Fitness & Wellness

Natural Remedies For Sleeping Better

Natural Remedies For Sleeping Better

Published by on October 25, 2023 | Leave a response

If you listen to pharmaceutical commercials, you probably think there’s a pill for everything. At the end of every commercial, the announcer speaks rapidly in a soft, unemotional voice about all the side effects of the drug, many of which are far worse than the ailment it’s supposed to cure. Many people in Louisville, KY, look for natural remedies to help them sleep that don’t require disclosures. Lack of quality sleep causes many physical issues, yet millions of Americans suffer from it. Many people may be in bed for 8 hours but still don’t go through all stages of sleep to be healthy.

Should you eat before bedtime or not eat?

Almost everyone has heard you shouldn’t eat before bed, but that isn’t always true. The type of food you eat and the amount you eat is the key. Don’t overload your stomach with fatty foods, food high in sugar, or junk. It can cause digestive issues if you do or if you eat too much. However, if you can’t sleep, the problem may be hunger. Man is hardwired to stay awake and hunt for food if he’s hungry for survival. If you can’t fall asleep, try eating a small amount of protein with tryptophan, like beef, poultry, or seafood, combined with a healthy carb.

Get plenty of exercise.

A consistent program of exercise can help you sleep better. It doesn’t matter what type of exercise, walking, running, calisthenics, or just dancing. If you have a chronic problem with sleep, getting 30 minutes of exercise daily can help. Don’t overdo it, especially at first. It can cause aching muscles that will keep you awake all night. Not only will exercising regularly help you fall asleep, but it will also improve your quality of sleep, too.

Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before bedtime.

People drink coffee to stay awake, so it seems like a no-brainer. However, most people don’t consider the caffeine in colas, chocolate, and energy drinks. Drinking or consuming caffeine-containing substances late in the day can keep you awake. Alcohol may help relax you, but if you drink it before bed, you won’t get the quality of sleep. You’ll wake up throughout the night or miss several stages of quality sleep.

  • Get out in the sun and eat food higher in omega-3. Both vitamin D and omega-3 are necessary to produce serotonin which plays a vital role in how quickly you fall asleep and the quality of your sleep.
  • Eating almonds or almond butter on toast can also help. Almonds contain magnesium that can calm your mind and help you sleep. A magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia.
  • Make sure you turn off all electrical appliances that emit light, such as the computer or TV. Sleep in a dark room that’s a bit on the cool side. You may think the TV helps you fall asleep, but it interferes with the quality of sleep.
  • Make a sleep schedule and stick with it, even on the weekends. Falling asleep at a specific time becomes a habit and helps you go to sleep quickly.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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Foods To Boost Your Immune System

Foods To Boost Your Immune System

Published by on October 15, 2023 | Leave a response

Eating healthy has become quite popular in San Antonio, TX, for many reasons. Some people do it to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight. Others adopt a healthy diet because they like how they feel when they eat whole food. A large group uses food to maintain good health and boost their immune system. The recent pandemic taught people that living a healthy lifestyle helps protect the body from serious illness.

Your immune system functions better when it’s given the right nutrients.

Vitamin C is well-known for boosting immunity, but other vitamins are just as important. Vitamins E, A, B-9—also known as folate, and D are all immune boosters. Vitamin C is in citrus fruit, red and green bell peppers, and strawberries. Vitamin E, another infection-fighter, is in almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. Vitamin A is in both plant and animal sources. In plants, it’s made of orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and also from green leafy vegetables. Fish, meat, and dairy also contain vitamin A. Folate from food like spinach and kale helps cells work properly. Vitamin D is crucial for the proper functioning of the immune system. It’s in salmon, tuna, and fortified foods.

You need minerals and phytonutrients for your immune system to be at its best.

Iron, selenium, and zinc are minerals necessary for a healthy immune system. Zinc is vital in the production of immune cells. Selenium helps prevent infection. Iron carries oxygen to help all cells function. Including oysters, lean meat, salmon, and tuna in your diet can help you get all three. Phytonutrients not only help boost the immune system but do so much more. Phytonutrients give plants their color and smell and are part of the plant’s immune system. Anthocyanin is one example. It makes blueberries blue but is also powerful in fighting disease in the human body.

Eating to boost immunity is about what you eat and don’t eat.

