nutrition-and-fitness-trends for the new year

…and we thought we’d give our predictionsl.  So here you have it, our thoughts on Nutrition and Fitness Trends in 2010.

1.  More focus on prevention, less on reaction. Here’s an example — the greatest tool to “measure” body fat is the mirror.  Take a look in it … and if you don’t like what you see, change it.  Don’t wait for things to get “out of control.”

2.  Increase the amount of meals eaten at home. With so much talk about the economy and the effects many are feeling, people are going to be turning more and more to home cookin’

3.  Eating local foods. This is simply a continuation of a trend we’ve been seeing over the last year or more.  Eat foods as “close” to home as possible.  More nutrients, support the local farmer, and the flavor is second to none.

4.  More “designer” ingredients/foods. Whether this is good or bad is another question, but we’re surely going to be seeing more and more “specialty” ingredients and/or foods.

5.  Increased food fortification. As people continue to look for a quick fix, food companies will continue to “please” by adding specific nutrients to their products that are catered to different genders, health risks, diseases, and so on.

6.  More reliance on “Energy” products. As a society, we don’t get nearly enough sleep.  Well, the 600+ energy drinks and millions of coffee shops have your answer…their products!  There’s no end in sight for the popularity of any of these.

7.  More “anti-inflammation” food and supplement products. From antioxidants to fatty acids, phytonutrients to functional foods.  Look for this category to heat up in the near future.

8.  Body weight training. Who needs a barbell when you have your own body weight?  It’s the most simple, least expensive training tool yet — your own body.

9.  Keep it simple and “clean.” Awareness about different additives, chemicals, and other by products in our foods will have consumers turning more to “clean” foods without any of these!

10. More “green” or “environmentally friendly” foods. keep an eye out for more of these coming down the pipeline.

There you have it — What do YOU think we’ll be seeing more of next year?

Sore Knees?

Soreness in or around your knee?  Unable to get up out of a chair without feeling like your leg is as stiff as a rod?  Does the pain in your knee prevent you from running greater than a few miles at a time when the rest of your body could go the distance?  If so then read on to learn some quick easy ways to protect your knees and keep them as in shape as the rest of you!

Knee pain plagues a large majority of the aging population and can become a reason to reduce or stop your exercise program completely.  The pain can sometimes be a result of cumulative traumas to the joint inherited over years of physical activity or it can be a result of a onetime traumatic incident.  In either case the pain can be so dehabilitating that physical activity becomes a chore rather than a positive outlet for the stresses of everyday life.
While some cases of knee pain are caused by torn ligaments or internal structures that require surgery, some causes of knee pain are simply a result of improper biomechanical alignment.  That is, the way you have performed motions repeatedly overtime have broken down the knees natural protective defenses and resulted in a painful, inefficient use of the knee.

Here are some of the red flags to watch out for when performing exercises that could potentially damage the knee:

1)Squat: Squatting is like making chicken soup; everyone has their own way of doing it.  What you want to be conscious of is where your feet are in relationship to your knees.  A simple rule is if your knees cross in front of your toes you are putting stress on the knee joint.  Another possible hazard can be if the knees start to approximate each other and want to “kiss” during the motion.  This stress can really put pressure on the meniscus and supporting ligaments.  A good rule of thumb is to try and sit your butt backwards as you squat using your hips and buttocks to do the work.  Watch for the “kissing knees” and focus on keeping them in line with your feet
2)Lunge: same rules as squatting apply for lunging except with lunges you begin to add in an element of forward or backwards progression.  What you must keep in mind with this is to not let the momentum drive your knee past your toes, rather look to get a 90 degree angle at the both the hip and knee joint as your maximum depth of the lunge.
3)Knee extension machines: If you tend to favor the knee extension machine in your gym may I recommend either of the above two exercises above this one.  The way these machines are designed put a great deal of stress on the knee joint and the consequences outweigh the benefits.

Preventing knee problems before they exist are the best ways to keep a long, healthy coexistence with our bodies.  Check in with your MD or physical therapist before starting anew program or if you begin to feel pain in your knees.  Getting it early can make it all the more easy to rehab.

Holiday Weight Gain is Permanent!

Do you know what the average weight gain is for the holidays?

We’ve heard it all…

…8-10 lbs, 12-15 lbs, and even as high as 20 lbs!  

Newsflash: if you gain 20 lbs in 6 weeks from overeating, it’s going to take a lot more than a few nutrition tips and strategies to help out!

