Power Up Your Post Workout Nutrition

You do a CRAZY, STRENUOUS workout and then you leave.  You get in your car and start to drive, not really understanding what is happening in your body.  By the time you get home, your window of opportunity is closing to recover from the workout.

And it’s closing FAST.  Sometimes you may feel like eating after your workout and sometimes you do not.

Tonight is a night you do not feel like eating.  So you go about your night; then two hours later you eat something, and then go to bed.  Why can this be detrimental to your weight loss goals?

Let me explain…

Exercise
Exercising makes you a healthier and stronger person.  Strength training breaks down your muscle tissue and depletes glycogen stores.  Glycogen is many molecules of sugar bound together and stored to be used for energy.  Exercises and strength training utilizes most of your stored glycogen.  This depletes glycogen in your muscles and liver.

Post Workout, Catabolism, and the Anabolic Window
Immediately after your workout, your body is primed for growth and repair of the muscles you just taxed.  Your body has a small window of opportunity that YOU need to take advantage of.  This window is sometimes referred to as the “anabolic window” because of the perfect storm of things happening in your body.

The anabolic window increases sensitivity to insulin
and increases the cells' permeability to glucose

During this window, your body is sensitive to two different elements: insulin and glycogen synthase.  One is a hormone which helps your body remove sugar from your blood, sending it into the muscles.  The other is an enzyme which increases glucose uptake and resynthesis of glycogen in the muscles and the liver.  Insulin and depletion of glycogen stimulate glycogen synthase.

High- Versus Low-Glycemic Foods
There are two types of carbohydrates to use after a workout, but only ONE is optimal.

They are low- and high-glycemic foods.

Low-glycemic foods give you a SLOW release of sugar into your bloodstream.

This slow release increases glycogen stores, but not fast enough.

Low-glycemic foods supply your body with glucose
over longer periods of time

This may not be the best source, since you want RAPID resynthesis in order to replenish your cells with glycogen.

High-glycemic foods raise blood sugar rapidly

This rapid increase in blood sugar may be a more efficient way to replenish your body of the glucose it so desperately needs.  High-glycemic foods may also rehydrate you more efficiently.  But you can’t forget about the amino acids.  Amino acids are vital to the health and growth of your muscles, especially after a workout.  A workout breaks down muscle tissue, resulting in a catabolic effect in your body.

Catabolism is a destructive form of metabolism
where your muscles are broken down for energy

You want to avoid catabolism AT ALL COSTS.  Amino acids are vital to the success and resynthesis of your muscle tissue.  The anabolic window makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin.  Insulin does two things.

First, it may help glucose uptake, and therefore increase glycogen stores in your muscles.

Secondly, insulin also increases the uptake of amino acids into your muscles, resulting in increased muscle repair and growth.

Post Workout Nutrition
The optimal time for repair and resynthesis of glycogen stores is IMMEDIATELY after your workout.  Certain conditions need to be present to ensure you are having optimal glucose and amino-acid uptake.

They include:
• The amount of glycogen depleted
• The presence of insulin
• Presence of the enzyme, glycogen synthase
• The degree of muscle damage

The “anabolic window” is a period of time after your workout where your body is able to gather nutrients, and repair and build lost nutrients.  A drink or meal containing high-glycemic foods and protein, allows your body the proper balance of amino acids and glucose for tissue repair and growth.  High-glycemic foods allow a RAPID rise in blood sugar which your muscles quickly upload, due to increased sensitivity to insulin and permeability to glucose.

A post workout meal, with the right amount of protein and carbohydrates, may allow your body a perfect replacement for those lost nutrients after your WORKOUT!

Drinking Water Increases Fat Oxidation

I am sure you have heard or read the weight loss tip of drinking water to help you lose weight.  Well, for most of us the reason for drinking water was to help feel fuller faster so we ate less calories.  Also, if we drank water instead of caloric beverages we would consume less calories, which may lead to weight loss.  There were also the critics that may have told you this was ridiculous and you were wasting your time drinking water as a tool for greater weight loss.

Well, there is some pretty solid evidence that says this is not ridiculous at all and the studies conducted on this have been some of the more rigorous studies conducted with crossover experiments and randomized and controlled trials.

In various crossover experiments drinking water resulted in lower total caloric intake with the subjects that were tested.  The reason for this is simple and it is because they were not consuming calorie filled beverages.  They were replacing these caloric beverages with water that has zero calories.  

What was also found was that the individuals do not eat less food when they know they are drinking caloric beverages.  They still eat the same amount of calories regardless of if their beverages contained calories or not.

Drinking Water Increases Fat Oxidation

Fat oxidation is at its greatest when your insulin levels are low.  The reason for this is because insulin inhibits or decreases the ability of rate limiting enzymes that breakdown triglyceride fats into free fatty acids.  As well as the transport of these free fatty acids into the mitochondria and Krebs cycle to be burned for energy.  

Since water does not contain calories or carbohydrates  like over beverages it does  not trigger an insulin response.  If you were to compare it to the glycemic index water is of course 0, milk is around 35, juice is around 50 and sugary drinks are as high as 80.

