Is Intermittent Fasting For Women

You might have heard one of your friends or someone on social media mentions they are doing intermittent fasting for weight loss. You might think its just another trend, however, there is actually some good research and science-backed benefits on why this is not just a trend. Intermittent fasting produces more weight loss compared to long-term calorie restriction. 

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a dietary approach where you only eat during specific time periods, and then give your gut a break from digestion and insulin spikes for 16-24 hours or more. I personally eat in this manner and have coached many clients, who have experienced tremendous benefits in health and weight loss. The basic American diet routine has shown us that what many of us have been doing has tragic results. Many now have chronic inflammation which brings about troubles like immune and hormonal dysfunction, thyroid disease, cancer, and even weight management resistance. Intermittent fasting is known to be a wonderful tool for taking care of these issues. There are a few reasons why it's particularly useful for weight loss.

Walk right into a mechanic's workshop and you won't see just one device hanging on the wall. You'll spot a fixed board covered in tools of all various sizes and shapes. Each has a purpose and a value, yet you wouldn't necessarily utilize every one of them at the same time.

Nutrition is not much different: There are a great deal of different tools you can utilize to maintain healthy functioning as well as look the way you desire. Understanding just what those tools are, when and how you can best utilize them, can aid you to maintain and improve your health.

Intermittent fasting seems complex, however it actually a very simple concept. The idea is to not consume food for 12 to 24 hours, therefore, only consuming food during specific hours of the day. Research shows you get the most benefits of Autophagy is when you fast 16 hours or more. Autophagy is a natural way the body cleanse itself. For examples, this is one scenario how it works; you stop all food intake after 7 pm, sleep, awaken the next morning, skip breakfast, and continue the fast up to mid-day. Only drinking purified water, organic coffee, or tea. Food for that day is consumed between the hours of 2 and 8 pm. As you get familiar with intermittent fasting, you can push that window of time to be much more press. Some like to eat earlier in the day rather than the night hours, i.e. 9 AM to 3 PM, whichever works well for you. The key is to consistency find what works for your schedule and lifestyle.

What are the benefits?

•    Weight-loss
•    Anti-aging
•    Upgrade in cell Autophagy
•    May help with prevent diabetes

Who should not do intermittent fasting

•    It is not for you if you are not eating healthy whole foods, but more sugars, carbs and junk food.
•    If you are on medication such as insulin
•    If you are not providing your body with enough calories
•    If you have a history of eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia
•    If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
•    If you are on any medications, you need to talk to your doctor before doing any intermittent fasting

References:

1.    Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.4161/auto.6.6.12376
2.    What is Autophagy? https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Autophagy.aspx
3.    Alternate-day fasting and chronic disease prevention: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/86/1/7/4633143
4.    Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634

5 SIMPLE AFFIRMATIONS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

Sometimes life can get us down and can be challenging. However the way we look at life, situations and what we say to ourselves is what determines our happiness, and growth. I believe we create our lives by our thoughts and we can have success, great relationships, our dream job, health, and much more. I know this works because it has changed my life. Here are five things you can start to say to yourself to shift your thought process to one of achievement and growth.

5 Affirmations for Personal Growth:

1. I am in control of my thoughts, therefore, I journal everyday what I will create for that day. What I am grateful for and what action steps to take.

2. Obstacles are my opportunities for success, and to prove to myself what I am capable of.

3. I am pro-active in creating the structure I need everyday so that I will have a strong foundation for long-term growth.

4. I am a beautiful, strong, pro-active action taker. I can accomplish whatever I put my mind too.

5. I always take care of my health, mind and body by exercising daily and only eating whole food that will make me strong for life, and free from disease.

Write these down and put them on your fridge, bathroom mirror, work station, car and in your purse. You deserve the best life ever, but it is up to you to take the action steps!

