Alcohol and Your Body --- Paying the Price for Partying

Pay the Price to Party – Alcohol and Bodybuilding

It’s Friday night, I’m in the club, and everyone is drinking. I did everything right during the week. I worked out and followed my diet to the “T.” So I can have a “few drinks” right? Wrong! Unless I want to halt my progress and limit the results I’ve worked so hard for, I won’t drink. I order water with a lime, to create an illusion that I’m drinking.

Alcohol is the world’s oldest and most widely-used drug. Alcohol is used to relax, facilitate social events, and liven up a party, but who’s really paying the price for you to party? Let’s take a closer look.

Alcohol stimulates appetite and loosens inhibitions. This is a great combination if your only goal is to have a fun time and get lucky, but a horrible combination for the physique conscious. In its purest form, Ethyl Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. Unlike calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates, alcohol provides no nutrients or energy. This is why we call these 7 calories “empty calories.” On average a light beer contains 110 calories, a shot of 80 proof liquor contains 65 calories (don’t forget about the mixer), and red and white wines contain 120 calories. Factor the increased appetite and poor judgment and without even thinking about it you’ll be eating the typical “thousand calorie meal” establishments serve. The price being paid is already exceeding the physical dollar amount paid.

Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, but one standard drink takes around 10 hours to process. Assuming you had more than one drink, athletic performance may be affected up to 48 hours after the last round. When alcohol is being metabolized, glycogen metabolism decreases. Glycogen is converted into glucose, which provides energy to the body. For every one day of drinking your reaction time, balance, coordination, thought process, energy levels, and overall abilities may be negatively affected for the following two days.

Keeping your muscles hydrated results in a much higher anabolic environment. Some even take creatine to over hydrate the muscles, creating an even higher anabolic environment. Your kidneys regulate electrolytes and fluids in the body. Electrolytes and fluids supply nutrients and remove cellular waste. Alcohol forces the kidneys to process massive amounts of water from all over the body, including the brain, to break down alcohol. The kidney’s go into overdrive to get rid of the “toxins” leading to dehydration. This explains why drinkers have to go to the bathroom frequently when drinking.

Alcohol hurts muscular gains and recovery. Your body utilizes alcohol for fuel before any other nutrient. The nutrients you eat before, during, and after drinking aren’t absorbed efficiently and sit around while the alcohol is being metabolized. Alcohol interferes with the absorption, storage, and use of vital nutrients. Slower protein absorption will directly diminish your gains and recovery. After a night of drinking you may fall asleep easier but, the quality of sleep (especially Rapid Eye Movement aka REM) is reduced. REM is believed to be the period during sleep that bodies do the greatest amount of repair. A disturbance of REM sleep may ultimately diminish recovery. Recovery and gains can also be affected by missed meals the following day due to either waking up late or feeling sick/ hung-over the next day.

Most know that anabolism increases with increased testosterone production and decreases with increased estrogen levels. Some even choose to take steroids to drive their testosterone levels to unnatural levels to achieve unnatural results. Alcohol lowers testosterone by interfering with its production and raises estrogen levels. Testosterone levels can drop up to 25% while being intoxicated. Overtime, men that are heavy drinkers often develop gynecomastia (aka man boobs) because alcohol speeds up the aromatization of androgens into estrogens.

To fully understand the effects of alcohol on fat burning and metabolism, take a look at how it’s metabolized. After being consumed, alcohol gets absorbed into the blood stream through the stomach and intestines. Around 98% of the alcohol is then processed by the liver. The liver converts fats into usable food and is a critical element that maintains a healthy body composition. The liver converts alcohol into an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which converts into acetaldehyde, then into acetate. Carbohydrates turn into acetate as well, but through many steps, providing muscles with glucose and energy. Alcohol, on the other hand, converts into acetate fast and easy and provides no nutrients for energy. A sharp rise in acetate will result in increased fat storage. Alcohol is a by-product of yeast. The digestion of yeast irritates and weakens the lining of the stomach. When the stomach is weakened, food is digested slower and less efficient, making weight loss harder. Alcohol impairs pancreatic enzymes that are needed to metabolize fat, which can result in a high blood lipid (fat) level.

All living things are composed of cells. Bioplasm is the matter that forms the bulk of the cell. Bioplasm is the only living matter that can take up food, grow, multiply, divide, and move. In the book “Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why” by Martha M. Allen, an experiment was published on bioplasm. Different solutions were introduced to the bioplasm. A stimulant solution was added and the bioplasm increased in activity and divided more rapidly. An astringent was then added, causing the bioplasm to move more slowly and contract into a spherical shape. A relaxant was then introduced and the bioplasm spread in all directions barely moving, but when a stimulant was added again, it acted more vigorous than ever. Alcohol (also a stimulant) was then added and instantly the bioplasm contracted into a ball-like mass. They tried to stimulate and relax the bioplasm again, but nothing happened, it was completely dead.

