Newsletter #2

Hello Friends

Thank-you for your overwhelming positive responses to the first newsletter. Please continue sending your comments and or questions.

Please remember any nutritional tips I may suggest are for healthy active people. If you have any health concerns please refer to a registered dietician for proper care. The keyword here is active, because active people need fuel to power through their day.

Lifestyle and eating tips

In my last newsletter we discussed the importance of breakfast. This should answer many of the questions you may have. How do you choose a cereal? Read cereal labels. To help you decide whether a particular product should work its way into your cart or is better left on the shelf, consider these six criteria for a healthy cereal:

• The grains should be whole (e.g. "whole wheat" or "wheat bran," not just "wheat").
• Protein content should be at least 3 grams per serving
• The total carbohydrate-to-sugar ratio should be no less than four to one.* This means if the "Total Carbohydrate" line says 24 grams, the "sugars" should have a value of 6 grams or less. That tells you that most of the carbs come from the grain and fibers, not from the added sugars. On the other hand, a cereal with 28 grams of total carbohydrate and 15 grams of sugars would fall into the "junk cereal" category. Super nutritious cereals have a carb-to-sugar ratio of six or seven to one (e.g., 23 grams to 3 grams). Also look for the "five and five" rule: Less than 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of fiber.
• Zinc content should be 25 to 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance.
• Iron content should be 25 to 40 percent of the RDA.
• Other vitamin and mineral content should be 25 to 40 percent of the RDA.

There are also ingredients a nutritious cereal should not contain. Check the ingredients list for these:

• hydrogenated oils, dyes or artificial colors or chemical preservatives

Women: We all know the benefits of fiber! Fiber not only prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, it can also help reduce the risk for some chronic diseases such as colon and breast cancer. In addition, fiber may help lower the bad LDL cholesterol and the total cholesterol therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, fiber can help lower blood sugar therefore help better manage diabetes. How much for women? 25g of fiber per day for women under 50 and 21g for those over 50. That is equivalent to at least 2 cups of vegetables, 1 1/2 cups of fruit and 3 servings of whole grains.

Men: Men need more fiber than women. Fiber needs are determined to provide the greatest protection against heart disease as well as based on energy intake. Men in general need more calories and so they need more fiber. How much for men? 38g of fiber per day for men under 50 and 30 g for those over 50. That is equivalent to at least 3 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit and 3 servings of whole grains.

What about carbohydrates? Are they fattening? This is probably my number 1 question about nutrition

Carbohydrates are not fattening if you eat the appropriate kinds and amounts. Complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, corn, whole grains, and beans are often avoided because they are thought to be fattening, although nothing could be further from the truth. The butter, sour cream, and sauces we usually consume with them are fattening. Ounce for ounce, a T-bone steak contains five times the calories of a baked potato without the butter and the sour cream. Plus the saturated fats that the body stores and cause your high cholesterol count

Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. They are the primary fuel for the brain and for muscular activity. Since they cannot be stored in large quantities, they need to be ingested at each meal, preferably in the form of complex carbohydrates.

There are two forms of carbohydrate simple (sugars) and complex (starches). Sugars are easily broken down and enter the bloodstream quickly as glucose. Starches are more slowly broken down. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, stores the extra glucose in cells in the form of glycogen. When the cells are saturated with glycogen the additional glucose is converted into fat. The rapid rise in glucose from simple carbohydrates induces a rapid release of insulin, which acts to clear the bloodstream of glucose and put the glucose into storage. The slower digestion of complex carbohydrates causes a slower release of insulin, less storage of glycogen and fat, and more available energy. Your body can store 1,200 to 2,000 calories of energy as glycogen in the muscles and the liver. This is the energy you use for your daily activities.

Because complex carbohydrates are absorbed much more slowly than simple carbohydrates, they are a better source of energy for the body. The cold cereals and oatmeal that you eat for breakfast are an ideal source of slow-burning energy to sustain you until lunchtime. Complex carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables also contain large amounts of the vitamins and minerals needed by the body.I hope those thoughts on carbs answer some of your questions Remember eat your veggies and fruits

Some thought about exercise:

We've been lead to believe that aerobic exercise is necessary for weight loss. Common prescription for weight loss is walking, running or other cardio type exercises. "You run to lose weight" is the common thinking. While this may work in some cases, research has shown that aerobic exercise alone is not sufficient for weight loss because although you burn calories when training aerobically, you only burn a relatively small amount. For example in a 30 min jogging session you may burn around 200-300 calories depending on your body weight (especially muscle), age and other things. What you've just burned is the equivalent of a large apple and banana. But that's comparing it to fruits. Considering a Big Mac is around 500 Calories etc.

Aerobic exercise has been shown in numerous scientific studies to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, prevent the onset of diabetes, prevent some cancers and many other health benefits. But aerobic exercise alone is not the most effective way to lose bodyfat or lose weight

Apart from increasing strength, preventing osteoporosis (which two in three women will develop and 3 out of four guys) and other health related benefits which even go so far as to conditioning the heart and the respiratory system, building muscle is an essential part in controlling bodyfat. Yes, if you want to lose bodyfat and more specifically keep it off forever, you need to perform muscle-building exercises such as weight or resistance training. It does that by allowing your body to burn more calories, so that less excess calories remain to be stored, usually as bodyfat. You see muscle is a vital component in your body's furnace. Basically the more muscle you have, the more furnaces you have operating in burning energy or food. In fact putting on around 0.5 kg of muscle will allow you to eat an extra 300 calories per week without affecting your weight, this inevitably allows you to control bodyfat by allowing you to eat more and still stay lean. You'll be able to eat more, stay lean and feeling great.

A common Question:

I have heard that if you go over a certain heart rate while doing aerobic exercises, you do not burn fat. Is this true? This is one of those misconceptions that should be put to rest once and for all. The "fat-burning zone" idea got its start about 15 years ago, when scientists reported that during high-intensity exercise, the body burned mostly stored carbohydrates for fuel, as opposed to burning stored fat as it did during lower-intensity activity. It's true that the body burns a higher percentage of calories from fat during more mellow exercise like walking and easy cycling. But, when you pick up the pace for a higher-intensity cardio workout, you burn a greater number of overall calories (which should be your focus for weight loss) and subsequently just as much total fat. When you exercise vigorously, you also get a hormonal change, which causes your body to burn more fat during your recovery time

So the next time you work out remember you'll reach your goals faster with intensity not duration

One last reminder: It is necessary to receive medical clearance before starting a vigorous exercise program

Best Wishes for continued good health,
David White
david@maximizefitness.com
Please let me know if there is anyone else that may benefit from future E-mails I would be glad to add him or her to the list.
Any questions regarding training or this newsletter please E-mail the above address or call
213-760-3144