The USDA has recently replaced the food pyramid with the new MyPlate guidelines for healthy eating. This is a simple way to control calories and portion sizes, and eat the right amounts of nutrients. Divide your plate into fourths — ¼ fruits, ¼ vegetables, ¼ grains, and ¼ protein. Try these tips to “Get Your Plate in Shape”:
For more information and a personal calorie tracker, go to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.
According to Dr. Dean Ornish, expert on heart health, "99% of heart disease is preventable by changing your diet and lifestyle." Cutting out saturated and trans fats, increasing good fats (olive oil, avocados, and omega-3's), reducing sodium intake, stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly, are the keys to preventing heart disease. Certain foods in particular, called "superfoods", can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease (D. Mozaffarian MD, 2012). Add these 7 superfoods into your diet:
The most commonly stated and broken New Year’s resolutions are the goals of loosing weight and getting fit. We all know how easy it is to talk about doing something, but how hard it is to actually carry through on our intentions. We rationalize our excuses by saying we’re too tired, too busy, it’s too boring, takes too much effort, yada, yada, yada!
Ironically, psychological studies show that the stronger a person’s resolution, the less likely they are to act on it. So how do we go from that initial enthusiasm to actual accomplishment? Try taking the approach of “proactive pessimism” instead of unrealistic optimism (IDEA Health & Fitness Journal, Jan. 2012).
Here are some suggestions:
Holidays are a time to enjoy and indulge, but try to stay mindful of the quantity and types of calories you are consuming. Have a strategy in place to enjoy holiday eating without sabotaging all the hard work you do the rest of the year. Controlling portion sizes and being selective in your choices can help steer you safely through the season. Here are some other helpful tips:
Recent studies show that sitting for long periods of time can lead to larger waistlines, greater body mass index, higher blood pressure, higher triglycerides, increased body inflammation, lower levels of good cholesterol, and greater risk of pulmonary embolism. Even for people who exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day, moving around and standing up throughout the day is important for lowering the risk to heart health. The longer the amount of time spent sitting, the greater the risk for heart disease. Even fidgeting helps!
To reduce these risks take the following steps:
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has recently released its updated position paper based on over 400 evidence - based reviews and studies on the guidelines and proven benefits of exercise. The current recommendations are at least 5 days a week of cardio exercise, from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on intensity; 2-3 days a week of strength training; at least 2-3 days a week of flexibility exercises for major muscle groups; and 2-3 days a week of neuromotor exercise to improve balance, agility, and coordination. The fact-based benefits of following these recommendations include:
In addition to this impressive list of benefits ACSM also states, "engaging in regular exercise and reducing sedentary behavior is vital for the health of adults" (IDEA Fitness Journal, October 2011). No excuses - if you want to be healthy, you need to exercise!
It is a proven fact that calories burned, minus fewer calories taken in really does work for weight loss. When controlling intake it may be tempting to use your calories for Twinkies instead of veggies, but that is not a good idea!
A recent study published in Food & Nutrition Research showed that there can be a big difference in how different types of calories are burned. The results of this study concluded that whole foods (WF) had a greater thermodynamic effect than processed foods (PF), thereby creating a greater net-energy loss. Study subjects were given meals that were comparable in terms of calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate, but were different in whole foods versus processed. The results showed that the average postmeal energy expenditure was nearly 50% lower after the PF meal than after the WF meal of the same caloric level. This difference may help explain the rising obesity trends based on the typical eating habits of fast and processed foods (IDEA Fitness Journal, June 2011).
Based on this study, if you are trying to loose weight, or keep from gaining weight, it is important to not only control your calories, but to try to consume your calories from healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, and restrict your consumption of processed foods. No more Twinkies!
Regardless of whether your metabolism is fast or slow, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, you must burn more calories in daily living than you take in from the foods you eat. Here is some of the latest information about understanding and mastering your metabolism:
The bottom line is, if you want to loose weight and keep it off, you have to create an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure (IDEA Fitness Journal, 2011). If you would like a copy of the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation to get an estimate of your RMR, let me know.
Exercising in the heat can affect your performance, endurance, and health. Heat and humidity (like we typically have here in the summer) are particularly risky. Higher humidity affects the body’s ability to dissipate heat. As a result, sweat doesn’t evaporate as rapidly and your body is unable to cool itself as efficiently as in drier weather. That can result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Here are some tips for keeping safe in the heat:
We all know how much better we feel after taking a yoga class, and now many new research studies are emerging that confirm the benefits of a yoga practice. One study showed that people who did yoga for 12 weeks had greater mood boosts and less anxiety that those who spent the same amount of time walking. Yoga seems to increase the level of the chemical GABA, the lack of which is associated with depression and anxiety (Health, Jan. 2011). Another study showed that after 8 weeks, people experienced significant improvement in flexibility, balance and muscular endurance compared with those not exercising. Other studies found improvements in back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and osteoarthritis in those participating in the trials (IDEA, June 2010). Take home message- the benefits of practicing yoga can have a positive effect on the activities of every aspect of daily living. Get your OM on!
