Enigma Fitness

06/12/2016

The FDA is currently re-examining what makes a food "healthy".

Currently, the FDA states healthy foods are those: low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt.

Due to decades of new research suggesting sugar and processed carbohydrates may be more damaging to our health, expect a new definition of "healthy" in the coming years. This new definition should focus on: healthy vs unhealthy fats, simple vs complex carbohydrates, micronutrient profile, the degree of processing a food undergoes, and other important factors.

Source: https://www.webmdhealth.com/!newsletters?id=AMVJdxXF_9-EBG5ZhxMJutiBM7CP0RXHkM5Ua9m2YHCO0&s=741&mrdid=5e090aa4-3e21-e611-9b83-a0369f30171a

TUESDAY, May 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Which of these foods, if any, should be labeled "healthy"? Raisin bran? Avocados? Granola bars?

06/10/2016

Cleanses are all the rage these days. Before purchasing an expensive "cleanse", take the advice of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to naturally cleanse your body:

1. Drink plenty of fresh water
2. Eat 5-9 servings of daily fruits and vegetables.
3. Eat plenty of whole grains, nuts, and seeds for fiber
4. To foster a healthy gut microbe, include fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt.
5. Only consider a supplement if your body is lacking key nutrients.

Source: (https://www.webmdhealth.com/!newsletters?id=AP__4vSFvQkIAMGoUlqNAoqAylVp4xqxZkL85Roac-Ci0&s=741&mrdid=5e090aa4-3e21-e611-9b83-a0369f30171a)

WebMD Health Services Group, Inc. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.

06/09/2016

GMOs are a controversial topic, and as which most is not properly understood. Here's what you need to know:

1. GMO stands for a genetically modified organism, an plant or animal that has had its DNA altered in some way.
2. Selective breeding, radiation, application of specific chemicals, and genetic engineering are all used to alter an organisms DNA.
3. Radiation and chemical processing likely does more damage than true genetic engineering.
4. In order to be considered safe, the GMO based foods must undergo rigorous testing before being determined safe for human consumption.
5. "Organic" and "non-GMO" foods are held to an honor system since there is no agency that verifies these claims.

For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/1teylOw

Genetically modified organisms -- plants and animals whose genes have been changed by scientists -- aren't just thought over, they're fought over. GMOs often make news related to the environment, world hunger, the economy, politics, and yes, even health.

06/01/2016

Productivity break! Today we are busier than ever. We sleep less, work more, and take less time to relax and decompress.

I'm guilty of missing workouts even though I work at a gym. Today I have so much to do, the thought of taking an hour to workout seems impossible. Instead, I opted for a 10 minute quickie workout that was made of:

Stair sprints
10 push ups
10 leg raises
Repeat until timer goes off, only rest when necessary for as little as possible

Simple, but effective. Now I can get back to work with renewed focus, and maintain the progress I've been working towards in the gym. Try it for yourself sometime and let me know what you think!

05/19/2016

Need a reason to get to the gym?

A new study finds that participating in exercise reduces the risk of 26 different types of cancer in adults. The truly amazing thing about this study is that the reduction in risk was INDEPENDENT of weight, meaning even those who were classified as "overweight" and didn't lose a significant amount of body fat saw a decrease in the development of risk.

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2521826&utm_source=bhclistid&utm_medium=bulletinhealthcare&utm_term=051716&utm_content=morningrounds&utm_campaign=bhcmessageid

This study of pooled data from 12 US and European cohorts examines the association of leisure-time physical activity with incidence of 26 common types of cancer and whether the associations vary by body size and/or smoking.

05/17/2016

Healthy sleep habits allows your body to properly recover from workouts and daily stress, form long term memories, keeps your heart healthy, and improves insulin sensitivity. In general, anything that's good for your health will be great for improving your physique.

Aim for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night, too much can be just as bad as too little.

05/11/2016

New post on the blog today! Learn more about what HIIT training is, why it's so effective, and how to make it fit into your program today! Check it out at https://enigmafitness.squarespace.com/blog/2016/5/11/understanding-hiit

Now through the 25th of May we are running a special, sign up for our foundation program and receive a free month program of your choice! Contact us for more information and let us help you get ready for swimsuit season.

Intro Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last five years, chances are you’ve heard about how high intensity interval training, also referred to as HIIT, is a potent calorie burner. In fact, you can burn more calories in a short 10 minute HIIT session than 30 minutes of traditional, moderate…

05/09/2016

New research coming out of Washington University in St. Louis, MO challenges the long held belief that "a calorie is a calorie" by shedding light on how above average consumption fructose rich foods (generally in the form of HFCs or High fructose corn syrups) affect developing fetuses.

Their studies show that as HFC consumption during pregnancy increased, fetal development decreased. This predisposes the new born's to become overweight and develop metabolic dysfunction as they age, making it more difficult for them to live a healthy life.

For more information head over to https://source.wustl.edu/2016/05/high-fructose-diet-pregnancy-may-harm-placenta-restrict-fetal-growth/ to get the full story.

Consuming a high-fructose diet during pregnancy may cause defects in the placenta and restrict fetal growth, potentially increasing a baby’s risk for metabolic health problems later in life, according to research in mice and people by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

03/12/2015

Consistency is key!! Whatever you goals are you'll never reach them without putting forth some sort of effort to achieving them every single day. If you want to lose weight you MUST workout more than once or twice a week and watch what you eat 24/7 in order to be successful. It isn't easy, but it will be worth it! Make a plan and put it into action, then apply the most important component: patience!

03/10/2015

Check out the new USDA dietary guidelines at https://www.webmdhealth.com/nl/nlv.aspx?id=81B7EFCAB2238534&s=741&mrdid=c366639b-4cc6-e411-be4f-e83935c0f4a9

Some notable include:
- dietary cholesterol is no longer a nutrient of concern
- having up to 400mg of caffeine a day (3-5 cups of coffee) isn't bad for your health
- farm raised fish, not all bad. Best to get a variety of wild caught and farm raised
- keeping environment in mind while making good choices. Sustainability is a big focus for 2015 and beyond

Take a few minutes to read the details from the full report and share your thoughts!

Those are among the latest recommendations an expert advisory panel has made for the upcoming "2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" -- and the group's report is turning some conventional thinking on its head.

03/04/2015

Developing a positive, motivated mind set takes TIME and requires daily maintenance once achieved! Take the first and last 5-10 minutes of your day to work on it and it will set you up to have a better perspective throughout the day. Ask yourself what it is you are living for, what you are doing to achieve your goals, and remind yourself that you will ultimately get there one step at a time and to not get discouraged by set backs or because it takes longer than you'd like. These daily reminders help to give you a purpose with which to live your life and by developing a more positive mindset you will soon realize how much more open the world is to you. Don't wait until tomorrow or Monday, start doing this right now and see how your life changes over the next month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year!
Here at Team Enigma we believe in training not just the body but the mind as well!

03/02/2015

Lets get this Monday started right people! Look forward to the beginning of another week, another opportunity to work on reaching those goals you have fitness related or otherwise! Personally Im working hard on getting ready for my first bodybuilding competition. Despite working and going to school full time I get my workouts in and eat clean, what are you working on achieving this week?