I try to use family and pet safe/organic solutions as much as possible with a focus on soil health over lawn health. Goal I’m shooting for is to get the soil health fixed as ours is just mostly sand and the nutrients just drain straight through into the ground as soon as you spray it. I have about 2-3 inches of good soil now under the grass compared to just pretty much sand when I started.
There are people who believe your bodyweight is all you need and there are people who religiously engage in weight training, preaching bench, squats and deadlifts even to their grandma.
But is one of these approaches better and what benefits can you reap from these types of training?
In this article, we’ll answer this, and more, so if you’ve ever wondered which type of training is for you, keep reading!
Bodyweight Training, otherwise known as “calisthenics,” is the activity of using your body weight to perform certain exercises under the force of gravity, without any equipment or added weight. One of the integral benefits of this training is that you develop core strength (i.e., abdominals, back and glute muscles) which helps to keep your spine and body healthy and strong. Core strength is also integral for lifting weights as it stabilizes your body.
Some of the most common bodyweight exercises are movements like push-ups, squats, pull-ups, lunges, pull-ups and dips.
On the other hand, weightlifting involves the use of barbells, dumbbells and machines to create resistance. Weights can be excellent to target specific muscle groups or increase the intensity of fast-paced workouts.
The squat, deadlift and bench are the three fundamental exercises in weightlifting, which are even a benchmark for strength!
Now if you’re wondering which type of training is superior, let us tell you this - both types of training are excellent ways to leverage strength and muscle gains!
However, which one is better for you depends on the context and the goal the individual has, so let us take you through the advantages and disadvantages of both types of training. Usually, a combination of both training types can be most beneficial.
Bodyweight training is most of all, a good way to establish fundamental strength and muscular development. Because, well, being able to lift your own bodyweight, before moving on to lifting weights, kind of makes sense doesn’t it? It furthermore develops core strength which is an integral part of everyday functioning and weight lifting.
This fundamental relative strength can then give you the opportunity to ease into weight training and maximize your potential for physical development.
Another benefit is that you do not need much equipment for this training and you can easily fit a quick workout in where ever you are.
If you are very consistent, it may be too easy, too quickly. In less than one year, pull-ups, push-ups and dips may have become quite easy. At this point, first: Congratulations, you have reached a considerable fitness level! Second, this may be the time to add more weights on top, to keep progressing.
Another option is to learn more complex movements like handstands, planche, front levers and others, but if your PRIMARY goal is to gain strength and grow your muscles, you may choose to move on to weight lifting.
An excellent addition to calisthenics and as a progression, weight training can help you build strength and grow larger muscles. In the context of maximizing growth and strength potential, weight training is very effective. The principle of both types of training is the same - Creating resistance. However, with weight training, the resistance and muscular tension is generated by an external force, making everything far more intense.
Additionally, weight training can help you seamlessly target and isolate muscle groups that are hard to target with just calisthenics. This implies that weight training should be included if your goal is aesthetic development and improving athletic performance. Weight training at its very essence, allows you to do more intense work, during which you can easily increase the resistance by adding extra weight on the bar or picking heavier dumbbells.
However, it is important to make sure that you do not overload your body and build up core strength, and increase weigh slowly and over time. Make sure that you have the correct form so that you can protect your tendons, ligaments and muscles while you train.
If you are looking for an easy way to integrate some weight training at home, check out our best-seller 60 lb barbell weight set.
Here’s a wild idea - You can combine both types of training but focus more on the one that resonates with your goals best. You like explosive bodyweight movements that look cool? Go for the monkey bars and bodyweight training. You are looking to maximize your strength and muscular development? Opt for a gym membership. You are looking to get healthier, build lean muscle mass and improve your heart health and fitness? Combine both.
As simple as that!
The human body is capable of a LOT and it has plenty of potential lying within. It’s just a matter of YOU, taking the necessary action to unlock that potential and realize it. Whether you choose to engage in bodyweight training or just go to a gym, you won’t be in the wrong!
Both of these types of training offer amazing benefits and can help you develop a good-looking, strong body. Start somewhere, see what you like better, what gets you closer to your goals and focus on that!
Stay strong!
]]>The increase in function of our body that we see when we weight train is a result of the adaptations that happen in the muscles! So let’s have a look at the two types of muscle growth and help you find out which style of training would therefore be suitable for your goals.
First, let’s explore the two different muscle fiber types.
Depending on the activity that you are doing throughout your training sessions, you can activate different types of muscle fibers.
Generally we can distinguish between two types of muscle fibers:
At low levels of intensity (e.g., jogging or using a light dumbbell) you mostly activate the slow-twitch muscle fibers. Those fibers are great for low-intensity, long work and are not really great at producing force and power, so think of these as your ‘endurance muscle fibers’.
The more your training intensity grows however, the more fast-twitch muscle fibers you recruit, in order to endure the load. These fast-twitch muscle fibers were designed for high-intensity performance - Short, explosive bursts of power. Think of the fast-twitch muscle fibers as the fibers you want to engage when building muscle, because these fibers have the greatest potential for growth as well as power output. One example are chickens. They use their legs to stand on for long periods of time, but they use their wings for short bursts of flights, which is why the legs look skinny while the breast is voluminous.
As we mentioned, training may seem pretty simple at first - You lift heavy weights consistently and, well… You grow bigger and stronger. However, you can get big and strong in different ways, because different styles of training lead to a different type of muscle growth.
It is considered that there are two main types of muscle hypertrophy:
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is the increase in size of the muscle contractile units, called ‘myofibrils’ and commonly known as “muscle fibers”. These muscle fibers are the contractile elements of the trained muscle groups, which allow contraction and relaxation.
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, on the other hand, is the growth of the ‘sarcoplasm’, which is basically a jelly-like fluid that surrounds the muscle fibers. The sarcoplasm contains different non-contractile elements, which can grow in volume, depending on the type of training.
One way to support you muscle growth beside proper sleep and water intake is protein. We have carefully tested and selected the best protein powders on the market for you.
It appears that the myofibrils are more closely related to maximum output of strength and explosiveness, while their sarcoplasm is engaged during intense, yet longer loads. In other words, myofibrillar hypertrophy is a result of a powerlifting approach to weight training, where you do 1-5 repetitions. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is a result of a bodybuilding approach to training, where you do 6-15+ repetitions with heavy weights.
Now of course, these are not mutually exclusive! Though myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily results in increased maximum and relative strength, you have those adaptations with the other type of hypertrophy too, BUT… They are not as prominent.
There used to be a wide-spread misconception that weight training makes women look “bulky”, but it is now more widely known that women have to 1) eat an excessive amount of protein and other calories to bulk up, and 2) often take other supplements or even steroids to become very bulky. Naturally however, women can do the same training as men and have less volume than men. Men have higher levels of testosterone and other hormones that increase muscle growth. Both men and women should focus on building both muscle fiber types for peak performance, health and wellbeing. While short burst exercises can help you to become stronger and more powerful, endurance-based exercise also help you to become stronger and benefit heart health.
Our musculature appears to be flexible, having the chance to adapt for both short, very intense training bouts, or, medium intensity, prolonged bouts. This is possible because of the nervous system, our wonderful muscle fibers and their energy reserves!
Whatever your goal may be, try to stimulate both types of muscle growth, as well as other functions like balance, agility, flexibility, and coordination. Also don’t forget to strengthen the small stabilizer muscles, to make your body more resilient. For example, check out our post on building strong knees.
Become a functional human being!
]]>A slow metabolism can make it three times as hard to shed some pounds or feel energized. In this blog post we discuss four mistakes that you might be making that slow down your metabolism. If you can implement even just one or two of the following tips, you should be able to tell a difference in a couple of weeks!
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Lean body mass is also called fat free mass and refers to all other body mass than fat. Lean body mass is everything else than fat - blood/fluids, bone, muscle etc. Many of us are not nearly as physically active as we could be and our bodies are designed to be. Although we weigh more than ever, our lean mass is constantly in decline. Our life is becoming ever more passive. However, studies show that more lean body mass leads to higher resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories that we burn in a day if we do not move, just to maintain our bodily functions. The higher our fat mass however, the less calories we burn. You can increase your lean body mass by eating a diet rich in protein, and whole foods, and importantly by exercising regularly, preferably doing any weight exercises (body weight or resistance training) twice a week for 20-30 minutes.
The higher the lean mass, the higher your natural metabolic rate. 1 kg or 2,2 lbs automatically burns 31 kcal more every day. It might sound as a small amount, but if you'd be able to raise your muscle mass just by 5 kg or 11 lbs, then that would raise your calories spent per day to 1085 kcal, 4340 per week and 56757 kcal per year. That would sum up to 7,4 kg or 16,3 lbs of fat burnt automatically in a year!
Protein is an amazing superfood in metabolic standpoint. Just by swapping some carbs to protein, you can boost your metabolism considerably. Official recommendation is 0.36 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight. True - our body can manage with this amount without starving muscle, but it is not nearly as metabolically effective as using .75-1 grams/lb/day.
As an extra perk of protein it burns more calories just by digesting it. Protein has an amazing automatic thermic raise in energy consumption by 25% of the energy amount you get from protein. For example: when eating 100 kcal worth of protein, it automatically burns 25 kcal extra. You don't get this effect from carbs or fat!
