joann's health&fitness blog

Dietary Fat Study

2006-02-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

You probably read about the study in which groups of post-menopausal women were divided into low-fat diet and comparison groups. Results showed non-significant differences in development of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and heart disease. The press seemed to present this as overturning all previous research that indicated low-fat diets high in fruits and vegetables and grains prevent disease. Don't reach for the butter just yet. The researchers were more skeptical of their results than the press. First, any study that depends on self-reporting is going to be inexact. Also, most of the participants did not meet the goal of 20% of calories from fat. Other problems: the study may not have been long enough, types of fat were not differentiated, dietary changes may not have been sufficient for this group. The latest study does not often supercede all previous studies on a topic, although that seems to make good headlines. Eat your veggies, cut back on fat and sugar, and get some exercise.
Joann
http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

About Diabetes Centers

2006-01-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

I read in the New York Times online that there had been 4 diabetes treatment centers in that city for 7 years, but 3 recently closed. Diabetes, as we all know, is increasing. As we all should know, it is a very nasty disease, and can lead to blindness or amputation if not controlled. The purpose of these centers was to teach and encourage people with type 2 diabetes to take care of their disease by monitoring blood sugar, eating properly, and getting appropriate exercise. So did they close because they were unsuccessful? No, they closed because they were not profitable. Insurance, even for those of us who can afford it, tends not to pay for preventive measures. So, according to the article, insurance would not pay $150 for a podiatrist to teach a diabetic to care for their feet, but would pay $30,000 to cover an amputation of a foot. It would not pay $75 for a nutritionist to create a dietary plan, but would pay $315 for a dialysis session. In 40 minutes, a nutritionist might give $20 worth of advice, but in the same time period, a surgeon could perform bariatric (stomach stapling) surgery for $50,000. Guess which insurance pays for? The take-home message is that we have to pay attention to our own health. Practice good health habits to avoid disease, and if you have a medical problem, do what the doctor says, but be aware that you have to take responsibility for not only following directions, but learning about what you can do to help yourself. Eat right and work out.

New Year's Resolutions

2005-12-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Looking for some ideas for New Year's resolutions? Try these (one or more).
1. Stop smoking. (Don't argue. Just do it.)
2. Exercise more.
3. Eat more vegetables.
4. Eat less junk food.
5. Get enough sleep.
6. Practice stress reduction.
7. Learn something new. It's good for your brain.
8. Don't forget safety precautions--helmets, seat belts, designated drivers.
9. Climb stairs. Don't take elevators unless you're going above the 3d floor. Walk for errands up to 1/2 mile.
10. Watch less TV.
Have a happy, healthy New Year.
Joann (www.healthandfitness.com/joann)

Thanksgiving Dinner

2005-12-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Anybody who is on the Atkins or other low/no carb diet may want to skip this blog. I'm going to tell you what I had for Thanksgiving dinner, and it may upset you to think about it. First, I admit to going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. I am a vegetarian. First I got baked beans, rice, mashed potatoes (no gravy), green bean casserole, and a little macaroni and cheese. Then I went back for more baked beans, corn, carrots, a dinner roll (no butter), and a few french fries. I finished off with a couple of cookies and washed the whole thing down with 6 or 8 ounces of Sprite. Lots of carbs, lots of starch. My companions had the turkey and/or ham, but kept themselves under control. There were, though, lots of people there who did overdo, and many of them were probably regulars at the place. There were a lot of overweight people in one place, and they didn't get that way from eating corn and carrots. The bottom line is that if you are overweight, you probably eat too much, that is too many calories. You probably move too little, too, but most people do slow down as they gain weight, so it's hard to tell which comes first.
A couple of people have done books or movies showing how they ate at McDonald's for a month and lost weight. This is to refute Morgan Spurlock's film "Supersize Me." As I have said before, you can control calories even at McDonald's, and that's what these people did. You don't have to eat 5000 calories a day like Morgan did and ruin your health in a month. This doesn't make McDonald's fare health food, and if you eat too much fatty junk food, you just take longer to damage your health.

