Greetings!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Please enjoy responsibly, and in moderation!
March marks the beginning of spring, a time of growth and new life. Use nature as a cue to ignite your own growth and new life! Warmer weather is on it's way - it's time to plant the seeds of fitness and health so that this summer you will see the fruits of your labor.
Committed to your success always,
The Evolution Fitness Team |
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Hormones & Fat Loss
Hormones play a role in nearly every bodily function, metabolism and fat loss included. These chemical messengers have a direct impact on your body's ability to burn fat, many of them dependent on one another. Understanding the basics about these key "fat loss hormones" will help you make better decisions on your fitness journey.
Gherlin
Produced and released in the stomach, gherlin signals to your brain that you are hungry. When you reduce calories in your diet, gherlin levels increase. Unfortunately, this increase doesn't really go away, which is one reason why maintaining fat loss can often be more challenging than losing the fat in the first place. The good news is intense exercise decreases gherlin levels, making it a key component to successful weight maintenance.
CCK
Short for Cholecystokinin, this hormone is released by your intestines whenever you eat protein or fat. It acts on two types of receptors found throughout the gut and the brain. It improves digestion by slowing down the emptying of food from the stomach and stimulating the production of bile in the liver as well as its release from the gall bladder. It increases the sensation of fullness in the short-term, that is, during a meal rather than between meals. Making sure you have both protein and healthy fat at every meal will help insure that you don't overeat.
Leptin
Leptin, exclusively released by fat cells, acts on the hypothalamus part of the brain to inhibit appetite. This inhibition is long-term, in contrast to the rapid inhibition of eating by cholecystokinin (CCK). Since people who are overweight or obese have a higher number of fat cells, they also have increased leptin levels. At first glance, this seems like a good thing, but unfortunately it leads to leptin desensitization. Much like people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin, people who are overweight or obese are resistant to the effects of leptin, thus making them much more likely to overeat. The best way to increase leptin sensitivity is to lose fat. Getting adequate sleep will also increase leptin sensitivity, as well as a diet abundant in antioxidant-rich foods like berries and dark greens.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is another hormone released exclusively by our fat cells, but unlike leptin, the less fat you have, the more adiponectin is released. This hormone boosts your body's ability to utilize carbohydrates for energy, raises your metabolism, increases the rate in which your body breaks down fat, and curbs your appetite. The best way to increase the release of this awesome hormone in your body is to decrease your body fat through nutrition and exercise.
Insulin
Secreted by the pancreas, insulin is released whenever we consume sugar, which is basically any carbohydrate. Insulin is crucial to post-workout recovery because it triggers nutrient delivery to your muscles, which is why post-workout recovery shakes are so essential to getting results. However, too much insulin in your body (caused by excess sugar /carb intake) will lead to excess fat, as well as inhibit the fat burning process. To optimize insulin for fat loss, get most of your carbohydrates from vegetables and some fruit. Limit starchy carbs to slow-digesting types (no white bread!) first thing in the morning and in the meal directly after your workout.
Glucagon
Glucagon, also secreted by the pancreas, is a hormone in direct opposition to insulin. While insulin stores carbohydrates and builds fat, glucagon is responsible for breaking down stored carbohydrates and fats and releasing them as energy in our body that we can use. To optimize glucagon levels, eat a high protein diet with controlled carbohydrates (i.e. mostly vegetables and some fruits). A diet too high in carbs will stop glucagon from doing its job.
Epinephrine
Released from the brain, one of the functions of epinephrine (AKA adrenaline) is to break down fat and burn it for energy. Exercise is the best way to stimulate epinephrine release, particularly interval training or circuit training.
Cortisol
A hormone released by the adrenal glands whenever we feel stressed, it's one you want to keep OUT of your body as much as possible. Chronically high levels of cortisol result in higher-than-normal insulin levels, muscle loss, and extra body fat. It will also deplete serotonin levels in the body, resulting in low-quality sleep, recovery, and appetite. Managing stress properly and getting 8 hours of sleep every night are vital to curbing the release of cortisol in your body. | |
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Team Member Spotlight:
Emelia Kane | |
Emelia Kane, fitness coach at Evolution Fitness, was born in Philadelphia and raised on a horse farm in Marlton, NJ. Growing up horseback riding and dancing, she was inspired by her mother to teach fitness and exercise. She is still inspired by her mother today who, at age 77, teaches about four classes per day.
Emelia is married to her best friend and soul mate Pat Kane, who is also a member at Evolution Fitness. She is the mother of 2 daughters, Steffani and Nola, and she is expecting her first grandchild this July.
What Emelia values most about being a fitness coach is helping people on their fitness journey to see that if they give it a try and do their best, they can and will achieve their health goals. She loves being part of the Evolution Fitness team and family. "Working out and teaching at Evolution Fitness has had a tremendous impact on my health and wellness," says Emelia. "I am a stronger person and feel more confident moving forward in my life."
For all of us at Evolution Fitness, Emelia is an inspiration, a true model of our core values to bring your best, motivate with positivity, work as a team, be committed to success, and have fun. Warm, open, and approachable, many of our members turn to Emelia because of her depth and breadth of experience in living a healthy, fit lifestyle. "May we all have the strength and vitality of Emelia when we become grandmothers," said one of our team members recently.
Emelia's favorite quote is, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain," from The Wizard of Oz.
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March
Shake of the Month
Luck of the Irish
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Nutrition Spotlight
Green Tea |
Drinking tea has been associated with health benefits for centuries, but only recently has it been investigated scientifically. The health benefits of tea are largely due to the high content of flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a type of flavonoid called catechins. Cathechins have proven more effective than vitamins C and E in slowing oxidative damage to our cells.
One of the health benefits of green tea is reduced risk for certain cancers including skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancer. It is also associated with a reduced risk for heart disease because the antioxidants in green tea help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. One study showed a 46% - 65% reduction of hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to those who don't drink tea.
A few tips to get the most out of tea-drinking: Drink a cup of tea a few times a day. In green-tea drinking cultures, the usual amount is three cups per day. Allow the tea to steep for three to five minutes in order to bring out its catechins. Drink freshly brewed teas whenever possible because they contain the highest content of flavonoids. (Instant, bottled, or pill form green tea contains less.) Tea can impede the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables, but adding lemon or milk will counteract this, as well as drinking your tea between, rather than during, your meals. |
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
- 1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and beef.
2. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
Enjoy!
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