The Energy Drink Blog

Your friends talked you into it, so now what? Training for your first 5K may seem like a daunting and impossible task, but it can be and should be a fun and growth experience…a step in the right direction to better physical health.

Signing up for and participating in a 5K is a great first step to running a marathon. At only 3.1 miles, a 5K is an accomplishable goal for most people to achieve. It is also a great starter way to ease into the running world.

Running is not only a physical activity that does not necessarily require any fancy, expensive equipment, just a good pair of running shoes and breathable clothing; it is also a sport that can be done anywhere anytime. While some people may enter onto the running scene to lose weight, others do it for the stress relieving qualities and empowerment it provides.

Tips for 5K training beginners

1. Watch what you eat. While you are surely burning up calories, it is important to maintain healthy eating habits. Staying away from refined food products as well as sugars is important. Whole grain breads and pastas as well as protein shakes are easily digested and will give the body the energy and nourishment that it needs.
2. Start with a plan: Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t feel like the first time you lace up and head out the door you need to do the whole mileage non –stop. Start slow and pace your progress. This will help you build strength and endurance.
3. Fuel your body. Be sure that you eat. If you feel drained, try an energy drink. The best energy drinks will not disrupt your sleep patterns or cause you to crash after taking them.
4. Stay motivated. Usually 5K races are a fundraiser for a local charity or worthy cause. The fact that people are going to benefit from your participation should be motivation enough. Also downloading your favorite upbeat tunes should be enough to get spirits up and moving.

Your metabolism is the key to burning fat and calories efficiently. As we age weight-loss can become difficult for a number of reasons but one of the most common reasons is due to a sluggish metabolism. Here are some changes you can make to help kick your fat burning furnace into high gear and keep it there.

Begin your day first thing in the morning with an intense workout of cardio.  It’s best to do this upon waking because you burn calories from stored body fat rather than calories consumed over the course of the day.  It’s also a great way to get energized for the day and keep your metabolism revved for hours.

Eat a healthy breakfast shortly after you workout but don’t eat a heavy meal. Choose sources of food that are high in fiber and protein as they will keep you satisfied longer and take longer to digest.

Eat small portions or snacks instead of sitting down to large meals. Eating frequently in smaller amounts is easier on the digestive system and prevents the stomach from being stretched. It also prevents binge eating later in the day.

Try to consume only complex carbohydrates such as slow cooked oatmeal, brown rice, or whole grain bread instead of refined starchy carbs. Complex carbs offer a high source of fiber and satisfy hunger longer because they take longer to digest. The key with consuming carbohydrates is to eat them earlier in the day when your metabolism is at its highest so they are easily converted to energy and burned off. This means that a couple servings during the day would be ok while omitting them at dinner would be a better option.

Proper elimination is very important when it comes to having a healthy metabolism. If you are not going to the bathroom daily you may want to think about doing a colon cleanse. By cleansing the body you are eliminating toxins and chemicals that can slow your metabolism down. This is also a great way to increase your energy naturally, and clear up your skin. It allows the liver to process waste more efficiently which can help boost metabolism and weight-loss.

Make sure you are drinking enough water everyday because it is required for just about every bodily function. Water is also important for proper elimination and helps with regularity by drawing fluid to the colon for waste removal.

Get adequate sleep each night and you will continue to burn calories at a rapid rate. Studies show that lack of sleep not only attributes to weight gain, but it also slows the metabolism down and inhibits the lack of growth hormone which is necessary for  rejuvenating the body and burning fat more effectively.

As we get older it becomes harder to lose weight for various reasons. Keep these healthy tips in mind and you can burn calories effectively at any age.

Antioxidants are nutrients naturally found in the foods we eat. They offer protection to our cells from oxidative damage. They also slow the aging process and prevent various illnesses and diseases. Some of the most common health problems associated with oxidative damage can be cancer, heart disease, eye problems, or diabetes. This is why eating a diet loaded in antioxidants is so essential. Although there are various sources of food that contain them, they can also be found in supplement form as well. Here are some common antioxidants found in the foods we eat.

