Fitness & Wellness

Just like everywhere else, the cost of organic food in Lakeland, Florida, is slightly higher than conventionally grown food. However, there are benefits of eating organic that make the extra price worthwhile. There are very strict standards set by the USDA---the United States Department of Agriculture before a food product can be called organic. For crops, there are no synthetic pesticides, irradiation, biotechnology or artificial fertilizers used. For animal products, the feed must be organic and the animals need to be free range at least part of the time. Animals don't receive growth hormones or antibiotics either.

Just eliminating the pesticides and hormones can make the food healthier.

Several studies link pesticides to many serious conditions and events. These can be as minor as headaches or as debilitating as cancer. Some studies show it can cause birth defects, which is why it's important for pregnant woman or new mothers to be extremely cautious. While there's evidence that conventionally grown food can be safe for most healthy adults, it doesn't hurt to error on the side of caution. Animal products that contain hormones and antibiotics can also affect your health, including antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Studies show that organically grown foods contain higher nutritional value.

A new mega study found that after reviewing more than 343 studies found that while the amount of traditional vitamins and minerals didn't vary in organic food. However, they contained more antioxidants. Antioxidants are a phytonutrient that play a significant role in our health, protecting every cell in the body from oxidation. The organic fruit and vegetables had from 20 to 40 percent more.

Organic food doesn't have to break your budget.

When selecting vegetables and fruit, there's a list called the "Dirty Dozen" and another called the "Clean 15." The EWG---Environmental Working Group---tests hundreds of vegetables and fruit from groceries to find which ones have pesticides, even after washing. The results of those tests are ranked by the amount of pesticides they contain. The Dirty Dozen are the worst and the Clean 15 the most pesticide free. You can save money by choosing organic for the Dirty Dozen, while buying traditionally grown fruits and vegetables that are often lower in cost from the list of the Clean 15.

• Pregnant and lactating women should focus on using more organic vegetables from the "Dirty Dozen list.
• The Dirty Dozen list includes strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes.
• The Clean 15 list includes sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas, onions, papayas, eggplants, asparagus, kiwis, cabbage, cauliflower, cantaloupes, broccoli Mushrooms and honeydew melons.
• To be your healthiest, you need nutritious food and regular exercise. At Habitat Health and Fitness, we can help you shed weight, while getting other health benefits.

For more information, contact us today at Habitatfit.com

I see a lot of clients come into our gym in Lakeland, FL angry, stressed and sometimes ready to blow, but by the end of the workout, they're in a better mood. Why the change? It's one of the benefits of working out. Working out burns off the hormones of stress that can make you ready to hit the next person that looks at you or scream at the top of your lungs. The process of working out actually mimics the very things that the fight or flight response was meant to prepare you to do, fight or run like the wind.

When you start a workout, hormones cause changes in your body.

While the body makes changes, so does the brain. It releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor---BDNF---to protect itself and repair any memory neurons, while also allowing it to be a reset for the brain. Don't worry about the pain from running or fighting----or in this case, exercising---endorphins are released to block pain or discomfort. If those weren't present, you'd focus more on how your legs hurt when running from a predator than looking for places to hide or how to get away successfully.

Your brain increases neurotransmitter production, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.

Serotonin and norepinephrine are both neurotransmitters and hormones. In fact, they're often called happiness hormones. They boost your feelings of happiness and peace in your brain. You get the biggest boost in the first 20 minutes of working out and the effects can last all day. Clinical psychologist, James Blementhal, PhD from Duke University, found that adults suffering from major depression had higher rates of remission, comparing exercise to antidepressants for treating patients suffering from major depressive disorder and that exercise also preventing a relapse in a follow-up a year later.

Healthy eating can increase your sense of well-being.

You may already be aware that eating products with added sugar or simple carbohydrates can cause fluctuations in your blood sugar levels that can take you from a high to a deep valley. Cutting out sugar and simple carbohydrates is one change that has a positive impact on your mood. One study found that people who ate almost no servings of fruit and vegetables and switched to eight portions a day had a boost in the feeling of satisfaction.

