BLOG 385 MIGRAINES

 BLOG 385 MIGRAINES

Migraines 

Debilitating headaches can really ruin a person’s day and lead to time spent in bed or yes, even throwing up. Persons suffering from migraines have a difficult time performing daily tasks, which means missed time at work, missed workouts, and missed time spent with loved ones. Some have found this head throbbing pain to be so unbearable they have opted to undergo scientific studies to get to the bottom of the cause. This terrible condition can feel isolating, hopeless, and there’s a looming fear when the next headache will hit.  

Migraine 101 

By definition, “A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. It's often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and can be so severe that the pain is disabling. Warning symptoms known as aura may occur before or with the headache. These can include flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling on one side of the face or in your arm or leg” (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/dxc-20202434) . Imagine being bed ridden for a couple days by such intense pain.  

4 Stages 

There are actually 4 stages of a migraine and different people either experience some or all of them. (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/dxc-20202434)  

1. Prodome: you feel changes to your body that serve as a warming system a migraine may be approaching. These might include stiff neck, mood changes, thirst, constipation, and/or food cravings 

2. Aura: your senses seem “off” including vision, touch, and hearing 

3. Attack: the actual pain, throbbing, nausea, that can last up to 72 hours during the migraine 

4. Post-drome: total exhaustion after the attack 

Causes 

Causes vary among individuals and can be the result of genetics. Here are the most common causes (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/dxc-20202434):  

• Hormonal changes in women. Fluctuations in estrogen can trigger headaches, especially in women. Headaches typically occur immediately before or during a woman’s menstrual cycle, when the body is experiencing a major drop in estrogen. 

• Foods. Aged cheeses, salty foods and processed foods may trigger migraines. Skipping meals or fasting also can trigger attacks. 

• Food additives. The sweetener aspartame and the preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG), found in many foods, may trigger migraines. 

• Drinks. Alcohol, especially wine, and highly caffeinated beverages may trigger migraines. 

• Stress. Stress at work or home can cause migraines. 

• Sensory stimuli. Bright lights and sun glare can induce migraines, as can loud sounds. Strong smells — including perfume, paint thinner, secondhand smoke and others — can trigger migraines in some people. 

• Changes in wake-sleep pattern. Missing sleep or getting too much sleep may trigger migraines in some people, as can jet lag. 

• Physical factors. Intense physical exertion, including sexual activity, may provoke migraines. 

• Changes in the environment. A change of weather or barometric pressure can prompt a migraine. 

• Medications. Oral contraceptives and vasodilators, such as nitroglycerin, can aggravate migraines.

•  

Migraines are not on our team. But we learn to overcome and know that the show must go on, which means we need to take care of ourselves, seek treatment and help when needed, and try to avoid situations that can trigger migraines. The community of sufferers is quite large, so one must keep hope there’s a medical solution to this phenomenon very soon.  

BLOG 384 TOO MUCH CARDIO

BLOG 384 TOO MUCH CARDIO

One of the most common questions I am asked is, “How much cardio should I be doing??” We are told we need to exercise and cardiovascular activities are the first item we refer to doing. There are a multitude of benefits when doing cardiovascular activity, but sometimes you might be doing more harm than good if you are doing too much. Just because you run ten miles per day doesn’t mean the weight will melt right off (even though one would assume this). So let’s take a look at the cardio overload affect and see what happens to the body when this occurs. 

 

There are a number of indications your body will show as signs that you are doing too much cardio. Every BODY is different. Here is what we are supposed to be doing: “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 engage in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise spread over three to five days a week. Or do 75 minutes of vigorously intense aerobic exercise spread over three days a week. These minimum recommendations outlined in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans decrease your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/145445-recommended-amount-of-cardio-exercise/). It’s easy to think that the longer I run on the treadmill, the more calories I’m burning, so the more weight I will lose. Wrong!!!!!

 

Cardio doesn’t have the same after math effects that strength training has for us. Meaning, “Unfortunately, the positive fat-burning effects of cardio exercise are short-lived. Once you stop exercising, your body’s metabolism quickly returns to its normal state. If cardio is your go-to exercise then you are forced to do more and more in order to see ongoing weight-loss results. This becomes problematic because increased cardio training can lead to decreased muscle mass. If your body loses even the slightest bit of muscle, your resting metabolic rate (i.e. how many calories you burn when you’re NOT exercising) dips even further. Your body will begin to shed fat even more slowly...unless you do even more cardio” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-smith2/4-indicators-that-youre-doing-too-much-cardio_b_9321966.html). And cardio is hard on our joints so having to pound the treadmill longer and longer to see results becomes strenuous on both the body and mind. Plus, one can burn through muscle so although we might be getting smaller and seeing the scale drop, we are not re shaping the body appropriately. It’s similar to the effect of not working out after a surgery or injury. The scale might actually go down, due in part to muscle atrophy.  

Training smarter, not harder is the appropriate expression here. The cardio myth goes like this, “There is this horrible misperception in our society about fat loss. A lot of people think that if you starve yourself and do two or three hours of cardio each day, the fat is just going to melt off. Actually, performing too much cardio will put your body in a catabolic state and burn hard-earned muscle. The loss of muscle will not only reduce strength, but it will also slow down your metabolism. If your metabolism slows down too much, you'll have a tough time burning fat” (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-ripped-dude-how-much-cardio-is-too-much.html). 

