5 Common myths proven wrong

Myth: Cutting carbohydrates helps you lose weight
Doing it the wrong way can also make you feel rotten and unhealthy. Carbs are to this decade what fats were to the last: food demons. Truth is, though, you need them for energy. And, like with fats, some are better than others. Experts suggest a minimum of 130 grams of carbs a day—a far cry from low-carb diets that start with 20 grams or less. Short-term effects of such diets include fatigue, constipation and irritability; long term, you could be putting yourself at risk for heart disease and colon cancer.

Fad diets aside, what may matter most is how refined the carbohydrates are. The best idea is to cut back on refined carbs such as soda and foods made with white flour, while loading up on healthier carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Myth: Diet foods help you drop pounds
They can actually do the opposite. You may be doing yourself more harm than good by scanning labels for the lowest calorie and fat counts. Prepackaged diet foods can have a lot of sugar and trans fat.

As with carbs, it’s the quality of the fat, not the amount, that makes the difference. Monounsaturated fats (found in nuts, olive oil, and avocados) and the polyunsaturated variety (in corn, soybean, and safflower oils) help your cardiovascular system, improve weight loss, and are crucial for absorbing beta carotene from vegetables like carrots. Trans fats and saturated fats, on the other hand, have been linked with heart disease and even cancer.

A recent study found that replacing just 30 calories of carbs a day with the same amount of trans fats nearly doubled the risk of heart disease. Replacing the same ratio of carbs with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, lowered the risk of heart disease by 30 to 40 percent. So consider boosting your good fats by adding nuts to your morning cereal or avocado to your salads. Just watch your daily calories to keep them in check.

Myth: The more you cut calories, the more weight you’ll lose
That can actually hurt you. Cut your calories too far—below 1,200 a day—and you’ll end up with a double whammy that quickly decreases your metabolism and muscle mass. To get the most out of the calories you do eat, choose whole foods such as produce, fresh meat and fish, and whole grains that are as close to their natural state as possible. They have a higher “nutrient density” than refined foods, because they pack more vitamins and minerals into fewer calories.

Myth: Dairy makes you fat
Cutting dairy just shoots you in the foot (and fat cells). Combined with calorie control, a dairy-rich diet can nearly double body-fat reduction and weight loss and help prevent weight gain. Part of the reason is the hormone calcitriol, which helps conserve calcium for stronger bones while telling fat cells to convert less sugar to fat and burn more body fat. The result is leaner fat cells and a leaner you. Stick to the government’s latest dietary guidelines, which recommend three servings of low- or nonfat dairy a day.

Myth: Brown equals whole-grain
There are lots of whole-grain poseurs out there. Look for labels where “whole-wheat” or “whole-grain” top the list. It’s worth the extra effort: More and more research is finding that whole grains reduce your risk of many chronic ailments, from obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease. The extra fiber in whole grains is key: It makes you feel full, which means you eat less. It also helps level out the peaks and valleys of insulin that a meal produces. An added boost: Whole-grain foods tend to be higher in vitamins B and E than refined grains.

Physical Fitness and what it means to us.

What Does Physical Fitness Really Mean?

Physical fitness is very important for our health and well being! That’s what we’re being told. That’s great! But what in the world is it? Don’t you think that if we’re going to explore the possibility of doing something about it, then we need to know what we’re talking about?

Here’s A Definition . . .

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research says, “Health related fitness consists of those components that have a relationship with good health . . .

The Components Of Physical
Fitness Are . . .

Aerobic Endurance – the ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It reflects how well your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. (This keeps the pump pumping properly.)

Muscular Endurance – the ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. This could be the capability to hold a two-pound weight above your head for five minutes or the effort required to lift that weight 20 consecutive times.

Muscular Strength – the ability to exert maximum force, such as lifting the heaviest weight you can budge, one time. It is possible to have muscular strength in one area, say your arms, while lacking strength in another area such as your legs.

Flexibility – the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. This is how limber or supple you are. (Wouldn’t it be nice to bend down and pick something up without struggling?)

Body Composition – the proportion of fat in your body compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your figure. (But if the ratio is good, you will look and feel better.)

Balance – the ability to maintain your body in its upright posture, especially when abnormal stress (such as tripping) might cause you to lose your balance.

Metabolic fitness – the ability of the body to efficiently burn fuel (food) for energy. (Maybe you can eat that doughnut without it immediately going to your waist.)

Why Do I Want To Improve My Physical Fitness?

increase self-esteem

lessen the chance of colds and flu

reduce everyday pain and stiffness

sleep more soundly

increase your energy so you can get more out of every day – like spending more quality time with the kids or grandkids, or pursuing a hobby
Maybe you would like help improving some of the following conditions:

arthritis

depression

heart disease

high blood pressure

high cholesterol

diabetes

excess weight

reducing the risk of colon cancer
If any of these things make sense to you, then you should be looking into what it is that you need to do to improve your physical fitness. It is definitely not just about looking like a body builder or a fitness model. It’s all about lifetime fitness and the joy of being happy.
Do you have questions about possible injuries or illness that might be caused by starting to exercise? Come in and have a consultation with me to discuss it more in depth.

Chad

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Five Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

“Metabolism” is the name of the bodily system that converts food calories to energy needed to perform various tasks, like pumping oxygen to muscles during a long walk. Many variables contribute to your metabolism, including heredity, gender and age. But you can quicken yours; here’s how.

Exercise more. When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward.

“It’s not a huge spike, but it makes a difference,” says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Read more

10 Best Foods for Your Heart

Simple food choices go a long way when it comes to your heart’s health. Focusing on fresh foods full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cut your chances of a heart attack. These 10 foods will help keep your ticker in top shape.

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

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