5 Great Benefits to Get From a Plant Based Diet

November 5, 2018/in Blog, Nutritional Consultant, Plant-Based Diets

A plant based diet includes a high percentage of food sourced from plants rather than animals. This can mean eating nuts, whole grains, lentils, peas, beans, fruits, and vegetables. But, this style of diet does not need to be strictly vegetarian.

Here are five of the health benefits that come from eating lots of plant foods:

Blood pressure

A plant-based diet offers a perfect source of potassium-rich foods which can help to naturally lower blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables, as well as most seeds, nuts, legumes, and whole grain include a sufficient amount of vitamin B6 and potassium for healthy blood pressure. Animal foods like meat include minimal potassium and can lead to higher cholesterol and blood pressure.

Cholesterol

A significant benefit of adopting a plant-based diet is the ability to lower cholesterol. Plants are cholesterol-free, even the more saturated types like cacao and coconut. For this reason, eating a diet that mostly consists of plant-based foods can offer a simple solution to lowering cholesterol. Great food choices to lower rates of heart disease and cholesterol include seeds, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Blood Sugar

A highly effective method to control high blood sugar is to increase the fiber in the diet. A fiber-rich diet is perfect to help with slowing the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream. An added benefit is the ability to control hunger throughout the course of the day. Also, fiber can help with balancing the level of cortisol in the blood stream, which is responsible for the feelings of stress. Many of the animal foods can have a significant hand in increasing the blood sugar level.

Cancer

A plant-based diet that includes low-fat, whole food is one of the most efficient choices for helping to cut the risk of cancer. Certain cancers like breast and colon are at great risk for those that eat a diet mainly consisting of animal foods.

Weight Loss

A diet consisting of plant-based and whole foods, with minimal processed sugars and low in fat, is certain to help with cutting weight. A further benefit comes from a diet that is high in clean and raw whole foods. Weight loss is naturally able to occur when the daily diet includes a higher percentage of vitamins, minerals, and fiber compared to proteins and animal fats. A well-planned plant-based diet has the potential to cut 4-6 pounds within a two-week period. This should also ensure you aren’t left feeling hungry.

What Personal Training Can Do For You And How To Know If You Are Being Trained Properly

November 5, 2018/in Blog, Personal Training, Personal Training Tips

In the pursuit to lose some extra pounds, people quite often go for strict diets, which involve limits on the amount and type of food a person eats. Such extreme measures may help in reduction of weight for a brief period, but pose serious health hazards if carried on for a long enough time. Exercising periodically for some time under the supervision of a personal trainer is a lot better alternative than engaging in strict dieting.

However, a high percentage of people are not sure about the advantages of working with a personal trainer, and express suspicion as to how effective such a program would be. There are, actually a whole lot of reasons to engage a personal trainer.

First of all, a personal trainer will create a comprehensive exercise plan for you and this will encourage you to attain your health objectives. This will help you become more driven towards your efforts to care for your fitness and overall health.

Secondly, a personal trainer, being a specialist, guides you on the correct exercises and techniques to use while working out, and will offer an exercise schedule and diet plan suited to your body and its specific requirements. Hence your self formulated exercise schedule and reckless attempts at eating less will be replaced by a more planned and concentrated program.

Thirdly, a personal trainer is more sincere to you than you tend to be with yourself, and can give you a correct picture of your fitness and health standards. Your road to a longer and healthier life will also be paved by a personal trainer who will plan for you strategies to battle against general health issues.

Fourthly, preventive measures against injury and quick recuperation from an injury can also be taught by a personal trainer, and he can make you informed enough to continue with your exercises without his instructions.

Lastly, a personal trainer makes you responsible enough to meet deadlines and abide by schedules, encouraging you to develop an ongoing approach to the maintenance of your new found good health.

In a personal training program, you and your fitness needs get complete attention from your trainer. A clear idea of your health needs and fitness aims is the first step to ensuring a fruitful personal training program. Moreover you can check on references, qualifications and experience of the trainer beforehand, and develop a good way to communicate once training starts. A cautious consideration of all these factors can ensure a very satisfying personal training experience.

Strength and Balance Training for Senior Citizens

November 2, 2018/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Senior Fitness

Fear of losing balance and falling can be terrifying for senior citizens. It is estimated that approximately one-third of the senior population age 65 and over are admitted to the hospital due to falls. As age increases, so do the statistics. Approximately 50% of seniors who have hip surgery from falling, will experience another slip within six months.