Cholesterol is the waxy fat-like substance found in all animal products, and also made by the liver. It is a necessary substance in the body, but too much of it can contribute to plaque build-up in the arteries, increasing the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Cholesterol levels include HDL (healthy), LDL (lousy), and total cholesterol. Recent studies show that low levels of HDL are the largest risk factor for CHD in women. Estrogen usually raises HDL, so after menopause women experience a decrease in the helpful effects of HDL. There are four highly effective, nonpharmacological strategies shown to effectively raise HDL levels (IDEA, 2011):
Walking is a great way to get your daily 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, but it can also reduce your likelihood of developing dementia or cognitive impairment. A recent study has shown that walking about 6 to 9 miles per week is associated with increased gray matter in the brain, including the frontal and temporal brain regions. More gray matter volume was shown in those areas for individuals who walked at least 6 miles per week. Memory decline and brain decay, which was once thought to be an inevitable component of aging, can be improved. “There is plenty of evidence now that shows we can retain our brain tissue and our memories into late adulthood by maintaining an active and engaged lifestyle” (IDEA Fitness Journal, March 2011). Let’s get out there and start walking!
You have probably heard about the “blue zones” around the world where people live longer than average. Researchers have tried to identify what characteristics these areas have in common, and find that a sense of purpose and community, light eating, and daily movement are typical. Based on these findings, here are 9 tips that may help you live a longer, healthier life (IDEA, 2011):
In order to make changes, we need to set goals. Whether it is to exercise more, eat less or eat better, control stress, or whatever it is we want to work on, goal setting should be something we can measure and track in order to keep focused on our progress and reward our successes. The SMART model can help identify barriers, beliefs, and desires, and help in establishing goals:
S = Specific - Be clear about what you want. Visualize the results in your mind, and imagine yourself accomplishing it.
M = Meaningful and Measurable - Try to understand why you want this. The motivation should be strong enough to make the changes worth the effort needed to reach the goal. Keep track of progress.
A = Attainable and Action- oriented - Decide how will you accomplish the goal. Develop strategies to create a new habit so that it becomes part of your lifestyle. Use rewards to reinforce the new behaviors.
R = Realistic - The goal needs to be realistic enough to be achievable. There should not be too large of a gap between where you are at the moment, and what you want to achieve. Small steps can create a bridge to get to the new action.
T = Timely - Put an end point or a deadline to the goal to give yourself a clear target and create more urgency to take action. When you accomplish your goal, take the time to celebrate your success. You earned it!
Shopping, decorating, eating, partying, and family gatherings can leave us feeling stressed out, irritable, and less apt to make healthy choices. Typical weight gain over the holidays is only about a pound, but those pounds add up over time. You can easily consume in one minute the amount of calories it would take two hours of exercise to burn off! Lack of self control when faced with lots of food choices, coupled with not enough physical activity, can quickly snowball into unhealthy habits. Try these tips for a healthier holiday season.
We know that exercise helps keep our bodies healthy, but research shows that physical activity also helps keep our brains healthy. Mental fitness, heart health, and general fitness have an integral relationship. The Institute for Research on Aging recommends the following tips on how to maximize health and fitness for your brain (IDEA, 2010):
Do you know what your blood pressure reading is? 120/80 is considered normal- anything over that number is considered hypertension. Since you can’t feel it, or usually notice any symptoms, it is a condition that is often ignored. About 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure, but only about half are being treated for it (ADA, 2010). It is a major risk factor for heart attack, strokes, impaired vision, and kidney disease, so managing it is a critical factor for your health. There are many lifestyle and dietary changes that can be made to help reduce blood pressure, in addition to, or instead of, medication. Non-drug approaches include:
Food portions in restaurants are much larger than they have been in past. Most servings are enough food for two people, yet many people eat the entire serving themselves. Larger portions lead to larger bodies. Take this fun quiz from the National Institutes of Health (2009) and see if you know how today’s portions compare to the portions available 20 years ago. The answers may surprise you!
Answers:
1-c (350),
2-a (590), 3-b (250), 4-b (610), 5-c (1025), 6-b (350), 7-c (500), 8-a (850),
9-c (790), 10- b (630)
The bottom line with all these issues is that we can lower our risks with our lifestyle choices. Thousands of studies have proven that physical activity, sound nutrition, and weight management provides the greatest health benefits. Wellness is largely determined by good choices in healthy behaviors.
First of all - what exactly is it? HFCS is a sweetener derived from corn syrup. Unlike sugar and honey, that come from natural sources, HFCS is created from a chemical process that converts some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose. If you read food labels, you know it can be found in many processed foods and beverages, even those in which you don't expect to see sugars. It provides the same number of calories as sugar and honey (4 per gram) and actually has the same amount of fructose as table sugar. In spite of concerns that HFCS is metabolized differently than other sweeteners and can lead to greater fat storage, studies have shown that they all have the same effects on the body (IDEA, 2010).
The bottom line is that all added sugars of any kind should be limited. The USDA recommends that no more than 8 teaspoons per day of sugars should be consumed (2005). Instead of juice, sweetened drinks or food, eat whole fruits; drink water or skim milk instead of soda; skip sports drinks unless training; avoid sweetened cocktails; and read food product labels to watch out for all added sugars including HFCS, fructose, sucrose, or fruit juice concentrates.
