12 Tips for Healthy, Vibrant & Younger-Looking Skin

Your skin is the largest organ of the body and a reflection of your overall health. The appearance of our skin is where we visually notice aging first. Lifestyle and dietary choices made in our 20s and 30s tend to show up in our 40s, 50s and beyond. In addition, as we age hormones decline, skin cells regenerate slower, gravity takes effect, and collagen and oil-producing glands become less active.

Fortunately, there are solutions that are beneficial to protecting your skin and encourage healing to maintain a healthier, younger looking appearance.

1. A nutrient-rich diet is essential for healthy, vibrant-looking skin. A direct correlation exists between the quality of the foods you choose to eat and the condition of your skin.

-- Thumbs up: avocado, coconut oil, olive oil; fresh, organic dark, leafy greens, colorful veggies and fruits (apples, kiwi, papaya, pomegranate, dark-skinned grapes, lemons, cherries and berries); blended veggie smoothies; yams and sweet potatoes; wild salmon; whole eggs; aloe vera gel; garlic and onions; nuts and seeds; turmeric (curcumin); raw cacao; and organic, grass-fed and free-range protein.

-- Thumbs down: Sugar, grains, vegetable oils and trans fats, fried foods, conventional grain-fed meat, processed foods, fat-free and low-fat foods, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, preservatives and additives, which cause dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails and accelerate wrinkling of the skin and aging.

-- Eliminate foods you’re sensitive to.

2. Heal your gut; the health and quality of your skin is strongly linked to the health of your gut. Conditions such as leaky gut, Candida, parasites, SIBO and abnormal bowel flora all affect the health of your skin. Check out some of my tips to optimize digestion.

3. Sleep 7-9 hours every night – the fountain of youth. During restful sleep the skin and body repair and growth hormone is released, which helps skin remain thick, more elastic and less likely to wrinkle. Lie on your back when sleeping to offset the effects of gravity.

4. Manage stress. Excess cortisol production can damage elastin and collagen, and prevent the skin’s ability to repair. Enjoy personal downtime and relaxation every day (meditate; total body and facial massage; yin and restorative yoga; spend more time in nature; walk; read something uplifting; help others; listen to your favorite music; take five minutes of solitude and breathe deeply; pray; keep a journal; gratitude)

5. If you smoke – quit.

6. Drink plenty of clean, filtered water and organic green tea. Minimize intake of dehydrating beverages (too much caffeine or alcohol). Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Alcohol increases the risk for capillary breaks, which allows more water in and causes sagging, bloating and puffiness.

7. Exercise. Daily exercise keeps blood flowing, which brings oxygen to the skin. Oxygen is an important ingredient for healthy skin. Lift heavy weights and perform short bursts of intense exercise balanced with yin-style activities. Avoid extreme amounts of exercise, especially long, slow distance (LSD) exercise, which is inflammatory, causes premature aging of the skin, hormone disruption and accelerates cellular aging.

8. Minimize free-radicals, oxidation and inflammation – this includes chronic sun exposure; excessive exercise; gum disease; household chemicals; pollution; infections; sugar and inflammatory foods, all which accelerate aging and destroy skin.

9. Balance hormones. Too much testosterone or cortisol, too little estrogen and a thyroid deficiency can affect the appearance of your skin. Optimize liver function, which is a possible cause of hormone imbalances and undesirable skin conditions.

10. Maintain a healthy weight and avoid dieting. Follow the principles in my books, Fat Loss Revolution and The Power of 4.

11. Supplemental support to consider: high-grade quality omega-3 fatty acids with GLA (borage, black currant seed or evening primrose oil); probiotics; green tea extract; vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D and E; zinc; antioxidants; alpha lipoic acid; CoQ10; pycnogenol; turmeric (Meriva-SR); astaxanthin; grapeseed extract; digestive enzymes with HCL.

12. Dry brush your skin before showering. Install a shower filter that removes chlorine and other harsh chemicals that are damaging to your skin and your health. Use chemical-free skin care products. The average woman puts 200-500 chemicals on her body every day, which compromise your liver and lymph. It’s important to recognize that whatever you apply to your skin can be absorbed into your body and potentially cause serious damage over time.

Many skincare products contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals and harmful ingredients. Look for and avoid parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, aluminum, hard soaps, and artificial fragrances. Opt for paraben-, hexane- and chemical-free products.

