Deconstructing Cravings
The body is an amazing source of intelligence. It is always there for you, pumping blood, never skipping a heartbeat, digesting whatever food you put in it and maintaining homeostasis. Is this reliable, intelligent bio-computer making a mistake by craving ice cream or a hamburger or chocolate? Are cravings due to lack of will-power or discipline? I’d like to suggest that cravings are not a problem. They are critical pieces of information that tell you what your body needs.
The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you need more protein, more exercise, more water or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.
No book or theory can tell you what to eat. Only awareness of your body and its needs can tell you. Of all the relationships in our lives, the one with our body is the most essential. It takes communication, love and time to cultivate a relationship with your body. As you learn to decipher and respond to your body’s cravings, you will create a deep and lasting level of health and balance.
To learn more on how we can help you manage your cravings and develop a plan for you to achieve a healthier lifestyle, please contact Steve Collett at Enhancing Health, Inc.Email: steve@enhancinghealthinc.com or call 678-205-1390
What is Functional Fitness Training?
Much to do has been made over the last few years in the fitness industry over functional training. What is functional training? Is it defined by doing exercises that look cool? Is it defined by exercises that are done on fancy balancing equipment? While those things certainly have their place, they do not constitute the true definition and meaning of functional training.
According to Webster's, function is defined as: something that serves a particular purpose or role. A well-known physical therapist and pioneer in the functional training craze defines functional training as: training that serves the purpose for which it was designed. An example is a client who needs to strengthen the thighs to completely rehabilitate after a knee surgery. Any exercise in this example that allowed a complete straightening of the knee would be functional for this person’s individual needs.
In conclusion, fitness professionals over the last decade have gravitated toward a more "functional" approach using some really fun toys to design workouts. These toys (stability balls, exercise tubing, medicine balls and numerous balance devices) have without question gotten more people interested and involved in fitness which by all means is a GOOD thing. Therefore, it is left up to the fitness professionals understanding of how to apply these tools toward our client’s individual goals and design a program that is fun, safe, but most of all effective.
- Grant Hughes, BS, CSCS, NASM CPT
Much to do has been made over the last few years in the fitness industry over functional training. What is functional training? Is it defined by doing exercises that look cool? Is it defined by exercises that are done on fancy balancing equipment? While those things certainly have their place, they do not constitute the true definition and meaning of functional training.
According to Webster's, function is defined as: something that serves a particular purpose or role. A well-known physical therapist and pioneer in the functional training craze defines functional training as: training that serves the purpose for which it was designed. An example is a client who needs to strengthen the thighs to completely rehabilitate after a knee surgery. Any exercise in this example that allowed a complete straightening of the knee would be functional for this person’s individual needs.
In conclusion, fitness professionals over the last decade have gravitated toward a more "functional" approach using some really fun toys to design workouts. These toys (stability balls, exercise tubing, medicine balls and numerous balance devices) have without question gotten more people interested and involved in fitness which by all means is a GOOD thing. Therefore, it is left up to the fitness professionals understanding of how to apply these tools toward our client’s individual goals and design a program that is fun, safe, but most of all effective.
- Grant Hughes, BS, CSCS, NASM CPT
The Fat-Cancer Link
We have body fat around our organs and beneath our skin. Our bodies cannot function properly without some body fat. It is both essential and dangerous, depending upon the amount of it that we carry. Normal levels of fat cells store energy from our digested food to provide long-term energy. They help manage our immune systems when the body has an infection risk. They produce the hormone andiponectin that regulates blood sugar and prevents heart disease. Fat also regulates body temperature.
When we have excess fat, that is where the breakdown occurs. Merriam-Webster defines obesity as “a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.” As many studies can attest, this excess, as in any excess, can be detrimental to our health!
What are the statistics?
Within the last 10 years, the evidence has been mounting for the role of obesity in mortality from various cancers. It has been estimated that being overweight and obesity are attributable to approximately 20% of all cancer cases. 14% of these in men and 20% in women.
This health burden of being overweight and obesity – combined with inactivity and poor diet - could very well exceed the health burden caused by smoking, experts believe.
Below is a snapshot of cancer case data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and
the American Cancer Society:
Global Statistics – Obesity as a cause of cancer (% total cases):
39% endometrial cancer
37% esophageal cancer
25% kidney cancer
11% colon cancer
9% post-menopausal cancer
Overweight/Obesity suggests linkage to the following cancer mortalities:
Liver cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Myeloma (plasma cell cancer)
Aggressive prostate cancers
How and why does obesity increase one’s cancer risk?
Cancers are complex and can develop over many years. Obesity is not the only means by which cancer can develop. Take, for example, chronic high glucose levels and difficulty in insulin regulation, which may contribute to the beginnings of colon cancer. Estrogen is a hormone that the body produces to regulate reproductive function in both males and females. Estrogen can contribute to cancer cell growth and spread. When we consider that estrogen is contained in excess fatty tissue, the link between fat and cancer becomes more obvious.
In light of this startling data, how can we reduce our risks? Change our weight! The evidence, again, is mounting that weight loss can reduce our cancer risks. A study of US nurses, postmenopausal, indicated a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk of those who lost 22 pounds or more. Even a 4.4 pound loss was impactful.
This image gives an example of how excess belly fat can affect us mechanically (low back pain and postural distortion) as well as give us an idea of how it compresses the organs and an approximation of how much excess estrogen is being stored in the body due to a high body fat ratio.
