GGX Schedule for Wednesday, Sept.14
AM: Zumba (Nats)-8:30am-9:30am
PM:TRX (Aaron)-5:00pm-5:30pm;5:30pm-6:00pm
Spin Bike (Jerome)- 5:15pm-6:15pm
Tone and Sculpt (Bel)-5:30pm-6:30pm

Come and join Jasper for his last class this summer. He will be off island for couple of months for vacation. His Friday class will be substituted with Zumba temporarily, starting next week. Please see posted schedule next week or call #2334000 for inquiries.

GGX Schedule for Friday, July 15:
AM:Yoga (NJ)-8:30am-9:30am
PM: Boxing Circuit (Jasper)-5:30pm-6:30pm
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Notification: Elly's Zumba class will be cancelled tomorrow.
GGX Schedule for Thursday, Dec.24
AM: Spin Bike (Kanae)-5:45am-6:45am
Zumba (Nats) -8:30am-9:30am
PM:TRX (Ferleen)-5:00pm-5:30pm
TRX/Abs (Ferleen)- 5:30pm-6:00pm
Spin Bike (JP)- 5:15pm-6:15pm
Boxing Circuit (Jasper) - 5:30pm-6:30pm

PILATES IS BACK!
with Valerie on Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30am-10:30am

   

NUTRITION

DECEMBER 2015

The New Way to Conquer Cravings

The latest research says you can actually rewire your brain to keep temptation at bay. Health.com explains how to do it.

You’re sitting at your desk going about your workday when suddenly, out of nowhere, you’re overcome with the desire—no, need is more like it—to devour a giant sticky bun. Your mouth is watering just thinking about the gooey-sweet glaze, the ribbons of butter and cinnamon. Is it your imagination, or is your heart beating faster?

WILLPOWER, SHMILLPOWER

That’s when the bargaining begins: I’ll have just a bite and freeze the rest. Or maybe I’ll eat half of it—I’ve been good today—no, all of it, but I’ll skip dinner tonight…

Cravings. Research is only just beginning to shed light on why so many of us succumb to them. Although scientists are still piecing together the puzzle of what exactly happens when you’re in the throes of a craving, this much they know for sure: Every craving begins with a cue. The cue for a sticky bun may be something as simple as getting a whiff of its buttery aroma as you walk past your favorite bakery, or catching a glimpse of a TV commercial featuring one.

“Any cue that’s repeatedly associated with high-fat and/or sugary foods can trigger a craving,” explains Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., a psychologist and food addiction expert at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

In other words, if you like to celebrate the end of a workweek with margaritas and Tex-Mex, eventually a craving for those things will automatically kick in every Friday afternoon. If you grew up equating, even subconsciously, your mother’s homemade chocolate layer cake with comfort, you’ll likely crave some version of that whenever you have a bad day.

The cue activates your brain’s pleasure center, causing it to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that pushes you to seek out the very thing you’re lusting after, explains Gearhardt. Over time, this feel-good experience rewires the brain so that you’re more likely to crave the food again in the future.

What’s more, when you’re in full-on craving mode, your brain convinces you that you are famished, making the food more difficult to resist. “Your brain starts pumping out the hunger hormone ghrelin, and your insulin levels drop, making you even hungrier than usual,” Gearhardt says. As a result, it’s very difficult to satisfy the craving with just a taste.

It almost seems unfair that cravings can increase feelings of hunger. You assume you’ll satisfy a longing for sticky buns by eating one, but research suggests just the opposite will happen: Instead of paying attention to the physical cues of hunger and fullness, you’re driven by the rush of dopamine that’s telling you to find and scarf down a sticky bun (now!). And then another.

This also helps explain why you may be powerless in the presence of a dessert tray—even if you polished off a steak, two sides and a roll only moments before. “The dessert tray, as well as the spoons and forks that are put in front of you, are all cues that you should eat,” says Mark Gold, M.D., chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Florida and a specialist in addiction medicine research.

