Tuesday, August 31, 2010

42/365 Superset for Speed and Size

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I know that sometimes school or work cramps our exercise style. You may only have an hour when you thought you had more time. You may have talked too long coming in and don't have as much time left. You want to get bigger. Superset training is your answer.

To superset, you must perform different exercises one right after the other with little rest in between. Instead of doing your 3 sets of 8 or what have you of biceps and then doing your 3 sets of 8 on your triceps, you would alternate between them after each set is complete.

Biceps 8 reps, Triceps 8 reps
Biceps 8 reps, Triceps 8 reps
Biceps 8 reps, Triceps 8 reps

Move on to a different set of opposing muscles.

Other groupings you could do are chest and back, hamstrings and quads, rear deltoid and lateral deltoid. You are essentially matching muscles that help you push and muscles that help you pull. You will definitely feel tired after this so don't forget to have your protein, chewy bar, etc. handy!

In health,

Lauren

Monday, August 30, 2010

41/365 A Deep Fried Toast to Your Arteries

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

For many reasons, I've been going out with friends for dinner, drinks, or both more frequently. Each time, somebody asks me how healthy this is or to write a blog about it. Upon further reflection I decided to look into something that fascinated me about drinking. Why is it that we all seem to crave fatty foods after or while we consume alcohol?

Lacy Perry's article "How Hangovers Work" featured on Discovery Health's website informed me that fried/fatty foods are a proven means of preventing a hangover. The fat sticks to the lining of our stomachs very well; this prolongs the absorption of alcohol giving us more time to process and a smaller chance of having a hangover. Our bodies must know that fried/fatty foods will have this effect. An article I found from the Journal of Young Investigators stated that the neurotransmitter galanin which signals to us that we're hungry is produced when we consume alcohol. Galanin also promotes alcohol consumption.

By these statements, I am by no means saying that it is good to drink in excess or eat fried/fatty foods. There are serious repercussions for doing this. As a young person, you often think that you are invincible and rarely stop to think about the arterial damage caused by fried/fatty foods. What more when you are drinking? Fried/fatty foods have high LDL cholesterol. This is the bad kind that sticks to your arteries, builds up into foam cells (which are irreversible), and causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This is so not okay.

Hangovers can be prevented and remedied with healthier choices like eggs, bananas, water, fruit juice, and not drinking in excess. Think before you drink.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, August 29, 2010

40/365 Don't Go Slightly Mad

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

You may have noticed that I missed posting my blog yesterday. I actually wrote it on my computer but, since my internet is unreliable these days, I was unable to post it on this here blog. Sometimes we slip up. Sometimes we aren't able to stick to our diet or our exercise routines. I want you to know that it's okay and that it will be okay. If you eat too much crap food or you just laze on the couch all day, there is tomorrow to make up for it. Our bodies are resilient so long as treat them well. In most cases, it is never too late for exercise and healthy choices to make a positive influence on you. An example is cigarette smoking. Though your lungs are irreversibly damaged from the tar and pollution you've bombarded against them, exercising will help postpone the long term damage and at least keep the situation from getting worse.

In conclusion, it's okay to have an off day. Give yourself a break. If you don't, I guarantee that you will go slightly mad. By the way, tough love returns tomorrow so be wary.

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, August 28, 2010

39/365 Fruit Finale

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Admittedly, I have a sweet tooth. I enjoy a good cookie from time to time or a cupcake from Cargo Trike Cupcakes. Desserts like these are “sometimes foods.” If you can help it, try for one a day. For a greater challenge, maybe only 4 times a week. Desserts pack in a lot of calories. It’s especially hard when the portion is already selected for you. In our dining hall, I will often split the dessert being offered in half.

Something you can try that is a two-fold healthier way of satisfying that sweet tooth is by eating fruits as your dessert. A ripe peach is fantastically sweet with every bite of its juicy, nutritious goodness. The more you substitute naturally occurring sweets for baked or prepared desserts, the more you will crave them. You may find yourself as I do turned off to ultra sweet treats that I used to enjoy.

So try a peach or a handful of berries as your dessert instead of those tired packaged cookies. You will find yourself satisfied from tongue to tummy.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, August 27, 2010

38/365 Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

When you eat out, you are faced with many temptations. Over the course of this blog I will try to address each one and give you a defense against them. Today's temptation to battle is how to say no when you're already full.