“Alcohol destroys the very life force that alone keeps the body in repair.” If you want to perform at your best, build maximal muscle, or increase the potential for fat loss, alcohol should be avoided. The old saying goes “abstain and get them gains.” Who is paying the price for you to party? Your body is paying the price!

Reference: Martha M. Allen et al., Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why, pg 64-104, 1900.

4X Boost Juice! Certified Nutrition Staff Recipes for what we put in our water jugs to keep us recovering, building muscle, burning fat, energizing us, hydrating and generally feeling better everyday!

If you have ever been in the store or seen any of our Certified Sports Nutritionists at the gym or an event, then you will also see our Gallon Jugs of Boost Juice right by our sides.  We get the question, "What's in the jug?", all the time.  So we decided to have each Nutritionist share their favorite Boost Juice recipe with all of you.  

Carrying the jug around with us gives us an easy way to make sure we get the fluid we need each day and since we are drinking all that fluid gives us an opportunity to re-fuel our bodies with a formula to accomplish many different goals we may have for our fitness and health.  Everyone has different goals, but staying properly hydrating is shared by everyone so this is a quick easy way to speed up your results no matter what your goal.  Come in the store or email us today and we can help you put your personal Boost Juice recipe together!

MARC SCHARPHORN, CERTIFIED SPORTS NUTRITION SPECIALIST:
I call mine  Marc's Go-go Juice...   :)  

The main ingredients I use in the water are:

NutraKey Envie - Multi Vitamin and Minerals plus digestive enzymes to supply me with all the crucial nutrients and antioxidants  throughout the day - being in powdered form I know it will enter my system faster and being in the jug it will be working in me all day. 1 scoop

Choice Recover Blend or Cellucor Alpha Amino - (Fruit Punch or Icy Blue Razz) - both give me the recovering matrix of BCAA's and Glutamine I need for the active lifestyle of working out, softball and work. Increases my protein synthesis as well as combats muscle soreness and enhances muscle growth. 2 scoops

Condense Pre-Workout by PurusLabs - I find that one serving provides me with a nice sustained energy for the day.  With out the crazy amped up feeling or crash.  Condense is my favorite because it has no Creatine in it!  I typically will use Fruit Punch Flavor. 1 scoop

Occassionally  I will add Define8 to increase fat burning - 1 scoop

For added flavor I usually add a packet of Crystal Light Lemonade Flavor.

DAVID POLK, CERTIFIED SPORTS NUTRITION SPECIALIST & PERSONAL TRAINER:

Recovery Blend

I used AMINO D Strawberry Limeade Flavor by Puris Labs for muscle recovery.

Lemonade (with sugar that gives me extra carbs) to replenish glycogen levels with extra Choice Nutrition Systems powdered unflavored L-Glutamine through out the day before during and after workouts to improve digestion, sleep, reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.

SETH CAIRNS, CERTIFIED SPORTS NUTRITION SPECIALIST & PERSONAL TRAINER:

My Pre-Workout "Beast Juice"

Fruit Punch GAT Nitraflex & BPI Sports Beta-Alkaline to start

And then half-way through my workout I add BCN Amino-X Any Flavor with BCAA's and electrolytes and other vitamins and minerals to power me through the rest of my workout and set-up my recovery.

PAPA STACE HOUK, CERTIFIED SPORTS NUTRITION SPECIALIST:

Mine is called, "How an old guy keeps up with guys half his age boost juice deluxe!"

I sip mine all day in a gallon jug and strive to drink at least half of it while at the store and then get the rest of my water throughout the day.

2 scoops Alpha Amino Fruit Punch BCAAs and Electrolytes

1 scoops D-Fine 8 (any flavor) - for removing excess water, giving me fiber, and giving me mental focus and energy to get through the day while burning fat without making me jittery

1 scopp Nutrakey Inno-Flex - powdered lemon flavored joint and connective tissue repair with Collagen, Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin and essential minerals and vitamins to keep my old bones and joints in good repair so I can keep training.

1 scoop Choice Unflavored L-Glutamine to improve digestion, sleep, reduce muscle soreness and fatigue and improve growth hormone levels.

1 scoop Beauty Greens - I don't eat enough fruits and raw vegetables so I get the equivalent of two pounds of each in once tasty scoop along with digestive enzymes and probiotcs for good gut health.

My recipe is definitely the ugliest looking version of everyone's but one just lasts me two days and keeps me going strong even at my age!

