The Silliest Diet/Exercise Ideas I’ve Heard

I’ve happily noticed that people love to talk about health related information. However, sometimes I hear things I know aren’t scientifically correct. When this happens, I sometimes point them out but other times it is better if I just snicker quietly and keep quite. I won’t reveal the culprits but these are my favorite diet/exercise fibs!

1. “I know diet soda is better than regular but all the sugar in diet soda makes me really hyper!”

FYI – Diet soda contains no digestible sugar and therefore no calories. It contains calorie free artificial sweeteners. Diet soda does contain caffeine, which may increase your energy level.

2. “Fried rice is better than white or brown because the carbs are cooked off.”

FYI – I don’t even know what to say to this….. Here the carbohydrate information for 1 cup rice: brown long grain: 45 g, short grain white rice: 37g, fried rice: 56g. (taken from: http://www.annecollins.com/dietary-carbs/carbs-rice.htm ) Also, the brown rice is better for you because it has 5 grams fiber as apposed to the 0.2 in white rice.

3. “If a female trained hard enough, they could be just as good at a sport as the best male”.

FYI – This one is tough. I think there are some sports that women can and do excel at. However, men have higher aerobic capacities than women because they have higher blood volumes (78ml/kg in males versus 56 ml/kg in females). Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working muscles and the higher your aerobic capacity, the higher your performance will be at endurance sports. Men also have much higher testosterone levels than women. Testosterone helps store protein and increases muscle mass. Therefore, men tend to be much stronger than females. The many factors that influence male versus female performance in a sport make it impossible to conclude the statement above.

4. “I don’t need to do any cardiovascular activity because I weight lift.”

FYI-Weight training is great to increase muscle mass, keep your joints healthy, maintain a healthy body composition and increase your metabolism. It does not result in the same cardiovascular benefits as cardio training such as increased blood volume, increase in mitochondria density, and increase in heart health and decrease in blood pressure. In fact, heavy weight training in absence of cardio can increase the muscles of the heart, leaving less space for blood and increasing blood pressure to dangerous levels.

I’ve also heard the reverse “I don’t weight lift because I work my muscles when I run and cycle and I don’t want big muscles anyway.”

FYI-We have two types of muscles, those that respond to endurance training (running, cycling) and those that respond to heavy loads (weight training). EVERYONE should train BOTH muscle types in order to maintain healthy lean tissue. This helps protect your bones and joints, improves flexibility and stability, and helps you enhance your overall athletic performance. You will not develop huge muscles unless you are doing a specific type of weight lifting known as bodybuilding.

It is easy to believe certain health myths and we have all passed on incorrect information accidentally. This is just a reminder to think about and research ideas you may have heard before passing them along and making my silly fact list :)

WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD I WORK OUT?

People often ask me what time of day they should work out for optimal performance and fat burn. Immediately my science background brings up images of hormonal circadian rhythms and sympathetic nervous system spikes. I could talk about how in the late afternoon cortisol primes our bodies for action or how men’s testosterone levels are highest in the early morning. Then of course, we must consider that some people are “morning people” while other are “night owls” and that this can influence individual’s performance levels throughout the day.

However, the truth is WHEN you work out is not nearly as important as ACCOMPLISHING the workout. For example, while camping on the beach with friends a few weekends back I awoke to screaming children at 6:30 am. I tried to go back to sleep but the thin tent walls made that impossible. I could have laid there for an hour with a nagging headache. I am certain my hormonal levels were not in optimum “workout mode” at that time but I realized this was a WONDERFUL opportunity to run along the deserted calming beach. The first few minutes were tough but after about 10 minutes, I felt great. Sipping my sangria later that afternoon, I knew if I hadn’t gotten my workout in earlier that morning, I wouldn’t have done it. Maybe I would have burned an extra 42 calories if I had worked out at 5:37 pm because my hormones would have made me push a little harder; but in reality, I burned 400 calories that morning rather than the 0 I would have burned if I waited till later that day.

The point of my story is

1. Know you MUST get in your workout for the day (like brushing your teeth, working out is not an option)
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE of the free time you have (spending 1 hour looking at online jokes or my space pages of friends you haven’t seen in years and will never meet up with again is considered free time)
3. SCHEDULE you workouts in when you ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET IT DONE (for me this is often first thing in the morning).

There are a few guidelines worth worrying about when deciding when to work out:

1. Eat 3-4 hours before you workout so your body has some energy to work hard. If you work out first thing in the morning, grab an easy to digest snack like a cereal bar or banana before heading to the gym and then have a larger breakfast when you get to work.
2. Be sure you are well hydrated. Drink a few glasses of water (14-20 oz) during the 2 hours before your workout. During your workout try to drink 4-6 oz every 15-20 minutes. Be sure you re-hydrate after working out. Most people do not drink enough to replenish their fluid loss because they don’t feel thirsty.
3. Warm-up and Cool-down with about 5 minutes of cardio at a low intensity before and after aerobic or strength training.

