Staying in Your Fat Burning Zone 24 by 7

How to Help Your Clients Burn More Fat…

Cardinal Rule # 1: They can not skip meals, especially breakfast.

When we skip a meal our blood sugar drops and takes us out of our fat burning zone. Secondly it causes the adrenal glands to produce additional cortisol and adrenaline to raise blood sugar. Unfortunately this can lead to adrenal fatigue and exhaustion which is a growing problem and at the root of so many ailments.

Cardinal Rule # 2: Eat good quality protein and fat with each meal.

A bowl of cereal with a cup of coffee or a bagel is not going to cut it. Too many carbs or high glycemic foods cause an increase of insulin, which works to store fat and inhibit the breakdown of fats. You can add nuts to healthy cereals to help slow down the sugar surge from the carbs; protein triggers more glucagon, which helps burn fats. Not all carbs are created equal. I like "slow" carbs (low to moderate glycemic foods) instead of 'no or low' carbs.

Cardinal Rule # 3: Eat at least 3 meals a day.

The thought of six meals a day is a great concept in theory, but most of my clients don't have the time or inclination to do that. Good protein and fat at each meal will keep the blood sugar stable and allow for more glucagon to be available.

Cardinal Rule # 4: Limit the 'intense' training until their blood sugar symptoms decrease.

Otherwise their workouts will further deplete and exhaust an already overworked body. This is important if they are on a low carb diet, because it's the breakdown of carbs and/or protein that gets us through an intense workout.

A classic sign that the workout was too intense is complete fatigue and exhaustion after the workout. Yes, they should be tired after a good workout, but if they are wiped out - it's too much! Over-training causes a decrease in the release of growth hormones, testosterone and DHEA.

Cardinal Rule # 5: Keep the intense workout short!

You can do an intense workout with your client, for 15-30 minutes depending on the severity of their symptoms. But make sure they eat some fruit, agave or honey before and after the workout to replenish all the carbs they spent otherwise they will feel terrible.

Remember glucose is the sugar (carbs) that is broken down to provide the primary fuel for the brain. When blood sugar drops - fuel for the brain drops. This makes it hard to focus and concentrate. We become moody and irritated, and struggle with cravings and lightheadedness.

Cardinal Rule 6: Keep their aerobic workout "aerobic."

A classic mistake is to do aerobic exercise at too high of an intensity. This causes "anaerobic metabolism" and a leading cause of over-training and adrenal fatigue. Anaerobic metabolism is stress producing, whereas aerobic metabolism is stress reducing. This is critical when dealing with someone who struggles with fatigue and lack of energy.

Cardinal Rule 7: Break the 'vicious' cycle! If your client is having blood sugar problems, they may also struggle with indigestion, elimination, hormonal imbalances, as well as, "adrenal fatigue and exhaustion."

The point is that one problem can contribute to another and fixing one issue and turning a blind eye to another will slow down their progress. The reason we mention the adrenal glands is because stress is a huge factor and underlying problem in our society.

Intense physical exercise is another form of stress that stimulates the production of cortisol and adrenaline. Constant stress can eventually lead to a decrease production of cortisol and adrenaline.
Cortisol, adrenaline and insulin are not good or bad hormones. But when we make too much or too little, it take us out of our fat-burning zone, as well as affects our sleep, mood, recovery, heart rate, energy level and libido.
Adrenal overload can cause a decreased production of progesterone and testosterone. The importance of progesterone for women goes without saying, but the drop in testosterone is the last thing we want to see.

Keep in mind, you can never restore progesterone, estrogen and testosterone without first addressing the adrenal glands… and you can never restore adrenal function if you don't keep your blood sugar stable; they are "dancing partners" that cannot be separated!

Try utilizing some of these techniques with your clients. I believe you will see an improvement in their results…and we all know that the best advertisement we can put out there is results!

About Len Lopez

Go to About Dr. Len Lopez

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