Top Ten Foods for Fat Loss & Body Composition
www.rebornpt.co.uk personal training, Sandbanks brings you a great article from Charles Poliquin on the TOP TEN FOODS FOR FAT LOSS:
Use these ten foods in your diet to support fat loss and get the physique you desire. Assuming you are training regularly, including these foods in a high-protein, relatively low-carb whole food diet will help you get and stay lean, while feeling energized and motivated throughout the day.
Is Aerobic or Anaerobic Training Best For Getting Rid of Belly Fat?
Lose belly fat fast and improve your health by doing strength training and high-intensity intervals. Compelling research shows that the BEST way to get rid of the belly fat is to train with hard but short bursts of exercise, a style that taps into the anaerobic energy system more than the aerobic.
There is overwhelming evidence that belly fat loss is best achieved when exercise is with a high, but varied intensity, and a relatively large volume. However, this does not mean you have to spend hours and hours a day killing yourself in the gym. Less than an hour a few days a week can produce dramatic fat loss if you do it right.
This article will tell you why you burn more fat when you favor anaerobic-style training and give you eight reasons to favor this style of training by lifting weights and doing sprints rather than spending hours on aerobic exercise.
#1: Burn More Belly Fat with Sprint Intervals
A large number of convincing studies show that high-intensity interval training is the best conditioning strategy for losing belly fat. In contrast, one research group that has conducted a number of experiments comparing aerobic and anaerobic training for belly fat loss write, “Disappointingly, aerobic exercise protocols have led to negligible fat loss.”
The reason anaerobic interval training works so much better is that it requires the body to adapt metabolically—your body is forced to burn fat to sustain the level of intensity being asked of it. It also elevates energy use for more than 24 hours post-workout, which has a dramatic effect on belly fat loss.
For example, a 2008 showed that a 6-week program increased the amount of fat burned during exercise by 12 percent and decreased the oxidation of carbohydrates—obviously, a favorable result for losing fat. More impressive, a 2007 study showed that in as little as 2 weeks, active women who performed interval training experienced a 36 percent increase in the use of fat for fuel during exercise.
Interval training is so effective for fat loss because it taps into different energy pathways than aerobic exercise. Simply, aerobic exercise tends to burn carbohydrates first and activate pathways that are degrading to muscle, whereas high-intensity exercise such as weight lifting and sprinting will burn a greater percentage of fat, enhance the body’s production of enzymes involved in fat breakdown, and activate pathways that lead to muscle development.
The other reason anaerobic intervals are superior for belly fat loss is that they increase excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) a huge amount. A 2006 review showed that protocols that are more anaerobic in nature produce higher EPOC values than steady-state aerobic training because the trained muscle cells must rest restore physiological factors in the cells, which translates to a lot of energy expenditure.
#2: Lose Belly Fat With Sprint Intervals: The Proof
The following are examples of the superiority of anaerobic interval training for belly fat loss from the research:
• A 12-week high-intensity interval training program produced a 17 percent decrease in belly fat in overweight young men. Subjects lost 1.5 kg of belly fat and 2 kg of total fat, while building 1 kg of muscle. Fat burning was increased by 13 percent due to the 3-day a week program of 20-minutes of cycling in which the subjects sprinted for 8 seconds and then did 12 seconds of recovery, repeating these intervals for a total of 60 sprints.
• The same 20-minute cycling interval program produced 2.5 kg of fat loss in young women in 15 weeks, and the majority of the fat loss come from the legs and abdominal area. The sprint intervals were compared to a steady-state aerobic program that produced no fat loss.
• A 16-week study had trained athletes perform either a sprint interval protocol or steady-state running four days a week. The sprint interval protocol varied each day, but an example of one of the workouts used was 10 intervals of 30-sec sprints with 90 seconds rest. The sprint interval group lost 16 percent or 1 kg of visceral fat as well as 2 kg of total fat, compared to the endurance group that lost no belly fat, but did lose 1.4 kg of lean mass. The belly fat loss appears to be small, but be aware that subjects were lean, trained athletes to begin with and had less belly fat to lose than overweight subjects.
• An 8-week interval program using both high- and moderate-intensity intervals decreased belly fat by 44 percent in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes. Subjects increased quad muscle size by 24 percent and improved insulin sensitivity by 58 percent—a dramatic improvement that highlights the other mechanisms involved in belly fat loss (muscle building, insulin health & blood sugar management).
#3: Sprints Take Less Time than Aerobic Exercise
Not only do sprints help you lose MORE belly fat, they help you lose it FASTER and with LESS training time. Repeatedly, studies show that more fat loss is achieved in high-intensity programs that use 20 to 25 minutes of training time than those that use 45 or 50 minutes of aerobic training time.
Scientists write that anaerobic intervals are overwhelmingly preferable to aerobics for producing belly fat loss, and that the estimated optimal dose of aerobic exercise necessary to lose belly fat appears to be 3,780 calories expended per week. This is an enormous volume of exercise that would require 1 hour of moderate intensity aerobic cycling 7 days a week to burn 550 calories a day so that you could lose even a pound a week!
In less than half the time you can get better results with anaerobic training. A 1994 study is indicative of this: Participants did either 20 weeks of aerobic training or 15 weeks of intervals (15 sprints for 30 seconds each) and lost nine times more body fat and 12 percent more visceral belly fat than the aerobic group.
What is so interesting about this study is that the energy cost of the aerobic program over the whole study period was 28,661 calories, whereas for intervals it was less than half, at 13,614 calories. In less time, the interval group lost much more weight—nine times more weight. How do researchers explain it?
Aside from greater fat oxidation and higher EPOC, hormone response plays a major role…
#4: Sprints Improve Hormone Response for More Belly Fat Loss
Sprint intervals and anaerobic exercise in general improve your entire endocrine system. Both training modes enhance the cells’ sensitivity to insulin, making anaerobic training a successful treatment for diabetes.
Perhaps most important, anaerobic exercise also elevates growth hormone (GH) —a powerful fat burning hormone that helps restore tissue and build muscle—much more than aerobic training. GH is released by the body in greater quantities in response to physical stress above the lactate threshold, which is the reason heavy, sprints are so effective.
Another hormone called adiponectin that is released from fat tissue during exercise also helps burn fat. Emerging scientific evidence shows that any time you perform forceful muscle contractions, adiponectin is released, and then your body produces a substance called PGC1 that is like a “master switch” that enhances muscle and metabolic functions, thereby burning belly fat. Naturally, anaerobic training is most effective for increasing adiponectin and PGC1 to burn fat since sprints and especially weight lifting require extremely forceful muscle contractions.
#5: Strength Train to Lose Belly Fat
To get a lean, trim your midsection and lose belly fat, you need to strength train with a high volume, using large muscle groups, and short rest periods. This metabolically intense type of training is fantastic for increasing GH and aiding belly fat loss. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours and hours a day killing yourself in the gym!
You will get results from a resistance training program that includes the following components:
• Multi-joint lifts such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, split squats, step-ups, chin-ups, and chest presses in every training session. Add isolation exercises only if you have extra time.
• Train with a higher volume—work up to more than 4 sets per exercise. Shoot for 24 to 32 total sets per training session.
• Train with a higher intensity—include some training in the 70 to 85 percent of the 1RM range.
• Include short rest periods (30 to 60 seconds) and always train a “finisher” that requires near maximal effort for more GH response (25 reps of squats or 2 minutes of leg presses, for example).
• Count tempo for every lift so that you apply a specific amount of tension to the muscles. In general, opt for longer (4 second) eccentric tempos and short or explosive concentric tempos.
• Shoot for 3 to 4 hours of total training time per week, which includes resistance training and a few short sprint sessions.
#6: Anaerobic Training Produces Less Cortisol For More Belly Fat Loss
Cortisol is the stress hormone that is elevated when you are under both physical and psychological stress. Research shows cortisol is chronically higher in endurance athletes—one study found that aerobic athletes had significantly higher evidence of cumulative cortisol secretion in their hair than controls.
In addition, cortisol is generally elevated more following aerobic training than anaerobic training. Part of this has to do with the fact that strength training and intervals do elevate cortisol, but they also elevate anabolic hormones such as GH and testosterone that counter the negative effects of cortisol.
If GH and testosterone are not elevated, cortisol overwhelms tissue, having a catabolic effect that leads to gradual muscle loss and fat gain. By doing aerobic training without strength training, you will lose muscle, lower your metabolic, rate, and gain fat. Worst of all, high cortisol causes chronic inflammation, which lead to belly fat gain over time—all-around bad news!
