Sugar and Maximum Performance

My last couple of posts have had something to do with sugar. If you read one of my first blog posts, (To Much Good) I recently took sugar out of my diet. I would love to admit to you that I'm perfect--especially when it comes to what I eat; however, that would be a scandalous falsehood. This weekend I partook of some delicious sugary goodness (also known as ice cream). It tasted really good going down but then I had a gut ache and a head ache the rest of the day! I think the combination of dairy and sugar, two things I haven't eaten in awhile were a bad combination. I wasn't quite sure how my body would handle the overload of sugar but it has prompted me to look into it this more and share my findings.

The first area I want to look into is muscle performance. As I mentioned before I am training for Olympic lifting competitions and my training consists of heavy lifting twice a week. In the weeks following the removal of sugar from my diet I started to see myself performing on a higher level. I would PR (get a personal record) in multiple lifts almost every workout. Last week I PR'd in every lift! I haven't seen a week like that since my first couple weeks of training (granted, I'm still only 5 months in).

No, this isn't me but she kinda looks like me!

Within our muscles we have cells called mitochondria. These are like the Energizer Bunny within our cells and produce energy to allow movement. For our mitochondrial cells to function and produce energy our body must breakdown 6-carbon glucose molecules (remember glucose is a form of sugar). When are body finished the process of breaking down these 6-carbon glucose molecules we are left with 2-carbon acetate (essentially vinegar)--this is a byproduct of the energy cycle. Here is the interesting part, acetates, are the building blocks for cholesterol.

Here is where we run into trouble. When our bodies produce acetates faster then our bodies can burn them they "join" and make excess cholesterol and saturated fat--making your red blood cells sticky, sluggish and inefficient. These fatty acids deposit around your organs and in your skin folds (technically known as your subcutaneous tissue).  It also clogs your vascular system which prohibits blood transportation of oxygen and nutrients to your body.

Unfortunately, that isn't the only bad news when it comes to sugar. After that delicious taste of sugary goodness is turned to fat, these fat deposits have separation anxiety and wont be leaving you without a fight.

Our brain is an important factor in this sugar equation. To achieve maximum performance and basic human survival depends upon our brain getting specific nutrients such as glucose (a form of sugar), glutamic acid (a non-essential amino acid), or ketones (the result of body fat being broken down and used for energy).

Our bodies where build with a fight or flight mechanism. When your brain is not getting the nutrients it needs--in this case glucose your body will take it from two of your tissue stores: amino acids found in lean muscle mass, or from your adrenal glands which start a conversion process which turns liver and/or muscle glyogen (stored carbohydrates) stores into glucose.

A diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugar triggers an abnormal pancreatic insulin response to balance your blood sugar (your body produces excess insulin--see my post To Much Good for a breakdown of insulin resistance). Over time this will cause your pancreas and adrenal glands to "burn out" and lose the ability to work properly. The failure of these two endocrine systems to work properly is directly related to adult-onset type II diabetes, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Refined carbohydrates and sugars lack vitamins and minerals which forces your body to draw nutrients from your bodies micronutrient stores to get proper nourishment. Over time these micronutrients stores in your body will become depleted if they are not refilled. This hinders the metabolization of fatty acid and cholesterol. Over time this leads to higher blood serum triglycerides, cholesterol and promotes obesity.

So, to put a nice little bow on our conclusion. If you are looking to be able to perform athletically at a higher level or just have more energy for every day life, monitoring your sugar intake, as well as refined carbohydrates is key.  Too much sugar will prohibit your mitochondrial function, slow down your bodies ability to get nutrients where needed, increase your cholesterol and promote obesity.

I like to think of my body as a machine. When well oiled and detailed it works with the most efficiency and effectiveness. However, when you let plaque an debris get into your machine it will not work how it was intended to. The same goes with our bodies.

That was my attempt at using a mechanical analogy when I am extremely unfamiliar with how those things work... but I think it makes sense.

I hope you were able to learn a little something from this post! I am currently sitting here really wanting to eat some chocolate... But I don't think I should after writing this.... :)

Until next time,
Hope
xoxo

References:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/01/09/killer-sugar-suicide-with-a-spoon-sugar-dangers.aspx

The Many Names Of Sugar

Oh, the many names of sugar.... it's a bummer that food has gotten complicated to the point where we have over 50 names for different types of sugar. Welcome to the world of Genetically Modified Foods (GMO). I want to help you learn how to look at your labels and identify sugar and also teach you some of the different effects sweeteners have on your body this week. 

