Here are a few tips from Naturally Savvy on some more ways to tweak your metabolism into high gear. Together all of these tips add up to becoming a fat burning furnace.
Top 5 natural metabolic boosters
by Dr. Joey Shulman
If you think back to your own personal health history, I am confident you can pinpoint a time in your life when the weight just started to “creep” up on you. Whether it was an emotional or stressful trigger that started the number on the scale to climb or the hectic pace of life which caused health to take a back burner position – one day you wake up and realize just do not feel like the vibrant, fit person you were meant to be.
The good news is, the body has an amazing forgiving and restorative nature – given the proper foods, nutrients and conditions, you can lose the weight and feel like your “best” self within a short time. What is metabolism? While studying and speaking to several people about the function of metabolism, I found a majority of people felt their metabolic rate was fixed. In other words, each individual has a “set point” of metabolic function that cannot be changed. While this is true for part of your metabolism, as you will see there is a certain amount of flexibility that can drive your metabolism up or down. The question that researchers and doctors have been investigating for years is if metabolism can be altered thru various lifestyle and dietary changes. If you have difficulty losing weight, it is thought that you are one of the unlucky ones that have a “slow” metabolism dooming you to a future of continued weight gain and weight loss struggles.
If you have a “fast” metabolism, you may be among one of those lucky few who can eat anything and everything they wish never gaining a pound. With great strength, science demonstrates that metabolism can indeed be increased with a variety of natural steps. The key is to strike a fine balance between caloric intake, proper food choices and exercise.
The top 5 way to boost metabolism naturally are;
Do not skip breakfast! Picture your metabolic rate shaped as an ice cream cone. In other words, starting at the top - it is at its highest in the morning and starts to decline on a gradual level as the day progresses. Unfortunately, most of us have a backwards approach to eating when it comes to weight loss and meals. We skip breakfast for a variety of reasons such as lack of hunger, a busy schedule or to save on calories. While this may seem to make sense from a pure “calories in, calories out” theory, research has demonstrated time and time again that this approach will result in weight gain. Whether it is a protein shake, a yogurt and granola parfait or slow cooking oatmeal – you need something to start your day off right.
Eat more protein! The hormone glucagon is released in response to dietary protein, such as egg whites, low fat cheese, lean meats, chicken, fish and protein powder. Glucagon signals fat cells to release fat into the blood, thereby promoting its use. In other words, more fat is burned and more weight is lost when you eat more protein.
Say good-bye to refined grains. Refined grains, such as breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, cause most people to over-secrete the hormone insulin. Insulin has the opposite effect of glucagon. Of its many functions, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to facilitate the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar) is derived from carbohydrates and is the main source of fuel for the body. When too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates are consumed, such as refined white sugar and/or white flour, excess insulin is secreted to deal with the sugar. In short, excess insulin = excess fat.
Stick to low glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (breads and pastas) and beans. Do not be scared of eating bread! Research demonstrates very clearly that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and the prevention of type II diabetes, colon cancer and constipation.
Go for green – Instead of your morning coffee – opt for some green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, from helping to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease, to aiding in weight loss. Studies show that catechins, the antioxidants in green tea, help increase fat burning. Research also shows that green tea may lower blood sugars by inhibiting enzymes that allow the absorption of starches, and it may reduce the absorption of fat from the intestine. Typical dosage is three or four cups per day or a 300 to 400 mg capsule of green tea extract daily. Take home point
Your total metabolic rate is not fixed. In fact, there is a certain part of it that is elastic and when given the proper foods, hydration, exercise and supplements can rev up and help you slim down naturally. Good appetite!
End.
These are all good tips to live by. Give them a try one at at time.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction
If you are in a vicious cycle of craving carbs, particularly after a balanced meal you may need to wean off of simple carbs - just as you would alcohol. The more you eat, the more you want and the sweater the carb has to be to take the edge off. Ultimately excess simple sugars are stored as excess fat. Replace simple carbs with whole grain carbs and do your best to eat balanced meals and then distract yourself until the craving passes. Do not try to trick yourself with low sugar pudding or jello or other treats that truly are simple carbs in disguise. Berries and other fruits make for a great substitute and will move you closer to being rid of the addiction once and for all.
Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction
By Christopher Guerriero, BS, CPT
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more of the body than of the mind, meaning biological factors are generally considered to be the main trigger for carb cravings. These cravings are described as a compelling craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.This is where the cycle of carbohydrates and cravings start.
High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the addiction like a drug. This results in high blood sugar and insulin levels which results in more cravings. The situation also results in higher levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that acts like Prozac. People eat sweets to get the "sugar high."Another contributing factor to overeating and sweet craving is stress. When we are tense, the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates production of a brain chemical called "neuropeptide Y."This is kind of a carbohydrate craving switch.
Aside from this, neuropeptide Y also makes the body hang on to the new body fat we produce. In other words, tension not only triggers carbohydrate cravings, it also makes it more difficult to lose any additional weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and fat storage.It's a vicious cycle that feeds on itself, over and over.Food is not just a biological need; there is also an emotional element to it. Something in our emotional state, particularly a negative one evokes an urge for "comfort" food.
By dealing with the issue behind the cravings, it produces emotional relief that can reduce or even eliminate the urge to overeat.All in all, most experts agree that by eating enough wholesome foods at meals and by having a healthy afternoon snack, people can minimize their cravings for sweets.Here are recommendations to curb carb cravings.
1. Eat less but more often. Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady.Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to drop, which leaves you yearning for processed carbohydrates and sweets for energy.
2. Be selective about the carbohydrates you eat. Avoid nutrient-stripped foods made of white flour, white rice, refined sugar and highly concentrated sweeteners. Look for foods rich in fiber such as fresh vegetables and fruits, which level off blood sugar.
3. Don't skimp on protein to ?make room' for large amounts of carbohydrates. Protein gives the body extended energy, helps balance blood sugar and keeps cravings at bay.
4. Limit your intake of alcohol, fruit juice and caffeinated drinks. These cause abrupt blood-sugar highs followed by troublesome blood-sugar lows, leaving you starved for energy.
5. Eat small portions of seasonal goodies AFTER protein-containing meals or snacks, if at all. If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, you'll experience blood-sugar lows that trigger the desire for more sweets.
6. Avoid becoming famished during shopping trips and while traveling. Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts, hard-boiled eggs, nutrient-balanced energy bars or "vegetable greens" like those listed. These high-power foods are great when you feel your energy drop.
7. Get enough sleep. When the body and mind are well-rested, cravings for carbohydrates often vanish.
Curbing Your Carbohydrate Addiction
By Christopher Guerriero, BS, CPT
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more of the body than of the mind, meaning biological factors are generally considered to be the main trigger for carb cravings. These cravings are described as a compelling craving, or desire for carbohydrate-rich foods; an escalating, recurring need or drive for starches, snack foods, junk food, or sweets.This is where the cycle of carbohydrates and cravings start.
High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the addiction like a drug. This results in high blood sugar and insulin levels which results in more cravings. The situation also results in higher levels of serotonin - a brain chemical that acts like Prozac. People eat sweets to get the "sugar high."Another contributing factor to overeating and sweet craving is stress. When we are tense, the adrenal gland produces more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates production of a brain chemical called "neuropeptide Y."This is kind of a carbohydrate craving switch.
Aside from this, neuropeptide Y also makes the body hang on to the new body fat we produce. In other words, tension not only triggers carbohydrate cravings, it also makes it more difficult to lose any additional weight. Cortisol also stimulates insulin, which leads to blood sugar dips and fat storage.It's a vicious cycle that feeds on itself, over and over.Food is not just a biological need; there is also an emotional element to it. Something in our emotional state, particularly a negative one evokes an urge for "comfort" food.
By dealing with the issue behind the cravings, it produces emotional relief that can reduce or even eliminate the urge to overeat.All in all, most experts agree that by eating enough wholesome foods at meals and by having a healthy afternoon snack, people can minimize their cravings for sweets.Here are recommendations to curb carb cravings.
1. Eat less but more often. Eat small meals or snacks containing some PROTEIN every few hours to keep blood-sugar levels steady.Skipping meals causes blood sugar levels to drop, which leaves you yearning for processed carbohydrates and sweets for energy.
2. Be selective about the carbohydrates you eat. Avoid nutrient-stripped foods made of white flour, white rice, refined sugar and highly concentrated sweeteners. Look for foods rich in fiber such as fresh vegetables and fruits, which level off blood sugar.
3. Don't skimp on protein to ?make room' for large amounts of carbohydrates. Protein gives the body extended energy, helps balance blood sugar and keeps cravings at bay.
4. Limit your intake of alcohol, fruit juice and caffeinated drinks. These cause abrupt blood-sugar highs followed by troublesome blood-sugar lows, leaving you starved for energy.
5. Eat small portions of seasonal goodies AFTER protein-containing meals or snacks, if at all. If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, you'll experience blood-sugar lows that trigger the desire for more sweets.
6. Avoid becoming famished during shopping trips and while traveling. Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts, hard-boiled eggs, nutrient-balanced energy bars or "vegetable greens" like those listed. These high-power foods are great when you feel your energy drop.
7. Get enough sleep. When the body and mind are well-rested, cravings for carbohydrates often vanish.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Healthy Lifestyle Triggers Genetic Changes
This article excites me. I love the idea that we have the power to change our genetics and express our most positive genes - even when diagnosed with cancer! Too often I have heard people say I have bad genes. Now there IS proof that you can do something about it with healthy lifestyle changes.
Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study
Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:21pm EDT
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy.
The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.
As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes.
After the three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off.
The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health.
"It's an exciting finding because so often people say, 'Oh, it's all in my genes, what can I do?' Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview.
"'In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?' That's pretty exciting," Ornish said. "The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer."
Ornish said the men avoided conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer for reasons separate from the study. But in making that decision, they allowed the researchers to look at biopsies in people with cancer before and after lifestyle changes.
"It gave us the opportunity to have an ethical reason for doing repeat biopsies in just a three-month period because they needed that anyway to look at their clinical changes (in their prostate cancer)," Ornish said.
(Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Xavier Briand)
Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study
Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:21pm EDT
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy.
The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.
As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes.
After the three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off.
The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health.
"It's an exciting finding because so often people say, 'Oh, it's all in my genes, what can I do?' Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview.
"'In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?' That's pretty exciting," Ornish said. "The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer."
Ornish said the men avoided conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer for reasons separate from the study. But in making that decision, they allowed the researchers to look at biopsies in people with cancer before and after lifestyle changes.
"It gave us the opportunity to have an ethical reason for doing repeat biopsies in just a three-month period because they needed that anyway to look at their clinical changes (in their prostate cancer)," Ornish said.
(Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Xavier Briand)
12 Food Additives to Avoid
The issue of whether or not food additives such as artificial colors contribute to behavioral problems in children has been disputed for many years. I believe that food additives such as preservatives, sweeteners , nitrates, fillers and colorings should be avoided as much as possible, regardless of whether they have a marked effect or not as they clearly have no redeeming nutritional value, and can carry major long-term health risks.
Read this article from MNS Health for more details.
12 Food Additives to Avoid
Including something new in a food isn’t always a good idea, especially when it comes to your health. Here are 12 additives to subtract from your diet:(Please understand these are not my assessments, but those by MSN Health and Fitness. My comments and recommendations are in my comment below.)1. Sodium Nitrate (also called Sodium Nitrite)This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer.
2. BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydrozyttoluene are used to preserve common household foods. They are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. They are oxidants, which form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in your body.
3. Propyl Gallate
Another preservative, often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It is sometimes found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Animals studies have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.
4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It can cause headaches and nausea, and animal studies link it to damaged nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.
5. Trans Fats
Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease. Restaurant food, especially fast food chains, often serve foods laden with trans fats.
6. Aspartame
Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.
7. Acesulfame-K
This is a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. There is a general concern that testing on this product has been scant, and some studies show the additive may cause cancer in rats.
8. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
Five food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.
9. Olestra
Olestra, a synthetic fat found in some potato chip brands, can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. Olestra also inhibits healthy vitamin absorption from fat-soluble carotenoids that are found in fruits and vegetables.
10. Potassium Bromate
Potassium bromate is used as an additive to increase volume in some white flour, breads, and rolls. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans.
11. White Sugar
Watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, sauces and many other processed foods. It is unsafe for your health, and promotes bad nutrition.
12. Sodium Chloride
A dash of sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, can bring flavor to your meal. But too much salt can be dangerous for your health, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
Sources:
MSN Health and Fitness
Read this article from MNS Health for more details.
12 Food Additives to Avoid
Including something new in a food isn’t always a good idea, especially when it comes to your health. Here are 12 additives to subtract from your diet:(Please understand these are not my assessments, but those by MSN Health and Fitness. My comments and recommendations are in my comment below.)1. Sodium Nitrate (also called Sodium Nitrite)This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer.
2. BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydrozyttoluene are used to preserve common household foods. They are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. They are oxidants, which form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in your body.
3. Propyl Gallate
Another preservative, often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It is sometimes found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Animals studies have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.
4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It can cause headaches and nausea, and animal studies link it to damaged nerve cells in the brains of infant mice.
5. Trans Fats
Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease. Restaurant food, especially fast food chains, often serve foods laden with trans fats.
6. Aspartame
Aspartame, also known by the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal, is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.
7. Acesulfame-K
This is a relatively new artificial sweetener found in baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. There is a general concern that testing on this product has been scant, and some studies show the additive may cause cancer in rats.
8. Food Colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
Five food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer in animal testing. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.
9. Olestra
Olestra, a synthetic fat found in some potato chip brands, can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and gas. Olestra also inhibits healthy vitamin absorption from fat-soluble carotenoids that are found in fruits and vegetables.
10. Potassium Bromate
Potassium bromate is used as an additive to increase volume in some white flour, breads, and rolls. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts in bread can create a risk for humans.
11. White Sugar
Watch out for foods with added sugars, such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, sauces and many other processed foods. It is unsafe for your health, and promotes bad nutrition.
12. Sodium Chloride
A dash of sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, can bring flavor to your meal. But too much salt can be dangerous for your health, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.
Sources:
MSN Health and Fitness
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Why the Scale Lies
Your scale can tell you how much you weigh in total, but it just cannot tell you if you've lost body fat – unless you have a body fat scale like I use at camp. Expect to add some muscle to your body when you are doing the conditioning we are doing in boot camp. You will want and need it for your metabolism and for your beautiful shape.
The following will add to the reading your scale gives you and are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY if you want a body that looks and feels great and functions at optimal capacity:
Connective tissue - specifically, tendons and ligaments. Connective tissue adapts through resistance training to allow you to function at higher levels, and it will not adversely affect your body's appearance in any way.
Muscle tissue - As you add lean muscle tissue to your body, you'll burn more calories and stored body fat during exercise as well as throughout the day doing normal activity. And the additional muscle tissue allows your body to look and feel firm and toned.
Glycogen - when you consume whole grain carbohydrates you're body will store glycogen (the reserve fuel that gets converted into glucose, the body's primary source of energy). And with each gram of additional glycogen, your body stores several grams of water along with it. This is a very beneficial process, but it will add to what your scale reads.
Blood Volume - as we become increasingly fit, we add blood volume.
In addition to these positive gains in weight, your scale can vary as much as 3-6% on any given day based on digestive contents and your hydration level.
Here's how you can determine real progress:
Answer the following questions: Do I have more energy? Are my clothes fitting more loosely? Have others commented that I'm "looking good"? Am I starting to like what I see in the mirror?
Measure your body composition - discover how much of you is made up of body fat versus lean body mass. All the methods of measuring body composition are subject to some error, but if you stick to the same method and tester, you'll find that change over time is reliable.
If you're up for it, take a picture of yourself before you start your fitness and fat loss program. You don't even have to look at the photo (yet). Save it for later. After a few months of exercise, take a look at the difference between the old and new you. I would be happy to take the pictures for you.
It's ironic that the increases in connective tissue, lean muscle tissue, glycogen and blood volume - the things that are crucial to improving how your body looks, feels and functions - can be the same things that initially make you think you're making no progress.
Why the Scale Lies
By Renee Cloe
We've been told over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence its readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale. Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains.
If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water. Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium.
Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains.
Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum. Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and its packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with its associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if youre prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, its likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle. This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat.
There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry.
The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. Its a matter of mind over scale.
The following will add to the reading your scale gives you and are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY if you want a body that looks and feels great and functions at optimal capacity:
Connective tissue - specifically, tendons and ligaments. Connective tissue adapts through resistance training to allow you to function at higher levels, and it will not adversely affect your body's appearance in any way.
Muscle tissue - As you add lean muscle tissue to your body, you'll burn more calories and stored body fat during exercise as well as throughout the day doing normal activity. And the additional muscle tissue allows your body to look and feel firm and toned.
Glycogen - when you consume whole grain carbohydrates you're body will store glycogen (the reserve fuel that gets converted into glucose, the body's primary source of energy). And with each gram of additional glycogen, your body stores several grams of water along with it. This is a very beneficial process, but it will add to what your scale reads.
Blood Volume - as we become increasingly fit, we add blood volume.
In addition to these positive gains in weight, your scale can vary as much as 3-6% on any given day based on digestive contents and your hydration level.
Here's how you can determine real progress:
Answer the following questions: Do I have more energy? Are my clothes fitting more loosely? Have others commented that I'm "looking good"? Am I starting to like what I see in the mirror?
Measure your body composition - discover how much of you is made up of body fat versus lean body mass. All the methods of measuring body composition are subject to some error, but if you stick to the same method and tester, you'll find that change over time is reliable.
If you're up for it, take a picture of yourself before you start your fitness and fat loss program. You don't even have to look at the photo (yet). Save it for later. After a few months of exercise, take a look at the difference between the old and new you. I would be happy to take the pictures for you.
It's ironic that the increases in connective tissue, lean muscle tissue, glycogen and blood volume - the things that are crucial to improving how your body looks, feels and functions - can be the same things that initially make you think you're making no progress.
Why the Scale Lies
By Renee Cloe
We've been told over and over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can't resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can't bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence its readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale. Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body's water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don't understand what's happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains.
If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water. Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium.
Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it's easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn't have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That's why, when it comes to eating, it's wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains.
Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners. Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum. Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and its packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it's stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with its associated water. It's normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if youre prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.
Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it's wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you've had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It's the actual weight of everything you've had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you've finished digesting it.
Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it's not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, its likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it's physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you're really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle. This brings us to the scale's sneakiest attribute. It doesn't just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn't necessarily mean that you've lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you've lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you're just sitting around. That's one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.
Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn't differentiate between the two. It can't tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat.
There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current. If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn't appeal to you, don't worry.
The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don't be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. Its a matter of mind over scale.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Top 12 Organic Foods to Buy
You may be shocked to learn the chemicals found on foods we eat every day. If you look at the incidence of cancer you would have to stop and say we aer doing something dramatically wrong with our lifestyles and in our environment for one in 4 people to be diagnosed with cancer. One of the culprits may very well be the way our foods are grown and treated. Whether you are buying organic or not, be sure to wash your vegetables. I use grapefruit seed extract to was my fruits and vegetables.
The information below is from Naturally Savvy which is a wealth of information on organic living.
Top 12 Foods to Buy Organic
Pesticides are chemicals used to control agricultural pests that damage crops and livestock. The most commonly used pesticides include: insecticides to kill insects; herbicides to kill weeds; nematocides to kill worms; rodenticides to kill rodents; and fungicides to control fungi, mould, and mildew. Over 1 billion tons of pesticides are used on crops in the United States every year, however less than 1% actually reaches the targeted organism. The remainder contaminates our air, soil, and water in addition to other plants and animals.
Pesticides are lipid (fat) soluble and accumulate in our fatty tissues; hence they are a danger to human health. Many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, immune system suppression, birth defects, damage to the nervous system, and disruption of hormones. Concentration of these chemicals increases at each step of our food chain. According to a report from the Pesticide Action Network of North America, U.S. consumers may experience up to 70 exposures daily to residues on food from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals that, even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.Pesticide exposure may be reduced up to 90% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Based on over 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization, determined that eating the produce listed below exposes you to approximately 15 common pesticides. The EWG has labelled these fruits and vegetables as “the dirty dozen”.
Peaches – Peaches are at the top of the list with an average of three (and maximum of nine) pesticides found on a single sample. Over 96% of the samples tested showed traces of pesticides.
Apples – Thirty -six pesticides in total were found on 92% of the apples tested, most commonly Diphenylamine (DPA), Thiabendazole, and Azinphos methyl, all of which can damage the nervous system.
Sweet bell peppers – This food had the maximum number of pesticides on a single sample, eleven. In total, sixty-four different pesticides were found on over 81% of sampled bell peppers. Methamidophos, Acephate, and Endosulfans were repeatedly identified.
Celery – 94% of the samples tested contained pesticides, most notably Dicloran, Acephate, and Oxamyl.
Nectarines – Among fruits testing positive for pesticide residue, nectarines had the highest percentage (97% of samples tested. The three most frequently found were Iprodione, Phosmet, and Propargite.
Strawberries – Thirty-five dangerous pesticides in total were found on strawberries, the most common being Captan, Iprodione, and Methomyl, a known hormone disrupter.
Cherries – Twenty-five different pesticides were found on 91% of the cherries sampled. The most commonly found were Azinphos methyl, Myclobutanil, and Carbaryl, which has been shown to interfere with the immune system. It may cause behavioural and neurological disorders. Reproductive side effects include decreased sperm and fertility, higher fetal mortality and lower birth weights.
Pears - Thirty-two different pesticides were identified on the pears sampled, among them Azinphos methyl, Diphenylamine (DPA), and Thiabendazole, a pesticide known to damage the reproductive system.
Grapes (imported) - Thirty-five pesticides were found on imported grapes including Captan, Iprodione, and Dimethoate.
Spinach - The three pesticides found most often on spinach were Permethrin Total, DDT, and Dimethoate.
Lettuce – Forty-nine different pesticides were found on lettuce with up to nine on a single sample.
Potatoes – In terms of parts per million (ppm), potatoes had the highest score. An average of 1.655 ppm of all pesticides was identified on potatoes. The most common were Chlorpropham, Thiabendazole, and Endosulfans,.
To reduce your exposure to pesticides, try to buy organic varieties of these foods. Buying organic produce reduces health risks and respects our environment.
1.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Pesticides – The EPA and Food Security.” EPA., 2004.
2. http://www.environmentalsciences.homestead.com/pesticides.html.
3. Pesticide Action Network North America. "Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply." Kristin Schafer, 2000.
4. http://www.environmentalscienceshomestead.com.html.
The information below is from Naturally Savvy which is a wealth of information on organic living.
Top 12 Foods to Buy Organic
Pesticides are chemicals used to control agricultural pests that damage crops and livestock. The most commonly used pesticides include: insecticides to kill insects; herbicides to kill weeds; nematocides to kill worms; rodenticides to kill rodents; and fungicides to control fungi, mould, and mildew. Over 1 billion tons of pesticides are used on crops in the United States every year, however less than 1% actually reaches the targeted organism. The remainder contaminates our air, soil, and water in addition to other plants and animals.
Pesticides are lipid (fat) soluble and accumulate in our fatty tissues; hence they are a danger to human health. Many of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, immune system suppression, birth defects, damage to the nervous system, and disruption of hormones. Concentration of these chemicals increases at each step of our food chain. According to a report from the Pesticide Action Network of North America, U.S. consumers may experience up to 70 exposures daily to residues on food from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals that, even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.Pesticide exposure may be reduced up to 90% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Based on over 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization, determined that eating the produce listed below exposes you to approximately 15 common pesticides. The EWG has labelled these fruits and vegetables as “the dirty dozen”.
Peaches – Peaches are at the top of the list with an average of three (and maximum of nine) pesticides found on a single sample. Over 96% of the samples tested showed traces of pesticides.
Apples – Thirty -six pesticides in total were found on 92% of the apples tested, most commonly Diphenylamine (DPA), Thiabendazole, and Azinphos methyl, all of which can damage the nervous system.
Sweet bell peppers – This food had the maximum number of pesticides on a single sample, eleven. In total, sixty-four different pesticides were found on over 81% of sampled bell peppers. Methamidophos, Acephate, and Endosulfans were repeatedly identified.
Celery – 94% of the samples tested contained pesticides, most notably Dicloran, Acephate, and Oxamyl.
Nectarines – Among fruits testing positive for pesticide residue, nectarines had the highest percentage (97% of samples tested. The three most frequently found were Iprodione, Phosmet, and Propargite.
Strawberries – Thirty-five dangerous pesticides in total were found on strawberries, the most common being Captan, Iprodione, and Methomyl, a known hormone disrupter.
Cherries – Twenty-five different pesticides were found on 91% of the cherries sampled. The most commonly found were Azinphos methyl, Myclobutanil, and Carbaryl, which has been shown to interfere with the immune system. It may cause behavioural and neurological disorders. Reproductive side effects include decreased sperm and fertility, higher fetal mortality and lower birth weights.
Pears - Thirty-two different pesticides were identified on the pears sampled, among them Azinphos methyl, Diphenylamine (DPA), and Thiabendazole, a pesticide known to damage the reproductive system.
Grapes (imported) - Thirty-five pesticides were found on imported grapes including Captan, Iprodione, and Dimethoate.