#7: Anaerobic Training Is More Fun & Less Boring than Aerobic Exercise
Intervals and strength training take less time and provide much more variety than aerobic training. Not only are you doing many different exercises in a strength training session, but you are pushing yourself to reach new personal bests. When you see how it can transform a fat belly into a lean, cut midsection, you will be that much more motivated to continue!
In addition, although sprint interval training can be mentally challenging, it only requires a short workout and many trainees find intervals less boring than endurance exercise. Plus, most people enjoy feeling powerful and fast from going all out. Get a training partner to help push you through the hard parts and know that by working hard but smart, you will reach your fat loss goal.
#8: Mix It Up with Modified Strongman, Varied Strength Protocols & Sprints
A few more anaerobic training suggestions include the following:
• Try modified strongman training: Do sled training, tire flips, and a heavy farmer’s walk to lose belly fat fast.
• Mix up strength training protocols with circuit training and supersets that use very short rest periods. For example, do supersets with 10 seconds rest when switching from the agonist to the antagonist exercise and 60 seconds between sets. Or, do a “death circuit” of heavy, high volume deadlifts followed by split squats followed by lighter high volume squats with 10 seconds rest between exercises.
• Try a sprint training workout in which you do 20 second all-out sprints with 10 seconds rest in 4 sets of 4 intervals. Rest 3 to 4 minutes between sets.
• Try hill or stair running in which you sprint up as fast as possible and jog down—repeat immediately. Do 8 to 16 reps.
• Try a sprint-endurance workout with six to eight 200-meter sprints (about 30 seconds each) with a 3 to 4 minute recovery.
Want to train for MASS size in this summers packed gyms? Here’s how to..
This also works great for someone with a home gym with restricted surface area. It goes like this::
Monday
Equipment needed: Olympic bar and plates and dumbbells
A. Power cleans from mid-thigh 5 x 4-6, rest 3 minutes between sets. Tempo X0X0
Tuesday
Equipment needed: Chin up station and dumbbells
A-1 Wide Grip Pullups, 5 x 4-6, rest 100 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
B-2 One Arm Lean Away Lateral Raises 5 x 8-10, rest 90 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
Thursday
Equipment needed: Olympic bar and plates and Power Rack.
A. Paused Front Squats 5 x 4-6, rest 3 minutes between sets. Tempo 32X0
B. Cyclist squats, 5 x 8-10, rest 2 minutes between sets. Tempo 30X0. They are narrow heels elevated squats. Heels are 15 cm apart, and elevated 6-10 cm. Expect to decrease the weight every set.
C. Inertia squats 5 x 6-8, rest 2 minutes between sets. Tempo 22X0. Sent the pins so that are at solar plexus level when your heels are together. Work up in weight on this one. Only the last set should be challenging.
D. Back Squats 1 x 15-20. Tempo 20X0
Equipment needed: Adjustable Bench and Dumbbells
A-1 Incline Dumbbell Press, 5 x 4-6, rest 100 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
A-2 Incline Dumbbell Curls 5 x 4-6, rest 100 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
B-1 Flat Dumbbell Presses, 4 x 8-12, rest 90 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
B-2 Seated Dumbbell Zottmann Curls, 4 x 8-12, rest 90 seconds between sets. Tempo 30X0
Now this will only work if you do it….So stop reading, print it out, stick it on your wall and get TRAINING TODAY!!
Vary the tempo of your lifts for maximum fat burning and strength results.
Vary the tempo of your lifts to lose fat and get more powerful. Manipulating tempo is an easy way to modify the amount of time your muscles spend under a load, making it one of the best tools to help you break through plateaus and drop a few pounds of fat.
A fascinating new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows how varying tempo and load will produce very diverse physiological results. This study compared the effect of performing the upright seated bench press on power, work output, exercise time, energy burned, and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) using the following four protocols performed to failure:
• Muscular endurance, 55 percent 1RM with a 4141 tempo
• Fast Force endurance, 55 percent 1RM with an explosive tempo
• Maximum Strength, 85 percent 1RM with an explosive tempo
• Hypertrophy, 70 percent 1RM with a 2121 tempo
(Here is a quick description of tempos :
The first and third are the amount of time it takes you to perform the eccentric and concentric portions of the exercise, respectively. The second and fourth are the number of seconds you are advised to pause after. So 2010 requires a 2 second eccentric portion (lowering the weight), no pause at the bottom, a one second concentric portion and no pause at the top.
the ‘X’ implies you perform the action as fast as possible with good form. You typically see this on the concentric (raising the weight) portion of an exercise. )
Results showed that the Fast Force protocol resulted in the greatest power output, followed by the Maximum Strength protocol—a finding that is not surprising since those exercise trials were performed explosively and the others used a controlled, deliberate tempo. Maximum possible velocity and loads in the 30 to 60 percent of the 1RM range will always produce greater output than restricted lifting speed or heavy loads. Still, the fact that the Maximum Strength trial produced the second greatest power output also supports the inclusion of heavy load training for power—it’s not that one tempo is always best, but that you must vary tempo to achieve optimal results.
The Fast Force protocol also resulted in much greater work to be performed than all other protocols. The Maximum Strength protocol was second in work output, but this protocol took the shortest amount of time to complete (only 30 seconds) compared to the Muscular Endurance, which was longest in 105 seconds. The Fast Force and Hypertrophy trials both took about 64 seconds.
Considering that energy is related to the ability to perform work, it can be concluded that the Fast Force protocol requires the highest energy cost, or for practical purposes, it results in the greatest calorie burn. However, the Maximum Strength protocol provides the greatest energy burn for the amount of time spent lifting, again highlighting the value of tempo variation.
One interesting point made by the researchers is that in the Hypertrophy protocol, the amount of work performed was similar to that of the Maximum Strength trial, but the Hypertrophy protocol took much longer to complete, indicating that building muscle is a result of longer exercise duration and the subsequent physiological and metabolic responses produced, rather than mechanical work.
The last thing you should be aware of is that all the tempo protocols produced similar EPOC, which refers to the amount of calories burned following the workout due to an elevated metabolism. Although EPOC was similar, you would achieve best fat loss and body composition by using similar time under tension as with the Fast Force and Maximum Strength protocols since these used the most energy during training, and EPOC can be maximized with higher loads or greater work.
Reference
Buitago, S., Wirtz, N., et al. Mechanical Load and Physiological Responses of Four Different Resistance Training Methods in Bench Press Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
Do Sprints and Traditional Strength Training for the Best Abs
If your primary goal is lean abs, a high volume total body program with sprints is the way to go. You’ll gain strength and muscle mass in the obliques, rectus abdominus, and erector spinae, giving you better trunk stabilization and a rock hard stomach.
Call us today on 01202 671783 for more amazing info to get you looking great by this summer.
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Stressed, gaining weight and feeling slugish then get some belly BUSTING probiotics.
Once you’ve read this article, click this link to purchase the best, clinically proven PROBIOTICS on the market.
Do you want to lose belly fat? Belly fat is one of the worst kinds of fats because it is a biologically active fat that releases chemicals called adipokines, which lead to more fat gain and muscle loss. Belly fat is very difficult to lose because along with producing those bad chemicals, it slows your metabolism.
Men typically have more belly fat than women—think of the big “beer belly”—putting them at greater risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the metabolic syndrome. Although beer may lead to greater belly fat gain, it is certainly not the biggest belly fat builder. 
Rather, high cortisol, poor insulin health, and gastrointestinal problems are greater influences on belly fat gain. Take control of these three factors and you’ll lose belly fat and be much healthier—and you’ll probably feel less stress!
Many people don’t realize that belly fat is not the fat that is right below the skin, which you can grab with your fingers. Rather, belly fat is the common term for visceral intra-abdominal fat—the fat that is deep inside the body behind your abdominal muscles and surrounding your organs. It can even get into your organs, such as your liver and heart, causing a host of bad things to happen.
Emerging research shows that one strategy for losing belly fat is to control insulin health and manage cortisol by taking a probiotic. There is a direct connection between belly fat gain, poor insulin health, and cortisol production, and probiotics have been shown to have rather amazing affects on all three. Indeed, there’s ample evidence that taking a probiotic will directly lead to belly fat loss without going on a diet. We also know that probiotics improve insulin sensitivity in diabetic and healthy individuals, and that probiotics decrease stress, lowering cortisol.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are tiny live bacteria that naturally occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Appropriate levels of these bacteria, commonly called microflora because it sounds nicer, do more than just make sure food passes through you efficiently. Probiotics directly affect nutrient absorption and they lower chronic inflammation, while supporting your body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters for the brain.
