Maca Root Balances Hormones

Sick of talking (and more importantly, thinking) about belly fat so thought I'd share a bit of informantion I've learned about Maca Root. Heard of it? I know I had not until I went to my local health food store and begged for some relief in relation to my hormone imbalance. I struck gold!

Organic Peruvian Maca Root (a/k/a "superfood" and "Peruvian Ginseng") is loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other plant chemicals and works effectively with men and women's hormonal imbalances, fertility enhancement, menopause, stamina, endurance, and mental concentration too! And get a load of this -- it increases the libido! That's right. Studies at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia concluded that the level of sexual desire was increased by 180% (when compared with a placebo group), seminal volume was also increased, spermatazoid count was doubled, and mobility was improved as well.

For those of you women on HRT, it's time to get off! Surely you've heard of the health risks involved: coronary heart disease (CHD), nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death with invasive breast cancer [see JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Assoc.), Vol. 288 No. 3, July 17, 2002]. This organic root will help you with hot flashes, perimenopause and PMS associated problems!! Because it doesn't cause the ovaries to atrophy (like HRT) it stimulates the body to produce its own hormones instead of supplying the body with hormones.

More specifically in men, it helps with impotence, erectile problems and increased testosterone levels.




Kind of amazing, don't ya think? Especially because there are no side effects -- there's no caffeine and it doesn't affect the central nervous system. Because it's a food, it's considered a supplement like spirulina, wheat grass and green barley versus a chemically processed vitamin! Now Google, buy and to your good health!

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More on Stubborn Belly Fat

Coffee and Alcohol

Simply put, these two beverages will snuff the B vitamins right out of your body. Coffee will even take the potassium and calcium out as well! As tough as it is, you’ve got to look at these nasty devils just like you do their nasty cousin, the refined carbohydrate! [Actually, alcohol is more like a brother or sister…at any rate, you get the idea.]


COFFEE

Simply put, wean yourself off. I personally have found that it is taking a lifestyle change but there are nice alternatives to celebrating each new day with a cup of Joe. For one, consider the fact that coffee stimulates cortisol and can keep some people out of the fat burning mode if their metabolism is slow. [For those of you who are addicted like I have been most of my adult life, don’t feel guilty if you need to taper off slowly. At least start the reduction process with regular coffee (organic, of course) and then when possible go ½ caf ½ decaf until you are down to zilcho caffeine altogether.]

Some suggestions for the addict is to switch to herbal coffee (yes, it does exist) or try Postum or Roma – they’re both delightful subs (no, seriously!) and there’s not a coffee bean in sight! Just a nice, malty, roasted coffee-like taste. For non-coffee-junkies, just switch to tea – I will post soon on the amazing new teas that are out there ready for the taking, but until then, go out and get yourself a bunch of different kinds (organic, of course). Mix them up and make your own flavors, add Stevia (the best non-sugar alterative known to man), cream, whatever else and enjoy the new day knowing you’re on your way!


ALCOHOL

And, finally, sad but true, alcohol is the worst thing to consume if you want to lose weight. Did you know just a half of glass of wine each night is enough to set your liver back about 24 hours? (And who on earth drinks a ½ glass of wine in one sitting? This is some bad news folks.) Generally speaking, you turn off the light switch, there’s no trigger-tripping; business is shut down – NO fat burning AT ALL! Can’t imagine living without it? Well, some say you could drink low-carb alcohol, but all-in-all, the alcohol is what reeks the havoc on your liver.

Stay tuned for new life-changing information on stress and belly fat.

I Can't Help It! This is a BIG Subject - Belly Fat!

Let There Be Light: Eat Right and Activate Fat Burning Hormones - WOOHOO!

[I've been away from my computer for some time now but am happy to be back so as to share the love -- big hug .]

