Wednesday, October 23, 2013

#WTF Is Intermittent Fasting?

So I found this AMAZING Paleo website. www.paleomg.com The author of the blog lives in Colorado and besides every recipe I have tried so far being probably the best thing I have ever put in my mouth, she is hilarious! 

She mentioned in one of her blogs the other day that one of her buddies  has a pretty cool free WOD app so I downloaded. It's called Bodeefit. When you sign up, he emails you the WOD and also the app on your phone gives you the same info. Its pretty neat!

This morning there was an interesting article attached to the WOD. I have heard of this before but never really read too much about it. I'm thinking it might be worth trying out.


An empty stomach is perfectly natural. Fasting is something we all do while we’re asleep and whenever we don’t have food in our mouths — you’re probably fasting right now. Due in part to a recent spate of bestsellers and documentaries, “intermittent fasting” (or “IF,” typically defined as consuming nothing but water for 16 to 36 hours) has gained tremendous popularity in health and fitness circles as a way to lose fat, live longer, and even build muscle.
But taking a break from food can be incredibly controversial, particularly among those who are still sold on the old doctrine of eating six small meals per day. So how could IF be one of the simplest and safest tools for managing your health?

What’s the Deal?

We’ve gone over this before, but to refresh: The human metabolism does not grind to a halt if you skip a meal (or three). For it to slow down by even ten percent, one would need to fast for 72 hours straight (don’t worry, no one’s recommending giving up food for three days)[1][2][3][4]. In fact, even 48 hour fasts have been shown to have no negative effect on metabolism, cognitive performance, or fatigue[5][6]. That’s not to say fasting can’t be a little uncomfortable — we’ll get to that later.
But why would anybody want to fast? For starters, IF shares many of the benefits of following a low calorie diet, such as a lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases [7][8][9]. Fasting’s effect on the heart is especially interesting: One study concluded just one day without food per month can potentially halve the risk of developing coronary artery disease[10].
But there’s another effect of periodic fasting that both reduces the risk of chronic disease and improves the body’s digestion of carbohydrates (as in, they become less likely to make you fat). It’s all about insulin, a hormone responsible for the uptake of nutrients into the liver, muscles, and fat cells. Because the body releases insulin when carbohydrates are consumed, eating too much and too often can make us less sensitive to it. (Makes sense, right?) Unfortunately, an abundance of food (as well as other factors, like insufficient sleep and exercise) has made poor insulin sensitivity fairly commonplace[11]. That’s bad. Not just because it makes it more difficult to lose fat and absorb nutrients, but also because it increases the risk of diabetes and several kinds of cancer[12][13][14]. Fortunately, the problem can be improved by essentially doing nothing — not eating increases insulin sensitivity, meaning regular fasts allow you to eat more carbs, get less sick, and burn more fat[11][10].
Twenty-four hour fasts have also been shown to increase the brain’s production of growth hormone by up to 2,000 percent in men and 1,300 percent in women (the effect ends when the fast does). This is good news for anybody looking to slow the aging process: Growth hormone isn’t just awesome at lowering body fat while preserving muscle (weightlifters, rejoice!) but it improves physical function, bone quality, and longevity[17][18][19].

So Fasting Affects Men and Women Differently?

It just might, but exactly why or how much is still a point of debate. While there are some assertions that women are more sensitive to the stress of going without food, many have great success with it. More research is needed, but it’s important to remember that as with all diets, IF works for some people and doesn’t for others. Feel it out and see what works for you.

Won’t I Get Hungry?

We hear ya. While on a fast, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water, plain tea, black coffee, and other very low-calorie drinks to keep the stomach from feeling too empty — even diet soda isn’t considered a fast breaker. But it might relax you to know the initial hunger probably isn’t because the body requires food, but because of a hormone called ghrelin.
Ghrelin is an appetite stimulant the body learns to secrete based off your meal patterns, so it makes you hungry when you would normally be eating. (This has earned it the nickname, “hunger’s timekeeper.”) That’s why eating throughout the day keeps you hungry, and it can also make IF uncomfortable at first[20]. After a few fasts, however, the body learns to produce less ghrelin, and you get more control over when you eat.
But those first few fasts can be jarring, and for some, struggling with ghrelin is not worth the adaptation period — and that’s fine! Eating is personal, and if the discomfort is severe, there’s no obligation to continue. The takeaway here is that you have more control over when you eat than you might think. Like most things, it just takes a little practice.

So Should I Try It Out?

