Changing Your Eating Behavior in 10 easy steps.

Do you alternate between following a meal plan and losing weight (being “good”) and falling off the plan and regaining weight (being “bad”)? It’s a frustrating but common cycle. Behavior modification strategies--rather than diets--can help you break this self-defeating cycle and make lasting lifestyle changes.

Enlisting the aid of qualified professionals (e.g., a registered dietitian, a physician, a personal trainer and/or a psychologist) will make it easier to interrupt old behavior patterns. You can also begin to practice the following lifestyle change principles:

1. Stop Dieting. How can you lose weight if you don’t diet? Creating a deficit of about 500 calories a day for one week should result in a 1-pound weight loss. Most people can incur a large part of this 500-calorie-a-day deficit by exercising and making moderate changes in food intake. In choosing this approach you avoid the negative consequences of rigid dieting.  Eating healthier also helps, when you start to eat healthier foods, you don't crave the unhealthy foods as much.


2. Become Physically, Not Externally, Connected to Eating. Internal hunger cues--such as a rumbling stomach, a slight headache, fatigue, irritability and decreased concentration--are meant to remind you to meet your energy requirements and maintain your natural set point weight. Reconnecting with your physical signals of hunger and satiety can help you acquire the internal power to regulate your food intake.  Listen to your body, what foods fuel it and what foods just make you tired in an hour?


3. Use the Rating of Perceived Hunger (RPH) Scale. Using this scale can make you more aware of your internal hunger and satiety cues. Think of 0 as indicating extreme hunger and 10 as signaling extreme fullness. With the scale in mind, begin to read your body’s signals. Your target range should be between 3 and 8. If you go to 0, you may eat too much too fast, particularly since it takes your brain 15 to 20 minutes to sense that your body is full. When you eat, put your fork down after each bite, you will chew your food slower.  You should begin to eat at 3 on the RPH scale and stop at 7 or 8, when you’re comfortably full and satisfied.


4. Distinguish Between Emotional and Physical Hunger. Physical hunger is a physiological process that occurs every three to four hours. When you don’t listen to hunger cues, your hunger subsides and your body begins to slow down to conserve energy. Emotional hunger involves eating when you’re sad, happy, anxious or bored. Understanding when you are trying to satisfy emotional needs with food can help you find more appropriate ways to meet those needs.


5. Neutralize Food. There are good and bad foods--but it really is about eating them in moderation. Forbidding certain foods may simply make you want them all the more. If portion control is a problem with particular foods, try specific strategies with these items--for example, measure out one serving of potato chips and put the bag back in the pantry, if you are going to drink a soda, try pouring half into a glass with some ice and pitch the other half. 

6. Do Not Skip Meals. Eating frequently throughout the day (3 small meals and 2-3 snacks) will stimulate your metabolism. Skipping meals (including breakfast) can decrease your metabolism.

7. Dispel Myths; Do Not Create Them. A safe weight loss is 1 or 2 pounds a week, not 20. Be wary of supplements and meal replacement products. Product testimonials may or may not be true; spokespersons may or may not have any credentials. Remember, a healthy body comes from healthy eating.


8. Be Supportive, Not Critical. People lose weight at different rates. Weight may drop off quickly at first and then plateau, or vice versa. The important thing is that long-term healthy behavior gets results. Reassure yourself that you are working hard and remember that hard work pays off.

9. Watch Your Language. Do you find yourself thinking “I will never lose weight” or “I feel fat”? Watch for thoughts that are negative or irrational, rather than supportive of your goals. See if you can accurately describe your mood. Are you angry, sad, afraid? Understand that “fat” is not a feeling.

10. Change the Reward System. You are probably used to rewarding yourself and being rewarded by others for losing pounds, rather than for altering your behavior. Create a system of rewards for the positive changes you make, rather than the numbers you see on the scale.


Visit www.perfectfitpersonaltraining.com for programs to fit your needs.

Expand your mind.

Continue developing your mind no matter how old you are:  Take classes that interest you, read great works of literature, write in a journal--learn to think analytically, and express yourself intelligently every day.  Steven R Covey

This habit talks about preserving and enhancing the greatest assets we all have.  In particular using our minds.

Winter is upon us and we may prefer to gather around the television instead of doing something more active.  If the television is your choice of activity, then try renting a documentary or watching a gardening show, something that may peak your interest into learning more.  That is what I've done, I love to try new things and some work out and some do not.  

Some of us do like to curl up with a good book and others prefer to never read anything more than we have to at work.  Try something different and go to the library and pick out a book or magazine that you never would have picked up before and take a look at it.  Open your mind and experience it.  You are bound to learn something new from it, even if the only thing you learned was the reason why you never picked up in the first place.  I on the other hand walk into the library with a book or two in mind and walk out with three that i just came across and looked interesting.

Try a new hobby like woodworking, carving, basket weaving, learning to change your own oil, the subject doesn't matter.  Find something you would benefit from, maybe even something you have said in the past that you would like to try.

Writing in a journal can be exhilarating.  Looking back 10 years ago, writing never crossed my mind.  In my personal training business I started writing fitness and motivation articles and found that I really enjoyed writing, I am now in the process of writing a book and it's amazing how it feels to be able to share my passion and knowledge with others.  Give it a try and write either something your passionate about or just write about what you did this week.  You may find you like it too.

Thanksgiving Damage Control

Dinner’s done. You’re stuffed.  Time to go shopping and you just can't move.  Your pants feel way too snug and you feel like a blow-fish because you’re so bloated.  Yes, that’s right: another Thanksgiving dinner came and went, and you still crammed more stuffing in your mouth than you wanted to, and over-indulged in pie, bread and gravy.

So what do you do now? How can you mitigate some of this damage?

(Not that eating big once in awhile is bad, but for some people, once they fall off the wagon so-to-speak they don’t want to get back on).  Get back up, don't quit your exercise routine now, it's one bad day.

Here’s a proven diet trick that will help you regain your footing and put you back on the path to healthy eating: 

The day after Thanksgiving, stay away from all high carbohydrate foods and focus mainly on protein, vegetables and healthy fats.

So, instead of waking up the next day and having cereal and milk for breakfast like you usually do, have eggs and spinach with a side of avocado.  Then, snack on mixed nuts, and fresh cut vegetables.  Followed by big salads with olive oil and some leftover turkey (hold the cranberry sauce).

And finish with a low carb protein smoothie, made with Prograde Protein, peanut butter and a few frozen berries.

If you do this, you’ll lose all of your water retention, and regain your normal pant size. And, you won’t want to dive back into those sugary carbs again!

How does this work?

