Fitness & Nutrition Resource

Skipping Meals and Metabolism

2007-12-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

People often miss meals because they get busy or are trying to lose weight. But how you skip meals, and the amount you eat at your next meal, can affect your overall health.

The scientific data on skipping meals has been confusing. In some studies, fasting has resulted in measurable metabolic benefits for obese people, and in animal studies, intermittent feeding and fasting reduces the incidence of diabetes and improves certain indicators of cardiovascular health. Even so, several observational studies and short-term experiments have suggested an association between meal skipping and poor health.

In recent months, two new studies may help explain how skipping meals affects health.

The most recent study, published this month in the medical journal Metabolism, looked at what happens when people skip meals but end up eating just as much as they would in a normal day when they finally do sit down to a meal. The study, conducted by diabetes researchers at the National Institute on Aging, involved healthy, normal-weight men and women in their 40s. For two months, the study subjects ate three meals a day. For another eight-week period, they skipped two meals but ate the same number of calories in one evening meal, consumed between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The researchers found that skipping meals during the day and eating one large meal in the evening resulted in potentially risky metabolic changes. The meal skippers had elevated fasting glucose levels and a delayed insulin response — conditions that, if they persisted long term, could lead to diabetes.

The study was notable because it followed another study earlier this year that found that skipping meals every other day could actually improve a patient’s health. In that study, published in March in Free Radical Biology & Medicine, overweight adults with mild asthma ate normal meals one day. This was followed by a day of severely restricted eating, when they ate less than 20 percent of their normal caloric intake, or about 400 or 500 calories a day — the equivalent of about one meal. Nine out of 10 study participants were able to stick to the eating plan.

After following the alternate-day dieting pattern for two months, the dieters lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight, and their asthma-related symptoms also improved. They had lower cholesterol and triglycerides, “striking” reductions in markers of oxidative stress and increased levels of the antioxidant uric acid. Markers of inflammation were also significantly lower.

The conclusion, say the authors of the more recent meal-skipping study, is that skipping meals as part of a controlled eating plan that results in lower calorie intake can result in better health. However, skipping meals during the day and then overeating at the evening meal results in harmful metabolic changes in the body.

Developing Your Own Running Strategies

2007-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

This recent article in the New York Times discusses disassociation. Others focus. I like my iPod while the distance runner I chatted with at a dinner party insists on listening to the cadence of her stride.

What works for you is ultimately about the fact that it works.

What keeps you going?

Tis the season

2007-11-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2007, 10:33 am

The Skinny on Holiday Weight Gain

Reports of your holiday weight gain have been greatly exaggerated. Media stories often suggest that the average person gains 7 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And in surveys, people say they gain, on average, about five pounds this time of year.

But several studies now show that the average weight gain during the winter holidays is just one pound.

The news isn’t all good. Most people don’t ever lose the pound of weight they put on during the holidays, according to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine. Since the average weight gain during adulthood is about one to two pounds a year, that means much of midlife weight gain can be explained by holiday eating.

For people who are already overweight, the holiday weight news is worse. Although the average gain is only one pound, people who are already overweight tend to gain a lot more. One study found that overweight people gained five pounds or more during the holidays.

And we start packing on that extra pound of holiday weight early in life. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma studied holiday weight gain among college students during the Thanksgiving break. The students were weighed the day before Thanksgiving, then weighed again about two weeks later. The average weight gain for the 94 students was about one pound. Students who were of normal weight gained about a half a pound during the period. Students who were overweight, meaning their body mass index was 25 or more, gained about two pounds.

Holly Hull, the lead researcher on the Oklahoma study, says Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a “high risk” time for the overweight. “I think the number of people who only overeat at the Thanksgiving meal is slim to none,'’ said Dr. Hull. “The holiday season doesn’t represent one day of overeating. You have this period that extends through the new year where there’s more alcohol, more snacks, more finger foods and appetizers that are energy dense.'’

Running Resources

2007-10-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a race, theschedule.com is the first place you should go. You can search it by location and race type.

To map your own running routes and gauge distance, visit walkjogrun.net.

Empty calories+empty glass= full sized

2007-09-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

Nutritionists: Soda making Americans drink themselves fat

By Caleb Hellerman
CNN

(CNN) -- If you're searching for a villain in America's obesity epidemic, most nutritionists tell you to put one picture on the wanted poster: a cold, bubbly glass of soda pop.

"Liquid candy" to detractors, sweetened soft drinks are so ubiquitous that they contribute about 10 percent of the calories in the American diet, according to government data.

In fact, said Dr. David Ludwig, a Harvard endocrinologist whose 2001 paper in the Lancet is widely cited by obesity researchers, sweetened drinks are the only specific food that clinical research has directly linked to weight gain.

"Highly concentrated starches and sugars promote overeating, and the granddaddy of them all is sugar-sweetened beverages," said Ludwig, who runs the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children's Hospital in Boston.

The rise in soft drink consumption mirrors the national march toward obesity. At the midpoint of the 20th century, Americans drank four times as much milk as soda pop. Today, the ratio is almost completely reversed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, in the past 30 years the national obesity rate has more than doubled, and among teenagers, more than tripled, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Soda pop is a quintessential junk food," said Michael Jacobson, who heads the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which lobbies for government restrictions on foods it considers unhealthy. "It's just pure calories, and no nutrients. It's like a bomb in our diet."

Jacobson said the CSPI is pushing to require obesity warning labels on the sides of soda cans, like the surgeon general's warning on cigarettes.

While nutritionists are united in their dislike for nondiet soda, the "why" is controversial.

Some point a finger at high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, the sweetener used in most nondiet drinks. Last month, researchers at Rutgers University said they'd identified compounds in HFCS which may start a chemical chain reaction, leading to diabetes.

Most scientists, though, say there's little difference between HFCS and simple sugar, either in chemistry or the way they're handled by the body.

A bigger problem, doctors say, is simply the sheer number of calories. You'll find about 400 calories in a 32-ounce "extra-large" Coke, a fast-food staple. That's nearly a quarter of what the average adult woman needs in a whole day.

Scientists also say the body doesn't respond to liquid calories in the same way it would if those calories came in the form of French fries or chocolate cake. Appetite is controlled by a complex mix of hormones. Some signal the brain that your stomach is getting full. Others, including a hormone known as ghrelin, signal it's time to eat again.

If you eat a big burger, the level of ghrelin drops for a few hours. That drop doesn't happen if you drink a Big Gulp soda, even if it has more calories than the burger, according to Wayne Campbell, a professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University.

"We're finding your hunger does not go down as far when you consume a beverage, as when you consume a solid," Campbell said. The result: Even with 400 liquid calories in your stomach, you polish off the burger too.

Campbell cautioned that the ghrelin theory isn't proven and that other factors -- such as a food's smell, or the sensation of chewing -- may affect appetite just as much, or even more. Our expectations also play a role.

"Soup is the anomaly to the liquid calorie research," he said. "People perceive soup as a meal, unlike drinking a Coke. So when we've done these types of studies, but used soup as the liquid, we don't see the same differences in [appetite] response."

The sugar in soda pop not only provides a massive dose of calories, but triggers a vicious appetite cycle, said Ludwig, who wrote "Ending the Food Fight," about healthy eating for children.

"It's rapidly absorbed, which raises blood sugar and in effect causes the body to panic." The body releases insulin to break down the sugar, "but the body overcompensates, and blood sugar drops below the fasting level," lower than it was in the first place.

Recognizing low blood sugar, the body releases ghrelin and other hormones, inducing hunger, inducing us to eat even more, Ludwig said.

The public is catching on, he said.

"In our obesity clinic, we used to routinely see patients coming in who were drinking four or five soft drinks a day. Now it's rare. That seems to be the first factor that comes to mind, when people are trying to lose weight."

Soft drink companies, under fire, are taking steps including a pledge last year to phase out nondiet soft drinks from America's schools.

A progress report issued Monday by the American Beverage Association said that shipments to schools of sweetened soda are down 45 percent since 2004, while shipments of bottled water are up 23 percent.

"There's no question the changes that are happening in schools are a mirror of what's happening in the larger marketplace," said Susan Neely, the ABA's president & CEO. "Adults, like kids, are reaching for lower-calorie beverages. ... As a consumer product company, we want to give consumers what they want."

While fighting obesity is complicated, Ludwig said, the first step is clear. "Giving up sugary soda for diet drinks, or water, will cause you to lose weight."

Another Reason to Choose Whole Foods

2007-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Published: September 6, 2007

Common food additives and colorings can increase hyperactive behavior in a broad range of children, a study being released today found.

It was the first time researchers conclusively and scientifically confirmed a link that had long been suspected by many parents. Numerous support groups for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have for years recommended removing such ingredients from diets, although experts have continued to debate the evidence.

But the new, carefully controlled study shows that some artificial additives increase hyperactivity and decrease attention span in a wide range of children, not just those for whom overactivity has been diagnosed as a learning problem.

The new research, which was financed by Britain’s Food Standards Agency and published online by the British medical journal The Lancet, presents regulators with a number of issues: Should foods containing preservatives and artificial colors carry warning labels? Should some additives be prohibited entirely? Should school cafeterias remove foods with additives?

After all, the researchers note that overactivity makes learning more difficult for children.

“A mix of additives commonly found in children’s foods increases the mean level of hyperactivity,” wrote the researchers, led by Jim Stevenson, a professor of psychology at the University of Southampton. “The finding lends strong support for the case that food additives exacerbate hyperactive behaviors (inattention, impulsivity and overactivity) at least into middle childhood.”

In response to the study, the Food Standards Agency advised parents to monitor their children’s activity and, if they noted a marked change with food containing additives, to adjust their diets accordingly, eliminating artificial colors and preservatives.

But Professor Stevenson said it was premature to go further. “We’ve set up an issue that needs more exploration,” he said in a telephone interview.

In response to the study, some pediatricians cautioned that a diet without artificial colors and preservatives might cause other problems for children.

“Even if it shows some increase in hyperactivity, is it clinically significant and does it impact the child’s life?” said Dr. Thomas Spencer, a specialist in Pediatric Psychopharmacology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“Is it powerful enough that you want to ostracize your kid? It is very socially impacting if children can’t eat the things that their friends do.”

Still, Dr. Spencer called the advice of the British food agency “sensible,” noting that some children may be “supersensitive to additives” just as some people are more sensitive to caffeine.

The Lancet study focused on a variety of food colorings and on sodium benzoate, a common preservative. The researchers note that removing this preservative from food could cause problems in itself by increasing spoilage. In the six-week trial, researchers gave a randomly selected group of several hundred 3-year-olds and of 8- and 9-year-olds drinks with additives — colors and sodium benzoate — that mimicked the mix in children’s drinks that are commercially available. The dose of additives consumed was equivalent to that in one or two servings of candy a day, the researchers said. Their diet was otherwise controlled to avoid other sources of the additives.

A control group was given an additive-free placebo drink that looked and tasted the same.

All of the children were evaluated for inattention and hyperactivity by parents, teachers (for school-age children) and through a computer test. Neither the researchers nor the subject knew which drink any of the children had consumed.

The researchers discovered that children in both age groups were significantly more hyperactive and that they had shorter attention spans if they had consumed the drink containing the additives. The study did not try to link specific consumption with specific behaviors. The study’s authors noted that other research suggested that the hyperactivity could increase in as little as an hour after artificial additives were consumed.

The Lancet study could not determine which of the additives caused the poor performances because all the children received a mix. “This was a very complicated study, and it will take an even more complicated study to figure out which components caused the effect,” Professor Stevenson said.

Q & A: Sore?

2007-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Q: What causes muscle soreness and how is it best relieved?

A: There are two types of exercise-related muscle soreness. Immediate muscle soreness quickly dissipates and is the pain you feel during, or immediately after, exercise. Delayed muscle soreness signals a natural adaptive process that the body initiates following intense exercise. This type of muscle soreness manifests itself 24 to 48 hours after the exercise session and spontaneously decreases after 72 hours.

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the cause of delayed muscle soreness. The most current consensus attributes this condition to microscopic tears in the muscle and surrounding connective tissue following eccentric exercise. A muscle contracts eccentrically when it lengthens under tension during exercise. For example, during a biceps curl, the biceps muscle shortens during the concentric lifting phase and lengthens during the eccentric lowering phase. Eccentric contractions also occur during aerobic activity, such as downhill running, in which the quadriceps muscle repeatedly lengthens against gravity to lower the center of mass and aid in shock absorption.

Exercisers who experience delayed muscle soreness include conditioned individuals who increase the intensity, frequency or duration of their workouts, or participate in an activity with which they are unfamiliar. Beginning exercisers, or those who have undergone a significant lapse in training, frequently experience soreness when starting or re-engaging in an exercise regimen.

Studies attempting to identify the best methods to alleviate delayed muscle soreness are almost as abundant as the number of studies conducted to determine its cause. Cryotherapy (the topical application of ice), massage, stretching and the use of nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), among other less conventional approaches, have been evaluated to determine if they can prevent or effectively treat delayed muscle soreness. To date, a therapy that consistently relieves delayed muscle soreness has yet to be identified. On the other hand, a few of the aforementioned therapies may have a mild positive impact if initiated immediately after intense or unusual exercise.

Once an individual has experienced delayed muscle soreness at a specific exercise intensity, he or she shouldn't encounter that sensation again until the intensity level is increased. This is because delayed muscle soreness has been shown to produce a rapid adaptation response, which means that the muscles adapt to a given exercise intensity level. Until (or unless) the exercise intensity level is changed, soreness won't occur. This factor is the basis for the most widely recommended approach to preventing delayed muscle soreness: gradual progression and conservative increases in intensity, frequency and duration. Preliminary light exercise may prevent the onset of soreness following a heavy eccentric-exercise workout. Beginners should exercise with light weights, two to three times per week for one to two months, then gradually increase the intensity of their workouts. Conditioned exercisers who want to try a new workout or activity also should begin gradually, taking care not to be overzealous in how hard they exert themselves- particularly until their bodies adapt to the demands imposed upon them.

Source: Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, ACE's Chief Science Officer; ACE FitnessMatters, Jan/Feb 2007.

Healthy Recipe: Shiitake mushroom & veggie stir-fry

2007-08-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 T Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1 1/2 C (1/2 lb) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 t minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 carrots grated
1 c bean sprouts
1 1/2 c (1/2 lb) sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 t cornstarch
1 1/2 t reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 c brown or wild rice, prepared according to package directions

Directions

In a large skillet or wok, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper slices, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly so they don't burn. If they start to burn or brown, pour a little vegetable both into skillet. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, snap peas, bean sprouts, and scallions to the skillet. Stir-fry about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into soy sauce, then add the mixture to the pan.
Pour in the vegetable broth cook for aout 2 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Serve over rice.