Now on to business -- Last time I posted, I wrote about exercise and burning fat. So, while you're doing those jumping jacks, here's some information on how to get the fat-burning hormones jumping up and down right along with you! The goal is to “trip their trigger,” so to speak, by eating the right foods. In other words, there is a “trigger effect” that occurs when you eat properly – you know, clap your hands and the light will come on and the belly fat will go "off"! ;)

Trigger Trippers: Take a look at this fine list of vittles that "turn on" the fat burning hormones (which also happens to have lots of amino acids – something our body needs but does not produce): Walnuts, Pecans, Pine nuts; Coconut, Brazil nuts; Hazelnuts; Grapes, Coconut, Mushrooms, Squash.

Soak the nuts/seeds in water overnight. When you wake up the next day, all you need to do is rinse and devour!

[Reminder -- stuff you shouldn't eat: refined carbs – breads, pasta, sugars, etc. And, as always - NO ALCOHOL!]

Here’s hoping you all are now seeing the light to which I am attempting to shed…now, on to the part I love the most, my spiel on NO ALCOHOL (and no coffee either - sad stuff, I know).

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Still Can't Stop Learning About Belly Fat

Some HUGE Misunderstandings About Exercise

In studying personal training and being a runner for the past 2 decades, I’ve encountered more than one bump in the road that has tripped me up when it comes to exercising to increase muscle tone and/or lose body fat. My goal here is for you to learn from my mistakes.

Understanding Exercise:

First and foremost, you need to understand what exercise means AND that alone it doesn’t melt away body fat. Look at it like this: fat cells are storage units for energy. These storage units are locked (imagine the ones that hold your furniture & personal belongings) and you don’t get the key until you pay the fee…the cost is your understanding of what’s called a “hormone triggering effect” or what will trigger the fat to burn. And there ya have it – that’s all you need! While you’re working at obtaining this hormone trigger, keep in mind that fat helps keep you alive and neither the fat, nor the energy reserves are going anywhere if your body is imbalanced. So, how do we get balanced? By exercising! The problem is, not everybody knows what exercise is. Getting educated on it will help you make the right choices. Maybe this will help --

By working out, you stress the muscles of the body. The body automatically uses energy reserves to build them back up and make them stronger. Now, because energy comes from either sugar or fat and you're not consuming sugar, the body is forced to pull from fat reserves. This all happens during rest.

Things To Avoid:

Now that you understand how the process works, below are a few common mistakes in which to avoid:

1. Not working out intensely enough to trigger the right amount of the fat-burning hormone[1];
2. Consuming some or even a little sugar (which prevents fat burning)....Sorry you wine-loving folk, this means not even a small glass of wine!; and,
3. Daily work outs which won't allow the right hormones to be activated.

__________________
[1] If your adrenals are weak, however, you will need to adjust your workout to include a lower heart rate (120-130 bpm) and for longer amounts of time (e.g., 1 hr versus ½ hr of high intensity). As always, if you would like further details, please email me!

Another tip on reducing belly fat!

Is your midsection expanding and the latest trendy diet isn’t quite do’n it for ya? Here’s a handy tip that will help you get you thru these tough and confusing times: build up your potassium reserves by eating green food!

Potassium reserves throw you off and sound complicated? Well, it’s not.
Below are a few beginning baby steps to help you start winning the battle against the bulge:

1) Do a liver detox. I recommend Dr. Eric Berg’s Liver Enhancement Program -- organic, of course. You may visit: http://www.drberg.com/index.cfm/8811 for more information on this and to purchase his book (The 7 Principles of Fat Burning). If you would like to have a copy of just the detox, I would be happy to download it and email it to you – just let me know! OR, I've also found an organic, herbal detox that can be purchased online or at your local health food store. It's called "Perfect Cleanse 3 in 1 Herbal Detox" by Garden of Life. (For more details, see: http://www.gardenoflifeusa.com/detail_perfect_cleanse.shtmlhttp://.)

