Carbs- Friend or foe

Don't be misled by the blanket banning by fad diets of carbohydrates. They are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbs provide the body with the fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie.

The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Simple Carbs only have one or two of these molecular chains, complex carbs have three or more. It was once thought complex carbs were the better carb, but it turns out things aren't that simple.

The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way—it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source.

Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index

So what's the deal with the hi/low glycemic index stuff you hear about? Clasifiying carbs as simple or complex is all well and good, but the body doesn't break down carbs along those classifications. For example, the starch in white bread and French-fried potatoes clearly qualifies as a complex carbohydrate. Yet the body converts this starch to blood sugar nearly as fast as it processes pure glucose. Fructose (fruit sugar, like from an apple) is a simple carbohydrate, but it has a minimal effect on blood sugar.

The glycemic index aims to classify carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar compared to pure glucose. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar. One of the most important factors that determine a food's glycemic index is how much it has been processed. Milling and grinding removes the fiber-rich outer bran and the vitamin- and mineral-rich inner germ, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. Ew. Sperm.

You can't use the glycemic index to rule your dietary choices. For example, a Snickers bar is a low glycemic index food. But it is far from a health food. Instead, use it as a general guide. Whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole grain products. And only eat potatoes—once on the list of preferred complex carbohydrates—occasionally because of their high glycemic index and glycemic load.

So Should You Go on a Low Carb Diet?

If you want to lose weight you need to eat less calories than you burn. People can cut back on calories and lose weight on almost any diet—but keeping weight off over the long run is the ultimate goal. Since there is little research on the long term effects of a low carb diet and since we know that there are many healthy vitamins, minerals and fats that are in carbs or need carbs to be absorbed, I tend to think it's not a good long term plan. However, if you feel you are eating more than 50-60 percent of your nutrition in carbohydrates, it may be time to cut back. The people I have seen be most successful losing weight have kept a food journal. An HONEST food journal. Write down every item that goes in the ol pie hole. (I know its hard, I've even lied in my own food journal that only I look at!) They have weighed, measured, and monitored their food intake for a minimum of a month. The process of journaling your food can be very eye opening! Give it a try!

Good Running Form

Running is a great cardiovascular exercise and it can be done virtually anywhere with little to no equipment, and for those reasons I like to have my clients running on their off days if possible. However, the easy accessibility of running often makes people think that it must just come naturally to everyone and that they don't need to LEARN how to run. This often leads to injuries like shin splints and 'runner's knee' (Chondromalacia Patella). Here are some tips to tighten up your running form!

Gaze: You should be looking about 20 feet in front of you, no matter what terrain you are on. Don't stare at your feet.

Stride: Land mid foot. If you run on your toes your calves will burn out quick. If you land on your heal you and 'putting on your brakes' and will go slower and likely end up with shin pain.

Arms: Arms should be 90 degree angles with hands sweeping from waist to sternum. Don't let your hands cross your mid line as you swing forward. Thumbs resting on index fingers with no clenched fists. If you have to think about driving your arms in a direction, think driving your elbows back.

Get your glide on: Try to imagine balancing a bean bag on your head as you run. Your stride should be as smooth as possible with as little up and down motion as possible. We are working on moving forward, not up. Bouncing up and down is harder impact on your low body as well as a big energy waster.

What is protein and how much do you need?

Are you confused about how much protein you need? Many athletes and exercisers are increasing their protein intake to help them both lose weight and build more muscle, but is that the right way to go? It makes sense that, since muscles are made of protein, eating more dietary protein will help you build more muscle. But is eating tons of eggs, meat and protein supplements really necessary?

A Little Bit of Science
Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles.

There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in an adult body. These eight amino acids are called essential amino acids and must be supplied to the body by food or supplements. The other twelve non-essential amino acids are manufactured within the body, but both essential and non-essential amino acids are necessary for the synthesis of tissue proteins. What does all this mean? It means that if you don't supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, the amount of protein your body can use for building muscle is limited.

Getting the Right Kind of Protein
Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources. Incomplete proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. So, if you're a vegetarian, does this mean you can't get complete protein? Not at all. Below is a chart listing some incomplete proteins. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods from two or more of the lists.

Grains
Barley
Corn Meal
Oats
Rice
Pasta
Whole Grain Breads

Legumes
Beans
Lentils
Peas
Peanuts
Soy Products

Seeds & Nuts
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts
Cashews
Other Nuts

Vegetables
Leafy Greens
Broccoli

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein intake.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

I don't need a personal trainer

I hear that all the time. "I don't need a personal trainer. I go to the gym." or "I run every day" or "I walk my dogs". What you have to ask yourself is 'Am I where I want to be?'. If the answer is no, then what you are doing now isn't working.
From the very earliest development of athleticism there have been trainers. The Greeks and Romans used them. Every serious athlete today has one. And the people who are in the best shape use them. Are there people in great shape who don't use a trainer? Yes. Are those people you? Probably not. There are also people who can seem to eat a horrific diet and not gain weight. Are those people you? Probably not. Is that fair? No. But you play the cards you're delt and you, like most of us, were probably delt a body that needs the right foods and the right exercise to stay in shape.
There are a lot of personal trainers out there giving training a bad reputation. If you see a trainer walking some poor sap from machine to machine, taking their client through the same old tired sets of seated bicep curls and leg extensions over and over, month after month, run the other way. That style of training not only doesn't work for most people, but its boring. A good trainer will not need three dozen pieces of equipment to work you out. Bodies are meant to function by moving in natural patterns, not stuck in or on a machine. There are much more exciting, natural ways to train your body and improve your cardiovascular function. You don't even need a gym!
I'll be posting bi-weekly training tips, nutritional information and exercises to this blog. If you are interested in a personalized workout regime that you can do at home or at your gym, contact me and tell me what your goals are! I'd love to help you out.