Benefits of Water!!

 (Should have Photoshopped myself in ‘The Waterboy’ poster….)

You would think that the fact your body is made up of 55% to 78% water (depending on body size) then you would want to ensure you get an adequate intake of the H20 goodness each day, however it’s amazing at the number of people who don’t!
Then again I never knew myself until about 3-4 months ago (February 5^th, 2012 to be exact) of the true health benefits either, since then started an intake of at least a gallon a day.  I have benefited extremely well in overall mood, health, and physical performance…not only that but since my main liquid intake has been water it has helped me save money on drinks that I would normally purchase (juice, soda, etc.). 
With all this being said lets go into the benefits (anddd the precautions) of drinking water.

Lose Weight!

                Water can indeed help you lose weight believe it or not - think about it if you consume a 16oz. glass of water before eating you will eat much less because the water makes you feel fuller and boosts your metabolic levels, meaning that it speeds your digestion process.  Next time you feel those senses of hunger just drink a glass of water first.  Not only that but water assists in the digestion process

Look younger

                Water assists in the replenishment of skin tissues, moisturizing of skin, and while not 100% proven assists with the degeneration or prevention of wrinkles.  Another fun fact is water represents 75% (that’s a lot!) of our face and throughout the day is lost through sweat and peeing.  With that being said you can make of for that deficit by keeping yourself hydrated…through my own 3-4 month test I definitely see a difference in facial appearance and not to toot my own horn, do get a lot of comments about looking a lot younger than I actually am J

More Energy, Less Fatigue

                Normally if you get that crash at work or ever feel tired throughout the day, it could have to do with an inadequate fluid intake.  Just sipping a bottle of the clear goodness here and there can ward off fatigue, dehydration, and keep you energized!  Same goes with your daily runs or workouts as well, as water helps in the fueling of muscles….for example, when dehydrated your heart needs to work harder to pump blood to your organs in order to perform activity, thus would make you feel exhausted….

It’s not to say for exercise this should be your primary intake, however, a supplement aid mixed with water pre-workout will definitely help with a more energetic boost, though I don’t want to go off on a huge tangent here!

Amount of water Consumption Recommendation

                Ever hear that saying ‘you should drink 8 glasses of water each day?’  That saying is somewhat true to a certain extent…however a 120 pound female definitely doesn’t need the same intake as a 200 pound male.  The recommended daily intake is said to be at least ½ your body weight in ounces, however does depend on if you are physically active, then it will be a lot more.  There is actually a website with a calculator you can use to get an idea of how much you should drink each day, which I will happily provide:
                                http://www.calculatorslive.com/Daily-Water-Intake-Calculator.aspx

Drinking too much Water (Hyponatremia)

                I felt the need to at least touch on it so you don’t get any ideas of drinking a gallon of water in one sitting J

                Known as Hyponatremia (water intoxication)this is defined as ‘low blood sodium' in the body from drinking too much H20.  This can be caused by drinking too much at one period of time without supplementing your body with the other proper nutrients it needs to function.  Again its rare and shouldn’t be anything to really worry about, though if you are playing a sport or exercising for an extended period of time it is suggested to supplement water with an electrolyte beverage (Gatorade) just do you don’t lose your bodies’ nutrients.

In summary you can see, for the most part the awesome and healthful benefits of drinking water!  Your overall mood, physical health and performance increases.  Keep in mind it’s not going to happen overnight but try to consume more water every day for a couple weeks and see for yourself how it will better benefit you…of course one of the only downfalls may be that you may pee a little more J 

Until next week, take action and stay JustInspired!    

Sources:

http://www.improving-health-and-energy.com/health-benefit-of-water.html

http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html

Benefits of a Personal Trainer!!

This one is more of a self-promotion for myself J  Then again acts as a PSA for all PTs…..

To give my fitness credentials I have had a WITS (World Instructor Training School) personal trainer certification for nearly 2 years now.  Can’t say I’m a professional when it comes to being a personal trainer yet, though I do have a good idea of what I’m talking about when it comes to overall health and fitness. 
The knowledge and experience I’ve gained have helped me to answer questions from folks about how to achieve certain weight loss goals, what to eat, what not to, etc. and even though I tend to give them advice its funny that without anybody there over their shoulder to tell them what to eat or what not to eat, actually do it.
It’s either that or I find it hilarious of some of the people I speak with at the gym or just anywhere that tell me they are capable of achieving their fitness goals themselves…..if that were the case then wouldn’t everybody be in shape and the overweight, obesity levels consistently wouldn’t raise every year? 

To quote one of my sources (http://www.livestrong.com/article/327899-effectiveness-and-benefits-of-a-personal-trainer) ‘Personal trainers can be a tremendous benefit to anyone seeking to increase their muscular strength, endurance, body composition, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and general sports or physical performance.’)

So I figure with all this being said, let’s look at the benefits of hiring a personal trainer to achieve your fitness goals!

