It is essential take a physical holistic health approach. Fitness is an important aspect of life. However, there is more to exercise than losing weight. Participating in a regular workout routine can have positive effects on your mind, body, and spirit. Besides being able to improve body image and self-worth, participating in physical activity brings a number of advantages.

Improve Mental Health

One of the biggest benefits of exercise is heightened mental health. When exercising regularly, you get a sense of positive well-being. You find that activity boosts your energy. In fact, if you suffer from sleep problems, exercise can deliver a better rest. This improves your mood and leaves you feeling happier.

In many cases, exercising on a regular basis decreases depression and anxiety. In mild cases, exercise is medicine for a person's mental state. For example, one study performed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported that walking an hour each day lowers the likelihood of developing depression by 26 percent. Also, it helps depression symptoms become less bothersome. The reason for this is that exercise has a positive effect on the brain. It encourages neural growth, lowers inflammation, and increases the release of endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good. Endorphins are the body's natural way of relieving stress. When you participate in physical activity, your body feels more relaxed and exhibits less signs of tension, including tight muscles, tension in the chest, and heartburn.

Keeps the Body Strong and Healthy

Regular exercise prevents and helps many health problems. It lowers the risk of death and injuries. Specifically, exercise brings many benefits to your heart. It helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. For example, it may lower your blood pressure. When your heart is healthy, it can push out more blood, which increases efficiency. In other words, less stress is placed on the heart. In this manner, it lowers the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. If you are taking medication to control your blood pressure, regular exercise may eliminate the need for the drugs.

Also, exercise lowers cholesterol. Many studies show that regular activity increases levels of good HDL cholesterol and lowers bad LDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent. If you have diabetes, regular exercise can help as well. Exercise decreases blood glucose levels and increases your sensitivity to insulin, which counters insulin resistance.

When you exercise regularly, your blood flow improves. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to your body's tissues more effectively. When blood flow is improved, your workout efficiency is heightened. Also, it raises circulation in small blood vessels around your heart. This keeps blood flowing through blockages of fatty deposits, which can prevent heart attacks.

Regular exercise lowers the chances of developing atrial fibrillation as well. AFib causes a heightened risk of stroke from a blood clot. The American Heart Association explains that regular exercise should blend normal and high-intensity workouts. This can lower the chance of developing this particular condition.

For women, being active can prevent bone loss and fight off osteoporosis. Also, it can help to maintain muscle mass. Osteoporosis is a dangerous condition that makes bones brittle. This can lead to serious fractures and disabilities, especially after menopause. Weight-bearing exercise causes muscles and tendons to exert pressure on bones. This stimulates bone cell production. Regular activity at a younger age builds strong muscles. As you age, performing muscle-strengthening activities can help to maintain your muscle mass and strength. Also, exercise boosts balance and coordination. This helps older people avoid injuries. Everyone benefits from exercise regardless of age sex or physical activity.

Exercise Improves Sleep Patterns

There are countless people who suffer with insomnia and other sleep issues. Even if you get the required amount of hours each night, you may still wake up groggy. Activity helps you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Indeed, moderate exercise improves sleep quality by lowering sleep onset. In other words, you fall asleep faster and do not have to worry about laying awake in bed for hours. Also, exercise can keep you feeling more energized throughout the day. Studies have shown that up to 80 percent of people who engage in exercise enjoy better sleep quality than people who do not.

Exercise Improves Sex Life and Libido

Many times a man or a woman does not have the energy for sex. Also, he or she may feel embarrassed by his or her body. Exercise can improve your sex life in a number of ways. To begin, working out makes you feel sexy. When you have heightened self-confidence and self-esteem, your libido improves. Also, exercise enhances your performance. A study performed at the University of California found that men who exercise on a regular basis enjoy more frequent intimate activities and more satisfying orgasms. When your body is fit, your heart rate, breathing, and muscle activity allow for enhanced sexual performance. Since exercise lowers stress, it produces a higher libido as well. When you are stressed to the limit, your body produces cortisol, which lowers sexual interest. However, exercise releases endorphins. These increase a person's sex drive. As exercise increases blood circulation, it helps men avoid erectile dysfunction as well. Keeping your body toned makes you more flexible. This helps to participate in various sex positions. In the end, physical activity plays an important role in your bedroom activities.

Exercise Helps to Maintain a Healthy Weight

Nothing shapes the body like exercise. Of course, exercise helps control weight gain. It can provide a beautiful shape to your figure. To be sure, regular activity raises the amount of calories that your body burns each day. When this is combined with a sensible diet, it is possible to lose unwanted weight. Unfortunately, everyone has a "cheat day" that includes items of sabotage to a diet plan. Being fit allows you more grace to indulge and have foods you love. As long as you do not eat and drink more calories than you expend, you will continue to lose or maintain a healthy weight. When you want to look your best, focus on fitness before body contouring or sculpting. Exercise is a natural way to keep your body looking good.

What to Wear When You Workout

Many people understand the importance of regular exercise but do not know what to wear during a workout. You do not have to fill your wardrobe with expensive gym clothes to reap the benefits of physical activity. However, there are a few items that will make your feel good when you exercise.