The other, maybe more important factor is that protein helps build the metabolically active lean mass. Protein helps the muscles to repair and thus to grow as they consist of protein. Eating protein gives your body a strong signal to start growing muscle mass and spend more energy automatically. Eating enough protein long enough builds muscle mass without adding fat mass, just the opposite. If you have a hard time eating as much protein, you may consider boosting your protein intake with a healthy, clean supplement. Check out these excellent protein supplements that we carefully selected for you!
The third important effect of eating protein is that it fills your belly and keeps hunger at bay much better than other type of foods. There is one exception, namely if you are on a ketogenic diet. In ketosis you should avoid too much protein because it lowers ketosis. In ketosis, it is ketone bodies themselves that lessen hunger.
Dieting has given us a wrong picture about improving one's metabolism. Typical dieting can get your weight to drop, but typically over 50% of this weight is metabolically active lean mass and unless you make it a lifestyle change, we typically gain the weight back and then some. Diet programs are almost always based on heavy calorie restriction for a short period of time.
Our bodies are extremely smart and do everything necessary to stay alive as long as it can even while in a calorie-redistricted environment.
It isn't as simple as that if you want to get lasting results. It is very typical, that after losing weight, one regains all the previously all the previously lost weight and more. But this time it isn't lean mass and muscle tissue that grows back, it is mainly just fat! But then how is it possible to get weight or more specifically harmful adipose tissue down without slowing down your metabolism? The answer is simple but multi-part.
First, we must forget this distorted image that weight must be forced to drop weight by any means.
Second, we need to prioritize the upkeep/boosting of metabolism - that is, using means that help our body remove fat tissue and maintain/grow muscle tissue.
It isn't as simple as just dieting by dropping calories, but so much more worth it in the long run. If you have lost and gained weight many times in your life, then I ask you to stop hurting your body and metabolism, but start taking care of it. Your body's metabolism does all the work and you will be feeling so much better than after any “diet” program. Give yourself at least one year to complete a lifestyle change step by step.
The metabolic significance of sleep is much less known to the public than exercise or nutrition. Sleep is one of the most important regulators of metabolism, hormonal function, behavior, and nervous system function. Check out our blog post on why sleep is important and how to improve your sleep here!
Even small changes in sleep rhythm, sleep length, and quality interfere with metabolism in many ways. That’s one reason why people with sleep disorders or sleep apnea, for example, find it so much harder to lose weight. Even more alarming is that up to 70% of westerners sleep chronically too little! Sleep and metabolism are deeply connected, and there is a lot to be said about this connection. Let us focus on some research that demonstrates the effects of sleep.
10 overweight individuals were maintained on a calorie-deficient diet for 2 different reference periods, each lasting 2 weeks. In the second period they were allowed to sleep 8.5 hours a night, in the second only 5.5 hours. The weight dropped and composition of weight loss were monitored. Both periods had the same weight loss, but with an amazing difference between fat mass and lean mass. With an 8.5- hour night’s sleep, the weight dropped at the expense of 50% fat mass and 50% lean mass.
At the same time, during a 5.5-hour night’s sleep, only 25% of the fat was lost and 75% was lost at the expense of lean metabolically active tissue. Do not underestimate sleep, it can be one of the most important tools against excess weight, and metabolic and lifestyle diseases. In fact, the number one expert on sleep says we should not ask why we sleep but why we do not sleep all the time!
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There’s a commonly known idea that during a period of weight loss, you should eat more veggies and fruits, as that somehow, can supposedly help weight loss. But is there anything more specific to fruits in the context of making fat loss sustainable?
In this article, we’re going to give you some clues on the do’s and don’ts of weight loss nutrition, to help you create a more clear plan of action.
It is a fact that the total amount of food, relative to your levels of activity (calories in vs calories out) is one fundamental principle of weight loss. However, the amount of calories we burn is not only dependent on how much we are physically active, but also on our hormone levels and gut health. The body is an integrate complicated system with many different variables influencing each other. While a caloric deficit is needed for weight loss, a healthy gut and more micronutrients can help to increase our metabolism and thus calorie consumption. That is why the quality of the food we eat matters. It is simply easier to supply the body with micronutrients and protein and fiber to loose weight than it is to eat the “Twinkie diet”. Both can lead to weight loss, but the former will help to increase energy levels and maintain weight loss, while the latter will most likely lead to jo-jo dieting.
In order to shed off those excess couple of pounds, you need to consume less calories than you burn throughout the day. That is also referred to as “eating in a caloric deficit” and is, again, the fundamental principle of weight loss.
Being in a caloric deficit is something you simply cannot skip, but that does not really exclude the choice of food in your diet.
No food can cause weight loss/weight gain in and of itself, but we can choose foods that can:
The goal of fat loss is to not just decrease the number on the scale, but to also be able to adhere to the nutrition plan or principles, be in peak physical shape, reduce chronic disease symptoms, and maintain the weight loss on the longer term. Therefore, it is essential to provide the body with the highest possible quality of foods and sufficient micronutrients. One of the most secure ways to make sure that you receive all our micronutrients and minerals every day is a high-quality supplement in addition to a healthy diet. We have used Daily Biobasics for almost a decade now and it is without doubt one of the best solutions for increasing proper nutrient intake.
In general, you should focus on whole foods that were grown in a good environment and if that’s animal foods, you should make sure that they were fed well. As a matter of fact, most animals grown for their meat do not get sunlight, live in tight spaces with many other animals and are fed with processed fodders. They often get sick because they are so close together, and the farmers “solve” this problem by pumping the cattle full of antibiotics and hormones, which will end up on your plate. All of these factors affect the meat quality and thus, it is necessary to look into alternatives.
Here are the best foods you can add to your nutrition plan:
All 13 of these foods are likely to help keep you full and satiated, thus making it less likely for you to overeat and exceed your caloric needs. This technically patches the problem of cravings and furthermore, if you combine whole foods with resistance training, you are setting yourself on a path to health and longevity.
As we mentioned, no single food, even veggies, will cause weight loss just by being in the diet.
However, consuming mostly unprocessed foods and vegetables will make your weight loss substantially more likely to happen. Veggies specifically have the following perks:
Do include veggies in your weight loss plan, as they will help keep you fuller for longer, on top of the other nutrients you get from whole foods, that regulate satiety. The same thing goes for fruits and even more so, one of their main perks is that they are sweet and can replace processed desserts. Note that it will take a few days for your taste buds and body to adjust to the new whole food lifestyle, so stick with it for a few days until you feel the difference in energy levels and cravings. Exercise will help to decrease cravings and increase energy levels as well, along with the myriad of other benefits for your health and wellbeing that we discussed last year.
If you are trying to lose weight, focus on eating whole foods with plenty of quality protein and some healthy fats, as those are the nutrients that will keep you full, satiated and energized. Once you have secured your macronutrients, you can add a couple of high volume, low-calorie salads here and there to totally kill the feeling of hunger! Veggies are the star of a successful weight loss journey!
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The word “Protein” comes from the Greek word “Protos” meaning “first/primary” and that in and of itself should speak about the importance of protein. Even more so, if you look into biology, most of the body was made out of protein, including muscle tissue, enzymes, hormones and others. We need different kinds of protein such as collagen to rebuild joints and muscles. Our disks are filled with collagen as well, and our brain is also made out of protein.
Both protein and fats are considered essential nutrients because they cannot be made by the body at all or in sufficient amounts for good health. Carbohydrates can be made by the body by breaking down fats and proteins into other parts including glucose which is sugar.
Protein and fats provide essential amino & fatty acids, respectively, which the body needs but cannot produce on its own. This is why deficiency in those nutrients can lead to unwanted consequences, such as low libido, poor recovery, worsened hormonal function, brain fog and others.
Although the Dietary Reference Intake is 0.36 grams per pound bodyweight for sedentary individuals, most adults need between .5-1 grams per pound bodyweight to build and maintain muscle. The widely recommended protein intake has circled around 1 grams of protein, per pound of bodyweight, per day.
In other words, if you weigh 180 lbs, you’d need roughly 180 grams of protein per day. However, this appears to be more relevant for actively training individuals that hold more lean body mass.
In other words, if you don’t really hit the gym very often, you’d need about 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight, to sustain health and optimal functioning. On the other hand, if you are very active and use your muscles, you’d be closer to 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight.
If there is one thing to know, that is namely the fact that not all proteins were made the same!
Proteins are made up of amino acids - There are a total of 20 amino acids and 9 of them are essential. On top of that, each food provides protein that is digested, absorbed and retained differently. Based on the amino acid profile, as well as other properties like the ones we just mentioned, each food can be rated in terms of bioavailability.
The bioavailability is a fraction of a nutrient in certain foods, that is absorbed and used. The things that change the biological value of foods are their chemical form, interactions with other compounds, as well as individual physiological responses to food.
While vegetarian sources also provide a surprising amount of protein, animal products appear to be of the greatest biological value for the human body! These are the foods that provide all essential amino acids, along with healthy fats and a multitude of vitamins.
Nevertheless, mass-production of animal products implies unnatural growth, where the animals don’t have enough room to run freely and are fed with processed, low-quality animal foods. It is extremely important to select high quality protein sources from grass-fed, and pasture-raised and organic meat and sustainably farmed or wild-caught fish.
For this reason, we have put up a list of the BEST animal sources of protein:
Most of these foods are saturated with quality protein, meaning that you will need just a couple of portions to meet your daily needs!
As we mentioned, animal foods are the only products that contain the full set of essential amino acids, along with the greatest bioavailability. Plant foods unfortunately lack one or more essential amino acids and take up a lot of space in the stomach, for little caloric value.