By keeping your carbohydrates to a bare minimum, you help re-stabilize your blood sugar levels after a roller coaster of highs and lows from the previous day.  Instead of making the situation worse with more carbs,  you’re going to maintain your body’s insulin sensitivity by giving your pancreas a break from all those carbs that normally cause it to release excessive insulin.  Without those carbs, your cells will be able to respond to nutrients without the help of an insulin overshoot. This will help prevent more blood sugar fluctuations.

Scientific investigations of  low-carbohydrate diets have clearly shown that they help people lose several pounds of cooped-up body water (and trapped body fat), while improving their ability to dispose of carbohydrates in muscle tissue rather than fat.  They stabilize blood glucose levels and allow people normally on insulin-sensitizing drugs to use less or none at all.  Also, low-carb eating plans based off real food (not processed items) reduce your cravings for sugars and starchy foods that you probably don’t need anyhow (and that you probably didn’t need yesterday!).

Your Sneaky Damage Control Plan

So, this Black Friday if you want to correct the damage from the day before, eat your leftovers, but only have the turkey and vegetables.  Stay away from the potatoes, the bread, and especially the dessert.  Your body will feel so much better, and you won’t want to stuff your face with all that food again ( at least not until next year, that is).

Fight The Dangerous Side Effects Of High-Fat Desserts With This Special Fat

Another great article by Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD

Isn’t it interesting that when your doctor sends you to get your blood tested for your yearly physical, you have to go in a fasted state first thing in the morning?  But, if you really think about it: How much of your day do you actually spend in an 8-12 hour fasted condition? 

 

 

Honestly, other than when you’re sleeping, you really don’t spend that much time between meals, because if you’re like most people, you eat somewhere between every two to six hours; sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.  So, why is it that when your blood risk factors for heart disease are checked - parameters like insulin, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides - it’s done with you being in a non-normal fasted (starving) state? It doesn’t make much sense, does it?  

 

That’s why researchers are now looking at risk factors for heart disease and other chronic conditions in more normal conditions; and hopefully soon, our physicians will catch on to this as well.  The time period between meals, which is where we spend more of our days, is called the post-prandial period.

 

And, recent evidence now suggests that high post-prandial blood cholesterol and triglyceride and insulin levels are strong independent risk factors for heart disease, even more than fasting levels.  Furthermore, the omega-3 essential fatty acids found in marine animals, like fish and krill, are well-known to improve our fasting blood lipid and insulin levels, and greatly reduce our risk of heart complications, but the effects in a post-prandial state are not quite as clear.

 

 

New Omega-3 Post-Prandial Research

 

Recently, researchers from Italy took on this unknown, but important health question, and investigated the effects of omega-3 essential fatty acid supplementation on men and women with elevated risk factors for heart disease in a post-prandial condition.  Over a period of 6 months, 157 men and women between the ages of 18 and 75 were included in the study if they had high total cholesterol levels, insulin, and triglycerides, but had never taken lipid-lowering medication.

 

The patients were divided into one of two groups who took either 1g of omega-3 EPA and DHA (the special omega-3 fatty acids found only in marine oils) or a placebo, combined with a calorie-reduced diet and regular exercise.  Both the researchers and the subjects did not know what type of supplements they were taking until the entire study was completed, so that there would be no biased results (known as a double-blind study).  At the beginning and the end of the study, the patients all underwent a special type of post-prandial blood testing, known as an oral fat load test.  This is a situation where the patients are asked to eat a high fat meal, which in this case was 350 mL of whipping cream with light chocolate syrup and milk, and then have their blood lipid and insulin levels evaluated. They also had regular blood testing throughout the study.

 

 

Outstanding Results

 

After the six-month study period, subjects in both groups who followed a lower-calorie eating plan and regular exercise, lost body weight, body fat, and total post-prandial cholesterol levels, regardless of the type of supplement (omega-3 or placebo) that they took.  Most interestingly was that the group taking 1g of EPA and DHA each day for the past six months had a more significant reduction in post-prandial triglycerides and insulin, and a more significant increase in HDL (good) cholesterol than the placebo group, whereas the placebo group had no positive changes in these parameters at all.

 

What this shows is that in a post-prandial high-fat condition (similar to if you had a large, creamy dessert after dinner), people who regularly take omega-3 essential fatty acids, were better able to handle the fat and use it for energy than those who did not take these special fatty acids at all.  Also, people taking the omega-3 supplement had significant decreases in novel blood markers of insulin resistance, known as resistan and RBP-4, and increases in a compound called ADN, which indicated that their bodies were much better at handling and disposing of sugary high-fat meals.

 

High levels of resistan in the body decrease the ability of insulin to stop liver glucose output like it’s supposed to, and prevent muscle from taking up glucose for energy. Also, RBP-4 is increased in people with insulin resistance and/or type-2 diabetes compared to lean, healthy people, while ADN helps the body burn more fat for fuel and prevents the damaging effects of high blood glucose. Overall, changes in these makers indicate that omega-3 fatty acids from marine sources help prevent and reverse insulin resistance, which eventually can lead to many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.

 

 Protect your Health with Omega-3 Fats

 

The results of this research have important implications for our health and the health of those around us.

 

First, there is more to heart health and diabetes prevention than fasted blood tests that your doctor sends you for each year; it’s more important to look at how your body functions after a meal, and what your risk factors for disease are in that common situation.

 

Second, omega-3 fatty acids from marine oils, like krill and fish, can greatly help you deal with common situations of un-ideal eating; such as when you’re getting ready to eat a Mile-High Ice Cream Pie, and just know that your blood cholesterol and insulin levels are going to take a beating.

 

If you regularly take omega-3 fats containing EPA and DHA, your body will be better at dealing with dangerous desserts, and will not suffer as badly afterwards.  However, this does not give you a free pass to eat buckets of ice cream whenever you like – it just lets you know that if you regularly take omega-3 fatty acids, you won’t end up in a coffin if you choose to eat these treats once in a while.   

4 Reasons Why YOU Can’t Get Skinny

Do you have a love/hate relationship with 10 or 15 of your closest friends?

Do you look in the mirror and see the “trouble spots” you need to work on?

Are you fed up with NOT feeling good about the way your clothes fit?

The 10 to 15 “friends” I am referring to is your FAT.

Most people feel they could shed a few of them and LOSE WEIGHT.

And with the holidays fast approaching, the need to get fit and trim is always on the forefront of people’s minds.  Being overweight may lead to serious complications later in life.Overweight or obesity has been linked to many different diseases like Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.  But not just eating and lack of exercise alone account for why you put on weight and can’t seem to shed it!  Age is one.  As you age, it may become harder to lose the weight, due to less muscle mass and a lower metabolism.

But there are other reasons why YOU might be having a hard time losing weight!

