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Ways To Increase Your Energy Levels

Published by superadmin on April 13, 2020 | Leave a response

In today’s busy world, it’s easy to run on empty, many Americans do. That’s not healthy. It’s better to increase your energy levels naturally by making lifestyle changes. Not only will you get a boost to your energy levels, you’ll also improve your overall health, so it’s a win-win situation. When your energy level is low, you get less done because you’re moving slower, both physically and mentally. Making changes may take time from your schedule, but with that extra energy, you’re creating even more time than it took.

You can start by getting more sleep, especially if you’re burning the candle at both ends.

Not only is getting adequate sleep necessary for good health, it also helps you get more done while you’re awake. Most people skip sleep when they’re super busy and hope to push through to finish a project before deadline or complete the extra hours at work. Lack of sleep not only makes you tired and often grumpy, it also can take a toll on your heart and overall health. There are estimates that about a third of the population may be sleep deprived by either missing hours of sleep or getting poor quality sleep. If lack of sleep occurs because of poor sleep hygiene, it’s time to make some changes. Turn off all television and computers at bedtime and make your room dark. Find ways to eliminate stress, such as meditation or exercise.

Getting regular exercise can help you boost your energy level.

Not only do you sleep better when you exercise regularly, you also increase your energy level. It’s amazing, but true. The longer you work out and expend energy, the more energy you have. While you might think napping is the best way to overcome feeling tired, getting up and moving might be just what you need. It boosts circulation and gets blood flowing to all parts of the body. One study showed that couch potatoes w65% ho suffered from fatigue, reduced that fatigue by appropriately with low intensity cycling. Just imagine what a regular workout would do for your energy. You’ll build strength and stamina when you workout on a regular basis.

Maybe you need a healthier diet.

Diet makes a difference when it comes to your energy level. If you’re always feeling like you’re about to drop, grabbing sweet snacks to give you the lift you need, it may be the sweet snacks that are doing it. Any food that increases your blood sugar levels quickly, also result in those levels dropping just as quickly, causing you to feel exhausted and in need of another sugar fix. Eating a healthy diet can eliminate the problem. Just like a car, you can’t run without food, so getting adequate calories from healthy food is important.

Even mild dehydration can cause you to feel exhausted. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. The next time you feel a dip in your energy level, grab a bottle of water instead of a cola or coffee. You’ll probably find you have more energy almost instantly.
Cut back on alcohol levels. Not only does alcohol act like a sedative, it also dehydrates you. Just like coffee, alcohol acts like a diuretic, which can also cause dehydration. That diuretic action can cause you to lose sleep if you have to get up at night to eliminate.
Maybe you light up a cigarette to increase your energy, but there’s a double-edged sword from that stimulant. While heavy smoking releases adrenaline to give you the boost, lower doses act as a depressant. After years of smoking, compromised lungs produce an energy sucking effect. If you smoke, quit.
Find ways to reduce stress in your life. Stress can drain you of energy and leave you feeling exhausted even if you did nothing. Whether it’s by working out, meditation or simply letting go, learning and using a technique to relieve stress.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How Fitness Directly Affects Serotonin Levels In The Brain

Published by superadmin on April 3, 2020 | Leave a response

There’s a lot of reasons to focus on fitness, one of those is to help your body function at its peak performance, which includes biochemical actions. Serotonin one of the products created. It’s a neurotransmitter, which means relays messages between neurons and are part of the central nervous system, influencing the nervous system and brain cells both directly and indirectly. The only way for the brain to get it and have proper serotonin levels in the brain is for the brain to produce it, since it can’t cross the blood-brain barrier and has to be produced in the brain.

By sending messages, serotonin affects a number of processes.

You might think that most of the serotonin is found in the brain, but that’s not true. It’s found in the gastrointestinal tract where it helps regulate the functioning of the bowels. It also plays an important role in controlling your appetite when you eat. Serotonin also affects the formation of blood clots by narrowing blood vessels and slowing the flow of blood from the wound. Serotonin stimulates nausea areas in the brain and increases the amount of time toxic or irritating food takes to get through your system. It also plays a big role in your mood. It affects your happiness and anxiety, based on the amount you have or don’t have.

Serotonin deficiencies produce symptoms, one of which is depression.

While there’s no clearly defined cause for depression, scientists link it to an imbalance of neurotransmitters—hormones. Low levels of serotonin, for example are linked to depression. Some of the signs of potentially low serotonin levels include mild depression and poor memory. In more severe cases, it can include cravings for starches or sweets, problems sleeping, anxiety, aggression and low self-esteem.

