'I’m at the End of My Rope!'

'I’m at the End of My Rope!'

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
It’s not just what you say, but how you say something that counts. Words and phrases can powerfully and instantly affect how you feel. And many of the metaphors we use to describe how we’re feeling have a powerful impact on how we react to those emotions. A metaphor is simply a way to indirectly explain a concept by linking it to something else. Here is the key: When you use a metaphor, you’re taking on the rules and preconceived notions that accompany that metaphor. For example, saying “I’m at the end of my rope!” makes you feel like you could literally lose your grip on the situation and take a hard fall. Use an empowering metaphor instead, and you will actually feel empowered. For example, rather than referring to exercise as a chore, think of it as play. Changing the way you think about things you consider to be difficult will make them easier to handle and make you more likely to succeed.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Is Your Relationship with Food Unhealthy?

Is Your Relationship with Food Unhealthy?

By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, LifeScript Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

If you’re questioning your relationship with food in the first place, that’s a pretty good sign you might have a problem with it. But just how bad is this problem? Everyone splurges from time to time. You might order a cheeseburger instead of a salad or eat an entire carton of ice cream or make some other regrettable choice. But everybody does that once in awhile. One or two binges here and there are completely forgivable. But if you’re splurging all the time or letting food rule your choices, you’re giving up control. If you regularly feel disgusted with yourself and ashamed or embarrassed of your eating habits, that’s a sure sign you have an unhealthy relationship with food. Other signs include eating in secret, hiding food and eating when you’re not actually hungry. These behaviors all point to food addiction, which is classified as binge eating that occurs at least twice weekly for at least six months. Food addiction can become a very serious problem if you let it get out of control. Write down every time you feel guilty about your eating habits, and start making a concentrated effort to eat only when you want, not when food is calling your name. If you can’t take control over the situation yourself, ask a friend or loved one to help, or seek professional advice. Turning food addiction into a healthy relationship with food could save you years of heartache and struggle and make you a much happier, healthier person today.

Cheers! How Beer Fights Cancer

Cheers! How Beer Fights Cancer

By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, LifeScript Staff Writer
Sunday, June 22, 2008

Ah, beer – the sacred golden nectar of the gods, or at least the preferred drink of tailgaters and party-goers alike. And perhaps now the coveted drink of health-conscious adults. No longer should you hesitate when you want to reach for a frosty cold beer because according to scientific research, beer is your comrade in the fight against cancer. An antioxidant found in hops (a plant used to add depth of flavor to beer), called xanthohumol, has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and may also slow tumor growth. Researchers from Oregon State University were the first to claim the cancer-fighting properties of xanthohumol more than a decade ago, but the meaning behind it is catching on – could beer be the next health food? The benefit of beer is old news, according to Thomas Jefferson, who once said, “Beer, if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.” And who better to support this notion than the beer-loving country of Germany, which published an entire research journal on the health benefits of xanthohumol? How much beer do you need to drink to get the cancer-fighting benefits? Researchers are not quite sure yet and warn that most beers do not contain high enough levels of xanthohumol to start recommending beer for the prevention of cancer. But hey, if you’re going to have a pint of your favorite beer anyway, make it an India Pale Ale (IPA), which has the most hops.

Where Will You End Up

Where Will You End Up

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Saturday, June 21, 2008

You hop in your car and start driving with no destination in mind. Where do you end up? Wherever the road and your last-minute impulses lead you, I suppose. Or maybe you end up right back where you started. You see, without a clear vision of where you want to go in life, you’re really going nowhere. It’s the same for your fitness goals. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish, you will most likely fail in the long term. Yes, that’s a big statement to make, but I know it’s the truth. People who achieve their goals follow their own road map to success. You need a plan, so get a pen and paper. There are three goals I suggest you set. First of all, what do you want to accomplish in the first two weeks of following your new plan? Next, what do you want to have accomplished at the end of eight weeks? Finally, you must have what I call a lifetime goal. Place these three goals on your refrigerator door to keep you on track. Review them each morning to ignite your drive throughout the next few weeks and remind yourself of exactly why you’re working so hard.