Here is my Top Ten list of "sugars" to look for on food labels:

1. Any type of FRUCTOSE (high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, etc.)
2. Any type of SYRUP (corn syrup, malt syrup, sugar syrup, corn syrup solids, etc.) 
3. Dextrose
4. Sucrose
5. Glucose
6. Lactose
7. Maltose
8. Fruit juice concentrates
9. Cane crystals
10. Evaporated cane juice

In one of last weeks posts, Drinking Fat Is Gross, I talked about how your body digests fructose. Check out that post for more info on fructose.

As you start to look for these names on labels you will be shocked by how many foods have sugar in them. One of the reasons processed or (GMO) foods are so addicting is because they have hidden sugars in them and your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs.

This week keep a lookout for these ten different names for sugar and remember, ingredients are listed in order of quantity. If one of these names are second or third on an ingredient list, watch out!

Hope
xoxo

Drinking Fat Is Gross

Over that last couple of weeks I have been trying my best to drink a ton of water--at least half my body weight in ounces if not more. As I've been working to stay hydrated I have found myself becoming more aware of what people are drinking and I am somewhat astonished. I knew that the average American was typically dehydrated and drank 21% of their calories; however, I was shocked by the amount of sugar and sweeteners I saw people drinking. (Ref 1)

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in the beverages you are drinking? I would strongly suggest that you not only start reading the labels, but also educating yourself on what at the different/weird sounding names mean. My natural reaction is that if I can't pronounce it and have never heard of it... I probably shouldn't be putting it in my body. Remember, just because the label is saying it's "healthy" does not make it true. Let's take a look at Vitamin Water for instance.

I apologize that you cannot read the picture of the label. If you want to see a larger version, Google, "vitamin water label" and it will be one of the first ones that come up under images. 

First, I would like to point out that Vitamin Water is owned by Coco-Cola. Let's take a look at the ingredients in Vitamin Water--ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so with Vitamin Water we know that "water" is the first ingredient. The second ingredient is crystalline fructose. Many people might look at this ingredient and not have a second thought but when I see the word "fructose" I automatically think SUGAR. Also, fructose is the #1 source of calories consumed in the U.S.

Let's have a quick educational lesson on crystalline fructose. Fructose is a sweetener derived from corn. Another, more commonly known form is high fructose corn syrup. Consumption of fructose has been linked to increase risk of heart disease and diabetes. You might be thinking, "Why is fructose bad? Isn't it in fruit?" The answer is yes, natural fructose originates from fruits and vegetables; however, if you were consuming fruits and vegetables you would be getting about 15 grams per day, versus 73 grams per day which is the average amount an adolescent get's from sweetened drinks. (Ref 2) Also, the fructose found in fruits and vegetables is natural in comparison to the genetically modified fructose found in processed foods.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Crystalline fructose contains 99% fructose, making it a more damaging sweetener than HFCS. 100% of fructose is metabolized (digested) by your liver, whereas only 20% of glucose (another form of sugar) is metabolized by your liver. When you consume fructose, the energy produced by it is not used up by the cells in your body as is glucose. Rather, it is converted into Free Fatty Acids, VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides which get stored as fat.  These fatty acids that are produced and stored in your liver and muscles. This is a huge cause of insulin resistance (see my post on this), fatty liver disease and type II diabetes. One last note on fructose. When your body metabolized 120 calories of glucose your body only stores 1 calorie as fat where the same amount of calories in the form of fructose stores 40 calories as fat. With that being said--drinking fructose is like drinking fat--gross! (Ref 2)

So back to "Vitamin Water." I have to give it to Coco-Cola, it was an excellent marketing scheme. However, I think that after what we just learned, we can all conclude that Vitamin Water is doing more harm than good for your health. Like I said in my post on vitamins, if sugar is one of the first ingredients it shouldn't be considered a "vitamin." I also wanted to note that one bottle of Vitamin Water has 2.5 servings in it. This means I am getting 2.5 times all the ingredients on the label--tricky! 

This is just one of many different drinks that might seem like a good way to hydrate but is actually making you fat. I personally have concluded that nothing beats water when it comes to hydrating. I am hoping to do a post on sugar and how to identify it on food labels soon. So stay tuned!

FACTS:

• The average American consumes an average of 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup a year. (Ref 4)
• A survey by the National Health and Nutrition Examination found, more than 2/3's reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any other food. (Ref 3)

References:
(1) http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/beverage/beverage_home.html
(2) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/HighFructose-Corn-Syrup-Alters-Human-Metabolism.aspx
(3) http://nutrition.tufts.edu/news/notes/2005-05.html

(4)http://www.solarnavigator.net/solar_cola/cola_images/sweetener_use_per_capita_food_consumption_USDA.jpg

Vitamins Part 2

Today I am going to wrap up our two part discussion on vitamins! Our last two questions are on quality and return on investment.

• How do I know if they are quality vitamins?

