TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

Wow!  Another fantastic week of activity is in the books!  In addition to the usual yard work and active time with the grandkids, I made time for:

2 Table Rock runs
2 Jacksonville Forest Park hikes/runs (a fairly even mix of running and hiking)
1 Punisher run (with a Bandersnatch return)
3 Heavy bag workouts
1 Kettlebell workout
1 Tabata workout
1 Snatch workout

Did you meet, or even exceed, your health and fitness goals this past week?

~No Challenge, No Change~

7 Steps To Get Over Food Cravings & Gain Control Of Your Life

Here are 7 essential solutions to overcome food cravings:

1. Practice stress reduction.
Your entire being needs to know that you are not at a 4-alarm fire! Even five minutes of mindfulness meditation twice daily can calm your nervous system, help your cortisol levels return to normal, and transform your life. I practice a “quickie” meditation whenever I feel my stress level mounting. It goes like this: While inhaling deeply to the count of 4, say to yourself “I AM” and on the exhale to a count of 4 say “AT PEACE.” Rinse and repeat 4 times.

2. Practice mindfulness in food choices and while eating.
To do this, simply take a moment before you eat something to really check in with yourself, from a place of centeredness. Ask yourself whether this is optimal for you and take a moment to think about what your body really needs right then. Eat only when you feel relaxed. Eat slowly so that you can enjoy and savor your meals. Food should be one of our great pleasures in life. Mindful eating can help you break free from the grip of food addictions and feel better about your choices so that you can enjoy eating once again.

3. Keep your blood sugar balanced.
Blood sugar balancing is a key to alleviating food cravings. Eat a healthy breakfast with a good quality protein every day. Eat only nutrient rich foods, emphasizing proteins, high quality fats, and vegetables. Sugar sends your body on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. The lows (hypoglycemia) trigger your brain, which depends on sugar for energy, to think you are in a state of emergency and causes your stress response to get activated full tilt boogie. Stable blood sugar = stable stress hormones, smoother emotions, and healthy weight.

4. Keep your fridge and pantry health friendly.
Simple logic: If you only have healthy food choices, you’re more likely to eat well.

5. Optimal nutrient intake will help with satiety.
If your body isn't getting the nutrients you need, you will crave more and more food as your body tries to get the nutrition you are really craving. This takes you back to points 2, 3, and 4 above. Taking a good multivitamin and mineral can also provide missing ingredients for optimal health.

6. Sleep well.
This means getting 7 to 8 hours each night. Less than this also leads to activation of the stress response and increased cortisol levels. We've all experienced fatigue leading to sugar cravings. Back to the same vicious cycle of stress, cravings, weight gain and so on.

7. Find ways to feel full other than food.
Sometimes feelings of emptiness, sadness, loneliness or boredom can also activate our stress response and trigger hormones and chemicals in our brains that stimulate cravings – a need to fill ourselves. Since fat, sugar, and salt “feed” us when we are in a stress response, calming the anxiety that arises when we feel fight-or-flight feelings, or depression, these are what we tend to crave when we feel empty emotionally. Tending and mending the broken parts of us is part of becoming whole and healthy.

read the full article here

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike/Run
After a few hours with the grandkids, which ran be somewhat ragged, I spent a couple of hours hiking and running on the J-Ville Forest Park trails.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Paleo, Vegan, Intermittent Fasting: How to Choose the Best Diet

It’s a common question: What’s the best diet? And Dr. John Berardi, a world-leading nutrition coach, is asked that more than most people. Is he in the paleo camp? The vegan camp? Low carb? Intermittent fasting? In this article, Dr Berardi explains why those are actually the wrong questions to ask. He’ll also offer a new kind of question and reveal which nutrition camp he really belongs.
Most effective nutrition programs are more similar than different (yes, even Paleo and plant-based eating).

When done properly, Paleo diets, plant-based diets, high-carb diets, low-carb diets, eating small meals frequently, eating larger meals infrequently, etc. all accomplish the following:

read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Snatches
I took a break from a day filled with business and personal chores and errands for a fun hour of snatches, power snatches and overhead squats.

~Feelin' Alive!~

10 Healthy Foods You Can Eat on the Cheap

By including these items in your snacks and meals, you will save money and boost your health.

1. Bananas. Bananas are high in vitamin B6, fiber and vitamin C. Their high potassium content helps protect against heart disease and decreases cramps. Because of their peel, bananas are low in pesticides and easy to grab-and-go.

2. Eggs. While egg yolks do contain cholesterol, they are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in heart disease prevention and brain development.  Eggs are inexpensive, easy to prepare and versatile.

3. Black beans. An excellent source of protein, omega-3 fatty-acids, iron and fiber, black beans also contain several antioxidants that help protect from heart disease, cancer and age-related memory loss. For optimal flavor and cost, buy dried black beans and simmer with onion and garlic until the beans are soft.

4. Chicken breasts, bought in bulk. Boneless, skinless chicken breast is loaded with protein and low in calories. For a quick dinner, defrost a chicken breast the night before, season it with a little bit of pepper or herbs, and bake or grill it.

5. Oatmeal. Very high in fiber, oatmeal helps to remove bad cholesterol from the blood stream and to clean out the GI tract for anyone suffering from constipation. Optimize your health (and save money) by choosing plain, steel-cut oatmeal for the highest fiber and lowest sugar content.

6. Carrots. Easy to prepare and eat, and packed with vitamins A, C and K, folate and fiber, carrots are a great addition to any meal or snack.

7. Canned tuna. Eating water-packed tuna is a low-calorie way to get lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, selenium and vitamin D.  It also helps reach the recommended minimum of two servings per week of fish.

