Water

I cannot stress enough how important it is to drink water. Not just to prevent dehydration and all the things that can lead to, but to actually LOSE WEIGHT!

Nice to see someone talking about the scientific research behind it:

http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/2009/08/cheap-easy-way-to-lose-weight.html

Thanks so much to Craig Ballantyne with Turbulence Training for that.

Time Magazine's ABSURD article

I'm still reeling from this weeks Time magazine article by John Cloud from August 9, 2009. "Why exercise won't make you thin". You can read it here.

I am so glad that there are so many other fitness professionals that have written and reviewed how WRONG, inaccurate and misrepresentative Mr. Cloud's article is.

I am still in shock. When I read the article, I was speechless and I couldn't do anything but laugh. I honestly thought it had to be a joke. You might eat more after being active or exercising, so if you want to lose weight, that isn't the way to do it? Seriously?

There appear to be a couple of reputable professionals quoted in it, and I would not be surprised to see interviews and/or information from them, their representatives or professional organizations in the near future "clarifying" what they meant and possibly explaining how the information they provided was somehow misinterpreted.

I am also questioning someone's judgement (and just plain common sense) for allowing an article like this to be published. Sure, there are a couple of scientific research articles referenced to support Mr Cloud's claim. Unfortunately there is also considerably more evidence to the contrary: Why exercise WILL make you thin. Not to mention the health benefits that come from regular activity/exercise that are far too numerous to mention (and honestly warrant considerable more emphasis than given in Mr Cloud's article).

The real harm in Mr Cloud's story does not come from those that are already active. Most of those people know and feel the benefits of their fitness daily. The real harm comes to those that have been told that they need to be thinking about making a change, losing some weight and becoming more fit, often times they have one or more of the following issues:

• borderline for high blood pressure or just simply slightly elevated blood pressure
• doctor has suggested getting more active to lose a little bit of weight to prevent some hereditary or weight related condition they are at risk for
• slightly elevated cholesterol
• higher than normal stress or tension headaches
• problems sleeping

I see that Mr Cloud recognizes the health benefits and specifically refers to them in a couple of paragraphs, but someone that has just been told they need to be more active to lose a little weight, just read that article and thought "hey, new research, woohoo, exercise isn't going to help me lose weight at all (whew)!". I know I have heard it from at least one person this week.

Mr Cloud: People do not need helping finding excuses NOT to exercise or to be INACTIVE. There are many, many, many legitimate excuses not to exercise, to avoid activity, to sit in front of the tv or whatever it is that you would rather be doing, but the fact that you MIGHT eat more and not get thin, is DEFINITELY not one of them. Suggesting to anyone that exercise or increased activity levels won't help you lose weight is simply inaccurate, irresponsible and ignorant.

Here are just a few of the articles written that are considerably more accurate and representative of most scientific research and common sense.

Tom Venuto's review

Runner's World review
Runner's World also has a great link to the ACSM's (American College of Sports Medicine) updated position paper from 2009 titled "Appropriate Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults here.

As expected, Runner's World (and ACSM) are both pro-cardio, so you can read more of the support for weight training and weight loss/health benefits here in another SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH based rebuttal, by Brad.

The LA Times recognized the absurdity of it here.

August 26, 2009
another blog brought to my attention by IDEA:
http://www.nickianderson.com/2009/08/09/time-article-missing-a-few-points/

IDEA's stance: http://www.ideafit.com/blog/idea-fitness-fusion-2008/a-time-out-for-time-magazine

The Summer Diet

This comes from savy mom, I couldn't find the link to the online newsletter, so I've pasted it here. I've tried to include the links as well, but I may have missed some. Obviously I prefer original content, but I LOVE fresh fruits and veggies. I have actually had a few people ask me about my summer diet and I have to chuckle, there is no set diet, just at least once and sometimes twice a week trips to the market for fresh fruit and veggies. There are some fabulous ideas in here, although I don't think I would do the corn with sugar thing, I like corn with nothing on it, off the cob. MMMMmmmmm.