• Comfortable Supportive Athletic Shoes. If your feet aren’t comfortable while you exercise, you are sure to quit working out. There are a variety of shoes on the market that make exercise simpler. Depending on the type of activity that you are performing, it is possible to select the perfect footwear. Uncovering the correct shoes can protect you from injuries. Purchasing specific sneakers for exercise can heighten performance as well. Good shoes should cushion your feet so that heavy impact does not cause harm. Also, they should offer support so that your ankles and arches are protected. There should be enough room in the toes so that blisters and similar issues do not become problems.
• Clothing with Moisture Wicking Fabrics Instead of Cotton. Although many people believe that cotton is the best material for exercise, moisture-wicking fabric is better. Cotton absorbs sweat. However, it remains in the material. This leaves you wet and icky. Moisture-wicking fabric draws wetness away from your skin so that you feel fresher.
• Breathable Athletic Underwear. It is essential to have breathable underwear during exercise. When you participate in physical activity, you sweat everywhere. Since bacteria and yeast grow in moist places, you want to make sure that your underwear is breathable and dries quickly. This will keep infections to a minimum. Also, when there is not sweat bogging you down, you are more productive.
• Supportive Sports Bra. While you exercise, you want to make sure that you prevent your breasts from becoming harmed. During intensive movements, the ligaments around your breasts may stretch and tear. As a result, you will experience sagging and drooping. A solid sports bra prevents these issues. A sports bra keeps your breasts comfortably in place. Besides protecting their structure, you will not experience pain as you move. Also, a top sports bra will be made from a fabric that regulates sweat and controls your body's temperature.
• White or Lighter Colors SFATL Devices Have Infrared Light. When you wear white or light colors, it allows infrared light to penetrate. This type of light therapy is known to increase energy production and endurance. You can get the most from your exercise with less soreness afterwards.

Creating Strategies to Overcome Excuses and Barriers to Exercise

Want to feel better have more energy and add years to your life Just exercise. It is not always easy to get off of your feet and begin to partake in physical activities. However, when you stay active throughout all stages of your life, you will reap maximum benefits. Your heart health, sleep activity, sexual function, mental health, and over well-being will improve. Consistency is key! There will be days when you get discouraged. Don't give up! SFATL recommends aerobic and strength training for the best results. When you make physical activity part of daily life, you find that your emotional, physical, and mental health are raised. Start moving to improve health and reduce medications. However, it is essential to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

At Studio Figura ATL, we want you to put yourself first! There is no better time to invest in your well-being. Our "Well Fit" membership will launch you into a new and improved lifestyle. It includes our "Feed Life" nutrition plan, cardio sessions with our innovative fitness devices, and recovery and relief on our wellness devices. Take a holistic approach to your health. Book a free consultation with us today!

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One part of holistic wellness involves eliminating toxins from your body. Your bodily systems naturally produce toxins in the way of free radicals just through normal functioning and metabolic processes. Additionally, whether due to your environment, lifestyle choices or the foods you eat, toxins can accumulate and lead to potential health problems. The choices you make can help to remove toxins and prevent future buildup.

Toxins affect your weight and health
Unfortunately, toxins can wreak havoc throughout the body. Your immune system sees these as foreign invaders, and typically handles the matter efficiently as long as you're taking care of your overall wellness. However, a toxin overload can lead to many health conditions, including heart disease, reproductive issues and even some types of cancer.

Toxins cause inflammation
Inflammation can be an acute response as your body works to rid itself of dangerous toxins. Consequently, continued exposure may lead to chronic inflammation that damages tissues at the cellular level. If you're body experiences long-term inflammation, you are at a higher risk of developing conditions that affect metabolism, the heart, the brain and your lungs. Some autoimmune disorders can be exacerbated by excess inflammation as well.

Toxins confuse hormones
You may have heard of endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, that negatively impact hormone regulation in the body. Glands that produce hormones, such as the thyroid and the pituitary, are especially affected by toxins. In order for your body's systems to work smoothly, your hormones need to be in balance.

Toxins increase fat cells
Whether due to hormone disruption or changes in metabolism, toxins have been shown to lead to weight gain. Additionally, fat cells tend to hold onto potentially harmful toxins, making it more difficult for your body to cleanse itself as it was designed to do.

Symptoms of toxins in the body
Your body will work hard to eliminate toxins through whatever means possible, so you might experience some signs that your body is experiencing a toxin overload. It's important to note that many of these symptoms are associated with other health conditions, so be sure to have potential issues ruled out by your family physician.

Skin problems
Your body may attempt to flush some toxins away through the skin by sweating. Depending on the toxins being removed, you may experience some or all of these symptoms:

• Acne
• Rash
• Oily skin
• Eczema
• Changes to body odor

Digestive disturbances
Perhaps the first system affected when you consume toxins is your digestive system. As your body works to remove these harmful invaders, you might notice some of the following changes occurring even if you hadn't experienced any of these in the past:

• Food intolerances
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Heartburn
• Excessive urination

Aches and pains in the joints and body
Many cases of chronic pain can be attributed to the inflammation that can occur if there's an overload of toxins in your body. Whether you experience frequent headaches,
muscle aches, joint pain or others, you should consider toxins as a culprit if there's no other medical explanation for your chronic pain. Additionally, gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid, which can be treated by reducing the amount of toxins that you bring into your body.

Frequent colds or viruses
As your immune system is working hard to remove excess toxins, this leaves you susceptible to other invaders, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. A weakened immune system caused by toxin overload and inflammation can also result in slower healing of wounds, illness and injury. Consequently, as your body tries to expel these toxins, you might experience some of these symptoms:

• Frequent sneezing or coughing
• Sore throat
• Nasal congestion or runny nose from mucus overproduction

Other issues
Your body can only remove toxins at a certain rate, so some toxins can linger for quite some time if you're overloaded. Toxins and the ensuing inflammation can cause you to suffer daily and negatively impact your overall quality of life. SOme of the issues you may experience include the following:

• Fatigue and low energy
• Memory difficulties
• Brain fog
• Sleep issues
• Depression

How to detox naturally
When properly balanced, your body can do a good job of removing toxins withough too much effort on your part. Some toxins are filtered out by way of the kidneys and pass out of your body through urine. However, the majority of harmful substances are removed via the liver. Too many toxins may overwhelm this essential organ to the point where it doesn't function quite the way that it should. When you engage in all of the phases of wellness, all of your body's systems work more effectively.