Note: the calorie count for this recipe is based on a serving of 3/4 c veggies and 3/4 c rice, and, quite frankly, I'm a little irked at Shape Magazine. Flip a ahead five pages and you can read a great article about grains and healthy carbs and Shape correctly notes that 1/3 c of grains counts as a serving size. Do yourself a favor when serving this dish, use the standard 1/3 c serving of rice, and load up on extra veggies. To pack in more protein, chop up a block of pre-seasoned, baked tofu and add it to the first step. Have 1/2 or one whole block per serving. One block adds less than 100 calories and about 16 grams of protein.

Nutritional Information
based on 3/4 c veggies, 3/4 c rice
338 kcal
10g fat
1g saturated fat
54 g carbs
11 g protein
6 g fiber
97 g calcium
3 mg iron

To Medicate or Note to Medicate

2007-08-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

The Worst Time to Pop A Pill

Yesterday's run has you feeling sore today, but don't reach for an over-the-counter pain reliever just yet. Anti-inflammatories may inhibit your muscles' rebuilding process, which means you might not get stronger, says Abigail Mackey, Ph.D., a researcher at the Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen in Denmark who studied the drugs' effect on long-distance runners. After taking a pain reliever daily for four days before and eight days after a 22-mile run, the athletes experienced no increase in the cells associated with muscle growth and repair. However, those who took a placebo had 27 percent more of those muscle-supporting cells, according to the study. It's okay to take an anti-inflammatory for occasional aches, just don't make it a habit. (An always-safe way to reduce stiffness: light exercise like walking.) And remember, mild soreness is your muscles' way of reminding you that they're getting toned.

Q & A: Hydration and Running

2007-08-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Q: Do I need to drink on runs that are less than an hour long?

A: It depends a lot on the weather. You can get by without fluids on easy runs on cool mornings, but go without during a hard, 50-minute effort on a midsummer afternoon, and you’ll likely pay a price. You may fatigue sooner, recover more slowly, or even temporarily put your body in “stress mode,” which affects the immune system. Studies repeatedly show that losing 1 to 1.5 percent of body weight through fluid lost can hinder performance, and it’s easy for most of us to lose that in warm conditions in less than an hour. Hydration needs vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is to drink about two ounces (a couple of mouthfuls) every 10 minutes during warm-weather runs. –John Seifert, Ph.D.

Use the same guidelines at the gym. If you are sweating a lot, you should be replacing fluids. Sports drink vs. water? If your workouts are of moderate intensity or less and under 2 hours long, water should be just fine.

Runners: Wait or Weight at the Gym

2007-08-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

“Many runners don’t weight train out of fear of bulking up and slowing down, but if you focus on muscular endurance, it can help your running. I use light weight and high reps… I lift three times a week; it’s about quality, not quantity.”

Desiraye Osburn, eight in 2007 USA Cross-Country Championship

Zero Doesn't Mean Zero

2007-08-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

(If you know me, you know how adamant, almost fanatical, I am about avoiding hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. You've probably heard my warnings and, hopefully, have been reading food labels at my urging. If not, please read the below article. Hopefully, the recent media coverage will help convince you. For more information on hydrogenated oils and their health risks, please search my blog (label: "trans fat") or do your own online search.)

Zero Trans Fat Doesn't Always Mean Zero

By STEPHANIE NANO, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Stroll the aisles of any grocery store and you're sure to spot labels declaring "zero grams trans fat" on the front of snack foods, cookies and crackers. But does zero really mean there's NO artery-clogging fat inside?

Maybe, maybe not.

Federal regulations allow food labels to say there's zero grams of trans fat as long as there's less than half a gram per serving. And many packages contain more than what's considered one serving.

"The problem is that often people eat a lot more than one serving," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Harvard School of Public Health. "In fact, many people eat two to three servings at a time."

Those small amounts of trans fat can add up, said Michael Jacobson of the consumer advocacy Center for Science in the Public Interest. To find out if there might be some trans fat, he said shoppers can check the list of ingredients to see if partially hydrogenated oil — the primary source of trans fat — is included.

"When it says zero grams, that means something different from no trans fat," said Jacobson. His group has urged the government to bar food producers from using any partially hydrogenated oils at all.

The Food and Drug Administration began forcing food companies to list the amount of trans fat on nutrition labels of packaged foods in January 2006. That led many companies to switch to alternative fats.

Trans fat occurs naturally in some dairy and meat products, but the main source is partially hydrogenated oils, formed when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to harden them.

Consumer groups and health officials have campaigned to get rid of trans fat because it contributes to heart disease by raising levels of LDL or bad cholesterol while lowering HDL or good cholesterol. Fast-food restaurants are switching to trans fat-free oils and New York City and Philadelphia are forcing restaurants to phase out their use of trans fat.

The American Heart Association recommends that people limit trans fats to less than 2 grams per day.

Julie Moss of the FDA's Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, said the half-gram threshold for labeling was adopted because it is difficult to measure trans fat at low levels and the same half-gram limit is used for listing saturated fat. She said the FDA would soon be doing consumer research on trans fat labeling, including whether a footnote such as "Keep your intake of trans fat as low as possible" should be added to food labels.

Robert Earl of the Grocery Manufacturers Association said any trans fat in products labeled zero trans fat is likely to be far less than the half-gram threshold. For example, he said, a little partially hydrogenated oil might be used to help seasoning stick.

"I think the industry has been extremely responsive. Most of them were ahead of the curve to either remove or reduce trans fat in most food products," he said.

Earl said shoppers should be looking at the entire food label.

Jacobson is also concerned that people are focusing too much on the trans fat content alone, and not considering other ingredients such as saturated fat, which also raises the risk of heart disease.

"The bigger problem is foods that have no labels at all," Mozaffarian said, citing food served not only at restaurants, but at bakeries, cafeterias and schools.

New York resident Diana Fiorini said she's just recently started paying attention to labels. Holding a box of microwave popcorn at a Manhattan store, she scanned the label and was happy to see that it listed zero grams trans fat.

"I look at the labels. It's still hard to stop yourself when you know you should," she said.

Food Spotlight: Berries

2007-08-16T21:59:00.001-07:00

If you've eaten fresh berries over the past 9 months, chances are you paid too much and tasted too little. But with the rise in temps comes an end to sky-high prices and lackluster fruit. Berries are the ultimate summer superfood, dense with antioxidants and other powerful nutrients that defend against everything from cancer to memory loss. You've done smoothies, now try a simple compote: combine 2 cups of berries in a sauce pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook on low for 10 minutes. Serve warm over a scoop of ice cream or in place o syrup with your next batch of flapjacks. (whole grain, right?)

Calcium Intake and Nursing

2007-08-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Japanese researchers recently found that consuming too-little calcium while nursing could accelerate the progression of gum disease. "Fluctuating hormone elves during and after pregnancy makes women more vulnerable to inflamed, infected gums," explains Susan Karabin, D.D.S., president-elect of the American Academy of Periodontology. "This condition will only worsen if women don't get enough calcium to help build and maintain the bones surrounding their teeth." To avoid your own dental problems, aim for three servings of dairy, fortified juice, or leafy green vegetables, which will meet most of the 1,000-milligram minimum you need every day (though a 500-milligram supplement may provide extra stay-healthy insurance). And even when middle-of-the-night feedings leave you too exhausted to brush your hair, never skip the twice-daily teeth brushing and flossing sessions, says Karabin. This, along with frequent professional cleanings, will get rid of infection-causing plaque and safeguard your smile.

Like the Sensor, Hate the Shoe?

2007-08-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Envious of the Nike+Ipod Kit but can't bring yourself to part with your Saucony or New Balance shoes? Visit www.shoepouch.com for a handy little pocket that will let you use the Ipod Kit with the shoe of your choice.

Q & A: Out of breath...

2007-08-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Q: I've been running for a few weeks, but I still get winded easily. How can I avoid this?

A: Try a longer, more gradual warmup. Your heart, lungs, and muscles simply need a gentler introduction to running. First, walk for three to five minutes. When you start running, keep the pace easy--one or two minutes per mile slower than you usually run. Also, insert one-minute walk breaks every one or two minutes for about 15 minutes. After that you should be able to gradually increase to your normal training pace without getting winded.

Useful Calculators

2007-07-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Go, Speedracer, Go!
If you don't own the Nike Sport Kit and would rather not break out your handy calculator to figure out how fast you're running, visit this Arkansasrunner.com . Caloriecontrol.org provides some easy calculators to estimate the amount of calories you burned. Ironmate.co.uk gives a good breakdown of calorie expenditure for the different triathlon components performed at different speeds. It also notes that the calories used "are based on economical efficient movements" and "calories estimates are [only] approximate. Please keep this fact in mind whenever you use calorie calculators/estimators.

The same holds true for the devises you use to keep track of your exercise, such as pedometers, treadmills, heart rate monitors, or the Nike Sport Kit. While my clients know that I'm not one to recommend unnecessary gear , I actually like the Sport Kit. While it isn't all that accurate when running steep hills (a definite minus in San Francisco), it does provide some good motivational tools: Nike website records your progress, speed, and accomplishments as well as plan virtual races with your friends. If that gets you moving, it's worth the $30.

My Opinion: Obesity is Contagious?

2007-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I would like to say that this is a gross misuse of the word "contagious," and to me the study seems to be anecdotal science at best.

Perhaps the article should have began: Bad habits can "spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When a person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too."

Consider the following paragraphs, and how they fail to support the word choice "contagious":

There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less influence than friends.

Proximity did not seem to matter: the influence of the friend remained even if the friend was hundreds of miles away. And the greatest influence of all was between mutual close friends. There, if one became obese, the odds of the other becoming obese were nearly tripled.

If "contagion" in the true sense was a concern, then wouldn't proximity matter? If only genetics were to blame, then family members would have more, not less, influence than friends. Contagion, hardly. Think instead of influence.

Our parents might have been on to something (shocking!) when they were concerned about whether or not we were hanging out with the wrong crowd. They did not want us becoming desensitized to the other teens' bad habits: smoking, drinking, &c. In the case of gaining weight, perhaps the bad habits off less fit friends that are easy to assume would be larger portion sizes, snacking, extra helpings, and tempting but unhealthy food choices. People who are friends with each other tend to share common interests which are reinforced through shared experiences. If you're trying to become healthier and spending a lot of time with an unfit friend whose favorite activities include watching a videos or playing x-box, it wouldn't be surprising if you gained weight. This influence works both ways. A client mentioned that one of the pluses of her work environment was that her coworkers are fit and like to partake in group activities such as kayaking, hiking, and sports.

So don't panic when you read the headline about obesity being contagious. If obesity was truly a matter of infection and not the result of more complicated factors, wouldn't doctors, dietitians & nutritionists, and personal trainers be the first to fall ill? If you have friends who are obese don't worry about catching obesity from them, but be open to exposing them your positive influence and healthy lifestyle choices. Fitness and health can be catchy too.

I've highlighted some parts of the article (which I've included in its entirety following this post) that are interesting.

Controversial New York Times Article On Obesity

2007-07-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Study Says Obesity Can Be Contagious

By GINA KOLATA

Published: July 25, 2007

Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When a person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too

Their study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 until 2003. The investigators knew who was friends with whom, as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades. That let them examine what happened over the years as some individuals became obese. Did their friends also become obese? Did family members or neighbors?

The answer, the researchers report, was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent.

There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less influence than friends.

The same effect seemed to occur for weight loss, the investigators say. But since most people were gaining, not losing, over the 32 years of the study, the result was an obesity epidemic.

Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a physician and professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School and a principal investigator in the new study, says one explanation is that friends affect each others’ perception of fatness. When a close friend becomes obese, obesity may not look so bad.

“You change your idea of what is an acceptable body type by looking at the people around you,” Dr. Christakis said.

The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years — each person who became obese was likely to drag some friends with them.

Their analysis was unique, Dr. Christakis said, because it moved beyond a simple analysis of one person and his or her social contacts, and instead examined an entire social network at once, looking at how a person’s friend’s friend’s friends, or spouse’s sibling’s friends, could have an influence on a person’s weight. The effects, Dr. Christakis said, “highlight the importance of a spreading process, a kind of social contagion, that spreads through the network.”

Of course, the investigators say, social networks are not the only factors that affect body weight. There is a strong genetic component at work as well.

Science has shown that individuals have genetically determined ranges of weights, spanning perhaps 30 or so pounds for each person. But that leaves a large role for the environment in determining whether a person’s weight is near the top of his or her range or near the bottom. As people have gotten fatter, it appears that many are edging toward the top of their ranges. The question has been why.

If the new research is correct, it may mean that something in the environment seeded what many call an obesity epidemic, leading a few people to gain weight. Then social networks let the obesity spread rapidly.

It also may mean that the way to avoid becoming fat is to avoid having fat friends.

That is not the message they meant to convey, say the study investigators, Dr. Christakis and his colleague, James Fowler, an associate professor of political science at the University of California in San Diego.

You don’t want to lose a friend who becomes obese, Dr. Christakis said. Friends are good for your overall health, he explains. So why not make friends with a thin person, he suggests, and let the thin person’s behavior influence you and your obese friend?

That answer does not satisfy obesity researchers like Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

“I think there’s a great risk here in blaming obese people even more for things that are caused by a terrible environment,” Dr. Brownell said.

On average, the investigators said, their rough calculations show that a person who became obese gained 17 pounds, and the newly obese person’s friend gained 5. But some gained less or did not gain weight at all, while others gained much more.

Those extra pounds were added onto the natural increases in weight that occur when people get older. What usually happened was that peoples’ weights got high enough to push them over the boundary, a body mass index of 30, that divides overweight and obese. (For example, a six-foot-tall man who went from 220 pounds to 225 would go from being overweight to obese.)

While other researchers were surprised by the findings, Dr. Christakis said the big surprise for him was that he could do the study at all. He got the idea from talk of an obesity epidemic.

“One day I said, ‘Maybe it really is an epidemic. Maybe it spreads from person to person,’ ” Dr. Christakis recalled.

It was only by chance that he discovered a way to find out. He learned that the data he needed were contained in a large federal study of heart disease, the Framingham Heart Study, that had followed the population of Framingham, Mass. for decades, keeping track of nearly every one of its participants.

The study’s records included each participant’s address and the names of family members. In order for the researchers to be sure they did not lose track of their subjects, each was asked to name a close friend who would know where they were at the time of their next exam, in roughly four years. Since much of the town and most of the subjects’ relatives were participating, the data contained all that Dr. Christakis and his colleagues needed to reconstruct the social network and follow it for 32 years.

