Hi Fitness Family.

 
I hope you are all well, and have had a great week.  Well November has come to an end and tomorrow sees the start of December.  For some this month will be filled with Christmas parties, family gatherings, and excess calories.  Many of you may have been preparing for you Christmas party by slimming down and upping the gym over the past month. Hopefully seen some great results.....BUT you may now be thinking how will you maintain this over the festive period with all the temptation!!!!

FEAR NOT!!!! Over the next 25 days I will be posting Daily on my Facebook page from, Top Tips, Nutrition Information, Better Food Choices, Exercises and Motivation.
 
For my bloggers that do not celebrate Christmas you too can benefit from the
daily updates.  Think of it like a healthy advent calendar

So to get on board all you have to do is click on the link below that will take you to my Facebook page and hit the like button, also if you have friends or family that you think might benefit from some help, suggest my page to them, the more the merrier.

Feel free to leave comments, questions and suggestions :)
  
http://www.facebook.com/#!/JillCalvertPersonalTraining

Stay Healthy

Jill

Hi all

Hope you had a great week.

I mentioned in my blog last week that it was World Diabetes Day and I wanted to dedicate my blog this week to Diabetes.

So I will look at

What is Diabetes?
What are the types of Diabetes?
Exercise and Diabetes.
Who is at risk of getting Diabetes Type 2.
Should you get tested?
 
What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition that I am sure you  have heard about.  But how much do you know about it? and could you be at risk?

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food
for energy. When we eat food the glucose (energy) from it circulates in your
blood, where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. A Hormone called
Insulin which is produced by the pancreas helps move the sugars into the
muscles.  When the pancreas works properly its adjusts the amount of insulin
released based on the level of glucose. However if you have diabetes, the
pancreas does not produce enough or any insulin resulting in prolonged elevated blood sugar levels, which is extremely dangerous.

There are two main types of Diabetes and another that you may not have heard of.  Lets look at them!!!


 Type 1 Diabetes
A person with Type 1 diabetes can't make any insulin. Type 1 may
strike at any age, however most often occurs before age 30. Type 1 can be caused by a genetic disorder. 

Type 2 Diabetes:
A person with Type 2 diabetes has adequate insulin, but the cells
have become resistant to it. Type 2 can effect anyone at any age however it
usually occurs in adults over 35 years.   It is estimated that 95 percent of all
diabetes cases are Type 2.  This is very alarming as Type 2 Diabetes can be
controlled and it is often a reflection on lifestyle , triggered by obesity, and
a lack of exercise, .
 
Gestational Diabetes -  The other type
Gestational diabetes is developed during pregnancy and affects
about 4 percent of all pregnant women. It usually appears during the second
trimester and disappears after the birth of the baby.  The same as Type 1 and
Type 2, your body can't use glucose effectively and blood glucose levels get too
high. When this is not controlled, both mother and unborn child are at risk and
complications can affect both you and your baby.  Having this type can increases your risk for developing it again during future pregnancies and also raises your risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Exercise and Diabetes
Now that we have looked at the different types, I want to look at how exercise can help with Diabetes.


Benefits of exercise for controlling diabetes.

Exercise will improve your body's use of insulin.

Exercise helps control weight, as we know being overweight can put you at risk of Type 2.

Who is at risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes
 
1. If you are deemed obese you are at a higher risk.
 
2. If you lead a Sedentary Lifestyle inactivity and being overweight go hand in hand towards a diagnosis of type 2.
 
3. If your diet is high in saturated fat and processed foods
 
4. Family History and Genetics people who have family members
who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for
developing it themselves.
 
5. Increased Age.
 
6. High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol put you at a
higher risk of developing diabetes.

Should you get tested?

Here are a few symptoms that may indicate you have Diabetes.  Like I said type two can occur at any age so if in doubt consult you doctor who can carry out a simple test.

Symptoms

Unusual thirst,
Extreme hunger,
Blurred vision,
Frequent and recurring infecions,
Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
Unusual weight loss,
Extreme fatigue
Cuts and woulnds slower to he


  
Well I hope that you enjoyed this blog and if you have any
concerns that you may be a risk, consult your doctor who can test you.  If you
have any questions that I can help with do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Until next week. 
Stay healthy

 Jill

Dear Fitness Family

I hope that you had a great week so far. On Wednesday 14th Novemeber I relised that it was national Diabetes Day and I if had have known this, todays blog would have been dedicated to it, however I had
prepard this blog, so therefore next week I will be looking at diabetes!!!!
 
So whats on the blog this week? Cortisol!!!!, another BUZZ word
that you might have heard about.  But do you know what it is why and how it is
produced? how it effects the body and the side effects to too much?  Well I hope to answer all these questions in this article.

So I will cover
What is Cortisol, why and how it is produced?
How it effects the body,
Side effect of high levels of cortisol.


What is Cortisol, how it is produced and why?

Cortisol is an important hormone required by the body and is secreted by the adrenal glands.   You may have heard Cortisol deemed as the stress hormone  because it’s released in higher levels during the body’s fight or flight response to stress.  It is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body.   Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects however too much can have some adverse effects.  It has been established that Cortisol levels are at its highest in the morning, and at its lowest at night.

Lets know look at how it effects the body.

Cortisol is inviolved in many bodily funtions and is essential for evryday
life such as-

Helps regulate glucose metabolism,
Regulates blood pressure,
Helps release insulin for blood sugar maintanence,
Immune function,
Inflammatory response,
Enables quick burst of energy for survival reasons,
Enhances memory functions,
Lowers sensitivity to pain,
Helps maintain homeostasis (a balance) in the body.