• Exercise can be the cornerstone for building habits that make your life better and more productive. Sticking with the habit of working out boosts your self esteem and adds to the feel-good response.
• While nobody is sure why consuming more vegetables and fruit makes you feel good, most hypothesize it's the nutrients like carotenoids that boost optimism or vitamin B12 that increases serotonin.
• Studies show that just starting a program of regular exercise boosts your self-image, even before any results are seen. Knowing you're doing something good for yourself that's tough to do is part of the feel good results.
• Get a boost of happiness today. Habitat Health and Fitness offers an opportunity to get three free workouts to become familiar with our program. Take advantage of this offer and you'll see the difference.

If you're not having any success trying to shed those extra pounds, you might be making one or more of the common diet mistakes that sabotage your efforts. One of the biggest ones is failing to eat enough calories and using a fad diet. Dieting, whether it's a fad diet or not, just doesn't work. It's not sustainable and eventually you go back to old eating habits, which put on weight in the first place. You also often feel hungry and deprived. Eating to few calories can actually slow your metabolism, making it even harder to lose weight. While you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, do it by eating whole foods and skipping the empty calories in processed and sugary food.

Is exercise part of your weight loss plan?

It should be if it isn't. Not only does exercise burn extra calories, it boosts your energy and builds muscle tissue. Who wouldn't love a little extra energy to get more accomplished throughout the day and still feel like doing something active when your work day ends. That means you'll burn even more calories. Building muscle tissue is also important, since muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, boosting your metabolism and making weight loss even easier. If you're not working out regularly, add it to your schedule and you'll find weight loss easier.

Don't be fooled by the label "low fat" or "no fat."

Eating less fat may seem like a great idea when you're trying to shed a few pounds, but it will backfire and make you gain weight. Even though it's higher in calories per gram, it also makes you feel fuller for longer, so you'll eat less. Since removing the fat also takes some of the flavor, manufacturers often add sugar to make the food taste better. That extra sugar adds up to extra calories and actually makes you hungrier, so you'll eat even more than you would otherwise.

Check your diet for the amount of protein it contains.

Not only does protein make you feel fuller longer, it also helps to boost your metabolism. Lack of protein can affect how much muscle mass you have, too. By now you should realize that the more the better when it comes to muscle tissue. Studies show that eating protein can make a significant difference in weight loss. In one study, the subjects ate a diet with 30 percent of those calories from protein sources. Those people ate fewer calories than they did when they lowered that amount to 15 percent of their calories from protein.

• You can get too much of a good thing. While exercise can help you shed extra pounds, if you're overdoing it, can stress your body. Stress hormones like cortisol add pounds around your middle.
• While exercise is important, so is the type of exercise you do. Aerobic exercise like running burns tons of calories, but they come from both lean muscle tissue and fat. The less lean muscle tissue you have, the harder it is to lose weight. Include strength building exercises in your workout that build muscles.
• Don't forget the fiber. Sure, you probably know that fiber keeps you regular, so you don't have a bloated belly, but did you know it can help you lose weight? It blocks the absorption of some calories while boosting your satiety level.
• If you think you're eating less, but don't track what you eat, you may be eating far more calories than you expected. Keeping a food diary can help you find out where your weaknesses are and just how many calories you're really eating.

Getting in shape for the summer means more than just working out. While you do have to move, in order to get the waist, thighs or overall body that you want. You have to eat healthy, too. It can start by eliminating processed foods and sugar from your diet and focus more on eating fresh whole foods. Whole foods can include poultry, beef, pork, seafood and fish you bake, broil, steam or grill at home. Whole foods have minimum ingredients and you know what's in each one. Instead of chicken McNuggets, you eat a baked chicken breast. Forget about the fries and chips, have a baked potato instead.

Exercise tones and builds the muscles, burns calories and gives you the shapely body you want.

