Health in its many forms and TOTAL HEALTH....

In order to understand total health, we need to understand all of its components. There are several types of health that make up the overall healthy person as a whole. They include: metal health, emotional health, spiritual health, and physical health. All of these factors affect and can affect the other. Think about the physiological effects on the body from a single thought! Our heart rate can go up, breathing rate can increase and change, or if it's a relaxing thought, our heart rates and blood pressure may drop. It is important to keep all of these things in perspective when analyzing where your total health is at this point. Just step back and say: where am I emotionally right now? mentally? spiritually? physically? What you do or don't do in each one of these will effect the other.

BQuick

More Nutrition Facts from John Faciane

Coach John has sent us some great new nutrition facts, that's right, COACH JOHN!!!! John is now coaching and training with us and has been doing a great job because of how passionate he is and his love for people and helping them in their quest for health, wellness, fitness and performance!!!! THANKS COACH JOHN!!!!

Here are those facts:
Scientists aren't exactly saying that wine, chocolate and tea make you smarter-but those flavonoid-rich foods were associated with better performance on a battery of cognitive tests in a new Norwegian study. Researchers tested 2,031 older adults, ages 70 to 74, and compared scores to subjects' self-reported food consumption. Those who consumed all three-wine, chocolate and tea-had significantly better average cognitive-test scores and the lowest likelihood of poor test performance. The association with better cognitive performance was strongest for wine and modestly weaker for chocolate.-Journal of Nutrition

Even if you don't have diabetes, lowering your blood-glucose levels may be good for your brain. Columbia University scientists report that higher levels of blood glucose are associated with dysfunction in an area of the brain's hippocampus; dysfunction in this part of the brain with normal aging is known to contribute to cognitive decline. The MRI-scan study of 240 dementia-free adults age 65 and older included both diabetics and non-diabetics. Negative effects on the brain could be seen even when blood sugar was only moderately elevated. "We have a behavioral recommendation-physical exercise," said researchers, noting that exercise improves glucose regulation.-Annals of Neurology

Holiday Parties

Everyone makes so many excuses this time of year about going to parties, and they can't stick to their diets and nutrition plans because there is "nothing good to eat" at parties. Most of the time this is a false statement. There is always something healthy you can eat. Smoked Salmon, Vegetables, some cheeses, fruit, salad, finger sandwiches on wheat (turkey, chicken salad), etc. Some parties actually have good gourmet food. Either way, there are always healthy choices when at a party or eating out, but the people going to them don't always make the healthiest choices! Eat well, be merry!

Cline Jenkins
This is one of my hardest working clients and we should all look up to him! Cline works so much harder than you always ask him to, doing extra reps, sets, sprints, etc.! He has had a couple setbacks: having surgery on both shoulders, one about 3.5-4 months ago now. None of that has stopped Cline. As soon as he was given the release from the Doc for PT he started back with us, and did his PT as well as he continued to work towards his fitness goals, never letting his injury slow him down! Most people today would have used that injury as a crutch to NOT exercise, whereas he used it as fuel for his fitness fire! Ever since I have known him he has been passionate and driven towards achieving every goal he has and will not stop until he achieves them! He is the definition of drive, commitment, passion, heart, desire, and hard work and we should all learn some positive lessons from him and his positive attitude and outlook not only on life, but also achieving our goals! Cline's shoulder is a lot better because of his hard work, both in strength and Range of Motion (flexibility), and it's because of his commitment, hard work, time and effort! Cline reminds us all that success is always preceded by hard work! He is the definition of this and I know he will continue to work towards his goals each and every day! Take a lesson from Cline and his commitment: don't be lazy! There are a lot of people in the world a lot less fortunate than you are! God has blessed a lot of you with the gift of health, and Cline teaches us that even if you do have an injury, there are still things you can do and there is still work to be done! Continue working hard, and if you are not sure if you should undertake an exercise program, give us a call and consult with professionals about how to go about doing things the right way!

