Recent studies have shown that increased waist size directly coralates to increased risk of prostate cancer. In fact the researchers showed that for every 4 inches risk went up 18%! For some of you that have been at a health talk we have done in the past or been present when I go on a tangent about the hormone effect of body fat these findings won’t come as a surprise. The unique effect body fat has on our hormones has been shown in the past. Excess body fat can in men convert Testosterone to Estrogens and in women Estrogens to Testosterones through an enzyme called Aromatase. When we start to see the feminizing effects of increased body fat we are seeing what the body fat is doing to our hormones. So, we can chalk this up to another negative effect of increased body fat. We have to start looking at it as a living tissue just like any other, it can lead to increased inflammation, diabetic risk, hormone change, cardiac risk, shortened life span and poor energy just to name a few.

Over the next few weeks we are going to start discussing some of the more effective tricks to reducing body fat, but one important thing to remember is that calories in do not equal calories out. The quality of what we eat along with the quanity of what we eat can make a big difference in what our bodies can do with the food.

Detoxification happens constantly in our bodies. We should have very effective and efficient systems for waste management but over time with bad habits and environmental exposures toxins build up. Typically we think of our liver, kidneys bowel and bladder as the primary detoxification organs but our skin should be considered primary as well. For those of you who have fought skin issues for your whole life you know how frustrating they can be and how much it stinks to have a break out or a flare up of symptoms.

Over the weekend my wife and I put together a DIY infrared sauna. We have been doing some dietary experiments lately and part of that was increasing detoxification through our skin by sauna or steam showers. I don’t have regular access to a steam shower but I saw different plans online and figured we could build an infrared sauna at home. This project did take a day and could be purchased from websites that sell basic kits but I think that most people with some basic wood working and electrical skills could pull this off quickly.

We used a 4’x4’x7′ squat rack as the basic frame, a workout bench for a chair and painters canvas for walls. The sauna board consists of 4 250w infrared heat lamps a switch and a cord. Each bulb is guarded by a simple wire frame and each base is a basic porcelain light fixture. All told this cost about $80 to put together and works pretty well. The pictures show the finished product and I will be happy to walk anyone who is interested through the build.

Our skin is one of our primary detoxification organs and making sure that we sweat properly is key to a healthy ability to get junk out. If you find that your lifestyle has put you in a place where you can’t remember the last time you had a good sweat it might be time to get that part of your body moving again.

Recently we added another tool to our office, being able to evaluate our health when we are already kicking butt in order to find our weak points or to take ourselves to the next level is crucial to making gains.

Functional Movement Screens give us the ability to evaluate you when you are feeling good and incorporate the imbalances we see into your workout programs or homework plans. The great part about the FMS is that it takes just a few minutes and quickly can give you tools for your next workout that will help you take your health to the next level. The FMS is widely used in professional sports to evaluate athletes and help keep them at their peak. If you are interested in taking your workouts to the next level the Functional Movement Screen may be just what you need. We are happy to take you through it at the office, gym or with your team. If you want to do a little more reading or just check out a great website of exercise info click here