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Author Archive
Another New Fighter In Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class!
Welcome Ethan Sills!
Welcome Ethan Sills!
New Fighters In Kids Jiu Jitsu Class!
Say hello to these tough little ladies…Watch out boys, they are gonna get you!
Valaree Martinez
Krystina Martinez
New Athletes In Fitness Boot Camp!
We welcome the following fine folks to our athletic family:
Lori Rinck
Sonia Lopez
Sofia Gomez
New Fighters In Our Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Class!
We welcome Alejandro, “Chicken” and “Bear” Gomez to our Jiu-Jitsu family! Welcome Guys…
Sunday Focus Punch
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
New Fighters In The Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Class!
Welcome Leke and Eli Rodriguez to the MAT RATZ!
Energy Drinks and Beer Anyone?
A dangerous and even deadly combination.
ZZZAP!
During the early days of energy drinks, there was some skepticism that they were not safe for regular consumption. As more energy drink companies began promoting their products and regular people began safely drinking them on a regular basis, the public has become less wary. Now, the energy-boosting beverages are treated like ordinary soft drinks. Unfortunately, not handling these caffeinated cans with care can lead to some serious issues. Especially when mixed with alcohol.
A Collegiate Conundrum
College students and college-aged individuals are at the highest risk for chasing energy drinks with alcohol, a phenomenon known as AMED (alcohol mixed with energy drinks). In fact, it has become commonplace for these youngsters to mix energy drinks and alcohol into a caffeinated, alcoholic cocktail. To the drinkers, the mixture seems heaven-sent. The desired alcoholic buzz is achieved, but the energy drink keeps them from growing tired.
What many of these AMED drinkers don’t know is that while they’re not getting tired, the other effects of alcohol remain the same. That means that while downing an energy drink and a beer may leave the drinker wide awake, the alcohol still results in impaired judgment, lapses in social graces, vision problems, and slowed reflexes. And surprisingly, though the caffeine in energy drinks keeps folks drinking longer and stronger, it actually increases intoxication.
Dangers Abound
When these regular effects of alcohol are ignored and the drinker decides to depend on the energy drink for good judgment and reflexes, the results can be catastrophic. AMED cocktail drinkers are more likely to leave a bar with high levels of alcohol in their system, putting them at risk for serious automobile accidents that result in injury or even death.
During a small study, it was found that people who drank AMED cocktails or who drank energy drinks and alcohol separately consumed more alcohol and drank for longer time periods. But the dangers don’t stop there.
Sipping on an AMED also puts you at increased risk for heart problems. As an energy drink and alcoholic beverage each do different things to your heart (one slows it down, while the other speeds it up), these mixed messages confuse the heart and can result in dangerous heart palpitations. These drinks also increased the likelihood of becoming dangerously dehydrated, as alcohol causes dehydration and caffeine is a diuretic – a.k.a. a dehydration-causing factory.
Still considering chasing a few beers with an energy drink? Remember this: those who drink AMED cocktails are more likely to attempt to take advantage of someone else or be taken advantage of in a sexual manner.
A New Confusing Danger
As if there aren’t enough problems keeping kids away from alcoholic beverages, some companies have made it even more difficult with new marketing techniques. With the energy drink market firmly established, some alcohol companies are marketing their drinks in packaging that is ridiculously close to that used by energy drink products.
The potential result? Underage children buying alcoholic beverages on purpose or on accident, without anyone being alarmed. In order to prevent this from happening on a large scale, businesses that sell both types of drinks will require extensive and ongoing education on all products available to ensure underage juveniles don’t purchase the wrong drink. Parents should also be aware of the differences and be on the lookout for premixed alcohol-energy drink cocktails.
Controlling Late-Night Cravings
And getting control over your waistline at the same time.
You’ve probably heard of diets that force dieters to avoid eating after a certain time of the day. That’s because eating lots of food right before going to bed makes it more likely that your body will store up fat when you’re not burning calories by moving around. How can you fend off those late-night cravings that bring unwanted calories to your most vulnerable soft spots?
Go to Bed
One of the easiest ways to avoid late-night cravings is to cut the late nights out of your life. This is as easy. Simply brush your teeth, wash your face, and get in bed well before your cravings usually kick in. To make sure you don’t find yourself lying in bed for hours and suffering the same late-night desires that you’re trying to avoid, don’t read or watch television in bed. It may take a few nights to grow accustomed to an earlier bedtime, but your physical and emotional health will improve from hitting the hay at a decent hour.
