Can't lose weight...blame it on the CORTISOL!

Have you ever been one of those ruts where you just can’t seem to lose weight? You are sacrificing those yummy cinnamon rolls in order to maintain a healthy diet, you exercise 5 times a week blending in strength exercises with plenty of cardio…but you seem to have just hit a plateau and can’t lose weight. The answer may be right under you nose….actually a little further down…right on the top of the kidneys where your adrenal cortex is found.
Adrenal cortex is responsible for the production of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for regulating blood sugar, inflammation, energy production and the regulation of the immune system.
Too little cortisol can lead to problems such as fatigue, exhaustion, and disease of the endocrine system called Addison’s disease. The problem in our society lies in conditions that arise from having TOO MUCH cortisol. Problems such as:

· Weight gain, especially around the abdomen area
· Depressed immune system
· Stomach ulcers
· Accelerated aging

Here is a fun fact for you….diets have a failure rate of about 93-97%. There are several reasons for this, a major one being that we live in a society where time is limited and bad foods are readily available, so we tend to connect the two…quite often actually…leading to a bad habit in diet. Another major factor which you may not know is cortisol….a hormone that is often released in our body in response to stress…..yup, stress…something we experience way too much of. A drastic change in eating habits causes anxiety and stress which releases cortisol.
Its important to know that the release of cortisol is essential to our survival, in fact it’s a defensive mechanism our body has. Our brain is hard wired with automatic responses to protect the body from harm and stress.

Stress=release of cortisol=too much cortisol= fat storage.

Stress can be physical (fatigue), environmental (pollution, drugs), chemical (nutritional deficiency, refined sugar comsuption) or physiological (fear, worry)
An interesting form of physical stress is the “Fight or Flight” response. Imagine your child getting caught in the bottom of the car during an accident. The stress caused on your body is enough for you to have an immediate nervous breakdown, but because of the release of hormones, your body is able to capture an amazing amount of strength to be able to move that car and save your child. During the stress period, the body's self healing mechanisms are held off (healing diverts energy and raw materials away from immediate survival) the immune system is suppressed, glycogen stores in the liver and muscle tissue are mobilized to raise the blood sugar level and digestion. The stomach lining becomes thin and ulcerated and the thymus gland and lymphatic tissue shrinks….Basically what this all means is that all of your body’s energy is put forth to address the stress at hand.

This “Fight or flight” worked well for our ancestors while chasing for their dinner, or running away from becoming dinner. Unfortunately, it does not work so well in today ‘s world of battling traffic, competing for parking spaces, meeting deadlines, watching depressing news. All those things produce the same physiological responses as running for your life. So if the stress does not go away, neither will cortisol.

If you don’t learn to eliminate stress from your life, it will slowly eliminate you! Take a look at the 4 stages that your body goes through while dealing with stress:

(1) REACTION…your body experiences the symptoms from the trauma, infection, cold, heat, chemical irritation, etc. The adrenal glands responds with the release of cortisol and other hormones to neutralize the caused trauma. The heart rate along with your blood pressure goes up, and pupils dilate.

(2) ADAPTATION… after the adrenal glands have enlarged and released large quantities of adrenal cortical hormones (ie cortisol), the symptoms disappear and the individual feels good, is able to regain energy, and is able to function in the presence of the stresses he/she is under. This is one of the most overlooked steps which most people don’t take care of…. which leads to the next state…… exhaustion.

(3) EXHAUSTION…. after an extended period in stage two, your body's reserves of nutritional elements is depleted. The symptoms return and there is now no relief. You may collapse physically, suffer a nervous breakdown, or experience an organ failure (heart attack or stroke.)

(4) DEATH. When the accumulated stress is bigger that the amount of hormones that the body is able to release, the body is no longer able to adapt, rest, or rejuvenate. The consequence is death.

OK--- HOW DO WE CONTROL CORTISOL?

(1) REST---the obvious one, but the very important one. Find the time to take relax, go for a walk outdoors, perform some breathing exercises (see last post) and get a good nights sleep.

(2) EAT---Maintain a low glycemic diet. Sugar handling stress increases cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol, in turn, aggravates the sugar handling situation contributing to the development of high insulin levels and ultimately diabetes.

(3) EXERCISE releases hormones, but within those hormones are happy hormones (endorphins) which neutralizes the cortisol. Exercise also teaches the body how to control hormones naturally. You can literally exercise your stress away.

(4) RELAX….just like number 1, but worth repeating.