It doesn’t help that the dopamine signal occurs immediately when you come up against a cue, while the satiety signals—those telling you to stop eating—are much slower, taking 12 or more minutes after you eat to kick in. “Your brain can always find more room for food, and for a while after eating, so can your stomach,” adds Dr. Gold.

YOUR BRAIN ON BROWNIES

Believe it or not, cravings originally served a useful purpose, namely to keep our loincloth-clad ancestors alive. “They had powerful urges for energy-dense foods and were driven to get their hands on them in order to survive and reproduce,” says Eric Stice, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute.

Of course, our predecessors didn’t face high-cal temptations at every turn. Today, we’re bombarded by food cues (we view, on average, 7,000-plus food and beverage ads on TV per year). And we don’t need to put our lives on the line every time a craving strikes. We just open our pantry, hit up the office vending machine or take a lap around our favorite drive-thru.

It’s not just that these high-fat, sugar-filled and sodium-laden foods are convenient—it’s that they’re actually engineered to make us crave them. “These foods have an effect on the brain that’s much stronger than those produced by foods that you could hunt or grow,” Dr. Gold says. “Eating fast food french fries, for instance, yields a greater dopamine release than if you were to eat a tomato picked fresh from your garden.”

The complexity of tastes, flavors, and textures in processed foods is simply more stimulating for the brain than something that comes from the earth, he explains. Plus, you get a hit of dopamine each time you try a different flavor—making you crave not just one, but a variety of treats so you’ll get that feel-good experience again.

“The fact that you could have a burger one day, a burrito the next and orange sesame chicken the day after that means we live in a sea of dopamine-releasing triggers,” says Dr. Gold.

BORN TO LOVE CHIPS

That explains part of the puzzle, but not all of it. New research suggests that your food preferences—and thus your cravings—may be formed not just in childhood, but in utero. “One theory is that pregnant women begin teaching their children what’s safe and good to eat while they’re still in the womb,” says Annie Murphy Paul, author of Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives. So if your mom ate lots of potato chips and cheesy fries, you may be programmed to crave the same kinds of fatty, salty foods.

What’s more, if you equate certain foods with feel-good moments from your childhood, you’re likely to turn to them for an emotional pick-me-up. That’s because often it’s not the foods that we crave as much as the emotions we associate with them. In other words, it isn’t just your mom’s chocolate cake you’re wanting, but the warm feeling you had whenever she gave you a slice.

“Pairing foods with particular feelings or situations can imprint an association between an experience and a food,” explains Michelle May, M.D., author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. “What you might really want is to feel safe or to remember a time in your life when things were simpler.”

Emotional cravings tend to sneak up on us since we’re often not aware of the correlation between what we’re eating and what we’re feeling. For instance, if you experience a longing for a glass of wine and a bowl of pasta in the middle of a hectic workday, you may not realize or even care that what you really want is to feel relaxed and carefree—the way you do on a girls’ night out at your favorite Italian bistro.

MANAGE YOUR MUNCHIES

If you can identify the emotions behind the craving, you can try to find ways to fulfill those needs that are more productive than sinking your teeth into a 500-calorie sugar bomb. For instance, you might send an email to schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss your workload and the unrealistic deadlines you’ve been given.

“If that seems impossible, then maybe what you really need is a vacation to look forward to in order to make the work more bearable,” Dr. May says. “In some small way, take steps toward meeting that need, such as making a list of the top 10 places you’d like to visit, putting in a request for time off or taking 15 minutes to browse websites of locations you want to travel to. Even closing your eyes and taking a mini beach vacation in your mind while you breathe deeply can help short-circuit the emotions—and the craving.”

A SMART STRATEGY

No matter the source of your craving (whether it began with an environmental cue or an emotional need) there’s another tactic that helps derail the chemical cascade: Focus on your short- and long-term health goals.