Come in today and we can make your recipe today!  Thanks to our staff for sharing their secrets!

Hot Peppers Can Help Fat & Weight Loss - Happy Cinco De Mayo

Hot Peppers’ impact on Fat & Weight Loss

If you adore spicy jalapenos in your tacos or fiery Thai chilies in your stir fry, keep piling on those peppers--and if you fear the heat, you may want start learning to warm up to the cayenne shaker. That's because hot peppers may help you manage your weight, making them the perfect accompaniment to your diet plan. Although the scorching fruits alone won't make the pounds fly off, they could make the difference of a pound or two over time--which most dieters are sure to appreciate.

How it Works

The secret to pepper's fat-blasting power lies in an alkaloid substance called capsaicin, which is also the source of the hot flavor. Not only does capsaicin ignite your mouth, but it may actually cause your body to heat up so that you burn calories faster. 

The capsaicin/temperature link may be explained by the activity of brown fat. Most of the fat in our bodies is white, and excess levels of white fat are what cause people to become overweight or obese. In contrast, brown fat makes up a very small percentage of total fat (not all people may even have it), and is highly active as it works to regulate body temperature. Experts used to think that only babies have brown fat and they lose it growing up; now we know that adults also have brown fat, and can even build new brown fat cells. 

In animal studies on hot peppers and weight loss, subjects demonstrated higher levels of brown fat activity after exposure to capsaicin. Although animal studies do not accurately predict results among people, it's possible that hot peppers also increase human metabolism by activating brown fat. 

There also may be hope for people who desire similar effects without having to eat spicy foods, although research is still in the beginning stages. A small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that young men who had previously demonstrated brown-fat activity burned slightly more calories in the hour after taking capsinoids, which are capsaicin-like substances found in a unique variety of sweet pepper. Capsinoids don't taste hot, but this study suggests they may have similar thermogenic effects as spicy foods. 

Regardless of the mild metabolism-boosting effects of peppers, the most effective way to slim down is to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity. Peppers won't make up for overeating, just give you a minor boost.

Other Benefits of Hot Peppers

Weight loss aside, hot peppers come with plenty of health benefits. They contain even more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and more vitamin A than carrots. The capsaicin also induces a rush of endorphins, creating a boost in mood that keeps many pepper-lovers coming back for more. Capsaicin is also widely used as a topical pain reliever, and some research shows that ingesting the substance may help stave off prostate cancer. 

Ranking the Heat

Heat from peppers is ranked using the Scoville scale: the higher the Scoville number, the higher the capsaicin content. Peperoncinis and pimientos are at the bottom rung with scores of 100 to 500, while the hottest peppers, such as ghost chilies, rank among 1 million Scoville units. Jalapenos, as hot as they may appear, lie near the bottom of the chart with 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units.

Next time you are in the store, we can show you were the ingredients mentioned in this blog are located in many of our fat burning products.  Pretty cool stuff.

Thanks to Nina Kate for this great blog, follow Nina at:

Nina Kate is a certified fitness nutrition specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). She also studied journalism at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and has contributed to numerous major publications as a freelance writer. Nina thrives on sharing nutrition and fitness knowledge to help readers lead healthy, active lives. Visit her wellness blog at BodyFlourish.com.

5 Ways Yoga Can Help Boost Athletic Performance

 This is a great article from Brook Robert of Muscle & Fitness we just had to share! Check it out!

Ahh, yoga. Crunchy, serene, woo-woo yoga. But we've got news for you: It’s not just for hippies or girls in yoga pants anymore – just ask the Seattle Seahawks. If you think yoga is a waste of your precious lifting time, think again. Developing a steady practice can actually help you get stronger.

The dirty truth of the matter is that putting your body through any repetitive movement (even weightlifting) will eventually create muscular imbalances and lead to injury. So hard-chargers take note: Incorporating yoga into your existing routine might be exactly what your body needs in order to improve.

Here are five ways yoga can benefit even the most muscular among us.

1. Increased Power

Flexibility keeps muscles and joints safe. Chances are, if you've just been using the same muscles for repetitive movements, they’re going to be pretty tight. Top-flight bodybuilders and dedicated weekend warriors alike love a good massage for this reason. Maybe you've even noticed a one rep max plateau, or a speed block. If a muscle is so tight that injury is imminent, your body will start to recruit other muscles to help out with certain moves. And if those muscles are under trained, you’re looking at a torn muscle and -gasp- down time. Elastic muscles and supple joints move more efficiently, recover more quickly and continue doing their jobs. Increasing your flexibility will also increase range of motion, which means an increased power output due to greater muscle recruitment, and more efficient movements.

