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Will Hormones Make You Gain Weight?

Will Hormones Make You Gain Weight?

Published by on February 5, 2023 | Leave a response

Many times when you hear people complain that they can’t lose weight, it’s because they aren’t following the program. Either they ignore the calories they consume either at meals or in soft drinks and snacks or fail to exercise regularly. However, there are cases when your hormones are out of balance, which makes it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it. It’s one reason I tell people to keep a food and exercise diary, so we can find precisely where the problem is.

You have a lot of different types of hormones.

When people think of hormones, their mind immediately goes to estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, the sex hormones, but the body has far more than just those three. Hormones are the messengers of the body. They trigger different responses, including emotional responses. Those feel good hormones that provide a runner’s high are examples. Hormones can determine when you get hungry or feel full—ghrelin, the hunger hormone and leptin, the satiety hormone. Lack of sleep causes you to produce too much ghrelin. Too much insulin or excess cortisol may be the culprits behind belly fat.

If belly fat is a problem, maybe it’s stress that’s the underlying cause.

As noted before, both insulin and cortisol are linked to belly fat. You can help control both with exercise and proper diet. Cortisol occurs when you’re under stress. Learning methods to control stress or exercising to burn off the hormone helps. The fight or flight response to stress triggers cortisol production. Exercise mimics running or fighting, burning it off. As for insulin resistance, exercise improves glucose uptake and helps reduce belly fat, which is associated with insulin resistance. The best exercise to do is HIIT—high intensity interval training, weight lifting, sprinting and even increasing the amount you walk.

Look for other signs of thyroid hormonal imbalances.

I hear people complain of an inactive thyroid all the time. Besides weight gain, there are other signals this is the problem. Frequent constipation, sensitivity to heat or cold, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss and irregular heartbeat can also occur. Your thyroid regulates metabolism and can make a difference whether you lose weight or gain it. Sometimes, you can avoid problems by eating a healthy diet and avoiding stress. Start by cutting out sugar and highly processed food. Always consult with your doctor first.

  • No hormone is good or bad. You need them all, but you need them in balance. There are hormones to speed heart rate and ones to slow it. Balancing glucagon and insulin can make the difference between healthy and diabetic or hypoglycemic.
  • Most women find sex hormones out of balance during menopause, causing weight gain. Cutting out coffee, exercising more, eating more fruits, vegetables and phytoestrogenic foods consuming healthy fats and cutting back on sugar and salt can help,
  • Cutting out foods with added sugar can be a big help, regardless of the type of hormonal imbalance. Sugar causes inflammation, which leads to other problems, like insulin resistance, weight gain and oxidative stress.
  • Find ways to relax and reduce stress levels that work quickly. While exercise does that, you can’t always do jumping jacks when you need to relax, but you may be able to use breathing techniques or meditation.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Pros And Cons Of Supplements

Pros And Cons Of Supplements

Published by on January 25, 2023 | Leave a response

It seems like there are supplements for everything from building muscles to improving your memory. Are these supplements any good and are there dangers to taking supplements? There are both pros and cons when it comes to any kind of product, whether it’s natural or not. You can get too much of a good thing, then it ceases to be good and starts having side effects. However, one of the biggest negatives of taking supplements is that people often mistakenly think they’re all that’s needed, and they don’t have to have a healthy diet as long as they take the supplements.

What is a dietary supplement?

The definition for a dietary supplement is any product that’s not tobacco, which contains a mineral, vitamin, herb, amino acid, dietary substance, or herb that’s taken to increase the daily intake of certain nutrients. Whether it’s a pill, powder or power bar, it boosts nutrients in your diet that you might be missing for a number of reasons. It may be poor absorption, lack of appetite or a poor diet. In most cases, it’s due to poor choices of food.

Pros of supplements.

Today’s supplement market is far more extensive than ever. You don’t just have the traditional vitamin and mineral tablets, there are whole food products and capsules that contain dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Vitamin D supplements are often beneficial, especially in colder climates where it’s impossible to get all the vitamin D from the sun and takes delicate meal planning to get it from diet. Folic acid is important for women of childbearing age to help prevent birth defects. For seniors and pregnant or lactating women, nutritional supplements may also be important.

The other side of the supplement coin.

Some of the biggest abusers of supplements are bodybuilders. The supplements they abuse all have to do with protein. You’ll often see a wall of shelves containing these protein supplements in health food and nutrition stores. So, what’s the problem? You can get too much and it’s unhealthy. While the creatine may add bulk, too much of it can cause side effects, which range from diarrhea, dehydration and cramps to heart and kidney problems. It’s far better simply to consume a healthy diet than risk ruining your health.

