Archive for July, 2008
July 28th, 2008
The season for fairs and festivals brings many challenges when it comes to eating healthfully. Eating at a fair or festival can wreak havoc on your waistline because it is so easy to consume thousands of calories. If you’re attending for one day and you plan ahead with extra activity and eating less for a couple days in advance, it’s probably okay to indulge on some of your fair favorites. But if you’re planning to do the fair circuit, it’s a good idea to use that willpower to make some smarter choices.
One of the biggest problems is mindless eating. That’s what happens when you’re walking and talking, and before you know it, that food on a stick has disappeared. You may think all the walking you do at the fair will burn off the extra calories, but the reality is that you only burn about 100 calories for each mile you walk. Before you go, be aware of the “calorie costs” for some typical fair foods. Calories add up quick, so decide how you want to spend them. Notice there are some better choices!
Giant turkey leg: 1,140 calories/54 g fat
Gyro: 680 calories/40 g fat
Cheeseburger: 550 calories/36 g fat
Foot-long hot dog and bun: 470 calories/26 g fat
Baked potato with butter & sour cream: 450 calories/19 g fat
Grilled chicken sandwich: 350 calories/12 g fat
Jumbo corn dog: 375 calories/21 g fat
Curly fries: 620 calories/30 g fat
Fried onion blossom: 1320 calories/72 g fat
Nachos & cheese: 860 calories/59 g fat
Kettle corn: 490 calories/12 g fat
Fried Snickers: 440 calories/29 g fat
Fried Twinkie: 420 calories/34 g fat
Funnel cake: 760 calories/44 g fat
Fried cheesecake: 660 calories/47 g fat
Chocolate-covered frozen banana: 240 calories/4 g fat
Caramel apple: 300 calories/1 g fat
Apple pie: 400 calories/16 g fat
Cotton candy: 170 calories/0 g fat
Snow cone (3 oz syrup): 270 calories/0 g fat
Try these tactics to help take the scare out of fair food:
- Eat before you go so you can enjoy a few treats. Arrive hungry and you’re more likely to graze on food all day long.
- Go early in the day when you may be less likely to be enticed by the aromas of food.
- Stick with water to stay hydrated. Most drinks at fairs are loaded with sugar (or alcohol). These calories add up quickly!
- Walk around and check out all the offerings, then choose two or three items over the course of the day.
- Share your food—and calories. This way, you can taste a variety of foods without doing as much damage.
- Source for calorie and fat gram information: www.calorieking.com.
July 24th, 2008
There is no evidence-based research that post-exercise stretching prevents soreness. In fact, excessive or improper stretching may actually increase delayed muscle soreness or result in injury. After a review of available research, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states, “Stretching after exercise will do nothing to prevent soreness the next day (Delayed Muscle Soreness). The damage to the muscle has already been done during the exercise, and stretching cannot repair the damage. Stretching the next day, when your muscles are sore, may help reduce the pain a little, but it does not repair the damage to the muscle from heavy or unaccustomed exercise.” (ACSM FIT SOCIETY PAGE, Late Winter/Early Spring 2006). More recently, a 2007 study from the University of Sydney concurred.
Regular and properly done stretching may improve flexibility, range of motion, and decrease joint stiffness.
Some guidelines:
1. Stretching is more productive after at least 5-10 minutes of light to moderate activity and ideal at the end of a workout.
2. Keep stretching gentle without straining or bouncing.
3. Use good form/posture without over-twisting or over-flexing your spine.
4. Hold stretches 15-60 seconds & repeat if desired.
5. Avoid stretching injuries except under professional supervision e.g. a physical therapist.
Next: Bicycle Safety Tips
July 21st, 2008
Laser hair removal has come a long way. More effective. Less discomfort. No down time. Does it get any better?
Laser hair removal is great for people who have very coarse, dark hair, and lots of it! The shape and size of the hair follicle is predetermined before birth. Everything about really coarse hair is genetic (believe it or not!) Laser hair removal lets us manipulate the follicle. Over a period of time, the bulb and bulge of the follicle is damaged thus making the hair come back finer and not as often. Women love this…you don’t have to shave as much, and you get a smoother shave. It will also clear up those little bumps we all get sometimes.