I like Devita Natural Skin Care products; they’re 100 percent paraben-free and PETA certified. Some of my personal natural skincare favorites include coconut oil, aloe vera gel, shea butter, topical coQ10, cocoa butter, witch hazel, jojoba oil and essential oils.

For a list of safe cosmetics, visit Skin Deep.

Related Articles

• Look Younger, Feel Better, Live Longer
• Hair Loss – Reasons and Remedies
• 12 Ingredients to Avoid
• Love Your Liver
• 10 Reasons I Love Coconut Oil
• Resveratrol

Copyright © Paula Owens

Reproduction of my articles are permissible only when instructions found at the bottom of this blog are followed. Thank you.

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Read Labels: 12 Ingredients to Avoid

Citizens for Health, a non-profit organization has declared April 11^th National “Read Your Labels Day”. If your goal is to lose weight, look and feel your best, and live a healthy, vibrant disease-free life, you will want to investigate the information on the importance of reading the labels, specifically the list of ingredients, on foods and beverages before you buy them.

Seventy-five percent of the average American diet is from processed and packaged foods, which equates to approximately 10 pounds of additives eaten annually. The majority of packaged and processed foods contain harmful ingredients that are linked to an endless list of adverse health problems and complaints.

Take a buyer’s beware approach of the damaging additives and synthetic chemicals in the foods before you buy and eat them. Become an avid label reader and familiarize yourself with the following common and harmful ingredients.

1. High fructose corn syrup (HCS) an ingredient to avoid at all costs, is the number one source of calories for most Americans. Estimates are that Americans consume 69 pounds of corn sweeteners annually, which is the equivalent of 30 teaspoons of HFCS every day! Aside from weight gain, HFCS has been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), diabetes, inflammation and several other diseases. Products with HFCS also contain high levels of mercury. You’ll find HFCS in processed, packaged and fast foods, fruit drinks, sodas, syrupy coffee drinks, chewing gum, baked goods, and in hundreds of other food items.

2. Partially hydrogenated oil (trans fats) found in thousands of packaged and processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips, crackers) are proven to cause heart disease and obesity. Restaurant food, especially from fast food chains, often serve food loaded with trans fats. Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include decreased IQ, increased inflammation, immune dysfunction, neurological damage, obesity, cancer and diabetes. In addition, avoid vegetable oils and other frankenfats such as margarine and fake butter products, canola and soybean oil.

3. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a chemical food additive associated with seizures, rashes and hives, infertility, depression and panic attacks, migraines, permanent damage to the endocrine system, linked to obesity and other serious disorders.

Especially harmful to developing fetuses, children and the elderly, MSG is an excitotoxin, overexciting brain cells to the point of death. MSG is found in frozen meals, ramen noodles, soups, chips and numerous packaged foods. MSG is used as a taste enhancer and has over 50 different names that are used to disguise it on food labels.

4. Soy contains phytoestrogens, plant-based estrogens that are similar to and mimic estrogen. Before you mix up a soy protein shake, snack on a soy protein bar or pour yourself a glass of soy milk consider this: 93 percent of all soy in the U.S is genetically engineered, soy inhibits the thyroid, is an anti-nutrient, deficient in amino acids, is estrogenic, contains aluminum, is toxic to infants, and shrinks the brain.

There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products only. If you want to reap some of the health benefits from soy, do so in moderation and stick with organic, fermented forms only. Pass on all processed forms of soy including soy milk, tofu, soy burgers, soy protein powder, soy ice cream, soy cheese, and other soy junk foods that are disguised as health foods. 

Hidden sources of soy-based ingredients are often found in bread, ice cream, margarine, chips, poor quality vitamins and fish oil, pet food, vegetable oil and processed, packaged and fast foods. Ninety-eight perfect of soybean production in North America is used for livestock feed, including pet food.

In addition, avoid any product containing soybean oil.

5. The B’s: Potassium bromate, bromated vegetable oil, BHA and BHT, sodium benzoate Potassium bromated, a chemical food additive and known carcinogen, is found in baked goods, breads and tortillas.

Bromated vegetable oil (BVO) is a synthetic chemical derived from soy or corn that is found in Mountain Dew, citrus sodas and some Gatorade products. BVO contains bromine, a flame retardant for plastics banned in foods throughout Europe and Japan. BVO accumulates in fatty tissue causing behavioral, reproductive and organ damage, neurological disorders, early puberty and heart problems. Bromine, is a halogen that displaces iodine, which may depress thyroid function.