Their research has taken obesity specialists and social scientists aback. But many say the finding is pathbreaking, and can shed new light on how and why people have gotten so fat so fast.

“It is an extraordinarily subtle and sophisticated way of getting a handle on aspects of the environment that are not normally considered,” said Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity researcher at Columbia University.

Dr. Richard Suzman, who directs the office of behavioral and social research programs at the National Institute on Aging, called it “one of the most exciting studies to come out of medical sociology in decades.” The institute financed the study.

But Dr. Stephen O’Rahilly, an obesity researcher at the University of Cambridge, said the uniqueness of the Framingham data will make it hard to replicate the new findings. No other study that he knows of includes the same kinds of long-term and detailed data on social interactions.

“I don’t want to look like an old curmudgeon, but when you come upon things that inherently look a bit implausible, you raise the bar for standards of proof,” Dr. O’Rahilly says. “Good science is all about replication, but it is hard to see how science will ever replicate this.”

“Boy, is the Framingham study unique,” Dr. O'Rahilly said.

The Buzz: BMI

2007-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Some of my clients have asked me my opinion about BMI, or Body Mass Index. I don't mention it often or use it to measure their progress, but it's still making headlines in the news and magazines, nonetheless.

Fitness Matters, the American Council on Exercise's professional journal, does a great job of
describing the limitations of using BMI in its May / June issue.

BMI has several significant drawbacks. It can give a skewed result for some individuals and subgroups of the population. Jay Hoffman, a professor of health and exercise science at the College of New Jersey, says that BMI's main drawback is that "it just indexes height versus weight and doesn't take into account body composition."

Bodybuilders and elite athletes end up with a high BMI score because of the extra weight associated with muscle. So do fit civilians. (The article's author, Jim Gerard notes that while he is) hardly a body builder, but (he) work(s) out every day and at 6'2" and 210 pounds, (he has) a BMI result that puts (him) in the "overweight" category despite the fact that he has a 34" waist and a flat stomach. Conversely, taller people carrying a lot of fat may have a body mass index score that falls within the acceptable range.
BMI can also skew results in the opposite direction, as it does in the elderly, who tend to have scores that underestimate their excess weight or obesity because they have much less muscle than the average person.
Miller adds that BMI is not accurate when measuring the body composition of children or some small-boned women who, despite being petite, may have a small bone and muscle mass and a high percentage of body fat.
Another limitation of BMI is that it doesn't address the location of one's body fat, which is arguably a more telling indicator of overall disease risk. Abdominal fat in particular is linked o heart disease, poor lipid profiles and type 2 diabetes. And it's more likely to lead to changes in hormone levels that cause inflamed and eventually clogged arteries. Miller says, "The theory is that abdominal fat is more mobile and that it enters the circulation more readily to form arterial plaques."
Therefore, it's quite possible to have an acceptable BMI while carrying a potentially dangerous spare tire. And certain groups of people--those from Japan and south Asia, for example--that tend to stay relatively slender can still have an increased risk of heart disease from storing unhealthy amounts of abdominal fat.

Eat This, Heal... A Pulled Muscle

2007-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

So you've pulled a hamstring.

Your body needs: protein and potassium for muscle repair; plus anthocyanins (plant compounds) and omega-3 fats to reduce inflammation.

Eat this: Grilled salmon over wild rice, 1-2 cups cooked broccoli. Or plain or vanilla yogurt topped with blueberries.

Skip the Soda

2007-07-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Study Links Diet Soft Drinks With Cardiac Risk

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter,

HealthDay

Posted: 2007-07-23 16:11:02

MONDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking more than one soda a day -- even if it's the sugar-free diet kind -- is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a study finds.

The link to diet soda found in the study was "striking" but not entirely a surprise, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, study senior author and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. There had been some hints of it in earlier studies, he said.

"But this is the first study to show the association in a prospective fashion and in a large population," Vasan said.

That population consisted of more than 6,000 participants in the Framingham Heart Study, which has been following residents of a Massachusetts town since 1948. When the soda portion of the study began, all participants were free of metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors including high blood pressure, elevated levels of the blood fats called triglycerides, low levels of the artery-protecting HDL cholesterol, high fasting blood sugar levels and excessive waist circumference. Metabolic syndrome is the presence of three or more of these risk factors.

Over the four years of the study, people who consumed more than one soft drink of any kind a day were 44 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who didn't drink a soda a day.

The findings are published in the July 24 issue of the journal Circulation.

A variety of explanations, none proven, have been proposed for the link between diet soft drink consumption and metabolic syndrome, Vasan said. That association was evident even when the researchers accounted for other factors, such as levels of saturated fat and fiber in the diet, total calorie intake, smoking and physical activity.

One theory is that the high sweetness of all soft drinks makes a person more prone to eat sugary, fattening foods. Another is that the caramel content of soft drinks promotes metabolic changes that lead to insulin resistance. "These are hotly debated by nutritional experts," Vasan said.

Vasan, who noted that he is not a nutritional expert, said he leans toward the theory that "this is a marker of dietary behavior" -- that people who like to drink sweet soda also like to eat the kind of foods that cardiac nutritionists warn against.

"But we cannot infer causality," Vasan said, meaning there is no proof that soda itself is the villain. "We have an association. Maybe it is a causal one or maybe it is a marker of something else."

Carefully controlled animal studies might resolve the cause-and-effect issue, he said.

Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which funds the Framingham Heart Study, said in a prepared statement: "Other studies have shown that the extra calories and sugar in soft drinks contribute to weight gain, and therefore heart disease risk. This study echoes those findings by extending the link to all soft drinks and the metabolic syndrome."

Dr. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said, "There is no safe way of eating junk food, just as we learned the lesson from trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils often found in fat-free or low-fat cookies. Diet soda does not protect us from the development of what we are trying to avoid by consuming it."

More information

Learn more about metabolic syndrome at the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Ramachandran Vasan, M.D., professor of medicine, Boston University; Suzanne R. Steinbaum, M.D., director, Women and Heart Disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; July 24, 2007, Circulation

2007-07-07T12:43:00.001-07:00

Eat This, Heal... A Broken Bone

Don't forget, a broken bone doesn't necessarily mean you can't work out at all. Talk with your doctor or physical therapist and see if you can get the green light to continue seeing your trainer.
Your body needs: Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus to help bone rebuild itself.

You should eat: A fruit smoothie made with 1 cup calcium- and vitamin-d- fortified orange juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt, and 1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds.

Metabolism Booster

2007-07-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Tip: Maintain Your Metabolism

You've been reading about the benefits of exercise, but here's some news about diet. Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism reveals some interesting nutritional information in the June issue of Shape.

Are you getting enough selenium and vitamin D?
Research shows that a diet low in either of these nutrients may affect your thyroid's ability to produce metabolism-regulating hormones. You can get the recommended 55 micrograms of selenium a day with foods like tuna, turkey, and cottage cheese. You need a daily dose of 400IU of vitamin D, which is found in fortified lowfat milk and salmon.

Fitness and Parenting

2007-07-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

All Child-Play and No Workouts Make Dad an Unfit Boy

Below is an excerpt for a great article in the NYTimes, which explores how becoming a parent can affect a person's workouts and fitness routines. Click here for the whole article.

THEY count among their ranks former marathoners and Ironmen, beached surfers and scuba divers. They lay off red meat and trans fats. They stay current on annual physicals and take their medications as prescribed.

And yet, this group of the once-fit finds itself at risk of becoming unhealthy and stacking on the pounds, because of one threat to their physical fitness: children.

...

Too many Americans have an all-or-nothing mentality toward fitness, said Dr. Harvey B. Simon, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. If they can’t find a 45-minute window to bike, they don’t substitute by strapping on a BabyBjörn and taking a stroll.

“There is a very common misconception, one that is shared by physicians as well as by the public, that exercise requires a set amount of time and a formal program,” said Dr. Simon, who has two grown daughters. “I’m fond of saying that the aerobic exercise movement inspired the few and discouraged the many.”

Heart-healthy exercise can take many forms (gardening, car washing, stair climbing) and needn’t be done in continuous chunks to be beneficial, said Dr. Simon, the author of “The No Sweat Exercise Plan.”

Having three and a half hours of exercise to lose puts the study’s participants well above the norm, said Janet Fulton, an epidemiologist in the division of nutrition and physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control. After all, three-quarters of Americans don’t meet the minimum requirement of two and a half hours a week, she said.

Still, cutting back on exercise as a new parent has hidden costs. “Reducing their activity in this critical period of time is probably not going to help their adjustment in terms of a new person in their house,” Dr. Fulton said. “The long-term stuff, the chronic-disease risk reduction, is great, but immediately, they’re not getting the mental-health benefit.”

For those parents who can’t stomach exercise, however, their children serve as a bulletproof cop-out. When single or childless people say they have no time to exercise, it can ring hollow. But a mother of three? Watch those heads nod in sympathy.

Reluctant exercisers use parenthood as “an excuse to not do it at all,” said Dana Wood, a mother and the health and beauty director for Cookie, a parenting magazine.

Q & A: What does "working in" mean?

2007-06-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

If someone at the gym asks you if he can "work in," don't glare at him for making an indecent proposal. He's just asking if he can share the equipment in between sets.

If someone inquires as to how many sets you have left, it's good manners to ask if he or she would like to work in. This shouldn't interfere with your workout, and it could be a great way to meet a potential gym buddy or workout partner.

Cut the Sliced Bread (Out)

2007-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Any way you slice it, white bread isn't a good choice. A new Italian study concluded that eating more than four slices of white bread a day doubles your risk of developing kidney cancer. The reason: "White bread, like other refined grains, has a high glycemic index," says study author Francesca Bravi, ScD. "That means it raises blood sugar and insulin levels, which may spur the growth of cancer cells." Consider this yet another to curb your carb intake, as well as to make sure the bread you do eat is made with 100 percent whole grains.

Drug Warning for Expectant Mothers

2007-06-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Drug Warning! Women who take anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aleve, Advil, Motrin, Celebrex or Vioxx, during their first trimester of pregnancy may be more likely to have babies with congenital defects, especially heart abnormalities. Previous studies have shown that taking NSAIDs late in pregnancy can cause circulatory defects. For relief of minor pain during pregnancy, most doctors recommend Tylenol.

How Does Your Waistline Matter? Let Us Count the Ways.

2007-06-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

NYTimes Explores Obesity

AT age 39, with diabetes and high blood pressure in her family, Linda M. was starting to worry about her weight and its health consequences. She was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds, which placed her in the overweight category, according to the standard definition. Although she was not officially obese, she said, “I realized I was not at my ideal weight.”

But Linda was in for a surprise during an appointment last fall with Dr. Judith Korner, an obesity specialist at Columbia University. Instead of weighing her, Dr. Korner whipped out a tape measure and measured her waist.

It was 35 inches, putting her in a danger zone, Dr. Korner explained. An overweight woman with a waist 35 inches or larger, or an overweight man with at least a 40-inch waist, is at increased risk for diabetes and heart disease.
“That was an education,” said Linda M., who did not want her last name revealed because of her weight. “I did not realize that my waist determined my future risk.”

Obesity specialists differ on what measurements are best.

Linda’s body mass index, or B.M.I., for example, was 27.4, far from the obesity category, which starts at 30. She would have to weigh 185 pounds to have a B.M.I. that high. (For comparison, a man who is six feet tall and weighs 221 pounds is considered obese.)

If a doctor were to use B.M.I. exclusively to evaluate Linda, the conclusion would be that her weight was not a serious health risk. She had only one risk factor for heart disease — a high level of triglycerides — and the guidelines for B.M.I. say that overweight people need two factors, like high triglycerides and a high cholesterol or blood pressure levels, to be considered at serious risk.

B.M.I. has limitations. Muscular men might have high B.M.I.’s, which make them seem fatter than they are. Old people often have deceptively low B.M.I.’s because they have lost so much muscle in the aging process.

In Linda M.’s case, adding her waist measurement to her B.M.I. indicates a high health risk, according to guidelines published by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. For Dr. Korner, the test is useful in assessing if people like Linda M. — overweight but in a gray zone — face a true health risk? If her waist had been less than 35 inches, Dr. Korner would have been less concerned.

Dr. Ned Calonge, chairman of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, said the panel preferred B.M.I. measurements to determine whether people are fat enough to place their health at risk. For most adults, he explained, B.M.I. “is more feasible or has better validity than other measures.”

But, Dr. Calonge added, it is not enough to simply diagnose someone as obese. The goal should be better health.

And the problem with testing for obesity, using B.M.I. or anything else, is that the sort of counseling most patients get from their doctors has not been shown to improve health, Dr. Calonge said.

“You now have a, quote, diagnosis,” Dr. Calonge said. And there is at least fair evidence from research that intense and expensive counseling about diet and exercise can help people lose weight and improve conditions that place them at risk for heart disease. But, he added, “it is uncertain whether less intense interventions have any impact at all.”

For Madelyn Fernstrom, the director of the Health System Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the goal of a medical exam is not to document how fat someone is but to rule out rare metabolic conditions that might be causing the weight problem. An exam also helps to determine whether there are associated medical conditions that should be treated, like diabetes or high cholesterol or blood pressure.

As for Linda M., waist measurement made the difference.

“After that, I got myself in gear,” she said. “I tried to eat less sugar and healthier snacks; I was more conscious of what I was selecting.”

She lost 20 pounds and a couple of inches from her waist. Her triglycerides are lower, yet still a bit high. But, she says, as she sees it, with a smaller waist, “I’m out of the danger zone.”
Talk To Your Doctor:

What is my body mass index?
What does it tell me about my health risk?
Does my waist size put me at higher risk for medical problems?
Are there metabolic conditions that might be causing me to gain weight?
Where can I go for practical advice on how to improve my diet and an exercise regimen to lose weight?

Eat This, Heal... Muscle Cramps

2007-06-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

The most common cause of cramping is dehydration. Muscle twitches often indicate low potassium.

Your body needs: Fluid; plus electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride to maintain a balance in your muscles.

You should eat: Lots of melon. Try a quick salad made with 1 cup of chopped watermelon mixed with 1 cup of chopped cantaloupe.

(Personally, I like to drizzle a little balsamic on my watermelon. Also, I keep bananas handy in case of muscle twitches.)

Hot Topic

2007-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Research shows that a little spice can go a long way...

Prevent diabetes: Australian researchers found that women who ate chili sauce daily had lower spikes in their blood sugar (glucose) levels after meals than those with blander diets. More stable glucose levels reduce diabetes risk.