Vitamin A is found in many orange or brightly colored vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peaches, squash, tomatoes, apricots, kale, or broccoli as well as a variety of sources of protein. These sources contain what is known as beta-carotene which is a nutrient that converts to vitamin A as the body needs it. Vitamin A is beneficial for eye health, skin, cancer prevention, strong bone health, and protection from bacterial and viral infections. Since beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body, you should try to get it from your diet first because it is a fat soluble vitamin is not excreted daily.

Vitamin C is commonly found in all citrus fruits, leafy greens, strawberries, and tomatoes. It is an antioxidant that can prevent and protect the body from illness, increase immunity and energy, protect cells from cancer, and stimulate collagen production. Vitamin C can also be supplemented daily because it is a water soluble vitamin that is not stored in the body. The recommended daily requirement can range from 500-2000mg depending on individual needs.

Vitamin E is generally found in most nuts, various greens, and fruits such as kiwis or mangos. It is vital for protecting the skin from any kind of ultra violet light or skin damage. It helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scarring, and stretch marks when applied topically. When taken internally it can help prevent muscle cramping, asthma, cataracts, cardiovascular disease, prostate, and breast cancer. A general recommended daily dose is 200-400mcg in supplement form deriving from a natural source. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin so depending on how much you get from your diet can also determine how much to supplement.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is commonly known for protecting against various cancers. It can be found in nuts and almost all animal proteins. The recommended daily intake is about 200mcg and can be taken in supplement form.

Although antioxidants may be supplemented, it is best to attain them from a diet with a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and protein to gain the benefits of their protection.

Scales can be really vague and a serious compulsion for some people. The need to constantly step on one can be a daily battle because we have such high expectations and base our self worth on a number. It can literally make some people spiral into depression and use food as a coping mechanism or turn exercise into a neurosis in hopes that a new number will magically appear and make everything ok.

Here’s what’s wrong with that foolish device. First, they are everywhere so that doesn’t help. We see them at the doctor’s office, on the bathroom floor, or pass one in the gym on the way to the elliptical machine. In any case, our society is obsessed with body image and we put too much emphasis on unhealthy thinking instead of teaching the fundamentals of good health. Here’s how it should be. A scale should be used on an occasion to get a general idea of how much you weigh or as a tool to track your progress for a weight-loss program. The need to jump on one every morning is simply out of compulsion and the habitual practice needs to be broken. So what does that number really represent? Here are some significant things to remember the next time you want to torment yourself.

The figure you see when you look between you feet signifies a few things. A portion of it is comprised of fat, muscle tissue, water and fluid, and bone mass. Imagine taking all 206 bones out of your body and laying them on a scale, you would be amazed at the portion of body weight they make up. Also take into consideration that the body is about 70 percent water and that you are constantly excreting and replenishing fluid so there will be a fluctuation in weight on a daily basis depending on hydration levels.  Muscle tissue is also very dense so the more muscle mass you have the higher the number you will see. This is not a bad thing however because muscle weighs more than fat and it also speeds up metabolism and helps burn calories more effectively. This should help to put things into perspective a little better.

If you are ready to begin a weight-loss program, step on the scale to track your initial starting point. Don’t make this a daily habit though as it may sabotage your efforts. Instead, pick one day a week like first thing Monday mornings to check your progress. For anyone maintaining their weight or just plain curious, don’t check obsessively, try weekly as well. There is no need to start a fixation on a gadget that is inconclusive in my opinion. When you wait longer in between weighing yourself you will notice better results and motivation will become second nature.

Having your fat percentage checked or your Body Mass Index (BMI) which is the ratio of fat versus lean body mass will tell you a lot more about your health than the total number on a scale. One thing I try to keep in mind is that if I like the way I feel in my clothes or that they are getting looser, then I know that my hard efforts are paying off and I’m on the right track. We all have good and bad days when it comes to losing or maintaining weight. The important thing is to make healthy lifestyle changes to achieve a sense of well-being instead of falling for trendy diets that don’t work. Taking care of your self should be a way of life and not a temporary solution. You won’t need to step on a scale everyday if your mind and body healthy are both healthy.