A client of mine who spent up to 5 days per week on the treadmill doing intervals of walking and jogging for an hour fell off the wagon recently. Although she continued her 2 day per week strength training routine, she felt run down and even her strength training endurance was impacted. When she finally got back on the treadmill after several weeks she was only able to walk at a reduced speed for 40 minutes.
Although you may not always want to do your cardio exercise, it’s easier to continue some sort of routine and level of intensity rather than trying to start back up, and that is not just in your head.
First, it will help you to know what happens over time when you do aerobic exercise consistently. Overall your body becomes more efficient. Your muscles increase their endurance capacity; you are able to use less carbohydrate stores as energy and burn more fat. Aerobic training increases the stroke volume of the heart or the output of oxygenated blood returning to the working muscles and the muscles become more efficient at extracting oxygen from the blood.
If you stop doing aerobic exercise, within the first 12 days stroke volume is reduced by 7%. Already, in less than two weeks you have lost almost 10% of endurance level you had achieved. A study by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) concluded that lack of aerobic exercise for nearly three months, cost the subjects nearly 15% of their stroke volume and therefore their endurance. The same study showed that endurance levels could be maintained by less frequent or shorter duration cardio exercise but could not be maintained by decreased intensity in exercise.
Bottom line: It’s easier mentally and physically to continue to do some sort of cardio frequently than it is to try to start up your routine again. Also, if you are not in the mood, it is better to spend any amount of time, at your usual level of intensity, whenever you can, than to just do some cardio at a much lower level of intensity. For example, if you normally jog 30 minutes 5 times a week at an intensity level of 6, you can maintain your endurance level if you continue 3 times a week for 20 minutes at a level of 6 than if you started to walk 4 times a week for 30 minutes at an intensity level of 4.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Physical Activity / Exercise Guidelines for Adults
Physical activity requirements for healthy adults under age
65 as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) are as follows:
Do moderately intense* cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.
*Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity five days a week may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
65 as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) are as follows:
Do moderately intense* cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.
*Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity five days a week may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sun Safety
Quick Facts:
** Tanning beds/lamps give out UVA and often UVB rays so they are not safe
** Darker clothes are safer, darker sun glasses may not be
** Just 2 bad sunburns with blistering before the age of 18 significantly increases the chances of skin cancers
** Sun burns should never be treated with ice, only cold compress
** Some medications like antibiotics increase sensitivity to the skin
** UVA/B rays penetrate water so skin below the water is not protected
** Limit sun exposure between the hours of 10am & 4pm when it is strongest
** Bronzers and extenders, are considered cosmetics for external use and are not thought to be harmful when used properly
Time in direct sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D so it shouldn’t be completely avoided but the American Cancer Society wants people to understand that sun exposure adds up, its not just trying to avoid burning at the beach or the pool, you need to be aware of limiting sun exposure everyday. Covering up, wearing hats, sunglasses and protective lip products all should accompany sun screen, even though we probably focus the most on wearing sunscreen.
Clothing: Dark colors provide more protection than light colors; long sleeves and long pants are more protective than short.
Make-up: Foundation, lipstick and other cosmetics provide no protection unless the label indicates that they contain sunscreen. If not, sunscreen should be applied, before applying makeup.
Hats: Tightly woven hats that cover and shade head and neck completely are best. Be sure to use sunscreen on exposed uncovered areas like the ears and the back of the neck.
Sunglasses: Eye disease can be the result of sun exposure over time so you want to protect your eyes with glasses that protect against UVA & UVB rays. Darker glasses do not necessarily provide more protection, check for any of the following: UV absorption up to 400 nm, 100% UV absorption, meets ANSI UV
Sunscreen: A minimum of SPF 15 is recommended, the higher the SPF number the more protection the product provides. In order for it to work correctly it must be applied properly according to the label. Usually something like, “Generously apply to all exposed skin areas when skin is dry 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure.” Reapply often, especially after swimming.
This information provided by the ACS and other great information on prevention measures can be searched at: www.cancer.org
** Tanning beds/lamps give out UVA and often UVB rays so they are not safe
** Darker clothes are safer, darker sun glasses may not be
** Just 2 bad sunburns with blistering before the age of 18 significantly increases the chances of skin cancers
** Sun burns should never be treated with ice, only cold compress
** Some medications like antibiotics increase sensitivity to the skin
** UVA/B rays penetrate water so skin below the water is not protected
** Limit sun exposure between the hours of 10am & 4pm when it is strongest
** Bronzers and extenders, are considered cosmetics for external use and are not thought to be harmful when used properly
Time in direct sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D so it shouldn’t be completely avoided but the American Cancer Society wants people to understand that sun exposure adds up, its not just trying to avoid burning at the beach or the pool, you need to be aware of limiting sun exposure everyday. Covering up, wearing hats, sunglasses and protective lip products all should accompany sun screen, even though we probably focus the most on wearing sunscreen.
