All posts by Shari Lesser

How Strength Training Balances Your Hormones

Kristen doing barbell push press

How Strength Training Balances Your Hormones
BY ANDREW HEFFERNAN | JULY 24, 2017

Looking to regulate your sex hormones and increase insulin sensitivity? Try weight training.

Several factors influence the delicate balance of our hormones: aging, stress, nutrition, body composition, and insulin resistance, to name just a few. One of the most common expressions of this is “out of whack” sex hormones, specifically low testosterone or high estrogen in men and high testosterone or low estrogen in women. These imbalances can cause low energy, low moods, and low sex drives in both sexes, among other symptoms.

As a result, there’s a growing market for medical treatments such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a controversial approach that uses pills or injections to “rebalance” hormones. Taken over a long period of time, some commonly prescribed HRT hormones have been linked to heart problems and other chronic diseases.

When these hormones occur naturally, however, they can work wonders. For that, there’s no better medicine than strength training.

“Weight training is the only activity that creates hormonal changes that help both men and women burn fat while maintaining or gaining muscle,” says Jade Teta, ND, an integrative physician in North Carolina and longtime fitness coach.

In both sexes, he explains, strength training stimulates the release of human growth hormone, which aids in building muscle and burning fat. It also increases insulin sensitivity, which helps control blood sugar and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Strength training has also been shown to help regulate sex hormones — testosterone and estrogen — especially as men and women get older. As men age, their testosterone level often drops relative to their estrogen level, which can affect muscle growth, energy levels, and sexual function.

Women commonly produce less estrogen as they grow older, which can increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and general hormone dysregulation.

Strength training has been shown to stimulate production of these sex hormones and help rebalance them for both men and women.

If you want a healthy hormonal profile without using drugs, strength training — independent of other lifestyle and nutritional changes — may be your best bet, says Teta. The hormonal effects can “produce the changes and the look of a healthy, fit physique.”

This originally appeared in “The Case for Strength” in the July/August 2017 issue of Experience Life.

Andrew Heffernan , CSCS is an Experience Life contributing editor.

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XOXO
Shari

Pre-Resolution Tips

Fit Bits, Inspiration & Quotes

I would like to share with you these few tips to begin thinking about before the New Year and all the great reflections of your year. Let’s make this New Year the best yet. Thank you for sharing your energy, strength, committing to show up and work hard. I have enjoyed each and every session this year. I am so blessed you are in my life. Thank you for your business and love.
Happy Holidays and a safe fun New Year!
Shari

Despite good intentions (a cleaner diet, a commitment to strength-train), New Year’s resolutions are inherently flawed. Research shows as much: A study from the University of Scranton found that six months into the New Year, fewer than half of us are still on the track we set out on.

Yet the solution isn’t to stop goal-setting: That same study found that having a resolution made a person more likely to achieve success than those who didn’t bother with one.

It might just be that our timing is off. “January 1 is an arbitrary date,” says Damon Bayles, Psy.D., a New York-based clinical psychologist. “If you’re actually committed to your health, and you know that healthy behaviors get tossed to the wayside over the holiday season, why not start now?”

Introducing pre-resolutions: specific goals and plans you can put into action right now. They’ll propel you through the holiday season stronger, healthier, and happier— and that’s important. After all, between November and January, the average person gains about 1 pound. While that doesn’t sound like much, researchers say we usually don’t lose that pound. Holiday weight gain, then, is a major contributor to overall weight gain (and thus diseases risk, like diabetes, down the line).

So set your pre-resolution today and use this guide to stick to it all year long.

1) Build Your Support System: Once you have a specific goal in mind, ID who you need around you in order to succeed. This might include fit friends, a registered dietitian, or a personal trainer, says Bayles. Start your research now and consider reaching out—you’ll beat the crowds and the stress that comes with them. Research from the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association finds the busiest time of the year at gyms is between January and March.

2) Consider Relapse The Rule: Falling off the bandwagon every so often isn’t the exception, it’s to be expected, says Bayles. Thinking you’re going to make it through the holiday season on a diet of smoothies is not setting you up for success. A better suggestion: Plan indulgences. Building them into your day helps you sidestep debilitating feelings of guilt, says Bayles.

