Motion Health & Fitness

Category: health

  • The Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

    The Benefits of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

    More and more, doctors and researchers are concluding that inflammation is the root of arterial and heart diseases, as well as cancers. In fact, inflammation seems to be at the heart of all kinds of illnesses and maladies.
     
    Of particular concern is chronic inflammation, the common factor in many chronic diseases. Whereas acute inflammation is a healthy response to injury, chronic inflammation causes problems over time. Aside from heart disease and cancers, other common and well-studied conditions associated with chronic inflammation include diabetes, obesity, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease.
     
    Chronic inflammation is also said to be the root cause of leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and insulin resistance. Additionally, inflammation can also be the root of chronic constipation, chronic nausea, fatigue, irregular periods, acne, PMS, weight gain and irregular blood sugar.
     
    Chronic inflammation results when the immune system releases chemicals meant to combat injury and infections (both bacterial and viral), even when there are no foreign invaders to fight off. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect itself against harm, but it is meant to be temporary. Chronic inflammation, however, doesn’t simply go away.
     
    Moderate exercise and effective stress management are thought to be central in preventing inflammatory diseases. Yet, dietary interventions are also critical. For many people, chronic inflammation is the result of a poor diet. Inflammatory foods cause our body’s immune response to flare up, creating chronic inflammation.
     
    On the other hand, an anti-inflammatory diet can help prevent or reduce low-grade chronic inflammation, which is notoriously a key risk factor in the host of health problems and major diseases previously noted.
     
    Eating anti-inflammatory foods reduces the inflammation in our body, thus reducing the symptoms caused by inflammation and, ultimately, the risk of chronic disease.
     
    “Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects,” says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
     
    This makes sense. After all, food is medicine. Good health starts with good food. Choose the right anti-inflammatory foods and you may be able to reduce your risk of illness. Consistently pick the wrong ones, however, and you could accelerate the inflammatory disease process.
     
    For example, the Mediterranean diet is said to reduce inflammation. This diet emphasizes fish, vegetables, olive oil, fruits, nuts and whole grains.
     
    FOODS THAT FIGHT INFLAMMATION:
     
    • Tomatoes
    • Olive oil
    • Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale and collards
    • Nuts, like almonds and walnuts
    • Fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines
    • Fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples and oranges
     
    Coffee, which contains polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds, may also protect against inflammation.
     
    FOODS THAT CAUSE INFLAMMATION:
     
    • Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, crackers and pastries
    • French fries and other fried foods
    • Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages
    • Red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
    • Margarine, shortening and lard
     
    The anti-inflammatory diet is thought to curb chronic inflammation and help prevent or treat the following conditions: allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, gout, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease (such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stroke.
     
    Research suggests that people with a high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and fish may have a reduced risk for inflammation-related diseases. In addition, substances found in some foods, particularly antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, appear to possess anti-inflammatory effects.
     
    Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, flax seed/oil, soy, tofu and nuts) may have anti-inflammatory effects, protecting against various inflammatory diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce the incidence of heart disease and benefit intestinal health.
     
    Additionally, elevated blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are also an important protective factor against sustained inflammation. HDL cholesterol, often referred to as “good” or healthy cholesterol, picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and returns it to your liver, where it’s broken down and removed from your body.
     
    HDL levels for both men and women should be 60 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or above. When HDL levels dip below 40 mg/dL, your risk of heart disease rises.
     
    People with naturally higher levels of HDL cholesterol are at lower risk of heart attack and stroke. It’s less clear whether that same benefit holds true for people who increase their HDL levels with medications, according to the Mayo Clinic.
     
    Some healthful ways to raise your HDL cholesterol include:
     
    • Consume olive oil
    • Eat fatty fish often
    • Exercise regularly
    • Lose weight
    • Stop smoking
     
    Your dietary goal should simply be to eat more real, whole food and less of the unhealthy, processed, refined junk foods. A healthy diet will help you feel better and also reduce health risks.
     
    The best anti-inflammatory foods include:
     
    • organic fruits and veggies
    • fermented foods rich in probiotics
    • bone broth to heal the gut and boost immunity
    • beans and legumes
    • healthy fats (like salmon, avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds)
    • spices and herbs (turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cayenne, black pepper, clove)
     
    Some additional tips:
     
    Drinking one green smoothie every day is an easy, delicious way to get 2–4 servings of fruits and veggies.
     
    Before or after working out, down a glass of tart cherry juice, or blend it into your smoothie. The antioxidant compounds in the cherries help reduce inflammation.
     
