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Insulin escorts fat into the fat cell
Glucagon escorts fat out of the fat cell.
Insulin is secreted in response to carbohydrates
Glucagon is secreted in response to protein foods
The big idea: If you want to get lean and build muscle make sure all your meals contain more protein than carbohydrates.
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Both men and women benefit tremendously from physical activity! However, did you know that there are gender differences that will influence fitness development? Many of these differences are related to size. On the average, men are 10 to 15 percent larger than women; men have roughly twice the percentage of muscle mass of women and men have half the percentage of body fat. Yes, men are approximately 30 percent stronger than women, particularly above the waist. In case you haven`t noticed, men also have more sweat glands than women and they have a greater maximum oxygen uptake (a factor that can determine a person’s capacity to perform sustained exercise).
Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men and more of their fat is distributed around the waist and thighs. The average woman has a smaller heart, lower percentage of slow twitch muscle fibres (often called 'endurance' muscle fibers) and smaller blood volume than men. Because women have a lower concentration of red blood cells, their bodies are less effective at transporting oxygen to their working muscles during exercise. However, women adapt to endurance training by improving the pumping effectiveness of the heart.
So, there you have it! Whether you are XX or XY...here are 10 reasons why you should do your workout, today:
1 . Enhance your mood and relax your body by releasing endorphins.
2 . Increase your creativity and alertness.
3 . Reduce your stress.
4 . Burn your fat.
5 . Boost your metabolism.
6 . Charge your immune system for 1 to 3 hours after each workout.
7 . Increase your circulation.
8 . Eliminate toxins through your sweat glands and lymph system.
9 . Strengthen your heart and lungs.
1 0 .Provide an appropriate outlet for your tension.
ShareDamaged fats become free radicals and free radicals cause damage to our bodies increase the chance of many diseases and pre-age us. One way fats can get damaged is by oxidation through exposure to air. The oxygen in the air binds to the carbon atoms where the hydrogen atom is missing and steels an electron from the fat molecule. The fat that is now missing an electron is damaged or "oxidized".
Oxidation can be seen as rancid fat. When oil turns brown or even when butter turns dark yellow they are rancid. Rancid fats should never be eaten. Oxidation happens more easily to fats that have been removed from it's natural source (e.g., Corn). That's because fats that are found in their natural source also have antioxidants like vitamin E and lecithin both of which are removed or destroyed during the refining process. Oxidation occurs easier at higher temperatures. All fats should be refrigerated to avoid oxidation.
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I believe having success in all aspects of your life is the ultimate wellness. I strive to balance home life, work life, self and community on a daily basis. Success in all aspects is something I strive for every day and it's never ending.
I just finished the book Outliers (the story of success) and it really gave me a different outlook on how someone masters one these categories of success. Here are a few words from the book; "It's not the brightest that succeed. It is rather a gift. The successful are those that have been given opportunities and who have had the strength and the presence of mind to cease them."
Sure you have to be hard working, persistent and knowledgeable but aren't we all? What Malcolm explains is that when it comes to mastery there are factors that are just simply out of our control and I know ambitious people hate to hear that (including me) but at the same time it's also refreshing to think about. I say this because I often see people focus on one aspect of their life trying to be the next Bill Gates while completely neglecting other aspects and forgetting about their quality of life.
A very respected friend once told me something that I really loved. She said: "Don't measure your success in comparison with others but measure your success with where you started your journey."
I wish you the best quality of life!
ShareI recently had a conversation with Tom (Our newest team member at Free Form) about diet. Tom is a certified personal trainer that also has experience in the "health food store" world, having worked at the Natural Food Pantry and Kardish foods. I was really impressed by Tom's passion and knowledge for nutrition and thought that it would be a great opportunity to share his story with my readers. Here it is;
How did you get interested in nutrition?
Nutrition began at a very young age for me. From helping my mother in the kitchen with cutting of the vegetables, to enjoying her wonderful healthy cooking which was an inspiration for me. However, 5 years ago I fell sick and completely ill. After countless Dr's and trying to believe that modern medicine was able to help me, I began to turn towards the holistic route of healing. Finally, after being diagnosed with celiac and countless other allergies within my gut, I experimented my way through different diets, and began to see how our gut is a second brain and it need’s nourishing through proper digestion of our food. When I began to see phenomenal changes within my health, I began to realize that diet is key to a person’s overall health and well being.
Where does the motivation come from?
The motivation comes from seeing how something simply as a diet, can remove an illness, where modern medicine would just try to drug you. So my motivation is to show people, it is possible to lose weight, feel healthy and happy by simply changing there diet and creating a healthy exercise plan.
If you had to pick 3 things people are doing wrong for their health what would they be?
I believe people are eating too much – too fast – with wrong food choices, are not abiding to a good healthy exercise routine and do not obtain enough deep sleep at night. These factors are tremendously effecting peoples health. If your body is stressed from our fast life habits, than it does not have time to repair, which leads to disease and other troubles.
What is your diet like?
I follow basically a “specific carbohydrate diet” but is more like the “paleo diet”. Some general guidelines are, no grains (i.e. rice, wheat, corn, oats, etc.), no processed foods, no starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes, yams, etc.), no canned vegetables of any kind, no flour, no sugar, no sweeteners other than honey and saccharin, and no milk products. By removing these inflammatory foods, the gut is able to heal and be able to function properly.
What is your supplementation like?
Most of my supplements are made from whole food based nutrients, which the body accepts as food, instead of synthetic based vitamins. I take the following supplements:
- Garden Of Life – Vitamin Code – Raw – Whole food multivitamin
- Garden Of Life – Vitamin Code – Raw – B12 & B complex
- Digestive Enzymes
- Probiotics
- Whey Protein
- L - Glutamine
What is your favorite recipe?
My favorite recipe has to be my pizza recipe which has no flour in it. Except for ground almonds. Try it sometime, it is delicious.
Ingredients
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup nut flour
1 teaspoon salt (I do not use much)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup SCD friendly tomato sauce
cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425 F.
2. Mix hamburger, nut flour, salt, and oregano.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup SCD friendly tomato sauce.
4. Spread meat mixture in ungreased 10-inch pizza pan or on the bottom side of a 10 inch pie pan. (It's kind of greasy).
5. Pour 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top
6. Cover with toppings of your choice.
7. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
After all this talk of staying away from trans fats, and seeing the "no trans fats" on just about every food product I had to throw in an exception to the rule. Conjugated linoliac acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring trans fat found in nature that is healthy and that even helps burn fat. I supplement with it myself in times of competition. Unlike all other forms of unhealthy trans fats, this is a great trans fat (cis-9 trans-11) with tons of benefits including helping prevent cancer, heart disease and even promotes fat loss.
CLA is found mostly in grass fed beef, raw milk and eggs. A grass fed cow will have 300-500% more CLA then one fed grain and other mixtures so make sure to buy grass fed. CLA helps burn fat by inhibiting fat storage in adipocytes coupled with elevated b-oxidation in skeletal muscle. It can also be found in capsule form and is a great addition to any vegetarian diet.