(5) SUPPLEMENT YOUR BODY:
Some supplements to control cortisol levels are:

A multi Mineral Supplement once daily.
Mag-C. This is a source of buffered vitamin C and a source of absorbable magnesium.
Advanced Essential Minerals. Mineral absorption and assimilation can be impaired by stressed adrenal glands. Minerals are essential for energy metabolism.
B5 vitamin
B6 vitamin
B12 vitamin

Herbs such as Adaptogens assists the body in coping with stress by restoring hypothalamic cortisol receptor sensitivity. They are a natural combination of Siberian ginseng, Manchurian Thorn Tree extract, Hawthorn extract, Echinopanax elatum and Schisandra.

In summary….it all comes down to lifestyle in order to control that cortisol and get out of that rut. Don’t depend on set workouts, always add a variety of different exercises to every workout. Don’t settle for diets, just remember moderation. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses…learn to relax, meditate, and breathe. You life depends on a healthy lifestyle…so going back to my motto….learn to “invigorate your health, and upgrade your lifestyle.”

Check out my online nutrition store for science based natural products: http://tinyurl.com/ngakw2

Breathe a Better Life!

Breathe, Breathe, Breathe!!......its not only what nurses and doctors tell their patient during childbirth...trainers use those words everyday....several times over and over! Breathing is essential for not only living, but also important in order to have a great workout.

Lets take a deeper look how to improve your workouts and your life with proper breathing. As you may already know some of the downfalls of improper breathing include:

· Dizziness
· Numbness
· Anxiety
· Shoulder, neck pain
· Stiff muscles
· Chest pain
· Mental Fog

According to breathing expert Dr Andrew Weil “We are taught to suck in our guts and puff out our chests, which causes the muscles to tense and respiration rate to increase. As a result, we are a nation of shallow "chest breathers," who primarily use the middle and upper portions of the lungs. Babies breathe from the belly, but with age, most people shift from this healthy abdominal breathing to shallow chest breathing.”

Stop and smell the roses! You will see significant improvement in your workouts as well as decrease your stress levels. Here are some highlights of proper breathing:

· Supplying oxygen for your energy production pump
· Improves concentration and focus
· Feeds the working muscle with constant and sufficient oxygen to contract efficiently without fatiguing too quickly
· Reduces stress
· Reduces blood pressure
· Increases metabolism, which can help in digestion and weight loss

Among those mentioned above are far more benefits to breathing properly….so how do you breath property? Lets look at breathing techniques both during a workout and while at rest:

During workout:
Inhale during the easiest part of the exercise. For example, during a bicep curl, you should inhale right when you pause and while lowering the weight. Exhale when you are raising the dumbbells, which would be the hardest part of the exercise.
Maintain a rhythm that is neither too fast or too slow which can lead to hyperventilation or dizziness, respectively.

While at rest:
Here is an excellent plan to tranquilize your nervous system:
(The following plan was suggested by Dr. Andrew Weil--an expert in natural health and proper breathing techniques.)

You can do this laying down or sitting up with your back straight. Make sure to place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there throughout the exercise.

1.) Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
2.) Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
3.) Hold your breath for a count of seven.
4.) Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
5.) This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Make sure that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale through your mouth (loudly). Exhalation takes twice as long as inhaling. This is the ideal exercise to incorporate right after you wake up and right before bedtime.

Try these techniques both in the gym and in your everyday life to improve your workouts as well as de-stress and enhance your life.

10 "Healthy" Foods that make you FAT!

Like I always tell my clients...it takes small steps to achieve that healthy lifestyle....and remember its not about diets, special weight loss workouts or special fat eating pills--its about changing a lifestyle.

Imagine going up the stairs without breathing heavy, keeping up with your kids when they ask you to play with them, being able to eat your favorite dessert without feeling guilty (after adapting to a healthy diet the other days) being ok with parking far away and walking an extra minute to get to the store.

All you need is discipline and determination. To start, lets take a look at some foods that you can try to eliminate from your permanent diet (you might be able to maintain a couple of them if they are offered in low fat, whole wheat edition).... here is a list I made....I call it:

10 “HEALTHY” FOODS THAT MAKE YOU FAT

1.) Diet soda
Just because its diet, does not mean you can drink 8 cans a day. Diet sodas triggers release of insulin in your body, which makes you crave more food (usually carbs)
Diet sodas also inhibit the hormone leptin, which regulates your metabolism and appetite. Try to drink water as often as possible.

2.) Pretzels
You may think they may be better than potato chips, but they’re made with enriched white flour and loaded with carbohydrates, a big diet no-no.

