Month: June 2019

Did you know that cardio could be your weight loss roadblock if you are not careful? Moreover, if you go to the gym frequently, you’ve probably seen a woman (always the same woman) glued to a treadmill whenever you see her. Maybe sometimes she switches it up with an elliptical. Either way, you’ve never seen her in with a dumbbell in hand.

Not sure who I’m talking about? Maybe you’re that woman. If so, your workout routine may actually be impeding your weight loss- or worse, contributing to your weight gain.

I like to call these women “cardio hoppers.” Cardio hopping is jumping from one cardio machine to another, and avoiding the weight room at all costs. Many women do so hoping to lose extra fat and weight. Little do they know, this strict high-cardio lifestyle may actually be keeping them fat, or in some cases, making them fatter.

When you’re not taking care of your body, you’re accelerating your biological aging clock. I specialize in taking advantage of biological aging to look and feel younger. I can attest that if you neglect your body, you will look and feel much older than you are. In contrast, the good news is that if you know how to exercise properly, you can use your biological clock to “cheat” your chronological age. It’s not witchcraft or folklore- just let me explain!

CARDIO WEIGHT LOSS
ROADBLOCK 1:
TOO MUCH CARDIO CAUSES STRESS

Why did I say that cardio may be that weight loss roadblock you were not aware of? Engaging in heavy cardio causes stress to your body because you’re exerting it. This is fine, until you go beyond your limits and enter survival mode. For example, if you’re not eating enough and you’re exclusively doing heavy cardio, your body will purposely cling to fat to protect itself. This is the opposite of what cardio hoppers are trying to achieve, yet it’s what so many struggle with!

ROADBLOCK 2:
TOO MUCH CARDIO MAKES YOU HUNGRIER

Naturally, too much cardio also makes you hungrier. People doing excessive cardio sessions eat an average of 100 calories more than what they exert during the session. This is a recipe for weight gain, as more calories = more weight; unless it is balanced with exercise. You want to be operating at a caloric deficit to lose weight, but often, cardio hoppers don’t realize that they are eating a caloric surplus. I know many of us, myself included, like to think “I earned this treat!” after a cardio session, but this practice will result to weight gain when done improperly.

ROADBLOCK 3:
TOO MUCH CARDIO BURNS MUSCLES

Lastly, perhaps most important of all, when your body is over-exerted during heavy cardio, it may turn to muscle as a source of energy. You are literally burning your muscles away while the fat sticks around- and no one wants that! Muscles are essential to looking and feeling young, so they are incredibly important to be maintained and strengthened. Not a fan of arm fat? Neither am I. That’s why do bicep curls and other arm exercises in addition to cardio. It truly makes a difference.

There’s more!

To crush your fitness goals and age better, be sure to combine strength training with your cardio. This can stave off starvation mode so that you don’t overeat (and gain weight) or use muscle for fuel while letting fat stick around. It is possible to become more toned and shed stubborn weight both at the same time.

Finally, after doing a properly structured workout, be sure to take advantage of the afterburn up to 48 hours after a workout. You can burn calories at an increased rate and increase your metabolism. If done right, you can experience these effects with as little as 30 minutes of activity a day.

So, cardio hoppers, I commend you for your good intentions and dedication to weight loss; however, you are likely getting in your own way. Start integrating strength training into your routine so that you can start to really crush your fitness goals. And if you still feel stuck… I can help! I motivate women all around the world to improve their lifestyles and age better. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join the tribe:
Fire Up Academy for Women

Undoubtedly, many of us have probably experienced major life changes. Similarly, for me, it’s my second move within 12-month. And I have to admit, it feel’s like losing control of what seems important to me.

Besides, it may be a different feeling for you, depending which major life changes impact you right now. Maybe a loved one is sick, or even passed away. Or you and your spouse are separated. Moreover, what about your children going to college and you find yourself empty nesting.

All these situations can be very stressful. Without a doubt, they can derail our motives and eventually, our attention toward our health and wellness goals. In fact, the stress caused by those life changes may have a big impact on your biological age. I’m going to share with you three self-tested methods you can use when dealing with major life changes. Clearly, these tips can help you refocus, so you can keep moving forward in spite of the stress caused by these sudden changes.

DEALING WITH THE MAJOR CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE

1. Hit that pause button.

Why hit that pause button with a situation that needs your attention? It lovingly forces you to STOP and take a step back to look at it from a distance, so to speak. Similarly, after a good cry, your emotions will allow you to dive a little deeper in thoughts which will help you accept the fact and come to terms with that change. Sometimes changes happen, and either planned or not, they could be happy or sad. Unquestionably, it’s very difficult to make healthy food choices during an emotional time like that.