You’ll get more than a runners high from working out.

When you get that great mood altering feeling from working out, it often comes from endorphins, another neurotransmitter. However, exercise also encourages the body to produce other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. They also play a role in your overall mood. It takes a program of regular exercise to boost the serotonin levels in the brain and improve your mood.

Serotonin is produced in both the intestines and the brain. Regular exercise increases the levels of serotonin in the brain.
Regular exercise helps balance hormone levels by burning off stress hormones, such as cortisol or adrenaline. Those hormones are key to the fight-or-flight and unless burnt off through exercise affect your mood negatively and often by inducing depression.
Serotonin also affects your sleep. It improves your sleep cycle. That improvement can also positively benefit your mood.
Eating a healthy diet with the amino acid tryptophan, such as dark green leafy vegetables, chicken, eggs, cheese and beans, also helps the body produce serotonin. A healthy diet provides all the raw materials to keep the body functioning at its best.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Zero Calorie Energy Drinks

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2020 | Leave a response

If you come to Body Sculptors in Louisville, KY, you’ll probably see a number of people touting energy drinks, including zero calorie energy drinks. One of my clients asked me which was healthiest and frankly, there are positives and negatives to both types of drinks. Let me first address the zero calorie drinks. These drinks have no added sugar, so they’re lower in calories. That gives them a lead immediately if you’re trying to lose weight.

What zero calorie drinks do have are artificial sweeteners.

There’s a lot of talk about the negative health benefits of artificial sweeteners. In some research, it even suggests they actually may lead to weight gain. There’s a host of research on the safety of artificial sweeteners and a group of people who shouldn’t use them, due to sensitivity and side effects. Some research actually shows that sweeteners like Aspartame can cause headaches and even depression in people with those sensitivities. They also may cause dental erosion, due to a higher acidity.

Choose occasional use, not consistent use.

If you’re using energy drinks to replace good sleep, you’re putting a strain on your body. While occasional use won’t hurt, it’s the repeated daily use that causes problems. Most of these drinks contain more caffeine than a cup of coffee and can lead to digestive issue, heartburn and jitters. Read the label carefully.

Whether its zero calorie or full calorie, always read the label to see benefits and drawbacks.

Some energy drinks tout other ingredients that are supposed to help mental focus, like CoQ10 or super creatine. Normally this is just a marketing ploy, since the amounts in the drink are too low to create any improvement. The nutritional content should also be compared. Some will have higher amounts of vitamin B3, B6, B12 or vitamin C and minerals. The amount of sodium is particularly important, so compare those also.

If you’re working out to help your health, including lowering your blood pressure, be aware that some energy drinks are extremely high in sodium. One can may contain as much as 150 mg.
Getting adequate sleep is the best option for energy, but if you’re drinking an energy drink to make your workout better, consider a cup of coffee instead. If you drink it for more energy, try water. You’ll be surprised at what a good pick-me-up it is.
Be aware that over consumption of anything isn’t healthy, including energy drinks. Limit yourself and use both regular and zero calorie drinks only occasionally.
At Body Sculptors, we can help you boost your energy with both a healthy diet and a program of regular exercise. You’ll feel the difference in no time and won’t feel the need for energy drinks.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Changing Your Oil Habits

Published by superadmin on March 16, 2020 | Leave a response

Everyone that cooks has oil habits. That means everyone has a go-to oil they use all the time, regardless of the heat used to cook or even the recipe used. For some people, it’s corn oil, for others, olive oil or even clarified butter. If your grandparents are alive, they may tell you that their grandmother saved bacon grease and pork fat to cook with and called it lard. Is there a single type of oil that’s best for all types of cooking?

The amount of heat you’re using should make a difference.

Not all oil has the same smoke point. A smoke point is the amount of heat you can use with the oil, before it breaks down and burns. Not only going beyond the smoke point alter the taste, it affects the nutritional value of the oil. Low smoke point oil is butter and should only be used at low heat—300 to 350 degrees. Between 375 and 450 degrees are oils like extra virgin olive oil. Vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, grapeseed, safflower oil and sunflower oil are varieties to use with high heat—higher than 450 degrees, since they don’t lose flavor or burn.

While lard may not be your oil option, it’s far better than consuming the trans fats of shortening.