2) Stop eating potassium-depleting foods – that is, refined foods (like cereal, breads, and sugar, a/k/a CARBS) and eat more food WITH potassium! No, not bananas, I am referring to leafy greens [organic (non-toxic) if at all possible] and then sing the ditty that Audrey Hepburn sang in her classic film Sabrina -- I have no bananas today lalala!) Most veggies in general are low in sodium (except beats and celery), but still it is better to consume even these when given a choice.

3) No more restaurant food – sound crazy?! Not if you do some research and learn what is in this food (e.g., TONS of sodium, low in potassium – this will be another post, so stay-tuned)!

WHY? Potassium is needed in order to store sugar. Without potassium the body will instead store FAT! I know. Bummer. However, the good news is, there’s a way out. See, the biggest reason people become depleted is simply because they eat potassium-depleting foods (mentioned above). They literally suck the potassium right out of your cells!! Then guess what? You get trapped in fat-storing mode :(

WHEN WILL YOU SEE RESULTS? Though everybody’s body varies, you should see your body change right after (and even during) the liver detox, because your cells will re-hydrate and the excess water will drip (drain or poor) right off -- depending on your weight. Know what else is great about this tip? Once potassium deficiency is lessened, high blood pressure, high pulse rate, insomnia, leg cramps, and excessive irritability are all reduced significantly as well – YAY!

I hope you enjoyed this tip! Check back in and see what else I’ve learned!

Got belly fat?!

Are you plagued with stress and exhaustion? These are all factors that correlate with adrenal weakness and getting into that smaller size may not happen if you don’t adjust your diet & how you exercise!

Many females, including me, want to immediately blame their hormones, but if it’s a hormone reeking havoc, it may very well be caused by the adrenal gland and not the ovaries. I've been studying natural health and personal training for 3 years and have been a runner for 20 and this happened to me. So, I did the research and here's what I've found:

The adrenal glands (or stress glands) are a major part of the endocrine system and are responsible for producing hormones critical to the stress response. When the body experiences stress, the adrenal glands’ survival mechanism kicks in (otherwise known as “fight or flight”), and as a result, the body will store fat around the vital organs, which just happen to be in your stomach! In this fast-paced world, most Americans have encountered some or many of the following which causes this to occur: anxiety, depression, emotional or physical trauma, lack of sleep, etc. Something as simple as a physiological reaction will not allow your body to burn fat! Instead, it burns sugar. Once the sugars are depleted, the body takes the protein reserves which are found in muscles, not fat. As a result, the body is burning its energy reserves and subsequently becomes fatigued, exhausted, loses muscle mass and stores belly fat.

Additionally, one part of the glands (the cortex) plays a role in producing cortisol, a powerful anti-inflammatory hormone -- cortisol controls how much inflammation is in your body! The other part, the medulla, produces epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine. These hormones speed up the body's metabolism in order to help us cope with stress. These just happen to be the two most important hormones in the body that manage the fight or flight response, which then send an “alarm signal” and are almost a direct extension of the nervous system. Clearly, all the factors aforementioned (belly fat, fatigue, exhaustion, muscle mass reduction, inflammation, and change in metabolism) affect the way we “appear” and how we feel and can ALL come from stress!

Things to avoid: continued stress, poor diet, over-consumption of sugar and refined carbs, overuse of caffeine, alcohol, drugs and nicotine. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you DO NOT over-exercise! When working out, keep your pulse rate low (about 120-130); otherwise, you will stress your muscles & cause an adverse reaction as well (weight gain, increased fatigue, and no chance to improve muscle tone).

Some suggestions to help promote the healing process: acupuncture, acupressure, herbs, meditation, relaxation techniques, nutrient saturation through diet supplementation, chiropractic adjustments (since the adrenals are richly fed by nerves connecting to the spine and by releasing blockages through these simple and effective techniques the glands can be stimulated and strengthened), consume organically grown whole foods as much as possible and PLENTY of fresh, lightly steamed vegetables and their juices (since they contain minerals which will prevent fatigue), include potassium rich foods and avoid foods high in sodium.