3.) Fruit juices
Next time you are at the grocery store, take a look at the nutrition facts of any juice and you are going to be surprised at the high amount of sugar that it contains. Also, most juices contain only about 5-10% natural fruit juice. Eat your fruits rather than drink them.

4.) Salad kits
Salad dressings can add hundreds of calories and more fat that you need. Keep your salads healthy and stick to the lighter dressings.

5.) Peanut Butter
If you just need to have it, stick to the reduced-fat version, but use it in moderation because the fat removed from the reduced fat is replaced with fillers with no reduction in calories.

6.) Poultry hot dogs
All hot dogs include skin and fat, even those made from poultry. Try a low fat or fat free hot dog as a lower-calorie alternative for your cookouts. Your friends won’t even tell the difference.

7.) Cereal bars
Many of these “healthy” bars are high in refined sugar and saturated fat. Look for those that are low in fat and contain very little sugar.

8.) Frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt contains added sugar, which translates to extra calories. Look for the low fat labels and indulge sparingly.

9.) Rice cakes
These crispy treats can cause your blood sugar to spike, which ultimately causes your body to store unwanted fat by slowing down its ability to burn it off. Also, stay away from the flavored rice cakes. They are loaded with sodium, which triggers your body to retain water. Who needs that bloated feeling anyways?


10.) Cereal
Avoid eating right out of the box, those little flakes add up and you can easily go over your limit. Instead add 1% or non- fat milk which decreases the calorie density. An ounce of cereal with milk has fewer calories than an ounce of cereal alone, so you’ll take in fewer calories but feel just as satisfied.


Remember that cheat days are ok once in a blue moon, but stay consistent and look out for those trap foods that might be “healthy”

Expand your life...not your waist!

I am currently in Kansas visiting my lovely girlfriend Abby (she is currently attending graduate school here). We spent the day in downtown Kansas City with her family, mainly attending the Good Guys Car Show. Her dad is a huge fan and it was his birthday, so the setting was fitting. While at the car show, I couldn't help but notice the size of some of these people outhere. The saddest part was that a majority of them were kids. I just wanted to go up to each and everyone that was overweight and give them a lecture about how incredibly in danger they were putting themselves and their kids. They are leading their lives down a road that can lead to major health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, joint issues, and many more.

Just the other day I was reading an article from the America Sports Data which listed disturbing details about the obesity problem in the United States:

"3.8 million people are over 300 pounds, over 400,000 people (mostly males) carry over 400 pounds and the average adult female weighs an unprecedented 163 pounds!"

Now to add to that shock factor, the following data from the National Center for Health which has been tracking America’s obesity problem for over four decades lists the following:

"-- Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to an alarming 31% of the population.

-- 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.-- 31% are obese with a BMI in excess of 30.0.

-- Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past two decades.

-- According to the U.S. Surgeon General report obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year."

If those numbers don't disturb you, I am not sure what will. I know one thing is for certain---Exercise and a proper diet can help! Now you don't have to start training for a marathon, but 10 min a day of walking will do as a start. Slowly build yourself up to 20 min within a period of a month--you will be amazed at how great you will feel. If you are one of those people that are active and in shape, instead of judging those that are not, try to motivate them to exercise. If we are to eliminate this problem in our country, we must unite and really help each other out. Don't just look the other way---bring your overweight family member or friend to the gym or park next time you go for a workout. Tell them to do at least a 10-15 min workout (they may even start enjoying it and want to do more). Sometimes a little extra push is all it takes and you could possibly be saving that persons life...or at least expanding it.

The same goes for a proper diet. Don't fool yourself by saying you will completely eliminate all fats and sugar, and you will only eat veggies and fruits for 2 months straight. Start by eliminating a little bit at a time. Maybe the first week you eliminate white flour from your diet, the second week you can eliminate eating after 8PM, and so on. Constantly remind yourself: "This is a complete lifestyle change, I want to live a long, healthy life and have lots of energy!"

Let me just add that I am a firm believer of having what I like to call "cheat" foods. I must confess, I love a good burger with some fries and a diet coke once in a while. I don't ever tell my clients to deprive themselves completely of their favorite treats. Instead I tell them that if they keep a solid diet for 6 days in the week, that 7th day for one meal they can eat whatever there hearts desire (eventually some of them will reach a point where they can go for a few weeks without eating their "cheat" foods because they feel great eating a heathier, balanced diet)

Another thing to remember, which I am sure most of you have heard--Its all about moderation folks! Start using smaller plates for your meals and drink a full cup of water prior to eating to prevent overeating. In addition, try to replace juice for water at the dinner table and maintain the fridge and cabinets clear of junk snacks (cookies, brownies, ice cream, etc) Leave those for the "cheat day." Make sure the fatty snacks are out of the house, so you have to drive somewhere to get it on those cheat days.

