Fitness

How Hormones Affect Health And Behavior

Published by superadmin on July 25, 2023 | Leave a response

At Revolution Training in Stamford, CT, most clients only worry about hormones concerning muscle gain or weight loss, but they impact health and behavior, too. Hormones are messengers. Some hormones tell your brain you’re full and others tell your brain you’re hungry. Stress hormones affect a wide variety of functions and if not addressed, can cause damage to the body. The endorphins released during physical exercise can make you feel happy and comfortable. Hormones do more than affect mood. Some are involved in mental health conditions.

Hormones aren’t good or bad. They’re just messengers.

The body has many hormones, which includes the sex hormones, stress hormones, and the infamous happy hormones you get from exercising. Each one performs a specific task. Some have an antagonistic hormone, one that does the opposite function. Insulin, for instance, reduces blood glucose levels, while glucagon increases blood sugar to prevent hypoglycemia. Since both control blood sugar for every cell, an imbalance affects the whole body. Hypoglycemia from too little glucagon can cause emotional changes and mood swings that range from anxiousness to unexplained outbursts of anger. If blood sugar levels are chronically low, it can lead to depression, memory loss, and a short attention span.

HGH—human growth hormone—is released in controlled pulses.

Sometimes hormones cause the release of hormones that control the body. Two antagonistic hormones are responsible for releasing HGH. The hypothalamus releases growth hormone-releasing hormone—GHRH to trigger the release of HGH and somatostatin to inhibit it. HGH affects children’s growth patterns. It impacts fat and sugar metabolism, affects body fluids, regulates body composition, bone growth, and heart function. Some people believe HGH is the fountain of youth. They may get injections of HGH. Abuse of HGH can lead to hallucinations, psychosis, paranoia, and physical harm.

Sex hormones perform other tasks that affect your behavior and health.

Testosterone is in both male and female bodies and performs tasks not related to sexuality. While the location of fat deposits, muscle size, and body hair growth are gender-related, women need testosterone for ovarian function, bone strength, and sexual drive. If your body is low in testosterone, depression, anxiety, and a low sex drive can occur. However, high testosterone levels in both men and women can lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression. Too much can cause acne, blood pressure changes, slurred speech, difficulty breathing, heart attack, sleep apnea, and other conditions.

Oxytocin is called the love hormone. Hugging increases oxytocin levels. Its primary purpose is stimulating uterine contractions. It may play a role in anxiety, anorexia, autism, depression, PTSD, and addiction.
Norepinephrine functions as a stress hormone and neurotransmitter. It constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Antagonistic hormones prostaglandins, acetylcholine, and histamine are vasodilators, making them wider and lowering blood pressure.
Motilin is a gastrointestinal hormone that helps move food from the small intestines to the large intestines. The body releases it during fasting periods. The levels depend on what you eat. A diet high in sugary foods or fat decreases it.
Melatonin can help you go to sleep. It works in total darkness and is an antioxidant. It helps counteract the effects of stress. Low levels are linked to obesity, cancer, and diabetes.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Mindset, Nutrition

Why Fiber Is So Important?

Published by superadmin on July 10, 2023 | Leave a response

No matter what station you watch, you’ll probably hear at least one commercial attesting to the importance of fiber in your diet. Comedians often include fiber as part of a punchline about mood and constipation. Lack of fiber is no laughing matter. It’s important for many bodily functions. It can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome and keep blood glucose levels from spiking. If you want to lose weight, increase the fiber in your diet to improve your efforts.

Exactly what is fiber?

Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. There are two types, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber turns into a gel when mixed with water during digestion. It provides food for beneficial bacteria. While your body can’t digest it, the microbes do. Soluble fiber also helps stabilize blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, and by doing that, reduces the risk of heart disease. Insoluble fiber isn’t digested at all. It does provide bulk to the stools to make defecating easier and lowers the risk of colon disease.

Why is feeding the gut microbes so important?

There are trillions of gut microbes, some are beneficial, some aren’t. The soluble fiber feeds beneficial gut microbes. The gut microbes perform many tasks. They help your body digest food and absorb nutrients. About 80% of your immune cells are in your gut and your microbiome helped develop it when you were an infant. Your gut microbiome also takes part in metabolism and inflammation. They play a role in heart, nervous system, and brain health, A healthy gut microbiome reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes.

Fiber fills you up faster and keeps you feeling full.

