HORMONES AND YOU

HORMONES AND YOU Oestrogen  and progesterone: balancing act-  The human body produces 3 sex hormones oestrogen ,progesterone and testosterone. With my research I like to focus on oestrogen and progesterone because medical research  and my experience prove that they play the starring roles in any hormone related weight gain drama.    These two hormones work together to help men and women to develop properly they are responsible for important biochemical functions in both the female and male bodies. WHEN THE RATIO OF ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE GETS OUT OF SYNC, MANY HEALTH ISSUE ARISE, INCLUDING UNWANTED BELLY FAT. WHAT IS ESTROGEN DOMINANCE IT is important to understand that being ESTROGEN dominant doesn't mean that your body is producing too much ESTROGEN; rather it means that your body's estrogen  production is not balanced by progesterone production. ESTROGEN dominance occurs when the natural ratio of estrogen to progesterone is upset- in other words when the bodies internal estrogen to progesterone seesaw becomes tilted. WHEN THIS HAPPENS  -your body is unable to effectively use fat stores for energy, WHICH MEANS that your body ability to metabolise or burn body fat for calories is compromised. THE RESULT IS extra weight that won't go away even with more exercise or less eating. SO IN MEN AND WOMEN, higher estrogen level predispose the body to store fat around the abdomen. SOLUTION? MAKE EXERCISE AND HEALTHY EATING A PERMANENT LIFESTYLE.

POSITIVE RESOLUTIONS

At the begonning of each year, every gym and stadium is super packed, every diet book is flying off the shelves, and every supplement company is trying to push their latest "fat loss pill." I absolutely love seeing people make the decision to make a positive change in their weight and their health and love seeing people adopt a new healthy eating and exercise plan. Here’s what I don’t love. I don’t like the fact that, diet pill companies promote their "magic" potions and pills as the easiest and best way to lose weight and keep it off. Many of these companies take advantage of well-meaning people who want to make a positive difference in their health and sell them products that may not work or (even worse) do more harm than good by damaging their metabolism. I am going to make a bold statement here and say that if a "diet" program requires you to purchase their pills and shakes to make the diet work, you should be very, very cautious (and probably look for a different program). I can tell you with 100% certainty that all you need in order to successfully lose weight and keep it off is wholesome, natural food…and that’s it! Oh, and water, of course. But you don’t need any magic pills or shakes to drop the excess fat off your body and keep it off for good. That is why I teach my clients and my readers exactly how to use REAL, delicious and wholesome foods in order to boost metabolism, feel energized, and lose tons of fat at the same time. If you’ve been following my articles for some time, or if you’ve just started, you’ll quickly see that I am not a fan of pills and keep my supplement recommendations to an absolute minimum. Real food is always BEST. But there are a few supplements (just a few) that I do take myself sometimes. I would say that, by far, one of the most important supplements I take  is a high quality i Vitamin C supplement  "Sharon if you’re not a fan of pills, why is this one so important?" Let’s put it this way.... If you have excess fat on your body you want to lose If your joints ache in any way If you feel fatigued during the day If you have a family history of Diabetes or heart disease You MUST take in a sufficient amount of Vitamin C Our bodies cannot survive or function properly if they don’t get enough essential vitamins Our bodies need Vitamins  but cannot make them on their own so we must get them from the foods we eat. Fruits high in Vitamin C includes guava, apples, tangerine, lemons, oranges, African cherry (agbalumo), pineapple, pawpaw, watermelon. Now, you tell me. After quickly reading the fruits listed above, which ones do you think people are consuming the most? Aside from fruits I also recommend  the following: First, I highly recommend you make organic eggs, croker and sardines, and walnuts a regular part of your healthy weight loss plan. Second, I highly encourage you to supplement your eating plan with enough vegetables  too. One of my very favourite fruits is water melon ( i think its the fruit in season now) . My likeness for this fruit not only for its quality and purity, but also for its antioxidant properties not present in some other fruits .The good is :This fruit is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Remember that moderation is key. You must not overeat. If you were going to take just 1 supplement each and every day, this is your best bet. Not only will it help your body naturally burn off unwanted fat, it will enhance your heart health, balance your blood sugar and minimize joint pain. If you want to make a true difference in your weight, health and energy levels in 2013, make sure to add Omega-3s  or healthy oils to the top of your food list and complement  with a powerful proteins and low carbohydrate foods,       At Body Confidence Fitness club, we are prepared to help you achieve that body type you desire. We are coming up with a lot of programs  in 2013 for our clients and am sure you will benefit from them if you key in early enough.   It’s the special combination of these components I have developed that will fast-track you to fat loss:                                                                   1.  Detailed meal plans for every meal, every day for 14 days + 7 days of bonus meal plans.  Every once in awhile, you may just need a break from “thinking”...thinking about what you’re going to make, thinking about what might be tasty to eat, and thinking about what would be the best choice for you to lose weight in minimal time. We shall take the guesswork out and give you every meal, exactly as it should be eaten and prepared.              2.  We have manipulated certain foods in just the right way to decrease inflammation and maximize your metabolism. Something We do with our one-on-one clients when they want to see results fast is  eliminate certain foods that may be causing inflammation inside their bodies and stalling weight loss. I have already done that in the Body Confidence meal plans, without having you feel deprived or eating boring tasteless food. We have been creating meal plans like these for more than 5 years and have really gotten good at making every meal taste delicious without including those foods that may be causing inflammation in most people.                                                                                   3.  We have included a simple, yet extremely effective exercise program that can be done right in your own home. Many exercise programs do not take into consideration that we all have jobs, families, and lots of responsibilities every day and we (myself included) cannot spend hours at the gym each day. We made it easy for you by incorporating my favorite exercises I do at home into one exercise program. And you’ll never have to work out two days in a row (and you’ll still drop fat)! What I want to be extremely clear about is that the Body Confidence program does not use unsafe or unhealthy tactics to accelerate weight loss. That is just something We would never do. But by using safe strategies in a specific way, you can see the pounds drop quickly in the next 21 days (or 28 days if you use the BONUS meal plans). To add to your “winnings,” I’m putting together a health section just for Body Confidence Gym members. For a limited time, send any questions to me at bodyconfidencefitness@gmail.com  or send me a personal message at www.facebook.com/BodyConfidenceFitnessClubI’ll answer the best questions  and I’ll post it in the  members’ area, just for you! I hope you’ve gotten a better understanding of what The Body Confidence program is .      This year 2013, become healthier, happier and more productive by meeting your fitness goals.        