Now get out there and MOVE!

UNC BIGGEST LOSERS!

The UNC 12 week lifestyle makeover may have officially ended but our Biggest Loser contestants are still setting new goals! As a group, the contestants lost a total of 450 pounds! They all look fabulous and are radiating confidence and energy. I think all the contestants gained something from this competition while losing pounds. A few went off medication for high blood pressure/cholesterol, one has inspired many other people including her handicapped husband to make some impressive progress, one has given a sermon on what she learned from being a biggest loser, and one is well on their way to meeting their goal weight before their wedding. Our Biggest female loser lost 28 pounds (12% body weight) and our biggest male loser lost 35 pounds (13% body weight) in a mere 3 months! Here is a short blurb from Sheila, our hot female biggest loser along with her before and after.

Sheila had made up her mind that this would be her year to get fit and be healthy. When she saw advertisements for the UNC Biggest Loser Challenge, she knew this was her opportunity. With the support of her family and her new Biggest Loser friends and staff, Sheila lost 27.5 pounds and 11 inches. She has tons of energy and feels great! Congratulations Sheila...you rock!

FAD DIETS

Fad diet books make the bestseller list constantly even though we all know eating a well balanced diet and controlling our portion sizes has been the successful way to lose weight and live healthy for decades. One of the newest fads, the cardio-free diet has really got me riled. This author claims weight-lifting and dieting are the keys to success and suggests ditching the treadmill. Although weight lifting is definitely an important part to any weight loss/management program, cardio must not be forgotten! The aerobic training gained through this author's recommended weight training is minimal to the benefits a structured aerobic program offer. Running, cycling and other challenging and repetitive large muscle group movements train your respiratory muscles such as your diaphragm and inner abdominal muscles, making breathing easier. Regular cardio activity also increases your blood volume over time, increases the number of capillaries delivering oxygen to your blood, and increases oxidative enzymes. This results in lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and increased insulin sensitivity. The left SPACE of your heart may even increase slightly and in combination with increases in blood volume, your stroke volume will increase resulting in a lower resting heart rate (think Lance Armstrong’s 30 beats per minute compared to the regular 60-80). Overall, cardio keeps your physiology in peak condition! One extremely important note that has me really concerned about the cardio-free diet…heavy weight training without cardio can enlarge the muscle of the heart (not the space like cardio), leaving less space for blood. This can lead to high blood pressure and increases the chances of a heart attack.

Here are a few other fad diets that make me squirm:

Atkins Diet – High fat diets may sound great to some but the result is higher cholesterol levels, which can lead to clogged arteries and heart attacks. Although many people on these diets brag about how their good cholesterol has gone up, new research suggests high total cholesterol, even if the HDL/LDL ratio is high, can still be signs of a problem down the road.

South Beach Diet – Although this book emphasizes whole grains and fruits and vegetables in Phase 2 and 3, its big attention grabber is you don’t have to pay attention to portion size….need I say more!

Do these diets work....at first of course! Anytime you change up your regular routine your body is going to respond. Especially when you are depriving your body of important essential fuel sources. And when we "diet" we tend to pay much closer attention to what we eat and often eat less, no matter what food we are ingesting.

Want to know the best diet out there? Check out the USDA, mypyramid.gov, website and start tracking what you eat. Do what most doctors recommend and what research shows to be successful. Eat healthy by eating lots of whole grains, vegetables, and fruit and exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week (CARDIO AND WEIGHT TRAINING).

Beware of Liquid Calories

Liquid calories can really add up! You may be surprised at what some drink calories equal in food. Check out how your favorite drinks stack up and how you can swap them out for healthier options:

Morning Coffee Break

My favorite! 16 oz. Flavored Café Latte with Whole Milk = 365 calories = 1 slice pepperoni pizza. Instead, switch to a 12 oz. skim milk latte and sweeten with splenda and a dash of cinnamon (120 calories).

Lunchtime Drink

12 oz cola = 140 calories = 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie. Instead, switch to diet cola or flavored diet seltzer water (0 calories).

Evening Cocktail

Vodka and cranberry juice = 250 calories = Regular MacDonald’s Fries. Instead, try a glass of red wine (100 calories).

Nightcap

8 oz hot chocolate = 200 calories = 1 snack size bag of Doritos. Instead, try flavored caffeine free tea (0 calories).

Total calories saved = 715 = apple + small bowl of cereal w/ skim milk + chicken salad w/ light dressing + 80 calorie snack bar + Light Turkey Wrap

Wow! When you chose your calories wisely your meals can be healthy and fulfilling. Swap out a few of your high calorie drinks for low cal alternatives and bring on the whole grains, fruits, and healthy meats!