It's not too late to order my book How to Get Fit & Healthy through Weight Training for a Christmas gift. It comes in paperback as well as ebook. Give somebody a low-cost gift they will use all year. Shop at: http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

Holiday Weight Gain--Again

2005-11-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Seeing as it's almost time for the holidays (or in the midst of it, if you count Halloween), it must be time to talk about holiday weight gain. A few years ago, there was some study or other (or maybe just someone's opinion) that said the average person gains about 6 pounds over the holidays and doesn't lose it. More recently, that was shown to be false. Doesn't really make much sense--the average person would gain 60 lb in 10 years. True, the population is getting heavier--but not that much heavier.

Does this mean there is no danger of weight gain over the holidays? Well, no. If you eat a little more, and exercise a little less, there will probably be no weight gain to speak of over the short term. If you eat a lot more and don't exercise at all, you probably will gain weight, which will be hard to take off in January. The solution? Moderation. Don't eat every cookie that comes your way. Choose one dessert at Thanksgiving, not all three. Stop eating when you're full. And work out more, not less. A good workout the day before you expect to eat a big meal will help you keep your metabolism up to burn off those extra calories. Lots of communities have a "turkey trot" event Thanksgiving morning, which is usually a walk/run. These are fun and make you feel virtuous, and may even make you more inclined to be moderate in your eating.

Get ready to get in shape with one or both of my books. Good for gifts too. Go to http://www.healthandiftness.com/joann

Nuts for You

2005-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

You may have read about one of a number of studies that show eating nuts is healthful. We tend to remember these because nuts taste good and we're always on the lookout for a healthy snack. Trouble is, they're full of fat and calories. The upside is they are also strong on protein, fiber, and a number of micronutrients that may not be plentiful in other foods we are eating. An ounce of nuts has 160-200 calories. The number of nuts in an ounce varies: about 22 for almonds, 18 for cashews, 14 halves for walnuts, 32 for peanuts. (Peanuts are technically legumes, like beans and peas, but we include them here as they are part of most mixed nuts. The others are true nuts, often called tree nuts.) Nuts are worth devoting 200 calories to, as long as you eat them instead of the doughnut, not in addition to.
Here's a tip that can keep you from going overboard with this healthy snack. Take a small tin that mints like Altoids come in, and fill it loosely with nuts. This is about an ounce--22 almonds or nuts of similar size. Carry this around with you for your snack. This tip is from the University of California Wellness Letter, an 8-page monthly publication with lots of up-to-date health information. Their web site is www.wellnessletter.com. I recommend this because I think it's good. I don't get anything from it.
I do make a bit from the sale of my books on walking and weight training. Yes, good nutrition and exercise are both important. Take a look at http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann.

Where Are Those Antioxidants?

2005-09-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

There was a story recently from the AP saying, per a recent conference, that Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other source. Shortly after reading that, I got a newsletter from an internet doctor, who seems to see himself as a contrarian, saying that this means coffee is healthier than vegetables. That is not what this means.

All this means is that we drink a lot of coffee. The study, from what was in the AP story, is pretty vague on that, but it's clear that we get more antioxidants from coffee because we consume more of that than other more overall nutritious foods, like fruits and veggies. You don't have to avoid coffee, but it leaves out a lot of other nutrients you can get in other foods.

Here are the top antioxidant sources, according to what we actually eat, in order: coffee, black tea, bananas, dried beans, corn, red wine, beer, apples, tomatoes, potatoes. You know which ones you should go easy on.

Keep up with health news and http://www.healthandfitness.com

Protein, Carbs, and More

2005-08-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

The more in the title is fats, vitamins, minerals, water, and other stuff. In case you don't believe me when I say real food is not isolated "carb" or "protein", or if you're just curious about what nutrients you're getting from your repast, the government has something for you. Take a look at the Nutrient Data Laboratory, www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp. If you're research-, or food-oriented, you may want to bookmark this one. It's really interesting.

Keep up with the latest in fitness news at www.healthandfitness.com.

Where Did the Carbs Go?

