Archive for category: NEWS

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Sugar, a ubiquitous ingredient in our daily lives, isn’t just found in familiar high-sugar foods like cakes, bubble tea, and desserts. The sugar content in snacks, beverages, and instant drinks is also significant. Sugar seems to permeate our world. We crave sweetness because it activates dopamine neurons in the brain, triggering feelings of excitement. However, excessive sugar not only fuels addiction but also jeopardizes health. Therefore, cutting back on sugar is imperative.

01 What Is Sugar Detox?

When cutting back on sugar, the focus should be on free sugars. The most notable characteristic of these sugars is their uneven distribution in foods, leading to excessive intake of “empty calories” through consumption. Free sugars include common white sugar, rock sugar, brown sugar, golden sugar, black sugar, maltose, as well as naturally occurring sugars in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and concentrated fruit juices. However, it does not include sugars found in fresh fruits, lactose in milk, or starches present in grains and tubers.

The correct approach to sugar reduction is to enjoy the pleasure sugar provides in a regulated manner, minimize the intake of “free sugars” in our diet, control the consumption and sources of rapidly digestible carbohydrates, and avoid unhealthy sugars or excessive sugar intake.

02 Why Quit Sugar

The concept we need to grasp is: Quitting sugar ≠ Banning sugar. Quitting sugar does not mean completely eliminating sugar from your diet, nor does it mean giving up sweets, refined grains, or carbohydrates. Instead, it involves reducing intake of free sugars and starches found in processed foods, while choosing to consume sugars and starches from fruits and vegetables, along with other foods rich in oligosaccharides and dietary fiber. Adults should limit daily sugar intake to no more than 50 grams, ideally around 25 grams. Long-term excessive consumption of sugars—especially unhealthy types like free sugars and processed added sugars/starches—can easily lead to heart disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and diabetes.

When sugars containing nucleotides and glucose are heated together, they can produce brown substances in the skin. As collagen in the dermis undergoes glycation, the elasticity of collagen fibers decreases, leading to skin laxity. Furthermore, excessive sugar intake stimulates increased androgen levels in the body, boosting sebum production and thereby raising the likelihood of acne formation.

03 What’s the point of cutting out sugar?

1. Aids in Weight Loss

Since sugars contain relatively high calories, reducing high-sugar foods like bubble tea and cakes in daily life significantly lowers caloric intake, thereby helping achieve weight loss goals.

At the same time, whether for weight loss or healthier living, it’s advisable not to completely eliminate rice and wheat from your diet. Instead, consume them in moderation or substitute with whole grains. Opt for fruits with lower natural sugar content to meet your body’s energy needs, preventing symptoms like fatigue and muscle soreness.

2. Improve Skin Health

Excessive sugar intake can negatively impact skin condition, potentially leading to internal pigment deposition and the formation of dark spots. When you eliminate or reduce free sugar consumption, you’ll notice your skin becoming more translucent and radiant—a sign that the aging process is slowing down.

3. Prevent Vascular Diseases

Studies reveal that long-term sugar consumption significantly increases risks of hypertension, vascular hardening, cerebral hemorrhage, and even heart disease. This occurs because sugar converts into triglycerides and cholesterol within the body. Excessive intake leads to accumulation in blood vessels, potentially causing blockages.

While sugar reduction offers numerous benefits, it’s unwise to ban all sugary foods outright. Severe sugar deprivation triggers the body to convert proteins and fats into energy sources. However, this abnormal metabolic process may disrupt nutrient balance and increase metabolic strain. Therefore, sugar reduction should be tailored to individual circumstances—neither too rapid nor excessive.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

Yoga, as an ancient and elegant form of exercise, has gained increasing popularity in recent years. However, many fitness beginners often feel at a loss when first encountering yoga. This article will provide concise explanations to help beginners better understand and appreciate this ancient practice!

01 What is yoga? What are its benefits?

Yoga originated in ancient India as one of the six major philosophical schools of ancient India. After being introduced to the West in modern times, it gradually integrated with the essence of Western medicine, evolving into a series of methods for cultivating the body and mind alongside corresponding physical postures. It has become a trendy fitness practice that has taken the world by storm!

Today, numerous yoga styles exist on the market, including: Ashtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, Hot Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Pilates Yoga, Aerial Yoga, and more. While different yoga styles emphasize distinct approaches and techniques, their ultimate goal remains the same: to improve both physical and mental well-being through movement and breath control.

Yoga not only helps people slim down and enhance their appearance but also strengthens the mind and body while regulating emotions. In today’s fast-paced world, yoga’s unique blend of movement and stillness makes it ideal for those who dislike high-intensity workouts yet still seek fitness benefits. This is precisely why more and more people are becoming captivated by it.

02 Is Yoga Difficult?

Most beginners, when first encountering yoga, tend to think certain poses are downright bizarre—like something only aliens could pull off. This is actually a huge misconception! It’s important to understand that yoga isn’t just about physical postures—it also encompasses breathing techniques, cleansing practices, meditation, and more. Traditional yoga asanas are merely one part of the practice. Of course, modern yoga places the most emphasis on physical postures. For beginners, everyone’s body is different, including flexibility and range of motion.

When practicing yoga poses, beginners should start with simple ones to build muscle memory. Slow down the flow of poses, reduce the intensity, and progress gradually. You’ll gradually find your rhythm. Once your strength and flexibility have significantly improved, then try more challenging poses. You’ll discover that mastering yoga is really not difficult at all!

03What should beginners pay attention to when practicing yoga?

1. When practicing yoga for the first time, avoid rushing to achieve results. Follow the pace set by a professional instructor, starting with simple yoga classes and progressing gradually through step-by-step practice.

2. During yoga practice, refrain from comparing yourself to others. Everyone has different physical capabilities. Blindly competing with others can lead to injury, making the effort counterproductive.

3. Before practicing yoga poses, warm up adequately to activate your joints, increase lubrication, and reduce friction during practice.

4. Define your yoga goal: “physical conditioning” or “mental cultivation.” For physical conditioning, start with poses. For mental cultivation, begin with breathwork and meditation.

5. Cultivate patience in your yoga practice. Avoid sporadic efforts—yoga requires sustained commitment to see noticeable physical changes. The more time you invest, the greater the benefits you’ll reap!

6. Always seek professional guidance. Beginners benefit greatly from an instructor’s expertise to master proper breathing and core engagement. Practicing alone with videos often leads to chaotic rhythms and turns yoga into something resembling calisthenics!

Finally, whether you’re male or female, young or middle-aged—since you’ve read this far—take action now for a more beautiful and healthy body!