Saturday, April 21, 2018

Hitting a workout plateau? Your sleep might be the reason why.



Do you notice that you tire more easily during your workouts?  Are you hitting a plateau?  If you answered yes, you might be suffering from lack of sleep.

In addition to enhancing focus, sleep also boosts your performance and muscle repair.

Here are 4 sleep tips:

1.  Start your training earlier during the darker months.

If you begin your daily workout earlier then usual, you will get more exposure to natural light and secrete less melatonin. Plus, you will be ready for bed at an ideal time.  So, if you are getting up early to train, make sure you also get to bed early to compensate.
Try to sleep at least seven or eight hours per night to prevent feeling sleepy before the end of the day.
Four to five hours is not going to cut it.  

2.  Put down your electronics AKA bluelights.
  
Bluelight from your cellphone TV and iPad interrupts your natural sleep cycle.  For better sleep cut out your lights one to two hours before bed time.  This will help you fall asleep at a specific time every night.

3.  Meditate before sleep.
 To fall asleep fast shortly after hitting your pillow, meditate for thirty minutes before sleep to reduce the tensions in your life.  
Meditation also encourages mindful sleep which helps to reset your biological clock easily too.

4. Take power naps before your workout.  

If you feel sleepy, it is best advised that you take a ten to twenty minute power nap before working out to improve your energy and stamina.  A power nap prior to your workout helps in warming up your brain.  

Sleep is the most important fitness strategy. 
Try these four top sleep tips today for a cozy and mindful sleep.


In Health,

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Organize your fridge



Want to eat healthier but don’t know where to start? You might just be able to trick yourself into making it happen.
Here are simple ways you can arrange the contents of your fridge, prepare your food and store your snacks to promote a healthier lifestyle.
Fruits (and other healthy items) to the front
Having healthy snacks ― fruits, vegetables, grains ― visible and within reach can change your snacking habits. Also you save fridge drawer space. If you like to store your fruits and veggies use clear plastic bags for grab and go conveniency. Since hydration is important, water should be the first thing you see in your refrigerator. Put seasonal fruits in bowls on open counters while packaged snacks and sweets are relegated to drawers or opaque jars. You’re more likely to grab healthy food to munch on for a snack or add that food to a meal you’re already cooking.
Do the dirty work first
Immediately upon returning home from the grocery store wash fruits and veggies and chop them up into bite sized pieces. If you have a whole pineapple, you’re less likely to eat it than if you go ahead and cut it up into smaller pieces. Anything that gets you to eat veggies and makes it easier for you to do so is a win.
Divide the fridge into sections (and CLEAN IT.)
Have different sections for different categories of food, It prevents cross contamination, but it also is organized so you can make a well-balanced meal.
Also don’t forget ― to clean your fridge.

Remember, A tidy fridge is an inviting fridge! Throw out those leftovers weekly.
In Health,

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Summer bodies are made in the winter. Tips on how to get the body you want


I’m not sure why but there’s just something exciting about showing off a nice toned body. After all you work hard at the gym for your bod.
But what if you’re at the beginning and you need some specific help? After all, there are so many myths about abs that it can be hard to really figure out what you’re supposed to be paying attention to and what you’re supposed to ignore. Just googling “abdominals” I came across About 100,000,000 results. That is alot of advice. You need sound research not myths. Here is what I have found works:

1. Diet Starts Today – No Excuses!

Diet is key for getting the physique you want. Any thing you hear that contradicts this is a big myth. If you are the queen of fast food drive throughs or you eat tons of chips, candy or soda, the truth is that you’re not going to chisel out those abs anytime soon.
You need a diet that keeps your carbohydrates low and of a certain quality. Sorry to say, the days of refined carbohydrates like cakes, cookies, pies, donuts are behind you. You need good sources of protein — eggs, beef, poultry, and fish. These sources HAVE to be organic and humanely treated.
2. Train Hard!
You can’t “spot” train and get glorious abdominals. I know I’ve said this before but I’m serious. There’s just no such thing as “spot” training. You should focus on the entire body Your body moves together as a system. You need to ensure that the system in question moves in a certain way.
To get a great body overall, you can’t go wrong with strength training. Do things like dead lifts, cleans, snatch lifts, squats (with weight) and plenty of curls and flies. 12reps of each move.

3. Rest Up!

Sleep is super important. Wearing yourself out at the gym can actually backfire on you. When you are sleep deprived, your muscles don’t grow. The body is focused on a lot of other things besides muscle growth! So you have to make sure that you get rest.
We’re talking about the basics: 8-10 good hours of sleep in a very dark room along with lots of down time. You don’t want to ruin your progress because you lack rest.
These are simple but effective tips for getting your summer body.
In Health,