The other day I was thinking about my personal, compelling WHY. You know, the REAL reason why I take my healthy living journey seriously. You do that too, right?
Wait, what?!?
I decided to let the famous Team Quadzilla closet door whiteboard illustrate something about all of our future selves that might be interesting to you. If not, then maybe you can make fun of my redneck whiteboard, my unpolished presentation, or my frumpy sweatpants. Catch the 4 minute ordeal HERE.
We spend about 1/3 of our life asleep. So why are many of us still so tired?
People are more exhausted today than ever before. Our exhaustion has spawned an entire field of science to study sleep. Believe it or not, you can even hire a sleep coach! Sleep is now a $7 Billion a year industry.
I’m no sleep coach for hire, but I’ve done some research and learned a few things from my own experience that help me to sleep well. Not surprisingly, I learned that we are our own worst enemy when it comes to sleeping well. We are actually doing it all wrong. That’s funny. We can’t even sleep right! Maybe some of the following sleep tips can help you get that elusive restful sleep you desire. Because we should all be good at sleeping!
Pillow(s) – First of all, how old is your pillow? If it is more than a couple years old, you really should replace it. Old pillows are disgusting. I won’t tell you which pillow to buy, but you should get one to match your natural sleep position.
Mattress – Remember, you spend 1/3 of your life on the mattress so you should be comfortable. Good mattresses can be expensive, but they are a worthwhile investment. Plan for a new mattress every 7-10 years despite what the manufacturer says about their durability.
Pajamas – There is some interesting research on this one. Science says that your body goes thru some amazing regenerative processes in sleep. To optimize your comfort, Choose pajama fabrics carefully. For a female perspective, here’s how to know if your bedtime clothing choices are truly helping your body or actually causing one big nightmare. The bottom line is ultimately your personal comfort. Wear whatever makes you feel the most relaxed. If you have trouble sleeping, changing what you normally wear might help.
Keep it cool –Room temperature is an important factor. Various sources suggest keeping the temp between 60-67°F at night to optimize sleep. So save some money on your winter utility bill and turn down the heat overnight.
Darker the better – Your bedroom needs to be dark to optimize sleep. Use blackout shades, dark curtains, blinds, etc. as necessary to ensure your room stays dark while you sleep.
Eyes off the screen – Want to really sabotage your sleep? Keep right on with the TV watching and trolling social media on your electronic devices right before bed. The blue light messes up your sleep sensors. So shut it down 30-60 minutes before bed. Pick up a real book instead. Maybe use this time to talk with your spouse. Don’t get into heavy topics though. Keep it light.
Snack Time – This was a big one for me since I have acid reflux issues. Laying horizontal with a full belly is recipe for lousy sleep. While some argue late night snacks lead to weight gain, it is not always true. It depends what you eat, portion size, etc. For me, cutting off eating & drinking anything about 3 hours before bed works well. So if you have stomach issues at night, or you are trying anything to improve sleep, give this tip a try.
Add some noise – If you find yourself being awakened in the night by outside noises (ugh, blasted train!), I recommend enlisting the help of a fan or some other white noise maker that can run all night. There are even free phone apps with a variety of sounds to suit you. I use the app when I travel, otherwise we have a fan at home that MUST be on to drown out the train.
Exercise – A good workout can help you get great sleep. Your body craves the work and rewards you with good sleep. So get your sweat on for 30 mins a day to improve your fitness and help you sleep.
Stay on schedule – Our bodies love routine. Much like young children, adults function best when there is some routine. So get to bed at the same time every night to optimize your sleep quality. Of course that means you should get up at the same time every day as well. Yep, that includes weekends.
So there you have it. My ten tips to help you sleep better. Surely there are many other tips to great sleep, so comment below to share what works for you.
I love trees. I’m not a card carrying tree hugger per se, but I do appreciate trees very much. They are beautiful, strong, flexible, and resilient. Their roots hold the ground together. They provide shelter from the weather and homes for birds and critters. They make the air we breathe. They are worthy of respect.
The trees at Hocking Hills State Park spoke to me this week. My family went hiking there for our little spring break vacation. We saw some of the most amazing terrain and some really cool trees.