HOW TO LOOK 20 YEARS YOUNGER

This is a topic I am asked about all the time. So many women want to know what they can do to look and feel younger. As you know, I am a huge proponent of weight lifting for women, as well as following a healthy nutrition plan for your body, and understanding and balancing your hormones as you age. What some of you may not know, is I am also a big advocate for natural and organic products and regimens for your skin. 

There are millions of anti-aging skin care products on the market today. Many of them are simply an overpriced mixture of water, alcohol, and other toxic ingredients which over time only makes your skin dry out, causes blemishes and acne, and increases fine lines and wrinkles. Even the best of the best skin care isn't doing what it could be if the chemicals in it are toxic and leaching into your body, aging it from the inside out. 

I don't know about you, but I don't want a skin care that only makes me look good, I want a skin care that I know will work AND is providing my body with essential oils and anti-oxidants to improve my overall health. My clients are always talking about how expensive Botox and facial treatments are, wishing there was something easier and less expensive to stop the wrinkles from creeping across their faces. I keep reminding them those treatments definitely can help but if what you're doing to your face every night and morning isn't healthy, then it won't matter how much Botox or how many specialized facials they get. 

It's what you do everyday that counts...

Over time the chemicals and toxic ingredients we are constantly putting into our bodies and onto our skin in the form of cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, hair products, etc. build up as toxins in our livers and has been shown to cause cancers. I also firmly believe these chemicals increase the aging process. I can always tell when I'm using products that aren't as pure.

Now, if you're beating yourself up because you haven't been taking care of your skin the way you should, don't. I wasn't always kind to my skin. In my younger years, I used to tan, not worrying about sunscreen, plus I never read labels or cared about the ingredients in creams and other products I put on my skin. But, once I hit the big 40, that all changed. This all made me realize what a gift our skin is. I spent a number of years looking for a product line that is 100% toxin free. I've tried many over the years and some I liked better than others. However, until recently I wasn't able to find exactly what I was looking for. 

Several months ago I was at lunch with one of my good friends. I couldn't help but notice how amazing her skin looked. She said she's been using a new skin care line called Australiana Skin. She told me where to find it and I went straight home and researched the company. I won't go into details here, but let's just say I was extremely impressed. I ordered one of their sets and long story short, I've been hooked ever since. I have finally found the product my skin has always been begging me for.

Sticking to a routine...

One important factor for success with change is finding a routine that works for you, and sticking to it. I am a pretty busy person, but if I don't schedule time for my workouts, meal prep and yes, you guessed it, skin care - I won't achieve my goals. 

Every morning I wash my face and apply my serum and moisturizer. Every evening I wash my face and apply my serum and moisturizer. Once to twice per week I use my scrub and my Miracle Mask. I treat this habit the same way I treat brushing my teeth. It's something I refuse to miss. It takes me three to five minutes and the return is ten-fold every time I see my reflection or someone asks me how I look so young.

Are you ready to look twenty years younger? Do you have a skin care routine? If not, start today. Grab yourself some excellent products, then establish your routine and be consistent. You'll be looking twenty years younger in no time!

Here's an extra incentive to try this great skin care, you get 15% off your product by entering the code Sandy15 at checkout. I know you will love it! Go to Australianaskin.com to read above these anti-aging products. 

---

EVOLVE AND DEVELOP INTO YOUR BEST SELF

Celebrity life coach Lauren Zander was recently quoted in the Experience Life magazine in her response to the question, “What are the biggest barriers to change?” Her response,

“I think being human is an amazing privilege”
and I think we are often really bad at it. People don’t know how to get unstuck.
They don’t understand that they’re a creation and a mystery, and that they can evolve and develop. It’s just not something we’re taught.”

So where does one start? With a vision, a dream, a goal, and tangible arrival point. So often we limit ourselves to what we think we can do rather than focusing on the possibilities of what might be if we just allow ourselves the freedom to go beyond our limits.

