SWIMMING WETS THE APPETITE
I encourage all my clients to change their daily workouts; some swim as part of their weekly routine. One question comes up constantly.
“Why am I so hungry after I swim?”
Researchers are not really sure why it happens. They are sure that appetite does increase after a swim. Research has proven that a cold water sport, yes even if your pool is heated to 85 degrees, causes your body to lose heat. The blood vessels in your skin constrict. When the skin constricts, it prohibits the release of hormones that suppress appetite during and after exercise. Rudy Dressendorfer, PHD, University of Alberta, points out that your body is not responding with more hunger, your body just didn’t get the message to release hormones responsible for suppressing hunger.
Her research proved that those people who exercised in cool water consumed 44% more calories following their swim than those who worked out in warmer temperatures. Dressendorfer found that those who followed up their workout with 5 ~10 minutes of walking or cycling out of the cool water, did not feel the same levelof hunger.
Knowledge is the key to changing a response. Break the cycle of overeating after swimming by being aware and prepared. Have a good snack handy and keep swimming!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Effective Cardio workouts
Think like you’re ordering from a Chinese menu.
The American Heart Association recommends we spend 30 minutes per day in some type of cardio exercise. Many do not have the extra chunk of time; many would rather spend their time doing something else.
It becomes an issue of quality of cardio over the quantity. Examine your time allowed for your workout. If you have extra time, opt for L.S.D. Long Slow Distance workouts are valuable because they cause changes in the body that increase aerobic fitness. L.S.D. increases the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. It also increases the body’s ability to store glycogen, creates a better network of capillaries and increases the muscles aerobic metabolic capacity. In essence, the body becomes a better fat burning machine.
If you have a moderate amount of time to devote to your workout, consider the Tempo Set. Tempo Sets utilize both fat and carbohydrates as fuel for the workout. The harder the exertion, the more carbs are burned. The less intense, the more fat is used as fuel. Tempo sets are done in an aerobic state.
Tempo sets raise the lactate threshold and therefore delays a state of fatigue. They are generally great fat burning workouts. Strive for working harder than L.S.D., about 75 ~80% MHR, for 15 min to 20min. Make sure a recovery period of one minute is included if you choose to do multiple sets.
Interval workouts are the type for those who do not have a great amount of time for their exercise. Working both aerobically and an-aerobically, you can manipulate: time (distance) of each period, the intensity of each segment, time of each recovery and the number of repetitions. These sets raise your aerobic capacity. It encourages the development of fast twitch muscles.
All of these choices of Cardio have advantages. Time is an important commodity. Choose wisely!
The facts for this post comes from an article by Jason Karp.
Think like you’re ordering from a Chinese menu.
The American Heart Association recommends we spend 30 minutes per day in some type of cardio exercise. Many do not have the extra chunk of time; many would rather spend their time doing something else.
It becomes an issue of quality of cardio over the quantity. Examine your time allowed for your workout. If you have extra time, opt for L.S.D. Long Slow Distance workouts are valuable because they cause changes in the body that increase aerobic fitness. L.S.D. increases the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. It also increases the body’s ability to store glycogen, creates a better network of capillaries and increases the muscles aerobic metabolic capacity. In essence, the body becomes a better fat burning machine.
If you have a moderate amount of time to devote to your workout, consider the Tempo Set. Tempo Sets utilize both fat and carbohydrates as fuel for the workout. The harder the exertion, the more carbs are burned. The less intense, the more fat is used as fuel. Tempo sets are done in an aerobic state.
Tempo sets raise the lactate threshold and therefore delays a state of fatigue. They are generally great fat burning workouts. Strive for working harder than L.S.D., about 75 ~80% MHR, for 15 min to 20min. Make sure a recovery period of one minute is included if you choose to do multiple sets.
Interval workouts are the type for those who do not have a great amount of time for their exercise. Working both aerobically and an-aerobically, you can manipulate: time (distance) of each period, the intensity of each segment, time of each recovery and the number of repetitions. These sets raise your aerobic capacity. It encourages the development of fast twitch muscles.
All of these choices of Cardio have advantages. Time is an important commodity. Choose wisely!
The facts for this post comes from an article by Jason Karp.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Black Belt Quest
Mastery
1 : knowledge and skill that allows you to do, use, or understand something very well
2 complete control of something
Two times in my life I have set completing a difficult athletic goal. At the age of 36, I decided to test for my life guard certification. It didn’t scare me I could not swim any stroke but the doggie paddle. Fast forward 9 years. After taking 3 heated yoga classes, I decided I really needed to achieve my 200 hour teacher certification in vinyassa yoga.
