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Stress Hormones In Health

Stress Hormones In Health

Published by on December 25, 2024 | Leave a response

It might be a traffic jam in Sacramento, CA, that triggered the flow of stress hormones or your boss screaming or baby crying. It might seem insignificant, but each stressful situation triggers hormones that negatively affect your health. It’s part of the fight-or-flight response that prepares you for battle or to run. If you don’t do either, it can cause your blood pressure to rise, your body to accumulate abdominal fat or a plethora of other health issues that lead to far more serious conditions.

Stress hormones could save your life.

If you’re attacked by a wild animal or fight off a mugger, your flight-or-fight response is triggered. In those cases, it can help you survive. Unfortunately, other stressful situations trigger your flight-or-fight response, like an angry spouse or people cutting in line ahead of you. Those situations build up and can lead to serious health issues. The hormones released increase your blood pressure and heart rate. It increases the blood flow to the extremities. It causes the airways to widen in the lungs and increases oxygen consumption. Blood glucose levels rise, digestion slows or ceases, and you’re more alert.

If you don’t burn off stress hormones, it can lead to serious conditions.

Stress hormones like cortisol make the changes that affect most of the body. If you don’t burn them off and there are chronically high levels, it can lead to conditions like digestive issues, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease, headaches, heart attack, muscle pain, stroke, and impaired immune functioning. It can lead to mental issues like sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and problems with concentration and memory.

Exercise mimics running or fighting.

Pushing your body by exercising can burn off stress hormones and return your body to normal. It also enables the body to get stronger and handle stress better. If you’ve had digestive issues and started an exercise program, you may find those problems disappear. Cortisol is one stress hormone. People with high cortisol levels may have issues with a slower metabolism and where the body stores fat. The hormone causes visceral fat to be stored in the abdomen. Visceral fat is the most difficult type to lose and the most dangerous. It crowds vital organs like the heart or lungs.

  • One study estimated that over three-fourths of doctor visits come from illnesses caused by stress. It explains why exercise helps lower blood pressure, improve digestion, reduce depression, and improve cognitive functioning.
  • Besides exercising, learning mental stress control techniques can also help. Meditation and deep breathing techniques are two of those ways. Practicing those techniques can prevent stress from building.
  • Exercise helps you sleep better. Part of the reason is that it burns off stress hormones that cause sleep-related issues. When you sleep, your body repairs itself, and your brain reorganizes. It improves your immunity.
  • Stress can cause premature aging and lead to periodontal disease and tooth grinding. It can affect your vision and skin and lead to DNA damage. Stress shortens telomeres that protect the cell’s chromosomes.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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The Best And Worst Low-Carb Foods

The Best And Worst Low-Carb Foods

Published by on December 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Low-carb diets are popular. However, it takes more than just counting carbs to eat healthy. Not all low-carb foods are healthy. If you utilize that type of diet, you need to include the best low-carb foods and avoid the worst ones. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy so they should be part of everyone’s diet. It’s all about making the smartest choices that provide the most nutrition yet help you maintain or lose weight.

Eliminate the worst low-carbohydrate foods first.

You’ve probably already found the new low-carb snacks that mimic their high-carbohydrate counterparts. They sound pretty enticing. Who wouldn’t love the taste of forbidden sweets without the high carbohydrate count? Step away from the low-carb treats. They shouldn’t be in your diet. The sugar is replaced with sugar alcohol that doesn’t contain carbs but causes digestive issues and inflammation. New studies show they may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. They contain vegetable oils that cause inflammation, and most contain little nutritional benefit. Processed meat is another unhealthy, yet low-carbohydrate option.

The best low-carbohydrate foods provide a wealth of nutrients.

