Improve Gut Bacteria for Better Health!

As I continue to work through ISSA-SSN (Specialist in Sports Nutrition) Certification, all sorts of interesting topics are presented, taught and applied to the performance needs of athletes. Gut health (actually, intestinal health) is rarely discussed in terms of athletic performance... and yet it can be a critical variable for an athletes overall health and ability to recover from the demands of their sport. GREAT article explaining more..... http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/improve-gut-bacteria/#!60

Improve Gut Bacteria

There seems to be more and more issues with digestive health these days. Yet most people don’t realize that the majority of the issues are correctable through a healthier lifestyle. You have heard the saying “You Are What You Eat”. Well, it is true that what you eat can affect your gut bacteria. It can Improve Gut Bacteria, or it can decrease gut bacteria and make your digestion worse. So you do become what you eat. When you have major changes in your gut bacteria or microbiome this can cause weight gain.

Studies have found that nutritional lifestyles that are high in saturated and trans fats can adversely affect gut flora. When gut flora is negatively affected it promotes inflammatory issues throughout the body and weight gain. Studies have also found that people who consume high levels of unhealthy fat and have decreased gut flora have more symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well and other major health problems due to increased inflammation.

Interestingly these studies also found that when that those who consumed well rounded healthy nutrition with healthy fats could reverse these and other health problems, promote healthier gut flora, lower inflammation levels, aid in weight loss, and create optimal health.

Improve Gut Bacteria

Digestive and Gut health has become a big focus in today’s society. This shift in focus comes after years of society continuing on the Standardized American Diet which is filled with highly processed, high sugar, and artificial foods. The consumption of these foods continues to feed the bad critters in the gut and killing off the good ones. Through countless recent studies this issue has been linked to numerous health problems including autism, obesity, diabetes, allergies, autoimmunity, depression, cancer, heart disease, fibromyalgia, eczema, inflammatory issues, and asthma. The links between chronic illness and an imbalanced microbiome (or gut bacteria) increases every day.

Science has always referred to the gut as our second brain. Having a healthy gut is more than being annoyed by a little bloating or heartburn. The gut is the central location for health and is connected to everything that happens in the body. This is why it is important to have good gut bacteria, and if you have chronic health problems you just may want to start with looking to Improve Gut Bacteria.

The importance of gut health starts with an understanding of the gut. There are over 500 species and three pounds of bacteria in your gut. Which means that there are trillions of bacteria, and collectively they contain at least 100 times as many genes as you do. This means that the bacterial DNA in your gut outnumbers your actual body DNA by 100 times. Seriously… You have 20,000 genes, but gut bacteria have 2,000,000 genes!

This makes your gut is a huge chemical factory that helps to digest food, produce vitamins, regulate hormones, excrete toxins, produce healing compounds and keep your gut healthy.

Your Intestinal health defines whether or not you have optimal digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food and nutrients. Therefore, you must have a healthy good balance throughout your digestive system. Too many of the wrong ones (like parasites, yeasts or bad bacteria) or not enough of the good ones (like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria), can lead to serious health issues.

Optimal gut balance begins with your nutrition. What you eat directly effects the ecosystem and balance of your gut. Back to you are what you eat! If your nutrition contains lots of fiber, healthy proteins, and healthy fats including omega 3 fats and monounsaturated fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados or almonds you be healthier. If your nutrition is full of inflammatory nutrition, like sugar, omega 6 vegetable oils, processed foods, artificial foods and chemicals this will promote the growth of bad bugs that cause weight gain, healthy issues, and disease.

One other important piece to consider when looking at Gut Bacteria is lack of sleep and chronic stress. Both of these can also contribute to gut imbalance. In fact, gut flora listens to and becomes influenced by your thoughts and feelings. Getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep and remember to practice and participate in stress reduction activities daily can help with maintaining a balance in the gut.

Improve Gut Bacteria

The best way to improve and maintain a healthy inner garden begins with your nutrition. Here are a few ways to build healthy gut bacteria through nutrition.

