Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, your health is the most important thing in your entire life.

What do you think about that statement? Well, hopefully you agree, hopefully you understand that without your health, like the moment you lose it, nothing else in the world matters; all of the money, material possessions, cool trinkets...nothing!

My hope is that you will wake up to this pressing reality. That you will come to take your health more seriously as you do your family, your job, your fun, your spirituality, your anything...it's a simple fact, without your health, you will be unable to enjoy the things you enjoy, to the level you wish you could or, at all.

Move: Hip Thrust

 

 

So, to begin this entire conversation about health we first must understand what it is? Well here's what it's NOT:

-it's not, feeling good
-it's not, whether you eat right or not
-it's not, whether you exercise or not

Understand, those are all great and necessary and important, but they are not a determining factor of whether someone is healthy or not - but supportive!!

So what is it? Health is simply the ability for your body, your entire body to function and heal at 100%. If your body is functioning and healing at 100% you are determined to be healthy. This is simply unarguable. It's a universal law similar to gravity.

So, we know the definition. Now, the next logical question is...

 

When I first met Michale she shared her goals, & her frustration having hit a "plateau". Now, 5 months down the road, & 78 visits later I checked in with her progress. Here's what she had to say:

 

 

I've been involved in sports since I was a child & training has always been a part of my life.  I have always been extremely self conscious about my weight and figure which led me to try diets & all types of fitness programs - name it, I've tried it.  I tend to stay +/- 5 from my college weight, & it was always a struggle to break past that.  Coming out of a broken ankle, I chose to try something new. Now after 5 1/2 months of membership at LAB5 I have actually seen a difference--I've finally broke through my barrier. My time at the studio has brought me down 12 lbs & feeling as fit and strong as ever! I can't take all credit for this as it has been my instructors that have pushed me to work hard in their Pilates, TRX and Strength classes.  I am so happy to have found LAB5 - both the trainers & the wonderful staff - have been nothing but motivational & extremely helpful!  I hope to continue with LAB5 as long as I can knowing the benefits that this crew and my hard work has brought me.  

 

Congratulations Michale! Keep up the hard work, & congratulations on your engagement!

Welcome to Holiday Season!  There are more social outings during this
season than any other, and most present us with the opportunity to
have a cocktail or two! (Or three...)

Alcohol provides us with a hit of about 100 calories per drink, so it's
really not the calories that kill our weight over the holidays.  It's
actually the way our body processes the alcohol that gets us.  The
liver is the one organ responsible for processing alcohol and toxins.
The livers' other main job is metabolizing fat.  The catch is that the
liver can only do one job at a time!  Therefore, whenever you have
alcohol in your system your body stores fat!  That's one way how holiday
weight-gain begins. 

So this season, try to minimize your alcohol by trying out a few of
these social drink alternatives!

- Club soda mixed with lemon, lime or a splash of cranberry 
- Nuun U hydration tab with club soda over ice
- Starbucks Refresher via with sparkling water
- ½ cup Starbucks Refresher combined with ½ cup Kombucha
- ½ cup Aloe Vera Coconut Water, ½ cup sparkling water, ½ cup Talking
Rain Lime Sparking Water, add mint for garnish
- ½ cup Metromint Peppermint Water with ¼ cup POM pomegranate juice,
add mint for garnish and pomegranate seeds in drink
- Arnold Palmer: ½ cup non-sweetened ice tea with ½ cup Talking Rain
Lemon Sparkling water, add lemon for garnish
- ½ cup iced oolog tea with ½ cup raspberry Kombucha or Synergy flavor 

Ashley A Besecker, RD, CD

@cravehealth