Almost half way through the year- June already!!!!! How are your fitness goals coming along? A friend posted something on Facebook that made me think about the "stages of readiness to change", also known as, the "psychological aspect of personal training"! After more than ten years of research, the stages of readiness to change were introduced. How ready are you to change your fitness level? Let's see where you're at!
Stage 1- Precontemplation: no change is being thought of.
Stage 2- Contemplation: change is being thought about sometime in the next 6 months.
Stage 3- Preparation: change is being planned within the next 30 days and some type of change in behavior is being attempted.
Stage 4- Action: the behavior that produces positive outcomes has been started within the last 6 months
Stage 5- Maintenance- the behavior that produces positive outcomes has been done for at least 6 months.
So obviously, the change and behavior I am talking about here is: exercise!!! Which stage do you think is the most critical and difficult to achieve? Stage 5!! Most people don't believe that, but it's true. A lot of people "fall off the wagon" in Stage 4. Life gets busy with kids, careers, spouse, traveling (especially in the summer) etc. Many behaviors become a habit after doing them for 3 weeks, but, with exercise it takes 6 months. Getting to that crucial Stage 5 is so important, because that means it has become a habit. If you do travel, really, really try to keep exercising, even if it is just a walk on the beach, bicycle riding, outdoor sports, etc. And, many of us see a vacation as a license to eat whatever we want. One study has shown that 60% of people gain weight while on vacation. And, especially if you take a cruise where there are open food buffets 24 hours a day- that is just very tempting. If you don't already do it, start a food journal or use www.myfitnesspal.com, it also comes as an app on your phone. You can use it to log your exercise as well. If you are traveling and eating out all of your meals at a restaurant, you are almost guaranteed to go over in your calories. Restaurants prepare foods in butter and oil, even foods that you wouldn't think, so make sure you ask your server how your meal is being prepared. Take healthy snacks with you so that you know how many calories you are consuming there, since you may not be sure how many you are eating with your restaurant meals. Choose foods that are grilled or steamed; fresh fruits and vegetables; items without a lot of cheese or heavy dressings; and clear broth soups, not creamy ones. And, steer clear of buffets for a couple of reasons. One, I am just a germaphobe and buffets are just a big vat of bacteria, and two, you tend to over indulge at them.
Take advantage of school being out to spend time together outdoors with your family. You can be the positive influence that your family needs to get moving. Go on hikes, bike rides, walks, the pool to swim laps, or to the gym together!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
May Challenge!!!!!!!!!
Wow!! May, already??? We are almost halfway through the year- how are you doing on your fitness and nutrition goals? The nutrition challenge for the month of May is to: eliminate all artificial sweeteners. I have written about aspartame, also known as Equal or Nutrasweet, in my blog before, but there is also suclarose, called Splenda, and saccharin. These are really the "big 3" of artificial sweeteners. They are all filled with cancer causing chemicals and should be avoided entirely!!!! I cannot express to you enough that these are dangerous chemicals for our bodies. Everyone wonders why the incidence of cancers are rising- this is part of the reason why. In this post I will detail the dangers of aspartame and then I will detail the dangers of the other two in subsequent posts.
Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981 for use in dry foods. It was originally approved in 1974, but, findings by a neuroscience researcher put the approval on hold. There is a list of 92 side effects from the use of Aspartame. Seventy-five percent of all adverse reactions from food additives reported to the FDA come from the use of Aspartame. These include: headaches/migraines, seizures, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, muscle spasms, depression, fatigue, irritability, rashes, insomnia, tachycardia, vision and hearing problems, anxiety, heart palpitations, breathing problems, loss of taste, vertigo, memory loss, joint pain, and symptoms of hypoglycemia. I know about this side effects all too well, because I experienced many of them. I used to be a diet soda junkie and have been quit now for almost 6 years. I started this research originally because I discovered I had Aspartame poisoning. I quit it cold turkey and within a week, my symptoms started to disappear.
Aspartame is L-apartyl, L-phenylalanine methyl ester. The three toxic ingredients of it are methanol, which is grain alcohol, phenylalaine and aspartic acid- the last two are amino acid isolates. Let me explain that: Proteins, needed for muscle development and repair, is made up of many amino acids grouped together. There are 22 amino acids necessary for normal human growth, with 14 of those that our body can make called non essential amino acids. Then, there are 8 other amino acids called essential amino acids that we must get from outside sources such as food. Amino acid isolates have been artificially separated from the protein chain and are now single or dipeptide molecules. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are two types of genetically modified or manufactured amino acids. Because of this our body's metabolize them differently than amino acids that have not been broken apart or artificially made. You also need to know that the isolates of aspartame are incorporated into a compound containing free methanol, which is a carcinogen and mutagen that breaks down into formaldehyde inside our bodies! At certain high temperatures, those of which a can of soda experiences riding on a truck to your local grocery store, the aspartame breaks down into methanol and formaldehyde- so just picture yourself drinking a can of chemicals, because that's what is happening.