1. Eat Whole, Unprocessed, Unrefined foods. One of the best ways to maintain gut health involves cutting out the sugar and refined carbs and increasing gut health fiber. If you make 75% of your plate be vegetables and plant-based foods, your gut bugs will love you.

2. Eat Good Fats and Remove Inflammatory Fats. Eat omega-3 fats and monounsaturated fats, from foods like extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, plus avocados, almonds and other good fat foods. These foods will aid in decreasing inflammation, and giving healthy gut bugs a chance to flourish. Studies have found that adding more coconut oil to your daily nutrition has been very beneficial as an anti-inflammatory and aiding in weight loss. Plus, the removal of bad, inflammatory omega-6 rich fats like vegetable oils will help feed our healthy bacteria and improve absorption and assimilation of nutrients.

3. Supplement Smartly. You should definitely supplement with an essential fatty acids formula, if you’re not regularly eating wild-caught fatty fish. Taking a good pre and probiotic supplement as well as digestive enzymes will also help reduce gut inflammation while cultivating health and the growth of good bacteria. Keep in mind that not all supplements are created equal and it is best if they are plant based. Shakeology is a product that provides all these supplements and more, and has been known to be one of the best products to Improve Gut Bacteria.

4. Add Fermented Foods. Sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and miso are some of the best fermented foods that contain good amounts of probiotics. Adding these foods to your nutrition can really help improve the healthy gut bugs and help them multiply.

Of course these recommendations are not miracle cures, but they are actions that can lead to normalized gut function and bacteria. When the body is provided healthy nutrition, increased fiber, and daily pre and probiotic supplementation it will begin to better utilize the nutrients it is given thus improving the health of your gut lining and reducing the bad bugs which is what it takes to Improve Gut Bacteria.

It's this cardio-junkie a long time to really understand the necessity of strength training! Great article on the importance of strength training and some best-practice suggestions. Just had to SHARE... http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/strength-training-hacks-that-bring-faster-results/#!60

Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results

Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results is something that all of us would like to benefit from. Strength is about quality and efficiency in movements, not quantity or weight. Yes, the weight needs to provide resistance to fatigue the muscle, but the quality and efficiency of the movement is where the results will come from.

Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results is not just for those who want to build muscle and size. These hacks are also important to those who want a lean athletic body, and to lose overall and fat weight. Often we see people who want to lose weight forgo the weight training. When you are trying to lose weight dumping a quality strength training regimen is a huge mistake. When you do this a lot of your weight loss will come from lean muscle.

Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results

The first thing you want to have in place is a workout regimen that includes at least two days of strength work. Many people don’t do this, and it is a must. Implementing these Strength Training Hacks will help you get the most out of your strength-training program.

Hack #1 – Add Mobility Training and Recovery periods. This is critical to making progress. Plus, your body will thank you later in life as we age. This can be added as its own workout, or as a part of the warm-up and cool-down times. Though one day a week that strictly focuses on mobility and recovery is also recommended.

Doing mobility work and having it as a part of your training program will allow your body to be more useful during other parts of your workout regimens, allow for greater performance on exercises, and help create greater results. You can have mobility training as a part of your warm up through dynamic moves and foam rolling for 10-15 minutes.

Here is an example of a Lower Body Mobility Warm Up using a foam roller. For the rolling moves, roll slowly for 15-20 seconds for each move and repeat 6-8 times on each side. For all other moves do 10 repetitions. Once you have completed these moves you would move into your regular cardio warm-up.

• Hip Flexor Foam Roller Mobility
• Ankle Calf Foam Roller Mobility
• Adductor Foam Roller Mobility
• IT Band Foam Roller Mobility
• Bird Dog Stretch
• T Squats w/ Broom Stick or PVC Pipe
• Walking Lunge with a Crescent Reach
• Low Squat with Torso Twist
• Inchworm

Hack #2 – The Overhead Press is one of the best overall movements you can do. Of course if you have an injury or issues with your shoulders you will want to spend time doing correctives before doing this move at full capacity. You can also minimize the volume by working the this move in every other week. So why the Shoulder Press? Because it activates both the posterior and medial sides of the deltoid (shoulder), the core and when done right even involves the lower body.