The science behind IF is pretty solid, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only path to better health. If fighting through ghrelin surges or skipping meals with loved ones become insurmountable problems, or if you’re hypoglycaemic, diabetic, or have a history of eating disorders, IF might be worth avoiding. As always, it’s wise to speak with a physician before changing the way you eat.
It’s also important to remember that no matter when we eat, what and how much we eat is always important — the improved hormones and smaller eating windows of IF are not a carte blanche to consume thousands of extra calories!
Of course, ideas about exactly when to eat and when to fast can vary from one person to the next. There are many different IF protocols: Some swear by a daily fast of 16 hours, and others prefer 24-hour fasts once or twice a week. Keep track of how you feel, and again, if the fast is too hard, just break it. Try again another time, perhaps after a particularly big meal. If it’s unbearable, stop bearing it. While a heightened awareness of food intake is a great side effect, the best part of intermittent fasting — at least according to its proponents — is the flexibility and simplicity it brings to the eating process: Eat when hungry, don’t when not. Six meals per day or one big dinner, the research shows that you can eat when you feel like eating. The metabolism won’t shut down, muscles won’t atrophy, and the sun will rise in the morning. It takes a load off, don’t it?
There’s no harm in giving it a try. Intermittent fasting is rapidly becoming a popular and powerful method for fighting disease, improving body composition, and taking some of the stress out of dieting and meal planning, but remember: if it doesn’t work for you, it’s not the only way to get results.

http://greatist.com/health/wtf-intermittent-fasting

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Top 5 Benefits of Reverse Running, Whaaaaa?

Wow! Has it really been this long since I have written anything??

It has been one crazy filled year I can say that! Well, no more procrastinating and NO MORE EXCUSES!

So last year as I had mentioned before, I had that terrible back injury. I can say with much relief that I pushed through and came out victorious. I am about 99.9% healed!
With that said, I have been working really hard and have for sure had some ups and downs, highs and lows with life, work, my workouts, diet etc.

I always love the beginning of new months because it forces me to get back on track, re evaluate my goals and make changes and better choices. So that's exactly what I plan on doing! It is time to start new and keep accountable again. Just in time for the holidays right?? LOL!
I am giving myself a great goal and this article that I found might just play into it. I have wanted to do a Tough Mudder for the longest time but that dream was put to the side when I had my injury. Now that I am almost 100%, I have decided to do my first one in March of next year! Plenty of time to train and get into beast mode!

Since I have been able to start running again, a lot of articles about reverse running have caught my eye. I have yet to try it but I think I might have to. What do you guys think?



Backward running also called retro running or retro locomotion is considered more effective than forward running. The benefits of reverse running are numerous: it burns more calories than forward running. Reverse running can help with hamstring related injuries or aching knees. Reverse running strengthens quadriceps, oblique, calves, shins and back muscles.
It is said that taking 100 steps backward is equivalent to taking 1000 steps forward. Reverse running also promotes a healthier posture alignment, when you run backwards your back remains straight, putting your muscles and spine less at risk.

Reverse Running Benefits

Let’s dig into the core reverse running benefits according to University of Oregon in Biomechanics/Sports Medicine Laboratory:
  • It gives you a more erect posture.
  • Range of motion at the hip joint is reduced with increased flexion and lesser extension.
  • Functional active range of motion at knee joints.
  • Improvement of muscular balance.
Benefits of reverse running include help with injury rehabilitation:
  • Due to differences in trunk posture, it is highly recommended for back rehabilitation.
  • Recovery from hip joint and hamstring injuries.
  • Surgical knee joint rehabilitation.
  • Recovery from sprain ankle injuries.
  • Recovery from Achilles’ tendon.

Benefits of Reverse Running: Cardiovascular Health

According to Stellenbosch University in South Africa, reverse running technique helps to improve cardiovascular fitness. Backward running required reduced intake of oxygen, which results in increased aerobic fitness and reduction in up to 2.5 percent of body fat.

Translates Into Smarter Caloric Burn

Trying to lose pounds? Set your objective to reverse running and achieve a milestone. Running backwards burn 20 percent more calories than forward sprinting. Reverse running benefits you in two ways:
(a) You can easily set your daily exercise schedule and burn more number of calories or
(b) You can burn desired number of calories in a less time consuming fitness schedule.

Alleviates Boredom and Weariness

During your regular fitness activity, taking the same run on the track gets tedious. And trust me, when exercise or any other thing starts to bore you, you lose focus, interest and passion for that sport. What can invigorate your daily runs can be a mix of backward running along with forward running. The next time you get up for your run, you will be excited to incorporate this new technique into your old routine, completely boosting your fitness goals.

Less Strain on the Knee

In medical conditions such as arthritis, backward running may be the ultimate fitness solution. What differentiates backward running from forward running are the backward steps which result in reduced impact to your knees. In forward running your heel comes in contact with the ground first, generating waves of energy that directly impacts your knees causing the muscles around your knees to swell whereas in reverse running the impact is very low, due to forefront stepping.

Balanced Muscle Development

As opposed to forward running, reverse running works on opposite muscular groups of your body. For example take front curls in a bodybuilding workout. What if you did reverse curls too? You can get the same results with reverse running. It helps develop muscle groups which are not regularly exercised.
Before trying any of the above, consult a fitness expert or your doctor. Stay safe, happy reverse running!


Read more: http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/running/top-5-benefits-of-reverse-running.html#ixzz2gamapk3a