Side effect of high levels of cortisol

So now we are aware of why Coritsol is important.  But what if there are prolonged periods where Cortisol levels are elevated.  After a stressful event it is vital that body relaxes so it can regain balance.  However with stress levels rising due and staying constant due to work falmily money commitments this doesnt always happen and as such the body stays in a in a state of stress.

Higher and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream have
been shown to have negative effects, such as:

Impaired cognitive performance, memory impairment, low
concentration,
Lower thyroid function,
Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia (too muh sugar),
Decreased bone density,
Decrease in muscle tissue,
Higher blood pressure,
Loweredmmunity and inflammatory responses, e.g slower healing,
Increased abdominal fat, putting you at risk of other health related issues.

So how can you prevent this???

You can make lifestyle changes for example

Exercise regulary,
Relise the triggers, talk them through with someone to avoid times of stess,
Healthy diet.

Well I hope that after reading this you are a little clearer on the topic Cortisol!!!!

If you have any question please feel free to leave me a comment.

Until next week.  Be stress free and stay healthy.

Jill

Hi All

I hope you had a good week filled with great nutrition and training.  I have a had a great week filled with some awesome sessions with clients celebrating birthdays ( Happy Birthday Noura),  a new group of TRXers!!! and of course the Pumpers and Attackers that keep bringing the energy!!  

It is also a BIG week for me in that I have decided to relocate in the new year
to a new country.  I will hopefully make some bodies better in Kuwait....  I also hope that my new clients will be as equally as lovely as they are here in Riyadh.

So before my cyber tears start I will get on with the serious stuff and outline 
this weeks blog, which is simply.

Setting the story straight - ironing out some fitness myths regarding women and lifting weights
 
My top five!!!!

With working in the fitness industry and of course being based in  a ladies only gym I am regularly confronted with women concerned about weight training.  With this blog, I'd like to share the facts regarding weight training for females.
 
Myth #1 -Weight training makes you bulky and masculine.

FALSE... This is probably the main one I hear " I don't want BIG BULKY MUSCLES.... Rest assured you will not .... here is why.  In order for
muscles to grow a large amount of the hormone testosterone needs to be present, women naturally do not produce sufficient amounts in comparison to our male counterparts. It is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights. You may see women bodybuilders that are quite big however it is unfortunate to say that the majority use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve this.  You may also see some ladies that are very well conditioned.  Tse women will more than likely have been blessed with good genetics coupled with an unbelievable work ethic that enable them to gain muscle quickly when they lift heavy weights.  But bear in mind that THEY WANT TO LOOK LIKE THAT!!!!! Women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body. 

Myth #2 - Resistance exercises will increases your chest size.

FALSE... Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, I WISH.   Breasts
are composed mostly of fatty tissue, not muscle, therefore, it is impossible to
increase breast size through weight training. Quite the opposite actually,  if
you are training hard and decreasing body fat you will find that your breast
size will decrease.  However weight training DOES increase the size of the back,
which may make your upper body feel larger and as such you may increase in cup size. The only way to increase your breast size is by gaining fat or getting
breast implants. 


Myth #3 - If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat and vice versa if you train with weights fat will turn into muscle.
 
FALSE....I ask you the question can wood turn to metal???? 
Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. The science bit is
that when you exercise and lose weight your body will lose fat, water and a
little muscle, however correct nutritional manipulation and resistance based
exercises will tone shape and grow the muscle, so where you lose one you gain
the other they don't turn into one another.  People have this idea because when
they have been carrying out a resistance program and then stop, they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well.  So it gives the impression that the muscle is being turned into fat
while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being
accumulated.


Myth #4 - As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want.
 
FALSE.... That would be everyone's genie wish!!!! How your body
deals with food etc is mainly determined by your individual metabolism, each
persons calorie requirement is different.  Bottom line is that if you eat more
calories than you burn on a consistent basis, your body will accumulate these as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do.  However there are some
exceptions some individuals (hard gainers) have very high metabolic rates that
no matter how much they eat or what they eat, they rarely meet or exceed the
amount of calories that they burn in one day unless they put their mind to doing so. 
 

Myth #5 - Women only need to do cardio and if they decide
to lift weights, they should be very light.

FALSE... My favourite one!!! OK yes we all need cardio exercise for health benefits but everyone's workout should be balanced with sufficient amount of CV, Resistance and stretching etc.  If all you do is cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel, resulting in that soft look with norshape of definition.  Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very
hard time achieving that shapely look that they want. As far as the lifting of
very light weights, (head in hands) this is just more nonsense.  When training
with weights to achieve that shapely look, the muscle needs to be challenged and if the resistance is too light and the muscle is not fatigued then, there will be no reason for the body to change, and ultimately a waste of time.... To see the change you must feel!!!!!

 
Please please please do not be afraid of the weights area.  Here are a few benefits to finish off, why you should train with weights-

You will be stronger without the bulk,
Body fat will decrease,
Decreased risk of osteoporosis,
Decreased risk of injury,
Sporting performance will improve,
Decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease,
Decreased risk of depression.
 
 
So on that note, I hope you enjoyed this article and also its never too late to start.  My mum started 7 years ago when I persuaded her with
my charms and today she looks better than she did 15 years ago... we get
mistaken for sisters....check out a recent picture of her above!!!!
 
Until next week
 
Stay Healthy
 
Jill