  • Some supplements are beneficial, but you have to have the right form. Not all forms of vitamins and minerals are bioavailable. Bioavailability means the body can absorb them. If a product isn’t bioavailable, it’s flushed out of your body via urine or feces.
  • Unless you’re taking a whole food supplement, you may be missing the phytochemicals, and the synergistic relationship between nutrients in food that increases the benefits it offers.
  • You can overdose on supplements. If you take too much vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is flushed out of your body when you urinate, but it can cause digestive issues. However, fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, can accumulate in your body to dangerous levels, causing harm.
  • There can be a place for supplements in your life but take them sparingly or if you have a problem getting all the nutrients you need from food. It’s always better to get your nutrition from a healthy diet and far more satisfying.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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How To Stay Motivated As A Beginner

How To Stay Motivated As A Beginner

Published by on January 15, 2023 | Leave a response

It’s January and that means all those New Year’s resolutions have started. By now, many have also ended. I see it in Louisville, KY, people start a fitness regimen as a beginner and just can’t stay motivated. You can arm yourself with ammunition to help improve your chances of success. It all starts with setting a specific goal that you can measure. It makes the goal more exciting when you know if you’re coming closer and you can redirect if you’re not. Set a goal, make it specific and have a way to measure it.

Sore muscles are part of the program, but injuries shouldn’t be.

It’s normal to want to do more in your first few weeks. You’re pumped and excited about working out. Unfortunately, that very excitement is also something that can destroy your motivation. If you workout too hard or too much initially, forget to warm-up or cool-down or don’t use the proper form, pulling a muscle or worse could be in your future. Take it slow at first and learn the proper form for each exercise. An injury can keep you benched for a long time.

Don’t expect immediate change.

Whether you want to build your endurance, lose weight or just get a stronger, fitter body, it all takes time. Don’t look for overnight miracles. You will start to feel the difference in a week or two and start to see physical changes in about four weeks. You might see a few pounds drop the first week if you’re also on a healthy diet, but it can get discouraging if you’re weighing in several times a day.

Create a schedule and make your workout an appointment.

Most people schedule appointments on their phone or have a planner they use. Add your workout session to your schedule and make it the same time every day. One of the biggest boosts to success is consistency, which includes the time of day you workout. By making your workout as important as any other appointment, you’re saying it’s important and not letting life get in the way.

  • If your day is constantly changing, schedule your workout for the first thing in the morning to make sure you have the time to do it.
  • Get adequate rest between strength building workouts. Your muscles need between 48 and 72 hours to heal, so don’t work the same muscle groups two days in a row.
  • Track your progress and keep notes on how many sets and repetitions you’re doing. Make notes on how you felt. Add your method of measurement once a week, whether it’s how much you weigh, your body measurements or physical condition, like blood pressure reading.
  • Never compare yourself and how you’re doing with other people. Every person is different. Only compete against yourself.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Meal Plan And Hit Your Goals!

Meal Plan And Hit Your Goals!

Published by on January 5, 2023 | Leave a response

I hear it all the time. Clients who want to lose weight, boost their health or increase their energy level, come to me and say they’re struggling. I tell them to do meal planning. Within a week or so, they’re back saying it’s just too hard to meal plan but did notice it was easier to stick with a regimen of healthy eating when they did. What can you do to make meal planning easier? You can do several things to make meal planning easier and more successful.

Give meal planning time to work.

Just like anything, when you’re first new to it, it’s hard. After a few weeks, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it gets. Meal planning is so much easier thanks to the programs available. We offer one that only requires you to buy the food and make it, all the planning and even the grocery list is already made. Sure, you have to cook it, but that’s even streamlined. You cook everything at once. That means leftovers are used, your oven and stovetop are doing double duty and you only have to clean the big pots and pans once a week.

Shopping for food is even easier and money saving.

When you shop for your weekly food, make sure you eat before you go. It helps lower your grocery bill by eliminating unnecessary items. Do all your shopping at once. That saves on gas, which is a huge benefit. All the ingredients are on the list for every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can check your shelves and delete the ingredients you don’t need. Since your program is personalized, it will contain food you enjoy and your body needs.

Get the family involved in making the meals.

You’ll be cooking a whole week’s worth of food at once. Many people double the recipes, particularly ones they find everyone likes. That’s where giving meal planning a chance to work is important. After a month or so, people often have an extra week or two of meals in their freezer, have developed a rhythm for the weekly prep and love meal planning. It makes getting meals ready during the week a breeze. It’s a matter of heating and eating, which is faster than a drive through and wastes less gas.

