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As temperature gets colder, our appetite increases
Article by Club Fitness Nutritionist, Jessy Hamawi
As temperature gets colder, experts say our appetite increases – and so can our waistline.
Studies have indicated that we tend to eat more during the winter months, with the average person gaining at least one to two pounds – and those who are already overweight likely to gain a lot more. People who are affected with this tend to have lower blood levels of serotonin – not surprisingly, those carbohydrate-rich foods give us a serotonin rush, so for many people winter food cravings are a way of self-medicating – as the days get shorter the need for these ‘carbo-rich comfort foods’ increases.
WHAT TO DO?
While cold winter weather may be encouraging us to eat more, experts say we don’t have to lose control of our appetite in the process. Here are 5 ways to get some winter comfort without packing on the extra pounds.
But what is about falling temperatures that urges us to eat more?
One reason is that food performs the simplest of winter functions: It helps keep us warm.
“Simply put, when outdoor temperatures drop, your body temperature drops and that is what actually sets up a longing for foods that will warm you quickly,” says Kristin Herlocker MS, RD, a nutrition expert with Diabetes Centers of America in Houston, Texas. In short she says shivering triggers a self preservation mode that sends our body a message to heat up fast! And while technically, any food – including fruits and vegetables – will boost our metabolism and help create the extra heat we crave, for most folks it’s the traditional “comfort” foods that come to mind when it’s cold.
While for some it’s the falling temperatures that set their appetite in motion, for others it’s the decrease in sunlight that increases the need to feed. The reason is a brain chemical dysfunction known as SAD or seasonal affective disorder – a type of depression that occurs in a response to a lack of sunlight. So what’s the link to an increased appetite? Moreover, experts say that the early winter sunsets combined with the cold weather means many folks simply stay indoors more this time of year – and that often means we feel isolated and, usually more hungry.
Winter often provides lots of excuses for moving less. Not only does it contain shorter days, it cuts our outdoor time by several hours –- in many locations the temperatures, as well as other weather related factors like snow and ice, make our chosen fitness activities, like walking or running, more difficult. Since exercise helps increase serotonin levels, the lack of activity can have a direct influence on how much we eat.
If we’re eating more and working out less, there’s no place for our weight to go but up!
1. The colder the temperatures the more you need to snack . But if you make it a high protein, high fiber snack you’ll rev up your body’s heat mechanism quickly and remain warmer longer. And that means you’ll not only burn more calories, you’ll also have a less of a drive to eat more often.
2. Create Low Cal Comfort Foods – If you know that nothing take the chill off your bones like comfort food, look for ways to cut the calories and still get that warm and cozy feeling. Try a bowl of vegetable soup instead of a high fat chicken noodle, make your cocoa with non fat milk, try Mac & Cheese with no-fat cheese – be creative in finding ways to make feel-good food less fattening.
3. See The Light – Get in the SUN! Even an hour of direct sunlight a day can help elevate your disposition. Or if you definitely find yourself more hungry on dark, gloomy days talk to your doctor about light therapy.. It’s a way of using artificial light to increase serotonin levels – and reduce your appetite.
4. Exercise Your Daily Life – If you can’t go outside to do your regular workouts, find a studio that has an indoor area – or even if the weather keeps you from getting to the gym – put more activity into your daily living. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, march in place while you’re sorting the laundry or doing the dishes, or clean out the closet/basement/garage instead of curling up with your favorite DVD movies every night. The more you move the warmer you will feel and the less hungry you will be.
The NEW Peoria Club Fitness Website is Now Live!!
Welcome to the BRAND NEW Peoria Club Fitness Website www.peoriaclubfitness.com ! That is right we also have a new URL/Domain Name!!
You may notice that our old website of www.clubfitnessyoufitin.com is still live. Once the new website starts getting better SEO ( Search Engine Optimization) results then we will be transferring old URL so that both URL addresses will lead to the brand new website and old website will then disappear. Please be patient with us while we wait for the search engines to start recognizing the new site and tags. (This can take a little over a month!)
We thank all our members for your support while we have so many exciting changes taking place at the health club! We are also getting very close to having our new computer system up and running so that we can provide even more exceptional personal attention to all our members!
Sincerly,
The Peoria Club Fitness Team
I know..I know.., you think oh no…here it comes..Marianne is gonna slam chocolate this week! Can’t I enjoy anything anymore…right?..Well not so fast!
