6 Week Belly Blaster Partner Challenge

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6 Week Belly Blaster Partner Challenge

We have a new challenge for everyone to help you jump start your New Years Resolutions!

How this works:Grab a partner. Studies have shown that losing weight is easier when done with a partner.

It’s only $99 for you and a partner! But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s not valuable. This is the fastest way to lose weight, drop dress or pants sizes, transform your body and look and feel better than you have in years…in just 6 short weeks.
Complete the form above to download the 6 Week Belly Blaster Challenge Transformation Guide ($49 value) absolutely free.
Complete the registration form included in the Guide and submit it to us by midnight on January 13, 2012.
The Challenge officially begins on Saturday, January 14, 2012. We will be holding an orientation that day @ 9am.
Follow the 6 Week Transformation System Guide and be on your way to your best body

Head on over to the sign up page now! Challenge begins January 16th! Orientation will be January 14th at 9am!

Crown Point Boot Camp: Say Goodbye to Flu Season

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: http://www.sxc.hu

Every year when Winter rolls around, you’ve probably noticed the glut of commercials for cold and flu medicines that promise to put an end to the coughing, sneezing, headaches, stuffiness and more that comes with being sick.

Most of us just chalk it up to being “that” time of year.

But the truth is, there’s a very good reason why Winter coincides with greater chances of being sick with the flu or a similar illness.

As it turns out, a vitamin D deficiency is the culprit.

And when you stop and think about it, it makes total sense.

As Winter progresses, the daylight hours become shorter and shorter. Combine that with the fact that most people try and stay indoors to keep warm, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a vitamin D deficiency.

That’s because your body makes the vitamin D it needs with the sunlight that hits your skin when you’re outside.

A study published in the journal Epidiemology and Infection found that there is a direct correlation between the lack of vitamin D most people experience during winter and coming down with a cold. [1]

The researchers stated, “We conclude that vitamin D, or lack of it… [is the] seasonal stimulus [for illness].”

Another study, published in the 2009 edition of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine discovered that a vitamin D deficiency is responsible for many upper-respiratory tract infections. [2]

And that’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg when it comes to research linking vitamin D deficiency to getting sick.

For example, one Dutch study found that children with the least sun exposure were twice as likely to develop a cough and three times as likely to develop a runny nose, compared to children who got plenty of sun. [3]

: http://www.sxc.hu

Another Russian study stimulated vitamin D production in athletes. They did this with sun lamps that gave off UV rays.

The result?

The athletes experienced 50% LESS respiratory infections and had less days missed due to illness. [4]

And while I don’t have to space here to tell you about ALL the neat vitamin D studies I’ve found, I’ll leave you with one more.

In 1994, a study published in the Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, investigated the effects of high-dosage vitamin D supplementation on children.

The researchers gave 27 children (ages 3-12) 60.000 iu of vitamin D per week. They did this over the course of six weeks.

Also, you should know that these children all had a history of frequent respiratory infections.

By the time the study ended, NONE of the children developed respiratory infections. [5]

Dr. Rehman, the study’s lead author, stated, “infections were fully controlled and no recurrences were reported for six months.”

That’s simply amazing when you think about it!

So save your money this Winter. Instead of going out there and getting cold medicines, get some sun… well, that is if you’re lucky enough to live in a warmer climate.

: http://www.sxc.hu

Otherwise, stock up on vitamin D!

The kind of vitamin D you want to take is important. Choose a supplement that contains vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

As far as how much, research indicates you may need as much as 5,000 – 8,000 iu to get the protective, immune-boosting effects.

Oh and by the way, if you’re serious about taking your health and fitness to the next level for the New Year, why not take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value)

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up,click here

References:

1. Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, Giovannucci E.”Epidemic influenza and vitamin D.”Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40. Epub 2006 Sep 7.

2. Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr.”Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90.

3. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2004 Oct;20(5):270-1.

4. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult. 1990 May-Jun;(3):30-3.

5. J Trop Pediatr. 1994 Feb;40(1):58.

Crown Point Boot Camps: How Your Hair Can Predict Your Heart’s Future Health…

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This might sound a little crazy…

But recent research has found that your HAIR can actually predict whether or not your heart is headed for disaster.

Let me explain…

We all know that stress is bad for us. And during times of stress, our bodies release cortisol (the “stress” hormone).