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine actually showed that the average weight gain is just 3-5 lbs.

“That’s it?” you ask?  Then who cares what I eat?!

But here’s the problem … it’s not that small weight gain during the holidays that’s the problem, it’s the fact that people don’t lose that weight year after year.

A 5 lb weight gain each year for the next 4 years means 20 lbs.  People tell us all the time that they’re not sure how they gained so much weight “it just crept up on them.”

This is exactly how it happens.  You may not notice a few pounds.  They come on slowly, but surely.  And it’s all relative to your current weight.  What started out some pants that were just a bit tighter than last time you tried them on, gets quickly pushed aside as “I just got them out of the dryer.”  And suddenly those same pants no longer fit.  But this process is slow, so we then rationalize that we’re getting older, so it’s just “middle age.”

And the cycle continues.

Stop the insanity!

Thanksgiving is just a few days behind us.

There are approximately 6 weeks from now until January 1st.  
 
That means you can either gain the “average” 3-5 lbs during this time, or you can stick to your plan and maintain, if that’s your goal, or lose…if you’d like to.

How do you do that?  That is up to you.

These 5 Holiday Fat Loss Secrets can help.

1.  Remember the “holiday season” is just a few select days within a 6-week period.  Enjoy the food on the holiday itself, enjoy the work parties, social gatherings, and other holiday get togethers … but when they’re done, they need to be done.  Don’t let 1 night carry over into the next!

2.  Always make time for exercise.  While there’s no research to show there’s a “best” time of day, our own non scientific research, of working with 1000’s of individuals over the years, points to the morning as the best time to get exercise out of the way, so you can move on to your other daily tasks.

3.  Plan ahead.  Seems obvious, I know.  But this is a high stress time many people — getting gifts, seeing family and friends, and so much more.  And to top it all off, there’s just 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Plan, make time for you, and know that everything will get done…just like it always does.

4.  Don’t bake cookies as gifts, bake pies!  Seems like a weird fat loss recommendation, but when you’re giving cookies as gifts, it’s really easy to eat several of them without *anyone* (except you) knowing.  Try that with a pie and it might look a little weird if you give a pie with a piece taken out of it.  

5.  Never “save up” your calories so you can decidedly overeat later on.  Instead, eat normally throughout the day and then simply enjoy smaller portions of your favorite foods later on.  Starving yourself in anticipation of all the different foods will surely lead to overeating more than anything.

Any favorite tips that have helped YOU get through the holidays?

The 25 Things You Must Know About Lower Back Pain

1. A bad back is not always a weak back.

2. A weak back can be a precursor to a bad back.

3. Muscle endurance is initially more important then muscle strengthening for your back.

4. Acute episodes of back pain respond better to ice than heat.

5. Positive finding on an MRI often have less to do with your pain than you might think.

6. Stretching alone is an incomplete answer to solving your back problems.

7. Your body adapts to exercise, so doing the same “back” exercises for months or years has diminishing returns.

8. Chronic back pain can be months or years in the making.

9. Sleeping on your stomach is good for some people.

10. Lower back pain can be caused by your feet.

11. Lower back pain can be caused by your neck.

12. Never roll out of bed and immediately stretch in the morning.

13. Pulling your knees to your chest may be bad for your back.

14. Lumbar supports when sitting are helpful.

15. More serious medical problems sometimes mimic lower back pain.

16. Stretching your hamstrings when you have sciatica can make the symptoms worse.

17. Pregnancy and monthly cycles with increased hormone production can decrease the stability of the sacroiliac joint in women leading to LBP.

18. The best back exercises are those that are designed for you following an evaluation.

19. An old injury to another part of your body can contribute to your back pain.

20. Lying on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees and legs supported can passively mitigate back pain.

21. Repeated work or recreational postures or movements will lead to imbalances in your body and impact the back.

22. Back surgery can almost always be rescheduled.

23. If medication is your only intervention, you’ll be medicating for life.

24. Hinging from the hip can spare your back.

25. Good spinal ROM is not correlated with an absence

Are you eating enough of these?

Most “diets” tell you everything you shouldn’t eat.

I think that’s useless.

Who wants to think of deprivation?  Starvation?  Your goal isn’t to just burn belly fat, but it’s to burn belly fat FOREVER!

Who wants a quick fix diet that doesn’t last forever?