Regarding Aspartame in diet soda: it actually can make you gain weight, not lose. This is because when you drink Aspartame it sort of has the same response as when your body ingests high fructose corn syrup. It causes your pancreas to start releasing high levels of insulin which then signals your body to start storing things as fat.
Now onto your fitness goal. For the month of May, I want to encourage you to: stretch at least 3 times a week!!! So many times we forget about that important part of our fitness routine. Stretching elongates our muscles and keeps us from injury. You can go online and google many different types of stretches that you can do. Make sure you don't over stretch- you don't want to tear anything. When you stretch, only go as far as you can without feeling pain. As you do it several times a week, your flexibility will improve.
Happy May!!!
Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981 for use in dry foods. It was originally approved in 1974, but, findings by a neuroscience researcher put the approval on hold. There is a list of 92 side effects from the use of Aspartame. Seventy-five percent of all adverse reactions from food additives reported to the FDA come from the use of Aspartame. These include: headaches/migraines, seizures, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, muscle spasms, depression, fatigue, irritability, rashes, insomnia, tachycardia, vision and hearing problems, anxiety, heart palpitations, breathing problems, loss of taste, vertigo, memory loss, joint pain, and symptoms of hypoglycemia. I know about this side effects all too well, because I experienced many of them. I used to be a diet soda junkie and have been quit now for almost 6 years. I started this research originally because I discovered I had Aspartame poisoning. I quit it cold turkey and within a week, my symptoms started to disappear.
Aspartame is L-apartyl, L-phenylalanine methyl ester. The three toxic ingredients of it are methanol, which is grain alcohol, phenylalaine and aspartic acid- the last two are amino acid isolates. Let me explain that: Proteins, needed for muscle development and repair, is made up of many amino acids grouped together. There are 22 amino acids necessary for normal human growth, with 14 of those that our body can make called non essential amino acids. Then, there are 8 other amino acids called essential amino acids that we must get from outside sources such as food. Amino acid isolates have been artificially separated from the protein chain and are now single or dipeptide molecules. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are two types of genetically modified or manufactured amino acids. Because of this our body's metabolize them differently than amino acids that have not been broken apart or artificially made. You also need to know that the isolates of aspartame are incorporated into a compound containing free methanol, which is a carcinogen and mutagen that breaks down into formaldehyde inside our bodies! At certain high temperatures, those of which a can of soda experiences riding on a truck to your local grocery store, the aspartame breaks down into methanol and formaldehyde- so just picture yourself drinking a can of chemicals, because that's what is happening.
Regarding Aspartame in diet soda: it actually can make you gain weight, not lose. This is because when you drink Aspartame it sort of has the same response as when your body ingests high fructose corn syrup. It causes your pancreas to start releasing high levels of insulin which then signals your body to start storing things as fat.
Now onto your fitness goal. For the month of May, I want to encourage you to: stretch at least 3 times a week!!! So many times we forget about that important part of our fitness routine. Stretching elongates our muscles and keeps us from injury. You can go online and google many different types of stretches that you can do. Make sure you don't over stretch- you don't want to tear anything. When you stretch, only go as far as you can without feeling pain. As you do it several times a week, your flexibility will improve.
Happy May!!!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Portion Sizes!!!
How is everyone doing with getting fit? One big obstacle that can affect our goals is our portion sizes of the food we eat. Especially when we go out to eat in a restaurant- the U.S. has some of the largest portion sizes of anywhere in the world! It's a wonder why we have the highest obesity rates. So, paying attention to how much you are putting on your plate is a big deal. Try to use a smaller plate to eat. Eating can be very psychological. We "think" we need to fill the plate up, so using a smaller one tricks us into thinking we have enough food. Many of us were taught as children to "clean our plates". That's actually a terrible habit, if in fact you are taking too much. I'm not about waste, at all, but, you are better off saving what's left on your plate in the refrigerator than trying to eat it all, if you are full. Another thing we tend to do is eat off of our kids' plates. Bad habit!! So, let me encourage you to read, read, read labels! Get a good set of measuring cups and use them to measure your portion sizes. Most people are very surprised at what "one serving" looks like. When it comes to meat, 3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards. Measuring is very important when it comes to items like pasta and rice. Those calories add up very quickly. I always measure my granola- it's what I eat very often for breakfast, but only 1/4 of a cup in 1/2 cup of organic vanilla yogurt with some fruit. Granola can be healthy, but it packs a lot of calories, so you must be careful how much you consume. It's a good form of healthy carbs, protein and fat and is a much better choice than a bowl of surgary cereal. I make my own granola or I eat an organic variety that is not filled with refined sugar, but instead, is sweetened with honey or molasses and has healthy nuts in it- that's where the protein comes from. This is another reason why reading labels is necessary- you have to know what you are eating. Chemicals in food can make us retain fat on our bodies.