Nevertheless, if you’ve decided to not eat meat, your best bet would be to combine different plant products, in order to compensate for their lacking nutrients. Always be aware that the plant-based foods are not only a source of protein but also a source of fiber and carbohydrates (e.g., lentils and beans), and fats (e.g., nuts, nut butter).
Here are some of the best plant-based protein sources:
In combining those, you will be more inclined towards providing sufficient amounts of protein for your body, on a daily basis!
It can be difficult to meet your protein needs on a plant-based diet. One way to add some protein is by supplementing with either protein shakes or protein bars. We have done a careful review and found the cleanest and healthiest options for you. Check our protein supplements and protein bars! If you are feeling indulgent or need a little help, we also found the best, guilt-free protein snacks on the market including cereal, cookies and chips!
Now here’s for a brief mention - If you want to further optimize your protein intake and how it’s being used, try timing it to your workouts. There is a discussion on whether or not protein timing matters. Overall, the amount and quality of protein that you eat is going to matter the most. There may be a small effect that can be achieved by timing protein intake a certain way. For example, having a solid protein feeding 2 hours before your workout, and then within 2 hours AFTER the workout can be helpful. This may give you a slight boost in terms of the constructive, anabolic processes that happen after the workout. However, make sure that you do not get too full before your workout and make sure to have enough water when you increase your protein intake!
Protein is a powerful nutrient that keeps us healthy, alive, well and recovered, which is why, you just can’t ignore it! Place quality, protein-rich products alongside veggies and fruits at the core of your daily nutrition and you will see the difference for yourself! Focus on quality-fed meats, along with some dairy and eggs, and if you are a plant-based eater, just stick to protein-rich vegetables such as broccoli, as well as legumes, nuts and seeds!
]]>So without further ado, let us go in depth on micronutrients and discuss what they are, what they do in the body and what the best sources are!
So what exactly is the difference between macronutrients and micronutrients? As the names suggest, macronutrients are the primary nutrients our bodies need in big quantities - protein, fats and carbohydrates. These nutrients provide caloric value and are needed to sustain a healthy body weight and physiological functioning.
On the other hand, micronutrients do not really have a caloric value, but are just as important, due to their role in a variety of important processes all around the body such as proper digestive system and metabolism, well-functioning immune system and hormone balance.
Micronutrients include phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The body needs these nutrients to sustain the production of a variety of enzymes and hormones, which relate to the overall healthy functioning of the organism.
Though the body needs micronutrients in small amounts, their absence quickly surfaces with a turmoil of unwanted side effects. Many Americans are chronically deficient of micronutrients and have gotten used to these side effects.
For example, a magnesium deficiency can cause you to:
Vitamins and minerals are an important part of human nutrition, mainly because they help kids grow healthy and strong, while adults can reap the benefits of sustained health and quality of life.
Fortunately, micronutrient deficiencies are generally easy to diagnose and can be seamlessly treated with various supplements and foods. Eating mostly whole foods, vegetables and fruits can make a substantial difference in your health and quality of life.
With the abundance of nutrient-poor foods that many people survive on, micronutrient deficiencies are quite a common thing!
Here are the most common micronutrient deficiencies found in humans:
Some of these are easy to diagnose and don’t hide much risk, but others can cause severe discomfort and if sustained in the long term, even damage.
For instance, B12 deficiencies which are common in vegans and vegetarians, can lead to anemia, memory issues, mood swings, irregular work of the heart and even neurological problems.
Vitamin D is produced by the body only when the sun shines directly on the skin (not through a window). Those with higher Vitamin D3 level are also 80% less likely to contract COVID, which is close to the better vaccines.
Unless you have severe deficiencies, micronutrient supplements are not mandatory, as most deficiencies can be treated with a slight change in nutritional habits. However, you may find that a supplement can help to provide the macronutrients needed to achieve better energy levels and health.
Let’s have a look at the most vitamin & mineral-abundant foods!
Including these foods in your menu regularly will keep you away from deficiencies and maintain a balanced inner chemistry. Don’t like diversifying your food sources? Shoot for micronutrient supplements! One of our favorite supplements we have been taking for close to 10 years is Daily Biobasics by LifePlus, and we can barely remember the last time we had a cold or cramp!
Your best nutrition plan is a good balance between macronutrients, micronutrients and calories. Though micronutrients do not provide a caloric value, they play important roles in a variety of bodily functions. Because micronutrient deficiencies will lead to worsened function, it is important to grant you body and mind sufficient micronutrition through your food.
Last but not least, micronutrients don’t really need to be tracked as long as you consume a variety of foods in decent amounts. You will notice a difference if you stay consistent!
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We are strong advocates of a pain-free active lifestyle, so today, we are showing you how to make your knees bulletproof. It is important to remember that our muscles are meant to tear and repair, but our tendons and ligaments which connect the bone to the muscle do not have direct blood flow and take longer to both get stronger and heal. ACL strains or tears in the knee are very common and can happen due to chronic overuse with wrong movement patterns, or traumatic injuries.
Your knees support the bulk of your body weight and take most of the impact from regular activities such as walking, running, and jumping. Having strong knee joints is a major part of living a pain-free life when performing an activity. There are millions of people suffering from knee pain in one way or another. Moreover, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 1 million people replace their knee joints every year in the US. Surgery should be your last option if you experience any sort of knee pain.
Keeping healthy knees should be our priority for living a fulfilling life. Strengthening the muscles in our legs will help support the knee joint. Both knee pain and surgery can be prevented by strengthening the stabilizer muscles and increasing training load slowly over time rather than fast. For example, if you usually do 10-30 squats in one training session, doing 1000 squats would overload your system and increase your risk of tendon and ligament injuries. Your muscles will tear and repair, but tendons and ligaments may be damaged and do not heal like muscles do.
Having strong front muscles (quadriceps) and back muscles (hamstrings) on our legs helps our knee joint absorb stress, and strong hip muscles will help the knee to move correctly. Flexibility also plays a big part in having stronger knees. Stretching before and after a workout is a great way to reduce stress on our knee joints, but when or how much you stretch depends on the workout that you are doing. Stretching does not only help with reducing stress, it also helps with decreasing soreness of the muscles. For most exercises you don't need much more but a yoga mat.
Now, let’s look at some of the best exercises to make your knee joints strong and flexible.
Sit on the ground with your feet pointing forward. Start flexing your quadriceps and imagine that you are pushing your knees down. Mind muscle connection is very important when doing this exercise!
Repeat for 2-3 sets x 10 reps per leg and hold 3-4 seconds on each rep.
Sit on the ground as in the previous exercise. Flex your quadriceps hard and lift one of your legs. Try to keep your foot as straight as possible without bending your knee. Reach a position where you start to feel the burn in your hamstring and hold for 3-4 seconds.
Repeat for 2-3 sets x 8-10 reps per leg.
The simpler version of the Hip Thrust. Lay on the ground with your feet touching the ground, banded in the knees. Lift your torso until you reach a horizontal position and squeeze your glutes.
If this is too easy for you, lift one of your legs and hold it straight as you reach a horizontal position.
You can also use a resistance band for banded bridges.
Repeat for 3 sets x 10 reps.
Put your hands in a push-up position, shoulder width, and lay on a foam roller with one of your legs on top. Rollback and forth and keep a slow pace while performing the exercise.
You can adjust the pressure with your hands or even lift your other leg to make it harder.
Repeat for 2 sets x 10 reps per leg.
Lay on your side and angle your legs, with a resistance band around your knees and ankles. For clamshells, open your knees and make sure that your hip does not fall back but stays perpendicular to the floor. For reverse clamshells, put something between your knees such as a towel, and open your feet.
Repeat for 3 sets x 20 reps per leg.
Preventing knee injuries is only possible by maintaining decent strength and flexibility in your legs. Having strong knee joints and surrounding muscles is vital for your everyday life and shouldn’t be neglected as it could have consequences. It is hard to make an effort now for something that may happen in the future, but strong and healthy knees are like free health insurance, especially as you age. Imagine all the things you can keep doing with strong knees!
Thank you for reading this article and don’t hesitate to spread the love by sharing it with a friend!
]]>Furthermore, it is important to distinguish between stomach hungry, which is not related to calorie needs but rather to blood sugar and what foods we consume, and actual hunger. Stomach hunger is driven by the hormone ghrelin which is secreted when the blood sugar drops, which usually happens after meals that are high in carbohydrates. Stomach hunger is usually marked by growling stomach, and the desire to eat immediately. Actual hunger is manifested with dizziness, sometimes headaches, slow thinking, and lethargy.
You can also distinguish the two types of food you want when you feel hungry: If you want a salad, vegetables, or a big piece of meat or fish you are likely actually hungry, versus when you crave a PB and J sandwich or cookies, or a big cheesy pasta dish you may just feel ghrelin.
In this article, we’ll explain the importance of high satiety foods, and we’ll also give you a list of our 4 best picks in that category!
The modern-day market offers a variety or rather, an abundance of food products to choose from. However, the thing is that the tastiest foods also happen to be more processed AND least satiating. With poor nutrient profiles, these processed products simply satisfy your taste cravings, but hardly ever help you meet your actual nutritional needs. When you’re not meeting your nutritional needs, well, your body keeps asking for more food by sending hunger signals, until you actually give the body what it needs, which are not more macros like carbs and fats, but often micronutrients, minerals and vitamins.