Keeping your insulin levels lows results in greater rates of fat oxidation.  Now remember this doesn't apply just to water.  The foods you eat and what combination of nutrients you eat can all influence the insulin response.  Keeping your insulin response consistently lower throughout the day will allow your body to burn more stored fat as energy.

Anytime your insulin and blood sugar levels are elevated you stop fat breakdown and fat oxidation.

There have been decades of crossover studies that consistently show higher levels of fat oxidation when drinking water compared to caloric drinks before or during low to moderate exercise.  If you look at the average of these studies the fat oxidation is around 40% greater after water is consumed than after a caloric beverage.

It is normal for fat oxidation to be depressed for a length of time after a meal because naturally your body is going to release insulin to properly utilize the nutrients you just consumed.  What you choose for your beverage though can dictate how long that slow down of fat oxidation really is.

Research has shown that drinking water instead of a caloric beverage can restore the rate of fat oxidation to pre-meal levels about 2 hours sooner than if you were to drink a caloric beverage with the same meal.

Some studies have shown that consumption of 500-600 calories from carbohydrates can depress fat oxidation for 6 hours after consumption.

Hypocaloric Diets and Water Leads To Weight Loss
Two very interesting intervention studies looked at a hypocaloric diet and then the same diet plus water as the beverage.  One study looked at 48 randomized  overweight or obese men and women.  They were given a hypocaloric diet plus 500ml of water at each meal or they were just given the hypocaloric diet (control) with no water.

The results showed that weight loss in the water group was 2kg greater.  In analysis of data from the Stanford A to Z Study they focused on 155 overweight premenopausal women who reported drinking less than 1L/ day of water before beginning 1 of 4 different weight programs.  The programs were the Atkins diet, Zone diet, LEARN diet,  and Ornish diet.  The 4 programs do recommend  drinking 1L/day of water or more and limiting or no intake at all of caloric beverages.

After 2 months of their diet classes they all reported higher water intake and less caloric beverage intake.  Independent of any changes in diet or physical activity those who increased their water intake and decreased caloric beverage intake had significantly greater weight loss.

Summary

Ok, lets summarize all this data as some of it may have gotten confusing.  Drinking water during the day and at your meals instead of drinking calorie filled beverages decreases your total calorie intake and it also promotes greater fat oxidation, which is the burning of stored fat as energy.

So drink water at meals  and in-between meals instead of calorie filled beverages.  Take your Prograde Metabolism so you are consuming scientifically proven nutrients that boost your metabolism and help to control blood sugar and insulin levels.  Finally, eat a higher protein rich and lower carb diet to minimize the insulin spikes that will depress fat oxidation for hours after that meal.

If you would like to purchase my 90 Days to a New You Meal Plan, scroll to right side of blog and try it out.  If you need help with a workout plan, let me know. 

The choice is yours, it really is that simple.

At any given time, your body is either getting stronger or weaker.

It's either getting leaner or fatter.

There is no in between.

Even if you weigh the same as you did ten years ago, your body just

isn't the same.

More fat has accumulated as your muscle has deteriorated.

And since muscle is the MOST metabolically active tissue in your

body, well, that's not a good thing.

That's why I teach you in my 21 Days To Amaze

program just how important it is to preserve your lean muscle

tissue.

One of the reasons fat loss experts - myself included - recommend

eating 5-6 small meals a day is because the frequent calories help

maintain your lean tissue.

Yes, the very same tissue that melts fat off your body.

If you've been gaining weight slowly, but steadily...

If your weight has maintained over the years, but your clothes

don't fit anymore...

...you need to take immediate action to flip your body's metabolism

back around.

You need to eat those small, frequent, nutritious meals.

You need to incorporate high energy strength training into your

exercise program.

The choice is simple: Weak or strong? Healthy or unhealthy? Lean or

lumpy?

Oh, and the choice is YOURS.

Mindfullness

"Mindfulness is the practice of aiming your attention, moment to moment, in the direction of your purpose.  It is called mindfulness because you have to keep your purpose in mind as you watch your attention.  Then, whenever you notice that your aim has drifted off, you calmly realign it."  Frank Andrews

I being mindful of what I do, what I think and how I react is an ongoing practice and always in need of a tune up.  To be mindful that I am aligned with my purpose is to assume I know what my purpose is.  This can be one of the most challenging parts of my journey.  When I do, say or feel what is right and there is no resistance, I fell I might be on the right path to learning what my purpose in life is.

When I begin to recognize what my purpose is and I become very passionate about it, I begin to see how everything ties together, how one door opens and although it may shut very quickly, I realize I've learned something from even that short encounter.  Life will always throw some roadblocks in just to steer you off course and I find that to be a little interesting because it really brings me back to center and once again help me mindful of who I am.  WM

Follow These Five Tips To Drop A Dress (or Pant Size)

No one needs to tell you that your metabolism slows with age.  You are the best judge of your metabolism, and if it is slowing or not.  You see the results of a slowing metabolism by looking in the mirror or putting on a pair of pants from a year ago.

Fact is, as you age you have to WORK HARDER at keeping your METABOLISM FIRING.  But there are secrets and shortcuts to keeping your metabolism strong and vibrant.  If you have noticed your metabolism is a little sluggish, don’t be alarmed!  You can reverse it!

