Mobility Explained - Michael Ray, D.C.

Rolling through Instagram or Facebook, we find narratives and interventions claiming to improve something called “mobility”. We can select from options including stretching, foam rolling / body tempering, lacrosse ball smashing, voodoo flossing, power tools converted to guns being sold as therapeutic, and the list goes on. The level of marketing would make even Donald Draper of Mad Men proud.

But are these implements doing what we think they are? Are we just hidden pliable versions of Gumby walking around, waiting for our supple potential to be released? Or, are we committing the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy? Before we decide, we must first define our terms and examine the narratives being given to validate these interventions.

So how do we define mobility?

In the research world and hospital setting, the word “mobility” is simply defined as the ability to move.1

In contrast, in the fitness and outpatient rehab world we now find the term being used to substantiate all sorts of bizarre narratives for perceived problems, which then require intervention to fix. We especially see the term tossed around when a person’s movement doesn’t meet the observing clinician’s/coach’s standards of perfectionism or idea of “normal”.

Movement has been dichotomized to “good” vs “bad” based on this idea of mobility, as if it is a pathological issue. As a result, it has generated numerous guru systems purported to treat these perceived problems. However, the real problem is clinicians’/coaches’ tendency to become anchored to our subjective view of how we think movement “should” look. This is usually based on our prior experience, and often has little room for the broad range of normal inter-individual variation.

This misuse of the word continues to perpetuate people’s search for magical tools to improve their mobility so that they may obtain the perfect qi of athletic performance. The search often comes at the expense (in terms of time, money, and effort) of more specific sport practice or training. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

How do we assess movement?

We tend to assign non-qualified adjectives to movement. What is a “poor position”? “Poor movement”? We need to qualify such terms. Is it simply less visually appealing compared to what would be viewed as “better” movement? Or is the movement suboptimal for some metric of performance (meaning the person could complete more reps/sets/increased load/resist fatigue/etc.)?

This is also under the assumption that pain is not a variable in the process. But even if pain is a relevant variable: is the movement painful or injurious specifically because of the way it is performed, or is it more of a question of dosage/loading?2 Often, the extremes of biomechanical demands are where we can get into trouble here (like anything in life).

We also need to consider the impact of other contextual factors including fear-avoidance, catastrophizing, conditioning, and/or the narratives previously provided in these situations — in other words, what has this person been told before about pain and injury as they pertain to movement and mechanics?3,4

There certainly exist advantageous positions/movements from which to exert force based on physics and biomechanics – but these movement parameters are also broad and adaptable based on the individual and their prior training experience. Even at the highest levels of sport where maximal movement efficiency can differentiate winner from loser, substantial technical variability is readily apparent between competitors, rather than rigid adherence to an idealized movement “model” that might be predicted by physics alone.

Consider that spinal flexion in the deadlift, elbow flare in the bench press, or knee valgus in the squat, for example do not universally, automatically produce acute injury. Yet, when pain or injury does occur, athletes are quick to point to these often minor mechanical deviations as the singular cause of their symptoms, often because they have been told these things should be avoided at all costs.

Yet, we have data on inter-individual differences in preferred lifting techniques. Let’s use the example of spinal kinematics during lifting an object from the ground (deadlift).

Pavlova recently completed a study examining the curviness of participant’s lumbar spine and its effect on lifting an object from the ground during three different trials.5 The first trial the participant lifted “freestyle”, no cueing. The second trial the participants were cued to squat (“keep the back straight and bend at the knees”), and finally the third trial to stoop (“keep the legs straight and bend at the back”). The authors’ findings:

“In this study we have shown that the curviness of the lumbar spine is associated with the way in which individuals lift a weight from the floor. When no instruction was given, individuals with more lordotic lumbar spines preferred to stoop down to pick up the box, while those with straighter spines preferred to squat. Our results also suggest that these natural movement preferences are maintained when instructions are given, especially in individuals with curvier spines who prefer to lift by stooping. In changing between lifting styles, individuals adjusted their knee flexion while maintaining their preferred lumbar flexion range.”

These findings certainly question the forced constraint or “one size fits all mentality” rather than allowing for variability and a degree of subjective preference when completing a task.

The authors go on to conclude:

“These results could be important for a reassessment of lifting guidelines, one size does not fit all, and for training of athletes where a given task may place different demands on different athletes depending on their natural lifting technique, which may depend on the shape of their lumbar spine.”

Interestingly, it is often the coaches/clinicians working with athletes who drive this idea of perfectionism, defined as “… a personality disposition characterised by striving for flawlessness and setting exceedingly high standards of performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one’s behavior.”6

Unfortunately, perfectionism tends to be counterproductive for progress. We now have emerging data suggesting that such an approach can contribute to injury risk (See Perfectionism predicts injury in junior athletes: Preliminary evidence from a prospective study).6

Movement Variability:

So we tend to have an ideal in our minds of what movement should or shouldn’t look like. We become Procustean arbiters of movement. The current evidence contradicts the purported benefits of aggressively reducing variability in movement, but instead suggests quite the opposite. Variability appears to enhance motor learning and provides the nervous system alternative pathways to complete a movement rather than “solidifying” or, better put, restricting it into set constructs of operation.

Here is an applicable article:  Temporal structure of motor variability is dynamically regulated and predicts motor learning ability by Wu et al.7

The initial question many researchers like Wu set out to answer: is the initial high variability of a new movement pattern an obstaclethat impedes effective performance, or is it facilitating the motor system’s ability to learn?

Wu went on to demonstrate that movement variability promotes motor learning.  His experiment studied subjects engaging in hand-trajectory motor learning tasks and tracking variability structure as a predictor of the rate of learning.  Studied participants were tasked with tracing shapes in four separate experiments.

The authors’ guiding principle was Reinforcement Learning Theory, which basically states that learning occurs via interaction with one’s environment through trial and error. Motor learning occurs by the consequences of one’s actions; in essence, exploitation of past experiences and exploration of new ones.

Participants received no error-based feedback and their behavior was only rewarded based on performance (tracked on a scale of 0 – 1000 based on similarity of shape traced), similar to a coach praising an athlete for completing a movement within the confines they deem acceptable. 

Overall the authors found:

“Remarkably, we found that individuals with higher task-relevant variability at baseline learned faster than those with lower baseline variability and that tasks associated with higher baseline variability in task-relevant dimensions elicited faster learning. Interestingly, we found that neither the inter-individual nor the inter-task effects of variability were specific to reward-based learning, as we also observed them in an error-based force-field adaptation paradigm. Taken together these results suggest a general principle whereby increased variability enables faster learning.”

If anything, this study tells us that a person with more total variability when learning a movement will achieve the desired outcome (task) faster than others with forced movement constriction. Even more intriguing, variability likely provides alternative avenues of completing a movement via the exploitation aspect of motor learning.

Dhawale did a recent review and came to similar conclusions as Wu:

“Although noise in nervous system function can often be detrimental to optimal performance, the studies we have reviewed here suggest that neural variability may also be conducive to motor learning, in line with reinforcement learning theory. Random fluctuations (or noise) in the activity of neurons could plausibly underlie such motor exploration, but recent findings suggest that the nervous system is more deliberate and sophisticated than that and may be regulating and shaping motor variability actively to augment learning.”8

So why do we get attached to these implements to improve this ill-defined term, mobility?

The instant gratification of things…..

Anything worth doing takes time and effort. Many of the “mobility implements” mentioned above may provide instant gratification from a temporary increase in range of motion, decreased perception of soreness, and/or decreased “tightness” (another nebulous term). However, this doesn’t mean the person can automatically utilize the new-found range of motion, that it meaningfully translates to performance, or that it provides any net positive impact over the long term.

More importantly, are we just wasting time while perpetuating false narratives? We should view this discussion through a lens of maximizing return on investment (ROI), which can be defined as:

ROI = (Gain from Investment – Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment

In our case, much of the data is qualitative. Our “Cost of Investment” is time, effort, and depending on the implement in question, money. Our potential gain would be based on the supplied narrative. The question then becomes: did the gains outweigh our cost? Our primary argument in the case of these implements is no.

With this in mind, we don’t want to oversimplify the investment of time, a commodity we can’t manufacture or get back once spent. So, if we are going to condition people to narratives and implements, we should have strong supporting evidence. Now, let’s break this idea down a bit more for each technique.

Stretching:

So what is stretching, exactly? There are three variations of stretching typically described in the literature.

Static: place the muscle in a lengthened position and hold this position; often held at an uncomfortable but tolerable end range of motion between 10 and 30 seconds.9

Dynamic: utilizes active muscle contraction and momentum to lengthen muscle without holding the end-range position.9 [As an aside, I take issue with dynamic stretching being categorized under the umbrella of “stretching” because it’s simply unloaded movement. Example: performing air squats prior to doing back squats (we will get to performance effect shortly)]

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF): there are 2 types typically utilized (there are different derivations to these two types and some contention on the definition of PNF), “contract-relax” (CR) and “contract-relax, agonist contract” (CRAC).10

CR: muscle being targeted is brought to end-range where resistance is felt. The person being stretched then actively contracts against resistance (isometrically), and then the targeted muscle is taken into a new position of limitation.

CRAC: same as CR but instead of targeted muscle being contracted, the opposite muscle group is contracted against resistance. Then, the targeted muscle is taken into a new position of limitation.

The usual narratives surrounding the validation of stretching are as follows:

1. Clinically: helps with contractures

2. Make “tight” muscles “loose”

3. Decrease delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

4. Increase overall range of motion

5. Improve performance

6. Decrease injury risk (notice this does not say prevent – we can’t prevent anything in regards to athletic based injuries, but we can appropriately hedge our bets to reduce risk). For a more in-depth discussion, see Bahr 2016).11

The overall cost for stretching would be time, effort, and potentially money if we are paying a clinician/coach to complete the intervention passively.

Beginning with contractures allows us to consider complicated medical situations in which ROM is likely clinically reduced and stretching may appear warranted.

Contracture is a shortening and stiffening of muscles that limits joint range of motion, and  typically occurs in patients after stroke, brain/spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and in other neurological conditions. They can also occur in certain non-neurological musculoskeletal issues such as rheumatoid arthritis, burns, and post-op situations.

The latest Cochrane review on the topic doesn’t show much supporting evidence for the use of stretching to prevent or treat contractures:

“There was high‐quality evidence that stretch did not have clinically important effects on joint mobility in people with or without neurological conditions if performed for less than seven months.”12

If seven months seems odd as a cutoff point, it’s because none of the included studies examined the topic longer than 7 months … so perhaps the 8 month mark is when the magic happens, but it’s doubtful.

Regarding “tight” muscles and range of motion: stretching is consistently demonstrated to alter perception (i.e., “feeling tight”) or tolerance to a position, but not actually altering tissue structure in a meaningful way. The most recent review by Freitas,Can chronic stretching change the muscle-tendon mechanical properties? A review, found:

“Stretching interventions with 3- to 8-week duration do not seem to change either the muscle or the tendon properties, although it increases the extensibility and tolerance to a greater tensile force. Adaptations to chronic stretching protocols shorter than 8 weeks seem to mostly occur at a sensory level.”13

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS):

DOMS is interesting and warrants its own future article to sufficiently discuss the nuanced aspects of the topic. With that said, DOMS can be objectively measured (though the validity of these measures is worthy of discussion) but is a subjective experience similar to pain perception. DOMS is something we may perceive post-exercise, and we can alter perception with all sorts of implements. The question becomes: how do we maximize our time with greatest return on investment for improving performance at specific tasks? Over the long term, if an athlete is continuously experiencing DOMS, then we should be assessing relevant performance and recovery variables with research support: training loads & programming variables, sleep, and nutrition. However, competitive athletic events pose scenarios where many are seeking short term gains (feeling of decreased DOMS and improved recovery and fatigue levels). This is a discussion for a later time, but the research on stretching isn’t supportive for improving DOMS.

More to the point; even if you may feel like stretching alters DOMS – the evidence shows otherwise. According to a Cochrane review, Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise:

“The evidence from randomised studies suggests that muscle stretching, whether conducted before, after, or before and after exercise, does not produce clinically important reductions in delayed‐onset muscle soreness in healthy adults.”14

Improved Performance:

A recent review by Peck covers this topic well. “Performance” is a broad term and needs to be qualified to examine relevant research.15

Peck classifies sport performance into 3 categories:

1. Strength and Power Dominant: “brief and maximal effort” activities (countermovement jump for max height or 1RM in resistance training)

2. Speed and Agility Dominant: “cyclical, short-duration, fast muscular contraction events” (100 m sprint or less and/or repeated, quick, and multidirectional movements).

3. Endurance Dominant: “cyclical, longer-duration” activities (running for 200 m or longer, cycling, or submax muscular endurance  repetitions for resistance exercises).

For static stretching the following conclusions were drawn from the evidence:

1. Strength and Power: Performing static stretching by itself immediately before strength and power activities diminishes performance. If static stretching is performed with sufficient time prior to activity (articles proposes 15 minutes) or is subsequently combined with other types of warm-up, then no effect occurs on strength and power activities. Basically, either no effect or detrimental effect … leading to the conclusion that it is not worth our investment.

2. Speed and Agility – When performed prior to speed and agility activity, static stretching is detrimental to performance. Similarly with strength and power, if a dynamic stretch or general warm-up is completed after static stretching then the detrimental effect may be reversed, but this does not imply an improvement in performance but rather a return to baseline (zero). Peck does go on to say that static stretching may affect speed and agility performance differently based on baseline characteristics of the athlete’s level of flexibility.

3. Endurance: Based on the current available literature, Peck states,

“It is unclear whether static stretching impairs either longer-duration (200 m or greater) cyclic activity or submaximal muscular endurance, but it is notable that no study shows a performance benefit from static stretching performed prior to these activities.”15

Which means, either no benefit or potentially negative effect.

Now, on to effects of dynamic stretching. To reiterate, dynamic stretching appears to be a misnomer because it describes active unloaded movement, rather than holding a particular position at end range statically. For argument’s sake, dynamic stretching will be discussed as unloaded movement for the remainder of this article. With that said, there does appear to be some nuance to the discussion of unloaded movement prior to sport performance.

1. Strength and Power: Improves performance for strength and power dominant activities, but we aren’t sure how it stacks up to just doing lower intensity externally loaded movements or combination of both unloaded and loaded movements. Peck concludes:

“It appears from the preponderance of evidence that dynamic stretching improves strength and power performance when performed immediately prior to the event. Whether a combination of dynamic stretching and heavy-load exercises prior to an activity such as the countermovement jump further improves performance is unclear.”15

1. Speed and Agility: Yes, unloaded movements do appear to be beneficial prior to the performance of speed and agility movements. Which, of course, are also typically unloaded movements. Peck cautions, “However, excessive volume may induce fatigue and affect speed and agility performance adversely.” In other words, don’t drain the energy account too quickly, or you might find yourself in the red and owing an NSF.

2. Endurance: Not enough evidence either way. Probably best to not make bets when we have no evidence for defining our risk.

Regarding PNF, we need more evidence, but it’s not looking good – particularly for strength and power activities.

