Fitness & Wellness

Why Your Weight Doesn’t Really Matter

Published by superadmin on June 14, 2020 | Leave a response

How can I say your weight doesn’t really matter when I’m helping people in Louisville, KY, shed extra pounds? It’s easy because it’s true. Too often people focus too much on weight. It means you’re on results, rather than process, and just one result. Getting into shape isn’t all about weight loss. If you’re eating healthy and working out regularly, getting to a healthy weight is one of the outcomes, but so is increased strength, endurance, flexibility and better health.

You might be changing the composition of your body.

If you’ve worked out regularly and switched your diet to healthy eating, you still might not see a difference when you step on the scales. The reason may be that your body composition or fat to muscle ratio has changed. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat does, because it’s denser. Your weight won’t change if you’re substituting muscle tissue for fat tissue. If your clothes are getting baggy but your weight hasn’t changed, that’s what’s happening.

If you choose healthy foods and workout regularly, you don’t need to weigh yourself daily.

Some people weigh themselves daily or even more. That can be both misleading and depressing. Your body weight fluctuates throughout the day. Hormones, the type of food you ate and even the amount of sodium in the food can make a difference. Whether you have a full colon or bladder can also affect your weight. While that difference is minimal, people who weigh frequently look for minor differences and either praise themselves or sink into depression when they read the scales. Focus on doing what it takes, not the scales.

Your weight doesn’t reflect your health or your energy level.

Just because you’re skinny, doesn’t mean you’re healthy. People who are thin can be far sicker than someone that’s slightly overweight but still fit. It’s all about lifestyle decisions, eating healthy and working out regularly. If you can’t run to the corner of the block and back without begging for oxygen, no matter how thin you are, you’re out of shape and definitely not healthy. Focus on your health and healthy habits.

The scales can lie. Sometimes, just standing slightly different on the scales can make a difference. Try it sometime. Weigh yourself and then get off the scales and try a slightly different stance. You’ll often see a pound or two difference.
One reason people have more success when they use a personal trainer, is that the trainer tracks other things, besides weight. Try tracking the number of reps you do in a workout or how much more you can lift.
Check your energy level. If you used to come home at the end of the day exhausted and now have energy to spare, your program is working.
Try an experiment. If you find you’re constantly turning to the scales, deny yourself the opportunity for at least six weeks. In that time, focus on healthy eating, regular exercise and other lifestyle changes. You’ll feel better about yourself and still make progress.

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

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Why You Need To Take Care Of Yourself First

Published by superadmin on June 4, 2020 | Leave a response

For some reason, it has become noble to work yourself to a frazzle and simply take care of other people’s needs. It shouldn’t be that way. In fact, it’s not just an unhealthy stance to take, it’s also dangerous and counterproductive. You should take care of yourself so you have the energy to help others and the good health not require others to take care of you. There are some emergencies where that doesn’t hold true, but for the day-to-day schedule, you deserve to be number one.

Have you ever wondered why the parents are supposed to put on their oxygen mask before they do their child’s?

If you’ve listened to the flight attendant when they’re explaining emergency procedures, they always tell parents to put on oxygen masks first, before attending to children. That’s logical. The parent is responsible for putting on both the child’s mask and theirs and if they are unconscious from lack of oxygen, they can’t do both. The same logic holds true for taking care of yourself. Luckily, in everyday life, it’s not a matter of emergency or doing one before the other. It’s a matter of putting yourself on the priority list, just as you would any other important person.

It’s okay to say no occasionally.

If you find you’re on every committee, because everyone knows you’ll do a good job or nobody else will do the job, maybe it’s time to put a halt to that. People often find themselves running the minute their feet hit the ground in the morning. That’s very noble, but you need to take time for yourself. You need both time to take care of yourself, like going to the gym and eating healthy meals, but also time to decompress and be still. It’s okay to schedule time for that’s just for you and tell others no if you don’t want to take on another commitment or if interferes with your “you” time.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with work and resented family members who sat and watched TV?

