For any person, a regular stretching routine can bring some surprising benefits. While you might think that stretching right before activity is beneficial, it needs to be done on a regular basis for a minimum of 10 minutes in order to bring some major changes to muscles and tendons. Research shows that people with the least flexibility have increased chances of injury…
By the time this article is released, things will have changed in society, for better or for worse. I seriously doubt anyone predicted what is going on in society worldwide. I have been on planet Earth over a half a century and have never seen anything like this! The COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the emotions, and literally the panic that people are experiencing is unprecedented. While everyone has their opinion on the seriousness of the issue to them or to their health, the impact on their current lifestyle is undeniable.
The old analogy “Is your glass half empty or half full?” is good for this issue. Interestingly, people will vary in their opinions on this, depending on the issue and circumstances surrounding the issue. Sure, some people will see the bright side of life in most circumstances, and others seem to be the Darth Vader of life, and go to dark side. Given enough time and bad or good circumstances, or given the proper intervention, most people can shift perspectives.
I am currently a teacher in colleges and universities. My various schools have shifted their level of isolation from one to three times! It started off as a delayed move to the online environment, then to lab classes (which I teach) meeting but not lectures, to then all classes are online. Things shifted because circumstances did. I enjoy teaching face to face or “on ground” as it is labelled. This is the human side of me. I like seeing faces, making people laugh, making people think and answer my questions. I like finding out about them and then letting them know something about me. Could this be done in an “online” environment? Yes and no.
By using the conference applications, I can see my student’s faces and they can see mine. They hear my voice and I can have them ask questions and so forth. But their presence, their energy is not in front me, and their separate environment creates a gap that can’t be erased. As fitness professionals, be it with groups or individuals, I know you understand what I speak of. The ability to “tap into” another’s psyche and see them interact to you and you to them is golden, it’s magical, it’s what our humanity is all about!
I have learned new skills, worked with colleagues during this time of desperation on a common solution, and had time with my family I would not have had. Interestingly, I have enjoyed what this horrific event has presented in my life. I am a Hurricane Katrina evacuee. I lived in New Orleans during it and it flipped my life 180 degrees, to say the least. I now live in Southern California, got married and started a family and many, many other things presented themselves because of this event.
We need to be able to learn from these “life-changing events”, grow and see the benefits of them. We need to learn new skillsets to be able to adapt and remember to embrace humanity in the midst of the trauma. People need us and we need people. Be a trainer who engages people with technology and with humanity.
Dr. Mark P. Kelly has been involved with the health and fitness field for more than 30 years. He has been a research scientist for universities and many infomercial projects. He has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics and currently speaks on the use of exercise for clinical purposes and exercise’s impact on the brain. Mark is a teacher in colleges and universities in Orange County, CA., where Principle-Centered Health- Corporate Wellness & Safety operates.
It’s no secret that our bodies feel tight and stiffer if we don’t stretch, especially as we get older. If you invest most of your exercise time into strengthening your muscles or working on your cardio routine, it’s easy to forget about stretching.
Regaining weight after losing it on a diet is much more common than keeping the weight off. Often dieters gain back more than they lost, and it’s a common experience to have an even harder time losing weight the next time. “Weight cycling” is the term for these repeating episodes of intentional weight loss followed by unintentional regain, also often called “yo-yo dieting.”
Research reveals health dangers of weight cyclingIn addition to making the next attempt at weight loss more difficult, repeated cycles of weight loss and gain have damaging effects on the body.
A study presented at the American Heart Association’s March 2019 Scientific Sessions reported that weight cycling was associated with poorer cardiovascular health parameters. Women were assigned a cardiovascular risk score based on 7 factors: smoking, diet, physical activity, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose. Women with a history of weight cycling were less likely to have a favorable BMI and less likely to have a favorable overall cardiovascular health score.1 Previous research also linked bouts of weight cycling to a greater risk of endometrial cancer.2 It is also worth noting that in the cardiovascular study, over 70% of the 485 women reported having a history of weight cycling (at least one instance of weight loss and regain), highlighting how common this issue is.1
One of the most important messages about weight loss is this: change your diet, lose the weight and keep your new, healthier way of eating forever.
