Motion Health & Fitness

Tag: Ponte Vedra personal trainers

  • Honor Your Body Clock, Create Circadian Alignment

    Honor Your Body Clock, Create Circadian Alignment

    Scientists have isolated the body-clock genes that control 24-hour light-dark circadian rhythm, and it’s now known that every cell in the body has a synchronized clock. 
     
    The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to three scientists who discovered the body clock gene and its critical role in metabolic function. In a world of 24/7 non-stop chaotic eating, relentless stress, continuous screen-gazing, sedentary lifestyle and sleep deprivation, time has become irrelevant. These constant 21st century disruptions of the powerful cellular body clock cycles (aka, circadian rhythm) are wreaking life-threatening havoc on mental and physical health, resulting in obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer and diabetes.
     
    “We didn’t realize at the time that this clock would be represented all over the body in many different tissues and control so many different biological processes that we go through every day,” says Michael Young MD, 2017 Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology. “It left us with the understanding that our whole bodies are rhythmically active.”  
     
    Circadian Alignment is when the central and peripheral clocks are aligned: bright light during daytime, sleep at night, and food intake during daytime. Circadian Misalignment is when the central and peripheral clocks are misaligned: light at night, sleep during daytime, and food intake at night.
     
    This misalignment has become normalized. According to a recent study of the eating habits of more than 34,000 U.S. adults, nearly 60 percent said it was normal for them to eat after 9 p.m. 
     
    Yet, time-restricted eating (12-16 hours of non-eating) has proven to be the best match to our circadian clocks. This means we need to eliminate nocturnal eating. We should stop eating by 6-7pm and not eat again for at least 12 hours (14 hours is the sweet spot).
     
    Our bodies have evolved to process nutrients during the day, and to conserve energy at night. The body uses energy to repair all of its systems at night, while we sleep. Disrupting that natural rhythm can cause problems.
     
    Several studies have found, for instance, that eating dinner within three hours of bedtime may worsen heartburn or acid reflux symptoms. And limited research has suggested that eating one to three hours before bedtime is associated with more disrupted sleep.
     
    The most intriguing research on late-night eating, however, has focused on its relationship with body weight and metabolic health.
     
    In one 2019 study of nearly 900 middle-aged and older U.S. adults, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that those who consumed roughly 100 calories or more within two hours of bedtime were about 80 percent more likely to be overweight or to have obesity than those who did not eat during that window. Researchers have found similar results in adults in Sweden and Japan.
     
    And in a 2023 study of more than 850 adults in Britain, those who regularly snacked after 9 p.m. had higher levels of HbA1c, a marker for diabetes risk, and greater spikes in blood sugars and fats after daytime meals than those who did not typically consume late-night snacks.
     
    Research has also found that carbohydrates consumed in the evening result in greater blood sugar spikes than those consumed earlier in the day. That is in part because melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone that increases in the evening, dampens the secretion of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugars could eventually damage blood vessels and increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
     
    Research suggests that it’s best to avoid eating for three to four hours before your usual bedtime. We should be eating during an 8-12 hour window, allowing 12-16 hours for regeneration. We should also be sleeping for 7-8 hours each night. 
     
    A regular bed time is critical for your health and wellness, as is a regular waking time. Additionally, sleeping too long can affect your ability to fall asleep that night. After a good night’s sleep, most people need to be awake around 16 hours before they feel sleepy again.
     
    Going to sleep between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, according to a recent study by the European Society of Cardiology. Early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body’s circadian clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health, according to the study’s authors.
     
    The incidence of cardiovascular disease was highest in those with sleep times at midnight or later (25% higher risk) and lowest in those with sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm. There was also a 24% higher risk for falling asleep before 10:00 pm. Yes, the body clock is that precise and sensitive. 
     
    Humans are not nocturnal animals; we are diurnal. We need to honor our innate body clock by eating and sleeping in a manner that naturally suits us and promotes health.
  • What Is Your Body Type?

    What Is Your Body Type?

    One’s body type, or somatotype, describes their body composition or the amount of muscle and fat their body tends to comprise. There are three body types — endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph — and each is related to overall body composition. 
     
    Endomorphs have bodies that are rounded and soft (think apple or pear shaped), with shorter, thicker arms and legs; mesomorphs are athletic and muscular; and ectomorphs are slender, with thin arms and legs. 
     
    More specifically, endomorphs are stocky, with a larger midsection and hips. Their bodies hold more fat, which is easy to gain and difficult to lose. Endomorphs have a slower metabolism and are more likely to be sedentary. Though they may be heavy and carry lots of body fat, endomorphs can be quite strong. Participants in strongman competitions are likely to be endomorphs.  
     
    Mesomorphs have athletic, muscular bodies, with broad shoulders and narrow waists. They have a higher metabolism and can gain muscle and lose fat fairly easily. Most athletes in sports that require speed, strength, power and coordination tend to be mesomorphs. Most people who exercise would like to have a mesomorphic body, whether that’s realistic or not.
     
    Ectomorphs have narrow shoulders and hips, with longer limb segments. They are the classic ’skinny’ body type. They have a very high metabolism that makes it difficult to gain either muscle or fat. Ectomorphs seem to able to eat almost anything and everything without gaining an ounce. As athletes, ectomorphs are likely to be distance runners. However, they aren’t likely to excel at sports requiring power and strength. 
     
    However, most people are some combination of these body types. For example, one might be a cross between an endomorph and a mesomorph, or a cross between an ectomorph and a mesomorph. For each of these body types, an appropriate diet makes a big difference in the results they will get from a workout program.
     
