A New You

What Is a Foam Roller, How Do I Use It, and Why Does It Hurt?

2013-06-25T04:06:00.003-07:00

Self-myofascial release, also known as “foam rolling,” has transformed from a once mysterious technique used only by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists to a familiar everyday practice for people at all levels of fitness. Recent information, technology, and affordable products have introduced an increasing array of training and recovery methods to the average person.

Self-myofascial release is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. This method can be performed with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, Theracane, or your own hands. By applying pressure to specific points on your body you are able to aid in the recovery of muscles and assist in returning them to normal function. Normal function means your muscles are elastic, healthy, and ready to perform at a moment’s notice.

Do I Have Tight Muscles or Trigger Points?

Trigger points are specific “knots” that form in muscles. They are unique and can be identified because they will refer pain. Pain referral, for our purposes, can most easily be described as the pain felt when pressure is applied to one area of the body, but the pain is felt or radiated in another area. A common example of a trigger point is felt while foam rolling your iliotibial (IT) band as it causes pain to radiate up to the hip or all the way down the leg to the ankle. When rolling or working on tight/sore muscles you will experience discomfort or pain. Think of it like the pain you get while stretching. It should be uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when you are done it should feel better.

Why Am I Doing Something That Hurts?

For many, deep tissue massage is easy to understand. Ideally someone is able to work out the knots in your muscles, and it is commonly known this process may be uncomfortable and at times painful. Self-myofascial release provides the user the ability to control the healing and recovery process by applying pressure in precise locations, because only you can feel exactly what is happening. It is always recommended to consult with your physician or physical therapist for therapeutic/sharp pain and receive approval before starting self-myofascial release. For most people you will be cleared immediately and your doctor will encourage the practice.

Releasing trigger points helps to reestablish proper movement patterns and pain free movement, and ultimately, to enhance performance. Utilizing stretching alone is not always enough to release muscles tightness, which is why foam rollers have thrived on the mass market. Imagine a bungee cord with a knot tied into it and then envision stretching the cord. This creates tension, stretching the unknotted portion of the muscle and the attachment points. The knot, however, has remained unaltered. Foam rolling can assist in breaking up these muscle knots, resuming normal blood flow and function. The goal to any corrective or recovery technique is to get you back to the point of normal functioning, as if nothing was ever wrong. When was the last time you trained like you were a teenager, going hard without a second thought, and injuries were something that only happened due to physical trauma like a 250lb linebacker hitting you?

What Causes Trigger Points and Tight Muscles?

Both have the same contributing factors including training, flexibility, movement patterns, posture, nutrition, hydration, rest, stress, and other lifestyle factors. Our bodies learn to compensate for what we throw at them every day, but we can exceed our ability to recover via too many intense workouts, poor posture, and other lifestyle factors. This is when you need assistance using recovery techniques or through seeing a professional. If you lived a perfect life with everything in balance, you would theoretically never have either of these conditions, however I’ve yet to meet that person.

How Does Self-Myofascial Release Work?

Deep compression helps to break up or relax tight muscles and adhesions formed between muscle layers and their surroundings. Imagine you are tenderizing your own muscles. They should be soft and supple like a baby’s muscles. However, if our muscles are not taken care of properly we can experience loss of flexibility, adhesions, and painful movement. The compression allows normal blood flow to return and restoration of healthy tissue. Our bodies naturally want to be healthy and strong, but sometimes an extra boost is needed to achieve optimal muscle and tissue health.

How Do I Know What to Foam Roll and How to Do It?

Areas to focus on can be identified in two different ways. The first is through screenings. You may target specific areas/muscles that relate to the movements you are focusing on. If after using the foam roller your movement improves, you have a more specific strategy to follow. Secondly, trigger points and tight muscles can be found through self-exploration, utilizing the list of techniques below and exploring each one.

To foam roll properly, apply moderate pressure to a specific muscle or muscle group using the roller and your bodyweight. You should roll slowly, no more than one inch per second. When you find areas that are tight or painful, pause for several seconds and relax as much as possible. You should slowly start to feel the muscle releasing, and after 5-30 seconds the discomfort or pain should lessen. If an area is too painful to apply direct pressure, shift the roller and apply pressure on the surrounding area and gradually work to loosen the entire area. The goal is to restore healthy muscles - it is not a pain tolerance test. You may also use other objects to work on muscles such as a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, Theracane, or Trigger Point Therapy Kit.

Never roll a joint or bone. Avoid rolling your lower back. To target these muscles I recommend using tennis or lacrosse balls. If you are having issues with your neck, refer these issues to an appropriate medical professional, as these areas they can be more sensitive and require more advanced attention.

What Happens After Rolling?

You may be sore the next day. It should feel as if your muscles have been worked/released, however you should not push yourself to the point of excessive soreness. Drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and eat clean. This will help to flush your system and fuel your muscles more effectively. Give it 24-48 hours before focusing on the same area again.

Original Article - http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/what-foam-roller-how-do-i-use-it-and-why-does-it-hurt

Static Vs Dynamic Stretching

2013-05-24T05:39:00.003-07:00

Every day I see the same thing with one client or another. After a long day at work, they will walk in and immediately start doing a static stretch: propping their leg up on something and holding it there. Putting an elbow behind their head and pushing down for 20 or 30 seconds. Every day I tell them they same thing: stop doing the static stretches before workouts and start doing dynamic stretches.
What are the differences between static and dynamic stretches, and which is more beneficial before a workout?

Static Stretching

Static stretching is a slow and constant stretch that is held at an end position for up to 30 seconds. The benefits of static stretching involve an increase in flexibility. A lack of flexibility seems to play a role in the development of chronic injuries such as patella femoral syndrome (knee pain), low back pain and shoulder pain. Many people report an alleviation of ailments and pain after a rigorous static stretching regimen has been implemented. Since performance can be inhibited by inflexibility, static stretching done at the right time may help increase performance levels.

Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching uses momentum, speed of movement, and active muscular effort to bring about a stretch. Unlike static stretching, the end position is not held. Dynamic stretching is similar to ballistic stretching except that it avoids bouncing motions and tends to incorporate more sports-specific movements. Dynamic stretching is useful due to its effects of reducing muscle tightness, which is a factor associated with an increased occurrence of musculotendinous tears.

Which Is Superior Before A Workout?

Pretty much beginning in grade school, people are taught the static stretches as part of a warm up before sporting events, training sessions, and weightlifting training. The problem with that is, static stretching is much less beneficial that dynamic stretching as part of a warm up.

Multiple studies have been conducted on this subject since the 1980's on the benefits of dynamic stretching during warm up. Studies have shown that the dynamic range of motion (DROM) is significantly increased for the angular displacement of the hip joint, especially compared to static stretching.

In a study testing the “effect of dynamic versus static stretching in the warm-up on hamstring flexibility”, twelve participants were randomly assigned to three interventions of 225 second stretch treatment on separate days:

No stretching
Static stretching
Dynamic stretching

This is what they found: “The intervention study comparing the effects of static and dynamic stretching routines in the warm-up on hamstring flexibility demonstrated that dynamic stretching enhanced static as well as dynamic flexibility. Static stretching on the other hand did not have an impact on dynamic flexibility. Static stretches may be useful in the cooling down period of training for long term gains in flexibility.”