I am a big fan of 20/20 and remember a segment about how eating with others makes us eat more. A study was done where two women were sitting in a room eating ice cream. They both started out with a serving each with the ice cream container between them. After they finished the first serving, Woman 1 got another scoop of ice cream. She was told to do this whenever she and Woman 2 finished their helping. Woman 2 voluntarily proceeded to get another scoop as well. Woman 1 got yet another scoop. Woman 2 followed. You see the pattern that is happening. When food is placed in front of us, we will continue to eat it as long as someone else is eating it. Even if you're full, part of you, for whatever reason, will continue to eat anyway.

I'm sure that you have experienced this just as I have at dinners, luncheons, or any food date. Eating is a social thing but, be mindful of what that can mean to your endeavors to eat healthily and consciously.

At home, my solution for this is to first remove your plate and utensils from the table. Don't even give yourself the option to civilly eat some more. Try to remove the food from the table entirely. Store it so that you don't get an extra helping. At a restaurant, place your utensils on your plate and your napkin on top of it. It certainly would not be polite to grab your utensils again and get more food. Even better, have your waiter take your plate or box up your leftovers as soon as he/she can. Out of sight, out of mind.

When tempted to get an extra helping when you're not hungry, put the food out of your vision as much as possible. If you don't see it, you won't think about it.

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, August 26, 2010

37/365 Pass the Peppers Please

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I remember this one episode of Home Improvement where Tim ate some jalepenos and couldn't figure out how to cool his mouth down. I often felt this way as a child. Spicy food was just not happening with me. Prompted by a follower, I decided to look into spicy foods and see what health benefits come with the torture and tastiness.

Peppers have large amounts of Vitamin C and A; they are also low in calories and fat. Peppers raise your body temperature. However, if you're in a hot environment, you will actually feel cooler because the spices will induce sweating and help cool you off. Sweating means that you are burning calories, yay!

If you're not used to eating spicy foods, trying them will probably deter you from eating a whole lot. It's a way to trick yourself into eating less. If you like spicy foods, this probably won't work too well for you. However, you are not exempt from the other health benefits of those hot peppers. Curcumin, found in tumeric and other spices, has been found to reduce inflammation and aid in muscle repair after a big workout. I approve! You may have spicy food as your recovery food. Spicy food is clearly (for me) slightly pain inducing. This causes your brain to release endorphins so that you feel good. Endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't kill their husbands (thank you Elle Woods for explaining that to me).

Spiciness also adds flavor without the sodium! So next time your reach for the salt, reach for the pepper instead.

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

36/365 No Eggs? No Problem! Cookies

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Sometimes you just don't eat your bananas fast enough. If you don't have a baby, how do you use up those overripe bananas? I like to bake cookies  :)



I found this recipe called Craving Cookies. Instead of eggs or butter, you use bananas and peanut butter. The bananas give you potassium and the peanut butter gives you protein. Yes, peanut butter is fatty but, unlike butter, it has no cholesterol. I didn't have chocolate chips on hand, so I decided to add cinnamon in the batter. I also sprinkled cinnamon-sugar on top to give a Snickerdoodle effect to make up for my lack of chocolate.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

35/365 A Cuppa Tea, Please

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

On particularly stressful days, I find that a cuppa tea is a wonderful way to relax. The comforting moment may only last for as much tea your cup can contain but, I find it well worth it. It's much better for you and those around you if you take your moment instead of unleashing your anger or stress on others. Black tea from Rostov's with cream and sugar for me, thank you!

In addition to that, tea has been shown to be beneficial to your body in many other ways. There's a lot of talk about antioxidants that are found in great abundance in fruits and vegetables. One study reported that tea had 10 times as many antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols found in black and green teas are responsible for the antioxidants and other health benefits. Black and green teas "help boost metabolism to aid weight loss, block allergic response, slow the growth of tumors, protect bones, fight bad breath, improve skin, protect against Parkinson's disease, and even delay the onset of diabetes. (Davis)"

So relax and enjoy your cuppa tea with cream and sugar, honey, or with nothing at all. The caffeine will give you a boost to keep you alert while the polyphenols help keep everything else running smoothly. Cheers!


In health,


Lauren


Davis, Jeanie Lerche. "Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea." Health & Cooking 11 Sept 2008: n. pag. Web. 24 Aug 2010.

Monday, August 23, 2010

34/365 Reward Yourself with Your Recovery Food

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

So you already know how important it is for you to eat within 30-40 minutes after working out. You don't want to prolong eating so that you don't overeat when you actually sit down for a meal. You also don't want to give yourself the excuse that you can eat anything just because you worked out. Generally you will burn about 400 calories per workout. Of course that depends on how hard you work but still. 400 calories equates to about 3 chocolate chip cookies, a slice of cheesecake, or two slices of pizza...not all those with ice cream on top.