If you’re faced with an out-of-nowhere challenge, use your past experiences to guide your decisions, he suggests. Maybe an a.m. run helped you beat stressful family gatherings last year; so wake up early for some cardio. “Really think, ‘What strategies could I employ to help me through this?’” he says. This kind of thinking, as well as the experiences and solutions you’ll gather throughout the season, will help you tackle issues throughout the year.

3) Find Time For Daily Zen: “After three months of daily mindfulness practice, some of the impacts can be increased concentration, increased attention, decreased anxiety, decreased stress, and increased immune system functioning,” says Bayles. Start now. No matter your goal, guided breathing exercises, classes (like Unplug Meditation), meditations apps like Headspace or Calm, and books can help you build a stronger mental framework to stay fit in the New Year. Don’t throw in the towel if things aren’t coming naturally. “This is muscle that needs to be grown,” says Bayles.

4) Reassess January 1: “Efficacy can get generated for individuals who are successful in this holiday time period,” says Bayles. After all, if you can be healthy throughout December, you can be healthy in January. So use the New Year not as a time to start a new goal but as a time to enter ‘phase 2’ of your original plan, he suggests. Ask yourself: How are you going to continue to manage your goal for the next few weeks and months? What will you do differently? What worked? What didn’t?
Thank you Marie Forleo another great article
http://www.marieforleo.com/2016/12/year-in-review/?utm_campaign=3PowerfulQuestionsToAskBeforeYearEnd&utm_medium=Broadcast&utm_source=Email&utm_term=NewsletterList&utm_content=YearInReview

If you liked this article please be so kind to share, share, share.
Shari

Juicy Turkey Burgers

Recipes
Ultra Juicy Turkey Burgers
ultra-juicy-turkey-burgers
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Recipe type: dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
Incredible juicy turkey burgers, cooked in the oven instead of the grill.
Ingredients
  • 1.25 lbs. organic lean ground turkey
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1.5 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos
  • 2 large cloves garlic; minced
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
  • ½ cup yellow sweet onion; finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley; finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. milder hot sauce (I used Tapatio brand)
  • ***Optional:***
  • 2 ripe avocados; peeled, pitted and mashed
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • ¼ Red onion; half finely chopped for quick guacamole, other half sliced and used for burger topping
  • 1 small jalapeno; seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small lime; juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Hot sauce of your choice
  • Lettuce wraps to serve them in (large romaine leaves, butter lettuce, collard greens, etc.,)
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, olive oil, mustard, liquid aminos, garlic and seasonings.
  2. Add in chopped sweet onion, parsley and hot sauce.
  3. With clean hands, combine mixture completely. You want the texture to seem almost mushy in order for it to stick and stay together.
  4. Once your turkey is well mixed, grab an amount that is slightly smaller than a tennis ball to form a patty with your hands. Patties should be about ¾” thick.
  5. Place patties on a non-stick baking sheet with edges (you cannot use a flat sheet as the juices will run everywhere). Repeat process until all of your turkey is used. You should have about 8 patties total.
  6. Move your oven rack about 6″ from the broiler, and turn broiler on the high setting. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes.
  7. Place your baking sheet into the oven and allow patties to cook for approximately 7 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for 7 minutes on the other. The outer portion of your turkey should turn a golden brown.
  8. When finished, remove patties from oven and check the internal temperature of your thickest patty with a meat thermometer. The temperature needs to be at least 165F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, a patty is finished when the juices run clear and the interior is opaque with no pink.
  9. In a medium mixing bowl, combine avocados, lime juice, cilantro, chopped red onion and chopped jalapeno, mixing thoroughly.
  10. Place turkey burger on one half of your lettuce leaf and top with red onion slices, a spoonful of guacamole and a drizzle of hot sauce. Place other lettuce leaf on top and enjoy!

If you like this recipe please share with your friends!
Shari

Ideas for foods for pre & post work outs.

Nutrition

SPORT-SPECIFIC FUEL IDEAS

A Run or Bike Ride (90 minutes or more)

  • Preworkout: High-protein smoothie: Mix two scoops protein powder, 8 to 10 ounces water or milk, approximately 1 cup fruit, a handful of spinach, and 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut butter, and half an avocado.
  • Postworkout: Two to three hard-boiled eggs and a banana.