The human body responds to weight loss the same way it would respond to starvation – by conserving energy. The brain uses information about calorie intake and the body’s amount of stored energy to determine whether to release appetite-enhancing or appetite-suppressing hormones. One way the body adapts to weight loss is by altering the production of appetite-regulating hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, favoring weight regain by increasing appetite and promoting fat storage. Another way is by decreasing resting energy expenditure.1
These compensatory systems make going back to one’s old unhealthy diet even more weight gain-promoting. The highly palatable low nutrient foods, which stimulate cravings via the dopamine reward system, are even more dangerous for someone whose calorie expenditure has fallen. Also, when you lose weight, some loss of muscle is unavoidable, and strength exercise helps to limit muscle loss. However, when someone gains weight back after dieting, that weight is fat, potentially leaving the dieter with a greater body fat percentage than before.
Studies have linked weight cycling to a greater risk of diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder stones, and shorter telomere length.2-6 Shorter telomeres mean rapid aging. Weight cycling women were also found to have a greater waist circumference, and seem to gain more weight over time than “non-cyclers” who start off at the same BMI.7,8
The bottom line is that making changes to your diet to improve your health and your weight need to be permanent changes, not temporary.
Why is gaining back body fat harmful? Adipose (fat) tissue is more than a vessel for storing excess energy. In addition to storing fat, adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ: it contains macrophages (a type of white blood cell) in addition to adipocytes; it produces and secretes compounds that affect the function of other types of cells. Obesity is accompanied by a systemic low-grade inflammation.9,10 Adipose releases compounds that can induce negative consequences such as insulin resistance, higher triglycerides, and reduced immune function, and even growth promoters that can increase risk of cancer. As fat tissue grows, more of these pro-inflammatory compounds are produced, leading to chronic inflammation, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.11
How to avoid weight cyclingThe key to losing weight and keeping it off forever is changing your diet forever. Stay away from extreme fad diets; they are not sustainable long-term. About 80 percent of dieters are unable to keep 10 percent of their original body weight off for more than one year.12 Feeling deprived and going back to your old diet is almost inevitable. However, if you use high-nutrient foods to resolve toxic hunger and achieve greater meal satisfaction with a smaller number of calories, it will be much easier to stick with your new way of eating and prevent future weight regain.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine analyzed and reported weight loss results provided by 75 obese patients who had switched to a Nutritiarian diet. The average weight loss was 55 pounds after three years, which means they kept the weight off long-term. Compare these results to most weight loss intervention studies, which report average losses of only 6-13 pounds maintained after two years.13 One reason for the remarkable effects on permanent weight reduction with a Nutritarian diet is that the users are more fully educated regarding the long-term health and longevity benefits and it is adopted not merely for its weight loss benefits. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that this nutrient dense, plant-rich diet can suppress appetite and resolve food cravings and food addictions.14
My book The End of Dieting explains exactly how to break out of the cycle of physical and emotional addiction and overeating – how to keep the weight off permanently.
Originally printed on DrFuhrman.com. Reprinted with permission.
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, six-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe his longevity-promoting, nutrient dense, plant-rich eating style.
For over 25 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and PBS television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
References
Most of us accept stress as a necessary evil that is a part of the American lifestyle. But living under stress day in and day out can lead to heart disease. According to the American Psychological Association, prolonged stress can contribute to high blood pressure and circulatory problems, and if stress makes you angry and irritable, you are more likely to have heart disease or even a heart attack.
Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete bacteria, borrelia (strains vary by region). The borrelia bacteria has the crazy capability of altering its genome in order to change its exterior shell antigens in order to avoid being detected by the host’s immune system. These modified surface proteins can trigger autoimmunity in the host.
Borrelia infection in the blood
16 proteins on the borrelia bacteria have been shown to cross-react with thyroid tissue, thereby triggering thyroid autoimmunity, such as Grave’s or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Lyme can also trigger chronic inflammatory response syndrome, or CIRS.
The bacteria also produce protein “cocoons” called biofilms that protect the bacteria from antibiotic treatment and immune system defense mechanisms. The bacteria will secrete enzymes to digest and steal nutrients from the host. These little bastards will burrow into tissues across the body, such as the joint tissue (joint pain?), or even central nervous system (can mimic neurological conditions). Lyme often comes with co-infections like babesia and bartonella.
