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I get a lot of questions from clients at RC Fitness in Houston, TX, about the benefits of eating organic. It does cost more to buy organic food and the first question is always whether it’s that much healthier to justify the cost. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that when it comes to fresh produce, you don’t have to buy everything organic. However, the bad news is that most of the produce and other foods you buy will actually cost more and there’s a reason. The first is that it costs more to grow. There are also costs in getting certified as organic, fewer subsidies, no chemical intervention to speed growth and additional costs of getting the produce to market.

You can be assured that animal products labeled organic don’t contain hormones.

If you use animal products that were raised organically, the animals are allowed to graze and eat as they did before factory farms. They aren’t given growth hormones or antibiotics and are allowed the freedom of roaming. If they require supplemental food, it must be organic and not have any synthetic additives. All those things are important, not just because of the potential harm from antibiotics and hormones, but also because there are health benefits from free-range and grass-fed animal products. Those products contain higher amounts of healthy nutrients. For instance, the milk from grass-fed cows contain a higher amount of omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, making it heart healthy.

What does that organic label really mean?

While it’s easy to understand what organically raised produce and animal products are, what about those boxes of cereal on the shelf or that bread? If you grow organic food, your land has to be free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizer for three years before harvest. No GMOs are allowed. There can be no artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors used to create the product.

Save money with the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen list from the EWG—Environmental Working Group.

Every year the EWG tests thousands of samples of non-organic produce across the nation to check for signs of pesticides, which remain even after washing and sometimes peeling. That means the more you eat them, the more pesticide you ingest, unless you opt for organic. They create two lists. The Dirty Dozen is the top twelve foods that are high in pesticides even after washing. The Clean 15 are those fruits and vegetables that are the lowest. To save money, you can buy non-organic produce on the Clean 15 list and stick strictly to organic for the produce on the Dirty Dozen list.

• Pesticides from eating non-organic fruits and vegetables build up in the body and increase the risk of cancer, hormone disruption, brain disorders and nervous system disorders. It can lower the potential for a successful pregnancy by 26%
• Save money with the Clean 15 options onions, avocado, sweet corn, cabbage, pineapple, papaya, asparagus, eggplant, honeydew, cantaloupe, kiwis, frozen sweet peas, onions, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower
• Stick with organic when using fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen plus list. They include strawberries, spinach, apples, kale, nectarines, peaches, grapes, pears, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cherries and hot peppers as the plus for 2020.
• Hot peppers were added to the list as they were found to contain neurotoxic chemicals that were hazardous when eaten frequently, particularly by children. If they’re cooked, the pesticide levels are reduced.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

People often wonder why I focus on helping you find your motivation to stay healthy and get fit. Getting fit isn’t like doing a term paper or doing last year’s taxes. You have to focus on it every day, not just one time or once a year. It involves more than just working out for a half hour a day or even an hour a day. It means you have to identify problems with your diet and learn to eat healthier, establish a program of regular exercise and learn to create new healthier habits, like drinking enough water or getting enough sleep.

You need to keep your motivation in front of you until healthy changes become a habit.

For the first few months, especially the first few weeks, you’ll be making changes that you didn’t know you needed to make. Maybe you just realized how many snacks you eat mindlessly, grabbing a handful of candy as you pass a coworkers desk or those fries you snitched from your partner’s plate. Finding time to workout is hard, especially in today’s busy world, so scheduling your workout at the same time every day can add to your motivation to do it.

There are times you simply don’t feel like working out.

A lot of things can affect your desire to get healthier and fit. A rainy day can be a low energy day and you just want to curl up on the couch and binge watch TV. Maybe you’ve had a bad day or a frustrating one and a big bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips could help you make it through the drama. That’s the very time you need that motivation, whether it’s living healthier, looking better or just feeling good again. Write down your motivation on sticky notes. Put it as a screen saver on your phone. Do what it takes so when you need it, it’s there for you to see.

Is your desire to look better what drives you? Use it.

I don’t care who you are, it’s tough to look at photos that reveal any flaws or extra weight, but it’s exactly what you should do for motivation, if that’s what drives you. Take a full body selfie in just a sports bra or other revealing style top and form fitting workout pants or shorts in the mirror. Note the spot you stood and every month, at the same time of day, take another selfie wearing the same clothing. Just knowing you’re going to have to show progress will keep you going, but so will keeping that picture and looking at it frequently. It’s super motivating, even before you see results and especially afterward.

