Why your workouts aren't working out

It is so hard for many of us to be disciplined enough to even make it to the gym on a regular basis. When we do get to the gym, we just about kill ourselves, thinking we can make a difference with one really intense workout every now and then. News flash: you are likely wasting your time. It doesn’t matter if you have 5 insane workouts a week, if you are not eating right you are not going to get the results you deserve to for putting your body through hell. In fact, you may just be doing more harm to your body that good. Americans have a problem with overeating. This doesn't mean we are ingesting everything our body needs. On the other side of the spectrum many people who go to the gym are conscious about what they eat, but have been misinformed and therefore are just cutting portion size and not getting enough of the right nutrients. So what does this have to do with your workout? Everything! Let me ask you this. When you are exercising, do you feel the burn? When you are feeling this burn, does it feel something like a runner's high or more like all of the energy in your body has been depleted? Most gym-goers mistake that "bad burn" for a "good burn." Are bodies are starving for good nutrition. The most important component of our diet that helps manage our weight and lean body mass is Protein. Protein is essential to build and repair muscle tissue. Protein allows muscles to contract, gain in size, and increase in strength. If we are not eating enough protein our body will experience that "bad burn" and instead of building muscle we are damaging the muscle we do have. We have to match our protein intake to the type and intensity of workout we are doing. Over consumption of protein can actually lead to an increase in fat mass. You ever see those guys who get pretty big from lifting a lot of heavy weights yet they don't have much definition? This is likely a result of too much protein and they are gaining fat along with the muscle they are packing on under it. So how do we use protein to help us lose weight? The fewer calories we consume, the more should come from protein. Protein intake needs to be spread out throughout the day for sustained energy and the ability to gain fat-burning muscle all day. Iron and fluid intake are also important elements of our diet. Iron allows for oxygen to be carried through our blood. Due to all of the water we lose during a workout we have to refuel. Water helps move nutrients throughout the body and helps remove waste from the body. If we don't replace the fluid the workout is pretty much null. Thanks for reading friends!

How many times do you "go" a day?

So most of us don't like to discuss our colon health with our doctors, let alone our peers. Hopefully, having this discussion through your computer screen will make it easier because this is a VERY important matter that can affect several areas of our health. Chances are, you (like millions of others), have no clue what healthy colon activity is. I bet you probably think having one bowel movement a day is healthy and "regular." Well it's definitely not and you would be shocked to find out how many of us actually "go" once or twice a week. Here is the deal, if you do not have one BM for every meal that you eat then your colon is not functioning properly. What do you think happens to all of that junk that you eat if you don't eliminate it? It builds up in your intestines and just stays there. The weight of the build up can cause our large intestine to sag putting pressure on other organs in our abdomen. About 80 percent of the population has a damaged or malfunctioning colon. Things that can affect your colon function are high sugar intake, low fiber diets, chemicals, medicines and refined foods such as white flour, white rice and pasta. The most detrimental effect of poor colon health is the inability for your body to absorb water and nutrients from the food in your intestines. As a result, your skin will look aged and lose elasticity, your bones become week, your muscles will become depleted and the list can go on and on. So, how can we get back on track? The first thing I would suggest is a colon detox. This will clean and strengthen colon tissue. A detox supports proper digestion and elimination. After the detox you will need to keep up a diet high in fiber, at least 30 grams a day. A fiber supplement that promotes "friendly bacteria" would be great to counteract other harmful bacteria in your colon. Fiber can be extremely beneficial for those who suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), constipation and other digestive health issues. Liquid aloe is also a good product to add to your dietary regimen. Aloe improves nutrient absorption and soothes the stomach. I hope this helps all of you!! Feel free to ask me any questions!

Yours Truly,
Nutri Dame

NutriDame Who?