For years I have encouraged my clients to keep a food journal. Well, in this age of technology, that has gotten easier. There is a wonderful app called My Fitness Pal. You can access it on the internet if you don't have a way to download an app. This app allows you enter everything you eat each day, as well as the calories you burned exercising (obviously, that part isn't going to be 100% accurate, since the app doesn't know how hard you pushed yourself or to what level you worked out- but, it's a rough estimate). You can enter how much weight you want to lose, and it will calculate how many calories you should eat each day. It's really a great way to keep track of what you're eating. For example, after you enter your breakfast calories, it will show you how many calories you have left to eat that day. It really helps you to make good choices, knowing that you only have "x" amount of calories left to consume that day.
I have always said that I am about eating in moderation- except, when it comes to chemicals! So, here is an example of how I allow myself to eat something that's not exactly healthy for me. This is also how I taught my kids to eat. If I know I'm going to want something that's high in calories or fat, I never start off eating that item first. Instead, I eat healthy items until I'm almost full, and then I have a little bit of that food I'm craving. It's just enough to satisfy, but not enough to sabotage my eating for the day. When my kids were young and we were eating lunch, I would give them the healthy food first, ex: turkey breast on whole wheat, veggies and fruits. Then, when they were done eating all of that I would let them have some chips (chemical free ones of course) or a cookie or something of that nature. They never ate a lot of the junk because they were full from the good stuff, yet, they never felt deprived. Another huge rule in our house is: NEVER EAT ANYTHING FROM THE BAG!!!!!!!!! So many people will sit down with a bag of chips and have no idea how many they have just consumed. We tend to eat mindlessly, especially if it's in front of the television. Always, measure out a serving on a plate and then put the bag away.
Eating healthy doesn't have to be a chore- sometimes we just need to break those bad habits!!!! Oh, and I have a new facebook page at www.facebook.com/GetFit4Living. I hope you go and "like" it!!!
For years I have encouraged my clients to keep a food journal. Well, in this age of technology, that has gotten easier. There is a wonderful app called My Fitness Pal. You can access it on the internet if you don't have a way to download an app. This app allows you enter everything you eat each day, as well as the calories you burned exercising (obviously, that part isn't going to be 100% accurate, since the app doesn't know how hard you pushed yourself or to what level you worked out- but, it's a rough estimate). You can enter how much weight you want to lose, and it will calculate how many calories you should eat each day. It's really a great way to keep track of what you're eating. For example, after you enter your breakfast calories, it will show you how many calories you have left to eat that day. It really helps you to make good choices, knowing that you only have "x" amount of calories left to consume that day.
I have always said that I am about eating in moderation- except, when it comes to chemicals! So, here is an example of how I allow myself to eat something that's not exactly healthy for me. This is also how I taught my kids to eat. If I know I'm going to want something that's high in calories or fat, I never start off eating that item first. Instead, I eat healthy items until I'm almost full, and then I have a little bit of that food I'm craving. It's just enough to satisfy, but not enough to sabotage my eating for the day. When my kids were young and we were eating lunch, I would give them the healthy food first, ex: turkey breast on whole wheat, veggies and fruits. Then, when they were done eating all of that I would let them have some chips (chemical free ones of course) or a cookie or something of that nature. They never ate a lot of the junk because they were full from the good stuff, yet, they never felt deprived. Another huge rule in our house is: NEVER EAT ANYTHING FROM THE BAG!!!!!!!!! So many people will sit down with a bag of chips and have no idea how many they have just consumed. We tend to eat mindlessly, especially if it's in front of the television. Always, measure out a serving on a plate and then put the bag away.
Eating healthy doesn't have to be a chore- sometimes we just need to break those bad habits!!!! Oh, and I have a new facebook page at www.facebook.com/GetFit4Living. I hope you go and "like" it!!!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Tips For Healthy Eating!
With warmer weather here, I hope that encourages everyone to get outside and exercise! I have found that when I exercise, I tend to not want to eat junk food, but, instead healthy food. Here are some tips that I find work for ensuring healthy eating:
1. Don't keep junk food in your house!
This is a BIG one. If it's not there, you won't be tempted to eat it. Instead choose to find healthy foods to eat as a treat, such as fresh fruit or yogurt.
