How to Make Your New Years Resolution a Reality!

 

Clue:  If you want to make your resolution come true -- willpower won't get you there!

Achieving goals is best approached as if you are trying to overcome an addiction.  In fact, that is exactly what you are doing. We all have addictions.

"Willpower is for people who are still uncertain about what they want to do."  -- Helia

If willpower is required – there is clearly some type of internal conflict. You want to lose weight, but you also want that beer.

When willpower is required there are two causes:

1. You don't know what you want, and you therefore have internal conflict.

2. You are not committed to a goal/change and created the conditions that facilitate your commitment.

What do you really want?

If reaching your goal requires willpower, you haven't figured out what you want. Because once you really make a decision, the internal debate is over.

After you decide what you want, the decision is made. Thus, all future decisions regarding that matter have also been made. No questions.

So, are you serious about this? Until you decide, you'll be required to use willpower, and will continue making minimal progress.

Are you committed?

When it comes to achieving goals, commitment involves:

·        Making it public

·        Setting a timeline consisting of small measurable goals that lead to the overall goal

·        Creating several forms of feedback and accountability

·        Removing everything in your environment that opposes your commitment

Once you truly commit - it's as though you've already succeeded. All doubt and disbelief are gone.

Commitment involves building your life around your goals. Your internal resolve, naked to an undefended and opposing environment, is not commitment.

Create conditions that make success inevitable

You will fail to achieve your goals if you don't change your environment.

An alcoholic who really wants to quit drinking needs to not hang around bars and people drinking, but this analogy applies to all goals!

So consciously create an environment that facilitate your commitments. Actually, if you're really committed to a goal, this is exactly what you'll do.

This is how personal growth occurs. We adapt to our environment. Thus, personal growth involves deliberately choosing or creating environments that helps mold us into the person we want to become.

Summary

Bill Walsh said, "If your why is strong enough you will figure out how!"

If you're required to use willpower:

·        You haven't made up your mind.

·        Your desire (your "why") for your goals isn't strong enough.

·        You haven't fully committed to what you're going to do.

·        Your environment is not in alignment with your goals. You haven't created an environment that facilitates reaching your goals.

How to Get In Workouts Over the Holidays!

It is easy to get out of your regular exercise habit during the holidays – particularly if you must travel a lot!    The good news is with a little preparation it is easy to get in an effective workout anywhere.

Here are a couple of ideas for getting your workouts in anywhere, anytime:

Workout Anytime App Workouts – if you do not have our app download it now – there are literally hundreds of workouts for every goal, ability level, and equipment available (or no equipment BW workouts).    In addition, if you have not tried the Stronger Together App Upgrade and the over 1,000 video on demand classes – give it a shot – everyone gets a free month.     You can stream these workouts anywhere, anytime, and it is super easy to caste them up to your nearest flat screen!

Bodyweight Routine - https://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/workout-routines/best-bodyweight-workout-all-time - this Men’s Fitness Bodyweight Routine provides several options that require zero equipment.

3 Best Bodyweight Exercises - https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-three-best-bodyweight-exercise.html - a simple, yet highly effective workout check out these three bodyweight moves that can be done anywhere.

Walking or Running can be done in many locations, and with proper clothing you can go for a walk or a run even during cold weather.     In addition, cold weather workouts provide the added benefit of revving up your metabolism (cold exposure is a proven way to boost metabolic rate).

Stairs can be found almost everywhere and walking or running up and down stairs provides a fantastic interval based cardio challenge while also challenging lower body and core strength.

Yoga Routine – Yoga can be performed anywhere and there are many great online videos including this one from Pop-Sugar:  https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/10-Minute-Power-Yoga-Workout-31081952

 

Holiday Gifts for Fitness Enthusiasts

There is still time to order from Amazon and get a delivery in time for Christmas!    So what should order for the fitness enthusiast in your life?     Fortunately, there are some fantastic products to allow you to get a great workout at home or on the road when you cannot get to the gym. 