Top 4 Reasons Why You Can’t Get Skinny:

You put others' health above your own

You may have children, or a spouse, or someone who depends on you to help get them through the day.

And this may be the EXACT reason you can’t lose weight.  Not taking the time and putting YOUR health first, means you are missing out on opportunities to grow physically and emotionally.

By putting YOUR HEALTH at the top of your priority list, you are telling yourself that your health matters.

Making it a daily habit may help you lose weight and tighten up the don’t-need-to-see-put-on-baggy-clothes areas.

Tip: YOU NEED to make your health a priority.

Apply the same principles you do with others to your own health. Set aside time each day to exercise and you will establish a new, healthy habit.

Are you “fed” up with it all?
Sometimes, things happen that are just not fair.  You might have been through an emotional event, or you are just sick of everything and everyone.  This might lead to overeating because eating just feels right, and may be comforting.  Eating to comfort in times of stress or emotional despair begins a vicious cycle!

When you eat to combat stressors in your life, you may end up feeling guilty - all because of EATING!  And that guilt is like a rollercoaster.  You feel guilty, so you eat something else to make yourself feel better.  However, that just makes you feel EVEN WORSE!  It begins a cycle of eating to get feel-good hormones flowing through your brain, but then those hormones fade and you are left FEELING GUILTY AGAIN.

Tip:  Try alternative forms of relaxation when times get you down.

Exercise releases the same feel-good hormones that junk food creates, all while enjoying a calorie DEFICIT.  Exercise is a great way to burn extra calories, keeping you away from the Twinkies and Swiss Rolls.

The Junk Food Draw
Do you have a stash of junk food set aside only for times of desperation or stress?  The most frequent problem with having junk food in the house or office is that it’s going to get eaten.  Junk food leads to extra calories and loads you up with sugar and fat, leading to EVEN more CALORIES being stored.Tip: If you have to have junk food, try smaller, more portioned-controlled options.  They are lower in calories and will give you the fix you are looking for.  Also, you can try to replace the junk food with healthier snack options.  Walnuts, peanuts, and almonds are great low calorie snack options which can be the perfect pick-YOU-up during the day

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho It’s Off To Work You Go…Most of your waking day evolves around getting up and going to work.  Depending on the type of work you do you can spend anywhere between six and eight hours SITTING!
This is not helping your backside or weight loss!
Not only are you sitting for the majority of the day, but you are probably eating during the day.  Extra calories, without moving around, means you have more calories that you are NOT burning.

Tip: Try to get up and move throughout the day.

Walking for 10 minutes, 3 times a day at a moderate pace, may be equal to 30 minutes on a bike or treadmill.  But be careful, that 10 minutes needs to get your heart rate ROCKING at a moderate pace to reap the benefits of cardiovascular endurance.  Also, instead of eating lunch at your desk or the cafeteria, opt to take a walk or exercise.  Join my Get Fit class for 30 minutes. This will burn extra calories and might make you more conscious of how much you are eating.

You need to put your health first and make it PRIORITY #1. 

Replace unhealthy junk food with healthy snacks that pack powerful nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber that might keep your waistline trim.  Figuring out an alternative way to deal with emotional issues or stress, instead of eating, may help you lose weight and keep the weight off.

Eliminating these four reasons for weight gain may boost your metabolism leading you to a fit, firmer, and smaller YOU!

Avoid These Popular Thanksgiving Sides For Optimal Weight Loss and tips if you can't.

Today is Thanksgiving!  Enjoy good times with your family and friends.  A day to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings in your life!  Actually everyday is a day to give thanks.  It also means the holiday season is in full swing.

Which also means your weight loss goals MIGHT be in JEOPARDY.  The holidays are filled with cookies, pies, and calorie-laden treats, which may put a damper on your weight loss.  A typical Thanksgiving meal can supply you with a day’s worth of calories - all in ONE sitting!

 

The average Thanksgiving meal can top 2,000 calories or more, depending on the choices you make.

This can really side track your weight loss  and exercise goals!
But your Thanksgiving meal does not have to be a weight loss nightmare.  Limiting or avoiding high calorie sides and treats, can keep your weight loss on track.

Here is a list of the WORST holiday sides or toppings which may increase calories, leading to weight gain.
1. Stuffing - Traditional stuffing is made from white bread and sometimes “stuffed” into the turkey.  White bread is absent of the good qualities found in whole wheat bread or sprouted breads, due to the processing of the wheat into flour.  Stuffing can also include different items, such as giblets or sausage, which may increase your calorie intake.  Stuffing the bird and cooking it allows for juices and fat to run into the stuffing, filling it with EVEN MORE calories.

Healthy tip: If you can’t resist the temptation of having stuffing, opt for a smaller portion.  A smaller portion will keep your calories in check, helping you keep your weight in check.

2. Candied Yams - This might be a great tasting side dish, but it is FULL of unwanted calories.  Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, which are then made sweeter by unhealthy doses of brown sugar and marshmallows.  The brown sugar and marshmallows lead to unwanted calories.  And those unwanted calories may lead to increased fat stores.

Healthy tip: Opt for the naked sweet potato.  Sweet potatoes are loaded with plenty of fat burning vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help keep extra weight off your thighs and butt!

3. Mashed Potatoes - Potatoes can be a great Thanksgiving option.  Potatoes are filled with vitamins and minerals which may help support and enhance your health.  The problem with mashed potatoes is the “stuff” that goes into them!  People add many different ingredients to mashed potatoes which increase the calorie content.  LOADS of butter and heavy doses of milk can make mashed potatoes taste better, but can also pack a lot of extra calories.
Healthy tip: Stick with the regular potato, or spice it up with a sweet potato.   Keep the condiments like butter and gravy on the side, which allows more control over what goes on your food.

4. Gravy - Nothing tastes better on turkey, stuffing, or potatoes, than gravy.  Gravy can either be homemade by using the natural juices and dripping from the turkey as it cooks, or you have the easier way by purchasing it in a can or a powdered packet.  Whatever the way gravy is prepared, you may find higher calories and fat content.

Healthy Tip: Keep gravy on the side and dip your turkey, potatoes, or other things into it.  This saves on calories, preventing extra fat and calories from entering your body.  You might also try low calorie toppings which may bring out added flavor to meats and other side dishes.

5. White vs. Dark - The age old debate: Which is the better option, white or dark meat?  Historically, white meat always wins the battle, because it is LOWER in CALORIES and FAT.  Dark meat can pack up to 220 calories and 11 grams of fat in a one cup serving!  Not good if you are looking to lose weight.  Dark meat is not all that bad for you!  With high amounts of iron, dark meat can be a good option if you are looking to increase your iron.