If you're trying to lose weight, giving yourself a big excuse to eat whatever you want is not going to help. Use that protein shake, a Chewy bar, a handful of almonds, a banana with peanut butter, or whatever as your recovery food and reward for your hard work. If you're trying to gain weight then yes you can eat more but, keep it healthy! You can pack on a lot of calories with pizza but you're also consuming a lot of fatty, cheesy cholesterol and maybe more carbohydrates than you'd like. Instead, pack on the whole grains, oatmeal, beans, chicken breast, etc.

You can easily restock the calories you burned and more by giving yourself the excuse that you worked out. Use your recovery food as your reward but, keep it reasonable.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, August 22, 2010

33/365 No HFC Ketchup

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I am happy to proclaim that no high fructose corn syrup ketchup exists! I was out at an Irish pub and saw this lovely bottle of Hunt's Ketchup proudly announcing "No High Fructose Corn Syrup!" Now when you go to the grocery store and need to replenish your ketchup stash, you know that there is a better option out there. By the way, it is quite good and tastes just like regular ketchup, huzzah!

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, August 21, 2010

32/365 Toss it Before you Eat it

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

When eating that lovely, dark green, leafy salad of yours, I have a fine suggestion. Toss it before you eat it! Drizzle your dressing onto your salad, not too much, then toss it so that the dressing coats all your leaves.


This will help cut down the amount of dressing you use. If you simply pour dressing on, you'll eat that layer and find that the succeeding layers don't have enough dressing. You then might pour on a little more and a little more then all of a sudden you have way too much dressing, calories, and fat.
Before
After  :)


Ooh! I just had my salad today with some awesome dressing from Annie's. It's this really great company that makes organic and natural foods like dressing and crackers and cereal and mac and cheese. Anyway, the flavor was fantastic: Creamy Asiago Cheese. I recommend it.


So remember, toss it before you eat it (picture coming soon)


In health,


Lauren

Friday, August 20, 2010

31/365 More Interval Fun

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Due to a late bus arrival, I was not given much time to work out before my next engagement. I decided to maximize my time and do some interval training. This involved 3 minute jogging/running intervals and 1 minute of Versaclimbing for a total of 40 minutes. I was dripping with sweat after the 3rd bout. I don't know if any of you have been on a Versaclimber but it's insane. I'm not necessarily advertising the machine, I just find it a killer dog work out that my school's gym happens to have. Regardless, I think the Versaclimber, rowing machine, and stair climber are all good options to choose from since they are dynamic, different from what you'd  normally do, and especially tough when you go all out.

You're essentially using your jogging/running as your recovery. You could sprint instead of switching machines every 3 minutes but that is entirely up to you. It's just a nice way to get a bunch of awesome cardio in if you don't have a whole ton of time.

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, August 19, 2010

30/365 Sparkle Yes, Soda No

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Today I mistakenly grabbed a sparkling water beverage. Much to my dismay, it was sweetened with sucralose and had, go figure, 0 calories. This to me is the equivalent of a diet soda. One might rejoice at this but, when you think about it, neither are good alternatives. How is it that something can taste sweet but not made with sugar? Sucralose and other artificial sweeteners are gimmicks that tell your brain you had sugar even though your body is without.

I have found some healthier alternative to soda, diet soda, crystal light, sparkling water beverages. These are sparkling juices and sparkling waters. R. W. Knudsen has a new drink called Sparkling Essence. You won't find high fructose corn syrup or any other artificial sweetener here. The flavor is infused by brewing organic ingredients; what is left is a refreshing taste that isn't too sweet or too strong. Another brand to try is Izze. They have sparkling juice and sparkling natural soda. You may note that these have comparable calories and grams of sugar to soda. However, Izze and most every natural sparkling juice or soda, wins (with fewer amounts on both counts) every time.

So, when you're at the grocery store, consider purchasing a natural sparkling juice/soda/water. Be sure to check the ingredients. If you are given the choice between soda, sparkling something, or water you know that H2O is the way to go  :)

In health,

Lauren

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

29/365 Grocery Tip 2: Sample what is on Sale

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Today I return to university after a wonderful summer at home. I made a trip to the grocery store to stock up on pantry and fridge items. I love a good deal, especially when it comes to buying food. Sometimes what is on sale is not what you would typically purchase. There were several produce items on sale: seedless grapes for 99 cents/lbs, eastern peaches for $1.29/lbs, and bananas at a low price as usual. Normally I wouldn't get the first two items but, they were on sale and begging me to get them. When shopping, I recommend you go for the produce section first so as to make it a priority as opposed to going for the aisle food. Generally, the items around the periphery of the store are less processed and better for you than the stuff in the middle of the store.

