You snooze, you lose

Did you know that a sound slumber helps you shed pounds?

Research suggests that a solid night’s sleep boosts levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger, which means you’ll be less inclined to overeat if you get your recommended seven to eight hours.

In addition to appetite suppression, catching enough ZZZs is imperative to your overall health and helps to repair and energize your body and keep your emotions in check.

Sleep deprivation affects your body-firming progress and disrupts your body’s normal ability to process and control important substances, like glucose, cortisol and thyroid hormones.

Translation? The lack of sleep directly affects how you look.

Here are two quick tips for a sound slumber:

1. Wear socks. Research confirms that cold feet keep you up and warm feet help you nod off more quickly. The reason? Warm toes mean your blood vessels are dilated and the blood flow’s healthy, which leads to sleepiness.
   
   
2. If you wake up during the night, don’t turn on the light. Remaining in the dark will help you get back to sleep sooner.

Routine exercise also helps you tire so that a sound night’s sleep is more likely. PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB’s fitness coaches design workouts that get you in shape, build muscle, burn fat, and yes, ensure a restful night.

For more information about PEAK or to learn more about leading a healthy, fit lifestyle, call us at 610.336.7472, visit www.peaksc.com or email info@peaksc.com.

And for inspiration, check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape

Yours in health,

Joseph Arangio
Director, PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

Take a Time Out

Check out this week’s issue of Time Out New York.

The magazine recently tapped me to share top tips on how to avoid over-eating at various summer festivities. You can see which secrets I shared here:

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/spas-gyms/30275/conquering-the-buffet

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Director
PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
5925 Tilghman St., Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18103
USA

Stop sabotaging your weight loss and nutrition with these smart-snacking tips

If you’re committed to a fitness routine and you’re doing your best to eat right every day, you’re well on your way to a healthy body that feels -- and looks – great!

But if you’re stuck – you just can’t get the scale to budge one point lower – you might be sabotaging your efforts without even knowing it.

The hidden-calorie enemy? Snacks.

We turn to snacks as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up or as a nighttime staple after dinner. And the choices we make are usually where we go wrong.

There is hope, however, and such a thing as smart snacking. Here are some tips to keep you on track:

1. Arm yourself with single-serving snack packs. Fortunately, manufacturers are giving consumers a grab-and-go single serving option of their goodies. These packages help you to keep your portions – and calories – under control. A few baked whole-wheat pita chips might be a healthy snack, but a 16-ounce bag of them certainly is not!

2. Weigh your food. No. Really. Weigh it. The weight of food – not just the fat and calories – is what fills you up. So you can eat less and still feel satisfied during your mid-afternoon snack. Smart choices include oranges, strawberries, grapefruit and cantaloupe.

3. When choosing fruit as your smart snack food of choice, follow the rainbow. Turns out the compounds, vitamins and minerals in produce that are good for you are also responsible for the
pigments that give them their color.

4. If carbs are calling, consult the GI to find low glycemic index foods. The reason? Low GI foods move glucose into your blood stream slowly to keep your energy level on an even keel and allow you to feel fuller longer between meals. Instead of white bread, choose whole wheat. Rather than pretzels, reach for popcorn. Try dried fruit instead of jelly beans. And splurge for a sweet potato instead of a baked potato.

Remember, too, that portion control is key to managing your weight and spurring weight loss if that’s your goal. And if you’re happy with your weight, these tips can help keep you on track.

For more information about smart snacking, losing weight and toning up, take a look at my book, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides. In addition to tons of fitness tips, the book includes all kinds of nutritional news and lifestyle tricks that work together so you can reach your best body ever.

Best,

Joe

Joseph Arangio

PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
http://www.peaksc.com

Maximize your workout and bust past plateaus

Think you can melt fat from a trouble spot with a targeted exercise? Think again.

Spot reduction is one of the biggest fitness fairy tales out there.