Healthy Tip: Opt for the white meat.   White meat contains less calories and fat than dark meat.  Try to limit the skin as well.   Depending on how it is prepared, the skin can be loaded with extra calories and sodium.  If you LOVE the skin and can’t live without it, have it, but try not to go overboard.  You can still enjoy the skin in HEALTHY and MODERATE amounts.

6. Cranberry Sauce - One of my all time favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!  But it’s SO bad for weight loss!  Why?  Canned cranberry sauce is full of sugar and preservatives, possibly leading to weight gain.

Healthy Tip: Make your own cranberry sauce with low calorie sweeteners, fresh cranberries, and fruits and nuts providing you with healthy calories and plenty of essential fatty acids, protein, and fiber.
Enjoy Yourself
Thanksgiving does not have to be a train wreck for your weight loss goals.  Making smarter choices at the dinner table can reduce your calories, preventing the extra calories being stored as fat.

Limiting or avoiding these high calorie sides and toppings, may help you monitor the calorie intake and save you from gaining extra weight.  Another important key at Thanksgiving: Stay away from seconds and thirds.

Going back for more can guarantee you increased calorie intake, possibly resulting in weight gain.  Try a quick and easy workout the morning of, which will help burn extra calories and get your body ready for the meal to come.  Also, eat breakfast in the morning.

A small, healthy breakfast with high quality protein and some carbohydrates may help prevent you from overeating when you get to the dinner table.  Don't try to save yourself for the meal, keep to eating several smaller meals today just as you would any other day and you will still enjoy all the great foods in front of you, but you won't self sabotage your goals and gains so far.

Power By Choice dba Perfect Fit wishes you a safe and healthy Thanksgiving and Holiday season!

Here's to keeping your fat burning going throughout the holiday season!

Eat Slow To Lose Weight

 Here is another great article to share By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

There are plenty of reasons why you gain weight.  And there are also plenty of ways to lose weight.
But did you know that you can LOSE WEIGHT faster by how fast you EAT?

That’s right, the way you eat also plays a very large role in weight gain!  Let me explain…How Our Bodies WorkWhen food enters our stomach, it gets broken down by acids in the mouth and stomach.  This acid turns the food into mush so it is easier to enter your intestines and allows for the nutrients to transfer over.  When food enters the stomach, a signal is sent to the brain that lets your brain know there is food in there.

The only problem: it takes 20 minutes for YOUR body to let the brain know it is FULL!
This can be a VERY BIG problem.Quick Vs. Slow EatersIf you are a quick eater, what happens when you are done with your meal?  You are still hungry, right?
What happens then?  You overindulge and take second, or even third, helpings!

Recently, it has been PROVEN that eating slower actually may make you SKINNIER!
The Skinny On Eating SlowlyResearchers from the University of Rhode Island studied the effects of eating speed and energy intake.

The results will leave you in AWE!  The quick eaters took in an average of 645 calories while the slow eaters took in considerably less calories.  Slow eaters only took in 579 calories.  Quick eaters also decreased their water intake compared to the slow eaters.  Quick eaters averaged 289g of water while slow eaters took in 409g!

Drinking more WATER may make you FEEL FULLER, and for LONGER periods of time!
Even though the quick eaters enjoyed a higher energy meal, they were hungrier and left feeling less satisfied than the slow eaters.  Amazing!  And they found their enjoyment and satisfaction of the meal, and EATING AFTER THE MEAL, was lower when the participants ate SLOWLY.

Now that you know that eating slowly may help you get skinny, here are some tips for SLOWING down your eating:

• Chew your food - make sure to take your time eating.  Chewing slowly slows down your eating habits and may also help you enjoy your food.  Try chewing your food 20 to 30 times to slow down your eating.
• Put your fork down - putting your fork down also allows you to chew your food slowly and enjoy your food.
• Drink more water - having more water in between bites fills up your stomach allowing you to reduce the amount of food you eat during a meal because you feel full.
• Portion Distortion - watch the amount of food you put on your plate.  This will help limit the amount of calories available to you, resulting in less calories going in your mouth.  Also, stay away from the temptation of going back for seconds or thirds.The Tortoise Always BEATS The HareEating slowly may help you lose weight and keep the weight off.  Eating slowly allows you to enjoy your food more, leaving you feeling full and satisfied.  Eating may be a pleasurable experience for some; and, eating slowly may INCREASE the pleasure you experience from eating a healthy and nutritious meal.

Include these tips the next time you sit down and eat to help you control your calorie intake and allow for your brain to really know when you are FULL and speed up your METABOLISM!


Of course when you add exercise to a great eating program such as my 90 Days To a New You or 21 Days To Amaze  you will lose those pounds and inches faster and healthier.  Click on the link above for more information to the eating programs.  

Can Astaxanthin Help Prevent Weight Gain?

Over 200 million people suffer from diabetes, do YOU?  I posted an article yesterday about What is Astaxanthin, now here is some great information about how it can help with weight loss and diabetes.

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS

Astaxanthin - although it sounds like one of those molecules in your chemistry class that haunted you while studying for final exams, it’s actually a very powerful antioxidant with several health-promoting properties.

One health benefit in particular is its ability to protect your body against diabetes. It does this by fighting oxidative stress and preventing insulin resistance – two of the underlying causes of this common disease.

Oxidative De-Stressing

Oxidative stress refers to oxidative damage in a cell, tissue or organ, caused by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which are unstable free radical molecules containing oxygen that steal electrons from other molecules. This then makes the newly damaged molecule another free radical.

ROS are often dangerous because they’re linked to many negative effects in the body such as increased inflammation, permanent cell damage and even cell death.
Antioxidants come to our rescue against ROS because they stabilize the free radical molecule and prevent it from causing any destruction.

Diabetes and Oxidative Stress  

Diabetes is strongly linked to oxidative stress as either a consequence of increased ROS production, reduced antioxidant status, or both.

Oxidative stress in diabetes is brought on by consistent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) from a very high carbohydrate diet, reduced cell carbohydrate uptake, and/or low insulin output from the pancreas.

People who have pre-diabetes, or full diabetes, are wise to follow a diet much lower in carbohydrate than they usually eat, and increasing their physical activity. These changes will help reduce blood sugar concentrations and in turn, reduce levels of oxidative stress.

However, these changes take time and a lot of discipline (especially if you’re a carbohydrate addict). Thankfully there are ways to reduce oxidative stress until these beneficial changes have become new, good habits.

Astaxanthin Reduces ROS and Improves Immunity

Japanese researchers found that astaxanthin could lessen oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells (the cells in your body that produce insulin) caused by chronic high blood sugar levels. In turn, this improves the body’s ability to manage blood glucose levels by allowing the pancreatic cells to make the right amount of insulin when needed.   