An aisle I do like to venture down at the grocery store is the natural/organic aisle. Most stores have these now. Often, there are items on sale that are worth a try. I picked up some awesome GoLean Crunch cereal for $2.88/box. This is a good deal since it's normally a little over $3 AND because of the nutritional value: 10g of protein, 8g of fiber, and 1g of fat. More often than not, the brands in this aisle practice more environmentally sustainable production than others.

You can save dollars without saving on nutrition by checking out the produce section first and the natural/organic aisle. Shop happy!

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

28/365 Everything in Moderation: Alcohol

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Many studies have shown that a glass (4.5 oz) of red wine a day is good for your health. Harvard researchers argued that 3 glasses of wine a day increases HDLs (good cholesterol) which are good for clearing out plaque in your arteries, a very good thing. I'd like to think that these studies are correct. One 5 year study in France concluded that "people who drank two to five glasses of wine a day had up to 31% less risk of death from any cause than nondrinkers." That's a pretty outstanding statistic that I think probably has more to do with lifestyle than the actual properties of alcohol. To drink a glass of wine a day means that you're probably enjoying your food and the company you are dining with.

I won't go on about all the negative facts about alcohol because I think you, as a healthy person, already know them. The point is that you should enjoy your alcoholic beverages for the sake of the taste, the cozy feeling, and the friends you are with in moderation. Like my professor said, "There's an enzyme in our bodies specially designed for breaking down alcohol. I think alcohol is a good thing."

In health,

Lauren

Monday, August 16, 2010

27/365 Meat-free Mondays

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I was listening to NPR the other week and heard a story about a push for Meat-free Mondays. Pretty self-explanatory yeah? But let me tell you why you should consider adopting this for yourself.

We know that meat is good for you for a couple reasons. It is a source of protein, omega-6 fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Protein: As discussed, there are many benefits for having protein in your diet. Most adults should be getting somewhere between 30 - 50 grams of protein daily. Proteins are made of amino acids. Meat features amino acids that aren't found in the other food groups. Likewise, other food groups feature amino acids not found in meat.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Fatty acids in general are good because your body needs them and can't produce them on their own. Your body uses fatty acids for "protecting your heart, joints, pancreas, mood stability, and skin. (Casey)" I know that omega-3 fatty acids are all the rage; you may not have even known that there are omega-6s out there.The reason is because meats have lots of omega-6 FA and we Americans tend to get plenty of it. It's important to have a 1:1 ratio of omega-3s and omega-6s.
Vitamins and Minerals: Meat provides B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, and a bunch of other vitamins and minerals. The health benefits of meat because of these include helping to form red blood cells and bone marrow, keeping your heart and liver healthy, and maintaining fluid-electrolyte balance.

So if meat provides all this good stuff, why are we cutting it out on Mondays? Like I said, we Americans enjoy our meat, maybe a little too much. A serving of meat is 4 oz., that's like the size of a deck of cards. Just by that we are overloading our 1:1 ratio. Instead of meat, try fish like salmon and trout which have lots of omega-3s. Meat cannot provide all the amino acids we need. You can take the opportunity to try other vegetables and products like quinoa that can. Also, it doesn't take much to restore the correct amounts of vitamins and minerals in your body.

Two other reasons to cut out meat for just one day of the week are the toll it takes on the environment and in your body. It takes "140,000 bathtubs full of water to produce 1 ton of beef (Aubrey)." That's a lot of water folks. Red meat is high in saturated fat which can increase cholesterol and your risk for heart disease.

In short, meat has health dangers and benefits. It will not hurt you to cut it out for one day. Be creative, and find other ways of getting your protein. Let's try it together! I will post meat-free protein-filled recipes as they come.
To learn more about Meat-free Mondays click here.

In health,

Lauren

Aubrey, A. (August, 9 2010). Campaign to make meatless mondays hip. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298 Casey, J. (n.d.). The Truth about fats. Retrieved from http://women.webmd.com/features/benefits-of-essential-fats-and-oils

Sunday, August 15, 2010

26/365 Three Ways to Push Up

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Drop and give me 20! For some of you, this may be intimidating and you may think near impossible. However, you can get to doing push ups the standard way by going through these modifications first.

This what I like to call a Puppy Push Up because you start out on your hands and knees like a puppy. Position your knees hip-width apart and your butt right on top of your knees. Place your hands under your shoulders then walk them out laterally so that yours hands are slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower yourself down by bending your elbows until they reach 90 degree angles. Keep your back flat. Your hips are your hinges. Push yourself up thinking about your chest muscles squeezing together. Repeat.



