Guide to the Better you

  Let’s imagine this hypothetical scenario. You’ve just started a diet, but after two weeks, you no longer see any results… You have even started going to the gym. You’ve started wondering what it might be that you are doing wrong. You’ve been limiting yourself from certain foods and want to see some progress. Now you feel desperate and want to quit. Before that, you want to make a final check on the internet and find an answer to your “failure.” Lucky you, we might have it for you. Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes that you might be making that prevent you from losing weight:   1.    Overeating The most common reason for the scale to stay at the same place or even go up might be that you are overeating. “But I’ve been on a diet the last two weeks; that’s impossible.” This is a common trap that new beginners fall for. Even though you started eating “healthier,” it doesn’t mean that you will lose weight. The primary condit...

  Surveys have shown that there is something that Americans fear more than death.   It is Alzheimer’s disease.   For most of us, losing our personhood--those characteristics which makes us who we are--is a fate worse than death. What is Alzheimer’s? Named after Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the condition in 1906, Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the function of the brain by causing the brain cells to degenerate and then die.   There is no cure, and the progression of the disease leads to eventual death.   The first symptoms of the disease usually show up as forgetfulness, but as it worsens, more long-term memory loss occurs, along with other symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and inability to recognize languages. How Prevalent is Alzheimer’s? Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million Americans, and it is predicted that by 2050, 1 in 8 Americans will be stricken with it.   The Medicare system spends three times as much money on Alzheimer’s t...

  Want to get healthy and lose weight?   Then relax.   It’s true.   Relaxing is good for you, and what better day to brush up on relaxation facts than on Relaxation Day!   August 15 th is a relaxation holiday.   So relax and read on for tips! The role of cortisol One of the most important reasons that relaxation is good for you is because it prevents the release of excess cortisol.   Cortisol is a hormone that your body releases when it is stressed.   If you only have small amounts of cortisol, there is no problem.   But when stress is persistent, as it is in many of our lives, the amount of cortisol in your bloodstream rises and stays elevated.   The result?   Weight gain. When cortisol is released, you begin craving foods that deliver quick energy, such as potato chips, candy bars, pastries, etc.   If this were not bad enough, cortisol goes on to store those extra calories as fat, mainly around your abdominal area. C...

  Whether you are a student or the parent of a student, you likely have one thing on your mind as the new school year begins:   academic performance.   From kindergarteners to graduate level college students, concentration and learning are critical and directly related to how successful the year is and how bright the future looks career wise. You may be wondering what academic performance has to do with a fitness blog.   The answer?   Everything.   The research is conclusive :   physical exercise directly impacts how well a student does academically.   Consistent, daily exercise results in significantly improved concentration, learning and test scores. In his book, Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain , Harvard Psychiatrist Dr. John Ratey cites studies that document dramatic increases in the academic performance of students when they begin adding exercise to their daily schedule. City Park Collegiate school in S...

  There are few things as exciting as new boot campers eager to make serious lifestyle changes and make up for lost time in their quest to get fit and healthy.   Their motivation and passion are contagious, and watching transformations is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being a trainer. But in their excitement, many boot campers make a common mistake – overtraining.   The thinking goes like this:   “If 20 push-ups are good, then 30 must be better,” or “If 35 pounds challenges my muscles, then I’ll really get ripped if I do 50!”   In other words, more is better and leads to faster results. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case, and taken to the extreme can lead to getting hurt and MISSING workouts.   As with most things in life, moderation and consistency in fitness are the keys to success .   Too much of anything can be a bad thing, and there is no need to do more than the minimum needed for maximum results.   For example, consider m...

  Have you noticed?  The days are getting a little shorter, store aisles are full of school supplies and you may have seen a school bus or two making practice runs in your neighborhood.  All this can only mean one thing:  it’s back to school time! If you are like most people, you are not quite ready to say goodbye to the relaxing days of summer.  Late nights and lightly-scheduled days are a welcome break after a year of early mornings and homework deadlines.  Those slow days of summer are such a welcome break! But with the approach of the new school year comes the necessity to ease back into a routine that helps your children succeed.  Changing routines can be tough under any circumstances.  But when our routines change from ‘fun and relaxing’ to ‘less fun and somewhat stressful,’ it can be even tougher to pull off! The best way to lessen the shock of a new school year is to ease your children into their school routine before school starts. Getti...

  There’s a reason why celebrities and other highly successful people use coaches and trainers:   IT WORKS.   And that is why so many people are turning to personal trainers to help them move from mediocre to excellence in their pursuit of health, fitness and weight loss. The reality More than 91% of people who start an exercise program quit early —even before their new routine becomes a habit, and 61% will give up within the very first week! 1 Why?   Because changing your lifestyle is hard.   In spite of all the infomercials and ads claiming that you can lose weight and transform your body in thirty days (or six weeks at the longest), the truth is, getting fit requires a lifestyle makeover that takes ·          Time ·          Determination ·          Support   If any of these components is missing, the odds of success plu...

  Plenty, it turns out, and it has everything to do with what you’re eating this summer.   Even though summer brings with it an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, making it easier to eat healthily, it also brings added risks. What could taste better during the lazy, hazy days of summer than fruity cocktails and rich ice cream?   Unfortunately, these are the foods that can spell danger for your blood sugar level.   The few minutes of pleasure that you derive from those cold, sugary treats can pave the way for decades of chronic illness. Blood Sugar Basics When you eat sugary treats, your blood sugar levels rise.   Your blood sugar level is a measure of how much sugar or glucose is circulating in your bloodstream. Too much glucose in your blood is dangerous, so your body works hard to lower the levels.   It does this by releasing insulin, a hormone which enables your cells to absorb the excess glucose.   The danger comes when you continue ...

So you spent the winter working hard.   You exercised consistently, you were careful to eat more healthy foods and you watched your portion sizes.   Why?   So you would look great at the lake and have plenty of energy to enjoy summer.   You greeted summer with a healthy, toned body. But summer, in spite of all the fun and relaxation it brings, can be tricky and deal us a cruel blow when it comes to our fitness. Have you noticed the scale creeping up a little over the last couple of months?  If so, you are not alone. Summer is a very easy time to overindulge and pick up those pounds that you shed during the winter months. Is that what you want though?  Are you willing to undo all that you worked so hard to accomplish?  Remember that bad habits creep in slowly.  Perhaps you are skipping your workouts a couple days each week, because ‘You have so much to do.’ Or maybe you have been indulging in unhealthy food or drinks a little more frequentl...

  Since the dawn of the fitness industry, cardio has been used by bodybuilders and novices to achieve one goal - decrease body fat percentage. It is not a secret that many athletes want that six-pack and the first thing that is associated with nice-looking abdominal muscles is cardio... However, is cardio really that useful for dropping these extra kilos or is it just a waste of time? Well, today we are going to find that out, but first... What is the price of cardio? Though cardio may offer a variety of benefits that can help us get closer to the ultimate goal of burning extra calories and losing weight, there are hidden costs to it… So let’s have a look at those! Cardio is time-consuming. We live in a world where everything moves fast and if we are not adaptive, we may fall behind. Putting these extra 30-40 minutes after training is something not many people could afford. Students, working adults, pregnant women, and entrepreneurs are managing their schedules ...