5 Ways to Stay Healthy While on a Busy Schedule

We all have those times in the year when our schedule becomes crammed. Whether you are busy with work, school, or family activities, staying healthy can seem nearly impossible because you simply do not have the time. However, even if you are not able to go to the gym or maintain the healthiest diet in the world, there are still strategic methods in which you can live a healthy lifestyle while on a busy schedule.

 

1. Plan Your Meals on the Weekends

Packing both a healthy lunch and snack can be time consuming, which makes it difficult to pack food during the week. However, by planning your meals in advance on the weekends, it will make it easier to stay healthy throughout the week. Sunday is the perfect time to shop and prepare these foods in advance to make the weekdays a lot easier and less stressful. Planning healthy meals are a great way to build great eating habits while also saving yourself time on the busy weekdays.

2. Drink More Water

Your body is composed of 60% water. All sorts of body functions rely on water in order to complete the processes. Furthermore, water helps control calorie intake. Drinking more water throughout the day or right before a meal will take up more volume in your body, therefore filling you up and trimming the calorie intake. Make sure to always have a water bottle with you wherever you go. Remember, there are also foods that contain high amounts of water such as fruits, vegetables, soup, oatmeal, and beans.

3. Prioritize/Plan Workouts

We have all had those days when we planned on going to the gym and it just never happened; maybe your schedule is  just too busy and it’s nearly impossible to find time. However, a sure way of finding yourself in the gym is to plan the days you want to go in advance. In the beginning of each week, pick days to exercise that work for you. Then make it a priority to go to the gym on those days at the given time.. Planning in advance not only drills it into your head that you will be exercising on certain days, but it also provides you with a more structured schedule during the week.

4. Make Fruits and Vegetables the Pinnacle of your Diet

These low in calorie, high in nutrient foods provide many of the essentials you need to stay focused and awake during the day while also maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating both fruits and vegetables throughout the day will increase overall health while helping weight control.

5. Keep Everything Simple

Nothing is more time confusing and stressful than a strict diet and workout routine. Whether you go to the gym for 30 minutes or an hour, you’re still getting exercise. One day you may eat extremely healthy, but the next night you may dine out. The easiest way to keep healthy is to keep your body satisfied. Stick to the healthy foods that you personally enjoy and do the workouts that provide you with the most enjoyment.

 

Any busy schedule is demanding, making it incredibly difficult to access heathy food on a daily basis while maintaining an exercise routine. However, keeping your body alert and healthy is important if you wish to complete all tasks throughout the day. These tips are a great start for anyone who is looking to promote good health, especially those who have limited time.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have.

-Michael Roulic

The Truth Behind Creatine

Whether you’re an athlete or not, chances are you’ve heard about Creatine. Is it a steroid? No. Does it increase growth hormones? No. So then what exactly is Creatine? Well, Creatine is a substance that the human body synthesizes, but it can also be found in meat products. Its primary function is to hook up with ATP and transport it to muscle fibers. ATP is what all forms of any energy are converted to for use. Protein, fat, carbohydrates, and ethanol (alcohol) are all converted to ATP, then the body uses these as an immediate energy source. Creatine connects with ATP to form Creatine phosphate, and then transports it to the muscle fibers. This can enhance the body’s exercise performance.

Creatine does in fact volumize the cells with water, and yes it does make a person look bigger than they actually are because they are filled with water. However, by using Creatine, one will gain more muscle mass than they would’ve without using it. For example, if you took two people that exercised exactly the same for one month, one on Creatine and the other one not, the person on Creatine will gain more muscle mass. They will look larger because of the water retention, but even after they stop taking Creatine and flush it out of their system, they will still have more muscle.

 If Creatine increases muscle mass, then why isn’t it a steroid? Simple answer: Creatine doesn’t increase muscle mass. Creatine only allows one to work out harder than they would normally be capable of due to an increase in the amount of available energy. The reason people gain muscle mass is because they are able to perform more reps, more sets, and/or work out at a higher intensity. Creatine works best for athletes who are doing short intermittent exercises. This includes many sports such as football, baseball, basketball, any weight lifting, and many others. Marathon and long distance runners would not receive the same benefit.

So how exactly should you be taking Creatine? Cycling it in and out your body is a good idea because this way, the body doesn’t grow accustomed to not needing to produce its own. Furthermore, it works better for people who just begin to take Creatine (Fun Fact: Girls benefit more than guys when taking Creatine). An ideal schedule to take Creatine would be to have one serving right after a workout for a straight month, then take a week or two off before beginning again.