Eat an Avocado Today

Eat an avocado today for several reasons: great for your heart and cardiovascular system because of all the great fats in avocados, they also have tons of fiber which is needed in our diets to aid in digestion, they have tons of vitamins and minerals which are great for your skin as well as the rest of the body, vitamin K, the electrolyte potassium, folate, vitamin b6, and vitamin c. 

Eat the avocado plain, on a salad, or with some olive oil and red wine vinegar for an even more heart-healthy snack, eat an avocado today! I am going to mix mine with my egg whites and turkey bacon this morning, we call this a bacado omelette!

Over Training: A couple questions to ask yourself.....

Here is a question that I had received from a friend and colleague about a problem she was having and my response to her. If you are having any issues like this, take a step back and answer a couple of these questions:

"Maybe you can offer some advice, through all my Ironman training, all of a sudden I am getting a cramp or muscle spasm in my left hamstring. Any idea's? Overuse?? It is not all of the time, it can cramp even when I am just sitting here."


When is the last time you took a week completely off? A couple days? A day? If you cannot remember when, you are definitely over training. Do you take vitamin E? Vitamin E directly correlates to the hamstrings. If you are taking too much or not enough that could be a problem. What about electrolytes, sodium/potassium, and calcium/magnesium? These all need to be kept in balance and if they are off, that could be contributing to the problem. What do you refuel with? Have you had a massage lately? When is your race? If you can answer a few of these questions I can give you some more specific recommendations. I hope it feels better!

REST

Rest is one of the most overlooked, most important parts of a training program. Our bodies adapt to the demands placed upon them when we rest. There are a couple forms of rest: complete rest and active rest and recovery. Complete rest is when we just do that, REST. Lying around, hardly moving, and allowing our bodies to adapt to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual demands placed upon them. Last week was exam week for most students, and as you know this can take a toll on you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually if you are praying very hard for the ability to study longer and asking to be guided through the process of studying and taking the tests! This mental, emotional, and spiritual stress and tension can lead to physical exhaustion when it's all said and done. Complete rest days are to be taken advantage of with: Epsom salt baths, whirlpool therapy, contrast (hot/cold) therapies, dry saunas, steam rooms, ice/heat, floating around in a pool, massage, laughter, light stretching and deep breathing with an emphatic emphasis on deep breathing.

Active rest and recovery is when we do light, gentle yoga, light blood flow workouts to flush out the metabolic waste from our tissues, light swimming, eating the right foods for recovery (pineapple has an enzyme called bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory) and any activity or sport that we deem fun and enjoyable.
Please do not ignore this very important component of your training program as it is one of the most important. Schedule your rest days accordingly, just like you plan your weekly workouts! Please let me know if you have any specific questions or concerns and have a great day! SMILE! It's contagious

Upset Stomach?

Try drinking peppermint, lavender, or chamomile tea. Also yogurt, because of a good intestinal flora called lactobacillus acidophilus, which you can also purchase in the store as a supplement as well. It's found naturally in cottage cheese and yogurt though and aids in digestion. Ginger root is also great for aiding the digestive process and is served with sushi, and it also sold at the store in root form and can also be purchased in nutrition stores as a supplement as well. Essential Oils can also be used: next time you are sick, or just want to settle your stomach and sleep like a baby, run lavender and/or peppermint essential oils all over you feet, top and bottom. I hope this helps with any of your stomach ailments!

Supplemental recommendations for any person/athlete needing to gain lean mass:

Life Essentials Multi Vitamin--for a solid foundation, to make sure you get all the basics, essentials, and phytonutrients into your diet

Juice + Fruits and Vegetables--to ensure that you are getting all of your fruits, vegetable and their nutrients, this is actually fruit packed into pill form (or gummies), tons of antioxidants, fiber

Opti Pro APS--weight gainer with whey protein and complex carbohydrates

Opti Pro M--leaner protein to be mixed with the APS with electrolytes, flax-seed meal, digestive enzymes and soy and whey protein