If this is too easy, you can try this version instead. Instead of having your booty up in the air, bring it down so that it falls in line with your straight thighs, back, and neck (like in the picture). As before, lower yourself down with your elbows. Push yourself back up using those lovely pectoral muscles. The hinge is now your knees. You can either bring your feet up or keep them on the floor, either is good for me.
Once you've become comfortable with both of these, you can graduate to a standard push up. You can start by laying on your belly and positioning your hands a hands-width or more away from your shoulders. Push yourself up into a plank. Your ankles are your hinges. Same as before, lower yourself down until your arms are at 90 degree angles. If you can't get it to exactly that degree, it's okay, just work towards it. Push yourself back up and repeat.




In health,

Lauren

Saturday, August 14, 2010

25/365 Muscles that Look Good vs. Muscles that Matter

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I remember this quiz I took as a pre-teen about my dream guy. One of the questions was "Muscular arms or six-pack abs?" I always looked for the both option or better yet, strong arms, abs, chest, back, shoulders, and legs.

Every body is different. Some people can develop their triceps and back like it's nobody's business. Other people get defined legs and great shoulders easily. The point for anybody working out is to be strong and healthy. Your biceps and triceps may look great but, if you're asked to pick up that heavy box, can you do it? The power to do that task and many others comes from having powerful legs, strong abs, and a steady lower back. It is important to think about the functionality of the muscles you work.

Balance is key for everything, from nature to architecture, math and beyond. If you work your pull muscles (like your biceps and back), you absolutely need to work your push muscles (like your triceps and chest). Though it's nice to have a sculpted upper body (don't forget the shoulders), you also need to strengthen your legs. I know a lot of girls who refuse to work their legs because they don't want to have thunder thighs. That's just not how your physiology works. Your legs will get tighter; you'll see the definition of the four muscles that make up your quadriceps. Your butt will probably get bigger too but it won't have that flabbiness to it that it may have had before.

So remember, strength training is to make you stronger and healthier not just to make you look stronger and healthier. Train every muscle and its counterpart to ensure you're balanced and not walking lopsided.

In health,

Lauren

Friday, August 13, 2010

24/365 Choc-oat-late A-Sauce Cookie Bar

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Yesterday while I recovered from my wisdom teeth extraction, I was feeling out of it. Due to the narcotic, I couldn't concentrate on any of my assignments that I needed to write or anything. I decided to bake to clear my head and just do something with my hands. I find that when get caught up in an uncreative groove, I need to break from the system and do something creative. Hence, I decided to bake  :)

I wanted something that used applesauce as a substitute for oil/butter/eggs and that had chocolate. I found my savior in Applesauce Oatie Cookies. However, I used:

  1. Old-fashioned oats (that's what we had in the house)
  2. Whole wheat flour
  3. A little less than 1 cup of brown sugar
  4. 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup turbinado (raw sugar)
  5. No raisins!
Also, I was lazy and didn't bake them as individual cookies. Rather I poured the batter into a 9 x 13. I had a little extra and put it in a smaller baking tin (picture above). I tell you friends, it's delicious! It's gloomy over here. I find that baking yumminess can lift your spiriits.

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, August 12, 2010

23/365 Ma-Ma-Massage

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I think that any time is a good time for a massage. There are many psychological benefits to having a massage. Naturally, you will be relaxed and feel good from the touch of another person, especially if that person is a loved one. Coaches have encouraged athletes to have massages post-exercise to decrease fatigue, increase blood flow through muscles, and help muscles recover faster. Articles from the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal suggest that this isn't really true but that there are other benefits to having a massage.


After a hard work out, we get that sore feeling either later in the day or 24-72 hours after our exercise. Exercise scientists at Ithaca College found that massages decreased the intensity of DOMS as well as affected the participants' perception of soreness (Hilbert, Sforzo, and Swensen S123). One study stated that massages help increase strength and flexibility after 10 weeks of therapy (Kokkonen, and Allred 47) . However, other studies disagree and there isn't much evidence to support their claim.

Something neat is how massages affect your metabolism. This is how much energy you burn when you're resting, sleeping, exercising, whatever. One study showed that metabolism increases while a person is getting a massage as well as 15 minutes after it is finished  (Pocklington, and Repovich S72). How wonderful! You burn calories and feel great just by lying there and having someone massage you.

So find your boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, masseuse, or whoever. Ask them for a massage and treat them to one too. You'll both feel relaxed, refreshed, less sore and limber.

In health,

Lauren

Hilbert, J E, G A Sforzo, and T Swensen. "The Effects of Massage on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 33.5 (2001): S123. Print. 

