Month: October 2016

Discover the most important benefits that squats have to offer and why they deserve a place in your workout program.

If there’s one exercise that must be making an appearance in your workout program, squats would be it. But yet, so many people skip over this highly effective move, usually because it’s hard work. Make no mistake, squats can be slightly painful from a muscular fatigue standpoint and they do demand a lot out of you.

This said, squats also offer a number of unique payoffs. Let’s look at four reasons to make sure that next time you hit the gym, squats are on your agenda.

Squats Burn Massive Calories

Looking to lose weight? You might just consider hopping off that piece of cardio equipment and getting into the squat rack instead. While most don’t consider squats a fat loss exercise as they think of it as a way to build muscle, they can do both.

When you are squatting, you’ll be working so many muscle fibers all at once, your calorie burn both during the exercise as well as after the exercise will skyrocket.

Doing four sets of 10 rep heavy weight squats is a sure-fire way to get your body utilizing fat as a fuel source for the next 48 hours. Try it yourself and see.

Squats Get You Six Pack Ab

Okay, so many squats themselves will not get you a six pack (as you also need a good diet to achieve that!), what squats will do is strengthen your entire core region so that when you do get down to low body fat percentages, you can see those abs clearly.

Don’t mistake squats as just a move for your lower body. It’ll work your abs and core as well.

Squats Give You Cardiovascular Benefits

One thing you’ll notice about squats is that they leave you breathless – and not because you love them. When you’re pushing yourself hard in this exercise, you’ll be gasping for air at the end of each set you do.

This clearly illustrates you’ll be reaping cardiovascular benefits from them. Ditch your cardio and try squats instead. You’ll get the same heart-health benefits you’re going for.

Squats Defend Against Low Back Pain

Finally, squats can help put an end to low back pain. While if you do squats improperly, they can cause back pain, if you take care to use proper form and an appropriate weight, they’ll strengthen all the muscles in the lower back, helping you avoid back pain down the road.

So as you can see, there are plenty of reasons to add squats to your workout program. Next time you head in for legs, get them on deck.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

In my health coaching practice, I consistently recommend that my clients choose certified organic produce and products whenever possible. Organic is worth the extra costs in terms of money and time to obtain organic food in my small Southern town.

Many people are confused as to why organic is worth the extra time and effort. Others are convinced certified organic labeling is a marketing scam. I don’t blame them!  Food manufacturers slap the word “natural” onto their products willy-nilly, rendering the term virtually meaningless.

Each time I’m cruising the produce section of my local supermarket, I ask myself, “Why should I buy a bag of certified organic celery for $5.99 instead of the larger, fresher-looking conventional celery for $1.79?” Note: these are the actual prices at my local supermarket.

Unfortunately, many stores in food deserts lack organic produce, or only offer select items for 2-4 times the cost of their conventional counterparts. Moreover, because the prices are so outrageous, product turnover is slow, and shipments are infrequent. Often, the organic produce on the shelf has clearly weathered through its peak freshness, and sits waiting, soft, squishy, and molding.

Clearly, the people in less progressive areas (read: the middle of the country, the South, and non-metropolitan areas) do not know the value of organic. It’s a buzzword most people are familiar with, but the meaning of the term escapes the masses.

What does certified organic mean exactly?

Technically-speaking, the term “organic” describes the way in which the food was grown, raised, or produced. “Certified organic” denotes that a government-accredited certifying agent verified that the produce, livestock, or product passed government-defined standards and requirements.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic agriculture encompasses cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that protect natural resources, conserve biodiversity, and promote ecological balance. [1] Organic farming operations enhance soil and water quality; conserve wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and use approved substances. [2]

The Double Standard

This makes me wonder that if certified organic farms must meet regulations to ensure all the benefits of their natural practices, why is it that conventional operations are allowed to use potentially harmful farming practices scot-free? Conventional farming ostensibly damages soil and water quality; devastates wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and uses God-knows-what on OUR FOOD? It seems like the government has it backwards!