Sodium benzoate is a chemical preservative found in carbonated beverages, salad dressings and used to preserve and treat meat and poultry products.

BHA and BHT, made from petroleum and coal tar, are chemical preservatives (carcinogens) that are toxic to the liver and kidneys. You’ll find BHA and BHT in processed and packaged foods including cereals, chewing gum, chips, processed meats, vegetable oils, margarine and baked goods.

6. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine altering brain, behavior and psychological function. Consuming sugar (grains, candy, juice, cereals, soda, bagels and more) promotes inflammation and oxidation, triggers cravings and increases appetite, increases risk of depression, diabesity and other diseases, is a fuel source for yeast and parasites, causes magnesium, vitamin B and other nutrient deficiencies, accelerates aging and the production of free radicals, which cause collagen to breakdown creating wrinkles.

Avoid items that end with –ose (a sugar), evaporated cane juice, barley malt, brown rice syrup and hidden sources of sugar found in processed, packaged and fast foods and beverages.

7. Sodium chloride (commercial table salt) found in microwave dinner, take-out items and processed foods is highly processed containing aluminum, chemicals and additives that are toxic and cause neurological disorders, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders. Opt for a healthier version: unprocessed sea salt.

8. Artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, Equal, Sweet ‘N Low, Sucralose, Saccharine, Acesulfame-K). Sucralose is a combination of sugar and chlorine. Aspartame is an excitotoxin and neurotoxin that comes with a laundry list of side effects including digestive and liver dysfunction, increased appetite, depression, type 2 diabetes, ADD, brain seizures and tumors, rashes, hives, migraines and cancer.

You’ll find artificial sweeteners in thousands of items including desserts, gelatins, low calorie foods, kool-aid fruit drinks, breath mints, sugar-free gum, energy and sports drinks, wine coolers, flavored bottled waters, cereals, cold remedies, medications, some vitamins and protein powders and of course, diet sodas.

Healthier sweeteners: Stevia, coconut nectar, raw organic honey

9. Wheat, refined grains and gluten create a reaction in the intestines that sets off adverse symptoms. The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the lining of the small intestine causing gut permeability, leaky gut syndrome, nutrient deficiencies and autoimmune responses. Processed, refined grains are void of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels, are highly intolerant for many individuals and come with a laundry list of adverse health conditions for approximately 80 percent of the population.

10. Sodium nitrate is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish and corned beef. Studies have linked it to various types of cancer.

11. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from a process in a lab where genes are taken from one species and inserted into another in an attempt to obtain a desired characteristic or trait. Often referred to as Frankenfoods, GMOs alter and disrupt DNA. Children, newborns and pregnant women face the greatest potential hazards from GM food.

A study published in the Journal of Biological Science revealed numerous health hazards from GMOs and pesticides, specifically liver and kidney function, and damage to the heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells. Side effects include infertility, immune dysfunction, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, autism, arthritis, increased food allergies, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.

The United States does not require labeling of GM foods. The most common genetically engineered crops in the U.S. are corn, soy, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, summer squash, sugar beets, cottonseed and canola. All processed food items contain at least one or more genetically modified ingredient.

Must watch video: Charles Poliquin talks with author and leading anti-GMO activist, Jeffrey Smith on why you should avoid GMOs at all costs.

12. Caramel coloring, artificial colors and dyes (Blue 1, 2; Red 3, 40; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6) have been linked to hyperactivity disorders and behavioral problems in children, lower IQ, altered brain chemistry, depression, hormonal dysfunction, allergies, migraines and cancer.

Carmel coloring and artificial colors & dyes are found in soda, energy and sports drinks, candy, cereals, pastries and baked goods, pet food, sausage, canned items, cough syrup, vitamins and pharmaceutical drugs.

Take home message: Avoid any item that includes a color plus a number listed on the ingredients.

Choose organic versus conventional, and especially avoid the Dirty Dozen fruits and veggies.

In addition, beware of chemicals in your cosmetics and personal care products, which compromise the lymph and liver, and increase exogenous estrogen load. Look for and avoid parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances in your skincare and personal care products. Notable ingredients to avoid include sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, aluminum, proplylene glycol (PEG), Butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT), diethanolamine (DEA) and quite a few others.

