Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain

One of the toughest times of the year for those trying to lose weight is the holiday season. While the holidays are a time to rejoice, celebrate and share fond memories, it also a time for overeating. Here are some practical tips to avoid gaining unwanted weight over the holidays:

1. Get moving: Engage in regular, sustained aerobic activity. Exercise is a great way to burn those extra calories you may be taking in this time of year. Note: If you haven't exercised in at least six months, check with your doctor first before starting.
2. Aim for five-a-day: Making sure you eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day will help fill up your stomach but not your calorie level. Eat your five-a-day before you snack on any cookies or other holiday treats. You're sure to take in fewer calories overall.
3. Control the risk for temptation: Controlling even the slightest chance of coming in contact with "tempting" foods is one way to effectively reduce your intake. Avoid the break room and other places where you know there will be extra unwanted calories.
4. Limit to one-a-day: You can't control every situation. If you are constantly bombarded with holiday parties and foods, try the one-a-day method. Allow yourself one small serving of a cookie or piece of candy each day during the holiday season. Make up for it later by reducing your total caloric intake or by burning a few extra calories while exercising.
5. Never go to a party hungry: Have a nutritious low-fat snack like a piece of fruit, cut-up vegetables or non-fat yogurt, before going to the party. This way you'll be satisfied when entering the party and enjoy small portions of foods without overeating.
6. Plan ahead and bring a low-calorie dish with you: Offer to bring a dish with you to a holiday party. Whatever you bring, make sure it's low in calories such as fresh fruits, vegetables or low-calorie dips. At least you'll know you have at least one good dish to choose from.
7. Say No Politely: Many times you feel forced to eat because people keep putting food in front of you. Learn to say no politely, such as "No thank you, everything was delicious, I've had enough."
8. Focus on socializing: Don't stand around the food table when you are at a party - focus your energies on making conversation with others instead of munching on foods. Conversation is calorie-free.

Source: www.clevelandclinic.org

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• Exercise can prevent Alzheimer's and dementia

  A growing body of scientific research suggests that modest levels of physical exercise are associated with delayed onset of dementia including Alzheimer's disease. Early experimental studies in healthy elderly adults showed that a conditioning program improves higher order cognitive functions, including memory.

  In January, 2006 researchers at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle reported that older men and women who exercised even modestly three times a week or more reduced their risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's. Earlier studies also found that baseline levels of physical fitness may protect against the development of dementia. These findings hold out the hope that daily exercise might delay the onset of Alzheimer's and thus reduce the number of people with the disease.

  According to the Alzheimer's Association about 4.5 million people today have the disease. This number could rise to 16 million by the year 2050. The disease, increasingly common after age 60, causes memory loss, confusion and behavioral changes. For more information about Alzheimer's disease contact the Alzheimer's Association at 1.800.272.3900

  Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan 2006

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• Flexibility

  Flexibility is the ability to move joints and muscles through their full range of motion. As you improve flexibility the activities of every day living become easier such as reaching for an item on a high shelf or looking under the bed. Flexibility also improves your sense of balance.

  So how do you improve flexibility? The first thing is simply to start your day with some simple stretching exercises. Include stretches for the upper and lower limbs as well as the neck and back. Do some stretches first thing in the morning, take a stretch break instead of a coffee break, or stretch in the office for a few minutes. Other activities that include stretching are yoga, Pilates and martial arts.

  Stretching should be part of strength training and aerobic exercise as well. When you exercise, you repeatedly shorten your muscles. To counter this effect, you need to stretch slowly and regularly, which makes you more flexible. Combining it with other forms of fitness is an ideal way to practice flexibility fitness.

  Begin slowly and increase your efforts gradually. Over-stretching can cause unnecessary pain and even injuries. You can measure your progress with flexibility by noticing how much further you can do each stretch. Can you go further with each stretch than you could when you started? Are your stretches a bit easier to perform? If so, your flexibility is improving.

  Source: WebMD

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• Resistance Training

  Resistance training increases muscle strength by pitting the muscles against a weight, such as a dumbbell or barbell. The muscle cells adapt to the extra workload by enlarging and recruiting greater numbers of nerve cells to aid contraction. This improves muscle strength, muscle size and muscle endurance.

  Some of the benefits of regular resistance training include increased muscle strength, increased bone density, reduced body fat, lower blood pressure and heart rate, improved balance and stability and an overall improved ability to perform everyday functions.

  Resistance training also reduces the risk of developing and improves management of some medical conditions - for example, diabetes, osteoporosis and arthritis.

  Resistance programs can be individualized to target certain muscle groups and functions and as with all fitness activities safety considerations are important. These include:

  • Ensuring that equipment is safe and well-maintained equipment
  • Warming-up and cooling down thoroughly with slow sustained stretches
  • Utilizing proper lifting form
  • Maintaining control of the weights at all times

  Source: National Strength and Conditioning Association

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• How much is enough?

  Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for female adults to engage in:

  Moderate-intensity physical activity for 30 minutes or more on five or more days of the week
       OR
  Vigorous-intensity physical activity for 20 minutes or more on three or more days of the week

  Moderate-intensity physical activity refers to any activity that burns 3.5 to 7 calories per minute (kcal/min). These levels are equal to the effort a healthy individual might burn while walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation, or bicycling.

  Vigorous-intensity physical activity refers to any activity that burns more than 7 calories per minute (kcal/min). These levels are equal to the effort a healthy individual might burn while jogging, engaging in heavy yard work, participating in high-impact aerobic dancing, swimming continuous laps, or bicycling uphill.

  Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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• The Secret to Weight Loss Isn't a Secret

  We often vow to "eat better" but what exactly does that mean? More whole grains? Fewer carbs? For most, it means eating healthier and losing weight. According to the latest research from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services there are three keys in the quest to live a healthier lifestyle

  Start with a goal.

  Reduce your body fat? How about lower your cholesterol? Or perhaps you'd like to be a positive role model of good eating for your children? Whatever your reason, keeping a specific goal in sight will help you succeed. This goal should be realistic and attainable. Short term to long term goal setting works best for permanent results.

  Avoid fad diets and "quick fixes"

  These diets promise quick weight loss and they often lose sight of the ideal weight loss program - balance. Besides robbing you of essential carbohydrates and nutrients, these diets are just too hard to stick to. You should note that a healthy diet includes a wide variety of foods, including whole grains, is low in saturated fat, and advocates at least five servings of fruits and veggies per day.

  Get out and move!

  If you're eating more calories than you're burning, you will put on weight. Regular exercise combats obesity and improves mood. That's one of the reasons it's essential to stay active throughout life. Regular exercise has been proven to aid in stress reduction and can be a useful tool to manage depression. A healthy body is a healthy mind.

  Resources: www.nutrition.gov, www.webmd.com

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• Replace your chair with a stability ball – strengthen your core muscles

  The core muscles are those that make up the area around your trunk and pelvis. In simpler terms, these are the muscles of the abdomen, lower back and sides, including superficial and deep. The core is the foundation from which all movement begins, and where your center of gravity is located. Therefore, the body should be trained from the inside out. These muscles are used for stabilization and control of the spine, and for balance. A well-developed core allows for improved back strength and decreases the risk of low back pain and muscle injuries. This is especially important for older adults.

  A stability ball is available at sporting goods stores and online catalogs, and those that carry yoga and pilates equipment. Purchase a ball that is sized for you - your thighs should be parallel to the floor in a seated position. Replace your computer or desk chair with the ball. The constant adjustment that your body makes will work your core muscles, even sitting at your desk.

  Source: National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2002.

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• Protein is important, but don't overdo it!

  Protein is used in almost every bodily function, but most Americans consume more protein than they need.

  Proteins are used in the building and maintenance of body tissue, such as muscle and skin. It is also used to make some hormones and antibodies. The most complete protein sources are derived from animals such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese and milk. If you are a vegetarian your sources need to be a variety of plant proteins to get all the protein needed.

  The average American diet includes almost double the protein needed to maintain a healthy body. The recommended dietary consumption of protein is 10%-15% of one's daily calories. This will ensure enough protein for the growth, maintenance and repair of cells. Dietary protein should come from food sources, and supplements should only be used when food sources are unavailable.

  You can calculate your protein requirements based on your activity level and your weight. Sedentary individuals require .8g/kg of body weight while physically active individuals and athletes require from 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg of body weight. Convert your weight to kg (kilograms) by dividing your body weight in lbs by 2.2. Although the U.S. is not metric, FDA food labels show protein in grams per serving. Calculate your recommended protein in g/kg from the chart below:

  Population	Protein Requirements
  Sedentary	.8g/kg of body weight
  Physically Active	1.0-1.2 g/kg of BW
  Endurance Athlete	1.3-1.5 g/kg of BW

  Example, for a 165 lb.endurance athlete:
  165/2.2 = 75kg
  75 x 1.5 = 112.57g/kg protein recommended daily

  Resources: www.webmd.com in collaboration with The Cleveland Clinic; Nutrition 101; Oct. 2004. Whitney and Rolfes; Understanding Nutrition, 10th Ed.; 2005.

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• Interval Training

  Weight-bearing cardio activities like the treadmill or elliptical machine will give you a beneficial workout if you do it intensely enough. Once you have worked up to a comfortable workout at moderate intensity, adding interval training will boost your workout and you will burn more calories. Interval training is accomplished by increasing and decreasing the speed and/or elevation at periodical intervals. For example, you might start on the treadmill walking at 4 mph flat, then increase the incline to 3% for 3 minutes, then back to flat or 1% for 3 minutes, then back up again, and so on. If you run on the treadmill, you can increase speed or elevation or both. Interval training is especially useful if you have limited time for cardio. There are many ways to vary the intervals between speed and elevation. The increased intensity level should raise the heart rate and feel challenging. Many machines have pre-programmed interval programs (like a hill workout) that can also be fun and challenging.

