Don't Attempt This At Home!!!
I can appreciate a good key lime pie but this takes the cake.
I am, for the most part, a non-judgemental person but the idea of
competitive eating, especially as a "sport," and ESPECIALLY when
it involves children, vexes me. It's not healthy to subject oneself
to gorging, period.
Don't get me wrong here. I am not referring to the binging that
takes place when one suffers from an eating disorder. I take
offense to the voluntary, mass-consumption of food for the sake
of winning a contest. I find it hard to justify eating contests
when millions of people are starving worldwide. How about donating
the equivalent of all of that food to charity and sponsoring
exercise contests instead?
What's your take?
31 July 2008
27 July 2008
The late, great Morjorie Newlin
This one is for all of you who think it's too late to start an exercise program....Check this out!
www.momsonthemove.com/show_detail.asp?id=45
Ok....I hope that clip inspired you! Morjorie died this past February, may she rest in peace, but what she represents lives on. It is never too late to start a workout program. Morjorie started in her 70's. Please consult your physician if you would like to start an exercise program.
As promised, I'm going to share my thoughts on aspartame; Don't consume it! Why? Because I said so (how many of you have heard that as a kid?)! Seriously, aspartame breaks down into unhealthy acids in the body. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can cause a host of symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, joint pain and weight gain to name a few. And according to Young & Young, authors of The pH Miracle, artificial sweeteners can trigger or worsen fibromyalgia, diabetes, MS and Alzheimer's.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sugar substitute that is used in practically everything these days. Start reading food labels the next time you're in the local supermarket and you'll see what I mean. Manufacturers use it because it is cheaper and sweeter than sugar. The problem, however, is that it's been associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman wrote a good book called Get The Sugar Out. According to her, HFCS is a sweetener your body doesn't recognize as a sugar and "by replacing sugar with HFCS, you can override your body's natural ability to feel full, so you eat more."
I've been experimenting with an all-natural sweetener called Stevia. I'll give you the 411 in my next post. It's time for me to do my PM stretch....
24 July 2008
5 Reasons to Avoid Sugar
If you are like most people, you grew up eating lots of candy, ice cream and other sugary treats. As a child, I loved the taste of sugar so much that I even tried it on spinach once! To this day, I love sweets, especially pumpkin bread and key lime pie. Hey, I’m not the stereotypical, health fanatic “trainer” you might assume me to be! I come from a southern background and I love rich, hearty foods. I’m human like the rest of you.
I digress.
Apparently, I am not alone when it comes to having the proverbial “sweet tooth.” The average person eats over 100 pounds of sugar each year. But you know what? Too much of the stuff can wreak havoc in your body.
The following is my list of 5 reasons to avoid sugar. You will notice that I have not included some of the more obvious reasons, such as sugar’s effect on your teeth, or the correlation between sugar consumption and diabetes. Hit me back (email me) if you’d like more info on sugar and diabetes.
First, sugar fuels cancer cells. Although it is still unclear whether sugar causes healthy cells to become cancerous, research has shown that once a cell becomes cancerous, it feeds on sugar. Insulin levels soar when high amounts of sugar are ingested and according to Dr. Christine Horner, author of Waking the Warrior Goddess, high insulin levels are one of the biggest risk factors and promoters of cancer. Insulin attaches to breast cells thus increasing cell division. And get this, women with high insulin levels have a 283 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer.
Second, sugar lowers your resistance. I’ve found this to be true on many occasions when I was trying to fight a cold or illness. Without fail, my body would always succumb to illness if I consumed too much sugar. Dr. Ann Loiuse Gittleman, author of Get The Sugar Out, classifies sugar as an immunosuppressant in that it has the following effects: It reduces the germ-killing ability of white blood cells for several hours after ingestion; it reduces the effectiveness of antibodies; it interferes with the transport of vitamin C; it causes mineral imbalances; and it neutralizes essential fatty acids, thus making cells more susceptible to invaders.
Third, consuming excessive amounts of sugar makes you look older. YES! This is my attempt to appeal to your sense of vanity. When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to protein and forms harmful molecules called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). AGES damage the collagen and elastin in your skin causing it to lose its elasticity and become dull in appearance. According to Dr. Fredric Brandt, a New-York based dermatologist, these effects begin to take place in the mid thirties and accelerate rapidly thereafter. And if that weren’t enough, AGES proteins have a harmful effect on your body’s natural antioxidants which protect your cells from damage.
Fourth, excessive amounts of sugar will make you fat. When you eat large quantities of sugar, your blood sugar rises significantly. Foods such as cakes, cookies, pastas and breads, especially breads made with white flour, will have this effect on your blood sugar. This explains the quick burst of energy you feel immediately after food(s) with a high sugar content. Large amounts of sugar in your bloodstream can be harmful so your body releases insulin to control the surge. This explains the subsequent drop in energy you feel not too long after eating those sugary foods. Insulin cleans up the extra sugar by causing your body to store it as fat if you do not burn it as fuel. So, keep it moving!
