Category Archives: Sports

March Into Health

The month of March is definitely known for March Madness and centers around college basketball. At my house in the month of March you will usually find the entire family creating their own brackets in hopes of having the most wins and eventually be the one who picks the winner of the NCAA Tournament. We all have our favorite team and none of us usually has the same Final Four. While all the basketball is fun during the month of March it is, also, the month known as “March Into Health” month. There are many health days celebrated in March. All you have to do is google “national health days in March” and you will see a different one for almost every day.

In the last few weeks there have been many things happen making me want to take a serious look at health issues and share that information. The fast pace of life and instant gratification life we lead, I believe, are costing us our health. Society has gone away from the home cooked meal to fast food, take-out, and processed food. Even when a meal is home cooked it usually is only semi-homemade. The cost? Our health. I have to be honest I am as guilty as anyone of leaning on their convenience.

One concern of late is visceral fat. It is different from subcutaneous fat which is the fat just under the skin that none of us likes to see on ourselves. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is found around the internal organs such as the liver, stomach, gall bladder, spleen, etc. and can’t be seen. Visceral fat releases inflammatory substance called cytokines which can damage your organs leaving you at risk for many health issues. Some of these include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, insulin sensitivity, diabetes, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, and even Alzheimer’s Disease.

There is only one way to know for sure how much visceral fat you may have and that is to have a CT scan. However, there are scales that can estimate your level and you can, also, use your waist circumference to estimate. For women a waist circumference of 35 inches and for men 40 inches or more is a good indicator that you may have high amounts of visceral fat and are at a higher risk for the above health problems.

The good news is that visceral fat disappears twice as fast as subcutaneous fat. By changing you eating and exercise habits you can make big strides to improving your health. Reducing stress and getting the proper amount of sleep can, also, help.

Daily exercise is important to decrease body fat. Exercise should be high intensity. Interval training is a great way to increase the intensity in your exercise. Strength training is important as well. Strength training will increase resting metabolism. A higher resting metabolism means you will burn more calories at rest and this will help with reducing fat.

As far as your diet goes you should be doing your best to eat as healthy as possible. Know your numbers and by this I mean know your Basal Metabolism Rate (amount of calories your body burns in a day without activity) and know what macronutrient splits ( % of protein, fat, carbohydrate) you should be eating. There are formulas out there to help with this or if you can’t figure it out you can always contact a nutrition specialist and they can help you. Your diet should include plenty of protein and fiber rich foods and your fat and carbohydrate intake should be lower. Be sure your diet is balanced and full of veggies and fruits.

Finally, sleep and stress both can effect your levels of visceral fat. You should be getting more than 5 hours of sleep and no more than 9 hours. For stress try meditation and deep breathing exercises such as yoga. Spend less time on your smart devices or in front of television.

Making a few changes in your lifestyle can immediately start helping to reduce levels of visceral fat and get you headed towards a healthier you. Make it a priority this month to March to Health! Oh and don’t forget to do your bracket as the NCAA tournament is beginning. It’s a fun way to enjoy the games.

Strong Is The New Skinny

Summer is here and there never was a better time to get fit. Work on building muscle and getting stronger not just getting skinny. The more muscle you have the more fat you burn. And girls……..building muscle WILL NOT make you look like a man.

LOOK WHAT’S HERE!!!!!

I can’t wait for mine to get here!!!! Get them before they run out.

Just go to my webpage Faithfitnessbytracey.com and click on Products & Supplements and then click on Advocare to order!!!

Celebrating the Easter Season

I could not call myself Faith Fitness by Tracey if I didn’t spend time during the Easter season to talk about my faith. It is Easter that represents everything about my faith. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” He loved me so much that he allowed his son to be sacrificed on the cross…..for me….and everyone!!!! I am the mother of 4 boys……I know I couldn’t do that. What an amazing love. I can only hope to live my life in a way that tries…..and I do mean tries because I am by no means perfect…..to be like Christ was. I want the people who know me to know Christ because of how I treat and love them. Do I make mistakes…..you bet I do every single day. It’s because of God’s son I know I am forgiven in those moments I fall short.

As you enter into this Easter season…..remember the sacrifice…..remember the forgiveness…..but most of all remember the love. May God bless each of my readers in the coming week.

The 3 C’s – Choice, Chance, Change

We will never change if we don’t make the choice to take a chance!!!! Our life is many times a result of the choices we make. Start making positive choices. It begins with taking a chance on working towards having a healthy life style.

BLACK FRIDAY FITNESS SALE – DON’T MISS OUT!!!

DONT MISS OUT ON THIS HUGE BLACK FRIDAY SALE GOING ON NOW!!!! SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DRASTICALLY REDUCED. P90X2, P90X3, LES MILLS PUMP, COMBAT Just go to my products link and click on “Beachbody” then follow the Shop prompt to the Holiday Sale.

