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Archive for December, 2009I am set to appear on Fox News Channel this Sunday, January 3. The topic: New Years Weight Loss Tricks for January 2010 – 10 Tips to Jumpstart Your Weight Loss. The segment is scheduled to air sometime in the 5 pm hour. Hope you can tune in! Stay Fit! Brad
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12
2009
Another Reason to Avoid Fatty, Sugary Foods: Digestive BacteriaPosted by: Brad in NutritionNeed another reason to avoid high-fat, high-sugar foods? How about this: it can alter the balance of “healthy” bacteria in the gut, predisposing you to further weight gain. Here’s the scoop…
What’s particularly interesting, though, is that the normal intestinal bacteria in a separate group of previously lean mice remained stable until the mice were consistently fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet. At that point, the number of Bacteroidetes diminished and the Firmicute count became more abundant, and the mice fattened up considerably. This would seem to indicate that something in high-fat and/or sugar-laden foods may trigger mechanisms that shifts metabolism toward fat storage. Whether these same digestive mechanisms are present in humans is not clear, but there is some evidence to suggest we’re not all that different from mice in this regard. Bottom line: It’s fine to occasionally indulge in your favorite foods, but limit the indulgences to one day a week. Cheating on your nutritional regimen is okay—perhaps even beneficial—provided it doesn’t become a habit. Stay Fit! Brad For those who have read my books or attended one of my seminars, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of performing interval training to optimize fat loss. I was quoted in the current issue of More Magazine as stating that it’s the most effective cardio technique for slimming down. So true!
The concept behind interval training is simple: intersperse bouts of high-intensity cardio with lower intensity cardio. Pretty much any aerobic modality can be used for interval training. For example, you can choose jogging as the low-intensity cardio and running as the high intensity cardio. Alternatively, you can combine skipping rope with jumping rope. Or you can intersperse jumping jacks with squat thrusts. The possibilities are pretty much endless. If you’re a beginner, keep the intervals on the longer side. A 1:4 high/low ratio is generally a good starting point. Try to gradually narrow the interval until you’re training at a 1:1 ratio. 20 to 30 minutes a session, three days a week is all you need to do to see terrific results. Be careful that you don’t overdo it, though. The high-intensity nature of the routine can easily lead to overtraining if you’re overzealous. As is often the case, less can be more! Stay Fit! Brad Today’s issue of the Staten Island Advance did a nice feature on my new book. Here’s a link: Stay Fit! Brad Check out the the latest edition of the Chicago Daily Herald, which has some home workout tips from my new book, Women’s Home Workout Bible. Stay Fit! Brad The Miami Herald ran an interesting article questioning the benefit of stretching before a workout. For the most part, the article makes some excellent points.
Most importantly, stretching is best performed after a good warm-up. This helps to reduce joint viscosity, ensuring that muscles and connective tissue are sufficiently prepped to endure passive and/or active lengthening. Some light aerobic activity performed for 5 or 10 minutes will accomplish this task well. Take home message: Don’t stretch a cold muscle. Interestingly, there actually is some evidence showing that stretching before a workout can have a negative impact on exercise performance. This is most applicable to activities requiring high-force output, such as low rep weight training, sprinting, and jumping. I won’t bore you with the details on the how’s and why’s, but bottom line is that various indices of power have been shown to be reduced when a forceful activity is performed immediately following a stretching session. However, caution needs to be used when applying much this research to general fitness-oriented workouts. First, most of the studies in question used excessive stretching protocols, in some cases spending upwards of 30 minutes stretching a single joint. This has limited applicability to the stretching protocols used by the majority of fitness enthusiasts. Moreover, the studies are specific to high-power activities. This has questionable correlation to the moderate-to-high repetition resistance training performed by many gym goers, and virtually no correlation to sub-maximal cardiovascular exercise. More research is needed to achieve a better understanding of the subject. This is yet another instance that shows the importance of reading the actual research rather than simply listening to the media’s interpretation of science. Stay Fit! Brad I wanted to make everyone aware of an excellent fitness blog, Burn the Fat. The blog is written by Tom Venuto, who really knows his stuff about exercise and nutrition. I had the pleasure of meeting Tom at a recent publicity event and he is one of a select few fitness pros who bases his philosophy on research rather than unsupported hype. It’s always refreshing to see a trainer who is committed to evidence-based practice, and Tom embodies this approach. His blog is definitely worth a read… Stay Fit! Brad I was watching cable TV last night when a commercial came on the air for a product called the “Belly Burner.” I nearly dropped the cup of hot green tea I was drinking in my lap. The ad for the Belly Burner shows several fit people securing a large neoprene belt around their waists with a promise that simply wearing the belt will help to develop “firmer, tighter, sexier abs.” Supposedly you don’t even have to exercise to see results, but the belt will “complement any exercise or physical activity: walking, biking, jogging, gym …”