This tree reminded me of resilience. Clinging to the edge of the cliff with roots that grip like nothing else, this tree is thriving in it’s precarious position. Many years ago this tree started to grow right here. It did not choose this place, nor could it move away from it. Instead, it made the best of the circumstance and dug its powerful roots into the rock to never let go. Now it is tall and proud and reaches to the sky. Was it disadvantaged? Yes. But it is more resilient than disadvantaged. This tree is telling us to be resilient.
This giant tree stopped me in my tracks. I nearly fell over backward as I craned my head back to see the top of it. It is so big at the trunk, it would take two of me to wrap my arms around it. With roots anchored deep into the ground, this guy reaches high to the sky before branching out to catch the sun. It needs to reach very high because the canopy of smaller trees around it takes all the life giving sun. It doesn’t stop growing because the other trees are doing the same thing. We can learn from this tree too. This tree tells us to never stop growing. Reach higher. Build a strong base to support the growth necessary to go higher.
Listen to the trees. Trees are cool.
I had the pleasure of interviewing my mom about her Shakeology story. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/ptsQC_r1ieU
Ready to try Shakeology? Connect with me to order today, or click here.
From The Team Beachbody Blog
How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I want to lose weight, so I’m going to start taking these fat-burning pills!” Or “I want to lose weight, so I’m going to cut carbs completely out of my diet!”
Google “weight-loss tips” and you’ll get around 38 million results. While it’s tempting to think that there’s a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution, there’s so much (mis)information out there that it’s difficult to know what works — and what’s a waste of your precious time and money.
Read on to find out what weight-loss tips are myths and which ones are not.
Fact: Studies show that low-carbohydrate eating plans like the trendy ketogenic diet can help people lose weight in the short-term, but there’s no strong evidence of the long-term effectiveness or practicality of low-carb eating for weight loss.
“If you abruptly cut out carbohydrates (or any source of calories) from your diet, thereby reducing your total calorie intake, you very well may lose weight in the short term,” says Andy De Santis, RD, a dietitian based in Toronto, Canada.
“This has nothing to do with the carbohydrates themselves. In fact, it’s quite likely the sources of carbohydrates that people are cutting out are items like chips and baked goods, which actually contribute more calories from fat than from carbohydrates, ” he explains.
Another trendy choice: gluten-free diets. While people with celiac disease and gluten intolerances have reason to avoid foods with gluten, there’s no evidence that doing so is helpful for those who don’t.
“People who follow a gluten-free diet for weight-loss purposes may start eating the variety of gluten-free products lining supermarket shelves, which are often full of more sugar and fat to help mimic the flavor and texture of products containing gluten and can even have more calories,” says Amer.
To lose weight — and keep it off — it’s important to eat meals that have a healthy balance of carbs (40 percent), protein (30 percent), and fat (30 percent) in the proper amounts. If counting calories aren’t your thing, then using portion containers can take the guesswork (and math) out of the process.
Fact: You might lose weight going on an all-juice detox, but you’ll quickly gain it back when you start eating again — and you’ll be missing out on important nutrients like protein, fat, and fiber.
“Juice doesn’t contain all of the nutrients you need to thrive,” says Chelsey Amer, M.S., R.D.N., a dietitian based in New York City. “Vegetable and fruit juices have the fiber stripped out and instead contain just sugar, vitamins, and minerals. I would much rather you eat fruits and vegetables in their whole form because they contain fiber, which helps keep you full and because we are more satisfied when we chew real food.”
A cleanse, however, like 3-Day Refresh or Ultimate Reset, focuses on filling, nutrient-rich foods that help you jumpstart a healthy eating plan. Losing weight is a nice bonus when you’re on a cleanse, but it’s not the ultimate goal; it’s the final result — establishing healthy eating habits — that will lead to lasting weight loss.
Fact: It’s tempting to try to change everything all at once when we think about where we ideally want to be. But you don’t have to do everything at the same time or even make radical changes.
“Don’t become wrapped up in the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ things you have been told about health,” says Lori D’Alessandro, a certified personal trainer based in Fairfax, Va.