2. Make your own snacks.
When you make your own food, you know exactly what you are putting in it. Choose a day out of the week that you aren't as busy and make that your day to prepare snacks for the week. Go online and find some healthy recipes for granola bars and snack mixes. Or, if you find a recipe you like that isn't particularly healthy, make some ingredient changes and make it healthy.
3. Do a menu plan for the week.
This is huge!!! If you know exactly what you are going to be eating at each meal, you will be less likely to reach for something unhealthy. It also is a great way to save money. Instead of just choosing random things to put in my grocery cart, I only get the items I need to make the menu I have chosen for the week. It also helps you to intentionally add those fruits and veggies to each meal.
4. Do prep work ahead of time.
This goes along with the menu plan. Have your salad chopped up ahead of time, along with other veggies and fruits. If all you have to do is open the fridge to find something prepared to eat, you will be less likely to grab that bag of chips (which you shouldn't have in your house anyway!).
5. Instead of a whole cheat day- just have a cheat meal.
I firmly believe in not completely depriving yourself of some of the foods you really love. Most people will have a cheat day in their week, which can lead to a lot of unhealthy calories being consumed. Instead, have a cheat meal- it will still give you something to look forward to, but you won't go overboard on the calories. Thirty five hundred calories equals 1 pound. It would be fairly easy to eat 3500 calories if you had a whole cheat day! REMEMBER: EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!!!!! If we can get our minds wrapped around that, we will want to fill our bodies with healthy foods.
6. Soup is where it's at!
Soup is a great way to eat a meal with low calories. If you are out to eat, always choose a clear broth soup, not a cream based soup. Most restaurants use heavy cream to make those types of soup. If you are home making your own soup, you can still have a creamy type of soup, but instead use skim milk and some flour or cornstarch to cream it. It works great and you save a lot of fat and calories. And, choose to make a soup that has a lot of veggies in it- they tend to pick up the flavor of the broth and even kids who don't normally like veggies will eat it.
7. Grocery shop around the outside perimeter of the store as much as possible.
Next time you are at the grocery store, look and see what is on the shelves in the middle of the grocery store as opposed to the perimeter of the store. I have readers in other countries, so this may not be true in other parts of the world, but, unfortunately here in the United States, those shelves in the middle of the grocery store are filled with processed foods. Produce, meats, and dairy are on the perimeter of the grocery store. Once I eliminated chemicals from my family's diet, I don't shop those inside aisles near as much as I used to. Obviously, things like condiments, rice, pasta and beans are in those middle aisles, and those can be healthy choices. But, there are a lot of processed foods lurking on those shelves, too!!!
I hope this helps you in getting your family on the right track with their eating!!
1. Don't keep junk food in your house!
This is a BIG one. If it's not there, you won't be tempted to eat it. Instead choose to find healthy foods to eat as a treat, such as fresh fruit or yogurt.
2. Make your own snacks.
When you make your own food, you know exactly what you are putting in it. Choose a day out of the week that you aren't as busy and make that your day to prepare snacks for the week. Go online and find some healthy recipes for granola bars and snack mixes. Or, if you find a recipe you like that isn't particularly healthy, make some ingredient changes and make it healthy.
3. Do a menu plan for the week.
This is huge!!! If you know exactly what you are going to be eating at each meal, you will be less likely to reach for something unhealthy. It also is a great way to save money. Instead of just choosing random things to put in my grocery cart, I only get the items I need to make the menu I have chosen for the week. It also helps you to intentionally add those fruits and veggies to each meal.
4. Do prep work ahead of time.
This goes along with the menu plan. Have your salad chopped up ahead of time, along with other veggies and fruits. If all you have to do is open the fridge to find something prepared to eat, you will be less likely to grab that bag of chips (which you shouldn't have in your house anyway!).
5. Instead of a whole cheat day- just have a cheat meal.
I firmly believe in not completely depriving yourself of some of the foods you really love. Most people will have a cheat day in their week, which can lead to a lot of unhealthy calories being consumed. Instead, have a cheat meal- it will still give you something to look forward to, but you won't go overboard on the calories. Thirty five hundred calories equals 1 pound. It would be fairly easy to eat 3500 calories if you had a whole cheat day! REMEMBER: EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!!!!! If we can get our minds wrapped around that, we will want to fill our bodies with healthy foods.