When doing the shoulder press you want higher rep schemes and lower weight because the shoulder joint is naturally a more unstable joint and doing heavy weights places them at a high risk for injury. You also want to make sure you have a shoulder width stance with feet pointing forward and weight toward the heals, slightly soft knees and your core engaged. This will give you the best base. Your press is complete when your elbows end up by your ears the shoulder fully activated. Then you will control the weight as you receive the weight back down stopping at shoulder height.

Hack #3 – Training intensity must be a must. This is often a challenge for people if they are not training with professional or using an at-home program that is designed to push them. Getting strong is hard work and requires you to step out of your comfort zone.

One way to help you challenge yourself is do a total of six sets in a pyramid. 12-16-20-16-12 and attempt to do them without more than 10 seconds rest between sets. This increases your heart rate, and fatigues the muscles. Using this method of training allows you to focus on doing the set while it creates a higher intensity style of work. As you improve you can increase weights and or starting with a higher rep count such as 15-20-25-20-15 for more volume which will help them get stronger.

Hack #4 – Eccentric Training. This is doing the exercise in a quick motion when you are creating the contraction on the muscle and a 3 or 4 count slow move when releasing the contraction. Example of an eccentric bicep curl. Quick move to the curl, and slowly moving out of the curl is the eccentric move.

This creates more tension on the muscle, but also allows a slight recovery period on the tissue. Plus, it creates strength, greater flexibility, and uses less energy for the results.

Hack #5 – Use Multi-Directional Movements. Most training programs only focus on developing strength through horizontal and vertical movements. Yes, our bodies, and joints move in a multitude of directions. Therefore, it is beneficial to do movements in all directions, and do movements that recruit multiple muscles groups at one time. This is what is called functional exercise, which allows you to burn more calories and create an overall greater strength throughout the body. This is why the use of most gym equipment does not produce the results that most desire. Gym equipment only moves you horizontally or vertically.

Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results

Doing a functional move that recruits multiple muscles and has multi-directional movements is really how our bodies move, so that is why you create greater strength and flexibility for your body.

These Strength Training Hacks that Bring Faster Results will help prevent strength training from falling to the wayside as it needs to be a part of your weekly regimen, and if fat loss is your goal it is a must. You can make strength training fun and interesting, as long as you choose your weight and exercises wisely. It would be to your benefit to use a professional when you get started, or a high quality at-home program that provides the right calendar of workouts and all the right ques for the exercise. These Strength Training hacks that Bring Faster Results combined with the right program will help you accomplish your goals.

One of the most frequent questions when people start a new nutrition program is how to handle portion control. That is why the new Master’s Hammer and Chisel Program uses a color-coded container system that makes portioning nutrition a breeze. Understanding the Master’s Hammer and Chisel Portion Nutritionmakes nutrition balance and portion control easy and intuitive. No hassle of calorie counting, and you always know you are getting the right nutrition for the results you desire. If it fits in the container and is on the approved nutritious food list, you get to eat it!

Understanding the Master’s Hammer and Chisel Portion Nutrition

The plan comes with six colored containers that represent six groups of foods that our bodies need for balanced nutrition. When you see how simple this nutrition plan is, you will see why it is changing people’s nutritional lifestyle, and doing it with ease.

The Green Container is for Vegetables. The vegetables can be cooked or raw, sliced or chopped. Examples of foods from the approved food list are lettuces, kale, squash, peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Remember it is what fits in the container, so you can really squish the lettuce into the container and create one awesome salad!

The Purple Container is for Fruit. Obviously fruit like berries, grapes, and cherries can easily fit into the container, but larger fruits like watermelon, apples, oranges, and fruits with pits, like peaches, will need to be cut up so you can put them into the container to make sure you are getting the right amounts.

The Red Container is for Protein. This container is used for any meat protein, but also for yogurt, eggs, tofu, or shellfish. Some proteins have specific instructions in the food list guide.

The Yellow Container is for Starch and Grain Carbohydrates. This container is for rice, beans, sweet potatoes, and whole-grain pastas. When it comes to foods like sprouted grain bread, waffles or tortillas that won’t fit well into a container, the allowed amounts are in the food guide.