Water is the most vital ingredient your body needs to function properly; muscles, blood, and brain are each more than 70% percent water. Most people do not consume enough water. Here are some tips from IDEA Health & Fitness to get you drinking more:
New research has shown that lower salt intake, which helps lower blood pressure, also may benefit bone health. Low-sodium foods may help reduce calcium loss because of the decrease in urinary calcium excretion (IDEA, 2010). Studies were done on people who followed the DASH diet, which is a diet plan that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low or non-fat dairy. The salt reduction appeared to have long-term benefits, not only by lowering hypertension, but by improving bone health.
The USDA recommendation for sodium intake is no more than 2400 milligrams per day, and may be even lower for people with high blood pressure. The DASH diet has been shown to lower blood pressure in as little as 14 days. For more information on the DASH diet eating plan go to http://dashdiet.org.
With two out of three people now overweight, getting weight off, and keeping it off, has become an ongoing struggle for many people. Loosing large amounts of weight can seem overwhelming, but remember that even a 5%-10% weight loss can have many health benefits including improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduced rates of developing type 2 diabetes. A health-centered, rather than a weight-centered approach has been shown to have more beneficial effects on the behavioral changes related to weight maintenance.
There are certain common behaviors that have been proven to help people keep off their weight. These include monitoring weight by weighing regularly, keeping a record of food intake, eating four or five small meals or snacks throughout the day, eating breakfast, controlling portions, eating nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole-grain carbohydrates, and lean protein, limiting the calories in beverages, and increasing fiber intake (McCary, 2010).
Weight control strategies should also focus on increasing calorie expenditure along with reducing calorie intake. The current recommendations of at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity may seem difficult, but it can be done in increments throughout the day in order to meet this goal. Your health is your most important asset, so make the commitment to take care of yourself. Don't get discouraged when you have setbacks. Making changes are difficult and stressful. Believe in yourself and visualize your success. “One day at a time, one hour at a time, or one minute at a time is all that's necessary to begin the longest of journeys” - Mike Dooley.
A new study shows that exercise increases brain cognition in both children and adults (Kravitz, 2010). We are all aware of how much exercise helps prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and osteoporosis, but it also improves the cognitive functions of thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, and learning. Researchers believe that physical activity including cardio, resistance, and flexibility training impart a neuroprotective effect on the brain, and may encourage a broad range of neural and chemical adaptations. These adaptations lead to new nerve cell generation, increased neurotransmitters, and new blood vessels, which improve brain circulation. This effect not only improves brain function and health, but increases a person's capacity to think critically and make decisions. Doesn't that make you want to work out more?
Heart attacks are the Number 1 Killer of women. Even making small, incremental, sustained changes can have a long-term impact on health. Risk can be lowered by adding just one percent of time each week to exercise, or loosing just 10% of your body weight.
The American Heart Association lists the following warning signs of a heart attack, which everyone should be familiar with:
The AHA also lists 7 Simple Steps to improve heart health:
These foods have the most health benefits, from fat fighting to energy building to disease prevention:
Recent studies from Appalachian State University found that people who exercise on most days of the week were 50% less likely to get sick than those who don't. Moderate intensity exercise increases immunity, helps protect against viruses, decreases suffering of symptoms when you do get sick, and helps increase recovery time. Exercise helps counter inflammation, which is an underlying cause of many chronic diseases, and increases the natural cells that improve immune response. It's safe to work out with colds or sore throats, but rest is needed if you have a fever or flu. So keep exercising to stay healthy!
Control Portion Sizes — Today's portions are much larger than in the past- don't super size! Read nutrition labels, measure servings, eat only one serving, use smaller plates.
Stay Aware — Eat when you're hungry, not when you're bored or stressed. Keep a food log, be accountable to yourself, and keep tabs on your weight by weighing at least weekly.
Turn Off the TV — Spend less time being sedentary in front of the TV, more time being active. TV watching often includes mindless eating taking in extra calories, but not expending them.
Exercise Regularly — Studies show that most people who succeed at weight loss do so by increasing their daily activity. Those who didn't exercise gained back the weight they lost. Exercise should include cardio and strength training for best results.
The two components of bone health are exercise and nutrition.
Weight-bearing and strength-training exercises are best for building bones. The contraction of the muscles as they pull on the bones against gravity increases the stress to the bones, which makes them stronger. Examples include walking, running, dancing, sports that include running, jumping, and resistance exercise with a heavy weight.
Calcium and vitamin D are the essential nutrients needed for strong bones. The current recommendation is 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D per day for women 19-50 years of age and 1,200 mg of calcium and 600-800 IU of vitamin D for women over 50 (National Institute of Medicine). If these levels are not met by your diet alone, then consider supplements to provide the recommended daily levels.
We all like to eat, so it is important to make healthy food choices every day. Dr. Oz, well-known author and television star has the following recommendations for his best picks:
For Email
Marketing you can trust