Personally, I can run for hours (literally). But I have learned, especially while training for my competitions, that at some point I’m actually not doing myself any favors. Mentally, I love the clarity of just running and going until I just have to stop. Physically, I don’t want to burn through muscle. There is no science that says how much is too much, but realistically anything over 60 minutes is probably more counterproductive than good. Females love their cardio, but ladies, we have to use strength training to re-shape our bodies and ward off osteoporosis.

When I meet a client and they ask me why they haven’t seen results when they do the Elliptical or jog every day, well, we know that the cardio myth has come into play. It might be breath of fresh air to hear that you don’t have to run for hours on end to see results. Rather, use cardio in combination with strength training to achieve optimal results. Every BODY is different, and we learn on our fitness journeys what methods work best for us. Don’t be fooled I won’t write you a pass for P.E. that says you don’t have to run the mile haha, but I will tell you that don’t have to run 5 miles every day to achieve your fitness goals. 

BLOG 383 STRESS FACTOR

 BLOG 383 THE STRESS FACTOR

What lights a fire under you?? What grinds your gears, makes you angry, sad, worried, or STRESSED?? We each deal with the components of life differently, and our reactions to circumstances dictate our emotional well-being. Time, relationships, work, school, kids, family…. all these responsibilities can require a balancing act that seems impossible. But that’s life. And unfortunately, stress can have adverse effects on our health… especially weight.

Your body and mind are one and the same. When put under pressure, your brain kicks into a flight or fight mode. And guess what?? Your body wants to use calories in its defense. As such, “Most of us become overeaters when we're feeling a lot of pressure. This happens thanks to your fight-or-flight response, a.k.a. survival mode -- once your body reaches a certain stress level, it does what it feels it needs to. In most cases, that means overeat” (https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain#1).

Initially, adrenaline spikes in the body, making one feel less hungry. However, soon after cortisol takes over. Cortisol is the stress hormone. When activated, inhibition can go out the window. Here’s run down: “Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods” (https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain#1) . Cheap, convenient, processed foods, are right there to answer the calling.

Here’s the catch: “Today’s human, who sits on the couch worrying about how to pay the bill or works long hours at the computer to make the deadline, does not work off much energy at all dealing with the stressor! Unfortunately, we are stuck with a neuroendocrine system that didn’t get the update, so your brain is still going to tell you to reach for that plate of cookies anyway” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201308/why-we-gain-weight-when-we-re-stressed-and-how-not).

We have to learn to relax, sleep, and breathe. Many clients ask me what foods to turn to. Here’s what I found:

·         Dark chocolate: Two studies of 95 adults showed that consuming dark chocolate reduced their cortisol response to a stress challenge.

·         Many fruits: A study of 20 cycling athletes showed eating bananas or pears during a 75-km ride reduced levels compared to drinking water only.

·         Black and green tea: A study of 75 men found 6 weeks of drinking black tea decreased cortisol in response to a stressful task, compared to a different caffeinated drink.

·         Probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics are friendly, symbiotic bacteria in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. Prebiotics, such as soluble fiber, provide food for these bacteria. Both probiotics and prebiotics help reduce cortisol.

·         Water: Dehydration increases cortisol. Water is great for hydrating while avoiding empty calories. A study in nine male runners showed that maintaining hydration during athletic training reduced cortisol levels.

 (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-lower-cortisol#section11).

Life’s demands throw us for a loop from time to time. Reassure yourself that patience is the key and that this too shall pass. Don’t let your negative thoughts take the wheel. Healthy choices outlast split second mistakes. Be kind to your BODY, even in its weak moments.

BLOG 382 TEMPTATION

 BLOG 382 TEMPTATION

Temptation is the desire to participate in short term enjoyment. It is an urge that threatens long term goals. Curiosity or fear of loss can cause temptation. Temptation actually has 4 stages:  

1. Desire: This word originated from the Greek word epithumeeah, which can be translated to mean lust or craving. This desire doesn’t have to be for something bad, it can even be for good things. Soon this amount of desire goes into over-drive.  

2. Enticement: This is the feeling of being lured by something. This can be onset by a trigger that gets the motor or process going. The second part is having tempting thoughts. The over-desire and the trigger meet.  

3. Conception: The desire becomes action. A person tells themselves that what they are doing is no big deal and starts to justify and rationalize the action that is to come. Then the action, the birth, takes place.  

4. Death: This describes the process of decay and misery that result from sin.  

5. 
   

Everyone faces temptation because it is the result of our own natural desires. We have to recognize this human tendency. Most of us face temptation daily. Think about food. We are tempted to eat what we desire, although if we always gave into these urges the obesity epidemic would be even worse. We have to be able to stand up to the temptation. We have to identify our triggers, know our struggles, and work to resist.  

Often times it is temptation that causes a person to fall off the workout or eating clean wagon. Desserts and fried food are luring everywhere. Food is celebration and socially part of meetings, occasions, and lurk at every corner. Act with your intuition and know that these choices have consequences. Find a source of accountability and seek help when needed. Making important lifestyle changes doesn’t have to be an isolated experience. You can. You will. And it is going to happen for you.