In fact, about two-thirds of your neurotransmitters are made in the gut lining, meaning that the major chemicals that are responsible for mood and brain function are produced in the gastrointestinal tract. No kidding, there’s ample evidence that cognitive function and mood will be poor if you have problems with your gut.
How Will Probiotics Help Me Lose Belly Fat?
The fascinating thing about belly fat loss with probiotics is that it starts with the brain. Here’s how it works: if you have an unhealthy gut, you will likely have more stress and anxiety, which leads to the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol. Several studies have shown that stressful events trigger cortisol and lead to the onset of chronic gastrointestinal disturbances. Stomach problems and elevated cortisol directly affect insulin health and leads to belly fat gain.
Take note that simply eating yogurt with active cultures does not provide enough of the most effective microflora probiotics to induce weight loss and visceral fat reduction. In the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, a fermented milk product was used that contained regular active yogurt cultures to which a specific high-powered lactobacillus strain was added. The probiotic group took this version, while a control group took the fermented milk product without any added probiotic. Despite the “naturally” occurring yogurt cultures, the control group lost no fat. Researchers also stress that although the control group’s supplement did contain calcium, conjugated linoleic acid, and amino acids—all of which are thought to be beneficial effects of dairy—they were not effective for inducing weight loss.
It’s supposed that the fat loss occurred because the probiotics inhibit lipid absorption so that fatty acids pass through the body without being metabolized. Plus, probiotics appear to speed overall metabolism, resulting in greater energy utilization. There’s also evidence that taking probiotics leads subjects to eat fewer calories, but this has only been proven in animals and still needs to be tested in humans. In the study described above, energy intake didn’t differ between the probiotic group and the control group, indicating that the weight loss wasn’t from less calorie intake.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
Is There More Proof Probiotics Lower Cortisol?
There is! A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that taking a probiotic will directly lower cortisol levels because it improves gut flora that affects the brain. Remember, neurotransmitters are produced in the gut—I know you’ve heard the term “I have a gut feeling”—and there’s a well-established link between stress, mood disorders, brain function and gastrointestinal disease.
In this new study researchers compared giving a probiotic or a placebo to a group of volunteers who reported having mild anxiety or depression. The group that received the probiotic treatment reported elevated mood, had less stress and anxiety, and showed less depression and feelings of anger. The probiotics group also significantly decreased cortisol levels, while a placebo group had no changes in cortisol or in ratings of mood, stress, or depression.
Additionally, the probiotic group reported being more focused on problem solving tasks. According to researchers, the probiotics decreased unhealthy pathogens in the gut, helping to get rid of inflammation, while improving central nervous system communication between the brain and the gut. Biomarkers of inflammation, called C-reactive proteins, were diminished, leading to less depression and better emotional response.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
Is There Evidence of A Link Between Poor Gut Health and Greater Stress?
Naturally, there is. Bad gut bacteria such as Clostridium and Bacteriodes have proven to increase anxiety and aggressive behaviors in animals. These “deleterious” bacteria led to increased social isolation, and less play in animal studies, which indicates stress that triggers an elevated cortisol response. There’s a host of evidence that elevated stress levels, both psychological and physical, lead to an increase in cortisol and the inability of the body to regulate cortisol production effectively. This results in chronically high cortisol levels that then impair the body’s ability to respond appropriately to insulin. And of course poor insulin health or insulin “insensitivity” leads to visceral belly fat gain.
We also know that giving probiotics to humans and animals can lower cortisol in normal and high stress situations. One study showed that after inducing stress from heat and giving a probiotic supplement to poultry animals, cortisol, cholesterol, and C-reactive protein markers were significantly decreased in comparison to a control group. It’s the relationship between C-reactive proteins and cholesterol, which is a product of chronic inflammation, that explains how probiotics decrease cortisol and result in belly fat loss.
How are Insulin, Cortisol, and Neurotransmitters Related?
Cortisol is released due to both psychological stresses and physiological stresses. Endurance exercise is a physiological stress that leads to increased cortisol, as is heat stress that I mentioned above. So, your body releases stress hormones after physical stress, and when you are anxious, or under mental duress as well. This is why poor gut health affects the neurotransmitters that are produced in the gut, leading to mental strain and cortisol release. But, at the same time poor gut health triggers chronic inflammation in the intestine, bumping up cortisol, hindering insulin sensitivity.
These processes are all interrelated, but as demonstrated above, we know probiotics can moderate cortisol, improve gut health, lower chronic inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and allow you to shed the belly fat. Humans and animals on probiotic treatment have shown greater insulin sensitivity in both healthy subjects and the overweight. For example, a study done on rats compared the effect of four diets on visceral fat loss: a standard control diet, a standard control diet with probiotics, a high-fat diet, and a high-fat diet with probiotics.
The rats on the high-fat diet gained the most visceral fat, while the rats on the standard diet with probiotic actually lost visceral fat. The rats on the high-fat diet with probiotics did gain visceral fat, but it was significantly less than those that ate a high-fat diet without probiotics. More important is that the high-fat diet group showed decreased insulin sensitivity. The probiotic helped support insulin health in the high-fat diet group, and they maintained insulin sensitivity at the same level as the two standard diet groups.
I’m Convinced! What Else Can I Do To Shed the Fat?
The most effective workout for getting rid of belly fat is to do high-intensity intervals and strength training. Authors of a research review on fat loss from exercise noted that “the effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible” whereas research into high-intensity exercise (HIT) “indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal (visceral) body fat than other types of exercise.”
One study that compared the effect of high-intensity exercise (60 sprints of 8 seconds each, 12 seconds rest) with aerobic exercise (60 percent of maximal oxygen uptake for 40 minutes) found that HIT resulted in significant decreases in overall fat mass, while the aerobic exercise group had a fat gain of 0.44 kg on average. The HIT group also had a significant 9.5 percent decrease in visceral fat, whereas the aerobic group had a non-significant increase of 0.2 kg or 10.5 percent. Of related interest is that the HIT group decreased fasting insulin significantly more than the aerobic group (31 versus 9 percent).
A second study found that in men with type 2 diabetes, an eight-week program that mixed aerobic and anaerobic exercise (twice a week of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise at 75 percent of max, and once a week of 5 sprints for 2 minutes at 85 percent) had a significant 44 percent decrease in visceral fat, with a 58 percent improvement in insulin sensitivity. This is great news because it indicates that the cortisol response from the aerobic exercise didn’t mitigate the improvement in insulin health.
Best results are achieved by doing what you enjoy most—or what you dislike least—because there’s more chance you’ll stick with it. Luckily, the evidence shows that a mix of high-intensity training in the form of sprints or weight lifting and adding a probiotic to your diet will allow you to lose the belly fat.
References:
Article taking from Charles Poliquin’s outstanding research into health, fitness and body composition.
Messaoudi, M., Lalonde, R., et al. Assessment of Psychotropic-Like Properties of a Probiotic Formulation (Lactobacillus Helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 in Rats and Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. 2011. 105, 755-764.
Andreasen, A., Larsen, N., et al. Effects of Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM on Insulin Sensitivity and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Human Subjects. British Journal of Nutrition. December 2010. 104(12), 1831-1838.
Sohail, M., Liaz, A., et al. Alleviation of Cyclic Heat Stress in Broilers by Dietary Supplementation of Mannan-Oligossaccharide and Lactobacillus-Based Probiotic: Dynamics of Cortisol, Thyroid hormones, Cholesterol, C-Reactive Protein, and Humoral Immunity. Poultry Science. September 2010. 89(9), 1934-1938.
Phillips, D., Barker, D., et al. Elevated Plasma Cortisol Concentrations: A Link Between Low Birth Weight and the Insulin Resistance Syndrome? Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. March 1998. 83(3), 757-780.
Trapp, E., Chisholm, D., et al. The Effects of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Training and Fat Loss and Fasting Insulin Levels of Young Women. International Journal of Obesity. 2008. 32(4), 684-691.
WHAT IS FAT LOSS?
We store fat in adipose tissue in our bodies — mostly under the skin (subcutaneous) or in the body cavity (visceral), with a small amount in our muscles (intramuscular).
Why is fat loss so important?
We need to lose fat…
As a group, people in most industrialized societies are likely to be over-fat.
This isn’t just a cosmetic problem. Excess body fat can negatively affect nearly every facet of life, including:
- decreased mobility
- poorer emotional health and self-esteem
- increased risk of organ failure
- poorer circulatory health
- increased risk of heart disease
- increased risk of stress fractures
- increased risk of strokes
- increased risk of cancers
- decreased sexual and reproductive health
Fat cells can act as endocrine factories and produce hormones that influence numerous processes in the body — most of which lead to more fat accumulation.
Beyond the health of it all, carrying a lower body fat is often considered more attractive and desirable as the underlying muscle tone is revealed.