I'm missing my deep freeze right about now, as there are a ton of blackberries that have ripened around our place and I would love to freeze some to enjoy in the winter, but I have no room! I also LOVE the ideas in here, roasting tomatoes, mmmm.... now I'm getting hungry.

Mother Nature’s Best


August Fruits and Vegetables



Anyone who loves to eat should love the month of August because that’s when dear Mother Earth produces some of her best work.





You know we’re big fans of the watermelon, and it’s not just because every kid loves it. Watermelons are filled to the brim with the antioxidant lycopene, they’re rich in vitamins C, B1, B6 and A, and are an excellent hydrator (made from 92 percent water after all).Don’t get us started on peaches. They are juicy and perfect in a classic peach and mixed berry crisp. They’re also great on yogurt and ice cream but we like them grilled on the Q with pork or chicken.





Peaches are a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Niacin and Potassium, and are a very good source of Vitamin C.





Those big fat tomatoes that you can only find this month are also filled with lycopene. We love them fresh but at the end of the month we round up a whole bunch and roast them up and store for the winter months, when we want to bring back a little bit of summer into our cooking. It’s not summer without a good dose of peaches and cream corn and we know a great way to cook it that will enhance the flavour (not leave it behind in that pot of boiling water).





Wild blueberries win the MVP award on this team of August goodness. They’re a good source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber and are one of the best performers in the anthocyanins league—beating out tomatoes with their high antioxidant index. We like to eat them by the handful but if you make up a batch of this blueberry sauce and serve over French toast, pancakes or ice cream you will be the savviest mom in town.





So stay as fresh as you can this month. It’s what Mother Earth intended.

Tested By
Minnow H., Toronto

Tips for working out and staying cool in the heat

I have been in vacation mode and as soon as I can figure out how to easily transfer my text blogging I did in word onto blogger.com I'll have a bunch of new posts... I'm mostly having trouble with uploading pictures. So, in the meantime you get a new post.

Here in Vancouver we have had record setting temperatures all week. The temperature is barely dropping down below 30 degrees, even at night. According to the Vancouver Sun there have been 20 records broken for highest temperature around BC.

It is probably not a good time to start running or start training for that marathon you were thinking about doing... but it is NOT a good excuse to skip exercising.

Here are some things to think about:
If you enjoy exercising in the outdoors

• Do it very early in the morning (before 11am).
• Or late at night, after the sun's gone down (after 8pm).
• Water is something that will help keep you cool, so swimming and water sports are good choices, especially if doing it before 11am or after 8pm).
• Hydrate! Drink water and fluids often. Don't gulp down glass after glass of water, keep a water bottle handy and take sips from it every 10 minutes (more/less depending on the intensity of activity).
• Cover up. Wear a hat if you can. Quick-dry fabrics that are spf rated are the safest to keep you cool and protect you from the damage causing rays.
  
• Don't forget to use lots of water/sweat proof sunscreen (I LOVE Kinesys for kids, it sprays on and stays on, it's not sticky and greasy and it's the same as the regular, but unscented AND it's rated highly by EWG - www.EWG.org/sunscreen/).

www.kinesys.com
I get it from Costco, in a 2 pack for under $20.

If you don't mind indoor workouts:

• Private clubs almost always have air conditioning in the weight room and aerobics/exercise studios. Maybe now is a good time to check one out and keep cool.
• A lot of local recreation centres have reasonable drop-in fees or classes. Some of them also have air conditioning, another great way to stay cool. If there's a pool, you can often finish your workout with a dip and cool off even more.
• If there is no air conditioning (or you prefer not to work out in air conditioning), make sure you are working in a well ventilated room, with a fan or two.
• Monitor your heart rate: It is not uncommon for your heart rate to increase more quickly and to higher rates than it would normally under extra hot conditions. Try to keep it within safe limits for your age [(220-age) * .85] for your exercise max. For those of you that are going to ask, I use polar heart rate monitors, but there are so many out there. www.polarca.com has more info on the polar products. I usually pick them up on sale at Sears Days.
• Hydrate: make sure you are sipping regularly from your water bottle, every 5-10 minutes (more/less depending on the intensity of your workout).
• Allow yourself extra cool-down time (your resting heart rate may be a little higher with the heat - it can increase 10 bpm with the kind of temperature increase we have been experiencing here).