6. Soup is where it's at!
Soup is a great way to eat a meal with low calories. If you are out to eat, always choose a clear broth soup, not a cream based soup. Most restaurants use heavy cream to make those types of soup. If you are home making your own soup, you can still have a creamy type of soup, but instead use skim milk and some flour or cornstarch to cream it. It works great and you save a lot of fat and calories. And, choose to make a soup that has a lot of veggies in it- they tend to pick up the flavor of the broth and even kids who don't normally like veggies will eat it.
7. Grocery shop around the outside perimeter of the store as much as possible.
Next time you are at the grocery store, look and see what is on the shelves in the middle of the grocery store as opposed to the perimeter of the store. I have readers in other countries, so this may not be true in other parts of the world, but, unfortunately here in the United States, those shelves in the middle of the grocery store are filled with processed foods. Produce, meats, and dairy are on the perimeter of the grocery store. Once I eliminated chemicals from my family's diet, I don't shop those inside aisles near as much as I used to. Obviously, things like condiments, rice, pasta and beans are in those middle aisles, and those can be healthy choices. But, there are a lot of processed foods lurking on those shelves, too!!!
I hope this helps you in getting your family on the right track with their eating!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
April Challenge!!!!!
Can you believe it is April already?????? How are you doing with the monthly challenges? January was to remove high fructose corn syrup; February was to remove dyes and artificial coloring; and March was to remove nitrites and nitrates from your diet. This month we are going to be removing MSG- monosodium glutamate from your diet. I wrote a post a few months ago on the dangers of MSG which I am putting below:
What is MSG? Monosodium glutamate is a salt made from glutamic acid. It's used to bring out the taste in salty and sweet foods. So, most restaurants put it in just about everything as well as many prepackaged and processed foods. Side effects from consuming MSG include: headache, diarrhea, chest pain, dizziness, palpitations, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills, heartburn, unusual thirst, depression, anxiety/panic attacks, hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children, joint pain, hives, rashes, etc. MSG is an excitotoxin that crosses the blood- brain barrier which means it can cause neurological problems. So, as you can see MSG should not be consumed if you are trying to be healthy. When it comes to weight loss, MSG can cause hypothyroidism, which causes your thyroid gland to not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, which in turn affects your rate of metabolism. People with hypothyroidism do not burn as many calories and then they gain weight. Another problem with MSG and weight loss is that it actually acts as a non appetite suppressant meaning it makes you crave the food that you are eating that contains the MSG. This is why so many people "crave" certain foods, especially fast food. Think about those fast food french fries that you love or certain other dishes from restaurants. More than likely they contain MSG.
Now, here's the tricky part. There are ingredients that contain MSG, so food companies don't have to actually list MSG on the label, only the ingredient that contains it. So, when you see the following ingredients on a label, it more than likely contains MSG: autolyzed plant protein, autolyzed yeast, calcium caseinate, gelatin, glutamate, glutamic acid, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, monopotassium glutamate, senomyx, sodium caseinate, textured protein, vegetable protein extract, yeast extract, yeast food or nutrient, flavor, bouillon, cornstarch fructose.
So, the bottom line is, whether or not you are trying to lose weight, get rid of the MSG. There are studies that have been conducted and are still being conducted to show a relation between consumption of MSG and diseases such as Alzheimer's. Just remember that whenever you consume it, it is affecting your central nervous system in a negative manner. If you have any questions let me know!!
Now, how is your fitness program going so far? We have been adding on exercise each month, also. This month I want you to try and ramp up your exercise to a whole new level! Remember, one of the easiest ways to figure out your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. Then, take that number and multiply it by .85 and by .60- this will give you the two numbers you want your heart rate to be in between. If you are not working hard enough you won't be burning fat, and if you are working too hard you may hurt yourself. Remember, your heart rate will start to improve as the days and months go by. This is because your heart is a muscle. The stronger it is the less beats it will take to pump all the blood through your body. So, your resting heart rate will decrease, which also means it will take longer and harder exercise to get your heart rate up to a good burning zone. How can you ramp up your exercise, you ask? Work out harder, longer and with more intensity. Your body is capable of doing things you didn't think it could. If you have joint pain- that is a signal to stop, but if you are just experiencing muscle pain or fatigue- you can keep going! Always get approval from your physician to start a new exercise program if you haven't worked out before or you have some preexisting conditions, a family history of heart disease, or take medication regularly. And, if you can- hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to get some good ideas for working out. You don't have to hire them indefinitely, just a few times could get you started on the right path! Your health is worth it!!! Enjoy- and always, if you have any questions please let me know.