If you eat an orange, you’ll get more health benefits than if you drank orange juice. You’ll also feel fuller even though you consumed the same number of calories. That’s because of the fiber in the orange. Food high in fiber is normally low in calories. Foods high in soluble fiber include apples, peas, strawberries, and other fruit and vegetables. Foods high in insoluble fiber include nuts, beans, and whole grains. Only food from plants contains fiber. It’s not in animal products.

If you want to lose weight, improve the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut by consuming food high in fiber. It’s a prebiotic.
Highly processed food, such as those made with white flour, have very little fiber. Refined flour is just an endosperm. Processing removes the germ and bran. The bran provides fiber, and the germ offers nutrients.
Some things can destroy the balance of gut microbes besides lack of fiber. Antibiotics can do it. So can a diet high in sugar. Not only does processed food provide no fiber, but the sugar in the processed food also harms the gut microbiome.
If you want to increase the fiber in your diet, take it slowly. Your gut needs time to build a colony of beneficial bacteria to digest it. It can lead to gas and other digestive issues.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition

Does Nutrition Influence Hormones?

Published by superadmin on June 25, 2023 | Leave a response

You need messengers in the body for it to function correctly. That requires many things, including healthy nutrition. The messengers are your hormones. They’re chemicals created by the body that are vital to all functions. Each hormone has one that opposes it to return the body to homeostasis. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone, while leptin is the hormone that makes you feel full. Insulin lowers blood glucose, but if it gets too low, the body releases glucagon, which tells the liver to release more glucose.

Balancing sex hormones can be tricky.

Whether menopause or your menstrual cycle is causing problems balancing your estrogen, the food you eat can make a difference. Estrogen does more than regulate your cycle and the reproductive system. It also affects the heart, blood vessels, skin, hair, bones, and the brain. Consuming phytoestrogens from plant-based food can mimic estrogen by producing a small response when eaten. Phytoestrogen is in nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, vegetables, soy, and whole grain. If you have too much estrogen, consuming cruciferous vegetables like broccoli can help.

If your balance between glucagon and insulin is off, it may be about what you eat.

As mentioned earlier, there’s a yin-yang balance between glucagon and insulin. Insulin resistance causes the body to produce too much insulin. Insulin tells the cells to open to receive the glucose from the blood. If they don’t open, the blood glucose level stays high and the body sends more insulin. This can cause diabetes. If you want to rebalance and help insulin function properly, avoid simple carbohydrates, like food with added sugar. Consume fewer calories and include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.

Fat around your belly can come from too much cortisol.

Cortisol is released by the adrenal gland during the fight-or-flight response. It’s triggered by stress. Besides making changes during stress, it also helps regulate how the body uses protein, fat, and carbs for energy. It also is important for blood pressure regulation, limiting inflammation, aiding in blood sugar regulation, and maintaining the wake-sleep cycle. Eat a diet packed with nutritious whole foods, including healthy fat, whole grain, fruits, and vegetables. Good gut health is important, so include probiotic and prebiotic food. Avoid caffeine and alcohol which can increase cortisol.

Increasing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can reduce your cortisol levels, reduce insulin resistance, and help balance sex hormones. Besides fatty fish like salmon, omega-3 is in walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seed.
Green tea has compounds that help all parts of the body. It’s filled with antioxidants. It can help improve insulin levels. Use marjoram liberally to influence insulin, estradiol, and cortisol.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and good hydration can help your body get back to normal, without hormonal imbalances. Changing your lifestyle helps the entire body function at its best.
Discuss your concerns with your healthcare professional if you believe you have a hormone imbalance and follow their instructions. Always check with your healthcare professional before beginning any program of exercise.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition

Is It Possible To Gain Muscle Mass Without Working Out?

Published by superadmin on May 25, 2023 | Leave a response

Is there a lazy man’s way to gain muscle mass without working out? Well, it’s not as simple as that. Muscle mass increases by causing both physical damage to the muscle and encouraging metabolic fatigue. Working out causes microtears to the muscles, which leads to muscle repair. That repair causes muscles to get bigger. Fatiguing the muscle comes from draining its energy supply or working the muscle to failure, which also leads to building muscle tissue. To build muscles successfully, you need to combine muscle tension with metabolic success. That doesn’t mean you have to workout, you can do it other ways, but they all require effort.

Do a thorough house cleaning and build muscles as you work.

Washing walls or windows or moving the couch to clean under it can all build muscle mass. You’re exerting effort on your muscles, which acts the same way as working out. Lifting something heavy, whether it’s a barbell or couch, creates microtears and works muscles toward fatigue. Vacuum floors with vigor and put the Roomba in the closet. Not only will you build muscles, but you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment. Climbing ladders, carrying bags of items to throw away, and getting rid of clutter can improve your life while improving your physique.