• If your health is a motivator, focus on the progress you make physically, not just in inches or pounds lost. If you couldn’t do two flights of steps a month ago and now it’s a breeze, write down that progress and congratulate yourself.
• Find ways to make your life more active. Carry a healthy lunch and walk to the park to eat it. If you’re at home, do a plank while you’re watching TV.
• Getting fit can mean getting more done. If you exercise every other day, on your off days, do something active. It can be something you’ve meant to do, like moving that couch and rearranging the living room. Do it with vigor and make it your workout.
• Is your motivation to have more energy and good health to be a good mom or dad? Don’t wait to get fitter. Use that motivation to play with the kids and get active. Shoot some hoops, go for a bike ride with them or mimic animals walking.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

What are hormones? Immediately, you probably think of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, but there are far more types. Hormones are the body’s messengers. They bring the messages that start the chemical processes. That puts them in charge of everything from growth rate and mood to how your immune system functions. Your hormones affect weight loss and fat storage, too. Not only does that include sexual differences on the storage of fat, but also the storage of fat in the abdomen, belly fat.

Every cell in the body is affected by hormones.

Hormones do more than just bring messages to the cells. They can affect your overall health. Whether it’s weight gain or feeling sick, it could be caused by hormones. The production of insulin, which is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the blood, is also controlled by hormones and its secretion. Sex hormones, determine where fat is distributed. In the case of sex hormones, stimulates fat

placement on the hips and bottom, while inhibiting belly fat.

It’s not one specific hormone, but the balance of hormones.

There is a give and take of hormones. If you have higher levels of insulin, you’ll have lower levels of glucagon. These two hormones do opposite jobs. When the amount of insulin rises, glucagon go down. Higher insulin levels not only regulate sugar, they increase fat storage in the abdominal area. If you have a higher level of glucagon, your body tends to burn the fat.

Even if your weight is from hormonal imbalances, you still have some control.

You do have some control over the secretion of each. The more sugar and white refined flour you eat, the higher the insulin levels. The more protein you eat, the higher the glucagon levels. However, those aren’t the only hormones that affect belly fat. Cortisol, a hormone create when you’re under stress, also contributes to belly fat by increasing insulin. Instead of grabbing a Danish, opt for unsweetened yogurt and fruit. Simply eat more protein and avoid the pastries and white bread. Burn off that cortisol with exercise to lower your insulin levels and include more healthy fat in your diet with nuts, avocados and fatty fish. Healthy fat supports hormonal health.

• Another way to help control your hormones is to get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep causes the body to overproduce ghrelin—the hunger hormone and under produce leptin—the one that makes you feel full.
• Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. It helps lubricate the digestive system, joints and skin. It boosts your metabolism. Dehydration can occur because of hormonal imbalance, and dehydration can affect weight gain by boosting cortisol levels.
• Increase your metabolism by drinking green tea. It contains L-theanine, an amino acid that makes you feel calmer and reduces the level of cortisol in your body.
• Increase your oxytocin, the happy hormone and reduce your cortisol levels by taking time to appreciate everything around you. Give your family a hug. It’s good for the waistline.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

I have clients all over the world, many are from Houston, TX, and other towns near me. Most of my clients want that toned, lean look that’s so sexy. Most people are historically predisposed to hunting for a mate that looks healthy. It’s part of the evolutionary past that might have occurred because a healthier-looking person was more likely to provide healthy off springs. While trends for what is considered attractive change, one thing is certain, working out with small weights can help you get the healthy, curvy look that’s so popular now. Not only does it make you more attractive, it also makes you stay healthier.

Using lighter weights is great for HIIT—high intensity interval training—workouts that burn calories.

Some people believe that heavier weights will help you build muscle faster, but there are benefits to using lighter weights. You can modify your moves to work your muscles on all planes and do more repetitions. In fact, lightweight workouts are great for HIIT workouts, where you work at top intensity for a short time to get your heart rate at peak performance and then lower the intensity for an equal or longer period for recovery, volleying between the two throughout the workout. It burns tons of calories and continues even after the workout ends. Cutting back on the rest time between sets and reps can also build muscle faster as it burns fat.