Dynamic stretching will improve your performance by increasing flexion in the joints and increasing body temperature. Much like how the time of day can determine your body temperature, dynamic stretching will increase your body temperature, causing blood to flow more easily to muscles. The warmer the muscle, the less chance there is of injury. Static stretching decreases the ability to exhibit maximum power or strength for up to 30 minutes after stretching.

Too much static stretching can cause the length of the resting muscle to be too long, and one can encounter the problem of the stretch-shorten reflex to not work as well. Excessive flexibility such as the splits, can be counterproductive for sports that don't require it because it will decrease your ability in power or strength movements.

The bottom line is this:

Dynamic stretches are most beneficial before exercise because they warm up the muscles and send blood to them. They also mimic the movements that will be taking place during the exercise.

Static stretches have their place and their place is not before stretching. They should only be done after a workout is finished. You won't be holding a locked arm behind your head during a workout, so why would you do that for a warm up?

Above all else, don't be one of those people that thinks they don't need to warm up. Because those people are stupid.

Original Article - http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/01/static-vs-dynamic-stretching.html

What Counts as Water? Stay Hydrated and Healthy

2013-05-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

Water doesn't get the same media attention as green tea, antioxidants, and the latest fad diets. Yet it plays a much more critical part in our daily lives and our bodies.

Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, and every system depends on water. So water is important for healthy skin, hair, and nails, as well as controlling body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

"It's definitely essential," says Jim White, registered dietitian and personal trainer in Virginia Beach, Va., and American Dietetic Association spokesman.
"What we're finding is so many people are deficient," he notes. "We're seeing a huge decrease in athletic performance and fatigue that's caused by the lack of hydration."
You can stay fully hydrated throughout the day by drinking water and other fluids, as well as eating foods that are hydrating.

What Counts as Water?

Fruits are an excellent source for water. Watermelon is 90% water, so it ranks highest on the list. Oranges, grapefruit, and melons like cantaloupe and honeydew are also strong contenders.
Vegetables, though not as full of water as fruit, can also provide a nutrient-rich water source. Stick with celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, and Romaine lettuce.

There are plenty of hidden sources of water in your diet, says White. If you want to tap into these foods, reach for oatmeal, yogurt, soup, and smoothies.

Besides guzzling water, milk is a top choice to refuel. Sodas, even diet ones, get a bad rap for lacking nutritional value, but they can still be hydrating. Juices and sports drinks are also hydrating -- you can lower the sugar content by diluting them with water.

Coffee and tea also count in your tally. Many used to believe that they were dehydrating, but that myth has been debunked. The diuretic effect does not offset hydration.

Alcohol is a huge dehydrator, says White. You should try to limit your intake, but if you are going to raise a glass, aim for at least a one-to-one ratio with water.

If you don't like the taste of plain water, White suggests adding lemon to it. Or test out your own concoction, like sparkling water with raspberries with a sprig of mint.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Parents should make sure that children and teens are getting adequate hydration throughout the day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children drink plenty of fluids before starting any exercise and continue to drink during physical activity.

During exercise, the AAP suggests drinking about 3-8 ounces of water every 20 minutes for children 9-12 and about 34-50 ounces per hour for adolescent boys and girls.

Athletes need to take precautions to avoid dehydration. White recommends drinking 16 ounces one hour prior to exercise, 4-8 ounces every 15 minutes during exercise, and another 16 ounces an hour after exercise. The amounts can vary depending on your personal response, heat index, and the type of activity.

"If you're sweating, you're losing water," says Nancy Clark, MS, RD, sports dietitian in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

How can you tell if you're getting enough fluids during the day? You can tell by checking your urine color and output. If you're urinating every two to four hours, the output is light-colored, and there's significant volume, then you're probably well-hydrated.

"That's a very simple, easy way to monitor hydration," says Clark. "If you go from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon without peeing, then you're dehydrated."

Signs of Dehydration

How can you tell if you're dehydrated? You might feel tired, cranky, moody, or get a headache. "As the body gets dehydrated, the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the vessels," explains Clark.

To get a better handle on your hydration levels, White recommends keeping a water log. "Everyone tracks food. How often do we track our water intake?" he asks.

For techie types, there are free apps that pop up with water reminders throughout the day. Whatever method works best for you, drink up and stay well hydrated.

Original Article - http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/healthy-beverages

Spot Reduction – Is It A Myth?

2013-05-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

You’ll often enter the gym to see people doing thousands of crunches in an attempt to reveal their six pack, or squats and lunges to trim their legs. Spot reducing fat from certain body parts isn’t possible, and may be a waste of your training efforts.

Why Spot Reduction is a Myth

So you want to get a six pack – what’s the first thing you’re going to start doing in your training plan? Probably sit ups and crunches, right?

Wrong.

When trying to lose fat from certain areas of the body, most people think that they need to work that particular area as hard as possible to burn the fat from it. Unfortunately though, this isn’t the case.

It seems pretty logical – you want to trim up somewhere, so you work that area really hard, and the fat falls off, but they body just doesn’t work like that. Stubborn fat is a pretty common issue for a lot of people. Generally, women hold their fat around the hips and thighs, while for men it’s around the stomach and lower back. You’ll get people who have excess fat other places too, like the arms, upper back and chest, but generally it’s the stomach and thighs that get the most attention.

Muscle and fat are two entirely separate components though – they’re not really linked at all. If we use the most common example of spot reduction – doing crunches and sit ups to burn stomach fat, and look at why this doesn’t work.

Losing fat is all about calorie balance

Firstly, losing fat is all about calorie balance – to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, so that your body has to burn its stored fat for energy. Clearly, the best way to do this is through diet. By lowering your calorie intake by 500 calories per day, you can burn a pound of fat per week without even doing any exercise. Diet is a far more effective way of losing fat than exercising, although that’s not to say that exercise isn’t important.

Crunches, however, are a very low calorie burner, as they’re easy to perform, and require very little effort, meaning that they don’t do much in the way of burning fat. Chances are you will feel a real burn in your abs after crunching for a while, but as muscle and fat aren’t linked, this does little in the way of burning stomach fat. This goes for all other exercises too – squats don’t specifically burn leg fat, curls don’t directly burn biceps fat, and so on.

The other issue is hormones and genetics

Your genetics play a huge role in where you store most of your fat, hence why women and men store fat in different places. This means that while it is certainly possible to lose fat from your stubborn areas, your body will always decide where to lose fat from first. Most people will see fat loss first from their face, and from the stubborn areas last.

Even if you do every exercise under the sun for your targeted body part, and do one thousand reps every day, you can’t tell your body where it’s going to lose fat from. The problem areas discussed above – the stomach and hips are often linked to hormone levels too. Without going into too much detail here, there isn’t that much you can do about your hormone levels, meaning that again, while you will eventually lose your stubborn fat, it will be the last thing to go.

Original Article - http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Spot_Reduction_____Is_It_A_Myth__a2277.html

12 Ways to Improve Back Pain

2013-04-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

Like the nearly 80% of Americans who will experience a back problem during their lifetime, Beverly Hayes suffers from back pain. For many, the injury is triggered by a strenuous activity, like gardening or weight lifting. Others simply bend down to pick up a pencil and their back gives out.