Have some fun and get active.

Whether you’re swimming, playing basketball, or riding a bike, you’re working muscles. Swimming builds the upper body muscles, while bike riding builds the lower body. Find an active way to spend your free time that gets your body moving. Before you know it, you’ll have more muscle mass and far less fat.

Be more aware of your movements and make them count more.

Are you getting up from a straight-back chair without rollers? Grip your hands on the side of the chair’s seat, lifting your body in the air. Slowly lower yourself until your bottom hits the chair’s seat and feet are on the floor. It’s a simple move once you conquer it. Lifting your body weight, whenever possible, like grabbing an overhead ledge and pulling yourself up or lifting your weight on stair rails, can increase muscle mass over time. Doing a plank while watching TV can accomplish the same.

Go for a walk. To build even more muscles, wear ankle weights or wrist weights. It adds an extra burden, causing improved muscle mass.
Give your kids a treat or your favorite pet special attention. Giving kids a piggyback ride or carrying your child or a pet in your arms can help build muscle tissue.
Increasing your protein intake can help build muscles but working them is still necessary. Some people choose bone broth or protein supplements to help. Choose products from animals that are pastured or free-range for better results.
Get more sleep. No matter what technique you use to build muscle tissue, adequate sleep helps complete the task. Your muscles heal and recover while you sleep. Skipping even an hour can reduce muscle mass.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness

The Benefits Of Working Out With A Partner

Published by superadmin on April 25, 2023 | Leave a response

If you’ve ever changed your plans to workout just because you didn’t feel like it, you’ll appreciate the benefits of working out with a partner. At Revolution Training in Stamford, CT, classmates often become friends and eventually become training partners. One of the benefits is that it boosts motivation to attend classes and stick with a workout program. You know someone is waiting for you to train, so it’s similar to having an appointment, making you more likely to go.

A partner not only holds you accountable for showing up but also for maximizing your workout.

If you’re working out alone, you may not keep your appointment with the gym, and nobody is the wiser. If you go, you could spend a few minutes or several hours and still get nothing accomplished. There are many ways to goof off at any gym without getting any exercise. Talking to others, walking around, or just doing a few exercises without breaking a sweat and quitting can be a waste of time. If you have a workout partner, you’ll be more motivated to do your best, since someone else knows what you’re doing.

A workout buddy might not be in the same room as you.

A study was completed to see if checking with someone made a difference in the effort and consistency of their exercise program. In the study, one group had to report their exercise progress every two weeks by phone. The control group didn’t have to respond to anyone but just exercised. When the study was complete, it showed those who had to call someone had a 78% increased chance of completing their exercise program. A buddy program is similar but has better results.

You’ll push yourself a little harder and be safer when you have a workout buddy.

Nobody wants to be a slacker and most people love to win. When you’re working out with someone else, it can turn into a friendly competition. If your buddy does one more set than you do, you’ll probably opt to do one more to match that success. If you’re lifting weights having someone to spot you is important. A workout buddy can also watch you and make sure your form is correct to avoid injury and maximize the benefits.

If your workout includes running or jogging, a workout partner can make it safer. When people run together, if there’s a medical issue, there’s always someone to help. If there are two people, the chances of getting assaulted reduces.
Workout partners can do more than just share workouts, they can share healthy eating hints and recipes, plus provide support when you want to quit or feel defeated.
You’ll try more new exercises when you have a workout partner and share your knowledge. You’ll find ways to vary your workout and try more difficult workouts when you have a partner.
Working out with a friend can make exercising more fun. It helps prevent boredom and makes it more social so you’ll be more excited about exercising. It’s why classes are more fun than working out alone.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness

Foods That Will Help Boost Your Memory

Published by superadmin on April 10, 2023 | Leave a response

As people age, they become far more aware of what they forget but forgetting happens to everyone. If you can’t remember what to buy at the grocery store, the name of your favorite book, or even the name of the boss’s wife, even though you know it well, you might need to change your diet. The food you eat can make a difference in how well memory is retrieved. Changing your diet can boost your memory and avoid the embarrassment of forgetting a name.

Increasing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet improves brain health.

There’s a beneficial ratio of omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which is 4:1 with four parts omega-6 to one part omega-3. The average diet in the US is far from ideal. It’s closer to having a 25:1 ratio, with almost six times as much omega-6. Many things occur when there’s an imbalance and too little omega-3 in the diet. It can cause mental decline, depression, poor memory, and aggression. Fat is necessary for the brain to function. The brain is 60% fat, of which half is omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is a building block of the brain. There’s a correlation between Alzheimer’s or age-related decline and the intake of Omega-3. Include fatty fish, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or eggs in your diet to boost omega-3.