Inertia Wave – a true game changer product that looks like a Battle Rope but delivers so much more – check out this short video to see what the Inertia Wave is all about:  https://youtu.be/RBDJrEES3Jg The product delivers the finest HIIT workout available; is super easy to use, and very easy to travel with – a perfect gift for the fitness enthusiast in your life – to order click here:   https://inertiawave.com/

Quiet Punch – a simple to set-up and use device that you mount in between just about any standard door.     Once it is set-up it provides a square punching surface mounted between two poles that go across the door frame and is suspended by bungee cords from the poles.      You can really get after it and get a fantastic boxing workout that is does not shake the house down!    The app comes with great workouts and the system has a cell phone holder so you can watch and follow one of the many boxing/fitness videos available through the app.        You can purchase from Amazon or directly at www.quietpunch.com At $125 Quiet Punch is not cheap but not that expensive and is really a fun workout for those who enjoy boxing.

Floor Dolly Systems – there are several great floor dolly systems that allow you to get a fantastic core workout and work the rest of your body at the same time.   These products emphasize the eccentric or muscle lengthening portion of an exercise in a simple but profound way and there are endless exercises you can do in a small area.    Get ready for some big-time soreness if you go after it hard the first time since these products place a strong emphasis on the muscle lengthening phase of each exercise since you have to control your movement.    Harder surfaces tend to greatly magnify the challenge while carpeted surfaces create more resistance.  Great products in this category include:

Core Flyte by Flight Fitness which provides two small hand/foot dollies with three ball rollers with a sealed bearing system.       Although they are small they work on many different surfaces band because there are two provides you can put both hands or both feet or both knees on them which allows many exercise variations to allow you to effectively overload every muscle group in the body.     Core flytes can be purchased on Amazon or directly from www.flytefitness.com and are reasonably priced at $85.

Core Coaster is another dolly device at a much lower price point.   It has larger wheels rather than using the balls like Core Flyte.    If you are going to use on carpets this product should allow smoother movement because of the larger wheels and the platforms are also much larger than Core Flyte.    The three wheels are mounted in a swiveling carriage mounted to bottom of the platform which allows 360 movement just like the Core Flyte.     At $39 these are a steal!  You can purchase directly from Amazon.

Elastic Resistance – are a fantastic way to provide a full body workout that can be done in a very small space and virtually anywhere.    There are two main types of elastic resistance:

Circular Tubing that usually has handles attached – can purchase many different types directly from Amazon

Flat Circular Bands – www.resistancebandtraining.com or directly from Amazon.  If you also include a door mount - which typically is placed through the inside edge of the door jam while door - then you close the door and there is usually a loop or other way to attach tubing to this anchor so that you can push and pull against the tubing.

There are literally hundreds of highly effective exercises than can be done with elastic resistance and for less than $100 you can buy several different sizes/strengths of bands and sizes along with door mount and take them anywhere!   Resistance bands can be purchased directly from Amazon and great brands include Lifeline Fitness www.lifelinefitness.com and www.resistancebandtraining.com for flat circular bands.

Suspension Trainers – the most well-known is TRX, but there are quite a few high-quality options.   Suspension Trainers use straps with handles and by adjusting your hand and foot position relative to the straps and where they anchored you can do hundreds of exercises and work your body head to toe.   These systems are light and very easy to transport.     Most come with some type of door or universal mounting system to allow you to use them in many places from a hotel room to a playground to a gym.

High quality Suspension Trainers include:

TRX – the most well know product on the market and it is available from TRX available on Amazon for $149.    Or buy directly from TRX at www.trxtraining.com

Lifeline Jungle Gym XT – another fantastic product with a split anchor design which allows you to precisely target certain muscles better such as chest doing chest flys.   At $99.99 this is a great value and a virtually indestructible product.   This product can be purchased from Amazon or at www.lifelinefitness.com

Cross-Core 180 – if you want the Cadillac of Suspension Trainers this is probably your pick!     By far the most versatile in the category, virtually indestructible, and most importantly allow a unique rotation anchor system that provides an adjustable level of extra instability and movement that can take your workouts to a whole new level.    The handle and adjustment systems are also the best and allow many more types of exercises than any other product in this category.    At $249.95 on Amazon its not cheap but you do get what you pay for here!    Also available at  https://crosscore.com/

Proven Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

 

As we head into the holidays most Americans will gain between 8 and 12lbs between Halloween and New Year’s Day.     However, there are ways to avoid this weight gain!