2. Better Muscle Function

Yoga is a lot of things but it is basically all about breath and movement, movement and breath. To fully be present and to full articulate each posture in yoga, a strong, focused breath is essential. Doesn't hurt that it tames busy brain or helps take the edge off your pre-workout drink. Getting in touch with your breath can help establish better breathing patterns and access parts of your respiratory system that you didn't even know you could control. Get ready for more efficient oxygen intake, more complete exhalation, and better muscle function. Hello, gains. Goodbye muscle fatigue, symptoms of asthma, ragged breathing, and side stitches. Just like you wouldn't restrict precious nutrients and protein from your muscles, you should also be feeding your muscles with more delicious blood flow and oxygen. This is also certain to develop positive respiratory habits that you can carry into the rest of your training endeavors.

3. Mental Toughness

One of the biggest benefits of yoga is its emphasis on the connection between body and mind. Whether through meditation, or through the holding a headstand for an extended period of time, your mental toughness and focus are likely to improve. This might be the hardest benefit to achieve but once you begin to get your head in the game the benefits are almost unlimited.

4. Control   

“Pull your belly button to your spine,” “feel your lungs expanding,” “roll down your spine, one vertebrae at a time,” are all common phrases in yoga classes. It’s this constant cuing to pay attention to the smallest of sensations that helps build the neurological connections between our brains and our muscles (See No. 3). Yoga builds body awareness, and this can help you analyze your form during your workout to both optimize your lifting techniques, and help prevent compensation based injury. Again, this carries over into your normal cadre of sets-and-reps: the better you are able to “connect” mind and muscle, the more focused (read: efficient) each rep will be. Tough to think about the burn when you’re laser-focused on the effort.

5. Active Recovery and Muscle Repair

Active recovery typically means a light workout on an off day. These low-key days are a perfect way to slide yoga seamlessly into your schedule. Using specifically yoga as a form of active recovery can actually repair muscle fibers more quickly than other common forms, as the combination of stretching and relaxing muscles encourages blood flow to broken down muscle tissues. Do yoga, lift again sooner.

If you think yoga is just for slim, prissy girls with hot yoga pants on, think again. A great many of you out there likely have at least some familiarity with yoga through your TV-ordered set of P90X DVDs. Through yoga, you learn to control your body and your mind. And when it comes to building a stronger, leaner, more functional physique, that control can truly provide next-level results. 

Along with yoga a good nutritional diet will help keep your body balanced and ready for the next workout. Come see one of our certified nutrition specialist and let them help you balance out your diet!

Til next time,

Mikie

9 ways to detox naturally in the New Year

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA President at MyBestHealthPortal.net Top Contributorgive us a run down of the best way to detox for the new year that's safe and effective check it out.

It’s the New Year, which means everyone’s talking about “cleansing” and “detoxing” after a bit of holiday binging. But the truth is, your body detoxes just fine on its own: Your liver, lungs, kidneys, skin, and digestive track are programmed by Mother Nature to keep your body clean 24/7.

But you can give your body’s natural detoxing powers a boost with these nine easy tips. 

1. Stay hydrated with water. Water is part of every metabolic process in the body, and adequate water intake also helps keep the balance of body salts normal. Natural thirst should always be addressed. And remember that fruits and vegetables are almost all water, so 5-7 servings can boost your natural water intake. And the best way to tell if your water intake is adequate is to check the color of your urine. Pale yellow is the goal. If it’s any darker than that, drink a glass of water or two.

2. Limit caffeine – but there’s no need to eliminate it. Caffeine can be a boost for mental focus and energy, if limited to less than 300 milligrams per day. A large mug of coffee has about 150 milligrams of caffeine, so that’s about two servings a day. A mug of tea is around 50 milligrams, so that’s about six servings. When it comes to caffeine, the less often it is consumed, the more of a positive biological effect you can expect. 

3. Extra credit: Avoid alcohol -- even red wine. (it.

4. Skip sugar – and low-calorie sweeteners. You want to ground zero your sweet taste buds with more limited intake of sweet of all kinds. Cut out sugary drinks, snacks, and treats, and you’ll be surprised how fruit will satisfy your sweet tooth. And taking a break from all low-calorie sweeteners helps you learn to tamp down your perception of sweetness.

5. Eliminate processed and prepared foods. As a general rule, don’t consume things that come in cans, boxes, bags or jars. Bonus points: Don’t eat in restaurants, either. Many restaurant foods may look healthy, but the food may have been prepared in unhealthy oils, or they may be drenched in a creamy sauce. Cutting out processed foods is the quickest and easiest way to limit excess (and often hidden) sugars, fats, and calories. 

