It’s never too late to become active but where do you start? You may just need that extra “push” to help you get your sneakers on and get going, that’s often the toughest part.Additionally, you should also have an exercise program that is tailored to your lifestyle, that’s safe, effective and fun. Maintaining an active lifestyle plays an important role in preventing health problems and managing common disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and depression.

Life enhancing health benefits can be seen even with modest amounts of exercise. No matter what your current activity level and personal goals may be I can help you on your way to becoming more motivated, healthy, and fit.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL!

For a limited time, November30,2008-January 1,2009, Bodies by M.E. will be offering a 20% percent reduction off the original price for new local clients and online clients. For more information check out BodiesbyMe.com

For weeks we have created a new life style, tracking our food consumption, making time for exercise and avoiding the endless temptations that invade our lives. Why are we so intimidated by the winter holiday season?The answer, there is lots of food that lasts for weeks. Stress levels increase, combine the two and you have the perfect combination for blowing up the resolve of the most disciplined person.

Here are some survival tools.

• Always track your food intake, from every candy cane, cookie to liquid calories like eggnog or hot chocolate. It is amazing how a truthful food diary can be so insightful to how much we really do eat.
• Plan your holiday meals, if your are hosting this is great time to control the type of food you will be eating. Try to include as many low calorie vegetable dishes as possible. Also limit dessert choices.
• Know the caloric content before you bite!
• Always make time for exercise before and after Holiday celabrations.
• Never cancel your own work out!
• Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol is not only high in calories, but also increases the possibilities to overindulge.
• Drink your water.
• Focus on people. Enjoy the social interaction at holiday parties, instead of the food.
• Stay focused! Ask yourself will this behavior give me the results I am looking for? If not re-think and make a healthier choice.

Be healthy and good luck reaching you goals during the Holiday Season!

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration to be spent around family, friends and of course food. For the dieter it represents serious temptation and challenges. Following these tips can help you succeed with your weight loss goals instead of starting over January 1.

Holiday Parties:

• Grab a quick bite so that you don’t feel famished when you arrive at the party.
• Have a plan. Decide before the party how you will navigate food temptations. If you do plan to indulge decided what and how much. For example, if you have plan on enjoying Christmas cookies, decide which ones and how many . Stick to the plan.
• If you happen to feel particularly vulnerable bring your own food!

Lunches:

• Suggest a restaurant that has a healthy menu.
• Stay away from creamy, fried, or breaded food. Order sauces on the side.
• Only eat half and take the rest home for another meal.

Get Moving:

• Although the holidays are a busy time and it is very easy to get derailed from your routine, make the time to exercise. Early morning seem to work best before any distractions of daily life occur.
• Try a new winter sport. Snow shoeing, cross country skiing, down hill skiing and ice skating are all great choices. There fun, festive and burn tons of calories!

The most cherished holiday traditions center around special food-especially desserts and sweets. Many of these holiday favorites are prepared with sugar and fat. However there are ways you can still have your cake and eat it too, without feeling guilty.
Healthy Holiday Substitutions:

• Use canned applesauce or plums in cake and pie recipes as a healthier alternative to butter, margarine, or oil.
• When muffin and quick bread recipes call for fat (such as oil), try reducing it by one-third to one-half. You won’t even miss it.
• In ice cream desserts, use ice milk or low-fat frozen yogurt.
• Save the fat by using cocoa powder instead of chocolate. Substitute three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate in baked goods such as cakes or cookies. For chocolate fillings, you may need to add one or two teaspoons of oil in addition to the cocoa.
• Replace heavy cream in puddings, cheesecakes, and cream pies with evaporated skim milk.
• Use nonfat yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Two egg whites can be substituted for each whole egg in many baked recipes.
• Since much of the fat in cake comes from the frosting, try topping cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.
• Use Splenda brand sweetener in place of all or part of the sugar in baked goodies. It works great in pie fillings and puddings too. Follow the baking tips on the box and visit www.splenda.com for ideas.
• Decrease the amount of nuts used in a recipe by half, substituting it with Grape-Nuts cereal to keep the crunch and texture.
• Reduce the amount of chocolate chips or nuts in a recipe by one-fourth. No one will even notice!
• Use fat-free whipped cream in place of regular whipped cream.
• Substitute skim milk for regular milk.

