Training For Life

How to Burn the Most Calories When Exercising

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:34:10 +0000

Of course, there are many additional forms of cardio; but for maximum calorie burning benefit no matter which form you choose, be sure to incorporate a form of cardio that is inefficient or unfamiliar to your body. So if you always walk, try switching to cycling or using the elliptical; or if you always run, try the rowing machine. Keep throwing those cardio curveballs at the body, and you’ll burn more calories and lose that weight. Of course, most importantly, have fun when you’re exercising. And clean the sweat off that machine when you’re done, for goodness sake.

Top 10 Running Tips

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:51:53 +0000

There is no such thing as “perfect” running form. But there are certain characteristics of
a good distance runner that are necessary for optimum efficiency and economy. In the
heat of a tough run or race, however, most of us are unlikely to think about “reducing
the moment arm of our swing leg to increase centrifugal motion and spare muscle
glycogen”. Instead, it helps to think about form in terms of simple analogies and very
quick ways to jog the brain, no pun intended.

So here are 10 easy-to-remember tips to optimize your form:

Forward Center of Gravity: Your foot strike should occur towards the middle front of

shoe. Think of your center of gravity as a dot that hovers in front of you – you should be

constantly pushing that dot forward.

Down Hill Running: Think about a slight forward lean that occurs naturally as you shift

your center of gravity forward.

Kick-Butt: Your heels should gently kick up towards your butt with each step – begin

with an over-exaggerated heel to butt kick, then gradually lower the height of the kick.

Fast Feet: A foot turnover of 90 strikes per minute is highly efficient. That means one

leg experiences 30 foot strikes in 20 seconds. Try to count yours!

Hot Lava: Minimize ground contact time by popping your feet up quickly from the

ground with each step, as if you¹re running on hot ground in bare feet!

Square Arms: Elbows should be bent at 90 degrees with hands beside your body, and

not ahead of your body.

Loose Jaw: Relax your head, neck, shoulders and hands. It often helps to press the

tongue against the roof of the mouth to relax the jaw.

Piston Knees: Knees should travel straight up and down, meaning very little

internal/external rotation. Lack of flexibility or strength can cause your legs to migrate

sideways as you run.

Proud Posture: Keep your chest pushed forward and head high, thinking about a “tall”

running gait.

Rolling Ball: Imagine yourself running as a ball would roll, with constant forward

motion, and as little up and down vertical movement as possible.

Hope these tips are helpful. I am always trying to improve my running form seeing as how I am not a natural born runner. Happy Training

Yet Another Reason You Could Be Wasting Your Time With Long, Slow Fat- Burning Aerobic Workouts

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:30:39 +0000

High-Intensity Interval Training Is Time-Efficient and Effective, Study Suggests…

You may have read a post from a few weeks ago about why you could be wasting your

time with long, slow fat-burning workouts.

Check out this excerpt from the Science Daily:

The usual excuse of lack of time for not doing enough exercise is blown away by new

research published in The Journal of Physiology.

The study, from scientists at Canada’s McMaster University, adds to the growing
evidence for the benefits of short term high-intensity interval training (HIT) as a time-
efficient but safe alternative to traditional types of moderate long term exercise.
Astonishingly, it is possible to get more by doing less!

We have shown that interval training does not have to be‘all out’ in order to be
effective, says Professor Martin Gibala. Doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard
stationary bike with about one minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as
well in improving muscle as many hours of conventional long-term biking less
strenuously.

HIT means doing a number of short bursts of intense exercise with short recovery
breaks in between. The authors have already shown with young healthy college
students that this produces the same physical benefits as conventional long duration
endurance training despite taking much less time (and amazingly, actually doing less
exercise!) However, their previous work used a relatively extreme set-up that involved

“all out” pedaling on a specialized laboratory bicycle. The new study used a standard

stationary bicycle and a workload which was still above most people’s comfort zone – about 95% of maximal heart rate— but only about half of what can be achieved when people sprint at an all-out pace.

This less extreme HIT method may work well for people (the older, less fit, and slightly
overweight among us) whose doctors might have worries about them exercising“all-
out.” We have known for years that repeated moderate long-term exercise tunes up fuel
and oxygen delivery to muscles and aids the removal of waste products. Exercise also
improves the way muscles use the oxygen to burn the fuel in mitochondria, the
microscopic power station of cells.

Running or cycling for hours a week widens the network of vessels supplying muscle
cells and also boosts the numbers of mitochondria in them so that a person can carry
out activities of daily living more effectively and without strain, and crucially with less risk
of a heart attack, stroke or diabetes.

But the traditional approach to exercise is time consuming. Martin Gibala and his team have shown that the same results can be obtained in far less time with brief spurts of higher-intensity exercise.

To achieve the study’s equivalent results by endurance training you’d need to complete

over 10 hours of continuous moderate bicycling exercise over a two-week period.

The“secret” to why HIT is so effective is unclear. However, the study by Gibala and
co-workers also provides insight into the molecular signals that regulate muscle
adaptation to interval training. It appears that HIT stimulates many of the same cellular
pathways that are responsible for the beneficial effects we associate with endurance
training.

The upside of doing more exercise is well-known, but a big question for most people
thinking of getting fit is: How much time out of my busy life do I need to spend to get the
perks?

Martin Gibala says no time to exercise is not an excuse now that HIT can be tailored for
the average adult. While still a demanding form of training, Gibala adds, the exercise
protocol we used should be possible to do by the general public and you don’t need
more than an average exercise bike.

The McMaster team’s future research will examine whether HIT can bring health

benefits to people who are overweight or who have metabolic diseases like diabetes.

As the evidence for HIT continues to grow, a new frontier in the fitness field emerges.

As always make sure you talk to your doctor before taking on any new fitness routine. Please feel free to leave comments or e-mail me. Happy Training

“science daily”

Beyond Wheat: The Three Healthy Whole Grains You Have To Try

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:57:43 +0000

The American diet revolves around cereal grains, and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing–grains are rich in the complex carbohydrates that our bodies like best as fuel. The only problem is that for modern Americans, grain means flour–and processed white flours, as you may have heard by now, are bad for you. Really bad for you.

If you’re trying to add more whole grains into your diet, good for you. But whole wheat cereal for breakfast, whole wheat bread sandwich for lunch and whole wheat pasta for dinner can get awfully boring. There’s a whole world of whole grains out there besides just wheat. If you haven’t already, it’s high time you give barley, bulgur and quinoa a try.

Barley

On a cold winter’s night, nothing beats a big bowl of warm, hearty barley. This humble grain quietly provides you with a whole host of important minerals that our modern diets tend to run short on: selenium, phosphorus, manganese and copper. Barley is also rich in dietary fiber and iron.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that barley may help ward off high cholesterol, too. In the study, 25 volunteers with high blood pressure added barley to an American Heart Association approved diet and all 25 of them had reduced their overall cholesterol by the end of the study. Not only that, barley is rich the B vitamin niacin, which can help protect against a long list of cardiovascular health problems while neutralizing free radicals within the body.

Look for hulled barley at your supermarket. Pearled barley has had many of its outer layers polished off and therefore technically no longer a whole grain. Hulled barley has had only the outermost hull removed and has the chewier texture and greater nutritional value.

Store barley in a tightly covered glass container and keep in a cool dry place. During especially warm, humid weather you can stick it in the fridge for awhile. Before you cook barley, give it a quick shower under cold water and remove any stray bits of dirt and debris you come across.

Barley is perfect for soups, stews, and side dishes. It also pairs well with veggies. Toss with a salad to make that lettuce lunch a little more satisfying.

Bulgur

Bulgur is a Middle Eastern Staple made from wheat berries. Bulgur is incredibly high in fiber and is also a fairly good source of protein. Bulgur also provides iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus–it has one of the highest mineral contents of any grain.

But bulgur’s special power lies in its unique ability to protect the body from nitrates. Nitrates are common in processed foods like hot dogs, and once inside the body they can transform into cancer-causing, poisonous nitrosamines. Bulgur provides a substance called ferulic acid that puts a halt to this deadly conversion.

You actually buy bulgur precooked at the supermarket, and it takes just 20 minutes to reconstitute it. It doesn’t lose much nutritional value from the very minimal processing it undergoes. Bulgur tastes fantastic in soups and salads and can take the place of rice in any recipe. Bulgur stands up well to strong, rich exotic flavors. Don’t be afraid to pair it with an acidic vinaigrette or with bold spices and herbs.

Quinoa

Ok, quinoa–pronounced “keen-wah”–is not officially a grain, it’s actually a seed. But you can use it just like you would cereal grains. Often referred to as the “super-grain”, quinoa is one of the very few non-animal sources of the complete set of amino acids. Or in plain English, it’s as good a protein source as meat, making it a must-try for vegans and vegetarians.

But that’s not the only super fact about this super grain: quinoa is full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, manganese and copper–all great stuff for your body. Compared to most other grains, quinoa is especially high in calcium, potassium and iron. Quinoa is also a prebiotic, just like yogurt is–meaning it feeds the good bacteria in your body, bolstering your immune system and keeping your digestive system happy.

Is there anything quinoa doesn’t do? Not really, it’s considered to be one of the most complete foods in nature. And it’s totally gluten-free.

If you want to try quinoa, look for a light colored grain about the size of a mustard seed. You’;; need to rinse and let it soak for 8 hours before cooking it. Quinoa can be used for a variety of unique and tasty salads, side dishes and soups.

Remember to consult your doctor before trying any new diet or fitness routines. Happy Training.

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Weight Loss: Why What You’re Doing Isn’t Working

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:22:07 +0000

Here’s some good news for everyone out there suffering on a diet right now—it isn’t working. No, actually, this is not bad news. I meant what I said when I said it was good news—you can finally stop starving yourself.

I’ll admit some diets might work for a little while, but think about it—can you really survive on 1,000 calories a day for the rest of your life? Would you really enjoy life that way? I think not. And it’s ultimately counterproductive. When your caloric intake drops drastically below your body’s baseline needs, your body reacts by going into “starvation mode.”

Unfortunately, your body doesn’t get the memo that you’re deliberately starving yourself—it thinks you must be going through a time of famine and so it hangs on tight to every little calorie you do consume. Your body decides to try to burn less energy, and your metabolism grinds to a halt. In order to get the fuel it’s no longer getting from food, your starving body will breakdown any lean muscle tissue you have—that’s very bad because lean muscle tissue burns through a lot of calories. The longer you starve yourself, the more obsessed with food your brain becomes—because when you lose fat too quickly the hormones that control your appetite plummet. So when you do finally cave in from hunger after weeks of eating nothing but salad, you’re probably going to gain back more weight than you lost.

So dieting is a bust—that’s a relief! But then, how in the world are you supposed to lose that extra weight? First off, remember the real reason you’re doing this. Your ultimate motivation shouldn’t be some essentially arbitrary number on a scale—your ultimate motivation should be to treat your body right so you look and feel better for life.

Now, let’s just be clear on one thing. Am I giving you free license to go polish off a bag of chips whenever the whim should strike you? I think you know the answer to that. You do need to remember that ancient maxim “all things in moderation.” But instead of starving and punishing your body, focus on giving your body the right amounts of healthy, high-quality fuel so it can build muscle and charge through tough workouts like never before—and you will get fitter. Here’s your new strategy for weight loss:

Eat More and Burn More

Start every morning with a good solid breakfast, and make the time for healthy snacks in between major meals to avoid getting too hungry. That will keep your metabolism humming along all day and keep your blood sugar levels stable. And dust off that exercise DVD that’s been lying around in your basement for months. Working out is the best thing you can do to lose weight—hard-working muscles need a lot of calories, and just three pounds of muscle can eat up to 150 extra calories a day. You don’t need to start off with anything too intense. Just get your body used to the idea of a regular exercise regimen. Once you get started, it will be hard to stop—you’ll get hooked on all those feel-good endorphins.

Start Small

It’s a daunting task to revamp your entire life all at once. If you try to go from couch-potato and midnight snacker to gym rat and protein shake aficionado in 24 hours, you’re setting yourself up for failure—big time. So take on one goal at a time. This week, trade those calorie-packed Starbucks treats for lighter homemade coffee. Next week, start trading out white processed carbs for whole grains.

Listen To Your Body

You honestly don’t need to count calories or calculate fat and protein percentages— if you just pay attention to what your body is telling you. Eat when you feel hungry. Eat slowly so you have time to realize when you’re full—and when you’ve had enough, stop. If you’re not really hungry while you’re watching television and you’re just eating because you’re bored and want something to do—well then, don’t eat! I know it sounds obvious—but we’re all guilty of boredom-eating sometimes. So get off the couch and go for a jog—you’ll beat boredom and fat that way.

Remember to consult your doctor before trying any new fitness or nutrition program. Happy Training!

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Why Chocolate Milk Might NOT Be The Best Post Workout Recovery Drink

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:07:02 +0000

What do you reach for to quench your thirst after a long and grueling workout? For many years the typical athlete or fitness buff had an easy standard answer to that—a sports drink like Gatorade. But a new star has risen on the horizon of post-workout recovery drinks—a new star that’s actually and old childhood friend. A slew of studies, health and fitness magazines and news reports have touted the classic chocolate milk as the best post-workout recovery drink.

In a study published in the Journal Of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, cyclists biked to exhaustion, rested four hours and chugged either Gatorade, Endurox or chocolate milk. Then they set off for another round of cycling. The people who drank chocolate milk biked just as far as the subjects who drank Gatorade.

Proponents of post-workout chocolate milk point out that after a workout, the body is most receptive to using amino acids—protein—to repair muscle tissue. Every cup of milk packs about 8 to 11 grams of protein, while your typical sports drink has no such built-in protein source. Even better: cow’s milk is about 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein. You probably know that whey protein is ideal for immediate post-workout recovery since it’s fast-acting, delivering amino acids straight to your muscle tissue. But casein protein is digested slowly—so you can a steady stream of amino acids to your muscle for hours after you workout.

Other reasons cited for drinking chocolate milk after aworkout: it provides calcium and vitamin D, which many people don’t get enough of. And calcium is essential for proper muscle contraction. Chocolate milk’s carbohydrate content also helps you recover faster so you can get back in the gym. Plus, you can whip up some chocolate milk for yourself at home, and it’s cheaper than sports drinks.

Not surprisingly Gatorade launched an advertisement campaign challenging the claims that chocolate milk is the ideal post-workout recovery drink. But the beverage giant may be on to something. Milk as a post-workout drink really does have its drawbacks.

For one thing, there’s the much higher caloric count that milk carries. For an athlete who’s training hard and needs some extra calories that might be all right, but many people who exercise are doing so at least in part for the calorie burn—and chocolate milk will set them back a lot further than a sports drink. A serving of Gatorade has 1/3 the calories of your average serving of chocolate milk.

For another thing, many people—30 to 50 million Americans—are lactose intolerance. And even if you haven’t been diagnosed with lactose intolerance and can usually get away with dairy, it’s not at all uncommon to have some degree of sensitivity to dairy, meaning that drinking a lot of milk—especially on an empty stomach, as you’re likely to have after a workout— at once could give you some milder symptoms. And the last thing you need after a tough workout is milk-induced cramps or stomach pain. Even if you’re not sensitive to dairy, slamming down something as rich and creamy as chocolate milk on a hot, humid summer day after running 10 miles doesn’t seem like doing your stomach a favor.

Finally, if you’re choosing a conventional, non-organic brand of chocolate milk, than you may be taking in hormones and antibiotics along with your protein and calcium. Gatorade, with all that sugar and artificial color, is no saint either when it comes to chemical food additives. But chocolate milk may not always be as pure and wholesome as is claimed. And if you workout regularly and you’re taking the time to find your best post-workout recovery drink, than you’re probably the kind of person who wants what’s pure and wholesome for your body whenever possible.

Ultimately, the best post-workout drink is the one that you like enough to drink plenty of so stay hydrated, and that makes you feel stronger and more energetic quickly so that you can get back in the gym sooner. If that’s chocolate milk, great, but if you’re a sports drink fan you don’t have to give up Gatorade just because of some media buzz. Even just plenty of plain water will do wonders to re-hydrate your body after a tough training session—there’s no need for anything fancy. So the best post-workout recovery drink is simply the one that’s best for you.