“It felt like a screwdriver was piercing through by bones,” the 46-year-old Chicago artist says about the pain that developed shortly after she ran a half-marathon. “It took over my life. I couldn’t bend down or sleep — I was petrified I would never feel normal again.”

Mary Ann Wilmarth PT, DPT, OCS, a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association and chief of physical therapy at Harvard University, says it is critical that people address any back pain or injury right away. “Early intervention can help prevent a chronic problem from developing and obviate the need for medication and surgery,” she says.

Thanks to a combination of activity, core strengthening exercises, and physical therapy, Hayes says her symptoms have improved dramatically over the last year. Here are 12 ways to help alleviate back pain:

1. Limit Bed Rest

It may seem counterintuitive, but studies show that people with acute low-back pain who rest have more pain and are less able to perform daily tasks than those who stay active.
“Patients should avoid more than three days of bed rest,” says Mike Flippin, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in back and spine care at San Diego Medical Center. “I encourage my patients to get moving as quickly as possible.”

2. Keep Exercising

Activity is often the best medicine for back pain. “Simple exercises like walking can be very helpful,” Wilmarth says. “It gets people out of a sitting posture and puts the body in a neutral, upright position.”
But remember to move in moderation, Flippin says. “Stay away from strenuous activities like gardening and avoid whatever motion caused the pain in the first place.”

3. Maintain Good Posture

The pain may have started after a long workout at the gym, but the strain that caused it has probably been building for years. Wilmarth says most people perform their daily activities with poor posture, putting unnecessary strain on their back.
“Little things add up,” she says. “You can increase the pressure on your back by 50% simply by leaning over the sink incorrectly to brush your teeth. Keeping the right amount of curvature in the back takes pressure off the nerves and will reduce back pain.”

4. See a Specialist

Developing an individualized exercise plan is essential to managing chronic back pain, says D. Scott Davis, PT, MS, EdD, OCS, an orthopaedic physical therapist and associate professor at West Virginia University.
“There is no magic aspirin that addresses lower back pain in everyone,” Davis says. “Some patients need more core strengthening while others benefit mainly from stretching and improving flexibility. Find a physical therapist, exercise physiologist, or chiropractor who specializes in back care. They will match you with the right exercise plan.”

5. Strengthen Your Core

Most people with chronic back pain would benefit from stronger abdominal muscles.
“The torso is a combination of many muscle groups working together,” Frank B. Wyatt, EdD, professor of exercise physiology at Missouri Western State University, tells WebMD in an email. “If the abdominals are weak, other areas must pick up the slack. When we strengthen the abdominals, it often reduces the strain on the lower back.”

6. Improve Flexibility

Too much tension and tightness can cause back pain. "Our goal in increasing flexibility is to put an equal load throughout the body from the feet all the way up to the head,” Davis says. “One good exercise is to sit on the edge of the bed with one leg extended and the other one on the floor. Give your hamstrings a stretch by leaning forward while keeping your back in a neutral position.”

7. Ditch the Brace

It’s tempting to baby your back muscles, but Davis says braces should be used sparingly. “Braces are helpful for strenuous activities, like heavy lifting, but only keep them on for 15 minutes at a time,” he says. If you wear a brace all day, the muscles — which should be providing stability — weaken and you will have less core strength.

8. Apply Ice and Heat

Heating pads and cold packs can comfort tender trunks. Most doctors recommend using ice for the first 48 hours after an acute injury -- particularly if there is swelling — and then switching to heat.
But "it is difficult to say if ice or heat is more beneficial,” Flippin says. “I recommend that patients use whichever they find comforting as long as their skin is protected.”

9. Sleep the Right Way

The amount of rest you get is important, and so is the position you get it in. “Sleeping in a bad position or on a mattress without support can cause back pain,” Wilmarth says.
Some pointers:

Back sleepers should put pillows under their knees.
Side sleepers should place pillows between their knees to keep their spine in a neutral position.
Stomach sleeping causes the neck and head to twist and can put undue stress on the back.

10. Quit Smoking

Lighting up doesn’t just damage your lungs; it can also hurt your back.
A study recently published in the American Journal of Medicine found that current and former smokers are more likely to have back pain when compared with people who have never smoked.
“Nicotine causes the small blood vessels to constrict and decreases the delivery of blood to the soft tissue,” Flippin says. “I tell all my patients that quitting smoking could help alleviate their back pain.”

11. Try Talk Therapy

Back pain is often associated with underlying psychological issues such as depression and anxiety, says Alex Moroz, MD, associate professor of rehabilitation medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center.
“Your emotional state colors the perception of pain,” Moroz says. “Therapy can be a helpful part of rehabilitation.”

12. Use Relaxation Techniques

Research shows that practices such as meditation, deep breathing, tai chi, and yoga, which help put the mind at rest, can do wonders for the back.
“If you can induce a relaxation response, it will help reduce the perceived pain level," Moroz says.

Original Article - http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/back-pain-remedies-and-tips

Eating Before Bed

2013-04-23T01:46:00.002-07:00

What and when you eat at the end of the day can have a large impact on your weight. If you eat the right thing at the right time you can actually lose weight while you sleep. Eat the wrong thing at the wrong time and you can plan on waking up with a little more body fat in the morning.

To succsufully loss weight, you'll need to stop eating two - three hours before going to bed. YOu shold not feel starving before bed but you should feel slightly hungry. When you're trying to lose weight, slipping into bed at night feeling slightly hungry is actually a good thing. It's your body telling you that what you did that day is working -- you're losing body fat. If you don't feel this way, you're probably not losing fat.

Now lets say you follow your brain's directive and eat close to bedtime, your body will not dip into the fat it has stored away, and will probably even store some more. Every time you eat, your metabolism increases slightly. But this effect is lost or minimized late at night. You don't get the same metabolism-boosting benefit when you eat just before bed, because a couple of hours after dinner, your body begins preparing for sleep. This natural slackening of your metabolic rate overrides any metabolic boost you might get from eating. So once you hit the pillow, the only calories you're going to use are the basic calories you need to keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing and allow your eyes to move in REM sleep. This is only a minimal number of calories.

Believe it or not, eating late at night can also inhibit your calorie-burning potential the next day. Say, for instance, that you treat yourself to a sandwich and some fat free chips at 9.:30 P.M. one night and are fast asleep by 10:30. When your alarm goes off the next morning at eight, the last thing on your mind is going to be breakfast -- you're still full from the sandwich and fat free chips you ate the night before. Chances are, you're going to skip breakfast and lose all the metabolism-boosting benefits you'd get from eating a morning meal.

Things to Remember:

• Eating too much food, especially carbohydrates, late at night increases your body fat stores
• Eating high-glycemic carbs (pasta, potatoes, white rice, sugar, etc.) right before bed will spike your insulin levels and blunt nighttime Human Growth Hormone (HGH) production.
• That's very bad because about 80% of this fat-burning, muscle-building "super hormone" is released during sleep.
• If you fast for 11 hours (8 PM to 7 am for instance) your body will begin burning significant amounts of fat around the 5th hour (1 am) and continue to do so until you wake up.

