Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer
Last year I had a number of clients who started stubbornly on the Atkins diet despite my warnings. Immediately I saw almost profound results in their weight loss. I reminded them it was the loss of water weight, and warned of the strain on the kidneys and the high cholesterol risk. During this time I was mastering my yoga practice as a complete vegan but found that my immune system had been profoundly compromised and I was currently on my third cold for the fall season. Atkins was in the media again because of new study results indicating lowered cholesterol. I went to the Atkins book yet again with a more open mind, and decided to try the diet. I liked the contrarian view point to the current AMA position of the low fat diet, which seemed to be producing a society of increasing obesity. Atkins view of sugar as the culprit making you fat, not fat, made sense and the extra work from all the protein for the kidneys? it's benign. I wanted to use his diet as a tool to get myself entirely off of any sugar. I started out on the high protein, low carb aspect of the diet. As I reintroduced the animal proteins into my diet I could feel myself get stronger and the colds, finally stopped. I also saw my muscle bellies start to open and swell again. The cold of winter was not as painful as it had been while on my vegan diet. I then summoned up the courage to start bringing fats into my diet, including bacon, egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, whipped cream, even bacon rinds. On a daily basis I would marvel at having eaten these "forbidden foods" only to awaken the next day thin, svelte. I couldn't believe this, result! I was loving eating all these foods so familiar yet banished since ?childhood I was in full swing eating the high fat, high protein, low carb diet at the time when the pictures on my website were taken. www.vitalsignsfitness.com I felt strong, but I had no energy!!! My walks on the beach were lethargic, I had to force myself to go that extra mile. I was thin but I felt like a beached whale. My love affair with Atkins continued a few more months. I followed his prescriptions religiously. Eventually I had to add more carbs, I needed more energy. By carbs I mean vegetables, salads and whole grains. At this point I gained back the total of two pounds I had lost on Atkins. Body fat went from 16% to 18%, my energy was better. After 7 months I decided it was time to get the blood checked out and to my horror discovered that my cholesterol which had always been around 150 had rocketed up to 300!! Luckily my HDL to LDL ratio was still at a healthy level. Thanks to my forcing myself to exercise, I kept my HDLs high. I immediately started drinking hot lemon juice with cayenne pepper every morning to clean my blood. I have now thrown away all the high fat foods and have once again, come back full circle to moderation and balance. A balanced diet. It takes a little more discipline but my energy is back and I can now eat the same meals as my husband so dinner preparation is simpler. My weight has not changed since I gradually introduced the carbs. I avoid at all costs the "white foods" flour, sugar, milk. I drink unsweetened soy milk I avoid foods in packages, boxes and bags. I feel a fine layer of fat but that's okay its winter, I need it, and in the summer, heat always melts it off. I am completely off sugar and alcohol to keep blood sugar low. Log into www.vitalsignsfitness in the Chat page where a discussion has already begun re: Atkins and other diet plans, add your comments or just read and muse. Or go to the Nutrition Program page and find out how many calories (protein, carbs, fats) you should eat to sustain your current or ideal weight. Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE,
www.vitalsignsfitness.com
email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com DEBORAH is a highly respected authority in personal training for overall health and fitness, with more than 22 years of experience and success. Her credentials include... Currently licensed Registered Nurse specializing in Rehabilitative Nursing
Medical Exercise Therapist: certified by AAHFRP, an internationally recognized physical rehabilitation certification
Maternity Specialist Pre & Post Natal certified by Maternal Fitness
Personal Fitness Specialist: certified by NASM, an internationally recognized certification
Yoga Teacher
Professional Health Member, National Organization of Fitness Instructors (IDEA), a leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals
Deborah Caruana RN, AAHRFP, NASM, ACE,
http://www.vitalsignsfitness.com
email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com
...for all your fitness needs including personal training, books, vitamins and supplements, and information resource.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Simple Easy Health and Home Fixes From The Days Gone By
How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and illnesses in the past?
Autism and ADHD Linked to Child Vaccines
In a study review conducted by David A. Geier, B.A. President, MedCon, Inc., and Mark R. Geier, M.D., Ph.D. President, The Genetic Centers of America, the authors present a clear correlation between Thimerosal (a mercury based preservative used in vaccines) and spectral autism and possibly ADHD.
Good Fat Diet or How to Choose the Best Foods for Your Family?
Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function without them. Those fats help you to absorb nutrients. You can even have a fat-intake deficiency, when you are not getting enough of them. Your skin will get dry and your hair will get brittle.
Physical Health is Attainable Through Proper Nutrition and Exercise
Obesity is epidemic in this country for both children and adults. The invention of television, video games, and convenient appliances help to influence us to be sedentary. Obesity can create such problems as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Lung problems and circulation problems. Obesity also can sap your strength. So the cycle goes you are obese, you tire easily so you rest, a lot. You get up and move and you become tired and you rest again. Climbing stairs is nothing less then difficult, going a few steps can make you breathless. Joint problems also can be caused or aggravated by obesity. They say no pain, gain. I say if there is pain rest, you will gain nothing if you injure yourself. This is why it is wise to get a complete physical and the approval of your physician before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.
Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says
White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed expensive cosmetic dentistry.
What is the Atkins Diet and How Can It Help You?
What is the Atkins diet and how can it help you?
Food Additives: Safety versus Health Maintenance / Prevention
The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in one article. Searches on the internet can reveal information that is either pro or con regarding food additive substances.
