Tag: Fitness

Posted on in Fitness, Food, fueling activity

Why take BCAA’s ?

BCAA stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids. Amino Acids are molecules that combine to form proteins.

Branched Chain Amino Acids are three specific amino acids that benefit the body in a great way regarding health and fitness. These three are Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. These three stimulate the building of protein in muscle.

Amino acids are the building blocks of ALL LIFE.

What does that actually mean? It means, when your body has to use, make, end hormonal processes…it is done by using a host of different proteins which are amino acids and enzymes!. It means, that our immune system uses proteins as fuel. So many that I can not even possibly list them all here.

Many years ago, I read about a study that said those who eat 30-40 grams of protein at breakfast and again at lunch had on average 50% more protein synthesis throughout their entire day!

I realized this is why my good days were so good! I was eating my share of protein early on in the day.

Dr. Stacy Sims is a researcher of women athletes and their specific physiology. I’ve read her book “Roar” and I’ve also taken her menopause course. I’ve learned that these protein requirements are even more important for women than they are for men.

When our female bodies go through the life changes, we need to “already” have lots of circulating proteins in our body.

To endure a virus that attacks us, we need to already have lots of proteins in our body for our immune system to work effeciently.

Women’s bodies work different than a male’s body. They lose weight easier, they tend to eat more junk food without gaining weight easier…we women simply need to be informed and ahead of the game.

I like to focus on no less than 30 grams of protien from wake up to noon. Then I focus on 30 more grams before 3-4 pm. Then more in the evening.

I also supplement with a BCAA drink in the morning, preferrably on an empty stomach so that those proteins can get to work!

I also use BCAA as a drink right after a vigorous training or high activity. This might be a mountain bike trail ride or it might be spring cleaning!

Dr. Stacy Sims recommends BCAA for two reasons…

1. It will help counter some of the central nervous system fatigue and clear some of the brain fog.

2. It also keeps some of the amino acids circulating and a high level in the blood to work with the other food you’re eating to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

She is also quoted as saying “The thing that people forget is that (BCAA) Leucine crosses the blood brain barrier and helps our central nervous system fatigue and one of the biggest things we have in peri and post menopause is brain fog.”

If you’re ready to start adding protein to your life (there are hundreds more reasons to do so than what I’ve discussed here) CHECK OUT my recommendations page! You’ll find the exact products I use!

Posted on in Fitness, Food

I AM FREE of all addictive substances!

I’m FREE of all addictive substances!  NO MORE DIET PEPSI!

I have A LOT to share about this journey and how I STOPPED MY MIGRAINES but the short of it is this…

Last fall I tried a drink to help a friend out.  I liked it.  But I was just helping a friend out by trying some.   

WHOA, later after it was gone I realized I kept wanting more…so ODD!  

Several clients kept asking about collagen so I decided to get on the wagon and research it.

Wow, lot’s of cool benefits to collagen.  But, I kept desiring more.  SOOO, I ordered more.

What I noticed this time was that I didn’t care that I wasn’t downing my Diet Pepsi!  It’s as if it just didn’t matter.

So, I got inspired.  I’M GOING TO QUIT DIET PEPSI! 

I set my date for Valentine’s Day!  2/14/2023

I prepared my mind.  I prepared my soul.  You have to realize I’ve drank this since I was 16.  

I set myself up with lot’s of my new drink and here we are!  THREE MONTHS DOWN!

I wanted to complete three months because I started getting MIGRAINES more often!

If you want to hear how I stopped my migraines, keep reading.

Otherwise, I have samples now of this new favorite drink of mine that keeps my body filled with ALL THE GOODNESS it needs!

COMMENT ME in the comments and I’ll send you the details!

MIGRAINES…for over 20 years I’ve always gotten a migraine just before my period would start.  No big deal, most of the time it was just a headache but every three months or so it was BAD!  In bed, lights out, no moving.

But I could handle it a few times a year.  Then I passed menopause last year and the migraines had become more monthly but 24 hours and it was doable.  I had accepted that for whatever reason the hormones made it happen.