More so, the hair doesn’t have to be a certain length before you visit your Aesthetician. You won’t leave with wax left on your skin.
See you at the Spa…
July 21st, 2008
It is NOT possible to choose a trouble spot and exercise the fat off by exercising that specific area. It is possible to tone muscle in a specific area by using those muscles on a regular basis.
Patterns of body fat storage will vary from male to female and from one individual to another. Women tend to store more in their lower body (hips/thighs), while men tend to store more in the upper body (abdominal and back area). Hence, the “pear” and “apple” shapes. It is actually more stressful to the heart and health to have the “apple shape”. Current guidelines recommend that women maintain a waist measurement of less than 35 inches and men less than 40 inches for lower health risk.
Waist measurement is not your belt size! It is the narrowest circumference near the belly button. Excess abdominal fat contributes to increased health risk by metabolic/hormonal activity that seems to increase inflammation in the body and destroy healthy cells. The less adipose tissue (fat) in the mid-section, the better.
Regular physical activity and appropriate nutrition will result in reducing fat storage to a healthier level. The body will choose where weight loss comes from, more from some areas than others based on gender and genetics.
Next: More myths!
July 21st, 2008
With summer’s heat upon us, it’s even more important to stay hydrated, especially when you’re active. You can meet your daily fluid needs by drinking water and other beverages, and you also get water from foods such as fruits and vegetables. How much fluid do you need? Aim for 8-10 cups a day; more if you are perspiring. Although all beverages supply fluid, you’ll want to think before you drink– here’s why:
Water is your best choice for keeping your body hydrated. It’s easily absorbed in the body and can help keep control your appetite. Of course, it’s also calorie-free. If you’re very active, sports drinks can help your body absorb more water.
100% fruit juices supply water in addition to vitamins A and C (and other nutrients depending on the juice). Fruit juices may be thirst-quenching, but calories can add up. A 16-ounce bottle of apple juice, for example, comes with about 220 calories. 100% fruit juice counts as a fruit group choice, but only 1 serving (1 cup) of fruit per day should come from juice. Juice drinks, juice cocktails, or juice beverages contain only a small amount of fruit juice along with added flavors and sugars.
Milk delivers calcium and other important nutrients in addition to water. The fat and calorie content may vary with different types of milk, but the contributions of nutrients and water are about the same. Aim for 3-4 cups each day from the milk group (includes yogurt and cheese).
Soft drinks may offer fluid (about 90% water), but they also supply loads of calories, perhaps caffeine, and no nutrients. There are many more nutritious ways to “spend” the 400 calories that come with a large, regular soft drink (32 ounces). Remember that you’re drinking about 12 teaspoons of sugar in every 12 ounces of a regular soft drink. Diet soft drinks are an option (99% water), but again these drinks supply no nutrients, and may deliver more caffeine than you need.
Coffee and tea supply fluids along with caffeine and some antioxidants. Caffeine increases the amount of water you lose through urination. This effect is fairly small, but depends on how much caffeine you drink. Drinking coffee or tea won’t cause you to be dehydrated, just don’t rely on these beverages as your primary fluids. Limit caffeine to about 200-300 milligrams per day, or about 2 to 3 cups of coffee. Tea contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Don’t forget that gourmet coffee and tea drinks also deliver plenty of calories.
Alcoholic beverages don’t count toward your fluid intake because alcohol’s diuretic effect makes your body lose water. For many reasons, moderation is advised for drinking alcoholic beverages. This means up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Although some research suggests that drinking a small amount of alcohol may lower risk for heart disease, it isn’t a reason to start drinking or to drink more frequently.
Energy drinks are not your best choice because most come loaded with calories, sugar, caffeine, and sometimes, questionable ingredients. Stay tuned for more discussion on the pitfalls of today’s popular energy drinks.
July 21st, 2008
Wrong!
We’ve all heard this common phrase, most likely more than a handful of times. Is there truth in this statement? Or is it just an archaic phrase used to get people to suck it up and work harder?
Well, the word pain makes me cringe. The idea of doing something that is supposed to be good for you, and experiencing PAIN just sounds awful. Does it really make you want to participate? Probably not. Exercise should not be painful, it should be slightly uncomfortable. When performing any type of strength training you should never experience joint pain. If you are feeling pain in your joints, you are either performing the exercise incorrectly, using too much weight, pushing yourself beyond your body’s physical limits for your personal fitness level, or might have a joint problem that needs to be discussed with your physician.