Decreased Injury Risk:

A 2014 study by Lauersen et al, “The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials,” found:

“Stretching did not show any protective effect (RR=0.961 (0.836–1.106)), while strength training proved highly significant (RR 0.315 (0.207–0.480)).”16

Imagine that: stretching didn’t affect relative risk for injury, but strength training had a significant protective effect. This would seem to further support the loaded movement argument.

The moral of the investment story here: stretching offers little to no benefit in relation to our required investment of time, effort, and potentially money. We will be discussing other implements such as foam rolling, body-tempering, voodoo flossing, etc in future articles. In the meantime, it is important to:

Arm yourselves against silly BS.

There are a few easy ways to make money in the rehab/fitness world.

1. Use vague statements about a perceived problem (e.g., mobility) to sell a product.

2. Increase buy-in with the following:

   1. Utilize testimonials (preferably pro-athletic teams or well-known athletes for the sports rehab world)

   2. Develop dependency via fear-mongering (if you don’t do this ONE thing, or use “X” tool every day for “X” minutes a day then you will be in pain or your performance will suffer – and your success in the gym/sport depends on this!)

   3. Amass as many followers as possible (charismatic personality helps and giving away free stuff – it also doesn’t hurt to hire attractive people … welcome to marketing).

   4. Stir controversy to obtain increased attention

   5. Consistently pump out new products to solve new perceived problems or invent new problems while developing products to solve them.

   6. Repeat process indefinitely

   7. Don’t forget that past products are able to be rebranded/repackaged to solve forgotten perceived problems.

A few of these points are worth touching on.

Fear-mongering:

We have enough evidence at this point that, as clinicians/coaches, our words matter and affect all sorts of things such as beliefs, expectation, conditioned behaviors, and ultimate treatment outcomes, to name a few.

The narratives surrounding these implements drive beliefs and conditioned behaviors, increasing unnecessary reliance on the part of the users, while the creators and proponents are profiting.

Athletes and patients may find themselves spending hours a week “rolling out” non-existent adhesions or myofascial trigger points (discussed HERE).

Or stretching, because somewhere along the journey some well-meaning person suggested that an individual has a “bad” squat or is experiencing low back pain because they have “tight” hamstrings or psoas muscles. We lack supporting evidence for either of those narratives.17 But we do have evidence showing how the words utilized for these narratives can make matters worse for patients.18,19,20, 21 As clinicians/coaches, our narratives have the potential to build resiliency or instill vulnerability.22

These narratives then get cemented in the person’s mind, leaving them with the idea that they require some implement to “fix” them so they may someday achieve an arbitrary model of movement perfection. In reality, the person probably just needs to spend more time practicing said movement … but this doesn’t get likes on Instagram or Facebook … nor does it sell products.

Imagine a world where everyone has high self-efficacy and doesn’t rely on inappropriate narratives and products to find success, but realizes they have everything they need to be successful … and supple … just imagine.23

In closing:

The term mobility has been manipulated to sell narratives and products. We likely should change our vernacular to just discuss range of motion. The odds are, we have the necessary range of motion to accomplish our desired activities, but we may be unadapted to accessing the desired range of motion and require more time training the particular movement we wish to improve.

Don’t buy into the silly BS.

Stay tuned for future blogs discussing other implements and the miraculous claims accompanying them.

Special thanks to Drs. Austin Baraki and Derek Miles for their help with this article.

https://www.barbellmedicine.com/mobility-explained/

MEAL PREP: Stay on Top of Your 2019 Diet

20 Meal Prep Tips From the Best Preppers We Know

Meal prepping is all the rage of late, and for good reason: It saves time and money, while helping you stick to your clean eating plan and stave off hanger. Yet, if you’ve thought about embracing this healthy eating habit, only to be derailed once you realize the time and effort — not to mention all the plastic containers — involved, we don’t blame you.

Luckily, meal prepping doesn’t have to be a daylong logistical nightmare, full of dirty dishes, spilled quinoa and mismatched food storage containers. (Not to mention less-than-appealing leftovers.) Want to prep like the best of them? Follow these meal prep tips from some of the best think-ahead health gurus we know.

1. Invest in the right containers.

“Proper food storage containers [allow you to] re-heat your meals and eat from them — and they last forever. I purchase glass containers that allow me to portion-size my meals easily. Additionally, I have varying shapes and sizes of containers for salads and snacks like yogurt and fruit, and zip-lock bags for dry snacks.” — Erin Romeo, @foodprepprincess

2. Get in on the mason jar trend.

I’m all about canning jars for meal prepping! They work for salads, soup, oatmeal, smoothies — almost anything. They are dishwasher- and microwave-safe, water-tight and sturdy as can be. I use plastic caps on mine, which are easier to clean and keep track of than the standard two-part preserving lids.” — Cassie Johnston, Back to Her Roots

3. Make sure your lids match.

“Buy the same brand of containers. [It] may seem trivial, but it will save time when trying to package your meals up. Matching lids can be a pain if you have three different types of containers.”— Allie Whitesides, former Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach4. Nail down a system for collecting new recipes.

4. Nail down a system for collecting new recipes.

“I’ll often screenshot recipes I find online throughout the week on my phone so I have a bunch of healthy recipe ideas saved to my camera roll to choose from when it’s time to sit down and do some meal planning. When I have a little more time, I love sitting down with a few cookbooks and a cup of coffee on Sunday mornings to search for recipe inspiration.” — Julie Fagan, Peanut Butter Fingers

5. Relax

6. Go crazy with the spices.

“[One of my] secrets is to prep things that I like to eat, and add spices and flavors…If you don’t like what you’re eating, your diet plan will not be sustainable.” — Tina Chow, @fitchickscook

7. Make a detailed shopping list.

“I like to keep things simple… I use the “Notes” app on my iPhone to keep a running list of ingredients I need. As soon as I notice I am running out of a staple ingredient like dried rice or chopped garlic, I’ll put it right on the list so that I remember to buy it at next week’s grocery trip…I try to keep my list in order of where I’ll find in in the grocery store — produce, meat, dairy — so that my trip to the store is quick and efficient. ” — Stephanie Troxell, MS, RD, former Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach

8. Make your kitchen a meal prepping machine.

“I pull in a foldable table, a cart [and] get my second toaster oven and other appliances out from the closet. I get equipped with my apron, I put on my headphones, and I try to…meal prep for the week faster than I did last week. Within four to five hours, I can prepare food for six days… This would be impossible if I didn’t employ the strategy of turning my kitchen into a factory when meal prep time comes around.” — Jon Call, Acrobolix, @jujimufu

9. Stock up on meal prep staples.

“I keep my pantry and freezer stocked with quick go-to items. Here’s what I always try to have on hand. Freezer: frozen fruits and veggies (less expensive and lasts much longer), frozen brown rice or quinoa (quicker cooking and no pan to wash!), frozen shrimp or salmon (defrosts quickly). Pantry: Plain oatmeal, beans, diced tomatoes, salsa, chicken or veggie broth.” — former Allie Whitesides, Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach

10. Pretty up your meals.

“It’s one thing to have a delicious meal; it’s another to have a ‘good looking,’ delicious meal. Many times people will prepare a meal, or two, or five, but the reality is that by the third day or so that meal might not look that appealing anymore. For me, the kitchen tool that has helped change this is the cast iron grill pan. Whether you’re cooking chicken, steak, burgers, or even a sandwich, pressing it on to that pan to create grill marks makes a world of difference. Best part about it is, it can be used indoors and you’ll still get the beautiful grill marks without having to go outside and turn on the grill when it’s 10 below. Try it!” — Alex Torres, @mealprepmondays

11. Utilize the weekend.

“Get your meal prepping done during the weekend so you’ve got meals for the beginning of [each] week. This has helped me in getting organized!” — Jenny Flake, Picky Palate

12. Set a timer (and stick to it).

“Meal prepping can seem so overwhelming, and if you aren’t careful, you can spend a whole day prepping food. I’m a believer that you should keep your meal-prep sessions short. I set a timer for two hours on Sunday mornings. I get done as much as I can in those two hours, and then I go enjoy my weekend happy that I’ve prepared myself for the upcoming week. You’d be amazed at what you can get done in that time!” — Cassie Johnston, Back to Her Roots

13. Learn to multitask.

“When people are first starting to food prep, they tend to focus on doing one thing at a time, which is fine, but it often takes a lot longer for them to get their food prep done and it can be discouraging. Once you’ve done it a few times and start to get comfortable, using multiple parts of your kitchen at once is a game changer. I almost always have something baking in the oven, something cooking on the stove, something in the crockpot and am working on something at the counter all at the same time. This allows you to get more done in a shorter period of time!” — Lindsay Livingston, RD, The Lean Green Bean

14. Put technology to work for you.

“I use an app such as MyFitnessPal, [which makes] it really easy to record recipes and meals so that I can recall them and reuse them again in future meal preps. I can just [modify] a few ingredients and I have a new recipe with all the macros, etcetera, already calculated.”— Jo, @welovecleanfood

15. Bust out your slow cooker.

“I use my CrockPot a TON! It does the cooking for you. It even cooks while you sleep.” — Allie Whitesides, former Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach 

16. Implement time-saving strategies.

“I try to keep a few home-made frozen meals on hand at all times in case I’m having a really busy week and won’t have time to cook. Something like soup or vegetable chili will freeze and reheat really well, and saves a lot of time on really busy days.” — Stephanie Troxell, MS, RD, former Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach

17. Cut corners.

“Buy veggies pre-cut. Even though it costs a bit more at first, you may find you waste less and spend less time in the kitchen.” — Allie Whitesides, Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach

18. Shake things up.

“Eat different meals at different times every day! Some people get frustrated and think that they have to eat the same thing every day, all day. This is hardly the case! Think outside of the box. Your traditional breakfast or early day meal does NOT always have to be eggs and oatmeal… Plan your meals according to your personal goals.” — Nicole Mcleod, CFT and Ron Sudol, CFT, @Nmcleoddd

19. Savor your kitchen time.

“Like most Americans, I spend most of my work day at my desk. I try to think of my time spent cooking as a way to relax and get out from behind a screen for a bit. I know we’re all busy and have a lot of demands pulling it us in a lot of directions, but I try to enjoy my time spent cooking… it’s my “me time”.” — Stephanie Troxell, MS, RD, former Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach

20. Embrace your freedom.

“Meal prepping isn’t just about eating healthy or improving the look of your body; it’s about freedom. When you meal prep for days in advance, you are free from having to make any sort of decision regarding what to eat for that time. You don’t have to determine where or when you’ll get food, you just have it. This saves psychic resources that can be put towards doing other things that are important to you, like focusing on a relationship, a career, your work or training. You no longer have to make decisions about food or focus on it; it’s been taken care of, now work and play and be free of the burden of hunger and the decision making process that comes with it!” — Jon Call, Acrobolix, @jujimufu

SLEEP 101: The Ultimate Guide on How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

We do it every night, and over the course of our life we will spend approximately a third of our time doing it: sleep. But what is it? Doctors and scientists are really just beginning to understand all the important ways that sleep affects our health and well-being — and all of the reasons we do it.

According to Rafael Pelayo, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a sleep specialist at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center in Redwood City, California, “Sleep is a natural, restorative, physiological process characterized by a perceptual disengagement [meaning you tune out from whatever’s going on around you], and must be rapidly reversible.”

Sleep experts at Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine use a similar definition for sleep. They say it can be characterized as: (1)

• A period of being less active

• A function of the body typically associated with a lying down posture and closed eyes

• A process whereby you’re less responsive to external stimuli

• A state of consciousness that’s easy to get out of (unlike other states of consciousness, such as hibernation or coma)

• Being associated with certain brain wave activity patterns and certain physiological changes, including a drop in blood pressure and body temperature

Regardless of the words used to describe it, the bottom line is that we need sleep to function, Dr. Pelayo says. It’s a critical process that allows the body to function and stay healthy — and it’s especially important for the brain.

“The entire body takes advantage of sleep,” Pelayo explains. For example, the kidneys slow down production of urine and digestion slows in the gut. (2) “But sleep is really how the brain gets reset for the next day. Sleep restores the brain.”

That means not getting enough sleep or good quality sleep will damage many systems of the body and over time can contribute to risk of chronic disease and health problems, but the most immediate consequences of not sleeping that you’ll notice are those that affect your mind and thinking.

Why Our Bodies Need Sleep — Tonight, and for Good Health Later On

We intuitively know we need sleep. When you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you’ll likely feel dozy, you won’t quite be able to think as clearly as usual, and you might be moody and irritable. That’s because one of the key functions of sleep is to restore the brain.

Why the Brain Needs Sleep

“Sleep is something the brain needs,” Pelayo explains. Our brains run on electricity, which means the chemical energy the brain uses to function has waste products (called metabolites) that need to get cleaned out. That’s what happens during sleep, Pelayo says. The brain flushes out those waste products in the brain and replenishes the energy the brain uses throughout the day (called adenosine-triphosphate, or ATP). (3

You likely won’t be measuring the ATP levels of your brain on a daily basis, but they do affect our functioning in big ways. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep and those chemical process don’t happen, the next day you’ll likely notice:

• It’s tougher to concentrate

• It’s harder to remember things (4)

• You’re moody and irritable (5)

• Your judgment might be skewed (6)

• You have less patience

• You’re more likely to make rash decisions or have a tough time making decisions

• You’re more emotional than usual

• Your hand-eye coordination is a little bit off

There’s also emerging evidence that over time, chronically not getting enough sleep could be linked to the buildup of certain proteins in the brain that are linked to problems like Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological problems. (7)

Why the Body Needs Sleep

Of course, it’s not just our minds that need sleep. Other systems of the body don’t work quite right when they’re too tired, either. Immediately after getting a poor night’s sleep you might notice you’re hungrier and tend to crave and eat more (8), and people are also at higher risk of catching a cold or flu. (9) Researchers think that’s because sleep deprivation has been shown to mess with how our immune systems function. (10)

Over time, chronically not sleeping well has also been shown to be linked to higher risk of chronic problems, including: (11)

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes

• Heart disease and hypertension

• Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders

• Poor immune function

• Earlier death

Circadian Rhythm, Sleep Stages, and Sleep Cycles:
Everything You Need to Know About What Happens When You Sleep

You may not remember everything that happens each night when you’re asleep, but if you’re doing it right, there’s a lot going on in your brain and your body, Pelayo says. “There are differences between sleep and awake for every single body system, but nothing as dramatic as the changes of consciousness during sleep, the brain function,” he explains.

The Different Stages of Sleep

During sleep the brain cycles, repeatedly, through different stages of sleep: (12)

Stage 1 Non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep The first stage is when you’re actually falling asleep — stage 1 non-REM. Your heartbeat, breathing, and eye movement start to slow down and your muscles relax. Your brain waves are also slowing down and it’s still very easy to be awoken during this preliminary stage of sleep. (3)

Stage 2 Non-REM Sleep The second stage is when heart rates drops and body temperature falls even more. Eye movement stops completely and brain activity slows way down, other than brief bursts of activity.