This is an excellent question.  As some of you may know, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) does not regulate vitamins. This means that I could buys some different ingredients, mix them together, put them in a capsule, slap a label with whatever ingredients I think will sell on it... and whalllaaa!!! I can sell my supplement. Isn't that a scary thought? Yes, I am being a little dramatic but you get the point.

The good news is that there are companies that do third-party testing of vitamins and they can become GMP Certified. This means that they have been tested in human clinical trials to be safe, and have guaranteed potency and purity.

So when you are looking to buy supplements look for this certification! It is worth the extra money you might have to spend. All the supplements I take and sell are GMP Certified and I would have it no other way.

Let me quickly address my Flinstone vitamin remark from yesterday. Let's take a look at the image below of a Flinstone vitamin label.

The first ingredient listed is Sucrose. For kicks I Googled "Sucrose" and this is what came up--I literally copy and pasted...

Table sugar
Chemical Compound

Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its nutritional role. Wikipedia

Or...

Noun
A compound, C12H22O11, that is the chief component of cane or beet sugar.
Synonyms
saccharose

Must I say more? If a "vitamins" first ingredient is sugar.... I don't think it should be considered a "vitamin."

Okay, last but definitely not least....

• Is taking vitamins worth the cost?

I hear a lot of people talk about vitamins being too expensive, but lets be honest, we have money for what's important. For girls this might be spending $200+ to get their hair done every two months, buying a new pair of shoes, or getting their nails done. For guys this could be getting that car that is nicer than actually necessary, playing a round of golf, or buying that extra round of drink for your buddies. Whatever it is, if it's important to you, you have money for it. 

You might ask, "What is my return on investment in regard to vitamins?" The answer is a 17:1 return. According to the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus, for every dollar spent on vitamins,  seventeen future dollars are saved on healthcare--this could be hospital bills, increased productivity, etc. WHAT A GREAT RETURN! If I knew that if we could put $1 in the stock market at get $17 back.... heck, wouldn't we all start investing?

Take your Vitamins

I hope this answers some of your questions in regard to vitamins. I know everyone has their own opinions and these are mine based on what I have learned and studied. :)

Hope
xoxo

Vitamins--Yes? No? Maybe? Part 1

Hello! It has been a crazy couple of days for me. I am an Aunt! My nephew, Isaiah Tyler was born yesterday. Needless to say I am extremely excited and so thankful that he and his mamma are healthy! Hopefully life with slow down a bit and I can get back to my daily blogging. :) With that being said here is a post on vitamins.

I get a lot of questions about vitamins. In the next two days I will be addressing the four most common questions I get. Do I really need to take them? Can't I just eat good food and get my vitamins? How do I know what to take? How do I know if they are quality vitamins? Lastly, is it worth the cost?

And my favorite

"I do take my vitamins! Flinstone vitamins!"

• Do I really need to take vitamins?

The answer is YES! The reason being, food is too weak to re-pleat your depleted cells. Only 7% of crops of in the U.S. are grown in soil that is considered prime. For soil to be considered prime it has to have a specified level of 30 different nutrients in the soil. When soil is used farmers are only required to put 3 of these ingredients back into the soil, leaving it nutrient deficient, as well as the plants grown in it. (Ref 1)

With that being said, it is essential to take your vitamins for your body to reproduce and fix damaged cells within your body, among other things. 

• How do I know what to take?

This question is a little more difficult to answer because everyone's body and needs are different. For instance, an athlete is going to need different support than a pregnant mother or your grandmother.  However, there are 3 basic supplements that EVERYONE should be taking to maintain their health.

1. Multivitamin
2. Vitamin D
3. Plant Nutrients

It is safe to assume most people are deficient/need these vitamins added to their regular diet--along with healthy eating habits. I would also like to add that most people in the U.S. would greatly benefit from taking Omega-3's, also known as fish oils. The proper ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3's in the body should be 3:2, unfortunately most American's are at a 15:1 or even 20:1 ratio, leaving their bodies prone to inflammation  among other things. (Ref 2)

Tomorrow I will answer the last two questions, so stay tuned! :)

Hope

xoxo

P.S. I just had to add this...

References:
(1) http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer823/aer823c.pdf
(2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-fishoil.html

Step On It

I'm standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth, and I catch a glimpse of the scale sitting there in the corner. I know I need to step on it.... but, I think back to that delicious bowl of home made popcorn I ate yesterday... or that second portion of potatoes I ate two nights ago. The battle in my mind continues... step on the scale... but I don't want to step on the scale... Or, if I'm going to be truthful with myself, I don't want to see the number on the scale. If I see the number in the scale I'll have to admit it myself that I haven't been making healthy choices and I've been over eating....

I don't know about you, but this is a conversation I have with myself on a frequent basis. It's the times that I know I haven't been eating right that I avoid the scale. If I've had a good day of eating and exercise I'm all about jumping on the scale because I know what I'll see. However, I think the most important time to step on the scale is when you feel like you've been failing.

