Tag: Encore Fitness

February 4, 2011

Children Of Overweight Mothers Prone To Obesity By Age 6

illustration courtesy of Image Source/Rex Features

By the time they are 6 years old, children of overweight mothers are more likely to be obese than children of lean mothers, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005; 81 [1], 140–46).

Researchers tracked 70 children over a 6-year period at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Thirty-three had overweight mothers, and 37 had lean mothers. Weight and body composition didn’t change much between the two groups during the first 2 years of age. However, the high-risk group (kids whose mothers were overweight) had gained more weight than the other group by age 4. By age 6 the high-risk group not only weighed more but had more body fat.

Researchers pointed to the strength of genetic influences and suggested that efforts to prevent obesity should focus on such children at risk, preferably by the time they are 4 years old.

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source: IDEA Fitness

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February 2, 2011

Envisioning Single-Serving Sizes

Consumers are starting to realize that healthy eating is all about moderation. They have been bombarded with advice about portion control and encouraged to stick to single servings. But studies show that many people remain confused about what these terms mean.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a portion refers to the amount of food you choose to eat, whereas a serving is used to describe the recommended amount of food you should eat at a given meal.

Still confused? Well, so are many of your clients. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, imagery may be the best way to teach them the difference. Use these visual examples provided by the NHLBI to show your clients what a serving really looks like.

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source: IDEA Fitness

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February 1, 2011

Eating Behaviors & Girls’ Bone Loss

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: adolescents, best personal trainers in las vegas, BMD, bone health, bone loss, carol strom, Clinical Nutrition, custom meal plan, diet, Dietician, Encore Fitness, encore fitness las vegas, encore personal traing, encore personal training las vegas, exercise, females, fitness, health, health and fitness, healthy, Las Vegas Fitness Trainer, las vegas personal trainers, low BMD, Nevada health & fitness, osteoporosis, PhD Custom meal plan, weight loss, women, www.RockYourBody.com, Yoga — Encore Personal Training @ 5:00 pm

Image courtesy of LIVESTRONG

Adolescent girls who compete in athletic events sometimes fall victim to disordered eating, which has been linked to low bone mineral density (BMD). To explore the specific eating behaviors that lead to low BMD, researchers recently compared the attitudes and concerns of teenage girls who were endurance runners.

The study participants were 93 female competitive cross-country runners ranging in age from 13 to 18. The adolescents were assessed for different types of disordered eating, such as weight concern, shape concern, eating concern and dietary restraint, along with BMD history.

After adjusting for other variables, such as menstrual irregularities, the researchers found that dietary restraint was the behavior most associated with low BMD. Concerns regarding weight, shape and eating (or any combination of these three concerns) were not significantly associated with low BMD.

Reporting in the January issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers concluded that “in adolescent female runners, dietary restraint may be the disordered eating behavior most associated with negative bone health effects.”
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source: IDEA Fitness

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January 31, 2011

Chocolate

Image courtesy from UMASSmed.edu

Valentine’s Day is just weeks away, which means only one thing to many lovers: Time to bust out the chocolate! With all the recent media hype about the health benefits of this sweet concoction, many chocoholics are rejoicing. But can that solid chocolate heart from your sweetheart really be good for your ticker?

Health Benefits. Chocolate is made from cacao beans, which contain flavonoids,the same kind of beneficial plant compounds found in fruits, veggies, red wine and green tea. Research suggests that these flavonoids may have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Other studies have linked chocolate consumption to reduced blood pressure, enhanced blood vessel function and improved cholesterol levels.

Cautionary Caveats. It should be noted that these protective health effects have been seen primarily with dark (not milk) chocolate, as dark varieties tend to have a higher proportion of flavonoids. The way chocolate is processed can also affect how much flavonoid content is retained. Finally, it is essential to remember that all chocolate contains high levels of fat and calories. The fat in chocolate can account for 50%–75% of its total calories, most of that being saturated fat from cocoa butter.

Comparing Varieties. Unsweetened cocoa contains 66 calories with 3.9 g of fat; baking chocolate weighs in at 142 calories with 14.1 g of fat; sweet dark chocolate has 143 calories with 9.7 g fat; semisweet chocolate yields 136 calories with 8.5 g of fat; milk chocolate packs 152 calories with 8.4 g of fat; and white chocolate yields a whopping 162 calories with 9.1 g of fat!

Choosing Wisely. Although some manufacturers have begun to list the candy’s cocoa content, even dark-chocolate lovers are mostly in the dark when it comes to picking the brands with high flavonoid levels. That’s why experts warn that chocolate should be consumed in moderation, as part of a healthy, varied diet. Eating any food in excess of caloric needs will result in weight gain.

Sources: Knight Ridder News Service and Cooking Light magazine.

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January 21, 2011

Salad Sabotage!

Extras to avoid at the salad bar.