Partially hydrogenated oil is called vegetable shortening may still contain trans fats depending on the manufacturer. It’s always best to avoid any type of oil that lists partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and trans fats. Instead, opt for olive oil, coconut oil, butter or even lard—which has no trans fats. While some of the oil options contain saturated fat—like lard—others do not. These include canola, corn olive, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower.

Not all oil produces the same flavor or has the same benefits.

If you love how sesame oil changes the flavor of your favorite homemade dressing, you’ll appreciate the health benefits of it too. It is high in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps arthritis, aids in blood sugar control, heart healthy and speeds healing of wounds and burns. Olive oil is extremely healthy which includes high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, is heart healthy and helps prevent strokes, among other things. Coconut oil is another super oil known for its healthy fatty acids.

Choosing the right type of oil doesn’t have to be distressing. Find the flavor you love for each smoke point and stick with it.
Do you want more flavorful oil. Try herbal flavored oil, like olive oil thyme infused olive oil. There’s a whole world of flavor created by infusing various oils.
The qualities of some oil makes them best for baking, sautéing, frying or salad dressing. Coconut or canola oil is good for baking, while sautéing is best with peanut oil, and sesame oil. If you’re making dressing, the go-to is normally extra-virgin olive oil or flaxseed.
One of the newer oils being used is avocado oil. It’s got many of the same virtues as coconut oil, but not as much saturated fat. It has a high smoke point, but also a high price range. If you’re on a budget, opt for a different oil.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is There Anything Wrong With Canned Veggies?

Published by superadmin on March 3, 2020 | Leave a response

If you think that eating healthy can be too expensive, since fresh fruit and vegetables can cost a lot, reconsider. Healthy options don’t always have to be fresh. Both frozen and canned veggies can be nutritious, but you have to read the label and see all the ingredients, particularly on the canned vegetables. Some canned vegetables contain high amounts of sodium and it’s a known fact that too much sodium can cause hypertension, which leads to stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.

Canned fruits and vegetables have just as many nutrients as fresh.

The canning process today is quite different than years ago. Today, canned vegetables are picked at their ripest and canned within a few hours. That means they not only have peak flavor, they are also more nutritious than some of the fresh alternatives at the grocery. The same is true of frozen. Fresh options may be picked early to extend shelf life and allowed to ripen on the way to the grocery. By the time the consumer buys them and then finally prepares them, they’re days, not hours off the vine, losing many nutrients.

The heat from canning does destroy some nutrients.

Besides the added salt in some canned vegetables or added sugar in some fruit, the heat from the canning process does decrease vitamins B and C. Not all vegetables retain their texture after processing, such as asparagus. That can lead to passing on them at the supper table. When it comes to safety, that heat does eliminate the possibility of E.Coli and other bacteria. Modern canning techniques eliminate almost all potential for botulism.

You’ll save money by using frozen or canned vegetables.

Frozen options are slightly less expensive than their fresh counterparts, but more economical since they don’t spoil quickly like their fresh counterparts. They help eliminate waste. Canned food is a lot less expensive than fresh options. They too have a long shelf life and are a great way to save money, while eating healthier.

BPA lining on cans holding fruits and vegetables have come into question, so many manufacturers have switched to a different type of lining that has no potential health issues.
If you want to lower the sodium content of canned vegetables even more, drain the juice and rinse with water. It will cut it substantially.
Only use canned fruit packed in its own juice. It’s a healthy option as long as there’s no added sugar. You can add canned fruit and nuts to Greek yogurt for a healthy dessert or snack.
If you want a quick dip, keep canned garbanzo beans or northern beans in the can in the cupboard. Just put them in the blender, add some garlic and lemon juice and you’ll have a healthy, low cost dip.

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

365 New Chances To Start

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2020 | Leave a response

People in Louisville, KY, are special, but like people all over the world, often wait until the new year starts to make those resolutions to get fit. In fact, the first month of the year is often the busiest. If you meant to start getting fit, but life made it impossible for you to begin that first week, that doesn’t mean you can’t start now. In fact, you have 365 new chances to start. Instead of calling it a resolution, make it a goal that you’re determined to achieve.

There’s no better time to start than today.

Every day you wake up, it’s a new day and you’re capable of doing something different from every day that came before it. Maybe you’ve never considered getting fit or tried before and failed. Your past does not dictate your future. You can change anything, but you have to make that decision and then take action. Anything that’s accomplished begins with the decision to do it and followed through with effort to get it done. Weight loss is no different.

It’s the little things that count.