Let’s get down to the facts. Despite the claims, no peer-reviewed research supporting the belt’s validity is provided in the ad. None!. Based on current research, there is zero evidence to believe that the Belly Burner will have any affect on reducing your waistline. Rather, all evidence shows that you can’t increase core temperature by wearing a snug belt. At best, you might sweat a little more, which causes the temporary loss of body water — a process that is quickly reversed once you rehydrate. Apparently the Belly Burner was invented by a “celebrity trainer” named Bobby Waldron. The ad says it used to be only available to his personal clients but now it is available to the public. Whoopee! A quick Internet search for Bobby Waldron reveals he is a model, actor, stunt man, and yes, a personal trainer. I’m not sure what order his priorities lie, but if the Belly Burner is his big contribution to the field of exercise, then he should stick with his other interests. Unfortunately, the fitness industry is rife with hucksters that look to appeal to the naivety of the consumer with promises of an easy way to a great body. As long as there is money to be made, some entrepreneur is bound to try to capitalize for a quick buck. Don’t be scammed. When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. By all accounts, that’s the case with the Belly Burner. Save your hard-earned money and train hard. That’s the only way you’ll get fab abs. Stay Fit! Brad In recent times, the glycemic index has become a popular tool to help to differentiate ‘good carbs’ from ‘bad carbs.’ Various nutritionists claim it’s the key to a lean body and entire books have been devoted to the subject. But while the glycemic index does have some utility, it isn’t the gold standard some make it out to be. First, a little background: The glycemic index was originally created to help diabetics adjust their insulin dosage. It measures the speed at which carbs enter the blood stream and ranks the foods against a yardstick (usually white bread, which has a glycemic rating of 100). Carbs that cause a rapid elevation of blood sugar (i.e. glucose) are termed high-glycemic, while those that are “time-released” and maintain stable levels of blood sugar are called low-glycemic.
Furthermore, the rush of insulin clears sugars from your circulatory system in such an expeditious fashion that it creates a rebound effect, producing a sudden and dramatic drop in blood sugar levels. A hypoglycemic state is induced, causing hunger pangs and food cravings. This creates a vicious cycle that encourages binge eating. As a result, more calories are consumed (generally in the form of high-glycemic foods) and fat storage is heightened even further. However, simply choosing foods with a low glycemic rating won’t necessarily keep you slim and healthy. Understand that food isn’t consumed in a vacuum. A meal generally consists of a combination of different foods (i.e. chicken and rice, turkey on rye, etc) and when fats and proteins are consumed with a carbohydrate, digestion is slowed and the glycemic response is mitigated. More importantly, the glycemic index fails to distinguish whether or not a food has nutritional value. For example, a carrot has a higher glycemic score than a Snicker’s bar, but there should be little doubt that the carrot is more nutritious. Numerous other items such as doughnuts and ice cream also have low glycemic ratings, yet by no means could they be classified as “healthy” foods. All things considered, it is misguided to solely rely on the glycemic index to guide your choice of carbohydrate. A better way to choose carbohydrates is by their nutrient density—the amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber in the food. By nature, nutrient dense carbs will be low on the glycemic scale and thus maintain stable blood sugar levels. But as opposed to some low glycemic foods, they also supply your body with essential compounds that enhance metabolic function. Many of the vitamins and minerals are used as co-factors that assist the body in fat burning. Others serve as antioxidants that keep cells functioning optimally. And fiber promotes satiety, decreasing the urge to overeat. As a rule, nutrient dense carbs will be unrefined (processing removes much of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber from a food). By sticking with whole grains, and fresh fruit and vegetables for your carbohydrates, you’ll pretty much ensure consuming a low glycemic diet that is replete in healthy nutrients. It’s the best way to eat to attain a lean and healthy physique. Stay Fit! Brad |
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