The word uncomfortable better describes how your muscles might feel during strength training. And note, I used the word muscles. Your muscles (not the joints) should feel like they are working hard, but you should only be uncomfortable. Most likely you will feel muscle fatigue and maybe even a “burning” sensation, but pain is not a good thing.
If you don’t feel discomfort during exercise does it mean you’re not working hard enough? Absolutely not, but it depends on your fitness level. Are your activity level and resistance weight progressing/increasing OR have you become stagnant in your routine? If the latter is true, then you may not be working hard enough and your muscles may be used to your current intensity. If this is the case, increase your weight slightly and challenge your body, but remember….NO PAIN.
July 14th, 2008
Ask 10 people what healthy eating means and you’ll likely hear 10 different answers. For some, it may mean avoiding too much fat or sugar and for others it may mean eating mostly plant foods. Regardless, healthy eating is an ongoing goal for most of us. We all have days when we go overboard with eating or when we fall short on food groups, such as vegetables (other than fries!). Fortunately, healthy eating is not an all or nothing proposition.
As a registered dietitian, I try to model healthy eating, but even I have days when I go astray. My eating philosophy is about balance and moderation. While some people eat to live, I am a person who lives to eat. I love trying new recipes and creating and enjoying great tasting, healthy food. But I also love finishing a great meal with something sweet, a habit that comes from growing up in a family that rarely skipped dessert. That’s where balancing the foods I eat and keeping watch on portions comes into play. Here are my personal strategies for healthy eating:
- Try your best to eat a variety of foods each day, especially those packed with essential nutrients, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, cooked dry beans, nuts, and seeds. If you don’t meet your goals today, there’s always tomorrow. It’s okay to balance what you eat over several days.
- Remember that all foods can be a part of a healthy eating style. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, simply limit how often you eat them, eat smaller servings, or look for healthy substitutes.
- Balance what you eat with what you do. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain weight, being physically active is an essential part of the equation. You’ll also reap other benefits that can make a huge difference in your overall health and well-being.
My goal in writing this blog is to offer practical ways to eat healthier. I will share tips and recipes as well as interpret the latest food and nutrition news so you can understand how and if it applies to you. Your comments and suggestions for topics are always welcome.
July 10th, 2008
Noticeable sweating is more a response to your environment than to the intensity of your activity. Appropriate intensity is better measured by heart rate response and perceived exertion. If it is warm and humid, you may see sweat on your skin with no activity. On the other hand, if conditions are cool, breezy, and dry, you may see no sweat even if you are running or exercising very intensely.
Regardless of visual evidence, your body does lose water by sweating as part of it’s cooling process (thermoregulation). It is important to drink that back, especially during and after extended exercise or chores like lawn mowing, snow shoveling, etc. This will help prevent cramps and allow your muscles to contract efficiently, as well as ward off heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or other related problems. If you weigh yourself before and after activity, every 1/2 pound weight loss should be replaced with 1 cup of water. Another tip - if your urine color is clear or light (like lemonade) you are probably well-hydrated. If it is dark (like apple juice), you may be significantly dehydrated. Note: Some nutrients like Vitamin C may also darken urine as the body excretes excess.
Usually, water is the best rehydrator. Sports drinks are recommended for use with excessive water and electrolyte loss which may occur with over an hour of exercise in warm conditions. Unnecessary amounts of sports drinks may contribute to high sodium levels and excess calories.
Next: More myths.
July 7th, 2008
It’s great to be excited about jumping into new adventures, however being too overzealous, especially involving exercise, can lead to injury, bad habits and non-compliance by you (the one who matters most).
If you are starting a new fitness routine OR if you are just getting back into the swing of things, after a looooong hiatus, my advice is to take it easy. I’ve worked in clinics and gyms and have seen people come and go more than I can count on my fingers and toes, my hubby’s fingers and toes, your fingers and toes….you get the idea. What I mean is that I see a lot of people start a new routine and one week later I never see them step foot in the gym again.
In order to be successful in your fitness journey you need to know a few very important things.
- Set yourself up for success, not failure & be prepared for stumbling blocks…there are obstacles and challenges that you will have to face in order to stay on track.
