Tag Archives: Nutrition

Exercise, Health Assessments, Nutrition

THE GREAT DEBATE: CAN YOU SPOT REDUCE FAT?

A new technology is reigniting the age-old controversy.

Whether you can or cannot choose where you lose fat in your body is one of the most polarizing topics in the fitness field. Anecdotal evidence has surfaced over the years suggesting that various forms of programming, supplementation and technology may in fact be able to target specific areas in the body where fat is stored. But science holds firm that the answer is a resounding no—a safe bet as there is no peer-reviewed clinical research suggesting otherwise.

“Body fat is lost in the same way that you put it on—slowly and all over,” says Dr. Justin Mager, an exercise physiologist in Mill Valley, CA, and founder of Health Incite, a holistic wellness clinic. “You can spot-reduce, but it has nothing to do with exercise and diet. It’s called liposuction.”

Besides surgical liposuction, there’s a newer, non-invasive “laser lipolysis,” which uses a laser to effectively ‘melt’ unwanted fat, which is then metabolized by the body. But neither addresses the underlying diet and exercise lifestyle issues that led to the fat build-up in the first place. Enter: red light lipolysis.

According to Rolando Garcia III, manager of the Columbus Circle location of E at Equinox, the combination of a structured workout plan and red light lipolysis treatments via a device called Pure Light seems promising for problem areas. Used in physical therapy environments for years to break up scar tissue, red light lipolysis aims an external infrared light generated by an LED (light-emitting diode) system at unwanted fat stores. “This breaks the bonds between fats, which allows you to utilize fat as fuel when you exercise,” he says.

Intrigued, Garcia tested the system himself for 8 weeks, targeting belly fat. “I focused little on my diet and reduced my training to 3 times a week, and I lost an inch off my waist after 10 sessions. Screenings showed that all my other measurements—arms, chest, shoulders—were the same. But because of my stomach, my total body fat went from 13.3% to 12.2%.”

Next up: E clients. In the protocol Garcia has developed, participants will follow a red-light lipolysis treatment (which involves wearing a belt of 8 cell-phone-sized LED pads each for 15 minutes). They will then exercise until they’ve burned 350 calories—enough to burn up those excess fatty acids before they get stored as fat again. “No research papers and clinical trials have validated this approach yet, “ admits Garcia, “but we have to start somewhere.”

Until there is, Dr. Mager suggests his approach: “First, I recommend that people de-stress their lives, which reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol that cause fat to accumulate around your vital organs to protect them,” he says, “Then do strength and posture work,” which serves to properly line-up muscles and joints, often de-emphasizing fat stores.

A safe bet for now, but there’s no harm in a little experimentation.

To see full article go to http://q.equinox.com/articles/2015/02/spot-reduction?emlcid=EML-newsletters_2015_02_04&emlcid=EML-QWeekly-0204242015.  Article written by Roy M. Wallack, Photography by Trunk Archive
Exercise, Health Assessments, Nutrition, Rehabilitation, Sports

VIDEO: WHY I TRAIN PREGNANT

 

Like so many expectant mothers who exercise, Linda Baltes deals with criticism. But she hasn’t let it stop her.

Despite the near-total eradication of gender lines in fitness, to this day, when a pregnant woman walks into the gym, eyebrows inevitably raise.

“When you’re training pregnant, you get a lot of people questioning you,” says Linda Baltes, who is expecting her first child later this month. “They’re questioning whether you’re doing this because you’re vain.”

For Baltes, it made perfect sense to continue training through her pregnancy. The Santa Monica-based triathlete—who serves in the Air Force Reserves and works for a molecular diagnostics company—has been active and athletic her entire life. But that didn’t make her immune to this specific brand of fit-shaming.

“Pregnancy is not a disease,” says Jacques Moritz, M.D., director of the division of gynecology at New York City’s Mount Sinai Roosevelt and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s. “It’s a condition. As long as one doesn’t go overboard, pregnant women not only should, but are encouraged to work out.”

Watch the video above to glimpse Baltes’ prenatal routine and hear why she believes that fitness has a place of utmost importance in these nine months of her life, and even more so in the months and years that follow.

For full article please visit http://q.equinox.com/articles/2015/02/pregnancy-workout-video?emlcid=EML-newsletters_2015_02_11&emacid=EMA-QWeekly-02112122015.  Article written by Sheila Monaghan
Exercise, Nutrition

THE ONLY WEIGHT LOSS ADVICE WORTH TAKING

For his new book, author Ted Spiker combed the science of successful dieting. Here are his 5 top takeaways.

