The importance of breakfast

There is a few simple reasons:

Break fasting....right there in the name!!!! After sleeping for hours and hours, your body needs some fuel to function in the morning.

With a well-balanced breakfast, you will be able to think better during your morning activities!!!

With eating breakfast you are less likely to indulge in a high calorie lunch, which would SLOW down your metabolism!!

There is a little enzyme created in our bodies when we yo-yo eat. Your blood sugar drops dramatically if you eat only once or twice a day...causing your body to produce fat storing enzymes...and a lot of them!!!!!! So, because you are eating so little calories throughout the day you are actually causing your body to create more body fat!!!!

Simple fix: eat 5 times a day, starting with breakfast....eating breakfast 30 minutes after waking. Even if it's something small to start with!!!

Muscle imbalances

For every one joint in the body, the muscles need to be EQUALLY as strong around it. Look at your shoulders, if they are "rounded" forward...that is an imbalance! Your chest muscles are stronger than your back muscles. So, what's the problem with that, you may ask? There's a decrease in blood and O2 flow to those muscles in the back, making it VERY easy to tear. What is the most common injury in baseball? Rotator cuff tear! Simple fix....work your back muscles: Lats, Rear Delts, Traps, Rhumboids. Easy!

What burns more calories?

Due to something called "Ground gravity effect" jump roping burns MORE calories than running! 10 minutes of fast jump roping is = 30 minutes of running!!!!

Great supps, check it out

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More muscle vs more fat

One more thought for Sunday....

1lb of muscle will burn 45-50 calories per day just to stay alive, let alone be active

1lb of fat will only burn 3-4 calories per day

So, now matter which way you look at it more muscle is better!!!

What does metabolism really mean?

Metabolism is actually the process your body goes through (and how quickly) to breakdown the food you eat and turn the food into energy for your body. The more muscle you have the quicker that process happens.

Let me explain some of the words you hear:

Endocrine system: The main "mama" for your metabolism by stimulating glands and releasing hormones.

Thyroid gland: The key "metabolism" gland that produces certain hormones that play a key role in determining how fast or slow your body breaks down food.

Pancreas gland: The gland that releases insulin by sensing "food or glucose" in your body.

Hyperthyroidism: overactive thyroid
Hypothyroidism: underactive thyroid

Doesn't that make more sense!!!

Insulin hormone: Hormone released by the pancreas gland that signals cells to do their job.

Now doesn't that make more sense!!!

core exercises

Core muscles are everything around your spinal cord. (aka central nervous system) Stomach, obliques, lower back. Here's a simple way to work your core every morning before you get ready for your day:

Lower back first: The cobra, stage 1.

Lay on your stomach, face down, arms at your side creating a slight "v shape". Leaving your feet on the ground, lift your chest up off of the ground and squeeze your shoulder blades as tight as you can. Do 3 sets of 15 reps to start with.

Obliques (aka love handles): side plank

Lay on your side, with your elbow right under your shoulder. Legs straight on top of each other. Lift your hips off of the ground as high as you can (trying to keep your body stiff and straight) and lightly bring your hips back down on the ground. Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps.

Abs: Simple crunch

Lay on your back with legs close to your glutes, but comfortable. Keep your eyes focused on one spot above you (this is to keep you from giving yourself whiplash and cranking your neck!) lift your shoulder blades up as high as you can, hold for 2 counts and bring it back down. Repeat this for 3 sets of 15 reps.

Processed foods for thought

I will revisit one of my 'hot spots'....processed food. First and foremost, if anyone product has more than 2 ingredients in it...why are you eating it?! Because it tastes good, right?! Well...think about this:

*The nutrition label is legally allowed to be up to 300% inaccurate. So, honestly counting calories is a great first step, but it really comes down to the ingredients.

*Most processed food has (minimally) 5 ingredients. Most common are the words that end in 'ose', which are chemically processed sugars.

*Some processed foods have up to 35 ingredients!!!!

Let's take one of my old time favs: Rice a Roni.

This product has 21 ingredients. One of the many is a chemical called yellow 5. Yellow 5 has been PROVEN to cause: chronic migraines, clinical depression, fatigue, and OCD in children. Unfortunately, that is only 1 of 21 ingredients.

Lesson learned: The more organic/natural foods, the better!!

Up and running!

What I want?

Ask all the fitness questions you want!!!!!! Today is the rest of your life!!!