Moreover, organic farmers avoid synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge and biosolids (i.e. organic matter recycled from sewage), irradiation, and genetic engineering. [3] It’s frightening that conventional farmers use these unnatural substances in the first place! Who wants their spinach grown with sewage sludge? Not me!

Man with—not versus—nature

Instead, organic farmers harness the power of natural processes and materials in farming systems that augment crop and livestock nutrition, preserve nutrients in the soil, manage pests and weeds, meet production goals, and conserve biodiversity (e.g. don’t kill off any and all critters, directly or indirectly, that may threaten production goals).

In other words, organic agriculture respects and embraces nature, rather than fighting against it, which I may add, is a losing battle! This planet existed for many millennia before humans showed up on the evolutionary timeline. To think that humans are separate from nature and above the laws of nature is absurd.

The bottom line: the certified organic label represents food grown without things we don’t want on or in our food (e.g. sewage, genetic modification, plant- and insect-killing chemicals), and in ways that help maintain and preserve our land, water, and wildlife.

Is it worth the extra money and hassle to obtain certified organic produce? Let me know in the comments below.

 

References:

[1] https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/introduction-organic-practices
[2] https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards
[3] https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/introduction-organic-practices

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Turmeric is a very popular spice primarily used in curry. In holistic medicine turmeric is used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Curcumin is found in the spice turmeric. Curcumin is an agent that fights inflammation and helps cure osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Turmeric Curcumin

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1,000mg daily. To treat inflammation caused by arthritis or over active muscles this will be a supplement you must have in your medicine cabinet. The best part is that there are no side effects from taking turmeric curcumin. This is not a trace mineral and will be digested if the body does not absorb its healing properties.

Active adults should add this supplement if suffering from tight, achy, fatigued muscle pain. Rather than assume you have a bad knee, hip or back look into turmeric curcumin as a remedy. Those who suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis sufferers should take the RDA of turmeric curcumin to reduce inflammation in arthritic joints. Relief of arthritic pain will take up to three weeks, once the inflammation is fully reduced sufferers should regain full range of motion in the effected joints.

Take note that this is not a prescription, but a recommendation to those who suffer from inflammation in joints or muscles. Consult your medical professional for further information, and research turmeric curcumin as a solution to your pain.

In Your Diet

Ways to add turmeric into your daily life: Blend it in a smoothie or juice either put in a tablespoon of turmeric in a smoothie or juice 1-2 inches of fresh turmeric in juicer. Take it by the spoonful mixed with coconut oil. Or you can simply take turmeric curcumin in a capsulated form to ensure the correct dosage. Remember to supplement the turmeric in it’s naturally raw state, as heating the turmeric will remove the healing properties within the turmeric curcumin.

Turmeric Tips

When you buy the turmeric in a capsule for anti-inflammation be sure the dosage is 1,000mg or less. Ensure the product and capsules are organic with no gmo (genetically modified organism). The label should read only turmeric curcumin if there are other ingredients then move on to the next one on the shelf. Taking this supplement will help relieve joint pain caused my overactivity or arthritis. It can take upward of three weeks to notice the relief of joint pain. Enjoy moving easier with the help of turmeric curcumin.

To see some of the turmeric curcumin products Alyve Market offers, please click here.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

As the seasons change so do our allergy triggers. These seasonal transitions bring cooler, hotter, dryer, wetter weather which in turn brings new foliage into bloom; releasing their pollens into the air which then trigger seasonal allergies. These new pollens bring allergy sufferers to their knees with dry/red/itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing, sinus infections, low energy and head aches.

Natural Remedies

One great natural way to help your body fight off these allergens is with raw local honey. With the use of the immunotherapy method, one will introduce a small amount of the pollens into their body through the use of locally-made raw honey. Thus creating a natural immunity to the pollens consumed in the raw local honey. It will be hard to tell exactly what pollens are in your raw local honey, but at least there will be trace amounts of most local pollens in the local raw honey.