What is MSG? Monosodium glutamate is a salt made from glutamic acid. It's used to bring out the taste in salty and sweet foods. So, most restaurants put it in just about everything as well as many prepackaged and processed foods. Side effects from consuming MSG include: headache, diarrhea, chest pain, dizziness, palpitations, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, chills, heartburn, unusual thirst, depression, anxiety/panic attacks, hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children, joint pain, hives, rashes, etc. MSG is an excitotoxin that crosses the blood- brain barrier which means it can cause neurological problems. So, as you can see MSG should not be consumed if you are trying to be healthy. When it comes to weight loss, MSG can cause hypothyroidism, which causes your thyroid gland to not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, which in turn affects your rate of metabolism. People with hypothyroidism do not burn as many calories and then they gain weight. Another problem with MSG and weight loss is that it actually acts as a non appetite suppressant meaning it makes you crave the food that you are eating that contains the MSG. This is why so many people "crave" certain foods, especially fast food. Think about those fast food french fries that you love or certain other dishes from restaurants. More than likely they contain MSG.
Now, here's the tricky part. There are ingredients that contain MSG, so food companies don't have to actually list MSG on the label, only the ingredient that contains it. So, when you see the following ingredients on a label, it more than likely contains MSG: autolyzed plant protein, autolyzed yeast, calcium caseinate, gelatin, glutamate, glutamic acid, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, monopotassium glutamate, senomyx, sodium caseinate, textured protein, vegetable protein extract, yeast extract, yeast food or nutrient, flavor, bouillon, cornstarch fructose.
So, the bottom line is, whether or not you are trying to lose weight, get rid of the MSG. There are studies that have been conducted and are still being conducted to show a relation between consumption of MSG and diseases such as Alzheimer's. Just remember that whenever you consume it, it is affecting your central nervous system in a negative manner. If you have any questions let me know!!
Now, how is your fitness program going so far? We have been adding on exercise each month, also. This month I want you to try and ramp up your exercise to a whole new level! Remember, one of the easiest ways to figure out your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. Then, take that number and multiply it by .85 and by .60- this will give you the two numbers you want your heart rate to be in between. If you are not working hard enough you won't be burning fat, and if you are working too hard you may hurt yourself. Remember, your heart rate will start to improve as the days and months go by. This is because your heart is a muscle. The stronger it is the less beats it will take to pump all the blood through your body. So, your resting heart rate will decrease, which also means it will take longer and harder exercise to get your heart rate up to a good burning zone. How can you ramp up your exercise, you ask? Work out harder, longer and with more intensity. Your body is capable of doing things you didn't think it could. If you have joint pain- that is a signal to stop, but if you are just experiencing muscle pain or fatigue- you can keep going! Always get approval from your physician to start a new exercise program if you haven't worked out before or you have some preexisting conditions, a family history of heart disease, or take medication regularly. And, if you can- hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to get some good ideas for working out. You don't have to hire them indefinitely, just a few times could get you started on the right path! Your health is worth it!!! Enjoy- and always, if you have any questions please let me know.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Supplements: Are They Necessary?
As a personal trainer, I am often asked this question: Should I be taking vitamins/minerals/supplements/diet pills? So, here is my long answer to that short questions!
Vitamins
Ideally, we shouldn't take vitamins because we should be getting everything we need from the food we put in our mouths. But, unfortunately, not enough people eat the proper nutrition that they need daily. And even if we do, so many fruits and vegetables are grown with pesticides and chemicals we are not getting the good stuff from our food anymore, so we supplement (and eat organic when you can). If you do need to take vitamins and minerals, make sure you are buying high quality supplements- not synthetic ones. Synthetic vitamins have been formed in a laboratory by reconstructing the vitamin molecule chemically. Natural vitamins are made from food concentrates such as carrot powder, wheat germ or buckwheat, and their molecular and biomedical combinations remain untampered with. Synthetic are generally much less expensive than natural, but, synthetic vitamins can actually harm your body and not help. Do your research to make sure you are getting high quality supplements.
Let me explain a little bit about vitamins. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are all your B vitamins and C. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are dissolved in fat and are usually absorbed in fat globules that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. They are then stored in body tissues and usually remain there, which if you have taken too much, can cause a potentially dangerous condition known as hypervitaminosis. It is rare, but be cautious of taking too many fat soluble vitamins. Many people are now deficient in vitamin D- the reason being is the excessive use of sunscreen. I most certainly advocate the use of sunscreen if you are going to be out for a long length of time, but, if I am just going outside for short amounts of time, we do not use it. Your body needs a certain amount of vitamin D from natural sunlight and the sunscreen blocks that absorption. And, if I do wear it, it is a natural sunscreen and not the chemical filled ones. Remember, what we put on our skin is actually absorbed faster into our bodies than if we would have ingested it.