Stage 3 Non-REM Sleep Next comes deep sleep. This is the stage of sleep that is heavy and restorative. Your heartbeat and breathing slow down the greatest during this stage of sleep and it is most difficult to be woken up.

REM Sleep Finally comes REM sleep, when your eyes begin to dart quickly back and forth from side to side (even though your eyelids are still closed). Brain activity speeds way up, closer to the amount of activity that happens when you’re awake. And this is the stage of sleep when most of your dreaming happens. Your breathing gets quicker and irregular during REM sleep. Heart rate and blood pressure start to go back up nearer to the speed they function at when you’re awake, though the muscles of your arms and legs become temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep. Sleep experts suspect this paralysis is a mechanism our bodies developed to help protect us from injury or other harm that might otherwise ensue if we were able to “act out” our dreams. (14)

Each cycle of sleep (which consists of all of the stages) usually takes about 90 minutes. And most people tend to spend more time during each cycle in deeper sleep earlier in the night — and more time in REM sleep later on. Each stage of sleep is important and both deep sleep and REM sleep play critical functions in terms of the learning and memory consolidation processes that happen during sleep. (15)

What Drives Sleep

Two internal systems control when we sleep and when we’re awake. First there’s the sleep-wake homeostatic drive. The longer we’re awake, the more our bodies crave sleep — and the longer we’re asleep, the more the body wants to wake up. The homeostatic sleep drive affects how deeply we sleep, too. For instance, if you were to stay awake for 24 or 36 hours instead of the typical amount of time you spend awake during a day, such as 16 or 17 hours, sleep-wake homeostasis is the mechanism that drives you to sleep longer and deeper.

Then there’s our circadian rhythm, our body’s biological clock, which is what helps sync our body functions with environmental cues. These internal clocks are what drive us to feel sleepy at night and more awake in the morning (even, for instance, if you slept poorly the previous night, or even pulled an all-nighter). They’re regulated by hormones, such as the stress hormone cortisol and the sleep hormone melatonin, which get secreted by the brain to send these wake and sleep signals to the body.

“They’re two complementary systems in the brain,” Pelayo says. And when there’s a discrepancy between the homeostatic drive to sleep and the signal to sleep that comes from the circadian system, problems like jet lag and other disordered sleep occurs.

“This is why people who wake up at different times every day may feel tired a lot,” Pelayo says. “The brain doesn’t know how to predict when they should be awake. It’s like being constantly jet-lagged.”

The more sleep researchers learn about these two systems that control sleep, the more it is clear why not only getting enough hours of sleep, but also having good sleep habits (such as going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day) is important.

How Much Sleep You Actually Need

How much sleep you actually need each night varies somewhat for each of us depending on our age (younger people typically need more sleep than adults) and our genes (some people are naturally shorter sleepers than others). But typically the sleep target for adults is between seven and nine hours each night, according to guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation. (16)

That recommendation, along with additional recommended sleep times for younger children, adolescents, and older adults, is based on the amount of sleep associated with the best health outcomes in a number of areas, including things like mood, learning, accidents, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and pain.

But Pelayo says don’t get too concerned about banking a specific number of hours of sleep each night. “The issue is waking up refreshed,” he says. “You should never wake up tired. If you do wake up feeling tired, something is wrong.”

Waking up sleepy could be an indicator that the quality of your sleep is poor. Maybe you’re spending too much time in light sleep, and not getting enough restorative deep sleep, for example, Pelayo says. If that’s the case, you should ask your doctor about getting checked for a sleep disorder, or see a sleep medicine specialist.

Common Sleep Disorders

Everyone should be able to get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis, Pelayo says. And if you’re not, it’s important to be aware of the several sleep disorders that might be interfering with your rest.

Here are definitions of some of the more common sleep disorders and how to recognize you may have one: (17)

Insomnia Insomnia is characterized by having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Cases can be short term, such as those due to a stressful event, like a job change or jet lag; or long term, meaning the sleep trouble lasts for three months or longer, which is known as chronic insomnia. (18)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Obstructive sleep apnea, sometimes also referred to as just “sleep apnea,” is a disorder where someone’s airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep, which repeatedly wakes that person up during sleep and stops them from getting the deep, restorative sleep they need. People who are obese, have a small jaw or a large overbite, and use alcohol before bed are all at a higher risk of having sleep apnea.

Snoring and waking up not feeling rested, particularly after spending a full night asleep, are signs you might have sleep apnea and should get checked out by your doctor. Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause big problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, memory problems, and higher accident risk.

Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system that causes the brain to not be able to properly regulate cycles of sleep and being awake. (19) People with the disorder can experience the sudden, sometimes uncontrollable, need to fall asleep throughout the day, as well as trouble staying asleep at night.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) RLS is a disorder that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them. (20) Symptoms are most likely to occur when you’re sitting, resting, inactive for a while, or sleeping. The condition is categorized as a neurological sensory disorder because the symptoms come from the brain — though it is also classified as a sleep disorder. It can cause exhaustion and daytime sleepiness that affect mood, concentration, learning, and relationships.

Parasomnias A parasomnia is term used to refer to a number of disorders associated with abnormal behaviors that happen during sleep. Parasomnias include sleepwalking, sleep-related eating disorder, sleep terrors, bedwetting, sexsomnia, and others. In some cases, improving sleep habits can help treat parasomnias and in other cases treatment from a sleep medicine doctor may be needed. You should definitely seek treatment if abnormal behavior associated with sleep is causing harm to yourself or others, or if the behavior is frequent or escalating. (21)

None of these problems should be left unaddressed, Pelayo says. If you suspect you may have one of these conditions it’s important to get it checked out and treated.

How to Actually Sleep Better Tonight

There’s no one foolproof formula for getting a good night’s sleep, but there are several steps you can take that have been associated with better sleep overall if you’re struggling to clock the recommended number of hours of sleep you know you need — or if you wake up feeling less rested than you want to be.

It’s important to check with your doctor or a sleep medicine doctor if you think you do have a more serious problem, or of another medical condition is interfering with your sleep.

But trying these fixes first is a good place to start:

Stick to a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Aim to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time in the morning, including on the weekends — and try not to vary it more than an hour or so. The times that you regularly go to bed and wake up are the signals you give your body’s natural clock, and when they’re consistent, that clock helps you wake up and fall asleep. If those signals are out of whack, your body clock gets thrown off and you experience the same drowsiness associated with jet lag. You also may struggle to fall asleep at night or wake up when your alarm rings.

Watch caffeine intake. Be especially careful with this later in the afternoon. Pelayo suggests avoiding caffeine within six hours of when you want to sleep.

Exercise regularly. Research shows that regular exercise (at least 150 minutes of activity per week) is associated with better sleep, (22) though it’s worth noting you should try to avoid intense exercise too close to bedtime, as it may make it tougher for some people to fall asleep. That's because a workout sends signals to the body that tend to wake you up, such as your heart rate and body temperature increasing. (23)

Avoid bright lights and bright screens right before bed. Blue light — the kind that comes from fluorescent bulbs, LEDs, and computer and cellphone screens — has been shown to actually send the same signals to the brain as sunlight, and block production of the hormone melatonin that tells the brain to go to sleep. (24)

If you can’t sleep, don’t linger in bed. This means at night if you’re having trouble falling asleep for 20 minutes or longer, get out of bed and do something to make you tired, such as reading or some gentle stretching. Staying in bed makes your body associated in-bed time as awake time, and it will actually be harder to fall asleep.

Don’t linger in bed in the morning either, and don't hit snooze. It can be tempting to wake up slowly, but that drowsy sleep (after you’ve initially woken up) is fragmented, light sleep. If you did get a poor night’s sleep, your best remedy is getting up, going about your day, and hitting your pillow at bedtime that evening, at which point your sleep drive will be strong and you’re more likely to actually reap the benefit of the deep restorative sleep you need.

Via Everyday Health

SQUAT VS. DEADLIFT - WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Let’s first review Basic Squat and Basic Deadlift form. Looking at basic form will start to highlight the differences between the two moves.

BASIC SQUAT FORM:

The most basic form of the Squat is the Bodyweight Squat. This move can be regressed by sitting down to a bench or progressed by adding weight.

To do the Bodyweight Squat, stand nice and tall with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Your feet should be parallel and pointing straight ahead. You can place your hands across your chest on your shoulders or reach your hands out in front of you.

Then sit your butt back and down, bending at your knees as you keep your chest up. Keep your heels down as you drop your butt as close to the ground as you can.

Do not let your back round or chest fall forward as you squat. Also, make sure to keep your heels down. Only squat as low as your mobility allows.

Then drive through your heels and come back up to standing. Do not come forward onto your toes or lean forward as you stand back up. Squeeze your glutes at the top.

If your back rounds or if you shift your weight to one side or the other as you squat, do not squat as low and work on your mobility before increasing weight.

Also beware of your knees caving in or bowing out. Your hips, knees and ankles should all be in line as you squat.

If you find your squat depth is limited or your form has flaws, you will want to strengthen your glutes and improve your ankle, hip and even thoracic mobility.

BASIC DEADLIFT FORM:

For the Basic Deadlift we will review a Basic Bodyweight Hip Hinge.

To do the Bodyweight Hip Hinge, stand tall with your feet between hip-width and shoulder-width apart. Cross your arms over your chest and place your hands on your shoulders.

Then begin to hinge over at your hips, pushing your butt back toward the wall behind you as you lean forward. Keep your back flat as you hinge over and make sure to sit your butt back as you hinge. Keep your heels down on the ground as you hinge. Then drive up and squeeze your glutes at the top before hinging back over.

Do not let your back round. Make sure to sit your butt back as you hinge over and not simply lean forward. Also, do not be afraid to bend your knees as you hinge over. Your legs do not need to stay straight with the Deadlift or Hip Hinge.

As you hinge over, do not shift your weight to one side or the other. Sit straight back.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SQUAT AND THE DEADLIFT

Just to be clear, they may both work your legs but they are NOT the same movement. They activate and develop the muscles of our legs, back and core differently.

However, if we are going for the simplest answer about the difference between the two moves it would be – The Squat is a Squat movement and the Deadlift is a Hip Hinge movement.

The Squat focuses on knee bend and dropping your butt toward the ground to work your legs while the Deadilft focuses more on hinging at the hips to load the glutes.

The Deadlift is generally considered to be a more posterior chain focused movement (aka it is focused on working your backside), and, while the Squat will still work your backside, the move generally involves more quad.

More forward lean is also acceptable during the Deadlift as you are hinging at the hips while with the Squat you are trying to sit down while keeping your chest more upright.

There are, however, exceptions to these basic distinctions and even variations of both movements that really combine both and could almost even be labeled either way.

How you load down each of these moves is also generally different.

Generally with a Deadlift you hold a barbell, kettlebell, sandbag or dumbbells in your hands extended down by your sides or in front of your legs. 

Usually with a Squat the weight is placed up near your shoulders. You can load the Squat by placing a barbell on your back behind your shoulders or you can front-load the move with the barbell in your hands at about your collarbone. 

So simply put – the Squat is generally loaded up around your shoulders while the weight for the deadlift is generally picked up off the ground and held down by your sides or down in front.

However, like with everything in health and fitness, nothing is black and white.

There can still be overlap between the two moves. You can hold a kettlebell down in front and Squat.

TO SUMMARIZE:

• The Squat and the Deadlift are different moves. One is a Squat movement where you bend the knees to sink the butt as close to the ground as your mobility allows while the other is a Hip Hinge movement not as focused on knee bend but on hinging at the hips.
• Also, generally, the two moves are loaded different.
• However, there can be some overlap.

SO WHICH IS BETTER? 

Which move is better, the Squat or the Deadlift, depends on your goals. But honestly BOTH should be included in your workout routine if you want a strong core, glutes and legs.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WORKING YOUR GLUTES? WHICH IS BETTER? 

While often the Squat is touted as the best glute move and you see photos of women with great butts all squatting, the Squat is NOT superior to the Deadlift for glute development.

Because the Deadlift is a hip hinge movement, it is better for glute development. 

However, if you want to grow and tone your entire leg, you may want to do the Squat instead of the Deadlift. The Squat will hit the glutes, hamstrings AND quads, especially the quads. While the Deadlift may hit the glute and hamstrings more, it doesn’t work the quads.

You may also determine which move is better based on injuries or even your mobility.

If you have knee pain, a Deadlift Variation, especially a Straight Leg Deadlift, may be better because it will not only build your glutes to help prevent knee pain in the future, but also requires you to bend your knees very little, putting less strain on them.

VIA: CORI LEFKOWITH

HOW TO HIP HINGE PROPERLY

In a proper hip hinge, you brace the spine in neutral so the pelvis tips over the femur bones rather than bending from the lower back. This ensures that your glutes and hamstrings do the heavy lifting.

5 WAYS ALCOHOL HINDERS FAT LOSS!

Alcohol use—as a well-established part of human culture—is something that has become almost as acceptable as eating and breathing. As a social facilitator and feel good drug of choice for many, alcohol is very popular indeed, with consumption at mass levels.

However, alcohols well-documented deleterious effects—diminished performance, mental impairment, possible addiction, diabetes and liver disease to varying degrees in certain individuals—could be seen as a good reason to steer clear of it.

This being said, many people enjoy its sedating influence and it does play a vital role in many of society's traditions and practices. One effect alcohol has, which is not widely discussed, is its impact on body composition. In its purest form, ethyl alcohol, which supplies seven calories per gram, alcohol provides energy, bumping up ones total energy balance whenever it is consumed.

Unlike macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, alcohol supplies what nutritionists often refer to as empty calories: calories without nutrition. To make matters worse, it is the first fuel to be used when combined with carbohydrates, fats and proteins, postponing the fat-burning process and contributing to greater fat storage.

Main concerns are as follows:

1. Alcohol Supplies Almost Twice As Many Calories As Protein And Carbs

At seven calories per gram, alcohol supplies almost twice as many as protein and carbohydrates. In fact, alcohol has only two fewer calories than fat, which has nine per gram. It must also be remembered that the calories in alcohol lack the nutrients beneficial for a healthy metabolism and will therefore hasten fat storage.

The calories found in the average alcoholic drink are quite concentrated compared to many foods, and this actually causes one to inadvertently take in many more calories than would otherwise be consumed. Alcohol is quite deceptive in that it passes through the system rapidly, often before the drinker is aware of the number of drinks they have had.

Alcoholic drinks also contain calories from other sources, which add to overall caloric intake. Certain cocktails, for example, contain fats. Wine and beer both have high carbohydrate content. Although the affects these various calorie types have on the body are different—carbohydrates release insulin, which can hasten fat storage, while fats will be stored directly in the fat cells—the overall result is added body fat.

An example of how many calories can be easily consumed can be seen with a small glass of wine: a 5-ounce glass of wine will typically contain 110 calories, 91 of which come from the alcohol itself (13 grams), with the remaining five grams coming from carbohydrates.

Beer contains more carbohydrates (although many of the "Lite" beers have a carb content similar to a glass of wine) and less alcohol than wine, but is seen as being more fattening, due to its higher energy content.

