The Link Between Lack of Sleep and Sugar Cravings

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

We all understand the importance of getting a good night’s sleep regularly. Hopefully, we’re all trying to get enough sleep at least most nights of the week. But according to the CDC, over a third of adults aren’t getting enough sleep. At least seven hours per night is ideal, because chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a heightened risk of developing unhealthy conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart disease. 

That being said, it’s not just your body that is going to suffer — too little sleep can also cause massive amounts of mental distress, junk food cravings, and poor decision-making. Considering that some of those decisions involve your diet, the bodily effects of sleep quality and duration are compounded.

There’s a well-studied link between cravings and sleep loss.

A 2012 study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism examined the connection between junk food cravings and sleep loss. They concluded that sleep deprivation is known to stimulate your appetite and food intake, so they hypothesized that exhausted humans are more sensitive to the “rewarding food stimuli” carried by many high-calorie foods. 

After the initial study period, they discovered that participants who experienced acute sleep loss (those who weren’t allowed to sleep as much as other people) reported increased hunger and displayed changes in their brains that showed activation in responses to images of food. 

The longer that sleep deprivation lasts, the worse things become. The study showed that prolonged periods of inadequate sleep lead to a greater reward response in the anticipation of food. These changes can stimulate even more hedonic impulses to consume unhealthier food and to eat more than necessary.

Researchers noted that their findings may highlight an important mechanism that is contributing to the growing levels of obesity in Western society. In short, when we don’t sleep enough, we’re stimulating a response that leads to greater weight gain.

Not only that, aromas smell far more enticing when we’re tired.

A 2019 Northwestern University research studied specifically why we crave junk food after a night of poor sleep. Just like the Swedish study, it actually noted that sleep deprivation impacts food intake and it is closely associated with a preference toward high-calorie foods. But it also discovered that our noses might be to blame.

According to the researchers, the olfactory system goes into overdrive to identify food when we’re tired. It may also change how it communicates with the brain. This results in our nose steering many of our decision-making toward food options that are energy dense. This may be why we feel more susceptible to enticing aromas when we are exhausted. You can just picture all the commercials and cartoons where people are rising up from their bed, and as if they were on a string, they’re being pulled by the nose by the wafting scents of olfactory pleasures like coffee or bacon.

In that same study, scientists noted that individuals who slept less were more likely to snack throughout the day. Not only that, but they chose higher-calorie foods, as well.

The study’s senior author was quoted as saying that they found participants changed their food choices based on whether they were sleep deprived or not. After being sleep deprived, people ate foods with a higher energy density (more calories) such as chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, or doughnuts.

The bottom line is…

If you want to start curbing your junk food cravings, the best way to start is with a good night’s sleep. Not only will this lead you to make better food choices the next day, but if you keep it up, you’re going to feel less susceptible to the charm of high-sugar, high-fat foods. This can help you manage your weight and minimize your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other harmful diseases.

Factors That Affect Your Dietary Decisions

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Having control of your diet is nothing short of a superpower. A lot of people nowadays fall into the latest food trends and diets, hoping to get that control. But sometimes, we all make wrong decisions simply because of the fact that there’s so much generalized misinformation out there about fitness and nutrition.

Our decision-making process on what to eat (and what not to) is decided by two main factors: the internal and the external. 

Weight loss is a process that requires much more than simply going on a diet or working out for a couple of months. In order to achieve long-term weight loss, you need to take a holistic approach that addresses both your physical and your psychological needs. 

First, there are internal factors. 

These have everything to do with your lifestyle and your knowledge base about nutrition. Your age, height, weight, sex, fitness level, culture, workout intensity, your taste in food, as well as your way of managing time are all important internal factors that can affect your weight loss journey.

Even though taste is one of the more critical factors from an individual standpoint (because even if you’re genetically pre-disposed to liking some foods), external factors can still have a massive impact on whether or not you actually consume them. And when it comes to managing time, some people just don’t have the ability to cook for an hour a day. 

Determining your individual tastes, goals, and abilities is the first step to creating a productive and healthy meal plan.

Second, there are external factors. 

These include things like stress levels, support systems, access to healthy food options, and your overall environment. While you may not be able to control all of these external factors, it’s important to be aware of them and how they might impact your weight loss goals. By taking the time to understand both the internal and external factors that can affect your weight loss journey, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

Your beliefs (for example, chocolate is bad) get reinforced every day by what you see online. But if you want to follow a productive plan that will get you where you want to, you have to clear your mind of all these generalized beliefs and look at things from your individual perspective. Don’t go cutting all of your favorite foods just because the TV said so.

Always remember to focus on both of these factors when planning your nutrition! If you only listen to yourself, you won’t be learning enough to grow. But if all you do is take in information, soon enough you’ll be blindly following fitness trends without making any progress.

It can be easy to get caught up in the world of fitness and nutrition. With new information being released all the time, it can be hard to keep up. 

However, it’s important to remember that there are two sides to every coin. 

On one hand, you need to listen to your body and what it’s telling you. After all, you know yourself best. But on the other hand, you also need to be willing to learn and take in new information. 

If you only focus on one or the other, you’re likely to run into problems. For example, if you only listen to your body, you may end up ignoring important nutritional needs. Alternatively, if you only focus on taking in new information, you may end up following fad diets or blindly following the advice of others without truly understanding what you’re doing. 

The key is to strike a balance between the two. By doing so, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.

Do Sleep Drinks Actually Improve Your Sleep Quality?

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Sleep quantity is something many people put a lot of importance on. But sleep quality has remained largely misunderstood throughout the health and wellness community. While establishing a nighttime routine that will promote restful sleep — or, even more specifically, going to bed at the same time every night — will indeed do wonders for your sleep quality, many people find this difficult. For this problem, people have devised a solution: sleep drinks.

Restful, restorative sleep quality drinks may help a lot of us get the rest we really need. This is because our bodies aren’t designed to function optimally in relation to our modern fast-paced lives. Perhaps that’s why various sleep drinks have hit the market, providing us with a quick fix for poor sleep quality.

But is the new sleep drink trend justified? Are they really useful for promoting sleep quality and better rest?

The rise in popularity of these drinks makes a lot of sense. Poor sleep quality is essentially an epidemic and people are desperately seeking a remedy. 

Experts agree with this – there has been a long-established connection between nutrition and sleep quality. And since people are always looking for a simple, convenient way to implement new solutions, these drinks have found a market amongst people who want to improve their sleep quality. But will these drinks actually move you closer to a good night’s sleep?

Let’s answer the question – do sleep drinks actually work?

Sleep and nutrition experts both have their doubts.

Countless of these sleep drinks contain amounts and combinations of melatonin, magnesium, L-Theanine, vitamin B6, 5-HTP, and GABA. These are all known sleep aids in nature, with melatonin being the most well-established sleep aid out there. Some of the others, like L-Theanine and 5-HTP, are way more controversial because of their potential side effects. 

But experts have noted that even melatonin might not have the desired effect if it’s consumed in this type of drink. The safest dosage of melatonin is about 300mcg, which is the amount your body naturally makes. Taken at sunset, which is when the body naturally produces melatonin, these drinks can often contain 10 times that amount. Moreover, people might not even consume them at the optimal time. This means they are less likely to produce the desired effect.

The bottom line is, while some of these drinks do contain ingredients that aid sleep quality and may theoretically be helpful for sleep, there isn’t a single magic combination that will work to improve your sleep. A sleep drink alone will never be able to correct the underlying cause of poor sleep. Instead, simple nutrition and lifestyle changes can be much better precursors of restful sleep and high energy levels.

The single best use case for sleep drinks.

If you’re someone who is interested in sleep drinks and you want to give them a try, you should treat them the same way you treat any other supplement you take. Dietary supplements must be thoroughly investigated to determine their quality and safety. When you’re choosing these products, you should look for third-party certifications and try to determine if every batch is tested for quality and safety. In addition, take into consideration any extra medications you might be taking that may affect the contents of the drink.

Do-it-yourself sleep drinks you can try today.

There is definitely something to be said about the placebo effect here. Drinking something that is supposed to induce sleep may indeed make you feel sleepier. But if you’re looking for a very cost-effective option you can try today, you can try relaxing while chugging down a hot cup of caffeine-free tea. Many teas naturally include chamomile, lavender, valerian root, and mint. These are all great ingredients for sleep quality.

Dieting with Purpose – Sleep Quality

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Today, in Dieting with Purpose, we’re going to talk about sleep quality. It’s no secret to anyone that nutrition and sleep are very closely related. Diets high in processed foods, saturated fats, and sodium have all been linked to poor sleep habits and reduced sleep quality. The flipside is also true. 

People with poor sleep patterns tend to usually overeat, have abnormal hunger hormone levels, and follow poor-quality diets. Today, we’ve compiled a few easy tips that are meant to improve both your diet and your sleep because of the ways they impact one another. Let’s get started.

#1 LIMIT SATURATED FATS

An increased intake of saturated fat has been directly linked to a lower quality and even a shorter duration of sleep. If you want to reduce saturated fat in your diet and help improve your sleep, you should try consuming less meat and fewer dairy products. Instead of those food categories, you should focus on getting healthier, plant-based fats like olive oil, tofu, and avocados.

#2 TRY THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

There are several studies out there that have proved the connection between improved sleep quality and the Mediterranean diet. This diet has been inspired by the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. These include Italy, Greece, Spain, France, and more. There aren’t any strict rules to this diet, but it is naturally rich in heart-healthy fats such as nuts and olive oil. Fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains play a massive role in this diet. So do lean proteins like poultry and seafood. This diet has proposed reducing red meats and sugar to a few times a month.

#3 SNACK ON SEEDS AND NUTS

Research has also shown that seeds and nuts can promote sleep quality. For example, walnuts contain the component tryptophan. Tryptophan has been proven to impact sleep quality in a positive way. It’s an essential amino acid that your body utilizes to make serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone while serotonin impacts everything from appetite, pain, and sleep to your mood. If you snack on some of your favorite nuts or chug down a glass of your favorite nut milk before bed, you’ll be doing your sleep quality a big favor.

#4 GET ALL YOUR DAILY MINERALS IN CHECK

Eating foods such as whole grains or bananas can help in promoting restful sleep. This is because these foods contain vital minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Both of them have been shown to aid in sleep. Magnesium deficiency is directly linked to poor sleep. That being said, you should keep in mind that getting more magnesium than you need will not provide you with any additional benefits.

#5 ADJUST YOUR MEAL TIMING

There’s no hard and fast law on how close to bedtime you should have your last meal of the day. This is something unique to every person. That’s why you should experiment with various mealtimes so you can figure out what works best for you. Then just adjust your meals accordingly. Oftentimes, it also depends on how much you eat and what you eat. Pay attention to these factors, as well.

#6 BE AWARE OF YOUR BEVERAGE INTAKE

It’s not just about what you eat. Beverages will also play a massive role in sleep quality. While it’s vital to stay hydrated for a good night’s sleep, sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol consumed too close to bedtime can contribute to restlessness. You should also do your best to hydrate throughout the day rather than pack all your water right before bedtime. 

Best Fitness Tips & Hacks for Busy People

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

We live in a fast-paced world where it often feels like there is never enough time in the day. We are constantly bombarded with demands from work, family, and social obligations, leaving us feeling frazzled and stressed. It’s no wonder that so many of us feel like we’re just trying to keep our heads above water. The good news is that you don’t have to let life get the best of you.

We’re all aware how important fitness is for keeping us healthy and improving our quality of life, but still, sometimes making the time for it can be a considerable challenge. If you quickly get used to putting other things before it, you’ll find yourself skipping workouts and bailing on your diet. This will have an adverse effect on your health.

Today, I’m sharing with you my list of the three biggest tips for making fitness work on a busy schedule.

First, organize. 

Most people understand that they need to exercise regularly in order to stay healthy, but there is a lot of debate about how often you need to go to the gym. The simple answer is that it depends on your fitness goals and your schedule. If you want to see significant results, you will need to go at least three times a week for an hour or more. 

However, if you are short on time, you can still get a good workout by going five times a week for 20 minutes each. The important thing is to find a schedule that works for you and stick with it. Remember, even moderate exercise can have a tremendous impact on your overall health, so don’t be afraid to start small and gradually increase your workouts as you become more comfortable with the routine.

Second, do your homework. 

There are few things more enjoyable than curling up with a good book. But if you’re looking to improve your fitness level, you don’t have to forego your reading time altogether. Instead, try working out in your study breaks. Just read a chapter, then do a set of exercises, and repeat. You don’t even need to go to the gym – there are plenty of great home workouts that you can do to get fit. And don’t worry about not making progress – as long as you’re consistent, you’ll see results. So next time you’re looking for a way to squeeze in a workout, pick up a book and turn your study break into a calorie-burning session.

Third, meal prep. 

Meal prepping is your saving grace. It won’t just help you get healthier and stay loyal to healthy eating, but it will also help you save time, too! Organize a meal plan you can cook on the weekends that will keep healthy meals and snacks available to you throughout the week. Meal prepping is often seen as a time-consuming task, but it can actually be a huge time-saver in the long run. By taking a few hours on the weekend to cook meals and snacks that you can easily grab during the week, you can avoid the temptation of unhealthy office snacks or quick trips to the fast food restaurant. 

Not only will you save money by meal prepping, but you’ll also be able to control your portions and make sure you’re getting the right mix of macro and micronutrients. And if you’re worried about getting bored with the same old meals, there are plenty of healthy recipes out there that can be easily made in bulk. So don’t be discouraged by the initial investment of time – meal prepping will pay off in the end!

What Role Does Your Diet Play in Inflammation?

weight loss

You’ve most likely heard on inflammation before, considering it’s a very hot topic right now in health and fitness. But do you really know enough about inflammation to know how it’s affecting your body?

A short definition would be – inflammation is the biological response our body uses to protect us from harm. Basically, when your body receives a particular trigger, it reacts by sending signals aimed at healing the damage and removing any harmful substances. And while this is a wonderful way for our body to keep us healthy and safe from invaders, it can also do a lot of damage to us if we’re not careful with our diet and 

Nutrition is our go-to solution for fighting inflammation. Naturally, it can be used the other way around, too. Depending on your diet, some foods can actually cause inflammation, such as alcohol, sugar, refined carbs, trans fats, and most processed foods.

Your diet can contribute to inflammation in several ways. 

For example, if you eat a lot of sugar, your blood sugar levels will spike and then crash. This roller coaster ride puts stress on your body, which can lead to inflammation. 

Consuming too much saturated and unhealthy fats can also promote inflammation. These fats are often found in processed foods, fast food, and junk food. 