I've heard a lot of different opinions about the scale--how you should use it, how you shouldn't. Some say you should just take measurements of yourself, or go by how you're close fit. Other's argue that you shouldn't be using a scale if you are weight training because muscle weights more than fat so the scale wont be give an accurate reading of your progress. I believe all of these are good arguments, but here is my thought on the use of the scale. I once heard of a guy who stepped on the scale every morning. If he was a pound heavier he ate less that day and didn't have that piece of dessert with dinner. If he was a pound lighter, he had that piece of dessert at dinner (healthy dessert of course ;)).

It is important we have a healthy relationship with the scale. We shouldn't avoid it. We might surprise ourselves and it might not be as bad as I thought it was! On the other hand, it might be shocking reality of where we are headed with our health.

Fun Facts:

• To lose one pound of fat you need to consume 500 less calories than you burn for one week (good calories of course).

Let's stop avoiding the scale and start keeping ourselves accountable!

Calorie Restriction

Today I want to talk about calorie restriction. As I ponder how to approach this topic I feel as if I am walking on egg shells. I feel I need to differentiate between calorie restriction and anorexia before I continue. When I say “calorie restriction” I am referring to eating and drinking the proper amount of calories/food needed for your body’s systems to function properly. In other words--refraining from overeating. I am not referring to starving yourself, nor am I encouraging that in any way.

With my disclaimer out of the way I now want to talk about calorie restriction, and how it benefits your health in multiple ways. Calorie restriction has been scientifically proven to:

• Increase longevity
• Decrease chronic diseases: cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and neurologic disorders
• Maintains: muscle mass, energy efficiency and brain function

 

The good news is it’s never too late to start implementing calorie restriction. Studies have shown that even when started later in life, calorie restriction reduces cellular senescence—or cell aging (Ref 1). A study done by the University of Alabama Birmingham found that by restricting consumption of calories and glucose (sugar) you can extend the life of your healthy cells and accelerate the death of precancerous cells in your body. (Ref 2) It has also been found that calorie restriction also helps slow the aging and the deterioration of your immune system! (Ref 3)

Unfortunately, the fountain of youth was never found. The good news is that you can take action in your diet and lifestyle that will not only increase your days with family and friends but will also improve your quality of life. Ordering a salad when you are out with your friends vs. a cheeseburger and fries or deciding to pass on that second helping are just small ways you can start implementing calorie restriction into your diet. It’s never too late to change and it only takes one decision at a time to start improving your health.

Hope

xoxo

References:

(1)    http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/0720

(2)    http://www.physorg.com/news180298600.html

(3)    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Dec 19;103(51):19448-53. Epub 2006 Dec 11.  PMID: 17159149

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Hydrate

“In 1997 during the Hawaiian Ironman I pushed my body to the limit. I was vomiting, had diarrhea and stomach cramps but I just had to finish the race. Just 50 metres from the finish line I collapsed. Shortly after, I had to have surgery to remove one third of my large bowel as it had died. During the race I was so dehydrated my body stopped supplying oxygen and nutrients to my large bowel so that blood could continue flowing to my heart, lungs and muscles - keeping them working", Chris said.” (Ref 1)

I know the above story is rather dramatic, but still very true. Water is essential to life. Our bodies are about 70% water. Our brain itself is 75% water. I know for myself I have always struggled to drink enough water. As you can imagine, drinking water has tons of benefits. Water keeps your energy up, weight down, muscles strong, joints supple, digestive system smooth and helps to keep your whole system balanced!

According to Charles Poliquin, we should drink 0.7 ounces of water per pound of body weight. For a 150 pound person that would be 105 ounces (150 x 0.07). According to Poliquin, hydration is the greatest determinant of strength. If your body loses 1.5% of its water levels you will see a 10% drop in your maximum strength. That is huge! It is even a bigger drop if you are really lean. A recent study has also shown that men who drink five glasses of water a day versus two glasses have a 54% lower risk of dying from a heart attack. (Ref 2)

Whether you are an athlete or someone who just works our casually—drinking water is essential to optimal health. If you are not giving your body enough water it will take it from different organs to make sure your crucial organs can keep you moving and breathing.

Make drinking water a priority! Set a goal for yourself and try and hit it every day. You will be shocked by how much better you feel!

P.s. When you start drinking more water than you’ve been used to… be prepared to be running to the bathroom more frequently. It takes a month for your body to become rehydrated. Think of your body as a dried out plant. When you water it, the water runs right off and isn’t absorbed into the soil/plant; however, over time it starts to absorb the water. Eventually you won’t be running to the bathroom all the time! Be patient and don’t give up. It is worth it!