Here are a few simple tips to make sure you get the most from your last meal of the day:

• Eat about 3 hours before going to bed - you'll have some time to burn off calories but you probably won't get too hungry before going to sleep
• Eat frequently throughout the day - small, healthy meals and snacks spaced about 3 hours apart - to minimize hunger cravings at night
• Your last meal should consist mainly of a lean protein (like baked chicken breast) and low-calorie, fibrous carbohydrates (veggies and fruits) - avoid all starchy carbs close to bedtime (breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, etc.)
• If, like many of us, you get big-time carb cravings right before bed.....eat some carbs! Just make sure they're the high-fiber, low-glycemic kind: apples, berries, peaches, plums, bran cereal, fresh vegetables, vegetable juice, etc.
• If you're currently strength training to build muscle, a great end-of-the-day meal option is low-fat cottage cheese (full of slowly-digested casein protein) with no-sugar-added fresh or canned fruit.

Original Article - http://www.illpumpyouup.com/articles/eating-before-bed.htm

Is There Really a “Best” Time of Day to Exercise?

2013-03-24T08:33:00.004-07:00

When Should You Workout?

The short answer here is yes, there is a best time of day to exercise. The longer answer is that you may face some difficulty when it comes to finding that magical hour in which you’ll get the most out of your workout regimen. The problem is that we are all different and thus, what works for one person may not be at all ideal for another.

For example, you may hop out of bed in the morning the minute your alarm goes off, raring to go and ready to throw on your jogging shoes. On the other hand, you might have no frame of reference for people who can rise even earlier than usual to get in a workout before a full day of work.

It could be that you prefer to exercise after work as a way to refocus and relieve stress. Maybe you like to head to the gym late at night when no one else is around to get in your way. Or perhaps you enjoy the hustle and bustle of other active adults moving all around you. The point is that everyone has different wants and needs when it comes to exercise, and they could play a role in finding the best time of day to workout.

How to figure out YOUR best time of day to work out

So how can you figure out your personal “best” time of day to hit the treadmill, grab some hand weights, or join a spinning class? There are several criteria you might want to consider.

You may find that particular times of day work better for physical reasons. Perhaps rolling out of bed and into the gym is no good because you feel nauseous if you don’t eat before you work out, or because you’re stodgy and uncoordinated until you have your first cup of coffee. Maybe at the end of the day you feel exhausted.

You have heard that testosterone levels are highest in the morning, so you want to make the best of your hormone levels. This is a scientifically known fact, but how much does a high t-level actually affect your workout? Blood sugar is also lowest in the morning, and some folks can’t tolerate workout out on a nearly empty stomach, so morning workouts might not be the best choice.

Maybe forcing yourself to get up instead of letting your body wake naturally leaves you in a foul temper that is less than ideal where motivation is concerned. But then also consider that once you’ve completed your workout, the endorphins will probably kick your mood into hyper-happy overdrive. The tradeoff might be worth it.

Or it might be that you can’t exercise at night because you’re too tired after a long day of work, or alternately, because it leaves you so energized that you can’t get to sleep at night. You might be inclined to hang out with your family at night, or maybe you have a part time job. In this case it might be best to try to workout at lunch after a hearty breakfast.

We all react differently to exercise, so finding the golden hour can be a daunting task. However, trial and error should help you here. The more pressing concern for most people is finding the time to fit exercise into a busy schedule. In some cases, the best time of day to exercise revolves not only around when you feel like doing it, but when it is practical to do so.

For some people, this could mean rising an hour early, hitting the gym during a lunch break, or waiting until the kids are in bed. Others may have to squeeze in 10-minute speed sessions throughout the day in order to get in a full workout.

Consider your ideal workout venue

It might also be a good idea to evaluate an actual gym membership, versus seeking discount ellipticals, treadmills, and free weight sets for in-home. In this regard, price and convenience could be the deciding factor.

Before you decide that morning is the best time simply because that’s when your spouse exercises, or that going to the gym after work will produce the best results because that’s when classes are scheduled, you need to consider several factors that may play a role in maximizing your efforts and your results. In this way you can truly select the perfect time for you daily workout.

Original Article - http://www.projectswole.com/healthy-lifestyle/is-there-really-a-best-time-of-day-to-exercise/#more-7037

Low Carb Diet Dangers

2013-03-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest dieting craze. However, before you jump on the band wagon, you may want to consider a few things:

1. Low carb (ketogenic) diets deplete the healthy glycogen (the storage form of glucose) stores in your muscles and liver

When you deplete glycogen stores, you also dehydrate, often causing the scale to drop significantly in the first week or two of the diet. This is usually interpreted as fat loss when it's actually mostly from dehydration and muscle loss. By the way, this is one of the reasons that low carb diets are so popular at the moment - there is a quick initial, but deceptive drop in scale weight.
Glycogenesis (formation of glycogen) occurs in the liver and muscles when adequate quantities of carbohydrates are consumed - very little of this happens on a low carb diet. Glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen) occurs when glycogen is broken down to form glucose for use as fuel.

2. Depletion of muscle glycogen causes you to fatigue easily, and makes exercise and movement uncomfortable

Research indicates that muscle fatigue increases in almost direct proportion to the rate of depletion of muscle glycogen. Bottom line is that you don't feel energetic and you exercise and move less (often without realizing it) which is not good for caloric expenditure and basal metabolic rate (metabolism).

3. Depletion of muscle glycogen leads to muscle atrophy (loss of muscle)

This happens because muscle glycogen (broken down to glucose) is the fuel of choice for the muscle during movement. There is always a fuel mix, but without muscle glycogen, the muscle fibers that contract, even at rest to maintain muscle tone, contract less when glycogen is not immediately available in the muscle. Depletion of muscle glycogen also causes you to exercise and move less than normal which leads to muscle loss and the inability to maintain adequate muscle tone.

Also, in the absence of adequate carbohydrate for fuel, the body initially uses protein (muscle) and fat. the initial phase of muscle depletion is rapid, caused by the use of easily accessed muscle protein for direct metabolism or for conversion to glucose (gluconeogenesis) for fuel. Eating excess protein does not prevent this because there is a caloric deficit.
When insulin levels are chronically too low as they may be in very low carb diets, catabolism (breakdown) of muscle protein increases, and protein synthesis stops.

4. Loss of muscle causes a decrease in your basal metabolic rate

Metabolism happens in the muscle. Less muscle and muscle tone means a slower metabolism which means fewer calories burned 24 hours-a-day.

5. Your muscles and skin lack tone and are saggy

Saggy muscles don't look good, cause saggy skin, and cause you to lose a healthy, vibrant look (even if you've also lost fat).

6. Some proponents of low carb diets recommend avoiding carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes, carrots, etc. because of they are high on the glycemic index - causing a sharp rise in insulin

Certain carbohydrates have always been, and will always be the bad guys: candy, cookies, baked goods with added sugar, sugared drinks, processed / refined white breads, pastas, and rice, and any foods with added sugar. These are not good for health or weight loss. However, carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grain breads and pastas, and brown rice are good for health and weight loss. Just like with proteins and fats, these carbohydrates should be eaten in moderation. Large volumes of any proteins, fats or carbohydrates are not conducive to weight loss and health.