Further, carrying a lower body fat is advantageous for many sport competitors (barring sumo wrestlers) as extra fat weight adds drag and additional resistance that must be overcome.
Bottom line: Carrying a lot of excessive body fat makes health, body composition, and athletic performance worse.
…but it’s hard.
Here’s the problem — collectively, we’re not very good at losing fat either.
About 95% of those who are overweight go on repeated diets, only to gain most or all of the weight back within one year. Nearly 70% of the United States is overweight or obese. The percentage of 12 to 17 year olds who are overweight has doubled since 1980.
We need a better solution. Knowing how fat loss works may be helpful.
What you should know
Fat cells are a major storage site for body fat, and are in a continuous state of turnover. Fat metabolism is regulated independently by nutritional, metabolic, and hormonal factors; the net effect determines levels of circulating fatty acids and the extent of body fat.
Fat loss and hormones
Fatty acid release and use requires lower insulin levels and an increase of the hormones glucagon, cortisol, epinephrine, and growth hormone. These “anti-insulin” hormones activate HSL. The other major hormone that influences fat metabolism is thyroxine (thyroid hormone).
After a large feeding, glycogen is synthesized until stores are replenished. If high blood sugar persists, glucose is converted to fatty acids. Amino acids can also be converted to fatty acids. The enzyme necessary for cells to accept triglycerides is lipoprotein lipase.
In the un-fed state, insulin concentrations fall, and the anti-insulin hormones increase. This accelerates fat use.
Fat loss and caloric deficit
When we decrease our caloric intake significantly, the body preserves fat stores very efficiently. Since insulin is low, thyroid hormone production is decreased. With this, resting metabolism is lowered. This can take place within 24 hours of starting an extreme diet.
The body’s response to calorie deprivation makes rebound weight gain all but definite once the diet is finished. Muscle is usually lost, so the body usually becomes fatter.
Fats are more than just a fuel source during rest and lower intensity exercise. Fats restore phosphagens that have been exhausted during high intensity exercise. After intense exercise sessions, oxygen uptake is increased, which allows restoration to pre-exercise conditions (the “afterburn” effect).
Stages of fuel use during fastingFat loss is a complex problem
With our focus on specific nutrients, intense nutrition counseling, dieting and processed food consumption over the past 30 years, body fat levels have also increased. In other words, more information, more dieting, more junk food has given us more fat.
While some of this may seem counter-intuitive, it illustrates the importance of body awareness, avoidance of processed foods, regular physical activity and influential food advertising.
Summary and recommendations
To maintain a low body fat and/or lower body fat:
- Exercise at least 5 hours per week
- Eat whole/unprocessed foods at regular intervals, while being aware of physical hunger/fullness cues
- Sleep 7-9 hours per night
- Don’t engage in extreme diets
- Stay consistent with your habits
- Incorporate non-exercise physical activity
- Ignore food advertising
For extra credit
Aspartame was approved for use in 1981, and while this non-caloric sweetener was hypothesized to help control body weight, since 1980, levels of body fat have increased….stop using, eating or drinking anything with this in.
Other factors associated with lower levels of body fat include:
- nuts
- green tea
- low energy-density foods
- dietary protein
- avoiding refined carbohydrates
- adequate hydration
- dietary fibre
- fruits and vegetables
- regular exercise
- adequate sleep
- a supportive social network
While cortisol can break down muscle tissue, it can also break down body fat.
If you increase physical activity and nutritious food intake, metabolism will increase.
Blaming weight gain on calories is like blaming wars on guns. The diet is not the cause of excessive body fat levels. Rather, it’s the entire lifestyle.
Severe calorie deprivation inhibits the production of serotonin, a brain chemical needed to control appetite and maintain harmony with food.
Christmas training advent calender: 9th Dec 2011, Day 8
Hi all, well your still here wanting more…..and boy to we love that commitment from our clients and readers.
Today let me introduce you to the wonderfully world of Tabata intervals.
Tabata interval training is one of the most effective type of high intensity interval training, its also the most intense by far, and surprisingly its the shortest in duration, it only last for four minutes… but those four minutes produce remarkable effects.
Lose Fat, Get Fit in four minutes
Tabata training was discovered by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.
Dr. Tabata discovered that this kind of interval training produces much better results than aerobic training. This included building as much muscular endurance as forty five minutes of normal cardio training. In fact in the study the subjects increased their anaerobic capacity by over a quarter as well a substantial increase in their aerobic fitness.
This type of training is very versatile, you can use tabata for weight loss as well most improving performance in most aerobic and anaerobic sport.
The full Tabata program is four minutes long, it will probably feel like the longest four minutes of your life.
If you are going to try it I would recommend going light the first time round otherwise you may be begging people around you to help you off the floor.
Tabata intervals follow this structure:
- Push hard for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this eight times.
The secret to making this effective is in your sprint interval. You have to go all out, so do as many reps as you can in the 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, then go hell for leather for another 20 seconds and so on….
Warm up: 5 – 10 minutes, taking it easy (run, skip, stair climb come on you know what to do to get warm!!)
Pre-stretch: give your quads, hamstring, chest, triceps and calves a good old going over.
Main session:
Tabata pullups
Run 1 mile
Tabata pushups
Run 1 mile
Tabata situps
Run 1 mile
Tabata squats
Run 1 mile
Ok how are you feeling….i know i’m pretty cooked..GOOD JOB!!
Time to cool down, stretch and get some much needed post-workout nutrition.
Boring disclaimer part.
Here at RE:Born we advise everyone before entering a new exercise programme to get a full health assessment and sign off by the GP, reborn also accept no responsibility of anyone suffering from injury, illness or shear stupidity to hurt themselves with these basic exercises)
Christmas training advent calender: 5th Dec 2011, Day 4
Oh my god, its only day 5!!! I hear you say…
Well don’t you worry, time is on our side there’s plenty of time left before xmas to fit in loads more sessions.
Here is today’s session, a mix of body weight and cardio. Remember don’t be going all soft on me….MAN UP and work hard.
Ok here goes:
Warm up: 5 – 10mins running and get moving well.
(work on your upper and lower body mobility today, especially pay attention to your hip flexors and hamstrings as they will get a drilling, and i expect you’ve been sitting down a fair amount as its first day back in the office so they’ll be all tight)
Main section:
Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
30 mountain climbers
15 Pull-ups
Please post your time below in comments.
Boring disclaimer part.
Here at RE:Born we advise everyone before entering a new exercise programme to get a full health assessment and sign off by the GP, reborn also accept no responsibility of anyone suffering from injury, illness or shear stupidity to hurt themselves with these basic exercises)
Christmas training advent calender: 4th Dec 2011, Day 3
Unleash the animal within.
No not the roast dinner you’ve just munched through, your primal animal….primal movements is where its at.
So lets combine a couple for a great all body workout.
This routine assumes some serious base strength, so here are a couple of easier options to the below circuit. Substitute a plyo pressups (any pop of the hands off the ground is awesome) for the Aztec. You can do handstand push ups instead of the handstand walking (or wall holds). If you can’t do one arm push ups than you can use a standard press up.
Most important aspect though, is to let go of all inhibitions…be an animal, go on ROAR!, i know you want to.
Warm up: 5 – 10 minutes, taking it easy (run, skip, stair climb, get in the sauna, move move move!!!)
Main Session:
Rest as little as possible between exercises and rest 30-60 seconds between sets.
A1: Sprint – 3 x 50ft
A2: Aztec Push Up – 3 x 10
A3: Handstand Walk – 3 x 20ft
A4: Burpee – 3 x 10
A5: Headstand – 3 x 30-60sec
A6: Alternating 1-Arm Push Up – 3 x 5-10 each side.
Please post your time below in comments.
Boring disclaimer part.
Here at RE:Born we advise everyone before entering a new exercise programme to get a full health assessment and sign off by the GP, reborn also accept no responsibility of anyone suffering from injury, illness or shear stupidity to hurt themselves with these basic exercises)
Christmas training advent calender: 3rd Dec 2011, Day 2
Brrr…..its cold but its great to run in, so….
Get outside and enjoy!!
OK everyone its day two (of many).
Today its simple running, yes RUNNING, don’t be jogging on me now….jogging is so 1980′s.
All you need is some running shoes (barefoot style please Vibram fivefingers would be best), shorts, a hoody, a bottle of water, an iPod and a true belief that you can run and you can run fast.
Today’s workout:
Warm up: 5 – 10 minutes, taking it easy (run, skip, stair climb come on you know what to do to get warm!!)
Pre-stretch: give your quads, hamstring and calves a good old going over.