Incorporate these five tips TODAY for a healthy and strong metabolism.
1. Vary The Exercise Intensity
Exercise and strength training combined may lead to extra calorie burn.  But if you are short on time, pack in a power workout and you will be burning calories for a much longer period.  Varying the intensity of your workouts can lead to burning calories POST EXERCISE.

Working out at higher intensities makes your body use more nutrients, like oxygen and sugar, to fuel the workout.  When you are done, you have to “payback” the environment of the oxygen you borrowed from it.
This post exercise oxygen payback results in more calories burned after the workout, and beyond.

Calorie burning after a high intensity workout can last
anywhere between 1 to 3 days

2. Boost Your Metabolism In The Morning
Nothing slows your metabolism during the day like skipping the most important meal.  BREAKFAST!
Breakfast can give you the jump start by providing essential nutrients you need to wake your body up and get it moving.  Try something small and nutritious to get you going in the morning, like Greek yogurt or oatmeal.

3. Increase Lean Mass To Burn More Calories
Just like high intensity exercise may help burn extra calories, so does strength training.  Strength training helps build muscle tissue which helps you keep calorie burning-tissue on your body.

 

Muscle uses more energy to keep it active

Even though fat tissue is metabolically active, muscle tissue is metabolism boosting, so it creates more of a calorie burn.  So, keep lifting your weights to BUILD LEAN MASS which may keep you slim and trim.

4. Include Protein With Your Meals
Protein does two things in your body: supplies amino acids which are perfect for MUSCLE BUILDING, and helps you expend more calories digesting protein than any other nutrient.  

First, amino acids are the building blocks of muscle.  By including protein in your diet, you are creating an environment where you are able to use the amino acids, possibly leading to future muscle growth.

Secondly, your body burns extra calories from the thermic effect of food.

 

It takes more energy to burn protein, resulting
in more calories burned

Your body works harder to burn protein than it does carbohydrates or FAT.  So include protein with every meal to keep your metabolism firing.  

5. Drink Tea Or Coffee

Tea and coffee have healthy doses of caffeine.  And that caffeine may help you burn extra calories.  Caffeine acts as a stimulant in your body, putting your central nervous system on alert.

Stimulating your central nervous system results in
increase thermogenesis and fat burning

And tea seems to work even BETTER at burning calories than coffee.  The reason: catechins, which are strong antioxidants, may increase thermogenesis and fat oxidation better than coffee alone.  So enjoy your cup of green tea in the morning!

Keep Your Metabolism Firing
These five steps are PROVEN to burn more calories.  Having more muscle may lead to higher energy demands keeping MORE METABOLISM-BOOSTING tissue on your body.  Stimulating the right system may also increase fat oxidation and may be accomplished in one simple step: incorporate a glass of tea or coffee to your morning breakfast meal.  Make breakfast full of calorie-burning protein and a healthy dose of good fats and fiber.

By using these five steps, you may possibly reverse the effects of age on your metabolism.

Take the initiative.

Taking the initiative doesn't mean being pushy, obnoxious, or aggressive.  It means creating an atmosphere where others can seize opportunities and solve problems in an increasingly reliant way.  Steven R Covey

Taking that extra step to research, educate and learn about what you want.  For example, if you are interested in a particular career, take the initiative to find out everything you can about that particular career.  If there are tests you can take to see how you would rank within that field.  Many companies are sifting through their applicants via computer programs and if you don't give a detailed list of what you are capable of, you won't even make it to the interview process.  Being creative and proactive would show your future employer that you have taken the extra step.

Don't just wait for something to happen, there are hundreds if not thousands of people competing for the same positions.  Do as much as you can to show future employers you are ready and willing to accomplish what it takes to move forward in the process.

Another example would be taking care of yourself.  You can say I don't have the time, I don't know what to do, I have medical issues.  You can also proactively put yourself on your calendar, hire a professional and talk with your doctor about any limitations you may have.  There are websites for every disease possible and they all have very good information.  Do your own research, take your own initiative and GET HEALTHY, no one else is going to do it for you.

What is your BMI? Do yourself a favor, you may be more at risk than you think.

These are the ranges for determining your BMI, where do you fit on this scale.

Normal                      18.5-24.9

Overweight              25-29.9

Obese                        30-34.9

Very Obese              35-39.9

Morbidly Obese       Above 40

Formula is weight/(height squared) times 703=BMI

For example: 

150 divided by (65 squared) times 703 equals 24.96

Do yourself a favor and do a Fitness Assessment, it's a very inexpensive way to find out where you stand in terms of Body Fat % which is far more important than your BMI.  Do not think that you may not be in the obese category, this is strictly a formula and a guideline to seriously take action and have your Body Fat tested.

I have more regular looking clients that fall in the obese and unfortunately Very Obese category and your life is at risk of these weight related diseases;

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• Asthma
• Fatty liver disease
• Cancer

But if you can lose even just a little weight your risk will drop - Just a five per cent weight loss  has been shown to significantly reduce the health risks associated with obesity, such as reducing your cholesterol levels and blood pressure and giving you better blood sugar control.