SWEET BUT UNFRIENDLY

SWEET BUT  UNFRIENDLY  On a familiarisation visit to a neighbour who just moved into the neighbourhood. Her nine year old son told me I may not be able to see her mother. The little boy said to me " my mummy is feeling very dizzy, and won't like to be disturbed. Weeks later she opened up to me. Although  very overweight for her height and frame, she began to have the symptoms of frequent urination, insatiable thirst, dizziness and headaches. When she went to her physician  for an examination, he diagnosed her condition  as diabetes (too much sugar in the blood) she was put on a strict diet, with injections of insulin every morning. All sweets and sugar were strictly forbidden. The doctor made this very very plain.        As a lover of sweet foods all her life, she takes about seven cubes of sugar with her tea so  she thought that three  cubes of sugar in her tea wouldn't hurt. She also bought her favourite kind of assorted  sweets and an extra packet of sugar and put them in a secret place  in her bedroom. No one knew, she thought; it was a foolproof scheme.        But after supper one night, she left the family circle in the living room and tiptoed to her room secretly to have a piece of her favourite sweets. One piece didn't quite do it, so she had one more. Those two didn't quite satisfy her,either. Unable to stop, she ate herself into a diabetic coma!        The panic and confusion that followed sent shock  wave throughout the household and neighbourhood. It was quite a spectacle when she was rushed to a nearby hospital. About  a day later after so much money had been expended, she was back home feeling guilty and embarrassed for having been so foolish. (Today's cost may be higher than yesterday's)     There are two types of diabetes mellitus: Type 1, or juvenile  diabetes, occurring mostly in children and young adults and Type 11, adult onset diabetes. The disease is caused from a defect in insulin production by the pancreas . Insulin is needed by the body to utilise glucose for energy. In addition, juvenile-onset diabetes is caused by  a failure of the body to produce insulin, which is needed for the metabolism of carbohydrates(starches and sugar). In maturity onset  diabetes, the body cells have an inability to respond normally to insulin. In both types blood sugar fails to penetrate body cells, and they become deprived of vital energy. It is like a "water, water everywhere , and not a drop to drink" situation.       For maturity-onset diabetes, lowering one's body weight to normal and keeping it there  eliminates the condition  in many cases. Juvenile -onset diabetes, on the contrary, is not usually reversible. Diabetes complications are the third leading cause of death in Nigeria .  Most cases of neuropathy are found in people who have the metabolic disorder diabetes, when it is known simply as diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is a microvascular complication: excess blood glucose in people with diabetes can, over a number of years, injure the walls of tiny blood vessels supplying nerves, especially those in the legs.The consequence of the nerve damage can be an inability to feel pain, and so problems can go unnoticed by people with diabetes, for example because of "insensate" injury to their feet. Diabetic complication may also lead to a condition known as peripheral neuropathy .  The term neuropathy is also short for peripheral neuropathy, meaning nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. Only nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord are involved, so peripheral neuropathy does not include nerve damage in the central nervous system.Overweight people who eat diets high in refined processed foods and sugary goodies and low in fiber are more likely  to develop diabetes as they grow older.     PRINCIPLES TO FOLLOW Are you one of those battling with excess weight? If you have decided  that you need to lose those excess pounds, here are a few basic  principles for you to follow: 1. Decrease your intake of   - meat( beef, lamb,pork, and pork products)   -fat (fatty meats, fried foods, butter, oil,etc)   -sugars (sweets,candy, refined sugars, etc)   -White-flour baked goods (bread, cakes, doughnuts, etc)   -total calories (from all food groups) 2. Increase your intake of:    - fresh vegetables ( plain,with no oil or sauce)    - fresh fruits and unsweetened fruit juices    - freshly squeezed vegetable juices( ugwu, carrots, bitter leave juices etc.   - grilled or boiled fish and chicken, without oil or skin (Remember very little meat is ideal.)   - whole grain products ( bread, cereal, foods. This simple plan will help you to lose weight safely and will bring about a permanent change in your eating habits.     Diabetics should eat a protein portion and carb portion of the same size at each meal. Take a little fat with these foods too. Eating a wide variety of non starchy vegetable will fill you up without affecting insulin levels. You can enjoy salads with healthy salad  dressings since fat is not the issue for you. ( fat must cholesterol free). PHYSICAL ACTIVITY  Sheri Colberg, (PhD) in her recent article titled "Exercise and neuropathy" stated that mild to moderate exercise may help prevent the onset of peripheral neuropathy. Although physical activity likely cannot fully reverse the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, it can prevent further loss of muscle strength and flexibility commonly experienced by individuals with distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSP), which typically involves both small and large nerve. Peripheral neuropathy, with the associated decrease in sensation, carries with it an increased risk of injury, along with greater discomfort associated with painful types of neuropathy during physical activity. The individual with insensate feet may not have the pain sensation needed to recognize that an injury has occurred, and a blister or repeated trauma may go unnoticed. Daily Foot Care Engaging in physical activity with peripheral issues, however, does increase the risk of foot problems like ulcers. Comprehensive foot care, including daily inspection of feet and use of proper footwear, is recommended for prevention and early detection of sores or ulcers. All individuals should closely examine their feet on a daily basis (or have someone else inspect them) to detect sores or ulcers early and follow recommendations for the use of proper footwear and appropriate socks (synthetic-cotton blends that keep feet drier). Let's connect@ www.facebook.com/BodyConfidenceFitnessClub.