Now, cortisol is a bit funny. That’s because too little of it is bad for you. Yet, too much is also VERY bad.

Unfortunately, because of our busy lives and the way our society is structured, it can be hard NOT to feel stressed out all the time.

This is not good at ALL for your health. Chronic stress has been linked to numerous health problems including heart attack and stroke.

That’s why researchers at The University of Western Ontario set out to discover a way to measure your “accumulated” stress levels… as a way to predict a future event, like heart attack.

Currently, you CAN get your stress (cortisol) levels checked. The only problem is that it only represents your cortisol levels on the day of testing.

This means you can’t see how much TOTAL stress you’ve been under, say, in the last 3 months.

That’s why this research is so exciting.

For this study, published in the journal Stress, researchers recruited 112 participants who were already hospitalized.

56 of the subjects were in the hospital due to heart attack.

56 of subjects in the control group were hospitalized for reasons other than heart attack.

The researchers then collected a 3cm-long hair sample from everyone in each group. Cortisol levels in the hair were then measured.

The study accounted for known heart-attack risk factors (i.e. diabetes, high-cholesterol, triglycerides, etc) in all the subjects. Despite this, accumulated cortisol levels in the hair emerged as the strongest predictor of heart attack. [1]

“Intuitively we know stress is not good for you, but it’s not easy to measure. We know that on average, hair grows one centimetre (cm) a month, and so if we take a hair sample six cm long, we can determine stress levels for six months by measuring the cortisol level in the hair, ” explained Dr. Gideon Koren, one of the senior researchers involved in the study.

He added, “Stress is a serious part of modern life affecting many areas of health and life. This study has implications for research and for practice, as stress can be managed with lifestyle changes…”

Pretty interesting, huh?

The moral of the story: Do whatever you can on a regular basis to reduce your stress levels.

Your health (and your heart) will thank you.

The first thing in ANY stress-reduction program is to exercise. It’s a great stress-reliever.

Once you’ve got that down, here are a few more things that can help:

Vitamin C: In addition to being a great immune system booster, it turns out vitamin C can also help reduce your cortisol levels. One study published in the journal Psychopharmacology recruited 120 volunteers who were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). It’s a test commonly used to measure psychological stress. Those who took vitamin C had lower blood pressure, less subjective stress, and decreased cortisol levels than the placebo group. [2]

Breathe: Deep breathing is very effective at calming you down and lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. Whenever you’re feeling anxious or totally stressed, take a few minutes to breathe. Make sure you inhale deeply, into your belly. Then hold it for a second or two. Then slowly exhale. Do this 5-10 times and you’ll immediately start to feel calmer.

Fish Oil: This amazing nutrient seems to do it all… protect your heart, your brain, reduce inflammation, and on and on… But one interesting 2003 study also found that as little as 7-8 grams of fish oil daily can be effective at reducing high cortisol levels due to mental stress. [3]

So there you have it.

With what’s left of the holiday season, make sure to take a few minutes each day to “stop and smell the roses.”

Being stressed out all the time is not good for you.

So it’s absolutely critical that you make de-stressing a priority in your life.

And by the way … if you’re serious about taking your health and fitness to the next level for this coming New Year, why not take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value)

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up,click here

References:

1. David Pereg, Rachel Gow, Morris Mosseri, Michael Lishner, Michael Rieder, Stan Van Uum, Gideon Koren. Hair cortisol and the risk for acute myocardial infarction in adult men. Stress The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 2010; 100902220954013 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2010.511352

2. Brody S, Preut R, Schommer K, Schurmeyer TH. A randomized controlled trial of high dose ascorbic acid for reduction of blood pressure, cortisol, and subjective responses to psychological stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 Jan;159(3):319-24.

3. Delarue J, Matzinger O, Binnert C, Schneeiter P, Chiolero P, Tappy L. Fish oil prevents the adrenal activation elicited by mental stress in healthy men. Diabetes Metab. 2003 Jun;29(3):289-95.

Crown Point Boot Camps: Annual Turkey Busting Workouts

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Just bring a can of food and you can workout at Crown Point’s leading fitness boot camp from November 21-23 for free. Angela Ramos, owner of Inspiration Fitness, calls them “Turkey-Busting Workouts” because they burn off those monstrous calories we all gobble up at Thanksgiving.

