WHY MUSCLE MATTERS, ESPECIALLY AS WE AGE
Time is marching on and the aging process is happening. You can create a healthy lifestyle and slow down the aging process by rebuilding and retaining your muscle mass. Poor dietary choices, sedentary lifestyles, getting older, and lack of targeted exercises, cause muscle loss.
A low ratio of muscle to fat may be putting you at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and other health issues. And even if you don’t have muscle loss but have loss of strength, can be a major concern as you age.
If you are concerned, your dietary focus should be to change your health and fitness challenges by rebuilding lost muscle mass and vitality with healthy food choices such as lean, clean proteins, healthy fat choices and a focus on vegetables and salads. When you support your body’s healthy aging, you improve your metabolism and support the elimination of toxins from your system. One of the side effects is easier weight loss!
The first step is always with your food. Portion controlling, avoiding chemicals, processed foods and sugar and starch are crucial to optimal health. Drinking clean water and learning to listen to your body to decide if you are hungry or just eating at random. These things add up in a positive or negative way.
Focus on losing inches vs pounds. Losing body FAT mass is so much more important than just the weight in pounds. Muscle and fat weigh the same. The difference is in how much extra space FAT takes up in your body. If you have changed your food but have not added in a key component of exercise, you have likely decreased lean muscle mass. Balance, strength training, flexibility and weight training are essential to a healthy and lean body.
BCAA’s (branch chain amino acids) are essential amino acids, as they cannot be synthesized by a human body. They must be consumed orally and can either be animal or plant based. Unlike other amino acids, BCAAs are used primarily by the skeletal muscles and make up 30-35% of the muscle tissue itself. BCAA’s can be purchased on line or in a health food store or GNC. Research has showed that supplementing with BCAAs can promote muscle retention as we age. During exercise, BCAAs support muscle protein synthesis and inhibit muscle breakdown and fatigue.
By working on building strong muscle mass through the right types of exercise and a healthy lifestyle that includes BCAAs, you can optimize your health and longevity.
There is not one solution for slowing the aging process and promoting longevity but your approach should be on going, comprehensive and persistent in the 4 key steps to SUCCESS:
1. Drink at least half your weight in ounces of water daily, up to one gallon.
2. Portion control your food so you are eating less than you need to lose weight.
3. Exercise utilizing weights, strength training, resistance training.
4. NO SUGAR NO STARCH. Your daily diet does not need to be low or carb free but if you want to optimize your weight loss effortlessly, NO SUGAR NO STARCH is your answer!
There are lots of programs online that allow you to work out easily from the privacy of your own home. Females do NOT have to worry about bulking up or gaining too much muscle. You do not have enough testosterone to do this unless you are taking steroids or using muscle enhancing drugs. Weight training burns fat and leans you out quickly. Search on YouTube or Google for female weight training or exercise programs.
Les Mills Body Pump is an excellent source. DDP Yoga is a great program for all ages and all disabilities. Yoga Burn is also interesting and easy to do at home.
Don’t forget planking 1-3 times per day for 30 days. Planking is a great CORE builder and can whittle away muffin tops and strengthen all CORE muscles. It is YOU vs YOU and all you have to do is show up and do it to win!