Many of us are aware of the most recent findings regarding dark chocolate (more so than milk chocolate) having very beneficial flavanols (flavanols are plant substances that are high in anti-oxidants) which are so important to our overall health, and shown through studies, even beneficial in preventing cancer. Additionally, the flavanols in chocolate have been shown to help process the nitric oxide in our bodies, which is very vital to healthy blood flow and blood pressure.
Well, I am going to offer another benefit of chocolate that you may not be aware of. For those of you who consider yourself true “chocolate lovers”…do you find that when you eat chocolate, you actually get somewhat of a euphoric/”warm fuzzy” feeling? I have met soooo many people who truly believe they are “addicted” to chocolate & the thought of having to give it up seems almost impossible. Well if you are one of these true chocolate lovers, join a very large crowd…but here is some information that will possibly help you understand the attraction.
A study was done, that monitored couple”s brain & heart rates while they 1) kissed & 2) melted chocolate in their mouths.(hmmm..sounds like a study we might all like to be participants in). What the study showed was that “Chocolate caused a more intense and longer lasting “rush”, “buzz”….”warm-fuzzy feeling” than kissing!!”…I’m not sure this is good or bad news…In fact the research showed that the buzz from chocolate, & it works best when it is allowed to melt in your mouth, lasted as much as four times longer than the “buzz” from a “most passionate kiss”.
So, it is easy to see why some people truly are “addicted” to the “buzz” from chocolate. The reason this happens, is chocolate contains phenylethylamine, which raises the levels of endorphins (pleasure giving substances) in the brain. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which will further stimulate the brain..
Probably many readers can relate totally to the feeling of “happiness” when eating chocolate…now, at least you know it’s not your imagination…there is a scientific explanation for why you feel this way. The important thing to remember regarding your love & “indulgence” in chocolate, is moderation. Chocolate does contain a lot of saturated fats & calories…so limit your intake. Moderation…as usual, is the key. Be good to yourself!
Original Source: The Sleep Doctor via AOL Healthy Living
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/sleep-diet_b_911246.html
The link between sleep and weight loss recently received a big boost: a long-term, large-scale study has confirmed that both too little sleep and too much sleep leads to weight gain.
Researchers at Harvard University examined how various lifestyle habits affected weight over an extended period of time. The study included more than 120,000 participants, both men and women, all of whom began in basic good health: none were suffering from any chronic diseases, and none were obese. Researchers monitored their weight in four-year intervals over a total period of 20 years. Their findings provide more evidence to support the weight-control benefits of a full six to eight hours of nightly sleep: Adults who slept fewer than six hours per night or more than eight hours per night gained more weight than those whose nightly sleep fell within the recommended six- to eight-hour range.
In addition to sleep, researchers also evaluated the effects of diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking and television watching habits on weight. The most significant weight gain occurred for people whose diet was filled with high-fat, high-sugar foods (no surprise, there). In particular, potato chips and other potato products, as well as sugary beverages such as soda were associated with the most weight gain. As you might expect, diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts helped people keep their weight under control. Physical activity also helped people to keep from gaining weight.
We already know that sleep has an effect on our eating habits -- on what we consume, how much we consume and how well we burn it off. Studies have shown that when we're sleep deprived, we're more likely to:
Feel hungry, and consume more calories throughout a day
Eat higher fat and calorie foods
Burn calories less effectively
When we're sleep deprived, we're also just more likely to give in to temptation. We've simply got more time to choose to eat, and our judgment and willpower will be weaker when we're tired -- meaning we're more likely to reach for the cookie jar than the fruit bowl.
The good news is that a solid sleep routine can help you keep your weight in a healthy place, over the long term. Here are some basic strategies:
Set yourself up for sleep. Create a bedroom environment that supports and enhances good sleep habits. A quiet, dark, laptop, text -free space will help you sleep better, and longer.
Choose a bedtime. We schedule so many things in our daily lives -- there's no reason we can't do the same with bedtime. Working backward from your necessary wake-up time, find the right bedtime to allow you six to eight hours of sleep.
Prepare yourself. Kids aren't the only ones who need to wind down before bed. To prepare yourself for sleep, follow these general "power-down" guidelines:
Schedule exercise no closer than four hours before bedtime
Forgo alcohol within three hours of bedtime
Turn off electronics one hour before bedtime
Find time for a nap. There's increasing evidence to support that napping is healthy for both body and mind.
Establishing good sleep habits can really help you reach and maintain a healthy weight over the long term -- giving you that waistline you want, and protecting your overall health.