Stave off Alzheimer's: Curry contains tumeric, which is high in curcumin. According to a study published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, this antioxidant helps sweep away amino acids that can build up in your brain's blood vessels. Over time, these blockages can lead to dementia.

Protect against obesity: Early research from Taiwan found that chili peppers' capaicin may reduce the number of fat cells your body produces.

Tip: Metabolism Booster

2007-06-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

EAT MORE!
This doesn't mean you should heap more food on your plate. Eating more frequent but smaller meals increases RMR (resting metabolic rate) higher than eating the same amount of calories spread over fewer meals.

from Hers Muscle and Fitness

Healthy Recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Skewers

2007-06-12T14:57:00.001-07:00

Serve these as appetizers or on top of a bed of stir fried veggies as a main course.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, minced
1 stalk lemongrass, inner leaves only, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 jalapeno peppers, split, seeds removed
1 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1 lime
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

Directions:

Combine the garlic, onion, lemongrass, ginger, peppers, cilantro, fish sauce, sugar, and lime in a saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, then take off the stove and cool. Toss the chicken into the marinate for 1-2 hours. Skewer the chicken cubes and grill them for 3-4 minutes a side until they're firm and lightly charred. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information, per serving: 112 Calories 16 grams protein 11 grams carbohydrates 1 gram fat <1>

The Gall of Flab

2007-06-12T14:54:00.001-07:00

If your belly keeps making a comeback, you may be gaining more than a few pounds: University of Kentucky researchers recently found that men who yo-yo diet are 76% more likely to develop galls tones than those who maintain consistent weight. In fact, the more frequent and severe your body-weight swings, the greater your risk. The scientists aren't sure why weight cycling causes gallstone formation but note that it was specifically related to fluctuating fat levels.

Food Spotlight: Red Bell Peppers

2007-06-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Red Bell Peppers taste best during the summer and early fall, so enjoy now!

1 Cup Contains:
39 calories 2 grams protein 9 grams carbs 3 grams fiber 0 grams fat

When you look at the nutritional information, it's clear to see why you need more of this tasty vegetable in your diet. Besides simply snacking on sliced raw peppers, here are some more suggestions: grilled; blended in a food processor with low fat sour cream, salt, and pepper for a tasty sauce or healthy dip; stuffed with low-fat ground beef and rice; on kebabs.

Facts:
Red peppers contain

nearly 20% of your daily requirement of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that heads off cell damage by busting free radicals that roam your blood stream.
more immune-boosting vitamin C than oranges and almost twice the amount as their green cousins.
beta-carotene which your body uses to manufacture vitamin A, lycopene, which gives the red peppers their hue, has been shown to lower the incidence of certain cancers.

Calorie Calculator

2007-05-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has a feature that lets you estimate the number of calories you need to consume to reach your goal weight.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/caloriecounter.html

Decode your Cravings

2007-05-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Nan Kathryn Fuchs, Ph.D., author of The Health Detective's 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets, helps you understand your cravings in Shape magazine's June issue.

If you're craving: Gummy Bears
You may need: Protein
Why?: "Having a hankering for sugary carbs is a signal that your body wants energy," says Fuchs. For a longer-lasting boost, try to get at least 15 grams of protein at ever meal from fish, beans, or lean meat.

If you're craving: Chocolate
You may need: Magnesium
Why?: Chocolate is high in heart-healthy magnesium. "Levels dip during a woman's period," says Fuchs. Aim for at least 300 milligrams of the mineral a day, about the amount in a cup of black beans and a cup of cooked spinach.

If you're craving: French Fries
You may need: Good Fat
Why? Jonesing for greasy foods? Your likely coming up short on healthy fatty acids. Incorporate them into meals by drizzling a tablespoon of olive oil over your salad or veggies, or eat several servings of fish a week.

If you're craving: Salty Pretzels
You may need: B Vitamins
Why? When our adrenal gland, which produces stress hormones, goes into overdrive, so does your desire for salt. To avoid too much sodium, snack on bananas or whole-grain crackers, which contain stress-relieving B vitamins.

Healthy Recipe: Grilled Tuna Steaks with Pineapple-Chili Relish

2007-05-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 6 ounce yellow fin tuna steaks, about 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon chopped red chili with seeds (or less, to taste)
3 cups fresh diced pineapple (or 2 cups crushed pineapple canned in juice, drained)
3/4 teaspoon sugar

Preheat grill or broiler. In a large baking dish, combine 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, half the garlic, salt and pepper. Cover the tuna steaks with the mixture until well coated on each side. Set aside.
In a large stainless steel or nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Saute scallions, chilies, and remaining garlic for 30 seconds. Add pineapple and stir for about 1-2 minutes, or until pineapple is thoroughly warmed through. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar and remaining vinegar. Set aside.
Place tuna steaks on preheated grill or broiler pan. Cook 4 inches from heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Top with relish and serve.

Nutritional Information, per serving (1 steak with 1/2 cup relish)
307 kcal
7 grams fat
18 grams carbohydrates
40 grams protein
2 grams iron
66 grams calcium

Can You Pinch More than an Inch?

2007-05-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

The scale may say that you're slim, but your frame may still be carrying too much body fat, says Michele Olson, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at Auburn University. "Women with little muscle tone may not be overweight but still have unhealthy levels of body fat," she explains. A new Italian study found that normal weight women with higher than 30% body fat are at greater risk for heart disease. To learn you fat level, try one of two tests available at many gyms: calipers, which assess skin thickness at key areas, and bioimpedance devices, which send an undetectable electrical current through the body to read the ratio of fat to other tissue. Both are reasonably accurate when used by a trained professional.

Diet and Infertility

2007-05-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Diet News You Need To Know
Eating just 4 grams of trans fat a day--the amount you might find in a half of a medium serving of french fries or one Krispy Kreme glazed donut--can more than double your risk of infertility, according to a new study. "Trans fats increase insulin resistance, which has been show to negatively affect ovulation in some otherwise healthy woman, says study author Jorge Chavarro, M.D., a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health. To reduce your intake of these artery clogging fats, look beyond the nutrition label. "A product can claim it has zero trans fats if it has anything less than half a gram," he say. To make sure a snack is really trans-fat free, double check that the ingredients list is clear of anything "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated".

Strength training may reverse muscle aging

2007-05-27T02:16:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Strength training may not only make older adults' muscles stronger, but younger as well, a small study suggests.

It's well known that resistance exercises improve muscle strength and function in young and old alike, but the new research suggests that strength training also affects older muscles on the level of gene expression -- essentially turning back the clock on muscle aging.

The study, published in the online journal PLoS One, looked at whether strength training affects the "gene expression profile" in older adults' muscle. Genes hold the instructions from which the body manufactures proteins; gene expression refers to the processes that translate these instructions into proteins.

Analyzing small samples of muscle tissue from a group of healthy young and older adults, researchers found that older and younger muscle tissues differed significantly in their gene expression profiles. The difference indicated that older muscle tissue had impaired functioning in mitochondria -- structures within cells that act as the cell's "powerhouse."

That impairment was reversible, however. After 14 of the older adults underwent 6 months of strength training, the gene expression profile in their muscles showed a more youthful appearance.

"In a very real sense, the muscle was younger," said lead study author Dr. Simon Melov of the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, California.

Experts have long known that exercise is good for younger and older adults alike, Melov told Reuters, but the new findings suggest that it can "actually rejuvenate muscle" in older individuals.

The study included 25 healthy men and women older than 65, and 26 healthy adults ages 20 to 35 who had diet and exercise habits similar to the older group. By analyzing muscle tissue from each volunteer, Melov's team found age-related differences in the expression of hundreds of genes -- such that mitochondrial function in older adults appeared "dramatically impaired."

Fourteen of the older adults then went through a strength training program, working out two days a week for 6 months.

As expected, the researchers found that these volunteers boosted their muscle strength, coming closer to their younger counterparts' performance. But their muscle also showed a turnaround in gene expression that Melov described as surprisingly stark.

He said more studies are needed to see whether aerobic exercise, like walking or cycling, has similar effects on muscle -- and whether exercise might reverse molecular aging in other types of body tissue.

For now, the researchers say, their findings show that it's never too late to start exercising.

Bounce Back from a Diet Slip

2007-05-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

You may view missing a week of exercise or grabbing a doughnut when you've been trying to lose weight as a failure. But this all-or-nothing outlook can actually undermine your future success, says Carol Tavris, Ph.D., a Los Angeles-based social psychologist and co-author of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me). "When you feel disappointed in yourself, pay attention to the way you explain your behavior," she says. "Thoughts or statements like 'I have no willpower' or 'I knew I'd never stick to a diet' are self-defeating and could lead you to repeat the very actions you hoped to change." Instead, admit that you screwed up and take a moment to realize that doing so was natural. "When you make a mistake with a diet, an exercise plan, or for that matter any major decision, it doesn't mean that you're a bad person or that you'll never improve," says Tavris. "It simply means that you need to renew your motivation."

Eat This, Heal.... Morning Sickness

2007-05-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Fight queasiness with Popsicles, dry toast, ginger ale and citrus flavored water. Choose bland dishes without strong odors which can trigger nausea. Opt for nutritious unheated foods (they are less odorous than hot ones) such as sandwiches, salads, applesauce, yogurt and bananas. Fight fatigue by pairing complex carbohydrates with protein such as whole-wheat bread and hummus, or apple slices and string cheese.

Hormones and Your Weight

2007-05-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

You can't blame hormones for pounds you might pack on as a result of eating more and moving less, but you could retain one to five pounds of water during the two weeks before your period. Some unlucky women may gain 10 pounds of water weight, says Steven J. Ory, M.D., president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "But it's temporary," he adds. "Normal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle aren't responsible for permanent pounds." To minimize water-weight gain, eat less salt and take 1,000 milligrams of calcium the week before your period, both of which reduce bloating, says Marcelle Cedars, M.D., an endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco. For severe cases of bloat a doctor might prescribe a mild diuretic to flush it out.

Another hormone-weight connection: When estrogen and progesterone fall before your period, you may experience food cravings--and gain weight if you indulge. "If a woman consistently gives in and binges on high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar foods, she may in fact, gain actual fat pounds that won't go away once her period starts," says Dr. Ory. "Anything you can do to lower stress levels and boost mood during that time, whether that's yoga, marathon running or stock-car racing, can help cut cravings," he notes. ...Numerous studies have shown that we reach for less-healthy choices and eat more calories when we're sleep deprived.

Eat This, Heal... Shin Splints

2007-05-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

Rock on, Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D.!

Your body needs: Bromelain (from pineapple), anthlocyanins, and omega-3 fats to fight inflammation.

Your body needs: a tuna sandwich on whole wheat, a bowl of cherries, and 8 ounces of pineapple juice.

Eat This, Heal... A Wound

2007-05-26T16:25:00.001-07:00

We've heard it so many times before: food is fuel. But besides calories (energy), what we eat contains other helpful nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and compounds necessary to keep our body up and running efficiently and effectively. The Eat This, Heal That series written by Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D., for Men's Health will help you see the impact your food choices makes on how your body functions. It might make you rethink whether or not junk food is worth it.

So, you've injured yourself and broken skin.

Your body needs: Protein to produce skin cells; vitamin C and zinc for collagen production; iron to oxygenate blood; plus whole grains to calm inflamed tissue.

Eat this: A burger made from 95% lean beef (leaner meat has more protein and iron) on a whole-grain bun, plus a kiwi for dessert.

If possible, get grass fed beef, which contains inflammation-fighting omega-3s.

Eat This, Heal....A Bruise

2007-05-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

Bruises and being active go hand-in-hand.

Your body needs: Vitamin C to shore up blood vessels; Vitamin K for blood clotting; plus oleocanthal, a natural substance in olive oil that mimics over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

Eat this: Raw spinach and sliced strawberries tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and top off the salad with sunflower seeds or pine nuts.

Props to the Publications

2007-05-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a proud subscriber to a number of magazines including Men's Fitness, Men's Health and Fitness, Hers Muscle and Fitness, Women's Health, Women's Fitness, Self, Shape, Runner's World, as well as fitness and nutrition books and professional publications. They help me break up the tedium of cardio and keep me in touch with the hot news and trends in the fitness world. They also bring certain training moves back into the spotlight: oh, yeah! I totally forgot the quadruped extension-rotation. I give credit where credit is due, so if you find that you're always impressed with posts that come from one particular publication, consider subscribing or buy a whole issue and see if you enjoy it. They often have inspirational stories and other useful information. Just remember, reading about working out is not the same as working out.

Another Reason to Avoid Trans Fats

2007-05-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Belt size increasing? It may be the kind of fat you're eating--and not the total amount you consume each day--that contributes to weight gain. Researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina found that monkeys that ate trans fats gained four times the weight as monkeys eating the same amount of unsaturated fats.

Relax your Way to Injury-Free

2007-05-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Free the Mind and Fewer Injuries May Follow

By SALLY WADYKA

Published: January 4, 2007 in NY Times

IN a high school locker room in Worthington, Ohio, Sam Maniar handed a piece of string tied to a washer to each of the field hockey players sitting around him. He told the athletes to use their minds to move the washer from side to side, and he watched as each girl’s washer started to swing.

“By thinking about moving the washer, we send a message from the brain to the nerve receptors in our fingers to move the string attached to the washer,” said Dr. Maniar, a sports psychologist. “Most people are in total amazement. I use it show the connection between our thoughts and our bodies.”

Every athlete and coach knows that harnessing one’s mind can lead to feats of coordination and finesse on the field. But what many are just learning is that taking care of an athlete’s emotional health — and managing stress in particular — can help prevent injury.

“The research is there showing that high stress levels do increase the risk of getting injured, but few lay people realize the connection,” Dr. Maniar said.

Iona MacKenzie, 35, a triathlete and adventure racer in Boulder, Colo., believes that a period of undue tension in 2001 led to her back-to-back injuries. Ms. MacKenzie had just started a highly stressful job in Vancouver, was rowing competitively and was also dealing with a long-distance relationship that was financially and emotionally draining.

“I’d been rowing for about seven or eight years completely injury free,” she said. “But during that year I fractured a rib and soon after that healed, I injured my lower back. Both are fairly common injuries for female rowers, but I don’t feel like either would have happened if my body hadn’t been so weakened by how much stress I was under.”

The American College of Sports Medicine recently issued a consensus statement — a joint effort by about a dozen sports medicine practitioners, team doctors and sports psychologists — to inform team physicians, coaches and athletic trainers about the important link between stress and injury.