If you focus on whole foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid food with added sugar and highly processed food, you’ll be doing your immune system a favor. Food with added sugar can cause inflammation. Excess sugar reacts with immune proteins that change the immune system. Switching to a whole-food diet can relieve the problem.

  • Adding probiotic food to your diet can also benefit your immune system. Your gut microbiome is an integral part of your immune system and these foods make it healthier. Yogurt is one example of a probiotic food.
  • While probiotic food may add more beneficial microbes, to keep your microbes healthy, you need prebiotic foods to feed them. These are foods with soluble fiber, such as apples and beans.
  • Getting vitamin D from food is difficult unless it’s fortified. Choose safe sunning as an option. It’s available year-round in San Antonio. The sun reacts with the skin to produce vitamin D.
  • Exercise plays a crucial role in a healthy immune system. It lengthens the telomeres that protect the cells and releases cytokines and chemokines that keep the immune system functional.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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How To Make Working Out A Habit

How To Make Working Out A Habit

Published by on October 5, 2023 | Leave a response

You can’t expect miracles from one exercise session, you have to do it consistently. That’s why it’s important to make working out a habit. If you’ve ever tried to stop a bad habit, you’ll understand that habits are hard to break. Suppose your habit was watching TV after dinner every night, and you changed it by forcing yourself to get up and walk after dinner. Before too long, you wouldn’t have to force yourself. You’d do it automatically and be healthier for the change. Your digestion would improve thanks to gravity. You’d have more energy and probably lose weight.

Creating a healthy habit takes planning.

One way to help you get into the habit of exercise is to schedule it, as you would any other appointment. Find a time that fits your schedule and fill that space every day. That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym daily. You can do a full workout two, three, or four days a week and use the other days for activities like bike riding, walking, or any activity that keeps your body moving. If your day gets hectic, schedule your workout in the morning before your day starts.

Get a workout buddy.

When you’re working out with a friend, someone else is keeping you accountable. That can prove very beneficial. Studies have shown that periodically checking in with someone can help you maintain consistency. Having a personal trainer also provides that same level of accountability. Not only does a workout buddy keep you accountable for attending the session, but they also keep you going when you might otherwise quit early.

Take it easy at first.

If you’re trying to make exercise a habit, nothing kills the enthusiasm like overdoing it. If you workout hard at first, your body may not be ready. Take it slowly at first and learn the correct form for each exercise. Don’t expect to run a marathon the first week you start running or do a series of variations for two-minute planks if you’ve never even done a 10-second plank. If you exercise so hard you can’t walk the next day, it’s counterproductive.

  • Set an alarm on your phone to remind you it’s almost time to exercise. While most people have that type of technology, if you don’t keep your phone with you, leave post-it notes to yourself to work out. If you’re driving constantly, put them on the dashboard.
  • Create goals that increase in increments. You can start with something as simple as working out three times a week for four weeks. You can do the same for each exercise you do, increasing the difficulty slightly each week.
  • Track your progress. Keep a record of your workout, including the number of reps and sets of each exercise. For fun, add how easy or hard it was. Winners keep score. Exercising consistently becomes a game that you can win.
  • Remember that you’ll rust out faster than you’ll wear out. Making the body stronger helps protect the joints. It can prevent future tears and damage to the muscles from doing everyday activities.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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Workouts For Stay-at-Home Moms

Workouts For Stay-at-Home Moms

Published by on September 25, 2023 | Leave a response

Helping people is so important that I encourage regular workouts whether or not you come to my gym. One group of people often neglected are stay-at-home moms and dads. Staying fit should be a goal. Chasing after a toddler or caring for babies takes lots of energy. When you maintain a regular fitness program, you’ll have the energy to do it. Strength, cardio, balance, and flexibility training are necessary to be your healthiest. Start each session with stretching and warm-ups to prevent injury and end them with cool-down exercises.

Get your cardio when cleaning.

Cardio is a type of training that lends itself to everyday activities. If you’re vacuuming, add lunges to the chore. Do a lunge every step forward or backward. It can make the workout and work more fun. Wash windows with vigor and take the baby for a walk. First, exercise at peak intensity, then slow down to recovery, alternating throughout the walk. That turns an ordinary walk into a HIIT—high intensity interval training—workout. The exercises that go with household chores should include squats and lunges.