That is to say that processed foods are NOT inherently fattening but instead, they make you eat a lot more which therefore leads to inevitable weight gain. Being satiated for the longest time possible after each meal is important, as that means you have met your nutritional needs and your body has the resources to work with for the goal of sustaining healthy function.
Every sensation or bodily signal in the body is closely related with the balance of certain hormones. Specifically for appetite and satiety, leptin and ghrelin seem to be the two predominantly involved hormones. The macronutrients you get from food, that are most effective in inducing the feeling of satiety, are protein & fat. For this reason, it is of prime importance to meet your daily protein and fat needs, as they will play an essential role in how hungry you feel throughout the day.
Remember that a hungry mind won’t be able to focus on other, also important tasks you have.
Stay satiated!
Generally, the most satiating foods tend to be high in protein, high in fiber, high in volume, and low in energy density. Now without further ado, let’s have a look at the most satiating foods you can easily find in your local grocery store!
As we mentioned, protein and fats from whole food sources are amongst the most satiating nutrients you can give to your body. Beef and other red meats happen to be abundant of both nutrients, so including them in your nutrition plan is a good bet! However, be sure to buy grass-fed beef to avoid harmful hormones and toxins. If you always wake up hungry, and that oatmeal & coffee breakfast full of sugar can’t satiate you, well, try a morning ribeye steak!
It works.
Though protein and fats are the most satiating macronutrients, the food with the HIGHEST satiety index contains mostly carbohydrates… That’s right! Potatoes are, in fact, the most satisfying food a human can eat! Try for yourself - Get a beef steak and cook up some potato mash and you will be full for at least 3 hours.
If you are trying to establish a nutrition plan that is nutrient-dense enough to keep you full and healthy, eggs cannot be ignored! Eggs are good as a standalone meal, or can be made an addition to a bigger meal, to make it complete! Furthermore, they can be enjoyed in a variety of forms, such as an omelette, scrambled, or even over some rice in japanese style!
Fish is high in important omega-3 fatty acids, and the protein in fish may be more satiating than other protein sources. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, which means that they cannot be produced by the body but that we have to eat them. When you buy fish be aware of farm-raised fish which can have unhealthy characteristics due to the farming conditions. Instead, buy wild-caught Atlantic salmon or sockeye salmon, wild-caught chunk light tuna, or responsibly farmed fish.
5. Fiber
Any foods containing fiber will keep you full for multiple hours. Some foods are vegetables or high fiber products. Fiber is indigestible and has very little to no calories. Make sure to drink plenty of water when you increase your fiber intake, and make sure to do it slowly to get your body used to the higher fiber intake. One tasty way to increase both your fiber and protein intake are some protein bars, which we have carefully selected for your here.
One of the most important aspects of your nutrition plan is to make it actually satiating! If you constantly feel hungry, you are not using the right nutrition plan, regardless of what anyone tells you. Make sure to try out these 4 foods presented in this article and let us know how they affected your satiety and energy levels!
]]>Expensive prebiotic supplements shouldn’t be your go-to option when you experience gut problems. The good bacteria your body requires don’t have to come from pills. In fact, consuming healthy food can impact the amount of “good” bacteria we have in our digestive system, and a healthy lifestyle can lead to improvements in health that pills cannot.
Today we investigate further into the topic of gut health and offer some great tips on how to actually improve your gut health.
Getting rid of high sugar, trans-fats, and processed food should be your priority if you want your gut to thank you. Consuming more lean protein such as chicken or turkey breast, beef topside, fish, and quality fiber (oats, whole-grain bread) will benefit your digestive system. In fact, eating a high fiber diet has been shown to alter our guts in a positive direction.
Always be aware of the source of these foods. Make sure to get grass-fed beef and humanely raised chicken and turkey without added hormones and grass-fed if possible. Oatmeal should be without glyphosate, and whole-grain bread should have a high fiber amount indicated on the food label. Fruits and vegetables don’t always have to be organic, but there are some like strawberries and spinach that have a lot of pesticides and should be bought organic. Check out the Environmental Working Group for a shopping guide.
Drinking 8 glasses of water per day may sound like the most annoying thing your mom used to tell you, but it is actually true. Keeping your body hydrated has been shown to have a positive effect on the balance of the good bacteria in our guts.
Keeping a slow pace when consuming food is of major importance for the health of your gut. For this reason, chewing slowly can help you digest your food better and absorb all required nutrients. Maintaining a healthy gut and reducing digestive discomfort is guaranteed if you stick to this condition. So, next time when you are trying to eat as fast as you can, slow down for a second, and think how your gut will react if you continue at the same pace.
Getting enough uninterrupted sleep is a complicated process for a lot of people, especially those with kids out there. However, not getting enough quality sleep can have a great impact on your gut health. Try to prioritize getting at least 7-8 hours a night. Not only it will help you maintain a healthy gut, but you will also be more productive throughout the day. Check out our article on how to get better sleep.
Fermentation is a process where the sugar many foods contain is broken down into bacteria or yeast. One of the foods, which is easy to get and cheap is yogurt. Yogurt is rich in lactobacilli, which is a bacteria that can benefit your gut health. Often, people who consume a lot of yogurt have more lactobacilli in their gut. These people have less chance to experience gut inflammation or any other chronic conditions.
When you shop for yogurt, keep in mind that there are many sweetened yogurts out there with a lot of added sugar, which are not beneficial. Be very careful when you shop and never trust the face of the product, always check out the nutrition label. In addition to added sugars, be sure to avoid artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame. Stevia, monk fruit, erythritol and allulose are healthier options for both your blood sugar, brain and gut. Two good options for greek yogurt are Oikos Triple Zero or Chobani Zero Sugar. Otherwise, the natural yogurts are a great way to give your gut some good bacteria.
We can almost see the smiles of all chocolate lovers out there. Polyphenols, which are plant-based molecules that are rich in fiber, are found in dark chocolate. They travel to our intestines where our good microbes and bacteria use them for fuel. We found sugar-free chocolate, so you can reap all the benefits with none of the sugars! Other foods and beverages that are rich in polyphenols are:
A disrupted microbiome, which is found in the gut, can lead to many chronic diseases. There are a lot of lifestyle changes that you can make and with some effort, you can maintain a healthy gut. Avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible. Eat plenty of vegetables and fresh unprocessed foods. Beans, legumes, and whole-grain foods should also be in your diet. Lastly, everyone is different, so always be aware of how your body reacts. Do beans work well for you and give you energy, or do they maybe give you bloating? How about yogurt? Figure out your own needs and amounts that help your energy levels. What are you waiting for? Your Gut Health is in your hands now. Go and make the most out of it!
]]>“Gut health” relates to the function and balance of bacteria in some parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Optimally, organs like the esophagus, stomach, and intestines all work side by side to allow us to eat and digest food without feeling any discomfort. However, there are more than 70 million people in the U.S. struggling with digestive diseases. The food we consume is broken down in our guts, where it is turned into nutrients, ready to enter our bloodstream. Yet, this won’t be possible if we have an unhealthy digestive system.
A healthy gut contains immune cells and healthy bacteria that fight infectious “pests”, such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Having a healthy gut is extremely important for our general health and well-being because it communicates with the brain with the help of nerves and hormones. But how do you know if you have an unhealthy gut?
An unhealthy gut is almost a guarantee for sleep disturbances. Poor sleep and insomnia can lead to chronic fatigue and a decrease in our productivity. Serotonin, one of the hormones of happiness, is actually produced in the gut. For this reason, having an unhealthy digestive system leads to producing less serotonin, which makes our life miserable.
When we have difficulty digesting certain types of food, we experience food intolerance. Food intolerance is completely different than food allergy, which is caused by a reaction of the immune system.
Caloric consumption is the primary reason why people lose or gain weight, however, unintentional weight change could occur for another reason. When we have an unhealthy gut, it harms our body in a way that it has a problem absorbing nutrients. Furthermore, our body’s ability to store fat or regulate blood sugar is also damaged. Having decreased nutrient absorption increases our appetite and urges us to overeat.
An unhealthy gut does not only harm us from the inside but externally as well. Inflamed gut can lead to “leaked” proteins from the gut to the skin, which causes irritation and itching. Moreover, a bad digestive system could potentially lead to skin disorders such as eczema.
The impact of the gut on the immune system has been tested many times in the past. Some research suggests that an irritated gut is related to systematic inflammation, which changes the proper function of our immune system. This leads to autoimmune diseases where the body doesn’t protect itself versus harmful “enemies”, but it rather attacks itself.
Some autoimmune conditions are:
Other signs of an unhealthy gut are:
The microbiome within the gut is created from trillions of bacteria, other microbes, and fungi. It plays a major role in our general welfare because it helps controlling digestion and benefits our immune system. A disproportion of healthy and unhealthy microbes within the intestines might lead to obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and other disorders. We suggest eating a wide assortment of fruits and veggies to help support the growth of healthy microbes in your gut.
One way that we have personally held up good gut health for almost 10 years is the Daily Biobasics supplement, which includes fiber and micronutrients that help to foster a healthy gut. We love this product - since we started this we almost never get sick, have higher energy levels and simply don't have to worry about eating tons of vegetables just to fill our nutrient and fiber needs. Make sure you drink plenty of water as well which can be miraculous!