    Magnesium also has anti-inflammatory benefits. Yet, magnesium deficiency is one of the leading nutrient deficiencies in adults, with an estimated 80 percent of us being deficient in this vital mineral. That’s because merely 30% to 40% of dietary magnesium is actually absorbed by the body.
     
    Magnesium is widely found in plant and animal foods. Green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are all good sources. In general, foods containing dietary fiber provide magnesium.
     
    The science is clear: Adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet can help protect you from a host of chronic inflammatory diseases. Take the first steps by gradually adding more and more of these anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, which will help to crowd out the inflammatory foods that can lead to illness and disease. Take it one step at a time.
  • How Your BMR and RMR Contribute to Your Weight Status

    How Your BMR and RMR Contribute to Your Weight Status

    If you’ve ever weighed yourself before bed at night and again in the morning, you may have been surprised that you lost anywhere from 1-3 pounds. This is fairly normal. We all lose weight at night while sleeping.
     
    How much we lose overnight depends on whether we get enough sleep, how much water we excrete, and our basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is largely determined by the amount of muscle we have (muscle is quite metabolically active).
     
    The body is in an entirely aerobic state while we’re sleeping, since it uses only fat to operate in such a low-energy state (carbohydrates are used only for higher energy demands). Our heart, brain and other organs all need energy to maintain basic functions while we’re sleeping.
     
    In one hour of sleep, most people burn 0.4 to 0.5 calorie for every pound of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person would multiply 150 by 0.4 or 0.5 to get 60 to 75 calories used in one hour of sleep. After eight hours of sleep, that person has burned 480 to 500 calories.
     
    A 200-pound person would burn 80-100 calories per hour, or 640-800 calories during eight hours of sleep.
     
    This may seem unbelievable, but it’s true. You’re burning calories all day long — even while sleeping — just to stay alive; that’s your BMR. Additionally, energy is also expended by digesting your food and from non-exercise daily movements, such as brushing your teeth, getting dressed and pouring your morning coffee. This additional expenditure is known as your resting metabolic rate (RMR).
     
    For American women, the average BMR is 1,493 calories. For American men, the average BMR is 1,662 calories.
     
    Your BMR accounts for about 70 percent of the calories you burn every day (in general, men have a higher BMR than women). This is critically important since there is no way we can exercise away all the calories we consume each day.
     
    Muscle is the single most important predictor of how well you metabolize your food, burn calories, and burn body fat. However, beginning in our late 20s, we start losing muscle, which means our metabolism also starts declining. A consistent weight training program can stop this decline and even reverse it.
     
    There are approximately 3,500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. If you subtract 3,500 calories each week through diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight.
     
    On average, 75 percent of this is fat and 25 percent is lean tissue, which is why it’s so important to strength train while attempting to lose weight; you don’t want to lose your precious muscle along with that unwanted fat. Muscles at rest burn three times more calories than fat, so maintaining or increasing muscle mass influences BMR.
     
    In simple terms, if you’re seeking to lose weight, aim for a 500-calorie deficit each day of the week (7 x 500 = 3,500).
     
    As a guide, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that women never drop their calorie-intake level below 1,200 per day and men should not go below 1,800 calories per day.
     
    So, back to where we started: it’s possible for a 150-pound person to lose about 1 pound each week simply by sleeping eight hours every night. Remember, a person of this weight burns roughly 500 calories while sleeping each night. Sleep is very valuable!  In fact, sleep deprivation has been linked to an increase in weight.
     
    Clearly, much of this 1-pound of weight loss is water, not just fat (we lose water gradually each night through respiration and perspiration), but burning 500 calories overnight while sleeping is no small matter.
     
    The average person eliminates about 1.2 liters of water in urine each day, and also eliminates about 1 liter a day through perspiration and respiration. That’s 2.2 kilograms (almost 5 pounds) of weight fluctuation happening throughout the day.
     
    So, don’t get caught up in the daily fluctuations of your body weight. You can gain up to 5 pounds during the day just from your food and beverage intake — but it’s not all fat!
     
    Your BMR, non-exercise daily movements, and your daily exercise routine should allow you to at least maintain your present weight. To lose weight, however, you’ll have to reduce your daily caloric intake.
     
    You weigh less in the morning than during the rest of the day because you don’t (normally, at least) eat and drink during the night. Remember that two cups of water (16 ounces or one pint) weighs one pound, so drinking a tall glass of water will temporarily be reflected in your weight.
     
    The most accurate time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning, when you have an empty stomach. Weighing yourself while naked will also give you a more accurate reflection of your weight. 
     