Push-ups for Beginners

Push-ups for Beginners

By Jorge Cruise, Fitness Coach
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Many people, especially women, find push-ups far too difficult an exercise, especially for beginners. But push-ups are a must because they can shape your pectoral muscles and impart added oomph to your chest. Start with this simple exercise to build up initial strength and form:
Step 1: Lean against a wall or a set of stairs so that your upper body is elevated above your feet. Keep your head up, back straight and abs tight.
Step 2: Breathe slowly and rhythmically as you lower yourself down through a count of 10 seconds. Hold at the maximum tension point for a count of 2 seconds.
Step 3: Return to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Fight Fat at Night

Fight Fat at Night

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Those eight hours after your head hits the pillow aren’t just for dreaming. While you sleep, your body actually repairs and rebuilds your muscles. But if you eat too close to bedtime, your body will spend its energy digesting the food in your tummy and not recuperating your muscles. Worse yet, your metabolism slows at night, which means many of the calories you eat late in the evening will be stored as fat. Unfortunately, many of us are late-night snackers and need to learn to overcome these urges. The most important thing you can do is eat enough during your day. Skipping meals will slow down your metabolism and make you susceptible to late-night binges. Many people eat a lot before bedtime not because they’re hungry, but because they are bored, tired, lonely, or depressed. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry before you even step into the kitchen or dip into your snack stash.

Cut the Fat, Lose the Weight

Cut the Fat, Lose the Weight

By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, LifeScript Staff Writer
Monday, June 16, 2008

Women who reduce their total fat intake, replacing foods high in saturated and trans fat with high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, lose fat from around their waistlines. Many popular diets claim that a high-carbohydrate intake will pack on the pounds, but according to a seven year study of 19,000 post-menopausal women, this claim is untrue. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found that following a low-fat diet high in complex carbohydrate helped women reduce their weight by 4.8 pounds in just one year and helped keep it off in following years. And keep in mind this wasn’t a starvation diet, just simply a new focus on what to eat. But if you do want to lose a significant amount of weight, think what you could accomplish with this same approach but on a reduced-calorie diet. While the best weight-loss advice you can follow is to do what works for you, considering a high-fiber diet is definitely a smart approach. Not only can you trim fat from your tummy, but increasing your fiber intake and reducing total dietary fat, especially saturated fats, can also reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Are You Guilty of Naughty Nibbles?

Are You Guilty of Naughty Nibbles?

By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Monday, June 16, 2008

Bran flakes for breakfast. An orange for a mid-morning snack. Salad with grilled chicken for lunch. Almonds for a mid-afternoon snack. Fish, brown rice and vegetables for dinner. And yet the scale still won’t budge. Many people tell me they watch what they eat all day but still can’t manage to lose weight. What gives? It might be all those naughty nibbles you forget to account for. Do you ever snack on food samples at the grocery store? Or dip into the candy dish at work? Those seemingly insignificant calories that we like to think of as “freebies” can actually be the culprit behind some serious weight gain. Without realizing it, your tastes of soup, nibbles of bread, samples of ice cream flavors, and handfuls of jelly beans can add up to hundreds of extra calories a day. Just 100 extra calories could amount to an additional 10 pounds per year! So if you’re in the habit of taking a nibble here and there, don’t forget that every bite counts. There are no such things as food freebies!

Smart Protein

Smart Protein
JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Friday, June 20, 2008
They say fish is brain food, and I say it’s certainly a smart choice – for your muscles, that is! You need a healthy dose of daily protein to help create new lean muscle, and fish is one of the best protein sources around. Besides being a source of quality protein, certain types of cold-water fatty fish also contain beneficial levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Among their many benefits, these special fats have been shown to help reduce muscle soreness after a workout. Omega-3s also help boost your mood, reduce your appetite and give your skin a radiant glow. Which type of fish should you eat? I recommend you stick with wild salmon, which is very rich in omega-3s. Also, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, salmon is the least likely fish to contain contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury, making it safe for consumption, especially by pregnant and nursing women.