Kokkonen, J, and J Allred. "The Effects Of Chronic Sports Massage On Strength And Flexibility." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 34.5 (2002): 47. Print.

Pocklington, A J, and W E. S. Repovich. "The Effects of Massage on Metabolism." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 34.5 (2002): S72. Print. 

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

22/365 Gatorade

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

When I played softball back in the day, I remember hungrily gulping down Gatorade. My favorite was lemon lime, a strange fluorescent colored drink. This was okay seeing as though I was dripping with sweat under the hot summer sun. The purpose of drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and Accelerade are to restock your electrolytes like potassium and sodium so that your muscles can keep contracting normally. There's sugar in it because studies have shown that drinks with carbohydrates in them go down faster. This is important so that you can rehydrate quicker and get back in the game, groove, or race.

However, if you're just sitting at your desk or in class, leave the Gatorade behind! You are unnecessarily adding sodium to your system and high fructose corn syrup for that matter. I don't care if it says G2, Rain, or whatever on the label. Check out the ingredients and the calories (multiple by 2 because there are 2 servings in each bottle). Even still, I'd say the average person working out very intensely could do with just half a bottle and then follow it with the same amount of water later. 

On Gatorade's website, they advertised a "G-Natural" series. They claim that it has natural ingredients but please look at the label before you buy it. They didn't actually have that information available on their site. However, the whole drink is only 100 calories, I'm more okay with this one. We'll see...

Bottom line: Only drink Gatorade and it's friends if you are sweating a lot or doing your physical activity when it's very hot or humid. Follow with water when you finish!

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

21/365 Mix it up with Intervals

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Yesterday we talked about the difference between interval and distance training. For those of you interested in intervals, here's a crash course.

Whether you're trying to lose weight or increase performance, you can benefit from interval training. Interval training is a way to increase your anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance, increase your lactate threshold, increase your caloric burn, and increase your muscle oxidative capacity. Let's break it down!

Your body uses a couple different methods for providing you energy. The anaerobic pathway is for high intensity while aerobic is for low to moderate intensity exercise. By going from high to low and back again, you utilize both pathways and can increase your capability in both. Lactate is the product of anaerobic exercise. It causes that burning sensation. By working within that heart rate where you start to feel the burn, you can push your tolerance and production of the lactate. During the recovery phase of the interval, your body resorts to burning fat to conserve the glycogen its been using to fuel your exercise. Finally, by working your muscles and getting blood rushing through them, you increase those capillaries' ability to take up oxygen. Oxygen is crucial for your aerobic pathway to run smoothly.

Convinced? Good! Here's a couple ways to mix it up with intervals:

Running/Cycling
  • Warm up for about 5 minutes. Pick up the pace for 2 minutes, this will be your low intensity/recovery time. Time to power up! Sprint for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Recover for 2 minutes, repeat until your time is up. 
  • Warm up for about 5 minutes. Low intensity/recovery for 2 minutes, high intensity for 2 minutes or a similar 1:1 ratio
  • Warm up for about 5 minutes. Low intensity/recover for 45 seconds, high intensity for 15 seconds or a similar 3:1 ratio
Whatever you decide, be consistent! Commit to your time and pace each time. You may want to start out doing an interval work out for 10 minutes or until you reach a certain distance, then finish your 30 minutes at your regular pace.

Research has suggested that you can see the results I mentioned above by doing 6 HIT (high-interval training) sessions over a 2 week period (Gibala and McGee). Try it out for 2 weeks and let me know how it goes. I'm going to start next week after I've recovered from my wisdom teeth extraction on Thursday.

In health,

Lauren


Gibala, Martin J., and Sean L. McGee. "Metabolic Adaptations to Short-term High-Intensity Interval Training: A Little Pain for a Lot of Gain?." Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. 36.2 (2008): 58-63. Print.

Monday, August 9, 2010

20/365 Interval vs. Distance Training

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Recently at the gym where I am interning, a former football player asked for some advice about exercising on the treadmill. He was debating whether to train using intervals or going for distance.

Interval training means that you are exercising at a high intensity then recovering with a lower intensity bout. Rinse and repeat. This style of exercising is great for those of you who are trying to increase performance (I'll go over this later). It is also good for people trying to lose weight who are accustomed to training. If you are new to exercise, you may not be so keen on intervals. You will fatigue faster and will most likely not complete 30 minutes of intervals because of it. Instead, try distance training.