On the other hand, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can help fight inflammation. These nutritious foods contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other anti-inflammatory compounds that help keep your body healthy. So if you want to keep inflammation at bay, be sure to eat plenty of healthy greens. 

There are also a number of anti-inflammatory foods that can help keep inflammation under control. These include omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish, nuts, and seeds; antioxidants, such as those found in berries, dark chocolate, and green tea; and spices like ginger, turmeric, and garlic. by incorporating these into your diet, you can help keep inflammation at bay. 

Of course, diet is just one part of the puzzle. Stress, lack of sleep, and ansedentary lifestyle can all contribute to inflammation. But by starting with your diet, you can make a big impact on your overall health and wellbeing.

When it comes to fighting inflammation, nutrition is key. By making some simple dietary changes, you can help your body combat inflammation naturally. 

So, if you’re looking to fight inflammation, your diet is a great place to start. eating an anti-inflammatory diet is the best way to reduce inflammation in the body. This means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein. 

Not only will this help reduce inflammation, but it’s also good for your overall health. So, if you’re looking to improve your health and reduce inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet might be ideal for you.

Fortunately, there are also many foods that have anti-inflammatory properties, such as green leafy vegetables, berries, fatty fish, and healthy fats. So by simply making some dietary changes, you can help your body fight inflammation naturally. 

In addition to eating the right foods, it’s also important to get regular exercise. Exercise helps reduce inflammation by promoting blood flow and encouraging the release of anti-inflammatory chemicals in the body. Just be sure not to overdo it, as too much exercise can actually lead to inflammation.

Improve Your Brain Health with These 3 Foods

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Having strong bones, keeping your heart healthy, and preventing diseases are health goals everyone should strive to achieve. We could all probably name at least one strategy in every category that can help reduce our risk of disease. And that’s great! But there’s another system in your body that is just as important for adapting prevention strategies and it’s only just beginning to gain attention… the brain. 

Most people, especially young adults, aren’t necessarily thinking about how to take care of their brain. It’s probably working just fine. That being said, investing in a healthy brain as early as possible is becoming more and more important for building a lifetime of health and wellness. Fortunately, science is finding more and more ways to build brain longevity for the long term. Just like investing wisely for your retirement, investing in your brain health will be a vital game-changer for your future. 

Here’s how you can begin with a few simple steps:

1 – UNDERSTAND YOUR VITAMIN D INTAKE

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that has gained much popularity in the past decade as its connection to overall health is explored. Brain health is no exception and the most recent observational research has discovered low blood levels of vitamin D were commonly found in Alzheimer’s patients. 

Moreover, a correlation of low risk for Alzheimer’s disease was associated with a very high dietary intake of vitamin D. One of the possible explanations for this connection is that vitamin D plays a role in nerve health in the brain. Although research is not rock solid on this yet, it does tend to suggest a clear connection to brain longevity. 

2 – TRY OUT EGGS AND CHICKEN EGGS

In the world of brain health, choline is becoming an essential nutrient with a strong connection to mental health. Choline is required so neurotransmitters found in the brain can work at their peak, improving cognitive development and memory retention. It could be so crucial to brain performance that it could even restore age-related cognitive functions in individuals.

But here’s the problem – national data shows that 90 percent of Americans aren’t getting enough choline in their diet. 

This could have a massive effect on the brain health of the population over the long haul. That being said, there’s an easy fix. Food sources such as chicken, lima beans, whole eggs, wheat germ, and Brussels sprouts are options that can contribute toward the recommended daily intake of choline. 

3 – EAT A DIET RICH IN FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Everyone knows eating more produce is good for the health for many reasons. But fruits and veggies could also lead to brain protection. Research has started to confirm that a high intake of fruits and veggies is correlated to better brain health, including lower risk of Alzheimer’s and a protection against depression. One of the specific reasons this connection exists is due to the polyphenols abundant in many types of produce. Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties that protect the brain from cognitive declining.

In addition, B-vitamins, especially B6 and folate, have a strong connection to mental health. They’re commonly found in fruits and veggies. Research has discovered that a higher intake of these vitamins is linked to better cognitive performance and reduced loss of brain tissue usually associated with aging. Conversely, low levels of folate have been associated with a risk of depression.

Knowing that you need to be consuming more veggies and fruits to keep your brain healthy is one thing, but doing it is another thing. As you’re moving toward a higher intake, know that you can make significant improvements over time.

Keeping Your Gut Health in Check During the Warm Seasons

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Gut Health is one of the biggest trends in fitness right now, and quite frankly, you should be very happy about that! When you think about your overall health, you probably think of things like diet, weight, skin, muscle definition, etc. While these are often good indicators, you cannot overlook one of the most significant contributors to your health and wellness – your gut microbiome.

It’s not something you can put on the scale, but it will affect everything about you from your mood to your immune system. With summer right around the corner, and travelling and trips becoming enticing options to spend our time, let’s learn about some tips to keep our gut health in check during the warm seasons.

1. Eat More Fermented Foods 

Your gut is home to trillions of different microbes, and these guys are key to keeping your digestive system running smoothly. One way to make sure they’re getting the food they need is by incorporating more fermented foods into your diet. Not only do fermented foods provide probiotics (the good bacteria), but they also contain enzymes that help with digestion.

This tip extends to eating anything that contains probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for your gut health. You can find them in fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir. If you’re not into eating fermented foods or if you want an extra boost of good bacteria, consider taking a probiotic supplement.

2. Get Plenty of Fiber 

Fiber is essential for keeping things moving along in your digestive system, and it’s also a prebiotic – meaning it feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Fiber also helps you digest sugars more slowly, leading to a lower glycemic index in your meals.  Good sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

3. Drink Lots of Water 

Water is essential for all bodily functions, including digestion. When you’re properly hydrated, your digestive system can do its job more effectively. Aim to drink eight glasses of water a day, or more if you’re sweating a lot or spending time in hot weather. 

4. Avoid Trigger Foods 

We all have foods that don’t agree with us, and it’s important to listen to your body when it comes to these trigger foods. Common culprits include dairy, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods. If you suspect that a certain food is giving you a bad reaction, simply try to avoid it.

5. Get Plenty of Sleep 

Getting enough sleep is crucial for good health, but it’s especially important for keeping your digestive system on track. During the summer, especially if you’re travelling a lot or working overtime, sleep sort of takes a back seat to our other priorities. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone can have a negative impact on gut health, so aim to get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

6. Manage Your Stress Levels 

Chronic stress can take a toll on your entire body, including your gut. If you find that you’re constantly stressed, try to find ways to relax and de-stress. This could include yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or even just spending time in nature.

Bringing it all together…

Just because the summer season tends to be a rather busy one in terms of travelling, enjoying time with our family, or just doing more barbecue dinners, it doesn’t mean that we should be slacking on our fitness goals.  As a matter of fact, summer is the best time to get our bodies moving and improve our overall health. Use this opportunity to focus on your gut health by following the tips above. Not only will you be able to achieve your fitness goals, but you’ll also be keeping your overall health in check.

5 Ways to Eat for More Focus and Energy

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

When it comes to trying to become the most focused, most energetic version of yourself, your diet is going to play a huge role in that. 

There are two ways to approach eating for focus and energy: focus in the moment and focus as you age. Eating for focus in the current moment is all about being properly fueled and filling micronutrient deficiencies so you can boost your concentration. On the other hand, eating for focus as you age is all about protecting your brain health by reducing inflammation and promoting proper blood flow.

Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining your energy, focus, and concentration. When your body is properly fueled, your brain is able to perform at its best. However, as you age, your brain become more susceptible to inflammation and other blood flow issues. 

This causes people to have a natural age-related cognitive decline. Fortunately, there are certain foods that can help eliminate inflammation and promote healthy blood flow to the brain. Simply incorporate the following strategies into your diet, and you’ll be able to protect your brain and improve your focus and energy now and as you age. 

#1 Start your day with a well-balanced meal.

The single most important thing you can do to fuel your focus is to eat a nourishing meal. This means making sure your plate has a carbohydrate source (like fruits, whole grains, or beans), a protein source (dairy, meat, or tofu), and a fat source (olive oil, nuts, or avocados). Also pay attention to how full you feel as you eat this meal. If you eat too little, you’ll be too hungry to concentrate, but if you eat too much, you may feel sluggish and sleepy.

#2 Take note of which foods trigger brain fog.

To improve your focus, you have to learn which foods make you feel groggy and which foods make you feel sharp. When you’re in a moment in which you’re feeling sluggish or on the top of your game, think about what in your last meal could have contributed to that feeling. Logging your meals will help you a ton and it will be an easy way to track your diet so you can start noticing the patterns. For example, some people will find that consuming whole grains will boost their ability to concentrate. 

#3 Start taking care of your brain health while you’re still young.

Brain health naturally declines with age due to countless factors. These include decreased blood flow to the brain and increased levels of inflammation. If you want to protect your brain and maintain your focus as you age, start early! Consume many fruits and veggies, especially berries, leafy greens, and citrus fruits. Brightly-colored fruits and veggies like berries, leafy greens, and citrus fruits are especially effective at protecting the brain. 

These foods are packed with antioxidants and nutrients that help to reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to the brain. In addition to eating healthy, staying active and engaged in mentally stimulating activities can also help keep your brain healthy as you age.

#4 Reduce inflammation through your diet.

Did you know that blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries provide healthy flavonoids to support brain health? Flavonoids slow cognitive decline caused by age by reducing inflammation throughout the body. If berries aren’t in season, or if you live in an area where it’s hard to acquire them, remember frozen berries have the same flavonoid content as fresh.

#5 Load up on micronutrients.

Green, leafy vegetables will improve your brain health with age by providing healthy folate and vitamin K. Folate promotes the healthy division of cells, which is necessary for optimum brain health. Vitamin K protects your nerves, helping to decrease how quickly your brain ages. 

Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in walnuts, fish, avocados, and other seeds, have been linked to slowing the onset of memory loss. There’s a ton of research to be done, but Omega-3s bring other benefits too (like heart health.) Stacking up on micronutrients and antioxidants is one of the best ways to fill any deficiencies you have and promote optimal energy and focus in your body.

Can You Lose Weight Through Training Alone?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Is dieting more important than training for weight loss? Can you lose weight without exercising if you diet correctly? Is training or dieting more important for weight loss?

The answer to this question depends on a few factors. First, let’s look at what dieting and training do for weight loss. Dieting helps by reducing the number of calories you consume each day. Training helps by burning additional calories through exercise. 

But can you lose weight by training and not dieting?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. It really depends on how much weight you have to lose and your current fitness level. If you are relatively fit and just looking to lose a few pounds, then training alone may be enough. However, if you are significantly overweight or have other health issues, then you will likely need to make some diet changes as well in order to lose weight.

In general, the more weight you have to lose, the more likely it is that you will need to focus on both diet and exercise in order to see results. And even if you are able to lose weight through training alone, you may find that your results are not as long-lasting as they would be if you also made dietary changes.

So, which is more important? 

It really depends on how many calories you’re consuming and burning each day. If you’re eating a lot of calories and not exercising, then dieting will be more important for weight loss. On the other hand, if you’re eating a moderate amount of calories and exercising regularly, then training will be more important for weight loss. 

Ultimately, the best way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. 

This can be done through dieting, training, or a combination of both. By reducing your calorie intake and increasing your activity level, you’ll be able to lose weight safely and effectively.

It’s also important to consider your goals. If you’re looking to lose a lot of weight quickly, then dieting will be more important. However, if you’re looking to lose weight slowly and healthily, then training will be more important.  

No matter what your goals are, remember that diet and exercise are both important for weight loss. Creating a calorie deficit is the key to losing weight, so focus on doing whatever you can to create one. And don’t forget to have patience – Rome wasn’t built in a day! 

If your goal is to lose weight and burn fat, you can do this most effectively by developing a healthy lifestyle. This will naturally lead you to more movement, staying active, training, and consuming foods that give you more energy.  

Diet and exercise are both key in order to see results. However, dieting is more important than training when trying to lose weight. This is because dieting creates a calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss. Training can help you burn calories and build muscle, but it cannot create a calorie deficit on its own. Therefore, dieting is more important than training for weight loss. 

You can lose weight without exercising if you diet correctly. This means creating a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories than you burn. It is possible to do this through diet alone, but it is more difficult than if you combine diet and exercise. Exercise can help you burn more calories and create a larger calorie deficit, leading to more weight loss.

In general, dieting is more important for weight loss. However, both dieting and training are necessary for healthy and sustainable weight loss. 

It’s important to focus on both diet and exercise, and find a balance that works for you. 

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved through a combination of these two methods.  Try to find a balance that works for you and stick with it. And remember, weight loss is a journey, not a sprint. So be patient and consistent with your diet and exercise regimen, and the results will come.

The Many Benefits of Good Posture: How to Fix Your Slouch

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Remember when we were children, we always got mad when our parents told us to stand up straight. But when we’re adult, we start to understand why they kept nagging so much about it. The fact is posture is one of the most overlooked parts of wellness, yet it’s undoubtedly connected to health in so many ways.

Having good posture brings a gazillion benefits into your life, and today, we’re going to explore a handful of these benefits so we can give you a healthy reminder to maintain good posture whenever, wherever you are! (At the end, we’ll also explore a few tips on how you can improve your posture instantly!)

#1 – BETTER BREATHING. Good posture also helps you breathe more deeply. When your shoulders are hunched and your chest is constricted, it’s more difficult for your lungs to expand fully. This can lead to shallow breathing, which can then contribute to feelings of anxiety and stress. Conversely, deep breathing has been shown to help reduce anxiety and improve mood. So not only will good posture make you look and feel confident – it’ll also help keep you calm under pressure.

#2 – JOINT HEALTH. Joints are the hinge-like structures that keep our bones together, and they’re what allow us to move. When we have poor posture, it puts unnecessary strain on our joints which over time can lead to joint degeneration, arthritis, and a whole host of other problems. 

But when we have good posture, it helps to distribute our weight more evenly so that no single joint has to bear too much of the load. This not only helps prevent joint problems but also pain in general because good posture takes pressure off of our muscles and tendons as well. So if you’re looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing chronic pain later in life, start with improving your posture!

#3 – IMPROVED DIGESTION.  Poor posture can actually have an impact on our digestion as well. When we slouch, it puts pressure on our stomach which can lead to indigestion and other GI issues. But when we sit up straight, it allows our digestive system to function properly by keeping everything in its rightful place. So if you’re struggling with indigestion or other digestive problems, improving your posture may be the key to finding relief.