One of the primary reasons seniors fall is due to lack of strength and balance. Our bodies are meant to move and many seniors lack serious exercise routines, resulting in loss of balance and strength. Learning an exercise program designed specifically for strength and balance for seniors is essential in fall prevention.

For many unconditioned seniors, balancing and strengthening exercises can be challenging. Always begin an exercise program with a trained Senior Fitness specialist. A fitness professional will begin any exercise plan with a thorough assessment of balance and strength issues, including postural deviations, soft tissue injuries, and any skeletal disease.

Benefits of an exercise program are vast. A cardio-respiratory program designed for your specific fitness level will increase blood flow and oxygen uptake to vital organs allowing those organs to work more efficiently.

Stretching exercises will help you lengthen muscles that have been shortened due to inactivity allowing for more freedom of movement and ease of muscular pain.

Balance exercises will help you with many of your daily activities, including standing up from a chair or getting out of a tub without falling. Balance is also important for being able to move quickly out of harms’ way, as in a swift moving vehicle coming too fast as you are crossing the street.

Strength training is vital in keeping muscles and bones strong. Strength training has proven to help reduce osteoporosis and increase bone density. This can help reduce deformity in the joints and fractures especially in the hips and spine. Muscle imbalances and lack of tone can be reduced with strength training exercises. Strength training will also help to improve your step and gait which may reduce the need for walking with a walker or cane.

Cardio-respiratory exercises, strength training, balance exercises and stretching routines combined will add not only valuable physical improvement in day to day activities but also provide essential mental health. Increased oxygen flow to the brain and organs increase efficiency and helps reduce the loss of memory and improves mental sharpness.

Beginning an exercise routine may appear to be daunting at first, but hiring a professional fitness trainer who specializes in senior fitness is the first step. Always check with your physician and get a medical clearance before beginning an exercise program. Take small steps, build up your endurance and most of all, enjoy feeling the benefits of exercise.

Personal Training Tips – Nutrition Reminders for Fitness

November 2, 2018/in Blog, Personal Training, Personal Training Tips

If you’re into personal training, it’s not enough that you keep your regular gym date with your fitness trainer. More importantly, you need to be faithful to a healthy diet that will maintain your strength and provide you with all the nutrients that will help you towards your fitness goals.

First of all, don’t starve yourself or try diets that promise you to lose weight amazingly fast. They don’t work, don’t give benefits to your health, and will just leave you frustrated. There are countless diets published in all kinds of media. While most of them may take effect in the first few days, you’ll find that your waistline will go back to its old size after a short period of time.

Crash diets, low-calorie diets, and others usually slow down your metabolism. You just gain back the pounds you lost previously. You need to choose the diets that you follow. For some people, they need not just what they eat but in their overall eating habits.

You might want to start by keeping a diet journal. Write down everything you consume everyday, including the amount. Do this for at least 14 days. While you know what you eat, it’s different when you write it down and read it for yourself. The objective is to make you realize that that’s exactly what you put in your body.

Start watching what you eat. A healthy diet has the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats, and other nutrients. Depending on your fitness goals, the ratios will vary. Consult a nutritionist to know what would be best for you.

But, in most cases, among the things you surely should be consuming more of are fiber and water. Fiber aids in having a good digestion every time. It slows down carbohydrates as their enter your body, reducing the amount of fat that goes inside you. You get less sugar and slower insulin output, giving you a more active fat burning. Water, meanwhile, helps in increasing your energy and in burning fat while you do your workout. Even a slight insufficiency of water in your body will negatively affect your performance in your fitness routine.

Last but definitely not the least, you need to be very careful of what you take in at night. Avoid consuming carbohydrates before you sleep. Carbohydrates are meant to be burned. Since you burn a very minimal amount of them while you sleep, you’ll just be storing fat.

These are some diet pointers that would be useful on your personal training. They may be very basic but will help you significantly in achieving your fitness goals. It would be ideal if you ask your trainer or the nutritionist in your gym for other diet tips that would perfectly suit you and the kind of training you’re undergoing.