The Blue Container is for Healthy Fats. Healthy fats include avocados, nuts, cheese, and hummus, to name a few. Again, what you can fit in the container, you get to eat.

The Orange Container is for Seeds and Dressings. The orange container is the smallest, which is why it is used for most calorie-dense foods like seeds, olives, coconut, and approved dressing recipes.

Teaspoons. Teaspoons are also a measurement of use in the nutrition program. Teaspoons are used for oils and butters. A teaspoon is not provided with the system, as most people have one in their kitchens.

Understanding the Master’s Hammer and Chisel Portion Nutrition and how to use the containers will create greater results in your fitness and health program since 80-85% of the results come from the kitchen. The best part of this plan is you will not have to count calories or worry about macronutrient percentages, because the easy to use portion control system does it for you. The first step is to use the nutritional guide’s caloric equation formula to figure out approximately how many calories will need each day based on your goals. Once you figure out your daily calorie need, use the calorie chart to see how many containers of each color you get to eat each day.

Understanding the Master’s Hammer and Chisel Portion Nutrition

Another great feature of this nutrition plan is you can mix and match foods of the same category to fill a single container, allowing you to create a greater variety. For example, if you don’t want to use a whole green container for spinach, you can fill it halfway with spinach and half with carrots. Two foods, one green container.

As convenient and transportable as the containers are, remember that you don’t have to eat out of them. Actually it is recommended that you really use them to measure your food and then empty them onto a plate or into a bowl so you can have a great presentation of your food. The better the presentation of food, the more satisfied you will feel when you have finished eating.

Understanding the Master’s Hammer and Chisel Portion Nutrition makes it easier to stay on track and focused on your nutritional goals. Often when people begin this program, they find that they’re full even before they’ve finished their portions for the day. The reason is healthy food has more volume than low nutritional foods and junk food. If you find this is the case for you, only eat what you can, but make sure to eat from all the containers instead of just filling up on your favorite kind and avoiding what you like the least. You still want to be balanced with all your food groups.

This system truly creates moderation and a sense of awareness about what you are eating. After you’ve completed this program, you’ll have a good idea of how many fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats you should be eating every day.

Looking for more ways to boost your nutrition? Great article with ideas on how to add nutrients with Raw Foods http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/best-raw-foods-to-have-in-your-nutrition-plan/#!60

Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Plan

Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Plan

Eating raw foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, and more) have amazing health benefits. Raw foods are essentially living foods. When you eat living foods you are eating live enzymes, undamaged nutrients, and alkaline-forming compounds that help nourish and cleanse the body. You don’t have to eat completely raw diet to have the health benefits of raw foods. Simply adding the Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Planwill create positive changes.

You also don’t need to eat raw foods with every meal or snack. Simply adding in the Best Raw Foods to Have in your Nutrition Plan once or twice a day can have a huge impact on your health.

Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Plan

Coconut: Coconut is probably the greatest “superfood”. Raw coconut is a powerhouse of nutrients. Its natural water is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, and is considered one of the best hydrators for the body. Raw coconut meat (the flesh), is equally beneficial. It contains high levels of lauric acid, a type of saturated fat that aids in resisting harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Other benefits from consuming coconut flesh and its natural water is that it promotes brain health, aids in weight loss, can help prevent heart disease, helps lower cholesterol, boosts energy, promote thyroid health and hormone levels, rejuvenates skin, and helps heal damage to the gut and digestive system.

Chia Seeds: The Chia Seed is the best when it comes to omega-3 fatty acids and disease-fighting antioxidants. They are rich in fiber, essential fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants, and protein. Chia seeds are easy to incorporate into any nutrition plan.

Chia seeds are helpful for maintaining strength, weight maintenance, healthy digestion, immune system support, and disease prevention.

Sprouted Nuts and Seeds: Yes, this is a general category, but any nut and Seed can come in a raw form. When you eat raw sprouted nuts and seeds they will provide a wealth of important vitamins, minerals, nutrients, enzymes, and proteins. Raw sprouted almonds are one of the healthiest foods you can consume because they contain healthy fats, complete protein, amino acids, and essential trace minerals.