    Lastly, always weigh yourself on the same scale. Even if it’s off by a pound or so, it will be relative to itself and still reveal any upward or downward movements. Different scales may give you different results, which can be misleading or even maddening.
  • Exercise to Be Happier and More Fulfilled

    Exercise to Be Happier and More Fulfilled

    There are many reasons that people exercise. In my view — and this is what I try to impart to my clients — it’s not about having the best butt or bigger biceps; it’s about being a happier, more fulfilled, more self-satisfied person.  

    I’ve been in the been in the business of health, wellness and fitness for over 20 years, and I have to admit that my definition of health and wellness has certainly broadened over the years. Once upon a time, if you asked me to define health, I would have listed these parameters: an absence of chronic disease (i.e. coronary artery disease; hypertension; metabolic syndrome; diabetes, etc.), a healthy resting heart rate, low triglycerides, and an absence of obesity. 
     
    However, over the years, I’ve come to recognize that physical wellbeing is only part of the health equation. Mental and emotional wellbeing are vitally important, and our social wellbeing plays a significant role in both.
     
    First, let’s define these terms:
     
    Physical well-being relates to vigor and vitality, feeling very healthy and full of energy.
     
    Mental well-being includes being satisfied with one’s life; balancing positive and negative emotions; accepting one’s self; finding purpose and meaning in one’s life; seeking personal growth, autonomy and competence; believing one’s life and circumstances are under one’s control; and generally experiencing optimism.
     
    Social well-being involves providing and receiving quality support from family, friends and others.
     
    When assessing overall wellbeing, it’s important to assess: the quality of our relationships; our positive emotions and resilience; whether we’re realizing our potential; and our overall satisfaction with life.
     
    Though there are many factors that can contribute to our overall wellness, exercise is critical. There is abundant scientific research showing that exercise improves mood and makes participants happier. 
     
    Exercise promotes chemicals in the brain that improve your mood and make you more relaxed. Specifically, the brain releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins throughout the body. Physical activity also reduces anxiety and depressed mood.
     
    Exercise provides numerous other psychological benefits, such as better sleep, reduced stress, improved self-esteem and greater confidence.
     
    There are so many behaviors that can lead us to feelings of guilt: eating too many sweets or too much junk food; overeating in general; drinking too much; smoking; drug use; sleeping too little; being sedentary; not exercising, etc. With any of the aforementioned, it’s easy to say afterward, “I shouldn’t have done that.” Regrets are not fun. 
     
    But, other than the rare instance of injury, no one ever finishes a workout and says, “Man, I shouldn’t have done that.” Nobody feels guilty after a workout.
     
    There is an undeniable positive-emotion component to exercise. It makes us feel like we did something very worthwhile for ourselves, when so many of our other behaviors can make us feel unworthy. 
     
    Many adults may feel that their lives are in service to others: their kids, their spouse, their aging parents, their boss, etc. When we exercise, we feel that we are in service to ourselves; it’s our time for ourselves.
     
    Regular exercise is a great confidence and morale booster. You don’t necessarily need to aim for a particular weight-loss goal. Just aim for just feeling better about yourself, physically and emotionally.
     
    Exercise even helps your brain grow new neurons. In this process, called neurogenesis, new neurons (brain cells) develop in the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning information, storing long-term memories, and regulating emotions.
     
    Exercise also promotes brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in many important cortical areas of the brain. 
     
    Yes, exercise leads to a happier, healthier brain!
     
    A regular exercise program may also have a domino effect, leading you to other healthier habits, such as eating more whole foods. Those two behaviors, in tandem, will ultimately change your physique, but they will also make you feel better physically and mentally. Everyone would feel better if they knew they were taking positive steps in their lives and working on self-improvement.
     
    So, don’t set a specific weight-loss target or make sculpted arms or chiseled abs your goal. Simply set a goal to feel happier, more positive and better about yourself. Exercise can serve those agendas.
     
    What better goals could anyone have? After all, there’s so much more to exercise than just how you look.
  • The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

    The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

    A lack of sleep may be a big contributor to America’s considerable weight problem.
     
    The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends 7-9 hours of sleep each night for adults, ages 18-64. Yet, more than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, according to a CDC study.
     
    Sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and frequent mental distress, according to the CDC.
     
    The hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin have gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Though you may have heard of them, you may not be familiar with their functions.
     
    Think of the ‘l’ in leptin standing for lose. Leptin suppresses appetite and therefore contributes to weight loss. Think of the ‘g’ in ghrelin standing for gain. Ghrelin is a fast-acting hormone that increases hunger and leads to weight gain.
     
    When you’re sleep deprived, research shows, ghrelin levels surge while leptin plummets. The result is an increase in hunger.
     
    The key to reducing your nighttime cravings is to get more sleep; 7-9 hours.
     
    Another key to successful weight loss technique is intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating.
     