    One study, published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, found that men were most likely to be endomorphic/mesomorphs and women were most likely to be mesomorph/endomorphs. Another study of men and women, also published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, found that the average distribution of somatotypes is 51.6% endomorphic/mesomorphs, which was by far the highest percentage found in the study. In fact, 65% of men in this study were endomorphic/mesomorphs. Next up were mesomorph/endomorphs (17.1% ), and mesomorphic/endomorphs (16.7%). After that, the percentages for each cross type fell into the low single digits (6.1% balanced mesomorphs, and 3.0% ectomorphic/mesomorphs). The study also showed that somatotype classification is not static and can shift over time. So, we can eat and train in a way that will change our bodies. 
     
    Those who are predominately ectomorphic need a diet and training program that focuses on protein intake and muscle mass gain. Since it is difficult for these people to put on mass and maintain it, their workouts should focus on building muscle (hypertrophy) and strength. There should be less focus on cardiorespiratory training and calorie burning. Ectomorphs need to focus on getting adequate calories and high-quality nutrition that will help them gradually gain mass. Ectomorphs need high levels of protein in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight per day, which is optimal for muscle growth. Since ectomorphs can eat virtually anything without gaining weight, they need to be careful of eating junk foods/calories that are absent nutrition. Quality still counts for ectomorphs. Fats and carbohydrates can be eaten in copious amounts, but the nutritional value of everything eaten still matters, even if fat gain is not an issue. Meals should be eaten frequently throughout the day. Protein shakes can be a helpful way to get adequate protein and calories. 
     
    Those who are primarily endomorphic need a diet that focuses on reduced calorie intake, limited carbohydrates, higher protein, and frequent training sessions to stimulate metabolism. Workouts that focus on aerobic capacity and cardiovascular function should be prioritized. In the gym, interval training and circuits can be utilized to raise heart rate and improve metabolic conditioning. Rest periods should be minimized. Additionally, endomorphs should do cardiovascular exercise most days of the week and should at least take a long walk every day. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is critical. 
     
    Mesomorphs not only have the physique that most others aspire to, they also have an easier time with both eating and training. They carry more muscle and therefore have a higher metabolism too. They get great results with less work. They gain muscle mass rather easily and quickly. On the other hand, they don’t gain fat easily, despite eating high calorie diets. Mesomorphs need a high protein diet in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight per day, perhaps even higher in some cases. The balance can come from a variety of healthy carbs and fats. 
     
    Through sheer force of will, strict dieting and dedicated, focused training, some endomorphs and ectomorphs can take on the physical qualities or mesomorphs. It’s hard work — a lot harder than for mesomorphs themselves — but it can be done. Again, you need to train hard and often, and you need to focus on your diet, with a strong emphasis on your macronutrient composition, with a high percentage (25%-35%) of proteins.  
  • Loneliness Has Become Endemic and It’s Harming Our Health

    Loneliness Has Become Endemic and It’s Harming Our Health

    lone·li·ness| ˈlōnlēnəs | noun
    sadness because one has no friends or company: feelings of depression and loneliness. 
    • the fact of being without companions; solitariness: the loneliness of a sailor’s life.
     
    We’ve all felt lonely from time to time in our lives. But there’s something much deeper going right now, and it’s really troubling.
     
    Loneliness rates are now at unprecedented highs. Multiple studies show that we’re in the midst of a growing loneliness epidemic. Even before the pandemic, nearly half of all Americans said they were lonely. 
     
    Covid only made the problem worse. Data collected in December 2021 found that 58% of US adults considered themselves lonely. Yet, the end of the pandemic surely hasn’t made loneliness go away.
     
    With young adults, the problem of loneliness is even more pervasive. In a recent survey conducted by Cigna, researchers found that almost 80% of young adults from the ages of 18 to 24 reported feeling lonely.  
     
    However, loneliness isn’t just an American phenomena. It’s becoming a public health emergency in other nations too, so much so that countries like Japan and the United Kingdom have appointed Ministries of Loneliness to tackle the problem in recent years. There are good reasons for these concerted national efforts.
     
    Chronic loneliness and isolation can harm both mental and physical health, contributing to conditions such as obesity, inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anxiety and poor sleep, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
     
    Yes, loneliness actually takes a toll on our physical health. Loneliness can double the risk of Type 2 diabetes and has been linked to increased inflammation, heart disease, stroke and even premature death. Quite famously, a 2010 study by Brigham Young University found that loneliness shortens a person’s life by 15 years. Remarkably, chronically lonely people tend to have an 83% higher mortality risk than those who feel less isolated.
     
    “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health,” says US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. He details how much social disconnection increases the risk of certain health issues: heart disease (29 percent), stroke (32 percent) and dementia (50 percent). All because we lack connection with others. We are fundamentally built for social connection. It’s hardwired into our human operating system. 

    Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were supposedly going to solve this, but it seems just the opposite has happened. Studies reveal that the more time people spend on their devices, the more lonely they often feel. People are more connected now than ever — through phones, social media, Zoom, etc. — yet loneliness continues to rise. Among the most digitally connected — teenagers and young adults — loneliness nearly doubled between 2012-2018, coinciding with the explosion in social media use.
     
    Anywhere you go in the world, the evidence shows that people who are more socially connected, people who interact and intentionally spend time with their friends and family members, are happier.
     
    Neuroscience has validated the importance of connections and illustrates how the human brain is hardwired to form personal connections. For example, scientists describe how people’s experiences leave a physical imprint on their brains.
     
    Experiences involving important social connections, such as love, friendship and family bonds, or those involving shame and trauma, physically register in the brain along neuropathways. Studies validate the influence of relational connections on physical and emotional well-being.
     
    Social connections are so essential to the health and well-being of humans that they share a neurological pathway with physical pain. The human body and mind do not differentiate between physical pain and social rejection or isolation in terms of the amount of stress placed on the body. Brain‐imaging studies have demonstrated that neglect by one’s peers stimulates the same areas of the brain as does physical pain.
     
    This is a real problem because less than half of American men report being satisfied with their friendships, and only about 1 in 5 said they had received emotional support from a friend in the last week, compared with 4 in 10 women, according to a 2021 survey from the Survey Center on American Life.
     