#4 – MORE CONFIDENCE. There are many other benefits of good posture that extend beyond just physical health. For instance, good posture has been linked with increased confidence and self-esteem. This is likely because when we have good posture, we tend to take up more space which sends a message of power and confidence to those around us.  On the other hand, poor posture often makes us look timid and weak. So if you want to project confidence and feel better about yourself, stand up and place your shoulders down and back.

#5 – MUSCLE PERFORMANCE. Good posture is also important for optimal muscle performance. When we slouch, certain muscles have to work overtime to keep us upright which can lead to fatigue and pain. This is especially true for the muscles in our lower back and neck. By maintaining good posture, we take the strain off of these muscles and allow them to work more efficiently.

There are a few simple things you can do to start improving your posture today:

-Sit up straight in your chair, with your shoulders back and down.

-When you’re walking, hold your head up and look straight ahead.

-Avoid slouching when you’re sitting or standing.

-Do some gentle stretches and exercises to improve your posture.

If you start making a conscious effort to improve your posture, you’ll soon start to see – and feel – the benefits. Not only will you look taller and more confident, but you’ll also be improving your health in a number of ways. With just a few simple tweaks, you can completely transform the way your body works, looks, and feels – all thanks to good posture!

5 Quick Snacks to Stop Sugar Cravings in Their Tracks

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’re someone trying to lose weight right now, you probably know better than anyone to be careful with anything that says “healthy” on the label. The nutritional landscape is full of cheap, easy access to sugar bombs. And they’re available to us any time we want them! 

All grocery stores have so many of their shelves packed with sugary snacks, beverages, candy, cookies, and other sweet things that are strategically placed at the exit of the checkout, so they prompt unhealthy impulse buys.

And what’s more, even if you’re careful, sugar can be hidden inside your food under many different names. It’s everywhere, even in so many unsuspecting foods, ranging from condiments to oats to frozen fruits… it’s in everything!

Even after you consume a delicious meal, those nasty sugar cravings can hit you unexpectedly… and they can hit you hard. This could be due to many factors such as lack of sleep, dehydration, a micro nutritional deficiency, or a number of other factors such as habitual eating and eating for the sake of comfort.

That’s why today, we’re here to break down a short list of 5 quick snacks you can munch on anytime to stop those sugar cravings in their tracks… and get that sweet sensation at no expense to your health!

#1 BERRIES

Unlike fruit juices and dried fruit that are very high in sugar and low in fiber, fresh berries such as blueberries of raspberries will provide your body with an amazing source of fiber. This allows for the slow release of natural sugars. With an insignificant 5 grams of sugar per cup, raspberries happen to be one of the sweetest yet low-sugar fruits out there. Along with blackberries and strawberries, they are the perfect healthy snack to numb your sugar cravings anytime. 

#2 ALMONDS

Almonds are rich in healthy fats, and they’re also one of the best foods out there for controlling blood sugar. This will ultimately keep your cravings in check. The healthy fats in almonds will keep you satiated for a long period of time, making it less likely that you will experience a blood sugar drop that will initiate your cravings. You can use almonds in energy bars, salads, oatmeal, or just as a standalone snack. 

#3 EGGS

Eggs are very budget-friendly and nutrient-dense. They’re packed with fat and protein, giving them a vary satiating and savory nature. They are great for stabilizing your blood sugar levels, and with that, your sugar cravings. Not only will their fat and protein content keep the hunger away, but they’ll also fuel you with vital nutrients such as vitamin B and vitamin D. While eggs are still an amazing option on their own, you can put them in salads, on pizzas, or pretty much anywhere.

#4 PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds are a potent source of fiber, fat, and protein. They also carry another secret benefit… magnesium! If you’re craving chocolate, this could be because your body is in need of more magnesium. This is because cocoa is very rich in this vital mineral. If you choose high-magnesium foods such as seeds and leafy greens, you will be able to boost your magnesium levels and kiss sugar cravings goodbye. 

#5 GREEK YOGURT & KEFIR

Another staple in your battle against sugar cravings should be Greek yogurt. One of the causes of sugar cravings could be that your gut microbiome is unbalanced, and the bacteria that live there have started adapting to living off sugar… and they expect it! This is why if you want to reset your gut’s natural bacteria balance, you should choose low-sugar Greek yogurt (or use kefir as a substitute) and make sure they are full of healthy probiotics. Greek yogurt is abundant in protein, keeping you full and satiated throughout the day (or until your next big meal.) They can be placed in smoothies, baked foods, or just eaten as a substitute to mayo or sour cream.

Is Appetite Control Necessary for Weight Loss?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’re trying to lose weight, appetite control is key. There are a variety of strategies you can use to control your appetite, including making sure you’re eating regular meals, avoiding trigger foods, and watching your portion sizes. By controlling your appetite, you’ll be less likely to overeat or make unhealthy food choices. So if you’re serious about losing weight, appetite control is essential.

For many people out there who are trying to lose weight, a winning strategy could be as simple as working out more and eating less. That being said, others will have a more difficult time dealing with nutritional changes for one reason or another. These people might find that appetite control becomes a necessary weight loss strategy. 

When you hear the term appetite control, you might automatically think about some sort of fad diet that requires you to starve yourself. But appetite control doesn’t have to be about deprivation. In fact, it’s really all about making smart food choices and being aware of your eating habits.

There are a number of different appetite-control strategies you can use to help you lose weight. Some people find that cutting out certain foods helps them control their appetite. Others might need to eat more frequently throughout the day in order to keep their hunger at bay. 

And still others find that helpful appetite-control tools include things like herbal supplements or appetite suppressants. But let’s stick to the basics for this one and examine five of the most simple ways you can control your appetite that will lead to real results instead of developing an unhealthy obsession with your appetite levels.

There are a variety of appetite-control strategies you can use right now to lose weight. 

First, make sure you’re eating regular meals. Skipping meals can make you more likely to overeat later in the day. 

Second, avoid trigger foods that tend to make you eat more than you should. These include high-sugar foods, high-fat foods, and processed foods. 

Third, watch your portion sizes. Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating five or six smaller meals. This will help you control your appetite and prevent overeating.  

Fourth, stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help you feel full and prevent you from overeating. 

Finally, exercise regularly. Exercise can help you control your appetite by increasing levels of appetite-suppressing hormones in your body. 

By using these strategies, you can control your appetite and lose weight safely and effectively. But if you find that you’re getting obsessed about your appetite to the point where it might not be productive for your results, it could be a good idea to take a step back and examine if your approach to appetite control is a healthy one.

There is also an unhealthy side to appetite control. 

Just like there is an unhealthy side to any weight loss habit. And that unhealthy side manifests itself in obsessive behaviours such as weighing yourself countless times a day or tracking everything down to the last calorie.

If you find that you’re fixated on appetite control to the point where it’s impacting your quality of life, then it’s time to seek professional help. Remember, weight loss is a journey, not a destination. And the best way to enjoy that journey is to focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that you can stick with for the long haul. So don’t let an obsession with appetite control ruin your efforts to live a healthier life. Focus on making healthy choices most of the time and letting yourself enjoy the occasional treat. That’s how you’re going to achieve real, lasting, sustainable results.

Is a Morning Walk Better than a Cup of Coffee?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

It’s very easy for make a habit out of reaching for a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Then again in the mid-afternoon when you need some extra energy. But instead, why not try lacing up your walking shoes? Research has shown that going for a walk can be even better for you than drinking a cup of coffee in terms of getting a morning energy boost.

Here’s the science. 

A group of researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens discovered that when people walked in a stairwell at low to moderate intensity for about a 5 or even 10 minutes, they felt more energized than when they straight up consumed 50mg caffeine. This is the amount in half a cup of coffee or slightly more than the amount in a regular can of soda. Other research actually showed that walking for more than 20 minutes helps people feel more energized.

Researchers noted that all the best available evidence suggests that exercise induces changes directly in the brain’s neurotransmitters, which play a role in boosting energy. Walking creates changes to brain norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and histamine.

Walking also increases blood circulation throughout the body, which helps to get more oxygen and nutrients directly to the brain and muscles, helping you to feel more alert.

But are there any specific reasons why walking might be better than a morning cup of coffee?

1. IT HELPS YOU GAIN MOMENTUM FOR THE DAY

When we get up and go for a walk, we immediately change our environment. If we do it first thing in the morning, we will create a great mental reset that will set us on the right track for the day. Often, when we feel tired or lack focus, it’s due to stress.  Spending even a mere 10 minutes walking outdoors in the morning can help you de-stress better than a cup of coffee.

2. IT IMPROVES YOUR OVERALL HEALTH

Going for a walk isn’t just one of the best quick fixes to being more alert and in the moment. It’s also an effective way to maintain or even improve your health when you do is consistently enough. Regular exercise, and this includes walking, will help you feel more awake, be in a better mood, and it will also help your cardiovascular health and memory function.

3. WALKING WON’T INTERFERE WITH YOUR SLEEP

When you’re consuming caffeine, especially in the late afternoon or evening, you might be causing yourself sleep disturbances. This means you’re exhausted and less productive the next day. Instead, going for a walk is likely to help you sleep better at night, which will lead to a positive spiral of more energy and focus. Walking in the morning will also give you a chance to be outside and get exposure to light. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm, ultimately improving your sleep quality.

4. IT BURNS CALORIES

If you’re drinking regular club soda or morning coffee that isn’t black, your caffeinated beverage could easily become a sugar bomb due to all the additives. Physical activity will always beat drinking a beverage for a myriad of health benefits, especially if the coffee you are drinking is flavored with sweetener and cream. Regularly drinking sweetened caffeinated beverages will lead to weight gain, while walking is a great way to achieve the exact opposite.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If you’re someone who feels tired either in the morning or during your mid-day slump, replacing your cup of coffee with a short, 10-minute walk will help you feel more alert. It’s an ideal way to boost your energy levels, aid weight loss, and boost your mood regardless if you have a whole day of work ahead of you or you’re on your day off.

The Difference Between a Strong Core and Ripped Abs

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Everyone who has ever stepped in the gym has, at one point, dreamed about having a great set of abs – whether they were training for weight loss or not! It’s one of the most common fitness goals out there, and if it’s not one of your main goals, it’s definitely on the list somewhere. But it turns out that even if your abs are well-defined, you might still be struggling in terms of developing true strength in your core.

Let’s face it – a visible six-pack is not a goal, it’s an aesthetic result. It is a byproduct of a quality fitness program paired with a well-rounded nutrition program. 

That being said, if you’re one of the people who wants to have their cake and eat it too (not only be stronger, but actually be stronger,) it’s vital that you work on building your core strength more than merely focusing on just toning your midsection.

What’s the difference between your core and your abs?

The term “core” is often used interchangeably with abs, but they’re not the same thing. Your core includes all of the muscles in your midsection, including your obliques, lower back, and hips. These muscles work together to stabilize your spine and pelvis and allow you to generate power from your body. 

While it’s true that having defined abs can be a sign of a strong core, there are other ways to tell if your core is strong. For one, you should be able to maintain good posture throughout the day. You shouldn’t have any trouble standing up straight or keeping your balance. Additionally, you should be able to do basic exercises like sit-ups and crunches without much difficulty. 

A strong core doesn’t just make you look good in a bikini. It can help improve your posture, relieve lower back pain, and even increase your performance in other exercises. If you want to build a strong foundation for your fitness journey, focus on strengthening your core muscles. Here are a few exercises to get you started:

– Planks (anything except the traditional variation.)

– Side planks

– Pilates crunches

– Seated Russian twists

– Medicine ball passovers 

– Leg raises

Want to develop strength in your core and get your abs to show while you’re at it?

Start by adding these exercises to your routine two or three times per week. 

As you get stronger, you can increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts. Remember, quality over quantity when it comes to working out your core! If you want to see results, focus on form and breath control. With a strong core, you’ll be well on your way to reaching all of your fitness goals.

If you’re like most people, you probably think that having six-pack abs is the key to a strong core. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Sure, six-pack abs may look impressive, but they don’t do much for your overall strength or health. In fact, studies have shown that having six-pack abs can actually increase your risk of lower back pain. So what’s the best way to build a strong core?

The answer is simple: focus on strengthening your core muscles. This means doing exercises that target your abdominal muscles. By training your core, you will be achieving two goals at once – developing muscle strength in your core and making your abs “pop.” 

That being said, you should know that no amount of ab training or core training will get your abs to show if your body fat level is not low enough. So

Bringing it all together…

Remember, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity when doing these exercises. It’s better to do a few reps with proper form than to do a ton of reps with bad form. If you want to see results, consistency is key. 

Make sure you’re sticking to your workout routine and giving it your all each time. With dedication and hard work, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a strong core in no time. 

How The Different Seasons Affect Your Metabolism

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Do you pay attention to how the seasons affect your metabolism? Do you make any changes to your diet or exercise routine based on the time of year?

If not, now is a good time to start paying attention! Our metabolism goes through natural changes throughout the year, and if we’re not aware of them, they can throw off our whole fitness routine. So let’s take a look at how the seasons affect our metabolism, and what we can do to adapt our lifestyles and training styles so we maximize our results.

Here’s a quick run-down on how the seasons affect our metabolism:

In the Spring, our metabolism starts to speed up as we come out of the winter months and head into warmer weather. This is due to an increase in sunlight exposure, which helps to boost our metabolism.

In the Summer, our metabolism stays elevated as we enjoy long days filled with sunshine and outdoor activities. However, we may also find ourselves eating more calories than usual during this time of year, so it’s important to be mindful of portion sizes and make sure we’re getting enough protein and healthy fats to keep our metabolism humming along. In the Summer, we tend to be more active. We’re out in the sun more often, which means we’re getting more vitamin D. We also sweat more, which helps to detox our bodies. All of this activity boosts our metabolism and helps us to lose weight. 

In the Fall, our metabolism starts to slow down as we prepare for winter. This is because we’re not getting as much sunlight, which means we’re not producing as much vitamin D. We also start to eat more, since we’re trying to pack on extra calories to keep us warm in the winter months.

On the other hand, Winter is a time when most of us are less active. We don’t get as much sunlight, so our vitamin D levels drop. And because it’s cold outside, we don’t want to do anything that will make us sweat (like exercise). As a result, our metabolism slows down and we start to gain weight.  It’s completely natural for you to slim down during the Summer and gain a few pounds back when Winter rolls around. The seasons have an impact on our metabolism, and with that, they change everything about how our bodies work.

So how should you adapt your routine depending on what your fitness goal is?

If you’re someone who is trying to lose weight, you need to be aware of these seasonal changes in metabolism. Make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D in the Winter, and try to get out and exercise even when it’s cold. And in the Summer, take advantage of the extra energy and metabolism boosting effects of the sun and heat.

