New Year, New You: Three uncommon health and fitness resolutions to help you kick start your fitness for 2011

If you’ve been on the planet long enough to be able to log onto your computer and read this newsletter, you’ve most likely heard every just about every New Year’s resolution. “I’m going to lose weight” or “I’m going to exercise more.” The reason most people don’t stick to these common resolutions is simple: they are too general and in most cases, not very informed. While losing weight is a great idea, most people have no idea where to start so they usually begin cutting calories, going on cleanses and eating sugar-free products, all the while getting sicker and fatter each week. Exercise in theory is a fantastic idea but what kind of exercise is right for fat loss and what kind will actually make it harder to lose weight? Most people aren’t sure and unfortunately rely on so-called health and fitness magazines to give them the answer. This year, let’s try something different. Below are three very specific and researched resolutions to help you lose weight, look younger and feel better in 2011 and beyond.


Resolution 1: I’m going to increase my growth hormone!

Human Growth Hormone, also referred to as the “youth hormone” is absolutely crucial when it comes to looking young, staying lean, burning fat and even fixing DNA damage. Although its name suggests that it only has to do with growth, HGH is actually critical for a variety of bodily functions, such as the turnover of muscle, bone and collagen and the regulation of fat metabolism. So how can you increase your levels naturally? Through sleep, the right kind of exercise and a low-carb diet. HGH production follows a circadian rhythm and is secreted at its highest level in the first hour of early sleep (early being a 10pm bedtime) so if you want to burn fat, create lean muscle mass and look younger, getting to bed on time is a must. Additionally, recent studies show that strength training far outweighs cardio training when it comes to the production of HGH. So sticking to short bursts of high intensity exercise (such as a strength training circuit) will create more HGH than a five-mile run. Finally, because an elevated blood carbohydrate level switches off the secretion of HGH, sticking to a diet that contains high-quality animal proteins, healthy fats and low glycemic carbohydrates (in other words “yes” to dark leafy greens and “no” to potatoes) is essential for keeping your HGH revved throughout the day.

Resolution 2: I’m going to eat more coconut!

Because of its high levels of healthy fat, coconut is a wonder food for those of you who want to burn fat, think clearer and look younger (and, as a bonus, it tastes great). Simply put, for those of you who want to lose weight, you have to cut all of the trans fats, vegetable oils (and don’t even say margarine) from your diet and replace them with healthy fats (such as the fats found in organic, high quality animal products, avocados, coconuts, etc.). For those of you who are still hesitant about eating healthy fats, you should know that sixty percent of your brain is composed of fat - so when you don’t eat enough saturated fat, such as the fat found in coconuts, you actually compromise the chemistry of your brain. In addition, because the fat found in coconuts helps maintain the integrity of almost every cell in your body, it decreases wrinkles, strengthens hair and nails and even increases bone strength. In times of stress, the healthy fats found in coconuts even provide support to the heart and help lower the body’s overall inflammation, decreasing your risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. And as an added bonus in the winter months, coconut is highly anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-bacterial, helping you stay healthy in addition to helping you stay lean. My preferred source of coconut fat is coconut oil, a wonderful addition to any broth, shake, and even a great oil for sautéing vegetables and cooking meats.

Resolution 3: I’m going to break my addiction to stinkin thinkin!

Your mind plays a huge role in your ability to lose weight. Many people listen to the same tapes over and over in their heads, playing and re-playing negative thoughts day in and day out. These thoughts are actually addictions, and are no different than an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, cookies or even drugs and alcohol. Common thought addictions range from “My genetics make me overweight” to “I don’t like the way I look but I can’t change it” to “I’m exhausted, over-worked and living off coffee, but so is everyone else.” These tapes are like old software on your computer that no longer works and needs an update. This year I challenge you to replace your negative thinking software with one that better serves you. To do this, think about your thoughts. Categorize them. Are they thoughts of the future (rehearsing)? Are they thoughts of the past (remembering)? Do your thoughts make you feel better or worse? What would you gain from losing that negative thought? Remember, most people have not only physical weight to lose, but emotional weight as well and in MOST cases, the two are so interwoven that you rarely see one without the other. Finally, as Dr. John Sarno points out in The Divided Mind, our bodies quite literally listen to what our brains say. So if you tell yourself over and over again that you’re just not losing weight, your body will respond by not losing weight. Instead, write a positive script for the new year. Stop weighing yourself daily or beating yourself up over your calories in/calories out and instead focus on the bigger picture. Your body will thank you and your mind, no longer focused on beating you up, will allow you to relax and get that early sleep I’m always talking about.

So when everyone is saying that they are going to lose weight or eat better, here are a few specific resolutions that you can implement (and stick with) for the new year. Remember, the more specific the goal, the easier it is to achieve. Cheers to a healthy and fit 2011!

Working out, eating right and still not losing weight? What gives?

So you're spending time at the gym every week and you're eating a high-quality, gluten-free diet but you're still not losing weight. What gives? You know your diet is healthy and you feel the effects of your workout...so what's the issue?