    Thirty years ago, a majority of men (55%) reported having at least six close friends. Today, that number has been cut in half. Slightly more than one in four (27%) men now have six or more close friends. Fifteen percent of men have no close friendships at all, a fivefold increase since 1990. 
     
    One large survey showed that the number of Americans who say they have zero close friends has quadrupled in the past 30 years. The numbers are especially bleak for men, with only 48% saying they are satisfied with the number of friends they have. 
     
    It’s important to get connected with real people in real life, not just online or on social media. Reach out to old friends and re-cultivate lost or faded friendships. When you do go online, look for local groups that share your interests; Meet Up is a good example. There are men’s groups and men’s circles, for example, that provide a sense of kinship and belonging. 
     
    There are many, many reasons to avoid isolation and loneliness. Reach out. Get connected. 
  • Stress Can Undermine Weight Loss and Increase Weight Gain

    Stress Can Undermine Weight Loss and Increase Weight Gain

    If you’re a stress eater (i.e., you eat to cope with stress), restricting calories can cause even more stress.

    If you eat a little less than your body needs, it can help you lose weight and body fat without sacrificing performance or wellbeing.

    However, eating a lot less, especially for a long time, and especially when you have major recovery needs—like hard athletic training or recovering from surgery—can actually thwart proper recovery. It can even cause your body to turn down the thermostat, restricting calorie burning. In essence, your body goes into preservation mode.

    Food is meant to nourish the body and the right amounts are vital to athletes. An excessive or chronic caloric deficit can impair performance, decrease lean muscle mass, and lead to a host of other issues ranging from hormonal imbalances to immune deficiencies.

    You need to eat enough to support your physiological needs. Unfortunately, most Americans (truly, the majority) eat well beyond their physiological needs. Stress is a common culprit.

    Cutting too many calories all at once can be very stressful and leave a person feeling like they’re starving. That’s not a formula for successful weight loss or athletic performance.

    It’s best to taper slowly, gradually reducing your caloric intake. Say, for example, that you (or your coach or nutritionist) determine that you should be eating 2,000 calories per day (I chose this because it’s a round number that’s easy to work with). Let’s also say that you discover, through the use of a food app, that you’re actually eating about 2,600 calories per day, which is why you’re overweight. 

    You’re best off tapering to 2,400 calories for about two weeks, and then dropping down 2,200 for another two weeks before finally settling in at your proper intake of 2,000 calories per day. This gradual step-down will keep your body from going into starvation mode and keep you from feeling hungry all the time, which will undermine your efforts. 
     
    Calorie requirements are highly individualized. An ideal daily intake of calories varies depending on age, metabolism and levels of physical activity, among other things. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide calorie estimates for men and women based on age and activity level. For example, these guidelines note that the general recommended intake for adult women ranges from 1,600 to 2,400 calories daily, while men often require 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day to maintain healthy body weights.  
     
     
     
    Sedentary people need fewer calories because sitting is not very demanding, and most Americans are quite sedentary. According to a study reported by the American College of Sports Medicine, American adults, ages 20 to 75, reported spending an average of 9.5 hours sedentary each day, and most of this time was accumulated at work and during leisure-time. Then factor in that most of us sleep 7-8 hours per night. 
     
    Harvard Medical School says that sedentary adults require 13 calories for each pound of their body weight on a daily basis. For example, a sedentary 130-pound woman needs about 1,700 calories, while a 175-pound, inactive man requires about 2,300 calories daily to maintain a healthy body weight.
     
    Yet, those numbers are to maintain body weight. If you need to lose weight, you’ll need to lower your caloric intake. The University of Washington suggests that overweight adults need 10 calories per pound of their desirable body weight to move toward that healthier weight. For example, an overweight woman with a goal weight of 130 pounds needs 1,300 calories daily, while an obese man trying to reach 175 pounds needs about 1,750 calories daily to reach his goal.
     
    Again, any caloric reduction should be done slowly and gradually. Give your body — particularly your stomach and brain, which communicate hunger signals — time to adapt. Initially, at least, focus on eating slowly and eating more whole foods, instead of just eating smaller portions. After a week or two of these adjustments, you can begin to focus on portion sizes and limiting caloric intake, which should accelerate your weight loss. Being hungry all the time will cause a backlash and result in bad food choices and, ultimately, overeating. 
     
    Highly-processed foods, aka “junk” foods, are typically loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium. Beyond that, they often harm the microbiome, the delicate balance of microorganisms in the gut, which contributes to various health problems. Highly-processed foods are also associated with increased systemic inflammation. 
     
    If you can gradually shift to to eating more whole, minimally-processed foods more often, you’ll be on the right track. Don’t do it all at once and don’t be militant about it. Slowly cut your calories to a number that suits your sex, age and activity level. 
     
    Don’t restrict food to the point that it causes anxiety or stress. That will prove to be unproductive and will undermine your goals. Simply put, don’t deprive yourself. By eating more slowly, and eating foods that are high in protein and fiber, which are more filling, you can become more attuned to hunger sensations and learn to stop before overeating. 
     
    Lastly find healthier ways to cope with stress that don’t involve eating, such as taking a walk, doing a crossword puzzle, talking to a close friend or loved one, or even meditating. Stress is part of life; don’t let it undermine you. 
     
    Be compassionate with yourself. Be on your own side and don’t be so judgmental. Good things — the fruits of your labor — take time to manifest. Keep moving forward and know that your sustained efforts will pay off. Be patient and remain focused. 
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences Have Adverse Effects on Adult Health

    Adverse Childhood Experiences Have Adverse Effects on Adult Health

    In 1985, Dr. Vincent Felitti was running an obesity program at his San Diego-based clinic. He discovered that the people most likely to drop out of the program were the ones successfully losing weight. Upon further inquiry, Dr. Felitti found that 55% of the people in the program acknowledged a history of childhood sexual abuse. Many of the women indicated that they believed their physical size helped to ward off sexual advances from men. For these women, excess weight was meant to be protective. For them, losing weight was not deemed helpful.
     