If you aren’t ready for a full blown fitness program, start by making small changes. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. If you are really out of shape, just take a few floors of steps and use the elevator the rest of the way or start by taking the stairs down, which most people find easier than running up stairs. Move more frequently. Start taking walks and carry manageable bags from the grocery rather than using a cart. When commercials are on TV, get up and do a few exercises. You’ll start to feel better and be ready for a complete program quickly.

Start a healthier way of eating.

Eating health is not dieting. In fact, it’s far from it. Healthy eating simply means making smarter choices when it comes to food. When you diet, it always ends, whether in success or failure. Healthy eating never ends. Dieting means sacrifice by eating less and feeling deprived. You won’t feel deprived when you choose the path of healthy eating. In fact, you might find you eat even more. It’s making small changes that boost your nutrition, while also lowering your caloric intake.

You can start a program of healthy eating by simply giving up food with added sugar. It might seem simple, but once your realize almost everything has added sugar, you’ll realize it all gets back to eating whole foods and fewer processed food.
You don’t have to leave your house to get fit. Try our online workout program. You can get started immediately in the privacy of your home.
If you aren’t sure what healthy eating is all about, we provide aps that let you download a weekly menu and all you have to do is shop. We even have an online workout ready for you to start and it costs less than $10 a week for both.
Fitness also depends on simple things, like adequate intake of water and plenty of sleep. Make sure you drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day and get eight hours of sleep each night.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Believe You Can Do It And You’re Halfway There

Published by superadmin on February 16, 2020 | Leave a response

One of the biggest deterrents people face when they want to achieve any goal is lack of belief that they can do it. The power of belief is important, whether you’re developing a business, focusing on fitness or simply want to feel better. Belief in a doctor or medicine is half the cure and so is belief in yourself when you want to accomplish a goal. If you believe you can do it, you’re halfway there to conquering your goal.

Are you afraid to try?

One of the reasons people fail to believe in themselves is that they’re afraid of the results. Sometimes, they’re afraid they’ll fail again and failure certainly doesn’t feel good. If that’s you, think of Thomas Edison’s quotes, two of which are my favorites. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” The only failure is lack of trying. Don’t let fear get in your way.

You need to believe that change is good if it makes you healthier.

People often sabotage themselves or people they love if they think something will change the dynamics in their life. If you’re worried what will happen if you look and feel better, change your focus to having a higher energy level. Focus on what won’t scare you or face it with the knowledge that you actually control how you feel and looking better won’t change a thing except your energy and health. Find out what stops you from believing in yourself and address it.

The power of belief can help you achieve fitness or block you.

Everyone has a belief system that guides the through life. If you’re a mom, you may think that doing something for yourself is selfish and all your free time should be devoted to your family. If that’s part of your belief system, stop right there. YOU OWE IT TO YOUR FAMILY TO BE FIT AND HEALTHY. Staying fit means you have more energy and time to devote to them. It also means you’ll be a better role model.

Do you have family members that put you down when you tell them about your fitness program? Don’t tell them. Our apps let you change your eating habits and workout in the privacy of your home. Only you have to know.
Are you worried that you might injure yourself because you’re so out of shape? It’s one reason we create a workout that’s personalized. Take it easier when you start and you won’t suffer from sore muscles that make you quit.
Schedule your workout at the same time every day and make it an appointment. If you’re changing your eating habits, get rid of food that’s sabotaging your efforts and stock up on healthy snacks.
Become the role model for your children and family. If you’re the family cook, don’t tell everyone it’s healthy, just cook and serve healthy meals. Get the kids involved when you exercise and get them in the habit of moving more.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Published by superadmin on February 13, 2020 | Leave a response

No matter where you live, Louisville, KY, or any other town or city, lower back pain can cause you to miss work and suffer from pain doing the simplest things. It’s hard to lift anything, move a few feet or do the simplest task. Even sleep alludes you when you suffer from this condition. Lower back pain can be caused by inactivity, prolonged sitting or simply turning the wrong way. Improving circulation in the area is imperative to recover. That’s why lower back pain exercises can help bring relief.

It’s easier to prevent back pain than to cure it.

If you’ve ever felt the pain from a back injury, you know how disabling it can be. If you’re prone to back pain, it’s better to start a regimen of back pain exercises before you have another problem, than to wait for it to arrive. Anyone with a sedentary job knows how stiff and achy the back can get. For those people, stretching frequently and moving at least five minutes of every hour is important. A standing extension stretch provides relief and a short break from sitting. Stand with feet at shoulders width, then put your hands at the top of the hips with the tips of the fingers in the small of the back. Lean backward, arching your back until you feel it stretch. Hold and return to starting position and then repeat several times.

