As the summer months begin to creep in, especially here in Austin, I get asked more and more how to stay hydrated. Now before we get into some of the nitty gritty of this, please keep in mind that every body is different and therefore we all have different needs. When it comes to hydration this is an area that is subjective to the person and region we live in. For instance, I drink (try to, let's be honest I am human) roughly 2-3 gallons of water per day. To the average person this is a lot. When you factor in the fact that I have been an athlete and very active my whole life, and I live in a very hot and humid state this suddenly doesn't seem like so much. 

    When it comes to hydration we think water is the only way. While it is the main way there are a few other things involved that KEEP you hydrated throughout the day. Let's take a look. 

   For starters, we need water to help metabolize and breakdown nutrients and remove waste from the body(including fat, this is why water helps you lose weight!). When your urine is a dark yellow, that is because you are dehydrated and your urine has too much urea in it. In order to remove harmful waste and toxins in the body we need to drink plenty of water to continue to flush them out. We also lose water in our tears, sweat, feces, breath and spit. So there are multiple ways to become dehydrated throughout the day if we aren't paying attention. 

  Your food can be a source of hydration! Eating foods that carry electrolytes, such as cucumbers, salads, citrus, etc will help you stay hydrated throughout the day so you're not tediously drinking gallons per day. You also want to drink more than just water. Giving the body a small break for a tea or cold-pressed OJ is a great way to stay hydrated as well. 

   Electrolytes are an important part of hydration because they not only give an electrical charge but they transport nutrients. So keeping these in your foods and even squeezing a bit of lime into your water can really boost your hydration, especially in those hot summer months. 

    We also need to remember that while we all need at least one gallon of water per day, that amount changes person to person. These factors are determined by sex, age, weight, activity level and where you live. All of these affect how much water you need to stay hydrated and functioning. Let's be honest, no one wants to be dehydrated. Did you know it only takes 2% into dehydration for your brain and muscle to slow down and begin to stop functioning? That's not much! We also must remember that it takes longer to hydrate than it does to dehydrate the body.

   So, the first thing we should do upon waking it drink at least one 8-ounce glass of room temperature water straight out of bed. This will also boost and jump start your hydration from the very start of your day! How amazing is that?! Remembering to do this first step, is actually a pretty great way to set the tone for your day as far as water consumption goes. You want to set yourself up for success, not failure. If you are going to workout you'll want to consume at least 2 16-ounce glass/bottles of water before beginning any rigorous activity. If you are only working out for about an hour or under, you really only need water. If you are going HAM all day, you may want to throw a NuuN tablet or some BCAAs into your water. I never really recommend a sports drink as many of them are pumped full of caffeine and/or sugar. The sugar is really what will get you. Adding that extra sugar may make it taste delicious and give you a bit of energy boost, however it also dehydrates you. So I tend to stay away from drinks like Gatorade, Poweraide, Vitamin Water. Yes even VITAMIN water is not good for you. The reason you feel you need more is that sugar is taking over baby!

   Now you know the basic facts and operations of hydration. Grab your jug and mark it every hour if you need a reminder to drink. But whatever you do, drink that water daily!  
   

           Achy, stiff, throbbing pain, creaking and popping. Yes, that is the joints in your knee as you slide out of bed groggy and in a daze from your rem cycle. You think it's just the pain of getting older and aging, while you're not wrong, you are at the same time. While aging is not something we can help, getting older is. Your body gets old when you stop taking care of it, this includes the break down and deterioration of joints. 

WHAT ARE JOINTS?
         Joints are the connection made between the bones in your body which link the skeletal system together as a whole functional structure. They connect nearly every bone in your body and are made up of many components and parts that make them function. 

WHAT ARE JOINTS MADE OF?
        There are a several categories that joints fall into, they all have specific functions for aiding in movement of the skeletal system. ​

• Ball & Socket Joint:  This type of joint allows for a wide range of motion and movement, much like your shoulders and hips. 
• Condyloid Joint: This type of joint is more of a joystick-type of movement, no rotation much like your jaw  or fingers. 
• Gliding Joint: This type of joint allows for bones to glide past one another, much like your wrists, ankles and spine. 
• Hinge Joint: This joint allows movement like a door, much like the knee and ulna part of the elbow. 
• Pivot Joint: This joint allows movement of bones to spin and twist around one another, much like the neck and radius part of the elbow.
• Saddle Joint: This joint allows movement back and forth, side to side but with limited rotation, much like the base of the thumb. 