Testing for Lyme can be tricky and antibiotics are not always effective by themselves. Therefore using a functional approach (in conjunction with antibiotics, only when absolutely necessary) yields superior outcomes.
Learn more about this topic… join Brendan for his upcoming webinar, Integrative Therapeutics for Lyme and Coinfections.
Brendan Vermeire is an Integrative Clinician and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner specializing in complex chronic illness. He began his career as a personal trainer and nutrition coach at the age of 19. After being exposed to the power of functional lab testing in the start of his career, he began intensely pursuing that as a career path which has lead him to being the current Director of the Association of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioners, the owner/founder of the Premier Virtual Integrative Health Clinic, Metabolic Solutions, and a Clinical Educator for Bio-Botanical Research.
Challenge your truth.
Do you wonder where your beliefs come from and why you believe certain things about life and the world to be true?
If not, that’s ok, but I want you to keep an open mind for me as you read this…
You see, many of the belief systems we have aren’t our own. They are imposed on us by parents, society, cultures, etc.
For example, what defines a successful life for most people is the traditional story: You go to school, get a great job, have a beautiful family, work hard until you can retire, then kick back and enjoy life.
Today more than ever that belief is being challenged. People are beginning to crave a different narrative. But that’s been the predominant one for over a century.
Another example more closely related to what I do is the common belief that people just don’t have time for exercise or preparing healthy meals.
Yes, we really do have time for exercise and preparing healthy meals.
But what’s true is that other people with just as busy of a schedule do find the time.
So, if the belief system around time was true, no two people with the same type of schedule should be able to find the time to take care of themselves…
Of course, the time belief system we are using here as an example is faulty and false.
I hope this is making sense.
Today I want to challenge you to challenge your truth.
Write down 5 beliefs that you have that hold you back from achieving the life you desire. Even if right now you believe the excuse or thought is 100% legit.
Then, ask yourself – “What else is possible? Is this really true?”
When your beliefs are deeply rooted by habit and by the people who surround you, it can be very hard to break free from them. But with effort, it’s possible.
Don’t hold on to false thoughts that keep you from creating the life and the body you desire.
Challenging your beliefs and the meaning you give them is the first steps to taking new action to create change.
So, what 5 beliefs did you come up with and how can you begin to shift them to create new, empowering belief systems?
Originally printed on Move Well Fitness blog. Reprinted with permission.
Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness in Bethesda, MD. With almost two decades in the industry, he’s worked with a wide range of clients, including those with health challenges like diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, lower back pain, pulmonary issues, and pregnancy. Maurice is also a fitness educator with Move Well Fit Academy and NASM. He also serves as the Director of Membership Services for the MedFit Network.
How do you assess your clients’ balance? How can you adapt your training plan to deal with natural fluctuations in their balance?
Physical balance is complex and can change daily. Many clients will refer to how long they can stand on one leg when asked about balance issues, but how useful is this as a measure of their postural control or their risk of falling?
Many people who’ve had any kind of formal balance assessment have only done so after having a fall. New statistics show that falls are the leading cause of trauma room visits, across all age groups, and in the case of those over 65, 1 in 4 falls each year. Indeed, the number of deaths by falling is increasing, and yet there are many proven interventions to improve balance and avoid falls.
Many older adults are reluctant to discuss falls or balance issues with their doctors, some wrongly believing that falling is an inevitable part of aging and marks the beginning of the end for them.
Fitness trainers have a significant opportunity to help educate their clients in both the measurement and management of balance and balance issues.
Good balance is the result of the somatosensory, proprioceptive and neuromuscular systems working together. Each system is complex and can be affected by factors such as stress, quality of sleep, medications and exercise habits so understanding where your client is on any given day is helpful for optimizing their health goals.
Regular balance measurement can also be a powerful motivational tool, especially for older adults who want to remain independent and age on their own terms.
Dr. Katharine Forth is an expert in motor control, and conducted post-doctoral research at NASA, where she became the co-founder of Zibrio technology. The Zibrio SmartScale is a bathroom scale that uses artificial intelligence to measure balance and fall risk in a simple 60-second test. The product won an innovation award from the Consumer Technology Association in 2020, and was named by AARP as the winning technology to help ‘older adults stay in the game’ at their pitch competition at CES 2020, judged by Joe Montana. More information can be found at www.zibrio.com
Adding vegetables to whole grains always makes for a hearty side dish that can easily double as an entree. This is an easy way to start the transition to a plant-based diet, too. It’s one of my personal go-to’s when I’m tight on time, or when I feel like something a little lighter in the evening. You know spring has sprung when you see asparagus! As we move closer to summer, serve this chilled, over tender lettuce.