    Recent research shows the benefits of intermittent fasting, and those who have tried it often view it as a sustainable, long-term solution.
     
    In the simplest form, intermittent fasting would amount to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. For example, food can be eaten only between 7am and 7pm or 8am and 8pm.
     
    However, research shows that the sweet spot seems to be 10 hours on and 14 hours off. For example, eating only from 9am to 7pm, and then fasting until 9am the next day.
     
    Some intermittent-fasting proponents use only an eight-hour feeding window, with 16 hours of continual fasting each day. For example, eating meals between 12pm and 8pm each day, and fasting at all other times.
     
    This helps to thwart any late-night snacking habits.
     
    The benefit of time-restricted eating is that it allows you to naturally reduce your food intake without counting calories. That’s preferable to most people.
     
    Ultimately, intermittent fasting is about the “when” of eating, not the “what” or “how much.”
     
    Some researchers believe that the rise of later nighttime eating may have thrown off our evolutionary circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that governs the physiological processes of humans and most other living beings, which may be contributing significantly to increases in obesity.
     
    Some studies suggest that by honoring the circadian rhythm and restricting feeding primarily to the daylight hours, we can improve our health and prevent disease.
     
    Fasting allows us to eat in harmony with our circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms — which determine the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals, including humans — can be modulated by external cues, such as sunlight.
     
    However, living in the 21st Century has disrupted our circadian rhythms. There is so much artificial light at night that the mind can confuse it with daytime. We also spend an exceptional amount of time (up to 12 hours a day) in front of screens (TVs, computers, tablets and smart phones) that emit blue light, which stimulates the retinal nerves and brain.
     
    21st Century adults spend, on average, 87%-93% of our 24-hours indoors and less than 5% of hours outdoors during the day. This light-dark rhythm disruption leads to less daytime alertness, and promotes depression (especially in older adults) and ADHD.
     
    This has resulted in circadian misalignment, in which our central and peripheral clocks are out of synch. Examples: too much light at night, sleep during daytime and food intake at night.
     
    Time-restricted feeding (12-16 hours of non-feeding) has proven to be the best match to our circadian clocks. The key is to eliminating nocturnal eating. The health benefits of time-restricted feeding double every extra hour of non-feeding time beyond 12 hours, up to 16 hours.
     
    While it is certainly wise to eat a variety of whole foods with high-quality sources of protein, fat and carbohydrate, timing may be the most crucial element when it comes to our eating habits.
     
    Another key is mindfulness. Being a more conscious (mindful) eater also helps you make healthier decisions during your eating window each day, so that you have adequate protein, fiber and water in your diet.
     
    In one study (by Dr. Satchidananda Panda, PhD), participants who adjusted their feeding time from their typical 14–15 hours down to 10 hours not only shed an average of 4% of their body weight, but also reported significantly improved energy levels and more satisfying sleep. Most remarkably, they ate their normal foods and didn’t change their exercise habits.
     
    Choosing to commit to intermittent fasting is easier if you do it with your partner/spouse or family. Any lifestyle change made in conjuncture with someone you live with can make a big difference. It creates a support system and can help keep you accountable.
     
    At the least, focus on getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night and eliminate nighttime snacking. However, you may want to try intermittent fasting / time-restricted eating for about a month to see how it works for you.
     
    It’s not very challenging. I do it and it’s made a difference for me. In fact, I highly recommend it.
  • The Miracle of Green Tea

    The Miracle of Green Tea

    Civilizations around the world have long used natural herbs and plants to treat sickness and pain. The Chinese, for example, have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression for at least 4,000 years.

    All tea comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis. Green tea’s protective benefits come from a powerful antioxidant, a polyphenol called EGCG. What sets green tea apart is the way it’s processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. Unlike black tea, green tea is not fermented, so its active ingredients remain unaltered. 

    Green tea provides more than 60 percent of the flavonoids available in the US diet. Flavonoids are plant compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. They also support a healthy vascular system and even modulate the destruction of cancer cells.

    Indeed, there is evidence showing that green tea can be effective in the prevention and treatment of certain types of cancer, including pancreatic, gastric, esophageal and skin cancers. Aside from inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, EGCG also kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. 

    Because our mouths are an oxygen-rich environment closely connected to our blood vessels, they provide an ideal habitat for the growth and rapid proliferation of cancer cells. Scientists have confirmed that green tea not only halts the growth of new oral cancer cells but it actually breaks down and kills existing oral cancer cells. 

    These effects alone are stunning, yet there are even more benefits of green tea, such as: preventing and treating high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, infection and impaired immune function.

    The antioxidant level of green tea is a hundred times more effective than vitamin C and twenty-five times better than vitamin E in protecting our immune systems. 

