Exercise is a stimulus or stress applied to the body. The desired benefit of exercise should be improved or more efficient physical performance. Today many or most individuals find themselves exercising more and obtaining minimal or no results at all. The reason the desired results are not being realized is due to the lack of balance in their program. The factors for results from exercise are: nutrition, exercise and rest. Nutrition is what we are made up of physically. Rest can be considered adequate time to accumulate and process nutritional components. This also allows time to rebuild reserves for response and to repair tissues.

Exercise can be performed in one of two ways:
1. To increase strength, efficiency, and performance.
2. To maintain the existing levels of strength, efficiency, and performance.

Either way, when exercise is performed, the body receives stimulus or stress to increase or maintain its existing level. Important factors to be added to these considerations are intensity and duration of exercise. Obviously, when exercise is performed with a higher intensity or a longer duration, the cost to the body is increased. Exercise, for optimum results, is best performed in an effective manner — not in an addictive manner. Ask yourself: "am I exercising or egocising?" Stress increases the body’s need for nutrients and rest. Nutritional programs are usually based on I think, I feel or I believe and on many of the "unbalanced and partial fact" based ideas. It is commonly known that fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are all needed in a (magical word) balanced amount. Simple observation has shown that there is one common sense diet — the hypoglycemic diet. It has been in use for years with great success and it maintains health. The hypoglycemic diet entails eating small to moderate amounts of food often (every two to three hours); this consists of at least two snacks and three meals per day. Foods would be comprised of moderate protein, moderate carbohydrates and moderate to low fat. Recently, a new book, The Zone, has shown through twelve years of study that a diet consisting of approximately 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat is optimal.

Low fat diets allow blood sugar levels to drop too quickly often causing carbohydrate cravings. Fat is needed in the diet for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Unsaturated fats comprising at least 2% of the total daily calorie content is needed for optimal health.

High carbohydrate diets can cause excessive insulin production leaving the pancreas and adrenals stressed. In time this can cause hypoglycemia and/or diabetes.

Low protein diets slow the body's ability to recover from stress and stress of exercise. Without adequate protein, the body loses lean tissue or muscle which causes the metabolism to slowdown. Protein is needed for proper response of the immune system.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are very often looked upon as unnecessary. Many individuals, think, feel, or want to believe they get all they need from what they eat. In 1936, Congress was informed that the soils in this country were already depleted of many essential minerals and trace minerals.(DOC. 264) Most fertilizers used after this point in time have not been with the consideration of the consumers nutritional needs but the farmers’ financial benefit. Let us then consider a dollar or two a day for vitamin and mineral supplements — an inexpensive insurance policy to maintain our health. The individuals that think, feel or believe they get all they need from what they eat should share their secrets with the rest of us. At the very least, they could tell us where they are buying their food!

Our bodies are almost totally replaced down to the last cell in just over one year. Where are these replacement materials acquired? Obviously, by what we eat. Surely these replacement materials are worth a dollar or two of vitamins and minerals a day to insure optimum health? If we are what we eat, would we rather be cheap, fast, and easy?

Almost all exercise programs today place the importance on the exercise and not on the body's ability to respond or recover.
This is gross negligence and incompetence on the part of the individuals who support these incomplete programs. The response mechanism or recovery ability of the body should be considered prior to the stress of exercise. Without the ability to respond properly and adequately, true health is left compromised. The most important factor for measuring the completeness of a program should not be instructor certification, but verification of its results. Obviously, verification is the main objective.

When searching for a results-based diet and fitness program, these are a few simple and very obvious considerations:
1) Results: The use of a measuring tape, the scale, a lowered resting heart rate, body composition and pictures. Increases in energy, fat loss — not just weight loss without hunger or cravings. 2) Information: Everything that happens to you and everything that you are asked to do should be thoroughly explained and answers should be simple and easy to understand. Einstein said it best, 'If you can't say it simply you don’t know enough about the subject.’
3) Accountability: You can’t be held accountable if you don’t have the facts and understanding (adequate and proper information). A qualified and verified instructor will be able to make adjustments in you diet and exercise program to keep you gaining your desired results. If your results are not being realized and you are following your program guidelines your instructor is accountable. Don’t waste your time and money — come to Performance Fitness Systems, where RESULTS ARE PROOF™!