From a young age, we define ourselves as good or bad at certain characteristics. We label ourselves as intelligent if we are good at reading or we label ourselves as athletic if we are fast runners. Based on our experiences and how others describe us, we begin to set boundaries and limits for ourselves.

I see this most often in everyday women who come to me with the goal of losing weight. They see themselves as overweight, undisciplined, and inactive.

These women, however, get stuck in the thought process. They either assume they “are” or they “are not.”

But, being healthy and fit is merely a direct result of daily choices just as being unhealthy and unfit is a direct result of daily choices. It’s that simple.

Those who are flexible, stretch. Those who are strong, lift weights. Those who are full of energy, eat healthy food. Those who are hydrated, drink water. Anyone can stretch, lift, drink water or eat healthy. Change, therefore, is simply taking action in the same direction. Here’s a small exercise to help make my point.

1. Take a piece of paper and divide it into three columns.

2. In the far right, make a list of characteristics you consider required of your “best self.” They may include a thin waist, firm thighs, pretty skin, etc.

3. In the middle column, write the equivalent action required. For example, you might write: lift weights with Sandy 3 times per week, follow nutrition plan, or do cardio 5 times per week.

4. Then, in the left column, write behaviors and choices the directly impact the action in the middle column. For example, schedule other appointments around workouts with Sandy, pack the entire week’s meals in advance, or wake up at 6:00 am an exercise before work.

You see, your "BEST SELF" is simply including daily choices and actions that magnifying those characteristics you like. If you start doing the activities in the first column you automatically get the results in the last column. It’s inevitable.

I’d love your comments about thoughts that “get you stuck” or “hold you back” as well as the simple action that can set you free to become your best self.

Ultimately -- 
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!
That is the first secret.

If you make the right choice, you can look forward to a younger, more confident, and happier you

---

ONE SIZE FITS ALL DIETING MYTH

ONE SIZE FITS ALL DIETING MYTH

It seems like every time you open a magazine or get an email from your favorite blog, there is another diet-to-end-all-diets.  Guaranteed to make you lose pounds and inches just by eating potato chips and drinking martini’s all day (wishful thinking!).

The reality is this, fad diets don’t work and there is no such thing as one-diet-fits-all. 

No one person is the same. We have different hair color, eye color, some of us are tall, some are short. Some of us can eat mac-n-cheese several times a month and not put on a pound, some of us look at a brownie and gain a pound.  We also have different genes and family history. With all these differences, why do we think we can follow the same diet and get the same results?  If that were the case, I refer you back to the potato chip and martini diet and wish you the best of luck.

What is important in finding your diet sweet spot is first throwing out the term ‘diet’ and learning what works best for your body and your lifestyle.

Stop dieting

First and foremost, if you want to sculpt your body, lose body fat—and maintain—you have to ditch the word “diet” and understand you’re making a life-long change. If you work hard to get the body you want by following a healthy whole food plan, you can’t abandon your meal plan and expect to keep the weight off or continue to feel as good. When you’ve taken the time and patience to find the right food for your body, it is important to continue to incorporate that into your lifestyle.  

Lets take Keto as an example.  As you probably know, Keto means substantially limiting your intake of carbs, instead packing your daily menu with protein. If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight on Keto—after trying a more balanced approach of cleaning eating—that probably indicates your body doesn’t process or burn carbs and it would be best to stay on a low carb way of eating.

We’ve all heard the stories and probably know people who have lost weight but end up gaining it all back and then some. The reason is usually because you’ve approached it as a diet and now that you’ve hit your goal weight, you go back to eating the way you used to. The trick is to learn how to make what worked a permanent part of your life so it doesn’t feel like a permanent diet.

Listen to your body

There are some things you can’t know without blood work. Things like a Vitamin D deficiency or low testosterone (yes, this is a thing for women too).  However, even without having your blood work done, your body does give you signs and if you listen to them and keep track of them, these signs can be extremely helpful in finding your best way of eating.