Just some food for thought. I know what I use and those of that you know me are probably wondering why I posted this. I believe not everything works the same for everyone. Just trying to keep people informed. Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new fitness or health routine. Please feel free to leave comments or e-mail me with questions. Happy Training

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Women – Why You’re Not Going To Bulk Up From Lifting Weights

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:05:38 +0000

Today, there are just as many women among the ranks of fitness buffs as there are men, and at any given time, in any given gym, you’ll find plenty of ladies working just as hard—if not harder—than the guys. The problem: most of these women are wasting their time. Don’t freak out on me for saying that yet— let me explain. These women are wasting their time because they are adhering to an archaic concept of strength training that basically claims that women should, for some inexplicable reason, lift weights differently than men. Namely: that a woman should work to “tone” her muscles by doing low reps of light weights, but should avoid lifting more challenging weights because she will “bulk-up.”

Those two little words—“bulk up” can strike terror into many an exercising woman’s heart.

I’m here to lay your fears to rest, once and for all. Can you grow a beard? Did your voice start squeaking when you were a teenager? If not, you cannot “bulk-up.” Dedicated and enthusiastic male gym-goers are thrilled when they gain one or two pounds of muscle—so think how hard it would be for you to gain pounds and pounds of it.

Scientifically put, you don’t have enough testosterone to bulk up unless you use anabolic steroids and hoist weights three or four hours a day. That’s what those female bodybuilders have to do. You could never get that muscular just “accidentally” from following a good, steady weightlifting routine.

Let’s learn a little more about testosterone. First, understand that when you lift weights, you are essentially damaging your muscles. It’s not as bad as it sounds, though, because your body will get the idea that this sort of thing might become a habit of yours, and it will rebuild your muscles stronger than they were before. To do that, your body uses a little process called protein synthesis, wherein it weaves new protein fibers into the strands of the muscle. So where does testosterone come in? Testosterone magnifies the rate and extent of muscle rebuilding by acting as a chemical signal to your muscle tissue, basically giving the go-ahead to begin protein synthesis. As a woman, you do produce some testosterone—but unless you have a rare genetic abnormality you will never naturally produce as much as a man. So you can never get brawny and bulky—you can and will just get firm, defined, and strong.

Women—like men—can gain about 20-40 percent increase in muscle strength after a few months of regular weightlifting. How much bigger your muscles actually grow depends on your natural physique. There are three different body types—ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph—and each one has a genetically predetermined capability for building muscle. But here’s my advice to a woman scared to lift weights—if you notice that an exercise, a weight number, or a rep number is changing the shape of your body in a way that you don’t like—just stop doing it. Muscle shrinks faster than you might realize. And anyway, as you now know, you can’t turn into a hulking she-male overnight..

Remember, though, that you absolutely in no way can “tone” your muscles by exercising. Low reps with light weights are mostly useless because not only do they not give you the aesthetic results they promise you, they also don’t really make you stronger. Your body in all honesty would rather not do anything it doesn’t have to, and low weights won’t challenge it enough for it to bother rebuilding your muscles. Again, not to get too scientific here, but muscle “tone” simply refers to the amount of continual reflexive contractions occurring in your muscles on the microscopic level. You can’t change that, with or without exercise. You can, though, carve curves and contours into your body by building muscle, and in doing so create hourglass proportions for yourself. And last time I checked, there was nothing manly about that.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new exercise programs. Please feel free to e-mail me with questions or commets

Baking With Quinoa: How To Do It

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:16:45 +0000

If you are one of the roughly 1% of Americans who deal with celiac disease–or just one of the growing number of people who want to cut back on or even eliminate wheat from your diet to feel healthier–try baking with quinoa. True, bakeries and grocers have finally caught on and are now offering a much greater variety of gluten free options. But baking your own gluten free breads, muffins and other delights will give you the most control–and freedom–in your diet.

Quinoa is an ancient “grain” that’s not really a grain at all. It’s a seed that looks like a cereal. The ancient Incas ate Quinoa for thousands of years, and it’s a rare gem among plants because it offers the complete set of essential amino acids–meaning it’s just as good a protein source as meat. This makes it ideal not only for GF baking but for vegans and vegetarians as well.