Distance training will ensure that you get your 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. By keeping your heart rate up to at least 120 BPM (assuming you're the age of the average college student; it'll be lower if you're older), you'll get your metabolism burning fat at a nice pace. Set a distance goal that could be completed in 30 minutes. Make that distance farther every week. Push yourself to pump those legs and meet your goal. Aim for 3.1 miles (that's a 5k) and compete in a race!!

What is it with this 30 minute thing? According to the American College of Sports Medicine, we are to complete 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least 5 days/wk to get cardiovascular health benefits. The Institute of Medicine suggests 60 minutes on most days of the week. Clearly, we can't get away with sprinting on the treadmill for 10 minutes and calling it a day.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, August 8, 2010

19/365 No eXercise before Zzz

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I realize that not everyone is a morning person. When I wake up, I'm ready to go for a run, to eat breakfast, or do whatever. You may not be like me and that's wonderful, it's better that way really :)

However, I do want to advise all of you non-morning people to reconsider working out at night, like past dinner time. My reasons are these:
1. You are more likely not to work out if you put it off until later in the day.
2. If you need to sleep, exercising at night won't help you out too well. After you exercise, your body is hyped up and needs to recover before you are back to your normal resting state. It will take a few hours for your body to wind down enough to be able to have a nice deep sleep.
3. You're going to want to eat after you work out, right? It's hard to fall asleep and a full/satisfied stomach.
4. Your quality of sleep will most likely not be as great compared to when you exercise earlier in the day.

Exercise is a fantastic way to have better energy levels. You will sleep deeper and wake up with more energy because of it. Try to schedule your exercise earlier in the day or prepare to stay up a few more hours (though you shouldn't especially if you know you have to get up early) before you go to bed.

In health,

Lauren

Saturday, August 7, 2010

18/365 Yum Yum Fruit-Yogurt Smoothie

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Here's my yum yum recipe for a fruit and yogurt smoothie.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen fruit (replaces need for ice)
1/2 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp peanut butter (to last you longer than an hour)
Dash of sugar

Directions:
Blend ingredients. Enjoy with a piece of toast and/or an egg for a wholesome breakfast or as a snack (~300 calores)!



In health,

Lauren

Friday, August 6, 2010

17/365 Orthotics: Not Just for Old People

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

That's right, orthotics are for young folks too  :)  They can help your gait and keep you running for a long time.
After a long battle with shin splints, knee, and ankle problems, I finally went to a podiatrist for my aches and pains. The cure for my heavily pronated feet was orthotics. These are inserts that go into your shoes. They were specially molded for my feet using a cool pressure sensing software. You don't necessarily have to go a doctor to get them but, if you have pain they might help you out.

If you experience pain in your knees or shins, it's possible that your feet are actually the problem. Having to compensate for any imbalances, your muscles are strained in ways they weren't intended to.

My point in this blog entry is that some pains require deeper investigation than google. You may find the solution to make exercising more enjoyable. I'm easing myself into running with the orthotics but I feel confident that I'll be able to get back up to speed in a few weeks.

My feet now feel strange when I walk without them. My mom and I just got slippers for me so I can wear them in the house. Joy!

In health,

Lauren

Thursday, August 5, 2010

16/365 The Power of Protein

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Let's talk protein. As a girl, I was intimidated and curious about protein. Who will I become if I start taking protein? Am I going to turn full meat head? Will I Hulk out?


First off, protein is essential for your survival. It helps restore "muscle glycogen, repair[s] muscle damage, attenuat[es] protein degredation, and initiat[es] protein synthesis. (Ivy and Ferguson)" What more will you need after you've been exercising? When you exercise, you use up a ton of glycogen to supply you energy. You also tear up your muscles so that they can rebuild and get bigger. Proteins are super important for exercisers of all kinds, from performance athletes to enthusiasts.

As a recovery drink, my double chocolate whey protein from Gold Standard mixed with water hits the spot. Unless you're a vegetarian, there's really no difference in drinking whey and soy protein.You ought to have your recovery drink within 30 to 40 minutes of your exercise to optimize it's uptake. You may not feel hungry but, your cells are. If you wait longer than that, your body takes a longer time absorbing all those nutritional goodies you feed it. Also, if you wait until you actually feel hungry (remember, blood gets shunted away from those organs and areas that don't need it), you will most likely ravenously scarf down your food.

So, take the leap, invest in some protein at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. You won't feel as sore after your workout and your body will recover faster for your next bout. Also! Be sure to drink lots of water as the nitrogen in your protein will not be very nice to your kidneys.

In health,

Lauren

Ivy, JL, and LM Ferguson. "Optimizing resistance exercise adaptations through the timing of post-exercise carbohydrate-protein supplementation." Strength & Conditioning Journal (Allen Press) 32.1 (2010): 30-36. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

15/365 The Trouble with HFC

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I am anti-high fructose corn syrup. It is evil. Forget about those commercials featuring people sitting on a blanket eating Popsicle with HFC. They aren't happy. They had to advertise that this artificial sweetener is okay despite what bad press it's received. Does honey ever have to do that? I didn't think so.

So what's the big fuss? High fructose corn syrup is an artificially made sugar. Though your brain recognizes it as sweet, your stomach does not recognize it as energy. Leptin is an enzyme that tells your brain that you're full. This is based on however many caloric units you've consumed. Since HFC is so foreign, leptin isn't triggered. Despite however much you've consumed, your body is still craving sugar. You can see how this could lead to overeating and eventually obesity.

HFC is in (almost) everything though! How did it get this way? HFC is made by corn. Corn is cheap to make. HFC is cheap. It's the food manufacturer's way of making their products "affordable," more like poor quality. There's still hope. A quick look on the back of the box will tell you. Ingredients are listed in order of how much of that ingredient is used. If HFC is high on the list, I would do my best to avoid that, like soda.

HFC isn't real. Neither is Splenda or any diet sweetener. I will discuss these another day. Stick with turbinado (raw sugar), table sugar, or honey.

In health,

Lauren

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

14/365 Do the Lawn Mower!

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Back fat. Those two words just do not sound happy together unless you're talking about a delicious piece of meat that you probably shouldn't consume anyway. Regardless, I have found a love for rowing type exercises. They have made my back lean, strong, and sexy. Here's one to add to your repertoire.


The Lawn Mower

1. Begin by taking a knee (the left knee is in front). Rest your left arm on your left knee.
2. Right arm is holding your weight; arm is straight. Keep the small of your back arched.
3. Bring your elbow up and behind you. Do not twist your back.
4. Repeat for reps on both sides, returning arm back into straightened position on the inside of your left leg.

You should feel the muscles along the side of your back working.

In health,

Lauren

Monday, August 2, 2010

13/365 Creature of Habit

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

Something that I have found that helps me in my endeavors to be healthier me is becoming a creature of habit. Routines can help you stay disciplined with your diet, exercise, and/or sleep. Try scheduling your work out at the same time every day, preferably at the beginning of the day. I suggest that because you are more likely to do it. With our busy lives, we can easily make excuses to not exercise if we put if off until later in the day.

If eating healthier is where you struggle, try eating the same great food every day. In the morning, I have my yogurt-fruit-granola/cereal parfait, a piece of whole wheat high fiber toast with peanut butter and preserves or honey, and a glass of milk. All the food groups are represented and I find my breakfast to be delicious. I'm full for about 4 or 5 hours and packing in about 400 calories. Then I work out, have my protein to refuel (I'll discuss this later), then lunch. Lunch consists of a very large salad of mixed greens with cranberries on top. Dressing is whatever I find but limited to a tablespoon. Tossed correctly, that tablespoon goes a long way. Dinner is up to me.

Yes I eat the same things for the first half of every day but, I don't get tired of it. When you eat healthy, you don't get that uncomfortably full feeling, just satisfaction.

So try a routine for a week making sure that you're getting in all your food groups, exercise, and sleep. You may find that you like it.

In health,

Lauren

Sunday, August 1, 2010

12/365 Say Yo to Yogurt

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I adore breakfast as you know. It should be your most calorie packed meal. The more you have to start your day, the fuller you'll feel and the less you'll need by the end. You must eat breakfast!

One of my favorites to eat is yogurt. It counts towards your three servings of dairy a day and tastes delicious when you eat it with the right stuff. I recommend non-fat french vanilla flavored yogurt because it masks the inherent sourness. Don't go for the "Lite" variety because I guarantee that if you look on the back, it will say high fructose corn syrup or something equally bad under the ingredients. The generic brand is okay by me.

I say this because I have a gripe with Activia. This brand claims to have special bacteria and can "contribute to the improvement of digestive comfort." They make it seem like Activia has something that other yogurts don't. However, this is false. All yogurts have good bacteria called probiotics. These little guys help the good microorganisms inside of your digestive tract grow. In turn the microorganism will help regulate everything that's going on as well as provide other benefits. You can read more here.

I eat 1/2 a cup of yogurt with two handfuls of blueberries or a few sliced strawberries or half a banana or whatever fruit you can find, fresh preferably. Then I top it off with granola or high fiber cereal for some added calories and crunch. Delicious!

Pictures to come as well as recipes for your own granola and yogurt smoothie!

In health,

Lauren

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