“This concept is not always welcomed with open arms in the sports community where athletes are taught to be tough,” said Dr. Stanley A. Herring, chairman of the consensus statement committee, a team physician for the Seattle Seahawks and a consultant to the University of Washington’s sports medicine department. “But you can’t tough your way through mental issues.”

Stress is an omnipresent problem, and the word is used to describe situations ranging from a long wait at Starbucks to fear of a terrorist attack. So why, one may argue, isn’t every athlete collapsing to the ground?

While the research has shown a consistent connection between significant negative life events — the end of a relationship, a death in family, the loss of job, failing in school — and the increased risk of injury, the key isn’t so much the stressful event itself, but how a person handles it.

“One man’s stress is another man’s vacation,” Dr. Herring said. “Those at risk are the ones whose stress exceeds the resources they have to cope with it.”

There are several explanations for how stress leads to injuries. According to Frank M. Perna, a psychologist and associate professor at Boston University, there may be multiple causes. “Studies have shown that when you’re stressed you don’t pay enough attention to visual cues,” he said.

That, for example, could cause a football player to miss something in his peripheral vision and be blindsided and injured. Physiologically, more stress means more stress hormones flowing through your body.

Cortisol, a stress-related hormone, decreases the immune response, Dr. Perna said. “Athletes who are training hard are breaking down muscle,” he said, “and cortisol will impede the body’s ability to repair muscles, making them more likely to get injured or exacerbate a chronic injury.”

STRESS also increases muscle tension, and tense muscles are more susceptible to tearing or can throw a person off balance and affect coordination. Studies have shown that during a single school year, one in six athletes is likely to suffer an injury serious enough to miss games. Other studies have reported that high stress levels make athletes at least twice as susceptible to injury.

The key to recognizing athletes at risk, the researchers agreed, is simply bothering to probe deeper.

“When the athlete gets a preseason physical, it shouldn’t be just about the ‘physical,’ ” Dr. Herring said. “Ask about what’s going on at home, how are things with their girlfriend, do they feel overwhelmed? And if the answers are concerning, it’s an opportunity to help them out.”

Dr. Margot Putukian, director of athletic medicine at Princeton University, said, “Most coaches don’t perceive mental health as something they have to worry about.”

For coaches who don’t have a sports psychologist on call, it is still easy enough to implement some stress-management techniques. Dr. Maniar said there was no reason a coach could not learn a few relaxation tips.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends methods such as progressive muscle relaxation, a sequence of movements to tense and release muscle groups to bring tension levels down. Visual imagery, which involves picturing certain images to create a different physical state, can also be employed.

“For example, imagining being on a beach in the warm sand is likely to produce a physical shift that makes you feel more relaxed,” said David B. Coppel, a sports psychologist in Kirkland, Wash.

And doing deep, abdominal breathing helps change shallow breathing (a symptom of stress and tension) into deeper, rhythmic breathing.

MOST high school and college teams may not be sitting down for group yoga and meditation sessions in place of practice, but a few forward-thinking coaches are already heeding the College of Sports Medicine’s recommendations.

Terri Simonetti Frost, who coaches the field hockey team at Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio, brought Dr. Maniar in teach her players imagery techniques. He also encouraged the girls to better communicate about what was causing tension in their lives.

“Communication is our biggest technique for coping with stress,” Ms. Frost said. “If a kid seems off during practice, I’ll call her aside and we’ll talk about what’s going on in her life.”

Ms. Frost gives her players an extra day off each week — they practice only four days — to help reduce stress. She also talks to them about their study habits and what is going on in their academic schedules so that they won’t feel overwhelmed by school and sports simultaneously.

“I think on a sort of subconscious level it may play a role in keeping the players healthy,” she said.

Although it is impossible to prove cause and effect, she noted that none of her players were injured this last season, and the team was undefeated in the regular season.

The doctors who put together the College of Sports Medicine consensus statement also said that common emotional reactions to injury — like loss of identity, fear, anxiety and depression — could affect a player’s recovery.

“But people who have learned coping strategies for dealing with setbacks in life can better handle the stress of being on the sideline,” Dr. Perna said.

Stephanie Heinsons, 21, a senior at Ohio State University who competes in equestrian events, regularly practices controlled breathing and imagery to help cope not only with the stress of competition but also with everyday life. “These techniques help to calm me down and force my focus back into the present,” she said.

If she skips her relaxation techniques, she is more likely to feel anxious and tense up. “When I take a deep breath and tell myself to focus on the present, I become calm,” Ms. Heinsons said. “That helps me like magic.”

Eat Well, Breathe Easy

2007-05-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Nutrition: A Healthy Diet May Keep Chronic Lung Disease at Bay

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR, New York Times

Published: May 22, 2007

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and whole grain foods may offer protection against chronic lung disease, a new study suggests, in addition to the other benefits of such a regimen.

Researchers studied more than 42,000 male health professionals enrolled in a long-term study that began in 1986. All filled out food frequency questionnaires, and the scientists ranked them by how closely they followed what the authors call the “prudent” diet, or how much they stuck to a “Western” diet dominated by refined grains, cured and red meats, sweets and French fries. The study appeared online May 15 in Thorax.

After adjusting for age, smoking and other factors, the scientists found that the more strictly a person followed the prudent diet, the lower the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or C.O.P.D., the umbrella term for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Compared with the one-fifth of people with the highest intake of foods from the prudent diet, the one-fifth with the lowest intake were twice as likely to suffer from newly diagnosed C.O.P.D.

At the same time, the one-fifth of men who followed the Western diet most closely were more than four and a half times as likely to be diagnosed with chronic pulmonary disease as the one-fifth who ate the least from that menu.

Raphaëlle Varraso, the lead author, said that fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids probably explained the protective effect, and that red meat, cured meat and French fries actively increased the risk. Dr. Varraso was at the Harvard School of Public Health when the study was done, and is now a researcher at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research in France.

The Buzz: Omega-3s

2007-05-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Omega-3s have been all over the health media lately. You can't pick up a magazine without reading about this miracle nutrient. Here's what Men's Health (May issue) has to say:

To drastically reduce your risk of future health problems, you need 3.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers made this determination when they calculated that 40% of mortality from heart disease and 95% of depression could be attributed to deficiencies in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the omega-3 fatty acids primarily found in seafood. These healthy fats reduce the inflammation associated with heart disease and may also cultivate the production of serotonin and dopamine, "feel good" neurotransmitters that can reliever and prevent depression, say study author Joseph Hibbein, M.D.

The American Council of Exercise notes that the best fish sources are salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. Other food sources of omega-3s include soybeans and other soy products, canola oil, and flaxseed.

Healthy Recipe: Braised Salmon with Soy and Ginger

2007-05-24T22:23:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
16 ounces salmon fillet
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/4 cup mirin (a Japanese cooking wine found in ethnic stores and most Whole Foods)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vodka
1 tablespoon butter
2 scallions, white parts only, chopped
3-4 sprigs cilantro

Directions:
Cut the salmon into 1" squares. Heat the oil in at 12" nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add the salmon cubes and ginger. Sear together for about 1 minute, then pour the mirin, soy sauce, and vodka over the salmon. Turn the heat to medium and cook for about 3 minutes, until the fish turns pale. Add the butter and turn off the heat. Spoon the salmon onto a serving plate and top with the scallion and cilantro.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information, per serving: 359 calories 24 grams protein 6 grams carbohydrates 22 grams fat 1 gram fiber

Healthy Recipe: Spicy Garlic Shrimp

2007-05-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Shrimp are a great source of protein, and they're easy to cook! Serve with steamed veggies for a light, flavorful meal.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon red-pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
16 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:

In a small saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to simmer, just below smoking temperature; add the pepper flakes, and then the garlic. As you are stirring garlic so it will turn golden brown (but don't let the garlic burn or it will become bitter), season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then place the shrimp in the pan with the garlic, swirling the pan gently. Saute over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then stir in the parsley. Saute for another minute, remove from the heat and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving:
249 calories
23 grams protein
3 grams carbohydrates
16 grams fat
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How It Works: the Body-Fat Scale

2007-05-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

You've used them before: body-fat scales. But do you know how they work?

Step 1: When you step on the scale's electrodes, a 500 microampere current shoots up your leg. Human skin can sense currents only stronger than 1 milliamp, which is twice as powerful as this charge.
Step 2: As the current moves throughout your lower body, it encounters resistance in tissue. Water is a much better conductor than fat, so muscle--which is about 73 percent water--provides easier passage.
Step 3: The scale detects the total time it takes for the current to compete its path. The faster it travels, the more muscle and less fat you have. With this data, it computes your body-fat percentage.

Personal experience leads me to advise that you empty your bladder before using the scale to estimate body fat percentage.

Drop Acid...

2007-05-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

...from your diet. It's not just the sugar in soda that harms your teeth. Acids in both regular and diet sodas erode tooth enamel, according to researchers at Southern Illinois University and Men's Health (June 2007). They made the discovery after testing 20 commercial soft drinks. Citrus-flavored sodas (think lemon-lime) were more harmful than colas. Even the diet versions of these fruity drinks caused significant enamel loss. The culpril: high levels of citric and phosphoric acids, which eat away a thte outer layer of teeth. Can't shake your soda habit? Go with Diet Coke. It contains such low amounts of acid that it has less impact on enamel than tap water.

Q & A: Nausea and workouts

2007-05-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Q: Sometimes I get a little nauseated after working out. What could be going on?

A: There are several potential causes for exercise-related nausea, many of which are easy to fix. If you don't have any food in your stomach--say, if you exercise in the morning before breakfast--you'll be more likely to feel light-headed, dizzy or nauseated with exertion. So before breaking a sweat, down a sport drink mixed with some water or eat a small snack (a combo of carbs and protein between 150-175 kcal, such as 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on an apple, is good.) On the flip side, having too much food in your belly can also make you queasy. When you exercise, your muscles demand more blood , diverting some away from organs like the stomach--which can slow digestion and leave you feeling ill. Pushing yourself too hard with your workouts can also be to blame. If none of these seems to be our situation, or if you feel green often, check with your doctor, who can look for less common causes, such as certain heart conditions and infections.

Self's Health Expert, Lisa Callahan, M.D., is right on. Be sure to talk with your trainer to pinpoint the cause, especially if the workout intensity is the cause. Luckily, the nausea that is associated with exertion tends to be a short lived problem as you become more fit and get a better understanding of what your body can handle.

Banish Belly Fat

2007-05-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Another reason to eat breakfast. It may give you flatter abs. Researchers at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles found that breakfast skippers have bigger tummies than those who regularly have a morning meal.

Q / A: What counts as a serving of fruit or vegetables?

2007-05-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Q: Is it OK to count snack foods that supposedly contain fruit or vegetables toward my 9-a-day goal?

Here's what Self's nutrition expert, Joy Bauer, R.D., had to say.

A. Sorry, but no. These products may have added vitamins, minerals and plant extracts (which make them a tad better than junk food) bu they'll never be as good as the real thing. Fruit and veggies are made up of so many biologically active compounds that it's impossible to replicate all their healthful ingredients in precisely the right amounts in packaged goods. And studies show that vitamins and phytochemicals don't act the same way when they are isolated and inserted into food as they do in whole food, probably because they work synergistically. The bottom line: You can't beat fresh for nutrition and flavor.

Think Yourself Think

2007-05-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

The diets that work long term are those which introduce us to healthy eating habits and eating patterns. One strategy that is proven to work is grazing or snacking, but it's easy to get too much of a good thing. Too many snacks, no matter how healthy they may be, equal too many calories.

Try this. Rethink your snacks. We assume that our snacks are low calorie and are prepared to eat again soon, but sometimes soon is too soon, and too often. If this happens to you, here's a new strategy: Instead think of your snack as a mini-meal. Instead of a couple of slices of apple with peanut butter, have a half of sandwich with lean lunch meat and tons of veggies, or a cup of flavorful, fiber-rich soup like lentil or garden vegetable. Sit and enjoy your snack slowly, as you would a meal instead of eating on the go or while distracted.

Spotlight on: Kiwifruit

2007-05-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Have two kiwi and you'll get bout the same amount of fiber (4.6 grams) as in a large apple for slightly fewer calories, while making a dent in your vitamin K needs (K promotes healthy blood). Each kiwi has nearly 100% of your daily vitamin C, too.

Spotlight on: Belgian Endive

2007-05-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Iceberg lettuce does have a satisfying crunch, but it is otherwise dull. Substitute the old lettuce staple with Belgian endive. This leafy vegetable is tastier and (wait for it) crispier than iceberg, and 1 cup contains nearly 2 times the amount of potassium, which helps maintain blood pressure. And it has more folate, a crucial vitamin for women of childbearing age.

Try endive for a substitute for chips. Use single leaves as low calorie vehicles for hummus, dips, and salsas, or stuff them with tuna tartar or smoked salmon for elegant appetizers.

Pain in the Neck

2007-05-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Got neck pain? Office workers who experienced neck pain and who stretched their neck three times a week cut aches in half within one year, a study in Medicine & Science & Exercise indicates. Pull your chin in (not down) towards your neck for ten seconds and repeat twice. Ahhhhh...

The Benefits of Interval Training

2007-05-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

from the NYTimes, May 3, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/fashion/03Fitness.html?ei=5070&en=9e74e98f3732c066&ex=1180065600&pagewanted=all

SOME gymgoers are tortoises. They prefer to take their sweet time, leisurely pedaling or ambling along on a treadmill. Others are hares, impatiently racing through miles at high intensity.

Each approach offers similar health benefits: lower risk of heart disease, protection against Type 2 diabetes, and weight loss.

But new findings suggest that for at least one workout a week it pays to be both tortoise and hare — alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with easy-does-it recovery.

Weight watchers, prediabetics and those who simply want to increase their fitness all stand to gain.

This alternating fast-slow technique, called interval training, is hardly new. For decades, serious athletes have used it to improve performance.

But new evidence suggests that a workout with steep peaks and valleys can dramatically improve cardiovascular fitness and raise the body’s potential to burn fat.

Best of all, the benefits become evident in a matter of weeks.

“There’s definitely renewed interest in interval training,” said Ed Coyle, the director of the human performance laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that after just two weeks of interval training, six of the eight college-age men and women doubled their endurance, or the amount of time they could ride a bicycle at moderate intensity before exhaustion.

Eight volunteers in a control group, who did not do any interval training, showed no improvement in endurance.

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, had the exercisers sprint for 30 seconds, then either stop or pedal gently for four minutes.

