www.rebornpt.co.uk brings you an excellent article on fish oil from Charles Poliquin, 5 straight forward reasons why you should take more fish oil.
#1: Fish Oil Can Help You Lose Body Fat
Fish oil can help you lose body fat for a number of reasons, some of which are well known, while others are just emerging. First, fish oil provides essential fats because it is made up of omega-3 fatty acids. Essential fats are those which the body can’t produce on its own—they must be eaten—and it must have them for optimal function. Read more here
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.
Here at RE:Born Personal Training Sandbanks, we strive to bring you up to information to help you look, feel and perform better.
Here is an indepth article on why a calorie-based weight loss system doesn’t work for two principle reasons. First, the different macronutrients produce different hormone responses that directly influence the metabolic rate and whether the body is in a fat burning or storing mode.
Second, the amount of calories—known as the thermic effect of food— required for the body to break down different foods varies greatly. For a simple example, your body burns significantly more calories digesting a meal of animal protein and fibrous leafy greens than a meal of carbs such as pasta with tomato sauce. Even fewer calories are required to digest processed foods like cookies, white bread, or potato chips.
Macronutrients Dictate Hormone Responses
The first part of the faulty calorie system of weight loss is that the macronutrient ratios of your diet dictate hormone response. Carbohydrates, particularly those with a higher glycemic index, immediately increase the level of the hormone insulin. When you eat a lot of carbs—as is common in calorie-counting diets in which a person eats low-fat, high carb-foods—you will be consistently driving up insulin. Chronically elevated insulin makes the cells resistant to the insulin, which drives up levels of the stress hormone cortisol, causing cellular aging. The combination produce fat gain and diabetes.If you were substituting protein and “smart” fats for a portion of those carbs, the protein would be used to restore tissue and build lean mass, while the fats would be used to strengthen cellular lipid layers to improve insulin sensitivity, restore brain health, and build hormones like testosterone. Of course it all goes wrong if you eat trans fats, processed protein or carbs, or foods with additives, dyes, and chemical sweeteners—I address the this below.
Restricting calories to lose weight over the long term is more detrimental to your metabolism because it will turn your body into a hormone-induced hunger machine. A study in the New England Journal of Medicinefound that after putting overweight individuals on a ten-week calorie-restricted diet of 550 calories a day, they experienced elevated levels of the hormones ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide, which promotes fat storage. Leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger and boosts fat burning, was profoundly reduced after the ten-week diet and stayed that way for the duration of the one-year study.Take note that after the ten-week diet, participants lost 30 pounds, but due to the way they had severely altered their metabolic hormone responses to food by restricting calories, they regained an average of 15 pounds in the next year.
The Thermic Effect of Food: Calories Are Stupid
A number of mainstream media outlets incorrectly (or stupidly) took the results of a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association proclaiming, “It’s the calories, stupid” that dictate body composition and weight gain. A close look at the study clarifies the misinterpretation and tells us exactly the opposite: it’s primarily the macronutrient content of the food you eat that dictates body composition, but if you overeat every day, then you will get fat.
The study compared the effect of overeating on body composition and fat gain from diets with three different protein contents. The thermic effect of the different diets was also measured, which is the amount of calories required to break down food, synthesize enzymes, and perform metabolic processes.
Participants ate either 5, 15, or 25 percent of their diet from protein with a whopping extra 954 calories a day for eight weeks. All the diets consisted of well over 3,000 calories a day and the macronutrient content was as follows:
• a “low” protein diet contained 5 percent protein, 52 percent fat, and 42 percent carbs
• a “normal” protein diet had 15 percent protein, 44 percent fat, and 42 percent carbs
• a “high” protein diet had 25 percent protein, 33 percent fat, and 41 percent carbs
All three groups gained the same amount of fat from the overeating—about 3.5 kg. The normal- and high-protein diet groups actually gained 0.2 kgs less than the low-protein group, but this was not statistically significant. What was most interesting was that the low-protein diet group gained the least total body weight because along with the 3.5 kg of fat gain, they lost almost a kilogram of muscle mass. The lack of amino acid building blocks in the diet put them into a severely catabolic, fat-storing state.In comparison, the normal-protein diet group gained 2.9 kg of muscle mass and the high-protein diet group gained 3.4 kg of muscle. Therefore, along with the nearly 3.5 kg of fat they gained, the normal- and high-protein diets did produce more weight gain. But, from a body composition viewpoint, the normal- and high-protein diets were better even though participants gained more total weight than the low-protein group because their percentage of body fat went down.