People who do heavy strength training should also be aware of these seasonal changes. In the Winter, your metabolism will be slower so you won’t be able to build muscle as quickly. That being said, you will likely pack on more weight as a result of your metabolism slowing down. But in the Summer, your metabolism will be revved up and you’ll make gains more easily. You’ll also naturally start shedding a little bit of fat. 

Bringing it all together…

Of course, everything you read so far is largely a generalization. It’s very possible that you will not experience the exact same thing as everyone else, but in a broad sense, this is how different seasons affect your body. It’s important for you to know how seasons affect your metabolism so you can adapt your training, nutrition, and lifestyle and use that knowledge to help you reach your fitness goals.

The Problem with Eating & Drinking Before Bed

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Today, we’re here to talk about a topic that many people in the fitness and weight loss community seem to be confused about. On the one hand, you have half of the fitness world claiming that eating before bed will lead to storing more fat. On the other hand, you have other people claiming that eating before bed could even help you lose weight. 

Naturally, many different perspectives pop up depending on the various experiences people have had. And needless to say, you can see why this topic has become very controversial. 

But today, we’re here to break down the science and answer the question – is eating and drinking before bed beneficial or detrimental to your weight loss efforts?

To get started, let’s refer this window as the time after you’ve had dinner and before you go to bed. 

Maybe for you, this time looks like sitting one night watching TV or finishing up some work. But suddenly, when that first initial craving sets in, it leaves you with the choice to either eat before bed or fall asleep hungry.

If this has happened to you, here’s what you should know.

No evidence supports the idea that calories matter more just because you’re eating them before bed. However, research shows that even though it shouldn’t physiologically happen, eating before bed can lead to weight loss. But when you take a more in-depth look at the studies, you see that the reason isn’t as much physical as it is physiological.

The crux of the story is this: it turns out people who eat before bed gain weight because they have a higher chance of making it a habit. Evenings are the time when people usually feel the hungriest so that extra calorie push adds up in the long-run.

If you’re out working all day and come home starving, this can start a habit of overeating at night, being too full to eat in the morning, and coming back hungry again. This cycle easily leads to weight gain.

But avoiding sugar before bed won’t necessarily help your blood sugar levels and proper health.

Some experts mention that eating for two hours before bed will help prevent a high blood sugar level spike and the health problems that stem from it such as heart disease and diabetes. But there isn’t any conclusive evidence on the topic.

In search of answers, one study analyzed more than three years of data from more than 1500 middle-aged adults. 2/3 of them were over the age of 65.

About 16 percent of men and 8 percent of women would fall asleep within just a few hours of their dinner.

Over the last couple of years, there wasn’t any significant change in the participants levels of HbA1c – the longest-running measure for the average glucose that is considered a reliable indicator for future risk.

Most people have a problem with unhealthy habits – not slow metabolisms or eating before bed. 

To make sure you’re making the right choice with your pre-bed snacks, avoid desserts, junk food, caffeine, and tea. 

The golden rule is mixing a little bit of complex carbs with either protein or fat. This combination will guarantee you’re full throughout the night, that your blood sugar levels are balanced, and that you’re getting quality sleep. No snack is necessarily the best before bed, but if you’re going to go with something, go with that! 

To ultimately answer the question of whether you should be eating before bed, it’s probably not going to help your weight loss efforts, but there isn’t any conclusive evidence on whether or not it’s going to harm those chances, either.

Can Adaptogenic Herbs Improve Your Health?

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Herbal medicine has had an incredibly long history for its use for various ailments. But there’s one particular class of herbs – those that are derived from roots – that have been gaining popularity in recent years. They are called adaptogens, and they are plants that seem particularly effective at helping the body adjust to stress and find a better balance.

Let’s talk about the long history of adaptogenic herbs…

Compared to the length of times in which herbs have been documented for medicinal use, adaptogens are basically the new kid on the block. Scientists coined the term back in 1947 after they noticed that specific herbs and substances had a beneficial effect in animals studies that were related to stress tolerance.

Since then, adaptogens have been directly linked to many benefits including mental alertness and less fatigue to better mood and higher immunity. These same substances are also associated with easing many of the countless symptoms related to various stressors. These can include sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal upset, irritability and anxiety. Some experts even point to some advantages for weight loss and better hormone balance.

Studies and clinical trials will always be ongoing, so don’t consider these herbs to be the miracle cures you need quite yet. But, according to research on their effects, they do show promise as a natural complement to many other healthy lifestyle changes. This can include getting plenty of activity, eating a more plant-based diet, and getting enough sleep.

So what are adaptogens, really?

Although they were only given the “adaptogen” term about 60-70 years ago, these plant compounds have been part of herbal medicine for thousands of years.

To be considered an adaptogen, herbs have to actually offer support for the body and bring it back to equilibrium in some specific way. That’s an incredibly broad definition, but here is a list of some of the more common options:

  • Eleuthero (or Siberian ginseng)
  • Holy basil
  • Astragalus
  • Maca
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cordyceps
  • Reishi
  • Asian ginseng

These adaptogens can be taken in numerous ways. But they are usually sold as powders that can be added to smoothies and teas. Most of them are derived from the root of the plant, but a few come from the stem or, in the case of reishi, from mushrooms.

The tastiest of them may be something like holy basil, which you can cook with or chop up in raw leaves.

How do adaptogens actually work?

Adaptogens increase the body’s resistance to emotional, biological, and physical stress. They also provide a defense response to both acute and chronic stress. 

That being said, they differ from most other substances. This is because they have an ability to restore the balance of endocrine hormones, modulate the entire immune system, and then allow the body to maintain optimal homeostasis. 

For some people, adaptions have a beneficial effect on cortisol. Adaptogens are a great way for some people for them to bring cortisol back into healthy levels. They do this by helping tone the adrenal cortex and the pituitary system so they’re much more efficient.

Are there any possible side effects?

Like any other substance that could affect your physiology, adaptogens sometimes come with a few side effects. This is because many adaptogens can increase your levels of mental alertness and relieve fatigue. These effects are similar to what may happen if you overload on caffeine. You get irritable, anxious, and you have trouble sleeping!

As with any addition to your diet and supplements, pay attention to these effects. If they become troublesome or they persist for more than a couple of days, you should consider switching to another option. After all, there are many adaptogens out there. You have a wealth of choices!

Are Muscle Imbalances Impairing Your Workouts?

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Do you realize that a lot of the time, you’re doing your everyday tasks with only one side of the body? 

You might go up your home’s set of steps with the same foot first, or you might be used to carrying your bag on the same shoulder every day while you’re shopping for groceries. 

Tooth brushing, writing on a notebook, kicking cupboard doors closed, scrolling on your smartphone – all of these seemingly unimportant actions have the tendency to stack up over time, resulting in a “dominant” side of our bodies. 

It’s all completely natural.

This, as you’re probably guessing, sooner or later, translates into imbalances and muscle compensations that result in less-than-perfect fitness performance and, ultimately, a higher risk of injury.

That same dominance-building on one side of the body is naturally happening every time you’re training in the gym, as well. Even if you don’t realize it, one side of your body is potentially doing more work than the opposite, creating massive amounts of muscle tension along the way.

That’s why today, we’re going to explore this topic in a little more detail, shining light on some of the more risky and negative aspects of muscle imbalances (and what we can do to fix them.)

What exactly is a muscle imbalance, and how does it relate to having poor posture all day?

When you have a difference on one side of your body that’s stemming from one side of the body being more dominant than the other, this can undoubtedly affect your posture. The more dominant the side is, the higher the impact on its antagonist. 

When you’re working the muscles on one side of the body more than the opposite, this will slowly but surely lead to strains, sprains, chronic pains, and other complicated issues.

Here are some tips on how to start working on your muscle imbalances:

In addition to resolving posture problems (and helping prevent them altogether), addressing your muscle imbalances will also help you improve your strength, flexibility, balance, all while lowering the total risk of injury you’re facing. Sounds like a great deal!

When it comes to actual strategies for building strength equal in both sides of the body (so you can address these imbalances), here’s what the experts recommend:

1. FOCUSING ON DEVELOPING MOBILITY

Some of the time, imbalances are the result of one side of the body not being as flexible as its opposite. In these cases, mobility exercises can deliver amazing (and quick) results when dealing with these muscle imbalances. Full-body mobility exercises will bring an unmatched amount of elasticity to tissues in your body, easing muscle imbalances all throughout your body and letting you build a steady foundation of mobility that makes imbalances harder to develop.

2. EMBRACE UNILATERAL EXERCISES

Unilateral exercises are movements performed with one arm or one leg that usually tend to highlight muscle imbalances. Let’s say you’re used to doing chest presses with a barbell. The unilateral alternative here would be to “seesaw” press with two separate dumbbells, so you’re essentially focusing on one side at a time. Other great alternatives for common exercises include the single-leg squats, single-arm rows, bicep curls, lunges, and more.

3. CONCIOUSLY USE YOUR NON-DOMINANT SIDE MORE

If you’re always starting workouts with your dominant side, this will result in having less energy to push through on the other side. A great rule of thumb is to let your “weaker side” determine what volume you’re chasing, so you can do the same volume on each side of your body. Even if this doesn’t feel enough for your dominant side, what you’re doing here is trying to balance them out, and this will give your weaker side the opportunity to catch up in strength.

Is It Time to Increase Your Workout Intensity/Weight?

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’ve been on the grind in the gym for a while, you might be starting to lose count of the days and sticking to the same old routine. But if you’re one of the people who likes to take a moment to reflect on their progress, one day you might begin to realize that your workouts aren’t what they used to be.

Do you ever feel like you’re just bruising through sets? Have you ever came home and felt like you could’ve done more in the gym? Or catch yourself getting distracted while you’re doing an exercise… 

There are no two ways about it – if you catch yourself doing this often, you’re not performing at your best at the gym, and probably not seeing the results you want to deeply cultivate. And that’s completely okay. In our search for the most effective yet comfortable workout routine, we sometimes forget how important it is to keep pushing ourselves harder. 

After all, we can’t improve by keeping everything the same. Today, we’re here to talk about the three most significant signs that it’s time to take your workout up a notch. 

#1 You constantly repeat the same workout. 

Don’t get me wrong. You can keep doing the same exercises for 10 years, and as long as you increase the intensity gradually, you will see results. But if you’re doing the same thing *and* you’re stuck in the same place for a while, you’re in trouble. 

This is the biggest sign that your routine needs change – fast. If you’ve been growing and adapting in a certain routine for a long time, your body has no reason to change – for better, or for worse. Experts say you should switch up your workout every 4 to 6 weeks. I say go wild. Re-structure your entire routine, and forget about every exercise that feels comfortable. 

#2 Your environment is distracting you. 

Now, if you tend to fall into a simple routine in the gym, you will likely find yourself distracted sometimes. We all like taking selfies, talking to our friends, and getting lost in our gym playlist. But if you’re spending your time looking for the right songs, finding angles for pictures, cruising social media, or having a thoughtful conversation with a friend… it’s time to recognize that and start making an effort to focus, change up your workouts, and put that phone away while you’re working out!

#3 You feel as if you’re cruising through your workouts.

Do you constantly find yourself completing all your reps with ease without feeling sore, fatigued, or even breaking a sweat? If that’s the case, you’re not going to feel the positive psychological effect you get from leaning into your boundaries and pushing yourself through plateaus. 

So even though we can’t reach our goals just by better workout quality, all of these things directly hinder your performance and progress. The sooner you address them, the better. So take a moment, look back, and set new goals that align with what you want now, and you have all you need to go back in there guns blazing!

#4 You don’t feel motivated to go to the gym.

If you’re already following a routine but you feel as though some days, you’re barely dragging yourself to the gym, this is a telltale sign that you need to add some variety into your gym routine. And this doesn’t have to mean trying another sport or doing a yoga class. It could be as simple as trying out new exercises or implementing some new forms of cardio. If this is the case, you will find that trying out new exercises or shocking your muscle in your ways will bring back that edge and intensity.

Developing Coordination & Reaction Time in the Gym

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Whether you’re participating in sport-specific training or just going to the gym every day for your weight and health, I bet you can’t even name all the sports and activities that benefit from a sharp eye and smart coordination!

Most of us go to the gym and do it for a specific reason. Be it toning up, losing weight, gaining muscle, or a sweet mix of all three. However, this means that for the majority of regular gym goers and physique athletes such as coordination, balance, and even overall agility, usually take a back seat.

That’s why today, we’re here to explore a few training concepts that can help us easily develop these often-undermined skills. And not to mention, we’ll talk about a few simple exercises you can use to train them efficiently.

Think fast – what is reaction time? 

The best and most widely accepted description is that reaction time is the measurement of your ability to act quickly and accurately in response to external stimulus. 

The most critical factor in your reaction time is how well your mind is connected to your body. In other words, how much time your body needs to interpret what you’re seeing, hearing, and so on. 

Since reaction time is based on specific movements in a sport, in many cases it comes down to gaining experience in that particular field and doing sport-specific drills. Boxers, goalkeepers, volleyball players, stick to drills. For those who just want to develop better overall reaction time, a great option would be forest running, signal sprints, and even online reaction time tests.

And let’s not forget – coordination.

I know, it does highly relate to reaction time, but I decided it deserves to be talked about separately. While reaction time is the measurement of your ability to act in a reflex, coordination is how effectively your body parts synchronize with each other toward that goal. Whether it’s catching a ball, dodging a punch, or just saving a glass when it falls off the table, coordination is a skill. And just like any other skill, it can be trained.

Some of the most powerful ways to develop your hand-eye coordination include juggling, dribbling a ball, and playing catch. The single best way to develop great foot-eye coordination is jumping rope. 

So regardless of what sport or activities you enjoy, you now have all the tools necessary to develop these two crucial skills. You’ll not only be able to perform physical activities with more ease and wit, but you’ll be creating a healthy habit of getting in touch with your focus and attention. That alone makes this type of training a must for everyone.

Using plyometric exercises to strengthen coordination and balance.

Plyometric exercises that require coordination and quick footwork will do wonders for improving your proprioceptive signals. 

These plyometric exercises, some of which can include running in a figure-eight pattern, making you think about how your body is moving and how it will have to sustain energy levels to continue to move in order to prepare your balance. These can be physically demanding, so always make sure that you’re sticking with a level you’re capable of rather than attempting to clear a 5-foot hurdle without any training.

By strengthening your balance and coordination, you can prevent yourself from tripping, as well as improve your movements and become more graceful. This way, you will avoid the hip-breaking fall in your elder years by improving on your ability to process your own proprioceptive signals.

The Proper Way to Rest Between Sets

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

It’s time for a moment of honesty. We all take an incredible amount of time to schedule out our routines, structure our workouts, manage our diets, pick our exercises, the number of reps, sets, macros, everything! But what about resting between sets. 