You could be very sensitive to gluten and therefore your bloated frequently. Or maybe you live with recurring heartburn. Or you hit a wall everyday at 2:00 pm. These are all signs you can learn from and adjust your diet to subside symptoms.

This is where a food journal can be extremely helpful.  If you don’t already do it, it’s very simple to get started. Grab a notebook or download and app (there are tons for iOS and Android) and start tracking what and how much you eat.  When I say track, I mean track everything. Include notes about how you felt—your energy levels, any physical symptoms, your mental focus, etc.  While you’re working on understanding what is right for you, its important to include as much detail as possible so you can evaluate what might be giving you heartburn or causing your energy to tank in the afternoon. 

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of keeping a food journal, it becomes second nature and will help you stay on track.

Stick with it

If you’ve ever worked with me, you know I like to work with new clients for a minimum of six months.  If you’re just starting out on a new workout program, it takes time to see results.  And just as it takes time to see results from exercise, it takes time to dial in the right nutrition plan. I ask my clients to weigh in every week, but we also do pictures, measurements and body fat percentage every three weeks. I also create a new meal plan every three weeks.

The reason I do this is because everyone is different and it takes a consistent effort to understand what works for each person. 

Its important to realize it may take time, especially if you’ve never evaluated your diet, what works for you. Be patient.

Everyone cheats

Everyone enjoys a treat now and then. And sometimes, temptations get the best of us.  Its important to accept that just because you had something that wasn’t on your new healthy nutrition plan doesn’t mean you failed and you should give up. It means your human and you need to accept the hiccup, get back on track and focus on the next day.

Case study

I’ve worked with thousands of women and no two are the same. For instance, I have one client where we tried several different strategies. We started with the basics of eliminating gluten and dairy to see if those were causing the problem of eliminate body fat. Then we tried different versions of carb cycling, we tried higher protein and fats and lower complex carbs, nothing worked until we tried Keto, which is no carbs, and to our surprise the weight and body fat started dropping.

Another client would be able to have high carbs, and continued to lean up and change body composition just by staying on her whole food meal plan. But she couldn’t have any cheats or her body wouldn’t shed body fat. But then another client would be able to stay high carb and have 1 to 2 free meals every weekend and continued to lean up. 

No two bodies are the same and that’s why I encourage my clients to stick to the meal plans I give them so we can figure out what is working and what is not. The only way to figure these things out is to be precise, consistent and patient. 

You know the term “if you do the same things, you get the same results”, therefore, “if you want different results, you need to do something different”. 

Figuring the nutrition out for my clients is what I am great at. It takes the pressure off of them so they can live life and not worry about the details. After it is figured out I teach them how to track and design their own nutrition so they can continued to be successful. That’s the goal, so when my clients have completed their programs they know how to maintain for life. 

---

Minimizing the Effects of Aging

It’s true that when it comes to age, we can’t stop the numbers from adding up. But age is more than just a number. Age is how our bodies and minds respond to the passing of time. Fortunately through research, they have found ways to slow down the process of aging and optimize youthfulness.

The process of un-aging is simple if we follow the do’s and avoid the don’ts. If we are determined to lead a better life through maintaining a healthy lifestyle, we also have to maintain a positive outlook.

The Do’s of Un-aging:
 Do limit sweets.
 Do eat more vegetables.
 Do take time off or breaks.
 Do have sex.
 Do take the recommended daily dosage of Vitamin D3.

Limit Sweets
Let’s be truthful and say that we all know that excess sugar is harmful. Why exactly? Research shows that excess sugar counteracts essential proteins in our bodies. The buildup of abnormal proteins contributes to wrinkles and energy loss. Therefore, excess sugar can make us look and feel old, which is what most of us want to avoid.

