The Plain Truth...

Well, I must confess, I have not watched a single episode of the TV show called "The Biggest Loser" since it has been on the air. But, based on what I have heard from different people and read about the show, the following source from "Truth-It" sums up how I feel.


“The truth behind all of this of course is that this is our government at work America. Yes, even with shows such as the Biggest Loser. Especially in shows such as this that use emotion and inspiration to lead America to action.

Emotion is a powerful tool when it comes to brainwashing one person or a body of people, and the Biggest Loser does just that. Triumph and victory over the loss of hundreds of pounds for one person IS emotional, and America falls right into it.

But at the end of the day, this emotion that you are displaying will suck you in week after week until your focus is not on actual reality, but on the scenes you watch play out season after season.

The sooner you can psychologically shift your intellect to actual reality, instead of reality television, the easier it will be to control you, your actions, and your freedoms.”

In Good Health!

Jim Cleveland, CSCS

Owner

Joint Help

The following is for informational purposes only and is not a prescription administered by me.



Joint health is a big concern for many people and I have been hearing a lot about a particular substance through radio advertising (courtesy of Purity Products) and below are two sources of information that have a common thread…

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in the human body. People take hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders, including osteoarthritis. It can be taken by mouth or injected into the affected joint by a healthcare professional. Hyaluronic acid works by acting as a cushion and lubricant in the joints and other tissues. In addition, it might affect the way the body responds to injury. Information Source – Web MD

Hyaluronic Acid is the crucial space-filling, hydrating, cushioning substance found in our connective tissues.* This important gel-like substance, which plays an important role in supporting joint health, often diminishes in one’s body as a result of normal aging.* Information Source – Purity Products


If you have any concerns or questions about this substance please consult with your doctor.

Lag Time...

Is your energy level lagging? Perhaps you are training too frequently and the duration of your workouts are too long. Overtraining or overtraining syndrome is characterized by depression, fatigue, plateaus in results of any kind, and decrease in strength. Try to keep your workouts short and intense by keeping them to no more than an hour at a time!

Follow The Yellow Brick Road...

So, Dorothy turns to the Tin Man and asks, "Are you alright?” The Tin Man replies, "I'm afraid I'm a little rusty yet!" So, as it goes he needed some oil for his joints in order to travel down the yellow brick road. What are you doing for your joints?

You should establish a mental checklist and work from your shoulders to your ankles. What is the range of motion for each joint? Do you have any past or current injuries? How is it affecting your current exercise routine? What is your level of pain? Perhaps you should see your doctor if your in pain, before you agitate the joint(s) in question.

To get better joint flexibility you need to exercise. Know that stretching is not the only option. If all one does is stretch it becomes tedious and boring. This is one reason why there are so many people with stiff joints, they get bored and quit.

Understand that warming up and stretching is not one and the same. You warm up BEFORE stretches to prevent injury. Warming up means getting body temperature up with exercises like cycling, walking, jogging etc. Depending on fitness level 5-15 minutes is sufficient.

Another option is to do isometric exercise for better joint flexibility. Isometric exercise increases strength in the joint. Isometrics reach muscle fibers that are not often used. You simply contract the muscle and hold for 5-10 seconds release and repeat. Sometimes this method of exercise is called dynamic tension.

Resistance training can also be used to improve flexibility as long as you do full range of motion. In other words, make sure you get a full contraction and stretch. For added benefit you can implement isometrics at the end and hold the tension.

You might want to consider adding exercise that focuses on flexibility such as yoga or pilates. A concentrated workout of 20-30 minutes, 3-5 days a week will keep joints flexible.

Vary workouts to alleviate boredom, so that you don't quit altogether. A combination of strength, cardio and flexibility is best. Choose activity that you enjoy and recruit friends or family to join you for support and motivation.

Know that stretches are important before, during and after exercise routines. Stretch before exercise to prepare muscles and joints. Stretch between sets for more flexibility. Stretch afterward to help prevent muscle soreness and keep muscles, tendons and joints limber. It should be the last thing you do.

Finally, lose weight if you are overweight as this places undue stress on joints and can cause irreversible damage. A person of normal weight has a better chance of healthy joint flexibility than one who is overweight.

Now put down that oil can, join your friends and follow the yellow brick road!

High Anxiety!

Dry mouth…dilated pupils…rising blood pressure…rapid heartbeat…shallow breathing…tense muscles…these are symptoms of ANXIETY!