2. Alcohol Loosens The Inhibitions

While drinking, people usually will not stop to consider the impact alcohol is having on their bodies; such is alcohol's affect on loosening the inhibitions. The result of this relaxed thinking could mean more calories consumed and extra body fat gains. Those drinking might also eat more of the wrong kinds of food, without thinking of the consequences.

Alcohol tends to have an appetite stimulating effect as it provides little in the way of nutrition, leaving a craving for other foods at the time of consumption. Add this to the fact that fatty and salty foods tend to accompany most occasions featuring alcohol (as well as alcohol actually stimulating one's appetite for these kinds of foods), and the general loosening of resolve that goes with an inebriated mindset, and you have a recipe for excess fat gain. Alcohol has also been shown to affect motivation, making a healthy diet harder to stay on while it is being used.

3. Alcohol Can Damage The Stomach, Kidneys, And Liver

Given alcohol is a by-product of yeast digestion; it can have an irritating effect on the lining of the stomach and gradually weaken the kidneys and liver, leading to serious health problems—even death in certain instances. Any weakening of the stomach will lessen the rate and efficiency at which food is digested, which ultimately interferes with a healthy metabolism and the weight loss process.

The liver—which processes toxins and breaks down fats for fuel—is crucial when it comes to maintaining a healthy body composition. Alcohol is at its most destructive during the liver's detoxification process.

4. Alcohol Lowers Testosterone

Testosterone, which has a powerful fat loss effect, is reduced whenever alcohol is consumed, thus halting its full potential as a fat burner. Also, testosterone as an anabolic hormone, contributes to gains in lean muscle mass. Lowered testosterone means fewer muscle gains, and less muscle means a lowered metabolic rate.

A lower metabolic rate will make the job of losing fat all the more harder. This is what governs the way we use energy. Those with a higher metabolic rate will burn more calories at rest. By interfering with testosterone production, alcohol indirectly causes the body to lower its metabolic rate (and thus the rate at which it uses energy) and directly prohibits testosterone from exerting its powerful fat-burning effects.

5. Alcohol Increases Appetite

Touched on briefly in point two, alcohol can increase appetite, making the combination of alcohol and a fattening meal all the more worse. A Canadian study showed that alcohol consumed before a meal increased caloric intake to a far greater extent than did a carbohydrate drink. 

How Is Alcohol Processed In The Body?

To gain an understanding of why alcohol affects us the way it does, it is important to known how it is processed in the body.

After consuming the first alcoholic drink, 25% of this alcohol is absorbed straight from the stomach into the bloodstream, with the remainder taken in through the small bowel. Alcohol is generally absorbed fairly rapidly, but its absorption can be quickened depending on several factors:

1. The amount of food in the stomach (a fuller stomach slows the rate of absorption).
2. Whether the drink is carbonated (champagne is absorbed more quickly than non-sparkling drinks).
3. Alcohol concentration of the drink (higher alcohol drinks are absorbed faster).

Around 98% of alcohol that is consumed is processed in the liver, with the other two to ten percent being expelled through urine, breathing, or sweat. The amount of alcohol in a standard drink will take around 10 hours for the average person to process, which means the more that is consumed at any one point, the greater the rise in blood alcohol content.

Calorie And Nutrient Content Of Popular Alcohol Drinks

The alcohol content of our most popular beverages varies, so it is important to know exactly what percentage of alcohol is in any given drink if one is wanting to limit all the empty calories. The following percentages are usually contained in each standard drink—five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof (40% alcohol) distilled liquor.

• Beer: 5% alcohol
• Wine: 12% alcohol
• 100 proof liquor: 50% alcohol
• 80 proof liquor: 40% alcohol

Beer

One Can Of Regular 4-5% Alcohol Beer Contains:

• 14 milligrams of sodium (1%).
• 12.6 grams of carbohydrates (4%).
• 1.6 grams of protein.
• 14.2 milligrams of calcium.
• 96.1 grams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 153 (includes 97 calories from alcohol).

One Can Of Low Alcohol (2.3% Alcohol) Beer Contains:

• 34.7grams of carbohydrates (12%).
• Total Calories: 139.

One Can Of Lite Beer Contains:

• 14 milligrams of sodium.
• 5.9 grams of carbohydrates.
• 0.98 grams of proteins.
• 14.4 milligrams of calcium.
• 75.6 milligrams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 105 (includes 78 calories from alcohol).

Wine

One Glass Of Champagne Contains:

• 2 grams of carbohydrates.
• Total Calories: 85 (includes 77 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of Red Wine (Claret) Contains:

• 4.4 grams of carbohydrate.
• 0.1 grams of protein.
• Total Calories: 123 (including 105 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of White Wine (Riesling, Chablis) Contains:

• 5.5 grams of carbohydrate.
• 0.1 grams of protein.
• Total Calories: 120 (including 98 calories from alcohol).

One Glass Of White Sparkling Wine Contains:

• 4 grams of carbohydrates (all of white are sugars).
• Total Calories: 93 (including 77 calories from alcohol)

Liquors

One Ounce Of Gin (40% Alcohol) Contains:

• 0.6 milligrams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Rum (40% Alcohol) Contains:

• 0.6 grams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Vodka (40% Alcohol) Contains:

• 0.6 milligrams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

One Ounce Of Whiskey (40% Alcohol Contains):

• 0.6 milligrams of potassium.
• Total Calories: 64 from alcohol content.

Liqueurs

One Nip Of Baileys Irish Cream Contains:

• 5.8 grams of fat (3.5 grams of this saturated fat).
• 14 milligrams of cholesterol.
• 33 milligrams of sodium.
• 7.4 grams of carbohydrate.
• 1.2 grams of protein.
• Total Calories: 121 (including 35 from alcohol).

What Are The Best Alcohol Choices

If you really have to drink, what are the best choices? Some lower calorie brands to hit the market are showing promise, as are some of the more traditional alternatives.

As shown above, total caloric content of various alcoholic drinks varies, with beer generally containing the highest number, considering the smaller amount of alcohol found in this drink compared with others. Various spirits (also known as liquor) generally contain around 64 calories per nip, but these do add up depending on the strength of the drink (for example, a double will contain two nips, or 128 calories).

Combine this with one glass of coke (around 180 calories, 95% of these from sugars) and your typical bourbon and coke could supply 308 calories—double the number found in the average can of beer. Wine generally contains around 100 to 125 calories per medium sized glass. It also contains more alcohol than beer given the same volume, making it a better choice calorie-wise, as less would be consumed at any one sitting.

Drink alcohol with a lower caloric value, and a higher alcohol percentage (like wine for example). Less will be consumed, meaning lower overall calorie consumption.

Some more general guidelines follow:

1. Drink alcohol with a lower caloric value, and a higher alcohol percentage (like wine for example). Less will be consumed, meaning lower overall calorie consumption.

2. Avoid high-calorie liqueurs. These are extremely deceptive (they taste so good) and will add enormously to overall caloric content.

3. Keep healthy food on hand when drinking. As mentioned, drinking will relax the inhibitions and cause one to compromise their nutritional habits.

4. If drinking beer, try a lower calorie alternative. Also, drink diet sodas with various spirits to significantly lower the calorie content of these drinks.

5. Drink water between alcoholic drinks. This will increase feelings of fullness and may help to prevent over consumption of alcohol.

Conclusion

So what is one to do? Given alcohol plays a large role in celebration and social cohesion, can one completely refrain from its use? It really depends on the goals a person has. Most could probably consume moderate levels of alcohol (two or three standard drinks three to four times per week) without any problem.

Larger amounts (more than seven drinks at any one time), often described as binge drinking, can cause major problems and probably should not be advocated. Maintaining reasonable levels of health, while enjoying a few drinks—using moderation as the key—should be no problem. However, Alcohol, as shown, will negate any efforts to lose body fat and will alter performance for the worst. The best advice would be to totally abstain until performance and weight loss goals are obtained.

Via: David Robson

VIDEO: SIMPLE SUGAR SWAPS

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU EAT SUGAR

Uh-oh. That treat comes with some not-so-sweet side effects.

We all know to go easy on the sweet stuff, but what actually happens to your system when you indulge? Here, eight ways sugar affects your body. 

YOUR BRAIN SUFFERS

Fructose—the sugar that naturally occurs in fruit and is a component, with glucose, of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and table sugar—lights up the brain's reward center, says pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig, MD, of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. But over time, a diet packed with fructose (especially from HFCS) can make it tougher to learn and remember, animal research suggests. To stay in peak mental shape, try sticking with savory snacks.

YOU WANT TO EAT MORE

By revving the brain's reward and appetite center, fructose can interfere with feelings of satiety, research reveals. Translation: That extra cookie may not curb your craving after all.

SKIN AGES FASTER

Too much sugar can hinder the repair of collagen, the buzzed-about protein that keeps skin looking plump, studies show. A steady diet of sugary treats can result in reduced elasticity and premature wrinkles. Indulge your sweet tooth with fruit instead. Experts say it's A-OK to eat two to four servings of the natural sugar source each day.

EXCESS SUGAR IS STORED AS FAT

Pause before you slip that additional packet into your a.m. coffee. The liver has an innate capacity to metabolize sugar and use it for energy—but only to an extent, explains Dr. Lustig. The fructose that's left over is converted into fat in the liver, raising your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

YOUR CELLS PAY A STEEP PRICE

Fructose accelerates the usual oxidation process in our cells, says Dr. Lustig. The result? Proteins, tissues, and organs can become damaged, and our risk of health conditions, including liver disease, kidney failure, and cataracts, rises.

YOU GET HOOKED

Eating sugar leads to the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes us like something and want more of it. "As dopamine receptor neurons get overstimulated, the number of receptors to bind to decreases, so you'll need a bigger hit of dopamine to get the same rush," explains Dr. Lustig.

STRESS EATING BEGETS STRESS

Sweets can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the near term, research shows. But continue OD'ing on sugary refined carbs and your risk of insulin resistance, which stresses the body from the inside, goes up. To find your calm, sweat instead: "Exercise is the best treatment for stress. It makes you feel good and reduces cortisol," says Dr. Lustig.

ENERGY SURGES, THEN BOTTOMS OUT

Refined carbs, like those in white bread and pasta, quickly cause a rise in glucose in the bloodstream, so you might feel extra energized—for a while. But this short-term fix can actually leave you more sluggish later on (when you eventually crash). Instead, opt for protein-rich snacks between meals, such as Greek yogurt with fresh berries or fresh veggies and hummus. They help stabilize blood sugar and keep you going longer.

VIA: ANTHEA LEVI

HOW TO STICK TO YOUR DIET AND STILL ENJOY SUMMER SOCIAL EVENTS

No matter the time of year, sticking to a structured nutritional plan can be a battle of the mind.But the battle can be even more difficult in the midst of summer barbeques and with patio season constantly testing our will power.

Although it might seem impossible at first, by changing your mindset and setting yourself up for success it is possible to maintain your nutritional program while still enjoying your summer. The summer isn’t ruined just because you’re on a “diet.”

Here’s how you can have your cake (and ice cream and burgers) and eat it, too - without sacrificing your social life or fitness goals. 

Let Go of the All-or-None Attitude

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to stick to a nutritional plan is adopting an all-or-none attitude - i.e. either 100% sticking to a diet or 100% eating everything. "So often, due to the 'all or none' attitude,  people overlook simple and unnoticeable diet swaps, changes, and add-ins that make it much easier to stick to a plan without feeling like you’re dieting."

The interpretation of a “diet” as being temporary or short term reflects the inability to sustain it as a part of everyday life. When approached this way, a diet ends up being cyclical and fleeting. It’s most often during the summer season clients fall off the wagon, and it’s because they maintain a mindset that it’s impossible to stick to a diet while still enjoying life.

With only a few months of fun in the sun, no one wants to feel restricted or like they’re missing out on social opportunities. So more often than not, nutritional goals are put on hold for the season while the focus turns to indulging and relaxing. Unfortunately, this not only postpones the achievement of health and fitness goal, but often undoes previously achieved results. In essence, it results in taking two steps back.

Don’t let the season navigate your goals for you. By making small changes, planning ahead, and changing your thought process, you can achieve continued dietary success throughout the summer months, ensuring enjoyment as well as achievement.

Be Social

A constant challenge when sticking to a nutritional program is that you start feeling like all social events revolve around food. Realistically, the majority of them do - especially in the summer. Hello BBQ!

"The moment you turn down a social event or outing specifically due to dietary restrictions is the moment you define your diet as being non-sustainable - and most often the time you throw in the towel."

But isolating yourself and avoiding potentially tempting situations is a sure-fire way to set yourself up for failure. Instead, by choosing to continue to enjoy and attend social events and maintain your usual level of social activity, you will reinforce within your mindset that maintaining your diet is doable despite you required food choices. The moment you turn down a social event or outing specifically due to dietary restrictions is the moment you define your diet as being non-sustainable - and most often the time you throw in the towel.

Get Creative

One of the easiest ways to stick to a diet plan during the summer is by being creative. So often, due to the “all or none” attitude, I see people overlook simple and unnoticeable diet swaps, changes, and add-ins that make it much easier to stick to a plan without feeling like you’re dieting. Why not save calories where they won’t be missed while still enjoying your favorite foods?

"If you take a more flexible approach to dieting - and are less focused on whole foods and more focused on macronutrient needs - these swaps are great ways to make the most out of your macronutrients."

I’m all for indulging every once in a while, but there are many easy ways to enjoy your favorite non-diet-friendly foods that won’t sabotage your fitness goals, but will still satisfy your guilty pleasure cravings.

Why not:

• Use a sugar-free barbecue sauce instead of the full-sugar?
• Make your own burgers using lean cuts of meat?
• Make a fat-free version of your favorite condiment?

The options are endless! If you take a more flexible approach to dieting - and are less focused on whole foods and more focused on macronutrient needs - these swaps are great ways to make the most out of your macronutrients.

Plan Ahead

I know you’ve heard it a million times, but failing to plan is planning to fail. But if you prepare a game plan for how to navigate whatever social situation you’re going to be in, nine times out of ten it will be possible for you to attend and enjoy your summer outing while still meeting your nutritional goals.

By assessing restaurant menus in advance, asking your host what’s on the menu and offering to bring something if there’s nothing diet friendly, or bringing your own meal along if it’s appropriate, you can almost always meet your needs without missing out on the fun.

This isn’t to say you should be dragging a cooler with you every single day of the summer, but making the extra effort the majority of the time ensures that you’re at least maintaining your previously attained results, if not progressing even closer to your goals.

Suck It Up

Sometimes you’re going to have to deal with the disappointment of not being able to enjoy exactly what you want at every summer outing. Just because you’re at a restaurant, on a patio, or at a BBQ, doesn’t mean you have to indulge in all of your favorites, even if you want to. By attending and ordering to fit your diet plan, you can still enjoy the event and the company. Really, the focus shouldn’t be the food anyway.

"[I]f you prepare a game plan for how to navigate whatever social situation you’re going to be in, nine times out of ten it will be possible for you to attend and enjoy your summer outing while still meeting your nutritional goals."