Focus on everything you SHOULD eat and include when trying to lose belly fat … and even when just trying to be the BEST physically and mentally.

So today I’m going to talk about 3 nutrients you’re not eating enough of and just how you can eat more, through real foods, since no one thinks in terms of “eating nutrients.”

Vitamin D

Nutrition experts recently met again to see if the recommendation for this nutrient should be raised.  Most experts who study the vitamin agree that it should.

Why all the recent “noise” about this vitamin?  It’s been shown to help:

    * muscle strength
    * improve bone health
    * potentially play a role in reducing type 1 and 2 diabetes
    * slash fat loss
    * cancer prevention
    * Alzheimer’s
    * arthritis
    * decreasing falls with elderly
    * decrease inflammatory issues
    * And much, much more.
 

Our bodies make vitamin D from sunlight, but most people don’t get out enough … or when we do, we slather our bodies in suntan lotion so sun has no chance to hit our skin (I’m not saying don’t use sunblock, by the way).  
 
Believe it or not, Vitamin D deficiency is starting to resurface.  The problem is it is difficult to get from foods — milk is fortified, canned and wild salmon are good options, sardines, anchovies, egg yolks, liver, and only a few other foods provide decent quantities.  Unfortunately you’re probably not licking your lips thinking of sardines, washed down with a nice glass of milk, are you?  Me neither.  I do love salmon, though!

So what should we do?  

First, next time you go to your doctor, have them measure blood levels of Vitamin D — experts seem to suggest that levels should be at least 40 ng/dL for optimal health.  Do not simply eat enough to prevent malnutrition, but rather aim to optimize health.
 
And this is one nutrient it might be wise to add as a supplement (1000 IU’s/day, unless your health care provider tells you differently).  Of course do try to include some of those foods, too, because you get other powerful nutrients in addition to D when eating whole foods.  A favorite product of ours is Nordic Naturals Ultimate-Omega with D (high concentration of omega-3’s + 1000 IU’s of vitamin D).  A true win win.  Of course this is in conjunction with a great variety of foods that provide loads of other nutrients too.

Omega-3 Fats

This one probably won’t surpise you.  It all started when scientists realized Eskimo’s had an incredibly low rate of heart disese, yet ate a diet that was about 70% fat.  When they realized where the fat came from (primarily seal, which are high in omega 3’s), the wheels started turning.

Now, over 7,000 scientific studies later, voila!  We’ve got a winner on our hands!

The American Heart Association suggests eating at 12 oz of fatty fish per week (such as salmon, tuna, sea bass, etc).  Fish is the best source of omega-3 fats, but without getting into technical details, you can also get omega-3’s from other foods, such as walnuts, almonds, and flax seed/oil.  They’re not exactly the same, even though they’re all under the “omega-3 umbrella.”  But all are a healthy part of the diet and you should be eating more of them!  If you’re allergic, well, then stick with vegetarian sources of omega-3’s. 
 

Why should you care?

Some of the benefits of omega-3’s are similar to those listed above for Vitamin D.

    * potentially burn belly fat
    * improves skin

    * may play a role in reducing type 1 and 2 diabetes
    * cancer prevention
    * reduce the risk or progression of Alzheimer’s
    * slow progression of arthritis
    * decrease inflammatory issues
    * Decrease the risk of heart disease

Now if all those benefits above don’t impress you, nothing will.

Eat more vitamin D.  Eat more omega-3’s.  Notice salmon is a good source of both.  So are sardines and anchovies, but I bet you’re more likely to eat the salmon.  

Fiber

Most American’s eat an average of 10 grams of fiber each day.

It’s recommended that we get 20-35 grams.

There’s obviously a disconnect.

Here’s how to do it.

Replace all crap carbs — you know, the ones that increase belly fat FAST — with fiber filled carbs.  Fruits.  Veggies.  Grains.  If a carbohdyrate DOESN’T have 3 or more grams of fiber PER SERVING — toss it.  If it has more than 10 grams of sugar.  Toss it.  Deal?  In an ideal world, you’d get MOST of your carb intake from fruits and veggies, each day.  Trust me, you’ll feel like a new person. 

And why should you care?

    * incinerates belly fat
    * keeps blood sugar stable — this helps with energy and storage of body fat
    * Controls appetite
    * Keeps you regular

All those sound good to me!  Just as an aside, add fiber slowly … otherwise your spouse, co workers, and friends may no longer want you around.