2. Reach out.

In addition, reaching out to a trusted friend, a family member or even your health coach could lessen the lost feeling and bring you back to other possibilities of recovery. It could also give you the support you need during that time. The last thing you want is finding yourself going back to old habits, or to your old lifestyle. Clearly, this is a vulnerable time and reaching out could be your lifeline to stay on track.

Quite easy to remember, right? Press the PAUSE button. Reach out. Finally…

3. Check in.

So, checking in means being with a community or part of a community that understands what you are really going through. First and foremost, checking in is a forward motion that helps you to “snap yourself” out of that situation, that emotional state of mind. In addition, a like minded community can have a more objective view of the situation, and can provide the much-needed support, and most of all the “understanding” you definitely need. Yes, a supportive community where you can just freely talk about how you feel and how this life-changing situation is affecting you. Besides, knowing that others go through similar challenges without judgment of being broken will enforce your determination to stay on track with your health goals.

What’s next for you?

We always want to have a goal, whether it is starting to live a healthier life or continuing to live a healthy life. But sudden interruptions will continually creep into your life. Nevertheless, by hitting the pause button, you can step back, acknowledge the feelings and simply stop for a moment. Consequently, reaching out will help you outsource the confusion in your mind. And finally, by checking in, you are able to give up control of your out-of-control emotions.

Don’t let that major change throw yo off your nutrition and fitness goals. If you know of any women in your life undergoing or have undergone major life changes, then invite them and or just simply request to join my Facebook group, and live to tell how you can turn that change into a positive experience!

Has a tiny mistake ever thrown off your progress? As a matter of fact, it did for me! You go to sleep at a decent time, determined to take a rest. Then you wake up to go to the bathroom and you do this one thing that will mess up your plan of a good night sleep. This is why I am looking forward to sharing with you my four success engines. Before that, let me continue with my story.

I thought I had it all figured out when I went to bed the other evening. I needed to upload something and because of the slow Internet speed, I thought I’d do it overnight. Smart, right? Of course, I went to bed thinking “no big deal, I can check in the morning.”

Yes sure, after coming out of the bathroom at about 4 am, I mindlessly went into the room where I put my computer to check the upload progress. The bright blue light of the computer HIT me like an explosion – which lasted for just about 5 seconds.

Self-Realization Happens When You Least Expect It

All things considered, I realized that I completely MESSED UP MY SLEEP PROGRESS within seconds.

That bright light was there in front of me for the rest of the night which was the end of my intention to have a good night rest. All I felt was “disappointment in myself,” for not following my initial plan to continue it in the morning.

This instant disruption of PROGRESS can happen in EVERY area of your life. Especially when it comes to your health goals. You don’t want stress to contribute to your age, do you? It can also be so discouraging that you actually find yourself giving up.

Changing Momentum

To say nothing but feeling bummed about that incident, I went back to bed feeling frustrated about the delay in progress and thinking why I did what I just did. I could have just stuck to my plan, but forgot about it in just a few seconds. Then I took one small step. I started to take several deep breaths. You know the kind that goes from the belly, from the core up to the chest? Very slowly, I exhaled, making sure that there was nothing left to breathe out. Let me guide you through the success engines you need to avoid what I have just experienced.

FOUR SUCCESS ENGINES

1. Forward Momentum

By just doing that one small step, I created the first engine called forward momentum. Then once in motion, there is a powerful law that takes in effect. That momentum created an interruption in behavior, almost like snapping me out of it, and this applies to all of us, really. In any given moment, our default behavior is influenced by our pre-existing habits. By this small step of consciously breathing, we’ve interrupted our existing habits.

2. Increased Motivation

The second engine is increased motivation, and I’m sure we all have experienced this. Changing direction takes extra energy compared to continuing, which is a very powerful incentive and motivator to continue what we’re doing, whether it’s ideal or not. However, let’s remember, by taking one small step, that momentum creates the energy. Therefore, it carries us forward without thought. Consequently, that increased motivation that we created through that forward motion helps us to want to continue toward that new and improved behavior.

You’re Halfway There!

3. Chance for Engagement

The third success engine is a chance for engagement. Generally speaking, you can only engage with an action once you start it. Therefore, engagement is how I, for example, began with sessions of just body movement for five minutes, and ended up with a full-blown 30-minute session of exercise. Or how the three minutes of breathing in my sleepless night episode actually helped me as well to create that forward moment and increased motivation and not let the situation affect me. Very, very powerful.

4. Improved Mood

Finally, the fourth success engine is improved mood. Now, once you begin an activity, your general feelings will no doubt change. For example, if it’s something you don’t think you should do, like let’s say eating or drinking your emotions with unhealthy choices, you might feel shame. On the other hand, if it’s something positive, your mood will improve immediately. They are both equally important. And we like doing the right things, right? It just feels good.