Sprouted nuts and seeds help boost immunity, regulate cholesterol levels, support a healthy brain and heart, and provide lasting nourishment.

Cacao (natural chocolate): Healthy metabolisms are maintained by having a key component known as mineral magnesium. One of the best natural sources of this essential mineral compound is raw cacao. Raw Cacao is a bean from which cocoa and chocolate are derived, but cocoa and chocolate are processed versions with very few nutrients.

Raw cacao is unique because it contains well over 300 identifiable nutrient compounds. These compounds help feed the body’s systems and promotes a healthy brain chemistry, boosts energy levels, improves circulation, and can neutralize cancer-causing free radicals. Raw cacao also helps stimulate the production of digestive enzymes, which benefits digestive health.

Leafy Greens: Leafy green vegetables are so important and its nearly impossible to consume to many. Making these a part of your daily nutrition will bring many positive health benefits.

Leafy Greens such as Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, and others are rich in chlorophyll which is a key dietary component for boosting energy levels, detoxifies and cleanses the liver, digestive track, and other organs which will help keep you regular. Add these daily for maximum health benefits.

Fermented Vegetables: Raw organic fruits and vegetables are supremely healthy, but they can become even healthier when fermented. The fermentation process used to culture vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers makes them easier to digest, which allows the body to unlock and access more of their nutrients.

Fermented vegetables also have digestion-enhancing enzymes and probiotic bacteria, which together build immunity and improve nutrient absorption.

Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Plan

If you truly want to change and improve your health, having these foods and others should be a part of your nutrition plan. Starting with these Best Raw Foods to Have in Your Nutrition Plan is a good place to begin. Though for some of us adding all these raw foods to their daily nutrition can be difficult. So your alternative is to look for a nutritional supplement that has all these raw foods and more in their natural state. Either way, your health will benefit from having raw foods daily.

Man - this is MY truth at the end of every ski-season. Daily, repetitive , high-force activity resulting in some greatly overworked ( and some greatly neglected) muscle groups, imbalance and sore joints! Great article on the importance of getting balance back ! 
http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/muscle-balance-matters/#!60

Muscle Balance Matters

Muscle Balance Matters

Muscle Balance Matters and it only comes when you have the right repetitions, number of sets, and your weights are used properly. This combination creates greater strength and will help you avoid injury. The secret to getting healthier and more fit, gaining strength, and avoiding injury (especially to the joints), is to balance the work you do on muscle groups. Remember muscles come in pairs and the majority of them are bi-lateral meaning on both sides of your body. So you want to have each side of your body balanced as well.

Balance comes when strength and flexibility of opposing muscle groups are equal. Some examples of opposing muscle groups are Biceps and Triceps, Deltoids and Lats, Pecs and Traps, Abs and Erector spinae (low and mid back), Quads and Hamstrings.

Muscle Balance Matters

Why does Muscle Balance Matter? The biggest reason is that when there is balance between muscle pairs, you are more apt to avoid injury. When muscles are unbalanced, your joints get used incorrectly and it can cause wear, tear, and damage over time. Unbalanced muscles can also cause unnecessary pain throughout your body.

Examples of muscular imbalance:
1. A person lifts weights and primarily focuses on their pectorals (Chest), and spends very little time on the traps and upper back. Over time when they stand or walk, they will begin to stoop forward because the pecs are stronger than their traps and upper back. The result is poor posture, as well as neck and back pain.

2. Knee damage and pain is a very common complaint among people. This can be avoided with proper hip abductor and adductor work. When these muscles are balanced and strong they pull and hold the tendons in place, which in turn holds the kneecap in its proper position. When one of these muscles is weaker, the kneecap gets pulled out of place, and the result is pain and possibly injury.

Muscle Balance Matters, so how do you make it happen?

Cross-training is always a must! It is the best way is to achieve total fitness and muscle balance. Cross training workouts are a balanced combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight training. The weight training offers specific movements to enhance and achieve balance.