- Slow and steady wins the race. It’s not really a race, it just feels like one, and the only real competition that you have is yourself.
- Ease yourself into your workout. Don’t expect to exercise 5 days a week for an hour and a half, especially if yesterday (and the several days prior) you were spending that same time on the couch. Work your way up to a steady routine. It takes time!
- Make your workout a habit! It usually takes about 3 weeks for a routine activity to become a habit. Keep plugging away and soon it will be just a normal part of your daily life.
- Don’t over-do it (this goes hand in hand with #3). I’ve seen many a person on a mission to see results, and fast. It doesn’t happen this way…if it did, everyone would be in the best shape of their lives and I would be out of a job.
- Most of all have fun. Find something you enjoy. Not all exercise is that enjoyable, but you can certainly find something that you can at least tolerate. You need to like what you are doing or you just won’t do it.
July 6th, 2008
Before we can truly begin to understand mobility we should take a moment to consider the joints of the human body and the individual uniqueness they supply to the task of movement. This can be done quite simply by considering a joint’s specific capacity for movement and its overall arrangement within the skeletal system.
A joint’s capacity for movement is dependent upon numerous factors, but none are more defining than structural design. This fact helps qualify joints within one of seven classifications- fixed, gliding, saddle, condyloid, pivot, hinge, and ball-and-socket. Are you confused yet? Good. Let’s simplify the matter.
Rather than look at each joint’s individual structure let’s just consider the amount of movement that they supply. Hence, we can simplistically categorize them as either predominantly “mobile” or predominantly “stable” since some joints supply a wide variety of movement in a multitude of directions while others supply more limited movement.
By using this simplistic categorization we can begin to see a very basic ordering within the human body. If we start at the toes and work our way up the joints of the human body begin to “stack up” quite interestingly. The toes are stable at the ends, but mobile near the foot. The foot is stable while the ankle is mobile. The knee is stable, but the hip is mobile. Then we come to the spine which must be considered section by section. The lower end of the spine, specifically the lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal sections are stable, while the thoracic spine is considered mobile. Next, is the shoulder girdle, made up of the clavicles and shoulder blades, which is stable, followed by the shoulders themselves, which are definitely mobile. Continuing down the arm we come to the elbow, which is much like the knee and therefore considered stable. Following the elbow is the mobile wrist, the stable hand, and the mobile to stable fingers, which are much like the toes. If we continue back at the stable shoulder girdle we see the mobile cervical spine (or neck) followed by the stable skull and the mobile jaw. Yes, the bones of the skull are actually joints. They are considered fixed joints, but joints nonetheless.
Basically, the joints of the human body stack up like this: stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile, stable, mobile. Whew! That’s a lot of joints, but isn’t that amazingly simple?
It is no coincidence that your body is arranged in such an amazingly simple way. The design of predominantly mobile joints stacked in between predominantly stable joints is what gives your body the ability to be both fully mobile and free yet fully stable and safe. Let me explain. Consider for a moment the old adage of shooting a cannon from a canoe. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how that would end up. If you want to shoot a cannon from a boat in the water you better have a very big boat and a large base of support. Ultimately, the body’s movement works in the same manner. It is dependent upon both joint mobility and joint stability. They balance each other in order to facilitate movement.
For example, the knee is a predominantly stable hinge joint although it does have the ability to move three dimensionally. Nevertheless, the overall stability of the knee is dependent upon the available mobility of the ankle below and the hip above it in order to remain injury free within its normal, functional range of motion. The knee is forced to repetitively do things and move in directions it isn’t designed for when the more mobile ankle and hip are not performing as they should. Therefore, full range mobility of the ankle and hip are paramount to the success and health of the knee.
In fact, many of the joint aches and pains that people feel are caused from improper joint use at “stable” joints (the knees, lower back, and elbows) because of poor mobility at more “mobile” joint structures (the ankles, hips, thoracic spines, and shoulders) and vice versa. All of the joints of the human body are designed to work with the other surrounding joints both above and below. If one joint is not doing its job as intended it forces other joints to take up the slack. And this can happen whether they are designed for the task or not.
We would do well to observe and promote the balance and synergy between our “mobile” and “stable” joints.
Next: Mobility (Part 3): Movement Prep
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