Such a stark improvement in endurance after 15 minutes of intense cycling spread over two weeks was all the more surprising because the volunteers were already reasonably fit. They jogged, biked or did aerobic exercise two to three times a week.

Doing bursts of hard exercise not only improves cardiovascular fitness but also the body’s ability to burn fat, even during low- or moderate-intensity workouts, according to a study published this month, also in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Eight women in their early 20s cycled for 10 sets of four minutes of hard riding, followed by two minutes of rest. Over two weeks, they completed seven interval workouts.

After interval training, the amount of fat burned in an hour of continuous moderate cycling increased by 36 percent, said Jason L. Talanian, the lead author of the study and an exercise scientist at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Cardiovascular fitness — the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles — improved by 13 percent.

It didn’t matter how fit the subjects were before. Borderline sedentary subjects and the college athletes had similar increases in fitness and fat burning. “Even when interval training was added on top of other exercise they were doing, they still saw a significant improvement,” Mr. Talanian said.

That said, this was a small study that lacked a control group, so more research would be needed to confirm that interval training was responsible.

Interval training isn’t for everyone. “Pushing your heart rate up very high with intensive interval training can put a strain on the cardiovascular system, provoking a heart attack or stroke in people at risk,” said Walter R. Thompson, professor of exercise science at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

For anyone with heart disease or high blood pressure — or who has joint problems such as arthritis or is older than 60 — experts say to consult a doctor before starting interval training.

Still, anyone in good health might consider doing interval training once or twice a week. Joggers can alternate walking and sprints. Swimmers can complete a couple of fast laps, then four more slowly.

There is no single accepted formula for the ratio between hard work and a moderate pace or resting. In fact, many coaches recommend varying the duration of activity and rest.

But some guidelines apply. The high-intensity phase should be long and strenuous enough that a person is out of breath — typically one to four minutes of exercise at 80 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate. Recovery periods should not last long enough for their pulse to return to its resting rate.

Also people should remember to adequately warm up before the first interval. Coaches advise that, ideally, people should not do interval work on consecutive days. More than 24 hours between such taxing sessions will allow the body to recover and help them avoid burnout.

What is so special about interval training? One advantage is that it allows exercisers to spend more time doing high-intensity activity than they could in a single sustained effort. “The rest period in interval training gives the body time to remove some of the waste products of working muscles,” said Barry A. Franklin, the director of the cardiac rehabilitation and exercise laboratories at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

To go hard, the body must use new muscle fibers. Once these recent recruits are trained, they are available to burn fuel even during easy-does-it workouts. “Any form of exercise that recruits new muscle fibers is going to enhance the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and fat,” Dr. Coyle said.

Interval training also stimulates change in mitochondria, where fuel is converted to energy, causing them to burn fat first — even during low- and moderate-intensity workouts, Mr. Talanian said.

Improved fat burning means endurance athletes can go further before tapping into carbohydrate stores. It is also welcome news to anyone trying to lose weight or avoid gaining it.

Unfortunately, many people aren’t active enough to keep muscles healthy. At the sedentary extreme, one result can be what Dr. Coyle calls “metabolic stalling” — carbohydrates in the form of blood glucose and fat particles in the form of triglycerides sit in the blood. That, he suspects, could be a contributing factor to metabolic syndrome, the combination of obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol and elevated triglycerides that increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

By recruiting new muscle fibers and increasing the body’s ability to use fuel, interval training could potentially lower the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Interval training does amount to hard work, but the sessions can be short. Best of all, a workout that combines tortoise and hare leaves little time for boredom.

Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Carrots

2007-05-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Serve this delicious low calorie dish with a large green salad with light dressing for a quick and easy dinner!

Prep time: 8 min.
Cook time: 16 min.
Servings: 4

Carrots:
3/4 pound baby carrots
1/4 cup water

Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
3 T apple juice or apple cider
2 t Dijon mustard
1 t soy sauce

Pork:
1 (1 1/4 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T butter
2 T minced fresh chives (optional)

1. Place the carrots and water into a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to simmer. Stir, cover, and let carrots simmer until tender.

2. Meanwhile, prepare glaze by mixing all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. When carrots are done, remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. Cut tenderloin crosswise into 12 equally sized slices, and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in an extra-large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned on the bottom side. Using tongs, flip the pork and cook another 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through.

4. Add carrots to pan with pork. Stir glaze again, and add it to the pan. Bring mixture to a simmer, and cook until pork is done, about 1-2 minutes. Stir to coat pork and carrots with glaze. Divide pork and carrots among four plates. Pour any remaining glaze over pork and garnish with chives if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 293
Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 86g
Protein: 29 g
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fiber: 2g
Iron: 2g
Calcium: 2g

The Lowdown on the Low-GI

2007-05-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

Low-Glycemic index foods get more points for helping you stay slim.

Wondering why those pounds won't budge. A Danish study published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reinforces the idea that a low-glycemic index (GI) diet can help. Made popular by diets like South Beach, low-GI foods (high-fiber, complex-carb foods like veggies, beans, nuts, lean meats, and whole-grain breads) slowly release energy into your bloodstream and keep you satisfied longer. Study participants who ate high-GI foods gained more wight, especially in the stomach area, over six years. To go low-GI choose whole foods like an apple with a little bit of peanut butter, over anything starchy, sugary, or refined.

How to Pick Up A Toddler

2007-05-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

Lifting that 30-lb bundle of joy can wreak havoc on your back and knees if you're not careful. Here's how to do it right according to the American Physical Therapy Association.

*Kneel in front of your child with one knee on the floor. Hold her close with both arms and stand up, keeping your feet planted firmly and your back straight (don't bend from the waist). Try not to twist while lifting, and don't carry her on one hip.

* Hold her in front of your body with both arms, making a little seat for her with one of your arms.

This method should help keep your little one--and your back--safe and healthy.

Find this tip in the May 2007 issue of Health Magazine.

Get Cultured

2007-05-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

How to Choose the Best Yogurt
You want to eat healthier, so the next time you swing by the dairy case, you reach for the yogurt. Healthy, right? Perhaps...

There are so many yogurt products out there, and many of them are absent of all the redemptive qualities that make us seek it out in the first place. Here's a list of guidelines to help you choose a tasty yogurt that gives you all the health benefits you're craving.

When choosing yogurt, look for Low-Fat or Fat-Free Yogurt that contains (per 6-ounce serving):
1. Has the official "LIVE AND ACTIVE CULTURES" Seal. 2. No more than 180 calories. 3. No more than 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Saturated fat's daily limit of 20 grams is easy to reach, so avoid it here.
4. No more than 30 grams of sugar. Naturally occuring lactose accounts for about 12 grams; more means excess sweeteners.
5. At least 20% of your daily calcium. This nutrient can be watered down by added sugars and filler ingredients.
6. 300 mg of potassium. Okay, so this tip is a little picky, but if you can find it, go for it!

Remember:
"Plain" doesn't have to be... Layer low-fat Greek yogurt with blueberries, a thin drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of granola. Mmmmm.

If it says "creme" or "custard" on it, nutritionally, it's probably one step away from ice cream.

Understanding Weightloss Plateaus

2007-05-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely you've lost ten pounds. But now, the scale is stuck and won't budge. What gives? Don't blame it on a slow metabolism. Hers Muscle and Fitness explains why plateaus happen in the June 2007 issue:

There are two reasons why: First, you're smaller, so your metabolism is matching the "new" you; second, your body thinks it's starving, and as a result, thyroid hormone levels drop and your resting metabolic rate may drop 10%-25%, so you aren't burning as many calories in a day as you were before you lost the weight. And here's what most of us forget: when we lose weight, we become lighter, meaning the amount of calories we burn in everyday activities drops as well. Eventually, your metabolism adjusts to your new, smaller body.

"At some point you come back to energy balance--where your output and input are the same--so you stop losing weight," Robert Keith PhD, RD, FACSM, explains. "That's the sticking point or plateau a lot of people talk about."

If losing more weight is your goal, you'll have to either exercise more or restrict your calories more, but be wary--if you're already at a healthy weight, be honest with yourself in analyzing whether you truly need to push to lose even more.

Tip: Metabolism Booster

2007-05-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

GO LONG! LONGER!
Research shows that the longer your cardio sessions go, the longer your RMR (resting metabolic rate) will stay boosted after the workout.

from Hers Muscle and Fitness, June 2007

Drink Up!

2007-05-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hydration is important. Water keeps digestion, nutrient absorption, temperature regulation, and waste elimination running smoothly. A 2003 study found that drinking a half-liter of cold water increased metabolic rate by 30% for more than an hour after drinking.
To calculate your water intake, take your body weight in pounds and divide that number by 2. That gives you the minimum number of ounces you should drink daily.

You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to

2007-05-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Q. What are the nutritional differences between a sweet potato, yam, and white potato? Which is healthier and how often should I include them in my diet?

A. Yams and sweet potatoes look alike, and they have just about the same amount of calories, carbohydrate and fiber. Even though yams have twice the potassium, sweet potatoes rule because they supply the most beta-carotene of all vegetables, while yams have virtually none. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that fights cell damage and helps reduce the inflammation common after hard workouts. Because they're digested and absorbed much slower than white potatoes, sweet potatoes help ward off diabetes by controlling blood glucose levels. In fact, white potatoes raise blood sugar levels almost as quickly as sugar and spike insulin in a similar manner, making them a great postworkout snack when they're paired with a protein shake. The folate levels in white potatoes come in handy after you train, as folate helps with cell regeneration. However, sweet potatoes are the best with most other meals since you don't want insulin spikes at other times of day. They're also a good source of vitamin E, another potent antioxidant. With the exception of potassium, white potatoes are on a nutritional par with yams.

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Herb Chicken

2007-03-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

Lemon Herb Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons, plus 4 teaspoons olive oil
2 large chicken breasts
juice and zest from one lemon
1/3 cup each fresh parsley, mint, and basil
1/3 cup white wine

Directions

Heat 2 tablespooons olive oil in an ovenproof skillet on high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and sear for 2 mintues per side.
While the chicken cooks, put the remaining oil, along with lemon juice, zest, and herbs into a blender or food processor and pulse until well mixed.
Place the skillet witht he chicken in a 400 degree oven to roast for 8 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and place the chicken on a plate.
Pour the wine into the skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the herb sauce to the skillet and cook on the stove for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Serves 4
Per serving:
199 kcal
28 g protein
24 g fat

Beer Belly

2007-03-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

How Beer Makes You Fat

Leave it to Men's Health Magazine to it down....

1. You take a swig of beer.

2. Within seconds, the beverage passes through your esophagus and into your stomach.

3. Twenty percent of the alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream; the rest is absorbed into your intestines.

4. The alcohol travels through our blood to your liver, where it is broken down. During this process, waste products called acetate and acetaldehyde are created.

5. Acetate and acetaldehyde signal your body to stop burning fat. At the same time, your body starts making fat from another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA.

6. Your body can effectibely process only 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour.

So the more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from burning fat, and the more fat builds up from the excess acetyl CoA.

A 12-ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol.
The following contain 0.6 ounces of alcohol:

5.5 ounces wine (11% alcohol)

14.3 ounces of light beer (4.2% alcohol)

1.5 ounces of hard liquor such as whiskey (40% alcohol/ 80 proof)

1.2 ounces of hard liquor (50% alcohol/100 proof)

The above calculations are based on the percentage of alcohol present in each beverage, so the alcohol percentage or proof is given. For example, wine can sometimes be more than 11% alcohol. If you would like to learn more about calculating the amount of alcohol in your drinks, please visit www.elegantpie.com/cheers.html for formulas to help you calculate the ounces of alcohol in your drinks as well as blood alcohol content.

What's the point? If you're trying to lose fat, cut out alcohol for a while. You'll see and feel your results faster.

How To Eat.... The Cliff's Notes Version

2007-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've literally read thousands and thousands of pages on nutrition over the past two years. Recently I added a couple more very informative pages to my tally when I finished reading an interesting article by Michael Pollen in the New York Times Magazine.

If you have the time and inclination to read it, please do yourself a favor and do so. If you barely have time to get through my blog (and you skip the longer entries), here's a simplified version (it's going to sound familiar, but there's a reason for that...).

A healthy diet is one that focuses on tons of leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein.
Whole foods (unprocessed foods like .... fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains) contain nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and healthy phytochemicals that have complicated interactions which science is still struggling to understand. (Think of how we know that we need vitamin D to properly absorb calcium. It's taken science a while to understand that. Consider how many vitamins and minerals are in one tomato: we are far from understanding how every single vitamin compliments or interacts with all the other vitamins, but we DO know that tomatoes are good for us. You can take a lycopene supplement and hope that your body has the right balance of nutrients to take advantage of the lycopene-or-(god forbid) eat a fresh tomato.)
A healthy diet is a varied diet. Don't just eat the same four or five vegetables, grains, or fruits every week. Eat lots of different plant matter.

Your challenge this week: eat more foods. (NOTE: I did not say eat more food. ) Make a list and see how many foods you eat. Next week try and add some new fruits and vegetables to the list.

Please read the article. I recommend it. If you like it and want to read more, Pollan also wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma. If you'd like other book recommendations, just ask. I've read close to a dozen on nutrition this past year.

Healthy Recipe: Texas Caviar

2007-03-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried a variation of this popular bean dish, I was in Austin, TX. I was surprised by how simple and tasty it was. It is a great as a side dish or snack. Fat free, high fiber, and packed with vitamins--you can't go wrong. You can omit or add vegetables for tasty variations.

Ingredients:
1 can black eyed peas, rinsed
1 small onion diced
1/2 - 1 pepper, diced (go for red, yellow, or orange for added vitamins)
1/2 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
cilantro (or parsley), chopped (about a handful)
champagne or white wine vinegar to taste (I like 2-3 tablespoons)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: So easy.... mix all of that stuff together in a tupperware. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight so the flavors can meld.

Serving size:
1/2 cup as side dish or snack
Servings: about 3.5

Calories per serving: approximately 110kcal
Protein: 8g
Fat: 0
Fiber: 3g
Iron: 15% DV

Model Behavior: Establishing Healthy Habit for Our Children

2007-03-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

New Harvard Study and My Observations

The answers to a happy, healthy life are all out there, but sometimes the world just gives you an extra nudge to recognize them. That's what happened to me today.

