Jumpstart Health
Kick Start Your Health and Fitness
Dr. Phil Maffetone was able to turn Davide’s (founder of C25) health and fitness – and life - around. Now, follow his advice and find out how you can do the same in the New Year. It’s never too late to be fit.
JumpStart Your Health: 2012
Dr. Philip Maffetone
If the holidays shattered your eating habits, you’ve gained weight or feel washed up, and you’re truly ready to build your health, here’s the best place to start. The first, step is to make the decision to burn off that excess body fat, and get healthy. Many people plan to go on a diet for the New Year. But as we all know, diets don't work for most people, and, you sacrifice your health for a few pounds. Plus, diets are no fun. There's a better way -- decide to do it right and be healthy.
Turning on your body's fat-burning system will give you what you want -- loss of body fat, more energy, better health. There are two things to consider: the foods you eat, and your level of activity. By New Year's, sugar addiction has worsened in many people. And, physical activity has often hit bottom. Getting rid of the sugar problem and performing some short, easy activity, such as walking, should enable you to reach your goals. Yes, it's that simple.
Start by reading the survey below and note how many items below apply to you. These are some of the common problems associated with diet stress.
For Adults:
• Poor concentration or sleepiness after meals
• Intestinal gas or bloating after meals
• Frequent hunger
• Increasing abdominal fat or facial fat
• Fatigue (mental or physical)
• Insomnia or sleep apnea
• Waist size increasing with age
• Personal or family history of diabetes, kidney or gall stones, gout, high blood pressure, high cholesterol/low HDL, high triglycerides, heart disease, stroke, ovarian cysts or breast cancer
• Low animal protein intake
• Cravings for sweets or caffeine
• Feelings of depression
• Tendency to addiction
For Children:
• Low or high birth weight (5½ lbs. or less; 9 lbs. or more)
• Taller than average for age
• Increased weight or body fat
• Parent or grandparent is diabetic (adult onset)
• Sleep problems
• Mother had increased stress during pregnancy.
• Increased aggression or anger
• Attention and learning disorders
• Overeating sweets or carbohydrates upsets
• Physical activity low
• Family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, heart disease, stroke or breast cancer
• “Addiction” to sweets
If you or your child had more than even one or two of the above, it could indicate a problem called carbohydrate intolerance (also called glucose intolerance and many other names) – and the more items that pertain to you the worse it could be. This problem could have a serious impact on brain function, increase fat storage and damage overall health. It could also be the first step in a long process ending in various disease states, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
If the above indicators apply to you, or you just need to jump start your metabolism to burn more fat, the Two Week Test can be the start of your path to optimal health. Follow the link below for more details.
I developed the Two Week Test almost 30 years ago to help people get back on track, and to help get off the vicious diet cycle. Many people eat too much refined carbohydrates – beyond what their bodies can tolerate. The Two Week Test is a simple method for understanding and correcting this problem quickly.
The Two Week Test is for those serious about wanting to improve overall health – it’s not a diet but a process of learning how best to eat for your body’s needs. Click here to start . . .
Below is the other important aspect of burning fat and getting fit: simple exercise.
JumpStart Your Fitness 2012
Dr. Phil Maffetone
This is one of two important articles on my Jumpstart Your Health program. The other addresses diet. For those who need both, they can be done together.
When properly done, exercise should be easy, simple, free and fit into your daily schedule without stress. The result: you’ll burn more body fat, get thinner, have more energy, improve overall health and slow down aging. Yes, you’ll look younger too! Here are the steps:
1. Create a regular routine. When your workout is a part of the day, you’ll stick with it.
2. Just walk! Whether this is your first time working out, or you used to run marathons, start with a walking routine. Almost everyone will succeed with walking and it will provide the most difficult part of getting back into shape – developing a good foundation of aerobic fitness. This is how your fat-burning system will kick in fast. There’s no special way to walk – just walk. No power-walking, no hand weights, not like a zombie – walk comfortably.
3. Walk in the morning if possible, before the start of your busy day. Those with a morning routine generally are most successful. Otherwise, as the day progresses and you’ve not walked, you keep accumulating more things to do. Now your workout is in jeopardy because you’re too busy. Get it done early in the day, and it’s done.
4. Walk five to six days a week. Take one or two days off from exercise, such as a busy Monday. The body needs recovery, and this will help guarantee you reach your goals.
5. Workout at or from home rather than driving somewhere. Walking outside is best. A treadmill is a good option. The gym can be intimidating, especially if you’re even a bit out of shape – lots of mirrors and sweaty jocks with big muscles.
6. Walk in a pleasant environment. For most, walking from home, a local park or school track or a home treadmill is ideal. Don’t walk on a highway or busy road. Avoid places where others work out, especially gyms. Most people over-train and you don't want to be exposed to that – it will encourage you to work out harder than you need to, or it will make you feel even more out of shape and discourage you.
7. Start your walk slowly to warm up. After about 10-12 minutes maintain a good comfortable pace with the last 10-12 minutes walking slower again. When finished, you should almost feel like you’ve not done much.
8. Don't buy special workout attire. Casual, comfortable clothing is just fine. Or, simple gym shorts, tee shirts and sweats work great. Most importantly, wear the flattest, most comfortable shoes you have – if you don’t have flat shoes, buy something cheap. Fancy thick-soled shoes can be dangerous.
9. Make your walk peaceful and relaxing. This means not chatting on the phone, no heated discussions, no stress. It’s a time to meditate on your life and dream of getting healthy (and any other dreams). This is as important for the brain as it is for the body.
10. Heed the don’ts:
a. Don't worry about how far you go: Base your workout on time not miles. Start with 20 minutes, if that feels physically easy. Build from there as you are consistent, to 30, then 45 minutes. Some people can start with 30 or 45 minutes. No need to exceed an hour unless you love it so much that longer weekend walks are fun.
b. Don’t eat sweets or refined carbohydrates, or drink fruit juice before working out – these foods can reduce the fat-burning benefits of a walk. (Actually, these foods should always be avoided.)
c. Don’t carry water with you, there’s no need – drink a small glass before walking, and have more upon completion.
d. Don't workout if you have an elevated temperature, even a half degree. An increased temperature means your body is working hard to fight some infection, for example. Exercise can interfere with that process. You could stress your immune system even more if you workout when you’re getting sick.
e. Don't workout in the extremes of weather – especially severe cold and extreme heat. Have an alternative when those days arrive. An indoor workout, the mall (ouch! but better than missing your walk) or it may be time to buy a treadmill.
f. Don’t listen to all the exercise advice out there; stick to your plan. Remember, keep it simple.
Once you develop a good routine, are consistent and feel great, you have two choices: stay the course and don’t change a thing, or progress to a higher level. If all you do is walk 45-60 minutes a day, you’ll reap untold health benefits. But if you have more lofty goals, such running, biking or even competing, you can carefully move on toward that exciting challenge.
Most importantly, print this and hang it where you can see it everyday! Until you get into a good routine, which may take a couple of weeks, you’ll want a friendly reminder.
For more information about the exercise and diet components, read The Big Book of Health and Fitness. If you're a competitive athlete, also read The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing.