Eating healthy can help you lose weight and make your body healthier, but only exercise can shape your body to improve your appearance. Besides toning your body, working out does so much more. It builds muscle tissue and while doing that, burns calories. Building muscle tissue is also important because muscle tissue burns more calories 24/7 than fat tissue does, so it helps you boost your metabolism. You'll increase your energy level, too.

Besides a program of exercise, adding more movement in your life can shape those thighs.

Sure, you can work out three times a week and get results, but if you want to boost those results, start making other changes. Increasing your overall activity can help you lose weight and get fitter faster. It doesn't mean you have to workout every day, but it does mean that making changes like walking to lunch rather than taking a car, taking the stairs not the elevator and even parking further from the store to add steps to your day can help you get the body you want.

Don't forget to take snacks with you.

One reason people often fail at losing weight is that they starve themselves, rather than switching to a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't take long before you find yourself anxiously searching the candy machine at work for something to eat or sneaking a donut that was brought in by a co-worker. Rather than starving yourself, make sure you have a supply of healthy foods, snacks included. Take fresh fruits and vegetables and some healthy dip for a mid morning or mid afternoon snack. A single serving of mixed nuts or a few pieces of apple with peanut butter will help you stay full and keep you on track.

• Starving yourself isn't the way to lose weight. While you might shed a pound or two, they return the minute you eat again. It can even slow your metabolism, which makes it even harder to lose weight.
• You can have family fun while helping those thighs become thinner. Plan a hike or picnic with the family or take a walking tour of the city. Even shooting hoops with the kids can help burn calories and tone your legs.
• Lunges with jump changes, jump crunches, leg raises while laying on your side and leg raises all help thin those thighs and get your legs swimsuit ready.
• Don't forget to drink plenty of water and get adequate sleep. Too little sleep can mess with your hunger hormones and thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Both are healthy lifestyle changes that can slim you down.

If you want to eat healthy, the best way to get a head start is by planning your meals. It may sound like a lot of work, but after the first few weeks, it actually takes less work to plan your meals and cook them over the weekend for the week. That's because you'll be making extra and packing it in the freezer. Before too long, you'll have several weeks worth of meals for those times when you're super busy. It's the perfect answer for those who work outside the home and a great reason to avoid takeout, when your meal is in the freezer and just a microwave minute away.

The first weeks are the hardest.

I'm not saying it doesn't take time, because it does, but it's time well spent. Planning the meals can be done anytime during the week. Do it in a quiet time and enjoy the experience. Make sure you buy enough for double or triple the recipe. You'll save money by planning, since you'll use some of the same ingredients in other dishes throughout the week. Nothing will go to waste when you plan. Make sure you plan snacks, too. Snacks are often the downfall of people who are trying to lose weight.

At first, you'll have to cook several meals at once.

That first weekend will mean cooking all the food for the week at once. After that, the job won't be as big. Set aside time to devote just to cooking the first weekend. While some foods are simmering on the stove or being baked in the oven, you can be chopping fresh vegetables or fruit for snacks throughout the week. If you have a baked chicken, beef or other fish or meat, you can use it to top a salad throughout the week. Doubling the recipe will allow you to pack away some of the food for several weeks to come.

Pack the food you made in perfect serving sizes.

It's easy to misjudge a serving size when you're famished. When you make meals ahead, you can pack the meals with the perfect measure, so you won't have a problem. While fresh fruit and vegetables won't be packed and stored, the good news is that you don't have to worry about them. You can eat as much lettuce or raw broccoli as you want!

• Planning your meals means you won't have leftovers that go to waste in the refrigerator. They'll be packed and frozen for another meal.
• Plan your meals to get the most for your money. Use sales, seasonal food and coupons for each meal plan. You'll find your grocery budget will go a lot further.
• Make sure you do your shopping for the week's food after you've eaten. You'll be less likely to buy snacks and treats that aren't on the list.
• Make one dish each week soup. You can use all the leftover vegetables and even the bones from chicken and beef to make soup. Don't worry if you've roasted the chicken or beef, it makes a great bone broth.