Have you taken any amount of time to thinking about this issue, and do you know that even a 30-second change in your rest period can change the entire purpose and result of your workout? 

Today, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about. By focusing on developing the perfect resting window, we’re going to help you transform the amount of results you get from your workout. Let’s talk about it.

Focusing on a proper resting window is one of the simplest ways to achieve your fitness goals faster. 

Today, we’re going to talk about some of the best tips you can find on how to determine, control, and get the most out of your resting periods.

A quick note: our body’s primary source of fuel during exercise is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It’s produced by three major systems based on the length and intensity of your workout. These three major systems are phosphocreatine, glycolytic, oxidative. 

Phosphocreatine produces energy for quick, intense exercise. It doesn’t last long, and it recovers rather slowly. For every 10 seconds you go full-on intense, you’ll need around 3 minutes of rest to recharge.

Glycolytic produces energy for medium-duration exercise. It lasts a bit longer and recovers a bit faster. It produces lactate (that creates the burning sensation in your muscles) and depending on how aerobically fit you are, you’ll be able to get rid of that lactate faster.

Oxidative refers to the system that produces energy for hours at a time, as long as you’re doing light exercise such as jogging or just going about your daily errands. 

So enough with the technical terms. 

Here are the best approximate rest periods, based on your individual goal:

#1 Fat loss: rest between 15 and 30 seconds. As a universal rule, track the length of your last set, and rest for less time than that. This also depends on the type of exercise you’re doing. If you’re doing cardio for fat loss, you’re going to be doing extended runs (12-15 minutes) at medium intensity, followed by 3-5-minute periods of walking and low-intensity activity. But if you’re doing weightlifting to burn calories or HIIT to torch fat, you’ll need to keep your rest periods short. 

#2 Endurance: the key here is to rest as little as possible. For light strength training, keep it up to a minute. For jogging, running, and cycling, keep rest periods to the minimum to develop unshakable endurance. Developing endurance will continuously shrink the critical window of how much you need to rest. 

#3 Strength: rest between 180 and 300 seconds. Heavy training burns a lot of energy, so you need to let the phosphocreatine system recover before you can utilize it fully again. If you’re doing the heaviest sets of your workout, you might need up to 5 minutes of rest between them! And if you’re someone doing 1 rep maxes in hopes of building strength, you will need to keep your rest periods high in order for the ATP in your muscles to fully restore and be prepared for the next set.

#4 Hypertrophy: rest between 45 and 90 seconds. This way, you’ll tap into your glycolytic system, fill your muscles with lactate, and keep you pumped! You will reach that middle ground in which you will develop a certain amount of ATP that will allow you to hit another set, but you will still have residue stress on that muscle from your last set.

The bottom line is this: intense exercises that use the first two systems requires more rest. Long, less intense workouts require shorter rest periods. Use that to your advantage!

5 Things That Make Your Salads Unhealthy

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

From a nutrition perspective, making a salad seems so simple. But it’s not. Yes, it’s true, all you do is mix a bunch of ingredients together, both cooked and raw, and you go ahead and toss them in with your favorite salad dressing in hopes of achieving a healthy, filling, and delicious meal.

But if you’re not careful and mindful about what you put in your salad; you can quickly turn a recipe for a salad into a recipe for disaster. 

And if you’re someone who loves salads and has made them a part of their daily diet, you already know how many things can go wrong. Too much cotton-dry chicken, too much cardboard croutons, too much dressing, not enough dressing, too many calories, too little calories, there are countless dietary roadblocks out there that can turn your salad into a high-calorie disaster.

That’s why today, we’ve come together to talk about the 5 biggest mistakes you can let slip when you’re trying to make a nutritious, fresh, healthy salad for yourself and those around you.

MISTAKE #1 – TOO MUCH SALAD DRESSING. Okay, putting too much salad dressing is something we’ve probably all been guilty of at one point. But that doesn’t change the fact that a little bit too much salad dressing can turn your salad into a high-calorie mess. Not only that, but too much dressing weighs down salad greens and destroys their freshness. Here’s a tip: toss greens in with a bit of salt and pepper before you dress them. This adds flavor and helps you cut back on your salad dressings. 

MISTAKE #2 – USING ONLY RAW VEGETABLES. While crunchy cucumbers add nutrients and texture to a salad, raw vegetables are not your only option here. Tossing in grilled or steamed veggies will provide a different texture and an even richer flavor to your salad, and they pack an equally high nutritional value. Pickled veggies can also add an acidic flavor to your salad, not to mention, they’re well known for being rich in gut-friendly probiotics.

MISTAKE #3 – USING TOO MUCH CHEESE. There’s no doubt that cheese is a great way to add flavor you a salad, and the added fat and protein can give it extra satiating power. However, the pros of cheese are also its cons when it gets too much, and a salad high in saturated fat can take a toll on your fitness goals. Choose a flavorful cheese and try to stick with an ounce serving.

MISTAKE #4 – TOO MUCH SALT. This is a big one. Especially if you’re someone trying to lose weight. Salt is a nutrient that keeps our heart beating, balances our fluid levels across our body, and it’s safe to say it’s a nutrient vital to our health. 

That being said, too much sodium can lead to undesirable results. Some might include dehydration, fatigue, bloating, headaches, and that’s just in the short-term. Long-term consistent intake of sodium can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. 

One of the big problems here is that salt is hidden throughout different products you might use in your salad. In the salad dressing, in the seasonings, in the croutons, everywhere. Always make sure you’re mindful of how much salt you’re putting on your salad. It will make all the difference in the world as to how healthy your salad is.

MISTAKE #5 – NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN AND FAT. If you’re going to be eating a salad as your only meal, you better make that meal satiating. 

And what better way to add more satiety into your salad by using some healthy fats such as avocado or adding extra protein in the form of lean chicken? This will help your salad pack a bigger punch in terms of satiety and provide you with more energy throughout the day, reducing cravings and keeping you satisfied.

The Role of Fiber in Low-carb Diets

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, in recent years the nutrition world has become home to one of the most prevalent forms of dieting (or should we say, approaches to diet and nutrition) – low-carb diets. 

People who follow a low-carb diet usually report results such as weight loss, lower inflammatory markers, improved blood sugar levels, and so much more. 

And if you’re following a low-carb diet, you probably think the most important thing is the number of grams of carbs you consume. After all, most diets that restrict carbs go anywhere between low carb to absolutely no carb. This strongly emphasizes an obsession about numbers that isn’t a healthy way to approach nutrition. 

We all know that if you want a truly healthy diet, you have to realize that it’s the quality of your carbs that will genuinely give you the result you want. 

Whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits and veggies, which all contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, are all healthy carb choices that you can’t make the mistake of avoiding.

There are many types of low-carb diets like Keto, South Beach, Atkins, and so on, and they all vary in the amounts and sources of carbs that are available to you. For example, beans are usually noted as too high in carbs to fit in Keto.

But regardless of which one you follow, there are ways to maximize your nutrition while staying in the macros you’ve set as a goal.

Did you know that only 1 in 10 people eat enough fiber? 

Fiber is a vital nutrient that keeps your cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and satiety in check. And it’s even harder to reach adequate levels of fiber if you’re limiting carbs. While it may be tempting to give your carbs to your favorite sweet dessert or other “cheat” processed foods, these foods will definitely hot help you feel or perform at your best. They will cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin and provide you with minimal nutritional value.

What you will notice in the majority of fast food restaurants, even those that are supposedly healthy, the fiber content in food is close to minimal. This is because fiber lowers the effect that a carbohydrate is going to have on your blood sugar and subsequent insulin response. 

Many mainstream fast food restaurants have stripped fiber from their meals with this exact purpose – raising your blood sugar and insulin. Because the result of a blood sugar spike is a blood sugar drop, and this creates more cravings for sugar and trans fats. 

This makes fast food chains part of the fiber problem. If someone were to consume the majority of their meals stripped of fiber, they will quickly find that blood sugar responses get heightened, cravings appear to haunt you, and your midday slumps strip you of your energy.  

But on the other hand, focusing on “spending” your carbs on fiber-rich carb sources, this will naturally improve your diet quality and provide you with consistent energy, enhanced physical performance, and more stable blood sugar. 

A great rule you can follow is to aim for around 10 grams of fiber in each meal to make sure you’re getting enough.

That’s why it’s very important to focus on nutritional density for the little carbs you’re going to consume on a low-carb diet. Even if you want to consume minimal carbs, fruits and veggies are still a way better carb options and will lead you to the healthy life and body you truly want to get out of that diet.

5 Healthy, Protein-rich Alternatives to Red Meat

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Red meat has always been under constant scrutiny by the health community, yet it’s something that is incredibly praised and valued in the fitness world. With more high-protein and high-fat diets getting popular around the world (and in the weight loss community,) it’s almost as if everything around is telling us eating red meat is okay and there’s nothing to worry about.

But the fact still remains, red meat is still much higher in fat (saturated fat) compared to other, leaner cuts of meat. And while not every expert agrees that saturated fat is dangerous, recent research from Harvard Medical School has suggested that the key to protecting your heart is to actually eat less saturated fats and more polyunsaturated fats (healthy fats.) Even so, most experts will agree that red meat isn’t something that should be eaten regularly.

For this reason, it might be a great idea to look at some alternatives that might allow us to limit our intake of red meat. 

The alternatives we’ve listed out below will help you feel fuller for longer, as well as aid weight loss and help you amass more muscle. All in one meal!

Let’s get started.

#1 SHRIMP

A mere 100-gram serving of cooked shrimp contains to about 20-25 grams of protein with just 1 gram of fat. In terms of calories, that’s just under 100 calories! When you’re in the grocery store, try to look for shrimp that’s farmed in the U.S. This means it’s usually rated as the best choice in terms of sustainability by most seafood health authorities.

#2 LEAN CHICKEN

Chicken is the lean meat-of-choice for a lot of athletes and fitness pros – and with good reason. Chicken is not only lower in calories compared to red meat alternatives, but it’s also low in saturated fat… as long as you can avoid the chicken skin.

A medium-sized chicken breast that’s about 100 grams (or about 3.4 ounces) will amount to about 25 grams of protein, all within a healthy range of 155-165 calories. 

#3 PEA PROTEIN POWDER

If you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just want to avoid meat altogether, pea protein is one of your best choices out there. It can be used in everything from smoothies and shakes to cooked and baked goods. It’s made from organic yellow peas, with one scoop of pea protein boasting about 20-25 grams of protein. And guess what – it contains zero saturated fat. 

#4 TEMPEH

Some people out there really appreciate soy proteins. And if you’re one of them, chances are you’re already familiar with a food like tofu. Tempeh is similar to tofu. It’s made from cooked, fermented soybeans. They’re also a complete protein, containing all of the nine essential amino acids. A 100-gram serving of tempeh will amount to about 20 grams of protein. It can be one of the best substitutes for red meat when it comes to sandwiches.

#5 COTTAGE CHEESE

Cottage cheese is essentially a staple in the diets of many athletes and regular gym-goers. This is because one cup of cottage cheese will offer you about 25 grams of protein! Naturally, when you’re looking for high-protein dairy, Greek yogurt is often the first thing that comes to mind. And yes, it’s an amazing option, but cottage cheese is more abundant in protein, usually cheaper, and to be honest, quite overlooked by most people who aren’t aware of its health benefits. 

You can even go as far as skipping the 0 percent fat and go for 2 percent if you want something that packs a little more taste, flavor, and satiety. Just make sure you minimize all the added sugar by looking for cottage cheese that hasn’t been sweetened. You can then add your own toppings to it such as fruit or nut butter.

How to Make Your Bodyweight Workouts More Intense

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

In the last two years, training (whether it is for weight loss or muscle gain) has largely been centered at home due to restrictions and lockdowns. Many of us spent our days working out at home, and because of this, an emerging trend in bodyweight exercises came to be. Whether you’re someone who did bodyweight exercises during home training or someone who loves the old school park workouts that get you shredded, we can all agree on one thing. It’s always a good idea to add an extra edge into your bodyweight workouts and give your body a new type of stimulus to adapt to. 

When you are in a gym and you have access to all of the equipment at your disposal, increasing the difficulty in your training can be as simple as just piling on more weight on the bar. But when you’re doing bodyweight exercises, that approach to improving intensity looks a little different.

Today, we’re going to talk about the three most effective ways that you can use today to start adding that extra edge into your bodyweight workouts. 

Let’s get started. 

(You can always use the most obvious and intuitive option – to increase your workout volume by adding more sets and reps. But if you’ve already tried this and you’re craving variety, or you’re just someone who wants to leverage bodyweight exercises to achieve more muscle gain, pay attention to the following tips.)

#1 INCREASING YOUR RANGE OF MOTION

If you want to make bodyweight exercises harder, you can increase how far your body has to move (or a muscle extend) to complete a given task. 

Increasing your range of motion can be done by elevating your front foot in lunges or doing chest-to-floor pushups with your hands on two blocks. This increases your difficulty, helps you recruit more muscle fibers and places them under more stress, allowing you to build more strength and stability. 

It will also allow you to engage your muscles throughout their entire range of motion (or as close as you can get to its entirety.) This will not only increase the difficulty of the exercise, but it will also allow you to engage muscle fibers that you’re typically not used to engaging. This can be a gamechanger for your workouts and can even help you bust through stubborn strength plateaus.

#2 INVOLVE ISOMETRICS.

Isometric exercises are all about holding a static position for a period of time. 

Most often, we think of planks as a great example of isometric exercises, but the truth is, the isometric element can be added to any exercise to make it more intense. Especially if we’re talking about bodyweight exercises in which your main resistance is gravity, isometric exercises can help you develop strength in key support areas of your body such as your core. Perform numerous repetitions of a movement, and as you start to feel fatigued, hold the movement in the mid-range of motion for 10 seconds. 

#3 DOING THE 1 ½ SET.

Another great way to change your range of motion is to add a half-repetition between full reps of an exercise. If you’re squatting, this means starting out standing, then flexing your hips and knees to 90 degrees, going up half of the way, dropping back to 90 degrees, then going back up to your original position. 

This helps you increase the time under tension for your muscles, and in turn, the intensity of the exercise you’re performing. When you increase the amount of tension your muscles are experiencing, you’re also increasing the amount of muscle fibers that will need repair after your workout, and thus, you’re making more progress in less time.

Is Your Workout Effective If You Don’t Sweat?

female fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’ve been in the weight loss and fitness community long enough, you have probably heard the saying “if you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.”

But is that true, though? People hear this being said in the gym, in everyday life, and online. But ultimately, it’s based on a false premise.