    Backing Felitti’s findings, longitudinal studies suggest that self-reported physical and sexual abuse during childhood greatly increase one’s risk for severe obesity in adulthood. One analysis using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health found more than double the risk for abused females and more than triple for abused males, compared to individuals with no history of abuse.
     
    This made Dr. Felitti, the founder of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Kaiser Permanente, wonder whether adverse experiences prior to one’s 18th birthday could be related to other negative health outcomes in adulthood. So, he initiated a study to find out.
     
    Now one of the world’s foremost experts on childhood trauma, Dr. Felitti is the co-principal investigator of the internationally recognized Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, a long-term, in-depth, analysis of more than 17,000 middle-class adults, 75% of whom were white. Done in conjunction with the CDC, the ACE study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997.
     
    Again, the participants were largely white, middle-class adults, and they were mostly educated people. In fact, 39.3% were college graduates or higher, and 35.9% had attended at least some college.
     
    The ACE study found that traumatic experiences in childhood, which are often protected for many years by shame and secrecy, can play out a half-century later in terms of emotional state, disease, and even life expectancy. The ACE study examined 10 categories of adverse childhood experiences due to their prevalence:
     
    1. Physical abuse
    2. Sexual abuse
    3. Verbal/emotional abuse
    4. Physical neglect
    5. Emotional neglect
    6. Witnessing a mother being abused
    7. A family member who is depressed, suicidal or diagnosed with other mental illness
    8. A family member who is addicted to alcohol or another substance
    9. Losing a parent to separation, divorce or death
    10. A family member who is in prison
     
    The ACEs study found a strong association between the number of adverse childhood experiences and later-life mental and physical health problems, such as heart disease, COPD, higher rates of STDs, and even premature death.
     
    Adverse childhood experiences dramatically increase the risk for seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the US. In high doses, they affect brain development, the immune system, hormonal systems, and even the way that DNA is read and transcribed. People who are exposed to very high doses have triple the lifetime risk of heart disease and lung cancer, and a significant difference in life expectancy.
     
    The ACEs study found that 67% of the population had at least one ACE; almost 25% of American adults have been exposed to three or more ACEs; and 12.6% (1 in 8) had four or more ACEs. The higher the ACE score, the worse the health outcomes are.
     
    In a middle-class population, one in 11 people experienced six or more of those adverse experiences in childhood. A so-called ACE score of six (experiencing any six of the 10 categories) made that person 4,600% more likely to become an IV drug user than a person who had experienced none of those categories. An ACE score of six also produces a likelihood of attempting suicide that is between 3,100%-5,000% greater than someone with none of these categories.
     
    An ACE score of six also shortens life expectancy by about 20 years.
     
    The findings showed that people who experienced four or more adverse childhood events (1 in 8 people) had:
     
    • Increased risk for smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse
    • Increased risk for depression and suicide attempts
    • Poor self-rated health
    • 50 or more sexual partners
    • Greater likelihood of sexually transmitted disease
    • Challenges with physical inactivity and severe obesity
     
    These individuals end up with a great likelihood of disease states in adulthood for two primary reasons:
     
    1. The use of various coping devices (i.e., smoking, drinking and overeating) that become destructive over time and
    2. The effect of chronic, major unrelieved stress on the brain and CNS can produce a chronic release of pro-inflammatory chemicals into the body and suppress the immune system.
     
    The good news is that ACEs can be screened, prevented and healed. Validating one’s existing strengths and protective factors is important. Some of the strategies that can be employed include:
     
    • Supportive relationships, including other family members and peers
    • High-quality, sufficient sleep
    • Balanced nutrition
    • Regular physical activity
    • Mindfulness and meditation
    • Experiencing nature
    • Mental health care, including psychotherapy or psychiatric care, and substance use disorder treatment, when indicated
     
    The widespread nature of adverse childhood experiences is a reminder that you never know what someone is going through at any given moment or why. It’s a reminder for us to refrain from judgement, and to always be kind.
  • Why It’s Critical to Manage Your Stress

    Why It’s Critical to Manage Your Stress

    There may be an even greater risk to your heart’s health than high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. Chronic psychological stress may be more dangerous to heart health than each of these traditional cardiac risk factors.
     
    A recent study, published in JAMA, found that mental stress took a significantly greater toll on the hearts and lives of heart patients than did physical stress. The patients were more likely to suffer a non-fatal heart attack or die of cardiovascular disease in the years that followed.
     
    A previous study of patients from 52 countries found that those who experienced a high level of psychological stress during the year before they entered the study were more than twice as likely to suffer a heart attack during an average follow-up of five years, even when traditional risk factors were taken into account.
     
    The study, known as Interheart, showed that psychological stress is an independent risk factor for heart attacks, similar in heart-damaging effects to the more commonly measured cardiovascular risks.
     
    Stress is a profound, yet underrated, factor in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Stress, itself, exacerbates cholesterol levels, raises blood pressure and heart rate, and often creates the kind of pressure that prevents a person from engaging in adequate self-care activities.
     
    Science has shown that an unrelenting barrage of stress hormones can break down the body, leading to obesity, disease, depression and more. Stress hormones have a profound effect on the brain. They actually change the brain, alter behavior and impact mental health. There’s growing evidence indicating that depressive illness and hostility are both associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other systemic disorders.
     
    Ultimately, stress affects us in every way — body, mind, emotions and behavior. Here’s how:
     
    Stress can negatively affect the immune system, skin, hormones, bones, brain, heart, gut and muscles.
     
    The effects of stress in the body can manifest in many ways: headaches, frequent infections, tight muscles, muscle twitches, fatigue, skin irritations and poor breathing, for example.
     
    Stress can also affect our minds in the form of: worrying, impaired judgement, nightmares, indecision, negativity and hasty decisions, for example.
     