In a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers examined participants’ brains in an MRI scan during a craving and found that paying attention to a goal, such as getting in shape, activates the prefrontal cortex—a part of the brain that can inhibit the reward region.

The technique provides a one-two punch. In addition to dulling the craving, it also increases your ability to resist temptation. It may even keep you from rationalizing or bargaining with yourself.

Here’s how to make it work for you: Write down a detailed list of health goals you’d like to achieve. If you’re trying to slim down, list your current weight and how much you want to lose. “Being specific is crucial because it offers you more details that help you to say ‘no,’ ” Dr. Gold says.

For instance, when you know you need to cut 500 calories a day in order to lose a pound a week, and that eating an ice cream sundae will prevent that from happening, you’re already engaging the prefrontal cortex and dampening the dopamine release. As soon as a craving strikes, think back to those numbers in order to fight off the urge to give in to that sundae.

Also important: Jot down everything you eat throughout the day in a food journal—especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Often when we’re motivated to eat by cravings, we tend to inhale the food and quickly forget about it, adds Dr. Gold.

Knowing that you’ll have to come back to that food journal may reduce your desire to eat it in the first place. “With practice, your ability to resist temptation becomes stronger over time—like a muscle,” Gearhardt says. Your prefrontal cortex will kick in more quickly to disrupt the dopamine release and, of course, your craving. Sweet.

NOTIFICATION for Friday, Oct.23: 
pm BELLY DANCING with Allen will be cancelled tomorrow.
GGX Schedule for Friday, Oct.23:

AM: Zumba (Allen)-8:30am-9:30am
PM:Belly Dancing(Allen)-5:30pm-6:30pm-Cancelled tomorrow

GGX Schedule for Thursday, Oct.15:
AM: Spin Bike (Kanae)-5:45am-6:45am
Belly Dance (Allen)-8:30am-9:30am
PM:TRX (Ferleen) - 5:00pm-5:30pm
ABS/CORE (Ferleen)-5:45pm-6:20pm
Spin Bike (JP) - 5:15pm-6:15pm
Zumba Mash-Up(Allen)-6:30pm-7:30pm

ll You Get Big and Bulky if You Lift Weights?

This question comes up a lot from female clients. And the answer is, no, most likely you will not.

In fact, gaining more muscle through resistance exercises is an integral part of any well rounded fitness / fat loss program.

Having more muscle on your frame is the best "fat burning friend" that you will ever have.

Below are some advantages to incorporating resistance training (lifting weights) into your fitness / fat loss routine, along with a sound nutrition program, a strong positive mindset, and a social support plan.

Muscle is Five Times More Dense Than Fat

I can understand why many women may be reluctant to start lifting weights.

You may have visions of steroid-bloated female bodybuilders with veins running through their biceps and chests.

Of course, there is that extreme, but keep in mind those women are out of balance.

That kind of build is NOT the typical result of weight lifting, and 99 percent of women simply do not have the level of natural testosterone to gain muscle like men.

It is a common misconception that muscle weighs more than fat. In reality, it's simply a matter of density.

They take up different amounts of space.

Conversely, a pound of fat takes up five times more space on your body than muscle, which means you can gain a pound of muscle and lose a pound of fat, and while your weight stays the same, you will actually shrink in size, and get that toned look you are looking for.

Muscle is five times more dense than fat, meaning it takes up five times less space on your frame, pound for pound.

Burn More Calories 24 hours a Day / 7 Days Per Week

Another great advantage to gaining muscle through resistance training is that you burn more calories.

Why?

Because muscle is anabolic and demands energy just to sit on your frame – even when you sleep! For every pound of muscle that you gain in the future, your body will burn 50-70 calories more per day. That means, if you add 10 lbs. of muscle through a sensible fitness program (which is very possible), you will burn 500 – 700 calories more per day. And burning more calories leads to shedding excess fat.

