Your Hidden 4 lbs is right here!!

In the midst of the Coronavirus right now, having a strong and healthy immune system is more important than ever!

There are steps you can take to make yourself healthier, and we’ve got a great series that focuses on a super important part of your immune health: your gut!

There has been a LOT of buzz about “gut health” lately … and for a very good reason.

Your gut health doesn’t affect just your digestion (although that’s super important) … but also your heart, your brain, your immune system, and even your mood.

And with a global pandemic happening, it seems like a good time to focus even more on our overall wellness!

You have about 100 trillion (!!!) microbes living in your gut right now. And there are about 1,000 different species of known gut bacteria. 

(Fun Fact #1: if you were to weigh all the bacteria in your gut, they would weigh over 4 lbs (2 kg))!

Some of these bacteria are your personal army of helpers, digesting your food, making energy, and keeping your immune system strong.

And others are not-so-good, linked with digestive upset, inflammation, obesity, and even conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma.

As you can imagine, you want to make sure your gut stays in balance, with more of the good guys than the bad guys!

YOU have the power to do just that with your food and lifestyle choices!

But now for fun fact #2 ... your individual gut microbiome is like your fingerprint. 

No one else’s is exactly the same.

All of us share about one-third of the same microbiota makeup – but two-thirds of your microbiota “fingerprint” are unique to YOU!

Even though we all have our own unique gut microbiome, the basic guidelines for keeping it in balance work for nearly everyone! 

I’m going to be sharing a LOT more info about all of this in the coming weeks, but here’s a quick gut health checklist to get you started:

1. Make sure you’re getting enough fiber, including insoluble fiber. These fibers are what the good bacteria in your small intestine like to feed on. 

2. Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, because it contains healthy bacteria that can replenish your gut microbiome. This is especially true if you have taken antibiotics, which can affect the balance of your gut bacteria.

3. Avoid processed foods and sugar. The bad-guy bacteria like to feed on these!

4. Cut stress. Meditate, journal, go outside for some fresh air.  There’s a direct connection (your vagus nerve) between your brain and your gut, each affecting the other! 

5. Get regular exercise. The more active you are, the happier your gut microbiome is!

6. Get enough sleep. When your sleep is disrupted, so are the good bacteria in your microbiome. And vice versa! 

It’s amazing how everything works together, isn’t it?

Do this and start feeling better ASAP

Your body LOVES to move … right down to its smallest molecules!

In fact, we’re wired for it … and your health depends on it.

Here’s a shocking stat for you:

“In less than two generations, physical activity dropped by 20% in the U.K. and 32% in the U.S. In China, the drop is 45% in less than one generation.” - designedtomove.org

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be talking about how important it really is to take care of your body and muscles … and this goes far beyond the results you see in the mirrorwhen you workout! (Weakened immune systems are what’s fueling the flu and Cronovirus we are currently hearing so much about)

Moving your body on a regular basis helps everything from your energy levels, emotions, relationships and ability to learn, to your overall quality of life.

Here’s just a short list of how movement (walking, dancing, gardening, exercising, doing chores, etc.) has huge payoffs for you:

● It can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.

● It can help support brain health. (One study even showed middle-aged women who were considered “highly fit” had a lower risk of developing dementia at an early age.)

● It boosts your mood by creating more brain chemicals associated with happiness.

● It helps you handle stress better.

● It can help improve your focus and attention span.

● It can help your body battle inflammation.

● It also helps power your body’s lymphatic system, which is like your own personal army against infection. Because there is no natural “pump” to help your lymphatic system drain toxins from your system, the movement of your muscles is actually responsible for helping to move this important fluid!

Here’s a little trivia you can even share with your friends:

How much faster can you recover from a common cold if you exercise on a regular basis? 

Answer: Your chances of coming down with a cold are cut in half!

It’s true! A study of 1,000 people found people who were active 5 or more days a week were 50% less likely to come down with a cold over a 3-month period. And if they did come down with a cold, their symptoms were about 40% less severe.  

Pretty amazing, right? 

The great thing about it is that pretty much all forms of movement can help you – stretching, walking, even conquering a mountain of laundry!

Here’s a challenge for you …

Level 1: Every day this week, set a timer for 15-20 minutes and move nonstop. 

This could be a quick workout, a brisk walk, or even a fast & furious cleaning session in your home. To make it more fun, turn on some music to make it happen!

