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One of the top benefits of magnesium is its involvement in all the biochemical reactions in the body. Your body is literally a laboratory where hundreds of chemical reactions are occurring every minute. When you consider every cell in the body contains magnesium, you understand how important it is. Most of the magnesium in the body is in the bone, approximately 60%, with the rest in soft tissue, fluid, such as blood, and muscle tissue. It aids in reactions like creating protein, converting food to energy, repairing RNA and DNA, and regulating the nervous system.

If your blood sugar levels are low in magnesium, it may raise your risk for diabetes.

There’s a correlation between low blood levels of magnesium and the ability to regulate blood sugar levels. One study followed people with type 2 diabetes and found that 48% of them had low blood levels of magnesium. Other studies showed that people who ate foods higher in magnesium lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes significantly. Other studies showed that magnesium supplements also improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is the precursor of diabetes.

Heart health and anti-inflammatory benefits come from magnesium.

Inflammation can cause a lot of problems throughout the body, including high blood pressure and heart disease. Studies show that taking magnesium supplements can decrease the markers of inflammation. Other studies show a lack of adequate magnesium leads to oxidative stress, another factor that indicates inflammation. Magnesium supplements also help lower blood pressure, which improves heart health and reduces the risk of stroke. The supplements also improved blood cholesterol levels. It can prevent arterial plaque build-up and prevent hardening of the arteries.

Thinning bones and muscle cramps can occur with low magnesium.

Magnesium is important for bone health. A deficiency is associated with an increased risk for osteoporosis and increased bone fractures. Approximately 55% of the body’s magnesium is found in the bone. Signs of magnesium deficiency are muscle cramps, twitches and tremors, since magnesium is involved with cell communication and nerve signals. Remember, your heart is also a muscle and requires a balance of magnesium and calcium to contract and relax to avoid cramping.

• Magnesium deficiency can affect your mood. It can lead to anxiety, depression, apathy and severe signs including delirium and coma. Magnesium shortage can cause nerve damage, which also may increase mental illness potential.
• Migraines can occur for a multitude of reasons; one theory is magnesium deficiency. One study found that people with migraines are more likely to also have a magnesium deficiency.
• Chronic exhaustion and fatigue may occur if you have low magnesium levels. Studies also show it can increase exercise performance and increase power and muscle mass.
• Improving your magnesium level should include eating food with more magnesium, such as pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, popcorn, dark chocolate and dark leafy greens like spinach.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness

If you have arthritis, inflammation may be the direct cause. The labeling of arthritis is often a description of inflammation of the joints, even though inflammation may not be the reason you have it. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and gouty arthritis are examples of arthritis directly caused by inflammation, while the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, doesn’t come from inflammation but obesity, aging and previous injury or damage to the joint.

What type of inflammation causes inflammatory arthritis?

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system is attacking the lining of your joints, while psoriatic arthritis the immune system attacks both the skin and healthy joints. Arthritis from lupus comes from the lupus affecting the musculoskeletal system, especially the joints. Axial spondylarthritis affects mostly the spine, primarily the joints that connect the spine to the hipbone. Gout comes from uric acid crystals in the joints that trigger inflammation. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks healthy joints by mistake.

For inflammatory arthritis, reduce inflammation.

One thing is certain, the food you eat makes a difference. If you have inflammatory arthritis, you may need to change your diet to include less inflammation causing food, such as red or processed meat, such as bacon or luncheon meat. If you still want red meat, opt for grass-fed, pastured options. A study found that a diet that was gluten free and vegetarian also reduced the number of flare-ups. Cutting out sugar can also help reduce inflammation and by doing so, reduce the flare-ups of arthritis. Choose instead food higher in omega-3 fatty acids, which includes grass-fed beef, but also walnuts, salmon and flaxseed. These changes can improve the ratio of omega-6 fatty acid to omega-3, which may reverse the symptoms of arthritis.

Exercise boosts strong anti-inflammatory properties.

