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All Exercise is Good, and Vigorous Exercise is Better
November 25, 2021

All Exercise is Good, and Vigorous Exercise is Better

 December 4, 2020 – article taken from Dr Mirkin’s website

A new study suggests that the more intensely you exercise, the less likely you are to suffer a heart attack. Researchers followed 403,681 U.S. adults for an average 10 years and found that those who spent a greater proportion of their exercise time exercising intensely had a significantly lower risk of death from heart attacks than those who exercised for the same amount of time but at lower intensity (JAMA Intern Med, Nov 23, 2020). Those who exercised more vigorously also had a lower risk of death from cancer and lower all-cause mortality during the study period.

Other studies show that people who exercise intensely are significantly less likely to die prematurely than casual exercisers (JAMA Intern Med, 2015;175(6):970-977), because vigorous exercise is more effective in:
• preventing weight gain (Prev Med, 2014;60:131-133),
• preventing heart disease (Am J Cardiol, 2006;97(1):141-147),
• preventing diabetes (Int J Epidemiol, 2012;41(4):1132-1140), and
• promoting fitness and the ability to process oxygen (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2002;34(1):152-157).
The HUNT study from Norway found that the more fit people are, the less likely they were to develop a first heart attack (JAMA, April 19, 2019). The SUN study from Spain found lower heart attack rates in those who exercised intensely compared to those who exercised less vigorously (Am J of Cardio, Dec 1, 2018;122(11):1871–1878).

Any Level of Exercise is Healthful
A regular exercise program of any intensity is associated with reduced death rate (Int J Epidemiol, 2011;40(5):1382-1400), because a regular exercise program is associated with reduced rates of:
• cancer (JAMA Intern Med, 2016;176(6):816-825),
• diabetes (Endocrine, 2016;52(2):226-230), and
• heart disease (Br J Sports Med, 2019;53(22):1405-1411).
Spending long periods of time sitting or lying in bed increases risk for heart disease (Prevent Med, May 02, 2019).

Benefits of Intense Exercise
Intensity makes all muscles stronger, including your heart muscle. All people lose heart muscle as they age, which increases risk for frailty and heart failure. Strengthening your heart muscle helps you to live a more vigorous lifestyle and to protect you from heart failure. Intense exercise stabilizes plaques in arteries and widens heart arteries to help protect you from a heart attack. One study showed that men with the highest levels of VO2max (a test of oxygen use that is a measure of fitness) were least likely to have high blood pressure, high HBA1C (a test for diabetes), high fasting blood sugar levels, obesity, an abnormal treadmill exercise test, and a high 10-year risk for heart attacks (American J of Cardiology, March 2012;109(6):839-843).

Starting a New Exercise Program
I think everyone should have a regular exercise program, and it is never too late to start. First check with your doctor. If you are not a regular exerciser, you should spend your first few months exercising in your chosen activity at a very casual pace. Stop when you feel tired, your muscles feel heavy, or you feel any discomfort, even if you have only exercised for a few minutes. When you can exercise every day for about 30 minutes at a casual pace, you are ready to try exercising at a more intense level. See my article on How to Start an Exercise Program.

Increasing the Intensity of Your Current Exercise Program
All exercise training is done by stressing and recovering. To increase the intensity of your exercise program, start by taking a harder workout on one day and expect to feel sore the next morning. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Go slow and easy for as many days as it takes for your muscles to feel fresh again. You should not take your next hard workout until the muscle soreness is gone. You may need to take from one to five or more easy recovery days before you do your next intense workout.
• When you are training properly, your muscles may feel sore every morning. If they don’t feel better after a 10 minute warm-up, take the day off.
• If you feel pain in one spot that does not go away after you slow down, stop that workout immediately for that day. Otherwise you are likely to be headed for an injury.