Cut Even More Calories by Cutting Down On Size:

• Cut pies into 10 slices (instead of the standard 6-8 slices).
• Cut cakes and brownies into bite size pieces.
• Bake bite-size cookies and muffins.

To savor the flavor of every bite, slow down and enjoy your dessert with a cup of herbal tea, flavored coffee, or low-fat, sugar-free cocoa. Enhance the flavor by using fat-free half and half, fat-free whipped cream, colored sugars, and sugar-free sweeteners. Yummy! Now that’s a taste of heaven!

More athletes are taking human growth hormones with no scientific evidence to support it’s efficacy in improving performance. In a small Australian study involving 64 recreational athletes some athletes were given HGH and others a placebo. The study was randomized and double blind. Researchers found that participants who believed they were taking HGH actually felt that their performance was improving and actually did experience improvement. All participants performance boost was between 1% and 2%.

The participants who wrongly thought they received HGH the performance enhancement was between 3% and 5%. This phenomenon was greater in men than in women.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that keeping a food diary may double your weight loss efforts. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research kept tabs on 1,685 overweight and obese men and women, whose average weight was 212 pounds. The researchers asked participants to adhere to a reduced calorie diet, record their daily food intake and exercise minutes.

After 20 weeks, the average weight loss was 13 pounds per person. The also discovered that the more participants recorded what they ate the more weight they lost. Participants who did not record their food intake lost total of 9 pounds, while those who recorded their food intake 6 or more days per week lost 18 pounds.

If you ever doubted that keeping and diet and exercise journal can help you lose weight think again! By tracking food you become accountable and you may think twice about having that chocolate bar.

Question: How often should I walk? Should I focus on miles or minutes?

Expert Answer:

Frequency: Number of Days Per Week
Aim for a minimum of 3 days a week, and gradually work your way up to 5 or 6 days a week. The more the better–especially when it comes to weight loss. But don’t forget the importance of rest and recovery–give yourself at least 1-2 days off each week.

Intensity: How Hard To Exercise
You can use your target heart rate range or the “Talk Test” to make sure you’re working out in a good range (not too easy, not too hard). If you can comfortably answer a question during exercise, while still feeling like you’re exerting yourself, you’re in a good calorie-burning range. This range is ideal for the general health benefits that come with exercise, and for weight loss.

Time: How Long For Each Cardio Session
The recommended time for most people ranges from a minimum of 20 minutes (for simple general health), all the way up to about 60 minutes. Of course, it’s smart to work your way up gradually. The further you go over 20 minutes, the more fat you are burning, so that can be a good motivator.

Type: Activities That Count
Any activity can count as cardio/aerobic exercise as long as it meets the 3 requirements above – that you can sustain a target heart rate intensity for at least 20-60 minutes, and do it several times a week. Walking, of course, meets those requirements.

While vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D are really the only dietary supplements you may need to stay healthy as you get older, many people are still tempted to try other supplements. In this Special Report Johns Hopkins helps you see beyond the hype and understand the risks and benefits of the dietary supplements you take.

Stop! Before you take a dietary supplement, it’s important to consider whether you really need it. Sure, supplements sound like a good idea, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate them for safety and effectiveness — meaning their marketing doesn’t have to be supported by good scientific data — and manufacturers often make outlandish claims about their benefits.

Supplements may contain all sorts of substances — from herbs and botanicals to amino acids, enzymes, and animal extracts — that don’t have enough evidence to support their supposed health-promoting properties. Some “natural” supplements have proven effective because potent drugs are added; others contain dangerous amounts of contaminants, such as heavy metals.

You should always discuss any supplements you’re taking with your doctor or nutritionist since they may interact with your medications to cause a serious reaction. For instance, vitamin K can decrease the effectiveness of the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin) and increase clotting. Calcium can also negatively interact with the heart medicine digoxin (Digitek, Lanoxin) as well as certain antibiotics and drugs. Supplements can also worsen a medical condition, pose a danger before or after you have surgery, or put you at risk for overdosing on certain vitamins and minerals. (For example, many supplements exceed safe levels of vitamin A.)

