Friday, March 30, 2012

Can Healthy Living Compensate for Bad Genetics?

Let's face it -- some people are just plain lucky.  They indulge in unhealthy habits, get little quality exercise, and somehow, they live a long life, predominantly free of chronic disease.  Others, of course, were dealt a bad hand, genetically.  Some of you have high blood pressure, even though your lifestyle is pretty healthy.  Others have cholesterol numbers that are off the charts, even though your cholesterol intake really isn't all that bad.  And, of course, some have larger bone structure and lower metabolic rates, naturally.

The good news is that, despite heredity, our day-to-day decisions have a whole heck of a lot more to do with what happens to us than our genetic inheritence does!  We can and should fight back against congenital disorders or problems that "we were born with". 

Below is a bulletpoint list of very attackable problems with real solutions.  These sugestions are meant as a jumping-off point, and we encourage you to contact us (or comment below or on our Facebook page) to further personalize your solution(s):

Slow metabolism:  "I've never really been skinny."  "No matter what I do, I always have a big butt."  "I've tried diet and exercise, but I'm always bigger-framed no matter what I do."
Surprisingly, many foods and herbs go a long way in boosting metabolism.  We'll be posting more on this in a future blogpost, but a good start are foods like kelp and grapefruit, as well as items such as hot peppers and acai berries, have all been shown to improve metabolism.  Including these into your daily regimen along with precise, personalized strength training (you don't need the gym -- it can all be done at home) will greatly improve your metabolism to the tune of burning or keeping off an extra five or six pounds per month!

High cholesterol:  Sure, some of us have to work a little bit harder than others to keep our cholesterol ratio in check.  But, solid exercise alone will elevate your "good cholesterol" as long as you're employing the right F.I.T.T. principles... This means the FREQUENCY, INTENSITY, TIME SPENT, and TYPE/SELECTION of each exercise have to be close to ideal for you to really get the benefit you need to improve your good cholesterol.  A moderate walk, alone, won't do it!  And, of course, replacing your higher-cholesterol foods with veggies and fruits of the right caloric make-up will bring down your "bad cholesterol".  Regardless of your predisposition, what you do will make a far bigger difference than what you inherited.

Hypertension:  Did you know that just a small piece of dark chocolate every day will bring down your systolic (top number) blood pressure value?  Did you also know that supplementing with Coenzyme Q10 has been shown to help reduce blood pressure, also?  And, if you think you're already getting ebnough cardio, then think again:  Five days per week of 20-60 minutes are recommended for controlling blood pressure as well as cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease.

Dementia:  If dementia runs in your family, then you may believe that there isn't much you can do to prevent it.  Fortunately, that isn't true!  Dementia is preventable by consuming fish regularly (a small amount each day seems to show the most promise, or supplementing with fish oil tablets in quantities of 1-3grams per day.)  Additionally, moderate-to-high cardiovascular training go a long way in defeating dementia also.  In general, a healthy diet rich in anti-oxidants, steady aerobic exercise, and a good night's sleep are key ingredients to preventing the onset of this horrible disease, even as you reach your 80s, 90s or beyond.

Osteoporosis:  Don't let a family history of this devastating disease make you think that you're a sitting duck!  The right nutrition, water consumption, and progressive strength training regimen are all you'll need to keep your bones strong at ANY age.  The trick is to know the right amounts of calcium and vitamin D to be consuming for you and your activities, and to have a resistive program that is just enough to improve your bones without damaging your muscles or joints.  An exercise professional with a strong background in bone maintenance will craft the right program for your needs, and you'll see your T-score improving a little bit more every few months, regardless of what your bloodline says.

Heart disease, arthritis, poor balance, and most others disorders have fairly simple answers, also!  Please call us (877-698-3648), email info@perfectpersonaltraining.com, or post your questions on our Facebook page or in the comments area below.  There are solid solutions for you and for your family; we just need to put in the time to look at your lifestyle and medical history, and assess your needs for better living and reduced risk.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend, everyone!


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Top 5 Things You've Got To Know for Fat Loss

If you're going to effectively lose excess bodyfat, then you've got to have a Caloric Deficit Plan!  Otherwise, you're throwing darts, blindfolded.  It's all a crapshoot if you don't know what you're up against or how your efforts will measure up against it!

#5.  Remember this:  1 lb = 3500 calories.  Burning one pound of bodyfat means creating a caloric deficit of roughly 3500 calories.  These calories can be expended through movement, through consuming fewer calories of food and drink, and through raising your metabolism. 

#4.  While a Perfect Personal Trainer can better personalize these numbers, you can usually assume an approximate caloric loss of...
4 or 5 calories per minute of light aerobic or circuit training exercise
8 - 10 calories burned per minute of moderate aerobic or circuit exercise
13 - 17 calories per minute of intense aerobic or circuit exercise

#3.  It is usually safe for those who weight over 180 lbs to consume as few as 1500 calories per day.  Those between 120 and 180 lbs can usually consume as low as 1350 calories per day without negative repercussion.  For those under 120 pounds, it is often safe to consume as few as 1200 calories per day.  Get to know the calories you're taking in so you can insure your weight loss success.

#2.  Don't rely on bodyweight exercises when they're not in your best interest!
For example, pushups can be an excellent exercise for many. But, this exercise is usually not ideal for those who can safely perform more than 30 pushups at a time, or for those who experience back pain, or wrist or shoulder problems during or after this exercise.  When you're selecting your exercises, choose the ones that are most appropriate and the best use of your time -- not just what's convenient.

#1.  Find out what your body composition is!  You see, much of your body weight will come from bone density, muscle tissue, body water, or other healthy, normal fat-free weight.  Therefore, it doesn't make sense to assume that losing weight is always good or that gaining weight is always bad.  Let a Perfect Personal Trainer assess your body composition (fat percentage) so that you can plan for roughly 1% of body composition loss weekly until you're in a healthy, safe range.
There is a LOT to discuss here, everyone, so please feel free to post comments or call us at (877)698-3648.  We're always here to help you achieve preventive health, your fitness goals, a greater self-confidence, and your lifelong dreams!