How much you sweat and how challenging your workout is aren’t as closely related as you think they might be.

Let’s take a deep dive into this myth, debunk it, and help you learn why how much you sweat isn’t as important as how much your perceived effort is on every workout.

Sweating is all about temperature control. 

Once the temperature of our body goes above 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), our sweat glands are activated. They start releasing a mixture of water, sodium chloride, and other electrolytes. After sweat evaporates, it takes some heat with it and cools you down. 

When you’re working out, it’s not just the intensity of your workout that’s related to how much you sweat. The frequency will always vary from person to person. It may even vary from another exercise to the next. 

Things like your overall size, the temperature of your environment, the levels of humidity, stress levels, medications, and hormonal fluctuations also play a role in this. The temperature of the environment and the type of exercise you do will be the two largest determining factors in how much you sweat during a workout, not your perceived level of exertion.               

However, if you usually can’t sweat during a workout, there are a few things you have to consider just to be safe.

How hydrated are you during your training? Dehydration is the first thing you have to take into account. How much water, coffee, juice, etc. do you drink every day? Some drinks can even leave you extra dehydrated, so make sure you always bring a water bottle to the gym. This way, you’ll make sure that water is in your body when it’s needed.

How intense is your workout? Did you know that the type of workout and specific exercises you do can have an impact on how much you sweat? Or that “not sweating” is a common “problem” in the weightlifting community? Usually, aerobic exercise gets your body temperature in levels where sweating can occur. Weightlifting, on the other hand, will be a type of training that will engage specific core muscles for short bursts of time. This means you’re much less likely to have a sweaty workout if you’re just doing weightlifting. But if you hop on the treadmill after your session with the weights, and you’ll suddenly realize how easy you’ll break up a sweat.

What season is it? Don’t get me wrong, if you’re someone who sweats heavily during workouts, you’re probably going to be that way regardless of what season it is. That being said, some people only sweat during training in the summer, whereas in the winter, when they’re training in a closed gym space, sweating won’t really affect them at all. 

You have to realize, if you want to get your body temperature high, doing it with aerobic exercise is a bajillion times easier than it is with lifting heavy weights. Just to take extra precautions, during your next workout, try doing supersets on every last set of every exercise. This is an example of a cardio element being used in strength training, and it works exceptionally well for getting that heart rate up.

Overall, if you’re not sweating during your workouts, drink more water, and make them more aerobically intense. The majority of the time, you’ll start to sweat bullets.

Why Is Your Weight Fluctuating Up and Down?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Whether you’re someone who has been on a weight loss journey for years or you’re someone who just stepped on the treadmill for the first time, you probably know that one of the most common ways people measure weight loss progress is through the number on the scale. 

And even though there are many better ways you can approach tracking your weight loss progress, the scale will always remain one of those fundamental weight management tools that you just can’t help but stand on.

That being said, we can’t change the fact that a flat, arbitrary number could not really be indicative of day-to-day progress. 

As a matter of fact, if you’re someone who weighs themselves every day, you’re probably used to seeing the number on the scale change every day. 

While you do lose or gain weight over the long term, your weight is reflective of a combination of things less impactful – simple fluctuations in your day-to-day life. And objective, continuous loss of weight every day is just an illusion.

Let’s talk about a few reasons why this happens and what you can do about it.

First of all, foods and drinks have a physical weight. I’m sure this is incredibly obvious to you, but foods and beverages have a mass completely unrelated to calories which influence your weight in the short term. Drinking two cups of water and stepping on the scale will have you around a pound heavier due to the mass of that liquid, even though it has no calories whatsoever. But this doesn’t mean you’ve actually gained a pound of weight, muscle, or anything else for that matter. 

Another thing that can cause quasi-weight increase is your fluid balance due to carbs and sodium. Sweat and dehydration can create losses, but water retention from sodium and carbs can cause temporary weight gain. For example, athletes in pre-workout or carb-loading stages require high carbs to load the muscles and the liver with glycogen to burn while training. While they’re great for increasing energy, every gram of carbs stores around 2-3 grams of water with it.

And third, we can’t talk about weight fluctuations and not mention sweat. A lot of athletes fall for dehydration during long, hard workouts, especially during hot conditions. Dehydration due to sweat can amount to 3 to 5 pounds of body weight, creating more fluctuations. And even if you’re just an everyday gym-goer, you can literally weigh yourself before and after a workout and you will see what a massive difference this can make to your weight. How hydrated or dehydrated you are is also another big factor in what number you’re going to see when you step on the scale in the morning. 

That’s why weighing yourself is best done in the mornings, on an empty stomach, before you’ve done anything else. 

Weighing yourself before and after workouts can also give you a pretty good idea of how much water you’re sweating out so you can replenish fluids you lost accurately and have the most accurate weighing experience you can.

And remember, even though weighing yourself can help you recognize patterns in weight and help you track progress week-to-week, there are many better ways you can go about daily progress tracking. And realize that the weight you see on the scale is going to fluctuate not only daily, but hour by hour. 

Don’t get too bent out of shape if you see that you’ve been gaining weight a few days in a row. And don’t get too excited if you suddenly see yourself dropping weight like crazy. Track daily and pay attention to the patterns you see – they will give you actual indications on whether you’re making progress or not. 

Why Are Pickled Foods Considered So Healthy?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

The summer time is right around the corner, and this means harvests such as squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini, will be here at our grocery stores and tables. They are some of the most tempting pickled foods out there. 

However, pickling foods isn’t an easy task – you need pickling liquid, salt, and other materials so you can add preservation and flavor.

Pickled foods have been long regarded as superfoods in the fitness and wellness community because of their ability to help your gut bacteria thrive. One single spoonful of sauerkraut will contain more probiotics than an entire probiotic supplement. Needless to say, that amount of healthy ingredients in excess are sure to produce some incredible results. 

And since many people are advised to eat less sodium, and pickled foods are recommended for their gut health benefits, the question remains – are pickled foods good for you? 

Here’s what you should know.

#1 LOW CALORIES, LOW FAT, HIGH SODIUM

Pickled foods are generally low in calories and free of fat. They’re chock-full of vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin C, riboflavin, folate, and so much more. They’re also rich in sodium. 

And especially if you’re an endurance athlete, sodium can help (because a few small studies have shown sodium to reduce muscle cramps.)

The one major downside to pickled foods is, you guessed it, that same high sodium content. Let’s take sour pickles for example – one of them contains up to 800 milligrams of sodium, and that’s more than 1/3 of the recommended daily intake for adults. 

That’s why if you’re someone with a chronic condition or someone with high blood pressure/heart disease, you might be better of skipping high-sodium foods, including pickles. Another potential downside is the bloating caused by sodium (that promotes water retention.) Some people might be more sensitive to pickled foods than others, but as a general rule of thumb, avoid them if you have a problem with high sodium intakes.

#2 THEY PROMOTE GUT HEALTH

When fermented in a salty solution for an extended period, they become an amazing source of probiotics – the “good” bacteria that help support your gut health and immune system, and are directly linked to cognitive health and weight loss.

The healthy bacteria in your gut will offer all sorts of health perks, from better skin to increased cardiovascular health, and cultured foods such as pickles are teeming with the lovely little healthy bacteria. There is one caveat though: according to experts, pickles fermented in vinegar will have less of a probiotic effect, so for maximum wellness benefits, you have to choose pickles fermented in a brine of salt and water.

#3 HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

Pickles contain natural antioxidants that are usually found in fresh fruits and vegetables, and while the process of cooking them can break down some of these heat-sensitive nutrients, the fermentation process is likely to preserve their nutritional profile and antioxidant power. 

Experts also note that pickle juice — the brine — boasts incredible amounts of the free radical-fighting and immune boosting antioxidants C and E.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER…

The fermentation process that fermented foods go through leads to the creation of substances that help the bacteria in your gut keep you healthy and keep your immune system in check. With that said, fermented foods are also likely to be low in fat and low in calories due to the fact that they’re still veggies – even though their nutritional profile is slightly mixed up.  

While it’s always a great option to learn that our favorite foods are good for us too, we have to remember that pickles are also super high in sodium. While you can feel free to nosh on those delicious veggies on the regular, just remember to make sure not to overdo it in order to keep your salt intake in healthy levels.

7 Spring Fruits & Veggies in Season Right Now

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

The importance of eating fresh produce is something the nutrition community will never stay quiet about. It’s often suggested and even backed by mainstream health authorities that veggies and fruits should take up about 50 percent of our plate, with protein, dairy, and grains accounting for the other 50. That’s a worthwhile goal and one that can be made easier when equipped with ideas that keep the meals interesting. Fortunately, there are many opportunities we can use to infuse our diets with seasonal fruits and vegetables, from hearty salads to cooked sides and plant-focused choices.

During this spring, certain fruits and vegetables hit their peak in both freshness and flavor, so for the next time you head to the grocery store or farmers market, make sure you fill our grocery bag with these 7 items recommended by nutrition and dietary experts. 

#1 PINEAPPLE

Fresh pineapples have the most sweet, tart taste that can improve many meals, from heavier smoothies and salads to kebabs. This sweet and tasty fruit is full of vitamin C, manganese, copper, B vitamins, and more.

Ripe pineapples will usually have a sweet, tropical aroma near the stem. You should always look for fruit that is firm but gives a little in your hands when you squeeze it.

Nutrition: 1 cup raw pineapple has 80 calories and 21 grams of carbs.

#2 STRAWBERRY

This seasonal favorite is full of vitamin C, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and flavonoids. It is a very versatile fruit is great added to cereal, oatmeal and salads, and you can even use it either fresh or frozen in smoothies.

Remember to choose strawberries with bright red flesh and bright green tops. Because if you notice any white spots, that’s usually an indication that the fruit was picked before it was ripe.

Nutrition: 1 cup of fresh strawberries has 50 calories, 12 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein.

#3 CARROTS

This crunchy vegetable is accessible, inexpensive, and let’s not forget, loaded with nutrients. This includes beta carotene, fiber and potassium. Orange carrots are amazing, but you can also find yellowish, purple and even white varieties. Roast your carrots in the oven, add them to your soups, stews and salads, or just eat them raw with hummus or your favorite veggie dip. As a note to remember, fresh carrots should be plump and firm, with a light orange color and no visible cracking.

Nutrition: 1 cup of raw carrots has 49 calories, 10 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein.

#4 LEMON

Lemons contain vitamin C and soluble fiber, and their tart citrus taste adds freshness and depth of flavor to everything it touches. Don’t believe us? Squeeze fresh lemon on fish and pasta or add some directly to your water. 

Always select lemons that are firm, smooth and unblemished. Lemons that show tinges of green are most likely underripe.

Nutrition: 1 medium-size fresh lemon has 20 calories and 5 grams of carbs.

#5 BANANA

This absolute staple contains potassium, vitamin B6, folate and fiber. Add a banana to your next smoothie, or slice one and add oatmeal, cereal and peanut butter toast.

Choose bananas by how smooth they are and how brightly colored their skin is. Make sure they have no visible bruising. If you want to eat them quickly, pick one that’s yellow. If you don’t plan to eat it for several days, opt for one that’s still green.

Nutrition: 1 medium-sized banana has 103 calories, 24 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein.

#6 RHUBARB

Yes, rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but it’s used more often like a fruit, hence its placement here. Rhubarb contains dietary nitrates, anthocyanins and fiber, and not to mention, its tart taste will complement the sweetness of pineapple and berries. 

Pick out fresh rhubarb stalks that are crisp and firm. Skip anything that seems too woody or wilted. Remember, the leaves are usually toxic, so be sure those are removed before you cook.

Nutrition: 1 cup of raw rhubarb has 24 calories, 4 grams of carbs and 1 gram of protein.

#7 PEAS

Peas can be fresh, canned or frozen, and they can provide a sweet kick to dishes, along with plenty of magnesium, potassium and polyphenols. Not to mention, a surprising dose of protein. 

Frozen peas are packed right after they’re picked, so don’t hesitate to stash a couple of ready-to-go bags in your freezer. But if you want fresh peas, buy them in their natural pods, checking to ensure they’re still firm, crisp and green.

Nutrition: 1 cup of fresh peas has 120 calories, 21 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein.

The Healthiest, Most Nutritious Alternatives to Milk

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

I’ve you’ve been around the grocery store aisles; you’ll notice the milk aisle isn’t what it used to be. It has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. 

More and more plant-based diets are increasing in popularity, and more individuals are switching their choices up from regular cow’s milk to trying out new milk derived from other sources such as plants like almonds, coconut, peas, cashews, and oats (just to name a few). 

There seems to be a new kind of super healthy plant milk popping up around grocery stores every couple of months, vying for the honorary title of “best new alt milk.” Today, we are here to answer the question – how do these “alt” milks stack up nutrition-wise against traditional milk? Let’s take a closer look.

#1 ALMOND MILK

Almond milk may be one of the more well-known alt milks, but it has had some strong staying power when compared to some of the newer plant milks. This may be because of its simple, mild flavor that works in pretty much anything from a latte to a bowl of cereal. It could also be because of its nutrition profile.

Depending on the flavor and brand, some almond milk will differ slightly in nutrient contents. In general, almond milk will be relatively low in most nutrients, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, and this means calories, as well. This means it may not be a good source of vital vitamins and minerals. That being said, many almond milk brands are fortified with vitamin D, B12 and other vitamins.

#2 PEA MILK

Pea milk is one of the newer and less-known alt milks. It differentiates itself from some of the other choices partly because it’s a good source of plant-based protein. Clocking in at about 8 grams per cup, pea milk will be easily comparable to cow’s milk and soymilk in the protein department. This makes it a good choice for people who want to chase a specific number of macros. 

We all know protein helps promote satiety and satisfaction after meals, and this is another factor that makes pea milk a good option for things like smoothies and protein shakes. It has a mild flavor so it’s very versatile and it can even be used when you’re baking up something. Similar to almond milk, fortified versions of pea milk will be better choices because they contain vitamin D, calcium, B12 and potassium.

#3 OAT MILK

One of the newest alt milks, oat milk, is made of – you guessed it – oats. Since oats themselves are packed with nutrition, and this includes heart-healthy soluble fiber, a person would hope that at least some of those healthy nutrients transfers over to oat milk. And some do! One single cup of oat milk will contain about 1 gram of soluble fiber, as well as more protein compared to almond milk (around 3 grams per cup). 