  • When you use our meal planning app, you can be sure that not only are your meals well-balanced, but they also fit your calorie needs. You’ll pack individual serving sizes to take away the guesswork at a meal.
  • After doing meal planning for a month or two, most people have a week of meals for the family packed in the freezer. You’ll be ready for unexpected guests and even be able to take a week or two off from cooking.
  • Having healthy snacks in the refrigerator or to take to work can be a huge benefit. You won’t be tempted to grab some gas station food when you stop for gas. Your body will thank you.
  • Planning meals ahead gives you a chance to check out the sales and use coupons, saving even more money. Your grocery bill is often lower and you’ll be amazed at how much further your food budget will go.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Table Salt Vs Sea Salt

Table Salt Vs Sea Salt

Published by on December 25, 2022 | Leave a response

If you’ve spent much time comparing grocery prices in Louisville, KY, you probably notice there’s a big difference in price between table salt and specialty salt like pink Himalayan Sea salt. There are also two other types of salt, regular sea salt and Kosher salt. What’s the difference? Is one more beneficial to your health than another? You’ll notice the difference in texture and appearance almost immediately, but there’s also a difference in flavor and nutrition.

Salt was considered as valuable as gold at one time.

During the 6th century, there were times that a pound of salt sold for almost the same amount as a pound of gold. Soldiers were even paid in salt. Even the word salary is derived from the Latin for salt. Salt was an important preservative and in the hot climate, fish and meat spoiled quickly. But salt plays an important role in good health. Salt is sodium chloride, both of which are necessary for good brain health. Since it came originally from sea water evaporation, it contained other minerals, too.

What’s the difference between sea salt and Himalayan Sea salt?

Sea salt is derived by evaporating sea water. It may contain other minerals found in the sea, considered by some as impurities and by others as benefits. It has a different color, taste and texture because of those elements. Some believe it has anti-inflammatory properties and can improve digestion. Himalayan salt is sea salt, but it comes from seas that existed in Pakistan millions of years ago. The sea evaporated and left behind huge deposits of salt that are pink, primarily due to the iron oxide impurities. It also has calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It’s known for respiratory health benefits, balancing pH, improved sleep, regulating blood sugar and improved sleep.

Everyone knows what table salt is, but how many have used kosher salt.

Table salt is refined salt. All the impurities are removed and it’s extremely refined. It’s ground fine and anti-caking agents are added to prevent clumping. Iodine is often added to some types for those prone to iodine deficiency. Like all salt, it’s a source of sodium that improves muscle functioning, regulates cell functions, improves pH levels and strengthens nerves. Kosher salt just has larger flakes and isn’t ground as fine. It normally doesn’t have anti-caking additives or iodine.

  • Sea salt provides traces of minerals, traditional table salt may be the best if iodine isn’t part of your diet. Only table salt has iodine added. A deficiency of iodine causes goiters, hypothyroidism and neurological abnormalities in children.
  • Even though all salt may have some health benefits, you can get too much of a good thing, since too much sodium can cause a rise in blood pressure.
  • Because the crystals are larger in most sea salt, they contain less sodium by volume, but not by weight. Fewer crystals sea salt can fit in the same space, like a teaspoon, as the finer grained table salt.
  • There are trace minerals in sea salt, but it’s not healthier than table salt. You’d have to eat a shaker full of salt to make a difference and that would be extremely unhealthy.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Can Garlic Help Lower My Blood Pressure?

Can Garlic Help Lower My Blood Pressure?

Published by on December 15, 2022 | Leave a response

Eating garlic is widely known as a way to help control blood pressure, but is that fact or fiction? If it lowers blood pressure is the change significant and worth the potential of smelling garlic? Are the benefits as good as medication and do they have the same bad side effects or any others? The controversy has pretty much been decided via a wealth of conclusive studies that show garlic really can lower blood pressure and without the side effects of most medication, but is it enough?

Garlic has been used for a long time to help lower blood pressure naturally.

In ancient times, garlic was used to treat a number of conditions. It was even prescribed by Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. It contains allicin, which not only gives it a distinctive smell, but also gives it beneficial blood pressure lowering properties. It’s known to boost the immune system. It also protects cells, reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and improves cholesterol levels by reducing bad cholesterol.

What is allicin?