Here are some key tips:

Eat before you drink and celebrate and before holiday parties.     Going into a holiday party on empty and hungry is a sure-fire way to overeat.    Alcohol intake boosts appetite to begin with and if you start out without anything in the tank it just gets worse!    This does not mean overeating – eat a sensible meal about 2 hours before you go to the party.

Try to choose higher protein foods first because protein helps with satiety (feeling satisfied and not hungry).

Fill up on Fiber Rich Foods – which also help with satiety and help create a feeling of fullness when consumed with water.  Focus on the raw veggies and yes you can dip them in some dip that has some fat because together fiber and fat can really assist in managing hunger along with protein.

Eat some fat – that’s right eat some fat!   Fats also are key for satiety.   That being said a little goes a long way!

Bring your own food to a party.   Rather than having only high calorie, high sugar and high fat foods bring something you enjoy that is also healthy along with you!

Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly – seems simple and it is.    It is alos VERY effective for limiting food intake!

Use smaller plates, bowls and glasses – all of which help to slow down food and beverage intake and make you more conscious of how much you are consuming!

Try to Minimize Sugar and Starch Intake – both sugar and starch wind up as glucose (blood sugar) and high intakes drive insulin which results in rebound hunger.      High sugar and starch intake drives hunger – particularly when drinking alcohol because alcohol acts like a super sugar and also drives insulin response.

Pause before getting seconds – as with slower eating and deliberately chewing food this can give your body time to realize it is no longer really hungry.

If you are doing the entertaining have extra Tupperware, you are ready to give away so guests can leave with some of the extra food!

Try not to eat in front of the T.V. which distracts you from how you feel and results in mindless eating!

Consider planning a cheat meal but have a plan for how much you are going to eat!   One meal can knock you off course but most of the holiday weight gain comes from completely giving up on healthy eating for many meals.   Planning one cheat meal every week and planning on eating a set amount of the foods you may be craving can work for many people rather than mindlessly eating.      If you plan your meal including your portions of alcohol, sweets, fat and sugar you can limit the damage and still have a great time!

Drink Water.   Often quoted and still true water is the best beverage and avoiding sugar laden drinks in favor of still or sparkling water can make a big difference in minimizing holiday weight gain.

Workout!   Working out improves mental outlook and burns some calories while reducing stress levels!    When we are stressed we overeat!   Just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference!

Get Your Sleep.   Lack of sleep is terrible for your health and particularly bad for driving appetite and overeating.   Lack of sleep causes hunger and excessive eating because the normal feedback mechanisms that tell you that you are full do not work properly when you are tired.   Basically, a tired brain tells you to eat to feel better and it is VERY hard to resist these urges when tired!

How to Deal with Stress During the Holidays!

 

Although the holidays are a fun time of year they are also a very stressful time of year!   45 percent of Americans say they would prefer skipping the entire season because of financial pressure.   Most Americans feel that the stress really starts to build around December 13^th, grows worse through December 18^th and peaks on Christmas Day.

 This holiday stress can be highly detrimental to your health, and it is sad but true that many take their lives during this season.    The physiological impact of this stress manifests as increased cortisol which boosts blood sugar levels, helps drive weight gain, and breaks down muscle.

 Here are some tried and true ways to combat the holiday stress syndrome:

 1.       Get your workouts in!  Now is NOT the time to skip workouts – even a short one can have an immediate and lasting effect in reducing your mental and physiological stress response.    A quick high intensity workout - just three 20 second sprints with one – four minutes of active recovery – is proven to help maintain fitness and immediately improve mood while lowering blood pressure, mental stress and appetite!

 2.       Get your Sleep!   Easier said than done, but focusing on when you eat, go to bed and wake up can keep your body in a good rhythm.      A simple way to do this is get up and go to bed at the same time every single day regardless of the day of the week – do NOT change your schedule on weekends.  Then try to keep your food and beverage intake (except for water) in a 12-hour window so that you are NOT eating or drinking anything (except for water) for 12 hours.   For example, if you wake up at 6am and drink a cup of coffee at 7am (the clock has started at 7am).   That means you want to take in your last food or beverage no later than 7pm.     So, if you know you are going to go out to parties try to take in your first no water at 8am to give you until 8pm to finish all food and beverage intake.   By keeping your sleep/wake cycle consistent along with your eating and not-eating schedule you allow your body to recover better.