Eat a nutrient dense diet
When choosing the foods that you put into your body, make sure that you consume those that are high in nutritional value rather than those that contain empty calories. One way to get vital nutrients is to eat more superfoods. While "superfoods" is basically a marketing term, these specially designated food choices offer a lot of nutritional value compared to their serving size.

Another way to ensure that you're getting a nutrient-rich diet is to reduce the amount of added sugar that you consume. Check product labels before you buy to ensure that you're getting sweetness from natural sources other than high fructose corn syrup or excessive amounts of cane sugar.

If you decide to eliminate sugar from your menu, be wary of artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners cause digestive issues because they negatively alter the delicate biome within your gut. You can learn more about the importance of keeping your digestive system in balance in our post regarding Nutrients and Gut Health.

Food that support the liver getting rid of toxins
Here are some food choices that may improve functioning of the liver:

• Citrus fruits and leafy vegetables are high in anti-oxidants that can fight free radicals in the body. Chlorophyll found in spinach, cilantro, dandelion greens and other dark leafy vegetables is a natural detoxifier.
• Cruciferous vegetables are high in nutrients and fiber; fiber binds to excess toxins and removes them in stool.
• Legumes and oatmeal are also high in fiber.
• Organic chicken, fish and vegetable-based proteins are necessary for overall wellness; protein is made up of amino acids aiding detoxification. Reduce the amount of red meat you eat due to large amounts of saturated fats.
• Apples have a form of fiber that can clear toxins from the bloodstream.
• Green tea, white tea and hibiscus tea are all high in antioxidants.
• Spices such as garlic, ginger and turmeric have cleansing properties.
• Asparagus is a natural diuretic that helps your body eliminate toxins through urine.
• Beets provide a nutritional boost to the liver, helping to regenerate and repair cells.

Drink more water
Since the average human body consists of approximately 60 percent water, it stands to reason that you should be sure to get enough. Water cleanses cells and tissues by picking up and carrying away toxins that then leave through the urine. Although you may prefer bottled water, it's likely to be tap water from somewhere else if it's labeled as drinking water. You can save yourself time and money if you filter your water from the tap at home to remove potentially harmful toxins and solids.

Try fasting
Fasting can be good for the body, mind and spirit because it lets the body spend the time focusing on detoxification instead of digesting and using newly consumed foods. Fasting should be done over short periods of time, and be sure to get plenty of liquids in to prevent dehydration. Because bone broth cleanses and reboots your system, try a cup or two throughout the day during your fasts to maintain hydration and energy levels.

Limit stress
It may be difficult to completely avoid stress, but make sure you take time to relax and unwind whenever possible. Stress produces hormones within the body that can cause inflammation and damage to cells if exposed too long to these chemicals. Whether you try meditation, yoga or some other form of de-stressing, make sure that you also drink plenty of water to flush to stress hormones out of your system before they can do too much damage.

Get a blood workup
Certain health issues, such as celiac disease, can be determined through a blood test. By going to your family doctor and having a thorough blood workup, you'll be able to determine if you have a digestive issue that could prevent proper cleansing. This will also allow you to make more effective choices to eliminate food sensitivities that could lead to a buildup of toxins.

Focus on sleep
It might surprise you to learn that getting enough sleep is imperative for toxins to be cleared from the brain. As you sleep, an increase in cerebrospinal fluid reaches the brain to effectively pick up and remove toxins that may lead to brain fog, fatigue and some mental health issues. To improve your sleep, reduce your stress, turn off blue screens an hour or two before bed and create a calm, relaxing atmosphere where you lay down at night.

Try sweating and sauna
In most cases, only water and some sodium are released when sweating. However, you can rejuvenate your body by using infrared sauna. When using an infrared sauna, it's been shown that users may produce sweat that contains up to 20 percent toxins, making your skin more effective at releasing these harmful substances than by sweating through other means, such as by exercise.

Take vitamins and supplements
Changing your diet and making other lifestyle changes can definitely cleanse the body. However, if you need an extra boost, you may want to consider adding supplements or specific vitamins to your regimen. Chlorella, dandelion root, milk thistle and burdock root are just a few supplements that help to detoxify the liver. However, you should check with your health care provider if you're on medications or have any conditions to make sure these are safe for you to take.

How to reduce inflammation
If you suffer from chronic inflammation, it's important to make changes to the foods you eat and to get enough exercise. When under high levels of inflammation, the body can't detoxify itself very easily.

Inflammation often begins in the gut, so be sure to eat foods that improve gut microbiome. Eat antioxidant rich and high prebiotic foods as well as those with probiotic benefits to help the beneficial microbes in your intestines to flourish and provide necessary cleansing.

Wheat, dairy and sugar are big causes of inflammation, especially if you have any food sensitivities or intolerance. Also, you'll want to significantly reduce processed foods, decrease salt intake, reduce sugar intake and limit alcohol and tobacco use. When you bring less toxins into your body, it can do its work better to naturally clear out toxins that are already present.

Eat and lead a healthy lifestyle
Lose weight and purify your body with diet and exercise. Be active. Find a go-to spot for delicious healthy food for those times when you don't feel like cooking yourself. If you have a couple of places in mind, you won't have to settle for less-healthy fast food choices when the time comes.