While each joint is it's own category along with their own function and purpose in the body, they are all made up of the same things. 

• Joint Capsule: Connective tissue which surrounds the entire joint itself. 
• Synovial Membrane:  The inner layer of the capsule that secretes lubrication. 
• Hyaline Cartilage: ​A slick but dense cartilage that covers the ends of bones. 
• Synovial Fluid:  A slippery substance secreted byt he synovial membrane that allows for smooth motion of the joint. 
• Ligaments: These are bands of connective tissue that connect bones together and work with the joint capsule to aide in protection against extreme or awkward motion of the joint. 
• Tendons: A connective tissue in which connects muscle to bone and aides in supporting the joint. 

       Okay so now we know the important parts of this post, understanding what joints are, how they are made up and how they function is important in keeping them healthy. There are MANY ways to strengthen joints before they start to breakdown and there are even ways to help reform joints and alleviate pain throughout the day whether your 30, 40, or even in your 70's. 
*As a side note, I am not a doctor. Anything written here is merely of my own research and experience, these are purely options and holistic treatments for an ailment that simply needs healing.* 

HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY JOINT HEALTH? 

1. ​Here is the hardest one for everyone, exercise. That's right, we are starting there because this also ties in weight. Exercise not only strengthens your tendons, and ligaments but also ensures that the fluids are flushing, recycling and working properly. Using weight baring exercises, even things such as body-weight squats is enough to aide in the strengthening of your joints. 
2. Take a look at your weight if your joints are causing you pain, most of the time it is either because we don't exercise and use the joints the way they should be used, or we are having a bit of trouble with our weight. Extra weight on the body is great for building, but for a short duration. Walking around with an extra 15-20 pounds continually on you may be cause for concern when it comes to joint pain. Our bodies are designed with a specific shape and weight and your body knows where that is if you take care of it through nutrition and exercise. 
3. Speaking of nutrition, there are many natural foods that aide in alleviating joint pain, the reformation of joints and combat inflammation. These are just a few for a good starting point. 
   1. Avocados
   2. Greek/Probiotic yogurt
   3. Vibrant leafy greens
   4. Berries, red berries in particular  
   5. Cruciferous veggies, things like broccoli
   6. Raw nuts, cashew, almonds, etc.
   7. Turmeric
   8. Ginger
4. If your nutrition is lacking a bit in any of those areas you can always add these properties in with supplementation. No I am not talking about "taking pills" necessarily, I am speaking of going to your local Vitamin Shoppe and picking up fish oil and curcumin to aide in joint pain if you aren't getting enough fish in your diet. 
   1. Curcumin: An antioxidant derived from turmeric, it is known for it's anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties. 
   2. Hyluronic Acid: Helps aide in lubrication throughout the body, including in joints to allow for smoother movement. 
   3. Collagen: This is the most abundant protein in our bodies, it provides the structure for connective tissue. This also aides in smoother movements of the joint and bones connected. 
   4. Fish oil/Krill oil: Not only are these both great for lubrication and alleviating joint pain, they are also an anti-inflammatory supplement. Adding more omega-3's and less omega-6' can improve joint health and pain in a matter of a few weeks. 

      

              Okay, as not only a personal trainer but a baker as well, I get asked frequently which is more important; nutrition or exercise? Here's the truth, BOTH. I say this for several reasons; so let's explore these reasons, and ultimately in the end, you will always make your own choices and opinions about the power couple. 

                 I am sure you have heard from gym rats, athletes, and bodybuilders that abs are created in the kitchen. Well, they aren't wrong. As someone who has been all three, and continues to be a couple of these things, I can in fact attest to this. Think about this for a minute, what do you eat daily? Do you workout? How long do you workout? Do you know what your caloric intake should be on a daily basis? Did you know that your body requires a certain amount of calories to function and run properly throughout the day to prevent crash and fatigue? How about the fact that particular health factors such as your blood type can play a big part in your weight gain/loss? These are all questions I have been answering to followers, friends, family and clients over the past 4 years. 