    Stress affect our emotions in the the following ways: loss of confidence, irritability, depression, apathy, alienation and apprehension, for example.
     
    Stress can also affect our behavior in the following ways: insomnia, restlessness, drinking more, smoking more, loss of appetite and loss of sex drive, for example.
     
    Stress affects our nervous system and raises cortisol levels, which can affect metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate and the immune system. Continually high cortisol levels result in weight gain, digestive problems, heart disease and a suppressed immune system.
     
    The immune system is designed to ward off these problems. However, the stress hormone cortisol is known to interfere with immune functioning. So, it’s important to find healthy ways to mitigate and manage your stress.
     
    It should be noted that not all stress is bad, however. Good stress allows us to respond to an immediate challenge with a burst of energy that focuses the mind. And transient stress is a response to daily frustrations that resolve quickly. The problem is chronic stress, which results from a toxic, unrelenting barrage of challenges that eventually breaks down the body.
     
    What can you do to mitigate the effects of chronic stress and/or anxiety?
     
    Regular physical exercise can help to tamp down stress and the body-wide inflammation it can cause. Research shows that exercise lowers anxiety levels, and it does it rather quickly — in about 10 minutes. Exercise is a great way to bring wellness to your brain. A single workout increases neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, and these mood boosters can also improve your memory and focus for up to three hours afterwards. So, exercise helps your mental health, as well as your cognition.
     
    A healthy, balanced diet can also help to relieve stress. What you put into your body affects you, for better or worse, in myriad ways. Sugar and processed foods can lead to inflammation throughout the body and brain, which may contribute to mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. Yet, when we’re feeling stressed or depressed, it’s often processed foods that we reach for as a means of coping. This just creates a feedback loop. 
     
    Adequate nightly sleep is also a stress reliever. On the other hand, poor sleep increases stress and promotes arterial inflammation. For this reason, developing good sleep habits can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular damage. Adopt a consistent pattern of bedtime and awakening, and avoid exposure at bedtime to screens that emit blue light, like smartphones and computers, or use blue-light filters for such devices.
     
    Maintaining a healthy social support network is also a critical means of stress management. Loneliness and isolation have been scientifically proven to be really bad for our health.
     
    Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, can result in a rebalancing of your hormone levels, including: increased serotonin (happiness hormone), increased endorphins (pain relief hormone), increased melatonin (sleep hormone), decreased adrenaline (action hormone), and deceased norepinephrine (fight or fight hormone), as well as the enhancement of your immune system. Simply put, meditation helps people reduce stress and build resilience.
     
    Controlled breathing has also been shown to reduce stress, increase alertness, and boost your immune system. Yogis have for ages long used breath control, or pranayama, to promote concentration and improve vitality.
     
    Studies have found that breathing practices can help reduce symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and attention deficit disorder.
     
    Consciously slowing your breath can turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, which can slow heart rate and promote feelings of calm and relaxation.
     
    A 2011 review article in Health Science Journal identified some of the potential health benefits of deep breathing techniques, particularly for deep breathing from the diaphragm. These include:
     
    • Reduced anxiety
    • Better stress management
    • Reduced hypertension
    • Decreased fatigue
    • Improved migraine symptoms
    • Reduced aggressive behavior in adolescent males
    • Reduced symptoms of asthma in children and adolescents
     
    Ultimately, techniques such as meditation and controlled breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the brain and body. These techniques can help you become calmer, while relieving anxiety and stress, which can lead to healthier physical, mental and emotional outcomes.
     
    We will never eliminate all stress from our lives, but we can seek to reduce it, better tolerate it, and recover from it. Whatever you do, find ways to lessen and manage your stress. It can have a significant impact on your health.
     
    Although stress is a part of life, doing the following things can help you manage your stress:
     
    • Recognize your stress
    • Take time for yourself
    • Practice deep breathing
    • Meditate
    • Exercise
    • Put Joy and laughter into your life
    • Eat healthy, nutritious foods
    • Avoid putting anything unhealthy in your body
    • Have good sleep habits
  • Why You Need to Control Glucose and Insulin Spikes

    Why You Need to Control Glucose and Insulin Spikes

    Glucose is the main type of sugar in the blood and the major source of energy for the body’s cells. Glucose comes from the carbohydrates we eat, such as bread, potatoes and fruit. Though the body can also make glucose from fats and proteins, this process is neither rapid or efficient. Glucose is the body’s preferred fuel source and it produces ATP, which is the basic energy we need to live and function at the cellular level.

    When the body doesn’t need ingested glucose for energy, it stores it in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. When the body needs glucose again, it converts the glycogen back into glucose. This conversion process is designed to be a very efficient system.  

    If the amount of glucose released into your bloodstream after eating is more than your cells need and more than your liver can store as glycogen, excess glucose is stored as saturated fatty acids. This is why you may gain weight if you consume too much sugar. It should be noted that fiber and healthy fats help to slow the breakdown and release of sugar into the blood.

    The majority of glycogen is stored in skeletal muscles (∼500 g) and the liver (∼100 g). Fatigue develops during exercise when the glycogen stores are depleted in the active muscles.

    This brings us to insulin, which has a symbiotic relationship with glucose. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, moves glucose into muscle and liver cells. While both glucose and insulin are critical to normal, healthy body functions, they must remain within strict limits. Too much or too little of either can be very dangerous, even deadly. 

    Eating a large amount of high glycemic index foods, such as refined sugars and simple carbohydrates—common in the typical American diet—causes your pancreas to pump out lots of insulin to remove excess glucose from your blood. However, that exposes your cells to too much insulin, which is also damaging to your health. 

    Excess insulin in your bloodstream can affect the arteries all over your body. It causes the arterial walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and more stiff, which stresses and damages your heart over time.