Row Your Way to a Stronger Back

Row Your Way to a Stronger Back

By Jorge Cruise, Fitness Coach
Thursday, June 12, 2008

Do you admire the curvy muscles that wrap around a rower’s lower back? That triangular muscle is called the latissimus dorsi, and it helps to pull your arms down and to your sides. The bent-over row is a favorite exercise of body-builders, but don’t worry: This moderate-strength rowing exercise won’t give you super-sized muscles, but it will strengthen and highlight your lats. Grab your dumbbells and get ready to row your boat!
Step 1: Grasp a pair of dumbbells and drop your arms toward the floor, with palms facing back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend at the waist, and raise your head and chest to create a small arch in the back. Bend your knees slightly.
Step 2: Breathe slowly and rhythmically as you pull the dumbbells up in a fluid rowing motion through a count of 10 seconds, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Step 3: Once the dumbbells are within 2 inches from your ribs, hold and squeeze your shoulder blades together for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Lower your arms back to the starting point through a count of 10.
Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Stressed? Blue? Get a Move On!

Stressed? Blue? Get a Move On!

JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Friday, June 13, 2008

Exercise isn’t just good for your body; it’s also good for your mind. When you work out regularly, you’re less likely to suffer from stress, depression and anxiety. In turn, that makes you less likely to self-medicate with food. And as you probably well know, emotional eating isn’t good for anyone’s “bottom” line. So make sure you follow a regular exercise routine every morning as soon as you wake up. Then continue to perform mini exercise sessions throughout the day. These can be as simple as a 5-minute stroll around the block or chasing your dog in the backyard. Any kind of movement you can squeeze in will leave you more energized, less stressed and better able to enjoy everything that life has to offer.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Water?

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Water?

FREE DAILY DIET TIP
By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, LifeScript Staff Writer
Sunday, June 15, 2008

Is there such a thing as drinking too much water? Absolutely. Downing too much H2O at any one time, especially on race day, can wreak havoc on your electrolyte balance and put your life at serious risk. In fact, OD’ing on water has been known to be deadly, as in the case of one Boston Marathon runner who lost her life after drinking excessive amounts of water on race day. If you’re under the misconception that you can drink all your day’s water at once, you’re wrong – possibly dead wrong. Over-hydration, also known as water intoxication, causes the concentration of electrolytes in the body to sink dangerously low, which can lead to muscle spasms, heart beat irregularities and more. If you’re worried about dehydration, just don’t overdo it. Slowly increase your water intake each day and keep an eye on how much you’re drinking on both training days and race days. And don’t forget: If you’re going to be exercising for 90 minutes or more (or 60 minutes in hot weather), drink a sports drinks along with your regular water breaks to keep your electrolyte levels steady.

Time is What You Make of It

Time is What You Make of It

JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach

Sunday, June 15, 2008
There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Or are there? How great would it be if you could find an extra three to four hours each week? All of us have what I call a Loser Zone where we spend way too much time. You fall into this zone when you do something that produces no significant improvement in your life. Can you guess what the #1 Loser Zone activity is? It’s something the average American spends 30 hours a week doing. If you said watching television, you’re right! You may enjoy zoning out to your favorite shows, but think of how much you could be accomplishing with that time. Even if you just reduced your daily TV time by one hour, you’d have seven extra hours a week. Your Loser Zone time might also involve aimlessly chatting on the phone or surfing the Internet. Identify your Loser Zones and add up how many hours per day you spend there. If your number is greater than six to eight hours, you have just found some time that could be better spent on creating your best body ever.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Grin - Smiling for Inner Peace

Grin - Smiling for Inner Peace

JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Saturday, May 31, 2008

Today I want to share with you a simple trick that will help change your mood for the better and jump-start your motivation. The key is to change your brain’s chemistry by naturally increasing the levels of a special neuron-transmitter called serotonin.

