During our nutrition lectures we talk about the dangerous effects that grains have on many of us. Asthma, Celiac Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, ADHD, Depression, and many other disease processes have been linked to grains. During our current nutrition challenge we have cut out all grains and many people have asked the question "why?"

There are several reasons why grains are bad for us. Since grains are mostly highly processed they create a high insulin response. A high insulin response over time can lead to many health issues such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome etc. Grains also have an effect in which they create a high acid load in the body. A high acid load deals with bone de-mineralization IE: Osteopenia and Osteoporosis. Grains also cause gut irritation in a lot of people. What does this mean and why is it important? Grains have a special protein in them called Lectins. A specific lectin in grains is called gluten. Gluten is a protein that is hard to break down with stomach acid and can disrupt the intestinal tract of the intestine. What happens is, lectins destroy the cells that line your intestines, leading to tiny holes in your intestinal lining. These holes allow whole proteins and bacteria to enter the body where they do not belong. As the immune system notices foreign substances in the body, it responds and attacks. The immune response can manifest in an unlimited number of conditions not just in the digestive tract!

Although we teach the negative effects of certain foods in our nutrition classes, we still get questions all the time about "needing grains to survive?" Somewhere some personal trainer, or doctor, or co-worker, or family member is telling us to cut down on fruit and vegetables and eat more grains. Take a moment to look at the following nutritional information which compared grains to vegetables.

These tables are comparing 100g of grains to 184g of broccoli. If you notice there is almost twice the amount of broccoli and the calorie content is nearly 1/5 that of bread. Broccoli has hardly any sodium, compared to 420mg in the grains. More importantly, look at the amount of Vitamins A & C in broccoli. You can get 5 times the calories, 21 times the sodium, and a fraction of the vitamins. Or you can eat the broccoli and not only get more nutritional value out of it but you can also improve your overall health by controlling your insulin levels, decreasing inflammation, and maintaining a healthy intestinal tract.

You decide which is healthier.

This video is a little different then the videos or post we typically post, however I think it is very powerful video. This video is about 15 minutes long and focuses on happiness. This is important for two reasons. One, Accelerate Fitness focuses on total wellness, this isn't just diet and exercise, this also includes sleep, social interaction, and happiness. The happier one is the healthier one will be. Secondly, most of us tend to always focus on the outcome, and rarely are we happy when we achieve it. For example, "I want to lose 10 pounds" What happens when those 10 pounds are lost? We then want to lose 5 more pound so we can look better. After that, we look the way we want, but "wouldn't it be fun if we could run a marathon." After the marathon is finished, we focus on running another, but "this time I am going to run it faster." The point is we tend to always focus on the future and what we can achieve, and rarely do we focus on the process. This video is a great reminder that we can't or wont always get the results we want. Instead of this ruining our happiness and self esteem we should focus on something else. We should focus on two things: Doing the best we can every time. Whether that is at work, at home, or in the gym, do your best. And we should focus on the process. The people we meet, the experiences we have, and the effort we put in should be our true source of happiness. The happier we are the healthier we will be.

At Accelerate Fitness we are committed to helping reach your goals. However we are also committed to an environment that is filled with comraderie and support. We strive to make working out fun.  We ask you do your best, and everything else will follow. We ask you focus on the experience and the fun our program provides. Be happy.

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After starting our program and nnot thinking that she woould enjoy it Kathy has seen many health benefits from working out. She has lost weight, pant sizes, and the need for medication. She enjoys coming to Accelerate Fitness because of the people that she works out with and the environment that we have created.

To see Kathy's full story click here

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Do you think your food is safe? Farming has changed drastically over the past 100 years. The day of the individual farmer is over and now food is grown by corporations. Because of this more pesticides and genetically engineered seeds are being used for crops. Although food can now be farmed more efficiently and effectively there are drawbacks for the consumer. For example, fields are now only grown with only one type of crop. This increases the amount of disease that can survive. Not only this but companies genetically modify seeds to be resistant to pesticides; how do they do this? by intentionally injecting the Ecoli virus into seeds. This video touches on what the corporation Monsanto is doing to seeds and the farming industry. This is important because soon, Monsanto will own the patents on most if not all seeds. Watching this video will make you look at the produce section of your local grocery store differently.

Steve is the first of many people we will be highlighting. His success is apparent when you look at the changes he has made since he began training with us. Steve has lost 30 pounds, while still maintaining muscle. He has also increased his strength and functionality. As a Police officer it was very important for Steve to get into good shape to allow him to do well at his job. He has not only succeeded in losing the extra weight but he also feels better and moves easier.

Click here to see all of Steve's Success story. Congratulations Steve

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