    This is why it’s so important to avoid the constant cycle of glucose and insulin upswings. Ultimately, the pancreas can become exhausted and produces less insulin when glucose is high. The body may even become resistant to insulin. This is what happens to people with type-2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. Insulin resistance is common in people who are overweight since they tend to eat more calories and their pancreas becomes overwhelmed.

    Stress can also cause a spike in insulin, increasing the prospects of insulin resistance. Chronic stress, whether physical or psychological, can affect your whole body. As part of the stress response, the adrenal glands pump out cortisol, the body’s main anti-stress hormone. Cortisol is released not only when you are physically stressed but also when you are psychologically stressed. 

    As your body perceives stress, your adrenal glands make and release cortisol into your bloodstream. Often called the “stress hormone,” cortisol causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure. Excess cortisol causes high blood pressure, aka hypertension. Higher cortisol levels are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. 

    Cortisol and insulin are intimately linked, as are stress and insulin resistance. One of the main functions of cortisol is to regulate blood sugar levels. Eating too much glucose-rich food causes a spike in blood sugar, which causes a subsequent spike in insulin, which causes a subsequent crash in blood sugar levels. This roller coaster-like effect is a huge stressor on your system and triggers the release of cortisol, which raises blood sugar levels by breaking down glycogen stores and stimulating cravings for sugary foods. Thus the cycle begins again.

    Ultimately, the ups and downs of blood sugar result in the ups and downs of insulin and cortisol. This tumultuous process exhausts both the pancreas and the adrenal glands.

    Reducing or managing psychological stress will not only help your adrenal glands recover, but can also help with reducing insulin resistance.

    One way to help assure healthy adrenal function is to adhere to a diet that is low in sugar, caffeine and junk food, as well as following a healthy sleep schedule. 

    Aside from limiting simple sugars and refined carbohydrates, the best way to manage your glucose levels is through exercise.

    Your body’s ability to uptake glucose and store it as glycogen (glycogen synthesis) is increased after exercise. The reduced glycogen stores in skeletal muscles after exercise allow carbohydrates to be stored as muscle glycogen. 

    Ultimately, the reduction of glycogen in skeletal muscle after exercise allows a healthy storage of carbohydrates after meals and helps prevent the development of type-2 diabetes. 

    Exercise improves insulin sensitivity in both healthy people and insulin-resistant people. Moreover, the risk for development of type-2 diabetes is reduced by regular exercise.

    Exercise offers three means to remove glucose from the blood: 

    1. Exercise uses lots of glucose for fuel. 
    2. Skeletal muscle is large and, therefore, serves as a significant reservoir for glycogen storage (80% of the glycogen is stored in skeletal muscles). 
    3. Exercise increases the glycogen storage capacity in skeletal muscles. More muscle, more storage.

    To recap, the keys are to avoid reactionary spikes in glucose, insulin and cortisol are: 

    1. Reduce your intake of simple sugars and refined carbohydrates 
    2. Exercise moderately every day
    3. Utilize proven methods to reduce stress (i.e., meditation, yoga, time in nature, etc.) 

    We can’t control everything, but we have the ability to control our food intake, the hormones affected by it, and our activity level.

  • The Benefits of Whey Protein, and Why You Should Supplement

    The Benefits of Whey Protein, and Why You Should Supplement

    According to the Institute of Medicine, we all should consume between 10% to 35% of our daily calories from protein. Athletes and those who engage in regular strength training should aim toward the higher end of that range.  
     

    Though proteins are best derived from whole foods, if your diet is solid and you’re simply trying to add a protein supplement between meals, protein powder can be a useful addition to your diet.

    Most people eat about 10% of their protein at breakfast, about 20% at lunch and about 70% at dinner. However, protein intake should be spread out more evenly to increase protein synthesis, and protein powder can help you achieve that goal. What type of protein powder, you ask?

     

    Whey is one of the richest sources of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, isoleucine and valine. These three gems have been shown to be absolutely critical for muscle growth, and even energy during workouts.

    Whey protein also provides antioxidant benefits, boosts immune function, and enhances muscle recovery and growth.

     
    Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. The most common whey protein foods include dairy foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta.
     

    When you were a kid and read about Little Miss Muffet “eating her curds and whey,” she was actually eating cottage cheese, a great source of whey protein.

    Yet, many athletes and exercisers ingest much of their whey in the form of protein powder. However, not all whey protein powders are created equally. Some are made from concentrates, which are high in lactose.

    If you are lactose intolerant or can’t digest lactose properly (i.e., you get stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea), but you want a high-quality protein powder with excellent bioavailability, you might try a 100% whey protein isolate powder.

    The amount of lactose in whey protein isolate is quite low. The processing of whey into 100% isolate removes the lactose, lessening your chance of feeling gassy and bloated.

    What separates whey protein from other forms of protein is its digestion rate; whey digests very rapidly. In fewer than 30 minutes it can fast-track a good portion of its amino acids to your muscles, and that rapid delivery of aminos to muscle cells has been shown to be important for enhancing muscle growth.

    To be considered a great, whey protein the product MUST list whey protein isolate or hydrolyzed whey protein isolate as the very first ingredient. That’s because whey protein isolates are the purest form of protein you can get, with some being more than 90% protein. And “hydrolyzed whey protein isolate” means that high-quality whey has been pre-digested into smaller protein fragments for even faster digestion than regular whey isolate.

     

    Whey protein concentrate, on the other hand, goes through less filtering, which means fewer of the natural carbohydrates found in milk are removed. The result is a whey product that is much lower in protein content. Although most whey protein concentrates are somewhere between 70-80% protein, some can be less than 35% protein. This is why isolates and hydrolysates generally cost more.

    In order to know if a whey protein powder is top notch, you’ll need to do some math. Take the grams of protein per serving listed on the supplement facts panel and divide it by the serving size (in grams). This will give you the percentage of protein in each serving. To be considered a great whey protein powder, the percent protein per serving (or scoop) should be 80% or greater.