DISCOVER YOUR WEAKNESSES

Starting a new program without a good evaluation can be detrimental to your health. Ensure a proper medical and physical evaluation before comencing a new exercise regimen.

NURTURING MENTAL HEALTH IN GRADUATE SCHOOL

At the 7th Annual Conference of Pan-African Professional Alliance (PANAPA) Penn State University, that held on Saturday 13th April 2024, I was privileged to be on a panel session to discuss about “Nurturing Mental Health in Graduate School”. Having gone through graduate school, I understand that being in academia can involve long days or nights in the laboratory, for data collection and manuscript writing. Extra hours are also invested at weekends trying to catch up with unfinished tasks. There is fierce competition to obtain the latest triumph, with continuous pressure to keep collaborating, and innovating. There is a constant thought of doing more and more because you want to get ahead of your competition. All of these endeavors, could tell on your MENTAL HEALTH. An important point to note is to take up tasks that will meaningfully benefit you at a time. This entails prioritizing what matters to your future career and disregarding tasks that don’t matter. Additionally, when you become stressful as a result of high workload, take 30 minutes out from your day to walk outside, beholding nature, to enjoy the benefit of lower heart rate, improved cognition, better mood and improved nervous system recovery. Walking can supply a source of refreshment and a better routine for the days ahead.

REFINED SUGAR

When excess sugar reacts with protein in the body, it produces a damaging effect similar to the free radicals we've heard so much about in recent years. Studies have shown that Sugar promotes aging, decreases your immunity, promotes weight gain, and increases your incidence of diseases like diabetes. Well, this doesn't mean that you have to throw all sweet foods out of your life forever. But it is highly recommended that you treat yourself very modestly with high-sugar foods and beverages. I follow a couple of personal rules that I think work very well which can also work for you. 1. I don't usually eat anything sugar before lunch. 2. I take my teas and cereals without sugar. 3. I keep my desserts and snacks very low on sugar, not more than about two hundred to three hundred calories per day. The secret is this: By holding off on eating your sugary foods until later in the day, you protect yourself from big blood sugar swings that destroy your energy. And when your energy is high you tend to have fewer cravings for sweets anyway. Thanks to Danna for the encouragement always.

Lively And Healthy Essentials

Lively And Healthy Essentials