Sleep! Are you getting enough?

sleep

Not Getting Enough High-Quality Sleep can Lower Metabolism!I thought it might be timely to write about sleep in the wake of daylight savings throwing some of our bodies into turmoil. Anyone that knows me well knows that I am an extremely early riser that loves early training sessions, however I still struggle with the transition to daylight savings and adjusting the body clock.Sleep is important for many reasons which include good health and longevity. Not enough sleep can increase our risk factors for many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease…

Coffee: Are you a Caffeind?

coffee

Are you a Caffeind?Here are 8 health benefits of coffee that are backed by science.1. Coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet. Caffeine is not the only compound that makes up coffee. The antioxidants in coffee protect us from oxidation. Oxidation is thought to be one of the main mechanisms around aging and common diseases like cancer and heart disease. For people eating the standard western diet coffee may actually be one of the healthiest aspects of their eating habits.2. Coffee can improve energy levels and…

Metabolism and Nutrition – Part 2

metabolism

In last week’s blog we looked at the science behind metabolism. This week we’ll look at how we can boost our metabolism in our daily diet.Metabolism Boosting Ideas for our Daily DietThe following are some ideas of how you can incorporate the sirtuin activating foods and niacin rich foods into your daily diet: • Use olive oil in salad dressings. • Have a jar of olives handy to snack on and add olives to salads or cooked dishes. Tapenade makes a good topping for oat cakes or rye bread. • Swap…

Metabolism and Nutrition

Nutrition and MetabolismWhat do you think of when you hear the word “metabolism”?Weight loss, energy, getting older? The term is used in many contexts…but what does it really mean? One authoritative definition of metabolism is the following:“The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. Metabolism consists of anabolism (the build-up of substances) and catabolism (the break-down of substances). The term metabolism is commonly used to refer specifically to the break-down of food and its transformation into energy.”So what does that mean? It means metabolism is the body’s process…

Overweight, stressed, fatigued and can’t lose weight?

Chronically elevated cortisol

Chronically elevated cortisol could be the culprit. Chronic stress is something most of us are dealing with in today’s fast paced lifestyle. Juggling family, work, travel, partners working away, no partner, finances, school and physical activity all increase the release of cortisol, a steroid hormone. Cortisol is produced from cholesterol in the adrenal glands and under normal circumstances is released when we wake, exercise or are under acute stress. Prolonged high levels of stress and chronically elevated cortisol can have deleterious effects on weight, immune function, and chronic disease risk.The following…