Author: Back to Basics Nutrition and Fitness

Fasting has been shown to decrease insulin resistance therefore allowing your body to be more efficient at metabolizing your food. One of the biggest culprits is snacking after dinner. Are you really hungry ? If you had a high carb meal with very little protein and fat then the answer may actually be yes. Most of the time the answer is NO. Do you want to put something in your pie hole because your mouth is bored ? YES. You may be used to popping a bag of popcorn or filling a bowl with chips, pretzels, or your favorite snack to sit down and mindlessly watch tv after a long day of work. If you have been doing this evening routine for years then you have created a bad habit. The good news is that you can create a good habit the same way you created a bad habit, consistency. You will be surprised how quickly you can make this change once you put your mind to it. Will you be hungry a few nights during this change ? YES. This is when we often tell people to enjoy a pillow sandwich. We are so used to having food at our fingertips in our stocked pantry and refrigerator so it is so convenient to have food at any time of the day even when it is not needed. Convenience is the biggest culprit to eating when you are not hungry and also eating the wrong foods. Fast food was created to provide convenience now and then but it has become an every day occurrence for many people. Learning to focus on nutrition, food timing, and portion size and how these changes can effect how your body uses food for energy is a lesson for life.

Are you sick of feeling like crap but not know where to start ? Contact me today for your free health assessment to start your journey to better health.

Let’s chat about the topic of Menopause bluntly for a minute. This is a stage in a women’s life that is often feared due to all of the UNKNOWNS. You would think we would have more tools by the year 2022 on how to handle this huge transition in a woman’s life. This stage basically means that we can no longer have children due to the end of our menstrual cycle. That change is the same for every woman but then it starts to get confusing. Every woman is different depending on how they transition with the amount of hormones (testosterone, estrogen (several types), progesterone) produced and how the difference in volume affects other areas of your body . Most women notice the biggest challenges with :

1. Sleep
2. Digestion
3. Mood Swings
4. Hot Flashes
5. Weight Gain
6. Body Aches
7. Vaginal Dryness

The list above can be scary but it does not have to be as dramatic as you imagine. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to dial in your lifestyle habits as early as your 30’s . The healthier you are the easier the transition will be. You always hear woman say ” I did not change anything, but my body did”. That is correct , because your body is going through a normal progression and unless you make adjustments to prepare for those changes the effects will be much worse. Imagine the best and worst scenario. If you start out healthy or if you start out unhealthy the results will be drastically different.

It is never too late to enjoy this period ( Or lack there of ) in life. This stage is also very liberating and some even say a sense of freedom comes over them as they enter the next phase of life without child bearing . If you want help navigating this stage in life or getting ready for it, contact me for your free health history.

Healthy	Unhealthy
Slight sleep interruptions	Constant sleep issues
Mild digestive issues that can typically be solved with diet adjustments	Constant digestive issues that may result in inflammatory diseases
Mood swings that can be controlled easily	Severe mood swings and possibly depression
Mild hot flashes	Severe hot flashes
10-15 lb weight gain	30-40 lb weight gain
Mild body aches which can be minimized with diet changes and supplements	Severe body aches that limit quality of life
Vaginal dryness can be solved with topicals	Vaginal dryness that is difficult to manage

I discuss the risk versus reward concept with my clients often. Trying to find that balance in your physical and emotional life is similar to your financial balance in your portfolio As I sit looking at my most recent statement the  stock market  is down. Lately it  has been down way more than it has been up so many people are evaluating their stock market options. The same concept applies to managing your approach to your health. What is the difference ? We tend to treat food with way more emotion than we do business transactions such as real estate and the stock market. Food can be a way to show others how much we care, but lately I am seeing more people use it in a negative way to forget about the other challenges in their life. Food is energy at the end of the day and how we frame our relationship with food is very personal.

I am not a believer of calories in calories out at all stages in life. I am a woman in her early 50’s dealing with the normal hormone fluctuations and that shit does not fly at this stage in life. When I was in my mid 30’s that was another story. Does that mean we should just give up ? NO !! The most difficult part of my job is getting people to understand what stage of life they are in and to take the risks that are the most beneficial at this time. Trying to exercise all the time and eat very little will only backfire for most people . The human body needs valuable nutrients to be able to perform at any stage of life. Instead of trying crash diets and sweating your ass off on the stair climber look at what your body really needs to be able to life your best life. What do you enjoy doing ? If pickleball is your game then train and eat to perform on the court for better endurance, mobility, and core strength with proper recovery so you can do it again the next day. If your latest blood work shows you are borderline diabetic then focus on eating foods  and incorporate activities that will lower your blood sugar and keeping your energy consistent.

The biggest mistake most people make in trying to improve their health is overthinking it. Keep your approach simple but consistent and you will see results. Stop throwing yourself under the bus for enjoying some ice cream and be honest with yourself about what risks you are willing to take to get the reward. If you want a nutritionist and personal trainer who will be honest with you but challenge you as well, contact me today for your FREE health history at backtobasicsjody@gmail.com or call me at 316-650-9437. Let’s do this healthy thing together.