Astaxanthin was found to improve pancreatic beta cell function and protect these cells from glucose toxicity which leads to progressive cell breakdown and death (Uchiyama K et al, 2007). It did this by battling the damaging ROS molecules through increased antioxidant levels (via astaxanthin).

Another group of researchers also found that astaxanthin treatment improved immunoprotective properties of lymphocytes (special white blood cells that are part of a normal immune response) (Otton R, 2010).

In diabetes there is a strong correlation between oxidative stress and poor immune function. Astaxanthin helped the lymphocytes do their job more effectively and fight off foreign objects such as bacteria, viruses, and pathogen-infected cells so that persons with diabetes would not be sick as often.

Prevention of Fat Gain

Recently, a group of researchers from India (Bhuvaneswari S et al, 2010) showed that increased blood glucose and excessive insulin levels brought on by a high processed fat and high sugar diet could be deterred with astaxanthin treatment.

What this means is that astaxanthin prevents insulin resistance and improves glucose handling. As a result of this, a long term high processed fat and sugar diet was not able to cause a significant increase in body fat, fatty liver, or suppress immunity.

Although this is good news for those of us that may not always eat well every day, it definitely does not condone a constant diet rich in French fries, doughnuts, cookies, Pop Tarts or artificial Cheese Twists.   

Where Do You Get Astaxanthin?

This brightly red-colored antioxidant is found in the lipid compartments of several species of microalgae that feed the millions of crustaceans and fish found in our oceans. Astaxanthin is one of the major reasons salmon is tinted pink and krill are deep red. The krill eat these microalgae first and accumulate them in a greater concentration than the salmon who eat fish who eat the krill.

Your best source of astaxanthin is therefore high healthy fat, red-colored marine animals such as krill and salmon.  EFA icon is one of the most concentrated sources of astaxanthan.

Stop Diabetes Now

According to our most recent statistics from 2007, 57 million people have pre-diabetes, and 23.6 million children and adults have full-blown diabetes; don’t let yourself become the next statistic.

In order help protect your body against the development of diabetes, which is a disease that affects more people in the US than need be, make sure you’re including astaxanthin from Krill Oil like EFA Icon in your diet and keeping sugar and processed fat low.    

Challenge yourself tomorrow, do something different if you want different results.

A challenge is an opportunity to prove ability to yourself ….
And to others....
Most never reach the level of achievement of which they are capable...
Because they do not challenge themselves enough...  Posted by Vince Provencio

Eat just a little bit less, enjoy your food by eating it slower, putting your fork down and getting to know your family again through insightful conversation.  Chew and savor each bite and you may find that you've been missing what enjoying your food is all about.  Don't eat like you can never have another turkey again, they do sell them all year round and you could just buy another one and freeze it for another family gathering.


Get some exercise, start off with a quick 10-15 minute walk, it's going to be a wonderful day out tomorrow (here is Colorado Springs).  Grab your cook and say let's go take a walk and enjoy the reason we live here, I will clean up later.  Take the kids out for a little fun and if you do some activity before you sit down to eat, that will help digest it better.


I have a Get Fit class that you can come and try out Friday morning at 8am.  Email me if you are interested, its a great way to round off your Black Friday and remember to check my Black Friday special on line only for Get Fit classes.  I may even put something else up.  Good for Black Friday and online only.

Protein Packed Prograde Pumpkin Pie Shake

It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to enjoy this mouthwatering, metabolism boosting dessert in a glass!

 

Put in a blender (or a large mug, if you use an immersion blender): 

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. pecans walnuts or almonds
1/2 c. cottage cheese
2 scoops Prograde vanilla protein powder (a little more or less to your taste, depending on how sweet you like it),
3/4 cup COLD water (again, a little more or less, depending on the thickness you prefer-but regardless of thickness preference, MAKE SURE THE WATER IS COLD!).

Blend, pour into a glass, and enjoy a (seemingly) sinful taste of dessert!
(Bonus: No need to unbutton your pants after this one!)

What The Heck Is Astaxanthin And How Does It Accelerate Fat Loss?

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS


Have you ever wondered why krill oil was brightly colored red instead of yellow like other marine omega-3 lipids? Well, this red shade is not only pretty to look at, but it can help you burn more fat and increase your athletic endurance - added benefits we’re all looking for.  

This pigment responsible for giving krill oil its unique color is a special red carotenoid called astaxanthin. If that isn’t just a mouthful enough to say, it has also has been demonstrated to have a laundry list of pharmacological effects including as an antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory agent.  But, what we’re going to focus on here is fat loss and endurance.
Sources of Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a colorful antioxidant that occurs naturally in a few different foods – mainly of marine sources. It’s the primary reason some fish and seafood are colored red; the pink flesh of salmon is a perfect example. However, you have to be careful.  Many farmed fish are given a synthetic version of astaxanthin in their diet, or their flesh is dyed with it before being sold in the market because astaxanthin is lacking in farmed fish feed. In the wild, salmon and other fish get astaxanthin naturally from the microalgae they eat. In fact, microalgae is the greatest naturally-occurring source of astaxanthin;  shrimp, krill, and salmon are red from eating it.

Another place to get astaxanthin in human diets is from bright yellow egg yolks, but again, this usually comes from a synthetic form of astaxanthin fed to chickens.  Organic chickens are fed natural compounds containing astaxanthin, so that’s your best bet. Most red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables are colored due to other natural carotenoids, like beta-carotene. The best way for humans to get astaxanthin naturally is to eat a diet of wild salmon, trout, seafood, and organic chicken eggs, and take supplements rich in astaxanthin, like krill oil.  
Fat Loss, Endurance and You
A group of Japanese researchers recently demonstrated that mice given astaxanthin in several different doses, along with a high-fat diet, had significantly lower body weight and body fat levels compared to mice fed a high-fat diet of the same calorie level. Astaxanthin also reduced liver weight, liver triglyceride content, and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. What this means is that when added to a high-fat, high-calorie diet, astaxanthin prevented mice from becoming overweight with a fatty liver and high blood fat levels.  The way astaxanthin did this was not by reducing the digestion of absorption of dietary fat, but instead by increasing the usage of fat as an energy source. This was supported by a decrease in the respiratory exchange ratio  (RER), which indicates that fat was used for fuel, instead of carbohydrates.

Mice can run on treadmills too!