One of my clients brought his 2-year old with him to our session. Due to an unexpected and unpreventable emergency, he was in charge of childcare. While I do not advise bringing a child to a gym that hasn't been specifically designed for that purpose, this child was incredibly well behaved so we decided to try and see if we could safely workout. We told the boy to sit on a large mat where he'd be out of harm's way, occupied him with a light ball for him to play with, and kept a sharp eye on him. What impressed me more than the boy's good behavior (I didn't even know that 2-year olds could be so calm), was the way the boy watched his father workout. His eyes grew wide when he watched his father do a crunch called a ball pass (my clients all know this one). He wanted to do one himself, so we held a small 2lb ball while he could approximate the movement--just like dad. He also wanted to do triceps dips holding on to a weight bench, just like dad. Holding and the supporting the boy we helped him mimic the exercise. At one point, the boy saw a weight bag hanging, and he tried to punch it. I know my client studies martial arts so I asked if the boy watched his father hitting the bag at home. Of course he did.

Children are impressionable. They learn from adults, especially adults they love and admire. At 2-years old, this little boy is already learning that it is normal to be active and to care about being fit. So what I saw was a little boy who would one day be playing outside, joining a sports team, climbing trees, and growing up fit and strong. He has the foundation to establish a healthy lifestyle and avoid childhood (and then adult) obesity and all of the health issues associated with it. Not only is it important to set a good example for the sake of the children that may be watching, those good examples are also going to help us become more healthy for our own sakes.

With those thoughts still fresh in my mind, I came across the following article concerning a new Harvard Study that (not surprisingly) found a correlation between children's weight and the amount of time they spend watching television (ie. inactivity). While not explicitly stated, a child drinking excess juice while watching TV can be seen as an early form of mindless snacking.

Heavy television viewing makes young kids fat
The more three-year-olds watch television, the more sugary drinks they consume, and the extra calories turn into extra weight, a US study published Wednesday showed.
Harvard Medical School researchers presented the results of the study of 1,203 children at the American Heart Association's annual conference on cardiovascular disease and prevention, in Orlando, Florida.
For every one-hour increase in television viewing per day, the children consumed an additional 46 calories, Sonia Miller, the lead author of the study and a Harvard medical student, said in a statement.
"Although 46 calories a day doesn't sound like much, it can make a difference in weight over time," said Matthew Gillman, a senior author of the study and director of Harvard's obesity prevention program.
"Studies estimate that you can explain the amount of excess weight gain in the US adolescent population over the past 10 years or so with the addition of only 150 calories a day," Gillman said in the statement.
"If this 'energy gap' also applies to younger children, then each hour of daily TV or video watching could explain about one-third of that increase," he said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against television or video viewing by children under age two. Above that age, it recommends no more than two hours of screen viewing per day.
"The most important thing to note is that the obesity epidemic in this country involves not just adults, not just adolescents, not just school-age children, but all the way down to infants," Gillman said.
"And once a child is obese, it is very hard to treat. So obesity prevention is the way to go."
Of the 1,203 children studied, 87 percent came from families with incomes greater than 40,000 dollars a year and 72 percent of their mothers had at least a college degree.
The American Heart Association recommends that children not be allowed to have a television set in their bedrooms and encourages an hour of moderate-to-vigorous play or physical activity a day.

The Age Old Question Answered...

2007-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

The Question: Does Muscle Turn to Fat When You Stop Working Out

The Facts: As summer heats up and Americans flock to the shores to bear their beach muscles, those of us whose gym memberships collected dust last winter or expired months ago may be left with physiques that went from firm to flabby.

So did all those muscles simply melt to fat from more time on the couch and less at the sports club?

That might be the popular explanation, experts say, but it's not exactly true. When people stop exercising and shift into couch potato mode, their muscles begin to shrink, clearing the way for adipose tissue, or fat, to slowly replace them. At the same time, many people who stop exercising often continue to consume the same amount of calories they took in during their more active days, despite the fact that their energy expenditure is no longer nearly what it once was.

All of this can create the illusion that a lean six-pack and bulging set of biceps turned to fat, said Dr. Gerard P. Varlotta, an associate professor of rehabilitation medicine at New york University, but muscle and fat are two distinct tissues that never convert to the other.

"What happens is that the ratio of fat to muscle has changed," he said. "If you have atrophy of the muscle, then other tissue can move in and take its place."

The Bottom Line: Muscles might shrink when you stop working out, but they never turn to fat.

from NY Times 7/26/06

Beating the Side Stitch

2007-02-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

3 Ways to Beat a Side Cramp Fast

You're in the midst of a calorie-torching workout when--bam!--a pinch in your side stops you mid-stride. Three experts share their tried-and-true remedies to make the pain go away.

1.Stretch. "Reach your arms overhead for 20 seconds," says Thomas J. Rice, M.D., medical director of the Pritkin Longevity Center in Aventura, Florida. "Keeping arms raised, lean toward the side that's not cramping, and hold for 20 seconds." Repeat until you feel relief.

2. Add Salt. "Sprinkle a packet of salt on your tongue, than take a sip of water," says Felicia D. Stoler, R.D, a nutrition coordinator for New York Road Runners. Sodium helps muscles absorb water, which should alleviate cramping.

3. Breathe. "Decrease your pace and inhale through your mouth for six seconds," says Jonathan Urla, a Pilates and yoga instructor at Reebok Sports Club in New York. Repeat until cramp subsides. Exhaling slowly helps release tension in your diaphragm.

-Sara Bodnar from Shape Magazine, March 2007

Pumping Iron

2007-01-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

If you hope to get pregnant any time soon, you might want to increase your intake of iron from veggies, grains, and supplements, a new study from Harvard suggests. Using information from the Nurses' Health Study II (the large, ongoing study of women aged 24 to 42 sponsored by the National Institutes of Health), researchers analyzed nutrition and fertility data of 18,555 subjects who tried to become pregnant between 1991 and 1999. Specifically, they looked at ovulation infertility--meaning an inability to become pregnant due to poor or no ovulation--and iron intake. women with the highest intake of nonheme iron (which comes fro nonanimal sources such as spinach, legumes, or vitamin supplements)--on average, 76mg per day--had a 40 percent lower risk of ovulatory infertility compared with women with the lowest intake. (The RDA for iron in women is 18g, and 27 during pregnancy.) Intake of heme iron did not have this effect. "It's not clear right now how iron affects ovulation," says study author Jorge Chavarro, MD, ScD, research fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health, "although some studies suggest that it is important for the development of the egg prior to ovulation."
from Elle, February 2007.

Hit List of Weight-Gaining Behaviors

2007-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

This list is a great eye-opener to see how small changes in your behavior can add up in a big way!

Eating second helpings (200 kcal per helping) 3x per week
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 600
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 31,200
Potential Weight Gain per Year 9 lbs

Habitual overeating, every day, 380 extra kcal per day
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 2,660
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 138,320
Potential Weight Gain per Year 40lbs

Eating a large bagel (4.5” diameter, 323kcal) 3x per week rather than a small bagel (3” diameter, 156kcal)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 500
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 26,000
Potential Weight Gain per Year 8lbs

Eating Big Macs (or equivalent, 570kcal) twice a week rather than choosing a small sized hamburger (260kcal)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 620
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 32,240
Potential Weight Gain per Year 9lbs

Eating one glazed doughnut (290kcal) every day at work during your coffee break
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 1,450
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 75,400
Potential Weight Gain per Year 21lbs

Drinking a cup of whole mile (150kcal) twice a day rather than having skim milk (86kcal)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 896
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 46,600
Potential Weight Gain per Year 13lbs

Drinking one regular soda a day (144kcal) rather than diet soda
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 1,008
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 52,400
Potential Weight Gain per Year 15lbs

One small Starbucks nonfat Mocha without whipped cream (170kcal) every day at work rather than black coffee
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 850
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 44,200
Potential Weight Gain per Year 13lbs

Snacking on 15-20 potato chips a day (150 kcal)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 1,050
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 54,600
Potential Weight Gain per Year 16lbs

Eating a bowl of regular ice cream (280kcal) 5x per week rather than having a bowl of nonfat frozen yogurt (160kcal)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 600
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 31,200
Potential Weight Gain per Year 9lbs

Binging twice a week (1000-3000kcal per binge)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 2,000-6,000
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 104,000-312,000
Potential Weight Gain per Year 30-90lbs

Snacking while watching TV 5 hrs a week (136 per snack)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 680
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 35,360
Potential Weight Gain per Year 10lbs

Nighttime eating, five episodes per week (270kcal per episode)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 1,350
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 70,200
Potential Weight Gain per Year 20lbs

Drinking 3 beers at happy hour once a week (146kcal per beer)
Weekly Caloric Cost (extra kcal per week) 438
Annual Caloric Cost (extra kcal per year) 22,776
Potential Weight Gain per Year 6.5lbs

The list and note above were taken from The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom by Dr. Phil McGraw. I endorse this book as a way to understand the emotional and psychological aspects to overeating, developing a healthy relationship with food, and achieving a positive mental state while losing weight and improving one’s fitness level. I have read the book and have bought it for friends and family.

BIG NEWS on BURNING FAT

2006-12-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Using The Glycemic Index for Ultimate Fat Burn

The News
If you read any publications that deal with fitness or weightloss, you've probably read something about the glycemic index this month. A new study has just reported that eating foods that are low on the glycemic index before exercising drastically improves the fat burn during your workouts.

What is the Glycimic Index?
The Glycemic Index shows how your body's sugar levels respond to certain foods using a rating of 0-100, with 100-the highest level-being pure glucose. Foods with high numbers, such as simple carbohydrates, will increase the body's sugar levels rapidly while foods that are low on the glycemic index, such as whole grains or legumes, will increase the body's sugar levels slowly over a longer period of time.

So pass on that Gatorade (glycemic index value of 78), coffee with sugar, juice, or soda before your workout and burn more fat!

Here's a sample article on the Glycemic Index and Fat Burning from Jan/Feb Muscle and Fitness Magazine Hers:

Use The Glycemic Index To Increase Fat-Burning

Eating a meal containing low-glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates before exercise may result in a higher rate of fat-burning during exercise, report Loughborough University rearchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In two trials, eight healthy, active women ate a test breakfast that provided 2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight-one meal was low GI , the other high GI-three hours before the subjects ran at 65% VO2 max for an hour. During exercise, the estimated rate of fat-burning was greater in the subjects in the low GI trial than in subjects who ate the high GI breakfast.

Use It: Before you do cardio, consider having oatmeal or some tuna on a slice of whole wheat bread 3 hours before your workout.

Recipe: Dijon Chicken

2006-12-22T00:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1/4 C Dijon mustard
1 T white wine, such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
1/8 t Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 T finely minced shallot
1 1/2 T real maple syrup
2 4-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of all visible fat

Directions:
Combine 1/8 C mustard, wine, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, 1/2 T shallots, and 1/2 T maple syrup in a shallow dish for a marinade. Add chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 5 minutes or marinate refrigerated and covered for 1 hour. Preheat charcoal or gas grill. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill chicken 3-5 minutes per size or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine remaining mustard, shallots, and maple syrup. Mix well and serve as a dipping sauce for chicken.

Nutritional Information per Serving

Calories: 174
Fat: 3.2 grams
Cholesterol: 65.8 milligrams
Fiber: .2 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.9 grams
Protein: 35 grams
Sodium: 582 milligrams
Potassium: 314 milligrams

Recipe: Grilled Tilapia with Asian Red Lentils and Kale

2006-12-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

2 Servings

Ingredients
1/2 lb fresh tilapia fillet cut about 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 T mirin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 t dark sesame oil
1/2 C red lentils
1 C low-salt chicken broth
2 C packed, sliced kale
1 T water
1 t sesame seeds, optional

Prepare charcoal or gas grill.
Place fish on a shallow plate.
Combine soy sauce, mirin, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in bowl. Mix well.
Pour mixture over fish, turning to coat.
Let stand 10 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine lentils and broth in a large, deep skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add kale to lentils. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until lentils and kale are tender, stirring once.
Grill fish over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes (reserve marinade).
Transfer marinade to small saucepan and add 1 T of water. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 30 seconds.
Spoon lentil mixture on serving plates. Top with fish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and drizzle with boiled marinade.

Nutritional information per serving
Calories: 174
Fat: 3.2
Cholesterol: 65.8 milligrams
Fiber: .2 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.9 grams
Protein: 35 grams
Sodium: 582 milligrams
Potassium: 314

Lunch recipe: Ginger, Carrot, and Orange Soup

2006-12-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
cooking oil spray
1/4 c thinly sliced yellow onion
1/2 rib celery (1/2 cup), thinly sliced
1/4 lb carrots, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 C low salt vegetable broth
3/4 t finely grated ginger
1/4 C orange juice
1/4 t salt
1 t extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven, coated with cooking oil spray, over medium heat.
Add onion and celery. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots; continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add broth and ginger. Bring to a boil.
Add orange juice and salt, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes.)
Transfer mixture (in batches if necessary) to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Ladle into bowls. Reheat if necessary. Drizzle oil over soup. Serve.

2 servings
Nutritional information per serving
Calories: 83
Fat:2.5 grams
Cholesterol: .8 milligrams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 14.9 grams
Protein: 5.2 grams
Sodium: 568 milligrams
Potassium: 573 milligrams
From You: An Owner's Manual

Lunch Recipe: Edamame with Asian Salad

2006-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 C frozen shelled edamame
1 C chopped lettuce
1 C shredded cabbage
1 T sesame seeds
1 large carrot, shredded
2 scallions, chopped

Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
1/4 t sesame oil
1 t ponzu sauce
1 T canola oil
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/2 t sugar

Directions:
Boil edamame until tender and salt to taste.
Toss edamame with chopped lettuce, cabbage, scallions.
Combine salad dressing ingredients together in bowl and mix well.
Add dressing to greens and toss.
Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.
Serve.

Nutritional information per serving.
Calories: 275
Fat: 16.7 grams
Cholesterol:0
Fiber: 7.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 22.7
Protein: 14 grams
sodium: 24 milligrams
Potassium: 807 milligrams

Breakfast recipe: Shiitake Mushroom & Asparagus Frittata with Smoked Salmon

2006-12-21T23:45:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Cooking oil spray or olive oil in a mister
3 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps washed and sliced
3 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces
2 large egg whites
1/2 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free soy milk or skim cow's milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper
2 oz smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream

Heat an ovenproof, slope-sided skillet coated with cooking oil spray over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat broiler.
In a medium bowl, beat together egg whites, egg, milk, 1 tablespoon dill, salt and pepper.
Stir in smoked salmon.
Pour mixture into skillet over vegetables and mix well.
Cook without stirring until eggs are set on the bottom (about 4 minutes. Center will be wet)
Transfer to broiler and broil 2-5 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes until eggs are just barely set.
Cut into wedges, sprinkle with remaining dill, and serve with sour cream.