Ability to motivate and offer some self-accountability

We all have good intentions of wanting to try and lose weight or pursue some sort of goal but how many of us actually go for it?  For example you set your alarm an hour or so early in the morning to go and work out yet pound the snooze button and go back to sleep for another 45 minutes and before you know it you then ‘don’t have time.’  Its either that or you have intentions to go and hit the gym after work but instead go home, see an awesome dinner on the table and then before you know it are on the couch watching reruns of Seinfeld?

With all this being said if you had a trainer to answer to, somebody that says ‘we are meeting at this time,’ it tends to motivate and give you to put off that meal for afterwards or to get up immediately after you pound the snooze button and meet with your trainer.  A trainer would also help motivate and push you to get a few more reps in or to add a little more weight and push yourself just a little harder.  You would also have somebody to answer to if you decide to binge on a diet!

Goal Setting, Progression

This can be from possibly doing your first ever 5k race, tone up for the summer, friend’s wedding, etc.  On the first client-training session you usually sit down with the trainer and let them know of those goals you are going for.  They then typically write out a program tailored to your needs, as well as give a fitness consultation demonstrating some of the workouts you would do to help reach those goals.

Learn Proper Form

I hate to be one of those guys that watch others form but I feel it is important to spot in order to help others prevent injury.  An example, a lot of people tend to utilize their lower back too much when lifting and will end up feeling it a lot the next day to the point where they can barely move.  A personal trainer points things like these out and helps the individual get the most out of their workouts to train the muscles they are looking to work (abdominal area comes to mind).

STOP Wasting Time!

You’re not going to get a good effect of a  workout by just walking on a treadmill for a half hour…sure it beats sitting on a couch for that period of time but still you’re not going to get the results you want.  Personal trainers help get the results you desire in half the time it would normally take!

I could go on about this topic for pages and pages but you at least have an idea on how helpful personal training can be to you.  While personal training does offer great benefits the only downfall is that there comes an additional price on top of what you pay at the gym, unless you get somebody to come directly to your house.  Sessions tend to run anywhere from $30 upwards to $100 depending on your location (I tend to charge on the lower side, just fyi J), though most of the time you are able to get a few free sessions thrown in or at least a free consultation session to show you the effectiveness a personal trainer can have on you. 

Healthy Late-Night Snacking!!

This is one that I was trying to figure out for years….

We all get that late-night food craving from time to time and generally you tend to go for something that tastes the most satisfying, however if dieting or attempting to maintain a healthy lifestyle, will sabotage your weight-loss or performance goals. 

 I’ve used to be guilty of the night-time ice cream, Oreo cookies w/ milk binge, etc. However there are healthier treats you can have for yourself, which will help satisfy your hunger cravings and depending on what it is, may help with aiding your weight loss goals.

Water – Hunger may be caused purely by you being dehydrated.  Before going for anything try having a few glasses of water….if you still feel hungry then maybe go for something.  If anything drinking water before you eat anything will make you feel fuller.

Popcorn – Be careful with the type you choose here, since there are multiple types.   The ones I’m talking about are the 100-calorie packs with 94% fat free butter. 

Mutli-grain pretzels – Excellent substitute to potato chips, as pretzels don’t have a high fat content.  To further satisfy your appetite mix some low-fat peanut butter with it.

Cereal – Something I may do is have a bowl of cereal w/ skim milk and sprinkle some protein powder on it.  Be careful with the cereal you choose, in that it’s not high in sugar or calories (Lucky Charms is one cereal that comes to mind).  One of my go-to’s is Rice Krispies…and again to add some flavor I mix some whey protein powder with it.

Lean meats – Turkey, chicken – great choices, as both digest slowly, providing a good amount of nutrients to muscles while you sleep.

Raw Vegetables – Carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers are good choices as they won’t  completely fill you up, at the same time make you feel satisfied.  Add some low-fat peanut butter in the mix for a little more filling satisfaction.

Yogurt – Yogurt has a good protein content, helping to satisfy your hunger.  Before you pick up any type though make sure you read the nutrition labels.  You would want one that has low to no fat and low in sugar as well.  Add some flavor by mixing some blueberries with it.

Rice Cakes – I used to hate the idea of eating these things until I actually tried them…sure they are almost like eating air, however if you spread a little bit of peanut butter on it you will find your hunger just became a little more satisfied!

Hopefully some of these ideas you were able to find helpful.  There are more healthy eating options but like I said these are my favorite go-to’s.  If you aren’t a fan of these suggestions, at least follow these few rules of thumb of eating at night:

-Try to avoid anything containing a high carbohydrate content at night, as your body just doesn’t need them for the energy when you sleep....what tends to happen then is that since the carbs aren’t being used for energy they get stored as fat.

-If eating anything a night always wait at least an hour or so before you go to bed

-Keep your caloric intake at night to below 300 calories…anything more than that you might as well as have a meal. 

-One of the best quotes I’ve ever heard when it comes to a healthy diet:  “Eat like a king in the morning, a prince in the afternoon, a pauper at night.”

Thanks for the help from these sources:

http://aidenofthetower.hubpages.com/hub/Good-Night-Time-Snacking-Options

http://www.livestrong.com/healthy-night-time-snacks/

http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/10-healthy-late-night-snacks