Here are some counter measures:

Take a deep breath and exhale out slowly, this will help reduce blood pressure.

Get up from where you are and s-t-r-e-t-c-h, this helps increase the circulation in your body and helps dissipate stress!

VENT – yes, talk to someone (preferably not yourself) and let it go, this helps you clear your mind and regain a better perspective on the issue at hand.

Catch up on your zzzzz’s, this helps replenish your well of energy.

Skip the java, sometimes too much stimulation can bring on a certain level of stress.

Watch funny videos, this helps produce endorphins which in turn elevates your mood. (Be careful, if you laugh too hard you might tie your abs up in knots, which could produce another bout of anxiety.)

Be realistic, your issues might not go away quickly, but you will be on the right road to feeling better!

Be careful with this gift from nature…

Eighty percent of what makes up honey is sugar, and a tablespoon contains about 64 calories. Table sugar has about 48 calories in a tablespoon -- that's 33% less! Both spike insulin and blood sugar at about the same rate, so drizzling (or sprinkling) with abandon can lead to health risks including weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

Too much sugar of any type -- honey, corn syrup, table sugar -- can also raise your risk of pancreatic cancer by 70%, since your pancreas has to go into overdrive producing insulin, and that leaves the organ vulnerable.

Now, the upside: Honey is rich in compounds that can help fight aging and disease, especially if you choose the darker variety known as honeydew honey, which is derived from tree sap, not plant nectar, and richer in amino acids and compounds that protect your cells. Just remember to keep honey under control, and gradually eliminate other simple sugars and artificial sweeteners from your daily consumption.

Food...Glorious Food!

Keep your food portion sizes in check, because eating too much can lead to weight gain, even when the food is healthy!


The portions we tend to choose are much larger than what the government recommends. In addition, they are larger than the portions people ate 20 years ago.

It's smart to check nutritional facts on labels and menus. But if you need to guess, here are some visual cues to help estimate portion sizes:

•3 ounces meat or poultry = a deck of cards

•3 ounces fish = a checkbook

•1 ounce cheese = 4 dice

•1 cup pasta or veggies = a tennis ball

•1/4 cup dried fruit = a golf ball

•1 tsp butter or margarine = tip of your thumb

•2 tbsp mayonnaise, oil, or dip = a ping-pong ball

Non-Dairy Option...

Calcium is very important for different functions/areas of your body, such as muscle contraction, bone density, and teeth. Many people are lactose intolerant or they find that dairy products are not palatable. What many dairy avoiders don't know is that there are other sources to get plenty of this important mineral.


For an easy way to remember what foods contain calcium, think Chinese food. Stir-fry dishes often include broccoli (62 milligrams of the bone-building mineral per cup), bok choy (158 milligrams in a cup), and edamame (soybeans, delivering 97 milligrams in a cup). Even better, these and other Chinese stir-fry favorites have a chemical makeup that allows your body to absorb calcium. Plenty of other leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and swiss chard, contain calcium. But they also contain oxalate, an acid that limits the amount of calcium your body can absorb.

Considering you need a daily dose of 1,500 milligrams of calcium (and 1,000 international units of vitamin D with that if you're under age 65; 1,200 if you're over that) plus 500 milligrams of magnesium a day, you'll probably still want a supplement.


Here are some other non-dairy calcium sources:

Fortified ready-to-eat-cereals (various)

Soy Beverage calcium fortified

Orange Juice calcium fortified

Sardines Atlantic in oil drained

Tofu firm

Pink salmon canned with bone

Collards

Molasses blackstrap

Spinach

Soybeans green

Turnip greens

Ocean perch Atlantic

Oatmeal plain and flavored instant fortified

Cowpeas

White beans

Kale

Okra

Blue crab canned

Beet greens

Clams canned

Dandelion greens

Rainbow trout farmed

Jump...Jump!

How about jumping rope for your cardio? First check with your physician to make sure that you can handle the impact to your hip, knee, and ankle joints. Here are some good reasons that you should consider to learn the rope: (1) A good rope is not as expensive as a treadmill or elliptical machine. (2) While jumping you are forced to maintain a rhythmic pace and use proper form, which enhances coordination. (3) Jumping rope uses nearly every muscle and helps promote fat loss. (4) The rope is portable and can be used either indoors or out. (5) There is increased bone density with each footfall, so jump to your heart’s content!

The Cardio Conundrum...