2005-08-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

The bankruptcy of Atkins Nutritionals underscores the waning of the latest no-carb craze. Last year I had many people ask me for a list of all foods without carbs. A comprehensive list is not practical, but it's pretty easy to sum up. Animal foods--meat, including chicken and fish, as well as beef, pork, lamb, etc.--do not have carbs. The exception is dairy foods, which have the milk sugar, lactose. Butter and oils do not have carbs. Other than certain manufactured foods, that's pretty much it. What do they have? Meat has protein and fat, and oils are all fat. There are 3 macronutrients (if you don't count water): protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Vegetables and fruit are mostly carbohydrate, with smaller amounts of protein and usually a little fat. Grain products are mostly carb, with more protein and sometimes a little fat. The no-carb people often give salads a free pass, although they are mostly carb. Grains are usually forbidden, although they are nutritious and it's hard to get enough fiber without them.

Now if you want to say whole grains are good for you, and you should minimize refined grains, I would agree. If you want to say you should avoid refined sugars and highly sweetened products, I would agree with that too. But if you just say one should avoid "carbs," I can't agree. You would be avoiding fruits, vegetables, and whole grains--all important sources of nutrition. (Note you would be avoiding dairy products as well.) You would also be avoiding your body's preferred energy source, which is carbohydrate. You would probably also be eating too much fat. (You can't survive on protein alone, and that's all there is besides carbs and fat.)

The End of Atkins?

2005-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I usually feel bad when I see that a business has filed for bankruptcy, but I will make an exception for Atkins Nutritionals. I am, as you guess, not a low or no-carb person. The original Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution was published in the 70s. A paperback version was out in 1981. (Somebody was selling one on Amazon the other day for a penny.) Well, this had people eating bacon, butter, and other forms of fat for a few years, and establishment doctors talking about how unhealthy it was, until it ran out of steam and went away. In 1991, Atkins was able to revive his cash cow by publishing Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. This time they tried to deflect some of the health questions by allowing some lettuce. This one really caught on, as we know. So what happened to it?

One reason is its own success. Atkins spawned so many other low carb products that the competition probably hurt them. Another reason is the question of whether or not it is a healthful diet. The biggest reason, though, is that, once again, the low-carb craze has run its course. At the beginning of last year, about 10% of Americans were on such a diet but by the end of the year that had dropped to 3.5%. People get tired of restrictive diets.

So does it work for weight loss? Yes, in the short run. In the long run, no more than any other diet, and that's not much. Is it healthful? I say no, but others disagree with me. I think there are too many important nutrients in carbs. And remember, natural foods usually are not purely carb or anything else. More about that next time.

Slot Machines and Exercise

2005-07-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

First, a disclaimer. This post may seem to be about gambling, but it's really about exercise. I don't encourage anyone to gamble.
The old-time slot machines were mechanical. You pulled a handle and the reels spun. (The handle is the reason they were called one-armed bandits.) The new ones are electronic. If you decide, for instance, to wager $10 worth of nickels, and then cash out, win or lose, here's how it would work. Old way. You take $10 to the cashier and get 200 nickels. You put these in a little paper tub and carry them to a machine. 200 times you take a nickel from the tub and put it in a slot with your left hand, then pull the handle down with your right hand. You're getting some light exercise for your shoulders, left triceps, and right biceps. When you finish, you scoop up coins, put them in your bucket, and take them to the cashier, who gives you paper money and coins easier to carry around. This may be, but probably isn't, more than your $10. Now you go to wash your hands, which are filthy from handling the coins.
New way. You put your $10 bill into the machine, bypassing a trip to the cashier, and are given 200 "credits." Seeing as you are playing a nickel each time, you can probably just push one button each time, exercising only your index finger, and that not much, as well as losing your money much more quickly. You cash out by collecting a paper slip, much easier (and cleaner) to take to the cashier.
The old way uses more energy than the new. I don't know how much, maybe 20 or 30 calories. Now, before you shrug that off as only a couple of peanuts, consider how many activities you do each day that use less energy than they used to because of labor saving devices or other microprocessors. These add up big time, and are one of the main causes of the obesity "epidemic." Make an effort to do things the hard way, or purposely expend extra energy. In the casino, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk in from the parking instead of taking the tram. At home you can walk more and minimize your use of power-assisted appliances. Walk or bike to the store and carry stuff home. And don't hire someone to mow your lawn while you're at the gym.