Eat Later
This may seem contradictory if you’re trying to beat late-night eating, but pushing dinner back an hour or so will help you stay full later into the night, ultimately leading to no more late-night cravings. This can be a difficult adjustment if you have a hungry household, so be prepared to allow plenty of snacking leading up to dinnertime.
Stop Sitting Around
For the most part, cravings kick in when you’re sitting around not doing anything. Instead of opening the door for boredom-induced snacking, find something to do and do it well! Whether you decide to finally clean out the kitchen pantry or want to get yourself involve in a crossword puzzle or putting together a quilt, staying busy will help you sidestep any potential temptations that arise in the late hours.
Decompress the Stress
Stress is a key reason you may find yourself eating when you know you shouldn’t. Stress can throw off your levels of certain hormones responsible for food cravings, so staying away from stress can’t be stressed enough. Beat stress with controlled breathing, regular exercise, and sleep. If you’re still feeling stressed, take a close look at your life and reprioritize. You may be putting too much emphasis on things that aren’t important.
Give In
Have no control over your need for late-night foods? Give in, but give in healthily by substituting your unhealthy ice cream and candy corn for carrot sticks, celery sticks, or apple slices. Once you’ve made the switch, you may have to take another step and toss the ranch dressing you’re dipping it in. Anything that diminishes the health perks of your food must be done away with. Your waistline requires it!
Get Wet
Being thirsty or dehydrated is often mistaken for hunger, so getting some water in your system may be just what your belly wants. So before you give in to your hunger, you need to quench your thirst. Any time you find yourself faced with an insatiable desire to snack on some late-night goodies, drink a couple glasses of water and wait a few minutes. If your hunger is still growing after a healthy dose of H2O, go for one of the healthy snacks mentioned above.
More Mousey Research
A recent study gave more proof that late-night snacking is a bad idea for anyone who wants to keep a tight reign on his or her waistline. During the study, mice fed during the day (they normally eat at night) gained 7.8 percent more weight than mice fed at the appropriate time. In other words, eat at the right time, get the results you want.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary Honey! 9 Years… It keeps getting better everyday…
The Drinking Bulge
Enough information on alcohol-related weight gain to get you intoxicated.
Whether you’re a social drinker or enjoy sipping on an occasional beer in the peace and quiet of your home, you will agree that alcohol makes life better. Unfortunately, as you may have realized, too much alcohol can lead to a little pudge in your middle – and anywhere else you tend to gain weight.
Why does it do this, and what can you do to avoid it? Read on to find out.
Alcohol’s Effect
While alcohol is busy doing fun things with your head, it is doing some rather different things with the rest of your body. Instead of falling in line behind all your other calories, waiting patiently to get burned off, alcohol-based calories skip line and become the first to get removed from your system. Though it is nice to be able to get rid of alcohol’s calories right off the bat, it causes all those other calories you just ate at the bar to sit still and turn into fat.
On top of that, with every sip of alcohol, you tend to feel better. At the same time, you tend to slow down. Drink enough and you’re so worn out that all you can do is pass out until the following morning. What’s wrong with calling it a night after downing a handful of alcoholic beverages? You give all those calories a chance to do nothing but sit still and add to your waistline. Think getting that beer or wine buzz is still worth it? Then you’ll need to pay particular attention to what’s coming next.
Bye-Bye, Beer Belly
For many, alcohol is a part of life. It doesn’t interfere, cause the person to lose control, or result in poor decisions that will be greatly regretted later. But it still adds to the amount of calories consumed. With that in mind, it is important to have a good game plan to turn the keg that has developed in your abdomen into a six-pack.
Ready to fight for your healthy shape? You’ll need to do the hard thing. You’ll have to learn to drink less alcohol. A great way to do this is to go into any potential drinking situation planning to have no more than one drink. It sounds difficult, but it can be done. Simply order a glass of water to go with your alcohol and drink your alcohol slowly and surely.