• SAY YES TO YOU!: Our Feed Life - Eat To Live Program is a lifestyle diet and nutrition program that includes access to our nifty Evolution Nutrition App that provides 4,200+ Meal Plans covering 21 diet category types. We also have all-natural detoxification products that help kick start your metabolism. Our  Infrared Sauna  is an excellent, affordable way to detox while improving circulation and blood flow. With commitment and determination, you will catapult into a new lifestyle of better nutrition, energy and ultimate body image. Are you struggling with motivation? Book a free consult with us today.

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We Need Vitamins and Minerals in Our Diet

Every human needs vitamins and minerals in their diet because they are vital nutrients. Vitamins and minerals work together to perform many different roles in your body. They support bones, heal injuries and reinforce your immune system. Vitamins and minerals also repair damage to your cells. Your body needs them to convert the food that you eat into energy that it can use. When you’re missing key vitamins and minerals, your body doesn’t work properly. For instance, it may struggle to make hormones. This is why it’s important to include vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Human Bodies are Complex Dynamic, Organic and Sensitive Systems

A popular analogy is that “food is fuel.” In fact, it’s something that many nutrition and wellness people have embraced as a catchphrase for years. However, the time has come to challenge this line of thinking because human bodies are complex dynamic, organic and sensitive systems.

Often, people attempt to lose weight by counting calories, which appears to make sense. If you give your body enough food, you’ll have the energy that you need to do the active things that you want to do. If you give your body more food than it needs, then it will develop love handles or other fat deposits.

The problem comes from attempting to calculate the right amount of calorie inputs and outputs. Calorie counts for food are often incorrect. A person may have eaten more calories than they thought they should and still lost weight, or they may have eaten a low number of calories and gained weight. When you follow the idea that “food is fuel,” this wouldn’t occur, but it happens to people all the time. Why does it happen? It happens because the human body is a complicated, dynamic, sensitive and organic system.

All Food Is Not Equal

Research has determined that all food isn’t created equal. What a person eats is not always absorbed by their body. A variety of factors impact how your body digests, processes and expends the food that you eat. This means that the calorie worth of something that is not in your body isn’t always the same as when it is.

It’s common to think of food as fuel, calories or energy, but when you focus on that element, you’re not considering the whole picture. Food is communication that tells our bodies how to perform, one that sends instructions that kick off a chemical chain reaction. While it’s accurate that macronutrients, which are the fats, proteins and carbs in food items, contain calories or energy, they also include phytochemicals, zoo chemicals, water, micronutrients and more. These substances affect your health and how your body functions.

Think of the substances in food as the supporting actors in a television show. They are not the main characters, and they don’t give the show energy or fuel, but they provide dynamic interactions with the main actors to help them create a spark. The supporting substances in food are essential for the functionality, mood and best long-term health of the human body. If they’re missing, then the show can’t go on. This is why it’s important to choose food that fuels.

Food that Fuels

Food that fuels features nutrients like:

• Calcium
• Folate
• Flavonoids

Calcium is a mineral that helps your body build bones, regulate blood pressure and clot blood. The mineral also keeps your heart beating and your muscles operating while supporting cell communication.

Folate, which is vitamin B6, helps your body generate energy from food, grow tissue and produce red blood cells. Folate also assists the functioning ability of the nervous system. This is especially important since it sends signals throughout our bodies.

Flavonoids, which are phytochemicals, protect your DNA from free radicals, lower your risk of developing heart disease, protect you from developing cancer and decrease overall mortality.

When you pay attention to the nutrients that you’re ingesting, you’ll be able to improve your gut health. While it’s easy to focus on counting calories and increasing your workouts, holistic health is multidimensional. It requires a comprehensive approach.

Phytochemicals and Their Benefits

To give your body the natural, health-supporting nutrients it needs, eat foods that contain phytochemicals. These substances are in plants, and while you can become deficient in key nutrients like vitamin C, you won’t develop a phytonutrient deficiency. However, they are important to your health.

When people eat a diet that’s high in phytochemicals, they generally enjoy better health. The right phytochemical combination triggers your immune system. They also improve how well your body can detox. These nutrients may even protect you from developing age-related diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Additional benefits of phytochemicals include lower blood pressure, reduced blood sugar levels and a lower risk of developing cancer and diabetes. The best sources of phytochemicals are fresh foods that are whole like fruits, nuts, herbs and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that are bright colors, such as purple, red and blue, usually contain phytochemicals, but there are also less bright foods that have them as well. Cauliflower and potatoes are in this category.

Zoo Chemicals Have Profound Health Effects

Zoochemicals provide your body with the same type of benefits as phytochemicals, but zoochemicals are in animal sources. Human bodies need them to obtain optimal health and to perform at a high level. Zoochemicals are made up of fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Some plants contain zoochemicals, but there are more of them in animal-based proteins.

Food Can Heal or Kill

While there are a number of factors that contribute to the formation of a malignancy, eating bad food is one of the top three. Cancer literally feeds and thrives on sugar. To prevent cancer and get your gut health in check, avoid:

• Refined and processed sugar
• Alcohol
• Burned or charred food
• Non-organic meat
• Canned food
• Processed meat

There are many notions about dangerous foods and toxins. Research is still being done to determine how much of an impact these foods and substances have on the human body. For instance, illness and weak immune systems also play a role. However, it is important to embrace the factors and behaviors that you can control. Processed foods often contain added sugar, fat and salt. Sugar is the devil, and it’s a good idea to avoid it as much as possible.

Bacteria Can be Harmful or Helpful

There are bacteria everywhere including your entire body. In some cases, bacteria are harmful, but certain types of them are important, and they help keep the human body healthy. The bacteria on the skin, within the airways and that’s part of the digestive system are one of the body’s main defenders against the kind of foreign pathogens that may cause infections or other issues. Add good bacteria to strengthen the intestinal barrier.

