In this episode: Be aware and prepare for urges to quit! Zinc Supplements, part 2 most common causes of exercise related injurie.
Nutrition
NUTRITION

Zinc Supplements For Your Body

What's important about Zinc ?
Zinc is plays a crucial role with hundreds of processes in the human body. The most prominent Zinc functions include support of the immune system, joints, tissues, along with aiding in cell growth. Zinc supplements have also been proven to eliminate sexual dysfunction, boost sexual function, aid in the health of the hair, and help with skin wound healing. Your body is unable to produce zinc, which is why we need to make sure we eat enough food that contains the mineral, drink enough water, or use the proper supplements that will give cells the Zinc they need.

No matter how you look at it, Zinc plays an important role in the function of most of our senses, which includes the ability to taste, smell, and also sight. Research has indicated that zinc can counter vision loss in the event of macular degeneration.

Deficiency

A deficiency of Zinc can lead to dulling of the taste buds, along with the ability to detect scent.

Caution: too much of it can be a bad thing
Although Zinc is an essential vitamin for our bodies, taking too much of it can be a bad thing. Research has proven that taking more than 100 mg daily for an extended period can cause damage in the immune system. On the other hand, older people can benefit from taking zinc if they have a deficiency in it. Supplementing with Zinc can actually help older people increase their zinc to proper levels.

Co-factors
When taking Zinc supplements, you should always remember that zinc can indeed interfere with your absorption of copper. For this reason, a lot of experts recommend that they should be taken together. Anyone who takes a Zinc supplement should take it as part of a well balanced diet, to ensure that other vitamins and minerals work together with the zinc. It's not something to throw in the mix without proper consultation of a professional doctor or nutritionist.

What to look for:
With most dietary supplements in the U.S. being unregulated, you should always choose a manufacturer who is GMP compliant. Manufacturers that are GMP compliant will always follow the manufacturing standards of zinc, in order to minimize and quite possibly eliminate the risk of contaminants that you could be getting from the supplement.

If you choose your supplement wisely, you shouldn't have to worry about any problems. You can buy zinc supplements at reputable nutrition stores, both online and off. It isn't expensive either, which makes it a welcome edition to your diet. You should always consult with your doctor if you suspect that you have a zinc deficiency, so that he or she can tell you exactly how much zinc you need on a daily basis. This way, if you aren't getting enough in your normal diet - you can get the supplements you need.


MOTIVATION

Become aware of your urges to quit, and be prepared for them. We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. One of the most powerful things you can do is to start being more conscious of those urges. A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge. It simply makes you aware of the urges. Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan.

Example urges to quit:
  • You want to quit cardio early because you feel tired...counter with...just a few more minutes until a few minutes then you're done!
  • You want to quit following your plan because you don't see fast enough results.....counter with....the results you have seen, the habits you have made, the pride you feel in working and accomplishing the little steps so far, those ARE results!
Sometimes your body wants you to quit most when you are just about to break thru. See, your body wants to stay at status quo, you don't. Its a mind game!  You know when you get the urges the most. Think about them and make a plan. When urges to quit they occur, think of what you would say to your best friend, daughter or son to keep them on track.  You'll get through it and be on the way to the body you want!



TRAINING

Part 2 of the 6 most common causes of exercise related injuries!

Improper footwear: Most people think they can wear whatever trainers they have. The reason there are so many trainers around is because different ones are suitable for different things. If you want ones to use for multi sports then go for a good cross-trainer. It might cost a little more, but that is a small price compared to the medical bills if you get injured.

Overtraining: Now this is something many of you can fall into the trap of. You start with an exercise program and you could soon become addicted to it, working longer and harder. You need to leave time for the body to rest and recover from exercise. Before the marathon we were encourage to do gentle workout and nothing for the following week. When I got back to the gym, I found difficulty in walking at 3 mph whereas I had trained at 4 mph. My body needed rest and nourishment. Some say overtraining or undernourishment? Another reason to use training cycles to ensure recovery...as we age recovery is slower, therefore need more time btwn workouts or btwn intense workouts.

Untrained Instruction: Many people enter into exercise without knowing what they are doing. You would not want to travel in a plane with a person who had never flown before in charge of the plane. Do your homework, read about exercise and the effects on your body, and then follow them. None of us are born as fitness instructors, we need to learn before we begin weights or cardio. When you know how to do something properly you avoid injuries and gain the maximum benefits.


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Fit 207 Overcome the Urge to Quit, Zinc Supplements, Avoid Exercise Injuries Part 2