The Benefits of an Effective Strength Program For Older Adults

November 1, 2018/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Senior Fitness

If you know me then you are know my stance on strength training, fitness training, and exercise. I am going to completely reinforce my opinion on the importance of training and exercise in this article. I will never stop pushing, not now, not ever. If you are an elderly person then it is even more important for you to read my advice and what I am about to say in this article.

To start off, age is a number. I completely understand the physiological details of “getting older” are not something any of us can avoid. There are all types of diseases, illnesses, disorders and ailments that stem from the aging process. Fortunately these things can be slowed and sometimes even reversed with proper exercise.

If you are an older adult and beginning to feel the effects of aging start to advance then you need to begin strength training. Strength training for elderly people is very UNDER-RATED! As you get older your mission should be to put medical professionals out of business because you are so healthy and fit.

Men and woman alike can benefit tremendously from strength training. This type of exercise has been known to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase bone density, muscle mass and flexibility, and create better balance and stability in your body. Of course these are only a few examples of the benefit you will derive from a proper and effective exercise program.

Are you ready for a wheel chair, becoming bedridden or feel pain all the time? I am not sure about you but I want to live to 75 years of age feeling like I am 25, rather than live to be 100 but feel 200 years old. I know we only get one body and one chance at life so we should live it to its fullest.

There are so many issues with today’s healthcare system. And with the constant worry over rising cost of medicines and care, I believe the best solution is to eliminate the need for a healthcare system. Effective strength training and a person program design specifically to make you sweat is the answer.

How to Achieve Good Nutrition by Eating a Plant Based Diet

November 1, 2018/in Blog, Nutritional Consultant, Plant-Based Diets

Vegetarianism and veganism are lifestyles that are defined by the eliminating of animal products from food and clothing, and opposing animal testing and cruelty. In vegetarianism and veganism, the diet is plant based and excludes meat.

While it may seem to be lacking to exclude meat in the diet, a plant based diet can actually provide all the essential nutrients a body needs to maintain good health and promote longevity.

A plant based diet consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Each of these contains all the essential nutrients that the human body needs to promote healthy digestion, cell function and repair, heart health, bone health, and even mental health. At the same time, they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. They help in maintaining weight while providing adequate amounts of fiber, vitamins, carbohydrates, and antioxidants.

The way to ensure there is an adequate supply of all the nutrients needed to have a healthy disposition is to vary up the plant based foods that are eaten. There are several to choose from so the possibilities for variety are better than one would expect. The diet does include salads and fresh fruit, but also consists of whole grain products, beans, oils, herbs and spices. All together, these items can be mixed and matched and prepared in various ways to get the amounts of nutrients needed for good health, without necessarily having to take supplements.

Plant based foods contain amino acids, various vitamins, protein, fiber and magnesium, an absolutely vital nutrient for good health, among others. They can be found in several foods. Some foods contain a lot of some nutrients and only a little of others, which is why variety is highly recommended for a plant based diet. Here are a few nutrients that need to be in adequate supply from food, and it is important to look out for and try to consume them at every meal.

Calcium is one nutrient the human body needs for strong teeth and bones, but it is not made or stored within the human body. To get an adequate supply of calcium, leafy greens must be a main staple of a plant based diet. These include spinach, kale, bok choy, collard, mustard and turnip greens. Almonds and hazelnuts can be added to a meal for a little extra calcium.

Iron is very important in the transport of oxygen to the organs in the body. Leafy greens are a good source of iron, but other items will provide the necessary iron as well. In order to consume enough iron on a plant based diet, foods like oatmeal, whole wheat breads, and lentils, along with several other foods. Iron rich foods should be consumed on a regular basis.

Vitamin B12 is one vitamin we need, but is not very abundant in plant based diets. B12 can be found in fortified foods and supplements. This essential vitamin plays a part in giving us energy, reduces the risk of several diseases, and helps with overall mental health, so it needs to be a regular part of the plant based diet.

The foods of the earth in their natural form are unaltered and therefore healthier for humans than animal based and cooked foods. With a bit of research and the implementation of variety, a person could successfully achieve great health and a well balanced lifestyle by adopting a plant based diet.

Personal Training Tips For Best Health and Fitness

November 1, 2018/in Blog, Personal Training, Personal Training Tips

We all would like to be more fit and healthy, but at times it seems a difficult task. Trust, we at Wonderfully Fit, understand that better than anyone. So we compiled a quick list on tips to help you along the way.

