Princess Health and The Best Exercise For Losing Weight. Princessiccia

Princess Health and The Best Exercise For Losing Weight. Princessiccia

Gusty 11:56 Add Comment

As a fitness instructor, the first question I usually receive from a new customer is: "Is this the best for losing weight?". Or: "What's the best for toning up: Pilates, Yoga or Zumba?"

The truth is that these questions can not be answered in two sentences. If I only wanted to make money out of my fitness business, I would say that Zumba is the best for losing weight. But that would be a lie. On the other hand, if I say: "No, Zumba is not the best for losing weight." - that would sound as if I was my own enemy, sending customers away.

What I want to say is there is no 'one size fits all' type of 'best exercise'.

Unfortunately many fitness businesses, gyms, do not refrain from giving misleading information to people, only to create more profit. Few month ago I rang one of the gyms in Dublin, being so revolted by their flyer I received through the door saying: "Aerobics exercise will make you fat." - They said this only because their business was only focusing on weight training. It is a shame that businesses will not only focus on highlighting what they are good at, they rather choose to lie to people about other types of exercise they are unable to provide.

But wait, you are here now because you want to find out the big truth:

Which is the best exercise to lose weight?

The answer: All of them and any of them. As long as you enjoy it and can stick to it. At least for a while, and then you can feel free to try out something else. But if you start something and don't enjoy it, if you find it boring, you will simply stop doing it after a short while.

Exercise cannot be a burden. Ideally working out should be something you look forward to, the same way as spending your evening with family, or going out in the weekend with friends. Or at least something you don't hate and don't immediately cancel if the weather is not perfect, or you feel a bit down, or a friend wants to chat with you. Your exercise should give you a great feeling afterwards, and that feeling should make you looking forward to your next workout. It is also possible to find a form of exercise you enjoy while doing it, not just the feeling afterwards. And that's the main point when trying to find "the best" exercise.

I'll tell you another "secret": After finding only one type of exercise you enjoy, and you stick to it and work out regularly, you'll soon be enjoying other types of exercise too.

Losing weight is a recipe with many ingredients. The key is food, then the second important ingredient is regular exercise. Adequate sleep and water intake, as well as detoxifying your body are also important elements in the process of getting rid of unwanted pounds.

The worst thing what people do is that they think that whatever food they have eaten can be "worked off" in the gym. Our body is not a plain math though: you had a chocolate bar which had 300 calories, then your app shows that you worked 300 calories, so you think your job is done. Well, that's the worst you can do. With that 300 calories chocolate bar you did not give any nutrient to your body. No fuel. While 300 calories of plain nuts or seeds, or a healthy salad or smoothie will provide so many beneficial nutrients, that they will not only feed your body, but help your body get rid of unwanted fat.

Can I gain weight after starting a workout program?

Yes, you can. That does not mean the problem is with the workout program. There are two reasons this can happen.

One of them is that you allow yourself some extra food or extra treats, saying that you deserve it because you've worked hard at the gym, or you just ran for 30 minutes, or you just finished your Zumba class. It happened to me in the past. I basically ate more because I thought I could do that without any consequence. If you start to eat more (especially unhealthy, sugary snacks), you will put much more calories in, then the amount of calories used while working out.

The other reason: once you start working your muscles and creating some lean muscle, while also getting rid of the body fat, the scale might show higher number. Don't worry, scale should not be your main reference, because muscle is heavier than fat. So the best is if you look at yourself in the mirror, put on your tightest cloths, or bikinis, and that's where you should see the positive results.

Conclusion: Exercise is extremely important, mainly for your overall health, and also for losing weight as well as maintaining your weight. You should aim for exercising 5-6 times a week, half of these days being cardio/aerobic type of exercise, and half of them strength exercise. This way you will see results, achieve the best your body can, have fit and firm body, and most importantly feel good about yourself. Keep in mind though, that if you start now, it is okay to start with one day a week, then gradually increase it until you get to the 5-6 days a week. Don't rush, that will only put you off, and that's not the goal, am I right?

The best exercise is the one you enjoy and becomes your habit!