But it doesn’t stop there: quinoa is also an incredibly good source of fiber, and of important and sometimes hard-to come by minerals like phosphorus, magnesium and copper.

If you want to try baking with quinoa, it shouldn’t be too difficult to locate some quinoa flour at either a chain grocery or a specialty health food store, depending on where you live. Some recipes will also call for some plain quinoa cereal cooked up like a grain. Quinoa flakes are another great baking ingredient, perfect for replacing rolled oats in a baking recipe if you have an oat allergy.

How To Bake With Quinoa

Unfortunately, gluten actually does serve a purpose is baking: it helps doughs and batters stretch and provides them with their “give” and viscosity. When you bake with gluten-free flours like quinoa, you’ll need to use xantham gum or gaur gum to mimic the binding and thickening effects of gluten. Xantham and guar gum are available at most higher-end grocery chains, or you can check your local health food specialty store or even order online.

To get the best texture and flavor, try mixing quinoa flour with other gluten-free flours, and mix in some potato starch or tapioca starch as well. (Quinoa baked goods aren’t naturally starchy like wheat baked goods.) A blend of 2 parts quinoa flour, 2 parts sorghum flour and 1 part tapioca starch is a versatile all-purpose gluten free baking blend you can make at home. Many gluten-free flour blends also offer pre-mixed all-purpose GF flours.

Quinoa baked goods can get a little dry, so look for recipes that include applesauce, yogurt, fruit or sour cream–these will lend moisture to the finished product. Using honey or blue agave nectar (a healthy all-natural sweetener) in the place of sugar will also create moister, more tender baked goods because both of these ingredients act as natural humectants, meaning they pull in moisture from the air.

Quinoa flour has a more distinctive flavor than wheat. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re converting a conventional recipe to a GF recipe and using quinoa flour, consider upping the proportions of spices, vanilla or other baking flavors.

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Why Magnesium Is The Most Important Mineral You’re Probably Not Getting!

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:57:35 +0000

Calcium supplement? Check. Fish oil capsules? Check. Immune boosting herbal blend? Check. Magnesium….wait, why do you need that again?

Many people overlook the need to get enough magnesium in their diet, simply because magnesium doesn’t get a lot of hype in nutrition books or fitness magazines. Magnesium just goes on doing its important jobs in your body quietly and unassumingly, while the other more popular minerals get all the attention.

That would be fine if our diets tended to provide us with adequate portions of magnesium every day. But up to 90 percent of American’s don’t meet the recommended RDA for magnesium. (It’s about 300 mg a day for women and about 400 mg a day for men.) In fact, some experts surmise that the average amount of magnesium in the American diet has dropped by 50 percent over the past century.

How can this be? Take at look the foods which are naturally rich sources of magnesium. They include leafy greens, mixed nuts, and whole grains. That is not going to be on the dinner menu for too many Americans tonight.

Magnesium is important for many reasons. It is crucial for a stable, steady, heart beat. That alone should be reason enough to start taking a magnesium supplement! But there are many other vital roles for magnesium to play within the body. It prevents blood clots and reduces risks of heart disease and stroke. It relieves muscle pain and stiffness. It aids in the absorption of calcium—low magnesium levels are linked to osteoporosis in women.

If you are low on magnesium, you are missing out on all these key benefits. Even worse, you could actually contract the symptoms of a full-blown magnesium deficiency. These can include everything from leg cramps and fatigue, to high blood pressure and migraines, and even to depression.

Furthermore, chronically low levels of both calcium and potassium in the blood stream often trace back to a magnesium deficiency as the original underlying culprit. Doctors will routinely check magnesium levels in any patient who is suffering a potassium or calcium deficiency.

Certain special populations have even more dire a need for magnesium supplementation. Several types of prescription drugs can cause precious magnesium to be lost through urine. People who have chronic gastrointestinal ailments tend not absorb much of any of the magnesium that they do consume. Individuals with diabetes also tend to run low on magnesium. Stress, especially from illness, surgery, and physical trauma, can all deplete magnesium.