6. Break a sweat. Skin is the body’s largest organ, and sweating helps you eliminate excess body salts and other metabolites of body processes. Breaking a sweat every day is a good way to support your body’s healthy elimination of metabolic breakdown products.

7. Eat fiber. There are so many myths associated with “cleansing” the digestive tract, but your digestive tract actually wants to be stimulated, especially with fiber. Think of this as exercise for your gut. Fiber revs up your digestive tract -- it’s like nature’s Roto-Rooter. But stick to fiber that’s found in nature -- fruits, veggies and whole grains -- and skip the bulked-up processed products that claim to contain 50 percent of your daily fiber needs or more in ONE serving. Stick with nature’s fiber content, which is about 3-4 grams a serving, about 15-20 percent percent of your daily requirement.

8. Get some sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours every night. Adequate sleep supports and maintains a healthy brain. Recent studies continue to support the connection between amount of sleep and cognitive function.

9. Change your response to stress. While eliminating stress is not realistic, changing how your respond to daily stressors goes a long way to boosting a healthy body.

Also, stop by 4x Nutrition Center adn speak with one of our certified nutrition specialist about other way to detox and get your body ready for the new year!

Til next time,

Mikie 

Health Benefits of Green Coffee Bean Extract: Does Research Support the Hype?

"Green coffee beans are the same coffee beans we have come to know and love.

The difference is that green coffee beans are left un-roasted, not only giving them a smoother taste than roasted beans, but also giving them a distinct array of health-promoting plant chemicals.

The concept of green coffee applies to green tea as well.

Green, white, oolong, and black teas actually come from the same Camellia 

sinensis  plant, but green tea is the least  processed.

The change in how long the teas are roasted determines why green tea has different health properties than black tea.

This is also how green coffee beans harbor unique health benefits when compared to roasted coffee beans.

We know that drinking regular black coffee can be associated with a lower incidence of diabetes, certain types of cancer, as well as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and liver disease (1; 2), but what is so exciting about green coffee bean extract?

Emerging research shows that green coffee bean extract, may be a low-cost way to reduce weight naturally.

Early research suggests the extract may help normal weight adults prevent weight gain, and overweight adults from becoming obese (3).

According to animal studies, green coffee bean extract may support weight loss and inhibit weight gain by three interesting ways:

1. Block absorption of fats

2. Boost fat-burning

3. Support healthy sugar and insulin levels

Together, these three mechanisms may create a unique & natural synergy that may support natural weight loss in a way that would be very difficult to mimic with a drug.
(4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11)

Green coffee beans contain unique plant chemicals that are otherwise lost with typical coffee roasting.

Coffee Antioxidants: Chlorogenic Acid

The “breakthrough” compounds believed to be responsible for the health benefits of green coffee beans are chlorogenic acids.

When you consume green coffee bean extract, a portion of the chlorogenic acids are believed to be absorbed directly in the small intestine. The leftover compounds that make it to the large intestine and colon then do something interesting.

Further down the intestinal tract, chlorogenic acids may interact with healthy bacteria in the colon to produce additional sub-chemicals. Researchers associate these chemicals with even more anti-inflammatory benefits (12).

Chlorogenic acids found in coffee may also:

• Improve brain performance and mental health (13)
• Reduce oxidative stress, body fat, and energy uptake, while also boosting glutathione, your body’s primary antioxidant and toxin-scavenger.
  • Ultimately, the extract may reduce DNA damage and yield anti-aging properties (14; 15)
• Reduce blood pressure, although the research evidence is still inconclusive (16; 17; 18).
  • The proposed blood pressure-lowering effect may be a result of 5-quinoyl quinic acid as well as other chlorogenic acids found in green coffee bean. Scientists also have shown that the higher the dose of green coffee bean extract given, the more profoundly that blood pressure may be lowered. (19; 20; 21).
• Offer anti-cancer properties, and like similar plant chemicals, may keep cancer cells from metastasizing into new areas of the body (22).

Green Coffee Bean Extract has become extremely popular in just a short time. Dr. Oz recently featured it on his popular television show, and Starbucks now features green coffee bean extract in their new Refresher drinks.

So while the research is still young and predominated by animal studies, it supports the claims that green coffee beans can boost energy and potentially help you burn fat and lose weight. Just beware of unnecessary added sugars.

I’m usually one of the first to question a new trend, but I do believe that green coffee beans can be a useful piece of your nutrition and lifestyle strategy to support healthy blood sugar, improve fat metabolism, and ultimately maintain a healthy weight."