Clothing: Dark colors provide more protection than light colors; long sleeves and long pants are more protective than short.
Make-up: Foundation, lipstick and other cosmetics provide no protection unless the label indicates that they contain sunscreen. If not, sunscreen should be applied, before applying makeup.
Hats: Tightly woven hats that cover and shade head and neck completely are best. Be sure to use sunscreen on exposed uncovered areas like the ears and the back of the neck.
Sunglasses: Eye disease can be the result of sun exposure over time so you want to protect your eyes with glasses that protect against UVA & UVB rays. Darker glasses do not necessarily provide more protection, check for any of the following: UV absorption up to 400 nm, 100% UV absorption, meets ANSI UV
Sunscreen: A minimum of SPF 15 is recommended, the higher the SPF number the more protection the product provides. In order for it to work correctly it must be applied properly according to the label. Usually something like, “Generously apply to all exposed skin areas when skin is dry 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure.” Reapply often, especially after swimming.
This information provided by the ACS and other great information on prevention measures can be searched at: www.cancer.org
Friday, June 5, 2009
Sugar v. High Fructose Corn Syrup
There are some conflicting stories about this topic but I am using a well researched article from the NY Times to summarize this information for you.
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup worse than Sugar? It helps to know that the high-fructose corn syrup used in processed foods and soda 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, very similar to white sugar, which is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. HFCS is not naturally occurring; it is chemically produced to resemble sugar but is derived from corn.
The NY Times reported, Dr. Walter Willett (chairman of the nutrition department at Harvard’s School of Public Health), as concluding that HFCS is not a healthy ingredient, but he believes that it is no worse than the refined white sugar it replaces, since both offer easily consumed calories (they taste good) with no nutrients. Why do food manufacturers use it in their products? It’s cheaper than sugar.
Bottom line for consumers: It seems HFCS may not contribute to poor health any more than regular white sugar but I avoid it because it is not natural and I avoid processed products. If you are trying to get to a goal weight or maintain your weight avoiding processed products (things that come in boxes and bags) is generally a good way to keep calories low and nutrients high.
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup worse than Sugar? It helps to know that the high-fructose corn syrup used in processed foods and soda 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, very similar to white sugar, which is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. HFCS is not naturally occurring; it is chemically produced to resemble sugar but is derived from corn.
The NY Times reported, Dr. Walter Willett (chairman of the nutrition department at Harvard’s School of Public Health), as concluding that HFCS is not a healthy ingredient, but he believes that it is no worse than the refined white sugar it replaces, since both offer easily consumed calories (they taste good) with no nutrients. Why do food manufacturers use it in their products? It’s cheaper than sugar.
Bottom line for consumers: It seems HFCS may not contribute to poor health any more than regular white sugar but I avoid it because it is not natural and I avoid processed products. If you are trying to get to a goal weight or maintain your weight avoiding processed products (things that come in boxes and bags) is generally a good way to keep calories low and nutrients high.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Artificial Sweeteners & Weight Gain
Researchers have evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their calorie intake and body weight.
The research using saccharin showed consuming a food sweetened with this no-calorie sweetener can lead to greater weight gain and obesity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a high calorie sugar.
Here's why: When we prepare to eat, the metabolic engine starts up. When the body senses sweetness in what you are consuming, core body temperature revs up to counteract the high calorie intake. But the body is not trained to respond to sweetness without calories. Researchers think this dulled response to sweetness without calories both led to overeating and made it harder to burn off sweet-tasting calories.
Other artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which also taste sweet but do not allow the body to prepare for the calories consumed, could have similar effects.
Bottom-line: Just be aware of what you are eating and your total calories keeping your consumption of sugar and artificial sweeteners to a minimum. The chore of counting calories and exercising intensely does, over time, become less intrusive to your normal routine and becomes a lifestyle. You can enjoy any food you want if it is balanced with a healthy amount of good foods and exercise.
A TEASPOON of Granulated White Sugar has 16 calories.
Check some nutrition labels, 4g = 1 teaspoon of sugar.
A can of coke has 27g of sugar or approx 7 teaspoons of sugar, YUK!
The research using saccharin showed consuming a food sweetened with this no-calorie sweetener can lead to greater weight gain and obesity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a high calorie sugar.