Feed your brain health benefits with a little spice.

Studies show that reducing inflammation improves brain functioning. One spice that does that is turmeric. Curcumin in turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that directly affects the brain cells. It reduces inflammation and may benefit the brain by clearing amyloid plaque associated with Alzheimer’s or preventing it from forming. If you want to maximize the benefits of turmeric, pair it with black pepper. Cinnamon can help you become more alert and improve brain functioning.

It’s not always what you eat, but what you don’t eat that boosts memory.

You’ll not only lose weight and feel better, but you’ll also boost your brain power when you quit foods with added sugar. Sugar increases inflammation. Foods that help you lose weight can also improve your brain power. Studies show that obesity can increase the risk of mental decline dramatically. Obese individuals show a reduced amount of gray matter, the location of neurons, and an increased amount of harmful proteins responsible for memory loss in the hippocampus, the area of the brain for memory. Not only will healthy eating boost your memory, but it will also make your whole body healthier.

Blueberries contain phytonutrients that boost memory. Walnuts and other tree nuts provide vitamin E, healthy fats, and plant compounds that are memory-boosters.
Include red and orange peppers or citrus for added vitamin C. It’s an antioxidant that also protects the brain. Broccoli also contains antioxidants, plus has vitamin K that prevents inflammation.
Coffee or tea contain caffeine and antioxidants to boost memory power. Green tea also contains L-theanine, which helps you relax yet still remain alert. Green tea also contains polyphenols that protect memory.
Eating organ meats, egg yolks, and cheese can boost vitamin D. Vitamin D improves memory. Safe sunning is another way to increase vitamin D intake.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition

Exercises You Should Start Doing Regularly

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2023 | Leave a response

Regular exercise can help optimize health. You should do some form of exercise daily, even if it’s just going for a walk. There are so many different exercises, it’s hard to decide which ones to do. Our trainers can help you, but if you’re working out on your own, here are some exercises you should start doing regularly. To get an adequate workout, you need to add other exercises to your workout, so these are just a baseline to follow.

Work the large muscles of your body to boost your nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide relaxes the blood vessels, which lowers your blood pressure. You can increase it in your body with exercise, particularly from large muscle groups. Squats and lunges work large muscles. Squats also improve core and lower body strength, while building flexibility in the hips. Lunges help improve your balance and improve glute and leg muscles. Both burn tons of calories.

Do planks, push-ups, or both.

Push-ups are planks in motion, and also a lot harder to do since you’re slowly lowering and lifting your body, using both push and pull actions. Both push-ups and planks help build core muscles, particularly abdominal muscles. They both strengthen the entire body. Planks don’t put stress on the back but do help increase core muscle strength. You can modify both planks and push-ups to make them more suitable for your fitness level, such as bent knee push-ups or forearm planks.

Do a bridge or thoracic rotation to loosen your back and prevent future back issues.

The bridge helps build core muscles and doing them regularly can help prevent back pain and tighten your tummy. Thoracic rotations are stretches and also good exercises to help relax and strengthen muscles in the back, but focus more on the upper back. Both can help counter the effect that slouching has on your posture by stretching the muscles that have been trained to remain in a permanent slump through years of sitting and bad posture.

A stretch that will make everyone feel good is the knee or knees-to-chest exercise. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the mat. Pull one or both knees to your chest by interlacing fingers around the lower leg or legs and pulling it toward you.
A wall slide will help your posture, which helps relieve the pain that comes from sitting too long slumped over. Stand against a wall with your hips and shoulders touching. Raise your arms in a V and then slowly lower them to a goal post without lifting your back off the wall.
Walking is a good type of exercise to do every day and it doesn’t require special equipment or much planning. You have to have good posture for it to be the most effective and can find easy ways to add to the amount of time you walk every day.
A four-minute nitric oxide dump combines four exercises performed ten times each per set, squats, alternating arm raises, non-jumping jumping jacks, and military presses. Do three sets of each three or four times throughout the day.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Mindset, Nutrition

Is An Apple A Day Really A Good Idea?

Published by superadmin on March 10, 2023 | Leave a response

A lot of knowledge is passed to the next generation through proverbs. For example, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” has been a popular saying since the 1800s and the reason is that it’s true. We rely on facts and scientifically based knowledge at Revolution Training in Stamford, CT, and the facts are, apples are very healthy. There is a caveat. If you live a sedentary lifestyle and consume junk food for most of your diet, eating one or more apples each day may help, but may not keep you healthy. That doesn’t take away from its health benefits.