Sprints and High-Intensity Interval Training

  • Preworkout: Two fist-size servings of greens and veggies, half an avocado, and one to one-and-a-half palm-size portions of protein (eggs, chicken, beef, fish, or beans). Add a fist-size piece of fruit for extra carbohydrates.
  • Postworkout: One scoop of BCAAs or whey protein mixed in 8 ounces water. (Whole foods can be difficult to digest right after a HIIT workout, making liquid proteins a good option.)

Lower-Rep Strength Training (five to eight sets of five to eight reps)

  • Preworkout: Grilled chicken breast with two fists of broccoli, or a high-protein smoothie as described above.
  • Postworkout: 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 cup fruit and 2 tablespoons granola.

published by experiencelife.com

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Keep moving your body loves you for it!
Shari

Coconut protein balls

Recipes

coconut-balls-pict

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

4 scoops vanilla protein powder

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (separated into 1 1/2 cups and 1 cup)

the juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Put all the ingredients except 1 cup of coconut in a food processor and blend until well combined.

Scoop out a heaped teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball with hands.

Finish off by rolling in coconut to cover the outside of the ball.

Set in fridge for 1 hour to chill and set.

Soo yummy Enjoy!
If you like this recipe please share with your friends. Thank you for coming to this blog.

Shari

Eating with the changing season.

Nutrition, Recipes

fall-vegtables-pict

It’s as predictable as the sunrise. Back to school time rolls around, and fall produce appears in the market. Pumpkins and squash, collards, sweet potatoes and apples are just a few of our fall favorites. See recipes below.

They bring an appreciation of the changing seasons, as well as beautiful color and lots of nutrition to the table.

5 Reasons Seasonally Eating is Smart

Today’s supermarkets carry almost all foods all year long. We are lucky to be able to eat whatever we want. But eating what is in season has some important benefits.

1. When you eat foods that have just been picked, you know that you’re eating it when it is at its best and its freshest.

2. Food that is freshly harvested has more vitamins and minerals then food that has been stored for a while.

3. You also can get seasonal food from nearby farm stands and markets. This not only supports local businesses, but is also good for the environment.

4. Food that is grown nearby doesn’t have to be shipped or transported. It has a smaller carbon footprint.

5. Seasonal foods are also likely to be cheaper then foods that are out of season.

Fall foods like pumpkin, collards, squash and sweet potatoes help us prepare for the cold months ahead. Here’s why they’re so good for you.

Pumpkins

There’s much more to pumpkin than jack o’ lanterns and pumpkin spice lattes.

Pumpkins are loaded with vitamins A, B6, C and E.

They also high in potassium, iron, and fiber. They make delicious desserts, but can also be used in soups and side dishes.

And don’t throw out their seeds! Roast them and eat them for magnesium, zinc, and Omega 3 fats.

Collards

One of the healthiest of the dark green vegetables, collards have 7 grams of fiber in every cup and are rich in vitamin A.

They also contain magnesium, potassium and protein and can be used in any recipe that calls for spinach.

Squash

Squash contain vitamin A, C, E, and B6. They also are loaded with niacin, thiamine and folate. Their antioxidant compounds help to boost the immune system and fight inflammation.

Sweet Potatoes

The orange flesh of a sweet potato is one of the best sources for beta-carotenes.

They ‘re also so high in vitamin A that just 3.5 ounces of their flesh has one third of all the vitamin A you need for the day.

Want to start adding these ingredients to your diet today?

Here’s a great recipe for a quick, light and delicious meal using pumpkin and collards in a colorful and healthy way.

Quinoa Curry Pumpkin Collard Wraps

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon curry powder

salt to taste

handful alfalfa sprouts

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 avocado, cut into thin strips

6 large collard leaves (or 12 smaller ones)

Tahini sauce

DIRECTIONS

Combine quinoa, pumpkin puree, and spices. Mix until smooth.

Cut off the thick vein from the collard leaves and lay them out flat in front of you. If you are using smaller leaves, layer them on top of each other.

Add a few spoonful’s of the filling to each leaf. Top with cucumbers, avocado and alfalfa sprouts, then roll collard leaf into a wrap.

Serve drizzled with tahini sauce or use the sauce as a dip.

Sourced from  http://danettemay.com/5-reasons-to-eat-seasonal-veggies-this-fall/

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Healthy Happy Day!

Shari