Vacation Weight Gain

2005-07-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend who is here for a week's vacation. She is determined not to gain weight during vacation, so she was skipping lunch, and had even passed up the granola bar the airline had offered for sustenance during the 3-1/2 hour flight. This has some logic to it--don't eat, don't gain weight. But it's wrong. If you go more than 3 or 4 hours without eating, your metabolism slows down and you burn off fewer calories. Also, you're more likely to be really hungry and pig out when that next meal comes. On vacation and at home, eat either 5-7 small meals a day (divide up your calories) or 3 meals and 2 snacks, whichever works for you. Note that you've probably gone longest without eating in the morning, so don't skip breakfast. Even if you don't need to lose weight right now, pay attention so you don't gain (unless you're skinny and that's your goal). On vacation, limit your sweet treats and stay active and you'll be fine.
book, equipment, and supplement reviews coming at http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

Banish the --ose

2005-06-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Way back before there was an obesity epidemic, there were still people who wanted to lose weight. A common bit of advice, one that is still good, is to read the label of any packaged food and not eat it if sugar was listed higher than 4th. Ingredients are listed in order of how much there is in the product. If peas are listed first, there are more peas than anything else. So 4th place would ensure that you weren't getting a lot of sugar. Now, some companies were a little deceptive because they would list different kinds of sugar separately, so it would seem like there was less that there really was. Any ingredient ending in "ose" is a sugar. Table sugar is sucrose. Lactose is the sugar in dairy. Fructose is the sugar in fruit, though it is good for you while it is still in the fruit but not as a separate sweetener. There are others as well. The general advice to minimize sugar is good, because it gives you calories but not much else in the way of nutrition. The new labels list sugars, carbs, protein, and other things, but you should still read the ingredients list and steer away from anything that has an "ose" higher than 4th, or different "oses" scattered throughout.
take a look at http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

Functional Exercise

2005-06-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Functional exercise is the latest buzzword. Everything has to be functional, and if you judge by most of the personal trainers I see, that means everything has to be done on an exercise ball (one of those big, sturdy inflatable balls you can sit on). The idea is that exercising on one of these things improves your balance and strengthens your core (ab, lower back, and hip area). This makes everything more functional, that is more applicable to everyday activities. Now it seems to me that, for instance, the overhead or military press with barbell or dumbbells is functional, because it is close to the motion you use when placing objects on high shelves or your suitcase on the overhead rack of a plane, train, or other conveyance. Get stronger in that movement and you can get that box up there with more ease and less risk to your back. I fail to see how this becomes more functional when you sit on a ball and raise the dumbbells overhead. Now I like the exercise ball. I use it for ab work, some mobility exercises, and even as a chair for people who tend to slump. But most of our everyday activities are done standing on the ground. If you want functional exercises, stand on the ground and lift weights. (how to do it? it's in my book.)
http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

How Big Are You?

2005-06-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

The government's new interactive food pyramid (www.mypyramid.gov) figures out how many calories you should eat by asking age, sex, and activity level. That is, it estimates calories, it says, and suggests you monitor your weight to see if you should eat more or less. What a novel idea! Anyway, it omits something that is often omitted in figuring calories: how big are you--how tall and how heavy. If you take a couple of 28-year-old athletes, a 110-lb jockey who is 4 ft 10 in. and a 290-lb basketball player who is 7 ft tall, would you expect them to require the same number of calories to maintain a healthy weight? This calculator would. (These things usually presume a 70 kg, or 154 lb individual.)Your basal metabolic rate, the number of calories required to keep your body working, depends on your size. This may be as much as 70% of total calories, with most of the rest devoted to physical activity. You have to get all this right before you figure how many calories to cut to lose weight. Or you can just monitor your weight. Or look in the mirror. Find out more at http://www.healthandfitness.com and http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann, where you can buy my weight training book and learn to raise your metabolism and use up more calories. Work out so you can eat more.