Princess Health and Mysteries of Energy Balance and Weight Loss. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Mysteries of Energy Balance and Weight Loss. Princessiccia

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Gusty 16:09 Add Comment

How to Lose Weight Effortlessly

You've probably seen this claim many times: a pound of fat contains 3,500 kilocalories (kcal). A slice of toast is 80 kcal. All you have to do is forego one slice of toast per day-- just a few percent of your total calorie intake-- and you will lose 8.3 lbs of fat per year. Fat loss is so easy!

This reasoning is extremely common both in the popular media and among researchers. Here's an example from the otherwise excellent book Mindless Eating, by researcher Brian Wansink:

...the difference between 1,900 and 2,000 calories is one we cannot detect, nor can we detect the difference between 2,000 and 2,100 calories. But over the course of a year, this mindless margin would either cause us to lose ten pounds or to gain ten pounds. It takes 3,500 extra calories to equal one pound. It doesn't matter if we eat these extra 3,500 calories in one week or gradually over the entire year. They'll add up to one pound.

This is the danger of creeping calories. Just 10 extra calories a day-- one stick of Doublemint gum or three small Jelly Belly jelly beans-- will make you a pound more portly one year from today. Only three Jelly Bellys a day.

According to this reasoning, if I reduced my calorie intake by 80 kcal per day, I'd become skeletal in two years and vanish in a puff of smoke within 10 years*. All from a meager 3 percent reduction in calorie intake!

What's wrong here?

Read more �

Princess Health and Deirdre: "The First New Year�s Resolution I Kept". Princessiccia

Princess Health and Deirdre: "The First New Year�s Resolution I Kept". Princessiccia

Gusty 15:52 Add Comment

My sister and I first attended Lily�s Zumba class in Jan 2012 as our new year�s resolution, I was dubious about going to a dance class with my Irish rhythm but once we got in the class we discovered it doesn�t matter if you are doing the steps right or not but once you attempt to follow Lily you will sweat ALOT. We had a good work out and we were smiling throughout � 2 things that I have never said about circuits/spinning!  That was 18 months ago, I attend Lily�s classes each week because I continue to see the benefits including toned muscles � both arms & legs due to Lily�s creative dance moves � more energy, distressing and an effective workout.

Lily�s enthusiasm is very motivating which makes me push myself that bit more.  I recommend Lily�s Zumba to anyone that wants to get a good workout and enjoy both the class and the results you will notice both physically and mentally. Be warned you may re-enact the dance moves you learn in your bedroom/kitchen/nightclub when you hear �one of the Zumba songs� - this however is not a bad thing ;)

Dee Power

Princess Health and NutriScience Seminar in Lisbon with Lindeberg, Fontes, and Bastos. Princessiccia

Princess Health and NutriScience Seminar in Lisbon with Lindeberg, Fontes, and Bastos. Princessiccia

Gusty 10:52 Add Comment

My friend Pedro Bastos has asked me to spread the word about a seminar he's organizing in Lisbon titled "Evidence and Evolution-based Nutrition".  It will include Staffan Lindeberg, Maelan Fontes, and Pedro Bastos-- three quality researchers in the area of evolutionary health-- I'm sure it will be interesting.  Here's the flier:

 

 

Princess Health and Dealing With Pain Naturally. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Dealing With Pain Naturally. Princessiccia

Gusty 11:11 Add Comment

"Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the most commonly abused prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, and Soma now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined." (source: healthimpactnews.com)

First things first: when you have a pain, ache in your body, the most important thing is to find out the reason. The pain itself is "only" a sign, it is similar to a red light in your car's dashboard, or another example would be the cry of a baby. When you see a red light in your car, you won't start breaking it just because you don't want to know about it, right? When your baby cries, you won't put earplugs in your years - do you agree? In both cases, you want to know what the reason is: what's wrong with the car, what's your baby's problem, what bothers him or her?

Now when you take a painkiller for your head ache, back pain, period pain etc, it is the same: you don't want to know what the reason is behind, you only make yourself deaf and blind. Is that really what you want? If yes, then don't read the rest of this post.