1. If you are new to the health/fitness industries, a good place to begin is to figure out what your goals are. Now when I ask my clients this, I don't ask them for what weight they would like to be unless they are under/over weight, obese, or an athlete. Let's be honest here, the number that really matters is not the number on the scale, but the body fat percentage you carry with you daily. It's also great to follow social media accounts that motivate you, but, never compare yourself to them. EVERYONE STARTS SOMEWHERE! 
2. Finding your caloric intake might be easier than you think. It's just a simple equation of body-weight multiplied by ten. Take this number and multiply by the activity level you average daily; this number is 1.1 (sedentary)-1.9 (highly active). BAM! Caloric intake! The hard part is adjusting to your goals. This number simply gives you what you should be intaking on a daily basis, ladies don't be scared of a number over 2,000. Calorie is a fancy word for fuel/energy. 
3. Now we all have foods that we despise or dislike, but let me tell you something; those foods are probably what you need. When you cut out certain things from your nutrition, your overall health can suffer. If you don't want to wait for your taste buds to catch up and adjust, take a supplement. They are, after all, there to SUPPLEMENT WHAT IS MISSING FROM YOUR DIET. They are not magic pills to make you better. They are aides in wellness. 
   1. Adjust your diet/nutrition needs based on health as well. If you are pre-diabetic or hypoglycemic you can in fact control this so it doesn't worsen through your nutrition. A good doctor will openly inform you of this. 
   2. Blood type. Yes, believe it or not your blood type can play a major factor in what foods you ingest on a daily basis. Personally I am O+, I found out through extensive research and discussion with my doctor that this plays a role in why I have trouble digesting meat. Even with digestive enzymes added to my supplement plan, so it's a raw, plant-based diet for this woman! 
4. When I first became a trainer and got into health and wellness, I continually told my clients to stop skipping meals. Turns out... I was wrong. Oops, my bad. After much research I found that fasting can in fact be beneficial in increasing your metabolism and the rate at which you break down and utilize the foods you're ingesting. The trick is to stick to THE SAME AMOUNT OF CALORIES PER DAY CONSISTENTLY. When you use TRF, or time restricted feeding, properly your body could potentially respond better than having to worry about eating a small meal every 3 or 4 hours. You can utilize your time throughout the day better and often times it makes it easier to fit a 2000 calorie meal plan into 8 or 9 hours, versus 16. This is not to say that eating every few hours doesn't work for some, bodybuilders show us everyday this is still a very effective method to dieting. 
5. STOP following fad diets! I'm not going to tell you these are horrible and just out to trick you into giving up massive amounts of money for no results. I am saying, find what works for you; more specifically, find what works for your body. It's okay to try new diets, but after 4-6 weeks or even 2-3 on a new diet you found on the internet with no signs of progress or results... it may well be time to find something new. Remember, your body will tell you what it needs. You must listen and hear what it is telling you. 
6. Lastly, exercise. Ladies and gentlemen don't be afraid to lift and sweat! Exercise coupled with a good nutrition plan will bring you results much quicker than just having that on-point diet or doing cardio alone. 
   1. Nutrition and cardio are great for shedding fat, toxins and extra unnecessary water weight. However, only doing these will also cause muscle and bone density loss. 
   2. Lift! Build up strong joints, bones, and provide a stronger frame. Since muscle is more dense than fat that number on the scale may never move after you have reached a particular point. For example, I have been sitting around 170 pounds for the last 3 years. Even during my competition days I still weighed this, the only number that changed was the number regarding my percentage of body fat. This is the reason we refer to it as "fat loss," rather than "weight loss." The distinction is important. 

            So all in all, if you are still unsure where to begin, it is always a great idea to hire a well educated trainer or nutritionist to help you get started. Even for a month, and nobody said you have to spend thousands a month on someone to help you achieve your goals. Now get out there and go smash some goals! 

                   I have been a foodie and, predominately, vegetarian since I was a child. Remember in the opening scenes of Ratatouille where he is explaining how the combination of flavors taste and the fire works are going off around him? That is what eating ANYTHING is like for me. Why? Mindful eating my friends.

                    You see, as a child I was always being told to eat quicker. I remember thinking, "but I don't want to, I like how this tastes," so I was always the last to finish. I was fine with this. I was often sick with strep or an ear infection as a child, I was also very active and just craved fruits and vegetables. My body hardly ever craved meat and when it did, after ingesting any kind of meat outside of certain pork products it would come right back up. But, as I got older, I began forcing myself to suffer through the pain of vomiting every time. I was always sick, I didn't listen to my body anymore and hardly ate anything that was not processed and packed full of chemicals and empty calories. When I got really sick at 23, all that changed, and then again at 26. I began listening to my body and started mindful eating, or meditative eating.