Bacteria helps the body’s immune system by making sure it’s properly tuned. A body’s immune system shouldn’t be overly sensitive or slow to respond. It needs to tackle infections quickly without overreacting. Every body features its own personal bacteria collection, which is called the microbiome. Humans acquire their first bacteria upon birth. Each day, the environment that you’re in exposes you to more bacteria. Some of these bacteria stick with you and work to create a healthy immune system.

Good bacteria set up shop in the respiratory and digestive systems. Once there, they colonize these systems and establish the immune system’s checks and balances. Bacteria also helps the body’s cells by performing some of the jobs that cells aren’t good at doing like breaking down carbs and toxins. Bacteria helps your body absorb fatty acids. Cells need these substances to develop. Bacteria also protects intestine cells from invasive pathogens. When a body has good bacteria, bad bacteria are unable to grow and form into diseases.

Bad bacteria may cause diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Generally, these diseases only occur when a body’s normal microbiome is disturbed. However, the microbiome can be disrupted from a variety of sources including antibiotics. Bad bacteria can be present in your body at low levels without causing harm, or they can grow at an excessive rate and cause major issues.

Good bacteria aid good gut health. Keep in mind that poor gut health causes symptoms such as gas, heartburn, bloating and constipation.

How to Develop Good Gut Health

The average human body contains around 40 trillion bacteria. Most of the bacteria are in the gut. Your gut microbiome is extremely important to your overall health. There are many factors that impact the bacteria in your digestive tract, but food is a major one.

The good news is that you can improve your gut bacteria. One easy way to improve it is to eat a wide range of foods. A body’s intestines contain hundreds of species of bacteria. Each one participates in your health. They also need different nutrients to grow. A diverse microbiome is largely thought to be a healthy one. The reason for this is because when the body has more species of bacteria, they are able to provide more health benefits.

One problem is that the western diet tends to be limited and heavy in fat and sugar. To offset this, eat real food like vegetables, fruit, legumes and beans. Fruits and vegetables are the best options to develop a healthy microbiome. They contain a great deal of fiber, and while your body won’t be able to digest fiber, some gut bacteria can. This stimulates their ability to grow. To develop good gut health, don’t overeat. Also, eliminate any foods/drinks that cause issues.

Have a Dr. check nutrient levels to determine what your body may be lacking. To support your gut, you may need to add iron, vitamin C, selenium, magnesium, micronutrients B vitamins and omega-3 nutrients to your diet. Leafy greens include many of these substances. They also help control inflammation, which can support a healthy gut as well.

Digestion Impacts Mood Health and Even the Way We Think

The human body contains two brains, the one in your head and the one in your gut. Your gut’s brain is called the enteric nervous system, or ENS, and it is made up of two thin layers of 100 million nerve cells that cover the gastrointestinal tract from the rectum to your esophagus.

The main job of the ENS is to manage the body’s digestive system, which means that it has a big job. Managing the digestion system ranges from swallowing to releasing the proper enzymes that your body needs to break down food. The ENS is even responsible for controlling the amount of blood flow needed to help with absorbing nutrients and elimination.

While the ENS doesn’t develop thoughts, it does communicate with the brain in your head. In fact, researchers believe that the ENS may trigger major emotional shifts that people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome often experience. For years, it was thought that depression and anxiety contributed to gut problems like IBS, bloating, pain and diarrhea, but they are coming across evidence that it may be the other way around.

This is good news because it gives people new treatment opportunities. If you experience gut problems along with emotional ones, then you may be able to treat it with the right balance of food, exercise and supplements.

How to Use Supplements to Help Your Gut

If you are experiencing poor gut health, then it’s important to find the root cause. Some people develop a condition known as leaky gut syndrome. This is an ailment in which a person doesn’t have the proper coating to protect the intestinal lining, making it unable to prevent harmful substances from forcing their way into the bloodstream through the digestive tract.

You may have leaky gut syndrome if you experience food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions or mental health problems. Prevent gut distress with supplements like:

• Zinc
• L-glutamine
• Collagen peptides
• Probiotics
• Fiber

Zinc is important for a number of the body’s metabolic processes. It also boosts the body’s immune system. According to a 2001 study, zinc supplements helped strengthen the guts of those who suffer from Crohn’s disease.

L-glutamine is a critical amino acid. When it’s present in the digestive tract, it works to repair the intestinal lining, providing another layer of support.

Collagen is a helpful protein that is in most of the body’s tissues, but it may also be beneficial to your gut health. Collagen peptides are easy to digest, and a recent study determined that the supplement worked to prevent additional breakages of the intestinal lining.

Probiotics are a therapeutic way to manage and treat gastrointestinal diseases. Probiotics are live microorganisms that aid the gut’s microbiome.

Fiber works a lot like probiotics, and it improves the microbiome as well. Fiber is also a key element of a healthy diet.

A Comprehensive Approach

Obtaining the body physique that you’ve always wanted requires more than a one or two step approach. While a low-calorie diet or intense workout routine may help you tone up and drop a few pounds, maintaining the physique that you want requires nutritional guidance, supplements and exercise. It may even require sculpting and contouring help using aesthetic cosmetology services like electrical stimulation, cool sculpting and non-invasive fat removal techniques.

Create a Healthy Gut for a Healthier You

Recover and renew with sleep, stress management and exercise along with nutritional guidance, supplements and aesthetic cosmetology. Poor gut health will make you feel bad and not perform well. Consider a comprehensive approach to obtaining the body physique and mental health that you want and deserve.