Main session :
4 x 400m (as fast as you possibly can……)
Rest for 1 minute between each 400m.
RUN Forest RUN!!!
Post workout deep stretch: Hold the following stretches for 90 seconds each.
Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads, Hip flexors, and calves.
……and now breath deeply and head home,
giving yourself a massive pat on the back for training hard today. oh yeah, good time now to grab a recovery drink.
Please post your time below in comments.
Boring disclaimer part.
Here at RE:Born we advise everyone before entering a new exercise programme to get a full health assessment and sign off by the GP, reborn also accept no responsibility of anyone suffering from injury, illness or shear stupidity to hurt themselves with these basic exercises)
Christmas training advent calender: 2nd Dec 2011, Day 1
Ho, ho ho…..Merry Xmas,
Its the season to be merry, good will to all men and for some of us, a damn good reason to eat like we’ve never eaten before!!
Some of us, will be putting on anything from 1/2 stone to 1 stone, or even more!! Ouch, then we’ll spend the first few months of the year, like every other new resolution sucker, blasting away like that headless turkey from xmas day on some treadmill in a battery farm, some people call health clubs!!
Well hopefully help is at hand, I’ll be posting a new exercise routine for your guys to do everyday up until xmas. so hopefully we can keep that xmas bulge at bay, and start the new year not so far away from our target weights next year..
Please leave feedback, and your results after every session.
Ok, so here goes, first session. nice and easy 3 exercises. make sure you
Warm up:
5 – 10 Minutes of cardio. (go for a run, skipping, fast walk, climb some stairs)
Main session:
3 rounds for time of:
50 Pushups
50 Situps
50 Squats 
please post your time below in comments.
Boring disclaimer part.
Here at RE:Born we advise everyone before entering a new exercise programme to get a full health assessment and sign off by the GP, reborn also accept no responsibility of anyone suffering from injury, illness or shear stupidity to hurt themselves with these basic exercises)
Alkaline or Acid, what PH is your body and does it really matter?
Well i guess many of you reading this, answer the above with a “Don’t know” answer, and I’m not surprised by this as many of us have know idea what is going on in our bodies, let alone know whether our body is Alkaline or Acid.
And frankly, do you know whether it matters or not to be Alkaline or Acid.
This is why i have put together this post to hopefully get across why it is essential for us to check out bodies PH levels.
Why acid – alkaline balance?
Please watch this video first:
Your body must stay alkaline for optimal health, energy and mental clarity. In order to do this your body has to eliminate the by-products of the normal processes of respiration, digestion and energy production, which are all acid. Your body has to work to ensure that it remains in this state of alkalinity.
Therefore in turn we will be able to automatically increase our energy levels, and as a by-product of this your body will become more energized and burn more Kcals!!
If you can detoxify and alkalize effectively, your body will also be able to absorb more oxygen!!
“An alkaline body can absorb up to 20 times more oxygen than an acidic body.” says Dr Otto Warburg, Nobel Prize Winner. He also found that diseased bodies are acidic bodies, which repel oxygen and attract the overgrowth of microorganisms.
As your body becomes acidic, your body’s oxygen levels begin to drop, leaving you too acidic and then you will begin to see the results that this stress causes in health-related symptoms including:
- Fatigue
- Poor digestion
- Weight gain
- Aches and pains in muscles and joints
- Excess mucous production causing nasal and sinus congestion
- Lowered immunity resulting in more frequent colds and flu
- Increased anxiety and irritability
If you already have certain health conditions this acidity can increase inflammation and the degeneration of soft tissues and bone, which in turn causes further damage. Particularly affected is your body’s ability to build bone. Bone is sacrificed to keep your body alkaline (generally at a pH of higher than 7.2) and this means that you lose vital minerals, not just calcium but other minerals, which make up the structure of bone. If this is happening to your bones what effect might it be having on all your vital organs?
What causes your system to become acid?
Here are some of the most acid-forming foods:
- A diet rich in processed foods, high in sugar and salt
- Red meat
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Wheat, white flour
- Biscuits and cakes
- Pasta
- Cheese
- Homogenised Milk
- Ice Cream
- Soft Drinks
- Beer
Which foods will encourage your system to become alkaline?
Here are some of the most alkaline-forming foods:
- Lemons (these are acid on the tongue but become alkaline)
- Watermelon
- Limes
- Grapefruit
- Mangoes
- Papayas
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Vegetable juices
- Parsley
- Raw spinach
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Herb teas
- Lemon water
These are at the extremes of the acid-forming and alkaline-forming scales, so between the two there are degrees of each.
If you can include in your diet 250 gms of raw green leafy vegetables per day – say a generous salad with both lunch and dinner – then you will be changing your diet to be much more alkaline. You can, of course, do much more by eating more fruit and vegetables in general, and possibly including a green supplement like Green life, at great tasting GREEN drink.
What else can I do to help balance my body?
Drink good quality water
“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink” says the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. He was talking about seawater but in our world the quality of the water you drink and the quantity are vital to maintaining alkalinity through correct hydration, efficient elimination and mineral uptake.
Our advice at RE:Born Wellness is to certainly not drink tap water if you can avoid it. Drink at least two litres from a Mini Ioniser water filter to which you can add alkaline salts to is a good recommendation for daily consumption.
Organic food
Your body will become acidic if it is lacking in minerals. Most of us are mineral deficient as, in our modern world, fresh food is grown using chemical fertilizers which produce large glossy looking fruit and vegetables but which are mineral deficient – as the plants have taken up those fertilizers and not the minerals in the soil. So if you can, buy organic, or at least fruit and vegetables which have not been grown with those artificial fertilizers. Growing your own is, of course, an even better option. Not only do you know what you put into the soil, and hence your mouth, but you can pick and eat it immediately.
What to do next….
Our fully qualified trainers at RE:Born all have an in-depth knowledge of nutrition and how food can be your best medicine, so do come down to the RE:Born studio and they will be able to help you decide on your best strategies to develop a more Alkaline and healthier lifestyle.
The essential 6 steps to a better looking, feeling and performing body.
If you want to change the way you look, feel and perform then health is your first priority.
Following these detailed but simple steps will change you for the rest of your life. Don’t leave it to late!
“This is not just living better…This is a “Power Living” regime that will both transform your health, looks AND make your life so much more exciting and energizing.”
Andy: RE:Born client, Bournemouth
6 steps to success!!
1) Detoxify and Alkalize
2) Get your nutrition right
3) Supplement to combat the toxic environment
4) Get a training plan from a Personal trainer, who you trust and has the knowledge to help you achieve, then start to FEEL results.
5) Change the program constantly with your trainer and KEEP training so that you start to SEE results.
6) MAINTAIN all that hard work and live a much healthy, energized and exciting life!!!
Step 1
Detoxify and alkalize:
First please let us understand that the ENERGY which is creating by the body is dependent upon the complex system of cellular respiration that is dependent on oxygen availability. If we understand this then it makes perfect sense to increase the body’s cellular oxygenation?
Therefore in turn we will be able to automatically increase our energy levels, and as a by-product of this your body will become more energized and burn more Kcals!!
If you can detoxify and alkalize effectively, your body will be able to absorb more oxygen!!
“An alkaline body can absorb up to 20 times more oxygen than an acidic body.” says Dr Otto Warburg, Nobel Prize Winner. He also found that diseased bodies are acidic bodies, which repel oxygen and attract the overgrowth of microorganisms.
As your body becomes acidic, your body’s oxygen levels begin to drop, leaving you tired and fatigued. This is what allows fungus, mould, parasites, bad bacteria and viral infections to flourish and gain a hold throughout the body.
The biggest causes of acidity in the human organism are as follows:
•
Negative thinking
• Relationship and financial stress
• Tap water, tea, coffee and alcohol
• High animal protein diet
• Dairy foods (including those rubbish whey and casein drinks!)
• Processed sugar (especially carbonated drinks)
• Processed foods
• Cooked food
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• anaerobic exercise
This pretty much covers 99 % of people’s diets. To increase alkalinity in the body, you need the following:
• Positive thinking
• Happy relationship
• Drink alkalized water
• Adopt a 80% raw food diet
• Adopt a 80% alkaline diet e.g. vegetables, fruits
• Get the right dose of sunshine
• Aerobic exercise
At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells will die while healthy cells will live.
Oxygen cannot stick to blood cells if the pH of the blood is too acidic. You can breathe pure oxygen, but if the blood pH is acidic, the oxygen will not be able to be picked up by the blood cells. It is chemically impossible.
Therefore in summary if we understand this then doesn’t it make perfect sense to detoxify and become more alkaline??
Step 2
Balance your Nutritional intake: start building better blood and cells.