 3.       So if you are going to go out to parties – start early and leave early or just start drinking water and nothing else once you hit the end of your 12 hour window.

 4.       Set an alcohol budget – and switch to water after you hit it.     Doing this along with scheduling your wake/sleep cycle and food intake cycle can prevent a lot of issues while allowing you to have a great time!

 5.       Do not overbook yourself or your family – plan on downtime and keep it simple.     Less is often more in life the holidays are no exception!

 

 

Enjoy Alcoholic Beverages Without Getting Fat During the Holidays!

 

The holidays are a time of celebration, and assuming you do NOT have a problem with alcohol and can drink responsibly, it is okay to imbibe!    The key to not getting fat from alcohol is to understand the calorie and carb content of alcoholic beverages and plan your intake ahead of time in terms of exactly what you chose to drink and how much you have.   

All alcoholic beverages tend to drive insulin production so they are a big no, no for diabetics and other people taking certain medications.   ALWAYS check for drug and alcohol interactions before drinking any alcoholic beverage.

 It is also important to understand that in addition to the alcohol content itself alcoholic beverages are often full of sugar which further drives insulin and fat production.    The good news is that there ARE alcoholic beverages that are much lower in sugar/carb and calories.

 Champagne

 One of the best deals for a low carb holiday beverage is champagne!   Champagnes have the lowest carb and calorie content of any wine so are a great choice – particularly dryer champagnes.   A 4-ounce serving contains just 1.6 grams of carb and only 84 calories making Champagne the best choice for holiday cheer!

Common White Wines

After Champagnes the next best choice is white wines (NOT including ANY dessert wines!)

Per 5 Ounce Serving Size:

Chardonnay -   120 calories and 3.43 grams of carb

Sauvignon Blanc – 120 calories and 3 grams of carb

Reisling – 120 calories and 5.54 grams of carb

Pinot Grigio – 122 calories and 3 grams of carb

Common Red Wines

Merlot – 118 calories and 4 grams of carb

Cabernet Sauvignon – 130 calories and 3.82 grams of carb

Burgundy – 122 calories and 5.46 grams of carb

Pinot Noir – 116 calories and 4 grams of carb

Shiraz – 116 calories and 3.79 grams of carb

 Low Carb Beers

 Bud Select 55 – 55 calories with only 1.9 grams of carb

Miller64 – 64 calories with 2.4 grams of carb

Michelob Ultra – 95 calories with 2.62 grams of carb

Becks Premier Light – 64 Calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Miller Light – 96 calories with 3.2 grams of carb

Amstel Light – 95 calories with 5 grams of carb

Coors Light – 102 calories with 5 grams of carb

Bud Light – 110 calories with 6.6 grams of carb

Mixed Drinks

 Liquor such as gin, vodka, scotch and rum, but are full of calories and to some extent act as a “super” carb driving insulin and hunger.    That being said they do not contain any carb whatsoever so as long as you mix them with no sugar/calorie mixers you can keep your carb and calorie intake somewhat under control.

One of the best choices is Vodka and Soda Water with Lime or Lemon coming in with zero carbs and about 100 calories!   Other examples are whiskey and diet coke, Seagrams 7 and Diet 7-up, Rum and diet cola, or Spiced Rum and Diet Ginger Ale.

 What to avoid!

 Watch those mixers when it comes to mixed drinks – most standard mixers such as all sodas, fruit juices, and tonic are full of sugar unless you use the diet versions.      All your Caribbean and Tropical drinks such as Pina Coladas, Daiquiris, Mai Tai’s, and Margaritas, etc. are chock full of sugar and calories.

Set a Budget for Your Intake!

Set a budget on your intake of alcoholic beverages and actually keep track as you drink them making a point of knowing how much you have had each hour.     Remember each beer, glass of wine, and mixed drink takes one hour to process for the average male (and longer for females) so anything above 1 per hour is getting you inebriated at some level.  

In addition to budgeting your intake drink a glass of non-alcoholic, no calorie beverage such as water or club soda for each drink/beer/glass of wine you have to slow yourself down and stay hydrated.