Here are some pointers when using the machines for your cardio activity: (a) try not hold on to the side rails while you are on the treadmill, or lean forward and prop yourself up if you are on the stair stepper, that makes it easier on you and defeats the purpose. (b) Always monitor your effort and how you feel while on the machine. Then when you are finished you can rate your workout and make a decision about whether or not to do the same program/routine again. (c) Try not to be fixated on the numbers that are displayed on the machine console during your training. You can put a towel over the console and that will help make the workout more challenging by making your body expect the unexpected. (d) Think about how you are feeling prior to your workout and pick the right machine. For example, if you want to target more muscle groups then use the elliptical, which incorporates a push/pull motion with the arms along with leg movement.

Got Rhythm?

We all have a 24 hour biological clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. More than 300 bodily functions occur in a 24 hour rhythm. The bodily functions on the most part have “high” and “low” points during the 24 hour cycle. If you want to apply this to your fitness training, keep a log of how you feel during the day and night, then review it after one week noting your high and low points. For those of you who are struggling with your workouts, try moving your fitness training times to the corresponding “high” points during your day. This should help you in maintaining a level of consistency in your workouts!

Fitness…The Answer to Health Care Reform

So, what does your health care plan look like? It is good to have the proper medical and dental coverage in place, but how does your preventative health care plan look?

Do you know what your current level of fitness is? First, I would recommend that you get a physical examination from your medical doctor. Second, make sure that he or she prescribes exercise as part of your daily regiment. Studies from different parts of the world prove that people who receive a prescription from their doctor adhere to the exercise prescription from a range of six months to two years on the average. Third, I would recommend that you seek out a fitness facility that offers a fitness assessment as part of their program. The results will help you establish your lifestyle change goals moving forward.

There are different benefits from executing your preventative health care plan. One that might not be so obvious is the psychological affects on an individual, such as improved body image. This could be contributed to the fact that exercise lowers depression and reduces anxiety. Many people find themselves trapped in a cycle of self-destructive behavior due to a negative body image, which can have long-term effects on a person’s physical and emotional well-being.

Another benefit is quality nutrition, which can serve you well on a daily basis. A good rule of thumb is to start out by selecting nutritionally dense food. This selection process might be time consuming at first, but you will be miles ahead in your fitness journey. In addition, I believe that it pays to read the food labels and have a basic understanding of what effect the ingredients have on your body. Since there are many food items that are lacking in nutritional density, the process of supplementation could help bridge the gap. I do not recommend that you take supplements just for the sake of taking them without first investigating their level of efficacy. In addition, I would recommend that you ask your doctor or dietician for an analysis of the supplements that you are considering on consuming.

Finally, the exercise setting that you chose can make a big difference in getting your start. A private fitness facility would suffice if you were self-conscoius about your looks. Your support system should be solid and contain people you trust, such as family, friends, and your fitness trainer. They will hold you accountable and help you to derive the benefits of your fitness endeavors.

Time To Drink!

Water is so important in your fitness endeavors and the following are some good points!

Tap water…the Environmental Protection Agency’s studies have concluded that 90% home filtration systems on the market meet the agency’s guidelines for health and safety.

Bottled water…there are two groups of terms to look out for. The first is spring, distilled, mineral, and artesian, which state where the water came from and how it was treated. The second is glacier and mountain, which does not mean anything to the potential consumer.

Although the plastic water bottles are designed to be used only once, due to the fact that potentially harmful chemicals can be seep out with numerous refills, it is ok to refill the bottle once or twice.

So think before you drink!

Carb Realities...

Here are some straight forward points... 

• Carbs are great for a speedy recovery.
• Slow digesting carbs help curb your appetite. 
• They can help elevate your mood; if your carb intake is too low you can become grouchy.
• If you are low in carb stores then it could impact your work-outs by making you feel lethargic.
• Too low of a carb intake can potentially impact your ability to concentrate and impair brain function.
• Fueling your muscles with carbs helps you get through those intense fat-loss routines. 
• Keep in mind that complex carbohydrates serve you best in your fitness endeavors.

Resistance Training Trigger

If you are executing a multi-joint exercise, you will have muscle groups that compete with each other. To really increase the intensity of the strength resistance exercise try using visualization. It only takes a few seconds to picture the primary muscle movement. There is a technique that I like to call the “trigger”, which sets the stage for focusing on the primary muscle group. Your fitness trainer can help you identify those triggers on each exercise that you perform.