The Fruit of Mom’s Labors
March 16th, 2010
Written by Annie Martens of Bella Bellies
Pregnancy is an exciting and joyful time in a woman’s life: it’s the start of a new chapter and a brief window of opportunity during which a family can prepare for the arrival of its newest member. It is also the most stirring display of the incredible strength of a woman’s body. But the fact remains: pregnancy is not for the faint of heart and most women are intimidated and downright scared of the toll it will take on their body. Fear and apprehension at the overwhelming task of not only giving birth – but also recovering from it – is natural, but with the right tools and adequate support, all women can emerge from their pregnancy a stronger woman and a happy mommy. Flat tummy included.
Glutamic acid is a non-essential amino acid which can be made in our bodies and also obtained from our diet. Glutamic acid is one of 20 proteinogenic amino acids which help the body build proteins and is important for healthy cells, tissue and muscle development. Glutamic acid is also a neurotransmitter and encourages healthy brain function; it is made up of substances known as glutamates which help stimulate the central nervous system. It helps with the metabolism of sugar and fats and also helps carry potassium into the spinal fluid and across the blood-brain barrier.
Glucose is another monosaccharide or simple sugar and is also known as blood sugar and dextrose. The body produces glucose mainly by breaking down the starch and sugars in carbohydrates and is one of our main sources of energy. Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream through the chemical action of insulin and potassium and any excess is stored in the liver, body fat and muscle cells in the form of glycogen. Glycogen stored in the liver can be turned back into glucose and transported through the blood when insulin is low. Glycogen stored in fat is used to power reactions that use particular fat types and glycogen stored in muscles is used by the muscle for immediate energy to create movement.
Do you ever get that feeling of déjà vu when you go into the gym and get on with the same workout you have been doing for what feels like forever? This repetition can be a killer for your fitness program and can slow down your body’s progress and in some cases even reverse the good progress you have made. Yes you heard right, you could be wasting all that time in the gym and instead of getting that Adonis of a body you could actually be storing more fat!
Judea Brown Sr., Master Trainer and Nutrition Advisor, shares why every woman should be incorporating resistance training into daily activities. In addition to preventing illness and disease, resistance training creates important muscle health that supports overall strength, balance, bones, heart, metabolism, stress levels and more.