Think that you are being virtuous when grazing at the salad bar instead of grabbing a burger for lunch? Well, think again: Many of the items lurking under that plastic protective covering are actually quite high in calories and/or fat. Here are some of the culprits to watch out for at your favorite salad counter:

Dressings. Avoid French, Italian and Russian dressing, which contain about 65 calories per tablespoon, and don’t even think about ranch dressing, which packs in a whopping 90 calories per tablespoon.

Coleslaw. Hard to believe a 6-ounce serving can contain 150 calories!

Cottage Cheese (Full Fat). Those 120 calories per half cup can put the cottage cheese on your thighs in a hurry.

Egg Salad. At 345 calories per 4-ounce serving, you should at least get some bacon on the side, no?

Bacon Bits. Speaking of bacon, a mere tablespoon of these little buggers will set you back 30 calories.

Peas. One half cup contains 70 calories, so use sparingly.

Croutons. Easy on those tablespoons, each of which contain 20 calories.

Sunflower Seeds. These crunchy toppings weigh in at 175 calories per ounce.
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Source: CalorieKing.com

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January 14, 2011

The Yolk’s On You!

image courtesy from cooltownstudios.com

Food for thought:
Did you know that egg yolks are one of the few foods that contain all of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)? Still, the lowly egg yolk continues to be much maligned, due to its relatively high cholesterol content. Although the American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their yolk consumption to no more than four per week, eggs are still a great source of high-quality protein. One way to keep your consumption of egg yolks down while increasing flavor is to mix one yolk in with several egg whites.

Cooking with eggs at this time of year can be a bit tricky. Egg salads and hard-cooked eggs should be kept refrigerated. When you are eating outdoors, keep eggs out of the heat to prevent spoilage.

To avoid the nonharmful but unsightly greenish-black tinge that can appear when eggs are hard-cooked, follow these simple steps. First, make sure you simmer your eggs, and never let them boil. Simmer eggs for 15 minutes, as cooking too long can cause yolk discoloration. After the eggs are done simmering, immerse them in cold water to minimize the release of sulfur gas, which can migrate to and stain the yolk.

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Original article by Diane Lofshult

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January 13, 2011

Strategies for Better Sleep

image courtesy from testcountry.com

Do you have difficulty falling asleep at night? Once you get to sleep, do you wake up frequently? Do you feel lethargic in the morning? Are you drowsy by midafternoon and unable to stay alert as you go about your day? If you answered yes to one of these questions, you may be one of the millions of people who are chronically sleep deprived and not even aware of it!

Practice good sleep hygiene by following these simple steps:

1. Make sleep a priority, like brushing your teeth, eating well and exercising regularly.

2. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine and nicotine can keep you from falling asleep, whereas alcohol interferes with overall sleep quality and can cause you to wake during the night.

3. Avoid large meals several hours before bed, and “don’t dine after 9” as a general rule. A light snack, however, may help you sleep, particularly if you are really hungry. Also, foods containing tryptophan (e.g., milk) have sleep-promoting properties.

4. Develop a sleep ritual. Following a routine just before going to bed signals to your body that it’s time to settle down for the night. Try reading a book, listening to music or practicing nightly relaxation techniques.

5. Keep regular hours. Fall asleep and arise around the same time each day, even on weekends. Avoid napping unless you are sleep deprived.

6. Create a restful place to sleep. A cool, comfortable, dark room (not too hot or too cold), a comfortable mattress and pillow, and a room free of noise work best.

7. Use earplugs, an electric fan or a “white-noise” machine to block out sounds, if needed. If your pets disturb you during the night, put them in another room.

8. Exercise regularly. Physical activity can help relieve daily tensions and stress. However, refrain from exercising at least 3 hours before bedtime, because the beta endorphins secreted during a workout can keep you awake.

9. Take a warm bath before going to bed and try out some aromatherapy products that contain lavender or chamomile.

10. Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleeping or having sex.

original article from IDEA Fitness

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December 13, 2010

How Dangerous Is Being Fat? New Data On The Meaning Of Body Mass Index

If your body mass index is between 20 and 24.9, you’re golden.

Obese people — those with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 — have a 44 percent higher risk of death from any cause compared with those in the most-favorable range, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

You won’t live forever, but your chances of living longer than those with other BMI values are statistically better, according to an analysis of 1.46 million adults in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. One important proviso: These were Caucasian adults, so if your ethnicity is otherwise you’ll have to wait for further research.

(Measure your own BMI with an online calculator like this one.)

Now, to say that people with higher BMIs are more likely to die sooner isn’t exactly big news. But it’s worth noting because there’s been a lot of back-and-forth in recent years about the meaning of BMI. A 2009 advisory from the American Heart Association even suggested that being a little overweight – a BMI of 25 to 30 — might be protective. Others disagreed.

“There was debate over whether having a BMI in the overweight range is associated with an increased risk of death,” study author Amy Berrington de Gonzalez of the National Cancer Institute told Shots. “Our study finds that it does. It’s a small increase, about 10 percent. But we think it’s the best analysis to date.”