Hello people!! Since I'm going to be giving health and nutrition advice I figured people might want to know a little about the person giving it. So here goes.. I was born in Brownsville, TX and raised in Austin where I still live today. Growing up I was a hardcore tomboy and getting me in a dress required an act of God. Luckily, that’s no longer the case and I can't get enough of my high heels and cute dresses! I have a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology that I received from Huston-Tillotson University here in Austin. I was also a member of the university's basketball team. I've had three knee surgeries due to basketball related injuries. I was so anxious to get back on the court after my injuries that I completely disregarded my physician's orders not to run until after 6 months had passed. I was running after 3 months and I cheated on my PT test so I could be released to play basketball. This does not mean I advise anyone to do this. I'm just saying I was young, dumb and head over heels in love with basketball. After graduation, I started packing on the pounds and realized how bad my nutrition was. Seriously, I ate like a 300 lb man! I've tried diet after diet and they either didn't work at all or they helped me lose weight, but left me feeling very sickly. All of this trial and error lead me to a breakthrough nutrition business called Herbalife. I lost the weight quickly and reaped several other benefits that I didn't even realize I was looking for. The results were so amazing to me that I just had to share them with everyone I came across so I became a distributor of the products. My plan is to build this business to the level of success I would need to quit my full time job at the Department of Family and Protective Services abuse hotline. I never would have imagined having such a drive for a business like this because I always ran from anything dealing with sales in the past. I praise God for bringing me a business opportunity that I fell in love with!

Malnourished? Think again!

If I asked you to describe what a malnourished person looks like, many people would describe a frail emaciated person, with pale skin and sunken or dark eyes. While a person with these characteristics is likely malnourished, the majority of those who are malnourished do not appear so to everyone else. Have you ever entertained the idea that an overweight person is in fact malnourished? Chances are they ingest too much of the bad substances and not nearly enough vitamins and minerals that our body requires to function properly. Anyone who knows me personally may be shocked to know that I was malnourished up until a couple of months ago. On the outside I look very fit. I wasn't too thin and definitely not over weight. I had no idea that I was malnourished until I started receiving adequate nutrition with Herbalife. After feeling the dramatic difference in several areas of my well being I just couldn't understand how I had absolutely no clue that I was malnourished for so long.
One noticeable change came when I was walking up to my third floor apartment. Prior to starting Herbalife, my legs would burn every time I walked up or down. This was definitely not a good burn that you would feel while hitting the weights in the gym, but I convinced myself it was good. My muscles were screaming at me to feed them. It didn't occur to me that I shouldn't be feeling that way since I walk up the stairs every day several times. Just a few weeks into being on Herbalife, I was walking up my stairs and the record playing in my head screeched to a halt. All of my attention went to how great my legs felt! The muscles were definitely being worked, but there was no burn! I don't really know how else to explain it except that I felt my muscles were telling me THANK YOU! I think I did that happy dance the rest of the way up.
While the simple task of walking up and down stairs without discomfort was a blessing to me, I was still hesitant to try my luck at jogging around the neighborhood. I've had 3 knee surgeries and since then concrete has not been my friend. Every time I went running on the street, my knees would swell and stiffen up by the end of my run. However, the the worst part was the discomfort that remained for the next few days that hindered any workouts or physically active plans I had. When I was able to complete a jog on the street just a few weeks into taking Herbalife without any discomfort during or in the days following, I was sold. This is the moment that I decided I would be an Herbalifer. In this same moment I regretted never listening to my college professor, Dr. Latfalian who told me to take glucosamine every single time that I saw him. There I was thinking he was a senile old man that was trying to get me on his arthritis medication.
Being able to get workout like I did in college is such a wonderful feeling, but the most important part of our well being is sleep. This is something that I had major issues with prior to taking Herbalife. It took me hours to fall asleep and no matter if I had a few hours of sleep or a full 8, I was still very tired the next morning and not very alert throughout the day. Even prescribed sleeping medications did not help me. Now, post Herbalife discovery, I have no trouble falling asleep and I truly feel rejuvenated in the morning. I never would have imagined that my sleeping issues could have been solved by proper nutrition.
I encourage everyone to educate themselves on what good nutrition truly is or ask me if you need any help. I don't have all of the answers, but I can definitely point you in the right direction. Most of us have been raised malnourished so we don't recognize the signs that our body is giving us. If there is one thing I do know it's that proper nutrition is the beginning of a domino effect that ends at your complete personal wellness. Let us push the first one down together and discover the true meaning of being comfortable in your own skin.

Yours Truly,
NutriDame