Spinach - The three pesticides found most often on spinach were Permethrin Total, DDT, and Dimethoate.
Lettuce – Forty-nine different pesticides were found on lettuce with up to nine on a single sample.
Potatoes – In terms of parts per million (ppm), potatoes had the highest score. An average of 1.655 ppm of all pesticides was identified on potatoes. The most common were Chlorpropham, Thiabendazole, and Endosulfans,.
To reduce your exposure to pesticides, try to buy organic varieties of these foods. Buying organic produce reduces health risks and respects our environment.
1.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Pesticides – The EPA and Food Security.” EPA., 2004.
2. http://www.environmentalsciences.homestead.com/pesticides.html.
3. Pesticide Action Network North America. "Nowhere to Hide: Persistent Toxic Chemicals in the U.S. Food Supply." Kristin Schafer, 2000.
4. http://www.environmentalscienceshomestead.com.html.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Six Healthy Sounding Foods that Really Aren't
A great way to sabotage your health and any weight loss efforts is to fall for the fraudulent claims of “healthy” snack foods and drinks. Many will try to fool you into thinking they’re good for you simply because they taste like fruit, or contain a small portion of something healthy, even though other ingredients might counteract any health benefits completely – excess sugar or artificial sweeteners, being just a couple of the main culprits.
Below are Dr. Mercola's comments on Energy Bars and Yogurt. Keep in Mind that Dr.Mercola is a renegade when it comes to nutrition. He goes up against pharmacy and all of the food manufacturers for what he believes is right according to research and common sense. Here's his two cents followed by a list of 6 not so healthy snack foods.
The Low-Down on Energy Bars
You already know that candy bars are not good for you. Loaded with sugar and typically devoid of any healthy proteins or fat, they give your body a quick lift without providing any real nourishment. The lift soon gives way to a letdown and you feel hungrier than before. Many contain trans fat and a slew of artificial ingredients.
Enter the Energy Bar. They look and taste like candy bars, have the shelf life of candy bars, contain protein and fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are convenient and they taste good. And, thanks to an incredible amount of advertising hype, they can be consumed without the guilt of the candy bar.
Or… can they?
The original energy bars, such as the Power Bar and the Source Bar, were based on so-called “natural” sweeteners--high fructose corn syrup and juice concentrates--along with dried fruits and nuts, a combination that resulted in higher percentages of carbohydrates than your typical chocolate candy bar.
But the real boost for the bar business came with the advent of cheap that could be added to make a "high-protein" bar.
Unfortunately, most of today’s energy bars contain few desirable, health-promoting ingredients and quite a bit of junk. For example:
Soy Protein comes with an initial burden of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and isoflavones. More toxins are formed during high-temperature chemical processing, including nitrates, lysinalanine and MSG. Soy protein must therefore be processed at very high temperatures to reduce levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors -- a process that over-denatures many of the proteins in soy, especially lysine, making them unavailable to your body.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (or concentrated fruit juices, which are high in fructose), has been shown to be more hazardous to your health and waistline than sugar.
Synthetic Vitamins are thrown in so the bars can be called "complete.” However, synthetic vitamins are useless at best and hazardous at worst, as your body cannot process synthetic vitamins the way it processes natural vitamins.
With the exception of most of the fats, most of the ingredients used in energy bars are actually waste products from other industries:
Soy protein isolate and most whey protein are the waste products of the soy oil and cheese industries respectively. Apple and lemon fiber, used to create a crunchy effect, are made from the pulp left over from squeezing the fruits for their juice.
Most of the sweeteners are made by highly industrialized processes and can cause significant rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. In short, most of the ingredients in energy bars are anything but natural. Of course, there are exceptions, but you really have to analyze the ingredients.
Naturally, you can’t compete with whole, unprocessed high-quality food, but if you occasionally need a healthy alternative, make sure you do your homework before you throw those commercial energy bars into your bag.
What’s Really in Your Yoghurt?
Yoghurt is another very common food that is misleadingly advertised as healthy.
Why?
Because nearly all commercially available yoghurt is pasteurized. Pasteurized cow's milk is the leading allergic food in the United States
It has been well documented as a cause in diarrhea, cramps, bloating, gas, gastrointestinal bleeding, iron-deficiency anemia, skin rashes, atherosclerosis, and acne
It is the primary cause of recurrent ear infections in children
It has also been linked to insulin dependent diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility, and leukemia. Pasteurizing milk destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamins, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria and promotes pathogens.
And, the pasteurization aside, store-bought yoghurt can also contain high amounts of added sugar; high-sugar fruit jams; or worse, artificial sweeteners.
End Dr. Mercola's comments.
Six Healthy-Sounding Foods That Really Aren't
Many foods have been heavily promoted as being healthy. But not all of them are. Here are some foods which are far less “good for you” than most people believe.
Energy bars
Energy bars usually contain protein and fiber, but they may also be loaded with calories. That’s fine if you occasionally make one a meal, but most people eat them as snacks.
Granola
Granola sounds healthy. But it’s often high in fat, sugar and calories. Don’t be fooled by a seemingly low calorie count; the portion sizes on the label are usually tiny.
Salad Toppings
The pecans and Gorgonzola cheese on Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad propel it into double-cheeseburger territory. Before ordering a salad, check its nutrition information.
Smoothies
Added sugars can make some smoothies the equivalent of drinking fruit pie filling. The smallest serving of Jamba Juice’s Orange Dream Machine has 340 calories and an astonishing 69 grams of sugars.
Sushi Rolls
Sushi rolls vary, and the fried bits and mayonnaise in some can really jack up the calories.
Yogurts
The “fruit” in yogurt is really jam (that is to say, mostly sugar).
Sources:
Shine from Yahoo May 22, 2008
End
When possible make fresh foods at home. It takes a little more work, but in the long run you are always better off.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Below are Dr. Mercola's comments on Energy Bars and Yogurt. Keep in Mind that Dr.Mercola is a renegade when it comes to nutrition. He goes up against pharmacy and all of the food manufacturers for what he believes is right according to research and common sense. Here's his two cents followed by a list of 6 not so healthy snack foods.
The Low-Down on Energy Bars
You already know that candy bars are not good for you. Loaded with sugar and typically devoid of any healthy proteins or fat, they give your body a quick lift without providing any real nourishment. The lift soon gives way to a letdown and you feel hungrier than before. Many contain trans fat and a slew of artificial ingredients.
Enter the Energy Bar. They look and taste like candy bars, have the shelf life of candy bars, contain protein and fiber, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are convenient and they taste good. And, thanks to an incredible amount of advertising hype, they can be consumed without the guilt of the candy bar.
Or… can they?
The original energy bars, such as the Power Bar and the Source Bar, were based on so-called “natural” sweeteners--high fructose corn syrup and juice concentrates--along with dried fruits and nuts, a combination that resulted in higher percentages of carbohydrates than your typical chocolate candy bar.
But the real boost for the bar business came with the advent of cheap that could be added to make a "high-protein" bar.
Unfortunately, most of today’s energy bars contain few desirable, health-promoting ingredients and quite a bit of junk. For example:
Soy Protein comes with an initial burden of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and isoflavones. More toxins are formed during high-temperature chemical processing, including nitrates, lysinalanine and MSG. Soy protein must therefore be processed at very high temperatures to reduce levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors -- a process that over-denatures many of the proteins in soy, especially lysine, making them unavailable to your body.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (or concentrated fruit juices, which are high in fructose), has been shown to be more hazardous to your health and waistline than sugar.
Synthetic Vitamins are thrown in so the bars can be called "complete.” However, synthetic vitamins are useless at best and hazardous at worst, as your body cannot process synthetic vitamins the way it processes natural vitamins.
With the exception of most of the fats, most of the ingredients used in energy bars are actually waste products from other industries:
Soy protein isolate and most whey protein are the waste products of the soy oil and cheese industries respectively. Apple and lemon fiber, used to create a crunchy effect, are made from the pulp left over from squeezing the fruits for their juice.
Most of the sweeteners are made by highly industrialized processes and can cause significant rises in blood sugar and insulin levels. In short, most of the ingredients in energy bars are anything but natural. Of course, there are exceptions, but you really have to analyze the ingredients.
Naturally, you can’t compete with whole, unprocessed high-quality food, but if you occasionally need a healthy alternative, make sure you do your homework before you throw those commercial energy bars into your bag.
What’s Really in Your Yoghurt?
Yoghurt is another very common food that is misleadingly advertised as healthy.
Why?
Because nearly all commercially available yoghurt is pasteurized. Pasteurized cow's milk is the leading allergic food in the United States
It has been well documented as a cause in diarrhea, cramps, bloating, gas, gastrointestinal bleeding, iron-deficiency anemia, skin rashes, atherosclerosis, and acne
It is the primary cause of recurrent ear infections in children
It has also been linked to insulin dependent diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility, and leukemia. Pasteurizing milk destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamins, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria and promotes pathogens.
And, the pasteurization aside, store-bought yoghurt can also contain high amounts of added sugar; high-sugar fruit jams; or worse, artificial sweeteners.
End Dr. Mercola's comments.
Six Healthy-Sounding Foods That Really Aren't
Many foods have been heavily promoted as being healthy. But not all of them are. Here are some foods which are far less “good for you” than most people believe.
Energy bars
Energy bars usually contain protein and fiber, but they may also be loaded with calories. That’s fine if you occasionally make one a meal, but most people eat them as snacks.
Granola
Granola sounds healthy. But it’s often high in fat, sugar and calories. Don’t be fooled by a seemingly low calorie count; the portion sizes on the label are usually tiny.
Salad Toppings
The pecans and Gorgonzola cheese on Panera Bread’s Fuji Apple Chicken Salad propel it into double-cheeseburger territory. Before ordering a salad, check its nutrition information.
Smoothies
Added sugars can make some smoothies the equivalent of drinking fruit pie filling. The smallest serving of Jamba Juice’s Orange Dream Machine has 340 calories and an astonishing 69 grams of sugars.
Sushi Rolls
Sushi rolls vary, and the fried bits and mayonnaise in some can really jack up the calories.
Yogurts
The “fruit” in yogurt is really jam (that is to say, mostly sugar).
Sources:
Shine from Yahoo May 22, 2008
End
When possible make fresh foods at home. It takes a little more work, but in the long run you are always better off.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Monday, June 16, 2008
Making Better Bad Choices
I actually learned the phrase "Making Better Bad Choices" from a nutritionist named Keith Klein. It stuck with me and makes perfect sense. Your choices evolve over time based on the experiences you have with food, the emotions you have related for food, the knowledge you attain about nutrition and so on. You diet does not get "clean" in a week nor does it become "junky" in a week. Hopefully the more you are empowered with new information about nutrition, the better choices you will make.
Some people can go cold turkey and others are more gradual in making changes. No one wants to feel deprived. You should be happy about the choices you are making knowing you are on your way to a better looking and feeling you! Healthy foods really do taste great - your taste buds may just be skewed by chemicals, additives, preservatives and the like.
What I am asking is that you make the absolute best choices given the circumstances. If you can, plan ahead to eat a healthy fresh cooked meal at home. Next, bring your own food. If it's necessary to eat when traveling, make the best choices possible. Below are some examples.
When trying to make healthier choices think of food on a bad, good, better, and best spectrum.
Begin making your way to the Best side of the spectrum. It's a journey that might take you a few years to arrive to the Best choices. Remember: Diets don't work, good habits do. And also keep in mind that food can make you sick or it can heal you. Think before you eat!
Bad: Eating fast food, junk food, processed food, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup.
Good: Limits eating out to 1x/week, starts buying groceries and cooking at home.
Better: Plans trips to the grocery store by writing the menu for the week choosing healthy recipes for dinner and shopping along the walls of your grocery store. Avoids high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Eats a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Best: Eats out 1x/month. Buys organic products. Avoids all processed foods. Eats only whole foods.
Work your way to eating the best you possibly can. No one is perfect - at least not all of the time.
Do your best every day and you will make progress. If what you are doing is not working for you, consider trying to make a better choice.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Some people can go cold turkey and others are more gradual in making changes. No one wants to feel deprived. You should be happy about the choices you are making knowing you are on your way to a better looking and feeling you! Healthy foods really do taste great - your taste buds may just be skewed by chemicals, additives, preservatives and the like.
What I am asking is that you make the absolute best choices given the circumstances. If you can, plan ahead to eat a healthy fresh cooked meal at home. Next, bring your own food. If it's necessary to eat when traveling, make the best choices possible. Below are some examples.
When trying to make healthier choices think of food on a bad, good, better, and best spectrum.
Begin making your way to the Best side of the spectrum. It's a journey that might take you a few years to arrive to the Best choices. Remember: Diets don't work, good habits do. And also keep in mind that food can make you sick or it can heal you. Think before you eat!