Whether Creatine has proven side effects or not is a hot topic. Creatine has been on the market for quite some time, and there are still yet any proven side effects. Doctors will make the common misconception of confusing Creatine kinase with Creatine phosphate. Consuming an excess of Creatine kinase will harm you; Creatine phosphate won’t. Just make sure to stay hydrated because as the water is absorbed in the muscles, more water is needed for the body.

This article is not meant to persuade anyone to actually begin taking Creatine. Creatine is one of the most well-known supplements on the market, so naturally it is a very hot topic with a lot of common misconceptions.

Summary

• Creatine is not a steroid
• It supplies immediate energy to muscle fibers
• It works best for exercises with short breaks in between

Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.

-Michael Roulic

Exploding Out of the Weight Loss Slump

Everyone will hit a point in their training when they stop seeing results. This period of time is called a “plateau.” Plateaus can occur for muscle gains and mass gains, but a majority of the people are concerned with weight loss plateaus. Many are left pondering why they stopped seeing the drop in weight they have been accustomed to, while others are wondering why they can’t seem to get the dial spinning on their weight loss. Well, there is a reason, and no, it is not your genetics!

Reason #1: Your body is accustomed to the exercises it has been performing. Running for 40 minutes is great exercise, and you will lose weight doing this. However, the body will adapt to it and your weight loss path will end shortly. Think of it this way: If you teach a five-year old multiplication they would be considered very smart and it is healthy for the kid to know this skill. However, if this is all the kid is being taught and they don’t know how to divide, use fractions, or learn decimal points; then their multiplication skill decreases in its value. Relating this to health: By constantly performing the same exercises every single workout, you will get used to it and won’t receive the results you expected.

Reason #2: You wake up in the morning: Eat a bowl of cereal and grab your coffee; later for a snack have a granola bar; then lunch comes and you have your chicken salad; then for dinner that night you decide to have pasta and maybe something small for desert. This doesn’t appear to be that unhealthy and typically an average person would eat this. So what is wrong with this scenario? It is repetitive!!! Eating the same foods every day is exactly like performing the same workouts all the time. Eating healthy is great, but when it is the same routine over and over again, you’re not helping your cause.

Reason #3: Going to the gym 3 times a day will not help. Overworking the body will only cause it to start depleting muscle and wear out from exhaustion. Recovering from workouts is always a key stage in the muscle and weight loss development process.

How to Conquer this Weight Loss Slump!

Tip#1: Constantly change up the workout routine. If you have been only doing cardio, then add weights. If you have only been doing weights, then add cardio. Maybe you have been going on 40 minute runs at a good pace. Well try running for 30 minutes at a faster pace or 50 minutes at a slower pace. If you have been stuck on the elliptical for quite some time then try switching to the bicycle or vice versa. For people big on weight training, try to increase reps and lower weight or decrease reps and increase weight.

Changing the routine is also a very key factor. Don’t do the same workout every day 3 times a week. Come up with a 3 or 4 day plan and complete this each week for maybe 4-6 weeks then switch up the routine again.

Tip #2: Eat a variety of healthy foods. Incorporate many kinds of meats, whole grains, vegetables, and dairy products in your everyday diet. Although, it can always be hard to make these kinds of purchases and find time to cook this food, eating a variety can make a big difference. Try grilling your meats and preparing the vegetables on the weekend to have them ready for during the week.

Tip #3: Keep track of your activity. I’m not saying to count calories or keep a workout log, but if you aware of what your body is consuming and the energy being produced, then you might be a little more self-conscious about getting another helping of ice cream or skipping the gym. Try writing down what foods you eat and how long you exercise for. An example would be if for dinner you eat pasta and vegetables, then write down one helping of pasta and vegetables. You might be able to catch unhealthy habits you didn’t notice before.

Tip #4: Take time off. If you’re struggling to get the results you want, then take a week or two off to recover and rest up. This will help you become more energized and motivated to get back at it.

Everyone has a certain niche when talking about exercise and health. Some people love to run and that’s the only way they exercise while others will only have a bowl of cereal for breakfast and nothing else. Healthy habits are good to build, but changing up your daily routine will not only help your physical attributes, but it will keep you mentally energized as well.

There is nothing better than seeing results. Try not to get caught up in the number of pounds, and try caring of appearance only. Yes, the pounds are a great and easy way to track results, but remember that muscle weighs more than fat! You may not be losing weight, but you could be burning fat and you just don’t realize it. Pick a goal, tell people about it, and then accomplish it.

Thank you for reading and make sure to check the “About the Author” page for contact information. Please contact me with any advice on future articles as well as questions on prior ones!

-Michael Roulic