Copping Out the Positive Effects of Copper
One must always keep in mind that copper is not just a kind of metal, when it comes to medicine and health, copper is actually a trace element mineral that serves a wide variety of purposes for the body, both on its own as well as a cofactor. Although the body requires a comparatively tiny amount of copper per day, even that little bit of copper is proven to be essential to having very good health.
Ever Hear of This Fruit?
I want to tell you about the most healthful and most delicious tropical fruit that you'd ever want to taste. It's called the mangosteen, and the reason you've probably never heard of it is because you can't buy it in the United States. However, you can buy the juice of the fruit and I'll tell you how you can do that at the end of this article.
Introduction to Detox Diets
Detoxifying the body has become an apparent key preventative measure to all kinds of health problems. Since most of us are busy, and unable or unwilling to maintain a strict diet in order to completely eliminate all the toxins from our body. We have chemicals building up in our bodies day after day. Since these chemicals are not harmful in small amounts, only in larger accumulated amounts, we don't notice side effects until we are much older. A proper, even if occasional, detox diet is necessary to relieve our bodies of harmful toxins and chemicals, and maintain a healthy, normal, and long-lived life.
Why Digestive Enzymes Are Vital To Good Health!
Most digestive disorders develop because of the bodys inability
to produce sufficient enzymes for health-enhancing digestion and proper nutrient absorption. Enzyme depletion results in improper digestion and absorption, leading to chronic disorders
Malabsorption is the inability of the cells of the body to obtain nutrients from the foods consumed. This inaction causes loss of vitamins, minerals, fiber and the caloric value (energy) of foods, resulting in cellular deprivation. Digestive malabsorption can occur as a result of the following condition:
Why are Free Form Essential Amino Acids Necessary and What to Look For!
1. Look for high quality, crystalline, free-form, amino acids (AAs) Most amino acid blends on the market are actually reduced milk or soy proteins. These may contain small quantities of free form AAs but are mostly comprised of whole proteins and peptides. Proteins and peptides are AAs that are linked together in chains and must first be broken down into single AAs by the digestive process in order for the body to create usable systemic proteins. It is because of the nitrogen in these systemic proteins that allows them to heal and repair tissue. Without protein our bodies continue to degenerate.
Blueberries and Their Role in Cholesterol Control
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin D, hormones, and certain acids that help us digest fat. Only a small amount of cholesterol is needed to meet these needs; in fact, our bodies actually produce enough cholesterol on their own, and any cholesterol derived from food is unnecessary. Problems arise when we have too much cholesterol, commonly known as LDL. Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important:
The Fountain of Youth - Right in Front of Us All This Time!
Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down, or even reverse the effects of aging on our skin and body? It is an enigma for which so many have searched the answers to for years. Now, with advanced modern science making breakthroughs and discoveries every day, the answers have become apparent to the age-old quest for the proverbial fountain of youth.
The Virtues of Water
Did you know that much of our dry skin comes from not drinking enough water? If your skin is dehydrated, then what is drying up on the inside? The human body is over 70% water. Water is not only important for hydration, it is the primary transporter of nutrients throughout the body and is essential for proper bodily functions including elimination. Think you need a laxative? Try some extra water first. Have a headache? Have a drink before you take an aspirin, you might not need it. Just 3% dehydration can cause your thinking to be fuzzy and even cause you to gain a whole pound within 6 months if it is a habit to forgo the faucet. Your minimum water intake should be 64 ounces for adults and more if you exercise. Don't let thirst be your guide. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water?
Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we just assume the water that flows from our kitchen and bathroom tap is sufficiently treated for contaminants by our municipal water facility? In order to answer these questions, we need to obtain a little more background information.
Facts About Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is less known compare to olive oil, corn oil, canola oil or any other vegetable oil. It is sad to hear that many terrified titles such as "fat contributor" or "cholesterol raiser" has been sticking on it for years. Do you want to know the facts?
Water and Water Filters: How Much Do You Know?
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and useful nutrition plan.
This statement is hardly earth shattering or groundbreaking and few (if any) jaws
will drop at the sight of it. It is common knowledge that water is essential to our
survival as living beings. Most people are very well aware of this fact, but do they
really know why water is so essential? What does water do in our bodies and why
does it make a difference what kind of water we drink? Is a water filter truly
necessary and worth its price? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and
find out how much you know (or don't know) about that magical, life-giving fluid:
water.
Eating For Success: Breakfast For The Busy Corporate
The first place that we cut corners when we are busy or stressed is our eating and in particular our breakfast. The food you eat forms the very building blocks of your body, but most of us have lost sight of the fact that food is fuel and that the purpose of eating is to provide our bodies with the tools they need for energy, functioning, building and maintenance. We eat for a variety of different reasons, none of which relate to the idea of providing our bodies with quality fuel. We eat unconsciously, we use food to fill emotional voids or to be sociable and we fill our bodies with things that we all know aren't good for us ? in effect, rather than using food as essential fuel, we use it to inflict damage on ourselves.
Choosing Organic for Health
We come from a society where growing organic and just growing produce and livestock for food Was once one of the same. Small, family farms still grow their own food using traditional methods passed down through the generations. As commercial farming became big-business, however, growers and farmers started to investigate methods of increasing crops and building bigger livestock in order to increase their profits. This led to increased use of pesticides and drugs to enhance yield.
|
.jpg){kind=small}