Also, drinking soda, vitamin water, and other sugary drinks and juices don’t count. :)

Hope

xoxo

References:

(1)    http://www.coolrunning.com.au/general/2003/2003e013.shtml

(2)http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/325/How_much_water_should_you_drink.aspx

How Do You Deal?

Yesterday I wrote about stress and what it does to our brains--nothing good! In all reality there is no way we are going to be able to rid all the stress from our lives; however, we do have control over how we DEAL will our stress.

I found an article posted by Mental Health America that gave me some statistics on how people deal with stress. According to their study 82% of people cope with their stress by watching TV, reading or listening to music. 71 % of people talk to family or friends. 62% participate in prayer or meditation. 55%deal with their stress by exercising and 37% deal with their stress by eating. (Ref 1)

From my personal experience I know the feeling of wanting to “vegg” after a long, stressful day at work. While I was working as a recruiter there were many days when I got home, put on my “comfy’s” and laid in my bed watching TV online or Netflix and eating until I went to bed. However, I don’t think this was the best way to deal with my stress, and I’m still working on losing weight that I again during that time.

Before I started going to the gym before work I would go after work. I would pack my stuff and go straight there because I knew once my butt hit the couch there was no turning back. Even though I had to drag myself to the gym during “gym rush hour,” I always found myself feeling so much better after a workout—both because of the exercise and the excellent people watching. With that being said--if you’re extremely tired and fatigued, exhausting yourself at the gym may not be the best idea. Going to the gym and doing some stretching and body weight exercises might be all it takes to relax your muscles and relieve your stress.

You may be thinking—I need to do something during the day to relieve my stress. Here are techniques you can do right at your desk. One of my favorites is deep breathing. Take a deep breath in through your mouth and out your nose multiple times. I found this helps clear my head and energizes me. It has also been scientifically proven to reduce stress and lessen the harmful effects it has on your body. Also, if possible consider going outside for this exercise, sun in your face always does the heart good.

Another exercise that can be done at your desk is tightening different muscles groups, holding them tight for ten seconds then releasing them. Do this in your legs, butt, shoulders, arms and hands. This will improve your circulation and relieve tension.

Lastly, I think it’s important to address the power of our minds in regard to controlling our stress. I found that dwelling on stressors that I have no control over does not help me in any way, it only makes it worse. Take control of your thought life. Focus on what you DO have control over and take action on those things. Choose not to dwell on stressors that you cannot control and focus on what you can. 

Finding healthy ways to deal with stress is taking HUGE step toward healthy living. Cutting out emotional/stress eating is critical. Take some time to identify what your key areas of stress are, whether or not you can control them, and come up with a plan of attack to get your stress under control in a healthy way!

Hope

xoxo

References

(1)    http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/index.cfm?objectid=ABD3DC4E-1372-4D20-C8274399C9476E26

Stress & Your Brain

The Brain is the most nutrient dependent, energy dependent and toxin and stress vulnerable organ.

As some of you know, I recently left a job of extreme stress to pursue what I’m passionate about—nutrition and fitness. After college I thought I wanted to get a job in corporate America, climb the ladder, get promoted and make a lot of money. However, I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into.

While I was in college I was very acquainted with the feeling of stress. I obtained my four year degree in 3 years—taking 18 credits a semester, worked around 25-30 hours a week, did an internship, along with volunteering for campus ministries and at my church. There was very little margin in my life. However, after six months in my corporate job, I hit a wall. I was continually sleep deprived—working 12 hour days and getting up at 4:30am to get to the gym. I found over time my ability to remember and focus disappeared. I found myself crying a lot (something that rarely happens), I was unable to sleep due to anxiety, and I had constant neck and back pain from stress.

I came to the point where I knew my health was too important to continue doing what I had been. I was surprised that it took months for me to recover and feel normal again. Stress is very powerful and takes a huge toll on our bodies.

There is a lot of documentation concluding that stress is a biologically noteworthy and a prevalent environmental factor. It has been associated with changes in your nervous system (your bodies electrical control panel) and has been shown to produce alternations in your brain-memory systems. Stress impairs memory, high level thinking, emotions and decision making. (Ref 1)

“Lethal stress will immediately reduce your judgment and performance at least 50%.” –Dr. Sensei Grant Kruhly

“Exposure to even mild uncontrollable stress impairs the cognitive functioning of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region critical for insight, judgment, and the inhibition of inappropriate behaviors.”–Acad (Ref 2)

Our brain is one of our most powerful tools as well as our most vulnerable one. To protect this gift we’ve been given we not only need to give it the nutrients it needs, but also protect it from other environment factors such as stress.

Take some time to look at your life and figure out where your main areas of stress are and how you can go about eliminating them. Create margin in your life! Tomorrow I will be writing about healthy ways to deal with stress. Stay tuned!