Body Assessment Checklist

Take “before” pictures! I know this seems scary.  They’re not to be judged – this is just your baseline and how you will determine what you need to change to get to where you want to be.  They’re also EXTREMELY motivating when putting side by side with your progress pictures as you go through your program.

Take initial measurements! I like these positions:  neck, chest, abdomen, 2” below the belly button, hips and around each thigh.  Again, these are just to establish baseline numbers.  Not to be judged.

Keep a food & lifestyle journal for 3-4 days. This will expose any bad habits and/or patterns you can eliminate.

Some things to look for:

• Are you skipping breakfast?
• Are you eating frequently enough? (every 3-5 hours or approximately 5 meals per day, including snacks

Lifestyle Questions – share your answers in the comments section below!  Let’s all help eachother!

1. On average, how much sleep are you getting?

2. How much water are you drinking? (a good number to shoot for would be atleast half your bodyweight in ounces every day!)

3. How much stress is in your life?

4.  How much are you exercising?  (per day?  per week?)

5.  Give an example of what you eat in a day!  (maybe we can help!)

Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

       

Flax Seed Oil is the Oil obtained from the Flax Seed (Linum usitatissimum) from the Linaceae family.

Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

Cardiovascular System:

Flax Seed Oil helps to prevent Atherosclerosis.
Flax Seed Oil helps to prevent abnormal Blood Clotting:

Flax Seed Oil makes Blood Platelets less “sticky” (due to the conversion of Flax Seed Oil’s Alpha-Linolenic Acid to Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Series 3 Prostaglandins).

Flax Seed Oil lowers elevated Blood Pressure in Hypertension patients (due to the presence of a substance very similar chemically to Prostaglandin E1 in Flax Seed Oil).
Flax Seed Oil helps to prevent Heart Attack and helps to prevent the occurrence of a second Heart Attack in people who have previously experienced a Heart Attack (due to the high Alpha-Linolenic Acid content of Flax Seed Oil).

Musculoskeletal System:Flax Seed Oil shortens the time necessary for fatigued Muscles to recover after exertion.
Flax Seed Oil (ingested orally or applied topically) alleviates Pain and Inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Flax Seed Oil accelerates the healing of Sprains.

 

Metabolism:Flax Seed Oil may improve Athletic Performance (according to anecdotal reports from numerous athletes).
Flax Seed Oil (20 grams per day) lowers total serum Cholesterol levels by up to 9%: research

 

- Flax Seed Oil (20 grams per day) lowers LDL Cholesterol levels by up to 18%.

Flax Seed Oil may prevent/alleviate Fatigue and accelerate the recovery from post-Exercise Fatigue (according to anecdotal reports from athletes).

Flax Seed Oil is a valuable adjunctive treatment for Obesity. Flax Seed Oil helps the Kidneys to eliminate excess Water and increases the body’s Basal Metabolic Rate, oxidation rate and production of Energy (due to the Alpha-Linolenic Acid (LNA) content of Flax Seed Oil). In addition the LNA content of Flax Seed Oil functions as an uncoupling agent. Use this oil in salads and smoothies and see how amazing this seed is!

Lateral Knee Pain

Unfortunately due to the repetition of the running motor pattern and the fact that the majority of the movement occurs in the saggital plane, the knee is one of the most common sites of injury or discomfort associated with the activity.

Illiotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is the primary cause of lateral knee pain and can be caused by a number of factors including increased mileage, excessive pronation, uneven training surfaces and hip abductor weakness.

Because running occurs primarily in the sagittal plane, the hamstring and quadricep muscles of the upper leg contract frequently whilst the hip abductor muscles (such as the gluteus medius) are not strengthened, which hence results in muscular imbalance and weakness. As the gluteus medius has to exert a force three times body weight in order to maintain pelvic alignment, weakness in this area consequently results in the ITB (a fibrous band of tissue that runs from the lateral hip to the lateral knee) having to work extra hard to keep the knee in alignment. Runners with weak gluteus medius are therefore more likely to have increased internal rotation on impact with the ground than those who do not. Over time, this can result in irritation of the ITB and hence lateral knee pain.

In order to rehabilitate ITBS, and prevent it occuring, focus should be placed on strengthening the gluteus medius. Below are a few exercises that can easily be performed at home using a step and elastic resistance band.