The life guard cert took 2 months. I was young and full of energy. The yoga cert took 2 years of daily work. I completed the program on time. Tom Gillette, my teacher, a very great teacher, brought me to a level in my practice and in my life for which I could not have achieved if not for his guidance.
At the tender age of 53, I have a new goal~ Black belt excellence. It is not just the physicality of the program; I want the qualities of a black belt to use in my senior years. Yikes, did I just say my SENIOR years? The sad fact is that most seniors become invisible as they age. Senior women tend to become passive; losing the ability to be commanding. I want the quiet confidence and strength of body. I want to achieve a goal that is hard both mentally and physically. I want a goal that will bring me to my 60s.
What will my goal be for my 70’s?
Mastery
1 : knowledge and skill that allows you to do, use, or understand something very well
2 complete control of something
Two times in my life I have set completing a difficult athletic goal. At the age of 36, I decided to test for my life guard certification. It didn’t scare me I could not swim any stroke but the doggie paddle. Fast forward 9 years. After taking 3 heated yoga classes, I decided I really needed to achieve my 200 hour teacher certification in vinyassa yoga.
The life guard cert took 2 months. I was young and full of energy. The yoga cert took 2 years of daily work. I completed the program on time. Tom Gillette, my teacher, a very great teacher, brought me to a level in my practice and in my life for which I could not have achieved if not for his guidance.
At the tender age of 53, I have a new goal~ Black belt excellence. It is not just the physicality of the program; I want the qualities of a black belt to use in my senior years. Yikes, did I just say my SENIOR years? The sad fact is that most seniors become invisible as they age. Senior women tend to become passive; losing the ability to be commanding. I want the quiet confidence and strength of body. I want to achieve a goal that is hard both mentally and physically. I want a goal that will bring me to my 60s.
What will my goal be for my 70’s?
Monday, March 7, 2011
New adventures in living!
For those that know me~really know me, it will come as no surprise that I am regimented in my daily routine. I eat at the same time. I like to workout in the morning. I only wear black workout pants. I like my time alone. I tend to stay away from girl’s day out with friends. Oh, I hate parties.
This weekend I had an adventure. I went out to lunch with a very dear old friend. I went to a restaurant I had never visited. I even cut my Saturday workout short by skipping my morning karate class. For me, it was a giant step forward.
Not much of an adventure you say! I sat across the table with a woman I have known for over 30 years. For the first time in our friendship, I was a true friend to her. Not because I gave her a gift; not because I did her a favor; not because I made her dinner. I talked to her. Actually, I poured out my heart to her. She listened. She gave me great advice. We laughed our butts off. We shared conversation and popovers. I let her in. Barb waited a long time for me. I don’t know why.
Things I am learning…
It is really easy to be a good friend.
It is really lovely to have friends.
I am blessed because I am surrounded by people who have known me forever and still want to be my friend~faults and all.
We have plans to celebrate my birthday by going to Sid Weiner.
This could become a habit…..
For those that know me~really know me, it will come as no surprise that I am regimented in my daily routine. I eat at the same time. I like to workout in the morning. I only wear black workout pants. I like my time alone. I tend to stay away from girl’s day out with friends. Oh, I hate parties.
This weekend I had an adventure. I went out to lunch with a very dear old friend. I went to a restaurant I had never visited. I even cut my Saturday workout short by skipping my morning karate class. For me, it was a giant step forward.
Not much of an adventure you say! I sat across the table with a woman I have known for over 30 years. For the first time in our friendship, I was a true friend to her. Not because I gave her a gift; not because I did her a favor; not because I made her dinner. I talked to her. Actually, I poured out my heart to her. She listened. She gave me great advice. We laughed our butts off. We shared conversation and popovers. I let her in. Barb waited a long time for me. I don’t know why.
Things I am learning…
It is really easy to be a good friend.
It is really lovely to have friends.
I am blessed because I am surrounded by people who have known me forever and still want to be my friend~faults and all.
We have plans to celebrate my birthday by going to Sid Weiner.
This could become a habit…..
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What color is your fat?
Part two
Aaron Cypess’ research has continued to study the differences in amount of brown fat in adults. The youthful are not the only people who are blessed with this brown stuff. He has proven thin people of all ages have a higher content of brown fat. He believes that due to the lack of insulation (from less muscle mass); the body needs the brown fat to stay warm. The whole relationship of the temperature component to brown fat amount was studied by Sven Enerback. As a medical geneticist at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Mr. Enerback took his group and made them stay 2 hours in a very cold room. The test subjects had light clothing and soaked their feet in ice water. The result was pretty neat! Their brown fat burned 15 times more energy than at room temperature. The researchers found active brown fat in 23 out of 24 test subjects when they were cold not when they were warm.
