How to Balance Your Meals and Your Energy Along With it

Empty carbs ruin everything!

11:00 A.M. You’re watching the clock.  How on earth are you going to make until 12:30; the prescribed lunch hour at your office? That’s a tough one. It’s hard to concentrate when you’re stomach is rumbling.  Scratch that. It’s hard to stay conscious when you’re that hungry.  Brain fog sets in, you’re quite dizzy, and all you can think about is how good that plate of nachos and pint of beer will taste.

Have you thought “wow, I’m sooo hungry, I really have a taste for a heap of broccoli and a big, thick, skinless chicken breast? Probably not.  When you’re really hungry, cravings set in and that means carbs (and I’m not talking about a half of a yam or half cup of brown rice.)  The only thing that satisfies those kinds of cravings is junk and at this point, face it, a few bites of your favorite baguette will not do. If you let yourself get that hungry, it’s all over.  You’re like a runaway junk food freight train.

So what’s the strategy to prevent this from happening? 

You Know...Muscle Turns to Fat if You Stop Exercising....

"

Staying strong and fit...use it or lose it

You know you can’t ever stop working out or all that muscle will turn to fat…” Have you ever heard one of your jealous friends say this?  Ever wondered whether or not it was true?  I hope you didn’t.  I hope you laughed at that ridiculous notion the minute you heard it and told your friend, “that’s ludicrous; muscle is muscle and fat is fat.  That’s akin to watching your liver “turn" into your gallbladder." 

One cannot wave a magic wand and have one type of tissue magically turn into another.”  Would that it could; I’d have waved that magic wand

Want Strong Abs? Check Out The Plate Plank

Core core core core core.  It seems like the focus of every exercise you try these days is a core exercise.  It’s not your imagination. In response to a near epidemic of lower back, hip and knee injuries (even upper body muscle groups are effected), researchers are finding that the best defense against these injuries is good flexibility, mobility, and a healthy core.

For all the focus that core exercise has gotten in recent years, few people understand what is truly meant when an exercise is referred to as a “core” exercise.  If you’re visualizing your abdominal area right now, you hit the target….sort of.  Abdominals are only a part of what is considered core musculature. The term “core” really applies to every muscle from your arm pits to your knees.  If you think about it; that’s a lot of muscle groups. The important thing to remember is that because muscles and fascia are interconnected, it is almost impossible to completely isolate only one muscle to the extent that no other muscle is involved in a given movement.  Take the plate plank (below) for instance. While you can easily see the muscular recruitment of the abdominal area, take a look at what is happening with the shoulders, the pecs, the triceps, glutes and quadriceps. It is deceiving but this is really a total body exercise.

 Here’s how to do it:

"A"

1)  Take a 25 pound weight plate and balance it on its rim or, side.  Then kneel in front of it.

2)  While balancing the plate on its rim, grab the weight by placing hands on the top of the plate’s rim with hands at the 11:00 and 1:00 positions-keeping arms perfectly straight. Try to keep the wrists as straight as possible also; without losing your balance-do not flex your wrists excessively.

Are These 9 pH Balance Claims Science or Science Fiction?

Is drinking alkaline water the key to good health?

Recently a long-time client showed me her bottle of alkaline water. She had been doing a pH-balance diet for several months, so to boost her body’s alkalinity she guzzled four or five bottles of this so-called “miracle water” daily.

Despite my cynicism, I’ve long been fascinated in pH balance diets, also called alkaline acid or alkaline diets.

At the same time, I questioned whether they proved legit or just the latest hype. As I dove into the science (or lack thereof), what I learned surprised and even shocked me.

What is a pH-Balance Diet Anyway?

“Remember high school science class? Well, if you don’t, here’s a little refresher course. The body maintains a delicate pH balance,” writes Kris Carr. “For now all you really need to know is that the pH scale runs from 0-14. Neutral pH is 7.0. The higher the pH (greater than 7) the more alkaline, while a pH lower than 7 is acidic.” http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-3400/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-pH.html

Based on those measures, some foods