Bad: Eating fast food, junk food, processed food, hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup.
Good: Limits eating out to 1x/week, starts buying groceries and cooking at home.
Better: Plans trips to the grocery store by writing the menu for the week choosing healthy recipes for dinner and shopping along the walls of your grocery store. Avoids high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Eats a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Best: Eats out 1x/month. Buys organic products. Avoids all processed foods. Eats only whole foods.
Work your way to eating the best you possibly can. No one is perfect - at least not all of the time.
Do your best every day and you will make progress. If what you are doing is not working for you, consider trying to make a better choice.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Friday, June 13, 2008
Best and Worst Choices at Six Restuarant Chains
Kids eat 19% of their meals in cars. You can imagine the food they eating in a car is not a balanced one with the best quality ingredients. It's usually something from a quick stop or drive through. Eating out used to be a treat, now a home cooked meal is a treat. Since convenience is an important factor in today's fast paced society, I understand that even the best thought out plans will still land you at a restaurant from time to time.
Below are some of the "better bad" choices you can make if you find yourself at one of these 6 local restaurants.
From Real Age Food Bites
Best and Worst Choices at Six Restaurant Chains
"Casual dining" chains -- from Chili's to The Cheesecake Factory -- are finally getting on the anti-supersize-me bus. Smart, since nearly half of today's customers say they want to eat more healthfully, according to a recent TGI Friday's survey. Although a few chains -- notably, Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday -- have offered healthier options for several years, the growth in good-for-you choices is great for weight-watching happy-hour goers, vacationers, and weary parents looking for a kid-friendly night out of the kitchen. That said, we're still talking menu extremes. Here are some of the best and worst bets.
Applebee's
Best: They’ve adapted their menu to include a steadily expanding list of Weight Watchers–approved items, which are going strong after 3 years on the menu. Among the newest items:
Steak and Portobellos -- 330 calories, 10 grams fat
Italian Chicken and Portobello Sandwich -- 360 calories, 6 grams fat
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake -- 230 calories, 3 grams fat
Worst: There's a reason the menu lists only fat and calories for its Weight Watchers items. You don't want to know the sat-fat content of, say, the Grilled Cheese BLT, a double-decker that includes jack, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses; bacon; and mayo.
The Cheesecake Factory
Best: We can't tell you that this popular deli-and-dessert place has managed to create a delicious 50-calorie cheesecake -- or even that it provides much nutrition info -- but it has added a group of new "Weight Management" salads, like the three below. All are slimmed down with low-cal dressings and smaller amounts of cheese, nuts, and avocado, so they come in at around 590 calories each.
Chinese Chicken Salad
California Salad
Seafood Salad
Worst: The name says it all: Outrageous Chocolate Cake -- 1,380 calories a slice.
Chili's
Best: This is the only brave chain to show sodium counts online; unfortunately, the numbers would turn a cardiologist clammy. Even the otherwise-healthy "Guiltless Grill" suggestions below contain staggering amounts of salt: 2,720 mg for the chicken meal and 1,080 mg for the fish dish. But the calories are nicely under control.
Guiltless Chicken Sandwich with steamed veggies and black beans -- 490 calories, 8 grams fat
Guiltless Grill Salmon with similar sides -- 480 calories, 14 grams fat
Worst: At 2,710 calories and an artery-clogging 203 grams of fat, Chili's Awesome Blossom deep-fried onion is a fright.
Red Lobster
Best: Flip the menu to the "Lighthouse Selections" and you'll discover a whole page of appealing choices, including:
A great happy-hour find: a glass of white wine and the Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp -- 300 calories
Fresh fish dinners: half portions of grilled or broiled tilapia, salmon, or rainbow trout with seasonal vegetables or a garden salad -- 400 calories, tops
Worst: It's hard to make seafood totally bad for you, but some of the battered-and-fried fish entrees on the regular menu top 2,000 calories.
Ruby Tuesday
Best: Kudos to Ruby T for this bit of forward thinking: The restaurant has cooked with trans-fat-free oils since 2003. And there are now several menu options that won't leave you buried in dieter's remorse -- though note that these calorie counts don't include sides or dipping sauces. Still, they'll get you off to a nifty start.
Grilled Chicken Salad -- 380 calories
White Bean Chicken Chili -- 257 calories
Creole Catch -- 312 calories
Worst: You could blow an entire day's calories on the Colossal Burger, which weighs in at 1,943 calories and a shocking 141 grams of fat.
TGI Friday's
Best: Even though the company doesn't give exact nutrition facts, a handful of dishes are flagged low fat/low carb, which means about 10 grams of fat or no more than 17 carbs, and 500 calories a dish.
Dragonfire Chicken
Shrimp Key West
Sizzling Chicken with Vegetables
Worst: Don't even think about old TGIF standards like Stuffed Potato Skins -- or insane new ones like Fried Mac and Cheese(!). Both scream heart attack.
Learn how to slim down portion sizes at restaurants or at your dinner table.
End
The bottom line is that shopping for and preparing your own fresh foods (or having someone do it for you) is the best option. We all enjoy going out to eat, but if your goals are health and to lose excess fat, you have to make the best choices when dining out - especially if you dine out often.
Buon' Appetite!
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Below are some of the "better bad" choices you can make if you find yourself at one of these 6 local restaurants.
From Real Age Food Bites
Best and Worst Choices at Six Restaurant Chains
"Casual dining" chains -- from Chili's to The Cheesecake Factory -- are finally getting on the anti-supersize-me bus. Smart, since nearly half of today's customers say they want to eat more healthfully, according to a recent TGI Friday's survey. Although a few chains -- notably, Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday -- have offered healthier options for several years, the growth in good-for-you choices is great for weight-watching happy-hour goers, vacationers, and weary parents looking for a kid-friendly night out of the kitchen. That said, we're still talking menu extremes. Here are some of the best and worst bets.
Applebee's
Best: They’ve adapted their menu to include a steadily expanding list of Weight Watchers–approved items, which are going strong after 3 years on the menu. Among the newest items:
Steak and Portobellos -- 330 calories, 10 grams fat
Italian Chicken and Portobello Sandwich -- 360 calories, 6 grams fat
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake -- 230 calories, 3 grams fat
Worst: There's a reason the menu lists only fat and calories for its Weight Watchers items. You don't want to know the sat-fat content of, say, the Grilled Cheese BLT, a double-decker that includes jack, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses; bacon; and mayo.
The Cheesecake Factory
Best: We can't tell you that this popular deli-and-dessert place has managed to create a delicious 50-calorie cheesecake -- or even that it provides much nutrition info -- but it has added a group of new "Weight Management" salads, like the three below. All are slimmed down with low-cal dressings and smaller amounts of cheese, nuts, and avocado, so they come in at around 590 calories each.
Chinese Chicken Salad
California Salad
Seafood Salad
Worst: The name says it all: Outrageous Chocolate Cake -- 1,380 calories a slice.
Chili's
Best: This is the only brave chain to show sodium counts online; unfortunately, the numbers would turn a cardiologist clammy. Even the otherwise-healthy "Guiltless Grill" suggestions below contain staggering amounts of salt: 2,720 mg for the chicken meal and 1,080 mg for the fish dish. But the calories are nicely under control.
Guiltless Chicken Sandwich with steamed veggies and black beans -- 490 calories, 8 grams fat
Guiltless Grill Salmon with similar sides -- 480 calories, 14 grams fat
Worst: At 2,710 calories and an artery-clogging 203 grams of fat, Chili's Awesome Blossom deep-fried onion is a fright.
Red Lobster
Best: Flip the menu to the "Lighthouse Selections" and you'll discover a whole page of appealing choices, including:
A great happy-hour find: a glass of white wine and the Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp -- 300 calories
Fresh fish dinners: half portions of grilled or broiled tilapia, salmon, or rainbow trout with seasonal vegetables or a garden salad -- 400 calories, tops
Worst: It's hard to make seafood totally bad for you, but some of the battered-and-fried fish entrees on the regular menu top 2,000 calories.
Ruby Tuesday
Best: Kudos to Ruby T for this bit of forward thinking: The restaurant has cooked with trans-fat-free oils since 2003. And there are now several menu options that won't leave you buried in dieter's remorse -- though note that these calorie counts don't include sides or dipping sauces. Still, they'll get you off to a nifty start.
Grilled Chicken Salad -- 380 calories
White Bean Chicken Chili -- 257 calories
Creole Catch -- 312 calories
Worst: You could blow an entire day's calories on the Colossal Burger, which weighs in at 1,943 calories and a shocking 141 grams of fat.
TGI Friday's
Best: Even though the company doesn't give exact nutrition facts, a handful of dishes are flagged low fat/low carb, which means about 10 grams of fat or no more than 17 carbs, and 500 calories a dish.
Dragonfire Chicken
Shrimp Key West
Sizzling Chicken with Vegetables
Worst: Don't even think about old TGIF standards like Stuffed Potato Skins -- or insane new ones like Fried Mac and Cheese(!). Both scream heart attack.
Learn how to slim down portion sizes at restaurants or at your dinner table.
End
The bottom line is that shopping for and preparing your own fresh foods (or having someone do it for you) is the best option. We all enjoy going out to eat, but if your goals are health and to lose excess fat, you have to make the best choices when dining out - especially if you dine out often.
Buon' Appetite!
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Releiving and Healing Back Pain
Chronic back pain is something I live with every day so I have tried a lot of things and am sensitive to providing exercises that strengthen rather than stress the back. Some of the things that I have found best for eliminating back pain are:
Where does Back Pain come from?
There is a ménage of reasons that cause back pain. Sometimes it only takes one thing to bring on the aches, and other times it’s a mixture of two or more reasons.
-Poor posture – this is a very common reason because we all do it but I don’t think we really realize what it does to our bodies. It actually shifts the body off balance and puts tremendous pressure on our back and spine.
-Lack of exercise – without proper consistent exercise, the muscles in our back become apathetic and atrophied (waste away).
-Anything that puts pressure on the back muscles or nerves – extra weight or a sudden movement or twist can cause muscle strain.
- Illness or damage to the spine can also cause pain - the cause of most acute back pain is unknown, but probably is due to minor strains, sprains, and overuse.
-Emotional stress will increase your back pain – the tightening of the back muscles is a common reaction to any stress and will cause problems for you. When you feel stressed, remember to take deep breaths and regulate your breathing as best as you can as this will aid in reducing tightened muscles (which causes a restriction of blood flow to the muscles).
-Other possible causes include ruptured intervertebral disc (deterioration from constant stresses to the back), spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, an injury or accident, and rheumatic-related problems.
-Some back pains originate from elsewhere in the body due to other health conditions – we need to learn to take care of our bodies and live healthy.
What can we do to reduce the stress to our back?
Maintain good posture
How many times have we heard someone say to us; “Stand up straight!”? It’s a good reminder to healthy posture but I think many of us take that for granted. Good posture can reduce our chances of back pain. When we slouch it’s because our back muscles are tired of holding us up. Why? Because we have BAD posture. If you have to sit for long periods of time (office, etc.) make sure you have a chair with a high straight back and sit right against it. It will help to support your posture and your back. If you know that you have bad posture, start practicing to sit up straight today. It will be difficult at first because you essentially will be re-training your muscles but it’s an important step to reduce your chances of future back pain.
Weight Loss
For those of you who struggle with your weight, here’s another reason to fight all the harder to get into a healthy diet. Extra weight will always lead to future back problems. There is no way around that. I can’t count how many people have back problems due to obesity. You need to work at maintaining a healthy weight for your body structure and don’t give up! This is a choice between walking and not walking for life. If you don’t, this could lead to future back surgeries and even some knee/hip surgeries/replacements.
Get up and stretch
In most cases, depending on our jobs, we are remaining in the same position for far too long. This will increase our chances of back pain/trauma to the back. Whether you are standing, sitting, and bent over – make sure you change your position and stretch your back and limbs constantly.
Exercise
Exercise is key in reducing your chances of back pain. Join a gym or start exercising in your home. Start walking daily with a friend for 25 minutes or more. Whatever you choose to do, if you already have trauma to your back make sure that you consult your physician before beginning your exercise routine. Also make sure that you speak with a fitness instructor (if you sign up at a gym) and discuss what would be best for your situation. Very important – make sure you use the exercise equipment properly! Many back injuries come from incorrect usage of exercise equipment!
Hot/Cold Therapy
Hot and cold therapy can help to reduce back pain. Heat relaxes muscles and soothes away the pains. Cold numbs the pain and relieves the muscles. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a nice long hot shower or soaking in a warm/hot bath for an hour. Heating pads and warm compresses also work wonders. You can toggle between hot and cold by applying heat to the pain for 15 minutes and then switching to cold compresses (ice pack, frozen vegetable bag - best to use as it molds around your back, or a large ice cube massaged around the area) for another 15 minutes.