Water soluble vitamins are dissolved in water when they are ingested and then go into our bloodstream. They do not get stored in our bodies. Our bodies keep what is needed and then the rest is excreted through our urine. So, because they aren't stored everyone needs a continual supply of B vitamins and C.
Minerals
Minerals cannot be created by your body (our bodies are able to build some vitamins from the nutrients we consume), so we must obtain them from the foods that we eat. Once again, if your diet is healthy, you will not need to supplement. But, if not make sure you are using high quality supplements. Calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc are just a few of the minerals that our bodies need. We can obtain calcium from dairy products; iron from meat; potassium from bananas; and zinc from venison, beef or shellfish. Obviously, if you are pregnant or have any other medical condition, make sure you check with your doctor for how your vitamin and mineral needs may change.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They band together in chains to form the essentials things in our bodies needed to live. Amino acids get together and form peptides or polypeptides, from which proteins are made. There are 20 amino acids. Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids; the others need to be supplied in your food intake. The ten amino acids that we can produce are: alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. The ones we must obtain from our diet are: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Many people know tryptophan because it is in turkey- it's what makes us sleepy on Thanksgiving! But, too much of it will cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Just like anything- you must take amino acids in moderation or you will experience side effects. One side effect you may not realize until too late is damage to the kidneys. Protein and amino acids are filtered through the kidneys. If you are consuming too much your kidneys will have to work extra and that will put them at risk for kidney disease. Most people do not need to supplement their diets with amino acids. What we eat daily will supply what we need. There are other side effects to taking too many aminos including: anxiety, depression, and muscle weakness, among others. As always, if you feel you are lacking something, talk to your doctor and make sure they run tests to determine the levels of amino acids in your body.
Diet pills or diet supplements
This is a short answer: NO!!! There is no quick fix. If someone tells you that all they do is take some pills or supplements and they stay thin and they don't even have to workout- run fast and far away! First of all, if there were some magic pills to help you lose weight- it certainly wouldn't be healthy. As I have said in previous posts: exercising is important for so many more reasons than just losing weight. Exercising reduces blood pressure, heart rate, risk of cancers, risk of heart attack and stroke, risk of osteoporosis, it stabilizes your blood sugar levels, improves mood and energy and the list goes on and on. Let's do it the healthy and natural way- eat nutritious foods, high in vital nutrients and not chemicals, and exercise. That's what is good for your body!
Vitamins
Ideally, we shouldn't take vitamins because we should be getting everything we need from the food we put in our mouths. But, unfortunately, not enough people eat the proper nutrition that they need daily. And even if we do, so many fruits and vegetables are grown with pesticides and chemicals we are not getting the good stuff from our food anymore, so we supplement (and eat organic when you can). If you do need to take vitamins and minerals, make sure you are buying high quality supplements- not synthetic ones. Synthetic vitamins have been formed in a laboratory by reconstructing the vitamin molecule chemically. Natural vitamins are made from food concentrates such as carrot powder, wheat germ or buckwheat, and their molecular and biomedical combinations remain untampered with. Synthetic are generally much less expensive than natural, but, synthetic vitamins can actually harm your body and not help. Do your research to make sure you are getting high quality supplements.
Let me explain a little bit about vitamins. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are all your B vitamins and C. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are dissolved in fat and are usually absorbed in fat globules that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. They are then stored in body tissues and usually remain there, which if you have taken too much, can cause a potentially dangerous condition known as hypervitaminosis. It is rare, but be cautious of taking too many fat soluble vitamins. Many people are now deficient in vitamin D- the reason being is the excessive use of sunscreen. I most certainly advocate the use of sunscreen if you are going to be out for a long length of time, but, if I am just going outside for short amounts of time, we do not use it. Your body needs a certain amount of vitamin D from natural sunlight and the sunscreen blocks that absorption. And, if I do wear it, it is a natural sunscreen and not the chemical filled ones. Remember, what we put on our skin is actually absorbed faster into our bodies than if we would have ingested it.
Water soluble vitamins are dissolved in water when they are ingested and then go into our bloodstream. They do not get stored in our bodies. Our bodies keep what is needed and then the rest is excreted through our urine. So, because they aren't stored everyone needs a continual supply of B vitamins and C.