Animal studies in Stockholm University suggest something really neat. Mice who could not produce brown fat gained weight 50% faster than those mice that could make the fat. in 2008, their scientists began a study of mice in two controlled groups. All the mice were given the same high calorie diet. Those “white fat” mice gained weight 50% faster on the same diet as the “brown fat” mice.
Don’t want to soak your feet in ice water? Don’t want to stay in a cold house in light clothes? Can you still turn up the activity of brown fat? Here is where the medical community is becoming innovative. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston’s post doctoral fellow, Patrick Seale found a protein named PRDM-16, in brown fat cells. When Mr. Seal was able to stop PRDM-16, in the brown fat cells, they actually changed in to muscle. Mr. Seal is now trying to identify and isolate the gene that it turns on and off. Let’s wish him LUCK.
Another fat hero, Bruce Spiegelman, has begun to remove white fat from mice, inject PRDM-16 into the fat cells and then put them back into the mice. Will they lose weight? He thinks they will eventually!
There is a lot of communication between bone and fat. The US FDA has approved BMP-7, in the recovery for spinal surgery. It is found to increase the production of brown fat. The surgical patients given this therapy are being studied to see if they will lose weight because of the addition of BMP-7 in to their therapy.
Could there be a “Brown Fat PILL?” Take the pill and magically you experience a boost in activity of brown fat. Scientists say YES! But, the pill will only boost the body’s ability to burn calories. With the science advancements it may be possible to burn an extra 500 cal/day.
The pill isn’t ready. Don’t like the cold therapy? So how do we start to invigorate and produce brown fat? Keep your house cold; go outside during the winter; walk and run outside to boost your metabolism.
My mom always said to go outside and play all winter. She was right again!
Part two
Aaron Cypess’ research has continued to study the differences in amount of brown fat in adults. The youthful are not the only people who are blessed with this brown stuff. He has proven thin people of all ages have a higher content of brown fat. He believes that due to the lack of insulation (from less muscle mass); the body needs the brown fat to stay warm. The whole relationship of the temperature component to brown fat amount was studied by Sven Enerback. As a medical geneticist at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Mr. Enerback took his group and made them stay 2 hours in a very cold room. The test subjects had light clothing and soaked their feet in ice water. The result was pretty neat! Their brown fat burned 15 times more energy than at room temperature. The researchers found active brown fat in 23 out of 24 test subjects when they were cold not when they were warm.
Animal studies in Stockholm University suggest something really neat. Mice who could not produce brown fat gained weight 50% faster than those mice that could make the fat. in 2008, their scientists began a study of mice in two controlled groups. All the mice were given the same high calorie diet. Those “white fat” mice gained weight 50% faster on the same diet as the “brown fat” mice.
Don’t want to soak your feet in ice water? Don’t want to stay in a cold house in light clothes? Can you still turn up the activity of brown fat? Here is where the medical community is becoming innovative. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston’s post doctoral fellow, Patrick Seale found a protein named PRDM-16, in brown fat cells. When Mr. Seal was able to stop PRDM-16, in the brown fat cells, they actually changed in to muscle. Mr. Seal is now trying to identify and isolate the gene that it turns on and off. Let’s wish him LUCK.
Another fat hero, Bruce Spiegelman, has begun to remove white fat from mice, inject PRDM-16 into the fat cells and then put them back into the mice. Will they lose weight? He thinks they will eventually!
There is a lot of communication between bone and fat. The US FDA has approved BMP-7, in the recovery for spinal surgery. It is found to increase the production of brown fat. The surgical patients given this therapy are being studied to see if they will lose weight because of the addition of BMP-7 in to their therapy.
Could there be a “Brown Fat PILL?” Take the pill and magically you experience a boost in activity of brown fat. Scientists say YES! But, the pill will only boost the body’s ability to burn calories. With the science advancements it may be possible to burn an extra 500 cal/day.
The pill isn’t ready. Don’t like the cold therapy? So how do we start to invigorate and produce brown fat? Keep your house cold; go outside during the winter; walk and run outside to boost your metabolism.
My mom always said to go outside and play all winter. She was right again!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What Color is your Fat?
