffen, which pulls your shoulders forward into a permanent slump. The result: A look that’s unbecoming to your bosom. Worse, hunching forward also puts more stress on your upper spine, which leads to neck, back, and shoulder pain. Did your neck start hurting one day and never stop? It’s probably the result of poor posture.

But bad posture doesn’t just mean slumped shoulders. When you sit constantly–as most of us do–the muscles on the fronts of your hips become short and tight. What’s more, your glutes–or butt muscles–actually forget how to contract. (After all, with so much chair time, they’re not being used for much of anything except padding for your hip bones.) Now, the combination of tight muscles on the front of your hips and weak muscles on your backside causes your pelvis to tilt forward. This pushes your lower abdomen outward, making your belly pooch out–even if you don’t have an ounce of fat.

Worse yet, high heels complete the ugly picture. Your high-fashion shoes not only contribute to your pooch, but again, leave you less perky up top as well, according to Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., author of The Female-Body Breakthrough. That’s because heels make your ankle muscles tight. This leads to tighter muscles all the way up your legs to your lower back. (Think of the old song: “The ankle bone is connected to the knee bone . . .” It’s the same way with your muscles.) And a tight lower back causes you to compensate by hunching forward even more, says Rachel. So your sag worsens. Not a pretty sight.

The bottom line: Your body is a chain of inter-related muscles from head to toe. If you have a problem in one area, it’s going to cause problems in another. But you can use this simple three-step guide to slouch proof your posture. Start today–and you’ll begin to look better instantly.

1. Always sit as tall as you can. Sure, it sounds obvious, but remind yourself every few minutes, whether you’re at your desk or in your car. You’ll be surprised at how much you tend to slump when you’re not thinking about it. Then use these simple cues to set yourself straight.
*Pull your shoulders down and back. Simply imagine that you’re trying to create as much space between your ears and shoulders as you can, and try to hold that position.
*Pretend there’s a string attached from your chest to the ceiling, pulling your chest up at all times.
*Brace your abs–as if you were about to be punched in your gut–but breathe normally. It’ll seem hard at first, but keep practicing, and it’ll become second nature. A bonus: It’ll also help fight lower back pain.

RELATED: 5 Pain Relieving Yoga Poses

2. Do an exercise called the hip raise daily. This strengthen your glutes and teaches them how to contract again–which helps allow your pelvis to move back in its natural alignment. Here’s how to do it: Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your arms out to your sides. That’s the starting position. Now squeeze your glutes and raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from you shoulders to your knees. Pause for five seconds, than lower body back to the starting position. Do two to three sets of 12 repetitions every day.

3. Stretch your chest. This helps loosen your chest muscles, which become short and tighten when you slump. Try a simple doorway stretch: Place your arm against a door frame in the high-five position–your palm facing forward and your elbow bent 90 degrees. Now step through the doorway until you feel the stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with your other arm. That’s one set; do a total of 4 daily.

Original article: http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/tips-for-success/why-high-heels-make-your-breasts-sag/article/9495822004e62310VgnVCM10000030281eac?cm_mmc=YTPG-_-Awesome%20Ab%20Exercises-_-Entry-_-How-High-Heels-Hurt

Health

Heart-rate Monitor while lifting weights?

1 Comment

From Men’s Health:

I do intervals and lift weights. Would it be smart to use a heart-rat monitor?

More like brilliant. “Most men (people) don’t know their bodies very well. They think they’re going all out, but they’re not,” says David Jack, general manager at Competitive Athlete Training Zone. “A heart-rate monitor tells you exactly how hard you’re going.” That’s critical whether you’re hammering out intervals or doing strength training. For instance, short intervals are best done at 90% of your Max heart rate and heavy lifts at 60% of your Max, says Jack.