Avoid repetitious motions
Bend and lift wisely. Bend at the knees and lift, keeping your back straight.
Use back supportss when lifting or bending often
There are tons of great back braces that offer you good support during any strenuous activity. Most companies enforce back brace wear in the workplace today. The only problem with that is that over a long period of wearing a back brace your muscles will begin to rely on your back brace (the beginnings of atrophy). Make sure that you only have the brace tightened during your active times. When you are standing or just sitting, undo your brace. Braces with suspenders are the best for this because you don’t have to take it off and put it back on. You can just loosen the brace and tighten it when you need it.
Rest
Rest is key in reducing and recovering from back pain. Most of us will experience fatigue and ‘twinges’ in our back but rarely will we stop and rest when we do. When you feel a twinge you need to slow down – you’re tiring yourself out. Stop and rest. We need to start listening to what our bodies are telling us.
Use the pillows
There are orthopedic pillows available in many stores now. These pillows can offer great lower lumbar support when driving or sitting at a desk for long hours, and even when sleeping – giving the neck the proper support.
When the back pain gets bad
Consult your physician. There are many avenues of treatment available to you such as massage, chiropractic measures, reflexology, acupuncture, physical therapy, occupational therapy, yoga, etc. If the pain is ever accompanied by any of the following, a doctor should be consulted immediately: weakness or numbness in one or both legs, pain going down one leg below the knee, pain from a fall or injury, pain accompanied by fever, pain that continues to interrupt sleep after three nights, and back pain that remains after six weeks of home treatment (rest, hot/cold therapy, meditation).
Back pain is common in this world that we live in. Stress is high and we need to learn how to live healthy lives. There is no quick fix or total cure for most back problems. It is up to us how we live our lives and how we treat and take care of our bodies. If we misuse our bodies, we will pay for it in the end. Think about how you’re living today – are you going to experience repercussions in the future? If so, you may want to re-think your lifestyles patterns and adopt healthier ways to live.
End
So, do what you can to strengthen and protect your back. Notice what causes back pain. Consider how old your mattress and running shoes are. Use care when lifting and treat yourself to a deep tissue massage when needed.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
- Strengthen the muscles of the core - which is everything below the chin and above the hips.
- Stretch daily after exercise and or a hot shower or bath
Use ice on your back for 20 minutes several times a day. - Sleep 7 hours a night on a firm mattress that is less than 10 years old.
- Eat anti inflammatory foods
At some time in our lives, we’ve all experienced some form of back pain. It’s estimated that 80 billion dollars has been spent each year due because of back pain and that dollar amount is on the rise. 8 out of 10 people will experience problems with their backs during the course of their life, mostly occurring during the ages of 30 to 50 as these are our most productive periods.
What people fail to realize is that...
Low back pain is the second most common cause of missed workdays
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability between the ages of 19-45
Low back pain is the number one leading impairment in occupational injuries
It isn’t the ‘sudden injuries’ that bring on back pain for most people. It is largely due to the repeated stress to the back over many years. You may not experience the effects for years but it will catch up with you eventually. These repeated injuries add up and can slowly cause degeneration to your spine. Many episodes of low back pain are partially due to degenerative changes that have occurred over the years. The overall condition of the spine and your health usually determines how fast you will recover and your risk of the chronic back pain.
Where does Back Pain come from?
There is a ménage of reasons that cause back pain. Sometimes it only takes one thing to bring on the aches, and other times it’s a mixture of two or more reasons.
-Poor posture – this is a very common reason because we all do it but I don’t think we really realize what it does to our bodies. It actually shifts the body off balance and puts tremendous pressure on our back and spine.
-Lack of exercise – without proper consistent exercise, the muscles in our back become apathetic and atrophied (waste away).
-Anything that puts pressure on the back muscles or nerves – extra weight or a sudden movement or twist can cause muscle strain.
- Illness or damage to the spine can also cause pain - the cause of most acute back pain is unknown, but probably is due to minor strains, sprains, and overuse.
-Emotional stress will increase your back pain – the tightening of the back muscles is a common reaction to any stress and will cause problems for you. When you feel stressed, remember to take deep breaths and regulate your breathing as best as you can as this will aid in reducing tightened muscles (which causes a restriction of blood flow to the muscles).
-Other possible causes include ruptured intervertebral disc (deterioration from constant stresses to the back), spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, an injury or accident, and rheumatic-related problems.
-Some back pains originate from elsewhere in the body due to other health conditions – we need to learn to take care of our bodies and live healthy.
What can we do to reduce the stress to our back?
Maintain good posture
How many times have we heard someone say to us; “Stand up straight!”? It’s a good reminder to healthy posture but I think many of us take that for granted. Good posture can reduce our chances of back pain. When we slouch it’s because our back muscles are tired of holding us up. Why? Because we have BAD posture. If you have to sit for long periods of time (office, etc.) make sure you have a chair with a high straight back and sit right against it. It will help to support your posture and your back. If you know that you have bad posture, start practicing to sit up straight today. It will be difficult at first because you essentially will be re-training your muscles but it’s an important step to reduce your chances of future back pain.
Weight Loss
For those of you who struggle with your weight, here’s another reason to fight all the harder to get into a healthy diet. Extra weight will always lead to future back problems. There is no way around that. I can’t count how many people have back problems due to obesity. You need to work at maintaining a healthy weight for your body structure and don’t give up! This is a choice between walking and not walking for life. If you don’t, this could lead to future back surgeries and even some knee/hip surgeries/replacements.
Get up and stretch
In most cases, depending on our jobs, we are remaining in the same position for far too long. This will increase our chances of back pain/trauma to the back. Whether you are standing, sitting, and bent over – make sure you change your position and stretch your back and limbs constantly.
Exercise
Exercise is key in reducing your chances of back pain. Join a gym or start exercising in your home. Start walking daily with a friend for 25 minutes or more. Whatever you choose to do, if you already have trauma to your back make sure that you consult your physician before beginning your exercise routine. Also make sure that you speak with a fitness instructor (if you sign up at a gym) and discuss what would be best for your situation. Very important – make sure you use the exercise equipment properly! Many back injuries come from incorrect usage of exercise equipment!
Hot/Cold Therapy
Hot and cold therapy can help to reduce back pain. Heat relaxes muscles and soothes away the pains. Cold numbs the pain and relieves the muscles. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a nice long hot shower or soaking in a warm/hot bath for an hour. Heating pads and warm compresses also work wonders. You can toggle between hot and cold by applying heat to the pain for 15 minutes and then switching to cold compresses (ice pack, frozen vegetable bag - best to use as it molds around your back, or a large ice cube massaged around the area) for another 15 minutes.
Avoid repetitious motions
Bend and lift wisely. Bend at the knees and lift, keeping your back straight.
Use back supportss when lifting or bending often
There are tons of great back braces that offer you good support during any strenuous activity. Most companies enforce back brace wear in the workplace today. The only problem with that is that over a long period of wearing a back brace your muscles will begin to rely on your back brace (the beginnings of atrophy). Make sure that you only have the brace tightened during your active times. When you are standing or just sitting, undo your brace. Braces with suspenders are the best for this because you don’t have to take it off and put it back on. You can just loosen the brace and tighten it when you need it.
Rest
Rest is key in reducing and recovering from back pain. Most of us will experience fatigue and ‘twinges’ in our back but rarely will we stop and rest when we do. When you feel a twinge you need to slow down – you’re tiring yourself out. Stop and rest. We need to start listening to what our bodies are telling us.
Use the pillows
There are orthopedic pillows available in many stores now. These pillows can offer great lower lumbar support when driving or sitting at a desk for long hours, and even when sleeping – giving the neck the proper support.
When the back pain gets bad
Consult your physician. There are many avenues of treatment available to you such as massage, chiropractic measures, reflexology, acupuncture, physical therapy, occupational therapy, yoga, etc. If the pain is ever accompanied by any of the following, a doctor should be consulted immediately: weakness or numbness in one or both legs, pain going down one leg below the knee, pain from a fall or injury, pain accompanied by fever, pain that continues to interrupt sleep after three nights, and back pain that remains after six weeks of home treatment (rest, hot/cold therapy, meditation).
Back pain is common in this world that we live in. Stress is high and we need to learn how to live healthy lives. There is no quick fix or total cure for most back problems. It is up to us how we live our lives and how we treat and take care of our bodies. If we misuse our bodies, we will pay for it in the end. Think about how you’re living today – are you going to experience repercussions in the future? If so, you may want to re-think your lifestyles patterns and adopt healthier ways to live.
End
So, do what you can to strengthen and protect your back. Notice what causes back pain. Consider how old your mattress and running shoes are. Use care when lifting and treat yourself to a deep tissue massage when needed.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
How to Naturally Get 7 Hours of Sound Sleep
As a nation we are sleep deprived. Sleep drugs are a common solution to help us fall asleep. They of course have side effects, inhibit our bodies natural ability to fall asleep and a proven cause of many morning commute car accidents as people are still in a stupor from the prescription or over the counter medications.
Sometimes late night eating can be to blame - or late night exercise. Anxiety, guilt or any other emotion or stress can keep us up. We need to develop a night time ritual that allows for falling asleep within 10 minutes of getting in bed, sleeping interrupted for 7 hours and then waking up feeling rested and energized. How great would that be??? When was the last time yo u woke up feeling energetic and that energy lasted all day.
There are some natural sleep aids you can use such as My Sleep which you can find at www.MyNutritionStore.com/PersonalTrainer, however I would much rather you come up with your own night time ritual to falling and staying asleep.
Here are some great tips from SleepNet.com
Tips for Healthy Sleep
Since 1995 - Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask
You should wake up refreshed in the morning without the use of an alarm clock and feel energetic all day. If not you may find some good tips below.
Sleep deprivation is a large proportion of the problem is due to the high paced lifestyle causing the lack of time to get the sleep we need. When we do not get the amount of sleep we need we accumulate a sleep debt. This sleep debt has to be paid back or sleepiness will continue to worsen. Many people try to pay back the debt on the weekends resulting in the disruption of their circadian rhythm.
Here are some Tips that may help.
Sleep is as important as food and air. Quantity and quality are very important. Most adults need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you press the snooze button on the alarm in the morning you are not getting enough sleep. This could be due to not enough time in bed, external disturbances, or a sleep disorder.
Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. Getting up at the same time is most important. Getting bright light, like the sun, when you get up will also help. Try to go to bed only when you are sleepy. Bright light in the morning at a regular time should help you feel sleepy at the same time every night.
Stay away from stimulants like caffeine. This will help you get deep sleep which is most refreshing. If you take any caffeine, take it in the morning. Avoid all stimulants in the evening, including chocolate, caffeinated sodas, and caffeinated teas. They will delay sleep and increase arousals during the night.
Use the bed for sleeping. Avoid watching TV or using laptop computers. Know that reading in bed can be a problem if the material is very stimulation and you read with a bright light. If it helps to read before sleep make sure you use a very small wattage bulb to read. A 15 watt bulb should be enough. Bright light from these activities may inhibit sleep.
Avoid bright light around the house before bed. Using dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms before bed can be helpful. (Dimmer switches can be set to maximum brightness for morning routines.)
Don't stress if you feel you are not getting enough sleep. It will just make matters worse. Know you will sleep eventually.
Avoid exercise near bedtime. No exercise at least 3 hours before bed.
Avoid a heavy meal before bed.
Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Keep routines on your normal schedule. A cup of herbal tea an hour before bed can begin a routine.
Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can cause anxiety. This is very difficult for most of us, so turn the clock away from your eyes so you would have to turn it to see the time. You may decide not to make the effort and go right back to sleep.
If you can't get to sleep for over 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring in dim light till you are sleepy.
Keep your bedroom at comfortable temperature. Not too warm and not too cold. Cooler is better than warmer.
If you have problems with noise in your environment you can use a white noise generator. A fan will work or you can buy noise machies from many sources.
Know that the "night cap" has a price. Alcohol may help you to get to sleep but it will cause you to wake up throughout the night. You may not notice it. (It is worse if you have sleep apnea because the alcohol makes the apnea worse.) Sometimes people snore only if they have had some alcohol or may snore worse if they already snore.)
If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if they notice any snoring, leg movements and/or pauses in breathing . Take this information and try the sleep test. You may have a sleep disorder or you may just need to increase your awareness about your own sleep need. If you have any concerns see your doctor.
End
Chamomile tea, lavender candles, a hot bath, dry brushing or a dry sauna before bed are also great tools. Start to dim the lights in the house and turn the TV / computer off at least an hour before bed. It's especially important when you are waking up at 4:50 for boot camp. Make sure your bedding is very comfortable and your room is cool - about 68 degrees. Trust me you'll not miss an hour of TV and you will love how you feel getting into bed sooner and sleeping through the night.
