Pay Attention to Your Family History

Knowing your family medical history is critical to creating a wellness and fitness plan for your life.While it is not guaranteed that you will develop heart disease or diabetes, know that the likelihood is greater if there is history of these diseases in your family. Often, it is the repetition of a pattern of behaviors that leads to illness. Making healthy lifestyle changes can greatly improve your odds of breaking the cycle. So, if you want to be healthy and fit, then you must do what healthy and fit people do.

Here are some simple tips for ensuring good health:

*Get plenty of fiber from whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
*Eat lean protein including beans, seeds, and quinoa.
*Consume healthy fats from foods like salmon and olive oil.
*Avoid refined (packaged) foods like white bread, white rice, sugar, grits, and desserts.
*Get regular exercise most days of the week for at least 30 minutes per session.
*Maintain a healthy weight.
*Women waistlines should be at or below 35" and men should stay below 40".
*Practice stress management techniques like meditation and yoga.
*Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily.
*Sleep 7-8 hours per day.

Be good to yourself! More next time...

What's Eating You? Day 3: Protein: The Building Block

Protein is a macronutrient that is made of of amino acids. An amino acid is a molecule that serves as the building block of proteins. Each amino acid is comprised of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. There are 20 amino acids that the human body uses. Nine of them are considered essential amino acids because the body cannot produce them, and must therefore be included in the diet. The remaining eleven amino acids are considered nonessential because they are produced by the human body.

There is critical role played by protein in virtually every major bodily system. It provides structure to muscle and tissues, it regulates cell functions, it helps to maintain fluid and acid-base balance, it assists with circulation, and it is a backup source of energy in the absence of carbohydrates. Protein enables proper functioning of the nervous system and the immune system.

Protein is found in a variety of foods. These foods are classified as complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins supply the body with all of the essential amino acids in very high amounts. Incomplete proteins must be combined with other protein-containing foods to meet daily dietary needs. Generally speaking, complete proteins are animal-based foods like meat and dairy while incomplete proteins are plant-based like fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans/legumes.

Of the total calories consumed daily, 12-20% should be protein. For example, if 2,000 calories are consumed, 240-400 calories should contain protein. Because complete proteins contain animal fat which could elevate cholesterol levels in the body, it is wise to look to plant-based proteins. Here are some examples of foods which are high in protein: navy beans, lentils, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, spinach, sunflower seeds, and broccoli.

Be good to yourself! More next time...

What's Eating You? Day 1: Does Nutrition Even Matter?

When you do the math, consuming more than calories than your body uses leads to weight gain. Conversely, when you consume fewer calories than your body uses, then you lose weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is important to disease prevention. The heavier you are, the greater your risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes for starters. Obesity throws mobility issues, increased risk of cancer, and upper respiratory ailments like asthma and sleep apnea on the pile. It would seem that the simple solution is to just eat less and move more. So, does it even matter where the calories come from? The simple answer to this question is a resounding "YES"!

Being thin and looking fit doesn't necessarily equate to being healthy. To function efficiently and repair itself, the human body requires the right mix of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and water. Consuming foods that lack nutrients will eventually lead to declining health and sickness. Some physical signs of nutritional deficiencies include tooth decay, aging skin, thinning hair, brittle nails, weak bones, low energy, poor vision, weak muscles, poor posture, and weight gain.

This week we will learn how the foods that we eat affect our overall health conditions:

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Carbohydrates

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 Proteins

Thursday, February 16, 2012 Fats

Friday, February 17, 2012 Vitamins and Minerals

Terms to Know:

1)  Macronutrients- These include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and are classified as such because they have caloric value and the body has a large daily need for them.

2)  Micronutrients-  Vitamins and minerals are classified as micronutrients because the body's daily requirements for these nutrients are small.

(Source: Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition 2nd edition, Fink, Burgoon, and Mikesky, 2009.)

Be good to yourself! More next time...

Protein for Your Health and Weight Loss

Along with the onslaught of fad diets on the market comes a lot of confusion about the best ways to get fit. There are simple formulas that anyone can follow to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or support training regimens for athletes. A balanced diet is critical to achieving and maintaining overall health and wellness. Today, I'd like to take a look at the role that protein plays in each of these scenarios.

The USDA recommends that the general public consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This is a general baseline for sedentary individuals or those who engage in low to moderate physical activity. Strength, endurance, and team sport athletes should consume higher amounts of protein. Athletes looking to gain or lose weight consume the highest amounts of protein ranging from 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg of body weight. Protein intake should range from 10-35% of an adult's daily calories consumed.

To calculate the minimum amount of protein that your diet should contain, take your weight in pounds, divide it by 2.2 (to convert into kilograms), and multiply that result by .8 g/kg. For example, a 150 pound individual should be consuming 54.5 grams of protein daily (which equals 218 calories):

150 lbs. / 2.2 = 68.2 kg

68.2 kg x .8 g/kg = 54.5 grams of protein.

Protein contains 4 calories per gram, so to calculate the calorie equivalent of 54.5 grams simply multiply by 4:

54.5 grams x 4 calories per gram = 218 calories.

If this same individual consumes a total of 2000 calories per day, then protein will comprise 11% of the total calorie intake.

For active individuals who want to lose weight, protein plays a critical role in building lean muscle and increasing metabolism to burn fat. Training intensity and duration both increase protein requirements (Fink, Burgoon, Mikesky 2009). At the onset of endurance training for less fit individuals, it is critical that protein intake be increased for the first 1-2 weeks (1.2-1.4 times body weight). Soon after, protein levels should return to baseline levels. The majority of calories should come from carbohydrates because they are the primary source of fuel for the body. A good breakdown looks like this:

Carbohydrates 45-65% of total calories
Proteins 10-35% of total calories
Fats 20-35% of total calories

The key here is to ensure that the majority of the proteins ingested come from the diet as opposed to supplements. Meat eaters should include animal proteins like eggs, dairy, lean meats, and fish which are classified as complete proteins. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids that the body is unable to produce. Vegetarians have slightly higher protein needs because plant-based sources of protein are incomplete. Combining beans, grains, and vegetables in one meal or in one day will compensate for amino acid deficiency if paired optimally. A good example of this would be a lentil rice pilaf.

Consuming more than 35% of your daily calorie intake in protein can lead to serious health conditions. Some of these conditions are kidney malfunction, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone mineral loss, and dehydration. In essence, too much of a good thing is bad.

Be good to yourself! More next time...