Allicin is a sulfur compound that encourages the dilation of the blood vessels, just as nitric oxide that occurs in the body when you exercise. When blood vessels are dilated, the blood flows more easily and there’s less pressure necessary. Allicin also inhibits another protein, angiotensin II, which causes blood vessels to constrict. If they’re not constricted, blood pressure is lower.

Can you eat enough garlic to make a difference?

While studies show that garlic does have a substantial effect on lowering blood pressure, is it enough to say goodbye to medication? The answer varies by the severity of the high blood pressure and other factors, like your activity level and the rest of your diet. Studies show it may lower both the systolic and diastolic numbers by as much as 10%. Other studies show it may lower the top—systolic—number by almost 7 mmHg and the bottom or diastolic number by almost 5 mmHg.

  • Garlic also contains manganese, vitamin B6, B1, C, selenium, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron. While it’s an exceptional seasoning with health benefits, it has almost no calories.
  • To maximize the benefits of garlic, you have to use it properly. Use the natural garlic bulb, removing cloves for use. Crush a clove of garlic on a cutting by with the flat side of a knife, remove the skin and let the crushed garlic sit for 10 minutes before use.
  • Garlic can help protect brain cells and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. It’s the antioxidants in garlic that reduce oxidative stress to protect the brain.
  • You can even keep the common cold at bay by including garlic in your diet. Other foods that lower blood pressure include salmon, citrus fruits, beans, pumpkin seeds, berries, celery and broccoli.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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The Best Foods For Anti-Aging

The Best Foods For Anti-Aging

Published by on December 5, 2022 | Leave a response

Who wouldn’t want to look their best and for some people, that also means looking younger. You can improve your appearance in a lot of ways, but doing it naturally by eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep and following a program of regular exercise is the best way. It not only makes you look younger, but it also makes you feel younger, too. So, what are the foods that are anti-aging and how do they improve your appearance?

It’s all about your skin and keeping it more youthful.

When people mention fat, most people believe it will add excess pounds that nobody wants. However, not all fat is unhealthy. In fact, you actually need healthy fat to burn fat. Healthy fat helps supply energy and promotes cell growth. They are necessary for the production of hormones and protecting organs. Healthy fat also benefits the skin and protects it from sun damage. Anti-aging high fat foods include avocado, extra virgin olive oil and fatty fish. It’s the omega 3 fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory properties.

Potent antioxidants can protect the skin and keep you looking younger.

As you age, cells are damaged to the point they don’t replicate. That’s what causes disease and ultimately death. Foods high in antioxidants help prevent that from occurring. Examples of phytonutrients that protect the body are those in plants. For instance, lycopene is in grapefruit, tomatoes, and papayas. It helps protect the skin. Antioxidants in pumpkins, sweet potatoes and carrots contain beta-carotene, which protects the skin from the sun. Any food with high vitamin C promotes the production of collagen, which keeps the skin firm and appealing.

It’s not always what you should eat, but sometimes what you shouldn’t.

You probably already know food with sugar is bad for you, but did you know it could cause you to age? Sugar is the culprit that can speed the aging process. There’s a link to a diet high in sugar and high amounts of AGEs—advanced glycation end products. Those are what causes the skin to lose elastin and collagen that make it wrinkle and droop. Substituting healthy fruits for the sweet flavor will help both your waistline and keep you younger looking.

  • Besides the long chain omega-3 fatty acids, fatty fish contains an antioxidant called astaxanthin. Astaxanthin improves skin hydration and its elasticity. It also protects the DNA so you age slower.
  • If you want to look more youthful, you have to feel more youthful and energetic. That means taking off excess pounds that can slow you down and eating healthier. Exercising can add to a youthful appearance.
  • Spicy foods can improve your appearance and even help you lose weight without adding extra calories. Capsaicin in chili peppers can reduce age related skin changes, while ginger can prevent age spots.
  • Snack on nuts. Nuts provide the nutrition necessary for boosting collagen production. Walnuts, for instance, contains omega 3, while most nuts, almonds particularly, contain vitamin E to repair skin.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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How Much Protein Do We Actually Need?

How Much Protein Do We Actually Need?

Published by on November 25, 2022 | Leave a response

A lot of the newer diets focus on bumping up the protein intake. It’s true that if you’re trying to lose weight, protein will fill you up and cutting back on simple carbs will reduce your caloric intake. But how much protein do you really need and when do you cross over to the land of too much? The answer isn’t all that simple, since protein requirements vary based on many factors, such as age, physical activity and gender.

What is protein and how does your body use it?