15 Tips to help you reach you goal of better Health and Fitness

GOAL FOCUS – Have AND maintain a vision of what you want to achieve.
WARM-UP – Always warm-up (with moderate exercise) before you go into intense efforts/exercise
STRETCH – It is a good idea to stretch as you go. After warm-up, between sets and after exercise (give extra attention to tight muscles)
CHECKS – There are two things you should check before you begin any exercise. 1st – you have the correct weight, 2nd= you have the correct seating adjustments and posture.
USE PROPER TECHNIQUE – Maintain technique and control at all times!Proper technique will save injury and yield better results!
BREATHE – Breathe out as you lift and in as you lower the weight. Keep your movements in rhythm with your breathing.
BE CONSISTENT – “The hallmarks of successful training are long term consistency and progression!” Fred Hatfield
MAKE TIME – There are 168 hours in a week – all you need is 3 or 4! There is always enough time for your priorities!
EAT RIGHT – Nutrition is a major key to great health and fitness. “We should eat to live not live to eat!” Socrates
BE DISCIPLINED – “There will often be times when you don’t feel like a workout! Rarely times you regret having had one!” Ryan Fraser
ASK FOR HELP – Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. We want to help.
KEEP A RECORD – Track your success! You will progress better if you know what your progress is. Write it down.
TRAIN PROGRESSIVELY – Through gradual and constant progress in your training – Your body must change to meet the new demands on it!
VARY YOUR WORKOUTS – Your body will adapt to a routine. See your trainer regularly for new exercises and routines to ensure progression!
HAVE FUN!!! – Enjoy your workouts by challenging yourself! Realize the awesome benefits that increased health and fitness has in all areas of your life! “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind!”

Exercise Tips For Older Adults

October 31, 2018/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Senior Fitness

Older adults need to stay active as they age in order to enjoy a fuller, happier and more active life. There are many good reasons to stay fit as you age and to continue exercising for the rest of your life. Healthy activity helps to keep your bones strong, dissipate depression that can be common among the elderly and fight various forms of illness such as diabetes or heart disease.

There is almost no end to the benefits reaped by those who continue to exercise no matter how old they become. Of course, the demands of healthy exercise changes as we age, but it’s always good to implement a good exercise program that is appropriate for older adults. Here are some helpful exercise tips for older adults that can help you stay fit.

1. Aerobic Exercise

You should do some sort of aerobic exercise at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes a day. You can configure this base line suggestion by breaking up the 30 minutes into 10 minute segments if you need to throughout the week. Just make sure to complete at least 2 hours a week of exercise activity. Aerobic exercises can be anything like walking, swimming or tennis.

2. Muscle Resistance Activity

Not only do you need to do some form of aerobic exercise every week but you also need to add some muscle resistance activity to your schedule so that you can keep your muscles healthy as well as your joints and bones as strong as possible. Light weight lifting that includes all the muscle groups is important. You should weight lift at least 2 days a week. You can alternate muscle groups throughout the week so that you don’t over-stress any particular muscle group too much. For a more detailed plan, you can join a gym and hire a trainer who can set you up on an age appropriate weight lifting regimen.

These are some basic exercise tips that have proven extremely helpful to adults as they age. You can always increase the amount of minutes you exercise each week and add more weight lifting activities to your schedule for added benefits. If you have any concerns, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise or fitness program.

Following A Plant Based Diet Is Easy With Home Gardens

October 31, 2018/in Blog, Nutritional Consultant, Plant-Based Diets

Many people today are turning to a plant-based diet as an alternative to diets too rich in saturated meat products, junk food, and highly processed foods. In some cases, it involves spending more time in the produce section of your local grocery store, looking for fruits and vegetables that are grown organically and spending extra money on them.

You can follow a great plant-based diet in an even better way while growing your fruits and vegetables in your own home garden. If you live in an apartment, you can start a container garden in front of a sunny window. If you have a plot of land to turn into a garden you can go big with a garden filled with healthy fruits and vegetables. You can grow almost anything in a small garden so you have the spring, summer and fall to eat off your own land.

Vegetables Easily Grown At Home

Tomatoes lend themselves well to container gardening and can grow like wild in the good earth of your back yard. They grow and ripen all season long so you can pick what you need for sandwiches, salads, snacks, fresh sauces and even for juicing.