A healthy gut is important for maintaining a balance in our body and its proper functions. Immune cells and healthy bacteria have a vital role in our body because they are connected to the brain. We hope you understand how important it is to keep your microbes and healthy bacteria under control, for your overall wellbeing. In part 2 of this article series, we’ll tell you the fundamental, actionable tips to instantly implement in your daily life and make your gut happy!
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Have you ever wondered how to wake up fresh and ready to crush your day? Have you ever felt your energy level dropping to the ground after being awake for only 3 hours? Today you are going to get all the answers you have always had about sleep. But first, let’s answer a simple question...
You have a response for that, right? You will say something like “I sleep because I don’t wanna die” and you will be right. Well, generally...
While there are various theories to answer this question, the expert researcher on sleep, Dr. Matthew Walker, says that we should not wonder why we do sleep, but rather why we don’t sleep all day. There are so many benefits that happen to our bodies and minds while we sleep that he calls it our superpower!
Here are some of the benefits of sleep:
If you are not convinced yet, whether to take these important 7-8 hours of sleep, here’s more...
To answer this question, we have to examine the consequences of sleep deprivation. One study showed that if you are only sleeping 2-3 hours less than the optimum amount of 8 hours you will have 24% more hunger throughout the day. The increased appetite leads to overweight and risk of many other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease in the long term.
Another big issue with sleep deprivation is that we don’t recover optimally. Even if our diet and training plans are on point we’ll have a hard time making these gains.
Furthermore, our productivity will decrease. In other words, our body will suffer, our mind will suffer, our relationships will suffer. If that isn’t enough to make you get these important 7-8 hours every night, we have one more thing to convince you to get more serious about it.
Short sleep duration will lose you money!
That’s right.
When you had a bad sleep, you will have trouble making the right decisions. You are not focused enough, and you miss opportunities. Missed opportunities lead to losing money.
After knowing all the consequences of bad sleeping habits, let’s jump straight into some tips that will help you.
The truth is that the quality of your sleep is affected by a variety of factors, some of which you may not even know about. There are various strategies that are used in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, which will do the job if you go by them, so let’s have a look!
Going to bed at the same hour every night and getting up at the same hour will make your life easier. You should train your brain to “shut down” and wake up at specific times. By developing and supporting your circadian rhythm, you teach your body when it is time to rest and when it is time to progress.
We spend ⅓ of our lives sleeping. With that being said, we shouldn’t compromise the good mattress because it has an important role in the quality of our sleep. One good option is the bear mattress pro which is not too firm or too soft and provides both support and comfort. Also invest in the pillow and spend your money wisely for a comfortable one.
It helps in reducing body temperature, which is important for sleeping.
Caffeine takes six or more hours to be fully metabolized. Limit caffeinated beverages to the morning hours, and especially avoid caffeine after late afternoon, or your sleep will suffer.
The blue light is damaging your sleep, so reading a book is preferable. You may also opt for a stretch or light yoga session before bed. If you need a mat check out these options.
If you are finally ready to get the best sleep of your life and say goodbye to insomnia and low-quality sleep, follow these tips and come back here to thank us later! Sleep tight.
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Exercise more, eat less sugar, drink less alcohol, loose a few pounds, sleep more, work smarter – all of these are wonderful for our health, and yet they are so difficult to implement. We make resolutions and after a while we seem like a different person and don’t understand the urgency and motivation of our past self. You are not alone. In fact, changing behaviors for good is so hard that there is an entire field of study surrounding behavior change. There are a few tricks that the science of behavior change has found that make it more likely for us to change our behavior.
One of the main drivers of behavior is dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that leads to motivation, and the drive to take action, as well as happy feelings when we accomplish something or when our reward centers are triggered. Dopamine is released when you have a tasty treat, coffee, or when you play video games. Dopamine is also released when we workout, clean the house, or otherwise complete a task. The most interesting function of dopamine for behavior change is that it makes us seek behaviors. For example, think about your morning. What is it that helps you to get up and going? Maybe the thought of coffee that you will pick up on your way to work? Once we have had that coffee dopamine helps us to continue to seek more dopamine.
The catch with dopamine is that some (dangerous!) behaviors trigger a very large spike in dopamine, while others provide a smaller amount of dopamine. If we engage mostly in high dopamine behaviors, we need more dopamine to “function” normally and have enough motivation to get everyday tasks completed. The dopamine response of finishing a task is not sufficient anymore to provide the dopamine response that we sought, so we are not motivated to engage in these normal tasks. We may still do them because we need to, but it takes a lot of effort. Instead of having the drive to complete everyday tasks, we are motivated to engage in behaviors that will result in the very large dopamine response.
One classic, yet extreme example is drug addiction. Cocaine provides such a large dopamine response that cannot be matched by any other natural behaviors such as working out, doing something for a friend, cleaning the house, or even having a big piece of cake with extra strong coffee. As a result, the brain will make us seek this large of a response, which can only be achieved by using more cocaine. This can lead to the typical pathology of addiction, where anything else such as keeping up with basic family or work responsibilities, hygiene, or even food intake are neglected to seek more cocaine. Nothing else will provide this dopamine response, and once it has been achieved the cycle of seeking starts again. The only way to get out of the cycle is to increase the sensitivity to dopamine or decrease the threshold of dopamine. There is only one way which is a dopamine detox, a very uncomfortable process of avoiding the mega dopamine source until the brain has repaired the dopamine receptors. When he dopamine receptors are restored to a higher sensitivity, the brain will help us seek normal dopamine behaviors which include keeping up with responsibilities.
Here is what we can learn from these extreme cases: The fewer high dopamine behaviors we engage in, the lower the dopamine threshold we need to reach to be motivated and driven. The higher the dopamine response of the behavior that we are trying to avoid, the more painful the dopamine detox is. It can range from uncomfortable urges to physical withdrawal symptoms.
A more relatable example may be processed foods, sugar, or TV watching. If we eat sweets and candy multiple times a day, we find it hard to skip the candy for a day. If we combine this kind of behavior with things like TV watching, other processed foods, and other quickly rewarding behaviors, simple tasks become more difficult, such as emptying the dishwasher or folding laundry. Emptying the dishwasher does not nearly reach the threshold of dopamine that we have built with the combination of immediately rewarding behaviors involving processed food and sedentary entertainment. The solution is a dopamine detox, which can be done in a day, a week, a few weeks, and also regularly. One day of unpalatable foods, everyday tasks, and nothing but water to drink. You can also do a dopamine detox over time, slowly decreasing the frequency of higher dopamine behaviors, or the amount of higher dopamine foods and drinks. The detox can be particularly helpful after the holidays to help us jumpstart the new year of successful work and better health.
Once you have decreased your dopamine threshold to a normal level, you will find that your body seeks behaviors that were part of your new year’s resolution, such as working out, eating that salad instead of a burger, getting those tasks at work done, and cleaning up immediately. As a result you may lose some weight, not get so winded going up the stairs and improve your cardiovascular fitness. Until then, remember: One breath, one rep, one day at a time!
If you want to learn more check out this interview with Dr. Anna Lembke, MD, or this interview with Dr. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., or this simple explanation of a dopamine detox.
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Maybe you have experienced this before: There is something that bugs you. It used to be something minor that you knew you should probably address soon. You always knew that some of these habits were not “healthy”. It may be the afternoon sugar rush, lack of physical activity, the late night snacking and binge watching parade, the pack of cigarettes, or maybe the dozen donuts per week. One day you decide that you want to make a change: No more sugar, have more salads, and go to the gym 5 times a week. Monday comes and goes great. Tuesday comes and your co-worker has donuts, and you work late so no time for the gym – and then the old habits slowly and sneakily return.
Many of us are in this cycle. We have old habits that we have developed over years, and every attempt to change them results in an overwhelming drainage of willpower. How to lower blood pressure? How to be more active? How to lose weight? How to eat more vegetables? How to lower cholesterol? How many calories should I eat in a day? Don’t be discouraged – there is a reason why behavior change is a science! Researchers spend their lifetime studying how humans make decisions and change behaviors and habits – that is how complicated it is (Duckworth & Gross, 2020). Luckily, we can take advantage of what they have already learned. For example, there are 94 behavior change strategies (Michie et al., 2013) that we can use to make it more likely that we will actually develop and maintain new, healthy habits.
Some of the most important lessons that we have learned from behavior change science are 1) don’t rely on willpower, 2) make small changes over time, and 3) have a network of support. Willpower is a depletable resource (Muraven & Baumeister, 2000), and when we want to make changes, we need to prepare other strategies that can help us when our willpower is low. Real, sustainable changes do not happen in a day or a week, rather we need more than 2 months to create or change a daily habit and more than 8 months to make it stick (Lally et al., 2009). Social support is a number one indicator of successful health behavior change (Ajzen, 1991; Bandura, 1998). Having friends and family on the same journey, and a professional health behavior change specialist can make all the difference if you want to make a real, transformative change.
Health coach is an umbrella term for anyone who specializes in helping their clients making healthy lifestyle changes. A good health coach will help you to set attainable goals, achieve them, and build sustainable lifestyle changes. Health coaches are not: Nutritionists, Personal Trainers or Physicians. Health coaches cannot help you heal a disease, but they can help you to adhere to healthy habits that are recommended by the researchers and physicians. For example, there is a general consensus that vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and water should be abundant in a healthy diet, while processed foods and sugars should be avoided or minimized (Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025). Similarly, achieving and maintaining a health physical activity level can improve quality of life, mental health, sleep and risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity (2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report). Reliable and well-trained health coaches will find the scientific evidence surrounding your personal needs and habits, such as healthy nutrition, getting enough exercise, and reducing screen time and stress, and help you to make changes in your behavior that improve your health. However, beware of uninformed “health coaches”! Be informed fas a client to find a responsible, well-educated health coach.
