Sport Fitness & Physique

Archive for the ‘Positive Attitude’ Category

Physically active people have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, are happier, healthier and better able to handle stress. But do you know what else? -Physically active people live longer and just have more fun!

Having Fun? -You really should!

Having fun is important.

In fact, having fun may just save your life!

Having fun is much better than being bored, right?
Boredom is really, really Bad!

Did you know you can actually be ‘bored to death?’
~Yes, indeed you can!

A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology [1] states that people who complain of being ‘bored’ are much more likely to die at young age!

Studying over 7,500 individuals, researchers found that bored, dissatisfied adults are almost three times (3x) more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than their happier, more engaged and energetic counterparts.

Now, it’s not as though boredom itself is to blame here….
In fact, even the researchers claim that boredom is more a symptom of an inactive lifestyle -than an actual cause of any disease.

People who do not participate in physical activity are far more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease -simply because of their lifestyle.

In simple terms: If you don’t move -you die.

Now, there’s no denying that boredom is a real emotion.
However, the feelings of being bored, listless, uninterested and ‘tired’ are often self-induced, emotional feelings -Not real physical limitations.

For instance, I work with many women who struggle with depression, fatigue and moodiness during their menstrual cycle.
They’re tired, they’re angry and they certainly don’t ‘feel’ like doing what I recommend.

My recommendations are never met with much enthusiasm.  However, each and every time my female clients reach beyond what they ‘feel like doing’ and follow my recommendations, they are rewarded with far better moods, far greater energy and a much higher quality of life.

And my recommendations?

Wow! I feel MUCH better -thanks!

Simple!

Get Out:
Get outside -get out of your daily routine and push yourself to do more than you feel like doing. The extra effort it takes to ‘do something’ will release ‘good’ hormones to counteract the ‘bad’ hormones making you feel so down and out.

Get Active:
Physical exercise is usually the LAST thing you feel like doing -but it is always, always, always the BEST thing for you to do!

Physical exercise releases endorphins and other ‘happy hormones’ that will immediately improve your moods and attitudes.

Get Real!
Choose Real Foods as often as possible.
Avoid any foods that have been boxed, bagged, canned or preserved.  Adopt a paleolithic dietary approach.

What is the Paleo Approach? = Two basic ideas to follow:
1) If it flies, swims or roams the prairie, it is safe to eat.
2) If it can be gathered and eaten by hand (without processing), then that too, is safe to eat.

Anything that falls outside these two boundaries is ‘off limits.’

The paleo diet has proven to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, balance body composition and increase energy.
Check out Dr Loren Cordain‘s ‘Paleo Diet‘ or the ‘Paleo Diet for Athletes‘ for more detailed and helpful information.

If you’d like additional information or if you just have questions -please, do not hesitate to Contact Us.
All inquiries are personally addressed, held in complete confidence with complete security and absolute anonymity.

Let us help.

To your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

This is gonna hurt...

You’ve slipped…..and now you’re hanging there –holding tight to a tiny sapling growing out of the craggy rock.

It’s a long way down….and it seems like an even longer way up to where you want to be.

You’re afraid and you’re tired and you don’t want to be here….but here you are.

Now what?

And as you hang there -holding on and afraid to move, two rats show up -a black rat and a white rat -and the rats begin gnawing at the tiny sapling you cling to.  It seems that if you don’t make a decision -and soon -a decision will be made for you and it’s not going to be good.

In fact, you’re going to end up right back where you started -only in much, much worse shape than when you began.

What am I talking about?

It’s an analogy for your life -your health -your career -your choices.

If you’re discontent, unhappy, unhealthy, not where you want to be ….then I’m talking to you.

Life is a struggle -a climb.
It’s our nature to want to improve. We want a better life, more money, more free time, more alone time, better relationships, better health, a better golf swing, better arms, a skinny waist, better hair, whatever…

You are the climber in the story -clinging to whatever you hold dear: your habits, your addictions, your beliefs, your comfort-zone, your group of friends ….whatever it is that you’re afraid to let go of -whatever it is that you are afraid to change. And you know what?

You have to let go!
Because if you don’t let go….you will never move beyond where you are…and you’re not completely happy where you are….are you?

And the rats?

The rats are indecision: -choices.

Willard here is not your friend!

The rats are “This” and “That”

“I should try This.  But what if That would be better?”

