Portion Distortion

It's no secret that restaurant portion sizes are much larger than they should be, but this "portion distortion" is also occuring at home. It's possible that as people get used to seeing larger sizes everywhere outside the home, we begin to think of that as a "normal" portion size and take that home with us.

I usually recommend to my clients that they track their Calories and portion sizes for at least a week when they first come to me about changing their eating habits. This is a great way to compare the amount you should be eating with how much you actually are taking in. "Portion distortion" often goes unnoticed until you pull out a food scale or measuring cups. What some people think of as "a bowl of cereal" is often 2 cups or more, and can set you back a few hundred extra Calories that you thought. A store-bought bagel may actually be 3-5 Canada Food Guide grain servings. Many people are surprised to learn they consume half their recommended grain servings before lunch!

Fitday is a great website that I've used for years to track Calories and nutrients. You can also track you workouts, weight loss, and make a journal. Track you Calories this week and find out just how much you're eating, versus how much you thought you were eating. Get your portion sizes in check and you may even notice you drop a few lbs without even trying!

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Successful Dieting Psychology

It may seem a bit early to be talking about summer but spring is just around the corner, which is followed closely by bathing suit season. If your January 1st resolution has come to a halt, now’s the time to get back at it. It's no secret that most people will diet at some point in their lifetime, and some people will diet more times than they can count often with limited or short-lived success. The Center for Disease Control states that at any point in time, two-thirds of adults are on a diet (29% men, 44% women) and out of those, only 5% will be successful at keeping the weight off! Often when dieters don’t see the results they want, they stop eating healthily completely until they become so fed up, they start the process again. And so the cycle continues. In order to truly be successful with weight loss and reach your goals, there are important aspects to consider that extend far beyond what’s on your plate.


First off, I’d like to address the term “diet”. "Diet" actually refers to a person’s day to day eating habits. However, for this discussion, I’m going to use the term “diet” as most people think of it: as a change in eating habits that are slightly more extreme than usual, intended to be followed for a temporary period of time in order to reach a weight loss goal.

A big mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that losing weight is just a matter of will power. Of course motivation and drive are a huge part of it, but the fact is that no diet is going to be successful if you’re not mentally prepared. It’s important to plan out your diet and goals thoroughly. Make a list ahead of time of what you want to accomplish, how you plan to do it, what obstacles you may encounter along the way and have a strategy for how to deal with them.

Mistakes that can lead to failure:

1. Following fad diets: similar to unrealistic goals, fad diets are extreme, unhealthy and unmaintainable. They often leave your body in some sort of nutrient-deficient state which puts you at a much higher risk for binging – the body’s way of fighting starvation. Follow a balanced diet with a moderate decrease in Calories to prevent muscle wasting, metabolism slowing and post-diet hyperphasia (binging) that can undo all your hard work.
   
2. Doing it for the wrong reasons: there are times in the day you may find yourself not caring whether or not you fit into your skinny jeans and beach season may seem too far off to provide motivation. In these cases, think of the heart disease or diabetes that runs in your family, or living to a ripe old age for your grandchildren. Finding a different type of motivation can help give you a fresh perspective.
   
3. Expecting perfection: If you see things as black and white and think one slip-up means you “blew it” you are likely to quit. Remember that no one is perfect and slip ups happen. Add an extra cardio session in that week to make up for it, and keep going!

Strategies that breed success:

1. Make realistic goals: setting a goal to lose 20lbs in one month is unrealistic and is setting you up for failure. Unless you’ve extremely overweight, aim to lose no more than 1-2lbs a week. The slower the weight loss, the more likely it is to stay off in the long run.
   
2. Set mini goals: setting small, weekly goals breaks large, seemingly daunting goals into bite-size pieces. You’re more likely to achieve small goals and they help build confidence to achieve bigger ones!
   
3. Be prepared: as mentioned above, write out your plan for your reaching your goals and overcoming obstacles.
   
4. Be organized: I have seen so many diets crumble because someone forgot to pack a lunch. When we’re hungry we’re more likely to cave in a moment of weakness, ending up going through the drive through and regret it as soon as the hunger pangs are gone. This can all be avoided by packing lunches and keeping healthy snacks in your bag and car for unexpected times of need.
   
5. Surround yourself with supportive people: Plan to go to the gym with a motivated friend who is expecting you to be there. Or hire a personal trainer or nutritionist who you are accountable to. When you are shelling out your hard-earned cash and have someone to answer to, you’re less likely to skip out or go for that dessert.
   