The reason she thinks so is that it included BMI and mortality data from 19 different studies. Pooling that much data allowed the researchers to exclude people who were smokers or had diagnosed diseases. So they could isolate the effects of BMI.

Berrington and her colleagues calculate that every five-point increase in BMI (for Caucasians in developed countries) leads to a 31-percent increase in risk of death from all causes. (Earlier studies had pretty much nailed down a link between higher BMIs and an increased risk of death from heart disease, stroke and certain cancers — uterine lining, esophageal, pancreatic.)

The study finds that obese people — those with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 — have a 44 percent higher risk of death from any cause compared with those in the most-favorable range. Severely obese people (BMI over 35) have an 88 percent higher death risk. And the most obese (BMI over 40) have a 250 percent higher risk.

These patterns held after the researchers accounted for other risk factors besides smoking and disease, such as alcohol consumption, physical activity and educational level. Those who were overweight or obese before the age of 50 had a higher mortality risk.

These numbers apply to the vast majority of Americans. Two out of every three U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Seventeen percent of women and 11 percent of men are severely obese.

Berrington acknowledges that BMI “is not a perfect measure of body fatness because it can’t distinguish body fat from lean mass. But we think it’s a valid measure of obesity.”

If you want to determine your own BMI, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 702, divide that answer by your height in inches, and then divide that answer again by your height in inches.

Or you can take a shortcut and use the calculator mentioned above.

Original Article from NPR Health

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December 11, 2010

House Passes Bill To Upgrade School Lunches

School lunches stand to get a little bit better soon.

Better school lunches are in the works. Courtesy from NPR

The House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would upgrade the fare for federally subsidized school meals, clamp down on junk in school vending machines and make it easier for tens of thousands of poor kids to get free meals.

The Senate unanimously passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act months ago. Now, with the House vote, it’s on to President Obama for his signature. That’s pretty much a sure thing because the changes have been a top priority for the administration.

First lady Michelle Obama said in a statement she was “thrilled” by the vote. She said the changes would “improve the quality of meals that children receive at school” and help to “combat childhood obesity.”

For a rundown of what’s in the bill, see this summary from the office of Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the education and labor committee.

Republicans have carped that the bill’s nutritional standards, which would cut out junk food and restrict fat and calories in meals, go too far. They also have complained about the bill’s $4.5 billion price tag.

But the bill garnered pretty broad support. The legislation “makes significant progress toward ending child hunger and obesity by expanding access to federal child nutrition programs and improving the nutritional value they provide,” said a statement by Dr. O. Marion Burton, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

House Democrats dropped their own, more generous, bill in favor of the Senate version as a way to speed things up. In that bargain, they settled for less money per lunch, and a reduction in future funding increases for food stamps. In a side letter, the administration pledged to find money elsewhere to make up for the cuts to the food stamp program.

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December 10, 2010

Stay Fit To Reduce Risk Of Stroke

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If you want to avoid a stroke, you can start by living a healthier life.

Eat well and stay fit to keep a stroke at bay. Courtesy of NPR

Shed those extra pounds if you’re overweight, exercise regularly, eat more fruits and vegetables and less salt, say guidelines just released by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. Oh, and don’t smoke, please. Although drinking a little wouldn’t hurt and might help.

There’s a lot of advice for preventing a first stroke, most of it for doctors. There are specific recommendations for blood pressure targets, diabetic patients (who are at higher stroke risk) and when to recommend aspirin (only for people at especially high risk.

The guidelines, which were last revised in 2006, run nearly 70 pages. The executive summary is six-pages long!

But the most important advice is pretty simple. Living better can cut the risk of a first stroke by 80 percent, Duke’s Dr. Larry B. Goldstein tells Medscape. “There’s virtually nothing that we can do with medicine or interventions of any kind that’s going to have that kind of impact, so that I think is of paramount importance,” says Goldstein, a stroke specialist who chaired the guideline group.

Prevention is key because more than three-quarters of the nearly 800,000 people who have strokes in this country each year are having first strokes.

“Between 1999 and 2006, there’s been over a 30 percent reduction in stroke death rates in the United States and we think the majority of the reduction is coming from better prevention,” Goldstein says in a statement.

If you or someone close to you has a stroke, it’s important to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Most strokes are caused by blood clots. A drug that dissolves clots can go a long way toward saving lives and reducing disability if it’s given in time, as NPR’s Richard Knox reported last year.

Finally, some hospitals in the country are certified as stroke centers, meaning they provide state-of-the-art care. If you’d like to find one nearby, check out this database.

Original article courtesy of NPR’s Health Blog

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The Encore Fitness Blog Resources and information from top Las Vegas personal trainers, fitness and dietary experts. Carol Strom.

February 4, 2011

February 2, 2011

February 1, 2011

January 31, 2011

January 21, 2011

January 14, 2011

January 13, 2011

December 13, 2010

If your body mass index is between 20 and 24.9, you’re golden.

December 11, 2010

School lunches stand to get a little bit better soon.

December 10, 2010