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Weight Loss
Here’s an often overlooked workout tip that will help you get the most from your exercise routine. Have a small, nutritious snack about an hour before you head off to the gym, for a run or bike ride. Besides giving your body the fuel it needs to exercise, a healthy snack (as opposed to a high sugar, high fat fix) will ensure that your body is burning fat instead of muscle during your workout. Here are some quick-to-grab snacks that are all good choices:
Banana Apple slices with peanut butter Carrot or celery sticks with low-fat dressing or dip Low-fat milk or chocolate milk Cottage cheese with fruit Almonds — 1 handful Whole grain bread, bagel or muffin Slice of lean turkey or roast beef String cheese and whole grain crackers As you might expect, foods that are high in fat, sugar or fiber are no-no’s before exercising. Since these foods take longer to digest, they tend to cause stomach discomfort during a workout routine. High sugar snacks can also cause your blood sugar to drop quickly leaving you feeling light-headed, dizzy or tired. If eating before you exercise doesn’t appeal to you, have a good-for-you snack from the list after you finish. This will replenish your energy and help to keep you from indulging in a high fat, high sugar reward later on that will undo all your hard work. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) supplements and weight loss CLA (short for conjugated linoleic acid) has a much-debated reputation for turning fat into muscle, and is touted as a safe, simple, effective way to lose weight. Supplements of CLA (found naturally in red meat and dairy products) are a favorite of body builders and weight lifters, and have generated a lot of interest in the diet world as well. Recent research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2006 disputes claims by earlier studies that reported CLA had no effect on weight loss. This latest study, funded by Lipid Nutrition a maker of CLA supplements and led by Lipid’s Sandra Einerhand, PhD found that people who took the supplements every day for a six-month period lost 3.3 extra pounds (and trimmed 5.6% more fat) than those who took a placebo instead. This contradicts findings from a March 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and funded by another CLA supplement maker, Cognis Corporation that found obese adults who took a 3.4 grams/day CLA supplement for one year didn’t lose any more weight (or trim any more fat) than placebo takers. Study follow up found that CLA didn’t keep the weight off either. Earlier research, though very limited in people, had suggested that CLA supplements might aid fat loss in overweight individuals by increasing the amount of energy they used. So far, animal studies have been the only ones to reach this conclusion. If you’re considering CLA supplements to drop those extra pounds, do your homework and talk to your doctor before you begin taking anything. No one really knows if CLA supplementation is safe or without long-term risks to your health. Also, safe doses and the levels that might be toxic have still not been established. Is there correlation between smoking and obesity? New study has the answer. Data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has shown some startling information about obesity and smoking in the U.S. This survey is conducted each year and involves face-to-face interviews of people who make up a representative sample of U.S. households. According to an analysis of the 2002 survey by Cheryl Healton, DrPH, a professor of clinical public health at New York’s Columbia University, almost 4.7% of U.S. adults smoke and are obese. This works out to about 9,000,000 people across the United States that carry an increased risk for dangerous health problems such as heart disease and cancer. And though not all people who smoke or are obese get these diseases, many still do. When it comes to obese smokers the analysis revealed… 5.3% are men 4.2% are women A higher percentage are blacks Most have low incomes Most have less education Today’s treatments for obesity and smoking cessation focus on a single bad behavior —either the weight loss or the smoking. As you might imagine, programs that work on stopping multiple behaviors at the same time have not been all that successful. Clearly there is a need for treatments targeted to lower socio-economic groups that work on both problems at once to help people eliminate these dangerous habits and live healthier, happier lives. How many calories should you eat? A recent online survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation found that most of us don’t know the answer. While we’re more aware of nutrition labels on foods, and we might even check them before buying something… few of us are actually taking steps to cut calories from our diet. The truth is, according to nutrition experts, there is no one set number of calories per day that works for everyone. Your calorie needs will vary depending on your age, whether you are a man or woman, and how active you are on a daily basis. The chart developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at http://www.mypyramid.gov is a good starting point. This online resource makes allowances for differences in age and sex, while also accounting for increases in activity level. Of course, the chart will