Listening to Your Body!

Getting adequate rest after a hard workout is critical! The body actually repairs and strengthens itself between workouts so continuous training can actually work against you, making you weaker in the long run. A muscle takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to fully repair itself, so it is never recommended to work the same muscle group two days in a row. You also shouldn't work out more than 4-6 days per week.

The most important thing you can do regarding proper recovery is to listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired, sore or notice decreased performance, it’s time to take a day or two off. Many experts actually recommend taking an entire week off every six weeks of training. Our bodies are usually very good at telling us what we need and when. The problem is that sometimes we don’t listen and just push through. That’s when we can experience over training syndrome that can lead to depression, inability to concentrate, irritability, excessive fatigue and insomnia among other things.

Are you Getting your Vitamin ZZZ's?

Rest is a vital component of any exercise program. You should take a minimum of 1-rest day every week; and most people also need a 1-week break every 6-weeks. It's important to listen to your body, as over training can dramatically slow down your results and result in injury. Once the muscles have been stressed they take up to 48-hours to fully recover. It is not recommended to train the same body parts on consecutive days. It's also vital to sleep eight to nine hours every night so the body can recover fully.

Not only is sleep an important part of staying fit, it is also vital for good health. Lack of sleep over the long-term can have disasterous impacts on your weight loss efforts, ability to concentrate and can lead to mood swings, irritability and even depression.

Here are some tips for promoting a good night's sleep:

• Go to bed early, ensuring you get at least 8-hours of shut-eye each night.
• Take time to unwind and relax before hitting the sack. A warm bath and herbal teas (like chamomile) have been found to promote relaxation and help you fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine and nicotine later in the day. These stimulants can raise your blood pressure and give you extra energy.
• If you're a craving an afternoon nap, go for it, but limit yourself to 20-minutes or you may make falling asleep at night problematic.
• Try to avoid snacking at least 2-hours before bed. As your metabolism starts working to digest food, your energy levels will rise. If you need to eat close to bedtime, keep it small and avoid high-fat foods. Warm milk, a low fat yogurt or even a small bowl of cereal are good options.
• If sleeplessness is common for you, please consult with your physician. You could be suffering from a sleep disorder like sleep apnea or insomnia, which can be dangerous for your health. The sooner you get professional help the better!

7 Reasons to Eat Chocolate

Do you crave chocolate? Well, I have some great news!

Dark Chocolate (with 65% or higher cocoa content) has many health benefits. Here's seven good reasons to indulge guilt free. Just don't eat a pound a day! It's still a high-calorie, high-fat food - so enjoy but only in moderation.

Benefit #1: It's full of many important nutrients like potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A1, B1, B2, D and E.

Benefit #2: It stimulates endorphin production and contains the "feel good" hormone serotonin, which can elevate your mood, reduce pain and act as a natural stress-reducer.

Benefit #3: It contains antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage, which can lead to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains eight times the antioxidant power that you find in strawberries.

Benefit #4: Studies show that small amounts of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

Benefit #5: It's great for muscle recovery. That's why many athletes consider low-fat chocolate milk to be one of the best post-recovery snacks around.

Benefit #6: Research on rats has found that increased chocolate intake can lower a number of inflammatory chemicals in the brain, thereby suppressing migraine symptoms.

Benefit #7: It tastes great & even a small amount can help curve cravings.

Are you Vitamin D deficient?

A study at the University of Calgary reports that 97% of Canadians are deficient at some point every year. Lack of vitamin D may be more serious than you think. It's absolutely crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones. Vitamin D is also a good way to arm yourself against disease, especially the common cold. Studies show that having adequate vitamin D will reduce your risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Low vitamin D, on the other hand, has been linked to higher body fat and decreased strength and can even lead to depression, muscle pain and birth defects.

How Much is Enough?

During your annual physical ask your doctor to test your vitamin D blood levels to see where you're at. No one knows exactly how much Vitamin D we need. Some say 400-600 UI per day is enough. However, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends 1,000 UI daily for all Canadians. Many vitamin D researchers now believe even more would be beneficial.

How to Increase my Vitamin D Levels?

Although increasing your sun exposure is a natural solution, in Canada‚ our northern climate means UVB levels in sunlight are too weak 4-6 months of the year for our bodies to produce any vitamin D. There are only a few food sources of vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D are fortified foods like whole grain cereals and beverages like milk and soy beverages. Fish, liver, and egg yolk are the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D. If you do not eat vitamin D rich foods often, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement, especially in the winter months when exposure to sunlight is limited.