“I heard that That works. But I think I’m going to start doing This!”

“This just doesn’t seem to work for me.”

“Oh, I could never do That!”

“I wonder if So and So ever does That?”

“This is the one for me!”

“That looks good. I think I’ll try That -but wait…what’s This?”

And there you hang…undecided and unsure -while the Rats make all the choices for you.

If left up to the Rats –you’re going to fall -and it’s not going to be pretty.

The Rats are going to decide, if you don’t take the initiative and do something for yourself.

So, what’s it going to be?

This?

That?

Some Other thing?

It’s time to decide.

What do YOU want out of life?

Let go! -And get moving!

The mountain isn’t going anywhere….Are you?

In yet another weight loss study, researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, found that a carb-restricted diet was superior to a fat-restricted diet in overall health and wellness.

In the study, researchers found that -while each diet produced similar results in overall weight-loss…the low carbohydrate diet had the added benefit of substantially reducing the participants blood pressure and overall blood serum levels!

Lean meat, fresh vegetables and fruit 'in season' ...It's all you need!

Many of the low-carb diet participants even eliminated their need for blood pressure medications altogether!

That is notable!

In addition to improved health, lowered blood pressure and improved blood serum levels -the researchers found that even though the two groups lost the same relative amount of weight -the low-carb group actually gained muscle while they burned off their excess fat.

Which approach do you think is more efficient?

Would you just like to lose some weight?

Or …would you rather lose fat, reduce your blood pressure, reduce your cholesterol and improve your blood serum cholesterol levels?

The choice is yours….and I would like to help.

Contact me for a FREE, No Risk, No Obligation Assessment.

What do you have to lose?

To your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

Multiple studies emerging from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences indicate that disruption of natural sleep cycles in humans causes a significant gain in body fat and overall body mass.

Too much or too little -both might make you fat!

The researchers were particularly interested in how unnatural light sources after sundown (computers, televisions, electric light bulbs, etc…), alter our natural circadian rhythms, disrupt our natural melatonin production and affect our sleep cycle.

We have long known that staying up late at night gives us more time and a greater urge to eat.  And that late-night snacking is usually something sweet, salty, crunchy, or creamy while we satisfy our ‘entitled self’ watching TV or working on the computer.

Sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy snacks eaten late at night are the perfect ‘caloric cocktail’ for excess fat!

Researchers were also fascinated to learn that longer than normal sleep cycles (9 hours or more) encouraged fat deposits too.  The reasons were very similar to the fat gained with shortened sleep cycles (7 hours or less).  It seems that any disruption in the natural sleep cycle will alter our natural hormonal profile. This hormonal alteration will encourage overeating  and cravings for the same sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy foods that encourage excess fat storage.

Bottom line?

Do your best to follow your body’s natural, circadian rhythms.

• Rest, when the sun goes down. Phase your activities into ‘sleep mode’ as darkness approaches. Use the seasons as your guide.
• Keep household lights to a minimum after sunset. Only use necessary lighting. Tone down your wattage to the least possible variable. It will help you prepare for sleep and even help you get to bed earlier too.
• Avoid internet usage after dark (tough, I know). Stay away from unnecessary, artificial light sources as much as possible.
• Go to bed earlier! This is the biggie! No need staying up late watching TV. It’s not good programming anyway.
• Keep your sleep space dark. There should be no light & no noise in your sleep space. With practice, you will wake on you own -exactly when you want to and never need an alarm clock again.

Get some rest! ~ And get your Health together!

To your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

According to recent data from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), one in five people suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, a serious and potentially deadly disease.   Type 2 Diabetes can be both preventable and reversible with the proper diet and lifestyle modifications, so let’s try to understand the root cause of Type 2 Diabetes and how we can correct the condition.

The identifying factor of Type 2 Diabetes is insulin resistance.  Insulin is the hormone released to handle energy circulating in the bloodstream. When we eat a meal, the food we eat is digested and converted to an energy source that our cells can handle.   This energy source is called glucose.  When glucose enters the bloodstream, insulin is released to assist the cells in glucose uptake. The more glucose we have circulating in our blood, the more insulin that is released to distribute the glucose to our cells.