The first thing to identify is whether you asked for help. If you didn’t, why not? Was it your sense of pride that stopped you? You don’t have to handle everything yourself. In fact, you’ll often find that people are glad to help when you ask. Instead of resenting family members or co-workers for not helping, why not ask them to help? You don’t have to be the demigod of work. If you’re happy to help others, they’re probably feeling the same.

Decide what makes you happy and pursue it. You have choices. There are ways to enhance your life and do more things that truly make you smile. Focus on your happiness. It doesn’t mean you aren’t taking care of others in the process.
Taking care of yourself also means being kind to yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, beating yourself up over those mistakes isn’t productive. Learn from them and move on.
Self-care might be anything from taking time to meditate, learning something new or giving yourself some praise when it’s deserved. It could be something as simple as giving yourself a few minutes to nap.
Self care isn’t selfish. In fact, it can actually be helping another person. It feels good to help someone in need and the key difference is doing it when you want, not because you feel forced into it.

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

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How To Stay Physically And Mentally Healthy When You’re Stuck At Home

Published by superadmin on May 27, 2020 | Leave a response

When time was available, did you find that you didn’t get all those things done you thought you would if you just had a little more time? It’s been the same experience for most people that I’ve talked to recently. They found that it was just as hard to stay physically and mentally healthy when you’re stuck at home, as it is when you’re busy with work and running everywhere. Most people give tips on how to make time, but ignore the fact that too much time leaves us all open to procrastinating. It all starts by taking the first step toward a healthy lifestyle. We have provided online help to make it easier.

Start with a healthy diet.

A healthy diet is at the core of getting fit, building your immune system and losing weight. If you’ve read recent statistics, you know that obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths. It’s not always easy to know what’s healthy and what’s not. Of course, everyone knows that eating the sugar in candy bars isn’t good for you, but fail to understand how sugar is in so many of our processed foods. We have created healthy menus based on what you told us, your goals and your personal taste. You just buy the food.

Get a workout program designed exclusively for you.

We offer online training that’s personalized, but you can get extra exercise without it, even if you’re stuck at home. I feel so strongly that everyone should be their fittest, I don’t care if you use our program or something else. I just want you to start something. If you’re completely out of shape, get up and move. Climb stairs. Go for walks…even if it’s just walking around the house. Throughout the day, take a minute or two and do windmills with your arms or lunges. It all starts with increasing your movement. I want everyone to move more and do recommend our easy to follow exercise programs, but just using cans as weights, doing simple exercises and being aware of moving more is important.

The key is not to overdo and knowing that everything you do counts.

If you get winded just walking down the steps…that’s what you need to do more often. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits, especially when you’re first working out or putting more emphasis on moving. There is no best way to start…you just have to take the first step. Many people find that scheduling a specific time and making a workout an appointment is a big help. Create a way to track your workout, noting how much you did each day. Winners keep score.

You won’t be stuck at home forever. While you have time, you can make meals ahead and freeze them for later just by doubling the recipe. They’re great for those busy days when you’re out and about. They’ll be ready to heat and eat.
If you’re not fit enough to workout for an extended period, break up your workout to ten minute sessions. If you do three ten minute sessions each day, you’ll soon be able to workout longer and combine them to two and then one workout.
Do something good for yourself or others and get exercise in the process. Deep cleaning can be exhausting, which is one reason it’s also good exercise. Cleaning out closets can be, too, but you can also help others by donating items to help those in need.
Your mental health affects your physical health. Stay positive. Have an attitude of gratitude for everything you have. Spend a few minutes each morning to appreciate all you’ve been given and you’ll start your day off right.

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

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Why Is Salmon Recommended Over Other Types Of Fish?

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

If you’ve read much about eating healthy, you’ll probably notice that salmon is often recommended. There are good reasons that nutrition experts recommend salmon. Let’s start with it as a source of healthy Omega3 fatty acid. There’s a recommended ratio of omega6 fatty acid to omega3. The average American diet contains somewhere between a 10 parts Omega6 to 1 part Omega3 all the way to a fifty to one ratio. It should be closer to a four to one ratio and that’s where salmon can help. According to the Heart Association and Mayo Clinic, boosting your Omega3 is one of the best ways to improve your heart health. It protects blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, prevents clots and lowers triglycerides. Replacing meat with salmon can lower cholesterol levels.