                    Okay, I know what you're thinking. "I'm not going to sit in silence with my food.... alone.... like a freak." You don't have to, mindful eating is much more than that. Not to mention some of the wonderful benefits that come with it. Let's explore these benefits, starting with mindful eating!

THE BASICS OF MINDFUL EATING:

1. Begin by sitting at a clean, clear table with only a glass of water and a plate of your favorite meal. First, notice the texture with your fingers if you are eating something without utensils. Or notice the smell and temperature. Take a few deep breaths in and back out as you observe these components of your meal.
2. "Check-in", and ask yourself a question or two. "What are my desires at the moment?" "Am I hungry or bored?" No matter the question breathe on it for a few deep breaths. Does it intensify or shift to something else? This can help you figure out what triggers your hunger pangs.
3. Connect your mind and your meal; take a moment to think of the origins of the ingredients. The work and hands that went into nourishing and growing these foods. Think of the families you have helped support because you purchased these ingredients. Take a few deep breaths on this.
4. Connect your soul and your meal; think of the conditions that must be met to grow and nourish the ingredients used in your meal. The four elements and their role in helping to create them, right down to the chemistry and genetics of each piece of food. Take a few deep breaths on this.
5. Smile! You may take a bite now! But a small to moderate bite. Notice the flavors. Do they compliment one another or clash with one another? How does the texture feel as you chew? What about the temperature? Chew at least 25 times before swallowing your bite.
6. Swallow completely before taking another bite and allow yourself about 20-40 seconds. Let the taste linger. Does it linger long or disappear quickly? Did it change with the last portion of your bite swallowed? Take a few deep breaths on this.

Mindful eating is not just about staring at your food like a crazy person. It is about taking a moment to APPRECIATE your meal, the ingredients and everything that went into making it.

Okay you may have noticed I stated to chew a minimum of 25 times. Yes, that's quite a bit, but there are massive benefits to doing so!

• Chewing stimulates your salivary glands to produce more saliva. This helps to moisten your food.
  
• Saliva also contains enzymes that help break down carbohydrates and fats starting in the mouth with chewing.
• Chewing thoroughly prevents gas and bloating. Smaller bites and chewing with your mouth closed helps speed up the digestion process. Many times when taking bigger bites, chewing is tossed aside, air is sucked in as you chew and as you swallow along with undigested sugars from undigested lactose. Bloating, discomfort, and gas occurs generally for an hour or two after eating this way.
• Increase the surface area of your food. "What?" you ask, "Surface area?" Yes, portion size matters because we are meant to chew our food more.
  
• Taking smaller bites makes the job easier for digestive enzymes and stomach acid.
  
• Taking smaller bites increases surface area to allow for more nutrients from your food to be absorbed. Since digestion and break down start in the mouth, you are already half way there!
• Healthy fat/weight loss. Chewing helps reduce the amount of ghrelin your body produces and secretes. The more time allowed for food to digest, the better the brain and stomach communicate to tell you when you're full and satiated.
  
• Studies have shown that subjects who chewed food 40 times as opposed to 15 times before swallowing on average consumed 12% less food.
• More chewing= healthier food choices. Nobody wants to chew something that loses flavor and tastes like gum that's falling apart when you chew too long. Chewing organic, natural, and raw foods gives more flavor than processed, pre-packaged, and chemical filled foods. Your body will start to crave them and your taste buds will find food more potent with flavor.
• Trigger your digestive system to kick into gear! Chewing starts the rest of your digestive system to follow suit, and so does, smelling! Smelling your food first also intensifies your perception of the flavor. Your stomach begins to produce hydrochloric acid, then your pancreas produces digestive enzymes, and the rest is history.
• Improve your dental hygiene with chewing more. Since chewing makes you salivate more your teeth get a cleaning while you eat. Saliva contains antibodies that rid the mouth of plaque and pathogens before they find a place to nest inside of your mouth.
• Strengthen your immune system. Breaking down food more, and to a more absorbable state, ensures that you are getting more nutrients. This makes it easier for your body to identify intruders and take them out!

As you can see, there are MANY benefits to mindful/meditative eating. Next time you sit down to your favorite meal, take some time in the first few bites at least, to taste the difference with these techniques and tips.