Minerals
Minerals cannot be created by your body (our bodies are able to build some vitamins from the nutrients we consume), so we must obtain them from the foods that we eat. Once again, if your diet is healthy, you will not need to supplement. But, if not make sure you are using high quality supplements. Calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc are just a few of the minerals that our bodies need. We can obtain calcium from dairy products; iron from meat; potassium from bananas; and zinc from venison, beef or shellfish. Obviously, if you are pregnant or have any other medical condition, make sure you check with your doctor for how your vitamin and mineral needs may change.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They band together in chains to form the essentials things in our bodies needed to live. Amino acids get together and form peptides or polypeptides, from which proteins are made. There are 20 amino acids. Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids; the others need to be supplied in your food intake. The ten amino acids that we can produce are: alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. The ones we must obtain from our diet are: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Many people know tryptophan because it is in turkey- it's what makes us sleepy on Thanksgiving! But, too much of it will cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Just like anything- you must take amino acids in moderation or you will experience side effects. One side effect you may not realize until too late is damage to the kidneys. Protein and amino acids are filtered through the kidneys. If you are consuming too much your kidneys will have to work extra and that will put them at risk for kidney disease. Most people do not need to supplement their diets with amino acids. What we eat daily will supply what we need. There are other side effects to taking too many aminos including: anxiety, depression, and muscle weakness, among others. As always, if you feel you are lacking something, talk to your doctor and make sure they run tests to determine the levels of amino acids in your body.
Diet pills or diet supplements
This is a short answer: NO!!! There is no quick fix. If someone tells you that all they do is take some pills or supplements and they stay thin and they don't even have to workout- run fast and far away! First of all, if there were some magic pills to help you lose weight- it certainly wouldn't be healthy. As I have said in previous posts: exercising is important for so many more reasons than just losing weight. Exercising reduces blood pressure, heart rate, risk of cancers, risk of heart attack and stroke, risk of osteoporosis, it stabilizes your blood sugar levels, improves mood and energy and the list goes on and on. Let's do it the healthy and natural way- eat nutritious foods, high in vital nutrients and not chemicals, and exercise. That's what is good for your body!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Granola Anyone?
I love granola!!! It's a great source of fiber, protein and carbohydrates. I like to make my own because you can customize it any way you like. Add in the type of dried fruit and nuts that you like- the fat in nuts is a good type of fat, by the way! I use my granola for breakfast in the morning- sprinkled on organic yogurt, and also in my homemade granola bars. Below is the recipe for a basic granola and also for the granola bars I make.
Granola
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup canola oil- I only use organic canola- because of the possibilities of gmo's. Or you can use coconut or any other type of oil that you like
1/4 cup honey- I use raw
1/4 of demerera sugar- an unrefined type of sugar that looks like brown sugar- larger crystals than regular sugar and a brown color. Or you can use an organic brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or a little more if you like vanilla flavor)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 salt
2 cups add-ins like dried fruit, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with natural parchment paper (regular parchment paper is coated with chemicals!!) Whisk together the oil, honey, demerera, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the oats and toss well. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Let cool completely, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in add-ins. Store in an airtight container.
Granola Bars
4 TBL butter
1/4 cup demerera sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups of granola
1 cup of puffed rice cereal- you will want to get this from a healthy grocery store- the "normal" brands of rice cereal contain chemical preservatives that are cancer causing.
1/4 cup of dried fruit or nuts ( if you have a lot of this in your granola- you do not have to add more)
Put butter, demerera, honey and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add in granola, rice cereal and fruit or nuts. Stir until well coated and combined. Pour into an 11 x 7 (or two 9 x 5 pans) foil lined and greased pan. Use a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly oiled and lay on top of the granola- press down and evenly spread the mixture into the pan- well compacted. Let cool and then remove to a cutting board and cut into about 16-18 bars. About 130 calories each
Granola
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup canola oil- I only use organic canola- because of the possibilities of gmo's. Or you can use coconut or any other type of oil that you like
1/4 cup honey- I use raw
1/4 of demerera sugar- an unrefined type of sugar that looks like brown sugar- larger crystals than regular sugar and a brown color. Or you can use an organic brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or a little more if you like vanilla flavor)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 salt
2 cups add-ins like dried fruit, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with natural parchment paper (regular parchment paper is coated with chemicals!!) Whisk together the oil, honey, demerera, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour over the oats and toss well. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Let cool completely, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in add-ins. Store in an airtight container.
Granola Bars
4 TBL butter
1/4 cup demerera sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups of granola
1 cup of puffed rice cereal- you will want to get this from a healthy grocery store- the "normal" brands of rice cereal contain chemical preservatives that are cancer causing.
1/4 cup of dried fruit or nuts ( if you have a lot of this in your granola- you do not have to add more)
Put butter, demerera, honey and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add in granola, rice cereal and fruit or nuts. Stir until well coated and combined. Pour into an 11 x 7 (or two 9 x 5 pans) foil lined and greased pan. Use a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly oiled and lay on top of the granola- press down and evenly spread the mixture into the pan- well compacted. Let cool and then remove to a cutting board and cut into about 16-18 bars. About 130 calories each
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