It’s time to say yes to you! With our Feed Life – Eat To Live Program, you’ll be embracing a lifestyle diet as well as a nutrition program that gives you access to our helpful Evolution Nutrition App. With this app, you can view 4,200 plus meal plans that fall under 21 different diet category types. Commitment and determination on your part will send you into a wonderful new lifestyle, one that includes better nutrition, more energy and the body image you’ve always wanted. To learn more, click here at Feed-life-membership.
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Nutrition is just one part of the multi-dimensional plan that we offer for holistic wellness. Did you know that every food choice is an opportunity to directly shape and remake your health? The foods you select to consume today can directly impact how you feel tomorrow. Eating healthy benefits the mind, body and spirit, allowing you to experience life to its fullest.

HEALTHY EATING
Let's get motivated with a few healthy eating quotes.

"Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body." -Unknown

"A little nudge in a new direction leads to a vastly different food destination." -Sarah Pullen

"I can't control everything in my life, but I can control what I put in my body." -Unknown

Even if you've made poor choices on the types of nutrition you've put into your body in the past, it's not too late to choose healthy habits for your future self.

Why is nutrition important?
As just one aspect to improving your overall well-being, the nutrients you put into your body can help to reduce stress, let you sleep better, reduce the number of toxins in your body, improve your workouts and even help you to look better.

You've probably heard the phrase eat to live don't live to eat, but what does it mean? All food isn't created equal. No matter what we choose to put in our bodies, food is communication that tells our bodies how to perform. Food can make you feel good or bad or happy or sad. The healthiest foods will enhance your life performance while less nutrient-rich options can actually produce harm with consequences that can truly affect you for years.

The food we eat sends signals throughout our bodies to make hormones, which can be beneficial or harmful to our overall wellness. For example, processed foods or those high in sugar or trans fats can elevate cortisol levels in the body. Although this fight-or-flight stress hormone has some benefits, high levels over a long period of time can lead to chronic health issues such as cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function and metabolic disorders that could lead to an early demise.

On the other hand, healthy eating benefits your body by producing necessary hormones that help with many bodily functions, such as your ability to sleep well and metabolize fats while nourishing your organs to work the way that they should. Food also triggers immune system function, helping to reduce harmful inflammation and allowing your body to fight off microbial invasions and infections.

Benefits of Healthy Eating
Eating the right foods can benefit your body, especially when you use these foods in combination with our other holistic methods. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you to lose or maintain weight, fend off cardiovascular disease and diabetes, reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer and prevent nutrient deficiencies. You'll look better, feel better and have more energy to complete your daily tasks.

Here's just a little bit on how nutrition fits in with the other aspects of our multi-dimensional program that will improve your overall health:

• Stress management: When you eat too much of the wrong foods, your stress levels increase along with cortisol levels. Alternately, excessive or long-term stress can lead to emotional eating, which may cause you to binge or choose unhealthy foods. When you manage your stress, you're more likely to select and prepare foods that a re more beneficial to your body.
• Good sleep: Eating foods high in fat, sugar or caffeine or those low in fiber can dramatically impact the quality of your sleep. You might find yourself waking up regularly during the night, which can cause you to feel tired and fatigued the next day. Likewise, when you don't get enough quality sleep, you're more likely to gain weight because hormone levels may cause you to overeat and even crave less nutritious, high-calorie foods.
• Water: Drinking enough water is crucial to a nutritious diet. Water carries the essential nutrients from the foods you eat to the cells where they're needed. There are times when you may think you're hungry, but it's actually your body's way of telling you that you're thirsty. Before grabbing for an unhealthy snack, try drinking a cup or two of water, and see if that does the trick.
• Nutrients and gut health: Science is proving that there's a connection between the gut and the brain as well as other systems within your body. When your gut is unhealthy, intestinal flora sends instructions that kick off a chemical chain reaction that causes you to crave unhealthy foods that these potentially harmful microbes need to survive. On the other hand, a balance of beneficial gut flora causes you to want to eat healthier foods that better sustain them. When you make better food choices, you can starve out harmful microbes and increase the levels of beneficial flora in your gut biome.
• Toxins: Your body stores toxins from unhealthy food and your environment. When you make healthier choices in the foods you eat, the nutrients can help rid your body of these toxins. A buildup of toxins in your body can make you crave the wrong types of foods as well.
• Fitness: The right workout regimen can help you to lose fat, get stronger and improve your health. However, you need to eat the right foods to get the most out of your exercise. Remember, it's easy to out eat your workout, which can be a waste of your hard-earned efforts. A fit body will allow you to do the things you enjoy with less effort and for sustained periods of time.
• Recover: Whether recovering from an illness or injury, the right nutrients from the foods you eat can promote healing so that you recover faster.
• Aesthetics: Even if you're undertaking multiple beauty treatments, it's true that beauty comes from within. A healthy diet helps your body composition, provides antioxidants to counter damage from the environment and even helps the body to to produce collagen to slow the signs of aging for a glowing complexion.
• Accountability: No one's going to make your choices for you, so you need to be accountable for your food choices along with the other measures we listed. When you stay accountable to what you put into your body, you can take pride in knowing that you're caring for yourself in the best way possible.

FOOD AND CHRONIC DISEASE
Although genetics, lifestyle choices and environment have an impact on whether or not you develop certain medical problems, science is now finding a definitive link between diet and health. Food can heal or kill.

Food as medicine
Because your body needs certain nutrients to thrive, it's no wonder that food can be useful in the management, treatment and even the prevention of certain diseases and conditions. Healing foods nourish your body with essential nutrients to reduce problem-causing inflammation and prevent you from becoming deficient. One of the benefits of healthy eating is the possibility to live a longer, more fruitful life.