By reminding yourself that your diet isn’t an all-or-none situation, sticking to your program when and where you can, and making the right choices the majority of the time, I do believe you can indulge every now and then. But do it when you can make the most of it and enjoy it to the fullest, not just because it’s convenient. You’ll be glad you did!

Balance Is Best

Whether you’re eating for physique, function, or both, you can find the balance between continued success toward your health and fitness goals and still enjoying the summer to its full extent. Balance is best, and by making the extra effort to ensure you’re meeting the needs of your nutritional program the majority of the time, you will be on track to not only enjoy your summer but to feel good about the progress you’ve made despite the added challenge.

VIA: Kalli Youngstrom

6 WAYS A FOAM ROLLER BENEFITS YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE

There are many foam roller benefits. The most important reason being due to myofascial release. Myofascial release is no secret in the fitness community. In fact, therapists and masseuses use the concepts of myofascial release to treat athletes and have been doing so for decades. 

Now, with the advent of foam rollers, athletes and fitness enthusiasts can instantly improve their workouts and decrease their risk of injury.

The best  thing about foal rollers s that you can get many of the benefits of a therapist or masseuse from the comfort of your own home with this inexpensive piece of workout equipment. 

But if you're not sure if using a foam roller is for you, then here are six ways it can have a positive impact on your exercise routine. Followed by some sample movements you can do to get all of these foam roller benefits. 

What is Myofascial Release

First, lets define myofascial release, in case you are unfamiliar with the term. Myofascial release is the application of low-intensity forces to soft tissues over a long period of time. Essentially, the purpose is to allow contracted muscles to relax, which improves blood flow and nutrient flow to the area. The effect is that muscles operate with smoother motion because of reduced internal rubbing.

What are the Foam Roller benefits?

A foam roller is a simple piece of equipment that anyone can use for self-myofascial release. Self-myofascial release, or self-massage, is a great habit for athletes and weight lifters alike. This is because the health benefits increase fitness at a very affordable price.

What will a Foam Roller Do?

Not only are foam rollers inexpensive and readily available, they improve health and reduce injury risk in six ways:

1. Increased Blood Flow

Myofascial release via foam rolling exercises stretches and loosens muscles. By applying force to your muscles and connective tissue over time, blood is squeezed out and replaced by a flood of fresh blood.

Blood carries vital nutrients such as oxygen and glycogen to spent muscles. The greater amount of blood flow leads to various related and beneficial results.

2. Improved Movements

Better hydrated and looser muscles move past one another with less friction. This means that during a workout, movements are smoother and muscles are less likely to be pulled or damaged.

Foam rolling before a workout as part of a dynamic warm-up is especially effective for myofascial release.

3. Better Range of Motion

Another related advantage to self-massage is the improved range of motion of properly stretched and lubricated muscles.

A larger range of motion means that more muscle can be recruited in a given workout, leading to a more effective routine. Better range of motion indicates more flexibility, which leads to the fourth advantage of foam rolling habits.

4. Decreased Injury Risk

As stated before, self-massage increases circulation throughout the body. Better circulation means a better range of motion and more effective body movements.

Overall, myofascial release from foam rolling reduces the chance of injury because coordination of the body is improved. This means that the likelihood of an improper movement leading to injury is reduced significantly.

On the flip side, if an injury does occur, self-massage techniques can be used to decrease recovery time.

5. Decreased Recovery Time

Foam rolling is an effective means to draw blood to an injured area, but also decreases recovery time between workouts. This is especially true of foam rolling after a workout has been completed.

After a workout, muscles and joints become sore because of the build-up of waste products such as lactic acid. When performed post-workout, a self-massage acts to wash the acid away by recruiting fresh blood and nutrients to the fatigued muscle groups.

The faster that exhausted muscles can receive the adequate nutrients for recovery, the faster they can rebuild.

6. Faster Results

All of the positives of myofascial release lead to a decreased recovery time and a lower chance of injury.

If an athlete stays healthy over time while being able to exercise more frequently, then they will inherently produce faster results. Foam rolling is a simple solution to a complex problem with great benefits to practitioners.

When Should I Perform Self-Massage?

Self-massage is best performed before and after a workout. This is because by properly warming up muscles and loosening the body before a workout, the risk of injury is decreased. Pre-workout self-massage also has the indirect effect of increasing the effectiveness of a given workout by training more muscle fibers.

On the other hand, foam rolling post-workout helps to speed recovery. This can be attributed to the flushing of waste products and increased blood flow to fatigued muscles. The new blood supplies the nutrients that the body needs to recover after exertion.

However, if an athlete does not have time for pre and post-workout foam rolling sessions, then pre-workout foam rolling is the priority. No other warm-up technique can prepare a body for a heavy workload and improve performance like myofascial release.

What Types of Movements Should Be Done on a Foam Roller?

The convenience, versatility, and simplicity of a foam roller are astonishing. Almost any muscle group can be massaged and stretched. That includes the upper body and lower body muscles of the front and back.

Foam rolling can yield pain relief to any part of the body, so should be used wherever relief is needed. In general, there are several problem spots common for all athletes that can provide great results.

Foam Rolling the Back

The back is perhaps the easiest area to foam roll and it feels great. Anyone who sits in traffic or works at a computer knows the tension that can build in the back. To release the tension in the back and increase rotational flexibility, start be lying with the roller under your shoulder blades.

Lying with your glutes off the ground and your hands on your chest, roll towards your head, stopping at any sore points. Return to the start position and repeat the movement. Be careful to support your neck and don’t put undue pressure on the spine. Keep the weight of your body supported with your back on the roller.

Foam Rolling the IT Bands

This group of muscles and tendons on the side of the thigh is infamously one of the most painful to foam roll. However, IT band myofascial release is perhaps one of the most beneficial types of release for active people. The IT band runs from the knee to the hip and if inflamed causes many types of lower body discomfort.

To relieve pain in the IT bands, start in a side plank position with the roller just below the hip joint. Use your hands and off foot for support as you roll along the outer thigh down to the knee. When you find a tender spot, pause and let the weight of your body work out the knot.

Then, continuing rolling until there are no longer any tight spots. With consistent use, the act of self-massaging the IT bands will become less painful.

Foam Rolling the Calves

The calves are an oft-forgotten muscle group in training and stretching. Unfortunately, continued neglect can lead to tight calves and less than optimal ankle joint function.

To release the calves position the roller on the calf muscle below the knee. Then, support your upper body on your hands, with your bottom off the floor.  Finally, roll over the calves to the ankles and back up to the knee.

To alternate the stretch and release, vary the position of your toes. Point them up, down and to the sides to reach different parts of the muscles. The back, IT bands, and calves are just some of the most effective foam rolling exercises. But as I mentioned, a foam roller can be used on almost any body part for great results.

Foam Roll to Maximize Fitness

Self-myofascial release is a great way to cheaply and easily improve your overall health. A simple $20 foam roller can provide years of pain relief and injury prevention. Consider adding a foam roller to your fitness arsenal. All the muscles of your body will be happy you did and the results of you hard work in the gym will come more quickly and less painfully.

VIA: Develop Good Habits

11 Reasons Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Works

Scientific studies show that apple cider vinegar may have wonderful health properties that can help you slim down. Here's how.

Apple cider vinegar helps to control blood sugar

An apple cider vinegar weight-loss plan affects how blood sugar is regulated, according to a study by Carol Johnston, PhD, at Arizona State University. "Her research provides evidence that drinking vinegar before eating actually led to a decrease in change of blood glucose post meals," says Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, New York City-based registered dietitian. "Drinking apple cider vinegar before a carbohydrate-filled meal can reduce blood sugar spikes that would usually occur after eating."

ACV affects how food is digested

Researchers theorize that apple cider vinegar for weight loss helps achieve this blood-sugar regulation in a few different ways. "Carol Johnston believes the acetic acid in the vinegar blocks disaccharidases, enzymes that break down starches for digestion, from being absorbed into the bloodstream," Zuckerbrot says. "If the disaccharides from the carbohydrates we eat cannot be digested then we avoid the rapid increase of our blood sugar level, which is followed by a subsequent drop." Healthy diets often control blood sugar to keep our eating patterns more regular. 

ACV makes you feel full

One way to fight back is with ACV, which can also give a feeling of fullness after a meal and keep you from reaching for that evening snack a couple of hours later. "A small Swedish study found when individuals consumed vinegar with a meal, they reported feeling a higher level of satiety after eating than those who did not consume vinegar," says registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE. 

ACV may control appetite

"Acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, has been promoted as a natural appetite suppressant," Zuckerbrot says, which has been shown in research from the U.K. Blood sugar drops leave us craving sugar to replace it, and instead, the acetic acid helps keep it steady. "When blood sugar levels are more evenly maintained, cravings for sugar and unhealthy foods are minimized or not experienced," she says. One way apple cider vinegar for weight loss works is to help us avoid binging later on.

ACV affects insulin regulation

"It appears from the results of one small study in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care that consuming vinegar with a carbohydrate-rich meal may improve insulin sensitivity directly after the meal in those with insulin resistance or who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes," Palinski-Wade says. In addition, "an improvement in insulin regulation in the body may be beneficial for weight management."

ACV is helpful for diabetics

You can potentially reverse type 2 diabetes if you drop pounds, and an apple cider vinegar weight-loss plan can help you do that. "Apple cider vinegar may be particularly useful for people with diabetes because blood glucose control is a main concern for diabetes management, and it can affect insulin sensitivity," Zuckerbrot says. But, be careful if you're on meds for your condition. "Since vinegar may reduce blood glucose levels after meals, those taking medications to reduce them, such as insulin, should carefully monitor their readings and response to prevent hypoglycemic episodes," Palinski-Wade says.

ACV may help you lose fat

So apple cider vinegar may work to regulate blood sugar, appetite, insulin and cravings, but it can actually melt pounds? Some research suggests it does. "In 2009 a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was done investigating the effects of apple cider vinegar intake on body weight and abdominal fat in 175 obese Japanese subjects," Zuckerbrot says. "This was the first study to show that continuous vinegar intake reduces body weight, BMI, and body fat mass." She says acetic acid may help fat breakdown. 

ACV may improve metabolism

We all want to know the ways to get the metabolism of a 25-year-old, and apple cider vinegar may be one of them. "Although this has not been proven in human studies, one animal study from Japan found consuming vinegar may increase the production of an enzyme responsible for fat burning," Palinski-Wade says. 

Why ACV is different from other vinegars

Eating an apple a day may be one of many old-time remedies we need to bring back—and likewise, apple cider vinegar weight loss works through its unique properties. "In comparison to other vinegar, apple cider vinegar has a slightly higher mineral and vitamin content," Zuckerbrot says. "Since it is made from apple it also retains its natural antioxidants, fruit polyphenols, and essential nutrients necessary for normal body function like digestion and metabolism." In addition, ACV contains pectin, found naturally in apples. "Pectin is known to increase satiety, which aids in weight loss," she says. You can choose filtered or unfiltered—unfiltered is often unpasteurized and contains the "mother," leftover bacteria from the fermentation process, which some say has potent medicinal properties. But Zuckerbrot says to use whichever type you prefer.

How to consume ACV for the most benefits

The benefits of apple cider vinegar go beyond weight loss, and are a healthy addition to any meal—they can even help tummy troubles. "One to two tablespoons of vinegar may be diluted into eight ounces of water or added into a marinade, salad dressing, or soup," Palinski-Wade says. Zuckerbrot says you can also use it in smoothies, a homemade brine for pickles, or DIY BBQ sauce. "Johnston [the researcher from Arizona State] suggests drinking apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach at the beginning of your meal to reduce insulin and glucose spikes," she says. Just don't drink it straight—the acid can damage your tooth enamel and throat.

Don't use ACV as an excuse

As with all weight-loss tips, you can't rely solely on one thing to make the pounds drop—and using ACV as a reason not to take other measures to get healthy will backfire. "Apple cider vinegar is not a magic eraser! Just because apple cider vinegar has many diverse health benefits, it does not negate the negative health effects of unhealthy foods, nor are its weight-loss benefits potent enough to simply counteract caloric intake," Zuckerbrot says. "While it can certainly aid in weight loss, it does not actually causeweight loss."

VIA:  TINA DONVITO

HOW TO INCREASE CALORIE INTAKE AFTER DIET

If you have successfully lost weight, you may be concerned about regaining your weight. You are right to be concerned, as according Traci Mann, author of the 2007 study published in the American Psychologist journal, between one and two thirds of people who diet regain the weight they lost, plus more. Once you reach your goal weight, the job is not over. You have just entered a new phase of your healthy lifestyle--the maintenance phase. Tread carefully as you learn how to add just enough calories to stop losing weight, but not so many as to gain weight.

Step 1

Wait at least two weeks after you reach your goal before adjusting your calorie level. Use those two weeks to settle into your new weight and see if you are still losing weight. Weigh yourself every day and write your weight down. Continue writing down or tracking your calories so you know approximately how many calories you are currently eating. A 2007 study led by Meghan L. Butryn of Drexel University and published in the journal Obesity, studied the long-term maintenance success of members of the National Weight Control Registry. She and her colleagues found that participants who stopped weighing themselves after reaching maintenance, frequently experienced an increase in weight.

Step 2

Add 100 calories a day the third week after you reach your goal weight. Focus on adding healthy calories like one apple and a half an ounce of cheese. One hundred calories is not very much food, so measure, weigh and read the food labels to be sure you are not adding too many calories at once. Eat an extra piece of bread with dinner and five crackers with lunch. Continue weighing yourself daily. As the National Institute of Health explains, if you take in more calories, or energy than you need, you will gain weight.

Step 3

Continue the fourth week by reviewing your daily weight graph. If you are losing a small amount of weight, you can be assured that you are close to finding the balance point. If you maintain your weight during week three, do not add any more calories. If you are losing, add another 100 calories. Eat a snack of granola and raisins, an extra 1/2 cup of pasta with dinner or a whole sandwich rather than a half or a second helping of cereal.

Step 4

Continue adding 100 calories a week until you are not losing nor gaining weight. To avoid the common problem of regaining lost weight, be diligent in watching your food intake until you sense that your new way of eating is something you can continue forever. Dr. David A. Kessler, author of the book "The End of Overeating," concludes his book by saying that you must take control over your emotions and thoughts surrounding food to maintain a healthy weight.

Step 5

Adjust your caloric intake in the weeks and months after your weight loss success based on your weight tracking and your level of physical activity. If you begin to exercise or exercise more after you reach your goal weight, add a few extra calories a day. If you weigh 160 pounds, and walk for 30 minutes, you burn about 90 calories, according to the MayoClinic. Add between 50 to 90 calories to your daily maintenance calories and track your weight for signs of stability. Cut your calories if you stop exercising or change the amount of exercise you do.

Tips

• Continue meeting with a support group after you reach your goal weight. Ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable during the first year of maintenance. Donate clothes that no longer fit you. Try new recipes and learn how to handle restaurant meals.