     
    If you are vegan, you might choose a non-dairy protein powder, preferably the organic variety. Pea protein powder and soy protein isolate are good choices. However, it’s important to recognize that not all plant proteins contain each of the nine essential amino acids (EEAs).
     
    EEAs cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food. Animal-based foods have all nine of the EAAs and they are also higher in bioavailability, which is their ability to be absorbed and used by the body. Plant-based foods have lower bioavailability. 
     
    Soy is the only complete plant protein. Soy foods are also rich in vitamins and minerals. 
     
    It’s worth noting that plant proteins generally have less leucine, which is an essential amino acid. Leucine can: increase muscle growth and lean body mass, help in healing skin and bones, increase production of human growth hormone (HGH), and may help control blood sugar.
     
    However, the following protein powders are good plant-based sources of leucine:
     
    • Soy protein isolate
    • Pea protein powder
    • Peanut powder
     
    Nonetheless, because it contains all of the essential amino acids and is easily digested, whey protein (including whey protein powder) is considered the gold standard. Add in the facts that whey protein can aid wound healing, boost immune function, provide antioxidant benefits, moderate blood sugar, and might even lower blood pressure, and whey protein should be your go-to powder. 
     
    Yet, what likely matters most to athletes and weight trainers is that whey is a complete, high-quality protein that promotes muscle growth. To that end, some studies show that whey protein may be slightly better than other types of protein, such as casein or soy.
     
    When choosing a hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, make sure to select one with no additives, preservatives or artificial sweeteners. You might want a natural vanilla or chocolate flavor, for example, but you don’t need any of the other junk that may be added. If the only ingredient is whey protein isolate or hydrolyzed whey protein, you’re getting purity, without any other fillers or low-quality garbage. 
  • Sleep Is Vital to Good Health, Yet Many of Us Aren’t Getting Enough

    Sleep Is Vital to Good Health, Yet Many of Us Aren’t Getting Enough

    One-third of U.S. adults are struggling to get a good night’s rest, according to a jointly conducted web survey by Gallup and mattress retailer Casper. This suggests that nearly 84 million Americans are not getting adequate sleep.
     
    Moreover, 65% said they were unable to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
     
    This sleep deficit has negative health consequences. Research confirms that not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, or getting poor quality sleep, increases risks for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and atherosclerosis, which happens when fatty deposits build up in arteries. Not getting enough sleep is linked to weight gain, diabetes and inflammation, all of which can worsen cardiovascular disease.
     
    The survey of more than 3,000 adults indicated that stress is a major factor in this epidemic of sleepless. If the word epidemic sounds hyperbolic, that’s exactly how the CDC describes it.
     
    Two years of the coronavirus pandemic drove stress levels to extraordinary levels and even as that now begins to wane, new stressors seem to have supplanted it. An American Psychological Association study recently found that Americans are feeling more anxious about inflation, global uncertainty, and the war in Ukraine.
     
    Our emotional and mental states are major contributing factors to how easily we fall asleep and whether we stay asleep all night.
     
    There are strategies you can utilize to help improve your sleep. For example, 30 minutes of daily exercise improves your odds of a great night’s sleep by 30%. That’s because exercise helps work off stress and anxiety. Moving your body and raising your heart rate help ensure a better night’s sleep.
     
    Creating some form of ambient white noise, such as with a fan or noise machine that creates nature sounds, can also be calming, soothing and sleep inducing.
     
    Healthy nutrition, meditation and/or breathing exercises can also be quite helpful. For example, you can count your in-breaths or out-breaths from one to 10. You can then count them backwards from 10 to one. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breathing and start counting from one again. Focused breathing is relaxing in and of itself, but it can also help stop the mind from wandering. If you practice while lying in bed, eventually you’ll fall asleep while counting your breaths.
     
    Another useful strategy is to have a specific bedtime routine that you follow every night. Varying bedtimes and wake times put your body’s internal clock, the circadian clock, out of cycle. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends, prevents this disruption. Changes in your sleep schedule thwart a natural sleep pattern, which throws off your circadian cycle.
     
    A regular bed time is critical for your health and wellness, as is a regular waking time. Additionally, sleeping too long can affect your ability to fall asleep that night. After a good night’s sleep, most people need to be awake around 16 hours before they feel sleepy again.
     
    Going to sleep between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, according to a new study by the European Society of Cardiology. Early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disrupt the body’s circadian clock, with adverse consequences for cardiovascular health, according to the study’s authors.
     
    The incidence of cardiovascular disease was highest in those with sleep times at midnight or later (25% higher risk) and lowest in those with sleep onset from 10:00 to 10:59 pm. There was a 24% higher risk for falling asleep before 10:00 pm.
     
    When it gets dark, your brain ramps up its production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. Essentially, melatonin helps you fall asleep — and stay asleep. On the other hand, light signals your brain to stop making melatonin, which helps you wake up and feel alert in the morning.
     
    Too much light just before bedtime, especially the blue light from electronic devices, can also disrupt our internal clocks. The brain’s nighttime surge of melatonin is known as melatonin onset. This naturally occurs as the sun sets and your environment literally starts to dim.
     
    However, modern humans no longer live by the sun’s daily cycle. We now have the ability to artificially keep our home environments bright at night. All that light signals to your body that it’s still daytime, which definitely doesn’t help you fall asleep. For this reason, it’s best to turn off screens and other intense lights a half-hour or so before bedtime. Reading by a dim light just before bed is a great way to ready the brain and induce sleep.
     
    Eliminating light in your bedroom is also a key requisite to a good night’s sleep. Even small sources of light, such as from your alarm clock or smoke detector can be disruptive, according to sleep research. There are tiny receptor cells in your retina that look for light intensity. Sleeping in a pitch-black environment helps ensure that those retinal receptors don’t find any light — until you’re ready to wake up in the morning.
     
    However, totally blacking out your room, such as with blackout curtains, in order to create a perfect sleep chamber may not be realistic for you. Yet, most of us can wear a sleep mask.
     