Most significant, this study shows the extreme variation in the amount of calories burned on a daily basis from eating different proportions of macronutrients. The resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the amount of calories burned at rest during the day, and it’s highly influenced by dietary makeup and the thermic effect of food. The group that ate the low-protein diet experienced a 2 percent drop in their metabolic rate, meaning they burned less calories each day just from eating a low-protein diet.In contrast, the normal- and high-protein diets increased RMR by 11 percent in response to the higher protein intake. This meant that by eating more protein, more of the energy consumed was turned into lean mass, and only about 50 percent of the energy consumed was turned into fat. Researchers estimate that more than 90 percent of the energy consumed in the low-protein group was turned into fat.
Whole and Processed Calories Aren’t the Same Either
A second study shows that the RMR and the thermic effect of eating whole foods is much higher than if you ate the exact same amount of calories from processed foods. This study compared the effect of a whole foods meal with a processed foods meal that contained equal calories and equal macronutrient content.
The thermic effect of the whole food meal was almost double that of the processed food meal. Participants burned 50 percent more calories after eating whole foods! Equally significant is that the participants who ate the processed food meal had their metabolic rates drop below their average RMR during the fourth hour after eating, while the whole food meal group never fell below the RMR. Also the duration of elevated energy expenditure from digestion in the whole food meal group lasted an hour longer than the processed food group.
Still Not Convinced? Check Out What Happened to the Pima Indians
The Pima Indians, natives of Arizona, provide a classic example of how body composition is affected by much more than just the amount of calories ingested each day. The Pima Indians have genotypically evolved eating a low number of calories, primarily from fish, small game, and foods they gathered. As early as 1901, a new “obesity epidemic” was evident among the Pima.
Local scientists who lived in the region were stumped as to why this indigenous group that had previously been “tall and sinewy” were now plagued by widespread obesity. More recent analysis has shown that shortly after the Pima came in contact with white settlers and adopted their foods—both foods that they began to grow such as corn, beans, potatoes, and processed foods like sugar, bread, and eventually soda—obesity became very common as did type 2 diabetes.
Analysis of changes in the Pima diet shows that the Pima were not overeating or ingesting more calories than previously when they adopted the “white man’s” diet of sugar, bread, starchy foods, eggs, and beef rather than fish and small game. Nor was their caloric intake greater than the amount of energy they burned on a daily basis. Rather, the Pima were eating the wrong type of calories for their genotype and it was causing a hormonal response that led to fat gain and diabetes.
For optimal body composition, the solution to any remaining confusion about how to adopt a diet for fat loss is to understand the following:
• A protein calorie is NOT the same as a carbohydrate calorie.
• The thermic effect of different macronutrients varies just as the thermic effect of processed foods is much less than of whole foods.
• Macronutrient ratios will determine hormone response.
• The total amount of calories you eat in a day DO matter for body composition—if you are overeating as in the study that had participants eating an extra 954 calories a day, you will gain weight, but whether that weight results in fat or muscle gain depends on macronutrient ratios.
• If you aren’t overeating, simply altering the macronutrient ratios to manage insulin and the hormone response of food can lead to fat loss and significantly improve body composition.
For more info on Nutrition, Diet, Lifestyle or training, call and book in for a consultation on 01202 671783
Research taken from recent article of Charles Poliquin.
Do sprints and a strength training protocol that works all your muscles to get the best-looking abs for summer. If you’re hoping for a lean body composition and chiseled abs at the beach, forget the 15-minute ab programs in favor of a total body traditional strength program—and throw in some sprint intervals too.