Junk food and earlier death
Research shows that eating an unbalanced diet that's high in processed foods, sugar and fat can decrease your life span. If you choose unhealthy options over food that fuels your body, you're at a higher risk of developing health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

Meal planning
We firmly believe in the power of meal planning to help you reach your wellness and weight-loss goals. You'll enjoy the benefits of eating healthy without the hassle of wondering what to eat day by day. We prescribe professionally created meal plans to Studio Figura ATL clients.

Our individualized meal plans aren't just a single step in your overall wellness journey. These plans are designed to work in concert with the other aspects of our program. If necessary, we'll recommend supplements to enhance your diet for the long-term wellness benefits you expect to receive.

Snacks
We don't want you to suffer with hunger while you're losing weight. Where applicable, we can even include snacks in your meal plan. Eating in between meals can be especially beneficial if you suffer from metabolic issues, such as diabetes, to keep y our energy levels up and your blood sugar stable. However, you must choose your snacks wisely.

We know how difficult it can be to cut out sugar all at once, so you might want to try adding more fruits to your diet. The natural sugars found in fruits can trick your taste buds, giving you a sweet treat while providing essential nutrients and fiber.

Here are some of the best fruits for weight loss:

• Berries are low-calorie, nutrient-rich power bombs. They can help you to feel full while providing you with lots of vitamins and can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation. Berries can even help your skin to stay younger looking.
• Almost three times as filling as typical bars of chocolate, apples are high in fiber to help you stay satisfied between meals. Natural compounds found in apples can also lower cholesterol and help your body to burn fat.
• Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can help you to feel fuller, eat less and lower cholesterol. If you're taking certain medications that prevent you from having this fruit, we won't include it in your meal plan.
• Another power bomb comes in the form of kiwi. This high-fiber fruit is stock full of vitamins and keeps your gut healthy, helping you to shed fat.
• Pineapple has lots of vitamins and minerals, making it a nutrient-dense choice for snacking or including in meals. Great for weight loss, pineapple also helps to lower blood pressure, helps with diabetes and improves the condition of your skin and hair.
• Watermelon is full of fiber to help you feel full while giving your body essential nutrients. With a high water content, this fruit can fill in the gap a little if you're not keeping up with your fluid intake.
• If you're looking for a fruit that can help with weight loss, with better sleep and against the damaging effects of stress, tart cherries fit the bill. With high levels of antioxidants, tart cherries also help balance your metabolism and reduce cholesterol.
• Twice as filling as processed granola bars, oranges are full of fiber to help you stay full for longer. Choose the whole fruit over the juice to enjoy the weight-loss benefits.

Are you ready to get started? Since health is wealth, now is the time to begin. Studio Figura ATL is your nutrition coach to help you become the healthiest fittest strongest version of you.

• SAY YES TO YOU!: Our Feed Life -  Eat To Live Program is a Lifestyle Diet and Nutrition Program that includes access to our nifty Evolution Nutrition App that provides 4,200+ Meal Plans covering 21 Diet Category Types. With commitment and determination, you will catapult into a new lifestyle of better nutrition, energy and ultimate body image. Learn more?
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  Stress management and good sleep are two of the most critical components of a healthy lifestyle and keys to wellness. Stay tuned for the next steps in our Big Picture of Wellness Series!                                                       

Many of us have a picture of wellness that is incomplete. We often think about diet and exercise as the keys to health; however, we forget that wellness is a compilation of multiple factors. One of the often overlooked components of overall wellness is drinking enough water throughout the day. Therefore, step three in our Big Picture of Wellness Series is water.

As a society, we often write off water for more “fun” drinks that are full of sugar. However, plain old boring water is such an essential element of wellness, and we are harming ourselves by casting it off! Water makes up a majority of our body and is necessary for our body to function healthily and without issue. There are countless benefits to drinking water, and being more mindful about water intake is crucial for health and wellness.

Why Is Drinking Water Important?

With a busy schedule, it is often easy to forget to drink water and go about the day while being dehydrated. Often, we do not even notice when we are dehydrated as we have gotten so used to ignoring the signs. Unfortunately, we are a chronically dehydrated society and cant even tell the difference between hunger and thirst any more. On top of our many daily tasks, it is difficult to remember to drink water and pay attention to what our body needs, but it is necessary.

Often, when our body is telling us that we are thirsty, we may confuse it for hunger, meaning that we are bypassing our body’s needs. Additionally, there are hundreds of drink options now, many of them containing large amounts of sugar, so when we do pick up a drink, it may not be what we need, causing us to stay dehydrated. All of these factors make it crucial to be mindful of our water intake throughout the day.

Benefits of Drinking Water

Water is critical for our body’s function. Without water, the body cannot perform necessary functions and maintain a healthy operating state. Drinking larger amounts of water also has several benefits for increased physical and mental health. As a result, water is a strong contributor to our overall health and wellness. Overall, the drinking water benefits are countless.

Water is Helpful for Weight Loss

Water is often one of the most powerful and most underrated weight loss tools. We know that water is 100% calorie-free, but we often do not know that it also helps you burn more calories. Water helps to activate your metabolism, meaning that it helps your body use more calories for energy.

Drinking water consistently keeps your metabolism going throughout the day, making your body more efficient at burning calories. You should always consume before meals as it will help jumpstart your metabolism and aid your body in digestion. This makes your body better at using more of the food you take in for energy instead of storing it as fat.

Additionally, water suppresses hunger and appetite. Drinking water can take up space in your stomach and signal to your body that you are full. You should also drink plenty of water as a person can think that they are hungry when they are actually thirsty, so it helps to avoid unnecessary snacking. Drinking water also helps to replace drinks that contain a lot of sugar. This is a great way to avoid unnecessary calories and support your body’s function all at the same time. Altogether, you should drink plenty of water for a healthy weight.