Then I quit DP (Diet Pepsi) and all of a sudden it seemed the migraines were coming every two weeks, then a couple times a week!  

I was very worried.  Something else was going on.  Some people said “just drink your pop”.  I said NO I’m giving it three months!

I thought that I possibly had a mineral imbalance.  I started researching that.  I also knew for a fact that histamine was playing a role.

One night it became very obvious that this was a NERVOUS SYSTEM issue.

I said to myself “I know that if I allow myself to be open the answers will come” and WALLAH there it was!

I searched up histamine and migraine and the first thing that popped up was an enzyme that metabolizes histamine in the brain.  You can be born without it or acquire it’s absence throughout your life.

HNMT and DAO metabolize histamine in the body.  HNMT specifically in the brain. 

Using methyl donors it takes care of histamine.  But I did a silly thing.

For 20 years I’ve taken my CellSential vitamin/mineral supplement.  I’ve only thought of stopping it twice in my life and both times it took 30 days before I knew I had to keep them.

Last holiday I really thought I was ok not taking them for a while since I wanted to work on some other things.

Well guess what’s in a GREAT cellular nutritional supplement???

You guessed it, methyl donors.  Those silly long names on the vitamin list that we never really know what they’re for…this is one example.

So, if I was born without or happened to lose my HNMT, I now didn’t have a buildup of methyl donors in my system either!  

The trick I’ve been able to use every time and I’ve not had one migraine in about a month now, is diphenhydramine.   Yep, Benadryl.  IT WORKS!  I’ve already started building my system back up with my cellular nutrition and I’m still taking lots of my favorite energy drink for all my other needs.  Soon I won’t have to use Benadryl because I’ll have all the methyl donors I need in my body!

WOW!!  But I FEEL GREAT!  

Posted on in Fitness

TOES and Quality of LIFE

Splayed TOES

Toes are so neglected!

If we didn’t need toes, why would we have them?

All my life I’ve just accepted that the toes are what they end up being. As if we have no choice in their future. They just are what they are.

But our TOES can help us have a better quality of life as we get older!

It’s been proven that using our toes as they were meant to be used can greatly reduce or removes knee pain, hip pain and even shoulder pain!

My journey of strengthening my toes and my entire foot has helped me work through my hip and knee pain when walking and jogging for exercise as well as standing!

Your toes were meant to push off the ground and yet I was barely using my toes at all. I also had them squished into sport shoes that were keeping the toes squished together as if they were one big toe! I’ve worn Brooks, Reebok, Nike and even though they were all wide shoes, they still had my upper foot squished. The problem is that I THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL! I thought that was how it was supposed to be in order to be supported.

NO! You should be able to spread your toes apart much like spreading your fingers apart “inside” your shoes with comfort!

I bought my first pair of wide toe box shoes and wondered how on earth I would make do with so much room in the toe. It was very uncomfortable. But after about three months, I couldn’t believe the change! No I have barely as much room because my toes splay so regularly!

Everything about my walking gait, running gait and standing posture has gotten nearly 100% better now that I’ve trained my feet to be healthier!

Do you train your toes? Can you splay your toes well?

My favorite shoes are from ALTRA. They have several different foot shaped shoes with different cushioning levels! I also use Toe Separators from Correct Toes! Best money I’ve spent!

Posted on in Fitness

Why do I love winter this year?

I have no immediate answer! I don’t hate winter but for the past five years at least, I’ve really struggled with being cold!

Then late last year I came across low heart rate training and before I knew it, I was getting an average of 300 minutes a week!

I feel so good after each session that I continue to look forward to the next one.

There’s something about feeling so good after a workout with zero soreness yet you know you’re to toning up, getting stronger and losing inches without a struggle!

I’ve been riding my cycle on a trainer indoors and getting out to hike regularly at local parks. This is the most I’ve exercised in winter time ever!

I think it’s important first, to know you need the movement and then second to find something that you thoroughly enjoy! Then get at it and keep your heart rate aerobic and go long!