Raw Honey

Raw local honey is made by the bees that pollenate local plants within a 2-5 mile range, some may even travel farther. Taking pollen from trees, flowers, plants and so on to include a wide variety of pollens in their raw honey. Some honey may claim to be local honey, but unless the honey is manufactured in your hometown it is most likely not worth buying for this cause. You also want to insure that in fact the local honey is in it’s raw state and is unprocessed honey. Many less expensive honey brands will treat their honey by cooking down the honey to yield greater production. Once the honey is treated with heat it will cook off the enzymes within the honey that benefit allergy sufferers. Keeping the honey raw will keep the pollens in their natural and more complete state.

Using Raw Honey

This ideal proves that over time as the raw natural honey is introduce in large enough doses your body will build complete immunity to these pollens. To start find your local honey bee farmer and develop a relationship with them, supporting local farmers will strengthen the community and help keep your farmer in business. Take 1-3 Tablespoons daily, this can either be taken by the spoonful, over yogurt, spread on toast, etc. as long as it is not cooked. Remember, cooking the honey will read down the pollen content. Eventually, you will build up your immunity and eventually be allergy free or at least reduce your symptom days.

Check out some of the Honey and Raw Honey products that Alyve Market offers here.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

In a world that is filled with hustle and bustle people are getting fewer and fewer hours of sleep at night. The most reported cause of sleep deprivation is stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety from finances, work, family and other underlying stressors have taken over people’s ability to relax and fall asleep, let alone get into the deep sleep of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) that the body needs.

Importance of REM Sleep

In the REM state your body repairs itself and prepares for the grind of the next day. Not meeting the 6-8 hours of sleep with the 90-120 minutes of REM sleep the body will reflect the negative effects in energy, mood, physical fitness, multitasking, constructive thinking and one’s overall quality of life. This is were one would benefit from supplementing passionflower.

Benefits of Passionflower

The calming effect of passionflower help with nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and sleep deprivation. If you are one of those people who struggle to unwind after a long day you will benefit from passionflower. Passionflower is not like a prescription sleeping aid in that there is no hangover in the morning or heavy sedation. Passionflower simply calms the mind and body to bring you to a relaxed state that induces sleep. Passionflower will leave you refreshed in the morning and ready to take the day with full confidence. There are few side effects from supplementing passionflower the worst being that it simply will not relax one’s mind enough to reach REM sleep.

Passionflower as a Supplement

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 1,000mg of passionflower. Take the 1,000mg an hour before you wish to fall asleep. Do not fight the sleepy, tired or relaxed feeling as this is the affect of passionflower. Let your body enjoy unwinding and feeling of being stress free. Once you take passionflower for 3 months try not taking the supplement and see how your sleep cycle is working on its own. You may find that you can relax on your own and feel less anxious without the supplement which is the ultimate goal. When it comes to supplementing it is important to cycle them in and out of your system. Take a supplement for 3 months then stop for 2-3 weeks. Thus giving your body a chance to work on its own. Remember everything in moderation and supplements are called supplements because our body is not producing what we need to function. Enjoy getting your Z’s.

Check out some of the Passionflower products that Alyve Market carries by clicking here.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

When it comes to getting fit there are a lot of different ways to measure success. Some say BMI (Body Mass Index) factoring height and weight, pant/dress size, the number on the scale or just the way you look in the mirror. What you should be focused on to have healthy and long-term success in a fitness plan is body composition.

Know Your Numbers

Knowing your body composition is important, because this does not just focus on your weight, but rather your lean mass to fat mass. Everyone carries weight differently and you have to remember muscle is a condensed weight and weighs twice as much as fat. Keeping in mind that most measuring tools do not account for water weight so the accuracy is about 98% for most body composition measuring tools.

Measuring Body Composition

In measuring body composition, there are many different tools used to calculate percentages: skin calipers, bioelectric impedance, hydrostatic weight, DEXA (Dual-Energy x0Ray Absorptiometry) and Air-Displacement Plethysmography. If you do not have access to any of these tools then you can do your body composition through and internet based site. You will need the following: measuring tape (tailor tape), scale and knowing your height. These websites will assist you in calculating your body composition and give you the direction for getting the most accurate measurements.