You can boost your overall health by eating salmon a few times a week.

Salmon has a wealth of nutrients, besides the omega3 fatty acids. It’s loaded with iron, zinc, niacin, B12 and B6. It provides selenium that helps your thyroid in top working condition, while also aiding your immune system. Many of those nutrients in salmon are antioxidants, which means they protect the cells from damage. Cell damage can cause illness, aging and death. The body requires 55 micrograms of selenium each day and a 3-ounce serving of Coho salmon has 36, while pink salmon has 44. Wild salmon rather than farmed, offers the most.

There are several varieties of salmon, so the nutrients vary.

While all salmon is healthy for you, the amount of protein and nutrients vary by the type of salmon you have. Consider the amount of protein in each type of salmon. They’re all close, but Coho salmon offers more protein per 3-ounce serving than Atlantic salmon with Coho offering 23.3 grams and wild Atlantic salon providing 21.6. Potassium also varies, but in this case, Atlantic salmon wins with 534 milligrams compared to 387. Protein is a building block and potassium supports muscle function, which includes your heart, aids to digestion and strong bones.

Eat salmon for its astaxanthin.

What is astaxanthin? It’s an antioxidant that provides many health benefits. It also provides the pink color to salmon. Astaxanthin can aid in preventing oxidation of the bad cholesterol—LDL. It also increases the good HDL. Those two things alone can help reduce your risk for heart disease. If you want to look younger, there’s evidence that astaxanthin can help you do it. That’s because it helps prevent skin damage. One study observed a group of 44 skin damaged individuals and found that after being given a combination of 2 mg astaxanthin and 3 grams of collagen for 12 weeks, the skin elasticity and hydration improved significantly. Astaxanthin can also help the brain and nervous system.

Eat salmon as a source of vitamin B. Just 3.5 ounces of wild salmon has 18% of vitamin B1, 29% B2, 50% niacin—B3, 19% pantothenic acid—B5, 47% B6, 7% folic acid—B9 and 51% B12.
Consuming salmon a few times a week can help you lose weight. It can increase metabolic rate, help keep your appetite under control and boost that feeling of fullness. Best of all, studies show that when you lose weight, it is often belly fat.
Inflammation may be the cause of many diseases, from cancer and heart disease to diabetes. Salmon is anti-inflammatory, meaning it reduces inflammatory markers and improve symptoms of inflammation.
Increase salmon in your weekly diet and you can improve brain health, while also lowering signs of depression and anxiety. It also protects fetal brain health in pregnant women and age-related memory loss.

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

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Calming Herb And Spices To Fight Anxiety

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

Anxiety, being uptight and suffering from stress occurs everywhere, not just Louisville, KY. You don’t have to run to a physician to get a prescription or take an over the counter medication to help you relax. There are lots of natural ways to get rid of that anxious feeling. Exercise is one of those ways to burn off stress hormones. A good night’s sleep is another. For those occasional times, using calming herb and spices can also help to fight anxiety.

Try a cup of chamomile tea.

Since ancient Greece, chamomile has been a source of help for relaxation. It has a calming effect and studies show that it’s the phenolics, like flavonoids, phenolic acids, quinones and several other phytochemical antioxidants that not only help you sleep and relax, but also aid in anxiety relief. Studies of chamomile also found that it can reduce stress related headaches and loss of appetite. One study showed that chamomile demonstrated a reduction of cortisol, a marker of stress. Use the flowers of chamomile to make the tea.

That delicious scent of lavender is what you need for a relaxing moment.

This is another herb that’s been used for its calming effects for centuries. While you can make lavender, using it as part of aromatherapy, or as a massage oil brings the best results. It does more than just calm you and relieve your anxiety. It can make you feel more positive, too. Some people put a drop or two of the oil on a small cloth and lay it on their pillow when they sleep. It reduces the level of cortisol. In fact, when compared in a drug study to an anti-anxiety drug, lorazepam, it was as effective for persistent anxiety.