References:

(1)    http://precedings.nature.com/documents/2923/version/1/files/npre20092923-1.pdf

(2)    Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Jun;1021:143-7. PMID: 15251883 Below

Hope

xoxo

Broccoli--Our #1 Cancer Fighting Food

“If we prevent Cancer then 100% survive (cancer).” –Dr. Bob Rakowski

(Me, eating a head of broccoli plain with my dinner. No, I wasn't in witness protection)

We live in a day and age where our likelihood of getting cancer is ever increasing. At the age of 22 I have multiple friends who have, have had and unfortunately will get cancer. I don’t say this to sound sadistic and I don’t want to scare anyone, but at some point we have to face the truth. Why is everyone getting cancer and why are the numbers continually increasing if our modern medicine is supposed to be advancing?

Dr. Bob Rakouski, one of my instructors and someone whose work I follow closely asked us multiple times in class, “When does a tornado or hurricane start?” The answer, “When the conditions are just right.”  The way our society is feeding itself is making the conditions of our body “just right” for not only cancer to form but all sorts of major health problems.

The good news is that by living a healthy lifestyle 40% of cancers can be avoided. (Ref 1)

I could type a VERY lengthy post about cancer, the causes and how to prevent it but today I want to zero in on one food that has been proven to reduce your cancer risk. I’ll have to save the rest for another post.

I am happy to say that the one of my favorite vegetables is one of the leading vegetables in cancer prevention. As you can see from the picture above, it is not uncommon for me to take a washed head of broccoli and eat it like an ice cream cone (although I don’t lick it, I chew it of course).

So let’s talk about broccoli for a minute. In 1992, scientists found a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane—this compound helps mobilize your body’s natural cancer-fighting resources. Sulforaphane has also been found to block the forming of tumors—which are initiated by chemical carcinogens (a substance capable of causing cancer in your tissue). There has also been data found saying that broccoli works like a chemotherapy agent in your tissue! How cool is that? It promotes detoxification enzyme systems (phase 1 and 2) which make your cancer cells kill themselves or to be technical--apoptosis. Eating broccoli is also great for your gut (GI) health—which is essential because your immune system is based out of your gut (GI). (Ref 2)

These are just a few ways broccoli helps prevent cancer cells from forming in your cell tissues. I believe it’s safe to say we could all add a good dose of broccoli to our diets!

Happy Eating

Hope

xoxo

References:

(1)    European Comission Recommendation C(2010)2587 final, 2010) http://www.medunigraz.at/pathophysiologie/1042 

(2)    http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2000/nov2000_report_lemix_2.html below

Sweat Like A Pig

I don't know about you... but my body definitely know's how to sweat.. A LOT! I saw this picture and got a good laugh so I thought I would share it with you.

I feel like a good sweat is a good indication that I did something good for myself. Typically it means I pushed myself and worked hard.

Don't be afraid to sweat! It's sexy in its own way...

Here are 5 benefits of sweating:

1. Cleanses your skin

2. It helps your body release toxins

3. Increases circulation and cardiovascular activity

4. Increases metabolism

5. Stress reliever

Here are a couple "sweaty" quotes:

"No one has ever drowned in sweat." -Lou Holtz

"Enjoy your sweat because hard work doesn't guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance." -Alex Rodriguez

"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." -Ray Kroc 

"Success is dependent upon the glands--sweat glands." -Zig Ziglar

"Sweat plus sacrifice equals success." -Charles O. Finley


But let's be honest.... This isn't sexy....

Hope
xoxo

Why Can't I Sleep?

Interestingly enough, after a recent conversation with my dad about cortisol (a hormone in our bodies) and how it affects our sleep, my body decided to show me how it works.

After being up way too late the night before, I was ready to hit the hay last night at 8:30pm. I didn’t actually go to bed until 9:45pm, but I was excited about a long, restful night of sleep--unfortunately my body had other ideas. I woke up at 11:30pm thinking it was about 4am, then again at 2:30am. When I woke up for the second time I was frustrated, because typically I have no trouble sleeping. So this frustration lead my half asleep brain to reference what I know about sleep and my recent conversation with my dad.

Here is a quick lesson on hormones and how they affect your sleep.

Cortisol is most commonly known as the stress hormone in our bodies.  It works in conjunction with melatonin to regulate our sleep.  Working like a teeter totter, in the morning your adrenal glands release cortisol—essentially a burst of energy, to wake you up. Throughout the day your cortisol levels drop and your melatonin hormones increase, helping you relax and fall asleep at night. When your cortisol levels get out of balance, it can keep you from being able to fall asleep and/or sleep through the night. When cortisol levels rise to quickly, this will wake you up in the middle of the night.