Kelli
http://www.kellicalabrese.com/
http://www.argylebootcamp.com/
Sometimes late night eating can be to blame - or late night exercise. Anxiety, guilt or any other emotion or stress can keep us up. We need to develop a night time ritual that allows for falling asleep within 10 minutes of getting in bed, sleeping interrupted for 7 hours and then waking up feeling rested and energized. How great would that be??? When was the last time yo u woke up feeling energetic and that energy lasted all day.
There are some natural sleep aids you can use such as My Sleep which you can find at www.MyNutritionStore.com/PersonalTrainer, however I would much rather you come up with your own night time ritual to falling and staying asleep.
Here are some great tips from SleepNet.com
Tips for Healthy Sleep
Since 1995 - Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask
You should wake up refreshed in the morning without the use of an alarm clock and feel energetic all day. If not you may find some good tips below.
Sleep deprivation is a large proportion of the problem is due to the high paced lifestyle causing the lack of time to get the sleep we need. When we do not get the amount of sleep we need we accumulate a sleep debt. This sleep debt has to be paid back or sleepiness will continue to worsen. Many people try to pay back the debt on the weekends resulting in the disruption of their circadian rhythm.
Here are some Tips that may help.
Sleep is as important as food and air. Quantity and quality are very important. Most adults need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you press the snooze button on the alarm in the morning you are not getting enough sleep. This could be due to not enough time in bed, external disturbances, or a sleep disorder.
Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. Getting up at the same time is most important. Getting bright light, like the sun, when you get up will also help. Try to go to bed only when you are sleepy. Bright light in the morning at a regular time should help you feel sleepy at the same time every night.
Stay away from stimulants like caffeine. This will help you get deep sleep which is most refreshing. If you take any caffeine, take it in the morning. Avoid all stimulants in the evening, including chocolate, caffeinated sodas, and caffeinated teas. They will delay sleep and increase arousals during the night.
Use the bed for sleeping. Avoid watching TV or using laptop computers. Know that reading in bed can be a problem if the material is very stimulation and you read with a bright light. If it helps to read before sleep make sure you use a very small wattage bulb to read. A 15 watt bulb should be enough. Bright light from these activities may inhibit sleep.
Avoid bright light around the house before bed. Using dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms before bed can be helpful. (Dimmer switches can be set to maximum brightness for morning routines.)
Don't stress if you feel you are not getting enough sleep. It will just make matters worse. Know you will sleep eventually.
Avoid exercise near bedtime. No exercise at least 3 hours before bed.
Avoid a heavy meal before bed.
Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Keep routines on your normal schedule. A cup of herbal tea an hour before bed can begin a routine.
Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can cause anxiety. This is very difficult for most of us, so turn the clock away from your eyes so you would have to turn it to see the time. You may decide not to make the effort and go right back to sleep.
If you can't get to sleep for over 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring in dim light till you are sleepy.
Keep your bedroom at comfortable temperature. Not too warm and not too cold. Cooler is better than warmer.
If you have problems with noise in your environment you can use a white noise generator. A fan will work or you can buy noise machies from many sources.
Know that the "night cap" has a price. Alcohol may help you to get to sleep but it will cause you to wake up throughout the night. You may not notice it. (It is worse if you have sleep apnea because the alcohol makes the apnea worse.) Sometimes people snore only if they have had some alcohol or may snore worse if they already snore.)
If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if they notice any snoring, leg movements and/or pauses in breathing . Take this information and try the sleep test. You may have a sleep disorder or you may just need to increase your awareness about your own sleep need. If you have any concerns see your doctor.
End
Chamomile tea, lavender candles, a hot bath, dry brushing or a dry sauna before bed are also great tools. Start to dim the lights in the house and turn the TV / computer off at least an hour before bed. It's especially important when you are waking up at 4:50 for boot camp. Make sure your bedding is very comfortable and your room is cool - about 68 degrees. Trust me you'll not miss an hour of TV and you will love how you feel getting into bed sooner and sleeping through the night.
Kelli
http://www.kellicalabrese.com/
http://www.argylebootcamp.com/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Use High Energy Word to Change your Conscious Actions
I have learned so much from my children. One of the things that quickly became apparent during the toddler years was that their brains did not hear no or don't. I would say don't run and they heard run. I would say don't splash and they would say splash. Don't bang! You get the idea. I was driving myself crazy and they were not listening. It took about a week to re-program my brain and words, but I stopped telling them what "not" to do and focused on what to do. So I would say "walk", "your fork is for eating", " keep the water in the tub" and so on. What does this have to do with your well being. Well, again you don't hear no. So if you are thinking, don't eat chocolate, don't' drink alcohol, don't order the fries. What happens, you eat the chocolate, with wine and fries!
Instead replace you thinking and words with, I drink water, I choose fresh berries, I enjoy vegetables. It may sound corney - and not as fun as chocolate - which I love too, but you feeling fit is greater feeling than the taste of anything you can consume.
Read the article below for some more incites.
Wise Words
Choosing high-energy words can enhance health and happiness.
Nancy Miller
Have you ever told a small child not to touch something and noticed the response? It’s as if a child’s mind doesn’t compute words such as not and no. Now, what if our adult unconscious mind processed words in the same way? Suddenly, even positive statements take on a reverse, and sometimes, negative meaning. For example, when someone thanks you, and you reply, “No problem,” your unconscious only hears that there’s a problem and goes out to find more. It’s a provocative idea, and one that creates an intriguing premise for the new book Every Word Has Power (Beyond Words Publishing, 2008) by Yvonne Oswald. According to Oswald, our unconscious mind is like the Internet, which recognizes key words in a sentence and responds by reminding you of all the other chains of words, memories and meanings stimulated by each key word. Choosing high-energy words instead of low- energy ones can significantly improve your health and life, contends the author. Here, she tells how to make the switch.
quick tipUse words that include a healthy reason to achieve goals, such as “Fresh fruits and vegetables energize my body” instead of “I’m going on a diet.”
What are some low-energy and high-energy words?Problem, lazy, difficult, hard, worry and failure are all examples of low-energy words. Beauty, welcome, enthusiasm, harmony, joy and success are high-energy words. Change “Don’t worry” to “You’ll be fine,” and your unconscious will shift and believe the good news.What is the “switch”? The switch is a way to clear your self-talk of negative language. Low-energy words, such as hate, hard or worry, stimulate negative emotions in the middle or limbic brain, while high-energy words like joy, fun, laughter and harmony stimulate the cerebral cortex, which is the only place that great results come from. It is like letting the sunshine back into your life.[Ed Note: For more information, visit www.globalwelcome.com.]
Find a “switch” buddy to help change your language. When you or your buddy hears a low-energy word being used, simply say, “Switch!” You will be amazed at how many low-energy words you use every day. It’s easier to hear someone else’s words than your own at first.
End
Begin practicing better self talk. Your confidence will raise to a whole new level and so will your outcomes.
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgleBootCamp.com
Instead replace you thinking and words with, I drink water, I choose fresh berries, I enjoy vegetables. It may sound corney - and not as fun as chocolate - which I love too, but you feeling fit is greater feeling than the taste of anything you can consume.
Read the article below for some more incites.
Wise Words
Choosing high-energy words can enhance health and happiness.
Nancy Miller
Have you ever told a small child not to touch something and noticed the response? It’s as if a child’s mind doesn’t compute words such as not and no. Now, what if our adult unconscious mind processed words in the same way? Suddenly, even positive statements take on a reverse, and sometimes, negative meaning. For example, when someone thanks you, and you reply, “No problem,” your unconscious only hears that there’s a problem and goes out to find more. It’s a provocative idea, and one that creates an intriguing premise for the new book Every Word Has Power (Beyond Words Publishing, 2008) by Yvonne Oswald. According to Oswald, our unconscious mind is like the Internet, which recognizes key words in a sentence and responds by reminding you of all the other chains of words, memories and meanings stimulated by each key word. Choosing high-energy words instead of low- energy ones can significantly improve your health and life, contends the author. Here, she tells how to make the switch.
quick tipUse words that include a healthy reason to achieve goals, such as “Fresh fruits and vegetables energize my body” instead of “I’m going on a diet.”
What are some low-energy and high-energy words?Problem, lazy, difficult, hard, worry and failure are all examples of low-energy words. Beauty, welcome, enthusiasm, harmony, joy and success are high-energy words. Change “Don’t worry” to “You’ll be fine,” and your unconscious will shift and believe the good news.What is the “switch”? The switch is a way to clear your self-talk of negative language. Low-energy words, such as hate, hard or worry, stimulate negative emotions in the middle or limbic brain, while high-energy words like joy, fun, laughter and harmony stimulate the cerebral cortex, which is the only place that great results come from. It is like letting the sunshine back into your life.[Ed Note: For more information, visit www.globalwelcome.com.]
Find a “switch” buddy to help change your language. When you or your buddy hears a low-energy word being used, simply say, “Switch!” You will be amazed at how many low-energy words you use every day. It’s easier to hear someone else’s words than your own at first.
End
Begin practicing better self talk. Your confidence will raise to a whole new level and so will your outcomes.
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgleBootCamp.com
Monday, June 9, 2008
Discipline - the key to acheivement
Discipline will win out over smarts any day. Discipline is a learned skill that anyone can achieve. Anyone who had achieved greatness has mastered the art of discipline. Most everyone has an equal opportunity to live in a fit healthy body, but discipline alludes those who are unwilling to wake up, workout out, make healthy choices and choose delayed gratification at times. I love ice cream and chocolate as much as the next next girl, but if I had it every time I wanted it, I would be living in a different body.
Read on to see how you can develop your discipline skills to achieve your goals.
From www.WorkPlaceMoxie.com
* Self discipline, self control, self improvement, employee discipline, success skills, self help, career discipline, personal motivation, model behavior, personal development, behavior management, personal skills, success plans, personal development plans, self esteem, priority setting, human behavior and MORE!
* Understanding what Discipline is
* Understanding the benefits of Discipline
It's a well-known fact - when we first enter this world, and for a few years after, all we know is what we want and need.
A child believes the world revolves around them. And for the most part, at least for the first few years, it pretty much does. And it really needs to so a person is given all they need to give them the best chance to grow.
Then - while it can be much to our dismay, and one of the hardest lessons to learn - eventually we do learn that our personal desires are not the only or most important ones in the world at large.
This is when we need to begin Learning New Skills.
This is when we begin learning Discipline.
What it is
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Discipline as "training that corrects, molds or perfects".
The Workplace Moxie Dictionary defines Discipline as "the art of learning certain behaviors" - for your own good!
These behaviors help us to get what we can of our desires while interacting with and respecting the desires of others in the world at large.
How Discipline is learned
There are people in positions of authority who teach and enforce guidelines.
Beginning with our earliest caretakers, usually one or both parents, (or guardians), and then our schoolteachers.
We can find these guidelines very frustrating at first. But as we mature and become wiser in the ways of the world, we begin to understand their purpose. Which is basically to help us find our own way in the world as responsible human beings.
The benefits of Discipline
If we're fortunate, we find there can be a great deal of pleasure in creating a sense of order and regularity. Of knowing poise and a sense of balance for ourselves.
We've developed the Discipline needed to create order out of chaos. We know who we are and what we're about. And when we feel centered within ourselves, it makes our journey through every day life a good deal easier.
One of the first Disciplines, and probably one of the very hardest to learn, is to think about your beliefs, (your thoughts and feelings), before you speak or take action.
Have you heard - "It's better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it".
So often we can become so "riled" by someone's statement or action that we react in such a way as to end up making ourselves look bad. This is the last thing you desire. Especially in the work world.
Listen to learn
The best thing you can do for yourself is learning to listen.
This is a Discipline within itself.
It's understandable and reasonable that you desire your chance to speak. But - If and when you become so focused on what you desire to say, that you don't listen to what someone else has to say, you miss out on a chance to learn something.
Look at it this way - You already know what you know, so why not listen and learn what someone else knows.
This is especially true in the work world.
Whether you're an employer or an employee, listen to the other. Because they're the ones who will be able to help you succeed.
And know this - You don't always need to act to get what you desire.
Sometimes your desires will be satisfied through stillness. Give your desires a chance to be answered within their own time.
Bottom line ...
"I believe there is no escape from the rule that we must do many, many little things to accomplish just one big thing. This gives me patience when I need it most." (James Dupont)
Read on to see how you can develop your discipline skills to achieve your goals.
From www.WorkPlaceMoxie.com
* Self discipline, self control, self improvement, employee discipline, success skills, self help, career discipline, personal motivation, model behavior, personal development, behavior management, personal skills, success plans, personal development plans, self esteem, priority setting, human behavior and MORE!