Workout Rut

Feeling like your workout is in a rut? If you have been just one size away from you “skinny jeans” for so long you’ve given up hope or know the exact sequence of your favorite group exercise class so well you could teach it, you need a kick-start! Consider these tips adapted from Women’s Health Magazine and get ready for jeans and tank top season!

Figure out how many calories you should be consuming: If you have lost weight since you first estimated your daily caloric needs your basal metabolic rate is probably lower, which means your body needs less calories to sustain the smaller you. Figure out your BMR:
Divide your current weight by 2.2 pounds.
Multiplying this number by 0.9, and then by 24. (Or calculate it at bmicalculator.net/bmrcalculator.)
Multiply your BMR by 1.2
This is the average number of calories your body burns each normal activity day. (Add another 300 to 500 on days you do an hour of moderate to intense exercise.)
Subtract 500 to find out how many calories you need to eat to lose a pound a week, or 300 to lose 2 pounds a month!

Make sure you are eating enough, never decrease your calories to less than 1200/day. If your body is not getting enough nutrients, your brain will try to conserve energy by signaling your metabolism to slow down. This can decrease activity of endocrine organs like your thyroid, making you feel sluggish and making weight loss extremely difficult.

Switch your workout around. Anytime your body has to do something different than what it is used to it has to work harder. If you have been going to the same fitness class or running the same 3 mile route for 6 months, switch things up! Run the route in reverse forcing you to do the big hills at the beginning or add on an extra ½ mile. Try using weight machines rather than attending your regular weight class. Even simply swapping lunges for leg extensions works. Whatever you choose, make sure you are switching your routine up at least every 6 months.

Give yourself a rest. Your muscles need time to replenish and grow stronger. Try resting for one day between 2 hard workout days. This not only allows your muscles to get stronger and therefore burn through more calories but will also allow you to work harder when you return to your routine. Just try to limit your rest days to 2 in a row.

Speed up your metabolism. We already talked about how to use exercise to make your body work harder. You can also give your metabolism a boost by eating good fats (mono’s and poly’s) and healthy lean protein. Spicy food and distributing your calories over several small meals throughout the day may also do the trick.

Now get out there and storm through your platea!

I ROCK!
Women's Health magazine is one of my favorites. I have been an avid reader since its recent conception and am siked to be part of their reader's panel. Check me out in April's issue and visit their website for tons of great information: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/

If you are bored with your current workout or finding yourself in a bit of a slump, heart rate interval training may be for you! You may have heard of training in your "target heart rate zone" but aren't sure what that is. A person’s heart rate during exercise tells a lot about how hard their body is working... more so than workout time or running speed. What is intense for one person may not be as hard for another and by observing your heart rate you can personally challenge yourself. Heart rate training doesn’t have to be complicated and everyone can and should learn the basics of this valuable exercise concept.

Before we get started, practice finding your pulse using your radial artery on the thumb side of your wrist, or your temple artery on your temple in front of your ear. Try not to use the carotid artery in your neck to find your pulse. The receptors here amay cause your heart rate to slow down when you apply pressure to the area.

Find your heart rate training zones using the formula below or by visiting this website and using the Karvonen formula: http://pages.prodigy.net/edc3/imusa/heart_rates.html

Karvonen approach

Step 1: Find your estimated maximum heart rate (MHR) 220-age.

Step 2: Find your resting heart rate (RHR) by taking your pulse for 10 seconds while you have been resting for at least 5 minutes. Multiply this by 6 to get beats per minute (bpm). You should get a value between 60-100 bpm.

Step 3: Plug your numbers into this formula:

Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) = MHR – RHR

Step 4: According to the American College of Sports Medicine, to improve cardiovascular performance, you should work at 65%-85% of your HRR. Use this formula to find your target-training zone.

Target Heart Rate = HRR x Intensity + RHR:

65% = (HRR X .65) + RHR

85% = (HRR X .85) + RHR

I recommend a heart rate monitor to accurately monitor your heart rate without having to stop during exercise (these can be found at any sports store). You can also take your heart rate during exercise by briefly slowing down and taking your pulse for 10 sec. Make sure you multiply this number by 6 to get your bpm!

Interval Training can help improve cardiovascular fitness, increase speed, improve overall aerobic power, burn more calories, break-through a plateau, increase workout duration, reach new exercise levels, expand your workout options and increase your workout threshold. Whether you are running, swimming, cycling, etc, warm-up by gradually increasing your heart rate to 65% HRR for 5-10 minutes. Then, do some intervals. Increase your intensity or speed so that your heart rate reaches a value close to 85% HRR or higher. Keep this pace for 30 sec – 2 min (depending on your current fitness level). Slow down and recover at a heart rate of 110-120 bpm for 1-2 minutes, and then repeat. If you have a stopwatch, you can set your watch to beap every 1-2 min. to keep track of your intervals, or alternate between work and recovery every time your song changes on your mp3 player. Interval workouts can be intense so try to start at 15-20 minutes of intervals and work up to 30-45 minutes, 2-3 days/week. Make sure you finish your interval workout with a 5-minute cool down and lots of stretching!