In another Japanese study, mice were given astaxanthin along with a daily exercise routine (and if you’ve never seen mice run on a treadmill, you’re really missing out). They were divided into four groups: sedentary, sedentary plus with astaxanthin, running exercise, and exercise plus astaxanthin. After four weeks the animals in the exercise groups were placed on a treadmill to test a range of physical parameters. Similar to the study above, astaxanthin increased fat usage during exercise and accelerated the normal decrease in body fat that occurs with regular exercise. It did this by increasing the movement of fats into the mitochondria for energy production via enhanced carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) activity (a transport protein for fat located on the cell membrane).  What this means is that astaxanthin supplementation spared muscle glycogen (a normal fuel source for exercise) and used fat stores instead.

Finally, mice given astaxanthin in doses of either 1.2, 6, or 30 mg/kg body weight for 5 weeks, along with regular swimming exercise, were shown to have a significant increase in exercise time to exhaustion (meaning they swam longer) than mice given a placebo. Blood lactate levels (a marker of exercise fatigue) were lower in the animals given astaxanthin, while blood non-esterified fatty acid and glucose levels were higher (indicating that astaxanthin spared blood energy sources). Overall, astaxanthin improved swimming endurance when given for only a short period of time.

What Dose is Needed for Humans?
Many people criticize animal research as being irrelevant to humans, but that’s not entirely correct. True, we’re a different species, but our enzymes, muscle function, and metabolisms are scarily similar. Plus, there are only so many humans you can poke holes in before someone starts to get suspicious. But I digress…

The doses used in these animal studies can be converted to human doses. All of the studies above used the same astaxanthin doses. At the lowest level of 1.2 mg/kg for mice, this translates to a dose of 0.1 grams (100 mg) for humans. At the minimum, humans can still take a dose of 0.012 grams (12 mg) of astaxanthin from all dietary sources and see results over no astaxanthin at all, because research with humans have shown this dose to be effective for reducing blood triglyceride levels, and increasing healthy blood HDL cholesterol levels. Further, doses have been suggested to accumulate over time, since it is fat soluble, so lower doses would act as higher doses with longer durations of supplementation.
Astounding Astaxanthin
Overall, based on current research, astaxanthin holds promise as a fat-burning, exercise-enhancing, health-improving dietary nutrient.  Further research will confirm this.  We've also covered the EASIEST AND SIMPLEST way to not miss out by using a quality Krill Oil chocked full of astaxanthin like EFA Icon. This, in addition to eating a diet rich in red-colored seafood like salmon and shrimp, may increase the tools to keep your body lean, fit, and free of disease.  And, in this age of chronic diseases and foods full of high-calorie anti-nutrients, we need all the tools we can get, in addition to a great exercise program.  

Q: What Are Dextrose And Maltodextrin And Why Are They In Prograde Workout?

Answer:
Dextrose is a simple carbohydrate compound derived from starch (usually corn), but is also found naturally in foods such as honey and some fruits.

It’s often called glucose since dextrose and glucose have the same molecular form (C6H12O6), but glucose has several different isomeric forms, while dextrose is the biologically active form.

Dextrose looks like a fine white crystalline powder when it’s produced and has a sweet taste. When it’s mixed in water, dextrose dissolves instantly, leaving no lumps or clumps.

Dextrose is also absorbed very rapidly by the body when consumed, resulting in a high glycemic response (produces a high glucose response in the body when ingested). This high glycemic response makes it an ideal carbohydrate for exercising athletes following a workout in order to restore muscle glycogen concentrations, stimulate protein synthesis and halt protein breakdown.

Maltodextrin is also a carbohydrate manufactured by breaking down starches found naturally in corn, wheat, rice or starchy vegetables (like potatoes).  When these foods are cooked, the starch breaks down, aided by the release of natural acids and enzymes, in a process called hydrolysis. Maltodextrin is then isolated into its purest form, which looks like a simple white powder.

Compared to dextrose, which is a monosaccharide (simple) carbohydrate, maltodextrin is a polysaccharide (complex) carbohydrate, which is defined as a repeating unit of a simple carb (like glucose or dextrose) joined together by special bonds.

Because maltodextrin is a polysaccharide, also known as a glucose polymer, it’s technically a complex carbohydrate. However, don’t be fooled by this “complex” exterior: the bonds between the glucose units of maltodextrin are actually weak, and the chain is very short. This results in a much faster digestion and absorption rate than would be expected, and in fact, it’s absorbed just slightly slower than dextrose (aka, glucose).

Therefore, physiologically, maltodextrin acts much  like dextrose in its digestion and absorption capabilities.

Depending on its processing, when maltodextrin is tasted by the tongue, it can be either moderately sweet or have barely any flavor at all, unlike dextrose which is quite sweet.

Maltodextrin  is added to a wide array of foods, from canned fruits to snacks, and is used as a filler in packets of common artificial sweeteners. Manufacturers claim that foods with maltodextrin are rich in fiber (because maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate, like fiber), but this is far from truthful.

The benefit of adding maltodextrin to foods, such as sports drinks, is that it can prevent gastrointestinal distress that can sometimes occur when a person takes in a lot of simple sugar at one time. This polymer form delivers many glucoses in one long unit to increase blood glucose and insulin levels, and subsequently help promote fast muscle glycogen and protein synthesis rates, but does not cause cramps or diarrhea.

The Reason Why These Carbohydrates are In Prograde Workout

Most people know that high sugar diets are not good for us; they promote diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases.

However, there are times when fast-acting carbohydrates like dextrose and maltodextrin are beneficial, and that time is around your workout.

Following your workout, you want high glycemic index carbs to restore blood glucose levels that may be dropping from a hard exercise session, increase blood insulin levels to begin the process of muscle glycogen resynthesis, and promote an anabolic (growth) state within muscle proteins.

If you just take in a simple carb like dextrose though, you actually reduce the body’s ability to transport these carbs swiftly into the body due to a chemical state known as osmolarity. Osmolarity refers the amount of particles in a solution, and monosaccharides will induce a high osmolarity state, while polysaccharides induce a lower one.

If a beverage has a high osmolarity, it will slow the emptying from the stomach into the intestine and thus, limit absorption. Drinks that only contain dextrose have high osmolarity, while maltodextrin has a lower osmolarity.

Thus, combining these two carbohydrates gives you fast stomach emptying and absorption without nasty side effects: drinks with a high osmolarity can cause diarrhea, gut cramping and potentially dehydration, and we want to definitely avoid that.

Despite some drawbacks to dextrose, we still want it in our post-workout beverage, because researchers have shown that having two different types of carbohydrate (simple and complex) promotes better absorption and uptake into the bloodstream than either carbohydrate alone (Shi X et al, 1995).

What Happens in the Real World?

Although all this science sounds great on paper, people really want to know if it really works for endurance and strength training enthusiasts  in the real world, and, in fact it does.