Protein is made of amino acids, which are necessary for many functions, including building muscle tissue. However, they also play a role in almost every function in the body, from maintaining the nervous system and increasing memory to boosting the immune system and creating enzymes and hormones. There are 20 amino acids in the standard genetic code and the past 30 years, two additional amino acids not in the code were added, selenocysteine and pyrrolysine. Of those 22, nine are essential amino acids, meaning the body can’t make them, and they must come from food.

The requirement for protein is based on the nine essential amino acids.

If you’re active, you need more protein than a sedentary person does, to repair tissue and perform all the functions of the body. A sedentary person requires about one gram for every 2.2 pounds of weight, while an active person requires 1.3 grams for every 2.2 pounds and those involved in high levels of activity increase their need to 1.6 grams per 2.2 pounds. An inactive person weighing 110 pounds would need 50 grams, which would increase to 80 grams a day.

The older you are, the more protein you need.

The very old don’t process protein as well as their younger counterparts, so an 80-year old with the same activity level as a 50-year old would need more. The very young also need more protein, since they’re growing rapidly. Men tend to have more muscle mass, so they need more protein than women do, unless that woman is pregnant or lactating, then they need extra protein for the baby’s needs.

  • You can eat too much protein but would have to eat double the recommended amount for a long time. Too much protein can cause digestive issues, nausea, exhaustion diarrhea, dehydration and headache.
  • While it’s difficult to get too much protein, even if you’re sedentary, it can occur if you consume too much over a long period. It can cause kidney, cardiovascular and liver disease, blood vessel disorders and even death.
  • You need protein for all cells of the body. It’s the building block for cartilage, blood, bones and skin. Lack of protein can cause edema, low immunity, mood changes and fatigue. However, the average American diet has adequate amounts.
  • One side effect of eating more protein than the body needs is halitosis. It’s the type that doesn’t go away no matter how much your floss or brush your teeth.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Are Multivitamins Useful?

Are Multivitamins Useful?

Published by on November 15, 2022 | Leave a response

There’s a lot of variety of multivitamins on the shelves of pharmacies, so you might think they’re the most useful health benefit available. That isn’t exactly true. If you’re in the grocery pharmacy, the produce section is actually more beneficial for your health. Madison Avenue has done a good job convincing America that they need to take vitamins daily, but so did the covid-19 scare. In 2020, the multivitamin market in America grew dramatically with children’s vitamin’s increasing 37.2% for $306 million in sales, men’s up 33.7% for $229 million in sales and women’s vitamins up 19.6% for $474 million.

Recent studies have changed old beliefs.

A widespread recent study of 450,000 people showed that multivitamins didn’t reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease. Another study of almost 6,000 men that lasted 12 years showed it didn’t reduce the risk of mental decline in seniors, contrary to an earlier study that said it did. While there are some benefits for taking specific supplements, that’s not necessarily true for multivitamins. One study, however, did find that multivitamins may reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

More isn’t necessarily better.

More recent studies also found that taking high doses of vitamin E and beta-carotene at high doses may be harmful. If you’re taking water-soluble vitamins, your body flushes excess out in the urine and feces. The biggest problem from consuming too much of a water-soluble vitamin is digestive issues. However, fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A, D and E, are stored in the body, which can lead to overdoses.

There’s a better way to get your vitamins than taking a multivitamin.

Taking a specific vitamin and mineral supplements is quite different from taking a multivitamin. For instance, women that are considering pregnancy or who are in early pregnancy should supplement with 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. People in northern areas in the winter would do well to supplement with vitamin D if their diet doesn’t contain enough. Also, supplemental iron can be beneficial. If a person is deficient in a specific vitamin or has problems with absorption, it also is a good idea to take it. Most of all, eating a healthy diet is the best way to ensure adequate dietary needs are met.

  • Too much vitamin A can cause liver damage, interrupt calcium storage and cause calcium to build in the kidneys, damaging them. It also can contribute to lung cancer in smokers, but ironically may help those with COPD.
  • In order to get the benefits of multivitamins, they need to be absorbed and the right form of the nutrient. The binders used and type of nutrient needs to be natural and not in tablet form, which normally means they’re very expensive.
  • The most common problem, even for the far more expensive multivitamins, is an insufficient dose to make a difference or an excess dose that can cause problems. Most problems come from an insufficient dose.
  • Many multivitamins contain filler or are made from non-organic materials, such as ascorbic acid—vitamin C—which is made from GM corn. There are artificial flavors and colors added, plus heavy metals and chemicals.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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