The most commonly overlooked and most effective tool for losing weight and looking younger is pretty simple: stress management and sleep. I put stress management and sleep together because most people who aren't managing their stress also aren't getting enough sleep.

Let's take a minute to talk about what exactly I mean by enough sleep. When we were cavemen, we fell asleep soon after the sun went down and we woke up when the sun came up in the morning. Now, with easy access to work email, television and other sources of nonstop information, we are going against what our biology craves (i.e rest and repair) and moving more towards a state of degradation and disease.

According to health and weight loss expert Robb Wolf, just one night of sleep deprivation makes you as insulin resistant as a type 2 diabetic. For those of you who might now know, insulin resistance causes increased insulin and glucose in the blood, which leads to relatively rapid weight gain. So can you imagine what getting inadequate sleep night after night does to your belly? And if the idea of belly fat isn't enough to get you to tuck in earlier at night, how about this: The Centers for Disease Control recently qualified shift work (aka disrupted sleep patterns and inadequate sleep) as carcinogenic. That means lack of sleep, over time, leads to cancer.

In addition to making you gain weight and potentially put you on a path to disease, lack of sleep also causes wrinkles. It doesn't matter how many creams you put on your face, you aren't going to look youthful if you don't get enough rest. Because lack of sleep shoots up the levels of insulin and glucose in your blood, not getting enough sleep is pretty similar to eating a diet that's loaded with carbs (aka sugar). These high levels of insulin and glucose have the effect of aging your skin by degrading collagen, the protein responsible for giving your skin strength, flexibility and resilience. So now after no sleep you're not only fatter, but you look and feel older. Gross.

"Okay, okay, so I need to sleep. Let me have a few glasses of wine to unwind." Think again. Wine is like a sugar bomb to your system. Even though you might feel relaxed after drinking it, it's actually causing quite a bit of stress inside of your body. In addition, drinking wine before bed leads to disrupted sleep patterns. Even if you think you "passed out" after a few glasses, wine actually blocks the release of human growth hormone during early sleep. As you all probably know, growth hormone output is responsible for everything from developing muscle to stimulating the immune system. And for those of you who prefer a little sleeping pill to a glass of wine, you should know that drugs such as Ambien also interfere with the body's ability to generate growth hormone during sleep. Instead of relying on alcohol or drugs, the best way to fall asleep naturally is to dim the lights after 8pm, avoid the computer and TV, take a relaxing bath, have a cup of chamomile tea and/or read a book.

So now that you're going to start managing your sleep, you also need to start managing your stress. Why? Well, increased cortisol (the hormone your body sends out in a stressful situation) over time leads to decreased memory, a decreased sex drive, tons of belly fat and unfortunately, an EZ Pass to aging. Why? Well think of a zebra being chased by a lion. The only thing that zebra can think about is survival. Sex, procreation, weight loss and memory all go out the window. The zebra's only job is to get as far away from the lion as possible. When you live in a state of chronic stress (from bad food, bad relationships, unhealthy work/life balance, etc) you are that zebra, running as fast as possible from these common stress lions 24 hours a day. While we need stress hormones to live (that burst of energy that gets us away from the lion does come in handy) if you're stressed for too long without adequate rest and repair, your liver releases sugar and fat, leading to an unhealthy mind and body and tighter pants.

What You Can Do To Manage Stress Today:

1. Sleep in a cave. Okay, maybe not a cave but make your room as much of a cave as possible. Even a small amount of light on your skin impairs your body's ability to generate melatonin, the antioxidant responsible for putting you to sleep.

2. Get 8-9 hours of sleep a night and no, you aren't "fine" on 6 or 7. You might be able to survive on 6 or 7 hours of sleep, but you need at least 8-9.

3. Try working in instead of working out: You're sick, you're tired, and you're killing yourself with 2 hour workouts. You might as well have a slice of cake instead of going to the gym because that long workout is not helping you lose weight - it's just creating stress (and increased fat storage) in your body. Train smarter, not harder: stick to bursts of strength training and ditch the endurance stuff (I'm talking to you, 5 mile run - or anything with loads and loads of reps for that matter).

4. Cut back on the bevvies: Seriously. If you have to drink, drink earlier in the evening. Drinking before bedtime impairs your body's production of growth hormone. Another drinking tip: keep the alcohol clear. Beer is loaded with gluten and wine is loaded with sugar. Try Robb Wolf's famous recipe: lime, soda water and tequila (or other clear alcohols) as a lower-sugar beverage. Also have a snack with protein and/or fat (such as sliced organic meat) before bedtime to help your body metabolize the alcohol.

5. Prioritize your life. This one is usually the trickiest for people...but that fancy car or expensive vacation really isn't all that fun when you're too sick and tired to enjoy it. Instead of letting stress (and car payments) control your life, make excellent health and vitality your priority. It makes everything else a lot more fun.

If you missed it this past month, click the link below to see Holistic Fitness on CBS5:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/11/12/consumerwatch-high-tech-tool-can-help-visualize-weight-loss-goals/