The average woman puts 200-500 chemicals on her body every day. Anything you put on your skin is absorbed into the blood stream. My favorite professional skincare products are Devita Natural Skin Care products. They’re 100 percent paraben-free and PETA certified.

Become an avid label reader. Focus on eating nutrient-rich, wholesome and real food like our grandparents and ancestors ate. This is the best way to stay away from toxic, harmful ingredients. Choose to shop at your local Farmers Markets, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

For more info on ingredients to avoid, read The Power of 4 and Fat Loss Revolution.

Sources

• 77 studies showing the adverse reactions to dietary soy
• 174 studies showing the adverse reactions to isoflavones (phytoestrogens)

Related Articles

• Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Inflammation: A Silent Killer
• The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15
• Is Soy a Health Food?
• Wheat and Gluten: Sabotaging your Health
• Love Your Liver

Copyright © Paula Owens

Reproduction of my articles are permissible only when instructions found at the bottom of this blog are followed. Thank you.

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20 Simple Solutions to Optimize Digestion

“All Disease Begins in the Gut.” ~Hippocrates

Many health complaints, inability to lose weight and underlying causes of disease can be attributed to poor digestive health. The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into tiny particles that can use for energy, maintenance and repair. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.

You can be eating the healthiest, organic diet, but if you’re not breaking down, absorbing or assimilating your food properly, digestion can be compromised, which can negatively affect your weight, immune system, accelerate age-related disorders, and influence overall health and quality of life. 

20 Simple Solutions to Optimize Digestion

1. Make sure vagal tone via the vagus nerve to the stomach is stimulated. The parasympathetic branch of the nervous system influences rest and digestion. Efficiency of the parasympathetic nervous system relies on the health and stimulation of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve regulates breathing, heart rate and digestion. Those with low vagal tone are more sensitive to stress and disease and tend to have challenges such as difficulty swallowing, increased heart rate and weak digestion.

You can naturally and effectively activate the vagus nerve with slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing and various relaxation techniques.

2. Be mindful and fully present during mealtime. The digestive process is 30-40 percent less effective when you’re tuned out and eating mindlessly. Don’t drive and eat. Instead, sit down during mealtime, turn off the television and your cell phone, stay off the computer, avoid listening to chaotic music and engaging in stressful, complicated conversations.

3. Before eating, take a few deep, full breaths and bless your food with a silent prayer of gratitude. Full, deep, diaphragmatic breathing activates the relax and digest response in the body.

4. Eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly until it’s liquefied so food is broken down and nutrients are absorbed. As a bonus, you’ll eat less and your brain will receive signals from digestive hormones secreted by the gastrointestinal tract that you’re full. One of these hormones, leptin, which plays an important role in metabolism weight and appetite regulation also interacts with the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain to produce a feeling of pleasure after eating.

5. Avoid foods you’re sensitive to, which creates inflammation in the intestinal tract by stimulating the immune system to attack your cells causing digestive dysfunction. The main culprits: dairy, soy, gluten, wheat, grains, corn, sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Also, particularly avoid all vegetable oils and trans fats, GMOs, chemically-altered frankenfoods and processed, packaged foods that your body does not recognize, which cause digestive distress.

6. Pay attention to how you feel 30-90 minutes after eating. Keep a food journal to help identify foods that are stressing your digestive system.

7. Avoid eating under stressful conditions. The digestive process is impaired when you’re stressed out and when there are unresolved emotions in which the mind is improperly digesting life experiences.

8. Avoid laxatives. If you suffer from constipation, consider the following: Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day. Start your day with a cup of lemon water. Practice deep, full belly breathing. Increase fiber intake from fruits, vegetables and leafy greens such as dandelion, kale, chard and spinach, as well as broccoli and cauliflower. Have a green drink every day. Include more healthy fats in your diet. Eliminate all dairy products, sugar, wheat, gluten, processed foods and foods that your body is sensitive to. Many prescription and OTC meds cause constipation. Address emotions and let go of what you’re holding onto. Be active and move your body every day. Determine if you have an underactive thyroid, aluminum toxicity, liver dysfunction or irritable bowel syndrome, which cause constipation. Place your feet on a stool so your knees are raised when you sit on the toilet. Consider supplementation with magnesium, probiotics, aloe vera, HCL and L-glutamine.

9. Eat organic, locally grown food that is in season whenever possible. At minimum choose grass-fed, pastured-raised poultry over conventionally-raised. Familiarize yourself with the highest pesticide “dirty dozen” vegetables and fruits and buy those organic.