If you are new to exercise, use your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) rather than or in addition to your heart rate for interval training. On a scale of 1 (Easy)-10 (Extremely Hard), alternate working between a 3-4 for your recovery intervals and a 7-9 for your hard intervals.

Happy training!

Wellness Wednesday:Efficient Foods

I love to know the most efficient ways to get things done. I organize my kitchen so that my cereal bowls, spoons, cereal and coffee are right by my fridge where I grab my milk and blueberries every morning. I keep a set of toiletries, change of clothes and a hairdryer in my locker at work so that I do not have to remember to pack them on days I work out at the gym. My husband and I live less than 1 mile from his work so we only have to rely on one fuel efficient car. I've talked about the most efficient abs exercises in a previous E-mail. So, today I am going to talk about some extremely efficient foods that top my list of favorites.

I am a HUGE cereal fan so I couldn't have been happier when I saw some of the healthiest cereals listed in this month's issue of Women's Health:
If you like tasty flakes mixed with nutty clusters, try Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes with Blueberry Clusters. I am a big fan of Kashi cereals because they are packed with nutrients. I've kept this cereal stocked in my cupboard for a long time. YUM!
If you like crunchy honey oats try Health Valley Real Oat Bran Almond Crunch. This cereal has 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving! Natural vanilla and amaretto malt...I'm going to try this cereal next.

If you like to keep healthy snack bars around your office rather than choosing unhealthy snack machine options try Balance Bar 100 Calorie Snack Bars. These delicious treats also have 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. I'm also a big fan of Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt as a snack. The 6 oz. servings only have 60 calories and 5 grams of protein!

These foods that heal are from this month's issue of Yogalife:
Cranberries are shown to fight off gastrointestinal and urinary infections as well as helping to keep your arteries clean. They may even help prevent cavities. I love to toss dried cranberries into my salad or cereal.

Artichokes are one of my favorite pizza toppings...made from whole wheat flat bread of course. Artichokes provide tons of vitamin C, fiber and minerals such as copper and magnesium and are one of the most powerful anti-oxidants. These are also great with olives in a salad.

Quinoa...que what? This healthy grain, pronounced Keen-wa, is packed with protein and fiber. In fact, many compare its nutritional value to that of milk. Do you want to take advantage of this efficient grain but not sure what to do with it? Check out this article for recipe ideas: http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/quinoa_recipes

Apples Some things never change, including the overwhelming nutritious value of an apple. The antioxidants in apples help clear your body of bad cholesterol (LDL) and may fight carcinogens. The shiny apples I always keep in my fruit bowl are not just for decoration!

Try some of these health packed food choices next time you visit the grocery store. I’m off to try to efficiently finish my homework before class :) Have a great day everyone!

The Power of the Breath

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Good morning, are you feeling more relaxed? I know I have mentioned the importance of paying attention to your breath before but today I want to explain why self-breathing is so important and tell you how to take control of your breath. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, also known as Pranayma breathing, has been used for centuries in yoga to help relax the body, clear the mind and deepen the mind-body connection. However, research has now found that Pranayman breathing can positively effect immune function, psychological stress, anxiety and even asthma and hypertension. The exact mechanics are not yet fully understood; however, we know that by taking control of our breath we are able to override the sometime overactive sympathetic ventilatory control response. In fact, this is the ONLY visceral function we can voluntarily control, how empowering! Here’s how you can take advantage of the Power of Your Breath:

1. First start by taking some normal breaths through your nose and simply pay attention to your breath.

2. At rest, you breathe by passively activating your external intercostals and diaphragm. To maximize the power of your breath, you want to visualize filling your abdomen, then the bottom of your lungs, then the middle lungs, and finally the top of the lungs with air.

3. Place your hands on either side of your ribcage at the bottom of your sternum. When you breath, you should feel your ribcage expand out and to the sides (lateral ribcage expansion).

4. Practice breathing slowly and deeply, breathing in and out of your nose both laying down, sitting, and standing up. Use the visualization and rib cage expansion methods discussed above.

5. Whenever you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, pay attention to how your sympathetic response automatically increases your breathing frequency. Try to override that response by taking control of your breath and slowing it down by breathing deeply.

Establish a habit of taking a few minutes out of your day to take control of your body through self-breathing. Begin to feel less stressed and less anxious!