In addition, you can trim your wine-induced love handles the old fashioned way. Get to the gym and work up a good sweat. When you’re there, remember that you can do all the exercises you want to try and hone in on your trouble spots, but they won’t do any good until you’re getting full-body cardio. Also, once you get home, you aren’t off the hook. If you’re serious about warding off alcohol-related pounds, be sure to maintain a well-balanced diet all of the time, swapping out high-fat foods for low-fat options and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Fattest Drinks
Like most foods and drinks, alcoholic beverages are not created equal. Some are a tad bit tastier, and others are a good deal fattier. Which drinks should you be particularly wary of? Check out the list below to learn what drinks are the most calorie-laden.
- Budweiser (12 ounces), 145 calories
- Gin and Tonic (9.5 ounces total, 1.5 ounces of Gin), 200 calories
- Long Island Iced Tea (9.5 ounces total, 1.5 ounces of alcohol), as many as 550 calories
- Margarita (9.5 ounces total, 1.5 ounces of alcohol), as many as 500 calories
- Ruby Port (8 ounces), 185 calories
- Sam Adams Boston Lager (12 ounces), 160 calories
- White Chardonnay (8 ounces), 90 calories
Toenail Troubles
Dealing with some of the most common issues that affect your toenails.
One of the smallest visible parts of your body, your toenails can cause some major pain and embarrassment. While they may not seem to serve any immediate purpose, treating them as unimportant is a mistake that could cause lasting issues.
What do you need to protect your toenails from?
Bacterial Infections
Usually caused by damage to the nail or the skin surrounding the nail, bacterial infections result in swelling, redness, and pain around the nails. Occasionally, the infection is accompanied by a green discoloration of the nail. Treatment often includes antibiotic medication and medical draining of the swollen area surrounding the nail. Not treating the infection will allow it to grow and potentially spread to other toenails.
Fungus
More common than bacterial infections, fungal infections are frequently inherited and cause abnormal nail growth and discoloration. The best treatment for fungal infection is oral medication. However, nail fungus occasionally responds to topical lotions, gels, or creams. Untreated fungal infection can also result in damage to other toenails over time.
Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail is easy to diagnose. When the edge of a toenail angles down into the surrounding skin, it’s an ingrown toenail. Sometimes painful, sometimes inducing infection, ingrown toenails can be avoided by cutting your toenails properly (straight across instead of at an angle), wearing properly fitting shoes, and standing on your feet correctly. Quick medical treatment can prevent long-term complications.
Many nail injuries heal on their own while you go about your daily life. Medical attention is necessary if you notice a white or black line in your toenail, the color or shape of your nail changes, you see dents or ridges in the nail, or the skin surrounding a toenail becomes swollen or painful.
Splinters
They look like red or reddish-brown splinters under the nail, and they appear when damage occurs to the blood vessels housed in the nail bed. Known as splinter hemorrhages, these toenail problems are usually caused by nail trauma, though certain diseases and medications can bring them on. If you’re unsure what the cause of your splinter hemorrhage is, contact your physician to get to the root of your problem.
Warts
Found in any and all areas of the nail, toenail warts can result in the toenail plate becoming disfigured. In the event the wart begins to grow so much that it prevents natural nail growth, the toenail can be completely destroyed.
Treatment of toenail warts typically requires freezing the wart, using chemicals to destroy the wart, or surgical intervention to remove the wart.
White Spots
Jam your toe on a door or drop a heavy box on your foot and you may wind up with small white spots on your toenails. For the most part, these white spots resolve themselves in a matter of days. But if white spots begin showing up on your feet and you don’t recall injuring your toenails, the spots may be an indication of a medical condition, such as an infection. Proper screening by your physician can ensure your condition doesn’t worsen.
Not Just the Feet
Think your toenails only affect your foot health? Think again. Poor toenail health can be an indication of some other serious conditions affecting many parts of the body. Here are some of the most serious.
- Pale nail beds can indicate anemia.
- Red nail beds can indicate a heart condition.
- Half-pink, half-white nail beds can indicate kidney disease.
- White nails can indicate liver disease.
- Yellow, thick nails can indicate lung disease.
- A blush at the base of yellow nails can indicate diabetes.
If you have any of these discolorations, ask your physician whether you’re at risk for other conditions that reach well beyond your feet.
Great Time At The Ladies Self Defense Seminar!
Yeah buddy! Here are some of the pictures. A better description and more photos later…