    Wearing a sleep mask could actually benefit your health. A small study at Northwestern University found that participants who slept in a dimly lit room had a continuously elevated heart rate. And in the morning, they also had more trouble getting their blood sugar into a normal range, a condition known as insulin resistance.
     
    These physiological changes happened even though their actual sleep wasn’t really disturbed. In fact, the participants generally said they slept fine. Yet, their brains and hearts knew that the lights were on, even though these people were sleeping. Even a relatively small amount of light was enough to shift their nervous systems into a more alert and activated state. The study provides evidence that sleeping with even relatively dim light exposure can be disruptive to our sleep-wake cycle.
     
    The resulting risk of chronic diseases like insulin resistance, diabetes, other cardio-metabolic problems is real. One five-year observational study of more than 40,000 women found that having a light or TV on while sleeping was associated with an increased risk of gaining more than 10 pounds.
     
    Furthermore, research shows that a lack of sleep can:
     
    • Affect cognition, decreasing focus and work productivity
    • Sap your energy and desire to work out
    • Elevate appetite and food cravings
    • Lead to more impulsive decisions, impacting food choices
    • Boost irritability, straining relationships
    • Increase stress levels (which makes sleep more difficult)
     
    In summation, for all these reasons, it’s best to:
     
    • Exercise daily, even if it’s just a walk
    • Create a cool, dark bedroom environment that’s conducive to sleep
    • Prepare for sleep by dimming lights and not using blue-light emitting devices 30 minutes before bed
    • Stop watching news or other distressing content before bed
    • Use breathing exercises when you’re having trouble sleeping
    • Keep specific bed and wake times
    • Wear a sleep mask
     
    Follow these tips, and you’ll enjoy a continually better night’s rest and, ultimately, a better quality of life.
  • Here’s Why, Perhaps, You Should Be Supplementing With Vitamin D

    Here’s Why, Perhaps, You Should Be Supplementing With Vitamin D

    Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that serves a number critical functions in the body. However, there’s a good chance you’re not getting enough of it.

    Vitamin D plays an important role in immune function. Not only does vitamin D enhance our immune systems, it also prevents our immune systems from becoming dangerously overactive. An overactive immune system leads to many autoimmune disorders in which your body can’t tell the difference between your healthy, normal cells and invaders.

    Additionally, a new study by researchers at University of South Australia finds that people with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to suffer from heart disease and higher blood pressure than those with normal levels of vitamin D. For study participants with the lowest concentrations of vitamin D, the risk of heart disease was more than double that seen for those with sufficient concentrations.

    Vitamin D is also very important for people with joint pain, and research shows that people with low levels of vitamin D may indeed suffer more joint pain. In fact, vitamin D deficiency can cause subtle widespread pain that may be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome, including symptoms like muscle and bone aching, fatigue and weakness, a lower pain threshold, and more acute soreness after exercise that is slower to resolve.

    Though vitamin D is important for everyone, it is particularly vital for those who exercise vigorously and regularly. Vitamin D dramatically reduces muscle fatigue and studies show it decreases muscle recovery time by 20%. It can also reduce inflammation and increase muscle protein.

    High levels of vitamin D in the blood are also linked with better fitness, according to research from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. In the study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 20- to 49-year-olds with better vitamin D status also tended to have greater cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of aerobic fitness often determined by measuring maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) during exertion.

    Lastly, vitamin D and calcium work together to protect your bones; calcium helps build and maintain bones, while vitamin D helps your body effectively absorb calcium. So even if you’re taking in enough calcium, it could be going to waste if you’re deficient in vitamin D. Ultimately, vitamin D is necessary for strong bones and it reduces the risk of fractures. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you’re more likely to break bones as you age.

    Though your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, you don’t need to take vitamin D at the same time as a calcium supplement.

    But don’t forget magnesium! Vitamin D can’t be metabolized without sufficient magnesium levels, meaning vitamin D remains stored and inactive for as many as 50 percent of Americans. In addition, vitamin D supplements can increase a person’s calcium and phosphate levels even while that person remains vitamin D deficient.

    Vitamin D deficiency is more common than once suspected. Nearly 1 in 4 people in the US have vitamin D blood levels that are too low or inadequate for bone and overall health, according to the National Institutes for Health.

    The daily recommended amount of vitamin D for adults is 600 IU, but the upper limit is 4,000 IU. Some studies suggest that a higher daily intake of 1000–4000 IU is needed to maintain optimal blood levels. Going above 4000 IU may be toxic and should only be done under the supervision of a doctor or Registered Dietician.

    There are two major types of vitamin D:

    • Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) – which is synthesized by plants and is not produced by the human body

    • Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – which is made in large quantities in the skin when sunlight strikes bare skin. It can also be ingested from animal sources

    Evidence suggests that vitamin D3 is approximately three times more effective at maintaining serum concentrations because the binding protein has a higher affinity to vitamin D3 than vitamin D2. This allows vitamin D3 to reside in the circulatory system longer and increase the concentration to sufficient levels more quickly.

    Most over-the-counter vitamin/multivitamin preparations use vitamin D3.

    Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is better to choose oil-based supplements or take it with food that contains some fat.

    Good dietary sources include fatty fish, fish oils, egg yolk, butter and liver. All of these contain fat.

    Vitamin D is special: It’s the only vitamin that we can make ourselves—our bodies create vitamin D in the form of a hormone when we process sunlight. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it makes vitamin D from cholesterol. That’s why getting enough sunlight is very important for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels.

    Factors that impact the ability of the body to synthesize vitamin D through the skin include: time of year, time of day, the presence of clouds and/or smog, skin melanin content, the application of sunscreen, and geographic latitude. For example, residents at 42° N latitude or higher are unable to synthesize vitamin D via the skin during the winter months (from November through February).

    Assuming your diet is decent, if there’s only one supplement you should take for your health, it’s probably vitamin D.