Since it’s made from oats, a carbohydrate, oat milk contains more carbs compared to some of the other alt milks, clocking in at about 16 grams per cup. The nutrient density here helps make oat milk a very hearty, filling, satisfying choice. It’s amazing on the side of fruit or even around a piece of toast for a snack.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS…

Alt milks are a great option to explore if you’re trying to include more plant-based foods in your diet. While they will differ in some ways nutritionally, there will never be one single milk that is “better” than the other. You can choose your alt milk for flavor, consistency, taste, nutritional content, and more. Just make sure to read the nutrition label so you can make sure the milk you’re buying is fortified with important vitamins such as vitamin D, calcium and B12.

Quick Lifestyle Tweaks for More Energy Throughout the Whole Day

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

It’s no secret to anyone the last few years have been a total up and down for people around the world. With all the time we’re taking so we can adjust to the “new normal” and deal with all the uncertainty and stress of the changing world, most of us are likely going to be left feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. And that’s completely normal. 

But there’s some good news – there are several lifestyle and nutritional changes you can make that will help you deal with that stress and improve energy levels. Today, we’re going to break down three science-back tips you can start applying to your life instantly to start feeling more energized, more focused, and more stress-free throughout the day.

Let’s get right into it.

#1 GET MORE SUNLIGHT.

Especially if you’re someone who stayed at home a lot during the pandemic or you’re someone who doesn’t have to engage in any form of daily commute, you have to make an effort to get more time in the sun. The benefits of the outdoors drastically affect energy levels and mood. 

To combat the stressors associated with this year’s turnout, all you have to do is take a walk outside or sit and enjoy the sounds of nature. This exposure to sunlight (especially if you do it first thing in the morning) helps your body synthesize vitamin D, associated with improvements in mood. 

Alternatively, people have been stacking up on vitamin D supplements. But in order to reap the full benefits of improved mood, peace of mind, and better focus, you have to make sure you genuinely get some time in nature.

#2 START YOUR DAY WITH A QUICK EXERCISE ROUTINE.

What do you think would give you more energy in the morning – sleeping for an extra five minutes or doing five minutes of intense cardio as soon as you wake up? Inertia creates energy. And we all know exercise is a great way to increase energy and manage stress-related hormones. 

That’s why we should all make an effort to participate in daily activities we enjoy, even if the gyms are closed down where you’re at. Virtual workout groups, jogging, or park workouts are all great alternatives, and you have to take advantage of them. 

You can’t miss out on their physical and mental health benefits, especially if you did during the pandemic. Aim for at least 150-180 minutes of exercise every week, and I guarantee you’ll feel much better than you would just staying at home.

All you really have to do to start your day off right is to create a simple, high-intensity routine that you can do as soon as you wake up. It might include pushups, jumping jacks, lunges, anything that really gets your body moving and puts you in a place where you can generate inertia for the day. And with a mini workout already done five minutes after you wake up, there’s nothing you won’t be able to achieve later on in the day!

#3 – SET UP YOUR ENERGY WITH THE RIGHT ROUTINE.

Even if it’s hard, stick to a routine. Humans thrive on routine. If you teach your body to give you a boost of energy early in the morning when you wake up, your body will stick to the plan. Our bodies love and normalcy.

For you, whether that means getting up and immediately going for a jog, or just going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, this consistency helps us prioritize ourselves. Having a routine means you’ll feel physically, mentally, and emotionally balanced. 

So don’t hesitate to start implementing a routine during your day, even if the routine you followed before the pandemic is unachievable. Implement more positive mini-activities throughout your day, such as exercising, taking walks, journaling, meal prepping, and more. 

The Case for Quitting Meat to Lose Weight

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’re trying to lose weight right now, you’ve likely been reading about (and might even be dabbling in the idea) becoming a flexitarian. This approach to eating involves you eating less meat or switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet in order to lose weight.

After all, research does show that people who follow plant-powered diets tend to weigh less. But, if you can’t imagine a sandwich or dinner without meat in between the buns, this could be a difficult and stressful transition. And whether you decide to opt for meat or plant-based sources, it’s important to continue getting enough protein to feel satisfied at every meal and to maintain muscle throughout your weight-loss journey.

So let’s take a look at what the experts have to say and answer the question – should you really say goodbye to meatballs, steak, and chicken to lose weight?

THE CASE FOR EATING MEAT TO LOSE WEIGHT

Reducing your intake of red meat can indeed help you lose weight. Numerous studies show eating less meat has been linked to an overall lower body mass index (BMI.)

If you are one of those people who have meat at every meal, experts recommend eating less because there’s a lot of animal fat in animal protein sources. This can increase your overall calorie intake. If you are someone who eats meat about 3–4 times a week — which would be the general limit for overall health — more meat won’t help your waistline. 

If you’re used to eating meat all the time, suddenly making it “off-limits” for your weight loss journey can make your job much harder than it has to be. For instance, 4 ounces (which would be about 120 grams) of lean ground beef will provide you with 24 grams of protein. 

If you want to get the same amount from a plant-based protein such as quinoa, you would have to eat around 3 cups of it. This clocks in at nearly four times the calories, and not to mention, considerably more carbohydrates.

THE CASE FOR EATING LESS MEAT TO LOSE WEIGHT

Studies have shown that a plant-based diet that is rich fiber and protein foods is healthier, much cheaper, and much more effective for achieving weight loss than a meat eater’s diet. 

The fiber found in beans and vegetables will help slow digestion and makes the person feel fuller for a longer period of time so they’re satisfied with fewer calories. Meat has no fiber and red meat, in particular, is pretty high in saturated fat. 

You don’t need to cut out meat completely just so you can reap the weight-loss benefits of a plant-based diet. Decreasing your red meat intake to just about 3–4 times a week and then replacing the rest with quality poultry or plant-based proteins will help you reduce your overall fat and calorie intake. Then, you can also tip the scale in your favor by using other strategies such as filling half of your plate with low-calorie, nutrient-dense veggies, and then including satiating protein in every snack. 

When people transition to a plant-based diet for weight loss, a lot of them will tend to overhaul their usual diet. However, this can be a drastic lifestyle change including more time grocery shopping and prepping meals. And honestly, not everyone has the time or skills to do that. 

Let’s not forget: Just because something is vegan, vegetarian or plant-based will not necessarily mean it’s healthy or that it is some sort of magic bullet for successful weight loss. Bring balance in your diet, and include lean, satiating forms of animal protein that can help you lose weight without all the saturated fat in red meat.

The Different Types of Muscular Endurance

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

When we talk about strength training and male fitness, one of the most commonly talked-about topics is muscular endurance. That being said, few people really know what that means and how it affects our overall regime and results. Endurance has become an umbrella term for all types of persistence through a given stressor and that’s not the way you want to look at it if you’re going to maximize your output. 

Let’s take a deeper look at this topic and try to understand what type of muscular endurance we should really seek to develop.

What is muscular endurance, exactly?

Muscular endurance, in the colloquial sense, refers to the amount of reps you can do on one specific exercise. This could be a pullup, a pushup, a lunge, a squat, etc.  

Because these exercises involve prolonged durations of movement, endurance-focused activities are usually performed at a lower intensity. 

In resistance training, this means less weight and more repetitions (or holding an isometric exercise like the plank for a prolonged period of time.)

If you want to accurately measure your muscular endurance, you can do this in a couple of ways depending on the muscle group and activity. For example, the push-up test is a common assessment of upper body muscular endurance, where you’ll be asked to do as many push-ups as possible in one minute. This can also include time-based tests such as the timed wall squat for your lower body.

But sometimes, people also refer to muscular endurance from the aspect of cardio, but that’s a completely different type of endurance. 

Cardiovascular endurance refers to the length of time you can perform a steady cardio activity for. It has nothing to do with the ability of your muscles to persist through a given stressor.

Then, there’s an entirely different type of endurance called strength endurance – this refers to your ability to produce moderate to high amounts of muscular tension of force repeatedly with minimal recovery. 

And finally, you have power endurance, which refers to your ability to produce explosive force through a period with minimal recovery.

If you want to accurately measure your muscular endurance, you can do this in a couple of ways depending on the muscle group and activity. For example, the push-up test is a common assessment of upper body muscular endurance, where you’ll be asked to do as many push-ups as possible in one minute. This can also include time-based tests such as the timed wall squat for your lower body.

If you want to measure your cardiovascular endurance, this is best done through a VO2 max test. Not only that, but some smartphones now actually gauge your VO2 max if you want a ballpark figure – since the actual test requires a visit to a training lab. 

If you want to measure and test out your strength endurance and power endurance, you will have to include (1) a resistance which you can use that presents the level of challenge you want to test for and (2) how many repetitions you can do in a given period of time. This will give you an accurate representation of your ability to recover strength and power through a period where recovery is limited and you’re forcing yourself to exert a high output of energy.

All these four types of endurance are different and unique within themselves, and whether you’re an athlete training for a specific sport or a regular gym-goer who wants to improve their physical abilities, knowing how to measure each type will help you determine the right course of action for your training.

We can say that there’s no one measurement that’s deemed the most optimal when it comes to testing the different types of endurance. However, as a rule of thumb, remember that optimal levels of endurance would be those that are necessary to accomplish your desired activity. It’s all relative to you, the activity, the exercise, and your current fitness level.

Everything You Need to Know About the Carnivore Diet

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Throughout the nutrition world, you will see countless trends in terms of diet and eating methodologies. Some of them will focus on eliminating certain foods, maybe even certain food groups, while some will be focused more on a holistic variety of macronutrients to fuel your body. 

One trend that has been growing in popularity over the last few years, and one that many proponents of the vegetarian/vegan community may not be very fond of, is the carnivore diet.  

The carnivore diet looks exactly how it sounds – complete focus on animal products, meats, and dairy products, whereas a “strict” carnivore diet consists entirely of meat, salt, and water. While it may sound ridiculous at first, countless people across the Internet have been talking about this way of eating for years, and since they’re so many of them now, their voice is finally being heard.

Let’s explore this super strict diet and see if there’s any merit to its health claims. 

Foods you can’t eat while you’re on the carnivore diet:

This plan essentially eliminates all plant-based foods. This means the following items are not allowed:

  • Fruits and veggies: Every fruit and vegetable is essentially off-limits on a strict carnivore diet. That means the carnivore plan also reduces all benefits of plant-based eating, such as high antioxidants and reduced risk of chronic disease. Greens and fruits do appear in less strict forms of this diet.
  • Legumes: Beans, lentils and peas are prohibited on the carnivore eating plan. That’s unfortunate since they’re high in fiber, one nutrient that improves overall health.
  • Whole grains: The carnivore diet does not allow consuming whole grains, this includes brown rice, whole-wheat bread, pasta and even oats. 
  • Nuts and seeds: Everything from cashews to sunflower seeds are forbidden. Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Refined grains and sugars: The refined grains usually found in many cereals and breads, as well as the added sugars found in desserts, are totally off-limits.

The proposed health benefits of the carnivore diet

Few studies have been conducted on the carnivore diet, but this hasn’t stopped its supporters from touting countless health perks in books and online case studies. Let’s take a closer look at their claims:

#1 MOOD, FOCUS, CLARITY, STRESS REDUCTION

Science hasn’t yet supported cutting out carbohydrates to treat such symptoms. If anything, complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, oats, and whole-grain breads could boost our mood by delivering tryptophan, an amino acid that the body utilizes to produce serotonin. It’s also worth noting that many animal products such as eggs, fish, and meat are rich in tryptophan. 

#2 WEIGHT LOSS

Given that the carnivore diet will take two major food groups off your diet, it could lead to weight loss. Temporarily, that is. For starters, having fewer foods to choose from means you will likely consume fewer calories than normal. This is true with all restrictive meal plans. And just like any other diet, when you cut out calories, you’ll lose weight. 

As part of its restrictions, the carnivore diet will eliminate carbohydrates. When the body is deprived of carbs, it goes through a short period of burning all your stored sugar (glycogen.) This process releases water from your body, resulting in quick weight loss. Once glycogen runs out, the body switches to deriving energy from fat, inducing what is known as ketosis. 

Other low-carb diet options

While they’re not as restrictive as the carnivore diet, the following eating plans may be similar in that they sharply reduce your intake of carbs, leading to various health benefits. Many dieters find low-carb diets to be challenging to maintain.

  • Keto diet: The keto diet is a famous high-fat eating plan that emphasizes most animal-derived foods including red meat, butter, and cheese. This means most carbs are off-limits, leafy greens, low-starch veggies, and small portions of fruits such as berries are usually allowed. Similar to the carnivore diet, keto diet relies on inducing ketosis, a process that completely depletes glycogen stores so the body starts using stored fat as energy. 
  • Paleo diet: With countless variations out there, the Paleo diet generally allows most whole and unprocessed foods, including fruits, veggies, nuts, most seeds, a lot of lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, as well as plant oils. That being said, some whole foods such as tomatoes are usually off-limits as supporters of the diet claim they might contain toxins. Because it basically limits what you can eat and therefore likely produces a calorie deficit, the Paleo diet usually results in achieving weight loss. 

Creeping Cortisol: Is HIIT Overstressing You?

weight loss

Hey Angels and Alphas,

If you’ve done high-intensity interval training before, you know it can produce some amazing results. But, like anything, it’s best done in moderation. High-intensity interval training has gained massive acclaim as being an efficient way to improve many aspects of your physical fitness.

But without adequate recovery, intense exercise can actually lead to elevated levels of cortisol in the bloodstream and heightened symptoms of physical stress… even when you’re not doing exercise.

What is HIIT?

Whether you’re on a Peloton bike, attending a gym class, or doing a YouTube workout, chances are you’ve heard of or even tried HIIT.  

These short bouts of intense work lasting anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds, followed immediately by active recovery of the same length or longer, make up the main concept of HIIT. A cycle of hard work and recovery that is essentially repeated anywhere between 3 and 15 times. Depending on the workout.

Positive physiological benefits from HIIT also include heightened post-exercise metabolism, improved fasting blood sugar, body composition, insulin response, and more. And because of its benefits gained with only a few workouts, HIIT as a whole has gained a reputation for being a magic pill for exercise.

With HIIT, you might start seeing changes within a matter of the first few weeks, and you’ll walk away from your workouts feeling like you’ve reached an entirely new level of power and productivity.

It only takes a few intervals to experience your body’s heightened level of energy, which is influenced by a massive fluctuation of hormones, especially cortisol.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is one of the countless hormones that our body produces to manage stress. During high-intensity training, the brain starts sensing stress, and a cascade of these hormones is released. The release of cortisol then activates the sympathetic nervous system, essentially generating a fight-or-flight response. Historically, the sympathetic nervous system’s response to dangers was crucial to our ability to survive, and it provides our bodies with the immediate energy we might need to fight or flee from a foe.

Cortisol is responsible for physiological changes, one of which is the breakdown of fats and carbs and a subsequent rise in blood sugar for immediate energy. Not to mention, repressing the immune system to focus the body’s energy on the potentially life-threatening situation that it’s facing.