Performing countless arm curls is not the best way to remove extra jiggle and create amazing arms. Also, doing hundreds of crunches may strengthen your abdomen, but if you’re taking in more calories than you’re burning off, washboard abs will be covered in a layer of insulating fat!

Rather than choosing exercises that target individual muscles (like arm curls for biceps), you should perform movements that work many muscles at once.

A second tip for getting the most out of your time at the gym is to visualize your muscles as you exercise. For example, if you can picture how your deep abdominal muscles wrap around your waist like a girdle, it’s easier to work the entire muscle when you’re doing core work.

Next, improve your technique. Performing an exercise is one thing; doing it right is altogether different. Take an old-school ab exercise: the sit-up. You may be surprised to learn that this gym-class staple primarily works the muscles that cross in front of your hips. Unless you deliberately squeeze your midsection throughout the entire set, you’ll miss out on the belly-firming benefits.

There’s one in every gym … you know, the guy doing arm curls with too much weight. He’s arching his back, grunting, and jerking the bar back and forth like some uncoordinated, painful dance routine. Worse yet, he’s using just about every muscle except the ones he’s trying to work. The lesson? Maintain control. Perform every exercise deliberately.

Lastly, appreciate why some exercises are better than others. Traditional “body-sculpting” movements (again, like arm curls) that are performed in an isolated manner and involve only a handful of muscles, won’t give you a fit and defined physique. In short, the best exercises are the ones that recruit many muscles, and, as a result, involve lots of coordinated movement. A great example? Squats.

Need some help putting these tips into practice? Ask the trainer at your gym for assistance. You – and your body – will be happy you did!

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Director/President
PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

Here's how to get started -– and stick -– with a routine

All right, you’ve gotten lots of info about fitness, nutrition, and general lifestyle, but you’re still struggling with the most important piece of the feel good/look good puzzle: How the heck do you get started?

It seems overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be.

Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way to a fitness commitment that will yield amazing results:

1. Make a commitment to looking and feeling fabulous – right now. Put your promise in writing, signed and dated.

An example might read, “I (your name) am committed to dedicating myself to a regular fitness routine and will exercise (number) times a week. I will make fitness a priority.”

2. Take “before” photos. You don’t have to post a picture on your refrigerator, but keep them close by as visual motivation to stick to your workouts.

3. Grab a piece of paper. Write your name and the date at the top. Next, answer these questions:

• Are you new to fitness and exercise or have you worked out consistently in the past?
• What other diet and/or exercise programs have you followed before? Were you successful? Why or why not?
• In addition to looking great, what are your other motivations for starting a fitness routine?
• What are your initial goals?

4. See how you measure up. Take your starting-point measurements of the following:

• Your body weight
• Arm
• Waist
• Hips
• Thigh
• Calf
• Dress size
• Blood pressure
• Resting heart rate

You’ll take these again at weeks 13, 26, 39 and 52. At each progress point, talk with your trainer about moving to a different level or varying your workout so you’re continuing to be challenged and motivated.

5. Take photos! At a big event or just because you’re feeling successful, take your “after” photos. These will serve as your new motivation.

6. Gauge your feelings and goals. When you’ve reached a significant goal, answer the following questions and remember to date this, as well. These questions and answers will help you stay on track and set a new pinnacle to strive for:

• Did you accomplish your goals? How did your goals change during the program?
• What new goals have you set for yourself?
• What new things have you learned about yourself during the course of your commitment?
• What sources of inspiration did you turn to?
• Will you continue your fitness commitment? Why or why not?
• How has your personal transformation affected your life?

Need an extra boost? Give PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB a call to get started on your own personalized fitness regimen with your own coach. Call 610.336.7472 today!

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio

PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

Introducing the new comfort foods

A couple weeks ago, you got a lesson focused on stress-busting. Consider this part two.

Do you turn to food when you’re feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone.

Comfort food, like pizza, fries, and ice cream, got labeled as such because so many people use them to do just that: comfort.

