​A major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. These waste products and excess fluid are removed through the urine. By this means the kidneys help to maintain the balance of fluids, electrolytes (salts and minerals found in the blood) and organic solutes. The kidneys accomplish this task by continuous filtration of the blood, making alterations in secretion and reabsorption of the filtered fluid.

​Each human kidney contains about 1 million functioning units called nephrons which are primarily involved in urine formation. Urine formation ensures that the body gets rid of the final products of metabolism and excess water in an attempt to maintain homeostasis (a constant internal environment).

The majority of the substances dissolved in the urine (solute load) consists of nitrogenous wastes, mostly the end product of protein metabolism. The amount of urine depends in part on how much protein is in the diet. If normal waste products (uric acid, creatinine, and ammonia) are not removed appropriately, they collect in abnormal quantities in the blood – known as azotemia (an elevation of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels. The ability of the kidneys to adequately eliminate nitrogenous waste products is defined as renal function, and its inability to excrete the daily load of waste is known as renal failure.

Weight Management
Body weight includes the sum of bone, muscle, organs, body fluids and adipose tissue (tissue made up of mostly fat cells). Due to growth, reproductive status, different levels of physical activity, and the effects of aging, body weight over time is subject to normal changes. Body weight is often described in terms of its composition, of which a two-compartment model is used. This model divides the body into fat mass, which is the fat from all body sources and fat free mass (FFM), this includes water, protein, and mineral components. Please note that FFM is not exactly the same as lean body mass (LBM). LBM is muscle and is usually higher in men than women, increases with exercise, and is lower in older adults.

Body fat
Your total body fat is the combination of essential and storage fats and is expressed as a percentage of your total body weight.
Essential fat is necessary for normal body functioning and is stored in small amounts in the bone marrow, heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidneys, muscles, and nervous system. Essential fat is higher in women (12% of body fat) because it includes fat in the breasts, pelvic regions (hips) and thighs that supports the reproductive process. In men essential fat is approximately 3% of body fat.
Storage fat on the other hand is the energy reserve and is mostly triglycerides in adipose tissue.  This fat collects under the skin and around internal organs to protect them from trauma. In an average person, total body fat (essential and storage fat) as a percentage of body weight is between 18% to 24% for men and 25% to 31% for women. Extreme, elite fit men are as low as 2% to 5% body fat whilst women are between 10% to 13% (Digate Muth, 2014).

Bone Health and Nutrition
​Good nutrition is essential for the development and maintenance of the skeleton. Some bone diseases however, have complex causes (osteoporosis and osteomalacia -  impaired mineralization caused by vitamin D and calcium deficiency) but the development of these diseases can be reduced by providing adequate nutrients throughout your life. Indeed bones are the framework for our bodies, and is a living tissue that changes constantly with some old bones being removed and then replaced by new bones.

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​Cartilage
In the embryo, cartilage forms the first temporary skeleton until it develops into a mature bone matrix. In the adult, cartilage is found as flexible supports in areas such as the nose and ear, but please note that cartilage is not bone.

In the fitness industry, there are many fitness philosophies that fitness enthusiasts are bombarded with at every turn. From books, to the internet, magazines, adverts and even from fitness professionals. Many are useful for different training or fitness objectives, for example some are suited for beginners, for strength training, for size, endurance and speed. With so much information out there regarding fitness principles, persons can easily become confused in trying to determine which ones best suit their needs. As such it is better to rely on scientific data/principles that have been tested and proven effective.
There are at least seven principles which all systems must rely on if they hope to achieve maximum effectiveness in training outcomes.
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​We have all been hearing about obesity and overweight and many of us have tried to take steps toward reducing our risk for becoming obese. We start to watch our weight, cut out certain foods, counting calories, but being obese is not just about what you weigh, it's about having too much fat in your body. Carrying too much body fat has harmful effects on your health (eatright.org).
 
Research has found that there are many causes for obesity, notwithstanding that, taking in more calories than you use up will ultimately lead to obesity in most cases, but there are many other reasons:

One of the exciting areas of nutrition today places focus on a group of substances called phytochemicals - these are nonnutritive substances in plants that have health-protective benefits ('phyto' means plant). Phytochemicals are the compounds that give plants their beautiful colors that appeal so much to our sense of sight topped with their distinctive aromas! these natural compounds also protect plants from the brutal onslaught of overexposure to sunlight, insects and other environmental hazards.

Phytochemicals are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and other plants, and some of these are believed to protect cells from damage that could lead to cancer.
​Based on an article by the American Institute for Cancer Research,  which states that findings from laboratory studies have shown that phytochemicals have the potential to:

• Stimulate the immune system
• Block substances we eat, drink and breathe from becoming carcinogens (cancer causing agents)
• Reduce the kind of inflammation that makes cancer growth more likely
• Prevent DNA damage and help with DNA repair
• Reduce the kind of oxidative damage to cells that can spark cancer
• Slow the growth rate of cancer cells
• Trigger damaged cells to commit suicide before they can reproduce
• Help to regulate hormones

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Body mass index or BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height in relation to your weight. it is a good tool to use for assessing your risk for weight related health problems. When your BMI increases your risk for other chronic illnesses also increase (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes etc.)

Check the calculator below to measure your BMI.

It is fast approaching the time when we start putting those New Year's resolution into action, as the fitness industry starts making plans for the influx of new and returning clients it will receive for this crop. It is always good when we make resolutions that include living healthier, but we continue to struggle with how to maintain the momentum. By December's end some of us will start to feel guilty about those extra pounds that we put on from eating all that delicious food, and not only that, but those with dietary related chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, will start dreading going near to the doctor's office.

I will encourage you to continue to make those positive New Year's resolution, but remember to try and write down some goals/objectives. You want to lose weight but how much do you want to lose, and in what time frame? Also apart from joining the gym what are the other lifestyle changes that you will be willing to make, and are they realistic and achievable? We start off good and then when reality kicks in we find it difficult to maintain the pace. There is studying to consider, work – sometimes one or more jobs at a time – taking care of the kids, having fun, and a whole host of other things that we can't leave out of our daily lives.

Periodization refers to how one’s training is broken down into discrete time periods. This system of training is typically divided up into three types of cycles: microcycle, mesocycle, and macrocycle. The microcycle is generally up to 7 days. The mesocycle may be anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months and can further be classified into preparation, competition, peaking, and transition phases. The macrocycle refers to the overall training period, usually representing a year.

At times no matter how hard or how often you work out, you just can’t seem to progress any further. You’re stuck on a plateau. It may be that the exercise you have been doing has worked so well that your body has adapted to it. You need to “shock” or “surprise” your body a bit. You need to give it a new challenge periodically if you’re going to continue to make gains. To prevent this “Periodizing” a training is the key. Instead of doing the same routine month after month, you change your training program at regular intervals or “periods” to keep your body working harder, while still giving it adequate rest.

Meal Plans are a good way to guide you when you start your new diet plan, but they are not easy to follow unless they are done in a way that takes into account your food-likes/preferences and your life style. Going on a diet takes a lot of commitment and dedication so it is important that the meal plan best suit the changes that you will be able to make.

Take small steps if you must, don't feel bad if you slip, we all do, just get back up and go at it again. Make sure you start off by setting some goals that are achievable and realistic, for example if you used to drink two sodas per day, maybe you can cut back to one per day. That simple step adds up to a lot when you look back a week or month later.

Try to make your meals colourful with different vegetables/fruits and tasty with natural herbs and spices.

Please see below a sample meal plan for one day, which was designed based on the the Six Caribbean Food Groups. Is this a meal plan that could fit into your lifestyle?