You can grow your own peas or beans in a container or in your backyard garden. They are rich in phytonutrients that have their maximum potency if you simply pick what you need and eat them as soon as possible; you have the greatest amount of healthy phytonutrients and antioxidants in the food shortly after picking them.

Peppers, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and greens like Kale are great options for a home garden and allow you to reach for healthy and super fresh produce all summer long and into the fall.

Your Home Garden

If you decide to have a back yard home garden, you need to decide if you want to grow organic foods or not. Organic gardening is the best possible choice because the food is grown without pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. This means no harmful chemicals exist with the food you pick and you can even eat them straight out of the garden without having to wash them extensively.

Grow a wide variety of foods that become ripe at different times of the season:

Radishes, for example, take only a few weeks to become edible and, after pulling them up, you have room to grow a row of something else. Most people grow tomatoes and some people grow carrots, lettuce, and potatoes.

Both potatoes and squash need the entire summer to become available for eating so all you need to do is to keep them weed-free and watch them grow. In the early autumn or late summer, you can dig up the potatoes and harvest the squash. These types of produce can be kept at room temperature or in a cool place for many months so you have instant winter eating from vegetables you grew in the summer.

Lettuce and other greens can be grown and harvested all summer long for the best in salads that are high in phytonutrients and antioxidants. All you need to do is harvest some of the leaves, wash them, and enjoy them in a healthy salad with tomatoes, carrots, or radishes you grew yourself. This is the core of a plant-based diet that will give you benefits far beyond a meat-based diet.

Meat-based diets are low in antioxidants and high in saturated fats. You can get the nutrition you need from vegetables and fruits you grow yourself with a known reduction in fatty deposits in your arteries and a lesser chance for heart disease and stroke. There is a reduced risk of certain cancers with a low fat, plant-based diet.

Get Even Better Results With Composting

If you want an especially fruitful garden, consider starting a compost pile or box. All you need to do is put in vegetation and clippings from around your yard, add food scraps and paper, mixing everything with a little bit of soil. Worms thrive in the moist environment of a good compost heap so that you will soon have these things turned into rich soil that will make your organic garden thrive.

Get Started Today

There are millions of guides online for organic vegetable gardening, and many books on the topic. In reality, the best teacher is experience, so learn the initial steps, get the supplies and just do it! Remember to get the kids involved in the garden as well; it is a great learning experience, and a great opportunity to spend quality time together.

Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults

October 30, 2018/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Senior Fitness

There is now no doubt about it. Exercise for older adults has many benefits. It was not too long ago (At least it does not seem that long ago!) back in the 1950’s when doctors felt strenuous exercise for older men and women would stress the heart and cause life threatening damage.

I even remember ads for Camel cigarettes that proudly proclaimed a majority of doctors smoked Camels and recommended them to their patients. A friend’s Mom smoked Kool cigarettes because her doctor said the menthol in the smoke would help her to breathe better when she had a cold!

Well we have come a long way Baby!

For the purpose of this article I am going to focus on strength training benefits for us old folks. Whether you use soup cans, weights, machines, resistance bands (my favorite) or body weight exercises. Strength training for senior men and women is critical if we want to live a vibrant and active retirement. In fact strength training more than any other exercise can turn back the hands of time.

So here are some of the benefits:

These are just a few reasons why senior men and women absolutely should be doing strength training exercises. Along with the above there are improvements in weight loss, arthritis and other chronic diseases. Plus being stronger and healthier helps you to fight off and or recover from illness or accidents.

It really does not matter how old you are or whether you are confined to a wheel chair or bed. Studies in a nursing homes among elderly men showed marked improvements after six months on a strength training program. Those who were using a walker we able to walk with a cane and some even without any assistance. Those who were in wheel chairs now were able to use a walker or cane!

Now obviously these were individuals who aliments were such that strength training could be of benefit and not individuals with conditions that made it impossible to walk. Although I maintain that as we study the effects of strength training on the elderly even seniors with conditions that made them permanently disabled can dramatically improve they lives.

So what are you waiting for? Check with your doctor and work with him on beginning a strength training program. There is a lot of information out there to help you, including my blog aching back blues. You can of course sign up with a gym and get a personal trainer or check with you local senior center or YMCA. Whatever it takes just do it! I promise you a few months from now you will be glad you did!

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