 

If you could clearly see your path ahead would you make changes ? Changing habits consistently is the most difficult task for people to grasp. For the majority of people it is because they don’t get immediate feedback. We live in a time that we are used to getting instant results one way or another. You push a button on the remote control and something happens. The channel changes, the volume goes up or down, etc. The same applies to the phone, computer, car, etc. When you can not SEE anything change it is much more difficult to stay committed. This is one of the main reasons I highly recommend taking pictures on a regular basis. We often rely on the scale way too much as a measure of progress. Taking the approach to LEARN  rather than just FOLLOWING a plan can make a big difference in being successful. Life can be stressful enough, but making changes to improve your overall health and quality of life shouldn’t be. I love helping my clients get the most out of the one life we have been given. Contact me today at backtobasicsjody@gmail.com .

 

 

I joined a women’s hiking trip this past week and  was reminded of several things. The most important was that fact that we have one life and it is much shorter than we all think. It is up to ME,  not my husband, parents, kids, or friends to help me make the most of my life. Surrounding myself with the people that make your life better is key. If we surround ourselves with negative people that tell us what we can’t do then that is what we believe. If we surround ourselves with  people that cheer us on one step at a time no matter how long it takes to reach the top of the mountain now those people are our true friends. Every person is a work in progress for the rest of our lives. This not a bad thing, it is just life. We are constantly changing, and growing, AND learning. Life is full of twists and turns so it is up to us to navigate the road and make the best choices we can.

My close hiking buddies are also past clients and now friends. My 67 years young friend climbed a 15 mile trail with me and kicked some major butt. I I was so proud of her and she is newly retired so she can do anything she wants to do. Our other partner in crime was diagnosed with breast cancer when we were working together. To say that this lady is a badass is an understatement. While going through treatment she continued to stay active with her passion of pickleball, fuel her body with the best foods for healing, and continue to bless everything around her with smile and wonderful laugh. She is a true inspiration to everyone around her. I love being a health coach, nutritionist , and personal trainer so I can help others live their best life. As a wise man said ” Don’t worry what you can’t do, but focus on what you CAN do” . We often spend too much time worrying about where we fall short instead of enjoying where we are in our lives . Every day we should continue to work to improve our health so we can tackle any adventure life throws at us. Keep living your best life and let me know if you want some help along the way.

 

During a personal training session with a client today we were discussing when she would be able to go on her own if ever. She has trained with various personal trainers for over 12 years. Does she have the knowledge to train on her own? Probably, depending on her goals. Does she have the motivation? That is up to her. Most people look at training as a short-term relationship which it can be for those people that are self-motivated and disciplined. For many people it should be a long-term relationship. Paying for training or coaching long term is an investment in your health.

Over the years I have met lots of very intelligent people that are not willing to pay for a coach or personal trainer. The main reason is that they feel they know what to do. The result is , they are not doing it. Now don’t get me wrong there are lots of people that are knowledgeable in nutrition and fitness that do not have any credentials in the industry. There is definitely not a shortage of information on this subject thanks to the internet. Where most fall short is implementing what they know.

Why should you hire a coach or trainer? The reasons are unique to the individual but over the past 15 years here is my opinion.

1. If you are not exercising on your own as often as you would like to then pay for someone to hold you accountable
2. Injuries can be a real fear when strength training so pay a coach to make sure you are exercising in good form to avoid injuries
3. If you go to the gym and make it up your exercises as you go along then hiring a coach for programming will help you reach your strength goals and avoid overtraining in certain areas and undertraining in others
4. Learn to have a good relationship with exercise. Many people did not grow up enjoying sports so as an adult it is time to learn to love the benefits of exercise
5. Nutrition can be confusing especially for woman. Hire someone that loves teaching people how to fuel their body properly.

 

If you continue to make excuses year after year and your health continues to spiral downward then it is time to hire a coach. I recommend having a free health assessment so you can determine if you are a good fit as you will have a close relationship with your coach and you want to enjoy your time together. Contact me today at www.foodisenergy.com

Jody Vinson – ACE Certified Personal Trainer and IIN Certified Health Coach

Owner of Back to Basics Nutrition and Fitness in Wichita Kansas

www.foodisenergy.com

316-650-9437 / backtobasicsjody@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I often hear clients say they can’t eat anything without gaining weight and they blame food. Did you know that food is the body’s best source of energy ? Did you know that food was the first medicine ? Did you know that food is necessary in order to build muscle ? How do we learn how to use food to our benefit rather than treating it like the enemy ? Educating ourselves on how to balance food in the right proportions to get the results we want to achieve is the first step. Before we were bombarded by food offerings other than animal products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, we did not think much about food. Food was used as energy to do a full day’s work. When flour was introduced the variety increased with added breads, then cakes, and so on. Now the variety at the grocery store contains more foods made from ingredients rather then foods that ARE ingredients. It is time to get back to the real purpose of food which is Energy. Deciding the mixture of foods that are pleasing and also beneficial for a healthy body can be a challenge. 

Everyone knows they should eat more vegetables and fruits and less processed foods. There is often the debate about animal protein, but I am a firm believe that all food groups eaten in the right portions are beneficial. Now there are people that choose to eliminate certain foods for ethical or religious reasons and they will need to look at their choices closer to get the proper nutrients. 

If you are ready to learn how food can help your body perform it’s best and stop looking at food as the enemy it is time to work together. You will never regret learning how to fuel your body properly. Contact me for your FREE health assessment at backtobasicsjody@gmail.com or 316-650-9437.