The effect of high glycemic foods is often exaggerated. It's does matter, but to a smaller degree than is often portrayed. Also, the total glycemic effect of foods is influenced by the quantity of that food that you eat at a sitting. Smaller meals have a lower overall glycemic effect. Also, we usually eat several types of food at the same time, thereby reducing the average glycemic index of the meal, if higher glycemic foods are eaten. Also, glycemic index values can be misleading because they are based on a standard 50 grams of carbohydrate consumed. It wouldn't take much candy bar to get that, but it would take four cups of carrots. Do you usually eat four cups of carrots at a meal?

Regular exercisers and active people also are less effected by higher glycemic foods because much of the carbohydrate consumed is immediately used to replenish glycogen stores in the liver and muscle.
By the way, if you're interested in lowering insulin levels, there is a great way to do that - exercise and activity.

7. Much of the weight loss on a low carb, high protein diet, especially in the first few weeks, is actually because of dehydration and muscle loss.

8. The percentage of people that re-gain the weight they've lost with most methods of weight loss is high, but it's even higher with low carb, high protein diets. This is primarily due to three factors:

A. You have lost muscle. With that comes a slower metabolism which means fewer calories are burned 24 hours-a-day. A loss of muscle during the process of losing weight is almost a guarantee for re-gaining the lost weight, and more.

B. You re-gain the healthy fluid lost because of glycogen depletion.

C. It's difficult to maintain that type of diet long-term.

D. You have not made a change to a long-term healthy lifestyle.

9. Eating too much fat is just not healthy

I know you've heard of people whose blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides have decreased while on a low carb, high protein diet. This often happens with weight loss, but it doesn't continue when you're on a diet high in fat. There are literally reams of research over decades that clearly indicates that an increase in consumption of animal products and/or saturated fat leads to increased incidence of heart disease, strokes, gall stones, kidney stones, arthritic symptoms, certain cancers, etc. For example, in comparing countries with varying levels of meat consumption, there is a direct relationship between the volume of meat consumption in a country and the incidence of digestive cancers (stomach, intestines, rectal, etc.).

Fat is certainly necessary, and desirable in your diet, but they should be mostly healthy fats and in moderation. Manufactured / synthetic "low fat" foods with lots of added sugar are not the answer. Neither are manufactured / synthetic "low carb" foods with artificial sweeteners or added fat. By the way, use of artificial sweeteners has never been shown to aid in weight loss and they may pose health problems. According to Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, "In my experience, unless you're willing to throw out decades of research, you cannot ignore that diets chronically high in saturated fats are linked to heart disease," Dr. Ayoob is also a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association and says that low carb, high protein diets are an attempt at a quick fix and not a long-term lifestyle change.

10. As someone recently told me, "it must work - people are losing weight"

People that are truly losing fat on low carb, high protein diets, are doing so because they are eating fewer calories - that's the bottom line. There is no magic - the same can be done on a healthy diet.

11. Low carb diets are lacking in fiber

Every plant-based food has some fiber. All animal products have no fiber. A lack of fiber increases your risk for cancers of the digestive track (because transit time is lengthened) and cardiovascular disease (because of fibers effect on fat and cholesterol). It also puts you at a higher risk for constipation and other bowel disorders.

12. Low carb diets lack sufficient quantities of the the many nutrients / phytonutrients / antioxidants

Found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, necessary for health and aiding in prevention of cancer and heart disease. In fact, you need these nutrients even more so when you're consuming too much fat as is often the case on a low carb high protein diet.

13. Amercans already consume more than twice the amount of protein needed

Add to that a high protein diet and you have far too much protein consumption. By the way, most people don't realize that all fruits, all vegetables, all whole grains, and all legumes also contain protein. Animal products contain larger quantities of protein, but that may not be a good thing. Excess dietary protein puts you at a higher risk for many health problems: gout (painful joints from high purine foods which are usually high protein foods), kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis (excess dietary protein causes leeching of calcium from the bones). By the way, countries with lower, healthier intakes of protein also have a decreased incidence of osteoporosis.

14. Low carb, high protein diets cause an unhealthy physiological state called ketosis, a type of metabolic acidosis

You may have heard the phrase, "fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate". Excess acetyl CoA cannot enter the Krebs Cycle (you remember the old Krebs Cycle) due to insufficient OAA. In other words, for fat to burn efficiently and without production of excess toxic ketones, sufficient carbohydrate must be available. Ketosis can lead to many health problems and can be very serious at it's extreme.

15. Bad breath

Often called "keto breath" or "acetone breath", it's caused by production of acetones in a state of ketosis.
So why the low carb, high protein craze? I believe there are several reasons.
A. Weight loss (mostly muscle and muscle fluid) is often rapid during the first few weeks. This causes people to think they're losing fat rapidly.
B. It gives you "permission" to eat the "bad foods": bacon, eggs, burgers, steak, cheese, etc., and lots of fat.
C. Many see it as the new "magic" they've been looking for, although it's been around, in various forms, since the 1960's.

Original Article - http://www.sideroad.com/Weight_Loss/low-carb-diet-danger.html

The Dangers Of Processed Meat

2013-03-11T10:20:00.001-07:00

Processed meat, once the unquestioned staple of a modern western diet has now finally shocked its way into the publics' consciousness after the recent events of the horsemeat scandal.

Not only is the making of processed foods dubious in itself but now a recent study in Europe has shown a link between consumption of these meats and an early death.

It showed people who ate a lot of processed meat were also more likely to smoke, be obese and have other behaviours known to damage health.
However, the researchers said even after those risk factors were accounted for, processed meat still damaged health.

One in every 17 people followed in the study died. However, those eating more than 160g of processed meat a day - roughly two sausages and a slice of bacon were 44% more likely to die over a typical follow-up time of 12.7 years than those eating about 20g.

In total, nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems.

So What Counts As Processed Meat?

Processed meat refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives. Examples include ham, bacon, pastrami and salami, as well as hot dogs and some sausages. Hamburgers and minced meats only count as processed meat if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives.

If you currently eat a lot of processed red meats then try to vary your diet with other protein choices such as chicken, fish, beans or lentils.

Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21682779

Nine Foods You Should Never Eat Again

2013-03-05T03:57:00.000-08:00

With so much misinformation out there about food and how it affects human health, making healthy food choices for you and your family can be difficult and confusing. There are a number of specific foods; however, that you will want to avoid in almost every circumstance because they provide virtually no health benefits while posing plenty of health risks. Here are nine foods you should never eat again if you care about preserving your long-term health:

1) White Bread, Refined Flours

By definition, white bread and refined flours in general are toxic for your body because they have been stripped of virtually all vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients. Because of this, the body does not know how to properly digest and assimilate these so-called foods, which can lead to health problems. Refined white flour has also been bleached with chlorine and brominated with bromide, two poisonous chemicals that have been linked to causing thyroid and organ damage.

2) Conventional Frozen Meals

Most conventionally-prepared frozen meals are loaded with preservatives, processed salt, hydrogenated oils and other artificial ingredients, not to mention the fact that most frozen meals have been heavily pre-cooked, rendering their nutrient content minimal at best (especially after getting microwaved again at home). With the exception of a few truly healthy frozen meal brands such as Amy's and Organic Bistro, most frozen meals are little more than disease in a box, so avoid them in favor of fresh foods.