Many times, while working out in the cardio room at Club Fitness, I have come across members that are straining themselves to exercise as hard as possible. Since I know about Target Heart Rate Zones, it becomes obvious to me that many other people do not understand that they do not have to push themselves to the edge to achieve weight loss. In fact it can be counter productive. They are giving there hearts a good workout, but not achieving maximum fat burning. So I found a great article by The Walking Site that explains each of the zones and why they are important to reach your specific goals. I have also added a link to the Mayo Clinic Target Heart rate calculator at the end of article.
YOUR TARGET HEART RATE
You should know your Maximum Heart Rate and your correct training zone to know if you are training at the right pace. Here are a few ways to figure your target heart rate.
You can easily find your Target Heart Rate (thr) with this simple method. Subtract your age from 220 (226 for women) to calculate your Maximum Heart Rate (mhr). Find your training zone below and multiply that number times your maximum rate.
Another, more accurate method is the Karvonen Formula. You must know your resting heart rate to use this method and insert your training zone from below.
Of course the most accurate method is a treadmill stress test administered by a professional. If you are over the age of 35, overweight, have been sedentary for several years, or have a history of heart disease in your family, clinical testing is recommended.
MEASURING YOUR HEART RATE
Wearing a heart rate monitor is an easy, accurate method of checking your heart rate... but you don't have a monitor. Here is another easy way.
The easiest place to feel your own heart beat is the carotid artery. Place your index finger on the side of your neck between the middle of your collar bone and your jaw line. (You may also use the radial artery on the under side of your wrist.) You can count the beats for a full 60 seconds or count for 6 seconds and add a zero at the end. If you felt your heart beat 14 times in 6 seconds the number would be 140 for a full 60 seconds. Counting for only six seconds is a convenient method, of course it is more accurate to count for the full 60 seconds. You can use several varieties of this method (30 seconds x 2, 15 seconds x 4, etc.). The longer you count the more accurate your reading. Whatever you choose, be consistent in your method.
TRAINING ZONES
Healthy Heart Zone (Warm up) --- 50 - 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. It can also be used as a warm up for more serious walkers. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats!
Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) --- 60 - 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%.
Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) --- 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.
Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) --- 80 - 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.
Red Line (Maximum Effort) --- 90 - 100% of maximum heart rate: Although this zone burns the highest number of calories, it is very intense. Most people can only stay in this zone for short periods. You should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so.
Here is also a great calculator to help you find your target heart rate!
Mayo Clinic Heart Rate Calculator
Why You Should Avoid Low Fat Frozen Dinners when Losing Weight
Low fat frozen dinners may seem like a good option to cut fat when you are on a diet. These meals in a box can appear to be healthy and balanced and may even taste good enough to tolerate when you are trying to lose weight. But there are ways in which these entrees may not be good for you. Why should you avoid low fat frozen dinners?
Avoid Low Fat Frozen Dinners Due to High Sodium Content. In order to improve taste, manufacturers often add extra sodium to frozen dinners. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends no more than 2,300 mg. of sodium intake 1 daily for healthy adults. That is equivalent to approximately 1 teaspoon of salt.
For example, Healthy Choice Roast Chicken Breast meal contains 600 mg. of sodium. This is one-fourth of the daily allowance of sodium for a healthy adult. If you
are eating 6 small meals/snacks a day, you would have to watch your sodium intake for all of these other meals to indulge in this small, 11 ounce meal.
To help you see how much sodium is in this meal, a 1 ounce portion of potato chips 2 contains 168 mg. of sodium. Be sure to check nutritional labels before buying low fat dinners or avoid them altogether.
Avoid Low Fat Frozen Dinners Due to Added Sugar. Different sugars are added to low fat dinners to make them taste better. Sugars add calories and no nutritional value to a meal. Often these sugars are in the form of high fructose corn syrup.
For example, Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Baked Chicken Breast contains 5 grams of sugar. Regular Stouffer's Baked Chicken Breast contains 2 grams of sugar 2. Although 3 grams of sugar may not be much, it can up during the day, adding unnecessary calories to your diet.
Avoid Low Fat Frozen Dinners and Make Meals from Fresh Foods. Fresh foods are always better than prepared frozen dinners. They are not processed and only have ingredients that you add. You can control how much salt and sugar you add to each meal. Herbs and seasonings can go a long way to adding taste without extra sodium and sugar.
For ease in preparation of one meal at a time, you can separate fresh meats and foods into serving sizes before freezing or storing. Then you can take out and prepare what you need for each meal. This is a healthier choice and can help you avoid low fat frozen dinner when losing weight.
Original source: Jolynne M Hudnell, Yahoo! Contributor Network
1) USDA; Dietary Guidelines; www.health.gov
All other nutritional information found at:
2) Calorie Count; Food Browser; www.caloriecount.about.com
Grocery Shopping Mistakes!
August 10, 2011 by Peoria Club Fitness Nutritionist Jessy Hamawi
Imagine yourself walking around in your favorite supermarket. What do you see? You stroll through the candy aisle or down past the cupcakes. You might even see the words, “ Fat Free.” The funny thing is, this is completely true but totally misleading. These products might be completely fat free because they are loaded with empty calories. They are 100 percent sugar and processed carbs: exactly what you should avoid if you want a lean physique.
Grocery stores and food companies are hoping you will see words like Fat Free, Juice Drink, Chocolate Drink, Real, Flavored, or Lightly and think they are healthy or that it is ok to eat. Never be fooled by misleading labels. If a product says fat free, it is most likely loaded with sugar or some chemical to imitate sugar, or sodium to make it taste better.
Always read the ingredients. If a product has 17 ingredients and it is something basic, don’t buy it. The more ingredients something has, the unhealthier it likely is.
Be sure to avoid anything that reads “Juice Drink” or “Juice Cocktail.” Those words are code for sugar drink. They are tricking you by adding sugary juices to get you hooked. Look for juices that are single-fruit juices or avoid them. Your best bet is drinking water and NOT drinking your calories.
If a package claims the food it contains is “Real” think twice before buying. If chicken nuggets contain 17 ingredients, it’s not real. Also, look out for the word “flavored.” Strawberry flavored or cheese flavored usually means fruitless or cheeseless.
The FDA allows food companies to claim their product has zero trans fats if there is less than .50 grams per serving. It may seem insignificant, but .49 grams can add up fast. Look out for words like “partially hydrogenated” and “shortening.” You will most likely find these ingredients especially in the snack aisle with popcorn, chips, and cheese curls. But then again, you should even be in the snack aisle.
Another word to look out for is maltodextrin. This is a fat substitute but again is loaded with carbs and sugar. “Lightly” is another trouble word. This word gets tossed around like a frisbee at the beach. What “Lightly” really means is 15 grams of sugar from 4 different sources.
Like I said before, don’t let the food company’s trick you. The next time you go to the food store, take some time to read some labels. If you find you have been tricked, choose a healthier product. It is the small things that make the biggest difference.
Remember, you are what you eat!
The Importance of Stretching
We all have been told that we must stretch before and after every workout. Yet many of us have no idea what stretching does for us, and don't bother to do it. Worse still, we rush through a quick stretching routine that is not only ineffective but sets us up for potential injuries. Proper stretching does play a very important role in both overall health and performance in workouts or sports.
The importance of stretching for our bodies?
One of the primary benefits of regular stretching is that it can help prevent muscular imbalances. Because no one has perfectly symmetrical muscular development, and we all tend to use one side of the body more than the other, we create a situation in which some muscles must overcompensate for others. This leads to muscular weaknesses and underdevelopment in some areas of the body. Stretching regularly helps to lengthen tight overused muscles and strengthen underused muscles. Correcting musculoskeletal imbalances can help ease everyday aches and pains, improve posture and alleviate lower back pain.
What is the best way to stretch?
It is possible to actually injure oneself form over-stretching, so it is very important to practice good form. Experts recommend that you stretch slowly, and only as deeply as you can comfortably go, and that you hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. It is important that you feel the stretch through the muscle and not in the joints.
Stretching cannot directly improve sports performance. Rather, a regular routine of stretching will help to increase flexibility that offers a degree of protection from injury over time. Flexible muscles also recover quicker from injuries, and stretching gently can even help to speed the recovery process. Most fitness experts recommend that you only stretch after your muscles have warmed up.
Stretching incorrectly can cause injury in itself, so be certain to research some safe stretches for each muscle group. Additionally, when you are stretching, you should always move slowly and gently into the stretch. Remember, you should never feel any pain while stretching- if you do stop or reduce the intensity of the stretch immediately. When practiced correctly, stretching is an essential part of any fitness regimen and can help you to avoid injury, increase flexibility and better posture.
Article Written by Peoria Club Fitness Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer Jessy Hamawi
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