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High Fructose Corn Syrup

There has been a lot of controversy in the past few years over a common ingredient called “high fructose corn syrup” (HFCS). HFCS has been blamed for everything from causing the obesity epidemic to diabetes, especially in children. According to the International Food Information Council, HFCS is similar to table sugar in its effects in the body. Honey, many fruits, vegetables and nuts naturally contain some fructose.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a combination of two sugars: glucose and fructose, and contains about 25% water. HFCS is produced when corn starch is treated with enzymes that make it sweeter. More enzymes are then added to this syrup to convert some of the glucose to fructose, which increases the sweetness even more. Sucrose (table sugar) is a 50/50 combination of glucose and fructose. HFCS is a variation of this ratio, with fructose ranging from 42-90% of the mixture. HFCS with 90% fructose is most commonly used in soft drinks, HFCS 42% is found in baked goods. So, most foods containing HFCS actually don’t contain more fructose than those sweetened with table sugar. HFCS began to replace sucrose as the main sugar in many processed foods and regular soft drinks for a couple of reasons:

1) Money talks. HFCS is cheaper than sugar due to government subsidies for corn producers and tariffs on sugar;

2) HFCS is easier to blend into products because it is a liquid;

3) HFCS has a longer shelf life.

The controversy surrounding fructose and HFCS

Much of the debate surrounding fructose and HFCS center around the fact that fructose is digested differently in the body. Some studies have shown that the liver converts fructose to fat more easily, which may add fuel to the obesity fire. It’s true, HFCS is in many more products than 30 years ago, and about the same time as it’s debut, obesity rates began to creep up, but so did our consumption of high sugar, high fat foods in general. Those who read my blog regularly know that I’m not a fan of much science messing with our food supply, but as of yet there just doesn’t seem to be conclusive evidence that HFCS alone is causing harm. Were HFCS to never exist, I believe we’d be seeing the same problem if sucrose (table sugar) were used in the same overzealous fashion. Whether or not HFCS has other negative effects such as altering metabolism, well, the jury’s still out on that one. There has also been one study published in the journal of Environmental Health this year that found HFCS was commonly tainted with mercury (up to a third of the products tested), due to chemicals used in the manufacturing. Although mercury in food is always alarming, the amount found was still much less than that commonly found in fish and seafood.

What about fruit?

I have heard of many people avoiding fruit because they have heard that fruit is “high in sugar” and contains fructose, the same sugar notorious sugar that’s getting the bad publicity in pop. To put things in perspective: One can of soda contains 26g of fructose, 140 Calories, and zero nutrients! Compare that to a medium apple, which has only about 9g of fructose, about 1/2 the Calories of a can of pop, plus added fiber and other nutrients. Nutritionally speaking, there is no comparison.

Corn producers have spent millions fighting this negative publicity and claim that HFCS is a natural product. However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest argues that the production of HFCS involved a high level of processing and use of at least one genetically modified enzyme. Although HFCS may not contribute more to obesity than other sugars, don’t let the corn industry convince you that it is all natural or by any means healthy. I think it’s safe to say it’s a no-brainer here: the less HFCS and all other types of sugar that we take in, the better off we’ll be.


http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2008/ja/fructosefi408.cfm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823094819.htm

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Fitness Tip - Abs

Here's this week's exercise video from Kalev training!

"Ab Fitness - Personal Training exercise of the week - Crunches… Are you ready to take it to the next level and increase the intensity of your ab crunches? I have a great one for you and all you need is a resistance band which you can get from most department stores for less than $15. Remember your hip movement again too."

www.kalevtraining.com/personaltrainerblog

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Spicy Bean Soup

On the topic of spicy food, here's a simple recipe for a delicious and healthy spicy soup, loaded with beans, barley and veggies that will fill you up, give you lots of energy and spark that metabolism!

Ingredients:

• 20oz Mixed Beans


• 1/2 cup barley


• 1 white onion, diced


• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  
• 3 stalks celery
  
• 3 large carrots


• 1 lemon, juice of


• 2 tsp cayenne pepper


• 1 tsp red pepper flakes


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• Vegetable broth (about 1 litre)

Chop veggies and throw into a pot with remainder of ingredients. Add as much vegetable broth as you like, or about 2 litres (remember the barley will absorb some), simmer for 50-60 minutes and you're done!

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Spices and Metabolism

Have you heard that eating spicy foods can help you burn fat? Although the extent to which spices can actually help you burn off a meal is unclear, studies show that adding certain spices to food (or eating more naturally spicy foods, such as peppers) can help you lose weight.

How does it work? Eating spicy foods may actually help you lose weight in a couple of ways:

1) Increasing thermogenesis (heat production) in the body, which uses up Calories;

2) Increasing satiety, or making you feel fuller, sooner; and most directly

3) Increasing fat oxidation (fat burning). They also add tons of flavour without adding extra Calories from things like sauces, which may contribute to a lower energy intake at the end of the day.

Some examples of such function ingredients are: capsaicin (hot peppers), black pepper, mixed spices, green tea, and black tea. Black pepper, in addition to being used as a seasoning and stimulating metabolism, may also help increase absorption of some nutrients.

So load up that spice rack and get cooking! Just be sure to watch out for spicy ethnic dishes that are heavy on fat (such as oil or cream), that will negate the benefit of the spices.

Reference: http://www.sciencedirect.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0P-4JKRTTP-1&_user=1067472&_coverDate=08%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=full&_orig=search&_cdi=4868&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000051251&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1067472&md5=48983e20d46d2204386722947e96bbea#secx16

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Kalev's Fitness Tip

Check out Kalev's latest exercise demo video...

"Continuing with our Vancouver Personal Trainer exercises of the week - The Lunge is another power inducing muscle defining leg exercise, it is important do to the lunge right so you don’t put out your back or strain your knee. An added bonus is that you get great gluteus maximum (butt) muscles which will make your jeans look that much better!"

www.kalevtraining.com/personaltrainerblog

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Mushroom Barley Risotto

I fell in love with risotto, a traditional italian rice dish, in Spain. Here's a delicious and healthy recipe that uses barley instead of rice, and is quite easy to make. Substituting barley for rice is an easy way to increase your fiber intake. Barley is a grain, like rice, but has much more fiber... about 10 grams per cup!

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation:

1. Bring chicken stock to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
2. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups warm broth; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of broth is absorbed, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more, and stirring frequently until barley is tender (about 50 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in another large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to brown (about 3 minutes). Stir in garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Mix in parsley and barley mixture. Season with pepper.

Serves 6.

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/MUSHROOM-BARLEY-RISOTTO-4401

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Chocolate and Health

Not long after the feast that is the holidays do we make another excuse to indulge in a little bit of sweetness. This time it's chocolate, in the name of love, of course.

Most of us have heard that chocolate has some health benefits such as lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol, cognitive benefits, and even mood improvement. This does not include white or milk chocolate, and definately does not include those ultra-processed bars filled with caramel, cookies and other junk. The less guilt-laden chocolate are dark chocolates, which contain antioxidants. Many candy bar companies are jumping on the dark chocolate bandwagon and making bars like Oh Henry and Kit Kat in dark versions. Don't be fooled, just because they're now made with dark chocolate doesn't make them that much of a healthier choice.

Don't forget to hold the milk - Research has found that drinking milk with dark chocolate may inhibit the body's ability to absorb the antioxidants, so you're not really getting any benefit.

The proposed health benefits of chocolate is not a license to binge, of course. Chocolate still has its downsides: Calories, fat and caffeine. As with everything, moderation is key. But for those chocolate fiends out there, you can probably get away with a small square of the good stuff every day or two (if you're able to keep it in the house without gobbling the whole thing). If you're not trying to lose weight, are physically active and have an otherwise healthy diet, a small daily dose won't hurt you.

Do a good thing for the planet this Valentine's Day, and remember to look for Fair Trade chocolate!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate?page=2

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Detox Diets

The past couple of years, many of my friends and clients alike have jumped on board the detoxing bandwagon. Often promoted by celebrities looking to drop pounds quickly for a role, detoxing is getting lots of publicity and turning into a bit of a craze. Common detox diets include the Master cleanse (lemon juice, maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper), Martha’s Vineyard diet, and the weight loss cure.

Detoxing is a brilliant marketing tactic. Books, programs, kits, supplements, drinks, pills, even spa treatments... people are pouring more money than carrot juice into this multi-million dollar industry, to be "healthier" by detoxing. Everyone knows we put too much junk into our systems - so it seems naturally appealing that two or more times a year we can go on an essentially really strict diet and "cleanse" our organs, in hopes of undoing some of the damage that's been done. Oh, and let's not forget about the dramatic weight loss, which is of course, a very generous serving of icing on the detox cake.