PART ONE
I all know about fat. I know we have different kinds, stored in different places of our bodies. I know how to get rid of it. I know how to make it. But up until recently, I did not know that there are different colors of fat. Thank God, I have a child who still wants help with her homework. My daughter’s last science homework involved studying the research of Aaron Cypess, a fellow in endocrinology at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Mr. Cypess was attending a lecture which presented PET scans of adults. “Brown” fat was pointed out in many of the adults. He was surprised as he was under the impression that brown fat only existed in infants and some animals. After all, Mr. Cypess believed that white fat replaced all brown fat once humans reached adulthood.
Brown fat contains mitochondria, an enzyme that allows the release of energy from food calories directly as heat. Why is this important? Unlike white fat, which has no mitochondria and can only store energy, brown fat burns energy. The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that brown fat is common in adults. It is important to the metabolism. Youthful thinner adults have more detectable brown fat than those who are older or fatter.
The fat you have come to hate; the yucky, bouncy and cottage cheese like stuff, has become a frontier for science. It is as important to your body as any other major organ. To quote Aaron Cypess,”Fat has undergone a renaissance.” White fat is key to the immune system. Fat droplets help protect the body against immune-system invaders. Subcutaneous fat lowers the risk of diabetes.
Yes, we do have more white fat than we need. 34% of American adults over the age of 20 are obese. Their fat is visceral, surrounding the vital organs and increases the risk of diabetes, strokes and certain types of cancer. Could brown fat (concentrated in the neck and chest) provide some hope to these morbidly obese? Scientists have begun to study how developing brown fat may be a TREATMENT for related obesity ailments.
The quest for the white to brown fat switch is being studied. I have more homework to do before I can give you part two! Stay tuned….
PART ONE
I all know about fat. I know we have different kinds, stored in different places of our bodies. I know how to get rid of it. I know how to make it. But up until recently, I did not know that there are different colors of fat. Thank God, I have a child who still wants help with her homework. My daughter’s last science homework involved studying the research of Aaron Cypess, a fellow in endocrinology at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Mr. Cypess was attending a lecture which presented PET scans of adults. “Brown” fat was pointed out in many of the adults. He was surprised as he was under the impression that brown fat only existed in infants and some animals. After all, Mr. Cypess believed that white fat replaced all brown fat once humans reached adulthood.
Brown fat contains mitochondria, an enzyme that allows the release of energy from food calories directly as heat. Why is this important? Unlike white fat, which has no mitochondria and can only store energy, brown fat burns energy. The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that brown fat is common in adults. It is important to the metabolism. Youthful thinner adults have more detectable brown fat than those who are older or fatter.
The fat you have come to hate; the yucky, bouncy and cottage cheese like stuff, has become a frontier for science. It is as important to your body as any other major organ. To quote Aaron Cypess,”Fat has undergone a renaissance.” White fat is key to the immune system. Fat droplets help protect the body against immune-system invaders. Subcutaneous fat lowers the risk of diabetes.
Yes, we do have more white fat than we need. 34% of American adults over the age of 20 are obese. Their fat is visceral, surrounding the vital organs and increases the risk of diabetes, strokes and certain types of cancer. Could brown fat (concentrated in the neck and chest) provide some hope to these morbidly obese? Scientists have begun to study how developing brown fat may be a TREATMENT for related obesity ailments.
The quest for the white to brown fat switch is being studied. I have more homework to do before I can give you part two! Stay tuned….
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
LOSING WEIGHT WITH MORE SLEEP
In 2006, American Thoracic Society International Conference presented their findings of a 16 year study on the amount of sleep correlated to weight gain, in middle aged women. The study covered 70,000 women! Those women who slept 5 hours/week generally weighed more than women who slept 7/week. More specifically, women who slept 5 /night were 32% more likely to gain lots of weight (33lbs or more) and 15% more likely to become obese compared to those who slept 7/week.
The study began in 1986. Women reported their weight every two years for 16 years. The 5hr/week sleepers gained an average of 5.4 lbs more than those women sleeping 7hr/week. After 10 years, those women continued to gain an additional about a pound and one half. Talk about a snowball effect!
The Exercise and eating habits of both groups were also observed.
The 7 hr group did not exercise more or eat less. The 5 hr group in fact ate LESS! So why did the gain happen? Sleeping less could possibly affect a women’s basal metabolic rate. Less sleep leads to changes in the cortisol level. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can stimulate hunger!
The National Sleep Foundation also reports 6&1/2 hours of sleep constitutes deprivation. This sleep deprivation affects the metabolism and health. Inadequate sleep:
• Interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage.
• drives down leptin levels, which causes the body to crave carbohydrates.