Apples are loaded with healthy fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

A medium size apple is just 100 calories, but it contains 16 % of the RDI of fiber, 6% of the RDI for potassium, 14% of the RDI of vitamin C, and 5% of the RDI for vitamin D. It has copper, manganese and also smaller amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E. Apples also contain powerful phytonutrients such as quercetin, catechin, and chloric acid. Quercetin is anti-inflammatory. Catechin is an antioxidant that’s also found in green tea. Chlorogenic acid, which is also in coffee, helps control weight and lower blood sugar levels.

Apples make your belly bugs happy.

You’ll feed the beneficial microbes in your gut when you eat apples. Apples contain soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels and provide prebiotic benefits. Prebiotics feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Having good gut health and a diverse collection of beneficial microbes affects everything from digestion to brain and emotional health. Apples are healthy when they’re raw, but stewed apples have additional benefits. The effects of the pectin in stewed apples are more pronounced, so the pectin provides more benefits for maintaining and repairing the intestinal mucosa lining, reducing inflammation, eliminating toxins, and modulating the bacteria in the gut.

Improve your heart health by eating apples.

The fiber in apples feeds the beneficial microbes that help lower cholesterol levels. Studies show eating apples is as effective as many cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, but without the side effects. One study compared apples to statins and found eating apples was similar in lowering death rates from heart disease. Apples also contain a flavonoid called epicatechin. It helps lower blood pressure, another heart-healthy benefit. The skin also contains anthocyanins and other polyphenols, which also help lower cholesterol levels.

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths. Apples help promote weight loss. It does that by increasing the fiber, making you feel fuller. Apple juice or applesauce won’t provide the same benefit.
Apples can help people with osteoporosis. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that apples contain help slow calcium loss.
Apples can provide dental benefits. Eating apples promotes saliva, which can help keep the teeth healthier and brighter. Apples also contain nutrients that help boost healthy gums.
Apples can help reduce the risk of asthma, cancer and diabetes if you eat them regularly. The antioxidants also help protect the immune system and lungs.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition

Why You Should Put Yourself First This Year

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2023 | Leave a response

Why is it important to put yourself first when it comes to fitness? If you’re not healthy, nobody will be there to do the important things you do for others. Taking care of your health is similar to putting on your oxygen mask before you attend to children. It helps you stay alert so you can ensure they get the mask fitted properly onto the child. Also, if you put the child’s mask on first, he or she can’t fit your mask on you if you pass out. Self-care isn’t being selfish. You have to do it for yourself since nobody else can do it for you.

While thinking of others first is considered noble, you deserve the same respect.

If you don’t value yourself, who will value you? People take a cue from you on how to treat you. If you’re last on the list of importance, others will also treat you that way. When you take care of your needs, you not only show the world you’re important, too, you also have a more even temperament. Feeling good about yourself allows you to feel good about others and help put an end to moody days.

You’ll prevent burdening others with your illness.

If you’re overworked, stressed out, and out of shape, it’s a perfect scenario for illness. When you’re sick, it can affect the lives of others. There’s nobody to take care of them and often they become responsible for taking care of you. If you truly care about the people you love, you’ll take care of your emotional and physical needs. Doing that ensures you have the good health, mindset and energy to be the best partner, mother or friend you can be.

Lack of self-care can lead to making mistakes.

Everyone has had brain drain at one time or another. It often happens when you’re not getting enough sleep and running on empty. Self-care includes not only eating healthily and getting exercise, but also getting adequate sleep. When you exercise, you boost your mental clarity, increase your energy and even sleep sounder. It can help you improve your overall performance, get things done faster and in a safer, more accurate manner.

Take time first to take care of yourself, even if you have a busy schedule. As with your auto, it’s better to do the maintenance work for a short time every day, than to spend hours at the doctor’s doing repairs.
When you’re mentally and physically exhausted, your outlook on life suffers. Be the best you possible, which means be your happiest self. You can’t do that unless you’re healthy and fit. It will make every day better.
Being fit can help you finish the day with energy to spare. It makes you a better partner, friend and parent. When you have energy, you’ll be more apt to have a smile on your face and do more for your family and friends.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on making yourself first. Just carve out a time every day to workout and do something for yourself. Make that time an appointment with your future happiness.

For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training

Posted in Fitness, Mindset, Nutrition