Weight loss good for the joints and understanding is key

Its no surprise to anyone that weight alone can cause discomfort and lead to a negative attitude. In fact, beginning a simply work out routine with dietary changes can provide relief from a multitude of symptoms. For instance, a client I work with had suffered from knee pain for over a decade. This individual had issues with arthritis that he was on a many medications for. This is a common way to treat symptoms but does very little to address the actual problem. By starting a dietary plan based on more alkaline foods (to avoid acidic overload on the body) he was not only able to work out at a more intense level but saw some of his symptoms alleviate. This is the kind of physical transformation that motivates those who believe they can't accomplish anything to move forward.

This individual continued to progress with a diet that provided more relief, as he knew that this was helping him, and eventually came off all his medications. The diet alone did not provide him the relief or the simple beginnings of an exercise program focused on low impact interval training. A significant reason for his pain reducing was the additional load on his knees had been removed. In the first 8 weeks this individual lost an astounding 40lbs!

Dietary changes and understanding basic body chemistry is necessary for continued correct eating habits but it is not the end all be all of symptom relief. We must incorporate not only lifestyle and exercise changes but the understanding of how and why these changes effect the body in a positive way. Many exercisers don't care and that is fine but he problem with this mentality is their assumptions about what works are not always founded on what is best for them to reach their goals. Because of what people "know" to be true some people exercise straight into serious injury or waste years never reaching any goal they reached for and then proceed to dangerous diets or pharmaceuticals. Spread the word on what works and take it all the way. 

Remain Alkaline to increase fitness gains and overall health

Many people focus on any number of one sided theories to obtain weight loss, lean muscle and endurance goals. The problems with many of these theories are they miss the main point of optimal health. For instance, a high protein diet is always encouraged in personal training as a way to lose fat and build muscle. There are issues with this idea. For one, cooked meat is a dead food. It provides zero in the way of energy and the body has to go through quite a bit of energy to attempt to digest it. Im not advocating that anyone stop eating meat but it is not necessary for gains in physical fitness and in the long run the acidic buildup of a high meat diet and loss of nutrient intake from plant based foods will cause nutritional deficiencies. This is just one example of the many fad diets from low carb to high protein diets, they will leave you unbalanced eventually.

So what is the answer? The best and easiest way to lose weight and build lean muscle mass is to follow an alkaline lifestyle. In doing so you are able to eat a balance diet and avoid the pitfalls of nutritional deficiencies. There are many sources online that indicate which foods are alkaline and which foods are acidic so a quick google search can help determine your best food choices.

Why is this important? Our bodies are alkaline by nature and acidic by function. This is an important for a lot of reasons. First pH means potential to hydrogen. Hydrogen is all around us and has a positive charge. We have a negative charge and need to maintain this negative state. More hydrogen ions (positive charge) means more acidic state of being. Water with a negative pH have more hydrogen ions, water with a more alkaline pH have more hydroxyl ions (negative charge). This can be determine using pH strips. 7 is neutral and anything below that is negative (acidic) and anything above that is positive (alkaline). All vegetables have an alkaline pH. Most water is now acidic due to pollution and being over filters. All meats are acidic and most fruits are also acidic. The is all very basic but important to understand. If we strive to be more alkaline, eat more veggies, less meat and fruits and better quality water then we can avoid the pitfalls of illness and fitness fatigue.

Now you understand the basics of why this is important but what does it have to do with you? You already know that veggies are good to eat but now you understand why. Because your body is acidic by functions your body is constantly trying to buffer these acids. For instance, every cellular function creates a by product of acid. This acid builds in the body and causes and increases the habitable environment for disease and illness. All illnesses are anaerobic in nature (without oxygen) and an acidic state provides that. Acids will also accumulate in the joints and muscle tissues causing fatigue and pain. Over time, as the body becomes less able to buffer this acidic diet the acid is bound in fat cells in order to protect the internal tissues and organs. This is a large reason for fat deposits in the body. Understand that this is a quick explanation of acidity and the body so you get the basic understanding of how it affects you personally, from arthritis and headaches to cancer and weight gain, acidity is the root cause of these problems.

We will continue to address alkalinity and how it not only affects your fitness goals but  your health in general in future posts. For additional information and books consider researching sites such as www.pHmiracleliving.com.  

Don’t make your eating plan hard when its simple

How many carbs do I eat? Should I have steak with every meal? Should I not eat after 8pm? What percentage should be protein?