Every person has one side of their body that will be weaker, and typically a weaker muscle within each of the pairs. To create true muscular balance and avoid injury, you start by strengthening the weaker muscle and maintain strength on the stronger muscles.

To find your imbalances you must choose a weight and lift it independently. When you find the size weight that one muscle can do that the opposing muscle cannot, you found the correct weight to begin the balancing process. Once you are aware of natural imbalances, focus more effort on the weaker muscles until they are balanced out with the others.

Once balanced is achieved you must begin training in a way that will maintain the muscular balance. To maintain the balance, you must work the muscle pairs and bilateral sides of the body in a formation that hits all sides and with the right weight, repetitions, and set. Again this is where Cross-Training can really be of the most benefit.

Most gym programs don’t provide a true Cross Training Experience, as they rely on machines to move you in one direction and most people don’t use them properly or in the correct order of necessity. Therefore, it is important to find programs that are true cross training programs that also allow you to use your body and weights in multiple directions, with multiple reps and duration. This is why having a Coach to guide you in the right direction can be the key to your success.

Muscle Balance Matters! By strengthening every part of each muscle and muscle group, you will be able to obtain the results of a sleek, stronger, and more balanced body, while developing muscles that will help you avoid injury and pain.

In this last week of our Spring Reset (..food based, supplement supported, anti-inflammatory, clinically studied cleanse) we have added avocado to our meals daily. This little dandy reduces inflammation, retards hunger and makes our skin glow! With the truth revealed about how GREAT fats are for us, it's time to up the ante with Avo!      http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/eating-avocado-each-day/#!60

Eating Avocado Each Day

Eating Avocado Each Day

We have all heard about eating an apple a day, but how about Eating Avocado Each Day? It is believed that the avocado originated in Puebla, Mexico, and the oldest evidence was found in a cave dating back to around 10,000 BC. This cultural food was classified in the same family as camphor and cinnamon. The avocado is considered a large berry, and grows on a tree that can reach heights of 6 feet. Avocados truly ripen in 1-2 weeks after being picked.

Avocados are often referred to as the healthiest food due to its impressive nutritional value, which is whyEating Avocado Each Day could benefit you.

Eating Avocado Each Day

Avocados contains these vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Zinc

Other benefits to Eating Avocado Each Day:

• Avocados have 14% potassium compared to 10% of a banana.
• Avocados have 23% folate. Folate can lower incidences of heart disease, lower the risks of a stroke, and is essential in the prevention of birth defects such as spina bifida and neural tube defect.
• Avocados contain an antioxidant called glutathione that can also help prevent heart disease, cancer, and slows the signs of aging due to the fact it helps fight off free radicals
• Avocados can help our body absorb 5 times the amount of carotenoids (lycopene and beta carotene), and they contain more carotenoid lutein than any other fruit, which can protect against muscular degeneration and cataracts.
• Avocados are also high in beta-sitosterol, which can aid in lowering bad cholesterol by 22%, raise good cholesterol by 11%, and lower blood triglycerides by 20%.
• Avocados are also high in fiber which will help you feel fuller longer, potentially help with weight loss, and helps maintain metabolic health and steadies blood sugar levels.
• Pholyphenols and flavonoids are also found in avocados, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Avocados cleanse the intestines, relieve bad breath, nourishes the skin and are beneficial in helping treat psoriasis and other skin irritations.

With all of these amazing benefits you may want to consider adding this healthy fat to your daily nutrition. It is good to have a serving of a healthy fat each day, so why not have avocados be a part of that plan. Eating Avocado Each Day as a part of your healthy nutrition could really pack a punch in health benefits. Bring on the Avocado!

For more great article on fitness, nutrition and cutting edge supplementation - check out my blog http://www.fitsolutionsblog.com/#!60

Hydration – Is it Important to Weight Loss

Hydration – Is it Important to Weight Loss

Hydration is important for so many reasons, but is it important to weight loss? Our bodies are about 50-75% water depending on our body composition. Water is responsible for many different functions throughout our body.