• reduces levels of growth hormone--a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle.
• can lead to insulin resistance and contribute to increased risk of diabetes
• can increase blood pressure
• can increase the risk of heart disease
Losing weight just may include 7 hours of sleep per night AND following a healthy diet and exercise
Sources:
American Thoracic Society, International Conference, News release, San Diego, May 19-24, 2006.
Patel SR, Malhotra A, White DP, Gottlieb DJ, Hu FB. Association between reduced sleep and weight gain in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Nov 15;164(10):947-54. Shomon, Mary. The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss, HarperCollins. 2004.
Spiegel K, Leproult R, Van Cauter E. "Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function." Lancet. 1999;354:1435-1439.
In 2006, American Thoracic Society International Conference presented their findings of a 16 year study on the amount of sleep correlated to weight gain, in middle aged women. The study covered 70,000 women! Those women who slept 5 hours/week generally weighed more than women who slept 7/week. More specifically, women who slept 5 /night were 32% more likely to gain lots of weight (33lbs or more) and 15% more likely to become obese compared to those who slept 7/week.
The study began in 1986. Women reported their weight every two years for 16 years. The 5hr/week sleepers gained an average of 5.4 lbs more than those women sleeping 7hr/week. After 10 years, those women continued to gain an additional about a pound and one half. Talk about a snowball effect!
The Exercise and eating habits of both groups were also observed.
The 7 hr group did not exercise more or eat less. The 5 hr group in fact ate LESS! So why did the gain happen? Sleeping less could possibly affect a women’s basal metabolic rate. Less sleep leads to changes in the cortisol level. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can stimulate hunger!
The National Sleep Foundation also reports 6&1/2 hours of sleep constitutes deprivation. This sleep deprivation affects the metabolism and health. Inadequate sleep:
• Interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage.
• drives down leptin levels, which causes the body to crave carbohydrates.
• reduces levels of growth hormone--a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle.
• can lead to insulin resistance and contribute to increased risk of diabetes
• can increase blood pressure
• can increase the risk of heart disease
Losing weight just may include 7 hours of sleep per night AND following a healthy diet and exercise
Sources:
American Thoracic Society, International Conference, News release, San Diego, May 19-24, 2006.
Patel SR, Malhotra A, White DP, Gottlieb DJ, Hu FB. Association between reduced sleep and weight gain in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Nov 15;164(10):947-54. Shomon, Mary. The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss, HarperCollins. 2004.
Spiegel K, Leproult R, Van Cauter E. "Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function." Lancet. 1999;354:1435-1439.
Too good to be true….
“Did you know that eating less than 1000 calories a day will actually make you gain weight?”
The makers of Right Size smoothies make this statement. For those many people who are struggling with their weight, hearing this statement gives a rationalization that they are not really eating too much. What they actually hear is that their weight gain is not their fault.
It really gets worse when the ingredients of the smoothie are examined. The spokesman lists Appemine as its number one ingredient. He calls it all natural. Well, technically he is right. It contains guarana, fiber, green tea, cinnamon, galangal root, cayenne pepper, white willow bark and 50 mgs of caffeine.
Guarana is a major stimulant. Fifty mg of caffeine added to the guarana does that sound healthy?
Oh and they are really expensive.
Looking for supplements that will magically make those unwanted pounds disappear? Give up the search! There really is no magic pill. Most of the fast answers will lead to disappointment. If you are about to experiment with one of these products. Go to the official web page of the product. Take off the rose colored glasses. Read it carefully. Print out the ingredients and research with all your intellectual muscle.
“Did you know that eating less than 1000 calories a day will actually make you gain weight?”
The makers of Right Size smoothies make this statement. For those many people who are struggling with their weight, hearing this statement gives a rationalization that they are not really eating too much. What they actually hear is that their weight gain is not their fault.
It really gets worse when the ingredients of the smoothie are examined. The spokesman lists Appemine as its number one ingredient. He calls it all natural. Well, technically he is right. It contains guarana, fiber, green tea, cinnamon, galangal root, cayenne pepper, white willow bark and 50 mgs of caffeine.
Guarana is a major stimulant. Fifty mg of caffeine added to the guarana does that sound healthy?
Oh and they are really expensive.
Looking for supplements that will magically make those unwanted pounds disappear? Give up the search! There really is no magic pill. Most of the fast answers will lead to disappointment. If you are about to experiment with one of these products. Go to the official web page of the product. Take off the rose colored glasses. Read it carefully. Print out the ingredients and research with all your intellectual muscle.
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