NOTE: If you suffer from any respiratory ailments REDUCE or AVOID outdoor activity if you can. Take it as a recovery week or find an activity that you can do indoors to replace what you would normally be doing outside.

Some local links:
Miss604's blog about Vancouver outdoor pools:
http://www.miss604.com/2008/05/vancouver-outdoor-pool-guide.html

Burnaby's outdoor pools:
http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/cityhall/departments/departments_parks/rcrtn/prksrc_fclts/Pools/Outdoor_Pools.html

I don't know of anything outdoor on the North Shore, aside from the Winter Club, so feel free to comment and let me know if there is!

Enjoy the sunshine, I'm sure the rain is not far away...

Protein!

Lately I have been spending way too much time on Twitter, just trying to figure it out. Although I have found some pretty amazing resources on there, I just have to figure out how to keep track of it all and keep up with it. It moves at a crazy pace!

I have stumbloed upon Craig Ballantyne's information a few times and have always found it interesting, so I've started following some of his stuff. He's got some great information!

I'm posting a link to this article:
http://www.ttfatloss.com/nutrition/diet-reconstruction-shocking-protein-update/

Protein talk is one of the most common conversations I have with clients, people in the gym and athletes. So, let me be clear YOU DO NOT NEED A LOT OF PROTEIN in your diet to gain muscle. I particularly like this: 0.8 grams per KILOGRAM, which is 0.36 grams per POUND is all you need for muscle building (and possibly less) as stated by Dr. Phillips.

Body weight Protein need (DAILY)
125 pounds 45 grams
150 pounds 54 grams
175 pounds 63 grams
200 pounds 72 grams

So, what does this look like in a meal?
Most cuts of beef have about 7 grams of protein per ounce, so a 4 oz hamburger patty has about 28 grams of protein.

Some foods and their protein:
Chicken breast 30 grams
Tuna (6oz can) 40 grams
Egg 6 grams
Tofu (1/2 cup) 20 grams
Beans & lentils (1/2 cup cooked) 7-10 grams
Soy beans/Edamame (1/2 cup cooked) 14 grams
Peanut butter (2 tbsp) 8 grams
Almonds (1/4 cup) 8 grams
Flax seeds (1/4 cup) 8 grams

Vegetables and protein amounts:
100 grams each
Peas 7g
Broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower 3g
Cabbage, Fennel, gherkins, peppers, aubergine 1g
Spinach, tomatoes, mushroom, courgette, beetroot, yam 2g

High protein diets can lead to:
chronic kidney problems
lack of fiber
bone mineral loss
kidney stones
lack of energy
dehydration
bad breath

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of high protein diets. More than that, I find that a lot of athletes have been mis-informed about the amount of protein they need. Protein shakes and protein bars are everywhere. If you want to build muscle to have to have protein. Sure, but how much is too much? Most of the guys I talk to in the gym are taking in way too much.

Unfortunately I think that by the time people realize the damage they have done to themselves, it will be too late. The high-protein, low-carb diets are probably around to stay, people are getting results from them, but at what cost? At what point will people start to see the long-term problems that these diets can cause?

Kids and activity!

I was going to write a post about how important physical activity is for our kids, but going through my "dashboard", which I occasionally find the time to do (and I'm so glad I did today). I found Sherri's post:

http://shapeupwithsherri.blogspot.com/2009/05/best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-kids.html

She sums it up and I LOVE IT!