3) White Rice

Like white bread, white rice has been stripped of most of its nutrients, and separated from the bran and germ, two natural components that make up rice in its brown form. Even so-called "fortified" white rice is nutritionally deficient, as the body still processes this refined food much differently than brown rice, which is absorbed more slowly and does not cause the same spike in blood sugar that white rice does.

4) Microwaveable Popcorn

This processed food is a favorite among moviegoers and regular snackers alike, but it is one of the unhealthiest foods you can eat. Practically every component of microwaveable popcorn, from the genetically-modified (GM) corn kernels to the processed salt and preservative chemicals used to enhance its flavor, is unhealthy and disease-promoting. On top of this, microwaveable popcorn contains a chemical known as diacetyl that can actually destroy your lungs. If you love popcorn, stick with organic kernels that you can pop yourself in a kettle and douse with healthy ingredients like coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and Himalayan pink salt.

5) Cured Meat Products With Nitrates, Nitrites

Deli meats, summer sausage, hot dogs, bacon, and many other meats sold at the grocery store are often loaded with sodium nitrite and other chemical preservatives that have been linked to causing heart disease and cancer. If you eat meat, stick with uncured, nitrite and nitrate-free varieties, and preferably those that come from organic, grass-fed animals.

6) Most conventional protein, energy bars

By the way they are often marketed, it might seem as though protein and energy bars are a strong addition to a healthy diet. But more often than not, these meal replacements contain processed soy protein, refined sugar, hydrogenated fat, and other harmful additives that contribute to chronic illness. Not all protein and energy bars are bad, of course -- Thunderbird Energetica, Organic Food Bar, Boku Superfood, Vega Sport, PROBAR, and Zing all make healthy protein and energy bars. Just be sure to read the ingredient labels and know what you are buying.

7) Margarine

Hidden in all sorts of processed foods, margarine, a hydrogenated trans-fat oil, is something you will want to avoid at all costs for your health. Contrary to popular belief, butter and saturated fats in general are not unhealthy, especially when they are derived from pastured animals that feed on grass rather than corn and soy. And if animal-based fats are not for you, stick with extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil rather than margarine.

8) Soy Milk and Soy-based Meat Substitutes

One of the biggest health frauds of modern times, the soy craze is a fad that you will want to skip. Besides the fact that nearly all non-organic soy ingredients are of GM origin, most soy additives are processed using a toxic chemical known as hexane, which is linked to causing birth defects, reproductive problems, and cancer. Soy that has not been fermented is also highly estrogenic, which can throw your natural hormone balance out of whack.

9) "Diet" Anything

Many so-called "diet" products on the market today contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame (Equal) and sucralose (Splenda), both of which are linked to causing neurological damage, gastrointestinal problems, and endocrine disruption. Many diet products also contain added chemical flavoring agents to take the place of fat and other natural components that have been removed to artificially reduce calorie content. Instead, stick with whole foods that are as close to nature as possible, including high-fat foods grown the way nature intended, and your body will respond surprisingly well.

Original Article - http://www.naturalnews.com/038467_foods_avoid_processed_meat.html

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Its Great Benefits

2013-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

High intensity interval training or HIIT describes any form of exercise that alternates between high bursts of activity to fixed periods of less intense activity or even complete rest.
For example, a good starter workout would involve sprinting at your hardest for 10 seconds before slowing down to a walk for 2 minutes and then sprinting again. After repeating this routine 4 times and allowing a light warm up beforehand this workout altogether should take no longer than 15 minutes, a far more efficient way to burn fat than constant jogging or any other form of low intensity cardio over an extended period of time.

Although it sounds too good to be true, research for several years now has shown that in a shorter time frame you can make more progress in burning fat, retaining muscle and improving both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance through HIIT rather than using conventional cardio routines. This is very important given our busy modern lives and discredits "lack of time" as a viable excuse for not exercising properly.

Benefits Of High Intensity Interval Training

Burn more calories than endurance cardio

Burn more fat than endurance cardio

Increase power

Increase speed

Increase muscle density

Improve anaerobic endurance

Improve aerobic endurance

Speed up metabolism for more than a day and a half

Can be done anywhere with no equipment

Exercise for less time for greater results

HIIT is also a very versatile form of exercise and can be performed wherever you may find yourself, be it in a gym on an exercise bike or just outside in any safe open space you can run around in.

HIIT isn't for everyone however, it's intense and can't be performed every day of the week, usually around 3 times is sufficient.
It isn't suitable for endurance athletes either as they need different conditioning using low intensity exercise over a longer period of time.

Those prone to injury in their ankles, knees, hips or back might also want to try a less intense form of exercise and I highly recommend anyone who wants to start sprinting to buy a good pair of running shoes beforehand to prevent injury in their feet and ankles, my preferred brands are Asics and New Balance.

hat alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. - See more at: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit#sthash.geXOa0Zn.dpuf

Break the Late Night Eating Habit

2013-03-01T04:38:00.001-08:00

Are You a Midnight Muncher?

Does the refrigerator call your name after dark? Chances are, you satisfied your hunger at dinner, so these late-night munchies are not about being hungry. Instead, they're a result of habit, boredom, stress, or fatigue after a long, hard day. No matter what the cause, eating at night usually leads to overeating, and can wreak havoc on your weight-loss diet.

For many people, late-night eating is just a habit -- it's quiet at night, no one is around to see you eat, and it's a peaceful time to enjoy your favorite foods. Unfortunately, this habit has got to go if you are going to lose weight permanently. If you eat more calories at times of day when you're not expending much energy, you're likely to gain weight.

Breaking Free of Late-Night Eating

But keep in mind that it's not necessarily the time you eat that leads to weight gain, but the type of foods you tend to eat late at night. Favorite foods for after-dark munching include ice cream, potato chips, chocolate, desserts -- you get the picture. Your body does not process food differently after dark, but nighttime tends to be the most sedentary time of the day, when your calorie needs are minimal. The bottom line: Eating after dinner tends to pack on the pounds.

So what's a dieter to do? The ideal solution is to eat three square meals a day and avoid all between-meal eating. Because that is not so easy to do, here are 10 tips to help you get over midnight munching:

Resolve not to eat late in the day or after dinner.

Distract yourself -- take the dog for a walk, curl up with a good book, or relax in a hot bath.

Satisfy your cravings with a low calorie alternative like herbal tea, a handful of veggies, or a piece of fruit.

Increase the fiber in your diet, especially at dinner. Try adding beans or whole grains to keep you feeling full.

Increase the protein in your dinner. Recent research suggests that protein has the greatest staying power to keep hunger at bay.

Limit all eating to the kitchen or dining room, and always eat while sitting down at the table. This helps curb "eating amnesia," that mindless munching in front of the television.

Eat slowly and savor the taste of your food. Give yourself 15 to 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that you have had enough.

Start your day with breakfast. People who skip breakfast are more likely to snack impulsively on calorie-laden foods.

Let your journal be your friend. Use your diet journal to help you track your meals and keep you on target with your eating plan.