But is detoxing helpful or harmful? The idea behind detoxing is to purge your body of toxins, harmful chemicals, foreign substances and dietary waste that build up over time, and even help you shed a few lbs. Most detoxes are extremely low in Calories and high in nutrients. The proposed benefits of detoxing are weight loss and improved health. Sounds great, right?! But the question is: do your liver, lymph nodes and kidneys need cleansing?

Detoxing occurs naturally. The body rids itself of toxic substances through sweat, urine, and feces. "The body first eliminates these toxins through the gut; whatever the gut can't catch gets into the bloodstream and passes through the liver, which flushes them out." In spite of this, some people are convinced the body needs some help from time to time.

The downfalls of detoxing: As mentioned, most detoxes are extremely low in Calories which can slow your metabolism. Weight loss from detoxes comes from water loss and break down of muscle to use for energy, which results further decrease in metabolic rate. Headaches, irritability, constipation and acne are all possible side effects. The use of laxatives or laxative teas can lead to dehydration, nutrient loss and colon damage. The longer the detox, the more likely these negative effects are to occur.

Like many fad diets, the companies make some outrageous claims that raise more than a few red flags. The master cleanse, for example, once claimed to cure ulcers and “every kind of disease”, and lead to “correction of all disorders”, in addition to detox and weight loss. The creator of the master cleanse was convicted of unlawfully selling devices he claimed could cure cancer, and practicing medicine without a license.

Why detoxes are so popular? People like the idea of a quick fix. Long term lifestyle and eating habit change for lifelong health is not as appealing as “lose 20lbs and feel years younger in 10 days!” It is likely that the improvement in health and energy that people feel is not from the detox itself, but rather from correcting a poor diet. The end of a detox can be bad news, leading to the overeating, which is your body's natural response to being in starvation mode for weeks. When the pounds come back on (from both fat and water) and you feel sluggish, as is natural when yo-yo-ing up and down in weight, people think it's time to detox again! And the cycle continues.

Here's another important tidbit - not all detoxes are created equal. Some are more harmful and helpful than others. Lisa Dorfman, RD, says detoxing can be done properly. “A proper detox lasts about a week and involves eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet that's high in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, drinking plenty of water and clear fruit juices, and getting enough rest.” However, I would just call this proper eating, not detoxing. If you’re diet leaves something to be desired, see a Dietitian and learn how to eat properly every day.

My opinion: Save your money on the detox kits and junk food. Put that money into buying organic, and save yourself the trouble of needing to purge anything from your body. Choosing whole foods that don't come out of a box, are grown pesticide and chemical-free is a natural detox. Your organs don't need "a break". They have been working for 20, 30, 40+ years and that's what they're meant to do. Be good to your liver and kidneys by consistantly putting good, nutritious food into your body and keep the blood pumping to them with lots of exercise, and they'll forgive you for the odd martini or burger that you downed in a moment of weakness.

If you hadn’t exercised in 20 years, you wouldn’t expect 2 weeks in the gym to undo all that, would you? Detoxing is the same principle. It’s what you eat on a regular basis that’s important.

I am reminded of the saying “Do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?”

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/14/healthmag.detox.diets/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4574912.stmhttp://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_health_features_details.asp?health_feature_id=273&article_id=897&channel_id=1055&relation_id=17520
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/detox-diets-purging-myths

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Fitness Tip - Squats

Check out another great fitness tip from Kalev Personal Training..."Building strong legs is extremely important for any sport and is a great way to boost your body’s production of the most powerful hormone known to man - testosterone. The Squats exercise will give you explosive power through your hamstrings and quadriceps muscles anytime you need to outlast your competition".

(As a female, squats are great for firming and giving a nice shape to your legs and bum!)

View a video of this and other great exercises at www.kalevtraining.com/personaltrainerblog

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Farmed vs Wild Fish

Living on the coast of British Columbia, fresh, wild fish is always readily available and easy to find. When I came to school in Alberta however, I found it more difficult to find wild salmon at the local grocery store. If you’re like me, living away from the ocean and trying to meet the recommended 2 servings of fish per week (my personal preference being salmon), and don’t want to eat canned all the time, your only option may be farmed. Is there really that much of a difference?

PCBs: One of the major concerns with fish are PCBs. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a mixture of chemicals, with no known natural sources, and are often used in industrial equipment as coolers and lubricants. Although PCBs were banned in Canada in 1977 (and the U.S. in 1979) for harmful environmental and health effects, PCBs persist in both the environment and living tissue. PCBs continue to be released into the environment through spills and fires. Fish absorb PCBs from contaminated sediments and from their food.