Your Intense Workout Days
Always warm up your muscles before you exercise more intensely. Start out by going very slowly for the first 10 or more minutes of your workout. To make a muscle stronger, you have to exercise intensely enough to feel a burning or tightness in your muscles. For non-competitive athletes, you should slow down immediately when you feel this discomfort. Most people will start out by picking up the pace for only about 10 seconds. If you are a runner, cyclist or skater, pick up the pace for a few strides or pedal strokes. Then go slow and easy, and when your muscles feel fresh again, pick up the pace and then slow down. Repeat these alternating bursts of intense exercise (called “intervals”) until your muscles just start to feel heavy and tired, then slow down. When your muscles continue to feel heavy and tired after you slow down, you are through for that day. In the beginning, you may be able to do only a few intervals in a workout. However, with practice you will improve until you can do lots of intervals, perhaps 15-20 or more. Then you can extend the time that you stay in each hard interval, gradually going from a few seconds up to about 30 seconds. If you are not a competitive athlete, there is no reason to stay in an intense interval longer than 30 seconds. Most healthy exercisers will be able to work up eventually to 10-20 repeats of 20-30 second intervals. For non-competitive athletes, there is no need to do more than that.

Your Recovery Days
Expect your muscles to feel tired and sore when you get up the morning after an interval workout. You can try to exercise that day, but you should do so at a slow pace and stop when your muscles start to feel heavy and fatigued. If your muscles don’t feel better after a five-minute warmup, or if you feel pain in any area that does not go away when you slow down, you should stop your workout for that day. Do not take your next intense workout until your muscles feel fresh after you warm up for 5-10 minutes. Most people who exercise for fitness will follow each hard day with one or two recovery days. Competitive athletes are likely to take such intense workouts on their hard days that they may require up to five recovery days before their next hard day. See Recovery: the Key to Improvement in Your Sport

CAUTION: Intense exercise can cause a heart attack in a person who has blocked arteries or heart damage. Check with your doctor before you start a new exercise program or increase the intensity of your existing program.

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , ,
November 20, 2021

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Who doesn’t need more snack ideas, right? – especially low carb ones that are diabetes-friendly and good for blood sugar levels. I found this recipe on the Diabetes Meal Plans Australia website.

They keep stored in the fridge for months – though you’ll definitely be eating them much faster than that.

Best of all they are low in carbs, blood sugar friendly, and incredibly satisfying!

One ball is equal to one serve.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

These are high protein, low in carbs, blood sugar friendly and incredibly satisfying!

 
  • 3/4 cup Natural peanut butter (or almond / cashew paste)
  • 1/2 cup Vanilla protein powder (I used Protein Supplies Australia WPI)  – or protein powder of your choice
  • 1 teaps Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup Slivered almonds

  1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix together to combine.

  2. Next, get your hands into the bowl and roll the balls into 1/2 inch (1.5cm) bite sized balls – makes about 15 balls.

  3. Place them into a container as you go and store them in the fridge. These will keep for months like this.

NOTE:   one ball is one serve

Nutrition: 

167 calories each ball.  5g Carbohydrate.  10g Protein.  12g Fat.  

These protein balls get their sweetness from the protein powder and the vanilla extract.

When purchasing a protein powder, always check the labels for clean ingredients. Try to choose one that is stevia-based. According to research, stevia is one of the best sugar substitutes for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, whereas some of the others have artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which aren’t ideal.

I sell the local Protein Supplies Australia here in my studio.  

Natural peanut butter is the kind that has no sugar or preservatives added, Sanitarium has a good brand available from Coles and Woolworths. Aldi sells a natural peanut butter in their Organic range. Basically, ‘natural’ peanut butter is just ground peanuts, which is how peanut butter should be – not with added salt, added sugar, and preservatives!

Be careful when selecting vanilla extract. Many have fructose or sugar added, which is not a great choice for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Choose a ‘natural’ or ‘pure’ vanilla extract and always check the labels.

Snack
peanut butter, protein, wpi
Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , ,
November 13, 2021

Satay BBQ Chicken Pizza

Satay BBQ chicken pizza
Print

Satay BBQ Chicken Pizza

Who doesn't love a pizza? But as a general rule, they are definately not considered a diet friendly food choose. Well, do I have good news for you! Simpson's Pantry have bought out a new wrap, low carb keto. At the time of writing this (Nov 2021) they are only available at Coles supermarkets.