Fifth, your body gets sugar from the fruits, vegetables and grains you eat so you should limit your intake of sweets as they constitute empty calories. Now, if you’re thinking that artificial sweeteners are the answer, think again because they’re not as sweet as you think.So, chew (pun intended) on this for a while and be sure to come back to find out what my take is on artificial sweeteners. In the meantime, go do something physical and Flaunt It!
I digress.
Apparently, I am not alone when it comes to having the proverbial “sweet tooth.” The average person eats over 100 pounds of sugar each year. But you know what? Too much of the stuff can wreak havoc in your body.
The following is my list of 5 reasons to avoid sugar. You will notice that I have not included some of the more obvious reasons, such as sugar’s effect on your teeth, or the correlation between sugar consumption and diabetes. Hit me back (email me) if you’d like more info on sugar and diabetes.
First, sugar fuels cancer cells. Although it is still unclear whether sugar causes healthy cells to become cancerous, research has shown that once a cell becomes cancerous, it feeds on sugar. Insulin levels soar when high amounts of sugar are ingested and according to Dr. Christine Horner, author of Waking the Warrior Goddess, high insulin levels are one of the biggest risk factors and promoters of cancer. Insulin attaches to breast cells thus increasing cell division. And get this, women with high insulin levels have a 283 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer.
Second, sugar lowers your resistance. I’ve found this to be true on many occasions when I was trying to fight a cold or illness. Without fail, my body would always succumb to illness if I consumed too much sugar. Dr. Ann Loiuse Gittleman, author of Get The Sugar Out, classifies sugar as an immunosuppressant in that it has the following effects: It reduces the germ-killing ability of white blood cells for several hours after ingestion; it reduces the effectiveness of antibodies; it interferes with the transport of vitamin C; it causes mineral imbalances; and it neutralizes essential fatty acids, thus making cells more susceptible to invaders.
Third, consuming excessive amounts of sugar makes you look older. YES! This is my attempt to appeal to your sense of vanity. When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to protein and forms harmful molecules called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). AGES damage the collagen and elastin in your skin causing it to lose its elasticity and become dull in appearance. According to Dr. Fredric Brandt, a New-York based dermatologist, these effects begin to take place in the mid thirties and accelerate rapidly thereafter. And if that weren’t enough, AGES proteins have a harmful effect on your body’s natural antioxidants which protect your cells from damage.
Fourth, excessive amounts of sugar will make you fat. When you eat large quantities of sugar, your blood sugar rises significantly. Foods such as cakes, cookies, pastas and breads, especially breads made with white flour, will have this effect on your blood sugar. This explains the quick burst of energy you feel immediately after food(s) with a high sugar content. Large amounts of sugar in your bloodstream can be harmful so your body releases insulin to control the surge. This explains the subsequent drop in energy you feel not too long after eating those sugary foods. Insulin cleans up the extra sugar by causing your body to store it as fat if you do not burn it as fuel. So, keep it moving!
Fifth, your body gets sugar from the fruits, vegetables and grains you eat so you should limit your intake of sweets as they constitute empty calories. Now, if you’re thinking that artificial sweeteners are the answer, think again because they’re not as sweet as you think.So, chew (pun intended) on this for a while and be sure to come back to find out what my take is on artificial sweeteners. In the meantime, go do something physical and Flaunt It!
23 July 2008
Looking Fit & Being Fit
I've been working with people of all ages and fitness levels for over 12 years now. And let me be the first to tell you that just because a person looks fit does not mean that he or she is fit. I've worked with chisled men who looked the part but smoked, suffered from high blood pressure and didn't have the flexibility to touch their toes. On the other hand, I've worked over-weight women who had ideal blood pressure, healthy hearts and great flexibility.
Last week, a "muscle head" (and before anyone gets offended, I used to be a muscle head and I love muscle heads! Their passion for and dedication to the art of bodybuilding is inspiring. So, don't get all bent out of shape) scoffed at a core exercise I was doing with a client. "Muscles" could bench 300 lbs but he didn't have the core stability or balance to do some basic exercises with a stability ball.
Ok, my point is that physical fitness means more than fitting into a certain dress or suit size. It entails more than having the brute strength to bench several hundred pounds. What's your blood pressure? Resting heart rate? Blood chemistry (cholesterol and triglycerides)? How flexible are you? Do you lead a balanced life?
Last week, a "muscle head" (and before anyone gets offended, I used to be a muscle head and I love muscle heads! Their passion for and dedication to the art of bodybuilding is inspiring. So, don't get all bent out of shape) scoffed at a core exercise I was doing with a client. "Muscles" could bench 300 lbs but he didn't have the core stability or balance to do some basic exercises with a stability ball.
Ok, my point is that physical fitness means more than fitting into a certain dress or suit size. It entails more than having the brute strength to bench several hundred pounds. What's your blood pressure? Resting heart rate? Blood chemistry (cholesterol and triglycerides)? How flexible are you? Do you lead a balanced life?
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