HMB--amino acid protein breakdown suppressor to stop your body from eating your muscle tissue for fuel, and helps to rebuild tissues that are broken down

ZMA--taken before bed, zinc and mono-methionine and magnesium help your body to get more restful sleep, where you can grow and gain lean tissue

OptiATP--creatine complex to help maximize your gains and give you more fuel for extra few reps for strength and size

L-Glutamine--most abundant free form amino acid in the body, used to rebuild tissue through neural impulses and cognition

L-Arginine--amino acid vasodilator to ensure all of the extra nutrients you are taking in will be delivered properly and used more to help you build

Pycnogenol--incredible antioxidant that has 50x more antioxidant capacity of green tea to help protect your cells which we break down a lot as athletes

Alpha Lipoic Acid--incredible antioxidant that helps the body to use any and all nutrients to the best of its ability and protects the cells

Supplemental Recommendations to Lose Body Fat

Supplemental Recommendations that were done for a client looking to increase energy on a daily basis and to get rid of a last little bit of adipose tissue (BODY FAT):

GABA, DMAE----these things work on cognitive function and promote a great mood and well-being, they also work to improve neurotransmission. I, and others, use these as a remedy for ADD or ADHD, instead of Adderrall, Ritalin, etc.---these are great and are definitely are worth a shot, I take them every day of my life and love them and what they do for me on a daily basis.

Fish Oils--work in conjunction with GABA and DMAE. Full of rich Omega 3's and 6's. These have incredible benefits for the body in a lot of different capacities. If you eat a lot of fish you do not need to take this in supplement form.

Multivitamin would also be great to keep you balanced and fueled properly if you do not already take one.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)--incredible antioxidant, one of the best, along with the next few that I list. ALA helps our livers to assimilate and breakdown proteins, carbohydrates, and fats more efficiently.

Pycnogenol---a French Maritime Pine Tree Bark with antioxidant capacities outdoing green tea by 50%

Melatonin--a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that regulates our light/dark cycles and circadian rhythm. For more restful sleep if you have broken sleep right now, this is an incredible antioxidant. You can also just take it when you know you have some time to rest on the weekends and know you need more recovery.

CLA--good fats that take the place of your bad fats in the body. Incredible non-stimulant fat burner that is great for you heart and cardiovascular system. CLA decreases existing adipose tissue and inhibits any new fat storage.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine--an amino acid that acts as a powerful fat-burning catalyst

Opti-Pro M--if you do not take this already, this will help you to rebuild, repair, and regenerate your muscle tissue and prevent breakdown of muscle tissue and storing of fat. Has several great things in it: soy/whey protein, electrolytes, fiber, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, good fats, flaxseed meal, and good carbs from maltodextrin and the soy content.

Metabolic Testing--we can test your resting metabolic rate to determine exactly how many calories you burn per day at rest, and adjust your diet and exercise according to you specific weight loss goals and aspirations. We can also do an EMR (exercise metabolic rate) on you to determine aerobic base, lactate threshold, and VO2max. Then, we can design certain workouts and zones for you to stay in while you are doing your cardio workouts without us to be more specific for your goals. We can also get you a polar watch to allow you to track your calories and your heart rate and zones while training.

Rest--make sure you are getting at least one full day of complete physical rest per week. On this day, you can stretch and breathe, but nothing too much. Your body needs this time to regenerate and if you do not give it that rest time, your body will store more adipose tissue because you are at a caloric deficit.

Alcohol--one glass of wine or a beer per day is ok, but realize that anything over this will cause adipose tissue storage and will not allow you to recover and feel energized the way that you would like to.

Tea--has great antioxidant capacities from the phenols and polyphenols in them. White tea has the most with less caffeine, green is the 2nd best with a little more caffeine, and black is in the same family but has more caffeine. There are also herbal teas with no caffeine and antioxidant capacities as well: Rooibos (Red Tea), Peppermint, Lavender, Blue Eyes, etc.

Just let me know if you need any of these things and I will be glad to get them for you!