But if you'd rather deal with the pain naturally, then continue reading. So as I said, first of all, do everything possible to look for the reasons and deal with the root of the problem. Of course pain, ache is something we want to deal with straight away, so here are four natural remedies, which don't have side effects, therefore won't cause you even more troubles, neither they will make you addicted:

1. Turmeric (curcuma)

Turmeric is more than a spice and it is used widely to relieve inflammation throughout the body. More than that, it aids joint health, it supports the immune system, balances the health of your digestive system. You can buy organic turmeric and ground yourself then use it when preparing food, or you can look for organic turmeric supplements, without the use of fillers, binders and too many additives.

2. Ginger

Due its anti-inflammatory properties, ginger can relieve joint pain. It improves the absorption of essential nutrients in the body. Ginger also helps with tummy-cramps. You can get rid of throat and nose congestion with the help of ginger tea.

3. Krill Oil

Fatty acids in general are known for their anti-inflammatory benefits. There are studies showing its benefits in reducing PMS and krill oil can also be successful when coping with painful menstrual periods. If you visit any health shop, you'll find good quality krill oil supplements.

4. Water

Sounds too simple? Yes, it is simple, yet very effective for example when struggling with head ache. Head ache can be one of the signs of dehydration, and oddly enough you'll experience head ache sooner than thirst itself. Without enough water in our body, our joints don't have lubricating material, so you'll experience pain sooner or later. Drink plenty of clean, still water.

The final word here is that pain is just is sign. Never focus on relieving your pain only. Always go forward and find out what's behind your pain or ache.

Princess Health andFrosty Trail and Rock �n� Roll Arizona Marathon.Princessiccia

Princess Health andFrosty Trail and Rock �n� Roll Arizona Marathon.Princessiccia

Gusty 09:29 Add Comment

Time for the first results post of 2014!  First up, the team had a great performance at the Frosty Trail Race.

In the 6 hour, Vicki (aka VZ, aka V-Zizzle) had an amazing performance.  She put her consistent high-mileage training to work and ended up placing 4th overall, running over 40K in the snowy, soupy mess that the trails had become.
















Dave Rutherford, the Frosty Trail vet, had an outstanding performance in the 3 hour.  He tore through the snow on his way to place 2nd overall, and running well over 20K.









Will had an awesome 2014 debut as a Health and Performance athlete.  Despite a busy schedule filled with work and becoming a new dad, he still competed hard and ran a very respectable 14.1K through very tough trails. 















Jordan represented the team quite well in the 1-hour event.  He ripped up the trails, finishing in 2nd place overall, and more importantly, kept the dream alive by wearing shorts!
















A far cry from the snowy trails some of our athletes competed in this past weekend, we also had two athletes competing in the warmth of Arizona at the Rock 'n' Roll marathon.

Tracy had one of her best performances in years, running just under 3:34 for the marathon, comfortably qualifying her for the Boston Marathon!

Alain also had a great marathon, coming in with a final time of 3:05!

Princess Health and Public Talk at the University of Virginia on Friday, January 17. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Public Talk at the University of Virginia on Friday, January 17. Princessiccia

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Gusty 14:20 Add Comment

This Friday, I'll be giving an invited lecture at the University of Virginia, my undergraduate alma mater.  I was kindly invited by a medical student named Robert Abbott, and it worked out well because I was already traveling to Charlottesville.

The talk will be titled "Why Do We Overeat?  A Neurobiological Perspective".  Here's the teaser:

Obesity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations, yet this is a relatively recent phenomenon.  In the United States, increasing obesity prevalence has paralleled a gradual increase of daily energy intake.  Why do most Americans eat more than we used to, and more than we need to maintain a lean state, despite negative consequences?  This presentation will touch on the neurobiology of action selection, the neurobiology of energy homeostasis, and why our central nervous system hardware may not be up to the task of constructively navigating the modern food environment.

The talk will be attended by medical students, but I also hope to have some doctors and researchers show up, as well as people from the broader Charlottesville community.  It will be a thought-provoking talk regardless of your background, and it will touch on some of my own work.

The talk will be held in the main medical school auditorium, MEB 3110, on Friday, January 17 at noon.  You can find driving directions and parking information by following this link.  You'll probably have to park in a parking garage, either the Lee Street or Central Grounds garage (directions in the link).

For a map of the UVA health system, follow this link.  The Medical Education Building is number 44 on the map, and the talk will be in room MEB 3110 on the 3rd floor of the building.

See you there!