“It all starts with what goes in your mouth!
Nutrition is the foundation in changing the way your body moves, feels, performs and looks. With bad nutrition you will create poor biological cells and poor performing hormones therefore giving you little chance of achieving your goals. Keep your intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” James Rufus
Eat like our ancestors taught us to, not as the supermarkets direct us to. Try to eat a variety of foods, keeping as close to nature as possible. Stay away from anything packaged, canned, starchy (potatoes, pasta, rice etc unless you want your blood sugar levels going through the roof, making you produce more insulin and store fat) or freezed dried…etc
Making the change is a conscious effort, and only you can make for yourself.
Follow a diet that is balanced and based around a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat. (but make sure you get your carbohydrates from vegetables and fruit).
or make it simple to the eye, 1/3 of your plate protein, 2/3 of your plate carbs and a dash of good fats (see below). this will allow you to control your insulin (storage hormone) from your carbs and the Glucagon (release hormone) from your proteins which stimulates the liver to release stored carbohydrates from its glycogen stores.
Barbara Cox, CEO and Nutritionalist for NUTRICHEF gives us these amazing top 10 tips!
1: Variety is the Spice of Life
Eating a wide variety of healthy food is essential for good health, so it’s no coincidence that the Japanese (who have the longest life expectancy) eat as many as 100 different foods per week compared to only around 30 for people in the UK. Why is variety so important? The answer is simple: we are complex creatures that have count-less processes going on inside us each and every day, and each of these processes requires a variety of different raw materials, which has to come from our food. Hence the saying, ‘You are what you eat’.
2: Love Your Fruit & Veg.
Fruit and vegetables are not only a great weight loss food and provider of fibre, they are easily the most important kind of food because they provide us with the greatest variety of nutrients.
3: Fish for Nutrients
They’re a great low-fat alternative to red meat and they’re a great source of essential fatty acids (EFA’s), especially omega-3, which are necessary for good brain health, for your cardiovascular system and for fighting illness. Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, tuna and sardines are particularly good for providing EFA’s and also as a source of vitamin D, a very important disease-fighting antioxidant. Fish is also a good source of calcium.
4: Lose the Wheat and Starch
The problem with wheat is that its constituent protein – gluten – is difficult to digest, which can cause people considerable digestive problems and is also linked to depression.
5: Lose the Dairy
Did you grow up with the marketing slogan ‘Drink a pint of milk a day’? It really worked because millions of us took it as gospel that we couldn’t live a healthy life without dairy. What about calcium? Where do we get it if we don’t consume dairy products? By eating green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus and peas. Also by eating fish, nuts and seeds. Try dairy-free ‘milk’ made with oats, quinoa or rice.
6: Take Pride in Your Protein
Good quality protein is essential for growth and repair of cells. So we steer clear of fatty protein, choosing to use fish, lean cuts of lamb and chicken, nuts, seeds and beans.
7: Avoid Artificial Additives & Preservatives!
We believe strongly that 
manufacturers who use artificial colours or sweeteners such as aspartame are risking the health of their customers by expecting their bodies to process chemicals that are not naturally found in food. By and large if you don’t recognize it by name then don’t eat it!
8: Not All Fats are Bad
Good fats like omega-3 and omega-6. These are known as essential fatty acids (EFA’s) because we need them in our diet due to the fact that our bodies can’t actually make them. Omega-3 fatty acids in the oils from cold water fish such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, herring and sardines. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in cooking oils such as olive oil, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil.
9: Mind Your Salt & Sugar
The problem with salt is that it raises blood pressure, increasing the likelihood of stroke and heart disease. Sugar acts differently because it is loaded with calories, which, if they aren’t burned off during the day, have to be stored away into fat cells, resulting in weight gain.
10: Seasonal, Local, Organic
Although not always possible in practice, strive to use locally produced, organic ingredients that are in season. Seasonal ingredients are considered best because they are bound to be fresher and, therefore, their nutrient content will be at their maximum levels.
Step 3
Supplement your life to combat the toxic environment we live in.
We live in a toxic world, where our food, water and environment are all polluted by toxic chemicals such as: PCBs, Parabens, Fertilisers, heavy metals (such as lead and arsenic), Pesticides, Nitrates/Nitrites, Fluoride, Oestrogen / Hormones, Cryptosporidium, Chlorine,, Sulphates, Aspartame / Neotame in most diet drinks, Other Artificial Sweeteners Olestra / Olean, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG, hydrolyzed proteins) found in take away chinese etc, Preservatives / Additives, Genetically-Engineered Foods (Many Non-Organic Foods), Non-Organic Foods (Pesticides, Contaminated Sewage Sludge, Hormones), Dairy Foods / rBGH, Alcoholic Beverages (beer, wine), Allergy-Producing Foods, Microwave Oven Cooking, mercury, palladium, Cigarette Smoking / Second-Hand Smoke, household cleaners, personal care products etc, the list goes on and we can’t get away from it all.
Ideally we need to move anyway from the products in the list above, go organic and drink water from a reverse osmosis, mineralising water filter. However for some of us this is not going to happen.
Therefore we must consider supplementing our diets to make sure we combat these toxins. There are a few essential supplements we suggest you look at very seriously:
(Before starting on a supplement plan, we suggest that you book in for a full health appraisal prior to ascertain what areas your body is lacking)
(More detailed blogs will come soon regarding the profound positive effects of the list below)
Alkalizing Salts: Disease thrives in acidity. Health thrives in alkalinity. Neutralise the toxic acidity in your body and re-oxygenate the body up to 20% more.
Vitamin C: Gives your heart and arteries the essential nutrients they need to support repair and regeneration and to fight degenerative disease.
Omega 3s and especially: Heart / Brain Oil: (see omega 3, blog)
Iodine and selenium and Tyrosine; these are powerful thyroid boosters that help maintain a healthy thyroid, boost the metabolism and raising energy levels.
A Probiotic: helping to support healthy digestive and immune systems particularly those affected by their hectic lifestyle.
A Green drink: Get one now!! Choose wisely, you want a powerhouse of natural greens: watercress, spinach, broccoli and kale. This is a phenomenal blend of health-promoting green vegetables for long-term health, energy and vitality.
An Antioxidant drink: A super fruit blend of juicy acai berries, blueberries and blackberries, would be great so its bursting with essential antioxidants to give your body a great defence against damaging free radicals.
A Mix of L – Arginine, L – Glutamine, L – Glycine, Potassium Ascorbate, B6, B12 & Folic acid and Niacin.
Why you ask? Well the good news is that your body must always product some minimal level of HGH or you would not be able to function. The bad news is that as you get past about 20 years old, your body produces less and less HGH each year. By age 60 you will probably have lost 75% of the HGH that your body produced.
If you are a numbers person, here are some average HGH secretion levels:
- At 20 years old we average 500 micrograms/day
- At 40 years old we average 200 micrograms/day
- At 80 years old we average 25 micrograms/day
Human growth hormone and IGF-1 have been shown to play a significant role in:
- Conversion of body fat to muscle mass
- Growth of all tissues
- Energy level
- Tissue repair
- Whole body healing
- Cell replacement
- Bone strength
- Brain function
- Sexual function
- Organ health and integrity
- Enzyme production
- Integrity of hair, nails, skin and vital organs
Basically, anything that goes on in your body is in some way tied to HGH. This is why HGH is often called the “fountain of youth”. Elevated HGH levels are what make you feel young again.
You may see this list as overkill, and state that you can get these essential nutrient from your diet, which I would agree with, IF and it’s a big IF you were eating organic, fresh and varied nutrients everyday, without using household cleaners, personal care products and drinking tap water etc. Unfortunately very few of us can actually achieve this!!
So supplementing should be seriously considered.
Steps 4,5 and 6:
Exercising and de-stressing:
Although the next 3 stages are all similar I hope you’ll read through and understand why I have broken them down into 3 separate stages.
A quick note beforehand we start to talk about the stages is that we must try to rid ourselves of stresses before we take on any exercise.
When you are mentally stressed and you keep trying to push your body physically during workouts (which is therefore applying more stress to your body), the straw that can break the camel’s back will eventually happen (please read drop a dress size re. Cortisol levels).
“Don’t train unless you can gain.”
This means that unless you can give 100% to your training session, you are wasting your time.
Remember this: you either get better or worse, you never stay the same. If this session is not going to make you better, then you need more rest and you should go for a massage, swim or walk along the beach, get fresh air and sunlight. I do anything to de-stress. Then when you arrive at your next session, you can then truly give it 100% and stimulate a result.
If you are going to be able to give 100% to the training session and get the results you deserve for your efforts, you must make sure you work at reducing stress in your life and improve your health.