When large doses of insulin enter the bloodstream on a daily basis, our cells will eventually become less and less sensitive to the hormone.  This desensitizing leads to a surplus of circulating glucose each time we eat.   And, since our cells are no longer responding to insulin properly, the excess glucose is not going to the cells but is being quickly stored as body fat instead.   To compound this problem, any extra body fat we accumulate will contribute to an even greater resistance to insulin, and so the cycle will continue and the condition will continue to worsen.

Fighting a Losing Battle?

People with Type 2 Diabetes often complain of hunger and rightly so.   Insulin resistance interferes with normal hunger signaling between the brain and the digestive system.   Most of us believe we get hungry because our stomach is empty, but that’s just not true.   Hunger is not a function of an empty stomach. Hunger is first a chemical response triggered by a lack of glucose in our cells and a lack of vital nutrients circulating through our bloodstream.

When our cells are starved for energy and there is a lack of vital nutrients in the bloodstream, a gland in the brain called the hypothalamus sends a signal to the gastrointestinal system to prepare for food.  This is what causes our stomach to ‘growl’ or ‘rumble.’  Digestive juices are being released as our digestive system prepares to accept food for the purpose of converting it to glucose.  Our stomach will begin to feel uncomfortable and we will begin thinking of food as the hunger signal is triggered within us.

Choosing our foods carefully when we feel hungry can greatly improve our insulin response.  The proper food choices will provide our cells with the energy the nutrition necessary for a healthful life.  Choosing the proper foods will help us manage our circulating glucose levels while preventing and even reversing the weight gain we typically experience with Type 2 Diabetes.

Since glucose is responsible for our insulin response at meal time, we would like to avoid foods that release large doses of insulin.  We should begin choosing foods that digest slowly, convert to glucose less readily and therefore cause less insulin to be released.  The following foods will help us manage our insulin while fortifying our bodies with the essential nutrients we need.   Think of this as an outline for your next trip to the grocery store and use these guidelines to help create your next shopping list.

Look for lean red meats like beef and any wild game. Lean pork is okay too.  You can enjoy any cut of lean meat which contains less than 10 grams of fat per serving.

Enjoy chicken, turkey breast or any other kind of fowl.   Be sure to eat a balance of white meats (breast) and dark meats (leg, thigh and wing) when eating fowl.

Explore all kinds of fish; fresh is best, but all all types of fish and all crustaceans (like shrimp, crab and lobster) are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats.

Fresh meats, poultry and seafood are important staples of a healthy diet.  The protein helps us build and maintain our muscle and the healthy fats they contain help us rebuild our cells, improve our insulin sensitivity and fortify our immune system.  The proteins and healthy Omega-3 fats contained in lean cuts of meat digest slowly, satisfy our hunger much better and prevent us from overeating as well.

Don’t skimp on fresh fruits.  Fruits are important!   Choose fruits that are in season where you live and indulge in a wide variety of fresh fruits, berries and melons when you can. The antioxidants, fiber and water these delicacies provide are crucial to a healthy lifestyle.

Experiment with a wide variety of fresh vegetables in your diet.  Vegetables may be even more important than fruits.  Vegetables contain the B family of vitamins that are necessary for a healthy liver and healthy brain function.

For a special treat, gently steam your vegetables and enjoy them with a spritz your own homemade dressing.   Simply combine equal parts of olive oil and white vinegar together in a spray bottle.   Use this simple, tasty and tangy dressing to top your meats and vegetables for a delicious and healthy alternative to sugary, store-bought dressings.

Use healthy oils in your daily diet.  Oils such as fish oil, flax oil, coconut oil, olive oil and canola oil are all very healthy, good for your heart, will improve your insulin resistance and will improve your cholesterol levels too.  Virgin coconut oil is fantastic for cooking; it has a high flash point (which means it will not burn readily) and adds a light, healthful flavor to meats, poultry, fish and grilled vegetables.

Season your foods with a wide variety of fresh herbs like anise, basil, bay leaf, caraway, chervil, chive, dill weed, fennel seed, fenugreek, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, tarragon and thyme. These herbs are healthful, tasty and calorie free additions to your diet.

Spice up your menu with a wide variety of fresh spices like black pepper, cardamom, cayenne,  chili powder, cinnamon, clove, corianders, cumin, curry powder, ginger, mace, nutmeg, paprika, red pepper, saffron and turmeric.   There are so many spices to choose from and the variety that spices can provide will help keep your diet exciting and your hunger satisfied.