With all the above information whirling in my sleepy brain, I deduced that I needed to drag myself out of bead and eat something to balance out my cortisol levels and hopefully sleep well the remainder of the night. My sleepy reasoning paid off and after my midnight snack of celery and homemade cashew butter I slept like a baby for the rest of the night.

A good way to avoid waking up in the middle of the night is to eat a small, healthy snack before bed that includes protein and fat.  This will help your body maintain cortisol levels throughout the night while you sleep.

I know for myself, if I want to have a happy, productive day I need at least 8 hours of sleep EVERY night. Hopefully this post gives you some information that will help you have a better understanding of how to control your sleep.

Hope

xoxo

Show Me Your Friends

"Show me your friends and I will show you your future." -J.R. Briggs

Last night I had the joy of spending some quality time with one of my dearest friends, Amanda Rose. We have known each other since infancy and our mothers are best friends. Even so, Amanda and I haven't always been best of friends--we now laugh about the stupid squabbles that kept us from being friends for so many years. I am sad to say, Amanda is heading down south very soon so our time together is short. This morning after she left my house (yes, we had a sleepover :)), I had some time to reflect on our friendship. I am happy to say, I would be proud to present Amanda to Mr. Briggs and see what he says about my future.

Amanda & I after a hard workout

Over the past five months we've spent our time together mainly working out, geeking out over different workouts, sharing healthy recipes we've found, or talking nutrition. Amanda not only encourages me to live healthier but she inspires me to. Five months ago Amanda decided she was going to get into the best shape of her life--and so she has! Despite being extremely busy commuting to school full-time, doing an internship, among a plethora of other things--she has dedicated herself to making healthy choices and exercise and has lost 20 pounds! If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.

Going on 22+ years of friendship. So Thankful. 

Brigg's quote is applicable to every area of life--physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I have been blessed with family and friends who continually spur me on to be the best version of myself in all of these areas. They continually challenge me and I believe much of my success can be attributed to these relationships.

"Birds of a feather flock together"

Obesity, a social disease

There have been recent studies that show your health IS effected by those you hang around. I have found this to be true in my own life.  As I've chosen to make healthy choices, I have come to realize how much of our culture and social lives revolve around food. All sedentary activities that included eating foods that are only going to push me further from my health goals.

I'm not saying it's wrong to go out with friends and get ice cream once in awhile, I've definitely done it. The point I am trying to make is that if you are always hanging around people who are not encouraging or inspiring you to meet your goals (health or otherwise)--watch out. This is a slippery slope.

I know that I would not be where I am today without the friends and family that support me and spur me on to meet ALL my goals. Choose wisely who you give your time to. Time is a precious commodity and when gone, you can never get it back. Take a closer look at who your friends are--I'm not saying leave friends in the dust if they aren't perfect--but think of your time as an investment, and give it to those who will give you the biggest return. If you spend time with people who have all the same problems/weaknesses as you... you probably wont get anywhere. 

Also, take a look at yourself. Are you a friend that encourages people to meet their goals? If you know your friend is trying to get healthy, are you pushing a cookie on them? The best way to get friends that encourage and inspire you is by being one.

If you are interested in looking at a great study about obesity being a social disease, click the link below. 

Here is a quote from it--

"We find that the current rate of becoming obese is 2% per year and increases by 0.5 percentage points for each obese social contact."

http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000968

Here are my concluding thoughts. Everyone can reach their goals--it's a matter of surrounding yourself with people who will help you get there and being someone who will help others get there.

Hope

xoxo

To Much Good?

I've recently had to ask myself the question, "Can I eat too much good food?" I moved back in with my parents about 5 months ago (don't judge me!) to pursue starting my own business. My parents eat extremely healthy. They eat gluten, dairy, and mostly sugar free--very little GMO (genetically modified organisms) food. My dad is allergic to rice and my mom is allergic to corn... So as you can imagine, we don't have many carbs in the house.  With that being said, I thought that when I moved home I would lose weight just because my diet would be extremely clean... well, that hasn't been the case.

I will be honest. I am a recovering food addict. I love food. I love eating. I always have.

When I moved home I started training to compete in Olympic Lifting tournaments. One thing about this type of lifting is that is can make for some bulkier muscles. I continued to see myself getting stronger and I justified a lot of my eating with the thought that I needed it. I was lifting heavy weights and building muscle.  I also justified my ever increasing numbers on the scale based on the idea that muscle weighs more than fat. But let's be honest, I didn't gain 10 pounds of muscle...

During a recent trip to Florida I had the opportunity to play in a beach volleyball tournament--so much fun. I was very inspired/challenged by the girls at the beach. These girls were ripped. My innate competitiveness welled up within me, "Ah, hello! Hope! You could totally look like that. What are you doing! Stop being so lazy!"