* Understanding what Discipline is
* Understanding the benefits of Discipline
It's a well-known fact - when we first enter this world, and for a few years after, all we know is what we want and need.
A child believes the world revolves around them. And for the most part, at least for the first few years, it pretty much does. And it really needs to so a person is given all they need to give them the best chance to grow.
Then - while it can be much to our dismay, and one of the hardest lessons to learn - eventually we do learn that our personal desires are not the only or most important ones in the world at large.
This is when we need to begin Learning New Skills.
This is when we begin learning Discipline.
What it is
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Discipline as "training that corrects, molds or perfects".
The Workplace Moxie Dictionary defines Discipline as "the art of learning certain behaviors" - for your own good!
These behaviors help us to get what we can of our desires while interacting with and respecting the desires of others in the world at large.
How Discipline is learned
There are people in positions of authority who teach and enforce guidelines.
Beginning with our earliest caretakers, usually one or both parents, (or guardians), and then our schoolteachers.
We can find these guidelines very frustrating at first. But as we mature and become wiser in the ways of the world, we begin to understand their purpose. Which is basically to help us find our own way in the world as responsible human beings.
The benefits of Discipline
If we're fortunate, we find there can be a great deal of pleasure in creating a sense of order and regularity. Of knowing poise and a sense of balance for ourselves.
We've developed the Discipline needed to create order out of chaos. We know who we are and what we're about. And when we feel centered within ourselves, it makes our journey through every day life a good deal easier.
One of the first Disciplines, and probably one of the very hardest to learn, is to think about your beliefs, (your thoughts and feelings), before you speak or take action.
Have you heard - "It's better to say nothing and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it".
So often we can become so "riled" by someone's statement or action that we react in such a way as to end up making ourselves look bad. This is the last thing you desire. Especially in the work world.
Listen to learn
The best thing you can do for yourself is learning to listen.
This is a Discipline within itself.
It's understandable and reasonable that you desire your chance to speak. But - If and when you become so focused on what you desire to say, that you don't listen to what someone else has to say, you miss out on a chance to learn something.
Look at it this way - You already know what you know, so why not listen and learn what someone else knows.
This is especially true in the work world.
Whether you're an employer or an employee, listen to the other. Because they're the ones who will be able to help you succeed.
And know this - You don't always need to act to get what you desire.
Sometimes your desires will be satisfied through stillness. Give your desires a chance to be answered within their own time.
Bottom line ...
"I believe there is no escape from the rule that we must do many, many little things to accomplish just one big thing. This gives me patience when I need it most." (James Dupont)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Lose Weight While Your Sleep
There is so much research that supports the evidence regarding lack of sleep and weight gain. Lack of sleep not only leaves you feeling tired, in a fog, and low on energy, but it stimulates your appetite. If you find that you are constantly hungry - even after you have just eaten and never seem to be able to quench your appetite, try sleeping more.
Read this article from Web MD to see the facts:
The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep
Can more sleep really help us control our weight? Three top experts explore the possibilities.
By Colette BouchezWebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Leonard J. Sonne, MD
Lose weight while you sleep. It sounds like something you'd hear on a late night infomercial -- just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies because, well, you can't sleep.
But as wild as the idea sounds, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite.
"One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight," says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City.
While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, Rapoport says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.
In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.
How Hormones Affect Your Sleep
Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.
The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.
Studies: Those Who Sleep Less Often Weigh More
How the hormones leptin and ghrelin set the stage for overeating was recently explored in two studies conducted at the University of Chicago in Illinois and at Stanford University in California.
In the Chicago study, doctors measured levels of leptin and ghrelin in 12 healthy men. They also noted their hunger and appetite levels. Soon after, the men were subjected to two days of sleep deprivation followed by two days of extended sleep. During this time doctors continued to monitor hormone levels, appetite, and activity.
Studies: Those Who Sleep Less Often Weigh More continued...
The end result: When sleep was restricted, leptin levels went down and ghrelin levels went up. Not surprisingly, the men's appetite also increased proportionally. Their desire for high carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods increased by a whopping 45%.
It was in the Stanford study, however, that the more provocative meaning of the leptin-ghrelin effect came to light. In this research -- a joint project between Stanford and the University of Wisconsin -- about 1,000 volunteers reported the number of hours they slept each night. Doctors then measured their levels of ghrelin and leptin, as well as charted their weight.
The result: Those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin, but they also had a higher level of body fat. What's more, that level of body fat seemed to correlate with their sleep patterns. Specifically, those who slept the fewest hours per night weighed the most.
Eating and Sleep Apnea: The New Connection
As a result of these and other studies, researchers began to theorize that getting more sleep just might be the answer to society's burgeoning waistline. But before you trade the cost of your gym membership for a pricey new mattress, take note: Experts also say the relationship is not as obvious as it seems.
The reason: Enter the somewhat mysterious nocturnal ailment known as "obstructive sleep apnea." People with sleep apnea may stop breathing for up to a minute, sometimes hundreds of times during the night while sleeping, says Dominic Roca, MD, director of the Connecticut Center for Sleep Medicine at Stamford Hospital.
Though the exact cause of the problem remains unknown, Roca and others believe that in most instances physical abnormalities inside the mouth and neck cause the soft tissue in the rear of the throat to collapse. This briefly closes off air passages many times during a night, causing disruption in breathing and a tendency to snore.
The end result: Although you may go to bed early and think you are getting a good night's rest, the disruption in breathing prevents you from getting deep sleep. Eight hours of disrupted shut eye can leave you feeling like you had only four.
"You wake up feeling tired and continue to feel tired all day," Roca tells WebMD.
The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Weight
So what does sleep apnea have to do with weight gain?
First, says Roca, patients who suffer from sleep apnea are more likely to be obese. However, studies show they do not have the usual low leptin levels associated with being overweight. In fact, Roca says that folks with sleep apnea have uncharacteristically high levels of leptin.
What's more, when their apnea is treated, leptin levels drop -- and somehow that helps them to lose weight.
"I've had about thirty patients who, when successfully treated for their sleep apnea were able to lose weight -- possibly because they had more energy, so they were more active and they just ate less," says Breus.
So why does low leptin seem to cause weight gain in some folks while allowing others to lose weight? One theory says that it may not be the level of this hormone that matters so much as a person's individual response to it. In much the same way that obese people can become resistant to insulin, folks with apnea may be resistant to the fullness signal that leptin sends to the brain.
"It's like the body is trying to tell them to stop eating, but their brain just isn't getting the message," says Breus.
Another theory: The overall response to leptin may be more individual than we think. Experts say our environment, dietary habits, exercise patterns, personal stress levels, and particularly our genetics may all influence the production of leptin and ghrelin, as well as our response to them.
The fact that we just don't know causes at least some experts to view all the research on sleep and weight with a cautious or skeptical eye.
"There is a serious challenge to the closing of the loop. That isn't to say that what we know about leptin and ghrelin is not important, or that when we finally do understand it that it won't be crystal clear -- but right now it just isn't," Rapoport tells WebMD.
Breus agrees: "I think we are likely to find that bad sleep matters but that it's likely to be bad sleep plus some other problems. I don't think we know what they are yet."
Sleep: You Can't Lose
Until doctors do know more, most experts agree that if you are dieting, logging in a few extra hours of sleep a week is not a bad idea, particularly if you get six hours of sleep or less a night. You may just discover that you aren't as hungry, or that you have lessened your craving for sugary, calorie-dense foods.
"One thing I have seen is that once a person is not as tired, they don't need to rely on sweet foods and high carbohydrate snacks to keep them awake -- and that automatically translates into eating fewer calories," says Breus.
If, on the other hand, you already sleep a lot, or you increase your sleep and feel even more tired, you should talk to your doctor. Experts say you may be one of the thousands of people with undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Says Roca: "As research continues, more and more data comes to the forefront to suggest that you simply can't cut back on sleep without paying some price."
End
So, the moral of the story is develop an evening routine at night that will help you fall asleep at a reasonable hour and sleep throughout the night. Of all of the things a personal trainer could be requesting of you, I think asking you to sleep is the best one!
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Read this article from Web MD to see the facts:
The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep
Can more sleep really help us control our weight? Three top experts explore the possibilities.
By Colette BouchezWebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Leonard J. Sonne, MD
Lose weight while you sleep. It sounds like something you'd hear on a late night infomercial -- just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies because, well, you can't sleep.
But as wild as the idea sounds, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite.
"One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight," says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City.
While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, Rapoport says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.
In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.
How Hormones Affect Your Sleep
Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.
The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.
Studies: Those Who Sleep Less Often Weigh More
How the hormones leptin and ghrelin set the stage for overeating was recently explored in two studies conducted at the University of Chicago in Illinois and at Stanford University in California.
In the Chicago study, doctors measured levels of leptin and ghrelin in 12 healthy men. They also noted their hunger and appetite levels. Soon after, the men were subjected to two days of sleep deprivation followed by two days of extended sleep. During this time doctors continued to monitor hormone levels, appetite, and activity.
Studies: Those Who Sleep Less Often Weigh More continued...
The end result: When sleep was restricted, leptin levels went down and ghrelin levels went up. Not surprisingly, the men's appetite also increased proportionally. Their desire for high carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods increased by a whopping 45%.
It was in the Stanford study, however, that the more provocative meaning of the leptin-ghrelin effect came to light. In this research -- a joint project between Stanford and the University of Wisconsin -- about 1,000 volunteers reported the number of hours they slept each night. Doctors then measured their levels of ghrelin and leptin, as well as charted their weight.
The result: Those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin, but they also had a higher level of body fat. What's more, that level of body fat seemed to correlate with their sleep patterns. Specifically, those who slept the fewest hours per night weighed the most.
Eating and Sleep Apnea: The New Connection
As a result of these and other studies, researchers began to theorize that getting more sleep just might be the answer to society's burgeoning waistline. But before you trade the cost of your gym membership for a pricey new mattress, take note: Experts also say the relationship is not as obvious as it seems.
The reason: Enter the somewhat mysterious nocturnal ailment known as "obstructive sleep apnea." People with sleep apnea may stop breathing for up to a minute, sometimes hundreds of times during the night while sleeping, says Dominic Roca, MD, director of the Connecticut Center for Sleep Medicine at Stamford Hospital.
Though the exact cause of the problem remains unknown, Roca and others believe that in most instances physical abnormalities inside the mouth and neck cause the soft tissue in the rear of the throat to collapse. This briefly closes off air passages many times during a night, causing disruption in breathing and a tendency to snore.
The end result: Although you may go to bed early and think you are getting a good night's rest, the disruption in breathing prevents you from getting deep sleep. Eight hours of disrupted shut eye can leave you feeling like you had only four.
"You wake up feeling tired and continue to feel tired all day," Roca tells WebMD.
The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Weight
So what does sleep apnea have to do with weight gain?
First, says Roca, patients who suffer from sleep apnea are more likely to be obese. However, studies show they do not have the usual low leptin levels associated with being overweight. In fact, Roca says that folks with sleep apnea have uncharacteristically high levels of leptin.
What's more, when their apnea is treated, leptin levels drop -- and somehow that helps them to lose weight.
"I've had about thirty patients who, when successfully treated for their sleep apnea were able to lose weight -- possibly because they had more energy, so they were more active and they just ate less," says Breus.
So why does low leptin seem to cause weight gain in some folks while allowing others to lose weight? One theory says that it may not be the level of this hormone that matters so much as a person's individual response to it. In much the same way that obese people can become resistant to insulin, folks with apnea may be resistant to the fullness signal that leptin sends to the brain.
"It's like the body is trying to tell them to stop eating, but their brain just isn't getting the message," says Breus.
Another theory: The overall response to leptin may be more individual than we think. Experts say our environment, dietary habits, exercise patterns, personal stress levels, and particularly our genetics may all influence the production of leptin and ghrelin, as well as our response to them.
The fact that we just don't know causes at least some experts to view all the research on sleep and weight with a cautious or skeptical eye.
"There is a serious challenge to the closing of the loop. That isn't to say that what we know about leptin and ghrelin is not important, or that when we finally do understand it that it won't be crystal clear -- but right now it just isn't," Rapoport tells WebMD.
Breus agrees: "I think we are likely to find that bad sleep matters but that it's likely to be bad sleep plus some other problems. I don't think we know what they are yet."
Sleep: You Can't Lose
Until doctors do know more, most experts agree that if you are dieting, logging in a few extra hours of sleep a week is not a bad idea, particularly if you get six hours of sleep or less a night. You may just discover that you aren't as hungry, or that you have lessened your craving for sugary, calorie-dense foods.
"One thing I have seen is that once a person is not as tired, they don't need to rely on sweet foods and high carbohydrate snacks to keep them awake -- and that automatically translates into eating fewer calories," says Breus.