What can we do to both change our weight and reduce cancer risk?
Follow these simple tips:
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Avoid sugary beverages and junk food.
- Include daily physical activity in our lives.
We can help you with these goals! Contact our office 678-205-1390 to speak to one of our qualified health coaches or personal trainers.
We have body fat around our organs and beneath our skin. Our bodies cannot function properly without some body fat. It is both essential and dangerous, depending upon the amount of it that we carry. Normal levels of fat cells store energy from our digested food to provide long-term energy. They help manage our immune systems when the body has an infection risk. They produce the hormone andiponectin that regulates blood sugar and prevents heart disease. Fat also regulates body temperature.
When we have excess fat, that is where the breakdown occurs. Merriam-Webster defines obesity as “a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body.” As many studies can attest, this excess, as in any excess, can be detrimental to our health!
What are the statistics?
Within the last 10 years, the evidence has been mounting for the role of obesity in mortality from various cancers. It has been estimated that being overweight and obesity are attributable to approximately 20% of all cancer cases. 14% of these in men and 20% in women.
This health burden of being overweight and obesity – combined with inactivity and poor diet - could very well exceed the health burden caused by smoking, experts believe.
Below is a snapshot of cancer case data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and
the American Cancer Society:
Global Statistics – Obesity as a cause of cancer (% total cases):
39% endometrial cancer
37% esophageal cancer
25% kidney cancer
11% colon cancer
9% post-menopausal cancer
Overweight/Obesity suggests linkage to the following cancer mortalities:
Liver cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Myeloma (plasma cell cancer)
Aggressive prostate cancers
How and why does obesity increase one’s cancer risk?
Cancers are complex and can develop over many years. Obesity is not the only means by which cancer can develop. Take, for example, chronic high glucose levels and difficulty in insulin regulation, which may contribute to the beginnings of colon cancer. Estrogen is a hormone that the body produces to regulate reproductive function in both males and females. Estrogen can contribute to cancer cell growth and spread. When we consider that estrogen is contained in excess fatty tissue, the link between fat and cancer becomes more obvious.
In light of this startling data, how can we reduce our risks? Change our weight! The evidence, again, is mounting that weight loss can reduce our cancer risks. A study of US nurses, postmenopausal, indicated a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk of those who lost 22 pounds or more. Even a 4.4 pound loss was impactful.
This image gives an example of how excess belly fat can affect us mechanically (low back pain and postural distortion) as well as give us an idea of how it compresses the organs and an approximation of how much excess estrogen is being stored in the body due to a high body fat ratio.
What can we do to both change our weight and reduce cancer risk?
Follow these simple tips:
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Avoid sugary beverages and junk food.
- Include daily physical activity in our lives.
We can help you with these goals! Contact our office 678-205-1390 to speak to one of our qualified health coaches or personal trainers.
First-Workout Essentials
Your first workout, whether it's the first ever or first in a long time, is very important! Why? Because it will determine if you continue to exercise! We want to see you keep up the exercise, so please keep in mind the following tips:
Have a Goal - This is vital! The most advisable goal is to feel better after your workout than when you started.
Warm Up - Working out cold increases your injury risk! Warm up properly with light stretches of the major muscle groups. Ease into cardio in the first 5-10 minutes before increasing your intensity.
Have a Snack - Have something easily digestible 1-2 hours before your workout. A protein plus a good carbohydrate source, in equal amounts, is optimal. For example: an apple with peanut butter, a half-palmful of almonds, or Take Shape for Life bars.
Choose Cardio - Motivation can be a powerful thing, until you overdo it with cardio and weights in the same workout! Choose cardio and be consistent with it for your first 2-3 weeks, then add weights to your routine.
Practice Moderation - Remember your goal of feeling better than when you started. Although the adrenaline rush may try to convince you that you can stay with it for 2-3 hours, 20 minutes will leave you energized, less sore and more motivated for your next workout.
Have a Plan, Motivation, and Accountability - If you need any of these, the most important thing you can do is to seek the guidance of a qualified personal trainer at Enhancing Health!
Your first workout, whether it's the first ever or first in a long time, is very important! Why? Because it will determine if you continue to exercise! We want to see you keep up the exercise, so please keep in mind the following tips:
Have a Goal - This is vital! The most advisable goal is to feel better after your workout than when you started.
Warm Up - Working out cold increases your injury risk! Warm up properly with light stretches of the major muscle groups. Ease into cardio in the first 5-10 minutes before increasing your intensity.
Have a Snack - Have something easily digestible 1-2 hours before your workout. A protein plus a good carbohydrate source, in equal amounts, is optimal. For example: an apple with peanut butter, a half-palmful of almonds, or Take Shape for Life bars.
Choose Cardio - Motivation can be a powerful thing, until you overdo it with cardio and weights in the same workout! Choose cardio and be consistent with it for your first 2-3 weeks, then add weights to your routine.
Practice Moderation - Remember your goal of feeling better than when you started. Although the adrenaline rush may try to convince you that you can stay with it for 2-3 hours, 20 minutes will leave you energized, less sore and more motivated for your next workout.
Have a Plan, Motivation, and Accountability - If you need any of these, the most important thing you can do is to seek the guidance of a qualified personal trainer at Enhancing Health!