 If you want to catch a buzz drink your limit and switch to all non-alcoholic beverages for 2 – 4 hours before driving.     

Even better – get a designated driver or use Uber or Lyft for travel to and from Holiday Parties!

How to Eat Healthy While Travelling Over the Holidays!

 

‘Tis the season again – we are entering that infamous Thanksgiving through New Years stretch where the average American will gain 8 – 12lbs!    One of the main reasons for this is that we get out of our normal routines for both exercise and diet.     It is even more challenging if you are travelling during this season because you are out of your home and have less control over your exercise and eating habits.

However, where there is a will there is a way.      Here are some key tips to prevent weight gain during travel:

Plan your meals and your exercise.    This is probably the most important tip because with a little planning you CAN eat healthy and get in your exercise.

2.     Start by looking at your travel schedule and planning your meals during travel.     We all know how lousy the food is on an airline so instead of being subjected to the lousy and unhealthy food bring your own.   In many airports today, there are plenty of healthy options that you can purchase and carry on the plane.  Great options include:

a.       Nuts – see below

b.       Ready to drink shakes like Muscle Milk (even starting to see this in an organic option in airports!).

c.       Nutrition bars – see below

d.       Hard boiled eggs

e.       Salads with chicken

3.    Even better buy non-perishable food before you leave home.  Excellent choices for meals and snacks that are easy to travel with include:

a.       Nuts – come in cans and pouches with smaller packages being ideal because while nuts are healthy they are high in fats and even healthy fats have lots of calories!    No honey glazed and if you need to be concerned about salt stick with unsalted, roasted nuts.    Best choices include pecans and walnuts and brazil nuts followed by almonds, then peanuts and cashews in terms of sugar content.

b.       Nutrition bars – there are a ton of healthier bar choices now, and they have actually figured out how to make a healthy bar that tastes pretty darned good without a ton of sugar that have high levels of fiber, healthy fats, and protein.      Several variety of Kind bars fit this bill including Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt; Caramel Almond and Sea Salt; and Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan.    These bars taste great and will satisfy you and travel well.

c.       Ready to mix shakes – there are many great options for shakes that are low in sugar and high in protein that taste great and come in packets that are easy to mix in a plastic shake bottle after you add water.      Gone are the days where these options must be blended in a blender.      Experiment a bit and you can find shakes that come in single serve packets that mix quite well in a plastic shaker bottle.

d.       If you are driving, consider bringing some pre-made meals in a cooler that are either ready to eat cold or can easily be microwave or baked when you arrive.     When you bring some of your own food and healthy desserts you know you will have good options!

4.      Focus on a great breakfast because you can get eggs in every town in America both at restaurants and in people’s homes.    Eggs are fantastic meal that really satisfies, and they can be prepared in many different ways.    Starting the day off with 2 – 3 whole eggs along with some sautéed vegetables, some cheese and some berries will keep your hunger at bay and provide a healthy meal that is easy to come by!

5.     Get your exercise in!    Plan before you leave – worst case you can use resistance bands and get a great workout in a very small physical space such as a hotel room.     For resistance bands and workouts with them check out www.resistancebandtraining.com For a great bodyweight workout try this one: https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-three-best-bodyweight-exercise.html

6.      Go for a walk and check out the neighborhood or go see some nearby sites.  Sitting on your butt all day while food is being prepared all around you is asking for trouble!   Get up and get out and active for part of the day or offer to do some shopping for the group or pitch in with some of the physical chores if you are staying at someone’s home.   

How Much Exercise Does it Take to Burn Off Thanksgiving Dinner?

 

To put this in perspective it is very easy to eat upwards of 4,500 calories if you really go crazy and pay no attention to portion size, how many portions you are eating, and what you are eating.      Given that the average person burns somewhere around 2,000 calories per day it means that you would have to fast for more than two days to get rid of this entire holiday binge!

On the other hand, let’s take a look at a more restrained (yet enjoyable) Thanksgiving Meal by looking at everything you would eat, how many calories each item contains, and how long it would take to burn off with specific exercises.     At 2,445 calories this is very big meal, BUT if you only ate this one meal in a day the typical American is only eating 445 calories past their average daily calorie burn of 2,000 calories.

