[Health Coach San Diego News] Is your blood sugar out of whack?

Health Coach San Diego Newsletter

HEALTHCOACHSD.COM

September 2010

Greetings!

   I hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend, I can't believe it's September already! The beginning of this month is a great time to re-evaluate your goals - we have about 30% of the year left - if you set a goal to accomplish something by the end of the year - are you 70% of the way there? I spent some time this past weekend doing just that. If you set a goal to get to the gym more, are you making the most of your time there? I wrote a few quick tips on how to be more efficient at the gym below.

   Do you ever get cranky during the day and blame it on your boss? Your personality? Do you reach for that second cup of coffee in the afternoon just to get through the rest of the day? It might be because your blood sugar is out of whack! Read my article to find out if you're dealing with this and what you can do about it.

   I'm repeating the Saturday morning Balboa Park hike this coming weekend at 9am. The flyer is below in the events section, I hope you'll join me!

   I'm also really looking forward to another seminar with Dr. Datis Kharrazian called "Mastering the Thyroid" in Santa Monica. If you know anyone with thyroid issues, you must check out the interview he did on Underground Wellness Radio on August 18th, you can download it from iTunes.

   Feel free to send me feedback and share this newsletter with your family, friends, and colleagues. Make it a great month!

In Health,
Evelyne Lambrecht
Health Coach San Diego

Efficiency in the Gym!

   When you enter the gym, where do you usually go? The cardio machines? The weight machines? The dumbbell rack? I discussed why interval training is more efficient in terms of fat loss and time in my July newsletter. Today I'll be talking more about resistance training.

   Whether you have a desk job or not, why would you want to go to the gym and sit some more? Also, unless you're a bodybuilder, why would you work your muscles in isolation when your body isn't designed to work that way? It seems kind of silly, right? I'm not against a few bicep curls at the end of a workout, but there is a better way to train your body.

   I'm a huge fan of exercises that work multiple muscle groups and focus on basic movement patterns. I love these for the same reason I love interval training - you get more bang for your buck in terms of the metabolic boost or calories burned. You also save time by working your entire body with a few moves and by not wandering around aimlessly from machine to machine.

   Some good examples of these exercises are lunges, squats, deadlifts, rows, pullups, pushups, and presses. Depending on your goal, you can do these with or without added resistance (dumbbells, medicine balls, bands, etc.). If you're not sure how to do these or the many variations, seek out a knowledgeable personal trainer, and if you're in San Diego, I can teach you!

Is Your Blood Sugar Out of Whack?

You can find this article in full on my blog at eltrainer.blogspot.com. I summarized the juiciest parts here for you!

The more I learn about the body, the more I'm reminded that no matter what health concerns someone is experiencing - low energy, cravings, emotional issues - the first thing to address is blood sugar imbalances.

What is blood sugar?

Blood sugar is the amount of glucose present in the blood at any given time. Glucose is the primary source of energy in our bodies; it allows us to make ATP, and if we don't have that, we just don't function well. It affects every process and every system in the body.

Why is this a big deal?

When blood sugar isn't kept stable, it can hinder fat loss, negatively impact your hormones, create inflammation, and wreak a whole lot of additional havoc on your body!

Is mine out of whack?

One of the issues I've personally experienced is chronically low or fluctuating blood sugar. Have you ever eaten a high sugar dessert or a bag of crackers by itself? First you feel great and then you probably get shaky and maybe lightheaded - your blood glucose goes way up and then way down - not a good feeling! Some symptoms of this include:

crave sweets
get agitated, irritable, nervous, shaky, lightheaded, fatigued before meals
depend on coffee to get going in the morning or to keep going in the afternoon
experience difficulty staying asleep

Having chronically high blood sugar is a problem as well because it can lead to insulin resistance. These are some of the symptoms of high blood sugar:

experience fatigue after meals
crave sweets during the day and after meals
have trouble losing weight
experience difficulty going to sleep

What do I do about it?

If your blood sugar is out of whack, the big question is WHY? Perhaps the following list might give you some clues. Try these tips to help stabilize blood sugar:

eat breakfast that includes high-quality protein
eat about every 3 hours if you tend to experience low blood sugar symptoms
avoid eating carbs by themselves - like bagels, fruit juice, crackers - include protein and fat to minimize the blood sugar spike
avoid adrenal stimulants like coffee, alcohol, and concentrated sugars
get an adequate amount of sleep
eat a diet consisting mainly of vegetables, high quality protein, and healthy fats - in other words, stay away from processed, boxed foods!
manage stress

When you balance your blood sugar, you should feel increased overall energy and function. If you currently experience any of the symptoms I listed above, try to implement some of the tips and let me know how it goes! When you need additional guidance, contact me to schedule a consultation.

Recipe of the Month

WILD SHRIMP PESTO PASTA

I love this dish because it's perfect for the end of summer - it's light and has an abundance of flavors! I've recently switched to quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) pasta after many attempts at liking brown rice pasta... this actually looks and tastes like spaghetti! I have to admit I did buy the pesto at the farmer's market because it's SO good, seriously if you're in San Diego, get some from Lisko Imports - but if it wasn't, I'd make it myself according to the directions below.

Ingredients:

1 bag wild shrimp (I love the Trader Joe's Colossal Wild Blue Shrimp)
serving of quinoa linguine or spaghetti (find it at the health food store)
extra veggies - I used red bell peppers this time
pesto - high quality extra virgin olive oil, basil, raw aged parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper - either mix it up or put it through the food processor

Boil the pasta according to the directions, sauté the shrimp in some butter or coconut oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté whatever veggies you want to add separately. Drain the pasta when it's ready, then add the shrimp, veggies, and a liberal amount of pesto. Toss it all together, yum! This is so easy and doesn't actually take that long. Bon Appétit!

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