Several sports nutrition research investigations have used a combination of dextrose (glucose) and maltodextrin, along with protein and amino acids, to promote faster recovery, restored glycogen levels and attain muscle protein balance following an intense exercise protocol (Ivy JL et al, 2002; Berardi JM et al, 2006; Renata TM et al, 2006, Harger-Domitrovich SG et al, 2007)

During a workout, consuming this combination of carbs plus whey protein can also help an exerciser work harder and stay out of the muscle protein breakdown zone so that their efforts are not wasted.

Overall, if you’re looking to improve your performance during an exercise session, and enhance your recovery afterwards in the real world, your best bet is a mix of fast digesting carbohydrates, like dextrose and maltodextrin, plus protein, taken during and/or after.

Warning: Ignoring this science literally robs your body of the nutrients it so desperately needs to shed fat optimally >>

Sticking to a fitness plan may be tricky, check out these 10 tips.

Are you keeping up with your exercise program and it feels great? Of course, it felt great last year, too, when you exercised regularly.  If it feels so great, why do you keep quitting? This is the time of year that people quit for the holidays, almost 2 months.  Not only does it make it harder to start all over again, but you are also putting on additional pounds, possibly drinking and attending parties more and getting less sleep.  Here are a few tips that may help you be more consistent with your physical activity.

1. Start Looking at Exercise Differently. This is the big one, all movement is exercise. People need to give themselves more options. Take the dog for a walk, bike to the store, take five-minute stretch breaks. Go out for an hour hike.  If you don’t count something as exercise unless it happens in the gym, goes on for 40 minutes or requires a shower afterward, you're missing some of your best opportunities to stay active.

2. Think Small. This advice can be hardest for people who expect the most from themselves. Why bother walking around the block when you should be running your usual four miles? Because when you don’t have time to do all four miles, a brisk hike can keep you from feeling that you’ve failed.  You can do a couple 5-10 minute jaunts and it is always better than not doing it at all, because it doesn't have to be the all or nothing mentality.

3. Set smaller more challenging goals. It helps to challenge yourself in new and exciting ways. Set a goal, such as increasing the speed, frequency or duration of your activity. Maybe it's time to train for a marathon--or take a walk up the hill in the neighborhood without getting winded.  I just hiked a trail that was challenging but not as challenging as it was at the beginning of the season.  (It’s perfectly fine to think small goals that may in time lead you to a bigger one). Your trainer can help you determine appropriate goals if you need new ideas.

4. Choose New Paths. Have you ever tried snowboarding? Bowling? Circuit training? Swing dancing? Body surfing? Chi kung? How about reversing your power walk route? Exercising at a different time of day actually feels much different. Physical activity isn't boring, but how you participate in it can be.

5. Workout Your Brain. The active mind needs to be engaged and you can even challenge your brain during a workout or walking up the stairs.  Next time you get ready to walk up the stairs, start up with the opposite foot, it really throws you off a little, but interesting how habit forming we really are.  If you're new to exercise, dissociate tactics, such as listening to music, watching TV or playing computer games may help you stick with it--but stay aware of sensations that could signal injury or overdoing it. As you become more experienced, associative strategies, such as focusing on your breath or concentrating on the movement of your body, can help you enjoy exercise more.

6. Accountability is key. Finding a friend, mentor or coach to keep you honest will make a huge difference in your positive experience. You can either exercise with your partner, or simply check in with him or her to report your progress.  Do not choose a partner that can easily be swayed to go have lunch instead.

7. Plan to Stay Active and most importantly TAKE action.  Planning your active moments throughout the day is much better and more efficient than winging it, because life gets in the way and at the end of the day, you may find you didn't do any of what you wanted.  Parking farther from the office and put your walking shoes in the car the night before. In fact, pack a separate workout bag so you have no excuse.  I have had clients show up in their gym clothes but no shoes.  I may have had to tweak the workout but it was better than cancelling the session which I have had clients do also.  Plan to take that new yoga class next week, and call the babysitter now, then put it into your calendar.

8. Plan for those roadblocks. Does vacation throw your exercising schedule out of whack? Do projects at work overtake your activity time? Do injuries sideline you? Boredom? Fear of success? Fitness foes can be beaten once they've been identified. You can change your vacation style, set work limits, get guidance for injury-free activity, find new challenges, or face your fears with counseling and support.  You can hire a professional like me to help you figure out what the best path toward it becoming a part of your lifestyle.

9. Exercising with others is FUN. Even if you are introverted, the presence of others in your exercise environment can be motivating. I run Get Fit classes that offer the camaraderie of others who may not like exercise and need the extra boost of others.  YOU pick up on other people's energy, become fully alive. Choose places and times to exercise where there will be other people who are actively involved in exercise.  Exercising outdoors adds another dimension to increasing your natural energy level.

10. Plan for that time you just don't feel like it. Have a backup activity so when bad weather or timing doesn't let you do what you had planned, change it, but be prepared at all times.  We tell ourselves things like, Skipping this one little walk won't matter all that much. Next time, be prepared with an answer for this excuse.   Use images of past successful experiences to remind yourself of how good exercise makes you feel. Or repeat a simple phrase to yourself, such as, Every little bit makes a big difference or Yes it will matter, I am worth that little walk. . If you use planning, flexibility and imagination, you won't ever need to feel like you've failed yourself again.


Visit Blog for other tips, schedules, articles, success stories etc

On the verge of diabetes? Eat right to keep it at bay.

Here is an article from Perfect Fit Wellness Center, thanks David.  Diabetes is a horrible disease and it has affected my family, my mother and brother passed away from complications of the disease and my sister has it too.  Do everything you can to ward off Diabetes.

When type 2 diabetes sets in, you can expect a life full of tedious and exact portion control, medications, blood tests, and injections. But what if you could catch diabetes before it ever set in, and thereby avoid all of these potential problems?

Thanks to a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, you can. If you're willing to change your diet.

Know the Numbers

With pre-diabetes, your fasting blood sugar level (level of sugar in your blood) is between 100 and 125 mg/dl. These measurements butt up right against the 126 mg/dl that indicates you're diabetic, and if you don't make some lifestyle changes, you can easily enter the land of diabetes. By watching what you eat, you can actually lower your blood sugar levels, preventing pre-diabetes from turning into type 2 diabetes.

Ready to sidestep diabetes by what you put in your mouth? Then sit down and take notes on your new diet plan.

Eat Less

If you're overweight and have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your first step toward a healthier diet that can reduce your risk for diabetes is to lose weight. The best way to do that is to look at how much you eat every day. Spend time eating out of boredom? You can't do that any more. If you're going to fight off diabetes, you're going to have to eat for energy. That means listening to your stomach and only eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full. A few easy tips to help you do this include drinking a glass of water before each meal, going to bed earlier (this will prevent unhealthy late-night snacking), and chewing your food well and slowly.

