Should We Have Bulking And Cutting Phases? - and ties into winter weight gain
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Debate- “Quarantine 15lbs” is “No Big Deal”
Your skin is one of your body’s largest and most important organs and plays a number of roles in maintaining your overall health. Not only does it provide a physical barrier to protect your insides, but your skin also helps to regulate your temperature and act as a route for elimination for fluids like sweat and oils. Your skin is covered in small glands called sebaceous glands. They secrete an oil called sebum that helps lubricate your skin and keep it healthy. Within these glands are receptors that respond to hormones, and react according to factors like hormone levels. Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced in organs such as the ovaries, adrenal glands, and thyroid. When there is too much or too little of a specific hormone being produced, your skin reacts accordingly. We know there’s a connection between hormones and the skin because certain hormonal disorders manifest themselves by affecting the skin and hair. Now, let’s explore some specifics. When it comes to hormones, estrogen is probably the most widely known and discussed. While it’s true that estrogen is primarily made in the ovaries, it’s a hormone that is also found in males and made in different tissues. In the skin, estrogens affect the thickness, wrinkle formation, and moisture levels. Estrogens can also increase glycosaminoglycans such as Hyaluronic Acid, to maintain fluid balance and structural integrity. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for coarser hair and thicker, oily skin. This hormone is heavily involved in sebum production, and too much can cause acne, clogged pores, and other blemishes. Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in your adrenal glands, and high levels of cortisol result from being in a state of chronic stress. Too much cortisol can result in acne and thinning skin. Low levels of cortisol can result in changes in skin color and pigmentation. If you’re suffering from hormone-related skin issues, your first thought might be to go to the drug store and grab some skincare products, but that won’t solve the root of the issue! While it’s important to keep your skin clean and well protected—which we’ll discuss later—masks, toners, and serums won’t be able to do their best if you don’t make changes to your diet and lifestyle as well. Yes! Today we’ll be discussing which lifestyle changes can most heavily influence your hormones, which will be your first step toward creating a plan of action. Each person has a unique body, which means that each person’s wellness journey looks a bit different, so be sure to follow up with us after the end of this class to create a plan that works for you! From acne in adolescence to thinner skin during menopause, hormones affect our skin differently throughout our lives. Let’s take a look! It’s very common to experience acne alongside monthly cycles. It’s because your estrogen levels are dropping! This is likely because estrogen helps to stop your glands from overproducing oil (kind of like an anti-sebum), so without enough of it, pores can become clogged. Sweating more than usual, as well as experiencing dry skin are also common symptoms that can occur during a menstrual cycle. Lastly, if you have any skin conditions (like psoriasis or dermatitis), they may also worsen during the premenstrual phase. Acne happens during puberty because new hormones are being introduced into the body systems. Often, this acne appears in the T-zone, on the forehead, nose, and chin. These hormone fluctuations may aggravate acne by increasing: - Overall skin inflammation - Sebum (oil) production in the pores - Clogged skin cells in hair follicles - Production of acne-causing bacteria called Propionibacterium During periods of elevated hormonal activity, such as pregnancy, estrogen can cause skin pigmentation, also known as melasma, in certain sun-exposed areas such as the forehead, nose, and cheeks. When menopause begins, the body experiences a natural decline in reproductive hormones. This can cause the skin to appear flushed, red, and blotchy. Why? Because estrogens have anti-inflammatory properties, so when they’re gone, inflammation in the skin—and conditions like rosacea—can get worse. Losing estrogen can also result in less collagen production, dehydrated skin, and a lighter, more pale complexion. A hormone-balancing diet requires a healthy digestive tract, stable sugar levels, and a well-functioning liver. Before creating a diet that works for you, it’s crucial to gain an understanding of how your body is currently operating as well as exploring what could be improved. There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan to “fix” your hormones. Depending on the health of your body overall, you’ll be able to determine how drastically you need to change your diet. Eliminating sugar from your diet can help keep levels of certain hormones, like insulin, in check. Additionally, refined sugar is known to put stress on the adrenal glands, which regulates cortisol, the stress hormone. When cortisol levels spike, your skin gets extra inflamed, causing acne, psoriasis, and other skin conditions to get worse. For so long, we’ve been socialized to believe that fat is something that should be avoided, but now we know that healthy fats are actually essential to keep our bodies feeling happy and healthy! Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may help to lower cortisol levels, so be sure to include foods like whole eggs, olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, and nut butter into your diet. Alcohol can affect our blood sugar levels and cause a spike in estrogens and other hormone levels. One study published in the medical journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found that, for women in their 40s and 50s, even just moderate consumption (one drink a day) can affect the hormonal system. Physical activity can strongly influence our hormonal health because exercise can reduce insulin levels. In a 24-week study of obese women, exercise helped to balance insulin as well as levels of adiponectin (a hormone that has anti-inflammatory effects and helps regulate metabolism). Studies have also found that being physically active may help boost muscle-maintaining hormones that typically decline with age, such as testosterone and