 

3 pigs in a blanket – 150 calories – 15 minutes – walking at a moderate speed for 15 – 20 minutes

 

1oz brie cheese – 95 calories – Ice skating continuously for 12 minutes

 

4oz Sweet Potato – 187 calories – 45 minutes of weight lifting

 

½ cup Green Bean Casserole – 227 calories – 18 minutes of jumping rope

 

1 glass of wine – 125 calories – 10 minutes of burpees

 

¼ cup cranberry sauce – 102 calories – 20 minutes of cycling outside

 

3.5 oz white meat turkey with skin – 177 calories – 20 minutes of touch football

 

½ cup gravy – 25 calories – 3 minutes of jumping jacks

 

½ cup stuffing – 195 calories – 25 minutes of swimming

 

1 cup mashed potatoes – 237 calories – 1 hour of canoeing

 

3 by 3 inch square cornbread – 198 calories – 25 minutes of stair climbing

 

Green Bean Casserole – 227 calories – 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace

 

Pecan Pie Slive (1/8 of pie) = 500 calories – 1 hour of ice skating

Stay tuned for specific Holiday Eating, Drinking, Exercise and Stress Reduction Techniques and Tips in the coming weeks blogposts!

What Does It Take to Burn Off Halloween Candy?

 

In the big picture of weight loss it is not what we do on the occasional holiday that really determines our weight it is the week in week out eating and drinking habits that determine our weight.   That being said if you are not careful you can eat/drink a ton of calories in one day which then turns into weeks of too many calories during the holidays starting with Halloween.

 The key is to plan and know what you are eating!   Candy can be confusing because of all the different snack sizes that are so prevalent during Halloween.      It is very easy to assume because you are eating snack size candy that it is not that bad, and this is true if you are not eating many pieces!    Before you eat candy see how many calories you are eating – it takes less than a minute to google calorie, sugar, and fat content for just about any common Halloween Candy.

 Here are some examples:

 

Nestle’s Crunch Bar (60 calories)       6 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

 

Kit Kat Bar (70 calories)                      8 minutes of brisk aerobic exercise to burn off!

 

4 Snickers Mini Bar (170 calories)      18 minutes of high intensity exercise to burn off!

 

Full Size Twix Bar (80 calories)           6 minutes of continuous kettlebell swings to burn off!

 

4.2 Oz Candy Corn (450 calories)       4 – 5 miles of walking to burn off!

 

2 Peanut Butter Cups (210 Calories)   2 miles of running to burn off!

So eating a little candy is no big deal, BUT if you are not watching how many pieces/containers you eat you can quickly rack up a ton of calories that would take more than an hour of vigorous exercise to burn off!

 Plan your candy intake and know what you are going to eat and enjoy it!   The other key is have candy after a meal so you are not really hungry – candy and hunger make for a really bad combination!

The Amazing Apple!

 

It’s that time again – apples are in season!  Not only do apples taste great – they provide powerful health benefits!

A medium apple is a low-calorie nutrition powerhouse – particularly if you buy organic and eat the skin.       A medium apple provides 4 grams of fiber, a nice dose of Vitamin C along with being a rich source of polyphenols (beneficial plant chemicals).     Most of the fiber and polyphenols are in the skin!

Polyphenols stimulate the body to produce more antioxidants through a process called hormesis.     These plant chemicals are produced by plants to defend themselves and are designed to be poisonous to insects.     

Because of our size the doses of polyphenols behave differently in humans and stimulate our cellular defenses and detoxification pathways.  Apples contain multiple types of beneficial polyphenols including flavanols, catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins.   

Apples and Alzheimer’s Disease

High concentrations of polyphenols from apples have been shown to stimulate the generation of new neurons in the brain – a process called neurogenesis.   It is important to note that blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries all produce similar benefits to the aging brain.    The key with all of them is to buy organic.   Organically grown produce tends to have higher quantities of these beneficial plant chemicals because it must survive pests without the assistance of synthetic pesticides.

If you cannot find organic apples make sure you wash them thoroughly to remove as much pesticide as possible.

A study following 921 people showed that those who consumed the highest levels of flavonoids (a type of polyphenol) had 48% lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.    Apples are among the richest sources of flavonoids, but remember most of them are in the skin! 