By using this wrap as your pizza base, and replacing peanut butter with PB2 powdered peanut butter, you can have your pizza and eat it too.

Naturally, you can replace the toppings with other meats, lean cuts only.

I have used the fresh Mozzarella balls in this recipe, as they are lower in calories then even light cheese.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword chicken, healthy dinner, healthy lunch, main meal, pizza, protein
Servings 2
Calories 368.5 kcal
Author Lea Wagner

Ingredients

  • 1 40g Simpson Pantry Low Carb Keto Wrap 1 wrap. 98 calories, 8.1gP, 4.4gF, 2.3gC
  • 2 tbsp Mayvers Protein Peanut Butter OR for less calories 225 calories, 12.8gP, 16.8gF, 5.2gC
  • 2 tbsp PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter, dry (instead of peanut butter) 55 calories, 5.7gP, 1.7gF, 3.5gC
  • 100 grams Fresh Mozzarella Cheese balls 264 calories, 17.9gP, 20.3gF, 3.4gC
  • 3 tbsp Foutain BBQ reduced sugar 43 calories, 0.4gP, 0.2gF, 9.4gC
  • 140 grams Cooked chicken breast meat 231 calories, 43.4gP, 5gF, 0g C
  • 60 grams Onion, diced or sliced 18 calories (or as much/little as you like)
  • 30 grams Capsicum, diced or sliced 8 calories (or as much/little as you like)
  • 60 grams Mushrooms, sliced 1/2cup. 15 calories (or as much/little as you like)
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons Italian Herb Blend as much or little as you like
  • 1 – 2 tbsp Fresh basil as much or as little as you like

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees celsius

  2. Cover baking tray in non-stick baking paper

  3. Mix the BBQ sauce and peanut butter paste/or powder together in a bowl.

    PB2 Powered Peanut Butter

  4. Place wrap on top of the baking paper and spread the sauce mixture evenly over the wrap. Leaving approximately 1 cm around the edges free.

    Simpsons Pantry low carb Keto Wrap

  5. Sprinkle dry italian herbs over the sauce.

  6. Taking 1/2 (50g) of the mozzarella balls, slice each into 3 or 4 slices and spread over the wrap.

    La Casa Del Fresh Mozzarella balls

  7. Evenly distribute the chicken and vegetables over the wrap. Then break up the basil and sprinkle that over.

  8. Lastly, take the remaining mozzarella balls, slice each one and place over wrap. Try and avoid putting in same place as the bottom cheese balls.

  9. Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes. For a crispier base, take the pizza off the baking tray, and directly on the oven rack after 5 minutes. Continue cooking until full bake time is up.

  10. The complete pizza/wrap using the PB2 powder, not paste is 737calories. 27.9g Carbohydrates, 36g fat, and 69.7g protein .

    So, as a half of pizza is the serving size, that equates to:

    368.5 calories

    34.85g protein

    18g fat

    13.95g carbohydrate

Courtney Scales No Comments , ,
November 5, 2021

Could you be chronically stressed? Is your high cortisol ruining your ability to lose fat as your nervous system is spending too long in a sympathetic state?

Are your high cortisol levels sabotaging your fat loss efforts?

😲The Sympathetic autonomic nervous system or state is our “Fight or Flight” or “Stressed Out” state.
💣It of one of the two autonomic nervous systems which control specific body processes, such as circulation of blood, digestion, breathing, urination, heartbeat, etc.


🧠If in this state for an extended period of time, you could experience:

❌ poor digestion/indigestion

❌constipation

❌diarrhea

❌anxiety

❌ shallow breathing

❌increased heart rate

❌poor quality sleep

❌restlessness

❌ night sweats

❌ decreased libido

❌fatigue

❌nervousness

❌ increased agitation/irritability

❌increased muscle tension

❌increased inflammation and

❌increased susceptibility to infections (i.e., frequent illness).