Research has demonstrated that higher amounts of serotonin in our brains make us feel better, while lower amounts make us feel depressed and scattered. The key to maximizing serotonin is not found in Prozac or St. John’s wort. It’s in a smile. You can literally increase the amount of serotonin in your brain by changing your facial expression.

By smiling, you change the flow of blood to your brain and provide an internal environment ideal for producing serotonin. So if you want to immediately feel better, just smile. Even better, smile while you get busy performing your weekly core exercises! Do your strength-training sessions two to three times a week on non-consecutive days, and remember to focus on different muscle groups with each session.
Your coach,Jorge Cruise

Boost Muscle Health with Vitamin C

Boost Muscle Health with Vitamin C

JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Sunday, June 1, 2008

Vitamin C plays a very important role in muscle recovery. This essential nutrient helps your body produce collagen, a major structural protein found in connective tissue that holds muscles, bones and other tissues together. But that’s not the only reason you need vitamin C to build healthy muscles. During exercise, as your breathing increases to meet the demands of your workout, the chemical interaction of oxygen with your cell membranes, protein and other cellular components creates unstable substances called free radicals.

These highly reactive substances are much like small fires that must be extinguished before they burn, or “oxidize,” neighboring molecules in other cells, creating muscle soreness and stiffness. That’s where vitamin C steps in. As a dietary antioxidant, vitamin C blocks free radical damage in and around your cells. Citrus fruits and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamin C, along with most other fruits and vegetables (even iceberg lettuce!)

Lose the Liquid Calories and Lose Weight

Lose the Liquid Calories and Lose Weight
FREE DAILY DIET TIP
By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, LifeScript Staff Writer
Saturday, June 7, 2008

Humans have an obsession with chewing – if we’re not chomping on a snack, we’re biting our nails, gnawing down pencil tips, or chewing on the inside of our cheeks. With all of this focus on chewing, why waste your calories on liquids? A small amount of liquid can deceivingly hold a staggering amount of calories. Worse, you’re likely to forget how many liquid calories you’ve consumed at the end of the day.

Did you know there are 150 calories in just one can of soda? How many sodas do you drink on an average day? Do you count this as part of your total caloric intake? And soda isn’t the only culprit – juice can pack a calorie punch, too. When you drink fruit juice, make sure it’s 100% juice, so you don’t end up drinking a bunch of sugar water. A lot of beverages with the words “fruit” or “all-natural” on the package contain a large percentage of colored sugar water, so be careful.

To maximize the nutritional benefits of juice, you only need 4-8 ounces a day, and then you should stick with water. Is plain old H2O too boring for you? Take water from bland to grand by squeezing a wedge of lemon into ice-cold water for a refreshing twist on this tried-and-true, good-for-you beverage, and get rid of unwanted liquid calories that could be ruining your diet.

Never too old to do weight training - Fit At Any Age

Never too old to do weight training - Fit At Any Age
JORGE’S DAILY FIT TIP
By Jorge Cruise, LifeScript Fitness Coach
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Think you’re too old to start exercising? Actually, fitness is very important as you age. Improving your fitness level can slow age-related decline in strength and motor skills. Ignoring it, on the other hand, leaves you vulnerable and at risk of losing your independence and ability to care for yourself. Strength is a crucial component to quality of life. Without it, the most basic tasks become difficult or even impossible.

Muscle atrophy and lack of forceful contraction both play a major role in aging and loss of function. Luckily, numerous studies have shown that weight training can significantly reduce these risks. You don’t have to feel old as you grow older! Just remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it. To combat muscle atrophy at any age you have to lift weights; aerobic exercise won’t combat muscle wasting.

The benefits of strength training include improved walking speed; the ability to easily rise from a chair, climb stairs, and carry out simple household tasks; and decreased frequency of falls. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s never too late to rebuild muscle strength!
Your coach,Jorge Cruise