    Additionally, green tea acts as an anti-inflammatory and is also an antiviral agent. Moreover, it helps decrease body weight and BMI, aids digestion and helps maintain a healthy circulatory system, to name some further benefits.

    Not only has EGCG has been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, it may be effective in lowering triglycerides. Green tea may also improve blood flow and inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is a primary cause of heart attacks and strokes.

    EGCG has been found to be twice as powerful as resveratrol, the polyphenol in red wine that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. That may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately 75 percent are smokers.

    The components in green tea may reduce the risk of getting dental cavities by reducing plaque formation, while also reducing bacterial infections in the mouth. Another benefit of green tea is that it stunts the growth of odor causing bacteria, thus helping you maintain fresh breath. Simply using it as a mouthwash can even be beneficial.

    So, just how much green tea should we be drinking? To fully obtain the benefits, it’s recommended that we have at least four to six cups a day.  

    Green tea has significantly lower levels of caffeine than coffee, thus fewer associated side effects, such as anxiety and insomnia. 

    So, are you sold yet? Perhaps it’s time to replace most of the other beverages in your diet (except water) with green tea.

    Enjoy and reap the benefits!

  • Your Mighty Mitochondria

    Your Mighty Mitochondria

    The benefits of exercise are numerous and they extend all the way down to the cellular level.

    Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell. They absorb nutrients, break them down and create energy-rich molecules for the cell, a process known as cellular respiration.

    In essence, mitochondria convert chemical energy from the food we eat into an energy form that the cell can use. Mitochondria generate heat, a process known as thermogenesis, and they also store calcium, which is vital for a number of cellular processes, including proper muscle function.

    Mitochondria float freely throughout the cell. Some cells have several thousand mitochondria, while others have none. Muscle cells, which need lots of energy, are loaded with mitochondria. For example, about 40 percent of the cytoplasm in heart muscle cells is made up of mitochondria.

    It is well established that exercise increases the formation and function of skeletal-muscle mitochondria. Research indicates that exercise even increases brain mitochondria. The more you exercise, the more mitochondria you’ll make. Scientists say that improved mitochondrial function is a major factor in exercise-associated health benefits, including prevention of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

    The ability of cells to create additional mitochondria to deliver extra energy is particularly important for working muscles. Mitochondria generate the majority of our adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cellular fuel that powers all of our metabolic processes.

    So, the more mitochondria you have, the more ATP your body produces, which creates a greater capacity for repeated muscular contractions, such as during exercise. Increased muscle mitochondria increase resistance to fatigue and improve endurance, allowing for better performance and longer bouts of exercise. It also allows for greater fat-burning capacity.

    Yet, as we age, the capacity of mitochondria to generate energy slowly decreases. The good news is that physical activity manages to reduce aging on a cellular level.

    Studies have shown that exercise increases mitochondrial capacity and muscle growth (hypertrophy). Current research indicates that high-load resistance exercise can stimulate the creation of muscle mitochondria and improve their function.

    High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has proven to be particularly effective at increasing mitochondria in muscle cells. In the simplest sense, the harder you work out, the more mitochondria you create.

    A recent study at the Mayo Clinic found that HITT causes cells to make more proteins for their mitochondria and their protein-building ribosomes, effectively stopping aging at the cellular level. This discovery is the closest science has ever come to discovering the “Fountain of Youth.”

    As Sreekumaran Nair, senior author of the study, said, “These things we are seeing cannot be done by any medicine.”

    “There are substantial basic science data to support the idea that exercise is critically important to prevent or delay aging,” said Nair. “There’s no substitute for that.”

    However, you need to remain committed to your exercise program. Your mitochondrial levels will quickly decrease when you stop exercising. In fact, they return to normal levels within about a month.

    Get in Motion. Stay in Motion.

     

  • The Bad and Good News About Fat Cells

    The Bad and Good News About Fat Cells

    The CDC reported in 2016 that obesity affected about 93.3 million US adults, or 40 percent of the adult population, and trend is worsening. The Harvard School of Public Health projects the obesity rate will rise to around 50 percent by 2030. In all, 72 precent (yes, nearly three-quarters) of the adult population is either overweight or obese. This has made weight loss a very big business.

    The number of active dieters in the US is estimated at 97 million, and the total US weight loss industry hit a new peak of $72 billion in 2018, according to MarketResearch.com. Clearly, the desire for weight loss is widespread.

    But those aren’t the only expenses. The CDC estimated the cost of obesity at $147 billion In 2008. A decade later, it’s surely higher.

    With obesity reaching epidemic proportions, many have surely wondered if the problem is hereditary. Could obesity be passed down from parent to child? The CDC has answered that question: “Genetic changes in human populations occur too slowly to be responsible for the obesity epidemic.”

