Sugar Sugar Side Effects Depresses Your Immune System

I wanted to share this piece I read today about sugar:

Your body uses white blood cells to destroy viruses and bacteria. In the 1970’s researchers discovered that vitamin C was needed by the white blood cells to aid them in the process of destroying viruses and bacteria. Researchers developed a “phagocytic index” which tells them how rapidly a particular macrophage or lymphocyte can gobble up a virus, bacteria, or cancer cell to destroy it. Dr. Linus Pauling realized that white blood cells need a high dose of vitamin C to effectively do their job in protecting you.


Sugar in the form of glucose has a similar chemical structure to vitamin C. As your glucose levels increase, this molecule competes with vitamin C to enter the cell. If there is more glucose present, then there will be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much glucose for this disruption to occur. A blood glucose level of 120 reduces the “phagocytic index” by 75%!


You need to realize that when you eat sugar, you depress your immune system!


In addition to depressing your immune system, refined sugar lacks minerals and vitamins. For it to be metabolized into your system it must draw upon your body’s micro-nutrient stores which can deplete them. This process impedes the metabolism of cholesterol and free fatty acids leading to higher blood serum triglycerides and cholesterol. In time, this leads to heart disease and obesity and becomes a precursor for diabetes.


Sugar is devoid of minerals, vitamins, fiber. Sugar side effects has such a depressing effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and health organizations such as the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetic Association, agree that its consumption is one of the 3 major causes of degenerative disease in America.

With all Luray Caverns has to offer.....WHY advertise like this?!

EPIC FAIL AWARD: To Luray Caverns for this ad. One of the most interesting natural wonders in the USA and they choose to market its features to children by concentrating on sweets & candy in the gift shop. How disappointing!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Miles lauching a med ball @ Danny.  Is it just me, or does it look like he's throwing it REALLY hard?  Like, hard enough to take a trainer's head off.  ;-)

Recipe Road Test - SWEET & SPICY TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

Let me start by saying I've never met an Oxygen Magazine recipe that I haven't liked. With that in mind, I was really excited to see this gem in a recent issue.


Perhaps it's my Eastern European genetics; but I can't get enough of cabbage. Raw, braised, wrapped around little ground beef & rice rolls (aka halupki - which my mom makes the best in the world, sorry John B), in soup or even boiled into oblivion. I LOVE cabbage!


So when I saw Chinese cabbage, red peppers, mushrooms and tofu all under one lid, I immediately planned a trip to the store. Today I threw this meal together in mere minutes. It was worth EVERY nanosecond.


Excuse the phone pics. My camera card is in my computer at the gym. But it's not a very pretty meal anyway - don't let the icky appearance keep you from making this. I'm actually thinking of chilling the leftovers and eating them cold. You know, if tofu tastes great right out of the wok, it only tastes better the next day.


Eat in good health & thanks for reading this! ~ Steph

SWEET & SPICY TOFU WITH VEGETABLES


Makes 4 servings

12 oz firm tofu drained and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cubed
2 cups Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup low-sodium organic chicken broth
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp organic honey
2 tsp arrowroot flour
1/8 red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups brown rice, cooked


1. Heat oil in large sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, cabbage and mushrooms; continue cooking for 7 minutes or until onion softens.


2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, soy sauce, arrowroot flour and red pepper flakes.


3. Add sauce to vegetables and tofu and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Serve with cooked rice.


Cals 254; Total Fats 7g; Sat Fat 1g; Trans Fat 0g; Sodium 492mg; Total Carbs 36g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 8g: Protein 13g; Iron 2mg.

Elliptical Cardio Ideas

Thought I'd share some elliptical workouts. This particular piece of cardio equipment is excellent if you have  any issues which require cardio done at a lower impact.

Nice interval work here - remember, your body is a master of adaptation so switch it up often! I hope to see lots of you at Commitment Fitness hopping on and off the equipment & squeezing some plyos in!


ELLIPTICAL 45 MINUTES


0-10 resistance 4
10-20resistance 5
20-30 resistance 6
30-40 resistance 7
40-45 cool-down resistance 0


45 MINUTES

You will switch every 10 minutes forward and backwards
Highest resistance forward you can maintain good pace at forward
Flat, no resistance backwards


45 MINUTES

Keep it on the highest resistance you can keep up at
Mins 0-5 forward
Mins 5-6 get off and do alternating lunges
Mins 6-10 backwards
Repeat sequence until 45 minutes


30 MINUTES

15 minutes forward on highest resistance you can maintain

15 minutes backward on highest resistance you can maintain



45 MINUTES

Minutes 0-15 moderate resistance forward
Minutes 15-17 get off and do 20 crunches, 10 full-range sit-ups (hold plate or med ball if these are too easy)
Minutes 17-20 Highest resistance you can maintain backwards
Repeat until you get to 45 minutes


45 MINUTES

0-10 warm-up
10-20 resistance 4
20-30 resistance 6
30-40 resistance 7
40-45 cool-down



YOU NEED ELLIPTICAL, DUMBBELLS & 45 MINUTES


Resistance 4
you can up the resistance if you feel like you want to challenge yourself
Every 10 minutes get off and do 10 crunches, 12 arm curls, 10 squats and 10 jumping jacks (can
do variation of outward toe taps if these are too hard)
Repeat sequence until you get to 45 minutes


45 MINUTES

5 minutes on elliptical at a moderate resistance level you can maintain
After every 5 minutes, get off and do 30 seconds crunches, 30 seconds lying leg lifts, roll over 30
seconds plank, 30 seconds mountain climbers (at your own pace, it isn’t a race)


45 MINUTES w/DUMBBELLS

0-10 Highest incline, resistance 4
get off and do 10 sway lunges holding DB (stand w/legs far apart, DB’s in hands and sway back
and forth….one time back and forth counts as one rep)
10-20 resistance 4
get off and do 10 push-ups
20-30 resistance 4
get off and do 15 bicep curls
30-40 resistance 4
get off and do 15 DB presses overhead
40-45 cool-down

"Losing It"

I posted on Facebook today about Jillian Michaels' new show, "Losing It" to ask what trainer style people respond to better.  Harda$$, softie, the BFF type, the info junkie.  There are so many types of trainers. 

Perhaps a great trainer is ALL of those things.  Let's face it, we humans aren't the same day after day.  We can go into the gym feeling like an Olympic champ one day and a chump the next.  Adopting a one size fits all attitude as a trainer can be career limiting, if not dangerous to clients.  No pain-no gain is a thing of the past. 

People should feel accomplished and exhilarated after a great training session.  Not destroyed or demeaned.  

Just a few musings here this morning.  And now it's time to get off the computer & on the treadmill for a workout.  Which reminds me of a favorite quote, "Don't talk about it - BE about it!"

Have a great day, I believe in you.

Steph 



 

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