Strength training and high-intensity intervals are well proven to give you lean abs, whereas programs that just train the abs have little pay off. For example, one study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the effect of a six-week abdominal training program in which participants performed seven ab exercises (2 sets, 10 reps) five days a week—a fairly large number of reps, but none of the exercises used weights, meaning the metabolic effect on the body was minimal.
The exercises used were the Bent-Knee Sit-Up, Lateral Trunk Flexion, Leg Lifts, Oblique Crunch, Stability Ball Crunch, Stability Ball Twist, and Abdominal Crunch. Results showed no changes in body weight, body fat, abdominal fat, or waist circumference. Participants did improve abdominal endurance with a one-minute curl up test.
For the amount of time and effort invested in the ab program, participants didn’t get much benefit. A better training program would include deadlifts, squats, bench press, chin-ups, lunges, rows, and overhead press, with one ab exercise a day rounding out the training program. The fat burning effect would be much greater since these lift use larger muscle groups than the abs, while the squats, deads, chins, and lunges all require significant recruitment of the abdominal muscles. Plus, the added benefit of lifting heavy weights will help you lose fat that covers the abs, while improving muscle “definition.”
Another solution is to do sprint intervals to burn excess fat around the middle.
High-intensity intervals have been shown to be even more effective than strength training at burning fat fast. A recent study showed that participants who did a 6-week sprint interval program (4 to 6 sprints for 30 seconds each with 4 minutes rest) lost an impressive 12.4 percent body fat and an average of 3 kg of fat mass. Total training varied from 18 minutes when participants performed 4 sprints to 27 minutes when they did .
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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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.
It’s well established that chronically high cortisol results in fat gain around the middle, and this is explained by how cortisol makes the body insensitive to insulin. One study in the American Journal of Physiologylooked at cortisol levels, insulin sensitivity, and visceral belly fat in men. Men with more belly fat produced more cortisol and had decreased insulin sensitivity than those with less belly fat. Interestingly, subcutaneous fat—the jiggly kind that’s right below the skin was not related to insulin or cortisol. The men who were considered overweight were then put on a high-protein diet with a probiotic for six months and retested. They significantly lost belly fat and total body fat, improved insulin sensitivity, and lowered cortisol. Researchers suggest that less inflammation in the intestines was the source of lower cortisol and weight loss.
A 2010 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition further explains how these factors are interrelated. Researchers found that taking the probiotic lactobacillus gasseri for twelve weeks significantly decreased belly fat in subjects by 4.6 percent, and they lost an average of 5.8 square cm of visceral fat. A control group gained 1.4 square cm of belly fat. The probiotic supplement group lost 7.4 square cm of subcutaneous fat as well. Naturally, body fat percentage, body weight, BMI decreased, and the waist-to-hip circumference in the probiotic group improved significantly more than a control group. Researchers were particularly interested in the loss of visceral fat and reduction of waist circumference because a greater percentage of visceral fat and large waist numbers are strongly correlated with metabolic disease risk factors.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., et al. Regulation of Abdominal Adiposity by Probiotics (Lactobacillus Gasseri SBT2055) in Adults with Obese Tendencies in a Randomized Controlled Trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 64, 636-643.
Chen, J., Wang, R., et al. Bifidobacterium Adolescentis Supplementation Ameliorates Visceral Fat Accumulation and Insulin Sensitivity in an Experimental Model of the Metabolic Syndrome. British Journal of Nutrition. September 2011. 14, 1-6.
Penha, L., Pardo, P., et al. Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Liveweight Gain and Serum Cortisol Concentration in Cattle. Veterinary Record. May 2011. 168(20), 538. Published Ahead of Print.Hayasaka, S., Kodama, T., Ohira, A. Retinal Risks of High-Dose Ornithine Supplements: A Review. British Journal of Nutrition. September 2011. 106(6), 801-811.
Rishi, P., Bharrhan, S., et al. Effect of Lactobacillus Plantarum and L-Arginine Against Endotoxin-Induced Liver Injury in a Rat Model. Life Sciences. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.
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.
High intensity interval training, the reason why you will burn more FAT at RE:Born Bootcamps.
So many fat loss methods, so many celebrity fat loss videos, so many weight loss surgeries and i can’t believe it, the highest definition of laziness, there is even weight loss gastric band hypnotherapy!!! What’s that all about……..
