Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
BLOG 135 HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
BLOG 135 HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
As I have become more involved in the body building world,
as a natural competitor I have often wondered what exactly “non-natural”
athletes take to gain such definition and size. I just was in Las Vegas and
attended the Mr. Olympia and my eyes were certainly wide open and staring and
some of the people I saw. And then I heard a comment made about the Human
Growth Hormone and their formula for their working out, so I thought hmmmmm…..
let me look into this.
We do live in a world that desires immediate gratitude. This
substance is sought as an answer to look and feel a certain way. In summary,
“HGH, produced by the pituitary gland, spurs growth in children and
adolescents. It also helps to regulate body composition, body fluids, muscle
and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism,
and possibly heart
function. Produced synthetically, HGH is the active ingredient in a number of prescription drugs and
in other products available widely over the Internet” (http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/human-growth-hormone-hgh#1).
I was actually surprised to learn that the FDA does have
approved uses for the drug dating back to its original purposes in 1985. For
children, approved uses were for:
·
Turner's syndrome, a genetic disorder
that affects a girl's development
- Prader-Willi syndrome, an uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger
- Chronic kidney disease
- HGH deficiency or insufficiency
- Children born small for gestational age
In adults, approved uses were for:
- Short bowel syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine
- HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumors or their treatment
- Muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS
- Chronic kidney disease
- HGH deficiency or insufficiency
- Children born small for gestational age
But the reality is that the most common uses for HGH are not
approved. Some people use HGH in a combination with steroids to stimulate
muscle growth and improve athletic performance. Nothing is exactly
scientifically proven, but we know that HGH levels decrease with age, so
pumping them back into the system to achieve a “younger” state of levels would
possible have some anti-aging impact. Companies love to include HGH in their
products and might claim: “they turn back your body's biological clock,
reducing fat, building muscle, restoring hair
growth and color, strengthening the immune system, normalizing blood sugar,
increasing energy and improving sex
life, sleep
quality, vision, and
memory” (http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/human-growth-hormone-hgh#1).
At some point, testing the waters and putting substances
into your body that don’t have the scientific backing can become questionable
to your health. For some, the benefit over powers the risk, which is indicative
of our society’s nature of wanting everything here and now. I know that hard
work goes along with steroid use, because the muscle doesn’t exactly magically
appear but man oh man I have seen some biceps the size of my head. My feelings
are certainly mixed on the sport that realms on the “dark side” of HGH use.
Choices. We certainly live in a world of choices and no matter what route you
take on your fitness journey, you are the product of your choices and I am here
to help.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Monday, October 23, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
BLOG 134 ACUPUNCTURE
BLOG 134 ACUPUNCTURE
The 1970s introduced the exotic and interesting field of
acupuncture to the world of medicine. Yet, this needle practice has been around
for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. I have me a number of clients who
use this form of treatment for various reasons, but have never fully understood
the pros and cons. The fitness learning fanatic in me had to do some research.
The goal of acupuncture is to heal. And of course this
approach is very controversial in terms of scientific backing of its
effectiveness. Thus, “The traditional explanation for acupuncture’s
effectiveness is that it modifies the flow of energy (known as qi or chi)
throughout the body, but there is no scientific consensus that this is actually
its mechanism of action” (https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/wellness-therapies/acupuncture/).
But the good news is that it has worked for many, and when researching this
blog there aren’t statistics to show results. That debate may lie in Western
medicine’s lack of acceptance of acupuncture.
Acupuncture is used for a number of reasons. Here is what I
found, “The benefits of acupuncture can extend to a wide variety of conditions,
from emotional disorders (anxiety, depression) to digestive complaints (nausea, vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome). It can be beneficial for
pain syndromes due to an injury or associated with chronic degenerative
diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. It can also be helpful in
treating neurological problems like migraines or Parkinson’s disease, or as a rehabilitation strategy
for individuals who suffered a stroke. Respiratory conditions, including sinusitis
and asthma have been relieved with acupuncture, as have many gynecologic
disorders and infertility. Acupuncture has also proved beneficial for reducing
fatigue and addictions, and for promoting overall well-being (https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/wellness-therapies/acupuncture/)
.
There aren’t many serious complications from using
acupuncture. Bleeding and soreness could occur from the points of insertion and
needle manipulation. I can say that I can certainly get a tattoo but have a
fear of trying this out. Sometimes traditional methods aren’t getting the job
done, so acupuncture can become an option to remedy the problem. We want to be
at peak performance on our fitness journeys so do what is best for your body to
accomplish this. After all, science doesn’t indicate you FEEL.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Monday, October 16, 2017
Sunday, October 15, 2017
BLOG 133 CHEAT MEAL
BLOG 133 CHEAT MEAL
Restriction and rules can lead to the human nature act of
defiance. When Mom said don’t touch the stove it’s hot, well, you had to find
out the truth for yourself right?? On our fitness journeys, sometimes having a
cheat meal is our sense of sanity for the week. Our relationship with food is
coming to terms Sunday through Friday because Saturday it’s time to eat we
want. Having something to look forward to means there is light at the end of
the tunnel. But there is quite the debate when it comes to your cheat, so let’s
take a look.
A cheat meal is a reward for your exercise, clean eating,
and hard work. Sacrificing for better choices is a great achievement and you
want to recognize this behavior so that you are motivated to continue. Fear of
burning out from relentless restriction is a common occurrence. Many people
find themselves in an all or nothing state of mind, others use moderation in
their approach, and some workout just to eat and maintain. No matter your
tactic on your fitness journey, understand that a cheat meal can be abused and
if you ate poorly twice already this week, do you really think you should have
a cheat meal?? Here’s the bottom line: “People of all sizes and fitness levels
can successfully implement cheat strategies, but self-evaluation is a must.
Consider your fitness goals, your day-to-day eating habits, and your previous
dieting success or failure. These factors impact how -- and, more importantly,
IF -- you can cheat” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/542505-the-art-and-science-of-cheat-meals/).
A cheat meal is not to be confused with a cheat day. Having
an entire day or junk can undo the entire week’s work. For some, this cheat can
become a binge. All self-control is lost with the intent to get back on it the
following day. Or you might find yourself going overboard. Let’s say pizza is
the pleasure of choice and instead of having 2-3 slices, your cheat is an
entire pizza. You have eaten to the point of bloat and discomfort making that
one cheat worth it’s max – go big or go home. And this really doesn’t make for
a positive relationship with food. In fact rewarding yourself with food, is
confusing your mind. But I get it a cheat doesn’t feel right if it’s limited.
For myself, I have to error on the side of caution. I know
that I can eat until I feel sick because that cheat is so few and far in
between. But at this point, I know the next day is so miserable I have to be
mindful of what I pick, how much I have, and when I have it (way late at night
means no sleep). My relationship with food has to be structured or else I do
falter and overeat. We are our own worse enemies. No one is forcing that food
down your throat. So find the approach that works for you, but most
importantly, make your non-cheat days solid and on point.
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