Here's why: When we prepare to eat, the metabolic engine starts up. When the body senses sweetness in what you are consuming, core body temperature revs up to counteract the high calorie intake. But the body is not trained to respond to sweetness without calories. Researchers think this dulled response to sweetness without calories both led to overeating and made it harder to burn off sweet-tasting calories.
Other artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which also taste sweet but do not allow the body to prepare for the calories consumed, could have similar effects.
Bottom-line: Just be aware of what you are eating and your total calories keeping your consumption of sugar and artificial sweeteners to a minimum. The chore of counting calories and exercising intensely does, over time, become less intrusive to your normal routine and becomes a lifestyle. You can enjoy any food you want if it is balanced with a healthy amount of good foods and exercise.
A TEASPOON of Granulated White Sugar has 16 calories.
Check some nutrition labels, 4g = 1 teaspoon of sugar.
A can of coke has 27g of sugar or approx 7 teaspoons of sugar, YUK!
Food Safety Tips
Alfalfa Sprouts: The growing process also grows dangerous bacteria (mostly salmonella) – there is no “safe” way to eat them raw
Raw Eggs: Do you need another reason not to eat cookie dough or Caesar dressing – there is a low risk of salmonella with any egg that is not fully cooked – including yolk. Eggs pasteurized in the shell eradicates this danger – look for the symbol of a P in a circle
Rare Burgers: Beef has the potential for carrying salmonella or E. coli , cook to 160d
Packaged Greens: Have a greater chance of exposure to bacteria – better bet is to buy the head of lettuce and remove outside leaves, wash hands and then prepare interior greens for salads etc. For spinach, cooking is the only really safe option.
Sushi: The primary cause for concern with sushi is the presence of parasites—tapeworms, flatworms and roundworms – the better the restaurant & chef, the safer the sushi
Chicken: Safe preparation is the key – anything the raw chicken touches – counter, knife, hands, needs to be washed with soap immediately. Cook thoroughly with no pink left, and store this and all meats within 30 minutes of cooking
Cantaloupe: Bacteria can grow in the crevices in the rind – wash it thoroughly before cutting because it’s the cutting of the fruit that cross-contaminates the inside that you eat – same with watermelon, apples etc.
Unpasteurized Cheese: Many soft cheeses—including brie, feta and goat cheese—are unpasteurized – read the label and only purchase pasteurized cheese
Salad Bars: Hazards include: foods that aren’t kept hot or cold enough, poor hygiene by employees and refilling partially used containers of perishable food with fresh food – not to mention what the sneeze guard is intended to protect you from
Raw Eggs: Do you need another reason not to eat cookie dough or Caesar dressing – there is a low risk of salmonella with any egg that is not fully cooked – including yolk. Eggs pasteurized in the shell eradicates this danger – look for the symbol of a P in a circle
Rare Burgers: Beef has the potential for carrying salmonella or E. coli , cook to 160d
Packaged Greens: Have a greater chance of exposure to bacteria – better bet is to buy the head of lettuce and remove outside leaves, wash hands and then prepare interior greens for salads etc. For spinach, cooking is the only really safe option.
Sushi: The primary cause for concern with sushi is the presence of parasites—tapeworms, flatworms and roundworms – the better the restaurant & chef, the safer the sushi
Chicken: Safe preparation is the key – anything the raw chicken touches – counter, knife, hands, needs to be washed with soap immediately. Cook thoroughly with no pink left, and store this and all meats within 30 minutes of cooking
Cantaloupe: Bacteria can grow in the crevices in the rind – wash it thoroughly before cutting because it’s the cutting of the fruit that cross-contaminates the inside that you eat – same with watermelon, apples etc.
Unpasteurized Cheese: Many soft cheeses—including brie, feta and goat cheese—are unpasteurized – read the label and only purchase pasteurized cheese
Salad Bars: Hazards include: foods that aren’t kept hot or cold enough, poor hygiene by employees and refilling partially used containers of perishable food with fresh food – not to mention what the sneeze guard is intended to protect you from
Sleep, Hunger & Weight Loss
Maintaining and losing weight is about calories in v. calories out, burn more calories each day through activity than calories you take in from food. But the human body is complex and there are a lot of other things helping you, or hurting you, when trying to reach your goals.
Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone (ghrelin) and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full (leptin). The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain. With less sleep the hormone for hunger rises in your blood.
Maybe a link to weight gain: Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese while an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night.
So, record your favorite shows past 10pm, tire yourself out during the day with intense exercise, have an eating cut off time each night and get a lot of sleep to maximize your fat loss!
Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone (ghrelin) and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full (leptin). The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain. With less sleep the hormone for hunger rises in your blood.