Water Supports Your Body’s Internal Processes

Water is a necessary element that helps to carry out many processes in the body. We are made up of 70% water, so it makes sense that we need to continue to drink water to sustain ourselves. The body uses water for almost all of its essential processes. We are all made up of cells that make up tissues, carry nutrients and reproduce throughout our bodies. Water plays a key role in keeping cells alive and flourishing as it carries nutrients to the cells in your tissue and gets rid of toxins and dead cells.

Water also helps to flush toxins away from your organs. It helps to cleanse the kidneys and expel toxins from the body through urine. Without enough water, the body has to work overtime to carry out the toxins. By drinking enough water, it reduces your risk of kidney stones. If there is not enough water to break down the excess minerals and toxins in the urine, then kidney stones can develop and cause extreme discomfort. Similarly, drinking water prevents constipation and allows your body to function appropriately, carrying out toxins to promote healthy organ function and prevent health problems.

Water also increases oxygenation in the body. This is the process of your cells carrying oxygen from your lungs to the rest of the tissues of your body. This process is crucial for healthy physical function and is especially helpful during exercise when your body’s tissues need oxygen quickly. Altogether, water is necessary for supporting the components of the machine that is the human body.

Water Has Numerous Physical Health Benefits

Water plays a key role in your physical health and prevents everything from discomfort to long-term health problems. Maintaining a sufficient water intake is key to avoiding a lot of very common health problems, even more than we might think. For example, staying hydrated allows you to avoid the discomforts of headaches and heartburn. Drinking water is great for both the prevention and relief of headaches. Water is often the simple solution to nagging health issues. Before considering over-the-counter medications, always ask yourself if you have had enough water.

Water plays a large role in our physical movement as well. Water is lubrication for the body. If you dont drink enough water your joints can experience more friction during movement leading to pain and discomfort. Water also helps your body carry necessary nutrients to your muscles and tissues to function, which is particularly necessary after using them extensively. As a result, drinking water can reduce pain and inflammation, providing your body with the hydration it needs to support joints and repair muscles.

Water also reduces fluid retention and associated swelling that comes with it—staying consistently hydrated means that your body does not need to hold on to large quantities of water. This will help you feel more comfortable and allow you to worry less about bloating or swollen feet. Staying hydrated is key to feeling great and avoiding negative health effects.

Drinking Water Helps You Look Great

On top of the many health benefits, water is also great for your appearance because it helps you to maintain healthy muscle tone and reduces the effects of aging on your skin. Dehydration can reduce muscle tone by preventing muscles from contracting. When dehydrated, muscles also take longer to repair themselves and rebuild, so even if you are putting a lot of time into your workouts, they may not be helpful if you do not drink enough water. A lack of water can also affect your workouts by leading to muscle fatigue or cramping, which prevents you from making the most of the exercise. Drinking enough water is necessary for building and maintaining healthy muscles.

Water also helps to keep your skin looking young and fresh. Staying hydrated allows your skin to maintain its elasticity. People who drink a healthy amount of water experience fewer wrinkles and scars. Whether it is for your skin or muscles, water is great for your appearance, helping you look younger and stronger.

Water Benefits Your Mental and Cognitive Health

Water is integral for all of your body’s processes, including your brain function. Water helps to support the chemical processes in the brain, which are necessary for stabilizing your mental health and function. Drinking enough water allows your brain to function better for a balanced mood, improved concentration and sustained memory function. A hydrated brain also helps regulate stress and anxiety. On top of it all, you also experience better sleep - water increases blood flow to the brain. Water plays a key role in your mental and cognitive health.

How to Drink More Water

At this point, it is clear that you need to keep your body consistently hydrated. Keep your body properly hydrated by drinking sufficient quantities of water throughout the day. The amount of water that everyone needs will be slightly different, but the best practice is to drink about a gallon a day. This also depends on your exercise and activity for the day. More activity means you should be drinking more water. By being mindful of your water intake and making better habits, you can take the right steps to stay hydrated.

Drinking water should be a thoughtful process. Try carrying around a refillable water bottle everywhere you go so that you are always thinking about drinking water and always have access to it. There are also water bottles you can buy that have markings on the side telling you how much water you should drink by a certain time of the day. These are a great way to remember to drink water, especially during a busy day. Whatever may work for you, it helps to be constantly thinking about drinking water throughout the day so that you intake your necessary amount.

It becomes even easier to stay hydrated if you replace sugary beverages with water. By replacing sugary drinks, you are drinking more water, and you are avoiding a drink that will often dehydrate you more than it will hydrate you. Try setting goals for yourself to put down your other drink choices and replace them with more water. Overall, taking a step towards drinking more water has numerous positive effects on health and wellness and is part of an overall picture of wellness.

Take the Steps Toward Holistic Wellness Today

Here at Studio Figura ATL, we want to help you take the path toward genuine health and wellness. We work with you to address the multi-dimensional nature of health so that you can live a more rewarding, more complete lifestyle. Join us by taking some key next steps:

• SAY YES TO YOU!: We find ourselves in an unhealthy place when we do for others what we can do for ourselves. We stand in the way of our happiness, our path to greater love, success, and joy. We sabotage ourselves, often without realizing it.
  
• SUBSCRIBE & SHARE!: If you enjoy it, please consider subscribing and sharing with friends and family, and encouraging them to subscribe and share.
  
•  ENCOURAGE: Go encourage someone else today with a single, simple sentence of affirmation.
  
• COMMENT: We want to hear from you.  Please feel free to comment below! 

By drinking water, getting good sleep and managing stress, you can take huge strides towards increased wellness and health. Holistic health is a journey. To stay on the right track, stay tuned for the next seven steps in our Big Picture of Wellness Series!