As Ted Spiker, author of the new book Down Size and former articles editor of Men’s Health magazine, puts it: “When it comes to weight loss, everything is about food and exercise, but nothing is about food and exercise.”

He would know. While Spiker spent his days writing about weight loss—entrenched in depths of information, surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable researchers, scientists, and authors on the topic—he hit his highest weight ever, clocking in at 279 pounds. He knew exactly what he needed to do to drop a pants size or two: eat right, exercise more. But as he says: “There’s a gap between knowledge and action. We can know a lot. We can be inundated with information or be given a plan, but how do we get from knowledge to action? What makes people change in a lasting way?”

With Spiker’s unique perspective on the topic, we asked him to share the most interesting learnings he acquired while writing—and, in essence, living—a diet book:

1

Goals can destroy you—if you set them incorrectly.

“Dieting is one of the only areas of life where we don’t accept mistakes. At work, we make mistakes, we learn, we do better; in relationships, we have fights, we work it out. We don’t expect perfection. But if we fail at a diet—binge or eat something we don’t think we should—we throw in the towel and say: ‘Forget it. I ruined it.’ We never accept the fact that we can make mistakes and be flexible. In the long game, you have to have that mindset. But everyone wants to play the short game.

In the book, I include a story about a 440-pound man who set a goal to climb a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado. He trained and hiked and when it came time to do it, he didn’t make it. He made it to 12,000 feet and had to turn around. A lot of people would view that as failure. But his attitude was: ‘I did something I never thought I would be able to do.’ That’s a healthy look at the whole idea of goal setting. If you didn’t lose the full 10 pounds, you didn’t fail if you still got 6 or 8 pounds down.”

2

Use objective and subjective data.

“Self monitoring can be productive: calories in, steps taken, and weighing yourself weekly—that’s all objective, tangible data. I don’t argue with that. That works for a lot of people. But that can be destructive, too. That’s why Doug Newburg, Ph.D., a sports psychologist who studies elite performers suggests a different concept: it’s called ‘feel.’ Newburg asks elite performers, ‘Does how you feel affect the way you perform?’ And the answer 100 percent of the time is: ‘Yes, of course.’ But ‘feel’ isn’t about feelings.

It’s more that if you’re stretching every day, lifting, and feeling good, energetic, and strong, that should have just as much weight as the number on the scale. When you can get those two things to work together—and reach that sweet spot where subjective and objective data inform each other—that’s finding where you want to be.”

3

You can manufacture motivation through social connections.

“I used to think motivation had to be heaped upon you—that you were a passive recipient to it. But motivation research says otherwise. Beating almost every psychological element—humiliation, frustration, and motivation—comes down to autonomy and social connections. That’s really important for people trying to lose weight. When you’re heavy, you just want to hide. But you can motivate yourself by making the first step to sign up for a class or train with a group. Even though you might be embarrassed, that’s a huge part of motivation.”

4

Speak in if’s and then’s.

“Peter Gollwitzer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at New York University, studies goals—and how emotions, cognition, and behavior influence them. And when it comes to temptation, he has studied the ‘if-then’ statement—a willpower tactic that serves as an emergency plan: ‘If x happens, you do y.’ If I am going to a party, then I drink three glasses of water between drinks; if I am going to a pizza place, I’ll order a salad have only a slice. People who use ‘if-then’ more effectively handle temptation—it helps them deal with impulses. Have a backup plan before you get into the situation.”

5

Make it about more than the pounds.

“Pick a goal that’s between something you can do and something that there is no chance you could do—like run a half-marathon if you only run a mile at a time. That way, you’ll stop worrying so much about what the scale says and worry more about making the right lifestyle choices to meet your goal. In Down Size, I write about a guy who wanted to beat his brother in tennis. His weight was holding him back. But he made his goal about beating his brother and working on his game, not his weight. He ended up losing a lot of weight—and regularly beating his brother. ”

 

By:  Cassie Shortsleeve, For original post, please visit: http://q.equinox.com/articles/2015/01//secrets-to-weight-loss?emlcid=EML-newsletters_2015_01_14&emacid=EMA-QWeekly-01141142015
Nutrition