You can do combination moves with lighter weights.

If you’ve ever tried to do a squat while you had weights in your hands, you know that lighter weights are important. It’s pretty tough to do shoulder press as you squat down if the weights are too heavy. Trying to do that, with weights are too heavy, can cause your form to suffer and having the proper form is the most important part of any exercise, followed by actually doing it. Using lighter weights lets you work your upper body as you do lower body exercises, getting a full body workout at one time.

People who want a toned look benefit from lighter weights.

Studies show that people who use lighter weights can build just as much muscle as those who use heavier weights. You can get just as much benefit, but have to sue them differently. They’re just another versatile tool that can help you get fit. Lighter weights are probably more versatile for the average person, since you can add them to more exercises.

• What constitutes a lighter weight? It all depends on you. If a five pound weight is easy for you to lift, it’s a light weight. If a twenty pound one is well within your range to lift easily, it’s a lighter weight.
• You’ll be able to learn a movement easier and have good form if you’re not struggling to lift a weight. That’s why lighter weights are good for the beginner. Once your form is perfected, you can add more weight.
• Part of learning form is learning proper breathing. That’s more easily done when you use lighter weights. Taking deep breaths, through the belly and not the chest, helps you exercise longer when you use lighter weights.
• You need to lift until you are fatigued and feel like you could do just one more move, but nothing beyond that. Don’t workout until you are completely fatigued. Don’t wait until your form suffers.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness!

Whether you live in Houston, TX, or any other part of the country, stress is real. Sometimes, just turning on the TV and listening to the news can cause stress. Instead of watching TV, you’re better off exercising. You’ll feel great in a short time. Sometimes, just running up and down stairs can make you feel great. That’s because exercise relieves stress. While it can be addictive, it’s a great addiction and the only side effect is a fabulous buff body and loads of energy.

When you workout, your body reverses the changes of stress.

When you’re under stress, your brain creates hormones to prepare your body for running or fighting. It’s called the fight or flight response. Stress during the times of early man came from being attacked or seeing enemies or predators. When confronted, the brain created hormones to help man do one or both of those. The hormones caused the body to send more blood to extremities for running and fighting, dilate the eyes to see better, and increase the heart rate and blood pressure. All these changes diverted blood from other areas that weren’t necessary for either running or fighting, like the stomach. It explains why you often feel sick to your stomach and may even tremble.

What stressed cavemen is different than your stressors.

Times change and so do things that cause stress. While early man may have been stressed by a saber tooth tiger, angry customers, traffic jams and running late are the stressors of today. Even crowds can be stressful. In most cases, running or fighting isn’t appropriate. Sometimes, things perceived as dangerous aren’t even real, like waking up from a nightmare or watching a scary movie. Your brain doesn’t differentiate between the real or perceived danger. It simply sends out stress hormones that make the changes.

Just get moving, since exercise not only burns off hormones, it has other benefits that help you.

All types of exercise, whether its running, doing calisthenics, pressing weights or simply pacing the floor help burn off stress hormones. Even better, the brain creates happy hormones that make you feel good to replace the stress hormones. The activity simulates the movements you’d make during fight or flight, tricking your body and brain into relaxation. Exercise also increases circulation, as it sends nutrients and oxygen laden blood throughout the body. It allows you to relax by relieving muscle tension. It helps to bring you to a relaxed state, with muscle tightness gone and a wider range of motion.

• Healthy eating can also help prevent stress. Try going sugar free for a while. It can level out your blood sugar so you don’t have a sugar high that makes you on edge or the ultimate sugar crash where you get cranky.
• If you have a serious problem that just has to play out and you have no control, exercise can help you take your mind off it. While you can’t control everything in your life, it helps you control your thoughts, at least for a while.
• Psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists now include exercise as a complementary treatment in conjunction with medication for anxiety, depression and stress. Studies show it is sometimes all that is needed to treat these symptoms and as good for some patients as medication.
• If you’re emotionally out of sorts, it may be the result of an imbalance of beneficial gut bacteria. Studies show the digestive microbes play a role in your emotions and exercise can boost the growth of beneficial bacteria.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness