Diet – Top 10 Nutrition Myths

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

1. Avoid carbohydrate to lose weight When you start a low carb diet, You’ll begin to burn stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. When your body starts burning glycogen, water is released. So, the initial drop of weight at the beginning is mostly the water that you lose as a result of burning glycogen. What makes low-carb diets work are that they are also designed as low-calorie. It makes more sense to eat a balanced diet with lower calories, than to starve your body of the energy and nutrients it needs!

2. Nuts are fattening Nuts are quite calorically dense; 15 cashews, for instance, deliver 180 kilocalories! On top of that, it is very tough not to overeat these tasty snacks. But, nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the good fats) as well as plant sterols which have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol.

3. Sugar Causes Diabetes The most common nutrition myth is probably the misconception that sugar causes diabetes. If you don’t have diabetes, sugar intake will not cause diabetes. So far, a diet high in calories, being overweight and an inactive lifestyle are the main risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

4. All Fats are bad Fats help nutrient absorption, nerve transmission and maintain cell membrane integrity just to name a few functions. The key is to replace bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats) with good fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats) in our diet.

5. Brown Sugar is better than White Sugar The brown sugar sold at the stores is actually white granulated sugar with added molasses!

6. Brown Eggs are more nutritious than White Eggs The eggshell color only depends upon the breed of the hen. There is no difference in taste or nutrition content between white and brown colored eggs.

7. Avoid seafood to lower blood cholesterol The cholesterol found in seafood and other meats has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people. Saturated fats found in meat products and packaged foods, and trans fatty acids foun in packaged snack foods, deep-fried foods or firm margarine are the most important factors that raise blood cholesterol, not dietary cholesterol.

8. Eating for 2 is necessary during pregnancy An extra snack before bedtime consisting of a fruit, a serving of milk or yogurt and a few biscuits is often enough. In addition, a daily prenatal multivitamin supplement is often recommended during pregnancy.

9. Skipping meals can help lose weight If we skip a meal, our body will think that we are in starvation mode and therefore slow down the metabolism to compensate. We then tend to overeat at the next meal. A better approach is to eat smaller frequent healthy meals and snacks to keep our blood sugar balanced.

10. Red meat is bad for health Even chicken can contain as much saturated fat as lean cuts of beef or pork. Instead of excluding red meats, choose leaner cuts of beef and pork. For beef, choose eye of round, top round roast, top sirloin and flank; for pork, choose tenderloin and loin chops.

Exercise - The Fat Burning Zone

So, you’re trying to lose weight, and are curious to how best to accomplish that goal. And, you also know one of the best ways to accomplish this is through a strong cardio program – and whether it’s on your treadmill, your elliptical trainer, or your exercise bicycle, you may have wondered how you put together a program that actually burns fat!

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you’re working in the “fat burning zone”. It’s easy to assume that the harder you work, the more fat you’ll burn – but, that’s not necessarily the case. Your body actually burns a higher percentage of calories at lower intensities. For example, a 130 pound woman burns calories during exercise in the following fashion:

Low Intensity Workout: 60-65% Mean Heart Rate
Total Calories Burned per minute: 4.86Fat Calories burned per minute: 2.43Total Calories Burned in 30 minutes: 146Total Fat Calories burned in 30 minutes: 73Percentage of Fat Calories burned – 50 %

High Intensity Workout: 80-85% Mean Heart Rate
Total Calories Burned per minute: 6.86Fat Calories burned per minute: 2.7Total Calories Burned in 30 minutes: 206Total Fat Calories burned in 30 minutes: 82Percentage of Fat Calories burned – 39.82 %

From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000

What is Your Target Heart Rate?

Now, how do you find out what your heart rate should be for the maximum fat burning? Simple. It’s called the Karvonen Formula. First, calculate what your resting heart rate is by counting your heart beat for 10 seconds, and multiply the result by 6.

Below is an example of the Karvonen formula for a 23 year old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute:

220 - 23 (age) = 197197 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 * 65% (low end of heart rate) OR 85% (high end) = 85.8 OR 112.2
85.8 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 150 112.2 + 65 (rhr) = 177
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 150 to 177

For this person to work in his 'fat burning' zone, he would need to stay around 150 beats per minute or lower. To work within his 'cardio' zone, he would need to work at 150 bpm or higher.

How Often Should You Exercise?

When it comes to cardio, it's up to you and your goals how much you do and how often. For weight loss, most experts suggest 60+ minutes of moderate intensity activity most days during the week. If you're a beginner, you may need to start at a lower level of exercise. For beginners, you might start with three days of cardio exercise for 20 or more minutes, adding time each week.

Below is a chart detailing a SAMPLE week of cardio workouts for a person who exercises five days a week. This is simply an example of how to incorporate different types of cardio workouts into a typical week. Modify the workouts according to your own fitness level, time constraints, and likes and dislikes.

Monday:
High Intensity-Duration: 20-30 minutes
Alternate 1-min sprint with 2 min walking.Perceived Exertion (PE) sprints: 8-9, walking: 5-6

Tuesday
Medium Intensity- Duration: 45-60 minutes
Walking or joggingPE: 5-6

Wednesday
Low-Medium Intensity - Duration: All day
Use a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps

Thursday
Medium-High Intensity - Duration: 30-60 minutes
Treadmill / Running PE: 5-7

Friday
Medium-High Intensity - Duration: 30-45 minutes
Elliptical Trainer PE: 4-5

Saturday
Low-Medium Intensity - Duration: 30-60 minutes
Walking or aerobics classPE: 4-6

Don't forget to warm up and cool down for each workout, drink lots of water (take a sip every 15 minutes during your workout), stretch after your workout, and eat a small, well-balance snack an hour or two before you hit the gym.

Healthy Living – Do Energy Drinks Work?

Red Bull, Monster, and other energy drinks are touted as a great way to not only increase your alertness and energy, but also perform better during your workouts. Most of these drinks are loaded with caffeine (12 oz. versions of these drinks can have as much caffeine as 2 ½ cups of strong coffee!) – not to mention sugar and other natural stimulants. And, if you’re an elite athlete, these drinks do give short bursts of energy that burn off quickly.

Unfortunately, not all of us could be considered “elite”. What happens for the rest of us is, the sugar and caffeine burns off, and you go from feeling full of energy, to “hitting the wall”. The last thing your workout needs is for you to suddenly feel exhausted and burned out when your energy drink wears off! Not to mention, many of these drinks may contain high fructose corn syrup, that your body has a hard time digesting, while giving you empty calories that counteract what your trying to accomplish

A better solution – have some fruit. It’s natural, your body can digest it far better, and the natural sugars in fruit can give you a quick energy lift that burns off gradually, fueling your workout without leaving you “without power!”

Exercise – Beat Stress with Exercise!

We all have stressful days, and after a long, hard day, the last thing anybody wants to do is exercise. Yet, that’s exactly what we should do! Getting in a good workout after a stressful day is a wonderful way not only to work off that stress, but also to keep up with your workout plan!

You may have heard of “Runner’s High”. Many times, strenuous exercise (for example, when running at a moderate-to-high level, and you have a hard time breathing) brings on a feeling of calmness and euphoria. Well, a study in 2004 by Georgia Tech found that Runner's High was likely triggered by a release of naturally produced body chemical, the endocannabinoid anandamide. The body produces this chemical to deal with prolonged stress and pain from strenuous exercise. So, when you have had a stressful day, a good workout actually causes your body to release chemicals that can relax and calm your mind!

Additionally, a new study confirms what many of already know: Regular exercise is one of the best ways to combat daily stress. Researchers at the University of Texas, Houston, asked 135 college students to fill out questionnaires to assess their daily stress loads as well as their moods, physical activity patterns and overall health.

Those who reported exercising less often experienced 37 percent more physical symptoms and 21 percent more anxiety during periods of high stress than those who exercised more frequently.

The results seem to show that vigorous exercise may have offered students a temporary respite from their problems, and helped them to rejuvenate before they had to go back and deal with the pressure of daily stress.

According to lead researcher Dr. Cindy L. Carmack, ''Minor, everyday stress contributes to the development and exacerbation of physical and mental health problems. However, people experiencing minor stress develop different degrees of symptoms, depending on their level of physical activity.''

And, by workout out even when you’re stressed also can help your mental game when you’re trying to stay committed to a fitness regime. The next time you want to skip a workout, you can look back and remember how good you felt the last time you worked out and tried to skip your daily workout – and why you’re glad you didn’t!

Healthy Lifestyle - Training Your Brain!

You want another reason to keep up with your workouts? How about this? Exercise trains your brain to stick to your diet!

University of Pittsburg researchers just did a study, where they kept track of 169 overweight adults for 2 years. Interestingly enough, those who followed their workout plan (which was only 3 hours per week of workouts) –well, they ate less than those who didn’t follow their workout plan. In fact, the ones that didn’t follow their program consistently ate beyond the 1,500 calories of food they were allowed to eat per day!

On top of this, the people that were not consistant with their workouts also had problems dealing with snack cravings. They would sneak snacks when they did actually workout, with further sabotaged their efforts.

According to John Jakicic, Ph.D. (the study’s author) – “One healthy behavior without the other will not work – you need to diet and exercise to maintain long-term weight loss”.

In other words, the more you workout – and stay on schedule with your workouts, the more likely you’ll also stick to your diet!

Diet – Foods You Really Should Be Eating!

You walk through the produce isle every time you go to the supermarket, yet how many times have you passed by the following superfoods without a second glance?

Cabbage – You don’t find this veggie in many American diets, but you do find it in many Asian and European ones. One cup has only 22 calories, and it’s loaded with sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is thought to reduce your risk of cancer, by increasing your body’s production of enzymes that get rid of free radicals that cause cell damage. And sulforaphane has been found to boost your levels of cancer-fighting enzymes better than any other plant chemical!

Cinnamon – OK…this doesn’t mean go and grab a Cinnabon! But the USDA has found that people with type-2 diabetes (the type most often associated with obesity) – if they consumed 1g of cinnamon per day for 6 weeks, they drop both their blood sugar, as well as their triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. That ¼ of teaspoon of cinnamon each day actually helps your body’s cells metabolize sugar by a factor of 20! Just sprinkle a little in morning coffee at Starbucks each day – and help decrease your risk of heart disease!

Pumpkin Seeds – So…come Halloween, all those seed you pull out and throw away – bet you didn’t know that roasting them in the oven gives you 150mg of magnesium per ounce! French researchers have found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood had a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. The USDA recommends that you get about 420mg of magnesium in your diet daily – so the next time you’re in the snack or health food section of your grocery store, look for them!

Pomegranate Juice – Have high blood pressure? Well, Israeli scientists have found that drinking just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day decreased blood pressure by over 20% (systolic pressure – the top number in your blood pressure reading). And, it also improves blood flow to your heart! And, that 2 oz. also gives you 25% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Look for Pom Wonderful juice – no added sugars, either!

Beets – Sweeter than any other veggie (beet juice makes a great substitute sweetner in recipes), beets contain both folate and betaine. These nutrients do a wonderful job of lowering homocysteine – a compound that damages your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. On top of that, the pigments in beets that give it that natural red color – well, they are a great cancer fighter as well! If you had beets as a kid (those picked ones in a jar) – well, avoid them, as cooked beets loose much of their antioxidant power. Instead, just wash and peel a beet, then grate it with the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil combined with the juice of one half a lemon! The leaves and stems are also loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals – just cut the stems below the point where the leaves start, and wash!

Healthy Lifestyle - Don't Forget About Your Kids!

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

So, you try to eat healthy while keeping your weight down. But, what about your kids? Sure, when they’re at home, you have some control over how they eat. But, how can you make sure that when you’re not around, that they still follow healthy eating habits?

Now, of course, you can’t always keep an eye on them when they’re away from home. But are your pantry shelves have high-fat snacks and sugar-filled cereals that you’d never buy for yourself? And, have you worried about what the combination of peer pressure and your kids desire for fat-and-sugar filled snacks might be doing to their health?

Well, if you haven’t started to worry – you should. Kids today are fatter and less fit than previous generations. Between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, obesity increased 54 percent among young children (ages six to 11) and 39 percent among adolescents (ages 12 to 17). Food companies spend millions of dollars on television advertising to convince children that high-fat, high-sugar, processed foods are worth eating. Food is consumed because it's cool, fun or comes with a free toy rather than for its impact on health or even for its taste!

You know where the easiest place to start is? Simpe - eat your words! The fact is that parents who have adopted a lifestyle that includes healthful foods and regular exercise are living role models for their children. The habits and behaviors that you exhibit at home have the proven benefit of carrying over to your kids. But, it won’t happen overnight.

The first step is to stop battling with your kids about food. Take it slow, and introduce reasonable alternatives as you gradually reduce those high-fat, high-sugar foods. Be sure to include some of their favorite foods in daily meals.

Make sure that the majority of the items you have in your pantry are healthy. Keep cut up veggies in your refrigerator, for example. Cut back on butter – if they want popcorn, either air pop it, or purchase plain microwave popcorn – and sprinkle it with low-fat, grated parmesan cheese.

Also, get them involved with both shopping and cooking. Look for cookbooks that have their favorite recipes, but in a healthy format – if they learn how to cook healthy, those habits will stay with them.

And, don’t forget to let them have their favorite foods on occasion. If they’re never allowed to eat them, they’ll look for every chance to sneak them behind your back (just like we all did when we were kids!). Having them once in awhile might actually make them feel a little bit guilty once in awhile – and over time, can help keep them following healthy dietary habits!

Exercise – Cardio Tips

So, you’re either planning on starting a cardio program, or you’re wondering whether or not you’ve put together an effective cardiovascular exercise plan. Here’s some tips you can use to make sure you’ve build a plan that works best for you!

First, your goals and your body type will dictate how much cardio you need per week. If you’re trying to add muscle mass, and you’re naturally lean, you should keep your cardio sessions down to only one or two times per week. On the other hand, if you’re prone to storing fat, and one bite of carbohydrates seems to add inches to your hips – you might need 3 or more sessions per week to keep your figure! And, if your training for something like a marathon or triathlon – well, you should increase your frequency as you get ready for your event.

Also, if your goal is just general health, you might want to do long, slow runs on your treadmill. Keep in mind that if you’re not having fun, you won’t make it a habit, so make sure that you pick the type of workout that makes you happy! (And, if you’re not sure what type of workout you’d enjoy - a great way to figure that out is to stop by one of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Phoenix-area locations!)

Next – decide what your overall goal is – fat burning or cardiovascular health. If your goal is fat burning, you might want to do moderate cardio workouts. Those are the type of workouts where your heart rate returns to normal within a short period after you complete your workout. If fat burning isn’t your goal, but maybe your looking to improve your time for an event your planning on entering, you want a more intense cardio workout, where your heart rate might be elevated for a couple of hours after your event. A great way to tell the difference is like this – if you can carry on a conversation while working out – that ‘s a moderate workout. If you can barely speak two or three word sentences…well, that’s intense!

Over time, your goal should be to move up to more intense workouts. Here’s why – in a moderate workout, your body will burn fat DURING the workout, but not after. In an intense workout, you won’t burn fat during the workout, but your body will burn fat AFTER the workout for hours! The reason for this is as your body gets more accustomed to intense workouts, your metabolism becomes more efficient at burning fat – so even if your treadmill or elliptical is set for cardio workouts, make sure you “up” the level of those workouts over time to help your body “learn” how to pick up your metabolism! But, always throw in a moderate workout once in awhile – it’s always good to keep your body guessing (and, the variety helps you stay motivated to keep working out!)

Your heart rate can provide you a lot of information about your training. Over time, your resting heart rate should decrease. By tracking your heart rate, you can monitor your effort. If you train today at 160bpm then have a lousy day and don’t feel like you’re receiving any benefit, use your heart rate as a guide. As long as you are pushing hard enough to hit that 160bmp mark again, you know you are getting at least the same intensity from your training as the time before.