only help you if you are vigilant about tracking your calories and reading food labels. The other mistake calorie counters often make is not recognizing that portion sizes greatly effect the amount of calories in a snack or meal. Bigger portions mean more calories — it’s easy to forget this and take in more calories than you intended. High protein vs. high carb? Which diet does the job? If you’re a woman, and trying to lose weight… don’t start that diet until you read this. New research suggests that a high protein diet helps to make regular exercise more effective, because it helps to build muscle while trimming fat. The study, conducted over a four-month period at the University of Illinois, included 48 women aged 40 to 56 — half of the participants followed a protein-rich diet, the other half followed a high carb, low protein diet that was based on the current Department of Agriculture food pyramid. The diets were equal in total energy and were both nutritionally sound. Since regular exercise is also an important component to weight loss, this was also part of the study. Half the participants on each diet plan added exercise to their diet plan, walking 30 minutes a day five days a week and using weight machines twice a week. While all dieters in the study lost a substantial amount of weight, those on the protein-rich regimen lost as much as 21.4% of their body fat, and preserved lean muscle mass. This group also experienced larger drops in their level of triacyloglycerol, and maintained higher levels of the “good” HDL cholesterol. The high carb dieters experienced drops in their total cholesterol levels (including “bad” LDL cholesterol) in addition to their weight loss. However, the exercise performed by the high carb dieters was not as effective as that of the high protein group. “There’s an additive, interactive effect when a protein-rich diet is combined with exercise,” says lead researcher Donald Layman of the University of Illinois. So which type of diet is right for you? The answer may depend on who you are and what your unique physical picture is. Layman suggests that women with high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol are likely to get the most out of a high protein diet. Those with high cholesterol are more apt to benefit from a high carb diet plan. Regular yoga could be the ideal fat-fighter during middle years. When it comes to getting older, there are lots of things not to like. Never mind the aches and pains you never had before, or the realization that you just don’t have the stamina for fast times and late nights like you used to; the worst part is the weight that seems to come out of nowhere and plant itself firmly on the most inappropriate places of your body. Now a recent study, the first ever to assess yoga’s effect on weight, was conducted by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and appeared in the July/August 2005 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. It followed 15,500 healthy normal and overweight men and women who were participating in a larger study on the effect of vitamins, minerals or herbal supplements on cancer risk. Selected participants were asked to fill out a written survey on their physical activity (including yoga) and weight history between the ages of 45 to 55. Of the participants, only 132 identified themselves as regular practitioners (at least 30 minutes, once per week) of yoga for four years or more. While the majority of participants in the study gained about a pound a year (typical in mid life), those who practiced yoga regularly gained 3 fewer (9.5 pounds vs. 12.6 pounds for those who did no yoga) pounds over the ten year period, Even more startling (and hopeful) is that both overweight men and women who practiced yoga regularly lost a full 5 pounds, while the overweight subjects who did not practice yoga gained an average of 13.5 pounds during the same decade. Researchers agree that more study is needed, especially since the study did not capture what type of yoga was being practiced. Also, there are still questions as to whether it is the yoga itself, or the more mindful approach to a healthy body that is responsible for the weight maintenance effects of this age-old practice. The surprising connection between sleep and weight loss Experts suggest that if you’re dieting, you might want to get in a few extra hours of sleep per week. If you get less than 6 hours per night, a little added sleep might help to regulate hormones that affect your appetite and feelings of fullness. “One thing I have seen is that once a person is not as tired, they don’t need to rely on sweet foods and high carbohydrate snacks to keep them awake – and that automatically translates into eating fewer calories.” reports Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine, and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. There is evidence that suggests a link between sleep and two specific hormones — ghrelin, produced by the gastrointestinal tract as an appetite stimulator; and leptin, produced in fat cells and responsible for sending signals to the brain when you’re full. When people don’t get enough sleep, or their sleep is interrupted by conditions such as sleep apnea, the hormone levels tied to appetite are also affected. Generally leptin levels go down, which means people don’t feel as satisfied when they eat, and ghrelin