How Weight Lifting Can Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease

Remember, shedding excess fat is about more than just looks. Your body has two types of fat: visceral and subcutaneous. Subcutaneous fat is found just under your skin, and is the type that causes dimpling and cellulite. Visceral fat, on the other hand, shows up in your abdomen and surrounds your vital organs including your liver, heart and muscles.

Visceral fat has been linked to serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke, among many other chronic diseases.

If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease (and a host of other chronic diseases), the key is to keep your inflammation levels low, and avoid gaining visceral fat in your body.

Exercise is a critical component for this, as it both lowers inflammation in your body, and is one of the best weapons to fight visceral fat. For example, one study found that volunteers who did not exercise had an 8.6 percent increase in visceral fat after eight months, while those who exercised the most LOST over 8 percent of their visceral fat during that time. So, since increasing muscle-mass puts your calorie burning into overdrive, which reduces fat stores, weight lifting is an essential part of a healthy fitness routine.

One of the Best Ways to Fight Osteoporosis

Your bones are actually very porous and soft, and as you get older, your bones can easily become brittle and less dense. Especially if you are inactive. When you engage in resistance training you put more tension on your muscles, which in turn puts more pressure on your bones. In addition, as you build more muscle, and make the muscle that you already have stronger, you also put more constant pressure on your bones.

Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis. The last thing you want to consider is to take a drug to improve your bone density, as without question, that is more likely to cause long-term harm than benefit.

I have had many clients who have amazed their doctors by reversing osteoporosis and osteopenia by lifting weights a couple times per week. So when it comes to fighting osteoporosis, stay off the meds and incorporate weight-bearing exercises instead. For example, a walking lunge exercise is a great way to build bone density in your hips, even without any additional weights.

You Have the Ability to Sculpt Your Physique

It's important to realize the difference between simple weight loss and the body sculpting so many are trying to achieve. Body sculpting is not possible with cardio exercise only. For example, if you start out with a pear shaped figure and lose weight by calorie restriction and/or cardio work alone, you will simply end up with a smaller pear shape. For many, this is not enough.

However, by including weight training in your program, you have the ability to literally reshape your shoulders, buns, arms, back, and chest. You are the sculptor and can create virtually any changes you so desire.

But don't think that the benefits of resistance training are limited to mere cosmetic adjustments -- although most will agree it does feel great to look good in your birthday suit. You see, the intensity of your resistance training will achieve a number of beneficial changes on the molecular, enzymatic, hormonal, and chemical level, which will help slow down (and many cases stop) many of the diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle, including:

Metabolic syndrome
Insulin sensitivity and resistance
Diabetes
Auto immune diseases

Optimal health is dependent on an active lifestyle; eating fresh, whole foods, avoiding as many processed foods as possible, and addressing the stress in your life. Ignoring any of these basic tenets of health will eventually lead to a decline in health and any number of diseases. So start moving, and do remember to include strength training in your fitness / fat loss program. It is the number one way for you to remain strong, young, and independent well into old age.

GGX Schedule for Friday, Oct.9:
AM: Zumba (Allen)-8:30am-9:30am
PM:Belly Dancing(Allen)-5:30pm-6:30pm

GGX Schedule for Tuesday, September 22:

AM:Spin Bike (Kanae)- 5:45am-6:45am
Zumba Toning (Allen)-8:30am-9:30am
Yoga (Nicole)-9:45am-10:45am 
PM:TRX (Gerald)-5:00pm-5:30pm;5:30pm-6:30pm
Spin Bike (Aaron)-5:15pm-6:15pm
Abs/Core Workout (Ferleen)-5:45pm-6:20pm
Zumba Toning (Allen)-6:30pm-7:30pm

GGX Schedule for Saturday, June 6:
AM:Tone and Sculpt(Ella)-8:30am-9:30am 
Spin Bike(Gerald)-8:30am-9:30am
TRX (Gerald)-9:30am-10:30am
Yoga (Clarie)- 10:00am-11:30am