One last thing – make sure you keep your workouts interesting by injecting variety into your plan. If you always use the treadmill, your body will become so efficient at using the treadmill that you will begin to burn fewer calories doing the same workout. On the other hand, if you perform treadmill work one session, elliptical on your next another session, then go for a bike ride, you will continue to see the benefit of increased calorie expenditure. This will keep the fat melting off and continuously improve your cardiovascular conditioning. And, don’t let yourself think that cardio isn’t necessary, since even when you’re in peak condition, a little cardiovascular exercise is always necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Just make sure you change the style and frequency of cardio to suit your lifestyle and fitness goals. Consider various styles of training, different terrains, and new types of equipment to train on. Learn what your body needs, keep a good journal, and find out what works for you!

Diet – Looking for a quick breakfast recipe? Try a Tuna Egg Wrap!

Here’s a great, quick and easy recipe for when you’ve just finished your morning workout, and still have to rush to get to work!

Tuna Egg Wrap
1 serving

3/4 cup of egg substitutes (3 eggs worth)
1 oz. of Veggie Cheese (mozzarella)
1/3 a can of tuna (1 serving/3.oz)

Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray, then add the eggs, allowing them to de-liquify on the top. Once the eggs have started to get solid on the bottom, fold about one third of it towards the center as if you were going to make a omlet. Mix up the tuna and the cheese, and spread evenly over the center of the form, partially covering the folded inward piece of the egg, and the unfolded as well. Now, fold it again, folding the cooked part of the egg over the unfolded part. Serve with a fresh fruit or whole-wheat toast!

Try a Tri!

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Triathlon has been around for over 30 years, and many people look at it as a “gruelathon”. The premier triathlon is the Hawai’i Ironman Triathlon every October in Kona, HI – and this event is one of the more difficult triathlons out there, combining a 2 mile open water ocean swim, 112 miles on a bicycle over lava fields, and finally a full 26.2 mile marathon – all done in one day. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to try to compete at that level – in fact, training for a small, local triathlon is a great way to help you achieve your fitness goals! The only equipment you need to start – is running shoes, a swimsuit & goggles, and a bike & helmet!

Think about it – as kids, we all did triathlons daily. Our parents would take us to swim lessons in the morning, and we’d ride our bikes and run around the neighborhood with our friends – and we were all in pretty good shape, And, we never thought about the exercise we were getting – we were just having fun! That’s what training for a triathlon can do for you. It’s a great way to avoid boredom while you train! If you get tired of running – well, that little bit of cycling helps break the monotony, and you stay on your program!

Another advantage of training for triathlons is it’s a great way to avoid muscle imbalances and repetitive-use injuries. You strengthen the upper body with the swim, and the lower body with the bike and run. And, you mix weight-bearing exercise of high-impact running, with low-impact swimming. And, the strength you build on the bike will give you more for your running, and visa versa.

You also get to meet wonderful people – triathlon is as much a lifestyle as it is a sport. There are no shortcuts to getting fit for a triathlon – and there is a given, mutual respect that comes out of that training. Friendships built are solidified through group training sessions and competiting together! And, these friends become your support network to help you achieve your goals.
Finally, setting your training goals for your triathlon training makes you accountable to your fitness program, and the more you achieve, the more you get motivated to set new ones. Plus, there’s something about being able to tell people, “I’m a triathlete!”. It suggests a person has a certain character, focus and determination that translate to all areas of your life!

There are plenty of additional resources that can help get you started.

• A great way to start training is at home with a home treadmill and home exercise bicycle from Fitness 4 Home Superstore! Visit www.fitness4homesuperstore.com to see our current selection.

• Get recommendations for a coach at www.usatriathlon.org – and some coaches can work with you via email or phone!

• A couple of web sites that can help you with training and racing information www.triathanewbie.com
www.beginnertriathlete.com
www.trinewbies.com
www.active.com
www.trifind.com
www.triamerica.com

• Information about women-only events can be found at www.danskin.com/triathlon.html, or www.irongirl.com

Healthy Living – Get A Good Night’s Sleep!