In 2001, a study conducted by Dr. Easton and the David Suzuki Foundation found that farmed salmon and the feed they’re given contained much higher levels of contamination, including PCBs, organo-chlorine pesticides and others, compared to wild salmon. Another study in the U.S. (by EWG, 2003) found that farmed salmon contained 16 times the PCBs than that of wild salmon, and in 2004, the Journal of Science stated that farmed salmon contained 10 times more overall toxins than wild. This article recommended that farmed salmon be eaten only once every month or two, to reduce cancer risk.

Farmed salmon get all the flack because 1) the fish feed they get is highly contaminated, and 2) farmed salmon are “fenced in”, move less, and therefore contain more fat, which is where the toxins are stored. Another downside: although farmed fish contain a higher percentage of fat, less of it is usable omega-3 fats (“good fat”).

Antibiotics and Pesticides: when fish are contained in close quarters, diseases and parasites spread much more easily. Farmed fish are vaccinated when they are small, and given antibiotics and pesticides later on as well.

Synthetic Pigment: The food that salmon eat in the wild are what give it it’s pink colour. In farms, a synthetic pigment is added called “canthaxanthin” which changes the flesh from grey to various shades of pink. The safety of “canthaxanthin” is still debated.

In the end, the proven heart health benefits of consuming your 2 servings of fish per week outweigh the risk of cancer; however, choosing wild fish helps decrease our exposure to antibiotics, PCBs and pesticides, as well as reducing them in the environment.


Sources:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/wmd-dgd/Default.asp?lang=En&n=75C647A7-1
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35370.php
http://www.healthcastle.com/farmed-salmon.shtml
http://www.bk2health.com/newsletter/June_2008.pdf

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Sodium

Salt is something most of us don’t think twice about until we’re older and facing high blood pressure. But salt is a lot more than the flavour that makes your popcorn so delicious. Salt is literally almost everywhere and can have more of an impact on how you look and feel than you may realize.

Salt is an essential mineral that works in the body to regulate water content and blood volume. It is added to foods for flavour, and acts as a preservative. Salt is available in three main forms: unrefined (sea salt), refined (table salt), and iodized salt.

(Just so we’re on the same page, for simplification I generally refer to the stuff on the table as “salt” and the stuff in processed foods as “sodium”.)

The average North American gets around 3500-6000mg per day. The recommended amount of sodium is less than 2300mg (1 teaspoon) per day! But considering that sodium is in most foods in the grocery store, not to mention the massive amounts in restaurant food, this number is near impossible to achieve with Western eating habits.

When you’re young, you can probably get away with the massive amounts of salt that are in most foods without having to think twice about it. But as you get older, salt can turn into a sneaky culprit leading to high blood pressure, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and kidney problems. Not to mention, a high salt intake has been linked to certain types of cancer and bone loss. Needless to say, it’s better to get used to a low-salt lifestyle sooner rather than later.

A lot of my clients ask me if salty foods will make them fat. Calories come from carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol. Salt is Calorie free, so a food that is higher in sodium won’t make you gain any more weight than a low-sodium food, per se. The catch is that many high sodium foods are also high in sugar and/or fat, which very well could result in more of you to love, especially if you indulge in those foods often.

If you follow a healthy diet that happens to be high in sodium, any weight gain (or lack of weight loss) is likely due to water retention. High sodium foods will cause you to carry around a bit more water, leaving you with that feeling that is often described simply as “puffy”. No one wants to be puffy, but at least it’s temporary and easily reversible by drinking a lot of water, limiting salt, and good old exercise.

Due to the overabundance of sodium in the diet, sodium deficiency ("hyponatremia") is very rare. Hyponatremia can occur with endurance athletes (such as marathoners) or bodybuilders, with consumption of large amounts of water without electrolytes, and excessive sweat losses.

Don’t know what to look for or can’t stomach the thought of bland food? Here are some tips for lowering sodium and keeping the flavour in your food:

• Avoid processed or packaged foods, unless they are labeled “low sodium,” and read the nutrition facts panel to find out the exact amount of sodium they contain.
  
• Generally, a food is considered “low sodium” if it has less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
  
• Ask for your meals to be prepared without salt when you eat out.
  
• Use sodium-free spices and herbs instead of salt such as Mrs. Dash, garlic, pepper and basil.
  
• Take the salt shaker off the tableWatch out for notoriously high sodium foods such as: cheese, pretzels, nuts, canned meats/fish, deli food, sauces and soups.

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