2 Servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories: 108
Fat:3.9 grams
Cholesterol: 63 milligrams
Fiber:1.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 5 grams
Protein: 13.7 grams
Sodium: 805 milligrams
Potassium: 439 milligrams

My Philosophy: Not a New Year's Resolution, a New Life Resolution/Revolution

2006-12-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

Part 1
Because I am slim and fit, a lot of my clients and friends ask me if I diet. I don't believe the word "diet" should be a verb (as in, "Are you dieting?"). I'm a strong believer that one's diet should be a way of life. I don't believe in good foods or bad foods (chocolate cake=bad, rice cake= good). It should be noted that I do not consider highly processed foods, most fast foods, and foods containing certain artificial ingredients (hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, &c.) real food that is fit for consumption. Few things in life are black and white, so why should we expect what we eat to be so simple and binary?

My philosophy is that we should listen to what our bodies are telling us. If we are gaining weight, are becoming hypertensive, if our cholesterol levels are high, if we're always hungry/stuffed, we should take a good, unbiased look at what we eat, when we eat, why we eat, and how we eat, and we should modify those things until we are healthy. What we consume should not negatively affect us, and if it does and we do not change our eating habits, we only have ourselves to blame. We don't have to diet (ie. deprive) we need to adjust our diet (how, how much, and what we eat).

Losing Weight

To effectively lose weight, one needs to adjust their diet as well as their activity level. Doing one without the other probably won't have much of a lasting effect. Think of it as a lifestyle change that will give you a changed body, a healthier body. Our bodies are amazing things. They will do only what we ask of them. If you want the strong, lean body of an active, healthy person, you are going to have to embark on the process of becoming a strong, active, healthy person. You won't get a strong, lean body by watching 20 hours of tv a week and substituting rice cakes for potato chips. If you're willing to accept that your lifestyle as it is now is not giving you the physique you want and committed to altering your lifestyle and adopting a healthier diet and more physical activity, your body will listen. It may grumble, it may ache and complain, but it will listen.

A good friend of mine is always saying, you are the master of your own destiny. You are the master of your body as well.

Change Your Diet, Change Perspective

It's common for many people to improve the quality of their food, make healthier choices, and still find they are not losing weight. Portion size is very important. It is crucial. American meals, especially the ones served at restaurants, have lost all sense of proportion. Our dinner plates are huge. Our spoons are huge. We need to relearn what a real portion size is and accept that. As long as we believe that a steak should be 24 ounces (as opposed to 4-6 ounces), we are not going to get the bodies we want.
At home, use smaller plates and fill them mostly with brightly colored vegetables. Keep your protein portion about the size of a deck of cards and your starch about 1/2 cup (think of a baseball cut in half). Still hungry? Have some more steamed string beans, some more beets, another helping of broccoli.
When you are actively trying to change your diet, to nurture your palate to accept and enjoy healthier real flavors, and to lose weight, you may want to step away from the desserts for a while. You should probably cut out alcohol, which is high in calories. This does not mean that you will forever forgo these items, but just know that for the time being, you are taking a break and resetting your palate and your body. If you must, savor just a bite of some high quality sweet instead of having a whole dessert or candy bar.
When you achieve your goal weight, remember that you can have anything you want occasionally and in moderation.

Exercise

The healthiest way to lose weight is to adopt a healthy diet and exercise. We should all be getting 45 minutes a day of exercise. At least. Our bodies are designed to be active. Unfortunately, our jobs often require we sit still for long periods of time. This starts a vicious circle of fatigue and inflexibility. This vicious circle continues even when we first start working out. It can last a few weeks, but slowly, surely, your body will wake up and rise to the occasion. It will do what you ask of it; it will get stronger, more flexible, healthier. You will feel stronger, healthier. You'll have more energy. As you come into your body, you'll be amazed at how good it feels to be more active, to be stronger. Your body is meant to be strong and healthy and your hard work and exercise will be rewarded. Your body is a part of you. Don't neglect it.

Math

While I don't believe we should be wed to the scale, there are some important numbers to consider. 3500 is the number of calories in a pound. If over the span of a month, you consume 7000 extra calories, you will gain two pounds of fat. Likewise, if over the span of a week, if you decrease your calorie consumption by 200 calories a day (that's about equal to a slice of cheese and a can of soda) while increasing your energy expenditure (exercise) by about 300 calories every day, you can expect to lose a pound.
What about all those diets you read about that tell you to cut out carbs and you'll lose 10 pounds in a week.... well, most of that is water. It is safe and reasonable for most people to lose between 1-2 lbs a week. Unless you have an excessive amount of weight to lose, dropping more than 1-2 lbs a week usually indicates you are dehydrated (a side effect of ketosis, the state your body goes into when it's deprived of carbohydrates).
Going back to what I wrote earlier about being wed to the scale... you should use how you look, how you feel, how your clothes fit, as better indicators of your progress. Muscle weighs more than fat. How much more? A pound of fat is about the size of a large grapefruit. A pound of muscle is about the size of a small orange or tangerine. So if you are losing fat and gaining muscle, the numbers on the scale might not be moving very much. If the jeans you banished to the back of your closet or some other "thin clothes" are telling you you lost weight but your scale is telling you otherwise, rest assured that you may not have lost "weight" but you certainly lost fat.

Avoiding Gestational Diabetes

2006-12-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

Women who exercise regularly before conceiving are less likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy, according to a Harvard study. Brisk walking before pregnancy reduced the risk of gestational diabetes by 24% compared to walking at an easy pace. In contrast, women who watched at least20 hours of TV each week and did not exercise before pregnancy were 2 times as likely as exercisers to develop gestational diabetes. While lifelong physical activity clearly matters, previous studies show that women can also reduce the risk of diabetes by exercising during pregnancy. -Archives of Internal Medicine

Maternal Fitness: Spotlight Obesity

2006-12-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Obesity Damages
Women who are obese during pregnancy have more complications and their babies tend to have more medical problems at birth according to a new report. Excess weight increases the risk of hypertension, gestational diabetes and bloodclots, and babes of obese mothers are more likely to have neural-tube defects and spend more time in the neonatal intensive care unit. To avoid gaining more weight than necessary it is critical to exercise regularly and eat nutritiously. -Wiley Institute for Fit Pregnancy

Q & A with Lisa Drayer, R.D.

2006-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Detox Diets, The Skinny on Juices, Eat More to Lose Weight: A Registered Dietician at Women's Health tackles this month's topics...

Q. Are there any health benefits to "detox" diets that make you fast for the first few days?

No. The kidneys and liver remove toxins from teh body, so there is no biological need for that kind of diet. In fact, prolonged fasting can lead to headaches, fatigue, and low blood sugar. Bur if you're just starting a diet, you might want to try a "modified" detox: Eliminate starchy carbs, refined sugars, and alcohol for 3 days to lose weight and boost your motivation.

Q. I love making my own juice. Is this a weight-conscious way to get my five a day?

All juice, including homemade, is a concentrated source of sugar and calories, not great if you're trying to lose weight. Whole fruits and vegetables are much better, in part becase they contain fiber that keeps you full longer. Bur juice is packed with vitamins and antioxidants like beta carotene, so if it's the only way you can swallow your fruits and veggies, go for it. Just limit your servings to 4 ounces a day.

Q. I lost 13 lbs by eating 1000 calories a day for three months. For the past three days, I've eaten 500 calories but gained half a pound. Why?

The gain is probably just because you're retaining fluid. The real problem is that your calorie intake is way too llow! eating so little slows down your metabolism, which can cause you to gain weight quickly when you start eating normally again. Eat a minimum of 1200 caloires and get 20 minutes of exercise daily to keep your metabolism up.

Walking for your Health

2006-12-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Walking Cure from Women's Health, December 2006

Eating a meal high in saturated fat could do immediate harm to your blood vessels. But if you just polished off a pint of Edy's Chocolate Fudge Chunk, don't panic: A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that going for a walk after a high-fat meal may reduce the food's effect on your arteries. Researchers compared the heart health of eight 25-year olds after three scenarios: eating a low-fat breakfast; eating a high-fat breakfast; and eating a high-fat breakfast and then going for a 45-minute walk. While the arteries narrowed in the nonexercisers who ate the fatty meal, the arteries in the exercisers dilated (even more than in the low-fat eaters). So take a walk after a holiday pig-out, but avoid regular binge-and-walk sessions.

Work-Related Back Pain

2006-12-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Think a new chair is the best remedy for that ache you get after hunching over your Mac all day? Maybe not: Exercise is a more effective treatment for upper-body office strain than ergonomics, according to a review in the journal The Cochrane Library. Researchers examined 21 studies on a total of 2,110 adults who suffered from chronic arm, neck, or shoulder pain. They found that ergonomical designed workspaces and physiotherapy--which uses methods like massage and heat-were less effective a reducing pain than regular workouts. Cardio and strength training both helped. "Staying as active as possible {is key}'" says study author Arianne Verhagen, Ph.D. Hit the gym three times a week and visit stretchbreak.com to download a program that reminds you to do its 5-minute stretching program every hour.

Improve your Health WITHOUT Drugs

2006-12-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

How to Lower your LDL Cholesterol without Drugs

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Levels above 130 mg;dl can build up and clog the arteries that lead to your heart and brain.

To get your LDL cunt below 100 (considered ideal), modify your diet. "If you completely changed what you ate overnight, you culd expect to see your LDL cholesteral fall as much as 15 percent in a few weeks," says Mason Freeman, M.D., author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol.

Here are 3 proven tactics:
Cut the Unhealthy Fats: Avoid transfats completely, and limit saturated fat (meat, eggs, and whole-milk dairy products), to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories.

Fit in fiber: Consuming 5-10 grams of soluble fiber (kidney beans, apples, oatmeal all have it) a day has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol about 5 percent.

Go Nuts: Studies Show that getting 20 percent of your daily calories from walnuts-rich in omega-3 fatty acids- may reduce LDL cholesterol by 12 percent. Aim for 2 ounces.

from Shape Magazine, January 2007

Recipe of the Week

2006-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 C chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb grown turkey breast
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 C reduced-fat sour cream
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons nonfat milk
2 scallions (green and white parts) chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 2 t of oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute 3 minutes until tender. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
Heat remaining 2 t oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and saute 3-5 minutes, until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Add thyme, oregano, and pepper and stir to coat turkey with herbs.
Return sauteed vegetables to skillet. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid reduces and sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, place potatoes in a medium saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Boil 8 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Drain and return potatoes to pan. Mash potatoes with the sour cream and milk. Season to taste with black pepper. Fold in Scallions. (Potatoes should be slightly thin and easy to spread over turkey mixture; if they're not, add more milk)
Transfer turkey mixture into a deep-dish 9 inch pie plate or shallow casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over top and, using the back of a spoon, make an even layer.
Place pie plate on a baking sheet ( in case of spillovers) and bake 12-15 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size 1 1/2 C
Calories: 370
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 47g
Protein: 33g
Iron: 6mg
Sodium: 426mg

Food Spotlight

2006-12-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

Broccoli...

..along with kale and other dark leafy greens, is high in vitamin K, a nutrient that half of us don't get enough of. A new study found that those who ate more than 240 micrograms a day (the amount in just over a cup of broccoli) were 28% less likely to die from heart disease. One explanation? Vitamin K may help keep arteries clear of life-threatening blockages.

Magic Number: 2.2

2006-12-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

2.2 lbs, or 1 kg

If you're overweight, 2.2 is the number of pounds you need to lose to reduce your risk of diabetes by 16 percent says a new study published in Diabetes Care. You can easily lose that amount in a month if every day you burn an extra 100 calories by exercising and trim 150 calories from your diet (about equal to one regular soda). Even better, the effect of the weight loss is cumulative. Drop 4.4 pounds to cut your risk by 32 percent; shed 6.8 to lower your odds by 48 percent.

Quick Chicken Recipe

2006-12-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Chicken with Basil-Mustard Sauce

Serves 4
Prep Time: 7 Minutes
Cook Time: 13 Minutes

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (1/4 lb each)
1- 1 1/4 Cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 Cup white wine
1 Tablespooon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
2 Tablespoons chopped basil

Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture; reserve remaining flour.
In a bowl, combine 1 cup broth, wine, mustard. Set aside.
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken breasts and saute chicken until light golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate.
Put remaining tablespoon of oil into skillet. Add shallots and cook over medium heat, until beginning to brown, about 30 seconds.
Pour in wine mixture and bring to a boil over high heat.
Return chicken to skillet with any juices that have accumulated on plate.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 2 minutes per side or until chicken is just done.
If sauce is too thick, whisk in remaining 1/4 cup broth. Add in basil. Mix. Serve.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 1 portion chicken 1/4 lb, 1/4 cup sauce

Calories:223
Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 5g
Protein: 28g
Fiber: <1g
Calcium: 24mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 442mg

3 New Reasons to Breast-feed

2006-12-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

1. You'll help raise a happier kid. Breast-fed infants are half as likely to experience anxiety throughout childhood, according to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Mom-baby bonding strengthens babies' stress response, making them more resilient, says study author Scott Montgomery, Ph.D. a Swedish epidemiologist.

2. You'll slash your risk of diabetes. Every year a woman breast-feeds makes her 15 percent less prone to develop type 2 diabetes, according to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "We think that breast-feeding burns fat stored during pregnancy, so nursing moms lose slightly more weight." says researcher Alison Stuebe, M.D. "This regulates the hormone insulin, preventing diabetes over time."

3. You'll protect your infant from allergies. Exclusively nursing for six months reduces your child's exposure to solid foods. Before that age, her still-developing immune system may not tolerate foods and may produce antibodies that can trigger an allergic reaction, explains Amal Assa'ad, M.D., medical director of the Food Allergy Clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

from Shape Magazine, January 2007

How Low Can You Go?

2006-12-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

As you read this, you are burning calories. You're burning calories when you sleep. Yes, we expend calories simply by breathing, by being. Before you get too excited and run for that pint of Haagen Dazs, you should understand that the number of calories needed to sustain yourself is quite minimal and this number decreases as you age. When dieting, keep your basal metabolic rate in mind. Your caloric intake while dieting should not be drastically lower than what your body requires for maintenance. As many people who have tried crash diets have learned, if you deprive yourself of calories (and often nutrients) for an extended period of time, you can slow down your metabolism which will cause you to gain back weight quickly when you adopt healthier eating habits. The bottom line is drastically restricting your caloric intake alone can cause you to lose some weight, but lasting, long term weight loss is the result of healthy lifestyle changes: a balanced diet with controlled portions and daily exercise.
Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate here.