New Pills

2005-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

I see there is a new diet pill on the way. Not available yet, the manufacturer is excited that their study showed subjects lost 2.8 pounds in a month, on average. Now, we usually say lifestyle changes can result in a loss of about a pound a week, safely. Larger weight loss is usually not sustainable. Not too much difference here. Some people would prefer to take a pill. For the rest of us, eat right and work out.
joann
http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

My Pyramid, Your Pyramid

2005-04-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. The new USDA food guide pyramid. It's on an interactive web site that let's you personalize it, as least somewhat. I think it has 12 versions, not 200 million. How they are going to reach those who don't do internet or don't want to take the time to work the site isn't clear yet. Doesn't seem to me we will be seeing the generic version on so many cereal boxes. Always remember that the food industry has one main goal: to sell food. This is not to say they don't want us all to be slim and healthy, but business is business, and a lot more food is produced than the population needs. And the USDA's mission is to support the food industry. So while there is info on what we should eat, don't expect a lot of specifics on what we shouldn't eat. I'll have a lot more to say on the pyramid in later posts. Its url is www.mypyramid.gov. Check it out.
Bon apetite.
joann, http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

It's Not the Cheese

2005-04-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to tell you not to eat cheese. It's not an empty calorie food, like soda pop. Cheese has protein, and a good amount of vitamins and minerals, especially strong in calcium and riboflavin. The problem is it has too much fat, especially saturated fat. Cheddar has 114 calories an ounce (a cube about an inch on a side), of which about 70% is fat, with 6 grams of sat fat. Feta and mozarella are better, with about 80 calories and proportionally less fat. The problem is we eat too much cheese--because it tastes good. If you can't eat a little, maybe you shouldn't eat any. Often people who decide to become vegetarian replace meat with cheese, and end up eating more fat than ever. There are some low fat and soy versions now that taste pretty good and are much lower in fat. (No fat and it isn't cheese, as far as I'm concerned.) If you love cheese, eat 3 ounces less per week of the full fat variety, and you can save yourself gaining 5 lb a year.
joann, http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

Eating Disorders

2005-03-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

There's a lesson to be learned from the Terri Shiavo case that hasn't gotten much notice: Eating disorders can kill. Terri had a heart attack, when she was in her mid-20s, that resulted from a potassium deficiency that was caused by an eating disorder. Before the paramedics started her heart again her brain had been deprived of oxygen long enough to cause enormous damage. This put her in the condition she was in for the last 15 years. Anyone with an eating disorder should seek professional help. This is important, but these warnings get lost in all the talk about obesity epidemics.

Weight Gain Creeps On

2005-03-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Used to be accepted that the average adult gained about a pound a year, and this was normal. This means if you weigh 155 lb at age 25, you will be up to 175 by the time you're 45 and 185 at 55. I haven't heard any updated statistics, but if the rapid increase in overweight and obesity is any indication, most of us are gaining more like 2 lb a year. Do the math. Anyway, if you are not obese and don't want to be, do your best not to gain that pound (or 2). And if you do want to lose some weight, stop gaining first. So that's why I give you tips on how to avoid gaining a pound here and there. Seems insignificant, but it all adds up. Also, as we get older, our metabolism tends to slow down, making weight gain easier. This is due mostly to loss of muscle. Avoid that with some weight training. If you don't know where to start, or have been frustrated in an earlier foray into gym membership, invest in my ebook, How to Get Fit and Healthy through Weight Training (go to http://www.booklocker.com/books/1222.html).

All You Need to Know, Maybe

2005-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a little secret that will lead to weight loss for most people. This is really better than most diets--and a lot easier. So, if you want to lose weight, just eat what you're eating now, but eat 20% less of it. Yes, everything except very low calorie vegetables like lettuce, or most veggies that don't come with butter or sauce. Do cut back the salad dressing, though. This means you order less, cook less, put less on your plate, or, yes, leave something on your plate.