In regards to the exercising, your plan should consist of the following elements:
(please make sure you book in with a qualified trainer and get signed off by your GP before entering any exercise regime)
Cardiovascular: Bike, run, swim, row, etc,
Make sure it’s done at a high intensity and do it for short periods of time, but do that multiple times. This will cause your body to adapt and change, making you fitter and leaner. NO more running for hours on that treadmill. Hooray I hear you say.
Resistance work: yes weights!!
Adding weights to your session will increase your metabolism, burn more calories, tone or build your muscles and make you look great. Make sure your weights work includes big lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, clean & jerks and bench presses to name just a few. Make sure you have a trainer to help you here.
Gymnastics: no not running round in a leotard,
But using your bodyweight as resistance, like press-ups, pulls ups, sit ups and maybe even a handstand. Making sure your body can move, lift and hold its own weight will make your daily life much easier.
To sum it up, get a personalized exercise programme from a personal trainer, it should be done 3 – 4 days per week, it needs to be constantly varied, and done at a high intensity including some functional exercises (exercises that mimic what you do in your daily life), cardiovascular work and gymnastic elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow.
This variety of exercise will not only sculpt the body that you desire, but make you ready for anything that life throws at you.
Remember routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
Step 4
Getting through the first few days of pain, with little change in body shape.
The first 1-30 Days, starting to FEEL different!
During the first 30 days you will notice your cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance & strength rapidly increase as your body adapts from an untrained state. This is especially the case if you haven’t exercised regularly in a while.
If improving flexibility was one of your primary goals and you have been working on it, expect it to slowly improve. While you will feel like you have more energy and are getting in shape, your body composition is likely not to significantly change in the first month of training because your body adapts neurologically first.
Step 5
Staying focused and motivated, with the help of others and a great plan.
The next 30-60 Days, starting to SEE change!
During the second month of training you will continue to make improvements in your cardiovascular endurance as well as muscular strength and endurance gains. Although the gains won’t be as rapid as the first month, your personal trainer should be adjusting your program to avoid plateau and keep making progress.
During the second month of training you can expect your body composition to slowly begin to improve provided you have been eating correctly and doing the prescribed exercise during the training sessions and on your own time. Your flexibility will slowly improve as long as you keep working on it by stretching the specific muscles you want to become more flexible.
Step 6
Maintaining the workload and achieving your desired result.
90+ Days onwards, change is here, now to MAINTAIN!
If you maintain your regular exercise with a personal trainer and exercise on your own time you can expect your body composition to continually improve.
From 90 days and beyond improving your fitness assessment results for muscular strength & endurance as well as cardiovascular endurance will gradually become more difficult as you are in a trained state.
If you have been working on flexibility you will start making noticeable progress. Your muscles will feel less tense and you will increase your range of motion about your joints.
The Most Important Thing to Consider: Persistence Pays Off
Achieving results in a fitness program will never be an overnight process. If you are exercising with a personal trainer, putting in exercise on your own time and attempting to eat right, results will come in time.
Basic Results Timeline
- In the first 30 days of training you will FEEL the difference.
- In the 2nd 30 Days of training you will be able to SEE the difference.
- For 60 days and beyond of training your colleagues, family & friends will see the difference. A good time to call up a friend who you haven’t seen in a while!! See what they say about you!
So there we are people, 6 steps to achieving the body, life and performance you desire.
1) Detoxify and Alkalize
2) Get your nutrition right
3) Supplement to combat the toxic environment
4) Get a training plan from a Personal trainer and start to FEEL results.
5) Change your program with your trainer and KEEP training and start to SEE results.
6) MAINTAIN all that hard work and live a much healthy, energized and exciting life!!!
Please feel free to contact RE:Born Wellness on info@rebornpt.co.uk or call 01202 671783 for more information or to book in for our full health appraisal and programming.
Coconut oil, tastes GREAT, smells better and aids in burning FAT fast.
First of all, let me explain how I came about researching into this natural super food and once again prove that keep our nutrition as close to nature reaps benefits.
I heard about 2 years ago, whilst looking for a natural fat burner that Matt Lovell, the nutritionist for Britain’s rugby team was supplementing the team’s diet with the oil.
Lovell says coconut oil helps raise metabolism and burn fat, which helped rugby players increase muscle mass. He says in the first year of using coconut oil as a supplement, members of the rugby team shed fat and gained muscle. In 2007, the team carried an average of 4.4 pounds of extra muscle weight than did the members of the 2003 team. Lovell says he understands skepticism about eating fat to lose fat, but his experience supports the premise.
This result is due to the oil containing lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil really does work wonders in boosting energy and endurance, and enhancing the performance of athletes and clients.
However that was just a drop in the ocean, research shows that the health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength……WOW, what a complete natural remedy.
Today in countries where coconut oil is still widely used, heart and vascular disease remain uncommon.
These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc……
How is Lauric Acid Used by our body?
The antiviral properties of lauric acid were first discovered when researchers were investigating the anti-infective properties of human breast milk. Human and mammalian breast milk are rich in lauric. These fatty acids and monoglycerides provide protection against infections to babies, whose immune systems are still developing.
When nursing mothers include coconut oil in their diet, the level of these fatty acids in their breast milk can triple.
The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It also helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system.
Let us now explore the benefits of coconut oil in detail:
Heart Diseases:
There is a misconception spread among many people, that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart.
It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.
Weight Loss:
Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.
Digestion:
Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Immunity:
Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV.
Infections:
Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
So know you know the benefits, let us find out how to use it.
You can use coconut oil for all frying and stir frying. It is heat stable and has a shelf life of over one year. You can also use it as a direct substitute for butter, ghee, margarine and other culinary oils. When warmed (it needs to be liquefied, it solidifies at 70 degrees F) and combined with a culinary vinegar and herbs, it makes an excellent salad dressing.
Dosage: How much (Coconut Oil) lauric acid or Monolaurin is needed?
Infants probably consume between 0.3 and 1 gram per kilogram of body weight if they are fed human milk or an enriched infant formula that contains coconut oil. This amount appears to have always been protective to some degree.
Extrapolating breast milk content of lauric acid and scaling the quantity to the body weight of an adult, an estimated intake of approximately 24 grams of coconut oil per day may provide protective levels for an adult.
This is the equivalent of 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil, 10 ounces of coconut milk or 7 ounces of raw coconut (approximately one half of a raw coconut per day).
The Dayrit study of Monolaurin and coconut oil as a therapy for HIV used dosages of 7.5 to 22 grams of monolaurin per day in three divided doses or 45 ml. (approximately 3 tablespoons) of coconut oil per day. The coconut oil and monolaurin both demonstrated a beneficial result in reducing viral loads and improving white cell counts. Growing children probably need about the same amount as adults.
Safety Precautions and Side Effects:
Coconut oil is food and can be consumed freely without any adverse effects. The only precaution is to keep your total calories within the range that is appropriate for your body type and activity level. Lauric acid from coconut oil is converted into monolaurin in the human body. Monolaurin is also considered to be a food.
I hope this helps you in making this all important choice to add this oil to your diet!
Please feel free to contact us on info@rebornpt.co.uk, call 01202 671783 or visit our website www.rebornpt.co.uk should you wish to find out more info on us, nutrition or maybe book in a FREE health consultation.
Low testosterone vs the BEER belly!!!
OK an article for you guys, or girls read it for your guy.
Are you struggling to lose weight, is your belly growing or have you developed moobs? well then please read on.
You’re a middle-aged man with an expanding waistline and cholesterol levels just edging into the danger zone. Your muscles are a little flabby and so is your sex drive. You’re probably blaming it all on lack of exercise and a little too much wine.
But the problem could be something more insidious – you could have too much of the female hormone oestrogen.
As Professor Richard Sharpe, a senior scientist with the Medial Research Council Human Reproductive Science Unit, explains: ‘Both sexes need to keep their levels of oestrogen and testosterone in balance for good health. There is no absolute level of either for men and women – it is the relative levels that are important.’
The problem is that the balance between our male and female hormones can change. And it seems that men are particularly affected – indeed, over his lifetime a man will have more oestrogen circulating in his body than a woman.
And too much oestrogen is not good – it raises men’s risk of blood clots, encourages middle-aged spread (bad for heart health and diabetes) and possibly even affects their prostate.
The balance between oestrogen and testosterone doesn’t usually cause problems in men until middle age. That’s when their testosterone levels go into a downward spiral.
‘First, you produce less because of general ageing, but to make things worse, more of what you do make is turned into oestrogen,’ explains Professor Ashley Grossman, an endocrinologist at Bart’s Hospital, London.