It’s easy to rely on these sugar-filled and fatty foods when times get tough, but these treats are poor choices because they make you feel lethargic and less able to deal with drama.

Instead, try reaching for these seven stress-busting staples to curb your bingeing the next time you’re feeling the crunch of a deadline, dealing with a difficult person, or balancing your checkbook.

1. High-fiber, carb-rich foods like sweet potatoes, minestrone soup, or sautéed veggies over rice. All of these will cause your brain to produce more serotonin (the feel-good hormone), but won’t sap your energy like a mound of mashed potatoes. Plus, the fiber helps you feel full, so you’re less likely to overeat.

2. Fruits and veggies. Chronic stress can weaken your body’s ability to fight off disease. So, by upping your intake of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, you can boost your immune system. To get a broad spectrum of nutrients, follow the rainbow when choosing your picks.

3. Calcium. Getting your daily requirement of the mineral (1,000 to 1,300 milligrams, depending on your age) suppresses hormones that can cause stress symptoms. Try a cup of yogurt or nonfat milk.

4. Magnesium. Stress depletes magnesium levels and magnesium helps beat stress. So, include whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in your diet daily to keep those levels on an even keel.

5. Omega-3 fatty acids. These are the “good fats” you’re probably familiar with – salmon, walnuts, olive oil… They help your nervous system function properly. An added bonus? You’ll enjoy other omega-3 benefits like shiny hair, strong nails, and radiant skin.

6. B vitamins. You can get your fill of these anti-stress substances in most daily vitamins. However, they’re also found in oatmeal, bananas, avocados, chicken, and dark green leafy veggies. B vitamins increase your body’s resistance to worry.

7. Tea. Recent reports claim drinking black tea can help you cope with your busy to-do lists. It brings sky-high cortisol levels (the stubborn stress hormone) back to normal. If you’d rather go the herbal route, however, chamomile, lemon balm, and valerian all contain anti-anxiety compounds. Make tea with any of them by steeping the herb (one teabag, three teaspoons fresh, or two teaspoons dried) in a covered cup of water. Strain after five minutes and drink one to three cups daily.

So, the next time you find yourself hankering for a few slices of pizza, a pint of ice cream, and some macaroni and cheese, reach for any one of these seven super foods and you won’t regret it in the morning.

For more information and to get started on your very own less-stressed, more svelte schedule, visit PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB’s site at: www.peaksc.com.

Yours in health,

Joe
Joseph Arangio
Director
PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

P.S. Check out my book, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides:
http://www.weddingshape.com

P.P.S. And check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape.

Lose 20 pounds ... without deprivation!

Almost 15% of your daily calories likely don’t come from food. They sneak in through the beverages you drink. And, if you make smart beverage choices, you could cut out 200 calories a day.

Translation: You’ll lose 20 pounds in a year!

Not too shabby for a little bit of effort.

Take your favorite morning latte, for example. You’re likely blowing your nutritional budget by 550 calories or more with that one single drink.

What’s worse, liquid calories don’t register on your appetite meter the way solid foods do, which means you’re hungrier sooner.

So, what beverage choices are smarter?

One word: water.

Did you know that dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3%? That means you’ll burn about 45 calories less each day that you’re not fully watered up.

Keep a water bottle handy filled to the brim. But don’t guzzle. Studies show that small amounts of sipped water work better at burning fat than 8 ounces slugged all at once.

And about that coffee fix…go ahead and enjoy a java jolt, but choose skim milk instead of cream.

An added benefit? The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee is enough to raise your metabolism for more than two hours, so try drinking it before your workout for an extra kick. Plus, researchers think that caffeine may help release stored fat, so your body can burn it for energy as you exercise.

PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB doesn’t have a coffee maker, but we do have bottled water and certified fitness coaches to get you through workouts.

For more information, visit www.peaksc.com.

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio, MS, CSCS
PEAK Strength & Conditioning
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA