15 Favorite Blog Posts, 1 Final Message

One of the most satisfying parts of my week for the past few years has been my Saturday morning routine. Most Saturday mornings, I sit down with a cup of coffee and my laptop to begin writing a post or two for the Life Time Weight Loss blog. I’ve always enjoyed this time because it required me to eliminate other distractions and really consider what I wanted to share with the goal of helping others shape their personal nutrition, metabolism, health, fitness, stress, sleep and other lifestyle choices.

While I’ll likely continue my Saturday morning ritual, I’m writing today’s blog post as a final sign-off from the Life Time Weight Loss blog and Flourish newsletter. For the past 12 years, I’ve been blessed with many roles at Life Time. The past few years were particularly satisfying. We’ve been able to develop some of our most cutting-edge programs and best-in-the-market products, many of which are featured here on the Life Time Weight Loss site.

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Clean Living, Part 1: Non-Toxic Laundry Options

Laundry can be a filthy job, but the mess might be the least of our problems. Beyond the sweat, dirt or food stains, we’re exposed to a multitude of serious toxins in everyday laundry products. They’re, in fact, among the very toxins that contribute to obesity, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases, including cancer. With the average American household washing between 400-600 loads of laundry per year, there are 400-600 chances to either be exposed to these chemicals—or not! Which will you choose? Luckily, going non-toxic is simpler and cheaper than you’d expect. Let’s look at easy and effective ways to switch up your cleaning routine and ditch the toxins lurking in your laundry room! 

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Do You Know the Consequences of Glucose Imbalance?

If you answer yes or “unsure” to more than three of the following questions, this article is for you.

• Are you irritable if you miss a meal, or jittery/anxious if you go more than 4 hours without food?
• Do you crave carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, or pasta) or sweets excessively (daily)?
• Are you calmer after eating?
• Have you been diagnosed with diabetes, insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome?

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6 Ways to Live a Less Frazzled Life

Hard Fact: your response to stress may be a greater determinant for how healthy you’ll be in the future than the food you put in your mouth or the workout you fit into your schedule. Most people understand that exercising for several hours every day is a bad idea. It’s too much for the body to recover from. However, we miss that same connection when we work and push our mental abilities for 10-12 hours, six to seven days per week. With long hours and multiple running lists of chores, errands, and other obligations, we live a harried lifestyle in which personal fulfillment comes last and stress runs rampant. Without mental rest and personal replenishment, this type of unrelenting stress will take a serious toll on our health--unless we choose otherwise.

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Do You Really Need Sunscreen?

Most of us have made sunscreen a staple through the summer months, lathering on lotions and sprays to spare ourselves the dreaded sunburn that can haunt us for days. We’ve been told by dermatologists and health professionals for decades now to routinely apply these products to prevent skin aging and, more importantly, skin cancer. Recently, however, experts are questioning the healthfulness of avoiding sun or using sunscreen with every exposure. Research continues to illuminate how sunlight benefits our bodies, including (but not limited to) our natural synthesis of vitamin D. In light of the findings, what should our sun routine look like? How do we optimize the benefits of sun exposure while minimizing skin damage?

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How-To Fitness: Interval Workouts and Recovery

You’ve likely heard (or experienced) the impressive benefits of interval workouts. For the short time investment, interval training offers major bang for your buck in terms of fat burning, body composition change, cardiovascular conditioning, and insulin sensitivity. But workouts this demanding require special attention to design and recovery. Let’s take apart the interval model and some key recommendations for including it in your fitness program.

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When Does Cardio Become Too Much of a Good Thing?

This post is Part 2 of the Mastering the Art of Stress and Recovery Series

What do you do for cardio? What do you think it adds to your exercise routine? To your health? In the fitness world, the terms aerobic training, cardio and endurance training are often used interchangeably. Although a professional triathlete would argue that his/her training is dramatically different than someone trying to lose his/her muffin top working on a stepmill, what we’re really referring to in both cases is aerobic activity. You may remember from The Three A’s of Intensity, aerobic exercise burns mainly fat for fuel and relies heavily on type I (slow twitch) muscle fibers. As part of a balanced fitness program, cardio has a lot to offer. When we rely on it too much, however, or pursue it to the exclusion of other kinds

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