Unfortunately, the profession “health coach” is not regulated, which means that everyone and anyone can call themselves a health coach and take you on as a client, even if they may not have the necessary education and understanding of their scope of practice. Health coaches should not give you specific meal plans, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, claim to heal a disease such as diabetes, Cron’s disease, cancer or obesity, or give any other prescriptions. These types of services should be provided by 1) nutritionists, who need to get their bachelor’s degree, spend at least 10-12 months in practical experience, and have get certified as a registered national board registration examination; 2) chiropractors and physical therapists who also need a college degree and attend a chiropractic school until they can be certified, and 3) physicians, who, as you may know, have to go through 7-12 years of medical school. Health coaches are also not mental health therapists. If you need to see someone about a mental health issue, you should also find someone who is licensed in your state.
While you need either one of these specialists for prescriptions to heal a specific mental or physical condition, you can take that prescription to your health coach and ask them to help you to adhere to it. You can also ask your health coach about the national recommendations for physical activity and nutrition and create nutrition and exercise goals with the help of your health coach. Your health coach can help you with anything, as long as they do not make a prescription to heal a health condition.
With all these caveats out of the way, good health coaches can be highly efficient in helping you to achieve lifestyle changes that can lead to dramatic improvements in your health. For example, you may have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and your doctor told you to remove sugar from your diet and manage your blood sugar. Your health coach can help you to find alternatives that have no or little sugar and slowly change your habits with you over time. After a period of time, often this is about 3 months, you may have normal blood sugar and likely lost some weight. Similarly, your doctor may tell you to be more active so that you can lower your blood pressure. Your health coach can help you to set attainable goals, talk through mental and physical barriers, and slowly increase your activity levels. After 3 months, you may notice better fitness, lower blood pressure and higher energy levels.
Firstly, identify their credentials, education and experience. Some health coaches are also certified personal trainers or registered dieticians. Remember, if they do not have any of these certifications or licenses, they cannot provide you with prescriptions or claim to heal a certain condition. The website of the health coach should be highly transparent and include a resume from end of high school to the present.
If you want to be completely sure that you are with a knowledgeable and responsible health coach, you can look for the term “Certified Health Education Specialist”, or short CHES®. A CHES has at least a Bachelor’s degree, and is board certified, and actively needs to keep their certification updated.
Health Education was originally established as a field to assist the public health scientists to translate their research into programs for the community. Certified Health Education Specialists know how to 1) find, read and comprehend scientific literature, 2) develop education sessions and behavior change programs for a specific group of people who have a specific need, 3) evaluate the program using scientific strategies, and 4) advocate to legislators for a group of people with a specific need (National Commission for Health Education Credentialing).
The important skill that a CHES has compared to other health coaches is that they are trained to read and understand scientific literature and process information critically. This means that they know where to find reliable information to help you achieve your health goals, and translate this information to make it useful and practical for you. For example, if you want to lose weight and be more physically active, your Health Educator will not go to the first google page advocating for the Keto diet and push-pull-legs weight training plan. Instead, your Health Educator will go to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, look at Cochrane reviews (scientific reviews), read the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) Report, and refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They may support their search with scientific journal articles from google scholar, or books written by expert researchers on the topic that you need their help with. They will then teach you this information and prepare a behavior change program for you based on their research, that is tailored to you individually: Your fitness level, your schedule and other responsibilities, and your preferences for foods and activities!
]]>“Without exercise, a good diet alone is not sufficient and eventually medical treatment will be needed” - Hippocrates
]]>“Without exercise, a good diet alone is not sufficient and eventually medical treatment will be needed” - Hippocrates
Today, 2480 years after Hippocrates, the scientific evidence and general knowledge about exercise has greatly increased, and it has only confirmed the ancient wisdom. Magazines like Forbes and the New York Times have reported on the scientific evidence on exercise using titles like “The wonder drug that’s free” and “Closest thing to a wonder drug? Try exercise”. Even the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal of the British Medical Association published her opinion on “The miracle cure”. The miracle-like properties and benefits for our body and mind of physical exercise and conditioning range from acutely improved mood and cognitive function to long-term prevention of cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic disease that plague every 6 out of 10 Americans! Oh well, we should have listened to the 2480 year old wisdom.
Unfortunately, today we find our society in a global “physical inactivity pandemic”, with at least 40% of Americans not being sufficiently physically active. Check out the physical inactivity map below from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Americans were asked “During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”, and those who responded “No” were classified as physically inactive. Think about that – one entire month without even going out for a walk. Is it not surprising how the body and heart can even keep the blood flow intact if we spend most of our time stationary, without using our muscles to flush out the glycogen, co2, and toxins, and help our heart to pump the 1.5 gallons of blood through our body every day? It is not surprising that inactivity is linked to heart and cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Clearly the increased prevalence and need for office and desk-jobs has increased and many of us are bound to the chair for eight hours a day to feed our families. But what about the other 8 waking hours that we have? Turns out that the most popular and loved leisure time activity above all (including active recreation!) is watching TV, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2019, American’s watched on average 2.8 hours of TV.
Almost one decade ago, expert researchers published an article in The Lancet called a “Call to Action”. They wrote that “Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death globally” – this is comparable to smoking, which is the leading cause of preventable death! One global analysis including 1.9 million participants showed a 31% increase in physical inactivity in high-income countries between 2001-2016 and put the concerning trajectory into perspective(1). Concerningly, we have had to endure the effects of another pandemic (you know ‘rona?) which led to many of us being sheltered at home. The gym is not only far away now, but also less safe than staying home, and instead of going out we are safer inside… in front of the TV?! Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the global physical activity pandemic has been exacerbated, and those with chronic diseases have a greater likelihood of suffering severe consequences or death from the coronavirus. Chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and obesity are associated with severe COVID-19-associated illness which increases the risk of these complications for 40.7% of U.S. adults.
If you are like many others you are probably scared and depressed by this point. How did this article that started with promises about a free miracle drug all of a sudden feel like a threat?! The truth is that “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” (Plato). Let’s focus on that last part for the rest of this article - good news! In addition to preventing horrible chronic diseases that govern the modern Western society, physical activity also has many benefits and amazing consequences that can make our life much more enjoyable by improving our mood and cognitive function immediately, and improve our ability to do all that we desire such as playing baseball or basketball with our grandchildren, or simply walking up the steps with groceries. Do you want to live without boundaries? Try exercise!
In order to reach the basic level of “protection” against chronic diseases, the last two and a half decades of research in this field have led the experts to recommend for adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week (i.e., activity when you breathe harder) and do strength training on two days per week. So, you could go on a brisk walk for 25 minutes Monday-Saturday and do some push-ups and squats for 20 minutes on two days and you are done! You can also spread out your activity with one 10 minute walk before work, and one 15 minute walk after dinner. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Let’s review the benefits of physical activity in some more detail.
Research on the benefits of physical activity began in the mid-1950s in London, when Jeremy Morris and colleagues studied heart disease among people with different transport-related occupations, specifically those working in the London buses (the red ones with two floors, remember?).
They found a lower risk of heart disease in the conductors, who would spend
their day running up and down the stairs to collect tickets, compared to bus drivers who spent their day being sedentary. The 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health followed this research and was the first to report that physical activity benefits health and even less-than-vigorous activities have these benefits. In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) first appointed a group of expert researchers, called the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee (PAGAC), to systematically review and summarize the scientific research of the last five decades. The 2008 PAGAC was the first to summarize the existing evidence for physical activity and health in one remarkable report. This report was updated to include the research of the most recent decade in 2018, our most recent guidelines. The 2018 PAGAC laid out guidelines for toddlers, children, adults, older adults, pregnant women, and adults with disabilities, and found (among other benefits) that physical activity is protective against 13 different cancers, and can improve brain health. The experts suggest that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week (i.e., activity when you breathe harder) and do strength training on two days per week. If you follow or exceed these guidelines, you will minimize your risk of chronic diseases, and the more active you are, the lower your risk of disease! Let’s review some areas of your health that you can improve with the miracle drug as described in the most recent PAGAC report.
Brain Health in the context of the PAGAC includes cognition (e.g., memory), quality of life, affect (i.e., emotions), anxiety, depression, and sleep. Specifically, the evidence shows “a consistent association between greater amounts of physical activity and improvements in cognition, including performance on academic achievement tests; performance on neuropsychological tests, such as those involving processing speed, memory, and executive function; and risk of dementia. Such evidence has been demonstrated across numerous populations and individuals representing a gradient of normal to impaired cognitive health status. These effects are found across a variety of forms of physical activity, including aerobic activity (e.g., brisk walking), muscle-strengthening activity, yoga, and play activities (e.g., tag or other simple low organizational games).” In addition, when you engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, you can gain immediate benefits for cognition, including attention, memory, crystalized intelligence, processing speed, and executive control. On the long term, the evidence demonstrates that greater amounts of physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease. Moderate evidence indicates that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity interventions can improve cognition in individuals with dementia.
In addition to improved cognitive function, strong evidence suggests that “or the general population, greater amounts of physical activity are associated with a positive perception of quality of life.” This may be partly due to the immediate benefits on your mood, and the reduction on anxiety and depression. Yes, you read that correctly: There is strong evidence that “physical activity reduces anxiety symptoms in individuals with anxiety disorders and reduces depressive symptoms in individuals with major depression.