growth hormone. Although a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise seems to provide the best results, engaging in any physical movement is beneficial. In order for your body to work at its full capacity, it needs adequate time to rest and recover. Most people aren’t getting enough sleep or enough quality sleep, which is messing with their wellness in many ways. To get your sleep schedule in order, prioritize having a regular bedtime and wake up time. Practice good sleep hygiene by using blue light blocking glasses for screen time at night, or swapping out your phone for a book. When our cortisol (stress) spikes, our skin can become inflamed as a response. If you’re serious about clearing up your skin—and your overall wellness—take proactive steps to manage your stress! Millions of people are discovering the power of mindfulness, which can be practiced in hundreds of ways throughout your day. You could also try meditation, yoga, tai chi, or simple breathwork exercises. There are millions of products out on the market that claims to “fix” your skin issues, but we encourage you to stop chasing the hype and get back to basics when it comes to treating your skin. Start with a simple cleanser morning and night. Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer (which means it won’t clog your pores) and use a broad-spectrum SPF every day. The following references have been referred to in the making of today’s event: Acne and Hormones: https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/hormonal-acne#menopausal-acne https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/hormonal-acne Alcohol and Hormones: https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/35/5/417/206575 https://www.thehealthy.com/addiction/drugs-alcohol/alcohol-consumption-mess-hormones/ Diet and Hormones: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/balance-hormones https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324031#avoid-sugars https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/foods-to-help-a-hormone-imbalance Skin and Hormones: https://helloclue.com/articles/cycle-a-z/skin-and-the-cycle-how-hormones-affect-your-skin https://thriva.co/hub/womens-health/understand-how-hormones-affect-your-skin https://www.byrdie.com/hormones-and-skin http://doctorclaudia.com/hormones-and-your-skin Stress and Acne: https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/does-cortisol-cause-acne/ Thank you so much for joining us today for this special event! We hope you’ve found some of the information we’ve shared to be useful. One of our main goals is to instill the importance of listening to your body and personalizing your wellness journey as much as you need to. That being said, we know that we covered a lot of information, and there are a lot of lifestyle elements that you may need to examine if you’re serious about your health. Our team is happy to work with each of you to create a plan that meets your goals—all you have to do is reach out. [cta] Following up!
Bring Balance to your home
Today we’ll be discussing ways to create balance in the home. For this discussion, we’ll be drawing from the philosophy of feng shui. Feng shui is a Chinese system of laws considered to govern special arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy. Historically, feng shui has been used to orient spiritually significant structures like tombs, but also home dwellings and other structures, in an auspicious manner. In feng shui, energy is referred to as chi or qi, but there are many terms that can be used to describe this aspect of universal energy. Today we’ll be using the term “energy” as an all-encompassing phrase. To picture the energy in your home, visualize water entering through your front door. Look around the space that you’re in right now. Would water flow smoothly and nourish all areas, or would it become blocked and stagnant? Creating a home free from blocked energy will create space for your mind to become unblocked as well. After all, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they keep their home! In the world of feng shui, removing clutter is more so about creating space. When you create space in your home, you create space in your life, and you’re able to welcome new things. Start by finding a physical spot in your home and clearing it out—a drawer, a table, your refrigerator—size doesn’t matter, just take some time to clear it out and let go of whatever isn’t necessary. Life is not static, but continually changing. Open spaces get filled, then emptied, then filled again. Play with the space you have, and don’t be afraid to let things go! Take a look around your space. Do you see anything that doesn’t serve a specific function? What about something that looks displeasing to the eye? We’re all guilty of bringing things into our home that we don’t really “need,” but having this clutter in our living space can distract us and weigh us down emotionally. To mend this, have a designated space for everything, from your keys to your mail, and make use of the organizational systems you create! When there’s a direct line-of-sight between the front and back doors, the energy is shooting through the house too fast. Slow down the movement of energy by breaking up the space with an area rug, artwork on the walls, or a round entry table to help energy move more gracefully. The front door is essential in feng shui because it’s the leading portal from which energy enters your home. Make sure that you don’t block it with shoes or other clutter, instead, create a landing space for sunglasses, keys, shoes, jackets, and anything else you might shed or grab as you walk through the door. If you face a wall as you walk through the door, put something between you and that wall to avoid feeling like you’re cornered in as you enter your space. Slow down the energy in your home, and especially around your doorway by adding artwork or other aesthetically pleasing objects that make you stop and reflect. If you’re lucky enough to live in a space with many windows, take advantage of it! Natural light makes us feel happier and more positive. If you don’t have a lot of natural light, strategically install mirrors to reflect light, create the illusion of a more expansive space, and bring more light into your home. Dirty windows mean that less sunlight can enter. When we don’t have a well-lit space, things seem less vibrant, and our energy can decline. Make a habit of