10. Include more probiotic (beneficial gut bacteria) and prebiotic-rich (food for gut bacteria) foods in the diet. Probiotics help reduce inflammation, improve digestion, ensure healthy gut flora and support immunity. Prebiotics are fuel/food source for probiotics.

Prebiotic-rich foods: onions, garlic, leeks, dandelion, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke

Probiotic-rich, fermented foods: sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, live-cultured yogurt from raw dairy

11. Include more soluble-rich fiber foods in your diet such as dandelion, kale, chard, spinach, cauliflower and broccoli.

12. Sip on tea away from meals that help soothe the gut: peppermint, ginger, chamomile; pau ‘d arco, slippery elm

13. Rule out gut pathogens, infections, virus, parasites, fungus, Candida, dysbiosis, H.pylori

14. Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts pressure on the abdomen, which can encourage acid reflux.

15. Avoid aspirin and NSAIDs, which can tear up the gut lining and cause gastrointestinal stress. A study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology reported that even low-dose aspirin (as low as 75 mg daily and up to 325 mg daily) increases the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Taking aspirin regularly not only increases risk of GI bleeding, it increases risk of micro-bleeding in the brain by 70 percent.

According to the American Journal of Medicine approximately 107,000 individuals are hospitalized every year for NSAID related GI complications, and at least 16,500 deaths occur.

16. Increase stomach acid. Drinking water with fresh lemon or raw apple cider vinegar 10-30 minutes before meals improves digestion and increases stomach acid.

On the flip side, it’s best to avoid drinking water during mealtime as it can weaken and impair digestion, and dilute natural levels of HCL and bile, which help properly breakdown and digest food.

17. Avoid antacids. Instead, consider supplementing with hydrochloric acid (HCL) and  digestive/pancreative enzymes. Avoid HCL if you suspect you have an ulcer and instead use Gastrazyme, vitamin U (raw cabbage juice) and other nutrient components for digestion.

HCL is essential to protein digestion and the assimilation of B12, folate plus 15 minerals. Many people with low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) or no stomach acid (achlorhydria) often complain of bloating, belching, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating, or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food.

Individuals with low stomach acid may experience constipation, while others have diarrhea. And then, there are those with little or no stomach acid who experience absolutely no symptoms at all. The two main causes of hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria: stress and the normal aging process. Take the HCL test to determine your personal dose.

18. Consider other nutrients to heal, restore and support intestinal health and function (although specific to each individual and their unique biochemistry): Aloe vera, L-glutamine powder, pre- and probiotics, Beta-TCP, zinc carnosine, curcumin, ADP, chlorophyll, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)

Note: if you take probiotics, take them at the end of your meal (not at the same time as HCL or digestive enzymes).

19. Address vitamin and mineral deficiencies, specifically zinc and B vitamins, especially thiamine that can affect digestion.

20. Read the steps to the 4R Gut Restoration Program in the Chapter on digestion for a hot ‘n healthy body found in my book, Fat Loss Revolution.

Copyright © Paula Owens

Related Articles

• A Healthy Gut = A Healthy Person
• Probiotics
• L-Glutamine
• The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15
• Love Your Liver
• Are Your Symptoms Related to Food Sensitivities?

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Common Fat Loss Mistakes

Are you frustrated and struggling to lose weight? Over the years, a common complaint I hear is, “I’m doing everything right and still unable to lose weight.” The majority of men and women are misinformed on what it really takes to look and feel their best so they can experience permanent fat loss. Remember, there is a huge difference between weight loss and fat loss. Could you be sabotaging your fat loss efforts with any of the following common fat loss mistakes?

-- Are you exercising TOO much? Are you over-doing cardio or is long-slow distance (LSD) cardio/aerobic-style exercise your only form of exercise?

-- Do you spend your time at the gym on the eliptical machine, treadmill or stairclimber expecting a different result in lieu of hitting the weights?

-- Weight training, if done at all, consists of lifting nothing heavier than 12-15 lb. dumbbells.

-- Are you tipping the tea cup too often? How much alcohol are you consuming each week? Are you over-consuming coffee and caffeinated beverages?

-- You’re overly stressed and your idea of stress management is consuming 2-3 cocktails every night or numbing your emotions by eating an entire package of gluten-free cookies.