Drink plenty of water. Not only will it help you stay hydrated, it will give you something to do with your hands and mouth.

Here's one more important consideration: Make sure you have not cut your calorie intake so low that you are starving at night. You may need to bump up your daytime calories a bit to stave off late-night hunger. But before you create a new eating plan, make sure that your urge to eat at night is really hunger -- not boredom or just habit.

The most successful dieters eat three meals a day and resist the temptation to snack between meals and after dinner. Oprah Winfrey's diet guru, Bob Greene, advises clients not to eat at all after 8 p.m., as a technique to limit total calories.

So if you're plagued by midnight munchies, do your best to get yourself into a regular meal routine. Keep it simple, and remember that your main goal is to get into the habit of not eating after dinner.

Original Article - http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56681

Diabetes Causes and Myths

2013-02-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

Causes of type 1 diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed, causing a severe lack of insulin. This is usually thought to be the result of the body attacking and destroying its own cells in the pancreas, known as an autoimmune reaction.
It isn't clear why this happens, but a number of explanations and possible triggers have been proposed. These include:

Infection with a specific virus or bacteria
Exposure to food-borne chemical toxins
Exposure as a very young infant to cow's milk, where an as yet unidentified component triggers the autoimmune reaction

However, these are only hypotheses and are not proven causes.
As with other autoimmune diseases, an underlying genetic disposition seems to play a part, leaving some people more vulnerable to these triggers.
In rare cases, damage to the pancreas by tumours, toxins or injury (including surgery), can also lead to type 1 diabetes.

Causes of type 2 diabetes

Development of type 2 diabetes is usually multifactorial - that is, several factors combine to cause it. The most important of these is genetics. Children of people with type 2 diabetes have a one in three chance of developing the condition themselves.
In this type of diabetes, the receptors on cells in the body that normally respond to the action of insulin fail to be stimulated by it. This is known as insulin resistance.
In response to this, more insulin may be produced and this overproduction exhausts the insulin-manufacturing cells in the pancreas. There is simply insufficient insulin available and the insulin that is available may be abnormal and so doesn't work properly.
The following risk factors increase the chances of someone developing type 2 diabetes:

Increasing age
Obesity
Physical inactivity

Rarer causes of type 2 diabetes include:

Certain medicines
Pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
Any illness or disease that damages the pancreas and affects its ability to produce insulin, such as pancreatitis

What doesn't cause diabetes?

It's important to be aware of myths about the causes of diabetes. Eating too much sugar does not cause diabetes. However, it may cause obesity and this is associated with people developing type 2 diabetes.
Stress alone does not cause diabetes, although it may be a trigger for autoimmune disease as in type 1 diabetes. There is also evidence that chronic stress increases the risk of the development of a complex condition known as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes features such as abdominal obesity, abnormal blood fat levels , high blood pressure and insulin resistance, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Stress can also make the symptoms worse for people who already have diabetes and make control of their diabetes difficult.
Diabetes is not contagious, so someone with diabetes can't pass it on to anyone else.

Original Article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/in_depth/diabetes/aboutdiabetes_causes.shtml

Finding Motivation to Exercise First Thing in the Morning

2013-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Many people like the energy boost that they get from exercising early since it stays with them throughout the day and leaves them pleasantly sleepy at night. But if you’re not an early riser, you might find that you prefer working out during your lunch break or in the evening, despite the fact that it can leave you pumped up and unable to snooze when your head hits the pillow.

Of course, you may find that exercising later in the day presents you with myriad problems. Perhaps you’re too tired or demands on your time inevitably pop up, preventing you from getting in your workout.

In any case, you might end up deciding that starting your day with a workout is the best way to go. However, it can definitely be difficult to roll out of bed an hour earlier than usual, even if you’re committed to making it work.

So here are a few strategies that should help you find the motivation you need to exercise first thing in the morning.

Tips for Successful Morning Workouts

Sleep

The place to start here is by getting a full night’s sleep, which is to say approximately eight hours each night. This is no easy feat, especially when you plan to rise earlier than normal, but interrupting your sleep cycle with an alarm can make it extremely difficult to hop out of bed ready to face the day.
Going to bed a little earlier is a must if you want to muster the willpower to get up, throw on your gym clothes, and hit the treadmill and weight bench before you have breakfast and head to the office. When you’re lacking adequate rest it can make motivation much harder to attain.

Diet

Another thing to consider is your diet.
If you find yourself dragging through your workouts and wishing you were back in bed, perhaps you need to rethink your strategy when it comes to food. You may not want to eat a full meal before strenuous exercise, for obvious reasons, but within half an hour of rising you should eat a little something to kick-start your metabolism.
You might munch a banana or down a glass of milk, for example, just to get your metabolism moving and provide some quick-burning fuel for your workout.
Exercise Selection

If you are anything like me, you just can’t squat at 6am. You’re still tired, you’re hungry, and your anxious about the day. Squatting is the last thing you want to do a half hour after you get up.
In that case, be sure to plan your routine around what makes you happy. Of course you need to squat, so maybe planning one afternoon legs workout each week would be better than trying to force yourself to squat at the butt-crack of dawn.
Perhaps cardio and back workouts are best for you first thing in the morning. So do those. Eat something small but hearty, or drink a protein shake, then but out 20 minutes of HIIT before work or class. I used to run stair sprints at 6:30am when I lived in the dorms, and I really enjoyed it.
Stimulants

You could also sip on some coffee. This might sound strange, but studies have shown that caffeine works to combat a compound called adenosine that leads to feelings of muscle fatigue, so downing some coffee before a workout could make your efforts more fruitful.Just keep in mind that coffee is also a diuretic, so you might want to drink extra water during and after your workout to compensate. Futher, many athletes have reported that drinking coffee is not an adequate source of energy, unless you drink or eat something else along with the coffee.

Alarm Clocks and Sticky Notes

Of course, there are other tricks that can help to get you out of bed and on your way to the gym. How about an alarm clock that runs away so you have to get up and chase it (like Tocky Runaway Alarm Clock)?
Or you could put a sticky note on your nightstand that reminds you of why you’re working out in the first place. It might say something like “Only 5 pounds to go!”, or “Body building competition 3 weeks away”.
Workout Partners

You might also join personal training courses or schedule workouts with friends to increase your accountability should you fail to rise in a timely manner.

Only you can know what’s going to provide the best form of motivation when it comes to changing your routine. You may have to try different tactics for a while, but once you pinpoint key motivating factors you can definitely use them to your advantage.

Original Article - http://www.projectswole.com/healthy-lifestyle/finding-motivation-to-exercise-first-thing-in-the-morning/

Why A Crash Diet Isn't An Healthy Solution

2013-02-26T06:02:00.002-08:00

A crash diet isn't a good weight loss solution, as crash diets carry a number of health risks, not to mention you're almost guaranteed to gain back all the weight you lost once you go off the diet. Here are some reasons why fad diets, starvations diets and other crash diet plans are a bad idea, even if they really do help you lose weight fast.

How Crash Diets Work

Crash diets often appear to be working after only a few days. These fad diets shock your body, sending it into starvation mode. You'll experience rapid weight loss, but you're not actually losing any fat; instead, you're using your body's stored supply of the carbohydrate glycogen. As your body burns glycogen, you lose water as well, making it seem as though you're losing a lot of weight.