Start taking those baby steps toward your new lifestyle thats going to leave you with amazing energy and a superb health!

Check out my online nutrition store for all natural supplements that can help guide you in the right direction Click here for my nutrition store: http://tinyurl.com/ngakw2

Metabolic Boost!

What exactly is metabolism? Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain yourself. Whether you are walking, sitting, sleeping or eating, your body is constantly burning calories. The challenge and biggest question for most people is how to rev up YOUR metabolism.It’s very simple. The fact is, muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. As a result if you are more muscular, you will burn much more calories by just simply sitting or sleeping due to the higher energy demand that muscles need. The more fat you have the fewer calories you burn—it’s that simple! So, how do we rev up the metabolism? First, you have to add exercise to your lifestyle. Exercise naturally increases the amount of calories you burn. Cardio exercises such as walking, running, biking, and circuit training classes will help you not only burn excess calories but also protect you against American’s number 1 killer (heart disease) by keeping your heart and cardiovascular system strong. In addition to cardio, you need to add strength training to your regimen to add lean muscle. Strength training is an essential tool to burning fat. There are many ways to get muscular without getting bulky…in fact getting bulky is much harder and complicated than most people think. If possible, contact a local qualified trainer to teach you the proper techniques and training when lifting weights. Without guidance, you could hurt yourself and end up spending much more money down the road if you don’t learn the basic body mechanics when lifting.As soon as you get your metabolism going, you will naturally burn calories at a faster rate. It may take 3-5 months until your body gets familiarized to burning calories more rapidly, so you have to be patient and persistent. Remember it took many years for you to put on the weight, so a few months of hard work should not be too bad. 10 Tips to Increase Your Metabolism

1. Start the day with a quick 15-20 min cardio session - walking, running, biking, etc.

2. Cut all carbohydrates after 7pm.

3. Eat every 3 hours - keeps the metabolism working all day long (5-6 small meals a day)

4. Don’t skip meals - your body will actually store more fat when skipping a meal because it signals the body that it is starving.

5. Cut out refined sugar from your diet - soda, donuts, candy --- they are only empty calories which fill you up but eventually turn into fat.

6. Limit yourself to a “cheat day” once a week - eat what you like, but as time will pass, you might actually enjoy the healthy diet and if that’s the case eliminate the cheat day.

7. Trade whole milk for skim milk - it contains all the benefits minus the fat.

8. Avoid white flour - stick with whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat pitas (make your calories rich in essential nutrients)

9. Drink water throughout the day - wherever you take your cell phone, take a water bottle.

10. Include some protein with every meal - chicken, fish, lean meat, tofu, protein shakes or protein bars.

So remember: to build an efficient, lean, calorie burning machine you need to keep a close watch on your diet, drink plenty of water, get your cardio in daily and strength train 2-3 times a week. There’s nothing to lose except CALORIES!Make it happen!

3 of the Absolute Best Ways to Control Overeating

For those of you that have a hard time controlling your hunger and are contantly in need of having something to eat, here are the best tactics that I have found to work over the years:


1.) CARRY A TOOTBRUSH WITH YOU. Thats right! Leave one at the office, one in the car, and one in your purse. Brushing your teeth will prevent you from overeating or eating when you are really not hungry. Since we are so used to brushing our teeth after a meal, we can trigger or "confuse" the brain into not eating right when you feel hungry, at least not right away.

2.) ALWAYS CARRY A WATER BOTTLE WITH YOU. Wherever you take your cell...or Iphone...take a water bottle. Drinking water satisfies your body because it might be more thirsty than hungry. In addition Chemical processes inside the body works best and fastest in an aqueous or wet environment. That includes the metabolic process!!!

3.) CHEW A PIECE OF SUGARLESS GUM. This gives you an oral satisfaction of chewing and can help prevent trigger that false hunger.


Remember, it takes baby steps to achieve your ultimate goal. We don't want to have a start and finish to your fitness program, we want a complete change in your lifestyle, so it takes small changes to achieve your ultimate fitness goals. So include those 3 things in your everyday life in order to get one step closer to your goal. STAY DISCIPLINED!