Water gives us so many benefits such as;

• Regulates our body temperature
• Carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells
• Dissolves minerals and nutrients
• Aide’s digestion and prevents stomach aches during digestion
• Protects the body organs and tissues
• Lubricates joints
• Keeps us alert
• Prevents headaches
• Boosts cognitive abilities and focus
• Protects the heart

Of course this just names a few benefits that come from being properly hydrated.

It is important to be hydrated, but is it important to weight loss? The answer is, YES!

Proper hydration increases the metabolism. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, drinking 17 ounces of water increases the metabolic rate by 30% in healthy men and women. The maximum effect on the metabolic rate was reached 30-40 minutes after the water was drank.

Think about that…

If you are properly hydrated throughout the day, your metabolism is functioning better and burning more. If you are hydrated during exercise, you will also burn more.

So, if you are among the thousands who want to lose a few or many pounds, proper hydration is a must. Many people track their food and physical activity when they want to lose weight, but very few track their water intake. If weight loss is your goal, you should be tracking your water intake as well. Really everyone regardless should track their water intake to ensure they are hydrated. Proper water intake throughout the day can help assure our metabolism is operating at full capacity.

So how do you know how much water your body needs? It comes down to using a simple formula to calculate your general water needs. Please note: This formula is not exact, but accurate enough to be very close to what your body will need. Of course if you are still feeling thirsty you may need to add some more. Being thirsty mean you’re dehydrated.  If you find you need more water, increase by 8 ounces at time. Once the consistent feeling of being thirsty is gone, you have hit the mark.

Hydration Formula:  

1. Know your body weight. Make sure you obtain an accurate reading. Digital scales are the most accurate. If the number on the scale shows decimals, round down if .4 or lower; and round up if .5 or higher. If using an analog scale, attempt to be as accurate as possible. (Example: 175.4 pounds = 175 pounds. 225.5 is rounded to 2225, etc.)

2. Divide your weight in half. (Example: 225 pounds/ 2= 112.5, which is rounded to 113 ounces.) This number is your required water intake in ounces.

3. Determine Your Activity Level. Your activity level is the level to which you physically exert yourself. This exertion has a direct correlation with our water intake. As we exercise or perform any physical or strenuous activity, our bodies will naturally expel water. This means our consumption will need to be increased to replenish what is lost.

A good general gage for physical activity is as follows:

• For every 30 minutes of vigorous exercise add 16 ounces.
• For every 30 minutes of moderate exercise add 8 ounces.
• For every 30 minutes of light exercise or walking add 4 ounces. *

*if you have a job that you put in a lot of time doing physical work, or walking you will need to calculate extra water that is needed for the time spent doing those activities. (Example: Person walks for 4 hours at their job – additional 32 ounces, or a construction worker is doing hard physical labor for 4 hours – additional 64 ounces)

4. Calculate your water intake needs. Follow steps 1 to 3. Add the numbers derived from steps two and three.

Example:
Weight: 250 pounds
250 ÷ 2 = 125 ounces
30 minutes of daily vigorous exercise = 16 ounces
125 ounces + 16 ounces = 141 ounces
(18 8-ounce classes or 12 12-ounce glasses of water per day)

Hydration – Is It Important to Weight Loss? YES!

Here are a few other helpful tips to keep yourself hydrated. When you are hydrated your body is happy, and your metabolism firing at full capacity.

• Drink 16 ounce of water 30 minutes prior to every meal. This guarantees you 48 ounces just by implementing this habit.
• Drink 16 ounces in the morning right after getting out of bed, and 16 ounces 30 minutes before going to bed. This gets you another 32 ounces.
• When you see others drink something, drink some water.
• Never leave the house without a bottle of water. Get a bright colored and fun bottle to help set this habit.
• If you live in arid climates, add an additional 16 ounces to your daily consumption.
• Use lemons, limes or other fresh fruit in your water.
• Use a high quality, clean and free of artificial ingredients hydration supplement during exercise.

Hydration is important to weight loss. Whatever you need to do to consume the water your body needs, set up those habits and your body will want to shed more body fat.

Discover How You Can Get Healthy, and Earn Income Helping Others Do the Same! 

https://coach2profits.com/home#!60