Dilute Your Juice

2005-02-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

I hear that there is now a low calorie orange juice coming on the market. Essentially, they are just diluting it by adding water. If this appeals to you, save some money by diluting regular juice yourself. Let's say you drink a glass of juice almost every day (300 days out of a year), and you replace 25% with water, which still leaves it tasting good and being nutritious. That's 7500 calories over the year. There's another 2 pounds I kept you from gaining or helped you to lose.

How Much Soda?

2005-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Most people who buy soda at fast-food, serve-yourself places do this. If they don't get some enormous size, they get the "small" 20 oz cup, and fill it to the top, waiting for the foam to go down so they can get all the soda they paid for. Some will even take a couple swallows (cheating!) and then fill it up some more. Did you know Coke was originally in 6-oz bottles? That's really enough for you to drink. Classic Coke now is listed at 97 calories (most other sodas are more) for 12 oz. That 20-oz cup is going to cost you 160 (empty) calories, minus whatever the ice displaces. Let's say 130 calories and you drink it twice a week. That's 6760 calories for the year, with which you can gain about 2 lb. Suppose you fill the cup up half-way, if you really want Coke. You're probably still getting more than the original 6 oz. and I just saved you a pound of weight gain this year. Yes, if you are going to control your weight and still eat out, you are going to have to sacrifice some value that comes in the form of more junk food for your money. (True, you're better off not drinking sodas at all. I'm just trying to be realistic. Save a few calories here and there--they add up and you don't get fat.)

See Food Diet

2005-01-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

Too many Americans are on the See Food diet. See food, eat it. The experts, looking for reasons we seem to be so fat, say we eat less if it's out of sight or out of reach. So if you want some nuts, for instance, grab a few and put the package away, don't just fill a dish and leave it sitting out on your desk or the coffee table. But, you say, nuts are good for you. Sure they are. But they're also full of fat and calories. If you usually snack on chips and replace them with the same amount of nuts (calorie-wise) you have more nutrition without increasing your chances of gaining weight. If you just add the nuts to what you are already snacking on, you have more nutrition, but more chance of gaining weight (if the rest of your diet is the same). So pay attention to the calories and don't eat so much if you don't want to gain weight. And keep the snacks out of sight, if you can't keep them out of the house.

Pasta Is Good for You

2005-01-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, in moderation pasta is good. We just tend to eat too much. Try this. Use penne, rigatoni, or other hollow pasta instead of spaghetti. 300 calories of spaghetti is just a handful, but 300 calories of penne takes up most of a plate. It's more satisfying, but not more fattening, and you're more likely to eat less. Save a hundred calories here and there and you won't gain weight. And use a tomato or marinara sauce on that pasta and it will be even better for you.

How are your workouts going? go to http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann for more info and to find out about getting my books, which will help you work out right and keep those pounds off.

mustard and mayo?

2005-01-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

That's what they ask at the sandwich shop. Most of us automatically say yes. Mustard is almost free for calorie counters (as we all should be to some extent) at about 9 calories per tablespoon. A T of mayo, on the other hand, can be as much as 100 cal. for the good stuff. (There are low cal mayos and those are the ones you should use if you just can't give it up.) Mayo on a couple sandwiches a week can add up to an extra couple of pounds at the end of the year. Watch this little stuff and you can keep from gaining weight. Just mustard, thanks.

Obesity Epidemic?

2004-12-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

More about the obesity epidemic. 10% of preschoolers are obese. We've been told that adult obesity has increased 75% since 1990. Don't know that I like the disease model for obesity. It makes it sound like we should be looking for a vaccination to prevent or an antibiotic to cure it. 14 years isn't enough for genetic change so maybe there is a mutated virus that's suddenly making people fat (no, no. i just made that up). There's really no secret. It's eating too much and doing too little exercise and other activity. The % of which differs by individual. If you don't want to catch a cold or the flu, wash your hands a lot and keep your fingers away from your eyes. If you don't want to catch obesity (prevention is easier than cure), don't eat so much and exercise more. Let's make a resolution to avoid catching the obesity bug. Happy New Year all.