Its' the new year and everyone wants to burn fat. 2013 saw the introduction to many new and natural fat burners. One particularly interesting one has been green coffee bean extract.

Dr. Alexander Rinehart, MS, DC, CCN give us his run down on everyone favorite little bean!

Stop by and try a sample of some of the great product we have in store with green coffee bean today!
Til next time,
Mikie 

3 Reasons You Shouldn't Make a Fitness-Related New Years Resolution for 2014

2014 is just around the corner and the talk of New Years resolutions are in full swing. But how serious are you about it? Do you make a New Years resolution every year, just to see it fail within a few short weeks or months?

Check out these 3 reasons you shouldn’t make a fitness-related New Years resolution for 2014.

New Years resolutions often fail

I’ve read a number of articles that state anywhere from 88% to 92% of New Years resolutions fail. Even taking the most optimistic number, a 12% chance of success for a New Years resolution is not very good odds.

I understand that New Years resolutions are fun, and the idea of starting the new year with a clean slate is enticing. My advice to you is if you are going to make a New Years resolution, make it something less important that doesn’t have to do with fitness or taking care of your body. Because your body deserves a whole lot better than a 12% chance you’re going to take care of it.

New Years resolutions aren’t structured for success

What are some of the fitness-related New Years resolutions you hear about?

I want to eat healthier
I want to lose weight
I want to start going to the gym

These are such bland statements. There is no defined path as to how you are going to reach your resolution. Additionally, how are you going to measure your success? If you lose one lb? Ten lbs?

New Years resolutions often aren’t specific enough to be able to measure and define success. That makes it hard to stay motivated.

Instead of a New Years resolution, I encourage you to make a goal or goals. Not just any goals, specific goals. If you want to lose weight, how much weight do you want to lose and by when? How are you going to get there?

A great goal might be something like I want to lose five pounds by March 1st by keeping my body active at least three days a week. Boom. You know exactly what you want, when you want it, and how you’re going to achieve it.

Choosing to make a goal instead of a New Years resolution is a BIG WIN in my opinion.

New Years resolutions make you wait

Okay, so you have your resolution in mind and you’re patiently waiting for the new year to roll around so you can start. Here’s my question to you: why are you waiting for the new year?

Anything that you think worth starting is worth starting today. Not tomorrow. Not a week from now. Not a month from now. Today.

New Years resolutions give people a false sense of hope. They think that just because it’s a new year it somehow increases their chance of success. But do you think that years of living a sedentary lifestyle are all of a sudden going to disappear with the new year? Of course not! It’s going to carry over with you into the new year.

I always encourage people to start today. There’s absolutely no reason in the world to wait. If you truly want something, work towards taking it by starting today. I believe fitness is a lifetime commitment. The sooner you start, the sooner you’re going to reach your goals, which leads you to create new goals, and on and on and on.

I certainly hope I don’t derail you from creating a New Years resolution for 2014. New Years resolutions can be fun. I just encourage you to keep fitness-related resolutions out of the equation. Instead, create fitness goals and start today. This path will give you a lot better chance of success than relying on a New Years resolution to get you there.

Can you think of any other reasons you shouldn't make a fitness-related New Years resolution for 2014? What is your New Years resolution for 2014?

Til next time,

Jeff Behar, MS, MBAPresident at MyBestHealthPortal.net

Weight Management Tips for the Holiday Feast-tivities!

Weight Management Tips for the Holiday Feast-tivities!

Alright, the holidays are quickly approaching and along with this time of year come, parties, big dinners and lots of tempting treats.  So here are a few of our favorite tips for surviving the holiday feasting season:

1. Try Using Light Alternatives:  Nowadays there are lots of good alternatives that are low-calorie, lower in carbs or lower in bad fats that taste very much like the original high-calorie version.  See if you can add a few of these items to your menu to help reduce the calorie content of some of your favorite foods like butter, whipped cream, sour cream.  In some cases you can blend things like Splenda (artificial sweetener) with real sugar to still make your baking sweet and tasty, but lighten the sugar/calorie content at the same time.
2.  Go For A Quick Walk:  On the days you are going to be feasting, take a walk in the morning and after the meal.  As you walk the increased oxygen, endorphin's and adrenaline will help digest the food and help you avoid the couch coma effect.
3. Go Outside and Play:  This one is much easier for us here in South Florida.  Many families in Florida plan beach time during the holidays, just remember to bring the Frisbee or football and make sure you get some activity involved with your beach outing.  Or take the kids to the park after a big meal, get some fresh air and have some fun!
4.  Chew Your Food Extra Well:  Your body is used to chewing a mouthful of food a specific number of times.  The more you chew, the less you are inclined to eat and your body will feel full sooner.  Plus, when you chew your food very well, it has time to interact with the digestive enzymes contained in saliva.  Once you do swallow, your body is better able to digest, process and eliminate your meal, allowing nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently.
5.  Drink Plenty of Water:  Water has no calories and helps you digest and process foods.  It will also make you feel fuller faster.  Drink a glass or two with the feast and it will interact with the fiber in your meal and make you feel full and satisfied faster.
6. Pay Attention to Your Body:  When you begin to feel uncomfortable, stop eating!  Many times the food just tastes so good that we go way beyond the point of comfort.  You feel full and sluggish and, of course, the natural progression of this leads to a couch and a long nap.  It all sounds so tempting, but remember, when you sleep, so does your metabolism. I call this the lips to hips condition. 