To have a BMI over 35 is considered as being very obese and this means that obesity-related illnesses could severely affect the quality of your life and shorten your lifespan by several years. Yet even now it’s not too late to do something about it. Improved fasting insulin and thus glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, even coming off the medication you may take for diabetes or blood pressure is possible if you can lose some weight. You should see your doctor and talk about getting help.

If your BMI has reached 40 or more you're ‘morbidly obese’ - you will be 80 times more likely to develop type two diabetes than someone with a normal BMI, your lifespan will be shortened by over ten years and your quality of life will be reduced in many ways.

If you're obese you may have lost control of your eating habit, so gaining control is the first step back to a normal healthy lifestyle. Tips to help you, which won’t make you feel hard done by, include:

• Plan your meals and only shop for those meals, even get someone else to do it for you so you aren’t tempted by impulse buys.  I can help you with a healthy meal plan that includes shopping list and recipes, ask me about the 90 Days to a New You program.
• Try to watch the clock and keep your meals routine; reduce your snacking or more importantly eat healthy snacks
• Reduce your portion size, most people eat 2-3 times the normal portion size and use a slightly smaller plate so it still looks full, I use a dessert plate most of my meals
• Change to low cal drinks and alternate with drinking more water
• Don’t eat on the go - try to sit down at a table to eat meals, put your fork down between each bite
• Choose low fat versions of sauces and of course portion control
• Make sure you get five-a-day of fruit and vegetables to make you fuller
• Read the labels - ‘Low in fat’ can mean high in sugar, whilst ‘low in sugar‘ can mean high fat
• Increase your activity to burn off the calories - aim initially for 30 minutes of exercise a day of enough activity to make you slightly breathless and gradually increase

5 easy steps to thrive with confidence everyday.

1. PRACTICE AFFIRMATIONS - Look at yourself in the mirror and affirm yourself and your abilities. You might not believe yourself at first, but with time, you will understand your strengths and be able to use them to offset the areas in which you are weak.  Start off each morning and end each day with a positive statement or thought. Create your own mantra. (i.e.: "I am intelligent", "I will have a positive day", "I will succeed".)

2. REMAIN POSITIVE - Even if you do not feel like things are changing, the first step to building confidence is to remove the negative feelings from your life. If you project a positive image, you will eventually foster your growth in a positive direction and believe in yourself and your abilities.

3. GET DRESSED - Looking your best everyday says alot about how you feel about yourself.  Don't leave the house looking like you just got done working in the yard.

4. SMILE - Your smile says a lot about who you are. With your smile, you display confidence and ease without ever saying a word. Smiling shows you are comfortable with yourself and with who you are. Your smile affects your whole body.

5. EXERCISING - Your health is one of the most important if not the most important component to your everyday life. Start the day off with some type of exercising.

Think confident, feel confident, look confident, be confident.  Reposted from Brad Askren of Thrive with Confidence.

Can Essential Fatty Acids Help Fight Diabetes?

Can essential fatty acids REALLY help people with Diabetes?  You already that know essential fatty acids found in Krill and Fish oil can help protect the heart and cardiovascular system.

But now, it may be able to control high blood sugar for those who suffer from diabetes.

Effects Of Diabetes

• Diabetes is a disease which affects 346 million people worldwide.
• Here in your backyard, 25.8 million Americans are battling diabetes.
• There are more than 7 million people who don’t even know they have diabetes.
• And an estimated 1.9 million people each year are newly diagnosed.

Fact:
Diabetes is expected to double by the year 2030!

Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar, due to a lack of insulin produced or your body's inability to utilize insulin released from the pancreas.  There are two forms: Type I, which is characterized by your body not producing insulin from specialized cells in the pancreas; or Type II, which is your body’s resistance to insulin.  As a recap, when you eat and process foods, sugar is released into your bloodstream.

In non-diabetic people, the pancreas releases insulin to shuttle the sugar out of the blood and into the cells to use for energy.  This does not happen in diabetes.  Not only do you see rapid increases in blood sugar, but you also have no means of getting that sugar out of the blood and into the cells.

Increased sugar in YOUR blood may lead to increased FAT levels,mostly in your abdominal

Sedentary lifestyle, high fat and high sugar diets may be some reasons to blame.  So, back to essential fatty acids!  This will SHOCK YOU!

Essential Fatty Acids' Role In DiabetesEssential fatty acids are fats which may be beneficial to altering cholesterol levels, improving triglyceride levels, raising HDL cholesterol, and improving cognitive and mental function.  But now it may show promise by binding to specific molecules, therefore reducing high blood sugar.  PPARγ is a receptor in your body which controls fat cell growth and lends a hand in increasing sensitivity of your cells to insulin.

The problem: These cells need to bind to something called a ligand in order to activate so it can do its job.
One potent nutrient PPARγ can bind itself to may be essential fatty acids, more specifically DHA and EPA.

DHA and EPA may help control HIGH BLOOD SUGAR

DHA and EPA are found in high amounts in fish products as well as Krill/fish oil supplements.

Back to PPARγ!  When they bind to essential fatty acids, there are increases in cells that produce and burn fat and cells which are responsible for glucose uptake.  They help shuttle sugar into cells!  This results in lower plasma glucose, or sugar in your blood!