These are the kinds of nonsense questions I see, hear and read all day long. I could tell you what foods you need to eat (and I will tell you some that will help in your weight loss and muscle building endeavors) but this is not that post. In this simple post I will tell you the simple answer and what not to do.

What shouldn’t I eat?

Simple answer, anything processed. If you want to have real results in life then your answer is going to be you need to eat real foods. Real foods are those that are not at all or at the very least minimally processed. Organic grass fed meat and beef, organic fruits and veggies. These are the foods that will provide you with health that will in turn give you what you need to reach your goals and feel good about it.

To reach your goals to be lean and strong follow this simple advice. Eat less, exercise more and eat more fruits and veggies. That’s it. For breakfast avoid carb and sugar heavy foods like cereal and reach for the eggs and fruit. For snacks munch on nuts and berries. For lunch and dinner eat a small portion of protein (we discussed in previous posts that more protein is not better), which you can measure by make sure it is no larger then the size of your closed fist. Have a large serving of veggies with this and you should meet your goals and food requirements.

Food requirements look like this 5-10oz of protein from meat, beans and legumes, 1-3 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of veggies. And please, please, if you are drinking anything other then water, stop. Water is what your body is made to drink, nothing else will meet your hydration needs better then water. Soda, soft drinks of any kind that are sweetened are all immediately stored as fat in the body, no value.

So what should I eat?

If after what I have told you, in very simple terms, about what to eat is not clear enough this should answer your question. Any reasonable person knows what is good and healthy. If you are eating a bag of chips, a large soda and a hamburger from McDonalds I don’t care who you are, you know that is an unhealthy meal that will not help you meet your goals. Remember, every day is a new day. Missing a day will not ruin your goals but if you continue each day with a defeated attitude because you messed up on a meal or a day then you have already lost.

Oh and remember, don’t forget to cheat one day out of every week. Eat everything, as much as you like of cakes, cookies, burgers, French fries. No one can live their whole life as a saint. Plus, studies actually indicate that a spike in calories shocks the system to help keep metabolism alive and well, your safe on that day.

Mind over matter for fast gains

Numerous studies have been completed verifying a mind-body connection in regards to every physical activity. This is not hard to imagine since our physical body is controlled by the movements our brain decides. The biggest thing to take away from these studies is how it will affect your training.

Lift more through visualization

Have you ever visualized something you were about to do and completed that task smoother then if you simply winged it? Thats because your mind has focused on the task and completed it as a top priority without any distraction. Pro athletes use visualization all the time to enhance their play. Visuallizing a hit ,or a play, or a complete game is not uncommon.

The best way to utilize this is to take 15-30 seconds before beginning an exercise session or specific activity and visualize what it is you are about to do. This 15-30 seconds has been shown as optimal to make the connection for your task. Anything longer may be helpful but does not create a significant increase from the initial visualization. For instance, if you are going to do 20 squats but have only been able to do 15 before, visualize your body squatting, the movement, the powerful explosive up thrust. Doing this for 15-30 seconds has been shown to prime the brain and therefore the muscles for the task it is about to complete. By doing this you will see gains in whatever exercise or activity you are engaging in.

Power of positive thinking

If you walk in to any book store you will find a million books on positive thinking. The secret or any number of books like it will tell you to think of what you want and it will come true. While these books are hard pressed for real evidence it is factual when it comes to things your physical body can accomplish. When you are exhausted, be it from a run, a swim meet, a game, an exercise circuit, you feel as though you are wiped out, you couldn't possibly do any more. This is not true. Most people never reach their full potential or reach a platuea that can not be broken.

Hiring trainers is a perfect example of how a person can be pushed to the next level. Trainers push you harder then you would yourself. Naturally, your body does not want to do a lot of hard, stressful work but your brain tells it to. This same affect can be produced by yourself. Again, using the example of squats, you will actively need to tell your brain and therefore your body what you are going to accomplish. If you are attempting to reach 20 squats, then do it. When you hit 18 and your legs are burning with lactic acid, this is when you need to tell your brain that  you WILL COMPLETE 2 MORE REPS! Don't be surprised when you actually hit 20, just tell your body to do one more.

Tricking your body into doing the work is a method that has shown results. Hit your goal and then just like a personal trainer would do, tell your body that you are doing 5 more reps. Even if you know you are going to do this your body will be thrown off and this is exactly how gains are made, by challenging muscles. Give these body-mind connection tricks a try and see if they get you All the Way Fit. Enjoy.