You may already know the answer to the best options. It’s most whole foods. Chicken, beef, and fish are high in protein and contain no carbohydrates. They’re healthy and should be part of your diet. Cucumbers, celery, and peppers are lower in carbs and also high in fiber and other nutrients. They’re another good addition to a low-carbohydrate diet. You’ll find a wealth of low-carb vegetables in the produce section of the grocery. If it’s grown above the ground, like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale, it’s a healthy low-carb addition. You have to be more careful when choosing root vegetables. Potatoes, for instance, are not a low-carb vegetable.

Don’t be fooled by “healthy” food.

Food options like protein bars aren’t necessarily healthy. Some are little more than candy bars with maybe a small addition of protein and a fancy wrapper. Check the wrapper for ingredients and nutritional information. If you want a protein bar for a post-workout snack, choose one with collagen, almond butter, or coconut oil. Avoid ones with additives you can’t pronounce. They can trigger inflammation.

  • Beware of processed meals you heat and eat. Many of these prepackaged meals contain saturated fat or trans fat. You can plan meals for the week, cook them all one day, and just heat and serve them at mealtime.
  • Just say no to diet soft drinks, even if they are low-carb. New studies show sugar substitutes in diet drinks can cause inflammation and lead to a larger waistline due to visceral fat.
  • If you want a snack that is easy to transport, pack individual-serving-size bags of nuts. Brazil nuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts are lower in carbs. Cashews and pistachios are higher.
  • Eat dark chocolate if you want a sweet treat that will feel decadent. It should be at least 70% cacao and sweetened with a natural sweetener like stevia. Dark chocolate is lower in carbs but not carb-free, so eat it sparingly.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Mobility And Flexibility In Fitness

Mobility And Flexibility In Fitness

Published by on November 25, 2024 | Leave a response

At first, you may imagine that seniors in Sacramento, CA, are only affected by lack of flexibility and impaired mobility. That’s not true. Mobility is how easily the joints function. Flexibility is about the muscles. Flexibility is vital to everyone’s fitness, especially athletes. Lack of flexibility can cause injuries that diminish mobility. Diminished mobility can also reduce flexibility. As with most things regarding your physical health and well-being, it’s all interrelated.

Whether you’re mobile or have limitations, flexibility is vital.

What is flexibility? Flexibility is having muscles capable of moving joints in different directions with ease. You can bend, reach, or stretch with ease. That ability improves your range of motion, reduces injury risks, and benefits your posture. Flexibility training helps elongate the muscles and can improve the movements of people with mobility issues. If your range of motion is enhanced, you’re less likely to pull a muscle and can improve movement, so it’s less limited.

Mobility issues may limit your flexibility training, but they shouldn’t.

One reason people go to physical therapy after an injury is to build strength and flexibility. If a joint has been immobile, the muscles are weak, and the range of motion is limited. That doesn’t mean mobility issues should stop flexibility exercises. There are workouts to improve flexibility available for people with limited mobility. Some may require the help of others. Stretching every morning when you first awaken is a start.

That groan you make getting out of a chair may be due to lack of either.

Lack of flexibility is obvious if you feel sharp back pains bending over to tie your shoes. Lack of mobility is equally obvious when attempting to do a deep squat. Some mobility issues can be avoided with flexibility training. If you keep your muscles looser, they don’t restrict the movements of the joints. Flexibility exercises prevent injury during strength training. You need strength training to build muscles and tendons to reduce joint pressure. They move more easily, preventing mobility problems.

  • Before you start any workout, do warm-up exercises. They’re usually dynamic stretches that lengthen the muscles and increase circulation. After exercising, do static stretches. The muscle is warm and loose, so it’s a good time to improve its range of motion.
  • The older you are, the more important flexibility training becomes. It helps improve balance and reduces the risk of falls. Flexibility training improves posture, which affects all areas of your health.
  • Strength training can also improve flexibility and mobility. Any time you elongate your muscles, you’re improving flexibility. Doing a squat is one example, as long as you perform it in the full range of motion.
  • Stretch therapy is painless and can improve both mobility and flexibility. It focuses on the muscles that need extra attention to help you move easier, reduce pain, and increase the range of motion.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Aging Gracefully And Staying Active

Aging Gracefully And Staying Active

Published by on November 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Aging gracefully is always better than alternatives. You look your best and face the future with optimism and joy. It’s about staying active and fit, enjoying the company of others, and exuding a spirit of happiness for all that life has to offer. Instead of being the cranky old man or woman who yells, “Get off my lawn.” You enjoy the company of others and welcome people into your life. Many things affect how well you age. You can’t control all those variables, but you can control some. When you gracefully grow old, you focus on the things you can control.