So what is best? Well I hate to say it, but nothing beats good old fashioned hard work! Forget prancing around your front room following the latest celebrity in a low impact Pilates session, although this is a start you’ll never reach your maximum FAT loss potential.
So what should you be doing? you should be booking in to join us at RE:Born Bootcamp for HIIT it is the answer to your body composition dreams.
What is HIIT?
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is when you alternate between high and low intensity exercise(s) or between high intensity exercise and a short period of rest.
For example, a short sprint across the Sandbanks beach followed by a walk back to Jazzys is interval training. Or a set of burpees followed by bodyweight rows at the RE:Born Bootcamp.
If you’ve ever participated in HIIT, you know that alternating body weight conditioning exercises for 15 minutes can be a lot more challenging than a jog around the park.
Ok so why is high intensity interval training so important, sorry it gets a bit sciencey now..
It’s physiologically impossible to sustain maximal intensities during exercise for an extended amount of time. This is because of how our bodies use fuel.
A good way to explain these systems to you is to tell you to go outside and run as fast as you can for 20 minutes. Here is what will happen:
Stage 1 – Phosphocreatine
The first 10 to 20 seconds are going great! You’re sprinting like the wind! That’s because you’re using a high-intensity energy source known as phosphocreatine.
Stage 2 – Lactic acid and anaerobic glycolysis
After about 20 seconds, your phosphocreatine starts to run low, and anaerobic glycolysis would dominate. At this point, more lactic acid would be produced and used as a fuel source.
You’re still be running as hard as you can, but you’d be slowing down, and your lungs are working overtime.
If you were a Lance Armstrong, you could probably maintain this for up to 10 minutes. But those who are not well conditioned would need to slow down and even stop and if this is your first time off the sofa, you might even consider throwing up, YUK….however don’t worry this is just due to the change in blood pH levels.
Well, it looks like the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 20-minute sprint challenge: FAIL.
So why can’t you work at maximal intensity for an extended amount of time?
Oxygen: The molecule that makes the magic
One reason is the supply and demand of oxygen when working so hard, nature is full of trade-offs. In this case, we trade efficiency for intensity.
When you work at a lower intensity (such as plodding along on the treadmill at your gym), aerobic metabolism.
Your body uses oxygen to break down carbohydrate and fat for energy. This is very efficient, but you can’t work at top speed. With aerobic metabolism, you gain efficiency but lose intensity. Back in the caveman days, this would be useful for traveling long distances while foraging for food or water.
On the other hand, when you work at a higher intensity (such as sprinting), anaerobic metabolism.
Your body can’t get oxygen to where it needs to go fast enough. This is very inefficient, but it lets you produce short bursts of speed or high energy — very handy when you’re running away from a sabre-toothed tiger or similar.
So, we have these two systems, both of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. What if we could have our cake and eat it too? (Or, in this case, lose the fat we gained by eating the cake in the first place.)
Enter HIIT.
With HIIT, you alternate short bursts of very intense exercise (such as 10-20 sec of sprinting) with periods of lower intensity (such as 1 min of walking).
The higher intensity periods create a metabolic demand that is very effective for long-term fat loss and overall conditioning.
The lower intensity periods let you recover and use the aerobic energy system.
What you should know about HIIT
Exercise can range from gentle movements to maximal efforts. HIIT and heavy weights can elevate stress hormones.
Mostly every high intensity physical activity is a state of “crisis” in the body. It endangers oxygen supply to tissues, increases body temperature, reduces body fluids and fuel stores, and causes tissue damage.
Intense exercise creates endocrine and defense reactions that are similar to those elicited by low blood oxygen, high blood carbon dioxide, acidosis, high body temperature, dehydration, low blood sugar, physical injury and psychological stresses.
Hormonally, your body basically freaks out. Then it brings out the big guns to deal with the problem. High intensity exercise stresses the body so much that it’s forced to adapt.
Why HIIT?
