Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. These risk factors can be grouped into two classifications: 1) major risk factors and 2) contributing risk factors.

VO2 is the volume of oxygen measured over time and is typically expressed in ml/kg/min relative to body weight. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen utilized by the body in one minute during exercise. It is one of many tests used to determine an athletes cardiovascular fitness and performance capacity.

Happy New Year! This is the time when many people like to start over and try to change their behaviors for the better. Unfortunately the majority who attempt fail and the rest don’t even make the effort.

As much as 92% of people fail to achieve their New Years resolutions according to one study from The University of Scranton. The most common New Year resolutions based on a recent Harris poll are

Endurance sports typically refers to running, cycling or swimming events lasting an hour or longer. Or all three combined as in triathlon events which has become very popular in the 40 plus age group. Rowing and Cross country skiing are other examples of endurance sports that require a high level of cardiovascular conditioning and aerobic endurance to be successful. It involves the aerobic energy system rather than anaerobic and it burns predominately fats as the primary fuel which require more oxygen to burn. It can be general endurance or specific endurance in relation to a particular sport. Endurance athletes typically have high VO2 max levels as they have conditioned their cardiovascular system to absorb and utilize oxygen at a higher rate than most and developed their aerobic metabolism to a high level which allows them to fuel their muscles for longer without stopping.

There are so many challenges today in the lives of teens such as struggling with procrastination, stress, low self esteem, digestive issues due to stress, poor body image, inability to focus effectively, anxiety, poor sleep habits, poor eating habits, social anxiety, test anxiety; and many teens suffer from most of these to some degree.

While we know bad moods can lead to bad eating habits; it’s also true that bad eating habits can lead to bad moods.

Food can impact our moods because of two factors. First, the nutrients are the building blocks for everything in our body, including mood-regulating “neurotransmitters.” Second, what we eat affects our blood sugar levels, which also impact our moods.

There is a list of common healthy foods that have positive impacts on our mood. But some junky ones make us feel better sometimes too. Once we see this is as temporary (industry engineers processed food is designed to hit those “pleasure centers”), we can ditch those.

Plus, I have a super-easy dessert or snack recipe for you too. Especially if you crave the mood boost from sweets.

Ever heard conflicting information on the healthfulness of different fats? Olive oil; coconut oil; soybean oil; etc.?

Well, I have some clarifying information in my newest post.

In this post, I list out my favorite cooking fats. I also give you my full permission to ditch a few of the popular but oh-so unhealthy fats.

And, I give you a healthy (and delicious) recipe for an all too common source of cruddy fats. You can make it a health-booster, rather than buster!

Salt: The Delicious Health-Buster (And What to Use Instead)

If you (or someone you know) has ever been told to “eat less salt,” or go on a “low sodium” diet, what does that mean? And how much sodium is actually in salt?

I can tell you right now that cutting down on the salt you sprinkle from your salt shaker probably isn’t going to have the effect you think. The problem is rarely the salt on your table. The problem, well 75% of the problem, is the salt that’s already in the food you eat.

I was surprised to read the statistics about where people’s salt intake was coming from. You may be surprised too.

I explain it all in today’s post. And I have created a low-sodium spice mix recipe for you to try out.

Keto this and keto that. What does this new (and very popular) dietary craze mean?

It’s high fat and ultra low carb. It tells your body to burn fat for fuel. Yes, it actually reprograms your body to burn fat.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Before you get too excited, I’ll tell you right now: It’s not for everyone.

But it works for some people. Perhaps it’s something you’ve considered?

I have some great info on the ketogenic diet in my latest post “Ketogenic Diet 101.”

Oh, and yes, I have an amazingly delicious dessert recipe at the end.

Do you find cooking to be fun? Or do you do it because you know it’s good for your health?

Maybe you avoid it because it’s such a chore?

If you’re in a rut and want some inspirational tips on making cooking more fun, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve compiled my five best tips and a fabulous (and fun) recipe for you to try.

Does stress make you feel a bit off? Do you notice negative health effects when stress is the worst? Maybe it affects your sleep, or maybe you get sick more often.

Yes, stress can definitely mess with your health.

Today I talk about some of the telltale (and not-so-obvious) signs that stress is messing with your health.

Oh, and I have relaxing recipe for you (two ingredients – no stress!).

Origin story of why I started Invigor8 coaching and how I serve clients to help with weight loss and stay on track with healthy habit change. I also serve the athletic population to help them to train smarter through physiological profiling and coaching to help them achieve their goals and be successful in their sport

When measuring exercise intensity many triathletes use the old school method of listening to their body such as how hard they’re breathing, how their muscles feel, sweat rate, how tight their chest feels or how hard their heart is pounding out of their chest. It has worked well for many triathletes in the past however with the latest heart rate technology you can get more accurate data on how hard your cardiovascular system is working and use this data to dial in your training zones more accurately.

To maximize performance you should aim to be fueling your body every two to four hours with small meals and snacks. Ideally you want to combine protein with carbohydrate and fat. Examples would be an apple with nuts, a turkey sandwich, or a sprouted grain bread with peanut butter. This approach provides variety in your diet and keeps your blood sugar levels even so you avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster experienced by most people throughout the day.

The study of lactate is well documented in the field of exercise physiology due to blood lactate levels being a good indicator of an athlete’s level of conditioning and performance therefore lactate testing by a coach who is training an athlete to reach peak performance is very useful. It is a strong indicator especially of endurance performance and has been used via finger or ear blood sampling to help athletes optimize their training since the 1970’s.  However there is no clear parameter as to what lactate threshold is or how it is determined in the sports science literature. There are more energy systems to consider and train to individual optimal levels rather than simply trying to determine lactate threshold.

This topic may be uncomfortable, but it’s so important for you to know what makes a healthy “poop” because it can tell you a lot about your digestion.

And if your digestion is off, this could be an indication that something else is going on that you need to address.

I know you are either dying to dive into this post, or feeling like you want to close this and forget I ever mentioned it.

Which one will it be?

Not everyone gets migraines, but you probably know someone who does. It’s estimated that 15% of adults get these debilitating headaches.

And there are known triggers. This week I’m listing out the foods and drinks to avoid if you’re prone to migraines.

And my recipe couldn’t be simpler. I know if you have a migraine, the last thing you want to do is prep ingredients in the kitchen. Super-fast and super-simple herbal tea to your rescue.

We all know we need to drink “enough” water… But how much is “enough?” And what non-water options count toward my daily intake?

Let me tell you that the amounts often suggested as optimal might not apply to you; this is because everyone is different. #surprise

In this week’s post, I’m sharing with you the signs and signals your body uses to communicate how much water it needs. I also have a list of non-water drinks and foods (yes foods!) that count toward your daily water intake.

Plus, I have ten non-water hydration ideas for you as well.

Let’s dive right in (pun intended)…