If your doctor or health professional allows salt in your diet, choose all natural sea salt instead of ‘table salt.’  All natural sea salt contains many of the natural minerals that your body needs.   Typical table salt contains sodium and is mostly chemical in nature. Table salt raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke so avoid it when you can.   All natural sea salt is a much better alternative to table salt.

Limit your condiments to fresh salsa, horse radish, prepared mustard, Tabasco and vinegar and use them in moderation.   Avoid things like barbeque sauce, catsup and store-bought dressings, sauces and marinades.   They contain far too much sugar, salt and sodium –all of which will sabotage your healthful diet.

Choose from these abundant whole foods as you prepare your daily meals and you will find that you feel more satisfied, less hungry and more energetic.

In our next installment, we will offer meal planning suggestions using these foods in new and exciting ways.

To your good health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

Time to get serious now. Time to get real!

Only 6 more weeks until Spring -or Spring Break -or Spring Weather -or Warmer Temperatures….or whatever it is that motivates you to get busy, get lean and get healthy for the upcoming warm weather.

6 more weeks…

6 Weeks to Fitness

So what are  you going to do?

What are you prepared to do?

Are you going to starve yourself -deprive  yourself -limit your portions or take it to the extreme?

Are you planning to fast, to restrict, to limit the good and healthy foods your body needs?

It doesn’t have to go that way you know…

You do not have to starve, to sacrifice, to limit or to control what you eat.

We can do better….we can do more.

Give us an opportunity to show you how easy this can be.

Boating -Jet-skiing -Barbequing -Hanging out and Socializing….

Wouldn’t  you like to wear short sleeves -show of your arms? -Show some leg?’

Wouldn’t you like to wear shorts, skirts, anything light, cool and fitting for the season?

Well if so…you’ve got some work to do, right?

Let me help you re-balance your life -re-balance your body and replace your anxiety with a calm and refreshing feeling of control.

Contact me now…

Allow me to give you the life  you deserve.

Be well, be balanced and be blessed!

To Your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

“Athletes who want to decrease body fat and improve body composition should pay particular attention to dietary carbohydrate intake.”

Meat and Vegetables -All an Athlete needs for Nutritional Success!

This is the advice of Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. Erin E. Quann and Dr. Cassandra Forsythe  -all registered dietitians from the University of Connecticut as published in the February 2010 issue of the Strength and Conditioning Journal (Vol 32; No 1).

In their comprehensive study, the researchers were searching for a dietary strategy that allowed athletes to improve their body composition -defined as a greater muscle tissue to body fat ratio -while improving their physical strength and mental performance.

The researchers discovered that the old axiom “A calorie is a calorie” was wildly false. That in fact, the sources of dietary calories had significant impact on both body composition and physical performance -even while maintaining the same caloric intake.

The researchers concluded that “…diets lower in carbohydrate were associated with greater fat loss and diets higher in protein resulted in better preservation of lean body mass (muscle tissue) during weight loss. Furthermore, these effects were independent of energy intake (calories eaten) and participation in exercise (caloric expenditure).”

So what constitutes a “low carbohydrate diet?”

Well, generally speaking consuming only lean meats, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables is close enough.

By eliminating dairy, grains, legumes (beans, peas, peanuts) and anything made with flour -you will have essentially established a very healthy, low carbohydrate diet.  There is really not much need to track specifics.  The ‘hunter-gatherer’ approach is one of the very best strategies towards a healthy body composition and improved physical performance.

For many folks…this seems extreme. But really, once you adapt to this strategy you will find that you have more energy, you sleep better and your clothes will begin to fit better too…

Just take a look at some of our satisfied customer’s testimonials here:

All of these folks have benefited from this exact same dietary strategy. We service powerlifters, bodybuilders, housekeepers, homemakers, construction workers, truck drivers and anyone else who desires better health, improved body composition, a slimmer waistline and improved self-esteem.

Just give us the opportunity to improve your health.

Your FREE BioSignature Assessment is easy to complete and requires No Commitment.

Give us the opportunity to improve your health, wellness and lifestyle.

I look forward to speaking with you soon!

To Your Good Health!

Oh, take the BioSignature Fitness Assessment Survey Here!

If you’ve been working to improve your physical fitness for any length of time, you’ve probably figured out that the very best training program for you…..is the one that you are not currently doing!