Factors in Composition

A healthy active range for men is 7-14% body fat and for women 18-25% body fat. With these numbers you can set a goal body fat percentage for your overall fitness plan. For example, to add muscle you will need to add protein, lower complex carbohydrates, other refined sugars and alcohols. Adding in rich leafy greens, colorful fruits and veggies to fill your body with clean energy. Try and eat the rainbow everyday…meaning eat something red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple everyday. This will help you get a wide variety of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) minerals, vitamins and nutrients.

Remember when you are starting a fitness plans you should set attainable goals if you want to lower your body fat which is the most common goal for Americans, you should try for 1/2-1% body fat in a month’s time. This will keep you motivated and excited for the months to come rather than dread the scale. Knowing your composition will also help when you may feel a plateau in your weight. Even if the scale is not changing your composition is.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Aloe vera is one of the most rewarding plants to our bodies. Aloe Vera is in the succulent family and is one of the only plants that naturally produces B12…the “happy” vitamin. Not only is the plant rich in vitamins but it is rich in minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, polysaccharide, amino acids and fatty acids. There is no wonder this plant is getting more and more attention as our nation takes health into priority. Aloe vera contains over 250 active components — it’s no wonder we are literally eating it up!

Rich in Vitamins

Aloe vera is high in vitamins A, B, C, and E. Being rich in vitamins A, C, and E which are antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells against free radical, which damage cells and can lead to heart disease. High in minerals there are at least nine including calcium, the key in bone density, teeth and cell signaling; zinc, selenium and magnesium all important for aiding in metabolic function; chromium, copper, magnesium, potassium and is an electrolyte.

Amino & Fatty Acids

Aloe vera is high in amino acids and fatty acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, there are 22 amino acids necessary for the human body, 8 of which are essential. Aloe vera has 19 of these amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids. Aloe vera contains 3 plant sterols which are important fatty acids which are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion.

Skin Care

Aloe vera is great in helping bring a natural and healthy glow to your skin with over 99% water content this is a great way to hydrate skin. As our largest organ skin is the most exposed organ of the body and needs to be protected against outside threats. It is great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin. Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces blood flow to skin.

In Your Diet

A way to introduce aloe vera into your diet is to add aloe vera to your smoothie, make an aloe vera salad, or drink aloe vera infused water. Used topically aloe vera can be an enriching face mask or overnight rejuvenating mask for your face, neck and chest. Do not just think of aloe vera when you have a sunburn, use aloe daily to keep your skin supple.

If you would like to see some of the Aloe Vera-based products Alyve Market offers, please click here.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If you are looking for some anti-aging tips, look no further than to your diet plan. Certain foods possess quality that help to combat the aging process, keeping you looking and feeling as young as possible.

Which foods should you focus on? Fruit is one of the main groups to consider. Fresh fruit is a great source of nutrients and being so low in calories, it’s an easy add to just about any diet plan.

Let’s look at the three best fruits to consume to combat aging.

Grapefruit

A fruit that’s overlooked far too often by man, grapefruits are an excellent source of vitamin C – even more rich than your average orange. Vitamin C is critical for keeping your immune system strong, which helps to fend off disease and keep you feeling and looking as young as possible.

Grapefruits are also a bit lower in sugar content and rich in fiber, so they’ll help keep your blood glucose levels under control.

Serve a half grapefruit with breakfast each morning and you’ll be starting your day off right.

Blueberries

Blueberries are the next food that you’ll want to consider adding to your diet plan. This berry is often sometimes called the ‘brain berry’ because of it’s powerful brain-boosting compounds.

Blueberries are a rich source of antioxidants, which can help improve memory and cognition, while also reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Sprinkle these on a bowl of yogurt or add them into your morning oatmeal instead. They also work great blended into smoothies or eaten alone. There’s no reason not to add some blueberries to your day.

Lemons

While most people don’t think of lemons as a fruit, the fact is they are and they can help to fight aging as well. Lemons, while highly acidic out of the body, are actually very alkaline inside the body and this is what counts.

As most people are walking around in a very acidic state thanks to our heavy consumption of grains and meat, we need to take steps to bring this acidity down. Eating alkaline rich foods helps to do just that.

While you may not eat a whole lemon itself, adding lemon to your foods can go a long way towards preventing disease, boosting energy levels, and keeping your bones strong. All of these can be offset when you are in a very acidic state.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If there is one fundamental thing that’s most critical to your health and overall well-being, it would have to be sleep. Sleep impacts everything, including your focus and ability to concentrate, your hunger level, your insulin sensitivity, your recovery from exercise, and your immune system strength. It’s not something you can afford to be low on.

Many people aren’t getting the quality of sleep they need however, which can make every day feel dreary and less than optimal. A sleep journal can help you overcome this.

Let’s look at how to use a sleep journal to improve your sleep quality.

Track Your Sleep Hours

The first thing you’ll want to do is track your sleep hours. What time are you going to bed and getting up at every day? Keep a record of this. It can help you spot patterns both in how long you should be sleeping to feel optimal as well as what bed time and time of waking is best for your body.

While you may not always be able to control what time you get up in the morning, you can still look for trends and try and lean towards them as best as possible.

Track Your Meals Prior To Sleep

Remember that everything you do can influence your sleep quality – your food intake included. Take the time to track the meals you eat prior to going to bed as well.

Certain foods may keep you up more than others and it’s good to have a record of this. Other foods, such as complex carbohydrates for instance, may cause you to feel drowsy, so if you always find you have a good sleep after eating those foods, you may turn to them more often.

If you aren’t writing this down however, it can be hard to spot these trends.

Write Down Your Stressors

Often the biggest culprit of keeping people awake at night is stress. Part of your sleep journal should be dedicated towards writing down whatever happens to be stressing you.

Simply getting those thoughts out on paper can go a long way towards freeing them from your worries and helping you fin da solution to get past them.

If you are the type to ruminate in bed over whatever happens to be stressing you, this step will be critical.

Note Any Additional Information

Finally, jot down any other information you feel relevant. Did you start a new medication or supplement? Were you especially active that evening? Did you try reading before bed?

Keep tabs on all this information as it may influence your sleep quality and it’s good to know to build proper sleep habits into the future.

So keep these points in mind and make sure that you apply them to your nightly routine. It pays to make the most out of your sleep quality as sleep impacts just about every element of your well-being.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Suffering from back pain? If so, you aren’t alone. Back pain is a problem that plagues many individuals and may even become a chronic issue you have to deal with. Back pain nags at you, is almost always present in everything you do and can take months, if not years to over come if you ever do.

Fortunately, with the right approach, you can accelerate that timeline. When it comes to back pain, it’s all about knowing how to properly treat the pain and then prevent it from occurring again in the future.

Here are a few tips to know.

1. Rest Up

The first piece of advise is one that you may not want to hear if you’re a fitness enthusiast and that is to rest up. You need to give the muscles and ligaments a chance to recover and get back to feeling their best.

If you are constantly putting strain on the back, it’ll be hard for the full recovery process to occur.

One to two weeks off is usually in order.

2. Strengthen Your Back

Then when you do come back, focus on strengthening the muscles all around the core and lower back region. This means performing ab strengthening moves like the bicycle, the plank, as well as decline sit-ups, along with lower back building exercises such as back hyper-extensions, good mornings, and even rows.

These exercises should be done with lighter weight to start and then you should gradually go up in weight as you get stronger.

When these muscles are strong, they’ll form a protective shield around the back, reducing the risk of pain down the road.

3. Watch Your Form

Finally, since prevention is the best medicine, you need to know how to stop back pain later on. This may come down largely to using the right form. Whenever you have a weight over your head (such as in shoulder press), make sure that you are squeezing your abs and glutes. This will shift the hip position, keeping your lower back in proper position.

Likewise, whenever you are in an exercise that has you on the floor, be sure that you are keeping those abs tight and squeezing the small of your back into that floor.

By making a few changes to your current workout routine and focusing on strengthening the muscles that defend against back pain, you can say so long to this problem for good.

 

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.