Too much oestrogen in the body is known to increase body fat. This body fat then pumps out more oestrogen!!! AGGHHH, not good news….plus it’s not just age-related changes in the testosteroneoestrogen balance that affect men – you will also be getting more oestrogen from the environment:
Oestrogen is found in parts per billion in UK waters, we become receptive to these hormones in parts per trillion!!! These hormones are also found along with every other chemical you could imagine, inc.
- Chlorine
- Fluorine compounds
- Trihalomethanes (THMs)
- arsenic
- radium
- aluminium
- copper
- lead
- mercury
- cadmium
- barium
- Hormones
- Nitrates
- Pesticides
‘We know that pesticides and other chemicals have oestrogen-like effects,’ says Professor Banks. ‘When you add it all up, it’s clear that men are being increasingly feminised.’
Below we look at a couple of adverse effects high levels of oestrogen have on men.
WEIGHT GAIN: Rising levels of oestrogen encourage the development of male beer bellies.‘Oestrogen encourages fat to accumulate around the central part of the body,’ explains Professor Grossman. ‘The problem is that the fat cells, in turn, produce an enzyme that encourages testosterone to be converted into oestrogen.’
So you end up with even more oestrogen and lower testosterone levels than normal – as well as weight gain, this can lead to tiredness, flabby muscles and reduced libido.
ENLARGED PROSTATE: It’s thought too much oestrogen might contribute to an enlarged prostate, an age related condition where the gland surrounding the man’s urethra grows, affecting urine flow and causing the need to use the lavatory more often at night.
MALE BREASTS: Male breasts are common in puberty, explains Professor Stafford Lightman, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at Bristol University.
‘At this time, young boys start to produce sex hormones in large quantities for the first time.
‘Normally, the body recovers from this and the breasts vanish without the need for treatment.’ However, in older men the change in hormone balance causes fatty deposits to settle in the breast area, creating ‘man boobs’ or ‘moobs’.
So what is the answer?
Get a personal trainer FAST, one that will prescribe you the correct exercises, not the ones you see the guys in the local gym doing, you know the ones doing the mirror muscle workouts, biceps curls and tricep kickbacks!!! starting training like a coached athlete.
Your programme needs to include:
- Compound weight-lifting exercises that train several large muscle groups, and not just one or two smaller muscles. For example squats, deadlifts, cleans and bench presses.
- Get the weight right, throwing around 2 kg dumbbells won’t help you effect a rise in testosterone. Start off by using a heavy weight that you can lift only five times. That weight is about 85 percent of your one-repetition maximum.
- Do more sets and less reps. Researchers at Penn State determined that this fosters greater increases in testosterone than just one or two sets. Rest a full minute between sets, so you can regain enough strength to continue lifting at least 70 percent of your one-rep maximum during the second, third and forth sets.
- Rest, going everyday to the gym, will break your body down. If you overtrain — meaning you don’t allow your body to recuperate adequately between training sessions — your circulating testosterone levels can plunge by as much as 40 percent, according to a study at the University of North Carolina.
Don’t starve yourself.
When you want to trim down quickly, you probably starve yourself. One of the many reasons this stops working in your 30s, when your natural testosterone levels start dropping, is pretty simple: Cutting your calorie intake by more than 15 percent makes your brain think you’re starving, so it shuts down testosterone production to wait out the famine. “There’s no need to reproduce if you’re starving,” explains Thomas Incledon of Human Performance Specialists in Plantation, Fla.
Skip the Atkins Fad
Research suggests that eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can cramp your testosterone levels. High amounts of dietary protein in your blood can eventually lower the amount of testosterone produced in your testes, says Incledon, who observed this relationship in a Penn State study of 12 healthy, athletic men.
Your protein intake should be about 16 percent of your daily calories, Incledon says. So, if you’re the average 170-pound man who eats 2,900 calories a day, you should eat about 140 grams of protein daily, which is about the amount in two chicken breasts and a 6-ounce can of tuna.
Have Morning Sex
German scientists found that simply having an erection causes your circulating testosterone to rise significantly — and having one in the morning can goose your natural post-dawn testosterone surge. It’s a sure bet you’ll burn a little fat, too.
Make Nuts Your Midnight Snack
Nuts are good for your nuts. Research has found that men who ate diets rich in monounsaturated fat — the kind found in peanuts — had the highest testosterone levels. “It’s not known why this occurs, but some scientists believe that monounsaturated fats have a direct effect on the testes,” says Incledon. Nuts, olive oil, canola oil and peanut butter are good sources of monounsaturated fat.
Drive Home Sober
To maintain a healthy testosterone count — and titanium erections — cut yourself off after three drinks. “Binge drinking will kill your testosterone levels,” warns Incledon. getting drunk can reduce your testosterone by up to 25% for 48hrs!!
Have a Sandwich at 3 p.m.
As any sensible woman knows, the way to put hair on a man’s chest is to fill his stomach. Your body needs a ready supply of calories to make testosterone, so regularly skipping meals or going for long stretches without eating can cause your levels of the hormone to plummet.
Buy the Fried Tortilla Chips, no really you need some FAT!!
If you want to raise your testosterone score, eat a diet that includes about 30 percent fat, and not much less. Your body needs dietary fat to produce testosterone, so eating like a vegetarian aerobics instructor will cause your testosterone levels to sink drastically. This is bad, unless you actually are a vegetarian aerobics instructor.
Stop Surfing the internet at 2 a.m.
Sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can screw up your circadian rhythm. That’s why it’s no wonder your testosterone levels are higher in the morning after a good night’s sleep.
For more info, or to book your anabolic drive consultation call 01202 671783 or email us on info@rebornpt.co.uk.
Alternatively click on this link and fill out the online form www.rebornpt.co.uk
Drop a dress size in 8 weeks, hard work made easy at RE:Born.
Drop a dress size in 8 weeks.
Such a simple statement, but probably the one that most of our clients and most women around the world will battle with their whole lives.
Dropping a dress size, be it for an event, a special occasion, work, their partner or just maybe actually for themselves, and why not?
Being able to slip into a size smaller (or more) dress can be the most rewarding experience chased by our clients. Who cares what size they were, its all about how they LOOK and FEEL now!
Its this emotional reward that our clients love that has driven us to develop the most detailed, effective and guaranteed to work package that has seen over 100 women hit the dress size of their dreams.
So what do we know that you may not?
Well first we know that 93 – 97% of anyone following a fad diet will fail, sorry its true. There are several reason for this, firstly its so hard to make that behavioral modification in the face of the easy to buy incorrect food choices, secondly in this day and age we also inherently lead sedentary lives and of course the intense media programming telling us to take a magic pill or follow some celebrity and their baby food diet?
In fact there something much more powerful than these environmental stimuli stopping us from losing weight, its our hormones. Especially a powerful one called Cortisol.
Cortisol is a regulator of your blood sugar, energy production, inflammation and immune system. If this is not working in unity with you…GOOD LUCK chasing the fat loss dream.
You’re probably asking yourself a question right now, are my cortisol levels high? Yes is a good guess without meeting you, especially if any of the below applies to you:
- You are under any form of stress (did you shout at someone when driving today?)
- You have taken or are on any type up drug, be in medicinal or recreational.
- You are subject to intense heat, cold or noise daily.
- You are training too hard and overexerting yourself.
- Suffering from or had a recent trauma.
- Currently or have had recently been ill or had an infection.
- Worried about something.
- Fearful.
- Not eating a balanced diet.
- Eat fatty foods, eat processed out of a packet meals, eat canned goods.
- Drinking coffee, tea, red bull and any other stimulants.
- Eat a refined sugary foods.
- Using beauty products
- etc etc etc
As you can see the list is extensive, all of the above with cause your cortisol levels to rise through the cumulative effect on your stress levels. Continual living in this state will cause your cortisol to contribute to the accumulation of abdominal, hip and thigh FAT, and make it very hard to get rid of.
Believe me when I say that 80% of our clients before they start are following a diet and lifestyle that is putting their cortisol levels through the roof, and its not their fault is how we live to day, our diets are full of toxins, the lifestyles we choose give us undue stresses and we don’t exercise (If we do exercise we do incorrectly, not relative to our goals, ability or at the intensity required to make a difference).
Oh no, I hear you cry, what can I do?
Well look no further, we have an all encompassing, non gimmick, proven package including nutritional coaching, personal training, lifestyle management, supplementation and well being acupressure massage therapy, that will, and please let me stress that again WILL change the way you LOOK and FEEL.
Call us today on 01202 671783 or email info@rebornpt.co.uk for your FREE consultation.
We are here to help you look great.
RE:Born Wellness