♨️This will all then derail your fitness goals of weight loss and muscle gain, if not controlled. So we need to manage our stress hormone “Cortisol”.


✅Studies have shown that there is an inverse relationship between Cortisol and Testosterone. Yes, ladies, we need testosterone too. If due to chronic stress, our Cortisol is consistently elevated then our average testosterone levels will then decline. 💯👉This in turn would see you struggling to build muscle and lose fat. 👎 😲

Cortisol draws glucose into the blood, and it just sits there. This triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Usually, this insulin would cause our muscles to draw up the glucose, but in our modern world of non-physical stressors, our muscles don’t need the glucose.

This excessive exposure to unneeded insulin makes chronically stressed people increasingly insulin resistant, and the more insulin resistant someone is, the harder it is for them to burn fat (1,2). Finally, cortisol inhibits the process that creates essential neurotransmitters such as serotonin (3,4). Serotonin is the “feel good” molecule most commonly associated with that feeling of euphoria you get after a good workout. The challenge is that with consistently elevated cortisol levels, the body loses its ability to regulate this and other neurotransmitters properly.

This is why people suffering from depression often show both low serotonin and high cortisol (3,4). This is a dangerous place to be when they need to lose fat because when someone feels stressed out and unhappy, a common solution they look to is to eat.

It doesn’t end there. Serotonin not only helps us feel happy, but it’s also a necessary precursor to melatonin, an important signaling molecule in the sleep cycle. When your body loses its ability to regulate serotonin, it also impacts its ability to make melatonin, and then not only is your stressed-out client unhappy, they can’t sleep either.

THERE IS HOPE – our goal is to get you out of a chronically stressed sympathetic state where cortisol is high all the time and into more of a stress rhythm where cortisol is limited to the mornings and around training sessions. The rest of the time you should be in a parasympathetic state to give your body the opportunity to build and recover.

✅ You need to engage in more parasympathetic (resting) activities. Try yoga, pilates, a massage, meditation, walk in nature. Try Dr Joe Dispenza, Mooji, or John Vincent on YouTube, they have excellent guided meditations.

✅ Aim to get 8 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. Start a wind-down routine, turn off sources of blue light (phones, tablets, computers) or put on a filter.

✅ Eat a good anti-inflammatory diet. Some foods that may help to keep cortisol levels stable include dark chocolate, bananas and pears, black or green tea, probiotics in food such as yogurt, and probiotics in foods containing soluble fiber. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

✅ Exercise -Being physically active is beneficial to health and can improve a person’s mood. The appropriate amount of exercise depends on various factors, including a person’s physical fitness, and these factors play a part in how much cortisol the body will release during exercise. Not intense exercise.

✅ Supplements – Both fish oil and an Asian herbal supplement called ashwagandha have shown the ability to reduce cortisol levels, so taking these supplements alongside a healthful diet could be beneficial.

  1. Geer EB, Islam J, Buettner C. Mechanisms of glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance: focus on adipose tissue function and lipid metabolism. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2014;43(1):75-doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2013.10.005
  2. Kersten S. Mechanisms of nutritional and hormonal regulation of lipogenesis. EMBO Rep. 2001Apr;2(4):282-6. doi: 10.1093/embo-reports/kve071. PMID: 11306547; PMCID: PMC1083868.
  3. Tafet GE, Toister-Achituv M, Shinitzky M. Enhancement of serotonin uptake by cortisol: a possible link between stress and depression. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2001 Mar;1(1):96-104. doi:10.3758/cabn.1.1.96. PMID: 12467107.
  4. Tafet GE, Idoyaga-Vargas VP, Abulafia DP, Calandria JM, Roffman SS, Chiovetta A, Shinitzky M.Correlation between cortisol level and serotonin uptake in patients with chronic stress and depression.Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2001 Dec;1(4):388-93. doi: 10.3758/cabn.1.4.388. PMID:
    12467090.

Lea Wagner No Comments , , , , , , ,