HIIT is excellent for:
losing body fat (while retaining lean body mass)
strengthening the cardiovascular system
developing sport-specific energy systems (e.g. training for that England Rugby team)
developing “work capacity” (i.e. the ability to tolerate a high level of intensity for a longer period)
improving fat and carbohydrate oxidation in skeletal muscle
developing “mental toughness”
making you a badass exerciser
challenging the fast twitch muscle fibres — the fibres that are great for strength, power and looking great
HIIT is extremely efficient. It lets you get a bigger training effect with less time spent.
How to do HIIT
There are many ways to do HIIT. One is to come down to one of our Bootcamp classes for full a varied, motivational, high intensity and safe class or bust it alone with HIIT and remember the following principle: Alternate short bursts of very high intensity with periods of recovery/low intensity, such as…..
Don’t forget: Perform an adequate warm up and cool down when performing HIIT.
People always at this point ask what is HIGH intensity? Well, during your next sprint, envision a great big crazy polar bear chasing you. That should suffice.
So what are you guys and girls waiting for….get out there and smash some intervals.
Self-directed fat loss programs fail 98% of the time, but not because fat loss is so hard. It’s because most people make fat loss hard by trying to learn and do too much at once. It’s “all or nothing” at its worst, and it leads to a staggeringly high rate of failure.
Here at RE:Born, on the other hand, our clients enjoy an amazingly high success rate.
And that’s because we understand how successful change really happens. You see, successful, lasting change only happens by introducing new habits/behaviors slowly — and only when a client is truly confident they can do them.
If you don’t want to be part of the 98% that fail at fat loss, I strongly recommend you do the same thing we do.
So here’s a list of proven habits and behaviors that’ll help you lose fat. And what do you do with them? Simple: first, read through them and choose one habit to follow for the next 14 days or so. Pick whichever one seems easiest for you.
Once you choose, ask yourself the following question:
“On a scale of 1-10, how confident am I that I can do this habit every day for the next 14 days?”
If the answer is a 9 or a 10, you can get started on that habit.
However, if your answer is less than a 9, either choose a different habit or make your chosen habit easier until you’re really confident you can do it. For example, instead of exercising 30 minutes a day, could you do 15? How about 5? Give yourself permission to make it easier and easier on yourself until you’re at least 9/10 on the confidence scale. Then do it.
Remember, this is about truly being honest with yourself. Forget about what you think you should be able to do; what can you do, right now? In my experience, to be truly confident (which is what separates those who succeed from those who fail), people need to start with one, quick, easy habit each day.
Pick ONE of the following habits, and do it every day for 14 days.
1. Exercise for 30 minutes
2. Take fish oil and a multivitamin at breakfast
3. Drink at least 8 cups of water
4. Eat at least 4 one-cup servings of vegetables
5. Sleep at least 8 hours (including naps and night-time sleep)
6. During each meal, stop eating when 80% full
7. Twice during the workday, get up and do 5 minutes of muscle stretching
8. Eat 4 – 5 meals
9. Eat lean protein with each meal
10. Replace grains with greens during each meal
Good Luck!!!!
for more info on FAT burning and looking great why gives us a call at RE:Born Sandbanks Poole on 01202 671783
Today you’re going to need to brace yourself for a full body, muscular endurance session.
We’ve got some running, some squatting, some pressing, some burping oh yeah some more running and some AB work…
So here goes.
Warm up:
5 – 10min: be as dynamic as possible, work through all your joints, moving in as many planes of movement as possible.
i.e multi-directional lunges, some jops (cross between hop and jogging, google it), some press ups, chin ups and ab work.
Main Session:
1/4 mile run
50 press ups
1/4 mile run
50 squats
1/4 mile run
50 burpees
1/4 mile run
50 jack knifes (25 each side)
1/4 mile run….by this time, if you’ve trained hard enough your legs should be something like this:
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)
Well today started, until I went to the local supermarket and got bombarded by millions of offers on chocolates, cakes and all things covered in sugar, and witnessed poor people buying these goods.
AGGHHH, what a nightmare!! Too many people, stocking up their trolleys with all this JUNK!!