This is a good thing for diabetics!  The binding of PPARγ to essential fatty acids increases the expression of GLUT4.  GLUT4 is a glucose transporter found in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle.  This transporter is responsible for removing glucose from your blood and shuttling it into the working muscles.

Result:
More sugar being used by your body.

This means there is less sugar in your blood and more sugar being used by YOUR muscles for ENERGY and when you have more energy you exercise better and more efficiently.

It also increases Adiponectin, a potent hormone which may help regulate blood sugar levels AND regulates the amount of FAT utilized by your body.  Interesting stuff, huh?

A Fishy Subject  This research is a great stepping stone for further research in human trials.

Less Sugar Spells R-E-L-I-E-F
For Diabetics

Diabetes is a disease which affects many people worldwide.  It is also a disease which can lead to illness and premature death.  Diabetes is associated with incidences of stroke, cardiovascular disease; high blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol.  One reason may be your body’s inability to process and use blood sugar,appropriately, leading to resistance in your veins and arteries.

This increases peripheral resistance leading to future complications.  Essential fatty acids have been researched for the benefits they carry for your cardiovascular system.  Now they may show promise for diabetics by controlling high blood sugar levels, through the expression of hormones and genes responsible for controlling blood sugar and burning fat cells.

Krill and fish oil contain high levels of essential fatty acids which may be beneficial in the fight against diabetes.

Could essential fatty acids be the newest fighter in the battle against diabetes

Determine your center.

Determine whether your life is money-, family-, work-, spouse-, pleasure-, possession-, church-, friend-, enemy-, and/or self-centered.  The ideal is to create one clear center from which you consistently derive a high degree of security, guidance, wisdom, and power.  Steven R Covey

Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom and power.

• Security represents your sense of worth, your identity, your emotional anchorage, your self esteem, your basic personal strength or lack of it.
• Guidance means your source of direction in life.  Encompassed by your map, your internal frame of reference that interprets for you what is happening out there, are standards or principles or implicit criteria that govern moment by moment decision-making and doing.
• Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, you understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other.  It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension.  It is a gestalt or oneness, an integrated wholeness.
• Power is the faculty or capacity to act, the strength and potency to accomplish something.  It is the vital energy to make choices and decisions.  It also includes the capacity to overcome deeply embedded habits and to cultivate high, more effective ones.

Each of us has a center, though we usually don't recognize it as such.  Neither do we recognize the all-encompassing effects of that center on every aspect of our lives.  Identifying our center may not be easy.  We are a combination of the above and it depends on internal and external influences.  

The ideal, of course, is to create one clear center from which you consistently derive a high degree of security, guidance, wisdom, and power, empowering your pro activity and giving congruency and harmony to every part of your life.  By centering and living a principled centered life, we don't react to outside forces, we know what we should and should not be doing, we live life effectively.  

As a principle centered person, you see, think, act differently, because you have a high degree of security, guidance  wisdom, and power that flows from a solid, unchanging core, you have the foundation of a highly proactive and highly effective life.

Finding the power withing yourself can start with taking care of yourself.

Six Easy Ways To Burn More Fat

Your body CAN be a fat burning machine.  Unfortunately, your body and a lot of others are not that.
Right now, that is!

Decisions you made throughout your life may have started your weight gain.  And dieting MAY not be the answer you are looking for.  Changing unhealthy behaviors, watching what you eat, and recording what you eat are some possible ways for helping you to lose weight.

But are there others?  Of course there are!  Are you confused about everything you read?  Probably!

But here is Perfect Fit and Prograde to the rescue, once again!  Here are six tips you can implement RIGHT NOW which might help you lose weight and keep your metabolism rolling!

Top Six Tips For Weight Loss:

1. Increase Your Protein Intake
Protein is a very important nutrient to incorporate if you want to lose weight.  It provides your body with the building blocks it needs to increase muscle mass, and it can act as an appetite suppressant.  In fact, increasing your protein intake may make you feel fuller for longer, possibly helping control your appetite.

Also, there is a little known fact about eating protein:  the body BURNS calories by eating it.  But not just protein, ALL food has this effect!

Your body burns calories BREAKING down food, possibly leading to increased calories burned.

How can you incorporate more protein?  Easy!  There are plenty of high-quality food sources which provide plenty of protein, and other essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to function optimally.  Sources such as lean meats, fish, poultry, and nuts are great sources of protein.

2. Increase Essential Fat Intake
Essential fats are different than your everyday fats.  These are fats that are not produced by the body, but at ESSENTIAL for your body to function at optimal levels.  Fats like DHA, EPA, and CLA are important fats your body needs.  Incorporate fatty fish like salmon, shellfish, and tuna, and nuts like walnuts, flaxseed and almonds, will help increase your DHA and EPA levels in your blood.  Certain vegetables are loaded with CLA, which once in the body is broken down into DHA and EPA.

Not a big fish fan?  Try a high-quality Krill oil supplement to satisfy your essential fatty acid needs.

3. Drink Plenty of Water
Water hydrates you and it can be beneficial for weight loss.  Water fills you up, making you less likely to be hungry later.  It also may help burn more fat by keeping your body hydrated.  Dehydration makes your body work harder at burning fat.

Be sure to drink six to eight glasses per day to help burn fat and keep you hydrated all day long.