Get equipment that doesn’t cost much.

Barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells can be costly, but resistance bands are inexpensive and effective. You can use resistance bands to build strength and improve muscles on all planes. A jump rope can provide an excellent warm-up and great cardio. If your child is old enough, jump rope with them. Another fun tool for exercise that everyone in the family will enjoy is hula hooping. It builds core muscles, improves cardio, reduces inches around the waist, and improves balance.

Bodyweight circuits are perfect for people with limited space.

You can even create a circuit with bodyweight exercises. With circuit training, you move quickly from one exercise to another without stopping to catch your breath or for a short rest. You can rest shortly between circuits. Start with a minute of butt kicks, then move to jumping jacks to warm up. Move to a minute plank, then switch to push-ups. If you can’t do regular push-ups, do modified knee-bent ones. Do a minute of each. Add a minute of mountain climbers and if you can, a minute of burpees. Rest for a few minutes then start the cycle of exercises again.

  • Strength training is vital. You can use resistance bands or bodyweight exercises mentioned previously or use makeshift weights from cans or bottles filled with water or sand and do traditional weightlifting.
  • You can include your child in your exercise regimen. Older children can do the workout with you.
  • Taking walks with the whole family or taking the children to the zoo or on a nature walk can provide the exercise you need for a day. Riding bikes together can also be another bonding and exercise time.
  • You don’t have to do your entire workout at once. You can break up your workout into 10 to 15-minute sessions and do them throughout the day. It could include a 15-minute walk in the morning and 30 minutes of exercise when the baby’s asleep.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet

Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet

Published by on September 15, 2023 | Leave a response

There are many health benefits from consuming a plant-based diet, but also other benefits. What is a plant-based diet? It’s not necessarily vegetarian or veganism. It’s all about consuming food that’s mostly from plants. Besides many of the health benefits, it can be quite kind to your wallet. One gram of plant-based protein costs less than a gram of animal protein. You don’t have to switch to all plant proteins, either. Making one or two nights a week meatless can boost your budget and improve your health.

Eating more food from plant sources can help prevent cancer.

The link between reducing the risk of cancer and increasing the amount of food derived from plants has been known for over twenty years. If you fill two-thirds of your plate with plant-based foods and leave the remaining third for protein, either from plants or animals, it can improve your health. The food you eat must be healthy and low in sugar and fat. It also shouldn’t contain highly processed food, even if that food is plant-based.

Plant-based foods provide antioxidants.

Plants contain phytonutrients you can’t get from animal-based products. They have phytochemicals and fiber. They also contain vitamin C, which is only found in significant amounts in raw liver, fish roe, and eggs in animal-based foods. Plants contain far more antioxidants, like vitamin C. The phytochemicals and vitamin C help boost your immune system and fight inflammation. Inflammation can damage cells and tissues and is linked to cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

A plant-based diet can help you lose or maintain a healthy weight.

Obesity is a leading cause of preventable deaths, surpassing smoking several years ago. If you’re overweight, it increases your risk of cancer. Obesity also increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious conditions. It occurs due to inflammation and hormonal issues caused by obesity. If you consume a plant-based diet that’s healthy, it reduces your caloric intake while keeping you full.

  • You’ll get more fiber from a plant-based diet. It’s in all unprocessed plant foods. That improves your digestive system, aids in mineral absorption, improves the gut microbiome, and reduces cancer risk.
  • A plant-based diet can help lower your blood pressure. That reduces the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart attack. Several studies show that people who consume a vegetarian diet have a lower risk of high blood pressure.
  • A plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. To be effective the diet must include healthy options, not sugar foods or highly processed food.
  • People who consume a plant-based diet tend to live longer. It can reduce the risk of all diseases that affect mortality by approximately 25%.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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The Importance Of Hydration

The Importance Of Hydration

Published by on September 5, 2023 | Leave a response

It doesn’t take long in the hot sun in San Antonio, TX, to become dehydrated. It’s why staying focused on hydration is so important, especially if you’re working out. Sipping water throughout your workout can help you attain peak performance. A cold bottle of water can also be a quick picker-upper when you’re mentally dragging.

The human body is approximately 65% water.