If you feel your back pain begin, don’t head for the bed, head for the floor instead.

When lower back pain begins, stopping it as quickly as you can, is important. This quick exercise will help stretch the muscles and bring relief. You need a towel to do this. Lay on the floor holding a towel, one end in each hand. Put your feet flat on the floor, bending the knees. Create a loop with the towel and lift one leg, putting the sole of the foot in the loop. Gently pull the towel toward you, attempting to straighten your leg as you do, trying to make it perpendicular to your body. If you can’t, straighten it as much as you can. Lower your leg and do the other side.

Stay on your back on the floor for another exercise.

While you’re laying on your back, bring your knees straight up and put your hands above your head. Rock your knees from side to side to loosen your back and warm it up. Each time you rock, rock your legs a little further until you can lower your legs on each side without lifting your shoulders from the floor. Once you’ve touched your outer knee on the floor on one side, slowly go back to starting position and touch the outer knee of the other leg on the other side.

Muscle relaxers and pain medication used to be the treatment advised. The high increase in pain medication addiction and side effects have severely limited its use. Exercise not only brings relief, the only side effects are a healthier body.
Cat poses can relax your lower back. Get on your hands and knees. Arch your back like an angry cat with your head facing downward. Inhale, relax, exhale and drop your abdomen toward the floor as you lift your head, changing your body position from a convex curve to a concave one.
Simply pulling one knee at a time toward your chest can help bring relief. You keep the other leg extended as you do this stretch. Return to neutral position with both legs extended and do it on the other leg.
To avoid future problems, build stronger abdominal muscles and back muscles. When your abdominal muscles are strong, it helps remove the pressure from the back.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

It’s Time To Push Through The Plateau

Published by superadmin on January 28, 2020 | Leave a response

One of the biggest problems with losing weight, especially if you’re working out on your own, is plateauing. The best way to deal with a plateau is to avoid it in the first place. You can push through the plateau if it occurs and knowing what caused it helps. Plateauing occurs when the body becomes efficient at making the moves of an exercise. It happens when you don’t vary your workout enough. As a trainer, I vary clients workouts enough so your body is always working at maximum.

Initially, losing weight is easier.

No matter what your workout program, the longer you do it, the harder it is to lose weight. Think about it. If you’ve lost weight, going from 170 pounds to 140 pounds, you’re carrying 30 fewer pounds around everywhere you go. Even if you’re burning more calories because you have more muscle tissue, your body still won’t be working as hard. It’s like carrying a 30 pound weight around for months and then putting it down. You simply won’t work as hard. Your body will require fewer calories. That’s one reason many people suggest your weight loss goal be a percentage of your body weight.

What if you’ve switched out your workout and doing everything right, but still are plateauing

No matter how hard you workout and how much you change your workout, if you’re not seeing progress, maybe there’s another problem or no real problem at all. The scales sometimes lie. That’s right. They may say that you aren’t making progress when you really are. Remember, muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does. It’s like comparing metal with feathers. The container holding a pound of feathers will definitely be bigger. If you haven’t lost weight, but find your clothing is now looser or way too big, you’ve lost inches! That’s also progress.

If your workout is varied and you’re not losing inches or weight, there’s another problem.

Sometimes, people forget all the food they eat throughout the day. Maybe it’s something as simple as grabbing a few M&Ms as you walk by the candy dish or you’re not counting what you drink. Soft drinks have calories, too. Even if you opt for diet soft drinks, while it doesn’t have an effect on your weight, studies show that people who drink them end up with more abdominal fat. Scrutinize your eating habits carefully and see if there are hidden calories you’re not counting.

Never give up. Each person is different. Not everyone’s body has the same time schedule for weight loss. Sometimes, there’s a difference based on when you weigh yourself. There are daily fluctuations in weight, too.
Don’t focus as much on how much you lose, but more in the joy of losing it. Feel how great it is to be able to move comfortably through the exercises and notice how your endurance, flexibility and strength has improved. Enjoy the moment and know the weight will come off if you keep it up.
Make sure you’re tracking yourself when you workout and tracking what you eat. Remember, portion control is also important. If you’re working out with a trainer, he or she probably will find out the cause with a few questions or modify your workout.
Keep active even if you’re not working out. Park further from the store and walk. Take the stairs. Ride your bike to the store or walk, rather than take a car if you’re close. You’ll save gas and get more exercise.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness