Throw Your New Year's Resolution Out the Door!

Such high expectations are placed on New Year's resolutions that it isn't surprising most people never follow through with their own goals. You always overhear people say, “I'm going to quit smoking on January 1,” “I'm going to start my diet on January 1,” “or “I'm going to stop eating chocolate, fast food, fatty foods, etc. on January 1.” Well, I'm wondering why everyone feels that January 1 is the best and maybe the only day to begin good habits. Why not start today, right now? I say throw all those New Year's resolutions and goals out and make a today resolution instead. It takes all that unwanted pressure off of a specific date, and allows to you to start feeling better about yourself right now.

And if you've tried exercising and dieting before but found that you just weren't into it for whatever reason, check out what WebMD Health is predicting for the top fitness trends of 2004:

Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2004

1. Chairs, steps, walls and many other readily available tools will be the focus of fast, yet efficient workouts for Americans constricted by time and access.
2. Pilates and Yoga will continue to gain popularity, offering a holistic mind and body approach to physical fitness and wellness.
3. Rather than working on groups of muscles in isolation, function fitness will focus on strengthening muscles and joints together; allowing people to perform their daily routines with less physical discomfort.
4. The internet will continue to make life easier by making lifestyle and performance coaching more accessible and affordable – thus increasing its popularity.
5. Websites containing wellness information, risk assessment calculators, contacts for fitness professionals, and many other services will be partially subsidized by health-care providers and companies thus making them accessible and affordable for anyone wanting to learn more about improving their well-being.
6. Fitness equipment will get smarter, providing feedback on everything from calories burned to lactic acid production to the success of your marathon training.
7. More fitness clubs will offer pay as you go pricing, rather than lengthy contracts that intimidate new customers.
8. The time-tested benefits of regular exercise and sensible eating will once again become the popular choice for weight-loss and overall good health.
9. Exercise programs for seniors will focus on balance, stability, and strength training in an effort to create effective preventative care to help fight osteoporosis, reduce the risk of every day injury, and to help maintain independence.
10. Cities and communities will focus on the additions of sidewalks, trails, and parks making it easier for everyone to become physically active.

WebMD is predicting that the top ten fitness trends for 2004 will be fast and efficient workouts that not only exercise your body in a relatively short period of time, but your mind as well. These quicker exercise programs will help busy Americans squeeze more exercise into shorter amounts of time. It looks like the old excuse, “I just don't have time to exercise,” was pushed right out the door along with 2003.

Sources:
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/77/95418.htm

The Almighty New Year's Diet

So you want to start a new diet for your Today's Resolution, but you aren't sure which one is right for you. There are so many diets out there, all claiming to hold the key to the best weight loss formula. Two of the most popular diets right now are the South Beachiet and the Atkins Diet, both low carbohydrate, high protein diets that promise results in just the first two weeks, all without completely eliminating your favorite foods. Below I have broken down the main selling points of these two diets and a third unnamed diet that promises the same great results.

The South Beach Diet

Who : Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D. Cardiologist

What: A scientifically proven program that will not only help you lose weight fast – between 8 and 13 pounds in the first two weeks – but also improve your heart health.

How: Three Phases –

Phase 1: Banishing Your Cravings. Eliminate your cravings for sweets and starches.

Phase 2: Reintroducing Carbs. Gradually reintroduce "good" carbs into your diet. You'll lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, until you reach your ideal weight.

Phase 3: Maintaining Your Ideal Weight. Continue eating good carbs and fats, and maintain your weight for the rest of your life.

In the first two-week phase of the South Beach diet you eat normal-sized helpings of lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. Vegetables are also allowed, as are nuts, cheese, and eggs. Lots of water is required.

The South Beach diet groups "good" and "bad" carbohydrates based on their glycemic index, a measure of how foods affect your blood sugar. Forbidden in those first 14 days, however, are fruit, bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked-goods. No sugar, ice cream, cookies, or cake. And no alcoholic drinks of any kind.

The Atkins Diet

Who: Dr. Robert C. Atkins, M.D.

What: 1.You will lose weight. 2. You will maintain weight loss. 3. You will achieve good health. 4. You will lay the permanent groundwork for disease prevention.

How : Four Stages – Induction, Ongoing weight loss (OWL), Pre-maintenance, Lifetime maintenance.
Phase 1, the beginning stage of the Atkins Diet, known as Induction is designed to switch your body from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning primarily fat for energy. You must not eat any fruit or grains during Induction. Nuts are too high in carbohydrates to be consumed during the first two weeks of Induction. Cream and butter are acceptable foods during Induction. You should eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Phase 2 is the reintroduction of carbs, 25 grams daily the first week, 30 grams daily the second week and so on until weight loss stops. Then subtract 5 grams of carbohydrates from your daily intake so that you continue sustained, moderate weight loss.

Phase 3, Pre-maintenance - Make the transition from weight loss to weight maintenance by increasing the daily carbohydrate intake in 10-gram increments each week so long as very gradual weight loss is maintained.

Phase 4, Life-time maintenance - Select from a wide variety of foods while controlling carbohydrate intake to ensure weight maintenance and a sense of well-being. This lifestyle is the foundation for a lifetime of better health.

The Healthy Diet

Who : You

What: You will lose weight and maintain the weight loss. You will achieve good health and prevent disease.

How: No phases, just eating a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and starches combined with regular physical activity. Excessive amounts of protein, fats, saturated fats, and sugars are restricted for the duration of your life.

If weight loss is your goal, there is no shortage of methods to help you achieve that goal. All three diets above have produced great results and have tons of avid followers to back up the claims. But only one of the three diets is completely correct in its claims and only one diet has been scientifically proven, again and again, to be effective for all sexes, ages, races, and weights. The ultimate question is who are you going to trust your well-being to, a doctor you have never met or your own innate common sense?

Sources:
www.southbeachdiet.com
www.atkins.com
www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/031000putthesouthbeachdiet.htm

Dispelling the 3 Most Common Myths of a Vegetarian/Vegan Diet

Lately NPR has been airing racism awareness commercials that end with a slogan like, “Imagine the power of one voice.” In these commercials when a friend makes a racist remark, ending with, “You know what I mean?” The other friend responds with a stern, “No, I don't know what you mean.” The ads sound like real conversations and drive home a strong point, that one voice spoken in earnest can make a difference.

Lately the negative effects of a diet full of meat have been becoming more and more apparent. But no matter how many scientifically proven facts there are to back up the necessity of a diet consisting of starches, fruits, and vegetables, the terms Vegetarian and Vegan are often reserved for eccentrics and paranoids. Imagine the power of one voice stating earnestly that maybe vegetarians and vegans are on to something, that maybe it isn't so off-beat to eliminate meat and dairy from your diet.

Since when is fried chicken and beer considered to be healthy?

Myth 1: “You are not able to get enough protein with a non-meat eating diet.”

The appropriate amount of protein your body requires can be determined by multiplying your body weight by 0.36. So if you weigh 150 lbs, your appropriate protein intake should be 54 grams. However that value has a large margin, increasing for pregnant or lactating women and highly active people. Protein is an important nutrient required by the body for the building, maintenance, and repair of tissues. Our bodies can produce eleven of the twenty amino acids that are found in protein. The other nine amino acids must be supplemented with the diet. The most common misunderstanding surrounding protein is that it can only be obtained from meat. But protein is found in a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables.

The truth is that these high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets that are so popular today are increasing the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. The reason they produce weight-loss results is due to the fact that the consumers are eating less calories, not because they are eating more protein. Diets rich in protein cause people to excrete more calcium through their urine – increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Certain proteins present in meat cooked at high temperatures have been found to produce compounds called heterocyclic amines which are linked to various cancers of the colon and breast. Too much protein in the diet releases nitrogen into the blood or is digested and metabolized placing a strain on the kidneys which must expel the waste through the urine. And excessive consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products, encouraged by the high-protein diets popular today, are high in cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. Plus, diets that are rich in animal proteins actually encourage calcium loss which leads me into the next myth. Vegetarian and Vegan diets provide plenty of protein without all the unwanted fats and cholesterol that come with a diet based on animal proteins.

“Milk does a body good?”

Myth 2: “You are not able to get enough Calcium on a vegetarian/vegan diet.”

The recommended Calcium intake by the National Osteoporosis Foundation is 1,500 milligrams per day. The average American consumes 500-600 mg per day. Yet scientific research demonstrates that people need as little as 150-200 mg. per day. Consider for example that countries such as Hong Kong , Singapore , and countries in rural Africa consume as little as 300-500 mg per day and they have the least occurrences of osteoporosis. Compared to the United States where 10 million people have osteoporosis and dairy is still pushed as preventative measure instead of the cause. Dairy products are also loaded with saturated fats - the heart attack producing fat. For example, 1% milk is 23% fat; 2% milk is 35% fat, whole milk is 50% fat, cheese is 70% fat, and butter is 100% fat. Calcium or no calcium, that amount of fat is dangerous to your health no matter what. The amount of calcium in the foods we eat actually has very little effect on the quantity of calcium that is taken into the body and on the health of our bones. The intestine absorbs sufficient calcium to meet your needs from the foods you eat – and the amount it absorbs is always the same whether you are on a low calcium diet or a high calcium diet. There have been no confirmed cases of dietary calcium deficiency in the last 100 years of scientific and nutritional literature – and I know you are thinking of osteoporosis – but again, think of the countries with the lowest calcium intakes, they have the least cases of osteoporosis worldwide. Calcium isn't the only nutrient that affects bone health – potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene, phosphorus, and fiber are all important for strong, healthy bones. Vegetarian and Vegan diets provide plenty of calcium, without the unwanted fats and cholesterols that come with a diet rich in dairy and animal products.

Are you familiar with Carl Lewis?

Myth 3: “A vegetarian/vegan diet doesn't provide the body with the necessary amounts of fuel (protein and amino acids) to lead an active, athletic lifestyle.”

Highly active people, i.e. athletes, require more energy than the average person to do what they do, whether that be running a marathon, weight-training, or raising five kids, working a full time job, and still cooking dinner, doing the dishes, the laundry, and cleaning the house…Phew! But a common myth about a non-meat diet is that the body cannot perform to its' full potential because it lacks the appropriate proteins and amino acids. Yet proteins come from a variety of plant sources, and amino acids, though abundantly found in animal-based protein, can also be found in lentils, rice, peanut butter, whole grain breads, and soy products. Vegans and vegetarians receive plenty of fuel through their diet, with the added bonus of essential vitamins and minerals. The only elements these diets don't provide are unhealthy fats, cholesterols, and excessive sugars.

Studies continue to show that the healthiest diet is one that is high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and moderate in protein. And the best time-tested, proven method to lose weight is to combine a healthy diet of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables with regular physical activity.

So the next time someone makes an uninformed comment about vegetarian or vegan diets, you can tell them a few interesting facts that may alter their view. Imagine the power of your comment. Whether or not you have actually converted their diet, you have made a difference.

Sources:
http://www.pcrm.org/heatlh/veginfo/protein.html
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/031100puhowtohelpameathead.htm
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/030700pumeatinthehumandiet.htm
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/030400pudairyproductsfalse promises.htm
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/020600puguiltydairyindustry

Where do bananas come from?

I was recently teaching a friend how to make smoothies. She doesn't like fruit, never has, which I find odd, but hey, to each her own. So she decided that if the fruits were blended into a smoothie, perhaps she would enjoy them. And I of course agreed. Smoothies are great!
She first pulled some strawberries from the fridge, “Do I need to pull the green things off?” She asked in reference to the leaves. Although somewhat silly, the question was normal, we eat plenty of green vegetation, why not strawberry roughage?
“How much yogurt do I use?”
“How do I start the blender?”
All of these questions were normal and expected from a first time fruit smoothie maker. But her final question blew my mind.

“I don't even know how to buy bananas. Do they sell them in the grocery store?”

It then occurred to me that she probably isn't the only one who doesn't know how or where to buy fresh produce. It is so easy to run into the grocery store and buy frozen meals, just-add-water snacks, and pre-packaged boxes of pasta and sauces. The produce isles, although located near the front of most stores, are merely a green blur as we run by. And buying produce is more labor intensive than buying a pre-made meal. First of all, the price tag is not conveniently located on the product; often times a scale is required to pre-determine the price. Consumers must also check for freshness and ripeness. Pre-packaged meals, however, always have a price tag, they fit into our hurried schedules, and they are super easy to prepare, eat, and clean up.

But fresh produce is essential to our physical health and wellbeing. The simple fact is that good nutrition is the foundation of good health. The four basic nutrients that your body requires to function at its optimal level are water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; as well as vitamins and minerals. If you are looking for a simple way to dramatically improve your health, choose the healthiest forms of each of these nutrients and eat them in proper balance.

Water is present in every function your body performs from transporting nutrients to maintaining proper body temperature. Water is necessary for all digestive, absorptive, circulatory, and excretory functions. Carbohydrates, found almost exclusively in fruits, vegetables, peas, and beans, provide your body with the necessary energy to function. Protein is essential for the growth and development of cells, assisting in the manufacturing of hormones, antibodies, enzymes, and tissues, and protein helps maintain the acid-alkali balance in the body. And lastly, fats, although deemed such a negative nutrient, are also essential. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy, but there are three different types: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated, each with its own contribution to your health. Saturated fatty acids, found in meat and dairy products and some vegetable products such as coconut oil and vegetable shortening, are used by the liver to make cholesterol (which, yes, your body needs). However, excessive intake of saturated fats, leads to excessive cholesterol production, and high cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and certain fish oils; and these fats can actually help lower your cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in vegetable and nut oils and can also help to reduce cholesterol levels.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and more. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains will not only help you to keep your weight in check, but will also help ward off illness. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are often the cause of allergies, infections, and many other diseases and ailments. Eating healthy is the number one preventative step we can take to avoid these problems. Although nothing can top the benefits of eating these foods in their natural states, i.e. not processed or refined, “green” food supplements are a good alternative for those of us who just can't seem to eat enough of the real thing.

So the next time you race into the grocery store, be sure to swing through the produce isles and pick up some of your favorite fruits and vegies - your body will thank you!