How to Handle the Upcoming Fall Time Change!

 

It’s that time of year again – time to fall back and set our clocks back one hour.  .    Unfortunately, your body clock is not nearly as easy to reprogram.    This comes with some serious health consequences.  An hour time shift does not seem like a lot, but your body runs on a tight schedule and this one-hour change throws us off.

Scientists have documented that the shift to daylight saving time in the spring, when we lose an hour of sleep, is linked to an a much higher rate of attacks and car accidents.  Although we gain an hour to sleep – the change throws off the sleep cycle and that is where all the problems come from.

 Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented that, in addition to the master clock in our brains, every cell in our body has a circadian rhythm and time-keeping mechanism. The body and cell’s circadian rhythm help regulate important functions such as sleep and metabolism. And increasingly, there's evidence that when our habits — such as when we eat and sleep — are out of sync with our internal clocks, it can harm us.

When we disrupt our routines with erratic sleep or eating habits, it can increase the risk of metabolic disease. For instance, overnight shift workers are at much higher risk of developing diabetes and obesity. Research also shows that kids who don't have set bedtimes and mealtimes are also more likely to become overweight.

 As days get shorter with less daylight, it's easy to fall into bad habits, and light exposure is key to regulating circadian rhythm.     It is the primary signal to turn on the body’s metabolic processes for sleep and rest to active and alert.

How to prepare for the dark days

1. Go to bed an hour or so earlier and get up 8 hours later. 

Maximize your exposure to daylight in the morning hours since it gets dark so early in the evening.

2. Minimize Nighttime light

Exposure to light and electromagnetic fields from computers, phones, tablets, and T.V.’s all act as a stimulant, so it is important to minimize nighttime light exposure and blue light exposure in particular.  Blue light comes from artificial lighting.   Blue wavelengths – which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood – are disruptive at night.   Energy efficient lighting is packed with blue light as our electronics.

 So try to turn off lights and if you must use a computer get a blue light filtering program that will adjust the amount of blue light emitted by your computer, phone, and tablets such as flux – https://justgetflux.com and the Twilight app for your phone.   Both allow you to set times and adjust blue light output of your devices automatically based on time of day!  You can also buy blue blocking glasses to use in the evening.   This may seem gimmicky but there is very well done research supporting the effectiveness of reducing blue light in the evening through these and other measures!

3. Maximize early daylight Exposure

Just as darkness is the stimulus for sleep - bright outdoor light is what tells our body to wake up!    Even on a dark, cloudy day - outdoor light is at least 100 times brighter than indoor lighting!    Simply getting outside for 5 minutes as early as possible can make a big difference in sleep quality.     The combination of darkness at night and avoiding blue light along with getting out in the sun as early as possible can reset your daily circadian rhythm quickly.

How Resistance Training Increases Fat Burning and Prevents Lean Muscle Loss When Dieting

 

Several different studies have shown that resistance training can increase fat burning substantially.    An August 2021 study from the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences found that resistance exercise regulate fat cell metabolism at the molecular level.

In response to mechanical loading muscle cells release “extracellular vesicles” (particles) that give fat cells instructions to go into fat burning mode.

John McCarthy, Ph.D., study author and associate professor in the UK Department of Physiology stated:

“To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of how weight training initiates metabolic adaptations in fat tissue, which is crucial for determining whole-body metabolic outcomes,” McCarthy said. “The ability of resistance exercise-induced extracellular vesicles to improve fat metabolism has significant clinical implications.”

In addition to helping burn fat resistance training prevents the loss of lean muscle and reduction in resting calorie burn that occurs during any type of prolonged caloric deficit (aka dieting!).

In a study where woman were put on a very low calorie diet (only 800 calories per day and NOT recommended!) woman were put into one of three groups:

1.     One group did aerobic exercise only

2.     One group did resistance training.

3.     One group did no exercise

While all three groups lost substantial weight – only the resistance training group kept all their lean muscle (and actually gained a tiny bit) and their resting calorie burn (resting energy expenditure) only went down what would be expected from their significant weight loss.   The other two groups lost muscle and had severe drops in resting energy expenditure.

This is particular bad because it means that they are almost guaranteed to gain all the weight/fat back since they have a slower metabolism.