Eat more vegetables
Vegetables are 95% water and contain phytonutrients and Vitamin C. The effects of which are unlike excess sugar, in fact quite the opposite, these help hydrate cells and reduce wrinkles. Phytonutrients guard against premature aging by preventing cell damage from stress and environmental toxins. Integrating more greens into your diet can do a lot of good as it can protect your bones, prevent
bloating, and reduce stress.

Take time off or breaks
Time off or taking breaks during the day are a means of reducing stress. High stress levels affects our health by making it difficult to lose body fat and makes us look and feel older. Make sure it's on your schedule to take a 20 minute nap, meditate or take a long bubble bath. If you don't plan it, it won't happen.

Have Sex
Studies suggest that those who orgasm at least twice a week live longer than anyone else. Sex gives you a Zen feeling that you otherwise cannot find throughout your day. Making love releases a variety of stress-relieving hormones similar to a workout.

Make sure to have the recommended amount of Vitamin D3. Studies show that women who have higher levels of Vitamin D have longer telomeres. These are protective caps at the end of your chromosomes, and are considered an excellent marker for aging. So the longer the telomeres, the younger the cells are.

By following the above suggestions, it is easy to determine the don’ts. The process of un-aging requires having balance in vital elements of your body. Namely,
 Your brain
 Hormone levels
 Body fat

Brain Exercises
Research shows that using your brain keeps your synapses firing. Synapses are tiny gaps across which a nerve cell can send an impulse to another nerve cell. When all synapses are firing, you become more focused and your mind feels electric. Challenge your mind by increasing brain activity. Challenge your mind by paying close attention to your reading list or learn new things.

Hormone levels
Hormones are chemical messengers that keep your body working properly. They regulate your metabolism, sexual reproduction, and immune function. Hormone levels decline as we age and manifest symptoms such as: feelings of sluggishness and fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and decreased sex drive. Keep your hormone levels in check by getting regular checkups and your blood workup done by a bio-identical hormone doctor. Remember that the quality of our life does not have to decline as we age. Checking your hormones regularly will help you feel energetic and excited about life again.

Body Fat
The average woman is expected to have a body fat range of 17% and 24% to be considered healthy. A weighing scale does not determine one’s body fat, though there are effective means to do so. These are: Dexa scan. Bod Pod, Hydrostatic, Plethysmography, Calipers. It is important that we measure body fat because it is the most accurate means to determine how healthy you are. Those who are high
in body fat are at risk for high blood pressure, cancer, and other cardiovascular diseases.

The secret to un-aging is not a miracle drug or a machine that takes you back in time, where you can undo what the passing years have done to your body and mind.

The fourth secret is to minimize the effects of un-aging by following tips and lessons learned from years of research and work done by professionals in the field of health and fitness. The path to a youthful and healthy future is achievable. Always maintain a positive outlook and know that by following the guidelines set, you can look forward to a youthful and better you.

---

Aging is Optional

Aging is a natural process and each and every one of us will have to deal with it at some point in our life. However, you can slow the process! Here are 6 bad habits I recommend avoiding or significantly reducing in your life so you can slow the process:

6 Bad Habits that Speed Up the Aging Process

1. Lack of Sleep
Most adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. In fact, many of us get only half of that per night. Obviously this not only influences your energy levels the next day, but sleeping less than six hours per night significantly contributes to high levels of inflammatory proteins which increase the process of aging.

2. Drinking and Smoking
These two habits are probably among the top three factors to blame for aging. Alcohol is not only high in calories, but can greatly damage the liver and kidneys. Smoking, on the other hand, is bad for every organ in your body. It significantly increases the risk of lung cancer and other types of cancer and diseases. Heart disease being the most deadly of these. Both alcohol and tobacco products greatly increase the aging of your skin as well. To stay beautiful, fit, and ageless throughout your life, steer clear of cigarettes and keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.