Beneficial Supplements for Seniors Experts advise that you meet your nutritional needs first and foremost by consuming a variety of healthy foods as set forth in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (for information, visit www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines). That said, certain vitamin and mineral supplements can help older people get the right amounts of nutrients — but they are intended to supplement the diet, not to replace the foods you should be eating.

The following dietary supplements are recommended for seniors:

* Vitamin B12. Since many older adults don’t absorb this vitamin efficiently from foods, guidelines advise either a supplement at a dose of 2.4 micrograms (mcg) a day or a combination of fortified foods and supplements that adds up to this amount. Foods with naturally occurring vitamin B12 don’t count toward this goal. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that people over age 50 should be encouraged to consume vitamin B12–fortified products, such as breakfast cereals, or to take the crystalline form of vitamin B12 in supplements.

* Vitamin D. With aging, the body has a more difficult time absorbing vitamin D from foods or making it when exposed to sunlight. Yet adequate vitamin D is important in helping to prevent the bone loss that can occur with aging. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that older adults get 1,000 IU a day from vitamin D-fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, orange juice, and milk, plus fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, and mackerel — and from dietary supplements if needed. Most supplements contain 400 IU of vitamin D, so taking one or two a day in addition to eating fortified foods should suffice.

* Calcium and vitamin D for postmenopausal women. An authoritative panel convened by the U.S. government reviewed data from well-designed trials of supplements and concluded that calcium and vitamin D increase bone density and decrease the risk of hip and other fractures in older men and women.

Experts recommend 1,200 mg of calcium a day for older adults and 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Calcium from dietary supplements is best absorbed in doses of 500 mg or less, so if you are taking more than that in supplements, take it in divided doses.

What To Ask Before Taking a Supplement
Review the following questions, recommended by the FDA, and share your answers with your doctor or nutritionist so together you can decide whether you should take a vitamin or mineral supplement:

* Do you eat fewer than two meals a day?
* Do you eat a restricted diet? For instance, do you not eat meat, milk, or milk products, or fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day?
* Have you lost or gained more than 10 lbs in the past six months without trying to?
* Do you take three or more prescription or over-the-counter medications a day?
* Do you drink three or more alcoholic beverages a day?

Also consider:

* What are the intended benefits of the product?
* How, when, and for how long will you need to take it?

Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on December 3, 2008

Holiday Treats + Alcohol = Extra Calories and the Gift of a Spare Tire

Holiday Drinks For those of you wanting to drown your sorrows of a holiday season gone mad with copious amounts of spiked eggnog like actor Chevy Chase in the movie Christmas Vacation or bringing good cheers by combining large amounts of high-fat treats with high-caloric alcohol, the New Year may start with a rude awakening.

A study conducted at the Laval University in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, showed that combining high-fat foods such as glazed ham, stuffing and pecan pie with alcoholic drinks causes people to put away many more calories than eating fatty foods with nonalcoholic drinks, or eating low-fat foods with or without alcohol, according to an article that appeared in  The New York Times.

“We found that the body does not seem to ‘notice’ the calories from alcohol and compensate by reducing other intake,” reported Dr. Angelo Tremblay, who led the study. “The result is higher caloric intake whether you are eating a high- or low-fat diet.”

Considering that a traditional Christmas dinner can easily add up to more than 1,500 calories—a plate filled with ham, cornbread with butter, a slice of cheesecake, mashed potatoes with gravy, salad with croutons and vinaigrette, and a glass of beer—consuming additional calories from alcohol is likely to put extra pounds on your frame.

This, of course, begs the question whether some alcoholic beverages are more forgiving— at least in terms of their caloric intake— than others.

The general answer: Hard liquor and cocktail drinks tend to have many more calories than a glass of beer or wine, but having one cocktail or multiple drinks can easily add up to a meal.

Eggnog

In the movie Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold asks his cousin Eddie, who is unemployed and arrived uninvited with his entire family, if he can refill his eggnog. Considering that one cup of eggnog (250 ml) contains 160-290 calories and a shot of spirits adds about another 60 calories, it would serve Clark well to share his spiked eggnog and sorrow.