  Another option is to utilize circuit training. Circuit training is where you work on a weight machine or with free weights or pushups, sit-ups, etc. for 45 seconds and then move quickly to the next station for another 45 seconds. The idea of the circuit training plan is to quickly move from one exercise to the next quickly so that the heart rate remains elevated. Circuit training for 30 minutes intensely, should get a good workout and help burn those calories.

  As for weight loss, no matter how much exercise you do, if your calories consumed exceed what you burn, you won't lose weight. Effective weight loss occurs when the calories in are less than the calories burned; diet and exercise work together for the best results.

  Source: Web MD

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• New to Exercise? Tips to Avoid Injury

  1. Visit your doctor before beginning a new exercise program. Your doctor can let you know if you have any conditions that might require you to modify the type or amount of exercise for you.
  2. Gradually increase time and intensity. When starting an exercise program, many people have lots of enthusiasm initially, and go too hard, too soon. Begin with moderate exercise of about 20 minutes, 3 times a week and gradually build up your program
  3. Visit a personal trainer to start you on the right path. If you just don't know what to do or where to begin, a good trainer will get you started safely.
  4. Gradually warm up to prevent injuries. The warm up can consist of walking, jogging or simply doing your regular activity at a snail's pace.
  5. Fuel your workout. While you don't want to exercise immediately after eating a large meal, eating about 2 hours before exercise can help fuel your exercise and give you the energy you need for a good workout.
  6. Drink fluids before you exercise. Dehydration can kill your performance, so stay well hydrated. Try to drink 16 oz. of water in the two hours before your workout and then take in water during your workout to replace any lost fluids.
  7. Listen to your body. If you experience any sharp pain, weakness or light-headedness during exercise, pay attention. This is your body's signal that something is wrong and you should stop exercise. Pushing through acute pain is the fastest way to develop a severe or chronic injury. If you don't feel well, you should take some time off until your body heals.
  8. Rest. In addition to getting enough sleep, it is important to take some rest days. Working out too much for too long can lead to overtraining.
  9. Cross Train. In addition to helping reduce workout boredom, cross-training allows you to get a full body workout without overstressing certain muscle groups.
  10. Dress properly. Use appropriate safety equipment for your sports, choose proper footwear, and wear clothing that wicks sweat and helps keep you cool and dry.

  Source: National Strength and Conditioning Association

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• Heart to Heart with Cholesterol

  Heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, claims a life every 34 seconds. The numbers are staggering. In fact nearly 105 million Americans age 20 and older have high cholesterol. A 10% reduction in total cholesterol across the population might reduce the incidence of heart disease by 30 percent.

  What is cholesterol?

  Your body makes all the cholesterol you need. Eating foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol can raise your blood cholesterol level. Heredity also plays a role. The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for heart disease. Too much cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries. You are then at risk for having a heart attack, a stroke, or poor circulation.

  What are good and bad cholesterol?

  HDL "good cholesterol" helps clean fat and cholesterol from arteries, carrying it to the liver for removal from the body. LDL "bad cholesterol" deposits cholesterol in your arteries and causes them to become clogged.

  What can you do?

  • Know your numbers; have your blood cholesterol checked.
  • Take charge; modify your lifestyle to reduce or maintain your levels to a healthy range.
  • Work with your health care provider to lower your risk; some people need medication to lower cholesterol.

  What your cholesterol numbers mean

  Total blood cholesterol
  Desirable	Less than 200 mg/ dL	Good for you! Try to keep it below this number.
  Borderline	200-239 mg/ dL	Be on the alert! You are at risk for a heart attack. You need to make changes in your lifestyle.
  High	240 mg/ dL or higher	Danger zone! You have a higher risk for a heart attack. Seek help from your doctor to lower your cholesterol level.
  HDL-cholesterol
  Desirable	60 mg/ dL or higher	Being physically active can help raise your HDL.

  Source: American Heart Association

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• Why are there so few fat people in France? They embrace moderation and variety with food.

  In France, no one would think of giving up their daily baguette to lose weight. When you ask a French person how to slim down, you will receive a matter of fact reply: "Eat less, move more!" So don't cut out your favorite foods, just enjoy them in limited quantities. Eat smaller servings, eat them less often, and try to find healthy alternatives. Eat many different kinds of foods, especially ones high in nutrients, such as, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meats.

  Remember that calories in = calories out. If you want to maintain your weight, eat just enough calories to sustain your body weight and activity level combined. If you want to lose weight you need to combine more movement with a decreased caloric intake.

  Activity	Calories Burned in 30 Minutes by a 150-Pound Person
  Housecleaning	120
  Golfing - no cart	130
  Dancing	200
  Weight lifting	235
  Walking briskly	200
  Stair climbing	300
  Yoga	180
  Spinning	240
  Walking the dog	150
  Jogging	340
  Playing piano	95

  Resources: www.webmd.com; Healthwise, Inc., 2006; www.caloriecontrol.org

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