    However, overweight and obese parents may pass on to their children the habits of physical inactivity and the tendency to eat high-calorie, processed foods. Conversely, active, healthy eaters may also pass on these same positive tendencies to their children.

    Scientists are still learning about fat and not all of it is bad. At its core, body fat (aka, adipose tissue), is comprised of cells, just like everything else in your body.

    It was once believed that adults could not create new fat cells. However, researchers have shown that adults constantly produce new fat cells, regardless of their body-weight status, sex or age. 

    Though the number of fat cells in a person’s body increases through childhood and adolescence, it remains fairly constant throughout your adult life, regardless of whether or not you diet or are thin or fat, say researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

    However, the scientists found that we continually create new fat cells (aka, adipocytes) to replace those that break down and die. Yes, when fat cells die, as all cells do, the body simply creates new ones in its effort to keep the number constant. About 10 percent of adipocytes die each year and they are replaced at the same rate.

    The scientists at the Karolinska Institute found that obese people produce approximately twice as many new fat cells annually as lean people. They also found that fat cell death in obese people happens at twice the rate as lean people.

    Other studies have shown that obese and overweight individuals have a greater number of fat cells than “naturally thin” people. When we slim down, fat cells shrink in size, but the total number of fat cells does not decrease. So, an obese person who loses weight will still have more fat cells than the person who never gained weight. The greater number of fat cells in formerly obese people may be a factor in their tendency to regain the weight they lost. 

    When we gain weight, we store the extra lipids we don’t use in our fat cells, which makes them grow in size. As we lose weight, these cells shrink, but they never disappear. Weight loss is attributed to fat cells shrinking, not losing them entirely.

    Though excess body fat increases the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis and certain cancers, not all body fat is the same.

    Brown fat helps to maintain your body temperature and is activated when you get cold. While white fat stores calories, brown fat contains many more mitochondria (cellular engines), which burn calories to produce heat. In fact, brown fat even burns calories from white fat. The mitochondria in brown fat provide its color. Though brown and white fat cells are often mixed in together in fat tissue, white fat is much more prevalent.

    Researchers have found that people with lower body mass indexes (BMIs) tend to have more brown fat. There is also evidence that brown fat activity declines with age, which may cause people to gain weight as they grow older, aside from the natural decline in muscle mass that lowers metabolic rate.

    Additionally, researchers believe that exercise may stimulate hormones that activate brown fat, and that spending time in the cold may also cause the growth of new brown-fat cells.

    It is believed that brown fat is activated and proliferates in response to overfeeding (aka, consuming too many calories). Since it takes energy to digest food, calorie burning usually increases at mealtimes. However, studies in humans have shown dramatic differences between individuals in the energy cost of overfeeding. These studies have shown that individuals with similar dietary intake and exercise patterns exhibit dramatic differences in their tendency to gain weight.

    Researchers are looking into whether increasing the amount of brown fat could be a safe and effective therapy to limit obesity.

    Though body fat is often viewed as our enemy, it has many useful purposes, such as: storing energy, storing fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D and K), keeping us warm (fat is an insulator), and providing padding around our organs that protects us from physical trauma.

    Clearly, some body-fat is necessary, even vital. The problem is that too many Americans have too much of it — sometimes far too much — to be healthy.

    To determine healthy body-fat percentage ranges, based on your fitness level, follow these guidelines:

    Eat well. Get in Motion. Stay in Motion.

  • How Fiber Benefits Your Health

    How Fiber Benefits Your Health

    Fiber… you’ve probably heard that you should be eating more of it. If you’re like millions of Americans, it’s likely true.

    Fiber has many, many health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar levels, helping us achieve a healthy weight, normalizing bowel movements and maintaining bowel health. Fiber also reduces the rate of intestinal carbohydrate absorption, reducing insulin response.

    Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that we cannot digest because we lack the digestive enzymes required to break it down. Fiber slows down the digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in a prolonged feeling of fullness and reduced appetite. This may reduce food intake and lead to weight loss.

    Women need 25 grams of fiber per day and men need 38 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine. Yet, only 5 percent of people in the US meet that recommended target. The average adult eats just 15 grams of fiber per day, which is about half of what we should be getting. Everyone would benefit from adding more fiber to each meal.

    There are different types of fiber and each is uniquely different. Fiber is either soluble or insoluble, viscous or non-viscous and fermentable or non-fermentable.

    Soluble fiber dissolves in water; insoluble fiber does not. Viscose fiber is gel-forming. Fermentable fiber can be metabolized by gut bacteria. And some fibers are combinations of all three. So, not all fiber is created equally; the various types of fiber have different properties in the gut.