Maybe a link to weight gain: Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese while an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night.
So, record your favorite shows past 10pm, tire yourself out during the day with intense exercise, have an eating cut off time each night and get a lot of sleep to maximize your fat loss!
Your Shape, Your Health: Pears v. Apples
Dangerous Fat: Fat that accumulates in the abdominal area is far more dangerous than fat in other areas of the body. This fat is linked to Metabolic Syndrome or insulin resistance which causes fat to be stored deep in the abdomen or around the liver and heart tissues. This type of fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.
For Pears: The great news is that a small waist is a great indicator of good health and low visceral fat. The challenge is that fat in areas other than the abdomen are more resistant to loss and can take significant time and effort to tone and shrink.
For Apples: The good news is you will feel more in proportion when you reduce abdominal fat and abdominal fat is believed to be easier to lose than other fat stored in they body. The challenge is that this is a sign of a high amount of dangerous visceral fat.
Prescription for everybody: An exercise program designed for your body type combined with a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is the most effective treatment plan you can follow.
For Pears: The great news is that a small waist is a great indicator of good health and low visceral fat. The challenge is that fat in areas other than the abdomen are more resistant to loss and can take significant time and effort to tone and shrink.
For Apples: The good news is you will feel more in proportion when you reduce abdominal fat and abdominal fat is believed to be easier to lose than other fat stored in they body. The challenge is that this is a sign of a high amount of dangerous visceral fat.
Prescription for everybody: An exercise program designed for your body type combined with a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is the most effective treatment plan you can follow.
Caffeine, Pros and Cons
Can you match the caffeine to the source?
(1) 330mg (2) 80mg (3) 100mg (4) 120mg (5) 30mg (6) 20mg
(a) Red Bull Energy Drink (b) Black/Green Tea (c) Starbucks Grande Coffee
(d) Coffee Ice Cream (e) Hersheys Dark Chocolate (f) Mountain Dew Soda
(+) what caffeine may be good for: Mental Performance, Mood, Physical Performance, Headaches. Caffeine improves alertness and reaction time, increases a feeling of well-being and sociability, improves aerobic endurance and is a mild painkiller
(-) what caffeine may not be good for: migraines (may help relieve a headache but may also provokes migraines in people susceptible to getting migraines), counteracting alcohol (it has no sobering effects other than to help you think you are sober), interferes with sleep
Current research suggests you don't have to worry about negative effects on: Heart Disease, cancer, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Osteoporosis, Dehydration and there seems to be nothing linking caffeine consumption to PMS or weight loss.
[Answers: 1c, 2a, 3b, 4f, 5d, 6e]
(1) 330mg (2) 80mg (3) 100mg (4) 120mg (5) 30mg (6) 20mg
(a) Red Bull Energy Drink (b) Black/Green Tea (c) Starbucks Grande Coffee
(d) Coffee Ice Cream (e) Hersheys Dark Chocolate (f) Mountain Dew Soda
(+) what caffeine may be good for: Mental Performance, Mood, Physical Performance, Headaches. Caffeine improves alertness and reaction time, increases a feeling of well-being and sociability, improves aerobic endurance and is a mild painkiller
(-) what caffeine may not be good for: migraines (may help relieve a headache but may also provokes migraines in people susceptible to getting migraines), counteracting alcohol (it has no sobering effects other than to help you think you are sober), interferes with sleep
Current research suggests you don't have to worry about negative effects on: Heart Disease, cancer, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Osteoporosis, Dehydration and there seems to be nothing linking caffeine consumption to PMS or weight loss.
[Answers: 1c, 2a, 3b, 4f, 5d, 6e]
Habits of Highly Successful Dieters
The National Weight Control Registry is a community of people who have maintained a 30lb or more weight loss for more than 1 year. On average, registry members have lost 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.
Here is what registry members say are the top four ways they have lost weight and been successful in keeping weight off:
78% eat breakfast every day (get your metabolism going first thing in the morning)
75% weigh them self at least once a week (stay in touch with the number but don't obsess)
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week (they're outside walking!)
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day (you read it right, you can do 30 minutes)
Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight take a tip from thousands of people who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off.
Which one of the four items above could you improve on?
Here is what registry members say are the top four ways they have lost weight and been successful in keeping weight off:
78% eat breakfast every day (get your metabolism going first thing in the morning)
75% weigh them self at least once a week (stay in touch with the number but don't obsess)
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week (they're outside walking!)
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day (you read it right, you can do 30 minutes)
Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight take a tip from thousands of people who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off.
Which one of the four items above could you improve on?
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