Eat Better

Now that you're eating less food each day, you'll need to eat the right kinds of foods if you really want to help your blood sugar. Instead of greasy, fatty foods, go for something a little healthier. This means grilled or broiled instead of fried food, more fruits and vegetables, and leaner cuts of meat. It also means saying no on occasion, but there is good news about your sweet tooth.

Choose Wisely

While you don't want to stock up on cookies and cakes, you don't have to mark them off your list altogether either. With pre-diabetes, the secret to success is moderation and being choosy. That means only having a small slice of cake during very special occasions. And instead of going back for seconds, relish in the piece you had and enjoy it so much that you don't need a second piece.

Choose Daily

In addition to choosing which sweets to eat and when, you've got to make other dietary decisions on a daily or even hourly basis. Should you go with chicken or a hamburger? Baked beans or a salad? Find out what is in different dishes and opt for the option that has less sugar, fat, and calories. Low-fat, low-calorie options not look too appetizing? Then go for the hamburger. But only eat half of it and skip the fries. Tomorrow, give the chicken a try. Or better yet, give up meat one day a week and focus on getting more fruits and vegetables.

Eat Up the Gym

As you probably suspected, what you put in your body doesn't have the final say over whether or not your pre-diabetes will turn into type 2 diabetes. If you want to fend off diabetes and pull yourself out of the pre-diabetic realm, you'll also need to spend some time in the gym.

By working out regularly, you help your body make use of the food you eat each day. That way, your food gets burned off as energy instead of sitting around and increasing your blood sugar levels. So eat well, and make sure you couple your new eating habits with regular physical activity for maximum diabetes-fighting power.

Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Latte

 

By Nedah Warstler of leanKitchen.com1 C. HOT milk of choice (skim, almond, etc.)1 T. fresh or canned 100% pumpkin puree1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice ( a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg) or cinnamon1 Scoop Prograde Coffee Flavored Lean2-3 drops vanilla steviaBlend and serve hot.Makes 1 servingNutritional Data*Calories: 238Fat: 2 gramsCarbs: 29 gramsProtein: 27 grams* Nutritional data based on recipe using skim milk.  Other types of milk will alter calories, fat, carbs and protein.

Can Harmful Chemicals In Shampoo Lower Testosterone Levels?

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Guys, you already have heard plenty of information on aging and declining testosterone levels.
So I won’t bore you and hit you over the head with any more information about that.  But today, there is something that you put ON your head and this might be causing lower testosterone levels.  In fact, it is not just something you put on your head…
But under your ARMS!  And ON your FACE in the morning!
SHOCKING revelations which you and your testosterone levels NEED TO KNOW ABOUT!

Protective Layer

Your skin is an amazing organ.  It protects us from external toxins, germs, and bacteria which are floating around us every day.  But one thing your skin does is allows for certain things to enter into your body.
Take, for instance, water.  Water is vital to our survival because all of our cells are made of water.  Yes, there is protein and other trace mineral, but we are made up mostly of WATER.

Also, your skin allows for absorption of CHEMICALS to enter, wrecking your testosterone levels!
What products do you think I am talking about?

Shampoo, Deodorant, And Shaving Cream

These products not only affect you, but they also affect everyone who uses them!

Your spouse, kids, parents…the list goes on and on.

You might be asking how these products can lower your testosterone, right?
Let me explain…
Chemicals found in these products can be harmful to your testosterone levels and your body.  There are THOUSANDS of chemicals that are made each day.  This results in a pretty extensive list of chemicals which may be HARMFUL to us.  Not just harmful, but EXTREMELY harmful.

There are THREE big ones found in shampoo, deodorant, and shaving cream that you NEED to know about.

Products Should Have No Scents To Them
Phthalates is a chemical which is not typically found on a shampoo label.  But it’s there!  It’s just masked by the smell.  Phthalates is a potent chemical that is found in plastics and a variety of other products.  Phthalates are very unstable, resulting in leaching into water, food products, and YOUR SKIN!

YOU have levels of PHTHALATES in YOUR body!
Most of us do!  Phthalates are able to penetrate the skin, allowing for lotions, shampoo, and other products to soften the skin.  Phthalates adversely affect male reproduction and fertility.   In fact, high doses of phthalates have been shown to reduce testosterone and lower your sperm count.

Why?

This chemical enters the body and acts as an endocrine disruptor.

Meaning it negatively affects your hormone levels.

Most companies are not putting phthalates into their products anymore, due to high consumer complaints about the potential adverse health conditions.

Why Do Shampoos Have To Be Preserved?
Paraben is the chemical alternative to a preservative.

It is found in everyday cosmetic products like shampoo, conditioners, deodorant, shaving cream, and lotions.

What’s the big deal with parabens?

Parabens mimic estrogen in the body!
Increased levels of parabens may result in lower testosterone levels and circulating testosterone.

The reason: Paraben is also an endocrine disruptor.  When it enters into the body, it mimics estrogen.  This mimicking estrogen then binds to estrogen receptor sites on your cells.  This causes hormones to be released.  But they aren’t supposed to be released!  Parabens have also been shown to be present in breast cancer tumors. Granted, in low levels, but they are still present!

So not only does it possibly disrupt your normal hormone response, but it can be carcinogenic in your body!
Plastic In My Shampoo…What?
The last and possibly the more common chemical around is BPA.  I am sure you have heard of it.

It has gotten a lot of media and press, due to its harmful nature and adverse side effects.  BPA is a chemical commonly found in reusable plastic containers and the inside of canned products.  The problem: the chemical may leach into water or the contents in canned food that you are about to eat.

The reason it is bad for you: BPA also acts as an endocrine disruptor.

But BPA is different.  It inhibits cholesterol synthesis from occurring in the liver and mitochondria, which may result in lower testosterone synthesis and sperm production.

What To Do To Stop It
There is still an even bigger problem:  With all the possible adverse reactions from chemicals, they are still produced and added to products EVERYONE commonly uses.  Most chemicals may be cancer-causing agents and IN MEN can reduce testosterone levels and sperm production and mobility.  There are hundreds of other chemicals which can lead to lower testosterone levels and adverse health reactions.

Even though there is a lot of press and media on the adverse effects of chemicals, there are ways you can PROTECT your testosterone and manhood.  Go into any health food store, and you may find a wide selection of organic products, which may be free from harmful chemicals like what is mentioned above.

I am happy to spend a little more to be sure my family and testosterone levels are healthy!

Wouldn’t you?