If, on the other hand, you already sleep a lot, or you increase your sleep and feel even more tired, you should talk to your doctor. Experts say you may be one of the thousands of people with undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Says Roca: "As research continues, more and more data comes to the forefront to suggest that you simply can't cut back on sleep without paying some price."
End
So, the moral of the story is develop an evening routine at night that will help you fall asleep at a reasonable hour and sleep throughout the night. Of all of the things a personal trainer could be requesting of you, I think asking you to sleep is the best one!
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Top 10 Functional Food Trends in America
You might not think of food as being trendy, but there is an evolution in how we eat even over our short lifetimes. From low fat to low carb to low glycemic, the trends effect how we make our food choices. Maybe you ate more meat and potatoes as a child and now have more fast food meals? Food become demonized or praised and we discipline ourselves to shift our food choices based on our habits, beliefs, social setting, religious affiliation, taste preferences and so on.
Below you will find a news release on the Top 10 Functional Food Trends in America. From choosing organic food to 100 calorie snack packs, gogi berries to probiotics, this information is interesting.
Newswise — Foods that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition, identified as functional foods, are becoming a key part of everyday life, according to a new article appearing in Food Technology, a publication of the Institute of Food Technologists.
Liz Sloan, Contributing Editor and President of Sloan Trends and Solutions, a trending and market predictions firm focusing on the food industry, has identified the top 10 trends in functional foods. The article noted that the majority of Americans, 69 percent are incorporating foods into a preventative lifestyle, while 27 percent are utilizing food as a treatment to manage a preexisting health condition. One-third of shoppers (36 percent) are trying to reduce the risk of developing a health condition, follow a doctor’s advice (30 percent) or manage/treat a specific condition on their own (25 percent), according to the Food Marketing Institute¹ data.
“Today’s consumers are extremely sophisticated, and they are attracted to functional foods’ ability to help manage health and wellness,” said IFT spokesperson Roger Clemens, PhD. Simply put, Americans are relying heavily on the foods they consume to improve their well-being.
Top 10 Food Trends
1. Healthy Household Halo – Americans are looking to create a healthy household. Approximately 57 percent of shoppers are making a lot of effort to eat healthier². With half (53 percent) of adults controlling their diet – 61 percent for weight, 36 percent cholesterol, 22 percent blood sugar, 18 percent high blood pressure, and 14 percent diabetes³. Babies and young children also drive healthier household eating. Popular trends include DHA for brain and eye development and probiotics for digestive health. In recent years, sales of healthful kids’ foods have outsold regular kids’ products 3:14. With 28 percent of parents admitting that they have an overweight child and one in eight kids having two or more risk factors for heart disease later in life, the No. 3 concern of moms, after immunity and growth/development, is now healthy kids foods.
2. Natural End Benefits – Recent scientific validation of the health benefits of superfoods have convinced consumers that key benefits are, in fact, naturally achievable, thus creating a new trend to whole food nutrition. New superfoods include: • Blood Oranges• Goji Berries• Seabuckthorn• Mangosteens• Garbanzo Beans• Specialty Mushrooms
3. Balancing The “Bul-get” – The U.S. weight loss market—projected to grow from $58 billion to $69 billion by 2010—is undergoing a sea change as consumers shift from dieting/weight loss programs to managing weight via smaller portions, specific food restrictions, and light/low-fat and super-satiating foods 5. Products providing, satiety, the state of feeling full or gratified, are now a hot commodity.
4. Contemporary Conditions – As 31 million Americans turn age 65 over the next 10 years, and the oldest of the 76 million baby boomers enter their 60s, the demand for condition-specific foods will skyrocket. Conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and diabetes have created a need for functional foods to manage/treat these conditions. Boomers are looking to consume more omega-3s, polyphenols, flavanols, and plant sterols as part of a balanced lifestyle.
5. Proactive Lifestyles – With the majority of consumers trying to live a preventive lifestyle, fortified foods and beverages have quickly become a way of life. Consumers are making a strong effort to get more vitamin C, calcium, B vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, vitamin E, omega-3s/DHA/fish oil, vitamin A, potassium, iron, and folic acid from the food and beverages they consume6.
Proactive lifestyles have also created a need for functional foods that enhance skin, hair, and nails from the inside out. The U.S. “cosmeceutical” market is expected to grow from $14.9 billion to $17.2 billion by 20107.
6. Simpler, Greener, & Cleaner – Many consumers are taking a simpler, more-natural approach to the foods they eat, looking for foods with only a few ingredients and as fresh and close to the farm as time and budget will allow. Hormones topped the list of ingredients that consumers were least comfortable consuming.
Organic food and beverages sales grew 13 percent in 2007 and are expected to continue at double-digit growth through 20108. Consumers believe local products are fresher, have fewer pesticides, and in general are of higher quality9. Whole and heritage grains are among the ingredients that best symbolize the new natural direction.
7. Smart Treats – With two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers trying to eat snacks with more nutrition, 63 percent looking for lower-calorie favorites, and one-quarter looking for 100-calorie snack packs, healthier snack options is a “must have” for today’s consumer. Healthy snack sales outpaced traditional snacks nearly 3:1 over the last few years10.
8. Sensitivity Training – The number of adults who perceive that they, or their children, suffer from food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities continues to grow, creating lucrative markets, disproportionate to their true medical base. The 70 million Americans suffering from a digestive ailment expect to see more products fortified with fiber and gluten-free. Foods carrying a digestive health/probiotic clam reached $712 million in 200711.
9. Vitality Treadmill – Energy was the top reason consumers made a dietary change last year. More than half of adults (55 percent) need something to give them an energy boost several times a week, 48 percent to increase their stamina/physical endurance, 46 percent to help them wake up, 43 percent to improve mental alertness, and 40 percent to keep them awake12.
Of all new functional food concepts, consumers are most interested in new products that improve mental performance13. Just over one-third of consumers drink energy beverages for a mental boost14. Ginseng, guarana, and taurine are among the key ingredients in emerging beverages. Candies, gums, and chocolates are also gaining popularity within this market.
10. New Venues – Without a doubt, the most important factor driving the healthy and functional foods market mainstream has been the increased accessibility of healthy products through additional channels. With today’s grab-and-go lifestyle and rising gas prices, convenience stores have become a powerhouse for sales of some healthy products. Convenience stores have instituted new programs designed to increase sales of these types of products.
To view or download this Food Technology article in its entirety please the visit http://www.ift.org.
About Food Technology
Food Technology is IFT's monthly flagship magazine addressing all facets of food science and technology. Its timely, in-depth coverage includes the latest research developments, industry news, and consumer product innovations.
About IFT
Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the Institute of Food Technologist is a not-for-profit international scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in the industry, academia and government. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussion of food issues. For more on IFT, visit http://www.ift.org.
Remember to make the best choices you can at every meal. Use common sense when making yoru choices. When ever possible, plan ahead.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Below you will find a news release on the Top 10 Functional Food Trends in America. From choosing organic food to 100 calorie snack packs, gogi berries to probiotics, this information is interesting.
Newswise — Foods that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition, identified as functional foods, are becoming a key part of everyday life, according to a new article appearing in Food Technology, a publication of the Institute of Food Technologists.
Liz Sloan, Contributing Editor and President of Sloan Trends and Solutions, a trending and market predictions firm focusing on the food industry, has identified the top 10 trends in functional foods. The article noted that the majority of Americans, 69 percent are incorporating foods into a preventative lifestyle, while 27 percent are utilizing food as a treatment to manage a preexisting health condition. One-third of shoppers (36 percent) are trying to reduce the risk of developing a health condition, follow a doctor’s advice (30 percent) or manage/treat a specific condition on their own (25 percent), according to the Food Marketing Institute¹ data.
“Today’s consumers are extremely sophisticated, and they are attracted to functional foods’ ability to help manage health and wellness,” said IFT spokesperson Roger Clemens, PhD. Simply put, Americans are relying heavily on the foods they consume to improve their well-being.
Top 10 Food Trends
1. Healthy Household Halo – Americans are looking to create a healthy household. Approximately 57 percent of shoppers are making a lot of effort to eat healthier². With half (53 percent) of adults controlling their diet – 61 percent for weight, 36 percent cholesterol, 22 percent blood sugar, 18 percent high blood pressure, and 14 percent diabetes³. Babies and young children also drive healthier household eating. Popular trends include DHA for brain and eye development and probiotics for digestive health. In recent years, sales of healthful kids’ foods have outsold regular kids’ products 3:14. With 28 percent of parents admitting that they have an overweight child and one in eight kids having two or more risk factors for heart disease later in life, the No. 3 concern of moms, after immunity and growth/development, is now healthy kids foods.
2. Natural End Benefits – Recent scientific validation of the health benefits of superfoods have convinced consumers that key benefits are, in fact, naturally achievable, thus creating a new trend to whole food nutrition. New superfoods include: • Blood Oranges• Goji Berries• Seabuckthorn• Mangosteens• Garbanzo Beans• Specialty Mushrooms
3. Balancing The “Bul-get” – The U.S. weight loss market—projected to grow from $58 billion to $69 billion by 2010—is undergoing a sea change as consumers shift from dieting/weight loss programs to managing weight via smaller portions, specific food restrictions, and light/low-fat and super-satiating foods 5. Products providing, satiety, the state of feeling full or gratified, are now a hot commodity.
4. Contemporary Conditions – As 31 million Americans turn age 65 over the next 10 years, and the oldest of the 76 million baby boomers enter their 60s, the demand for condition-specific foods will skyrocket. Conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and diabetes have created a need for functional foods to manage/treat these conditions. Boomers are looking to consume more omega-3s, polyphenols, flavanols, and plant sterols as part of a balanced lifestyle.
5. Proactive Lifestyles – With the majority of consumers trying to live a preventive lifestyle, fortified foods and beverages have quickly become a way of life. Consumers are making a strong effort to get more vitamin C, calcium, B vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, vitamin E, omega-3s/DHA/fish oil, vitamin A, potassium, iron, and folic acid from the food and beverages they consume6.
Proactive lifestyles have also created a need for functional foods that enhance skin, hair, and nails from the inside out. The U.S. “cosmeceutical” market is expected to grow from $14.9 billion to $17.2 billion by 20107.
6. Simpler, Greener, & Cleaner – Many consumers are taking a simpler, more-natural approach to the foods they eat, looking for foods with only a few ingredients and as fresh and close to the farm as time and budget will allow. Hormones topped the list of ingredients that consumers were least comfortable consuming.
Organic food and beverages sales grew 13 percent in 2007 and are expected to continue at double-digit growth through 20108. Consumers believe local products are fresher, have fewer pesticides, and in general are of higher quality9. Whole and heritage grains are among the ingredients that best symbolize the new natural direction.
7. Smart Treats – With two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers trying to eat snacks with more nutrition, 63 percent looking for lower-calorie favorites, and one-quarter looking for 100-calorie snack packs, healthier snack options is a “must have” for today’s consumer. Healthy snack sales outpaced traditional snacks nearly 3:1 over the last few years10.
8. Sensitivity Training – The number of adults who perceive that they, or their children, suffer from food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities continues to grow, creating lucrative markets, disproportionate to their true medical base. The 70 million Americans suffering from a digestive ailment expect to see more products fortified with fiber and gluten-free. Foods carrying a digestive health/probiotic clam reached $712 million in 200711.
9. Vitality Treadmill – Energy was the top reason consumers made a dietary change last year. More than half of adults (55 percent) need something to give them an energy boost several times a week, 48 percent to increase their stamina/physical endurance, 46 percent to help them wake up, 43 percent to improve mental alertness, and 40 percent to keep them awake12.
Of all new functional food concepts, consumers are most interested in new products that improve mental performance13. Just over one-third of consumers drink energy beverages for a mental boost14. Ginseng, guarana, and taurine are among the key ingredients in emerging beverages. Candies, gums, and chocolates are also gaining popularity within this market.
10. New Venues – Without a doubt, the most important factor driving the healthy and functional foods market mainstream has been the increased accessibility of healthy products through additional channels. With today’s grab-and-go lifestyle and rising gas prices, convenience stores have become a powerhouse for sales of some healthy products. Convenience stores have instituted new programs designed to increase sales of these types of products.
To view or download this Food Technology article in its entirety please the visit http://www.ift.org.
About Food Technology
Food Technology is IFT's monthly flagship magazine addressing all facets of food science and technology. Its timely, in-depth coverage includes the latest research developments, industry news, and consumer product innovations.
About IFT
Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the Institute of Food Technologist is a not-for-profit international scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in the industry, academia and government. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussion of food issues. For more on IFT, visit http://www.ift.org.
Remember to make the best choices you can at every meal. Use common sense when making yoru choices. When ever possible, plan ahead.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
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