Your muscles, bones, tendons, skin, and organs contain high amounts of fluid. The brain and heart are 73% water. If you’re dehydrated, they don’t function properly. Even though young children have a higher percentage of fluid, they are smaller, so depleting even a small amount is dangerous. The percentage of fluid in the body of a senior is far less than it is in younger people. They are at higher risk of dehydration.

Hydration can help prevent aching joints and muscle pain.

After you workout, you may experience joint and muscle pain due to the workout, but it’s not always the reason. Dehydration can cause it. The joints require synovial fluid to cushion the bones and facilitate the delivery of nutrients. It helps reduce friction. Dehydration reduces the fluid available, so there’s friction and pain. Dehydration causes fluid to divert from other areas to ensure an adequate amount for the brain, lungs, heart, and other vital organs. It takes the fluid from appendages, the stomach, and non-essential areas causing stomach and muscle cramps.

Staying hydrated can help prevent headaches.

Your brain is composed mostly of water, so it’s easy to understand how dehydration can dramatically affect it. It can cause brain fog or present itself as mental confusion in seniors and be mistaken for dementia. Water conducts electricity and is necessary for the electrical energy in the brain. It helps carry nutrients. If you’ve ever had brain fog, it might be caused by mild dehydration. If your body fluid drops just 2% it can cause cognitive issues and brain fog. It also affects the heart. The disruption of fluid levels can create blood pressure issues and cause tachycardia.

  • You can prevent dehydration by continuously sipping on water, herbal tea, tea, and fruit juice. When you work out or are out in the sun, carry a bottle of water and sip on it frequently.
  • Drinking more water can help you lose weight. Studies show that drinking water before a meal can cut your appetite. Thirst can be mistaken for hunger, too. If you sip water, you’ll eat less.
  • The easiest way to identify dehydration is by checking the color of your urine. If it’s dark, you may be dehydrated. Light yellow urine shows adequate hydration. A skin turgor test is also another way. Pinch the skin and if it doesn’t snap back to normal, dehydration may be a problem.
  • Dehydration can cause blood pressure to increase or decrease. For some, low blood volume causes low blood pressure. In others, it causes the blood vessels to constrict and increase blood pressure.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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The Benefits Of A Weighted Vest

The Benefits Of A Weighted Vest

Published by on August 25, 2023 | Leave a response

If your weight loss program is stalling out, you can do one of two things, eat even less or burn more calories. If your diet is healthy and lower in calories, improving the calories burned is the best answer. You can make your workout more intense or longer by wearing a weighted vest. Add more weight to the vest as you lose weight.

The weights in the vest can simulate the weight you lost.

One reason people slow down weight loss, even though they’re working hard, is their weight loss. If you’re 30 pounds overweight, it’s like carrying a 30-pound weight during every waking moment. You’ll have more mass and more resistance against gravity. Even a five-pound weight loss makes a difference in the calories you burn. If you weigh 155 pounds, you’ll burn 712 calories during an hour of vigorous calisthenics. If you lose 15 pounds, the calories burned are reduced by 66 calories to 646 in an hour. That extra weight created extra effort and burned more calories. A weighted vest can help you reach your goals by causing you to burn more calories.

You’ll improve your endurance.

When you’re doing intense exercises for longer periods, you’ll often experience “the burn.” That’s from the acidic byproduct of burning the stores of glucose in the muscles. It’s called lactate. The lactate threshold occurs when the body can’t clear the lactate as quickly as it’s produced. Some research shows increasing the threshold may benefit performance and cardiovascular system. Weighted vests improve the lactate threshold for runners, allowing the runners to go faster for longer periods. The higher the weight increase—those from 10-40% of body weight were best for sprinters, while those below 10% were best for long-distance runners.

Build muscle strength faster.

Whether you’re doing pushups or running, weighted vests can help build strength. Improvements are also evident when doing traditional weightlifting, explosive movements, and other resistance training. It’s easy to understand why. You’re working harder. Weighted vests are good for both older and younger people. If you’re having dramatic muscle loss from aging, they can improve muscle tone quickly and help reduce osteopenia, which reduces the potential for osteoporosis.