Wine

Holiday Drinks Red and white wine have about the same amount of calories, or 121-125 calories per 5-ounce glass. Dessert wines tend to have more calories: A 3.5-ounce glass, for instance, has about 165 calories, according to Eat this, Not That book author David Zinczenko. Add sugar to sparkling wine before final bottling and you get the bubbly we all love during the Holiday season and a few extra calories, or about 163 in a 6.5-ounce flute.

Beer

Holiday Drinks Among popular non-light beers on the market, a 12-ounce bottle of Corona Extra (148 calories, 14 g of carbs and 4.6% alcohol by volume) is the “lightest” pick.

Ranking just below the Mexican brew, in terms of caloric intake, are three beers: Samual Adams Boston Lager (160 calories, 18 g of carbs and 4.8% alcohol content) and Bass Ale (160 calories, 13 g of carbs, 5.5% alcohol content) and George Killian’s Irish Red (163 calories, 14 g of carbs, 4.9% alcohol content).

Zinczenko’s “worst pick”: Sam Adams Cream Stout beer, which has 190 calories, 24 g of carbs and an alcohol volume of 4.9%.

Better for your waist line are the following two “light beers”: Beck’s Premier Light with 64 calories, 4 g of carbs and 3.8% volume of alcohol and Michelob ULTRA, which has 95 calories, 2.6 carbs and 4.1% volume of alcohol. Amstel Light, which packs 99 calories, 5.5 g of carbs and 3.5% volume of alcohol, is a true alternative to Amstel’s heavyweight Cream Stout.

Guiness Draught may be the surprising low-calorie standby: One bottle has 126 calories, 10 g of carbohydrates and 4% volume of alcohol.

Hard Liquor and Cocktails = Hard to Burn Calories

When it comes to hard liquor, a 1.5-ounce glass of 53-proof Kahlua has 170 calories, which is only 10 calories shy of a whole wheat Krispy Kreme doughnut.

A 1.5-ounce serving of 90-proof Gin has 110 calories, the caloric equivalent of a ½ cup of Zesty Lemon Sorbet from Haagen-Dazs.

A frozen margarita made with 2 ounces of tequila, 4.5 ounces of Jose Cuervo margarita mix, and salt will set you back about 246 calories, the equivalent of a 4-ounce serving of Baskin-Robbins Cherries Jubilee ice cream.
Holiday Drinks
One Pina Colada, made with Malibu rum, pineapple juice and cream, packs about 312 calories, or 32 calories less than the Small Chocolate Sundae sold at the Dairy Queen.

A 12-ounce serving of Rum and Coke will set you back 361 calories, or those packed in Carl’s Jr. Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich.
Holiday Drinks
The Mudslide, made with vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream and vanilla ice cream, is the bomb of all cocktails. It packs 820 calories in a 12-ounce serving, an entire restaurant meal.

For the same calories packed in a Mudslide cocktail you can eat 1 Arby’s Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich (810 calories); 1 Denny’s Buttermilk Pancake Platter (890 calories); or 2 slices of Domino’s Classic Hand-tossed Pizza (510 calories) and a soda.

Holiday DrinksBy comparison, a 2-ounce serving of Martini, made with Gin and dry Vermouth, has 119 calories; a 2.1-ounce serving of a Manhattan, made with Whiskey, Vermouth and Bitters, has 132 calories. This makes these two “Ms” the low-calorie cocktail drink alternative.

Among Zinczenko’s recommendations for “better cocktail choices” are an 8-ounce Bloody Mary (140 calories; 8 g of carbs; 150 mg sodium) drink and a 6-ounce Screwdriver (130 calories; 13 g of carbs) drink.

A Happy Holiday

So whether you’re struggling with holiday angst or excessive holiday cheer, try going for a walk, a bike ride or any other type of physical activity that will lift your spirits.

Being physically active before or after a meal will not only help burn calories, but is also a great way to deal with holiday stress.

Then get the family and friends together for a great comedy hour with the Griswold’s, the Grinch, or if you prefer a Hallmark classic, the television rebroadcasting of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Marion Webb is the managing editor for the American Council on Exercise and an ACE-certified Personal Trainer. For specific fitness-related story ideas or comments, please e-mail her directly at marion.webb@acefitness.org.