levels rise, stimulating appetite. Lack of good sleep sets the stage for possible overeating and gaining weight. This link between sleep and weight was studied recently at both the University of Chicago in Illinois and at Stanford University in California. In the University of Chicago study, after sleep depravation, subjects desire for high carbohydrate, calorie rich food increased by 45%. In the Stanford research, 1,000 volunteers reported how many hours they slept each night while having their hormone levels measured and weight tracked. Those who slept less than eight hours a night had low leptin and high levels of ghrelin AND a higher amount of body fat. Those who slept the least weighed the most. So… catch some extra ZZZ’s tonight and you might just be on your way to loosing some of those pesky LBS, and feeling better too. Are big babies doomed to a fat adulthood? A little extra chunkiness… some dimpled skin and a few rolls of fat are fine on a baby… or during those tottering, tumultuous toddler years. Healthy babies and toddlers are supposed to be chubby cheeked with dimpled skin and lots of rolls of fat. It’s only as we get older that the fat isn’t so cute anymore. A just-published British study suggests that big babies, or those who put on lots of weight during the first two years of life are nine times more likely to be obese later in childhood or as adults. Study lead author Dr. Janis Baird points out, “These findings suggest that factors in infant growth are probably influencing the risk of later obesity.” Not everyone agrees… and no one is urging calorie counting for your little one. In fact, pediatric obesity experts insist the association is unproven and point to the flaws in the British study (no consideration of birth weight, or weight gain for low birth weight babies) as important factors to take into account as well. In studies where birth weight and weight gain for low birth weight babies were considered, the link doesn’t hold up. According to University of Colorado professor of pediatrics Nancy Krebs, MD, “I think we still have a lot to learn about how early weight gain affects later weight.” In Krebs’ view, the best predictor of a weight problem in a child is the weight of the parents. All parents (those with weight issues and those without) need to help their children make more healthy choices that include more fruits and veggies and fewer French fries and calorie dense foods. Another key is to be responsive to the cues your children give that they are full. Don’t over feed. Most important of all, encourage your child to get up and get active — little ones, and parents alike, can both benefit from the calorie-burning, muscle-building power of physical activity. More of us are exercising but... A recent Center for Disease control (CDC) report finds that more Americans than ever are exercising regularly. The number of adults who report themselves as physically inactive fell in 2004 to one in four — the best results in a decade. The U.S. government has set a goal of at least 80% of the country to be physically active by 2010, so we’re headed in the right direction, but there’s still lots of room for improvement. “Leisure-time physical inactivity is declining in every age group and among both men and women,” states the CDC. For men, one in five report being inactive; for women 26% admit they do not get regular exercise. Both men and women over 70 had the highest reported inactivity rate at 30% in 2004. The CDC recommends adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. As more Americans come to recognize the many benefits of exercise, not just improved heart and bone health, and better weight management, but also as a boost to mood and a superb stress fighter, increasing numbers of us will likely join those who have already made regular exercise part of their everyday lives. What’s RMR and how does it effect the number of calories you can eat today? Even while at rest, sitting at your desk or watching TV, your heart still beats, your lungs inhale and exhale, your brain functions — all this burns calories. And since this Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) can account for up to 75% of our calorie expenditure during a typical day, this value is an important piece of the puzzle… something you need to know in order to accurately answer the question — how many calories can I eat and still lose weight? Despite what you might have heard, RMR can’t be changed by pills or teas that claim to speed up your metabolism. How fast you burn calories while at rest is determined mostly by something far less glamorous… genetics. So if you can eat anything you want without gaining weight, thank Mom. If you just look at an ice cream cone and it makes its way to your hips, blame Dad. While we all start off at our own rate due to genetics, anyone’s RMR can be increased by: Adding more muscle Living in a cooler climates Eating small, regular meals Pregnancy As one of the emerging trends in weight loss, you are likely to start seeing hand-held indirect calorimetry devices at your local health club, outpatient healthcare facility or private nutritionists’ offices. Such tools can be used to give dieters a reliable measure of the RMR so they can more accurately gauge the number of calories they need to consume to lose weight or stay healthy.
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