You can enjoy the holidays and still keep on top of your diet and at least maintain your body’s current condition and weight.  It is not as hard as it seems with these simple tips!  Our Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialists have lots of other great ideas for helping you get through the holiday season happy and healthy!

Til next time,

Mikie

Weight Management Tips for the Holiday Feast-tivities!

Alright, the holidays are quickly approaching and along with this time of year come, parties, big dinners and lots of tempting treats.  So here are a few tips for surviving the holiday feasting season:

1. Go For A Quick Walk:  On the days you are going to be feasting, take a walk in the morning and after the meal.  As you walk the increased oxygen, endorphin's and adrenaline will help digest the food and help you avoid the couch coma effect.
2.    Go Outside and Play:  This one is much easier for us here in South Florida.  Many families in Florida plan beach time during the holidays, just remember to bring the Frisbee or football and make sure you get some activity involved with your beach outing.  Or take the kids to the park after a big meal, get some fresh air and have some fun!
3.  Chew Your Food Extra Well:  Your body is used to chewing a mouthful of food a specific number of times.  The more you chew, the less you are inclined to eat and your body will feel full sooner.  Plus, when you chew your food very well, it has time to interact with the digestive enzymes contained in saliva.  Once you do swallow, your body is better able to digest, process and eliminate your meal, allowing nutrients to be absorbed more efficiently.
4. Drink Plenty of Water:  Water has no calories and helps you digest and process foods.  It will also make you feel fuller faster.  Drink a glass or two with the feast and it will interact with the fiber in your meal and make you feel full and satisfied faster.
5. Try Using Light Alternatives:  Nowadays there are lots of good alternatives that are low-calorie, lower in carbs or lower in bad fats that taste very much like the original high-calorie version.  See if you can add a few of these items to your menu to help reduce the calorie content of some of your favorite foods like butter, whipped cream, sour cream.  In some cases you can blend things like Stevia with real sugar to still make your baking sweet and tasty, but lighten the sugar/calorie content at the same time.
6. Pay Attention to Your Body:  When you begin to feel uncomfortable, stop eating!  Many times the food just tastes so good that we go way beyond the point of comfort.  You feel full and sluggish and, of course, the natural progression of this leads to a couch and a long nap.  It all sounds so tempting, but remember, when you sleep, so does your metabolism.  I call this the lips to hips condition.

You can enjoy the holidays and still keep on top of your diet and at least maintain your body’s current condition and weight.  It is not as hard as it seems with these simple tips!  Our Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialists have lots of other great ideas for helping you get through the holiday season happy and healthy!

Til next time,

Mikie

Want more out of your crossfit workout? Here's how..

Getting the most out of your Crossfit Workouts

First, what is Crossfit?

 Crossfit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. Crossfit was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. The program is structured in such a way that participants are challenged to do a certain number of repetitions in a workout in a specific time frame; the more advanced Crossfit participants will actually compete against each other to see how fast they can complete the daily workout (WOD) and post their results on the Crossfit website.

Crossfit routines and gyms are becoming more popular by the day. The workouts are very intense, and can produce great results. If you've done a Crossfit workout then you certainly know how intense and taxing they can be on the body.

Second, How do you get the most out of your efforts during a Crossfit workout?

Pre-workout supplements can maximize the efficiency of your workouts. When taken before training they can increase energy, delay fatigue and reduce muscle breakdown during exercise. This enables you to train harder with greater quality and for longer.

People often want to know if pre-workout supplements are still beneficial when doing Crossfit workouts. Let’s be honest, most people aren't in great shape and will struggle to get through a high intensity workout like Crossfit. A pre-workout supplement could be the kick in the rear that you need in order to power through your workout and get all the benefits of the workout, which you might not get if you find yourself dragging half of the time. Here's a few pre-workout suggestions from the 4x staff:

Coconut Water: Coconut Water is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Hydration is key - before, during and after your Crossfit workout. It's naturally low in carbs, 99% fat free and low in sugar. As well, Coconut Water keeps the body cool and at the proper temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, raises your metabolism, promotes weight loss, boosts your immune system, balances your Ph, and naturally replenishes your body's fluid after exercising. Coconut Water is the perfect compliment to your Crossfit workout - pre, during and post! Try Coconut Water in lots of flavors from plain to Passion Fruit.