  • A small study showed that weighted vests may help burn fat more efficiently. However, larger studies and more studies should be completed before there’s any conclusive evidence.
  • If you’re using a weighted vest, distribute the weight evenly. The extra weight too far to one side, to the front, or the back will affect your posture and performance.
  • The best weighted vests are the ones that work best for you. If you’re building muscles or on a weight loss program, consider using a vest that you can add or remove weights, rather than one with a fixed weight.
  • A weighted vest isn’t any good if you don’t use it and you won’t if it’s not comfortable. You need one with a good fit that doesn’t bind or pinch. It should be breathable and appropriate for your exercise.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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Farmers Market For Fresh Produce

Farmers Market For Fresh Produce

Published by on August 15, 2023 | Leave a response

If you want to maximize the nutrients in your food, shop at any of the San Antonio, TX, farmers’ markets. They offer fresh produce that’s locally grown, so it’s right from the garden. You’ll get more nutrients. There’s everything from heirloom tomatoes to sweet potatoes, so creating a healthy meal is a cinch. Many farmers’ markets offer animal products. You’ll often find healthier options like meat and eggs from pasture-raised animals.

Get up early, exercise, and shop on the weekends.

You’ll get a head start on fitness when you plan. Most farmers’ markets are only open on the weekend. You can maintain your weekly sleep schedule by getting up early and exercising. That leaves enough time to shower and start shopping when they open. If you aren’t meal planning, it can be a good time to start. Try several different markets until you find the ones that offer the best variety and produce.

Stock up on the superfoods.

Beets, broccoli, spinach, summer squash, sweet corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and many other summer vegetables are available in August. Plan your meals around the seasonal produce and buy extra to freeze or can for later. Focus on the superfoods packed with nutrients like beets. Beets are high in manganese, potassium, and folate. They’re sweet but low in calories. You can eat the leaves and beetroot. They’re high in fiber, zinc, vitamin C, and iron. They help fight inflammation, improve physical endurance, lower blood pressure, and improve cognitive function.

Get more nutrients from farm fresh produce and pastured animal products.

It’s hard to find fresh produce in the grocery store, particularly if it’s organic. You can find it at a farmers’ market. Locally grown produce is picked at peak ripeness, so it tastes better and is packed with more nutrition. If it’s organically grown, you know it has to follow strict compliance with rules, so the fertilizer isn’t the traditionally grown type that contains only phosphorus, nitrates, and potassium. The fertilizer for organic gardeners contains trace minerals. The farmers use earth-friendly practices that put more nutrients back into the soil. Animal products are often from pastured animals, where they eat their traditional food. The nutrient profile is far higher in these products.

  • You can often save money at farmers’ markets, especially on organically grown produce. There’s no middleman, like the grocery. You purchase it directly from the producer.
  • Don’t forget to check for fresh herbs and spices to add more nutrition to your meals. Don’t be afraid to add them to almost any dish. They can make you look like an ace in the kitchen while boosting nutrients.
  • If you aren’t already using some of the fruits and vegetables you find, get adventurous. Try foods you wouldn’t otherwise purchase, like sweet potatoes, parsnips, or fresh figs. Many of the vendors share favorite recipes and tips for creating new dishes.
  • You’ll probably find some fruits and vegetables you’ve never seen. Just remember to choose a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables to maximize nutrition. Farmer’s markets are child friendly, so it’s a chance to let the little ones help choose a meal.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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The Impact Of Alcohol On Weight Loss

The Impact Of Alcohol On Weight Loss

Published by on August 5, 2023 | Leave a response

Stopping for a few drinks with colleagues after work may seem harmless, but alcohol can cause your weight loss program to fail. If you have a drink to let off steam, you’d be better off doing a few HIIT circuits at Iron Fit. Even if you’re just having a couple of beers or a few glasses of wine, it can be disastrous to your weight loss program. While a glass of wine may be heart-healthy, it still has calories and alcohol, both of which have consequences for weight loss.

A calorie is a calorie.

Whether you eat it or drink it, it doesn’t matter and any drink with alcohol adds calories with few or any redeeming qualities. The excess calories can increase your risk of diabetes and obesity. While a calorie is a calorie, alcohol slows the fat-burning process, making their calories even more detrimental to weight loss. If the body doesn’t get enough calories, it burns fat. When you drink alcohol, the body burns the alcohol first since it’s a toxin. That causes your metabolism to switch from burning fat and impairs glucagon use. Glucagon increases blood glucose levels as it breaks down fat. The lower blood sugar levels make you hungry, even though you’ve just consumed a few hundred calories in your drinks.