Ginger is yummy, makes a great tea and also helps you become more mellow.

If you’ve ever consumed ginger tea for stomach problems, you may have also experienced how relaxed it made you feel. The Gingerol, which is an antioxidant, lowers the stress hormones in the body. It’s one reason it’s often just what you need when your stomach is in knots or upset. If you’re under stress, your digestive system slows. There’s less stomach acid and movement of food through the stomach and the intestines. Ginger helps that by boosting the production of stomach acid that’s slowed by stress. Add fresh ginger to your cooking or chop it up and pour water over it for tea. You can also buy ginger tea bags.

Sprinkle on some turmeric for not only stress reduction and improved mood, but improved heart and brain health. It just takes ¼ teaspoon a day to make a difference.
That heavenly smelling basil may help you improve your brain and overall cognitive functioning, but it’s also good for stress. There are a number of different types of basil, which include a variety of flavors from lemon to cinnamon. Holy basil is usually considered the most medicinal.
Lemon balm is an easy to grow herb that adds the flavor of lemon. You can use it in cooking, and it goes well with pork and fish. To get the relaxing effect, create a tea or use it in aromatherapy.
Nutmeg is another relaxing spice that’s mentioned frequently in folk medicine for its ability to help you relax. It contains myricetin and elemicin to do that, while also boosting the creation of mood improving serotonin and dopamine. In the case of nutmeg, adding just a pinch to your food can help.

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

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What Is The Paleo Diet?

Published by superadmin on April 26, 2020 | Leave a response

No matter where you live, Louisville, KY, or other city, you probably have heard of a variety of different diets, including the Paleo Diet. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a diet based on what man probably ate during the Paleolithic era. It’s also called the caveman diet for the same reason. Why would you go back to that type of menu? Those who practice it and follow the diet say it’s more like eating what the body is matched to genetically, before the era of farming.

What food is in the Paleo diet?

Most Paleo diets consist of fish, fruit, vegetables, lean meat, nuts and seeds. That would have been the menu of the hunter/gatherer before farming developed and dairy, legumes and grains were added to the diet. The foods allowed that proponents say we’re genetically programmed to eat are listed and those that aren’t healthy, besides dairy, legumes and grains, include salt, vegetable oil, processed food and refined sugar.

Some of the choices are commendable and a top priority for healthy eating.

Laying off added sugar and extra salt definitely won’t hurt anyone in normal circumstance, with the added exception of someone that has sweat to the point of depletion of electrolytes from salt. Here, we’re talking about the tons of extra salt added to each meal. Giving up processed food is also part of eating healthy and will get no objection on my part.

Where a Paleolithic diet might be bad.

The Paleo diet includes consuming a higher amount of fatty meat and red meat. That can lead to a higher level of LDL—the bad cholesterol. It also increases the risk for bowel cancer and can be as much as four times more saturated fat than recommended by the American Heart Association. If your diet is too low in carbs, it can also cause quicker exhaustion if you’re participating in rigorous and long duration aerobic workouts. Finally, the exclusion of both grains and dairy can lead to less fiber, calcium, B-vitamins, iron, selenium and magnesium.

In the short term clinical trials, a Paleo diet proved superior over other dieting styles, such as the Mediterranean diet when it came to controlling blood pressure, glucose tolerance, lowering triglycerides, weight loss and appetite management.
While you might lose more weight in six months with a Paleolithic diet, studies on obese women show that the benefits weren’t the same at the two-year mark, where weight loss was about the same.
Even though weight loss was approximately the same at 24 months, the study also showed the Paleo group lost more fat, had a reduced circumference, indicating less visceral fat and improvement to triglyceride levels.
The best way to lose weight and remain healthy is still through a balanced diet of healthy food. We can help you with a diet that includes meal plans, recipes and even grocery lists to help make weight loss easier.

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

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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

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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

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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.

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