Asparagus Flavored Quinoa
Dressing
Wash and dry asparagus. Nature will tell you where to remove the fibrous part of the spear. By holding the spear, one end in each hand, begin to bend the asparagus into an arch. The spear will snap at just the right spot; no guesswork involved. Do this until all spears are free of these inedible ends.
Chefs, you know we don’t throw anything away! Let’s infuse our broth with delicious and nutritious asparagus flavor. Pour broth into a medium saucepan. Add the fibrous ends, and bring to a boil. While infusing your broth, cut the remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Once you can smell the aroma of asparagus, remove ends from broth with a slotted spoon and discard. Whisk Quinoa and Asparagus pieces into the infused broth. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cook uncovered 15 minutes. Turn off heat, drape towel over pan, cover with tight-fitting lid. This technique keeps condensation from falling onto our cooked grains and making them mushy. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest through salt and pepper. Warm a serving bowl and fluff quinoa with a fork. Gently pour finished quinoa into serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing and fluff lightly. Sprinkle with pine nuts and some beautiful asparagus tips.
To date, asparagus is our greatest hope in finding the cure for ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The phytonutrient, Sarsasapogenin, prevents motor-neuron cell death. It’s also housed in inulin. A fibrous carbohydrate, it lowers blood sugar due to the small intestines inability to break it down. This allows the nutrients to make their way to the large intestines, where it feeds good bacteria, making it a very effective probiotic. This combination of natural activity makes it very effective in treating degenerative disease, i.e., ALS, Type 2 Diabetes, and Crohn’s Disease.
The presence of four other phytonutrients, known as anti-inflammatory powerhouses: Kaempferol, Quercitin, Rutin, and Isorhamnetin, give it major cancer-killing abilities. I have used asparagus, with great success, in the treatment and complete eradication of melanoma. Being very high in minerals, and antioxidants like Vitamins C and E, it is, generally speaking, a great way to prevent nutrient deficiency overall.
Asparagus also contains a good amount of Glutathione — a combination of three amino acids combined into one molecule. This, many researchers believe, will eventually be the cure for Parkinson’s disease. Rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, asparagus not only breeds good bacteria in the digestive/intestinal tracts, it’s also a vegan’s best friend, as it is one of the richest sources of veggie protein.
The odor when one urinates after eating asparagus: sulfuric compounds. This group of phytonutrients prevents hormone and digestive based cancers better than any other group of phytos. This odor lets you know you are digesting the nutrients effectively. This is about the only time stinky pee is a sign of good health! So, enjoy… the asparagus, not the odor.
Get more great recipes from Tina Martini — her book, Delicious Medicine: The Healing Power of Food is available to purchase on Amazon. More than a cookbook, combining 20+ years of experience, along with her love of coaching, cooking and teaching, Tina offers unexpected insights into the history and healing power of clean eating, along with recipes to help reduce your risk of disease and improve overall wellness so you can enjoy life!
Affectionately referred to as The Walking Encyclopedia of Human Wellness, Fitness Coach, Strength Competitor and Powerlifting pioneer, Tina “The Medicine Chef” Martini is an internationally recognized Naturopathic Chef and star of the cooking show, Tina’s Ageless Kitchen. Tina’s cooking and lifestyle show has reached millions of food and fitness lovers all over the globe. Over the last 30 years, Tina has assisted celebrities, gold-medal athletes and over-scheduled executives naturally achieve radiant health using The Pyramid of Power: balancing Healthy Nutrition and the healing power of food, with Active Fitness and Body Alignment techniques. Working with those who have late-stage cancer, advanced diabetes, cardiovascular and other illnesses, Tina’s clients are astounded at the ease and speed with which they are able to restore their radiant health. Tina believes that maintaining balance in our diet, physical activity, and in our work and spiritual life is the key to our good health, happiness and overall well being. Visit her website, themedicinechef.com