Youthful Skin – It’s More Than Washing Your Face

I recently had a conversation with a friend about all the things it takes to keep our skin looking youthful as we age. So many people today take such drastic measures to try to look as young as they can. Too many times they end up looking like something straight out of a freak show. I am by no means against a little extra help here and there if that is what you choose to do. For me I choose to age gracefully. Unfortunately we all will age but there are things you can do to keep your skin looking years younger. The sooner you begin the more these things will help but beginning at any age will help.

In my opinion your skins best friends would be a healthy diet, exercise, limited sun exposure, plenty of water, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and good hygiene.

Lets begin with a healthy diet. Eating lots of foods high in antioxidants will do wonders for your skin. Fruits and veggies not only help you maintain a healthy weight but also keeps your skin looking younger. They help fight off all those free radicals which can age you prematurely. Also a diet high in lean protein helps as well. Protein is the building block to muscle. Having more toned muscle helps with the elasticity of the skin. By maintaining a healthy weight and not having large increases in your weight also helps maintain the elasticity of your skin. So how you feed your body makes all the difference.

Now lets talk exercise. Exercise helps in maintaining weight but it also plays a huge role in building muscle and maintaining muscle. Resistance training is very important the older we get as our body slows down in producing growth hormone. Muscle helps burn fat and as stated earlier helps the elasticity of the skin.

Now we have all heard what sun damage can do to our skin. Sunscreen is a must for healthy skin. The more your skin gets sun burned the more damage is done and the more you age. I grew up in the age of laying out in the sun with baby oil on and tanning beds. I have to admit if I hadn’t done those things I would have aged so much more gracefully. With sunscreens and spray tans now there is no excuse for damaging our skin in the sun. I’m not against a little sun but always wear a minimum of 30 SPF sunblock. You will still tan a little but you will not burn. If you have very fair skin you may need even higher SPF. I also use a facial sunscreen every day and the foundation I wear has an SPF of 15.

Staying well hydrated will also help you to look younger and will also help your skin be more healthy looking. Your skin appears fuller and small lines and wrinkles are less noticeable. You should at a minimum drink your body weight in ounces of water each day. Being well hydrated also helps all your body’s organs to function properly. If you are dehydrated it puts stress on your body causing your systems to not work at their best.

Another important thing in aging gracefully is making sure you supplement where there is deficiency. Amino acids (glutamine, carnetine, arginine, bcaa’s) and fatty acids (omega-3) all aid in keeping the skin, hair, and nails looking healthy and youthful. As we age our bodies don’t produce these things as efficiently as it once did. I highly suggest researching the effect supplementing amino acids and fatty acids has on aging.

Good hygiene is a must. You should wash your face every night before bed. Never sleep in your make-up. Exfoliate your skin regularly with a scrub. Also, use warm water but not hot water as that can dry the skin. Use moisturizers and lotions regularly as well. Nothing looks older than dry skin.

Finally, staying away from things such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs will keep you looking youthful much longer. Also, trying to live a life that is not stressful will help to. Regular relaxation whether through a favorite hobby or activity or getting a massage is a necessity to staying young and looking your best.

We Are Defined By What We Do

We are not defined by what we think or by what we say. Our actions and what we do are what we are defined by. You can say all day that You’re going to get healthy or you’re going to workout…..tomorrow….but until we take action it’s nothing more that words. Recently at church camp with my kids I learned that we should let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. If you say you are going to do something then do it. Don’t be the kind of person who says they will do something and then not follow through with it. Be the kind of person that people know when you say something you’re going to follow through……not just say something because it sounds good at the time!!!!!

Fit Tip Friday: Schedule that workout!

Here is a little fit tip for your Friday. Sometimes life can get really busy. It’s the nature of our world today! That doesn’t need to be an excuse not to workout. One thing I find that makes it hard to skip workouts is if I put them on my schedule both the day and the time. This way I always make sure it gets done. Sometimes things do come up but if its on my schedule its easy to say I already have something that day at that time……even if the appointment is just with me. Even if you only have 30 minutes that is better than nothing and there are lots of workout programs out there that you can do at home in 30 minutes or less. A couple of examples of programs that I endorse and love are Beachbody’s P90x3 and T25. They are intense workouts that take only 25-30 minutes. If you want more info on those workouts check out my Beachbody page on my website. Just go to the Beachbody link under Products. But those aren’t the only thing out there. The main thing is to get up and get moving and……GET IT ON YOUR SCHEDULE!!!!

Addiction: Not just your enemy but God’s!

Today I felt lead to pray for and encourage those dealing with addictions. Addiction is the enemy’s way of holding many of us in bondage. Addiction is not just to alcohol and drugs. Food and exercise addictions can be just as dangerous. If you have an addiction please realize you are not alone. While there are thousands of people dealing with addictions every day, God is right there with you and there are many Godly, Christian based treatment facilities that can help. Addiction tries to make us feel better or comforted….but truth be told the good feeling only lasts a moments……Take it to God. He knows your struggle and can set you free. Seek Godly counsel and take the steps along side God to become free. It may take some time……it will definitely take some trusting…..it won’t be easy….most of all it will take you and God walking together with those you love and who love you to overcome your addiction. But remember you can do all things through Christ and that God is for you and Satan loses!!!!