cleaning your windows to help see the world around you with more color, clarity, and precision. Plants are energy sources; they’re living things that bring freshness, health, and vitality into our spaces! When picking out plants, make sure you choose plants that you’re able to care for. Understand how much attention they need and consider the light you have in your home versus the light they need to thrive. Even in low-lit spaces, there are plenty of plants that can flourish and grow. Make sure that all your doors can open to at least 90 degrees. If the doors in your house can’t open all the way, every time you use them you’re subtly reminded that you’re only able to receive a portion of the opportunities that life has to offer. While you’re at it, make sure that hinges aren’t squeaking and that all the hardware is working correctly. The inability to open doors in your living space with ease can affect how energy finds its way to you. There are three positions in particular that you want to bring attention to - your bed, your desk, and your stove. The bed represents you. The desk represents your career. The stove represents your wealth. When you’re in any of these positions, make sure that you can see the door without being in direct line of it. Often, this means that you set your bed and desk up in a diagonal position from the door. Usually, your stove will be up against a wall anyway, so when standing at it, you won’t be facing a door. Ideally, when sleeping, your head (or the head of the bed) should be facing North. North represents quieting of the mind and promotes the warm, restorative, safe feeling that comes from a deep sleep or hibernation. Next time you’re in your bedroom, pull out the compass app on your phone to see which way you’ve been sleeping! Hallways are like the arteries where energy moves and circulates through our home. Be mindful that hallways are kept clear of clutter, but don’t hesitate to pepper the walls with photographs and artwork, especially for long hallways. Too much empty space can make energy move too quickly. When you get dressed for the day and open up your closet only to see all the clothes that don’t fit you anymore, that affects your mood! Make time to go through your closet and get rid of clothes that you haven’t worn in a while, don’t fit you anymore, or just generally don’t make you feel good. Be kind to yourself in this process, and know that you’ll come across many more items that will bring you joy, so it’s alright to let go of a few right now. When we no longer have use for a belonging, it’s best to thank that item for the use it has provided us, then allow it to reach someone new, who can make more use of it than you can. Each season, or more often if you wish, go through your belongings and compile a box of items to donate. If you have trouble parting with items, take some time to find a donation that you feel good about contributing to. A quick online search will surely provide you with more options than you’re likely aware of. From women’s shelters to thrift stores that donate their funds to animal shelters, knowing that your cherished items are helping a cause you care about can make the process much easier. In each room, begin with the largest piece of furniture (bed, sofa, desk) and move it as far away from the door as possible, while still facing that direction. This way, while you use the furniture, you’ll be in a position of increased power and decreased vulnerability. TIP: Think like a cat. Generally, cats will back up against a corner so they can have the best view of the room and don’t leave space for anything to sneak up behind them. This gives them a position of power or a “commanding position.” Water, metal, earth, fire, and wood are the five elements that make up the world. If a room still doesn’t feel quite right, assess to see if any elements are missing. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to represent the elements into objects: Wood – fresh or silk flowers; plants; cotton or other natural fibers/fabric; wooden furniture. Fire – candles; incandescent lights; sunlight, any shade of red, pink or purple; electronic equipment; animal print. Earth – anything in earth tones (brown, green, or sand); square and rectangular shapes; low and flat surfaces; images of landscapes. Metal – round or oval shapes; anything made of metal, aluminum, gold, or silver; rocks and stones; white, gray, silver, or pastel colors. Water – the color black; reflective surfaces like mirrors; wavy, free-form, or asymmetrical shapes; water or water features like fountains or aquariums. Now that you’re ready to start tackling the rooms in your house, what will you start with? Do you have any questions that you’d like to clear up before you roll up your sleeves? The following resources have been referred to in the making of today’s presentation: Feng Shui Rules: https://www.thespruce.com/feng-shui-rules-for-every-room-4118349 https://www.invaluable.com/blog/what-is-feng-shui/ https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-universal-energy-in-feng-shui-1275045 https://www.mydomaine.com/feng-shui-home-tips Five Elements: https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/the-elements-of-feng-shui Thank you all so much for joining me for this event! I hope that you all learned something valuable and can put it to use to make your living space a little bit brighter. Please share any questions you have in the comments below, OR feel free to message me privately as well. I’m here to help! [cta] Share your plans!
Intro-
Disorders
Sports and relation to eating disorders and body image?
Thin and Fat shaming-
Parent’s Roles for Children
How to deal with these first person and 3rd person?
Dangers of self Diagnosing and Treating
Why this is an issue/ They shouldn't self diagnose
Most Common things people self Diagnose and “Treat”
Examples of self diagnosing I’ve Seen
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Hosts
Jim and Chantea Goetz host Healthy Happy Hour, an hour long event each week where they take you into their world to become a better version of yourself. Learn new topics on your health and fitness, enjoy new recipes of organic, ketogenic and paleo dishes. Understand at times controversial topics and learn a new exercise each week to keep you moving towards greatness! Get on your couch to get off your couch and Live Functionised! Archives
October 2020
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