Beta-Alanine: Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid that's converted to other chemicals that can then affect muscles. It’s needed for the production of Carnosine. Carnosine is needed by muscle cells to act as a buffer to control intracellular PH. When we workout, particularly when it is a high intensity workout, our bodies build up hydrogen ions that cause PH in muscles to drop. Carnosine, which is present in Beta-Alanine, helps in stabilizing muscular PH through soaking up the hydrogen ions released during exercise. Too much acid accumulation by muscles is thought to contribute to fatigue. Research shows that Beta-Alanine considerably enhances muscular endurance especially during strength training by delaying the onset of fatigue. Supplementing with Beta-Alanine allows you to train longer and harder as well as improving overall endurance. Beta-Alanine comes in both powder and capsules and can be found in combination with other aminos in some pre-workouts.

Cardio Igniter/ Pump Igniter: Skeletal muscle relies mainly on carbohydrates and fat oxidation to meet energy needs during exercise. As carbohydrates are used, glycogen is depleted; this glycogen depletion is the limiting factor for the continuation of strenuous exercise. Traditionally, athletes have tried to slow down the depletion of glycogen by consuming high amounts of carbohydrates before and/or during strenuous exercise. Although effective, there is another way to improve endurance: utilize fatty acid oxidation as an energy source. Research suggests that enhancing fatty acid oxidation during exercise promotes a reduced rate of glycogen degradation, resulting in an improved endurance capacity. Guided by the latest scientific data and research, Cardio Igniter / Pump Igniter has been designed to promote fatty acid oxidation.

Cardio Igniter / Pump Igniter is great to use prior to any high intensity training like Crossfit. Cardio Igniter helps prioritize fat as an energy source during exercise and provides both anti-catabolic and anabolic (lean mass potential) elements. Pump Igniter is great to use prior to any high intensity lifting rutine like in you typical gym. Cardio Igniter helps support energy, improve endurance, burn fat and enhance mental focus. Pump Igniter is designed to give you supported energy, more endurance, muscle growth and sustained nitrogen retention. Try Cardio Igniter or Pump Igniter in Watermelon, Fruit Punch and Blue Raspberry!

Condense: Condense pre workout supplement is a novel approach to pre workout performance-enhancement designed to expand performance capacity, utilizing patent-pending nutrient technology and peer-reviewed, human- validated, orally efficacious dosages, rather than merely and temporarily increase acute performance as with most short-sighted, stimulant-laden products currently on the market. Purus Labs has revolutionized the pre workout category, once again, by actually achieving what other companies only claim: that is, eliciting extreme vasodilation through truly enhancing endogenous nitric oxide production. This, in turn, causes a cascade of welcomed anabolic and physiologically enhancing benefits to athletes of all cloth through enhancing blood-flow, heightening substrate utilization (i.e. better nutrient absorption), preserving ATP stores, propelling oxygen delivery to myocapillaries, and reducing overall exercise oxygen cost allowing you to handle greater workloads (e.g. more weight) and exercise longer before exhaustion (e.g. more reps).

What's next? After you've completed your Crossfit workout, your recovery is just as important. Guzzle down some more Coconut Water and before you grab your foam roller, try one of these post-workout suggestions from your 4x staff.

Protein Shake: Many studies have shown that by adding a protein shake within 30-45 minutes after your WOD helps with your recovery. We couldn't agree more. The objective of post-workout nutrition is to optimize recovery by replenishing glycogen stores and providing protein to begin tissue repair. In theory, this improves the results of your next WOD, decreases hunger throughout your day, and improves body composition. Most protein shakes include vital amino acids like Glutamine which also aids in recovery. Try any of our outstanding protein brands (Myofusion, Met-Rx, Syntrax, BSN).

RE-BLD:  RE-BLD combines, the two leading creatine analogues with l-glutamine, bcaas and absoption enhancers to help muscle recover fast and beyond normal recovery patterns. RE-BLD supports lean muscle, maximizes performance, aids in producing ATP and play a major role in synthesizing muscle protein and cell-volumizing.

These are just a few suggestions from your friendly Certified Sport Nutritionists at 4x Nutrition. Stop by 4x Nutrition Center and let us help you get the most out of your next Crossfit WOD. 

Til next time,

Mikie