4. Stay Away From High Glycemic FoodsCarbohydrates ARE NOT the enemy in weight loss.  A plan which includes carbohydrates may help you burn fat.  But be careful, high glycemic foods may raise blood sugar, creating an insulin spike.

High glycemic foods may lead to weight gain.

You see, once you ingest higher glycemic foods, your body releases insulin, possibly resulting in sugar being stored as fat.  Turn to lower glycemic foods like vegetables, fiber-rich whole wheat products, and oatmeal.
These lower glycemic foods take longer to process due to the high fiber content.

Result:  a much slower release of sugar into your bloodstream.

5. Get Rid Of The Scale
Losing fat is different than losing weight.  When you lose weight, you may be losing water and muscle mass, but less fat than you might think.  So, get rid of the scale.

Try to pay less attention to WEIGHT LOSS, and put your focus on your BODY FAT STORES.
Have a qualified professional test your body fat.  This will give you a starting point for fat loss.  Burning 500 extra calories per day may help you lose 1 pound of fat per week.  This may use fat stores as an energy source, resulting in a leaner, fitter you.

6. Exercise
Exercising is a great way to burn extra calories and keep you sane.  Varying your workout routine and intensity may burn more calories and give a much needed boost to your metabolism.  Incorporating strength training and cardiovascular work may help burn extra calories, and strengthen and tone your body.

Be careful though, exercising may INCREASE your appetite.So try to eat a meal with a mix of carbohydrates and protein at least two to three hours before you workout to supply plenty of energy for your workout.  After you workout, be sure to replace lost nutrients IMMEDIATELY after, to boost healing and stimulate muscle recovery and growth.YOU Can Lose Weight...You and everyone else want to lose weight and keep it off.

Your Body CAN Be a Fat Burning Machine.
By implementing proper eating habits, proper hydration levels, increasing protein at every meal, and eating lower glycemic foods, you will keep your body primed for fat burning.

Try these METABOLISM BOOSTING six tips today!

Holiday Stress Buster Event

Take a timeout from holiday shopping and official functions...and treat yourself to a Stress Buster / Wellness Booster visit at the Center for Powerful Living.  We'll be offering FREE demos from The BioMat Company, energy screenings, short presentations, and refreshments; and for a small fee, 15-minute Tune-Ups and 30-minute Mini-Sessions featuring Reiki, Eden Energy Medicine techniques for stress relief and relaxation, and more. Mark your calendar now--additional details coming soon!


I am presenting De-Stressing Exercises for the Busy Woman, stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the day.


Center for Powerful Living
December 17th 
1-5pm


For further information visit www.centerforpowerfulliving.com or www.perfectfitpersonaltraining.com

Dream sickle smoothie

I just made myself a smoothie that tastes like a dream sickle.   I used a scoop of my Prograde protein powder, a frozen banana, Trader Joe's orange, carrot omega juice, a serving of vanilla yogurt and tablespoon of orange Metamucil.  It's like having a treat in the middle of the day.

How Gratitude Can Help You Attract More Money

Here is a great article on creating your Attitude of Gratitude reposted from Allow Abundance website.  With the holiday shopping in full force just remember to let things flow, notice how many times you may say, I don't have the money for this.  I am not suggesting that you go out and overspend but just to be aware of how you are relating to money.  Most of our beliefs about money actually come from our parents.  Many emotions surround money and family and lack.

Gratitude is one emotion that works hand in hand with the Law of Attraction, especially where money is concerned. Where financial lack is present, there is a blockage of energy - some form of resistance is preventing the natural flow of abundance into the person's life.

This can be difficult to understand by traditional lines of thought. Perhaps you are used to thinking of money as a tangible object that you have to obtain, like most people do. However, with the Law of Attraction, there is nothing to obtain, but rather ALLOW.

"Allowing," as it relates to the Law of Attraction, means being in a state of non-resistance. In other words, not blocking the flow of abundance or goodness into your life.  Unfortunately, a focus on lack or struggle automatically creates blockages!

Gratitude is one easy way to dissolve those blockages and get the flow moving again. Below are 3 ways to use gratitude to attract more money into your life:

1) Be grateful for the money you have now.  This is obvious, but it's something that people often overlook when they've been focused on lack for too long. No matter how little money you have right now, you need to move yourself into a state of appreciation and gratitude for having it at all. If it helps, you can remind yourself that some people have far less than you do.  When you pay bills, take a moment to appreciate the product or service that created it. You have already received something in return for that money, so feel grateful about being able to give something back.

2) Be grateful for the money you can't yet see.  Even though you may be used to focusing on lack with fearful or anxious thoughts, begin focusing on it with gratitude. Affirm that even though you can't see the flow of abundance in your life yet, you do know it's there. Marvel at the way the universe allows you to create your own reality through the power of perception, and affirm your desire to expand your awareness of the abundance all around you.

3) Be grateful for all forms of abundance.  Abundance comes in many forms, not just monetary wealth. Make it a daily habit to express your gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful things and people in your life. Be thankful for your loved ones and friends, your job, your pets, and anything else you can think of. Affirm that it ALL comes from the same flow of abundance that money comes from, and by allowing more of all forms of abundance, you will also be allowing more money to enter your life.