1) Lateral walks – place an elastic band around both ankles, flex (bend) your knees and hips slightly and, maintaining that position, side step for 10-15 yards. Repeat for 2 sets.

2) Clams – Lie on your side with both knees flexed to 90 degrees and abduct your hip (raise your knee away from your body), like a clam opening up. Return the knee to the start position and repeat for 2 sets of 15 reps, increasing to 3 sets of 20. The addition of an elastic band around the knees will result in greater resistance if required.

3) 45 degree abduction/ hip extension. With the elastic band around your ankles, stand with feet hip width apart and extend the hip behind you at a 45 degree angle (halfay between out to the side and straight backwards). Start with 2 sets of 15 reps and progress to 3 sets of 15 reps.

An Introduction to Running Biomechanics

An Introduction to Running Biomechanics

As a runner your objective is to keep your foot on the ground for the least amount of time possible. The more contact you have, the more impact the body takes. By creating elasticity within specified areas, you are going to help the body’s propulsion while also maintaining structural integrity and preventing injuries. 

By massaging, strengthening and toning these 6 key areas of the body you can enable your body to maintain structural integrity, creating a platform for optimal performance and potentially eliminate the opportunity for injury. 
 

1 – Soleus 2 – Quadriceps 3 – IT Band 4 – Psoas

5 – Piriformis 6 – Pectorals 

The Biomechanical Chain Reaction 

We begin with the range of motion of the foot because, no matter what, the foot is the first and last thing to hit the ground throughout the day. The way the foot hits the ground is the beginning of a biomechanical chain reaction that affects the rest of the body. Once the foot becomes rigid or loses its natural range of motion you have to massage the soleus (area 1) to help release the tension and reduce the amount of scar tissue and adhesions that can build up and prevent a natural foot strike. 
 

If the soleus is not addressed, the knee is forced to thrust forward putting a greater demand on the quad and IT band (areas 2 and 3). Once these areas lose elasticity, adhesions and scar tissue are going to limit the pliability of the muscle, shortening the distance between the pelvis and the knee, creating pelvic tilt. 
 

As the above occurs, the psoas (area 4) is then relied upon to maintain core stability since it is the muscle that connects in your groin and at T12 in the middle of your back.  Without the aid of the muscles in the lower back, the psoas can quickly become overworked.  Compression on the L4-5 (lower back) region is increased along with additional pelvic tilting – leaving the upper torso positioned slightly in front of the pelvis. This compromises the body’s ability to breathe by compressing the diaphragm while additionally affecting areas 5 and 6. The piriformis (area 5) is then forced to work harder because of the body’s lack of structural integrity and the loss of strength within the quad/IT band region. 
 
 

The pectoral muscles (area 6) are also affected due to the body’s natural reaction to rotate the shoulders forward when the torso is positioned slightly in front of the pelvis. By releasing the scar tissue within this region, the shoulders are going to rotate back naturally allowing more oxygen to come into the lungs and letting the arms swing freely. 
 
 

The sequence of events described above illustrates why addressing the entire biomechanical chain, not just one problem area, is important. By performing massage techniques in the outlined areas, you will see for yourself that working these 6 areas will enhance your running and decrease your propensity for injury.

6 Reasons to Eat Blueberries

Any way you buy them – fresh, frozen or dried – blueberries are packed with nutritional power. If you need reasons beside taste to snack on blueberries, keep these nutrition facts in mind. Blueberries:

1.Provide antioxidants. Anthocyanins, the pigments that make blueberries blue, are potent antioxidants: A half cup of blueberries provides the antioxidant power of five servings of peas, carrots, apples, squash or broccoli.

2.Are a healthy, low glycemic-index carbohydrate, an especially good choice for diabetics.

3.Are a source of vitamin C, important for a healthy immune system.

4.Help meet your need for daily fiber – two grams per one-half cup serving.

5.Have shown promise in addressing the effects of aging: animal studies have demonstrated improved motor skills and a reversal of age-related short-term memory loss associated with consuming blueberries.

6.May have other health benefits ranging from preventing cancer and defending against urinary tract infections to protecting the brain from stroke damage and reducing heart disease risks.

Look for organic blueberries, and toss some in a salad, on cereal, eat as a snack, or make a blueberry pie. If fresh organic blueberries are cost prohibitive, substitute with frozen or dried products – all three forms provide health-protective benefits. Keep in mind that dried blueberries are a concentrated source of sugar, so enjoy them in moderation.