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

March 16, 2012

Exercise Makes You Smarter By Giving Your Brain Extra Energy

Exercise Makes You Smarter By Giving Your Brain Extra Energy

Everyone knows exercise is good for you, and studies have previously shown that it can boost learning

and even stave off dementia in later life—though nobody knew why. New research suggests, though, that it’s because the brain takes advantage of energy delivery systems just as much as your muscles.

When you exercise, your muscles create something called mitochondria—tiny structures in cells that provide the body with energy. It turns out brain cells also get a boost in mitochoindira when you exercise, according to research, which appears in the Journal of Applied Physiology, by J. Mark Davis, a physiologist at the University of South Carolina.

According to the researcher, the presence of extra mitochoindria in the brain provides an increased energy supply, which in turn allows the brain to work faster and more efficiently. It could help explain why exercise seems to reduce age- and disease-related declines in brain function. “The evidence is accumulating rapidly that exercise keeps the brain younger,” Davis told Scientific American. [Journal of Applied Physiology via Scientific American; Image:Rido/Shutterstock]

article originally from: Gizmodo

April 15, 2011

7 Breakfast Foods to Swap In, Not Out

Is breakfast really the “most important” meal of the day? Maybe, at least that’s what they told us in health class.

So if breakfast is the first meal of the day and you’re trying to lose weight, it’s probably a smart idea to make your first meal a good one.

And since most dieters judge food by two simple factors: fat and calories. Here are seven foods you should ditch and seven foods you should switch to if you’re looking for a better breakfast.

English Muffin or Bagel?

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Sorry, but a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese just isn’t Kosher – at least not for dieting. You’re better off switching to toasted nooks and crannies dripping with melted butter.

*English Muffin, with butter
5.8g total fat
189 calories

Bagel, with cream cheese
8g total fat
436 calories

Apple or Banana?

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Let’s face it, both apples and bananas are awesome – probably the healthiest foods on this list – but, if you’re looking to cut calories, go with the apple.

*Apple
0.17g total fat
50 calories

Banana
0.33g total fat
100 calories

Blueberry Yogurt or Oatmeal?

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Even without the “probiotics,” eating a light yogurt is smarter than a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal.

*Dannon Light’n Fit Blueberry Yogurt (6oz)
0g total fat
80 calories

Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, with water (1/2 cup)
3g total fat
150 calories

Coffee with Skim Milk or 2% Milk?

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For most people, missing their morning coffee is grounds for murder. So please, drink up! But make sure you stick with non-fat milk, not 2%

*Starbucks Coffee, with non-fat milk (short)
0g total fat
35 calories

Starbucks Coffee, with 2% milk (short)
2g total fat
50 calories

Wheaties or Raisin Bran?

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One cereal uses professional athletes to push product. Another is peddled by the sun. The sports stars win, go with a bowl of Wheaties.

*Wheaties (1 cup)
1g total fat
110 calories

Raisin Bran (1 cup)
1.3g total fat
190 calories

Turkey Bacon or Pork?

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It isn’t real bacon – it might not even taste like it – but the fat and calories don’t lie. Spare a pig, eat a turkey!

*Butterball Bacon-Style Turkey (1 slice, 18g)
3g total fat
40 calories

Pork Bacon (3 slices, 19g)
7.9g total fat
103 calories

Grapefruit Juice or Orange Juice?

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Grapefruit juice might not taste as sweet, but choke it down. It’s better than orange juice. And when you drink grapefruit juice, it’s less likely to squirt in your eye.

*Tropicana Grapefruit Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
90 calories

Tropicana Orange Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
110 calories

April 12, 2011

Does Dieting Make You Angry And Stressed?

The idea of reaching for a stick of celery when all you really want is a big slice of chocolate cake, would probably make most people a little grumpy.

And, according to results published in the Journal of Consumer Research, exerting self-control while dieting can in fact make people feel angry and irritable.

The researchers set up four experiments to compare the attitudes of volunteers who were on a diet, with those who ate what they wanted. They found that:

  • Participants who choose an apple over a bar of chocolate were more likely to choose movies which had angry, revenge-filled plots.
  • Those who choose a gift certificate for groceries rather than one for a spa service, showed more interest in looking at angry faces as opposed to more fearful ones.
  • And, in an other experiment, people who chose a healthy snack instead of a less healthy one were more irritated by a public service advert promoting exercise.

Interestingly, the researchers have linked these feelings of irritation, stress, and anger to the act of exerting self-control while dieting, rather than the “dieting” itself.

The researchers point out that public policy makers should be more aware of the potential negative emotions, which can result when the public are encouraged to exert more self control over their daily choices.

What about you — does being on a diet make you feel more irritated or angry? How do you make healthy food choices without feeling like you’re denying yourself?

Article Courtesy from: diet-blog
Image courtesy by: Kreutziana

February 1, 2011

Eating Behaviors & Girls’ Bone Loss

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.”

source: IDEA Fitness

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