Wishing you immense abundance in every area of your life!

5 Belly Fat Foods You Must Avoid

Buying local, fresh foods from Farmers' markets, organic farms, or from your local grocer can go a long way for your budget and your health.  However, not everyone can benefit or wants to shop healthy.  Here are the top five foods to avoid or minimize in your diet for a longer, healthier life and a leaner waistline, followed by the top five foods that will give you amazing health benefits.

 Food #1 Low-fat Foods

Food labeling can be very deceptive when it comes to food geared for weight loss.  Low-fat foods are one of the products to be careful about.  Just because the food says "low fat," does not mean the food is low calorie.  Be sure to check the label and see how many calories are typically in the product.  Most people associate low-fat foods with lower calories, so they tend to eat more.  Do not be fooled by this deceptive labeling technique.

Food #2 Sugar-Free Foods

Sugar-free foods are geared to people with diabetes or at risk for developing diabetes.  Sugar-free foods have low calories and no sugar. 
However, look at the label under sugars, and you will see something interesting.  Sugar-free foods tend to have sugar alcohols, which is an ingredient designed to give it sweetness.  Most of the time, sugar alcohol is made from sugar products, which can lead to increased calories.  Sugar alcohols carry between 1.5 and 4 calories per gram.  Not only do you get extra calories, but you also can get cramping, bloating, and other gastrointestinal problems if you ingest too much.

Food #3  Commercial Smoothies

Normally, smoothies are associated with healthy eating.  They have skim milk, fruit, and yogurt, so they are considered a great, healthy food.  Some commercial smoothies, however, have many hidden calories from extra sugar.  Some smoothies are also made with ice cream, so you end up ballooning sugar, fat, and calorie content.  Most of the time, the fruit in smoothies is blended up into fruit juice, or fruit juice is added.   This eliminates the fiber that is found in the skin of most fruits.  My advice:  Make your smoothies at home, and leave the commercial smoothies on the shelf.
  
Food #4 Commercial Yogurts

Yogurt, again, has been considered a natural health product containing calcium, probiotics, and other products that have been shown to be beneficial to our health.  Look at the label again, and you might see something surprising.   When looking at the label, some of the first few ingredients in yogurt are different forms of sugar.  All this extra sugar can lead to weight gain and stubborn, hard-to-lose body fat.  So again, read the label and see exactly what is in the product before you choose the yogurt of choice.

Food #5 Sugary energy drinks including items with added vitamins and minerals

Energy drinks have been advertised as giving you that extra pick-me-up during the day, and a way to increase the intensity of your workouts.  Energy drinks can contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar, which gives you that initial pick-me-up, but you end up crashing hard later.  Also, some drinks that have added vitamins and minerals, can have loads of sugar as well.  So stop and think before you drink and choose something lower in calories and sugar, maybe something like coffee or tea.

Next, I am going to share with you 5 foods that are beneficial to your health, and you might not even know it.

Food #1 Swiss Chard
Aging can create many different problems for people.  Wrinkles, lack of balance, and our eyesight can worsen, and are just some of the different things that happen with the aging process.  Swiss chard is considered a super food because of some of the amazing caroteniods that can be found in this leafy green vegetable.  Swiss chard contains high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin that have been shown to help with good eyesight.   These two caroteniods have been shown to build up in the eyes, which help with the way light rays enter our eyes and are absorbed.

Food #2 Pepper, Especially Capsaicin
So most of you are probably asking why pepper is on the list.  Pepper is a zero-calories food that can add a lot of flavor to your foods.  Not only does it pack a great punch to your foods, but capsaicin has been shown to have tremendous anti-inflammatory properties.  It has also been shown to be helpful in fighting some cancers because of its anti-cancer effects.

Food #3 Wheatgrass
There are plenty of juices out there that contain Wheatgrass which is chock full of vitamins and minerals that will keep you healthy.   Loaded with Vitamins, B, C, and E, this food can help to clean out your system and fight infections.   Not only does this food contain essential vitamins and minerals, but it also is a complete protein.  This food is full of the essential amino acids that our bodies require for building muscle.   The high concentration of vitaIfmins helps protect the body from stress that our bodies are under daily.


Food #4 Tahini

Tahini is now found in most grocery stores as an excellent source of all the B vitamins as well as calcium.  B vitamins are essential in development of healthy cells in the body, especially red blood cells.   B vitamins can also help in raising metabolism, and help our immune system become stronger.  Tahini also holds a surprising amount of calcium, zinc, and copper.  The high levels of calcium can help keep bones strong and healthy, and might be responsible in fighting some cancers. Tahini also holds an abundance of fiber, specifically sesamin and sesomolin, which can have positive effects in lowering cholesterol.

Food #5 Avocado

This amazing fruit helps reduce inflammation through some of the carotenoids found in the green, fleshy part of the avocado. This vegetable also has a tremendous amount of fat, but the good fats that are beneficial to the body. The main source of fat is Oliec acid, which helps with fat absorption and also helps to lower the risk for developing heart disease. Avocados also have phytosterols, which keep inflammation in the body under control.


If you need other information or help with an exercise program, take action now and contact me.