Being physically active can also improve sleep, and especially longer workouts and regular activity can help you to fall asleep faster, and improve insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea.
There is strong evidence that physical activity will protect you and your loved ones from bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, renal, and gastric cancer, and there is moderate evidence that shows a protective effect against lung cancer.
Strong evidence exists that physical activity reduces blood pressure among adults with and without prehypertension, and the more your exercise and move, the lower your risk of developing high blood pressure. Another piece of great news is that there is moderate evidence that any type of physical activity (e.g., cardio, resistance training, or a mix) will improve blood pressure.
There is strong evidence that being sufficiently active (i.e., meeting the guidelines) can help you to maintain your weight, and there is also evidence to show that the more you exercise, the more likely it is that you will have a healthy weight, or slow down weight gain. Moderate evidence suggests that this benefit does not differ between men and women. So, if you are a man or a woman, get moving to maintain a healthy weight (and avoid the myriad of other conditions that can come with overweight or obesity). If you want to lose weight, being active can be an excellent addition to your diet changes and improve your metabolism.
Diabetes means that there are too many carbohydrates in our blood and muscles and our body cannot keep up metabolizing them. When you exercise and move, our muscles naturally utilize the fuel that is in the blood and stored in the muscles, so that when you go outside for a walk after eating, your blood sugar is more likely to remain stable because the carbohydrates are being used directly. It is not surprising that strong evidence exists to show that more physical activity is related to a lower chance of diabetes, and this counts for people with any weight status (i.e., normal weight, overweight or obesity). So, do what you can! As long as you move today more than you did yesterday, you are already collecting the benefits. Even if it may not be comfortable at first, it will come much easier once you have built a habit (approximately 3 weeks).
It can either be hard to go and be physically active today, or it can be hard to die early, not see your grandchildren grow up, have to manage diabetes, or not being able to move and don’t remember your family member’s names.
It is time to choose your hard.
You are still here? Great! Let’s talk about a few steps that can help you to get in the groove of an active lifestyle.
So, how active are you? Think about how you spend your day. Do you spend
most of your time sitting at work or driving? How do you spend your leisure time during the week and on the weekends? Do you watch TV, or do you go for a walk or play sports? How often are you so active that you are breathing hard? You can use this one-item questionnaire, the Stanford Leisure Time Activity Categorial Item to find out if you are meeting the physical activity guidelines.
“In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.” - Nitzsche
Find and choose activities that are fun, that make you feel good and that make the time go by fast. What is it that makes you happy? Music, dance, yardwork, running in nature, group fitness classes, cycling, … the list of physically active leisure time activities is endless. Check out this activity planner from the “Move your Way” campaign from the National Institutes of Health. You can pick out activities that you like, add them to your week and find out how much you need to meet the physical activity guidelines. For example, a sufficiently active week could look as follows: Play an active video game on the weekend for 30 minutes, walk briskly for 15 on five days a week, spend 45 minutes gardening and weeding on one day, and take one strength class for about 20 minutes.
Prioritize your movement. Most of us are busy and have little time during the
day. But why is that? Think about what you do make time for that is not part of your career, chores or childcare. Is it your nightly TV watching routine, or maybe the time you spend in online stores? You can make time for exercise and movement by scheduling it into your day at a time that you are most likely to do it. For example, are you a night owl or an early bird? When is your best time? Complete your daily exercise, or at least some of it (e.g., a 10 minute walk!) in the first few hours of the day, or before you watch TV or do other leisure activities.
Actively seek social support. Surround yourself with those who are active, and meet up with a friend for a walk or have your spouse or children move with you. If you ask someone to help you out, they will most likely want to help out and by helping you out they also improve their own health!
Getting outside in the fresh air can be a wonderful way to exercise and strengthen your immune system and overall wellbeing and health. Have you ever come inside after spending time outside in the snow, being active or skying? You feel how the crisp air and sunshine has made your skin fresh and young, and your lungs feel clean and rejuvenated. We should listen to our founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson:
“Not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise, and the weather should be little regarded. A person not sick will not be injured by getting wet. It is but taking a cold bath, which never gives a cold to any one. Brute animals are the most healthy, and they are exposed to all weather, and of men, those are healthiest who are the most exposed. The recipe of those two descriptions of beings is simple diet, exercise and the open air, be it's state what it will; and we may venture to say that this recipe will give health and vigor to every other description.” – Thomas Jefferson
In other words, get out there, get dirty, get cold, be active, and follow a simple diet with whole foods and plenty of water!
“It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” – Socrates
Instead of seeing exercise and activity as a punishment or chore, see it as a gift. Exercise is Medicine and it will help you to become healthier and live your life to the fullest, and it is a CELEBRATION of what your body is able to do. No matter your fitness level, the fact that we can get up and do something is a gift and a miracle. Be thankful to the pile of cells that is your body for what it makes possible for you.
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Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
The holidays are coming up, and so is the new year! For many of us the holidays are filled with family time, great food and a break from our everyday routines. The holidays are a great time to catch a breath before we start into the new year, hopefully with enthusiasm! While the holidays are a time of sweet treats and temptations, it is time to prioritize our health and start making changes in the New Year starting with more exercise, better sleep, and improved nutrition.
If you don’t know where to start, focus on one of the four leading risk factors for chronic diseases: Eat healthier, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, and be more physically active! Did you know that 6 out of every 10 Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease? These include heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Did you also know that, according to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes 2.75 ounces of sugar per day, or 308 calories in pure sugar, or more than 17% of daily calories!? Sugar has no micronutrients, spikes our blood sugar, increases inflammation in the body and increases our risk for diabetes, fatty liver disease, cognitive decline and some cancers (Rippe & Angelopoulos, 2016). So, if you want to improve your health and are looking for a place to start, try to avoid sugar on most days of the week.
You can find healthy replacements, for example substitute your soda for a sparkling water, and your afternoon candy bar with a protein-rich and low sugar alternative such as sugar-free chocolate or a protein cookie. However, be aware of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, which can also spike your blood sugar. Instead, choose options with stevia, monk fruit, or allulose.
Whether it is reducing your sugar and eat healthier, be more active, stop smoking, or drink less, make sure that you choose a goal that is truly important to you. For example, you may have thought for years that you “should probably cut down” on the sugar, or quit smoking, but think about why you haven’t done so yet. WHY do you want to make these changes? Is it so that you can lose some weight and play with your children? Is it so that you can be alive and spend time with your grandchildren when the time comes? Is it to do an activity that you used to enjoy or want to try?
Once you have figured out your motivation, set a realistic and attainable goal. For example, it is unlikely that you will be able to quit smoking tomorrow, or start working out 5 times a week for 45 minutes. Instead, create small weekly or monthly goals that build up on each other. In the first week, your goal may be to decrease your cigarette consumption from 15 to 10 per day, or walk 10 minutes on 3 days per week.
Lastly, focus on your journey. The longer the journey is, the more likely it will create lasting changes. Focus on changing your habits and on the process rather than the outcome. For example, your goal may be to lose 10 lbs. until May, but instead of focusing on the weight loss figure out behaviors that you can change that will help you to reach that goal. Eat less sugar, eat more foods with high water content, get your veggies in, drink more water, and get your daily exercise or movement.
Did you know that being physically active prevents chronic diseases? Not being physically active is one of the four leading causes for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and stroke. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Committee is a group of experts in the field of physical activity and health who have been appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to summarize the research of the last five decades. The experts suggest that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week (i.e., activity when you breathe harder) and do strength training on two days per week. If you follow or exceed these guidelines, you will minimize your risk of chronic diseases, and the more active you are, the lower your risk of disease!
Find and choose activities that are fun, that make you feel good and that make the time go by fast. What is it that makes you happy? Music, dance, yardwork, running in nature, group fitness classes, cycling, … the list of physically active leisure time activities is endless. Check out this activity planner from the “Move your Way” campaign from the National Institutes of Health. You can pick out activities that you like, add them to your week and find out how much you need to meet the physical activity guidelines. For example, a sufficiently active week could look as follows: Play an active video game on the weekend for 30 minutes, walk briskly for 15 on five days a week, spend 45 minutes gardening and weeding on one day, and take one strength class for about 20 minutes.
Prioritize your movement. Most of us are busy and have little time during the day. But why is that? Think about what you do make time for that is not part of your career, chores or childcare. Is it your nightly TV watching routine, or maybe the time you spend in online stores? You can make time for exercise and movement by scheduling it into your day at a time that you are most likely to do it. For example, are you a night owl or an early bird? When is your best time? Complete your daily exercise, or at least some of it (e.g., a 10 minute walk!) in the first few hours of the day, or before you watch TV or do other leisure activities.
Actively seek social support. Surround yourself with those who are active, and meet up with a friend for a walk or have your spouse or children move with you. If you ask someone to help you out, they will most likely want to help out and by helping you out they also improve their own health!
Instead of seeing exercise and activity as a punishment or chore, see it as a gift. Exercise is Medicine and it will help you to become healthier and live your life to the fullest, and it is a CELEBRATION of what your body is able to do. No matter your fitness level, the fact that we can get up and do something is a gift and a miracle. Be thankful to the pile of cells that is your body for what it makes possible for you.