While it may seem counterintuitive, exercise can actually reduce inflammation and help reduce the pain from inflammatory arthritis. It helps boost circulation, causes weight loss that can aggravate arthritis and increases the lubrication of the joints. You need to ensure you do low impact exercises, however. Studies have shown that regular exercise increases interleukin-15 in the muscles, which regulates the accumulation of belly fat, which can cause inflammation.

• Foods that were often blamed for aggravating arthritis included tomato, eggplant, dairy, red meat, salt, sugar, caffeine, eggs, wheat corn and potatoes, among others.
• New ways of treating inflammatory arthritis include exercise. Physical activity is anti-inflammatory and can boost metabolism.
• You can include spices to reduce inflammation that are also good for arthritis. Turmeric, ginger and boswellia are examples. Drinking ginger tea or sprinkling turmeric on dishes can help relieve pain.
• Always check with your health care professionals before you change your diet or start an exercise program to ensure it’s the best route to take. In most cases, your doctor may already have made those suggestions.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness

One of the problems faced by clients in Irvine, CA, and around the world for that matter, is the obsession with weighing themselves when they start a fitness regimen. While weight plays a role in your fitness goals, it’s not all about how much you weigh. If you’re muscular and weigh 120 pounds, you’ll look much thinner than someone with very little muscle mass. That’s because muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so a pound of muscle tissue can fit in a smaller container—body. Once you understand that weight is just one way to measure progress, you’re on your way to a no scale lifestyle.

Don’t let the scales trick you into getting discouraged or boosting your confidence.

If you’re one of those people that weigh yourself once a day or more or weigh yourself at different times, you won’t get an adequate picture of your progress. You weigh more or less at different times throughout the day, based on a lot of things, including water weight. Your body weight fluctuates for a number of reasons. It can come from hormonal changes throughout the month or even what you ate and the amount of sodium it contained. Those things can make you either feel like you’re not making progress and discourage you or give you false encouragement, even if you didn’t stick with your diet and exercise program.

Measure your body once a week instead.

Taking measurements will give you a better idea of how well you’re doing. If you’re building more muscle, the scales may not show you’re losing weight, but your measurement will show you have less fat. One of the best measurements to show your progress is your circumference around your midsection. That’s where visceral fat collects. It’s deep fat that’s the most dangerous type, since it crowds the organs. When that measurement is smaller, you’re boosting your health and making a great deal of progress toward your fitness goals.

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

Nothing can help you see your progress better than the before, during and after pictures. Getting into shape doesn’t happen overnight. It comes in very small increments. You forget how you looked unless you have a reminder. Take a picture once a month, ensuring you are the same distance from the camera, in the same clothing and it’s taken at the same angle. After the first month, you’ll have a collection to see how much progress you’ve made. It’s useful for those days when you need a boost.

• Your clothing won’t fit the same way after you’ve made progress, so use that information. Find a pair of jeans that fit uncomfortably tight and use them as your guide. When they fit comfortably or even loose, you’ve accomplished a lot.
• You shouldn’t ignore your scales completely, but just remember they aren’t that important and use other ways to measure your progress.
• One simple way to measure progress is to use a tape measure. You can measure your body at key points, like the upper thigh, belly, hips and arms. Depending on your goals, those measurements can be increasing (biceps) or decreasing (hips) to show your progress.
• Use your vitals to measure your progress. Is your resting heart rate lower? Is your blood pressure lower? What about your fasting glucose rate? Getting fit is more than just looking better, it’s being healthier.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness

Rice does not start out brilliantly white, like you find in the store. It’s highly processed and the husk and bran have been removed, making white rice not only less nutritious, but mostly carbs. That can be dangerous for diabetics, since it can cause spikes in blood glucose levels. Even rice milk may create a problem, since it’s high in sugar content without the fiber to slow the absorption. Compared to brown rice, it has far less fiber, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and lignans. It also can cause weight gain due to the lack of fiber, which leaves you feeling fuller longer.

If you want food that will boost your energy, white rice might be appropriate.