8. Canned diced tomatoes. Canned tomatoes have all of the benefits of raw tomatoes, and have a more active form of the antioxidant lycopene. Diced tomatoes sautéed with a little olive oil, garlic and onions make a delicious, healthy pasta sauce.

9. Sweet potatoes. A sweet potato contains twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, almost half of the recommended  daily amount of vitamin C and, if you eat the skin, more fiber than oatmeal.

10. Water. The cheapest and best beverage is water. Spruce it up by adding sliced fresh oranges, lemons, or cucumbers to your water pitcher.

source

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- The Punisher and Bandersnatch, plus Heavy Bag
As if I hadn't punished myself enough lately with all of the trail induced injuries, I decided to do the Punisher today with a return via the Bandersnatch trail.....and as usual, it kicked my ass.  Later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

6 Reasons Carbs Are Your Friend

If you’re like many weight-loss hopefuls who come to us believing that carbs are their worst enemy, we’ve got some good news. You actually should eat some carbs to assist in your weight loss! In fact, opting for quality carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies will help you feel satisfied and show off a leaner, more energetic body. Another bonus? Quality carbohydrates actually improve your health.

The key to the making sure carbohydrates are your friend is to choose portion-controlled, quality carbohydrates (like the ones mentioned above) that are packed with fiber and nutrients and that aren’t processed into a lesser food.

Here are six reasons you shouldn’t be afraid of all carbs:


1. Hello, energy!
Carbs are the number-one fuel for your brain and for your muscles. Without them, you’ll have trouble focusing, you’ll feel tired and, when it comes to exercise, your workouts will suffer—you’ll feel physically and mentally exhausted.
The fix? Simply have a small portion of a healthy carbohydrate with each meal and snack so that your brain and muscles have a constant supply. For example (the quality carbohydrate and portion suggestion is first in each snack): ½ cup oatmeal and a hardboiled egg; a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter; an apple and 30 pistachios.

2. They've got fiber.
This means that not only do they help to fill you up for very few calories, but they help to keep you regular and flush waste out of your body.
Looking for a flatter tummy? Fiber helps prevents constipation resulting in fewer bulges in the belly.

3. They boost your mood.
Have a carbohydrate and soon you’ll be singing Pharrell’s song Happy. That’s because carbohydrates boost your body’s feel-good chemical, serotonin.
Again, the key is the wholesome, unprocessed carbs—reach for sugar and the Happy boost will be short-lived and quickly followed by a low (a.k.a. “a sugar crash”).

4. They make your heart sing.
Quality carbohydrates keep your ticker in good shape. Their phytonutrients help to fight disease as well as protect the heart against damaging free radicals.
Plus, their fiber fights diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Of course leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, citrus fruits, apples and grains like quinoa, oats and brown rice all fit the quality carbohydrate bill, but don’t forget about beans (legumes), which are one of the best foods for your heart. Ideas? Black bean, corn, tomato and avocado salad; hummus sandwich with spinach; or a three-bean salad.

5. Carbs can help trim your waistline.
Choose whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates and you actually may reduce your total fat and your belly fat (score!). According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, if you can get about three servings of whole grains a day, you’ll have about 2.4 percent less body fat and 3.6 percent less belly fat than those people who eat less than a quarter serving of whole grains.
Quality carbs may help your waistline because they help you to feel full longer. Remember to drink water with your meals as the fiber in the carbohydrate will act as a sponge in your stomach, filling you up, making you feel more satisfied and helping to prevent you from overeating.

6. They prevent sugar cravings.
Skip out on energy-providing carbs for your brain and muscles and you’ll crave energy. In fact, your brain will crave the quickest pick-up it can get—sugar. An easy way to prevent this is to fuel your brain with quality carbohydrates—those with fiber and nutrients.

source

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag and Tabatas
After taking care of today's business, I spent 30 mins of quality time with my heavy bag.  A little later, I did a Tabata workout of susp. pullups, pushups, SB oblique crunches, and squats.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Does fitness boost kids' brainpower?

Does fitness boost kids' brainpower?
Exercise and brainpower in children may not seem closely related, but a small new study hints that fitness may supercharge kids' minds.  read more

TOPFIT says: I think this is a no-brainer.  Was there ever any doubt?

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run and Kettlebells
The slightly cooler temps made for a fantastic run on Upper Table Rock today.  That should have been enough for the day, but later I felt the need to get up close and personal with my kettlebells.  So I put together a workout of Turkish Get-ups, and single arm swings, snatches, and clean & presses.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Nutrition Tips to Protect Your Body against Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is a hot topic in health and fitness these days. You’re probably most familiar with the kind of inflammation that accompanies a small sports injury. For example, perhaps your ankle swelled after twisting it. That swelling is an example of “acute” inflammation, which helps protect and heal the body after an injury or infection by improving blood flow and recruiting white blood cells to fight foreign invaders.

Although inflammation is beneficial initially, if it sticks around too long, it also can become destructive and cause long-lasting harm within the body. This inflammation is known as chronic, low-grade or systemic inflammation. The good news is that although chronic inflammation is a threat to health, there are steps you can take to greatly reduce inflammation, including avoiding lifestyle factors that are unhealthy and increase inflammation. These include being overweight, breathing polluted air, smoking, not exercising or sleeping enough, and having a stressful lifestyle. Controlling these factors automatically will put you ahead of the inflammation game.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike
It seemed like a good day for a fun run on the J-Ville Forest Park trails, but once I got out there, my mind and body said no.....so, I took a leisurely 5-6 mile hike instead.  It was the perfect opportunity to take in all of the healing and rejuvenating effects that the forest has to offer.

~Feelin' Alive!~