    Insoluble fiber or “roughage” goes through your system unaffected by the digestive process. When mixed with water, insoluble fiber acts like a sponge, absorbing liquid and swelling in size in the gastrointestinal tract.

    Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is often viscous, meaning it forms a gel in your gut. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, flaxseed, beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium. One serving of a breakfast cereal with oatmeal or oat bran provides 3 to 4 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as a banana or berries, you’ll get even more fiber.

    Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL (bad) cholesterol. How does it work?

    Soluble fiber binds to bile salts in the gastrointestinal tract, causing them to be excreted as part of our fecal matter, rather than being re-absorbed by the colon, as they usually are. Since blood cholesterol is needed to make bile, the body must pull more cholesterol out of our blood to make more bile to replace what was lost. This ultimately lowers the amount of cholesterol in our bloodstream.

    Eating high-fiber foods is also critical to our gut health, which determines our overall health. High-fiber foods feed the healthy bacteria that improve immune function, reduce inflammation and chronic disease, and even help regulate mood.

    When we don’t consume enough fiber, we are essentially starving our gut microbiome, the ecology of trillions of diverse bacteria lining our intestines and colon. Fiber nourishes our gut microbiome.

    There are an estimated 100 trillion bacteria residing in the human gut, mainly in the large intestine (aka, colon). The key is to increase the number of good or healthy bacteria. Both soluble and insoluble fibers undergo fermentation in the large intestine, which stimulates the production of good bacteria there.

    Consequently, fermentable fibers also stimulate the immune system, inhibit inflammation, stabilize blood glucose, and suppress LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

    Foods that are rich in fermentable fibers include beans, legumes, oats and barley, as well as fruits and vegetables.

    Fiber doesn’t just help us poop better. Its ability to fight constipation misses the big picture; daily bowel movements and bowel health are not the same. Providing regularity is just one of fiber’s many benefits, and it is not as important as fiber’s impact on our microbiome.

    The best way to meet your daily fiber requirement is to eat a wide variety of whole foods, rather than supplements, and to minimize processed foods. Focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

    With low-carb diets (i.e., the ketogenic plan, the Atkins diet and the paleo diet) becoming increasingly popular, adherents of these plans are usually getting insufficient fiber.

    Americans who think going “low-carb” simply means eating more meat often end up eating less vegetables, fruits and grains. Since the latter reduce inflammation, cutting them out can increase inflammation, which has been linked with a variety diseases, including heart disease and stroke, and may also lead to autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

    If you eat a wide variety of whole, plant-based foods every day, and are sure to have some with each meal, you will likely meet your daily fiber requirement. Include veggies in every meal and be sure to eat them first, such as a salad before your meal. This will help you to fill up on very low calorie, high fiber foods before anything else.

    Any food that contains 2.5 grams of fiber per serving is considered a good source, and 5 grams or more is excellent.

    Chia, flax, sesame and hemp seeds are all great sources of fiber. They can be added to to oatmeal, yogurt and smoothies, for example.

    One cup of cooked beans can deliver up to 75% of your daily fiber needs. Beans are also packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.

    Raspberries and blackberries have 8 grams of fiber per cup.

    Avocados are incredibly nutritious fruits and half an avocado delivers 5 grams of fiber.

    One small pear has 5 grams of fiber and apples are also packed with fiber.

    However, if you peel fruits and vegetables, you’ll often remove half the fiber. So, leave the skin on apples, cucumbers and sweet Potatoes, etc.

    By meeting your daily fiber requirement, you’ll achieve a whole series of health benefits, which will pay dividends now and in the future.

     

  • Any Diet That Restricts Calories Will Lead to Weight Loss; You Just Need to Stick With It

    Any Diet That Restricts Calories Will Lead to Weight Loss; You Just Need to Stick With It

    When most people think of a diet, they think of weight loss. But we all have a diet, regardless of whether we’re trying to lose weight. As a healthy-weight person, my focus is on maximizing nutrition — the quality of the food that goes into my mouth and nourishes my body. Most athletes think this way. Eat well; be well. 

    However, with 70 percent of Americans being overweight or obese, according to the latest government data, much of the public is still seeking the “perfect diet” for weight loss. The truth is, there isn’t one.

    A diet study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when it comes to weight loss, how much you eat matters more than the proportion of fat, carbohydrate and protein in your foods.

    The results of the study were consistent with the findings from many previous studies:

    • The major predictor for weight loss was adherence to the diet.

    • The study had a high drop-out rate (hence the importance of adherence).

    • People on all of the diets lost weight by six months, but regained some of it by two years (if you don’t adhere to your diet, it won’t work).

    • It was hard for people to stick to the diets, especially those at the extremes of one dietary component or another.

    The key point is that if you restrict calories and adhere to your eating program, any diet will work for weight loss.

    Case in point: The Twinkie Diet.

    For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate a diet primarily consisting of Twinkies, donuts and other junk foods. In the process, he lost 27 pounds, which is a considerable amount of weight in such a short span. Overall, his body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent, a decline of more than 8 percentage points. 

    While this may seem shocking, the reality is that Haub didn’t ingest very many calories — less than 1,800 a day. The average American consumes more than 3,600 calories per day – a 24 percent increase from 1961, when the average was just 2,880 calories.

    Haub’s results were especially surprising since he was eating such a carbohydrate-heavy diet, which would cause him to hold more water — and water is heavy. That makes his results all the more powerful.  

    Haub said he followed a basic principle of weight loss: he consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned. And he simply maintained the same level of moderate physical activity he was performing before going on the diet. 

    The professor’s experiment was a great reminder that no matter what you eat, it all comes down to calories in versus calories out.

    However, the health outcomes of his experiment are the truly amazing part of the story. Haub’s LDL (bad cholesterol) dropped 20 percent and his HDL (good cholesterol) increased by 20 percent. He also reduced his triglycerides by 39 percent. That’s hard to figure. Interestingly, once Haub started adding meat back into the diet, his cholesterol level increased.

    I spoke to the past president of the American Dietetic Association (who was my client) about Haub’s results. He was attending an ADA conference the week the story broke and, naturally, the topic came up. He said that one of the major points the dieticians all agreed on was that maintaining caloric balance (calories in = calories out) was the most important factor for heart health and blood lipids.

    Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. 

    So, that’s the takeaway from this remarkable story. The lesson is not that you should follow this radical (and ridiculous) diet to achieve these results. It’s that if you limit caloric intake, you will lose weight — no matter what diet you’re on. 

    For the record, despite his intriguing results, Haub does not recommend replicating his Twinkie-based diet. He said he realized that he was simply eating too much, so he started his Twinkie diet to focus on portion control.

    It worked. After all, there are only so many Twinkies someone wants to eat, day after day for 10 weeks.

     

  • Why Your Weight May Be Fluctuating So Much

    Why Your Weight May Be Fluctuating So Much

    Many people veer from happy to unhappy to utterly confused watching their weight go up and down each day. It’s not uncommon for our bodyweight to fluctuate from 1 to 5 pounds overnight.

    The main culprit is water retention and there’s a multitude of things that can cause this. One pound equals just 15.34 fluid ounces of water or 450 ml. So, if you have just 1 liter of extra water in your system, that’s more than two pounds of extra weight.

    Carbohydrates encourage your body to retain water, so the more carbs you eat, the more water you retain.

    One gram of carbs tends to store 3-4 grams of water — so if you’re consuming more carbs in one meal than you can efficiently use, they’ll end up getting stored as glycogen and make you hold onto more water.

    For example, eating 50 grams of carbohydrate will result in the storage of an additional 150-200 grams of water in the liver and muscles. That’s a total of 200-250 grams between the carbohydrate and water, which is half-pound (1 pound = 454 grams).

    This water retention occurs because your kidneys retain sodium in response to carbohydrate consumption. Your body reacts to the higher sodium levels by storing more water to keep the sodium-blood concentration at a healthy level.

    When you eat too much salt, the cells of your body must compensate by absorbing more water to balance out sodium concentrations.

    Consuming 400 milligrams of sodium, the amount in a single gram of table salt, causes your body to retain an extra 4 cups of water, which equals roughly 2 pounds.

    Eating fast food and processed food, which are high in sodium, can cause weight fluctuations of 2 pounds or more.

    The best way to reduce water retention is to reduce your salt intake. According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines published by the US Government, adults should limit their sodium intake to 2300 mg (1 teaspoon) or less. However, on average, Americans eat more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day.

    The second most important way to reduce water retention is to drink more water. This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the solution. Drinking more water causes the excess salt to diffuse out of your cells, and it can then be flushed from the body by your kidneys and skin.

    Ironically, skimping on your H2O results in water retention. If you’re not drinking enough water, your body holds onto every last drop inside to prevent severe dehydration. Dehydration causes your body to hoard water, which in turn causes bloating.

    The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) recommends a total daily water intake of 120 ounces (15 cups) for the average adult male and 88 ounces (11 cups) for the average adult female.

    Intense exercise also helps to quickly flush excess sodium out of the body.

    In summary: cut your salt intake, drink more water each day and exercise intensely most days of the week.

    Get in Motion. Stay in Motion.