VIA: Diane Lynn

INTERMITTENT FASTING 101 - THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S GUIDE

Intermittent fasting (IF) is currently one of the world's most popular health and fitness trends. People are using it to lose weight, improve health and simplify their healthy lifestyle. Many studies show that it can have powerful effects on your body and brain, and may even help you live longer. This is the ultimate beginner's guide to intermittent fasting.

What Is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a term for an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. 

It does not say anything about which foods you should eat, but rather when you should eat them. 

In this respect, it is not a "diet" in the conventional sense. It is more accurately described as an "eating pattern." Common intermittent fasting methods involve daily 16 hour fasts, or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.

 Humans have actually been fasting throughout evolution. Sometimes it was done because food was not available, and it has also been a part of major religions, including Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. 

When you think about it, our hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have supermarkets, refrigerators or food available year-round. Sometimes we couldn't find anything to eat, and our bodies evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time.

If anything, fasting from time to time is more "natural" than constantly eating 3-4 (or more) meals per day.

BOTTOM LINE: Intermittent fasting (IF) is a term for an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It is currently very popular in the health and fitness community.

How to Do Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has been very popular for many years and several different methods have been used.

All of them involve splitting the day or week into "eating periods" and "fasting periods." During the fasting periods, you eat either very little or nothing at all.

These are the most popular methods:

• The 16/8 Method: Also called the Leangains protocol, it involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours, for example from 1 pm to 9 pm. Then you "fast" for 16 hours in between.
• Eat-Stop-Eat: This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, for example by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.
• The 5:2 Diet: On two non-consecutive days of the week, only eat 500-600 calories. Eat normally the other 5 days. More details here.

By making you eat fewer calories, all of these methods should make you lose weight as long as you don't compensate by eating much more during the eating periods.

I've personally found the 16/8 method to be the simplest, most sustainable and easiest to stick to. It is also the most popular.

BOTTOM LINE: There are several different ways to do intermittent fasting. All of them split the day or week into "eating periods" and "fasting periods."

How Intermittent Fasting Affects Your Cells and Hormones

When you fast, several things happen in your body on the cellular and molecular level.

For example, your body changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible.

Your cells also initiate important repair processes, and change the expression of genes.

Here are some changes that occur in your body when you fast:

• Human Growth Hormone (HGH): The levels of growth hormone skyrocket, increasing as much as 5-fold. This has benefits for fat loss and muscle gain, to name a few.
• Insulin: Insulin sensitivity improves and levels of insulin drop dramatically. Lower insulin levels make stored body fat more accessible.
• Cellular repair: When fasted, your cells initiate cellular repair processes. This includes autophagy, where cells digest and remove old and dysfunctional proteins that build up inside cells.
• Gene expression: There are changes in the function of genes related to longevity and protection against disease.

These changes in hormone levels, cell function and gene expression are responsible for the health benefits of intermittent fasting.

BOTTOM LINE: When you fast, human growth hormone levels go up and insulin levels go down. Your body’s cells also change the expression of genes and initiate important cellular repair processes.

Intermittent Fasting Is a Very Powerful Weight Loss Tool

Weight loss is the most common reason that people try intermittent fasting.

By making you eat fewer meals, intermittent fasting can lead to an automatic reduction in calorie intake.

Additionally, intermittent fasting changes hormone levels to facilitate weight loss.

In addition to lower insulin and increased growth hormone levels, it increases release of the fat burning hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline).

Because of these changes in hormones, short-term fasting may actually increase your metabolic rate by 3.6-14%.

By helping you eat less (fewer calories in) and helping you burn more (more calories out), intermittent fasting causes weight loss by changing both sides of the calorie equation.

Studies show that intermittent fasting can be a very powerful weight loss tool. In a review study from 2014, it was shown to cause weight loss of 3-8% over periods of 3-24 weeks.

That is actually a very large amount compared to most weight loss studies.

According to this study, people also lost 4-7% of their waist circumference. This indicates that they lost significant amounts of the harmful belly fat that builds up around the organs and causes disease.

There is also one study showing that intermittent fasting causes less muscle loss than the more standard method of continuous calorie restriction.

However, keep in mind that the main reason this works, is that it helps you eat fewer calories overall. If you binge and eat massive amounts during the eating periods, then you may not lose any weight at all.

BOTTOM LINE: Intermittent fasting may boost metabolism slightly, while helping you eat fewer calories. It is a very effective way to lose weight and belly fat.

Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Many studies have been done on intermittent fasting, in both animals and humans.

These studies have shown that it can have powerful benefits for weight control and the health of your body and brain. It may even help you live longer.

Here are the main health benefits of intermittent fasting:

• Weight loss: As mentioned above, intermittent fasting can help you lose weight and belly fat, without having to consciously restrict calories.
• Insulin resistance: Intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance, lowering blood sugar by 3-6% and fasting insulin levels by 20-31%. This should protect against type 2 diabetes.
• Inflammation: Some studies show reductions in markers of inflammation, a key driver of many chronic diseases.
• Heart health: Intermittent fasting may reduce LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar and insulin resistance. These are all risk factors for heart disease.
• Cancer: Animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting may help prevent cancer.
• Brain health: Intermittent fasting increases a brain hormone called BDNF, and may aid the growth of new nerve cells. It may also protect against Alzheimer's disease.
• Anti-aging: Intermittent fasting can extend lifespan in rats. Studies showed that fasted rats live as much as 36-83% longer.

Keep in mind that the research is still in its early stages. Many of the studies were small, short in duration or conducted in animals. Many questions have yet to be answered in higher quality human studies.

BOTTOM LINE: Intermittent fasting can have many benefits for your body and brain. It can cause weight loss, and may protect against type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It may also help you live longer.

Intermittent Fasting Makes Your Healthy Lifestyle Simpler

Eating healthy is simple, but it can be incredibly hard to stick to.

One of the main obstacles is all the work required to plan for and cook healthy meals.

If you do intermittent fasting, this gets easier because you don't need to plan, cook or clean up after as many meals as before.

Intermittent fasting is actually very popular among the "life hacking" crowd because it improves your health while simplifying your life at the same time.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the major benefits of intermittent fasting is that it makes healthy eating simpler. There are fewer meals that you need to prepare, cook and clean up after.

Safety and Side Effects

Hunger is the main side effect of intermittent fasting.

You may also feel weak and that your brain isn't performing as well as you're used to.

This may only be temporary, as it can take some time for your body to adapt to the new meal schedule.

If you have a medical condition, then you should consult with your doctor before trying intermittent fasting.

This is particularly important if you:

• Have diabetes.
• Have problems with blood sugar regulation.
• Have low blood pressure.
• Take medications.
• Are underweight.
• Have a history of eating disorders.
• Are a female who is trying to conceive.
• Are a female with a history of amenorrhea.
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

All that being said, intermittent fasting does have an outstanding safety profile. There is nothing "dangerous" about not eating for a while if you are healthy and well nourished overall.

BOTTOM LINE: The most common side effect of intermittent fasting is hunger. People with certain medical conditions should not fast without consulting with a doctor first.

Frequently Asked Questions About Intermittent Fasting

Here are answers to the most common questions about intermittent fasting.

1. Can I drink liquids during the fast?

Yes. Water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages are fine. Do not add sugar to your coffee. Small amounts of milk or cream may be okay.

Coffee can be particularly beneficial during a fast, because it can blunt hunger.

2. Isn't it unhealthy to skip breakfast?

No. The problem is that most stereotypical breakfast skippers have unhealthy lifestyles. If you make sure to eat healthy food for the rest of the day then it is fine.

3. Can I take supplements while fasting?

Yes. However, keep in mind that some supplements (like fat-soluble vitamins) may work better when taken with meals.

4. Can I work out while fasted?

Yes, fasted workouts are fine. Some people recommend taking branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs) before a fasted workout.

5. Will fasting cause muscle loss?

All weight loss methods can cause muscle loss, that is why it is important to lift weights and keep protein intake high. One study shows that intermittent fasting causes less muscle loss than regular calorie restriction.

6. Will fasting slow down my metabolism?

No. Studies show that short-term fasts actually boost metabolism. However, longer fasts (3 days or more) can suppress metabolism.

How to Start

Chances are that you've already done many "intermittent fasts" in your life.

If you've ever eaten dinner, then slept late and not eaten until lunch the next day, then you've probably already done a 16+ hour fast.

Many people actually instinctively eat this way. They simply don't feel hungry in the morning.

I personally find that the 16/8 method is the simplest and most sustainable way to do intermittent fasting. I recommend that you try that one first.

Another approach is to simply fast whenever it is convenient. As in, skip meals from time to time when you're not hungry or don't have time to cook.

There is no need to follow a structured intermittent fasting plan to derive at least some of the benefits.

I recommend that you experiment with the different approaches and find something that you enjoy and fits your schedule.

BOTTOM LINE: It is recommended to start with the 16/8 method, then perhaps later move on to longer fasts. It is important to experiment and find something that works for you.

Should You Try Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is not something that anyone needs to do.

It is just one of many lifestyle strategies that can improve your health. Eating real food, exercising and taking care of your sleep are still the most important factors to focus on.

If you don't like the idea of fasting, then you can safely ignore all of this. Just continue to do what works for you.

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution in nutrition. The best diet for you is the one you can stick to in the long run.

Intermittent fasting is great for some people, not others. The only way to find out which group you belong to is to try it out.

If you feel good when fasting and find it to be a sustainable way of eating, then it can be a very powerful tool to lose weight and improve health.

Via: Kris Gunnars

WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED TO WORK OUT DURING THE WINTER

1. Stop hitting the snooze button.

If you plan on working out in the morning, set one alarm—not several— and get up immediately. Put your phone or alarm across the room from you, so you have no choice but to get out of bed to shut it off. The first morning may be challenging, but over time, you'll fall into a consistent, easy wake-up routine—just wash your face, brush your teeth, dress for the weather, and push yourself to get going.

2. Establish a consistent schedule.

Schedule your workouts in your planner, and set digital reminders. Use a good old-fashioned calendar, and mark each day you exercise with a check—seeing what you've accomplished will help keep you on track. If you plan a workout date with a friend, you'll be less likely to bail.

3. But don't be afraid to mix up your routines.

Once your workout routine gets boring, try something different. Changing your workouts will not only keep you interested, but it will also help you continue evolving and improving.

4. Eat clean.

If you fall into winter hibernation mode, it's easy to overdo it at meals. But exceeding your personal eating limits will only make your workout harder. Prepare healthy meals to give yourself energy and stamina at the gym. A fridge stocked with fruits and veggies helps me eat clean, which motivates me to workout every day.

5. Train for seasonal sports.

Embrace seasonal activities like skiing, snowshoeing, or ice skating. Using the winter months to program sport-specific workouts for my clients can be motivating to work towards a specific goal. Doing so can also help you stay fit and injury-free during the season with strength and stability training. The winter is also a great time to prepare for spring and summer sports with balance and agility training—so when the warm weather hits, you'll be ready to crush your sport.

6. Sign up for a race.

Whether it's a race, competition, or workshop, find an upcoming fitness event that will force you to get moving. Ideally, have the date set for March, so you have to continue to train through the winter. If you've already paid for an event, you're more likely to stick to your training schedule. 

7. Find your "why."

Determine what drives you to work out. Is it health-related? Do you want to set an example for your children? Are you looking to connect with other like-minded individuals? It may take a little digging, but there's a unique and personal reason deep in your gut why you chose to lace up your sneaks and work out today—find that reason.

Via: Maggie Finn Ryan

20 LOW-CARB SUBSTITUTES THAT DON'T SUCK

What do mac and cheese, stacks of pancakes, and bowls of pasta all have in common? If you answered, “Umm, they’re delicious,” you’d be right. But they’re also heavy in carbs and can leave you feeling tired and annoyed. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve gathered some of the most notorious carb-heavy foods and found a delicious, low-carb alternative to satisfy any craving.

1. Cilantro-Lime Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Because you can turn almost any sandwich into a lettuce wrap, we’re partial to this version that replaces taco shells with iceberg lettuce and fills it with juicy turkey, a delicious homemade salsa, and all your favorite taco fixings. Increase nutrients even more by replacing the lettuce with spinach leaves.

2. Turkey Cacciatore Burgers on Portobello “Buns”

A classy twist on the average turkey burger, this nutritious recipe comes together quickly—the mushrooms roast in the oven for 12 minutes while the turkey cooks on the stovetop—looks complicated (read: serve when you have friends coming over), and tastes delicious. Packed with protein, thanks to turkey, plenty of potassium courtesy of the mushrooms, and crazy tasty. What more do you need?

3. Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Mint

Not quite a sandwich but an elegant spin on bruschetta, this recipe forgoes bread for eggplant, for a healthier version of the Italian classic. While the eggplant roasts in the oven, mix the remaining handful of ingredients (onions, tomatoes, capers) to get them ready to be scooped onto the eggplant and you’re done!

4. Baked Butternut Squash Fries

When you need a crunchy fry, these crispy squash spears fit the bill. Technically a fruit, butternut squash is full of nutrients like potassium and carotenoids (which help protect your heart). Speed things up by skipping the peeling step—the fries will still be delicious. 

5. Roasted Turnips with Parmesan

Haven’t ever really eaten turnips? It’s time to give them a second look. They’re inexpensive and their natural sweetness makes them seem like a real treat. Leave the skins on the turnips before roasting to make this already super-easy recipe even quicker. Try them alongside your favorite burger or sandwich recipe for a fry that’s a vegetable in disguise.

6. Healthy Baked Carrot Fries

Here’s a kitchen secret: when carrots are baked, they taste surprisingly similar to sweet potatoes. That makes these beta-carotene-packed carrot fries all the more sweet. Just chop, toss in salt and pepper, and bake. Want to add some extra zing? Use your favorite spices like garlic, Old Bay, or crushed red pepper to up the flavor even more.

7. Delicious Zucchini Lasagna

You won’t miss the noodles in this meaty, cheesy lasagna that’s packed with fresh zucchini. Just two or three thinly sliced zucchinis are needed to replace normal lasagna noodles. Give it a whirl in the summer when farmers’ markets and gardens are bursting with the vegetable.

8. Easy Eggplant Lasagna

If you love eggplant, this recipe’s for you. If you don’t love eggplant yet, you will after whipping up this pasta-free dish. It comes together quickly for a lasagna that’s got all the flavor of the familiar version without the carbs. It’s also insanely flexible: peel or don’t peel the eggplant and make the slices as thick (or thin) as you like. Use jarred pasta sauce to speed things up even more.

9. Mac-and-Cheese-Style Cauliflower

A creamy, cheesy alternative to typical mac and cheese, it’s not a stretch to think this version is preferable to using elbow pasta, no matter what your relationship with carbs may be. Boil cauliflower, whisk up a cheese sauce, and throw it all in the oven. For a fancier twist, use your favorite non-cheddar cheeses or a combo (mozzarella and pepper jack, anyone?)

