If you've ever wonder why you mindlessly munch later at night, you are not alone.  Experts say this is not uncommon occurrence, and may not be driven off hunger alone.  And this is limited to late evening, but can occur throughout the day.

Snacking more at night can also be due to other factors, such as what you did during the day. 

• If you are dehydrated throughout the day, your body could result in feeling hungry.  In this case, it is best to have a glass of water to first address your body's desire to refill itself.  And by drinking water, you will not only rehydrate, but your body will naturally feel more full.  
• If you had a calorie deprivation, meaning you did not eat enough, your body may be calling for more calories.  Remember, your body doesn't immediately register your calories, so by going on a restricted amount for extended time, this can lead to your body eating more than it needs.
• Stress.  If you have had a stressful day,...

Our clients are successful in life.  They continuously choose the things that improve their lives for the better.  

They also deal with a lot of stress, in their job, at home, and all that life-getting-in-the-way stress. 

So, what is the secret that they know about handling that stress and being successful?

From the physical well-being, one key is to know what stress does.  When you have stress, your cortisol levels rise, giving you that response to react to things in a certain way.  The challenge is, when we are under stress, we tend to make rash decisions, we get headaches, tightness in our muscles and neck, our breathing shortens.  Over time, it leads to adrenal fatigue, and you tire easily, lack energy and drive and can become sad and depressed.

When under stress, you can also be tempted to stop taking care of yourself.  You give in, stop being at the top of your game, binge eat, drink more alcohol.  You stop being your successful self....

Ever get the winter chills and hate living in the cold?  Have you ever wondered why you get more chilled as you get older?  For those of you who have, there's hope. 

Traditionally, brown fat was thought to be the body’s main thermostat that insulated and generated heat to keep the body warm.

 “Our findings demonstrate for the first time that muscle, which accounts for 40 per cent of body weight in humans, can generate heat independent of shivering,” says Muthu Periasamy of Ohio State University in Columbus.

Surviving the chill

Through experiments on mice that had their usual thermostat – brown fat – surgically removed, Periasamy and his colleagues proved that a protein called sarcolipin helps muscle cells keep the body warm by burning energy, almost like an idling motor car, even if the muscles do not contract.

All of the mice had their brown fat removed, but some of them had been genetically engineered to lack sarcolipin too. These...

Cauliflower Pizza Crust Nutrition Information:
Servings: 6

• Calories: 82
• Total Fat: 4.8 g
• Total Carb: 3.1 g
• Protein: 7.8 g

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head
• 1 egg
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• Garlic seasoning mix (I used Flavor God Garlic Lovers)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Boil water and add cauliflower broken up into pieces/chunks/florets.

1. Once cauliflower is somewhat squishy, remove from heat, drain water, and mash with a potato masher.

1. Scoop cauliflower into a dish towel (or cheese cloth), and drain as much water out as humanly possible. I folded the cauliflower into a dishtowel and placed a plate on top in the bottom of the kitchen sink and pressed over and over and over and over again. Once all water is drained, your cauliflower should resemble a ball of dough.

1. Place cauliflower into a bowl, add egg, cheese, and seasonings, and stir until incorporated.
2. This next part is important. Most recipes call for the...

A spoonful of homemade almond butter on banana is a fantastic pre-workout snack. It’s also delicious added to a protein shake or slathered on sliced apples.

By blending your own almond butter at home you’re enjoying pure, unadulterated almonds and sea salt without the added sugars and preservatives found in many store bought brands. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 20

3 cups roasted, unsalted almonds
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until creamy. This can take up to 10 minutes, so when it doubt continue to blend, blend, blend. Enjoy!

Nutrition
One serving equals: 109 calories, 10g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 28mg sodium, 1g sugar, 2g fiber, and 4g protein.

Healthy and Nutritious eating is what we're all about.  We will help you on the path to healthier living, and avoiding those fad diets.

If you suffer from Joint pain, you are not alone.     

Arthritis is the #1 disability in the US, and millions suffer from its effects of pain in the joint, limited mobility.  It prevents people from being able to stay in shape, leads to depression, poor quality of life, and further health problems like obesity and diabetes or heart problems.

Often people think the cure for Osteoarthritis is seen as prescription medication, injections, anti-inflammatory drugs, or surgery.  But it's not.

At the Cardiology and Sports Medicine conference in New York City this week, Dr. Mirabelli presented both diagnosis and treatment topics.  Dr. Mirabelli worked in the Hip and Knee Arthritis Clinic and is also the team Physician for the USA Lacrosse team.   When someone is diagnosed Osteoarthritic condition, the 2 Best ways to overcoming the effects of osteoarthritis and improving quality of life are:

1) Effective exercise through strength training, increasing...

We can lose 3-8% of Lean Mass every decade over the age of 40. This critical bone and muscle controls our metabolism, gives us that energy, and even keeps us warmer in winter. As we lose it, we feel more tired, have less energy, put on weight, and our body doesn’t function the way it should.

Lean Muscle has been recently defined as a key indicator in overall health. The Lean muscle is what allows you to enjoy activities, and is what gives you that vibrance and tone that makes you feel better overall. The only way to maintain this healthy lean mass is to include effective strength training as part of your routine.

When done properly under the right guidance, the benefits of effective resistance training are more than being stronger. From helping to manage chronic conditions to enhancing overall quality of life.

Quality of life can be affected by resistance training by simply giving an individual the ability to perform regular activities or do so with more ease. It helps with...

This week, we had the pleasure of introducing local physicians from the Franciscan Skemp Clinic, now Mayo Clinic, to the science behind properly working out.  It was eye opening to many of the physicians, many of whom were first introduced to this science behind how to properly work out.

Let's review what we've been taught to stay in shape.

• We've been taught that one needs to walk and do aerobic exercise every day for heart health.  We've been taught to walk 10000 steps a day. 
• We've been confused by the stereotype that weight lifting is only for movie stars, or that we will become big and bulky.
• We've accepted that having aches and pains, joint replacements, and diabetes is a fact of life.  

Is what we've been taught working?  Let's review our nation's health.   Obesity rates are the leading cause of preventable death in the US.  Joint replacement is going to triple by 2030, and repeat joint replacements is going to double by 2030.  ...

Dear Veterans,

You gave your service to defend our Freedom.  

We have times of peace because of your contribution.  You help protect us in times of conflict, at home and abroad. 

Your families, your friends, your communities all have benefited immensely from your service in the United States Military. 

Our futures will always depend on Veterans to enable the Freedoms that we greatly appreciate.

From all of us at NorthStar Fitness, we thank you!

Arthritis in the hands, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees can be debilitating.   It affects our ability to exercise, and ultimately our well-being.  As the effects of arthritis take hold, it can greatly affect us physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

We often accept the fact that the arthritis is only cured through medicine, surgery, or injections.  However, that doesn't have to be the case.

Athritis is often due to painful swelling and irritation.  When a joint doesn't move as it should, it can cause irregular sliding and wear that causes inflammation in the joint.

As we age, our joints and muscles become weaker, the bones start to get out of alignment.   When we walk or do cardio, this can often cause more swelling when the joints aren't moving as they should.  It can set us back even further, as we need to rest the joints to heal.  And the cycle continues through continuously weaker joints.

Is there a solution?

The first step...