Instead, she advises adopting a few easy things — like upping your daily activity and recording your daily food intake, to start. Eventually, those small changes will add up to bigger results — and long-term weight loss that’s sustainable.
In a behavioral study by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, researchers found that people who lost the most weight were those who made small, consistent changes to the way they ate.
Fact: Weight loss is not a linear process. You might even find that you’re gaining weight after starting a workout program, so the number on the scale isn’t necessarily an accurate reflection of the hard work that you’re doing.
When you work out, you’re making small “tears” in your muscle fibers; as your body repairs and rebuilds those tears, it retains fluid (temporarily) as part of the process, so what you see on the scale is most likely water weight.
A plateau can also mess with the number on your scale. These plateaus usually mean that you’re not paying close enough to your nutrition, your workout plan isn’t challenging you anymore, or you’re not adhering to the plan like you should. Figure out the source of the problem and you’ll be back on the weight-loss train.
Your weight can fluctuate from hour to hour, based on how much fluid, food, and sodium you’re taking in during the day. A scale can’t tell you the difference between actual weight (fat, muscle, etc.) and temporary weight (food and drink).
“Your weight can vary up or down by as many as 15 pounds based on your level of hydration and salt intake,” says Robert Huizenga, M.D., an internist and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCLA.
That said, don’t toss your bathroom scale out the window. A two-year study conducted by Cornell University shows that frequent weigh-ins can help you stay on track by keeping you aware of your progress and reinforcing your positive choices. So, go ahead and weigh yourself, but just know that the number you see isn’t the “final word” on how you’re doing.
Fact: Your body processes calories differently depending on the food source, so all calories are not equal. It’s not enough to hit your daily calorie count; you need to make sure you’re eating quality calories.
“Different foods go through different metabolic pathways and have vastly different effects on hunger, metabolism, and the hormones that regulate body weight,” says Meghan Kennihan, a NASM-certified personal trainer. “For example, swapping [simple] carbohydrates with protein can boost metabolism, reduce appetite and cravings, and optimize the function of some weight-related hormones.”
But you won’t turn into a calorie-burning machine just by packing your diet with protein. By adding more protein and weight training to your overall fitness plan, you’ll be building muscle mass, which in turn will elevate your metabolism.
So, let’s say your daily calorie target is in the 1,200-1,500 range. If you’re hitting that target, but with foods full of refined sugars, flour, and fat, it’s probably not going to be as effective as an eating plan in the same calorie range packed with high-quality, nutrient-dense foods in the proper proportions. Think quantity and quality.
Fact: Eat too many calories and over time, your body will convert that excess energy to fat. Eat fewer calories and your body will lose fat. But eat too few for a longer period of time and your weight-loss progress will hit the brakes.
This seems counterintuitive, but long-term under-eating may cause your hormones to freak out: They tell your body to eat more food and slow your metabolism to conserve fat since it doesn’t know when you’ll stop under-eating.
Instead of always limiting calories, find a day or two of the week to eat more to help your hormones get back in line.
Fact: Studies show this may have some truth, but it’s not as cut-and-dried as some people claim. A couple of recent studies — one only tested on lab mice and the other on a very small group of people — found that nighttime eating could lead to fat gain.
That doesn’t mean you should starve yourself if you work out at night or haven’t had time to eat all day — just don’t go gorging on a high-calorie, high-fat meal.
A light snack of protein and complex carbs or Beachbody Performance Recharge can help your body jumpstart recovery after a late-night workout. It will also help you feel satisfied so you don’t wake up to a growling stomach in the middle of the night.
Fact: Steady-state cardio isn’t the most effective strategy for sustained weight loss. You may see pounds drop off initially, but over time (and relatively quickly) your progress will likely stall. The reason is two-fold. First, it’s highly repetitive (think: running the same route at the same pace every time), so your body adapts to it quickly. As adaptation slows, so too will weight loss, resulting in a plateau.
Second, it’s low intensity and it targets your slow twitch muscle fibers. To kick your weight loss into high gear, you have to target your fast twitch fibers—which are larger and have more growth potential—with activities like weightlifting or (even better) high intensity interval training (HIIT).