10. Mashed Cauliflower With Garlic and Chives

Move over, cream- and butter-laden mashed potatoes—there’s a new side dish in town. This mashed cauliflower takes on the consistency of potatoes after getting chopped up in a food processor or blender (or use a potato masher to get chunkier “potato” pieces and work on your upper arm strength!), so get ready to enjoy a favorite comfort food minus piles of carbs. The garlic and chives add an extra dimension of flavor that's sure to be a hit.

11. Fluffy Little Almond Flour Pancakes

Using almond instead of wheat-based flour keeps these breakfast beauties lower in carbs without sacrificing the tiniest bit of taste. Whip up the batter with a blender for a quicker breakfast, or use a bowl and whisk—either option yields delicious results. Add berries for some color and a fruity zing. Oh, and trust us one this one—make an extra batch to freeze for a busy morning.

12. Oatmeal and Cottage Cheese Banana Pancakes for One

It’s a lucky thing that this recipe is for one, because you won’t want to share. Oats and cottage cheese come together as pancake batter, while banana adds a hint of natural sweetness. Blend for just 30 seconds and drop batter onto a heated skillet for perfect pancakes. Don’t forget add-ins like chocolate chips!

13. Portabello Mushroom Pizzas

You will believe it when you taste it—mushrooms make an incredibly tasty pizza crust. Lunch or dinner doesn’t get simpler than this: drizzle mushroom caps with olive oil, load up on your favorite toppings like cheese or veggies, and bake. Sprinkle a little fresh basil on to bring it over the top.

14. Cauliflower Pizza Crust With Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese

Is there anything cauliflower can’t disguise itself as? Don’t be put off by making your own “dough.” The taste is well worth it, and takes less time than traditional dough (no rising, yay!). Roasted veggies and goat cheese are a tasty topping, but if you prefer a more conventional pizza, load it up with marinara and mozz.

15. Simply Cauliflower Rice

Try this basic recipe when you’re just craving a big ol’ bowl of rice. If you’re looking for something fancier, the suggested add-ins like lemon and sea salt or curry, ginger, and red chilies will jazz up your cauliflower in no time (We especially have our eyes on the Spanish cauliflower rice version that includes salsa and jalapenos!).

Also try: Black bean spaghetti, shredded cabbage, spaghetti squash, or sweet potato noodles

16. Mexican Black Bean Spaghetti

Spaghetti made out of... black beans?! With 25 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber per serving, this alternative will keep you feeling full and satisfied much longer than whole-wheat spaghetti noodles. Give it a whirl in this Mexican-inspired dish.

17. Shrimp with Bok Choy, Sriracha, and Shirataki Noodles

Sriracha, garlic, and veggies are an epic trio, and this alternative is just as delightful. This version lightens the load by using Japanese shirataki noodles (made out of yams and already cooked!), which have zero carbs, to create a restaurant-worthy—but still healthy—dish.

18. Skinny Spaghetti

Cabbage masked as spaghetti? Trust us, it works. The cabbage “noodles” lose their cabbage-y flavor, and become the perfect vehicle for this flavorful chili that uses staple ingredients like garlic and chopped tomatoes. Bonus: Use the leftover chili in a burrito, taco, or even eat it on its own.

19. Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

Using only four ingredients, this basic recipe is a great base to build a simple spaghetti dish. Adding vegetables like mushrooms or spinach boosts healthful goodness, while throwing in some cooked chicken or shrimp will give it an extra protein boost. But if you want to eat it as is, using squash instead of typical pasta will keep you guilt-free.

20. Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Noodles)

Vegetarian-friendly, throw this this stir-fry together quickly for an easy after-work dinner. The prep and cook time are equally minimal, and the dish tastes great served warm or at room temperature (and yes, even cold, and straight from the refrigerator!).

VIA: KISSAIRIS MUNOZ

15 PAINLESS WAYS TO CRUSH SUGAR CRAVINGS

A mouth full of fudgy frosting on your birthday, a fork full of toasty pecan pie at Thanksgiving, a cold bowl full of cookies ‘n cream on a hot August afternoon: These time-honored treats are among life’s sweetest pleasures, meant to be savored and enjoyed.

Problem is, for many of us, sugar has become an overwhelming daily temptation that we feel powerless to resist. Instead of occasionally indulging in special-occasion desserts, many of us are straight up hooked on sweets, needing a daily (sometimes hourly!) fix to satisfy our sugar addiction. If you’ve ever found yourself in a sugar-trance, locked onto a doughnut like a heat-seeking missile, you know how potent sugar cravings can be.

But no matter how severely you’re strung out on the sweet stuff, there’s hope! In The Sugar Smart Diet, Anne Alexander argues that the key to reclaiming sugar’s simple, sweet pleasure is to take back control by first breaking the powerful hold it has on your body and mind. Breaking your addiction leads to what Alexander calls “sugar freedom,” a state in which you call the shots—not your cravings. Not Krispy Kreme. You.

Ready to adopt a take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward the cookie tray? Try these Sugar Smart tips to crush your sugar cravings faster than you can scarf down a Snickers:

1. Eat a protein-packed breakfast

Research shows that protein in the a.m. makes it difficult for sugar cravings to take hold later on. Lean protein options like Greek yogurt, peanut butter, eggs, and low-fat cheese produce less of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin and more PPY, a hormone that signals fullness. MRI scans of high-protein breakfast eaters in a University of Missouri study showed reduced activity in areas of the brain associated with cravings. Can’t stomach food too early in the morning? No problem. Eat it by 10 a.m. and you’ll still help quell that late-day sugar yen.

2. Never go hungry

Meal skipping is a guaranteed way to fire up sugar cravings. Skipping meals lowers blood sugar levels and causes you to overeat the rest of the day to make up for missed calories. Keep things steady by eating five times a day – three meals and two snacks of nourishing and delicious whole foods such as whole grains, beans, lean meats/poultry/fish, nuts, unsweetened low-fat dairy, eggs, and veggies. They’ll fill you up and give you the ideal balance of lean protein, energizing carbohydrates, and healthy fats to steady your blood sugar and insulin levels and extinguish cravings for sugar.

3. Suss out secret sugars

True to their name, secret sugars lurk in foods you don’t even think of as sweet: Everything from ketchup to crackers, salad dressings to pasta sauce. The problem with these secret sugars isn’t just that they put you on sugar overload (which they do; the average American takes in a whopping 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day—the ideal is 6). It’s that added sugars stoke appetite and beget more cravings, trapping you in a vicious cycle of wanting more, more, more. Search your fridge and pantry and read every label. Find the foods with sugar listed in the first few ingredients and seek out low-sugar alternatives to dial down your sugar intake.

4. Pump up the flavor

Sugar may be sweet, but there are plenty of other fabulous tastes out there that you may be missing out on. If you’ve ever seeded a fragrant vanilla bean for a special dish or topped a sliced tomato with fresh basil leaves, you know how much flavor herbs and spices can add. Experiment liberally with spices of all kinds (added bonus: warm spices like cinnamon and ginger can quell a sweet tooth). And don’t forget other flavor boosters like balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and orange zest, and hot sauce to perk up your taste buds. Stir your coffee with a stick of cinnamon…toss plain, air-popped popcorn with smoked paprika…the more adventuresome you are, the more you’ll grow to appreciate flavor, and put sugar in its rightful place in the process.

5. Sleep more, crave less

The key to stopping sugar cravings in their tracks is balancing the hormones ghrelin (an appetite trigger) and leptin (which signals satiety), along with insulin. Get these hormones working in harmony and you’ll experience fewer cravings—and less fat storage. But if you get less than the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sack time, you may be undercutting this goal. In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were enough to drop levels of leptin by 18 percent and boost levels of ghrelin by about 30 percent. Those two changes alone caused cravings for sugary foods to jump 45 percent. Sleep deprivation not only makes sugary foods more appealing, it may also lower your ability to resist them. The parts of your brain that usually put the brakes on cravings aren’t as active when you’re tired, research conducted at the University of California, Berkley found. The upshot? Get your zzz’s to strike the all-important hormonal balance and boost your craving-crushing stamina.

6. Rev up your movement to dial down your cravings

If you’re plagued by strong sugar cravings, getting your body moving may help deactivate them. According to a study published in Applied Psychology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, the more you sit, the greater your appetite – even if your body doesn’t need the calories. Moderate exercise also helps keep muscle cells sensitive to insulin. Strength training builds stronger muscles, which in turn use up more glucose. Any physical activity that you enjoy will help get sugar off your brain—and belly.

7. Soothe what’s really bothering you

The link between emotional comfort and sweets is primal – and persistent. Rewarded with candy when growing up? You may still treat yourself to dessert for a job well done. Did you push back the confusion and loneliness of adolescence with candy bars? You may still be doing that as an adult. To break the cycle of reaching for sugar when you are emotionally cued to, you have to have something that will short-circuit your reflex response. The first step toward breaking the emotional connection between emotions and food is to become aware of the feelings that drive you to crave sweets. Not after the fact – the very moment you reach for sugar. To get a split second of clarity as your fingers close in on your co-worker’s candy dish: Why am I reaching for this? In those moments, remember this simple but powerful catchphrase: “Stop. Slow down. Think.” That will enable you to determine whether you really want the sweet or whether you are just feeding your emotions.

8. Pinpoint your sugar pitfalls

Do the doughnuts in the coffee room at work every morning call out to you? Think through your day and identify where and when you are most susceptible to sugar’s lure, and ask yourself why you “need” sugar in those moments. Is it because you’re starving when you get to work and the doughnuts are just too tempting to resist? Empower yourself with new, positive alternatives you can use to meet that need. Perhaps it’s making sure you eat a healthy breakfast and bypassing the doughnuts on your way to your desk. Fill your need in healthier ways and sugar loses its power over you.

9. Find healthier rewards

Instead of treating yourself to sweets, treat yourself to pleasure! Often we reach for sugar when we’re stressed, lonely, or bored. But there are far better ways to turn around a bad mood or energy lull. Make your own personal “rewards card”—a list of nourishing activities that you can whip out any time you find yourself reaching for sweets. Your rewards should be things that elicit the same pleasure you feel when you indulge in a favorite dessert. Think of things you can do instantly and that last for the 15 to 20 minutes you otherwise might spend lost in a sugar episode. For instance: listen to music, dance like crazy, call a friend, paint your toenails, go for a bike ride, pet the cat, watch junky TV, plan a dream vacation, or just lay down and look at the sky. This strategy of pleasure-focused redirection will work like a charm to keep you focused on nonfood sources of happiness.

10. Supplement with calcium and vitamin D

Are you taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement? Good! Several studies suggest that multivitamins that contain vitamin D and calcium can potentially lower cravings and promote weight loss. Extra body fat holds on to vitamin D so that the body can’t use it, and this perceived deficiency interferes with the action of leptin (the hormone that signals your brain that you’re full). If you’re deficient in calcium, your body can experience up to a fivefold increase in the fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that converts calories into fat. While a multivitamin can’t replace a healthy diet, this bit of extra nutrition “insurance” can’t hurt—and you might just find your cravings lessen while your weight loss speeds up.

11. Snap out of temptation with a photo

Research shows that people who keep a food diary lose more weight. But that doesn’t have to be limited to just writing down what you eat. In a study published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies, volunteers recorded what they ate on paper and in photos. They all reported that the act of taking the photos—and the photos themselves—raised their awareness of what they were eating. By taking pictures of your food before you eat it, you give yourself that crucial split-second pause that enables you to reconsider your selection. Seeing that softball-ball size cinnamon bun in a photo before you down it may jolt you into making a healthier choice.

12. Relax with a cup of tea and a novel

We all know that stress powers sugar cravings. And there’s nothing new about advice to carve out “me time” to combat stress. What is new is a study from England’s University of Sussex that found reading can slash stress by a stunning 68 percent! Other methods the study tested that also work are listening to music (61 percent) or sipping a cup of tea (54 percent). It’s a great way to divert yourself when you get that urge to munch. Pick a quiet spot where you won’t be interrupted and brew a cup of calming tea, such as chamomile, to sip while you turn the pages.

13. Stay hydrated

If your sweet tooth is on overdrive, turn on the tap and drink up. Dehydration can spike cravings for sugar and junk food dramatically – and may take a toll on your mood. Recent studies have linked mild dehydration to fatigue, anxiety, poor concentration, and even your cranky midday slump that can send you lunging for the vending machine. The latest guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recommend that women get 91 ounces of water a day, but you’ll be happy to know that not all of it has to come from the tap. At least 20 percent can come from food. So eat lots of fruits and veggies to make a hefty dent in your water needs.

14. Soothe with scent

Self-soothing techniques help you tolerate strong or overwhelming emotions, so you can manage them in a positive way, rather than reflexively reaching for a sugary treat. Inhaling a pleasant scent is a helpful reminder to enter the present and literally bring you to your senses when you’re in a cravings spiral. Try this exercise: Add 2 drops of eucalyptus oil to 1 cup of water in a bowl and stir. Soak a washcloth in the scented water. Squeeze out the excess water, then roll it up neatly and place it in a plastic bag in your fridge. The next time a craving hits, retrieve your scented washcloth and drape it gently over your face. Focus your full attention on the sensations—the texture of the cloth, its coolness, its scent—as you inhale the calm, and exhale the powerful emotions.

15. Savor life as much as sugar

Take a moment to think about your schedule. Does include an activity that really does it for you? That puts a curl in your toes, a little flutter of anticipation in your gut? We’re not talking downtime in front of the tube. We’re talking pleasure. The more you indulge in it in healthy ways, the less you’ll look for it in sugar. And the more pleasure, joy, and laughter you add to your life, the less you feel the need to derive pleasure from food. Savoring an experience—whether it’s a walk in the woods or a movie marathon with your best friend—means to enjoy it thoroughly, wringing every drop of pleasure from it. And while cookies may taste momentarily sweet, they can't provide true and lasting satisfaction.

VIA: DEBRA GOLDSTEIN

SOCIAL SUPPORT - THE SIMPLE SECRET TO WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS

Lack of accountability is one of the biggest reasons people cannot lose the weight they want. It’s tough to keep a laser focus on something that could take several weeks to several years to accomplish. Social support can keep you honest to your weight-loss plan and keep you motivated along the way.

This secret is quite a gem because anyone can be an accountability partner. Look to friends, family, co-workers, superiors, mentors, personal trainers, teachers, kids or fellow SOTA 6 week challenge members – the possibilities are endless. All that matters is that person wants you to succeed as much as you want to.

You can even get creative in your search for accountability by turning to the latest technology. The Internet is doused with weight loss forums (check sotafitness.com) and hundreds can be found at your fingertips with a simple Google search. On these forums, you can post your food and exercise logs so like-minded people can comment and offer you their advice and encouragement.

If you are tech savvy, climb onto the social networking bandwagon to find a weight loss community. On the micro-blogging site, Instagram, you can update your social support network with short and frequent posts about your meals and workouts in real-time. Gather your network by “following” people who are interested in fitness or nutrition. Any slip-ups in either and you can bet your “followers” will be on your case. Even people you don’t know will add their two cents.

On Facebook, you can update your friends and SOTA 6 week metabolic challenge group members with longer posts about your weight-loss plan. You can also upload photos of your progress, post notes about your hang-ups and chat with your supporters. I’ve even been known to make comments about current or former client’s meals – so watch out!

Nobody can really pinpoint why social support is so valuable in the weight loss game, but including family and friends in your plan has proven highly effective. Your supporters do not necessarily have to be working towards the same weight-loss goals, but by surrounding yourself with people who can encourage you in healthy eating and exercise you will be well on the road to the leaner you.

On the flip side, try to avoid people who won’t support your healthy lifestyle. Hanging out with people who make fun of you for your whole grain snacks or who are stuffing fries down their throats while you nibble on carrot sticks will only slow your progress. Instead, engage in a positive environment with a positive support system that will encourage you to keep living healthily and stay driven toward your goals.

Get out there now and begin gathering your network of supporters, whether they be friends, family or the SOTAfitness community! Fill them in on your specific weight, nutrition and fitness goals and let them know if they should scold you for slacking. If you do, I guarantee your chances of succeeding will increase dramatically.

Via: Jason Yun

8 REASONS WHY YOU'RE NOT LOSING WEIGHT

When you lose weight, your body fights back. You may be able to lose quite a lot of weight at first, but weight loss tends to slow down or stop altogether after a while. So in this video I'm looking at 8 reasons why you're not losing weight and how to get things moving again.

11 HEALTHY HOLIDAY FOOD SWAPS

The problem with the holidays isn’t usually the weight gain — the average American gains only one or two pounds in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — it’s the fact that most people never lose the excess pounds. So in five years you may have gained 10 pounds and in 10 years, 20 pounds. The best course of action? Stop weight gain before it starts.

The key is eating healthy throughout the holiday season and remembering portion control when it comes to your it-wouldn’t-be-Thanksgiving-or-Christmas-without-them foods. For the rest of the courses, all you have to do is make the right choices that will allow you to indulge and enjoy, yet keep you from loading up on the fatty, high-calories dishes that can quickly lead to unwanted weight gain.

1. Skip Full-Fat Dips, Eat Yogurt Dips

Start with those Thanksgiving appetizers. With so much of the meal yet to come, why waste calories on dips made with full-fat sour cream? Substitute low-fat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt or nonfat sour cream for regular sour cream in all of your recipes this season, and no one will be the wiser. To put it in perspective: An ounce of sour cream has about 60 calories. An ounce of nonfat plain Greek yogurt has only 15 to 20 calories, and an ounce of nonfat sour cream has about 25. The savings from even a few small scoops quickly add up.

2. Skip Some Alcohol Calories, Drink Wine Spritzer

The easiest way to cut unnecessary calories this season is to cut back on alcohol. For a portion-controlled alternative that will help you save calories, replace 2 ounces of wine with club soda. Since a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine has about 150 calories, and club soda has no calories, replacing just two ounces of the wine already saves you 60 calories toward another slice of pie. “You’re still able to be festive and enjoy an adult beverage with your friends and family — just with a lot fewer calories,” says Marisa Moore, RD, LD, an Atlanta dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

3. Skip Candied Yams, Eat Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Instead of serving candied yams, which have 215 calories per half-cup, try oven-roasted sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving and other meals. A 3/4-cup serving of sweet potatoes brushed with a little heart-healthy canola or olive oil is only 100 calories. Not only do you get more potatoes for fewer calories, but also you’ll also get a healthy helping of vitamins and nutrients from the potatoes, and a dose of monounsaturated fat from the oil. “I recommend roasting over boiling the sweet potatoes because it brings out their natural sweetness and you don’t have to add as much to [enhance] them,” Moore says.

4. Skip Dark Meat, Eat White Meat Turkey

The dark meat in your Thanksgiving turkey has about twice the fat of turkey breast and about 40 percent more calories. A 3.5-ounce portion of dark meat (about the size of a deck of cards) with the skin on has about 230 calories. The same amount of turkey breast without the skin is only about 160 calories, cutting about 70 calories as well as saturated fat— that’s eating healthy as long as you stick to portion control.

5. Skip Store-Bought, Eat Homemade Stuffing

What would the holidays be without stuffing? But it doesn’t have to be the unhealthy store-bought stuffing that’s prepared with butter and cubes of white bread. For a healthy holiday, make your own stuffing. Simply sauté celery and onions and other cubed vegetables of your choosing (from carrots to water chestnuts) in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil. Combine the mixture with cubes of whole-grain bread, moisten with no- or low-sodium chicken broth, and add your favorite herbs before baking. This eating-healthyversion has less fat, more fiber, and more flavor.

6. Skip Traditional Gravy, Eat Low-Fat Gravy

Turkey gravy is another recipe that can you can use to be healthy without losing taste, says Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RD, LDN, an instructor at Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. You can make tasty Thanksgiving gravy with 1 cup of fat-free turkey broth, 2 tablespoons of flour, and seasonings to taste. If you still want to use the drippings from the roasting pan, remove the fat first (use a fat-separator cup or place the drippings in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and then skim off the fat that rises to the top). In a hurry? Use a paper towel to soak up the fat. This will help with eating healthy, but you still should remember portion control because gravy calories can add up fast.

7. Skip Cranberry Sauce, Eat Cranberry Relish

That can of cranberry sauce you open at Thanksgiving is full of sugar, corn syrup, and other added sweeteners. Even exercising portion control may not help — just a fourth of a cup of the canned stuff can have more than 100 calories. Make your own cranberry relish and cut out some of the sugar for a healthy holiday side dish. “Most recipes call for more sugar than you need,” Moore says. “You can probably cut the sugar back by one-fourth to one-third.” Or save even more calories by using sugar substitutes such as Splenda or stevia. A third of a cup of cranberry sauce made with sugar substitute has only about 25 calories.

8. Skip the Casserole, Eat Fresh Green Beans

To make your green bean casserole a healthy holiday choice, instead of using full-fat cream of mushroom soup, use a reduced-fat version of the soup and you’ll save at least 40 calories per half-cup serving. Better yet, skip the soup and French-fried onions — just cut and steam fresh green beans and sprinkle them with slivered almonds before serving. “Eat your veggies first because they're lower in calories,” Moore advises. “They will help fill you up, and you’ll want to eat less of the higher-calorie foods.”

9. Skip White Flour Rolls, Eat Whole-Wheat Rolls

At 100 to 200 calories each, dinner rolls are an easy item to skip if you’re aiming for a healthy holiday, especially if you’re eating carbohydrate-packed stuffing. If you’re doing the cooking and still want bread with your meal, consider replacing the white flour in your favorite recipe for whole wheat. If you make cornbread or another recipe that calls for whole milk, replace the full-fat milk with low-fat buttermilk or thinned plain yogurt. Experiment with less sugar and oil than the recipe calls for — chances are, you won’t miss it. A word to the wise: Test your healthy-eating recipes before company comes, Dobbins says. You don’t want surprises at the Thanksgiving table.

10. Skip Eggnog, Drink Cider

A glass of eggnog can easily have upwards of 250 calories, and more than half of your daily recommended dose of saturated fat. Swap eggnog for a glass of hot apple cider instead, and instantly save 100 to 150 calories and all the fat. If it’s just not a holiday without eggnog, make your own with egg substitute rather than eggs, fat-free milk in place of whole milk, and sugar substitute in place of sugar — you can still use vanilla and spices. Leave out the alcohol and you’ll save even more calories.

If you still want the real thing, Moore says, practice portion control: Have just one serving, and then switch to something more diet friendly. One of her favorite tricks for a healthy holiday is to alternate between high-calorie beverages and club soda or a glass of water. “If you limit yourself to every other drink," she says, "you will cut your calories in half no matter what the calories start off being.”

11. Skip Pecan Pie, Eat Pumpkin Pie

It’s hard to resist holiday desserts from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, but you can save about 200 calories by choosing pumpkin pie (300 calories a slice) over pecan pie (about 500 calories). Neither is exactly eating healthy, but with the pumpkin you’re getting lots of vitamin A, calcium, and iron. If you really want pecans, Moore suggests skipping the pie and eating a handful of pecans sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. In either case, another option is to skip the crust entirely — that’s where most of the fat lurks — and save another 100 or so calories.

Via: Beth Orenstein

5 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT STRENGTH TRAINING FOR DISTANCE RUNNERS

Despite the advancements in our understanding of the role strength training plays in our development as long distance runners, there are still some pervasive myths in the running community about the best way to approach improving running-specific strength.

Like most long-standing myths, the misunderstandings about strength training come from outdated information that has been passed down throughout the years.

Unfortunately, in today’s world where anyone can become a running coach by attending a weekend seminar, and message boards in forums contribute to the spread of misinformation; many runners simply repeat the information they’ve “learned” without regard for recent findings, research and developments in the sport.

Luckily, in this article we're going to dispel some of these myths and hopefully start reshaping how all runners view and incorporate strength training into their running schedules.

Myth #1: You need to maintain short rest between sets

When most runners hit the gym, they feel like they need to replicate the feeling and the work they do on the roads. Typically, that means keeping the heart rate elevated. For some, it can feel foreign to consider a workout effective if you're not breathing hard.

That means most runners try to take as little rest as possible between sets. It’s not uncommon to find runners resting only 30-60 seconds between exercises.

Unfortunately, these brief rest periods are detrimental to strength development because of the primary energy system used and the rate of recovery.

Unlike in running, which relies on the aerobic system for energy, the major source of energy when trying to build strength is what we call adenosine triphosphate phospho-creatine (ATP-PC).

ATP-PC is responsible for providing the energy to produce short, powerful movements – like we need for strength training. As you can see for this chart below, ATP-PC requires at least two to three minutes to approach full recovery.

While it will feel completely foreign to you as a distance runner, it’s important that you take the necessary recovery time between each set to fully replenish your ATP system.

By not fully recovering between sets when strength training, you’re not able to maximize the recruitment of your muscle fibers and the quality and effectiveness of your session plummets.

If your goal is to build strength, you need to be taking at least a 2 minute recovery between each set.

Myth #2: Training with high reps builds endurance

It’s often claimed (since distance running is endurance oriented) that the use of high reps with low weight is the best way to build endurance to running-specific muscles.

The thought process is that high repetitions, just like higher mileage, will improve muscular endurance. That’s why you often see runners lifting the 5-10lb dumbbells for shoulder raises or even in the running-man motion (don’t worry if this is you, you're not the first one to do it).

Unfortunately, high reps and low weights don’t build muscular endurance

• First, recent research has shown that performing repetitions in the 12-20 range does not increase muscular endurance any more than the 6-8 repetition range.

• Second, you’re already working on your muscular endurance when out on the road and when doing track workouts. The purpose of strength work is to build strength so performing routines and rep ranges that target this goal is ideal.

Therefore, rather than using light weight and high repetition, you should lift the maximum weight you can safely handle for 6-10 repetitions.

The 6-10 rep range allows for maximum muscle overload and will recruit the greatest number of muscle fibers, thus leading to increased strength.

The next time you head to the gym for your strength training session, consider reducing your repetitions and adding more weight to your exercise. You’ll maximize your strength gains much faster this way.

Myth #3: Heavy weights will bulk you up and light weights will make you look “tone”

When first suggesting to runners that they will be better served by lifting heavy weights, their initial reaction is, “I want to look like Mo Farah, not Arnold Schwarzenegger”. But, this fear comes from a misunderstanding of how “bulking up” actually occurs.

Muscle bulk is not determined by lifting heavy weights alone. In fact, lifting heavy weights is the least important part of the equation.

Nutrition, specifically excess calories, is what contributes to bulking up when lifting heavy weights. (As a side note, it’s same for using running as a means to lose weight. The mileage itself is not the most important factor, but rather the negative calorie balance.)

Moreover, because the amount of time you will spend running will vastly outnumber the amount of time you spend lifting heavy weights, it will be virtually impossible for you to gain unwanted or detrimental mass (unless of course you’re seriously overeating, which is not a training problem).

Don’t be afraid of looking like a body builder if you’re including heavy lifting in your running routine. It just won’t happen.

Likewise, lifting lighter weights with more repetitions won’t make your muscles look more “tone”.  The common belief is that high reps magically get rid of fat.

While high reps with light weight to fatigue can create a muscular response, it does not necessarily remove fat better than low reps with heavy weight. The mythical “tone” is a result of not losing muscle mass in conjunction with losing weight.

As an example, one study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that dieters who lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of weight as dieters who did just cardio, but all the weight lost by the weight lifters was fat while the cardio subjects lost a lot of muscle along with some fat.

Myth #4: You should perform strength training on your rest or recovery days

Runner’s typically think of strength training as an add-on to their running training, rather than an integrated piece of the training puzzle. When you do your strength workouts is just as important as what strength workouts you perform.

The mistake many runners make is performing their strength workouts on their easy, recovery or off days.

The thinking behind this idea makes sense – you’re the most tired after hard workouts, so why push yourself even more by adding strength work on these days?

But, we’re forgetting about the recovery aspect and the training plan as a whole.

If you were to perform harder strength workouts, especially anything that involves the lower body, on your easy running day the added stress and shortened total recovery time between workouts would detract from your body’s recovery ability.

Moreover, if you perform your harder strength training the day before your workouts, you’ll likely be too tired or sore to perform optimally in the most important session – the run the next day.

This is why your hardest strength training days should be on your running workout days.

But, since there are more than one type and intensity of strength routines, here’s how your week should look:

• Your hardest, most running-specific strength routines after your hardest workouts
• Your medium effort routines (like basic core or hip routines) on your regular running days
• Any preventive routines on your off or recovery days

Myth #5: Machines are a good substitute for bodyweight, free weights, and therabands

The next time you’re in your gym, take a look around and count the number of strength training machines you see. I’m willing to bet it’s an extraordinarily high number.

Because the machines are so pervasive, it’s easy to think that they are just as good, if not better, than free weight and bodyweight exercises. However, in most cases they are far less effective – and in some cases useless.

The problem with machines is that they have a limited range of motion, isolate the wrong muscle groups, and don’t trigger the same “supporting” muscle groups response that make some exercises most useful.

As an example, we know that hip strength, or lack thereof, is one of the main contributors to running injuries.  The prescription is obviously to strengthen the muscles in the hip, which include the abductors. Seemingly, the abductor machine at the gym make this very easy to do. Just sit down, push out and you’re on your way to injury-free running.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

Research has shown that to improve running-specific hip strength, an exercise should maximize the recruitment of the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus, while minimizing the recruitment of the TFL (tensor fasciae latae – a muscle located on the upper lateral portion of your thigh).

The abductor machine actually targets the TFL and therefore has limited effectiveness. Furthermore, a tense TFL, because it connects directly to the knee’s lateral side via the iliotibial band, may increase knee strain that could develop into IT band syndrome.

In this case the adductor machine is not only useless, it could be harmful.

By sticking to the right bodyweight, free weight and theraband exercises you can maximize the time you spend in the gym and avoid many of the common pitfalls.

Now…go crush your personal bests with these myth busters in mind

Consider how these 5 common myths play into your current perception and approach to strength training.

Via Coach Jeff