NEW Water Drink Mix Makes YOU LOSE WEIGHT Much Faster and EASIER

It Burns Off A Lot More Fat Than 
“Diet Drinks,” Water, Or Sports Drinks!

The AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, Doctors at YALE
UNIVERSITY, and Penn State University reveal large study 
results showing …  YOU can lose your ugly fat with NO Crazy Diet, Exercise Program, Or Feeling Hungry or Feeling Tired!

This has proven so effective – it will burn off your 
excess weight – or it’s YOURS FREE!
This breaking news is very exciting if you want to lose weight (and keep it off) much faster and easier!

In a recent Penn State University study, overweight individuals who drank higher amounts of the ingredients in this new drink …  lost 40% MORE weight than the subjects who simply limited portion size and cut back on fat!
Just think about that!!!!!  I’ll tell you more, but first, I have to get this off my chest before I explode …

The Shocking Truth About “Hydration” Sports Drinks
And How They Prevent You From Losing Weight!

So-called “hydration sports drinks” are mostly sugar-only beverages that do little else than make you fatter and unhealthier.  All that sugar you drink simply gets converted to body fat and does nothing to sustain your energy levels.  It also wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels and insulin production, which can set the stage for pre-diabetes or full-blown diabetes.  What you need instead is a beverage higher in protein (to sustain your energy levels) and fiber (to fill you up and keep you hunger-free for longer).

This is what DOES work to shed off all your excess weight without a crazy diet or exercise program that no REAL human being could actually stick to.  These are yours in the new Prograde® Fusion™ “on the go” water drink mix pouches..

Just tear open the pouch, pour mixture 
into a water bottle, shake, and drink!


TURNS OFF Your HUNGER 

and TURNS ON Your FAT BURNING!

This delicious water drink mix has a unique formula that has what your body needs for maximum weight loss in minimum time.  And, the beauty is, it tastes great, is convenient and is 100% natural and safe!

Best of all, there is no added fat or cholesterol to weigh you down, AND YOU’LL SWEAR YOU ARE ENJOYING A TROPICAL DRINK!
Our customers say it is the best-tasting weight loss drink    they’ve ever tried!
 Mixes easily with no clumping
 Increases lean muscle Sweetened with All-Natural Stevia
Generates extra energy for you that lasts all day
Mixes instantly, no blender required No adverse side effects with your digestive system
Perfect snack for kids 10 years and up!
Perfect “on the go” drink mix for ANYTIME, ANYWHERE Makes your life easier: These tiny drink mix pouches are  easy to carry with you in your purse, wallet, car, office - anywhere!                                     

Get Ready For 

Your New ‘Slim N’ Sexy’ Life Soon!

This exciting news is really about your opportunity to enjoy a newfound “slim and sexy” life.  Yes, you can soon be much thinner, healthier and happier!   Now you can have better health for the things that really make life better, including:

Feeling younger, sexier – more attractive!

Spending more time with your friends!
 

Shopping, reading, or doing what you love more!

Feeling more excited, happy, and positive!

Making your relationship or marriage more special!

Learning exciting new things!

Meeting and becoming NEW FRIENDS with exciting, fun people!

Making your “secret dreams” come true!

Here’s EVEN MORE PROOF 

This Will Remove Your Excess Pounds!

More Proof Study #1:  YALE UNIVERSITY study:  People ate 31% less calories for lunch after they drank a drink similar to this beforehand, compared to people who did not drink the same drink.  

More Proof Study #2:  UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO study showed 4 different forms of evidence how this nutrient in Prograde Fusion naturally reduces appetite, but keeps you feeling full and satisfied.

More Proof Study #3:  APPETITE JOURNAL study showed the same nutrient made people crave less food, which led to lower weight.

Prograde Fusion™ Uses an All-Natural Sweetener!
Cheap Drinks Sold In Stores Use Artificial Sweeteners
That Can Actually Make You GAIN Weight!

        Ray Shalien, M.D. reports a PURDUE UNIVERSITY study showing subjects who ate food with an artificial sweetener ate more calories and put on more weight and body fat than those who ate food with a natural sweetener!

        Amazing, isn’t it?  The chemicals in certain artificial sweeteners may prompt the body to get ready to take in a lot of calories.  But when sweetness in the form of artificial sweeteners is not followed by a large amount of calories, the body gets confused.  This may lead to eating more and a slower metabolism.

        This is why we only use the all-natural sweetener Stevia in Prograde® Fusion™!

Your 2 Big Weight Loss Problems
Now Gone!

Problem #1:  You don’t have time to prepare a truly healthy, non-store-bought weight loss drink. Let’s face it: in today’s fast paced world, who does?   This problem NOW GONE!

Problem #2: You can't stand the taste of 99% of other so-called weight loss drinks. Pick up 10 different weight loss drinks off the shelves, and 9 out of 10 will be downright disgusting. Many taste like watered down chalk water disguised as a protein supplement - or worse. The very thought of drinking this stuff has most people cringing.  This problem NOW GONE!

This Will Remove Your Excess Weight

– Or It’s YOURS FREE!

I’m so excited for you to start losing more weight faster & easier …  and feeling better and younger than you have in years!   Combine Prograde Fusion with a results driven exercise program and you are on your way.