We’ve all heard for years that we should all get 8 hours of sleep per night. And yet, sleep is one of those areas that we seem to short-change ourselves. In fact, one in four Americans don’t even get 6 hours per night. Yet, you need 8 hours of sleep nightly to function at your best.

Lack of sleep is bad for your health. Your body needs that time to rebuild damage that occurs during the day. And, in a 15-year longitudinal study of nearly 2,500 women, those who had disturbed sleep turned out to be much more likely to have cognitive decline as they aged – your brain needs sleep just as much as the rest of your body!

Unfortunately, too many people are seeking the help of prescription sleep aids. IMS Health, a pharmaceutical research company, said that in 2005, 42 million sleeping pill prescriptions were filled, which is an increase of nearly 60 percent since 2000.

It gets difficult trying to marry a busy schedule with a good nights sleep. And many times, our crazy lives keep us from getting to sleep in the first place. How then, can you get to sleep, and get a restful sleep, without resorting to prescription medication?

First, make sleep a priority. You can’t “make up” for lost sleep by sleeping in (and…sometimes, sleeping in on a weekend isn’t an option anyway). Make sure that you establish sleep as a priority in your life.

Second, avoid caffeine after noon. Not only does this mean avoiding that afternoon trip to Starbucks, but also watch your soft drink intake, as well as what types of tea you drink (herbal tea or green tea is a great substitute).

Third – exercise! That’s right – getting a good, regular workout in is a great way to make sure that the sleep you do get is a deeper, more restful sleep! Plus, those regular workouts are a great way to relieve stress, helping you get the “sweet dreams” that you need!

In the end, if you get your “8 hours” nightly, you’re going to be more efficient during the day – once you get into a good sleep routine, you should find that you can still get everything accomplished that you need!

Diet – Spice Up Your Diet With Exotic Fruit!

Want to add some variety to your diet, while also making sure that you’re eating what ‘s best for your body? Try adding some more exotic fruit choices to your diet! You may have run into some of these fruits in the produce isle of your nearby grocery store – give them a try, and enjoy some new flavors while also improving your health!

Papaya – Native to Central and South America, papaya is the best known source of papain – an enzyme that is very efficient at breaking down protein (it’s so good that it’s used in meat tenderizers!) – and…well, it’s also a great natural way to stay “regular”. Loaded with potassium, folate, and vitamin C. Just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds – and enjoy! (Plus, the seeds – grind them up and use them as a substitute for black pepper!). And, half a papaya has only 59 calories! In season year round.

Star Fruit – Native to Asia, this fruit is low in calories. Plus, it packs a punch that is great for your heart! It’s high in vitamin A, fiber and potassium, plus it’s a great source of polypheonols – antioxidants that fight cardiovascular inflammation. With a taste similar to a ultra-sweet plum, it’s quite tasty as well! In season July through September. Cut it into little stars (you’re kids will love it!) – and enjoy only 28 calories per serving!

Uniq Fruit – Native to Jamaica, this fruit is loaded with vitamin C and carotenoids. Flavor wise – it’s thought to be a cross between a grapefruit and tangerine. With a sharp, tart, citrusy flavor, this fruit is a great way to fight off colds. Eat it like you would a grapefruit or tangerine, but it’s very messy – so have napkins handy! 45 calories per fruit, and you can find it under its trade name – Ugli Fruit.

Passion Fruit – Native to South America, Passion Fruit is loaded with vitamin A and copious amounts of fiber (15 grams of fiber – half of what you should have daily)– add this fruit to your diet to help you keep control of your cholesterol! And, it also has more potassium than a banana. Available year round – if you eat 8 of these little guys, this serving size has 140 calories – and make sure you eat the seeds – that’s where you get the fiber!

Guava – Native to South America, Guava helps boost your immune system with 70 percent of the vitamin C you need daily – a total of 128mg! Plus, it’s loaded with carotenoids – which help boost your immune system as well. In season October through December, one Guava has about 37 calories. Spoon out the pulp like a grapefruit, or eat it like an orange!