-- You fail to prioritize 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night.

-- Your body is inflamed from hidden food sensitivities, an underlying viral or bacteria infection, Candida, parasites or oxidative stress.

-- You’re undernourished and overfed, which leads to nutrient deficiencies or excesses.

-- Your system is on toxic overload from chemical exposure, heavy metal body burdens, Rx drugs, obesogens or any number of things.

-- An optimal functioning digestive system. Many fail to recognize the importance of a healthy functioning gut, adequate stomach acid and balanced gut flora as factors for overall health and fat loss.

-- Hormonal imbalances caused by any number of things: faulty digestion, insulin resistance, hidden food sensitivities, consuming soy, birth control pills, a toxic or congested liver, excessive stress, thyroid dysfunction, over-exercising, hidden inflammation, lack of sleep or nutrient deficiencies. It’s vital to prioritize the balance these two hormones first: #1, insulin (what you choose to eat) and #2, cortisol (how you manage stress; healthy adrenals) for a successful Fat Loss Revolution.

-- Your metabolism is damaged from years of dieting, fasting, counting every calorie, excessive exercise or excluding fat in your diet for fear of getting fat..

-- Breakfast consists of a syrupy, artificially-sweetened latte and bagel or you skip breakfast altogether.

-- You're not seeing results after one week on a program and jump to the next best (worst) thing. Any result oriented program that is not a quick fix requires 12 weeks of faithful participation and compliance to experience results.

-- Your protein intake is barely enough to fuel a toddler. You don’t particularly enjoy eating protein and instead overindulge in carbs. 

These common fat loss mistakes definitely encourage thinking outside of the conventional weight loss box. The good news? All of the solutions that promise permanent fat loss in a healthy manner and as a healthy lifestyle can be found in Fat Loss Revolution.

Remember, optimal health and fat loss is a journey…..a process and a lifestyle. Having a solid plan to direct you encourages a positive and successful outcome.

Read and implement my 40 Simple Fat Loss Tips, and don’t forget to download my 101 Fat Loss Tips and 7-Day Menu --- they’re FREE.

Copyright © Paula Owens

Reproduction of my articles are permissible only when instructions found at the bottom of this blog are followed. Thank you.

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Chin it to Win it

Chin ups and pull ups are one of the best upper body exercises of all time for strength, muscle building and fat loss when performed in a metabolic-style program. You’ll find variations of this exercise in the program design section in my book, Fat Loss Revolution. Unfortunately, many forego this strength building exercise is lieu of the lat pull down, which can have its place in an exercise program, but is nowhere near as effective as the chin up. Whenever I visit a public gym, the chin up is one of the many exercises I notice being performed with less than optimal technique and incomplete range of motion.

Back in the day when I was training clients, ALL of my male and female clients, including women in their 70s, were conditioned to perform a variety of chin ups and pull ups (and, not on the assisted pull up machine). Last week, instead of working out in my own gym, I went to a public gym for my workout. After a couple of sets of chin ups, two women commented to me that they wished they could do chin ups. My response, you can and you should!

Chin ups (close grip with palms facing one another or supinated/underhand) and pull ups (pronated/overhand) can be quite challenging, especially for females. Don’t allow lack of strength, no coach or a training partner to assist you from including this big-bang exercise in your program. For a nominal investment, there are industrial elastic bands that you can include in your fitness toolbox. These bands will help assist you through a wide a range of resistance so you can perform chin ups and pull ups.

Below is an illustration with instructions from my book, Fat Loss Revolution, on how to perform the chin up using the bands for assistance.

1. Loop a jumpstretch band around a chin up bar and pull it through the other end so the band is tightly secure to the bar. Use a thicker band or two bands to make the chin up easier and a thinner band to increase the load, and in time, no band at all.

2. Grab the bar with palms facing one another. Place one or both knees in the loop of the band and hang at arms length with arms fully extended.

3. Imagine pulling the bar toward you as you pull your body up as fast as you can. Retract and depress (squeeze and pull down) your shoulder blades as you lift your chest to the bar until your chin comes to or above the bar depending on the apparatus you’re using. Squeeze your pinky fingers on the bar and imagine drawing your elbows into your back pockets keeping your knees directly under your hips as you pull your body up.

4. Slowly lower your body to a count of 4-8 seconds until your arms are fully extended. Repeat.

Jump Stretch Bands

Copyright © Paula Owens

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