Sleep for Weight Loss

2004-12-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

It seems that getting enough sleep helps control your weight. A couple new studies show that sleep deprivation leads to your body making more of the hormones that make you hungry and less of those that make you feel full. We knew about the connection between sleep and weight gain, but thought it was just that people ate more to keep themselves alert when they were sleepy. Comes out the same either way. Get your zzz's if you want to control your weight. Get 'em if you want to build or tone muscle too. The body produces growth hormone when you're asleep, so lack of rest can undermine what you gain from time in the gym.

Take your vitamins, too. Find some good ones cheap at http://www.healthandfitness.com/joann

Steroids? Say it isn't so

2004-12-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

What's the big surprise about athletes taking steroids? The surprise would be if most of them weren't. There is still, however, a matter of talent, skill, and training. Steroids allow a person to train harder and make those muscles grow. They don't make the muscles grow without training and they don't give you skills or new genetics. Not that I approve. Taking steroids is cheating and can be hazardous to your health. Some high school boys who take these substances because they think it will improve their appearance discover that steroids do indeed stunt their growth. Not what they had in mind. Don't be as trusting as Barry Bonds. Don't take anything your trainer or your friend gives you without being sure what's in it.

weight loss drugs

2004-11-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Did you notice the FDA doc who was talking about Vioxx being around for longer than it should have also said there were 5 other drugs on the market that may be too dangerous to be there, and one of those is Merida? Merida is a weight loss drug that besides being dangerous and having unpleasant side effects is also distinguished by not working very well. Remember fen-phen and Redox? Weight loss drugs that were recalled because they caused heart problems. Plus ephedrine, also recalled. It seems that many weight loss drugs are hazardous to your health, but eating right and working out is not, and is more effective in the long run.

no-carb holidays

2004-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Maybe you're thinking about eating no-carb holiday meals. Well, you could have turkey and ham, and maybe a stick of butter. All that good stuff like potatoes, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls, apple pie are mostly carb. Distinguish between good carbs, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and bad carbs--mostly sugar and things made from it. And don't sabotage your good carbs with a lot of high calorie, high fat sauces. Low carb is also low nutrition.

holiday eats

2004-11-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving isn't a good time to start a diet, but you don't have to totally pig out either. Look at things like one dessert instead of 3. If you plan to overeat, make sure you do a hard workout the day before, which may rev up your metabolism enough to help burn that post-meal fat. Many communities have a Thanksgiving a.m. 5k race, usually called a Turkey Trot. Catch one of these if you can. It's good for your body and your morale. Are you doomed to gain 10 lb over the holidays? Search "holiday" at www.healthandfitness.com for good news.

fitness patch

2004-11-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

I got some spam promoting a patch that takes the place of going to the gym. Got tired of waiting for it to download so I don't know what it's supposed to be, but I know it's nonsense. Don't waste your time waiting for such things to download. Join a gym or work out at home. Get fit. Have fun. Do the work and collect the rewards.

supersize

2004-11-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

The movie Supersize Me is out on video and dvd. Film maker Morgan Spurlock experiments on himself in the classical scientific way by eating all his meals at McDonald's for 30 days. In the process he gains 27 pounds and does bad things to his liver. He ends up eating 5000 calories a day, more than twice what he needs, which is a good way to gain weight. Also, no exercise during this time. This is an entertaining film, and also enlightening. If you know a lot about nutrition already, you may find it a little preachy. If you don't, it's very educational. McDonald's around here is closed on Thanksgiving, so no temptation there, but it's not a good place to recover the next day from a big meal on Thursday. And you can go in the door without eating 5000 calories a day. How dangerous is fast food? Is is all about choices? Rent the film and decide for yourself.

starting up

2004-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

This blog is mostly to supplement the stuff I publish on other sites, especially www.healthandfitness.com, keeping up to date as it were. Also, I get to write about whatever's bugging me that day. Should be fun.