HIIT affects cortisol levels in a couple of ways.

Part of what makes HIIT training so effective at turning your body lean and strong is this cortisol response that it will generate. As your legs start pedaling as fast as possible, your brain starts receiving the message that your survival depends on this interval. At that point, cortisol and other hormones are released, creating a response in the sympathetic nervous system. The body then makes the according metabolic improvements following this hormonally demanding situation.  

The problem with cortisol is that when your body builds up too much of it, either because of physical or psychological stress, it will float freely in your bloodstream. This will cause negative symptoms to start creeping into your life. 

Overtraining syndrome, which has some physiological causes, may actually include a raised level of cortisol. The symptoms of overtraining include:

  • anxiety
  • changes in mood
  • muscle fatigue or less power when exercising
  • chronic fatigue
  • changes in sleep patterns
  • repressed immune system response

Naturally, when your body is overly taxed by this imbalance of cortisol, any of these symptoms may be present, even if you haven’t worked out in the last couple of days. 

Ideally, your body should be able to determine on its own when the reaction of fight or flight is useful and actually appropriate. But too much HIIT can send confusing signals to the brain to create a protective response even when our bodies are supposed to be calm and at rest. 

Everyday tasks such as driving to work and packing lunch might leave you feeling slightly agitated because your body is misinterpreting everyday stress as a different type of stress. 

Because HIIT creates this powerful reaction in our sympathetic nervous system, it’s important to prioritize recovery and make sure we’re always getting in enough rest between our workouts, whether they include weights or short bouts of HIIT.

Comparing the Alternatives to Bread

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Millions of people around the world, not just in the nutrition world but as a whole, are big fans of bread. It’s still the recipient of a tarnished, undeserved reputation thanks to diet culture. But in reality, bread contains nutrients that are essential to keeping our bodies energized and healthy. It’s that simple. 

You wouldn’t normally encourage people to replace bread with alternative options unless it’s necessary for their health. But that said, there are food that may be of better use to you if you’re looking to mix up your diet and plan your macros better, both of which absolutely have great health benefits. 

Let’s compare the alternatives to this pantry staple and see which one will help you best serve your health and fitness goals. 

#1 CORN TORTILLAS

They’re flavorful, versatile, and they can make an amazing bread substitute for egg, veggie wraps, mashed avocado, or even tuna and turkey. They’re gluten-free (unless otherwise noted on the label or the ingredients list) and they’re a nice option for people with gluten sensitivities. 

Depending on which brand you’re using or how you’re making them, they can be a great source of fiber with 3-4 grams in every large tortilla. They also contain about 3 grams of protein in the same amount. They will also provide you with magnesium, even a small amount of plant-based iron. When it comes to the alternatives, corn tortillas are one of the good ones. 

#2 COLLARD GREENS

The reason why collard greens are in a comparison like this is that even though collard greens are not bread, and even though you’re not going to be using them instead of bread in a low-carb diet, to say that they lack nutrients would be misleading.

Collard greens are packed with nutrients – vitamin C, plant-based iron, magnesium, calcium, and blood sugar-stabilizing fiber. The fact that they lack carbohydrates means that using collard greens instead of a carb like bread might leave you feeling unsatisfied after meals or even lead to cravings later in the day. 

#3 RICE CAKES

When you hear rice cake, do you immediately think of that tasteless diet food at your local grocery store? It’s no wonder. But rice cakes are so much more than that. They’re a great substitute for bread for people with Celiac disease or people who want that little extra crunch in their meal or snack. Unlike other options here, they’re pretty devoid of most nutrients and they aren’t a great source of fiber, protein, vitamins, or minerals. They can, however, be a pretty great vehicle for the foods that *are* rich in those nutrients – such as avocado and tomato, tuna salad, cucumber and hummus, or even banana slices and nut butter. 

#4 SWEET POTATO “TOAST”

Sweet potato “toast” has pretty much become a very popular dish by itself, and its recipes contain a variety of inventive, delicious toast toppings that are flooding the internet in recent years. 

These toasts may require a bit more work than just throwing out a few slices of bread into your toaster, and they can be a great alternative to regular toast for people who have gluten sensitivities or people who want something a little more hearty. Because they’re usually sturdier than your typical slice of bread, sweet potatoes can hold more delicious toppings. 

You can try yogurt or ricotta with honey and fruits, or even a protein-packed chicken salad alongside your sweet potato toast. Nutrition-wise, they’re an amazing source of vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and complex carbs. When it comes to alternatives to bread, they’re one of the winners.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS…

There are countless alternatives to bread at your local grocery store, but a lot of them are there simply because of a diet culture that constantly vilifies carbohydrates. But if you’re choosing an alternative to bread or you’re following a more restrictive diet, it’s probably not a good choice for you or your relationship with food to restrict carbs.

Can Wine Be Considered Healthy?

nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

We all know that water, coffee, and tea are some of the world’s most consumed beverages. But alcohol isn’t that far behind. 

A recent survey discovered that almost 70 percent of Americans reported that they drank alcohol in the last year. How much people drink will vary widely, and we’re all familiar with all the negative effects that come from heavy drinking.

But over the past two or three decades, doctors, media outlets, and scientists have all dedicated a ton of time and energy into finding out whether or not moderate drinking – such as drinking red wine – is healthy and even healthier than abstaining from alcohol altogether.

Much of this initial interest lies in the “French Paradox”, a term referring to the relatively low rates of heart disease in France despite a diet high in saturated fat.

It’s generally a fun narrative, and it’s one that makes us feel better about the occasional (or even nightly) glass of wine. 

So let’s talk about it – is wine actually healthy? Should you be drinking wine if you aren’t already? Let’s turn to the experts for help.

IS WINE ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

There has been a ton of observational research that has tried to show that moderate consumption of red wine is associated with a variety of health benefits, including reduced risk for cancer, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more. However, these studies are not really conclusive as they do not show cause and effect. There are likely countless of other lifestyle factors at play in these studies. 

Experts equate the equation to the chicken and the egg dilemma: does wine really bring health benefits, or could it be the mixture of other healthier lifestyle factors?

If you’re a moderate drinker and you enjoy a glass of wine now and then, you probably don’t rely on wine to keep you healthy. Instead, it’s important to practice all other healthy behaviors such as getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and practicing stress relief. 

There isn’t and there never will be one single nutrient that can be responsible for good health. Instead, it’s the mixture of various nutrition and lifestyle factors that make up a positive end result.

When it comes to wine and even alcohol, in general, moderation is vital. The health benefits quickly disappear, and the risks start outweighing the benefits when you go beyond a certain threshold.

AND WHAT ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF ALCOHOL?

Wine contains the antioxidant resveratrol, unlike other beverages, beer, or liquor. 

Experts say this antioxidant works inside the body to decrease oxidative stress, and in turn, this helps prevent the onset of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Many studies actually support the idea that red wine, in particular, is a much healthier drink than other alcoholic beverages. 

And many studies don’t support this idea, as well. It can be difficult to differentiate the cause and effect between various drink types and other lifestyle factors.

Nevertheless, experts stress that resveratrol is found in even higher concentrations in whole grapes, so wine isn’t necessarily the best place you should go looking for it. If you’re really in it for the antioxidants and their benefits, you’ll be much better off just eating red grapes or other plant-based foods than you are drinking red wine. 

And even if you are someone who drinks red wine, you should still consume a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet, because even after a grueling day, wine cannot make a good substitute for a wholesome dinner.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS…

Wine can indeed be a part of a healthy lifestyle and, in some cases, can even bring more benefits than risks. The science isn’t exactly settled on how much wine may benefit your health, and alcohol consumption is generally associated with a host of negative health outcomes. If you do enjoy wine, drink it in moderation, but don’t rely on it to keep you healthy. Remember – alcohol is a toxin, and unless you’re a drinker, there’s no reason to start drinking now.

Boosting Gym Performance with Flavonoids

male fitness

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Athletes are pretty motivated to examine their dieting and make necessary changes based on the various quests they have for performance enhancement. While this will often include weight-loss practices, sport foods, and supplements, there is a very valuable health-promoting and potentially ergogenic aid that’s always overlooked… flavonoids. 

WHAT ARE FLAVONOIDS?

Flavonoids are essentially phytonutrients rich in antioxidants that are found in a variety of plant foods such as veggies, fruits, grains, wine, chocolate, tea, and more.

There are about six subgroups of the compounds that make up flavonoids. However, there are more than 6,000 currently identified flavonoids. These subgroups include:

  • Flavonols
  • Flavones
  • Flavan-3-ols
  • Anthocyanins
  • Isoflavones
  • Flavanones

You can see how this classification can easily get confusing as many of the compounds become lumped together interchangeably in most of the common nutrition advice you see out there.

Groups of flavonoids or individual flavonoids could occur in the same foods, such as flavan-3-ols and anthocyanins. Both of them naturally occur in strawberries, as well as in separate foods, and flavones are the only type you’ll usually find in peppermint.

When brought together, flavonoids work to improve cellular activity and reduce the damage from free-radical stressors. Just as each vitamin is responsible for some specific health-promoting bodily function, flavonoids each have their own distinct functions ranging from hormone balance to anti-inflammatory responses to cardiovascular health. This is another reason why athletes should not rely on limiting their intake of whole foods in favor of sports foods and supplements.

WHAT GIVES FLAVONOIDS THEIR EDGE?

Flavonoid-rich foods are an indispensable part of a health-promoting diet. And there might be some proof out there these compounds can provide athletes with a performance edge. 

When your training is taken to the point that goes beyond typical physical activity and reaches a point of high exertion, sore muscles, short rest periods, and more, then there is a large chance of increased oxidative stress and inflammation spreading in the body.

Essentially reducing the ill effects of the exercise-induced inflammation is one of the goals for many competitive athletes out there. And there’s some evidence that flavonoids can be of potential benefit in certain instances. But more research is necessary to exactly pin down its application in real-life sport situations.

QUERCETIN FOR MORE POWER AND WEIGHT LOSS

Quercetin is one of the more well-studied flavonoids out there. It’s a compound found in a variety of plant foods such as apples, capers, nuts, apples, cherries, red wine, black tea, broccoli, beans, and leafy greens.

Since many foods tend to provide this natural nutrient, it’s likely that our daily diet should contain quercetin. However, the amount available in foods you eat may not be that effective in providing you with a performance edge. Dietary evaluations have concluded that the average person consumes about 40 milligrams a day, whereas most studies using the flavonoid require a dosage of 500mg or more.

To demonstrate its benefits, one study used a 500mg dosage and combined it with vitamin C on male athletes. 

It showed an improved metabolic rate, total energy expenditure, and improved body composition. Most athletes would agree that lower bodyweight and learner body composition will lead to a competitive edge. While this study showed some positive outcomes for supplemental flavonoids, it’s pretty well known that people who eat a diet rich in plants are less likely to suffer from obesity. 

FOOD SOURCES OF FLAVONOIDS

Most dietary flavonoids will be provided to you by foods rich in fiber. Athletes tend to avoid these to reduce gut distress, but certain foods such as dark chocolate and tart cherry could provide a very beneficial source of these nutrients. 

Increasing your chocolate intake could help you, as an athlete, meet the high-energy demands while providing you with beneficial nutrients such as iron and flavonoids that would be usually limited in a performance diet. The flavonoids in dark chocolate could play a specific role in improving the availability of nitric oxide. This means a reduced oxygen cost of exercise. 

This is the same action beets are so well known for. A study tested this on competitive male athletes and found that chronic dark chocolate intake provides improvements in VO2max.

Best Ways to Sneak in Peanut Butter in your Day

Nutrition

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Few foods will ever come close to peanut butter in terms of being a dietary staple. Not only is it so versatile that it could be included throughout any of the world’s cuisines, but it’s also widely accessible anywhere in the world. Plus, it’s very healthy. Peanut butter will contain all three macronutrient groups, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, folate, niacin, and more.

You may have already found some great ways to incorporate peanut butter in your diet. But here are a few more. We’ve compiled a few of our go-to ways to eat peanut butter, so you can grow your repertoire. 

#1 ON CLASSIC PB&J

The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich will not only taste great, but it will also be a great pre-workout snack. The nostalgia of this sandwich might keep bringing you back to your childhood days, all while healthy peanut butter and store-bought breads will give you an amazing nutrition bang for your buck.

#2 INSIDE STIR-FRY SAUCE

This is one of the best savory uses for peanut butter. Stir-fries are a staple not only because they deliver at least 2/3 types of veggies, but also because they have proteins and carbs when served with something like rice or noodles. But you can really bring them together with a flavorful sauce, and that’s where peanut butter can really shine. 

Get a crunchy peanut butter, some low-sodium soy sauce, some rice vinegar, and some garlic, and whisk it all together. Then add some warm water for a thinner consistency, as well as so you could adjust the flavors and spice to your preferences. Save any leftovers so you can use them as a dipping sauce for your veggies.

#3 INSIDE OATMEAL

From lowering cholesterol to helping you manage weight more effectively, there are countless reasons to add oats to your diet. However, one of the most common mistakes people make is that they forget to add protein and healthy fat to their usual bowl of oatmeal. Without fat and protein, oatmeal on its own will not make up a balanced meal and may leave you feeling hungry shortly after eating.

The fix is simple: add peanut butter to your oats so you can boost their nutrient content. They’ll be delicious, flavorful, and without much sugar inside them. Not to mention, creamy and satisfactory.

#4 IN ENERGY BITES

You can make lovely peanut butter energy bites by mixing together peanut butter with flaxseeds, honey, chocolate chips, and old-fashioned oats. They’re an amazing healthy snack that even the kids love, and they’re an effective pre-workout snack.

#5 WITH FROZEN BANANAS & CHOCOLATE

Few snacks can really match this one in terms of satisfaction, a frozen banana with dark chocolate and peanut butter. Simply slice up and freeze your banana ahead of time. Then melt the dark chocolate and peanut butter together. Then add a smidge of butter and dip your bananas in so you can freeze them again. 

#6 STIRRED INTO GREEK YOGURT

This is one of the most delicious ways to boost low or nonfat Greek yogurt with some healthy fats and protein. You can even add cacao nibs as well to make all that peanut butter goodness more chocolatey.

#7 IN SMOOTHIES

Including peanut butter in your breakfast smoothie will help you add the satiety factor to it. By adding protein, you’ll keep yourself full for longer. Smoothies are also a great go-to breakfast choice for many people because they’re quick and easy to make. You can experiment with countless recipes that include your favorite yogurts, peanut butter, and milk and mix them in interesting ways to get a nutritious start to your day.

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