3. Lack of Greens and Vegetables
Not consuming enough variety of greens and different vegetables in your diet can greatly influence the aging process. Greens and vegetables not only keep you energized and provide you with healthy nutrients, but they are also beneficial for your skin, hair and health overall. Including more vegetables such as kale, spinach, tomatoes, brocolli, brussell sprouts and many others, will decrease the aging process drastically.

4. Stress
Stress is the number one cause of disease in the 21st century. According to the National Academy of Sciences, immune system cells of highly stressed women caused them to age an additional 10 years. Minimizing stress by incorporating things such as meditation, yoga, hiking and other stress-reducing activities, can go a long way in keeping you young. 

6. Negative emotions
What bothers us inside will show on the outside. Keeping negative emotions such as anger and resentment to yourself will only make you feel worse and bring you down. It's important to let it out, and then let it go. Holding grudges can add to your stress and increase the aging process even more!

6. Passive lifestyle
Being passive or inactive can cause a number of different problems. Not keeping yourself active and moving can lead to several metabolic diseases, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. But, that’s not all. People who are less active are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, which also have a very bad influence on the aging process. 

Ultimately -- 
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE!
That is the first secret.

If you make the right choice, you can look forward to a younger, more confident, and happier you

5 Ways To Reverse Your Biological Age

Studies show that if we break down the factors contributing to one’s longevity, a mere 25% is attributed to genetics or one’s biological makeup. The other 75% depends on the way we think and the choices we make. 

Thus, the principle of Un-aging is based on the idea that—although our chronological age is a given since it refers to how many years we have lived on this earth, we can still control the rate at which we age or our biological age.

Un-aging addresses how to prevent, slow, or reverse the effects of aging. It not only includes nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, and similar; it also includes anti-aging psychology, e.g., attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills for resiliently handling change, stress, and aging.

All of these factors contribute to the state of our internal body clock. 

Although most believe that a body clock is something intangible, on the contrary, it refers to something very tangible and specific because the measure or one’s body clock is related to the length of so-called telomeres.

Telomeres are the caps on the ends of our chromosomes or DNA strands. They are like the tips of shoelaces, Without these plastic tips on the ends of our shoelaces, the shoelaces quickly start unraveling. The same is true of our DNA. As we age our telomeres gradually get shorter and shorter. When our telomeres get too short our DNA is no longer protected. Thus, when cells divide, errors will be made causing cancer and other chronic medical conditions. Eventually, our telomeres get too short to maintain life.

Fortunately, there are things we can do now to lengthen our telomeres and reverse aging at the cellular level.  By making these changes now, we can reverse our biological age and dramatically slow the overall aging process.   

Here is a list of ways to reverse your biological age:

1.    Eat healthy.
Many studies have shown that a healthy diet can reverse or slow telomere aging. In particular, diets high in whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes can protect our telomeres from shortening. Sugar, processed foods, and processed meats have the opposite effect to our telomeres. 

2.    Lead an active lifestyle.
Studies show that regular exercising slowed telomere aging by about 10 years. The message here is clear, exercise can reverse or slow the aging process.

3.    Maintain an ideal weight. 
Being conscious of of our weight is more than just cosmetic or a means for us to have a positive self-image. Being overweight is another cause of premature aging. Carrying excessive weight causes oxidative stress, or “rusting,” to our cells resulting in telomere shortening and premature aging.

4.    Get enough sleep.
Ideally, we should sleep at least 7 hours a day. Sleep is when our bodies go into repair mode.  We need this repair process functioning optimally if we want to reverse our biologic age and “grow younger.”

5.    Manage stress and strive to be happy.
While we cannot avoid stress, we can change how we perceive stress and we can block the effects of stress on our telomeres through mindfulness, meditation, etc. Maintain a positive attitude by connecting with friends and family. Social connection was shown to be an additional way to keep our telomeres long and prevent loneliness, which is a powerful predictor of heart disease.

The decisions we make every day determine whether or not we grow old. By taking the steps outlined above, we can immediately reverse our biological age by about 10 years.  

---