What you eat makes a big difference.

If your primary sustenance is junk food, you may not age gracefully. You might know someone who doesn’t eat healthy but still looks fantastic and robust. Life isn’t always fair. Those people may have exceptional genes, eat healthier in private, or have other factors that maintain their youth. For most people, focusing on good nutrition can help you stay fitter. It provides the necessary nutrients for good health and improved immunity. A healthy diet helps prevent obesity, which leads to serious conditions and makes you look and feel older.

Staying active plays a major role in mental and physical fitness.

Staying mentally and physically active is necessary for graceful aging. Mental activity keeps you sharp and interesting. It helps promote a healthy social life. Studies show that people who have a good social life live longer. Staying active physically keeps your body and mind stronger. It helps lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes, and improve heart health. Staying active helps you mentally, too. It keeps oxygenated and nutrient-laden blood flowing to the brain, reducing the risk of neurological disorders.

Get adequate quality sleep.

If you fall asleep watching TV and sleep in the chair with the TV blaring for hours, you aren’t necessarily getting quality sleep. Your brain requires that you go through four stages of sleep several times throughout the night. There are non-rapid eye-movement stages. One is a rapid eye movement stage. Quality sleep allows your body to heal and your brain to recuperate and reorganize. Adequate, quality sleep helps protect your heart, boosts your energy, improves your mood, and aids in weight management. Exercising regularly, sleeping in a cool, dark room, and maintaining a sleep schedule helps you sleep better.

  • Exercising helps improve digestion and the quality of your microbiome. A healthy diet also helps the microbiome. Scientists call the microbiome our second immune system. It also affects your mental health.
  • Exercise also lengthens the telomeres, which prevent the chromosomes from unraveling. The longer the telomere, the better it is. Once the telomere is gone, damage to the cell or cell death can occur. That can cause illness, aging, and death.
  • Smile more. Laughter is the best medicine. Studies show that people who smile more live longer, healthier lives. An attitude of gratitude for all the blessings you have also improves your life.
  • Enjoy the outdoors and do safe sunning. Studies show most Americans have a vitamin D deficiency, especially seniors. Spending time in the sun can help.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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The Link Between Sleep & Weight Loss

The Link Between Sleep & Weight Loss

Published by on October 25, 2024 | Leave a response

It seems logical to connect staying up longer with weight loss. You’re moving around more, which burns more calories. If you don’t eat more, you should burn more calories. That’s not necessarily true. There is a link between weight loss and sleep, but the lack of sleep often causes you to pack on the pounds, not lose them. Aside from the potential of eating more, lack of sleep negatively affects your body and makes it harder to shed extra pounds.

Lack of sleep disrupts hormone levels.

When you have adequate sleep, your body produces a balance of hunger hormone—ghrelin—and satiety hormone—leptin. When you lack sleep, the body produces more ghrelin and less leptin. You’ll feel hungrier. It causes you to overeat because not enough satiety hormones trigger to tell your body you’re full. Your body works against you, making you excessively hungry throughout the day. Lack of sleep can also leave you feeling dragged out and exhausted. Many people turn to high-calorie sugary treats for a lift, which adds excess calories.

Lack of sleep slows your metabolism.

Your body requires continuous calories to provide energy, whether asleep or awake. It uses calories to pump blood, digest food, maintain body temperature, grow hair, build muscle tissue, and maintain hormone and chemical levels throughout the body. It is called the basal metabolism rate—BMR. You can raise your BMR in several ways. Building more muscle tissue is one way. Another is to get adequate sleep.