Especially the stats (from Sherri's blog):
These days kids hardly get any activity. Most schoolwork involves sedentary activity and with television and video games as after-school pastimes, the temptation to sink into couch potato-land becomes pretty overwhelming for our kids. Check out these startling stats:

• Children today are approximately 40% less active than they were 30 years ago
• 20% of children and teens are overweight enough to threaten their future health
• One report states that the number of overweight children ages 6-11 has increased by 50% in the last 15 years and by 40% in those ages 12-17. Lack of exercise is considered a major contributing factor
• 40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to an inactive lifestyle
• Children spend an average of 26 hours a week watching television and also spend 25-30 hours a week sitting behind a desk

and suggestions (also from Sherri's blog):

Here’s some goals you should strive for. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise and children are as follows:

• Children should be involved in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity like walking to school or cycling around the neighborhood, performing household chores or running errands.
• Children should exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes with activities that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion, like brisk walking, stair-climbing, racquet sports, jogging, dance, swimming laps, skating, cross-country skiing or cycling.
• For most children, it’s fine to do 15-20 minutes of resistance or strength training sessions twice a week using higher repetitions (25 reps) and lower resistance as long as there’s proper instruction and supervision.
• Children should stretch on alternative days for 60 seconds each stretch.
• Vary the activities to work different parts of the body.
• Involve children in deciding what to do.

Thanks so much Sherri for doing such a fabulous post!

I know that there are so many things out there that we need to find a "cure" for... but how great would it be, if we could prevent them to start with?

If you could prevent type II Diabetes in your child, would you?
If you knew that you could prevent heart disease or hypertension in your child, would you?

Healthy lifestyle choices early on in life become healthy habits that will eliminate the need to worry about these diseases at the early ages we are these days.

Cinco de Mayo

Well I'm on the topic of recipes... for Cinco de Mayo I decided to make a recipe from www.eatingwell.com. I still modify these recipes, but not as much.

It's a casserole, and it was delicious. We will probably have it again soon, we all really liked it (the munchkin included).

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced (original recipe called for grated, but based on comments, I decided to try it sliced)
1 19 oz can of black beans, rinsed (I replaced this with 1 cup of dry kidney beans, soaked for a day, and then cooked, we don't eat canned foods much and I have had a really tough time finding dry black beans)
1.5 cups corn (frozen or fresh)
1 tsp cumin
12 corn tortillas, quartered (I only ended up using 8)
1 19 oz can of enchilada sauce (I didn't have any, so looked up a recipe for making my own)
1.25 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. Coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray (I use extra virgin olive oil).
2. Heat nonstick skillet on med-high heat
3. Cook onion until it starts browning (I added in the zucchini here, so it was sauteed).
4. Stire in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin. Cook until the beggies are heated through (the recipe suggests 3 minutes, I did closer to 7-10 mins).
5. Scatter 1/2 the tortillas in the pan.
6. Top with 1/2 the veggie mix, 1/2 enchilada sauce, 1/2 cheese.
7. Repeat with 1 more layer.
8. Cover with tin foil.

I did all this in the morning and put it in the fridge (I had to work that afternoon) and I left instructions for dinner:

1. Preheat over to 400F.
2. Bake 15 minutes, remove tin foil, bake for 10 more minutes.
3. Remove from oven and let it sit for 15 minutes (this seemed to be the consensus for making sure it isn't soggy and it worked for us!). I would highly recommend it. Delicious and healthy.

Some other ideas:
saute some peppers with the zucchini and onions.

EASY 5 INGREDIENT ENCHILADA SAUCE from Ehow.com (with modifications)

2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
dash of hot sauce

Mix together and voila, enchilada sauce! I don't know what enchilada sauce tastes like, so this may not compare... you can make it as spicy as you wish. This recipe is for red enchilada sauce, of course you can use green if you like, it's just not quite so simple to make. Good luck!