“We are making this an annual tradition here,” says Ramos, “because Thanksgiving is such a wonderful family and friends holiday, and a time to show our appreciation for all we have, especially our health.”

Inspiration Fitness is open to everyone and their family and friends on November 21nd (9am, 5pm or 6pm), November 22rd (5pm)) November 24th (9am, 5pm or 6pm). The cost of admission is just two cans of food (preferably vegetables), otherwise it’s completely free to everyone who wants a great workout with fun people.

“All that we ask is that folks register in advance at this page so we can be sure we have enough equipment on hand to accommodate everyone,” says Ramos.

After you register, we’ll email you all the information you need to attend boot camp!

Boot camp is perfect for all folks regardless of age or fitness level – we make everyone feel welcome and customize the workouts so everybody gets what they need.”

“We anticipate a great turnout because folks enjoy working out with family, friends and friendly people. And because we’re supporting a great cause, a Local Food Bank. It’s a great way way for us to give thanks for our health, our families, friends and good fortune, and help others who are less fortunate at the same time,” explains Ramos.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact us at (219) 779-0500

Crown Point Boot Camp: Why What You Think About Your Food Matters…

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There’s no doubt about it…

Your body and your mind are directly linked.

What you think about has a clear effect on your health and vice versa.

: http://www.sxc.hu

In fact, I’ve just come across a fascinating study that shows how strong this mind-body connection is.

Researchers at Yale University decided to see how your thoughts affect your body’s response to food.

The study, published in the online journal Health Psychology, focused on ghrelin levels in the body.

So we’re on the same page, ghrelin is also known as the “hunger” hormone. It sends a signal to your brain that makes you want to eat.

If your body’s ghrelin levels are high, you’ll tend to overeat… even if you are already feeling full.

Likewise, low ghrelin levels are associated with feelings of satiety and not needing to eat more. .

One more thing – ghrelin levels typically increase before meals and decrease after eating.

Back to the study…

The researchers recruited volunteers and divided them into two groups:

: http://www.sxc.hu

Group 1 – received a milkshake that they were told was a 620-calorie “indulgent” shake.

Group 2 – received a milkshake that they were told was a 140-calorie “sensible” shake.

In reality, both groups got the same exact shake, which came in at 380 calories.

So what happened?

After drinking the shake, both groups had their ghrelin levels measured.

The group that thought they were having the nice, fatty-shake had a dramatic and steep decline in their ghrelin levels.

The group that thought they were being healthy had a neutral ghrelin response.

“This study shows that mindset can affect feelings of physical satiety. The brain was tricked into either feeling full or feeling unsatisfied. That feeling depended on what people believed they were consuming, rather than what they actually were consuming,” said Alia J.Crum, the study’s lead author.

“What was most interesting,” Crum added, “is that the results were somewhat counterintuitive. Consuming the shake thinking it was ‘indulgent’ was healthier than thinking it was ‘sensible.’ It led to a sharper reduction in ghrelin.”

Pretty crazy, right!?

The mere perception of what you’re eating has a direct effect on your body.

How’s that for “food for thought?”

So next time you embark on a diet, try to see if you can get yourself to change the perception of what you’re eating… and then see how it makes you feel.

Imagine the possibilities… indulgent chicken salads… hearty protein shakes… and exquisite veggies.

The sky’s the limit on this one!

Well, that’s all for today. Keep up those good eating and exercise habits… and make sure to use this neat little Jedi “mind trick” this holiday season.

Oh, and a BIG happy early Thanksgiving! Thank YOU for being a loyal reader.

And by the way … if you’re serious about taking your overall health and fitness to the next level before the New Year, why not take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $87 value)

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that’s tailored to YOUR body.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and completely free. To sign up, click here

References:

[1] Crum, Alia J.; Corbin, William R.; Brownell, Kelly D.; Salovey, Peter, “Mind over milkshakes: Mindsets, not just nutrients, determine ghrelin response.” Health Psychology, May 16, 2011

What Is Your Favorite Post-Workout Meal?

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We all know it’s best to have a healthy snack after working out. Studies have shown that eating a small meal of protein and healthy carbs helps increase the benefits of your workout and speeds up the fat loss process.

So what’s your favorite post workout meal?

Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite healthy after-workout snack.