As noted before, white rice is mostly carbohydrates and carbs are a good source of energy. When combined with a source of protein, it could be a great option for a pre or post workout snack. For anyone trying to maintain or gain weight, it’s also a healthy option that’s far better than a candy bar or junk food.

While white rice does not contain as many nutrients as brown rice, it’s not empty calories.

White rice still has significant amounts of nutrients such as iron, calcium, folate, thiamine, vitamin D and niacin. If you’re on a low sodium diet, white rice is a good addition, too. Not only is it low in sodium, it’s also low in fat. It offers approximately 4 to 5 grams of protein per serving, too. If you’re trying to avoid gluten, are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, it’s an option, since it contains no gluten.

If stomach problems plague you, white rice might be a good option.

White rice is so much easier to digest than brown rice, it’s a good option when you have digestive issues. Brown rice contains phytic acid, which can cause issues with digestion. If you have to eat a later meal, including the easy to digest white rice can fill you up and help you sleep, but since it’s easy to digest, won’t interfere with your quality of sleep.

• While white rice has far less fiber than brown rice, it still has some and is easier on the digestive tract. The fiber is soluble fiber–a resistant starch that are broken down by gut microbes to produce butyrate. It can reduce stomach inflammation
• Recent studies show that you can cut calories in half and lower the glycemic index of white rice by cooking it differently. Add a tiny amount of coconut oil to the boiling water before adding the rice. Let the rice cool in the refrigerator for 12 hours, then reheat and eat.
• Some types of white rice are enriched with additional nutrients. Those varieties may contain more iron, folate and thiamine. If you’re convinced only white rice will do, look for those varieties.
• You can reduce the GI of white rice by combining it with high fiber foods, like vegetables. Unlike some dishes, where the rice is the biggest portion of the meal, use it more sparingly and combine more vegetables and meat.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness

When you go to a restaurant, where the sugar shaker used to be, there is now a small square container of multicolored packets, each with a different type of sweetener. If you immediately reach for that little blue packet, aspartame, you might want to rethink that decision. While it may seem like a good idea to cut out calories using artificial sweeteners, it seems there are side effects that also come with that benefit.

Watch out diabetics, aspartame may be working against you.

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths and has become an epidemic. Why not use every trick in the book to help prevent it? Sometimes, the preventative has unintended consequences and that seems to be true of aspartame. Aspartame can increase the potential for insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes and a condition that makes weight loss even harder. It can also help people to have a larger waist circumference, an unhealthy indicator.

Inflammation is linked to serious conditions, just like sugar, aspartame makes it worse.

You might be dodging those calories in sugar, but you aren’t dodging the inflammation effect it has. Just like other processes, such as the fight or flight response, inflammation is necessary. However, when it’s chronic, it ceases to be a good thing and becomes a health issue. It can lead to serious conditions that are lethal, painful or both. Inflammation has many faces. It can mimic an allergic response. On the other side of the coin, if you’re allergic to aspartame, it can increase inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in heart disease and cancer. There are direct links between aspartame and rheumatoid arthritis.

Are you getting migraines or just feeling blue?

There are studies linking aspartame to mood disorders. One study showed that when individuals consumed aspartame for at least 8 days, they showed more signs of irritability and had negative mood swings compared to those that never consumed aspartame. Other studies showed that aspartame might be a cause of blurry vision, migraines, dry eyes and even may deteriorate cognitive functioning.

If you’re sensitive to aspartame or the methanol in it, it has been known to cause seizures. In fact, up to 30% of the non-epileptic seizures are due to it. The FFA suggests pilots avoid it, since it also can cause problems at higher altitudes.

Inflammation can occur throughout the body, including the gut. Aspartame can cause gut inflammation. Gut inflammation can make weight loss even more difficult to accomplish and affect nutritional absorption.

Aspartame can interfere with hormone levels. It can disrupt the balance of ghrelin—the hunger hormone—and leptin—the one that makes you feel full. It diminishes leptin and increases ghrelin.

There are a variety of results, both positive and negative, relating to aspartame and its link to cancer of the colon, blood and intestines. There are also studies that show it can negatively affect metabolism.