You burn more calories when you sleep soundly.

How sound you sleep also makes a difference. There are four stages of sleep. One stage is REM—rapid eye movement and the other three are NREM—non-rapid eye movement. You go through these four stages several times a night. When you have poor sleep quality, you may not enter REM sleep or limit the amount you get. REM sleep burns more calories and is necessary for a healthy body. You can boost the calories you burn when you sleep by eating a small amount of protein, like cottage cheese or warm milk, a half hour to an hour before bedtime.

  • Sleep sounder and burn more calories by keeping your room cooler. Studies show that temperatures at 65 to 68 degrees help you sleep better than cooler or warmer temperatures.
  • People who sleep well at night have more energy the following day. They tend to be more active and burn more calories.
  • Eating a big meal before falling asleep can disrupt sleep. Some people do require a small snack to sleep well. It’s instinctive. Early man needed to stay awake until he found food to prevent starvation.
  • One of the most helpful ways to improve sleep is a sleep schedule. Going to bed and arising at the same time daily sets the circadian rhythm that controls sleep so you fall asleep quicker. You must keep the schedule every day, including weekends.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Surprising Sources Of Protein

Surprising Sources Of Protein

Published by on October 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Finding healthy and inexpensive protein sources has become the goal in many households in Sacramento, CA. Some people look for alternatives for other reasons. They may be bored with traditional sources like beans, beef, or chicken. They also may want protein sources that contain a host of other nutrients. Some of the surprising sources of protein provide both macro and micro micronutrients.

Amaranth and other pseudocereals are rich sources of protein.

Pseudocereals are also called ancient grains. They are rich in nutrients and higher in protein. These grains have remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years and are staples for people across the globe. They’re not highly processed like most of today’s grains and have far more nutrients than wheat, corn, or rice. Amaranth, kamut, teff, and freekeh are higher in protein, containing 8 to 13 grams per cup. All are higher in fiber and loaded with nutrition. One of the best-known pseudocereals is quinoa. It’s high in fiber, folate, vitamins B6 and E, iron, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, potassium, zinc, and protein.

Eggs aren’t just for breakfast.

One more traditional protein source is the often-ignored egg. It’s a great addition to noodle dishes like pad thai as the protein source or with a mix of vegetables in an omelet. Eggs contain 7 grams of protein for a large egg. It has high amounts of leucine that boosts protein synthesis to build muscles. The protein in eggs is easy for the body to digest and use. Eggs contain high amounts of choline to improve brain functioning and zeaxanthin to improve eye health.

Green peas are both colorful and a source of protein.

Many vegetables provide protein. Peas are among them. Vegetarian bodybuilders often use pea protein as their go-to when making protein smoothies. Green peas contain approximately 9 grams of protein per cup. Peas are high in fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, thiamine, folate, manganese, iron, zinc, and more. Leafy greens are also good sources. They contain most of the same vitamins and minerals and are higher in some, but only half the amount of protein as peas.

  • Trail mix containing nuts and seeds are loaded with protein. Sprinkle almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and other nuts and seeds on salads for extra protein.
  • Bone broth is a good source of collagen. Collagen is a protein beneficial for joints, hair, nails, muscles, bones, and skin. A cup of bone broth has 9 grams of protein. Add your favorite vegetables for a complete meal.
  • Most people consume vegetables for their vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, but many are protein sources, too. A few examples are edamame from soy, broccoli, kale, and sweet potatoes.
  • When choosing eggs for protein, opt for pastured eggs if possible. The hens eat a more natural diet and get sun exposure. It’s more humane, and their eggs have more omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Why You Should Prioritize Sleep And Recovery

Why You Should Prioritize Sleep And Recovery

Published by on September 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Do you stay up late to stream your favorite movies or catch up on social media? You might be jeopardizing your physical recovery. You should prioritize sleep, especially if you’re maximizing your workouts. It’s a time for the body to heal and renew. If you’re trying to shed extra pounds, sleep also helps. When you lack sleep, your body produces more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and less leptin, which makes you feel full. You’ll need to eat more calories to feel the same satiety level.