Even though that wine has some benefits, you won’t develop belly fat eating the grape.

You can eat almost three cups of grapes and get the same calories as a glass of wine. You’ll also feel fuller from the grapes for several reasons. The calories from umbrella drinks are even higher since they’re often packed with sugar. Those calories are stored as fat, while the liver’s primary task is eliminating the alcohol from the body. For females with low estrogen levels, such as those who are menopausal, the enzyme Aldh lal causes the calories to turn to pounds on the belly.

There are a few benefits, but moderation is the key.

Drinking alcohol may have some benefits. When used in moderation, which is one daily serving, like a glass of wine, for women or two daily servings for men, there are a few benefits. It may help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia. One research study found people who drank in moderation were less prone to Alzheimer’s than those who didn’t drink at all. It also may help improve healthy HDL and could boost the immune system. The resveratrol in red wine can even be heart healthy.

  • Be careful about drinking before a meal. Studies show that people who drank alcohol before a meal ate more than those who drank water. It stimulates your appetite.
  • If you have a problem with insulin resistance or diabetes, alcohol can make your insulin levels spike and cause hypoglycemia. However, drinking in moderation may improve insulin sensitivity. More than three daily drinks cause higher A1C and blood sugar.
  • Alcohol can lower testosterone levels. That slows the process of building muscles. It also affects your metabolism since the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn 24/7.
  • Per gram, alcohol has almost as many calories. It has 7 calories per gram, while fat has nine. Fat fills you up and makes you feel full longer. Alcohol makes you hungry.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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How Hormones Affect Health And Behavior

How Hormones Affect Health And Behavior

Published by on July 25, 2023 | Leave a response

We began our site to ensure that people of San Antonio, TX and across the US have access to learning healthier habits, and how nutrition and exercise can change your overall health. Those changes can make a difference in every part of your body, especially your hormones. Your hormones are your body’s messengers, similar to neurotransmitters but created in the endocrine glands. They affect your body, health, and behavior. Stress hormones are necessary to survive but also cause damage when left unchecked. Hormones can affect your mood, and an imbalance could cause mental illnesses.

Hormones can make you feel hungry or full.

Most people think of sex hormones when they hear hormones, but there are 50 different hormones besides testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Each one has a task or tasks they have to start. Hormones also have an opposing hormone. For instance, ghrelin is a hormone that makes you hungry, while its counterpart, leptin, makes you feel full. The two can get out of balance. If you get too little sleep, the body makes more ghrelin and less leptin. You’re hungrier and eat beyond where you’d otherwise feel satisfied. That’s an invitation to weight gain.

There are feel-good hormones and imbalances that make you feel out of control.

Almost everyone has heard of dopamine. It’s both a neurotransmitter and a hormone. It’s a feel-good, reward hormone that triggers the brain’s pleasure center. It’s responsible for motivation and addiction. Too much cortisol or norepinephrine can make you feel stressed and anxious. Oxytocin is the love/relationship hormone that helps parents and their children bond. Testosterone is in both male and female bodies since it performs other tasks that aren’t related to sexuality. Too little testosterone causes depression, anxiety, a low sex drive, lower energy levels, and increased anxiety.

Insulin is necessary for your body to survive.

Insulin tells the cells to open to receive glucose. It’s created when there is too much glucose in the bloodstream. You need insulin for the cells to have the energy to survive. It also is responsible for storing excess glucose in the form of fat. It has an antagonist, as most hormones do. That hormone is glucagon. It signals the liver to release glucose and put more in the bloodstream. It causes fat cells to break down, while insulin causes them to increase. Both must function to avoid diabetes.

  • Norepinephrine is both a neurotransmitter and a stress hormone. One function is constricting blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Acetylcholine, prostaglandins, and histamine are hormones that make them wider, lowering blood pressure.
  • Even though serotonin is often called the “feel good” hormone, it’s not a hormone. It isn’t created by a gland, or by the body for that matter. Beneficial microbes in the gut create serotonin.
  • Oxytocin may be the love hormone that is released during group activities, during romance, and between parent and child, it also can cause aggressive behavior to anyone outside the group.
  • HGH—human growth hormone—is considered a hormone of youth. You’ll have more if you exercise regularly. It controls many functions and some believe it slows the aging process.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

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