Fit and Flexible -Safe and Sane

What I mean by that is, far too often we get stuck in a rut -doing the same things over and over -trying harder and harder to improve while actually getting very poor results in the process.
That’s no fun ….and it can be downright dangerous too!

So, why would we continue to repeat the same workouts over and over when they are obviously not doing what we want and could potentially lead to injury?

Great question
-But I don’t know the answer, I’m afraid.

Personally, I think we tend to gravitate towards activities that we like -activities that are familiar and activities that are comfortable or that we believe are good for us (whether they actually are or not).

And don’t think that I’m ‘pointing fingers’ here either

….I am guilty of this myself  -believe me!
I have done more damage to my body by performing exercises that I liked -but that were just not applicable to me or exercises that I lacked the flexibility to perform!

Not very bright, was it?

The reason I bring this up is to share a very simple idea with you that has changed the way I train myself and my clients.

Body-weight training!

Learning to control your own body-weight and move our bodies through space is challenging and provides practical strength and fitness.

This is basic strength 101.

In fact, we should really work on developing the strength to control your own body-weight before we ever begin to externally load your body with weights or machines.  It just makes more sense and it’s much, much safer.

Towards this end, I have been experimenting with a really neat training system called the TRX Suspension System.

Check out this video from the Biggest Loser television show:

Now how cool was that?
Pretty nifty, right?

Here’s another, more advanced video:

How cool would it be to be as fit and flexible as a surfer?

Pretty cool right?
Well, you can do that with the TRX Suspension Trainer
It is totally possible and completely fun!

The benefit I appreciate most about the TRX, is that I am completely in control of my client’s comfort level.  I can begin at a very safe and effective level of resistance -even if the client lacks sufficient strength to support their own body-weight!  -The TRX actually assists the client to move their own body-weight through space until they gain the strength necessary to progress to more challenging exercises.

This system is really great!

The TRX Suspension Training System is safe, adjustable, exciting and it’s fun!

Give body-weight training a try. Challenge yourself with some yoga -try the old fashioned Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge of pushups, pullups, situps, shuttle run and the 50 yard dash….and if all that is still out of your reach…give the TRX Suspension Training System a try.

I think you’ll love it!

To your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner

Fascinating new ideas in an arena of wonder, doubt, fear and confusion….

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/761

Have you ever shopped for some new shoes, a particular new outfit, a piece of furniture or a new vehicle?

Let’s say a fancy new Volkswagen Beetle has caught your attention… (I don’t know why you like it -but hey, it’s your desire…not mine)

You saw one, you liked it and now you want one -Good for you!

Nice Ride!

But then have you noticed what happens next…?

What used to be a rare occurrence (spotting a VW Beetle) is now an overwhelming reality

…They are EVERYWHERE!

…But are they really?

Are there really THAT many more VW Beetles than there were BEFORE you became interested in them???

No, not really…

You stumbled upon something and that ‘something’  spurred an interest in you. You initiated what’s called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) in your brain and because your RAS has been engaged -you are now predisposed to notice whatever it is that your mind has now fixated upon -namely -crazy looking little cars with rounded corners and freakish features. -Now you see them everywhere!

We can use this very same brain functioning system to change our habits and our lives.

All we need do is focus upon that which we intensely desire….fixate upon it…and envision it as our reality.
Imagine living that life -the life that you desire

Forget your bad habits….in fact, forget them all together. They will do you no good here

Just let your Reticular Activating System (RAS) seek out and find everything you could ever possibly need to make your vision a reality!

I know it sounds absurd…..But I have seen this very same system succeed time after time ~in situation after situation….it really works!

Where I see most people fail, is sadly, within themselves.  Most people lack the self confidence to boldly stand up to their old habits and proclaim “No Thank You! – I choose not to participate in this any longer!”

This not a ‘one day fix’ -No not at all…

I don’t even expect my clients to make any notable, measurable progress for the first 4 weeks on this program (although most certainly do).

But the attitude adjustment that takes place in those 4 weeks….now that is priceless

So grab yourself some Attitude
-Make a substantial change….Decide what it is that you want to adjust in your life and fix your focus upon it…

We cannot achieve that which we do not believe….

Believe it!

Then achieve that which you believe….

To Your Good Health!

Paul D'Arcy NSCA, CPT, Poliquin certified BioSignature Practitioner