Exercise breaks down muscle tissue.

When you exercise, particularly if it’s intense, it causes microscopic tears in the muscle tissue. Those tears heal when you sleep. Recovery is when you build muscles. It’s the scar tissue that forms when they heal that increases bulk. HGH—human growth hormone—increases when you sleep. HGH boosts muscle building, improves bone density, and helps maintain muscle mass. Lack of sleep reduces testosterone levels, which also boosts muscle formation. The real magic of building muscles takes place during recovery and sleep.

You need more than sleep. It should be quality sleep.

You go through approximately four to six sleep cycles each night. The length of each cycle varies. Each cycle has four stages: three non-rapid eye movement stages—NREM—and one rapid eye movement stage—REM. During the NREM stages, the body heals. Breathing slows, blood pressure drops, and blood to the muscles increases. That’s when the repair and growth take place. The REM stage is when you dream. A lot of brain activity occurs. It’s vital for memory and organizing the brain. Poor quality sleep disrupts the process and slows recovery. If you don’t enter a deep sleep phase, it could diminish HGH and your efforts to build.

Improve the quality and quantity of sleep.

Everyone’s sleep needs differ, but the average person requires between 7 and 9 hours. Some need more. Others need less. A lot of things can prevent you from getting that sleep. Keeping a sleep schedule, even on the weekends, can help maintain your circadian rhythm. You go to sleep and arise at the same time each day. That will help you fall asleep faster. Keeping your room dark and turning off all blue screens, whether it’s the phone, computer, or TV, also helps. Keep the room cooler for the soundest sleep.

  • If you have problems sleeping, learn meditation and deep breathing exercises to help you relax and calm your mind. It can do double duty. You can use it during the day to help relieve stress.
  • Sleep is also beneficial for the heart and immune system. It slows the heart rate and lets your body rest. Sleep boosts your immune system by creating cytokines. These are messengers that help direct the immune responses.
  • When you get adequate sleep, you’re more likely to stay motivated and have more productive workouts. When you’re exhausted, going to the gym and pushing hard is far less inviting if you’re not well-rested.
  • Sleep studies show that lack of sleep interferes with athletic performance. Tennis players had decreased accuracy. Reaction time was slower in other athletes who lacked sleep. All studies showed regardless of the sport, sleep-deprived athletes had less endurance.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Workouts To Help You Grow Your Arms

Workouts To Help You Grow Your Arms

Published by on September 10, 2024 | Leave a response

If you want workouts to grow your arms, develop a six-pack, and have the best, most impressive body possible, you need a plan. At Team ISC in Sacramento, CA, we provide a plan of action to match that goal, and the workouts and nutrition guidance to achieve it. One area that many people focus on is their arms. Adding inches to your arms involves exercises that also build the rest of the upper body. When you reach your goal, you’ll also see dramatic changes everywhere.

Before you start working out, check your nutrition.

No matter how hard you work out, if your diet isn’t healthy and geared to building muscle, you won’t get the results you want. A great body starts in the kitchen. It then moves to the gym. Your body needs the raw materials to build muscle. While the amino acids from protein are the primary requirement, you also need magnesium, iron, potassium, and carbs. A diet of leafy greens, fish, eggs, poultry, lean meat, fatty fish, fruits, healthy fat, and vegetables helps build muscles. We help you develop a plan specific to your goals and needs.

We’ll design a plan to match your fitness level, goals, and special needs.