How powerful are these success engines?

These success engines can truly create a massive shift in your daily and long-term results. You don’t have to lose those 20 pounds in a day, learn how to do a regular push-up in an hour, or learn to eat the best foods for your body overnight. Consequently, leaning toward the right behaviors will help you achieve way more than you ever expected.

Interested in further reversing your biological age? Subscribe to my YouTube channel and live to tell what happens!

If you know of any women in your life ready to get fired up, then take her name or just simply request to join my Facebook group, where we fire each other up, and where we try to live the best life possible.
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Macronutrients, anyone? In this week’s video, I will show you a 3️⃣0️⃣-second thought process for each meal that will instantly “nourish” yourself younger and my so called “Complete in 3” that could definitely amaze you with positive results.

Have you ever tried a special blend of facial cream you saw in an advertisement after it promised to get rid of your wrinkles or puffy eyes? A moment later, you find out that the only thing it got rid of was your money.
Shortly after, you tell yourself:

I got sucked in again.

Yes, I get it. I’ve been there. Because we are so intent on seeing a better version of ourselves, we make mistakes. Likewise for a lot of people. For this reason, I’ve learned how to stay younger and reverse my age with much better smelling and delicious FOOD.

Once I started to eat a flexible diet that included “macronutrients,” I quickly realized how my youthful energy came back faster than I thought. Finally, this is exactly what I needed.

“Complete in 3” is the secret to having the youthful, vigorous energy that you need. We are not getting any older, and the last thing that we want to lose is our energy – not to count the happiness it brings to our lives. For less than 30 seconds, you can come up with a meal that is packed with the macronutrients your body needs.

What are macronutrients?

Macronutrients are types of food in our diet that need to be taken in large amounts for our bodies to function well. In fact, they can be found in almost all the food that we take even with just a snack or a glass of smoothies. Our body’s needs are very complex, hence the need to take care of it, always. We all know that our bodies cannot function well without drinking enough water. Similarly, this could also be true when you lack macronutrients on your diet.

What are the most common types of macronutrients?

1. Protein

Protein is for regeneration and repair. Our organs, muscles and living cells require a large amount of protein to repair and build. Furthermore, this type of macronutrient is important to repair muscle tissues and body cells that were worn out after exercise or other heavy body movements. Similarly, poultry and fish are both good sources of protein and when combined with vegetables and fruits that are protein rich as well, our body will definitely have a complete supply of macronutrients. You can either use a plant- or animal-based protein.

Fruits and vegetables that contain protein:

Avocado

Kale

Spinach

Legumes

Quinoa

How do you infuse protein into your diet?

Add protein powder into your breakfast smoothies.

Sprinkle hemp hearts on top of your salads.

Finally, you can never go wrong with a bone broth in your veggie soup.

2. Healthy Fats

Scared of fats? Don’t be. In fact, there are many sources of healthy fats that can be added to your diet. This type of macronutrient plays an important role in the human brain development, cell functioning, your body’s ability to absorb vitamins and for the protection of your organs. Equally important to mention are some good sources of healthy fats: hemp seeds, nuts, dark chocolate, and extra virgin olive oil. Personally, I use coconut oil for that healthy fat that I need.

Easier said than done.

That is always what we think about when faced with a rather difficult task. If you are very keen at keeping not only your body healthy but your whole disposition as well, then you need some tips to achieve a younger, healthier version of you.

First of all, replace any unhealthy fat with healthy fats. One best example is using olive oil instead of butter or lard. Second, eat snacks that are full of macronutrients and give up salty chips. Finally, opt for fruits and vegetables like baby carrots, a slice of avocado or crackers dipped in peanut butter.

3. Low Glycemic Carbohydrates

If you are aiming to lose weight, why not choose a diet that is low in glycemic carbs? In fact, low glycemic carbs are also considered to be the best choice in the prevention of heart diseases and lowering of sugar levels. Choose some strawberries for your smoothies or enjoy the benefits of avocado. These work together with other macronutrients.

Some good sources of low glycemic carbs are:

Oatmeal

Sweet Potatoes/Yam

Whole Wheat Bread

Carrots

Pasta

Why are macronutrients very important to our bodies?

Our bodies need constant nourishing and one way to achieve this is to feed your body with macronutrients that energize and revitalize your energy. Consequently, macronutirents make us feel good and healthy. Eventually, if you have a better understanding of what every macronutrient provides to your body, this will definitely keep you vibrant, feel youthful and look younger.

And now that you’ve learned a bit of macronutrients and their main functions on human body, try implementing them into your diet to achieve a healthier and younger you. Just remember the “Complete in 3” rule every time you have a meal and you won’t get lost. Follow me on Facebook to learn more!

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