Emotional Side Effects of Crash Diets

Crash dieting tends to make dieters moody. You'll feel irritable, tired and lethargic, because your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs to make energy. You'll also have food cravings because you won't be getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function. Crash dieting can even lead to depression and eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.

Crash diet plans might claim that special combinations of foods can help you lose weight. The truth is, no special combination of food can raise your metabolism to help you lose weight. Only exercise can raise your metabolism to help you burn more calories.

Health Risks of Crash Diets

Crash diets carry both long and short term health risks. The most common short term risk is nutritional deficiency. Long term risks include osteoporosis, as your body leaches calcium from your bones to make up for calcium deficiencies in your crash diet plan. Other long term risks include damage to the brain, kidney, heart and other vital organs.

When you go on a very low calorie crash diet, your vital organs can't get the energy they need to function, and your body begins to burn the tissues of your heart, liver, kidneys, brain and other organs. In the long term, this can lead to heart attack, stroke, or liver and kidney failure.

The Yo-Yo Effect

Your body's own metabolism causes the yo-yo effect. When you go on a crash diet, your body thinks you're starving. It responds by lowering your metabolism to burn fewer calories. When you start eating again, you'll gain weight even more easily, and it could take months or years for your body to readjust.

When you participate in multiple cycles of crash dieting, your body begins to break down muscle faster than fat. The more weight you lose on a starvation diet, the more your metabolism slows. The slower your metabolism, the more weight you gain when you start eating again. Crash dieting can easily become a never-ending cycle of rapid weight loss followed by rapid weight gain.

A Healthy Solution

You should look at weight loss as a long term plan. Try to lose weight slowly, at a rate of two to three pounds per week. Increase your activity level and eat healthy meals and snacks.

Original Article - http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/why-a-crash-diet-isnt-an-healthy-solution.html#b

The Top Six Fitness Myths and Truths

2013-02-22T05:18:00.001-08:00

Would your friends lie to you? They just might be...

This time of year is all about starting fresh—new goals, solid plans, better habits. You probably have a new exercise routine to help you reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Along the way, whether in the gym, reading the latest books, or talking with your friends, you’ll hear a lot of advice about exercise—not all of which is true.

There are several common misconceptions about exercise and weight loss, but don’t let yourself be fooled! Here are the Top 6 Fitness Myths and the Truths that debunk them:

Myth #1: You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas

Truth: This concept is called "spot training" and unfortunately, it doesn’t burn fat. When you lose weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body predetermines which fat stores it will use. For example, doing sit-ups will strengthen you abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. Similarly, an activity like running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.

Myth #2: Women who lift weights will bulk up

Truth: While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too!

Myth #3: If you can’t exercise hard and often, there’s really no point

Truth: Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments instead. Everyone can find 10 minutes to spare sometime during the day! There are simple things you can do to increase your activity without having to go to the gym: take the stairs instead of the elevator, jump rope or do body weight exercises (push ups, crunches) at commercial breaks, take a short walk after lunch. Remember that any exercise is better than none!

Myth #4: Performing abdominal exercises will give you a flat stomach

Truth: This is similar to Myth #1 above. The fact is, the only way to get a flat stomach is to strip away the fat around the midsection. This is accomplished by doing cardio/aerobic exercise (to burn calories), strength training (to increase metabolism) and following a proper diet. Abdominal exercises will help to build muscle in your midsection, but you will never see the muscle definition unless the fat in this area is stripped away.

Myth #5: You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity

Truth: The most important factor in exercise and weight control is not the percentage of fat calories burned, but thetotal calories burned during the activity. The faster you walk, bike or swim, for example, the more calories you use per minute. Although you will be burning fewer "fat calories", you will be burning more total calories, and in turn, will lose more weight.

Myth #6: No pain, no gain!

Truth: Exercise should not be painful! At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. That’s how you know you are working at a good level. It’s important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling "the burn") and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body. If it’s painful, stop!

There’s a lot of fitness information out there- some reliable, some not. The important thing is to ask questions. If you don’t understand something or question the source, ask a qualified fitness professional for their advice. Sticking to the truths of these myths will keep you healthy, injury-free, and on track to meeting your fitness goals.

Original Article - http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=354&page=2

BBQ and Picnic Food to Avoid at All Costs

2013-02-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

When it comes to supporting your fitness routine with a suitable diet, it can be rather difficult to stick to the program, especially when you’re confronted by the delicious foods commonly found at social gatherings like BBQs and picnics. Not only are these traditional recipes fragrant and delicious, but it can be very difficult to deny yourself when everyone else is digging in with obvious relish.

In truth, most people have a much harder time sticking to a diet than an exercise regimen, likely because of the vast abundance of food options available to modern man, as well as a culture that urges us towards excess and instant gratification (often at the expense of long-term goals).
So the next time you go to a picnic or BBQ, you should prepare yourself to avoid certain foods that are sure to tank any type of diet (even when you’re bulking you’re likely to have some guidelines for appropriate foods).

Here are some foods you’ll want to steer clear of and how you can compensate for continued success.

Burgers and Hot Dogs
While your fitness regimen may call for plenty of meats and even some carbs, you probably couldn’t come up with a worse way to get them than by scarfing down hamburgers and hot dogs. For one thing, hamburgers can’t really be classified as the “lean” type of protein you should be getting, and you’re better off eating a steak if you need the benefits of red meat. And don’t even get started on the mystery meat that is the modern hot dog.
By the time you’re done these options have been loaded with extras, slathered with sauces, and squished in a sugar-laden white bun, making for tons of calories that aren’t likely to do your body much good. Instead, bring your own chicken to grill, along with wheat buns for a healthy alternative.
Potato Salad
A mere cup of potato salad could add 300-400 calories to your daily intake, and it’s mostly fat and starch. So skip the mayonnaise-induced heartache and opt for a baked potato instead. With some sour cream, chives, and even extras like broccoli thrown in you can have a filling and healthy option ready in no time.
Baked Beans
If you thought potato salad was the most offensive side dish on the block, think again, because baked beans may be even worse for you. Granted, beans are actually pretty healthy in and of themselves, which is why you might want to consider re-fried or black beans as an alternative to the sauce-covered baked beans that are calling to you across the picnic table.
BBQ Ribs
A single serving of finger-licking spare ribs is a whopping 700+ calories. But the worst thing about this greasy treat is that it will leave you feeling hungry again in short order. If you really want that BBQ flavor, opt instead for a grilled chicken breast basted with BBQ sauce during cooking. You’ll get the taste you love along with the lean meat that’s right for your fitness diet.
Pie
There are few foods you can add to picnic baskets that have less nutritional value than baked goods. And yet, you don’t want to miss out on dessert. So rather than reaching for a sugary piece of pie or cake, bring along some fresh berries and honey to satisfy your sweet tooth, boost your energy, and provide you with the vitamins and antioxidants needed to make your body feel great and function at its peak.

Original Article - http://www.projectswole.com/nutrition-tip/bbq-and-picnic-foods-to-avoid-at-all-costs/#more-7332