When I arrived home from my trip I made a decision, I knew my over eating problems had to do with two things--too much sugar consumption and little self-control. Surprisingly, these two things go hand-in-hand.

I realized I need to stop eating sugar..... WHAT!?

Let's get technical for a minute. Everyone has heard the terms blood sugar and insulin before. Our blood sugar (the level of sugar in our blood) goes up and down throughout the day and is regulated by our insulin. Insulin is released to make sure our blood sugar does not get too high--causing all types of health problems. The relationship between your blood sugar and insulin is sensitive. Let me introduce insulin resistance to you--this happens when you continually eat foods that spike your blood sugar (soda, donuts, candy, bread, etc.). When you eat these foods you actually down regulate your blood sugar receptors (they become desensitized)--making your body produce excess insulin. Here is the problem, insulin is your main fat storing hormone.  When your body produces too much of any hormone it stores in your fat, because there is no use for it. Ever looked in the mirror and noticed your love handles or that you might have some excess upper back fat? Yep, that is the favorite place for your excess insulin to dwell.

So, now you might be wondering how I'm going to tie this all together--well get ready. :) Have you ever heard of dopamine? I am not referring to the drug dope... Dopamine is your bodies pleasure drug. When you eat sugar this chemical is released in your brain making the dopamine receptor light up. The problem we face is that almost all the foods you see in your local grocery store are loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, the list goes on... Just like a flashlight, if you keep it on all the time--the light will eventually fade. This happens to our dopamine receptors. We constantly eat sugar which is lighting up our dopamine receptors and eventually they become down regulated--or desensitized. We lose the feeling of pleasure from eating one brownie so we feel like we need to eat another to get the same feeling of satisfaction we used to get from just one.

This is how food addiction happens. We are eventually eating ourselves silly--trying to get that feeling of satisfaction leaving us overweight or obese.

I hope you were able to understand that. I am working on finding the balance of being technical, but also communicating in a way that everyone can understand.

So back to my issue. I need to cut out sugar and eat less.

The first couple days I did this I was pretty miserable. I woke up dreaming of delicious, sugary foods and all I wanted to eat was ice cream and a box of chocolates (yep, I'm a woman).  The first couple days I had headaches, I felt dizzy, and really just wanted to eat food--even though I wasn't hungry. I drank lots of water, took my vitamins and tried not to be crabby knowing that it would eventually pass. Praise God it did! After a week without sugar I am shocked by the change in me. One, I found myself eating a lot less because I wasn't craving food--food that wasn't even full of sugar. Second, I stopped craving sweets and my dizziness went away.  I'll be honest, when I went into Caribou and saw the chocolate covered espresso beans, they still called my name, but I looked away and resisted!

I know for many people, cutting out all sugar would be taking a HUGE step. Maybe picking just one thing to eliminate would be a big step for you, and that's what counts. Taking one step after another, toward optimal health.

WOW! That was a long post. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I hope you learned a little something that will help steer you in the right direction!

Hope
xoxo

Some FITsperation

I don't know about you.... But sometimes I need some FITsperation.

This is a picture of a 90 year old yoga instructor!

The choices we make now will dramatically effect our later years.

Let's start making good choices TODAY! 

Here We Go

Hello! My name is Hope (let the clever Hope jokes begin) and I have decided to share my fitness journey with you.

I recently quit my corporate job to pursue my dream of being a business owner. I am the proud owner of Live Health. I was inspired to start this business through my own personal health journey. I like many people was very active throughout high school, playing three sports but over my four years in college, gain that "freshman 30" that haunts many of us. I am fortunate to have a family who loves me and wants to see me healthy, along with a father that practices Chiropractic and Holistic Medicine. With his help I was able to lose 20 lbs. of that "freshman 30" and have learned so much about myself and my relationship with food in the process!

My desire is to help people like myself who want to be healthy, feel great, and live life to the full. Through this blog I hope to inspire people to start making healthy choices, provide some education, and help people start to love their bodies the way God intended us to!

This blog will talk a lot about my own personal health goals and struggles--with a dash of my love for fashion and business. :)

Here are some fun facts about myself:

• Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration
• Nutrition Certification and am half way toward my CCN (Certified Clinical Nutritionist Degree)
• Studying to obtain my CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) Certification
• Self proclaimed health fanatic (just ask my friends)
• Exercise enthusiastic--very interested in Mike Robertson Training Systems and Charles Poliquin
• Competitive Olympic Weightlifter
• Triathlete 
• Lover of almost all sports
• A sister to 5 handsome brothers and 1 darling sister--not to mentions my awesome sister-in-law :)
• Entrepreneur--currently working on two business ventures
• Tomboy turned fashionista
• Most of all--a lover of Jesus Christ--He saved my life and I am so thankful! 

Let the journey begin!!