Juicing ??? Try These Combinations

Juicing This Spring/Summer? – Try 6 Innovative Combinations Inspired by Produce Around the Globe

If you’re a juice bar regular, you may have noticed that combos have started to sound startlingly alike. And really, how many times can you gulp down a concoction of kale, apple, spinach, lemon and ginger without getting bored? But don’t give up your daily cold-pressed just yet. This spring, we suggest upping your juice game and shaking up your palate with ingredients native to some of the world’s wellness hotspots.
1

Australia: passion fruit + orange juice + lime + carrot juice

Here, the sweet tanginess of citrus is mellowed by carrot’s earthy flavor.  Passion fruit is loaded with antioxidants, beta carotene and vitamin C.”

2

Hawaii: coconut milk + coconut water + cucumber + mint + dates + ginger

This combination is clean, crisp and refreshing—perfect for a warm day, since coconut and cucumber are extremely hydrating. Coconut is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and ginger is good for digestion.

3

India: mango + almond milk + cinnamon + turmeric + vanilla bean + chia seeds

This rich and flavorful drink is a cousin of the famed mango lassi, minus the yogurt base. Cinnamon and turmeric balance out the fruit’s sweetness. Mangos provide antioxidants and fiber along with vitamin C, folate and vitamin A.  Plus, you get satiating healthy fats from the almond milk.  After juicing or blending the first five ingredients together, finish by adding whole chia seeds to the glass.

4

Morocco: apple + beet + rose water + lemon + mint

Meet your new hangover juice!  Rose water is often used in Moroccan cuisine, and has great calming and anti-inflammatory properties. It also imparts a subtle floral note. Apples are packed with the antioxidant quercetin and beets are potent liver detoxifiers.

5

Vietnam: watermelon + lemongrass + lemon + mint + cucumber

All the flavors come together for a fresh, clean and citrusy sip, with watermelon and cucumber providing maximum hydration.  Lemongrass is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese cooking.  If you’re making a smoothie, make sure you finely mince it before adding it to the blender.

6

California: avocado + cacao nibs + banana + hemp milk

Avocado might seem like an odd addition, but it blends well with any other flavor and creates a silky-smooth and rich mouth-feel.  Hemp contains plant-based protein and you also get potassium and fiber from the banana.

Thanks to Equinox, Maridel Reyes and Marissa Lippert, RD
Exercise, Nutrition, Rehabilitation

Low Carb VS High Carb Dieting

High Carb vs Low Carb Diets… Interesting Case Study

I know many of you continue to feel as though the way to lose weight and/or maintain lean muscle mass is to minimize your carbohydrate intake.  Take a look at this article, written by Dr. S. Nadolsky, who is not only a physician but an avid body builder as well.  Dr. Nadolsky states, “…If you’re a healthy exerciser whose blood sugar levels are normal and you’ve been eating low carb for a while, I recommend trying a higher carb diet. You might be surprised at the results…”.  He definitely sheds some light on how and why a diet higher in carbohydrates may benefit us.

Carbohydrate confessions:  Stories (and data) from a low carb convert – By Dr. S. Nadolsky

 

Conclusions:

  1. Mindful eating makes the difference
  2. Weighing, measuring and tracking are important (I recommend this to anyone trying to make any type of physical change by changing their diet)
  3. Note that most lay people who are relatively inactive and somewhat overweight, should still stick with lower carbohydrate diets because it is much easier to get blood sugar and blood pressure controlled on a low carb diet
  4. while low carb diets have their place, I no longer think they’re necessarily the right choice, or the only choice, for everyone

Take home points:

  • Do not overly restrict; do not over-think it; do not waste time with detailed “carb math.”
  • Enjoy a wide variety of minimally processed, whole and fresh foods.
  • Observe how you look, feel, and perform.
  • Decide what to do based on the data you collect about yourself, not on what you think you “should” do.
  • The only “rules” come from your body and your experience. Do not follow a dietary prescription for anyone else’s body.

And above all, for most active people, carbs are your friend!

Nutrition

Skipping breakfast: Will it really make you fat?

Skipping breakfast: Will it really make you fat?

I have spent my fare share of time in academia and I have found the way many researchers present their data is, shall we say….interesting.  Take a look at this article.  Not only does Helen Kollias present good information from specific studies, she documents the importance of taking the information you read with “a grain of salt” indigenerics.com.

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