Of course, like any supplement, magnesium must be taken in the proper doses, and should only be taken with a go-ahead from your doctor. It’s generally safe but as with anything there are a few possible side effects to keep an eye out for, like nausea, appetite loss, and muscle weakness. The biggest danger lies in the possibility of kidney failure—but this occurs only with very large, toxic doses. Even so, patients with renal problems should not take magnesium supplements. More often than not though, people supplementing magnesium see positive results.

If you are a person dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle, you need to know that magnesium is probably the most important missing link in your diet. But thankfully that’s a very simple problem to solve. Just start looking for a good magnesium supplement the next time you head to the natural foods store.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new nutrition or exercise routine. Please feel free to e-mail with with any questions or comments.

Why Your Doctor Should Tell You To Eat More Fat

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:21:21 +0000

Fat—it’s one of the most maligned characters in the cast of food. An outcast for decades, fat has become the scapegoat for the fitness woes of all America, public enemy number one on the diet police’s most wanted list. But does fat really deserve this villainous reputation? Or has fat been framed to take the fall for thebig-time criminals in the shady underworld of the diet industry?

We actually cannot live without fat, as I’m sure you know—it serves a variety of crucial purposed like keeping you warm and cushioning your vital organs, and there are several vitamins which your body cannot absorb without the help of fat. But fat is more than just a “necessary evil.” The right kinds of fat in the right amount are an integral part of a healthy diet—and your doctor should be telling you to eat more fat.

Fat as a whole is charged guilty by association because of the transgressions of the “bad fats”—saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats are found in animal products—meat, poultry skin, full-fat dairy—and in a few plant oils like coconut oil. Trans fatty acids—the most nefarious of all the fats—are used as frying oils and in processed snacks, baked goods, and margarine. These two are the real thugs—the ones that spike cholesterol, clog arteries, and make it harder for you to fit into your skinny jeans.

But two other types of fat are working to redeem their reputation—omega-3s and monounsaturated fatty acids (affectionately called MUFAS in the nutrition business.) Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, trout) are rich in omega-3s. You can also get some from walnuts and flaxseeds. Studies have suggested that omega-3s help lower blood pressure, defend against Alzheimer’s disease, boost the immune system, and improve the quality of skin and hair. Omega-3 supplements are popular, but studies have not shown them to be as effective as omega-3s derived from food sources.

Monounsaturated fatty acids, the latest superstars in the world of healthy eating, are posed to undo fat’s ill-deserved rep once and for all. The hallmarks of traditional Mediterranean eating, like olive oil, hazelnuts and almonds, and sesame seeds, are all rich in these fatty acids, are hailed as the reason for the remarkably low incidence of heart disease in Southern Europe. More examples of monounsaturated fatty acid sources are dark chocolate, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil.

Even more interesting—a recent study at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center found that monounsaturated fatty acids actually have the power to target excess abdominal fat—the most dangerous kind of excess body fat that smothers the visceral organs. According to the MRI results of the study, a MUFA-rich diet can slash these deadly fat deposits by over 30%. Plus, these fats make you feel fuller longer, so you ultimately eat less if you incorporate one or more sources of MUFAs into every meal.

One wicked ploy which you should never fall prey to is the deceitful claims of “low-fat” or “fat-free” food products. These products are no healthier for you than their full-fat counterparts—in fact, they could be even more harmful. First of all, fat is what gives most of these foods their flavor and satisfying texture. In order to make up for the lack of fat—without which many of these products would taste downright nasty—manufacturers simply load these products up with extra sugar so they’ll taste good. But guess what your body does to extra sugar? It converts it into body fat!

Even worse, the Journal of Market Research reports that people end up consuming far more calories of these products then they would the original versions—because they get a false sense of security from the “low-fat” and “fat-free” claims. And new research implies that these products may actually even make you hungrier. That’s because fat naturally sends a message to the brain to tell you when you feel full—without fat, these “lite” products can’t send that message, so your body can’t tell when it’s had enough.

So it’s time for us to finally free fat from the depths of notoriety to which it has been banished for far too long. For tighter abs, a healthier heart, and a much tastier dieting experience, start eating more healthy fats.

Remember to consult your doctor before taking on any new diet or exercise program. Please feel free to to e-mail me with questions or comments.