HIIT not only burns tons of calories while you work out, but also ramps up your metabolism for up to 72 hours afterward as you body repairs the (very normal and natural) micro trauma caused by your workout and adds muscle tissue so you can better handle your next one. Bottom line: Muscle repair and growth requires a sustained increase in energy expenditure, and those processes are triggered to a greater degree with high intensity workouts (like HIIT and weightlifting) than low intensity ones (like running).
Fact: Nope! This is definitely one myth that needs to die. Repeat after us: You cannot spot reduce.
“It’s not possible to burn fat at a specific area,” says Behrendt. The only surefire way to reduce fat in one area of your body is to lower your overall body fat with a balanced diet and exercise program.
If you want to reveal your rock-hard guns and sculpted abs to the world, you’ll have to drop the fat that’s covering them up. Try adding more protein, fiber and healthy fats to your diet and ditch the simple carbs and liquor.
Fact: The idea that weight loss success hinges solely on willpower (i.e., the ability to resist unhealthy impulses, like eating too many cookies or not exercising because you’re just not in the mood) is flawed. Research shows that relying on willpower alone to lose weight only works in the short-term.
There are many factors that influence weight, including hormones, stress, and genetics. Weight gain and loss is complex, so don’t beat yourself up over a “lack” of willpower — or over biological and environmental factors you can’t necessarily control.
Instead of thinking of willpower as a superpower, and worrying about whether you have it or not, do as much as you can to make it a non-issue. Keep healthy snacks on the kitchen counter where they’ll be more easily accessible than, say, the cookies in the cupboard.
Place your running shoes next to your bed to make slipping into them convenient — and to give yourself one less excuse to stay under the covers when your alarm goes off. Ditch that gym membership you never use and join Beachbody On Demand, where you can stream hundreds of workouts at home. In short, have game plans to avoid temptations and triumph in circumstances that typically challenge your self-control.
Fact: While eating too much of anything, even healthy foods, can thwart your weight-loss efforts, eating a few pieces of fruit each day as part of a healthy, balanced diet will not cause weight gain, Amer says.
“Fruit does contain natural sugar, but it also contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are excellent for your health, so please do not completely eliminate fruit from your diet,” she advises. The fiber in fruit will also slow the absorption of the sugars.
What you really need to watch out for is sneaky sugars in foods like salad dressings, pasta sauce, granola, and ketchup.
Fact: Eating breakfast isn’t a guaranteed weight-loss tool. After all, if you’re rolling out of bed and eating a fat stack of pancakes covered in syrup with a side of bacon and a muffin covered in butter, the only thing you’ll be guaranteed is weight gain.
A 2014 study even found that there was no notable effect on weight loss in subjects who ate breakfast versus subjects who skipped breakfast. But the subjects weren’t told what to eat, so if you’re eating a breakfast that’s heavy on sugar or comes from a package, then no, it’s not going to help you lose weight.
That said, breakfast can be an important part of your weight-loss strategy — if you do it right. The key is that your breakfast lives up to the “most important meal of the day” title: Make sure it’s a healthy, balanced meal with a mix of protein, carbs, and fat.
Eating breakfast can also set the tone for the day and can help you establish healthy eating habits, which will give you an edge in the long run for losing weight and keeping it off.
Fact: Foods labeled as “low fat” or “diet” or “gluten-free” can actually make people gain weight.
The reason? People see “sugar free” or “diet” and think, “hey, there’s no X in this so I can eat the whole bag/drink the whole jug!” Plus, once something is removed from a processed food, other not-so-great-for you ingredients are added in to replace them to make them palatable.
You’re better off sticking with whole foods and staying away from processed “diet” foods that have a long list of unpronounceable additives.
There’s a lot of conflicting noise out there about diets and weight loss, and it’s tempting to latch on to the latest trend in the hopes that it will be the new “magic bullet.”
But your best bet is to stick with what has proven results: Getting your nutrition and exercise on track, getting enough sleep, and staying on top of the latest science-backed information about nutrition and fitness.
– Meagan Morris
Team Quadzilla 