“The question is not why we sleep, but why we don’t sleep all day!” Matthew Walker, Ph.D., is Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkely. In his book “Why We Sleep – Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams”, he summarizes decades of research on sleep in a consumer-friendly way. When we sleep, the body restores our immune system, recalibrates our emotions, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Sleep enriches many brain functions such as our ability to learn, memorize and make logical decisions. Make an effort to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night to help you regulate your appetite, increase your metabolism, and avoid mindless eating. If you need a new routine because you have been getting only 4-6 hours every night, there are many ways that you can integrate more sleep into your 24 hours.
Think about what activities you do every night that do not contribute to your health goals. For example, do you spend 3 hours or more watching TV at night? Studies show that watching TV for 3 or more hours every night is related to a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and early death. Think about replacing some of that time that you use to “unwind” at night to create a bedtime routine around the same time. For example, set yourself an alarm for 9 pm and reminder at 9:30 pm so that you can start getting ready for bed. Plan to use some time in bed to read a book, or journal.
Have your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime, and do your best to avoid sugar and caffeine in the evening. Replace your after dinner treat with a high fat and high protein treat such as sugar-free peanut or other nut butter on a low-carb wrap, or a keto protein treat. Check out atlas bar, MCT bar and Quest protein treats for blood sugar and sleep-friendly options!
We sleep best in a dark, cold environment. Did you know that our skin has light receptors?? Make sure that all light sources are removed as much as possible, and remove any other devices (TV!) from your bedroom. Keep it clean and cool.
Have the same routine before bed. If you always go to bed after brushing your teeth and change into your pajamas, these actions will eventually work as a trigger for your brain to become tired, and make it easy to fall asleep. Similarly, only use your bedroom for sleeping, so that your brain connects this room with sleeping and sex only, but not working, watching TV, relaxing, or even eating.
If you do not feel tired at night, or have trouble sleeping, try to go for a 30 minute walk after dinner, or about one hour before bedtime. You may feel too tired to start to go, but lure yourself into it by watching TV show while walking or listen to your favorite podcast.
Dr. Mark Hyman, MD is a well-published author, and medical doctor and creator of the functional medicine clinic called the Ultrawellness Center which has helped many people improve their health through food, when they had tried everything else and given up. In his book “Food - What the Heck Should I Eat” Dr. Hyman reviews the scientific literature on how the industry and free market in the U.S. have marketed “food-like substances” (i.e., processed foods) full of sugar and unhealthy fats, and how we can choose our foods to use it as medicine and improve our health. He addresses topics like governmental guidelines and collaborations with giants in the food industry, environmental impact, and organic vs. conventionally grown food. For example, Dr. Hyman talks about this “fun fact”: After the first world war was over, the manufacturers of bioweapons did not have any market to sell their products. The farmers however needed something to keep the bugs of their crops and vegetables, so the bioweapons were sold to farmers and put on the food we eat. That is why you may want to pay the extra dollar for the organic apple. It is astonishing what can be marketed as food, and it is not surprising that six out of ten Americans suffer from a chronic disease when we think about the average American diet
Luckily, not all types of fruits and vegetables are heavily contaminated. The Environmental Working Group reviews foods for harm and toxicity, and publishes a specific list of fruits and vegetables to help guide which types are least concerning (e.g., avocados), and most concerning (e.g., strawberries). The most concerning fruits and vegetables should be bought organic.
Food is Medicine, and you are what you eat. Have you ever felt tired, anxious, drowsy, or unhappy and thought about what you ate? Well, you should! A large majority of our state and overall health is related to what we eat and drink. For example, you may know the feeling after big meals or celebrations (such as Christmas!) that the social media community likes to refer to as “food coma”. You can feel your heart beating faster, you feel hot, it seems like you can feel blood pressure in your veins, and you are tired and don’t want to move. Good news: There is NOTHING wrong with your body! Your body is trying to process all the carbohydrates, sugars and fats that you introduced to your bloodstream, and the reason why you can feel it is because there is enough of the sugar and fat in your body that you will actually notice. Compare that to your daily afternoon snack. You may eat the same kind of food (e.g., a pastry full of butter and sugar, a candy bar full of sugar), but you may feel just fine after you ate it. Fact is that the sugar and lack of fiber with spike your blood sugar and leave you tired and hungry afterwards.
Be encouraged to listen in to your body in a new way. All your daily aches and pains they you may have gotten so used to every day, they are NOT NATURAL, and are AVOIDABLE! In most cases, taking a pill or other medicine will do nothing for your health but drive income for the pharma industry. A headache is not a signal for a deficiency in aspirin. Similarly, feeling tired and hungry after your snack in the afternoon is not a signal of a deficit in sugar or carbs!
There are two kinds of hungry, one is when we are craving something and the hunger hormone of ghrelin increases. This often happens when you have a large meal at night and wake up hungry the next morning. Think about it. You just had about 1,000-2,000 calories 8 hours ago, and did nothing but sleep and watch TV in the meantime, and now your body seems to need food again? This feeling of “hunger” will subside if you have some tea or coffee, lots of water, and get some movement in for 10-30 minutes. Being hungry in the sense of your body needs food feels different. It is not your stomach that growls or that feels empty or uncomfortable, but you start to feel lightheaded and even after drinking water you still feel hungry. The BEST indicator for real hunger is that you crave whole, healthy foods such as vegetables, and healthy protein sources. When you eat, you will notice how the energy enters your body and creates gratitude for the food you eat.
In the new year, try to find out what it feels like to be hungry or simply have appetite or cravings, and connect how you feel in the morning when you wake up to what you ate the night before. You will likely feel tired and have not had a sleep quality if you had a large, carbohydrate and fat-rich meal late at night. You will likely feel much more restored if you have a light meal around 6 pm, and have lots of water and some movement during the day, even if you sleep the same number of hours.
Eat whole fruits and vegetables with high water content to fill you up, and instead of counting calories count your servings of green vegetables, other vegetables and fruit that are full of fiber that will keep fuller for longer. When you eat dense foods such as cheese or bread, always have something fresh with it such as a salad, a few tomatoes, or bell peppers. Sneak in as much water into each meal as possible, and also make sure that you drink three quarts of water per day, preferably filtered or spring water. Staying hydrated will help your digestion, speed your metabolism, and help you to stay focused.
This article was written by Ricarda, a Certified Health Education Specialist and Ph.D. Candidate for Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida.
]]>Aug 28, 2020 (AB Digital via COMTEX) -- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), physical inactivity is one of the four leading causes of chronic diseases in the United States including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Physical inactivity has been a health concern even before the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is still a threat, health researchers made an urgent call to the public to get fit for their physical and mental wellness, and to improve immunity and decrease risk for chronic diseases. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 min of moderate, or 75 min of vigorous physical activity per week, and strength training on two days per week. Three 45 min online exercise classes per week would suffice to achieve the benefits related to physical activity. The healthy lifestyle hub Gains Everyday has a mission to make a healthy and active lifestyle simple and enjoyable. To motivate people staying at home to start their fitness journey Gains Everyday serves as a resource for the best online exercise classes, and offers various fitness essentials, from home gym equipment and fitness apparel.
With Gains Everyday, people at home with limited access to indoor and outdoor activity spots can order home gym equipment such as barbell weight sets, dumbbell weight sets, branded body pump sets, branded weight sets, universal step for aerobic and weight training, foam rubber flooring to protect home floors from heavy gym devices, and more.
In order to make the journey to a healthy lifestyle more enjoyable, the company also delivers branded and popular protein bars, cereals, powders, coffee, shakes, chips, and supplements for individuals looking for protein snacks and high-quality protein supplements. Supplements and protein treats are often filled with controversial chemicals and ingredients such as aspartame [1]. To distinguish the best health snacks from the rest, Gains Everyday researches these potentially harmful product components and offers only the brands with high-quality ingredients. For the company, people have enough in their life to worry about than having to research which health food is actually healthy.
“Fitness starts at the source. Gains Everyday is about healthy lifestyles, motivating people to move everyday, and offer them proper nutrition to fuel their bodies,” said the team at Gains Everyday.
Gains Everyday posts daily recipes to inspire people to try healthier versions of their favorite dishes. The brand’s Facebook page contains workout tips for starters and fitness enthusiasts alike. It also serves as the fitness resource for on-demand workouts, morning yoga, weightlifting, calisthenics, evening stretching, and recovery materials for the brand's customers and followers. Gains Everyday’s FB page is linked to its website for easy viewing and community discussion.
Finally, Gains Everyday created unique t-shirts and tops for men and women with inspirational messages to help them to stay motivated. For those who seek a simpler or more colorful style, the brand offers a wide range of tops and leggings with different styles and colors for women, and various workout t-shirts for men.
Gains Everyday ships items worldwide and anywhere in the United States. Customers can also email their website’s help center for inquiries or concerns.
For more information on the company, visit http://www.gainseveryday.com, check out their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/Newstart2today, and follow their twitter page: https://twitter.com/GainseverydayFA @gainseverydayFA.
About Gains Everyday
Gains Everyday is a healthy lifestyle hub that motivates people to get out and move everyday. More than a fitness product provider, the brand also helps people get proper nutrition to fuel their bodies. The Gains Everyday team researches and compiles the best health and nutrition tips around to educate fitness enthusiasts to eat and live well.
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects#side-effects
Media Contact
Company Name: Gains Everyday
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 18133750062
Country: United States
Website: http://www.gainseveryday.com/
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4789768#ixzz6hHfzEhTL
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