Level 2: Join us for a FREE week at our studio! I’ve opened up a limited number of spots to help YOU get your body moving this week. Even if you’re a complete beginner, this would be absolutely perfect for you to get the momentum going. Or you can start with a complimentary 30 days with my online program that will meet you where you are and help you gain some momentum.

How are you going to get your movement in this week? Let me know either in a quick reply or over in our Private Facebook group if you currently have access!

What do you think? Are you up for it?

Committed to your Success,

Do this now and your “future you” will thank you for it!

Do you ever see videos online of people in their 70’s and beyond shooting hoops, skating, dancing, working out looking sometimes at their best the older they get? You say to yourself “ that’s how I want to be when I get that age.”

That’s what I do. That’s actually what gets me up every morning @ 410am for my workout. My why is HUGE. I don’t want my kids to have to care for me as I age. I really want to be mobile, and mentally there for my kids and hopefully future grand kids. That means I have to take steady action now.

1- Start doing those things NOW (if you aren’t already)

2- Take care of your muscles by keeping them strong and flexible.

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s easier to clean a clean house?”

It seems like a no brainer, but the same philosophy works with your fitness and health.

It’s so much easier to KEEP your fitness level (and your muscle) than it is to rebuild it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s never too late to get into shape and gain muscle.. you can absolutely do it. It doesn’t matter what your age is. It just takes time, consistency, and a little Patience.

When you hit the age of 30, you start losing 3% to 5% of your muscle mass each year! (Studies even show that over your lifetime you can lose up to 30% of your muscle!)

LESS MUSCLE=LESS STRENGTH=LESS BALANCE= MORE RISK OF FALLS AND FRACTURE.. Not good!

Plus, not only does keeping your muscles healthy improve your strength and quality of life, but it also is an important part of keeping your metabolism revved as you age.

This is why strength training is so important as you get older! It can help your body retain your muscle, and maybe even reverse the trend.

Here are two to-dos to put on your weekly self-care list to get a jump start on keeping that precious muscle… and helping you stay strong and flexible For years to come.
1- Get at least TWO total body strength-training workouts in a week. (Incorporating major muscle groups) *bonus RESISTANCE TRAINING ALSO HELPS KEEP YOUR BONES STRONG.

2- SELF-CARE- do things that keep your tank full. Keep your stress low, in return will help with more quality sleep. Increased energy, and helping you regenerate cells… keeping you young!

Exercise and your metabolism

What if I told you that exercise may be an add on to your weight loss more than a requirement? The working out gives you clarity, endorphin rush, and an elevated confidence. The average person burns about 1600-2000 calories without trips to the gyms, and the goal is to burn an extra 220+ calories with an intense training session (which is our calorie burn goal in each 30 minute training session)

Your muscles are more biologically active than most other tissues in your body- causing them to burn more calories at rest, and even longer after workout. Of course exercise helps you maintain or add muscle, which over time has a variance but useful effect on calorie burning, and helps keep your metabolism from slowing with advancing years. So making time to exercise is a great strategy to maintain your metabolism, but not the go to for burning off your burger and fries addiction or a cold one. 🤷🏾‍♂️

What’s really behind weight loss??

When you’re thinking of losing weight, your first thought is you’ll be losing fat, but only if it were that easy. I’m hoping you’re coming to realization that all weight loss isn’t fat loss. This is very important. When you start to get more control of your health and fitness, the first thing most think to do is reduce calories and start moving more. When you reduce calories our bodies don’t exclusively turn to burning excess fat for fuel. So the focus is really to dial in on body fat reduction, maintaining lean muscle, not necessarily “ I need to lose this much (insert your desired number) weight”

if the case were for the body to only burn fat, your belly fat would be the first to go. When you begin to diet and reduce calories the body can burn fat, but it can and will burn lean muscle as well if restricting calories for a long period of time. This is how crash dieting backfires and plays a trick on your body and raises havoc on your metabolism. Notice when you or an individual that has a completed a diet that involved calorie restriction regained the weight back and then some?? This was due to the individual’s weight loss coming more from lean muscle than body fat, and slowing their metabolic rate. You should be cautious of any fad diet that involves extreme weight loss or overnight results.

Action steps⬇️⬇️⬇️

✅take starting progress pictures

✅ get current BMR or resting metabolism

✅ re-assess every 2 weeks

✅ the scale isn’t the best way to gauge success or training program progress.