Why do they bother i ask myself, when it’s reported that 25% of females in the UK are obese, yet people still chose to chow through 100′s and 100′s of small foil wrapped, sugar filled small parcels of diabetes inducing goods…CRAZY.
Anyhow RANT over, for now. let’s get some training done.
Today’s focus is inline with these tins of chocolates, and its based on 1 REP per chocolate.
Therefore let me introduce you to the…….
100’s Workout!
Rules: You must complete 100 reps for each of the 10 following exercises, keeping absolute perfect form. Each exercise can be broken down into any set/rep count for example: 4 sets of 25 reps, 5 sets of 20 reps, 10 sets of 10 reps.
Time this session, and remember to record the results. This can be a great benchmark for your fitness level, next time you must do it quicker.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
The modern Western diet has a real deficit of Omega 3 fatty acids. Today we lead generally sedentary lives, not the active hunter-gatherer lifestyle our genetics were designed for. The average diet today is high in saturated foods, trans fats, and foods rich in grains and refined sugars. Our modern diet is also poor in omega-3 fatty acids. (honestly how much fish do you eat?, not fish and chips, good quality fish from non-polluted mercury filled waters!!)
This combination of sedentary life and our modern diet is the prime cause for our epidemic of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.
So why are Fish oils Omega 3′s so very very important?
Before we answer this question, first we need to understand that being over weight / being obese (A chronic disease) is actually the body being in an inflamed state, due to the adipose tissue (fat tissue) becoming swollen (beer belly, big hips, big bum) and producing TNF IL6 which generate PRO inflammatory cytokines (small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and by numerous cells of the immune system, these are the guys that make you feel ill)
Not only will we feel the psychological effects (do you really know how being well feels) of additional weight but we in turn will have a higher incidence of diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer (prostate, colon and breast) and arthritis. To top that off engorged fat cells release more inflammatory proteins in our body that normal fat cells do. That means the more overweight you are the more inflammation your body produces. As a result this leads to more degenerative conditions and pain, such as, fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions, arthritis, cancers and migraines.
Renowned scientist, Dr. Nigel Plummer, says even depression is linked to inflammation and toxins crossing the blood brain barrier. Inflammation in the blood vessels causes an increase in the incidence of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes. In light of this information it makes sense why most often heavier people have a much higher risk of certain diseases. So how can we combat this epidemic and lose weight and consequently reduce the size of fat cells?
Well, we need to detox first by removing all the harmful toxins as much as you can from your diet and surroundings.
GET SOME EXERCISE, EAT, DRINK and LIVE Clean.
Go Organic, eat a variety of foods (50% raw), fresh veg and fruit in abundance, drink filtered water and stop eating processed rubbish!!
and yes of course you’ve got it!! take Omega-3′s, due to their key components both DHA and EPA having the following effect on the body:
DHA: An Omega-3 fatty acid, known for its importance for healthy brain function and cardio protection.
EPA: An Omega-3 fatty acid that helps regulate the pro-inflammatory effects of Omega-6 fats, helping reduce the pain of several agerelated diseases like arthritis.
Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation:
Fish oil plus gamma linolenic acid (GLA) increase’s the body’s production of good eicosanoids (Anti-Inflammotaries). Therefore taking Omega 3′s will give you an increase in these eicosanoids which will help in the reduction of cytokines (these little buggers are what make you feel ill), they will down regulate the production of arachidonic acid (Bad eicosandoids, this flammatory regulator is PRO-inflammation, BAD news), help smooth out the heart rymthm, reduce inflammation, and will cause the enhanced release of growth hormone from the pituatary gland and this increases lean muscle mass.
The omega-3 fatty acid-rich oils have also been shown in hundreds of studies to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, including many studies in diabetics.
They help remind the body to turn inflammatory reactions off when they are no longer needed, therefore helping bringing an end to the inflamed body.
I hope you see from this small article the power of these oil’s, please do not negate the effect and hold off before you start using fish oil supplementation. you only get 1 go at this life, so make it a healthy one!!
FOR MORE INFO ON ALL WEIGHT LOSS, FITNESS, NUTRITION AND HEALTH INFO why don’t you give us a call on 01202 671783 or email us at info@rebornpt.co.uk.