Whats Good?

Vitamin D!

Let me re-phrase that. Vitamin D is great! I have been diligent on taking my vitamins lately and that includes my Vitamin D3. I have been taking my D3 (4000 IU's) every day and I believe that it has really increased my energy levels. Here is a list of some of the benefits that research is finding with increased levels of D3:

-Helps absorb calcium which keeps your bones healthy

-Boosts your immune system

-Has a role in insulin secretion

-May help in blood pressure regulation

-Has links to decreased cancer rates

These are just a couple of the benefits, but I think that is enough for all of us to start upping our daily levels of Vitamin D. If you are asking yourself if you are deficient, if you live in Wisconsin, you probably are. Our body makes vitamin D from the sun, and we just don't get enough of it here in the midwest. There are simple blood tests to determine your levels, but even the recommended doses and levels are low, in my opinion. Ask your friendly chiropractor (me!) for advice and recommendations. As a disclaimer, make sure you talk to a health professional before changing any vitamin regimen.

Back in the Game

Well, I was gone this past weekend out of town. We did not workout this past week, but started up this past Tuesday (April 13th). P90X has it built into the program that you are on for three weeks and then take a full week off. We had to modify that a bit with my trip, as we only worked out for 2 and a half weeks before taking the time off. It felt great to take a vacation, but my muscles where aching to be used. I found myself doing push-ups and sit-ups at the condo, just because it felt good to do it. That was a good feeling knowing that my body was actually aching for exercise. It is going to be tricky this week to get in all the workouts, as we are going to the in-laws. We plan on taking the DVD's with us so we can stay on track.

Brewers Game or Workout?

Sometimes life gets in the way of our perfectly laid plans. Last night we were supposed to do our plyometrics workout, but we got invited to go to a Brewer game. So, needless to say, we went to the game. It was very fun, the Brewers won. Life is a balancing act. Family, Religion, Business, and your own personal time for growth, all tug for time. You must organize your life. It has been helpful for me to schedule a specific time each day to workout. I have also scheduled time to spend alone with each one of my sons. I write in my calendar so it just becomes part of the routine. That is the tip for the day....write it down! Put it in your planner. If you don't have a planner, I would plan to get one. Of course you won't have anywhere to write it down, but you get the idea.

Junk Food is Addictive as Crack! (Gives you a big one too!)

A new study in the latest issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience concluded that eating too much junk food can increase the reward threshold in your brain. This means that you have to eat more of the bad stuff to get the same euphoric feeling. In this study rats were given fatty food for 40 days. Then, they were given the choice to eat the healthy food or eat the fatty food, and get shocked. The rats took the shock, and ate the bad food. (I know I would take an electrical shock for a Chester's Hamburger!)

So the moral of the story is....don't eat junky, fatty food because it will change or brain chemistry and it will make it harder to quit. If you are already addicted, don't despair because it is reversible. You will go through some withdrawal, but once you start eating healthier, it is easier to stay on track.