It takes dedication to build a great body. It also takes a plan. When you have the motivation and the right program, you can achieve your goal. When you exercise, your body makes micro tears in the muscle. You also need 48 to 72 hours for those muscles to heal. If you overwork the muscles and don’t give them healing time, you’ll lose ground instead of gaining it. When you first start working out, you’ll see improvement regardless of whether you’re lifting lighter weight and more reps or lifting heavier with fewer reps. Heavier weights build strength and denser muscles. Lighter weights build stamina and definition. Both enhance muscle growth and change the shape of the muscle.

Vary your workout plan.

You can use standing barbell curls, incline dumbbell curls, or both to build biceps. The standing barbell curl is often preferred. Twisting dumbbell curls involve the forearm and biceps. Build the brachialis with dumbbell hammer curls or straight bar reverse curls. Close grip chin-ups, EZ bar preacher curls, and hammer curls benefit the biceps. A diamond push-up, bench dips, tricep kickbacks, tricep extension, and close-grip bench press also work on the arms.

  • You can modify your push-ups or pull-ups to work more muscles or work them differently by putting your hands closer together or further apart. Add weights to increase the effort.
  • Do strength-building workouts at the start of your session to maximize the benefits. Don’t eliminate all cardio. Cardio increases insulin sensitivity and allows you to eat more, consuming more muscle-building nutrients.
  • Always focus on form before increasing weight or reps. If your form isn’t precise, it can diminish the results and may even cause injury. Include flexibility, warm-up, and cool-down exercises in every session.
  • When you sleep, your body does more than heal. It increases hormones like testosterone and HGH necessary to build muscle tissue. Lack of sleep increases cortisol, which negatively affects muscle-building efforts.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Fitness Is Mind AND Body

Fitness Is Mind AND Body

Published by on August 25, 2024 | Leave a response

People understand a mind and body connection exists. Fitness is about being in the moment and focusing. That focus affects both physical performance and mental health. Stress, which emanates from the mind, causes the brain to release hormones that trigger changes in the body to prepare it to fight or run. Those hormones cause changes in blood flow and can create brain fog. Exercise can reverse those changes. If not reversed, they can create serious illnesses. Learning to calm the mind can also improve overall health. Ensuring the mind and the body are fit is imperative to good health.

Physical activity boosts brain health.

When you increase activity, you increase nutrient and oxygen-laden blood circulating to the brain. It improves cognitive functioning and can slow the advancement of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Those diseases cause the progressive loss of neurons. Exercise increases the creation of new neural pathways or slows the progressive loss. The increased blood flow also helps clear waste from the brain as it nourishes the cells.

Exercise makes the body stronger.

You’ll reduce the risk of many diseases when you exercise. You’ll also reduce the risk of injury from accidents. It helps improve balance, builds strength, promotes flexibility, and increases endurance. Exercising helps ease chronic pain. Chronic pain affects cognitive functioning and mental health. It also improves posture, which can boost self-confidence and lead to others treating you as more confident. Exercise helps improve your digestive system by increasing the variety and quality of your gut microbiome and aiding food to travel through the digestive system.

Exercise helps mental health disorders.

Many mental healthcare professionals use exercise as an adjunct therapy instead of medication. It’s proven better than many medications without any harmful side effects. It’s especially beneficial for people with anxiety and depression but has also been helpful for ADHD, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. The microbes in the digestive system become more diversified and more beneficial. Many create enzymes that trigger improved mental health.

  • When you exercise regularly, you sleep more soundly and better at night. When you sleep, your brain does housekeeping. It reorganizes and flushes the brain with cerebrospinal fluid to remove toxins through brain channels that expand when you sleep.
  • Studies show that changing the gut microbiome can help treat many mental health conditions. Exercising helps make those changes.
  • Even if your joints hurt, mild exercise may be helpful. It increases synovial fluid circulation. The synovial fluid then lubricates the joints, bringing relief. Exercise also builds the tendons and muscles around the joints to reduce the pressure.
  • Exercise can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cancer. It lowers the risk of diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity. It helps prevent and reduce inflammation and strengthens the body to prolong your life.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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