Losing Over Labor Day

Researchers have estimated that the average person eats 500-1000 extra calories on weekend days...without even realizing it. Yikes!

Givin that we have a long holiday weekend coming, it pays to make a plan for getting through it without gaining weight:

1. Figure out what super-healthy breakfast you can eat (egg white omelet with veggies and salsa?) in anticipation of extra treats tempting you later in the day.

2. What healthy snacks can you bring with you to parties? Crudite and shrimp cocktail are perfect, easy options.

3. Should you eat a salad or an apple before going out?

4. Can you fit in an extra workout over the weekend? How about a few extra hours of sleep?

5. Remember the 3 Bite Rule: 90% of the pleasure of any food comes in the first 3 bites

Make your plan right now so you'll have time to prepare. You'll be glad you did! Happy Labor Day!

Intensity is IN!

Hello!

If you don't have much time for exercise there's good news. Lots of new research is finding that intensity--even more than duration--is important for most benefits to health and fitness. For example, intensity is more valuable than time spent exercising when it comes to:

1. longevity--intense exercise makes your cells act younger
2. metabolism--you get a longer "afterburn"
3. speed and performance
4. heart health

Try interval training for shorter and more effective workouts. Just make sure to get your doctor's OK and warm up first. The intense intervals can be as short as 8 seconds or as long as 2 minutes, with a slower pace afterwards until your heart rate recovers, usually 1-5 minutes.

Try it twice per week and see how fast your fitness improves! If you are a bootcamper or take my cardio-sculpt class at Caltech, Congrats!--you are already interval training.

Have a good week,
Jill

Food Fabrication

You may have never asked the question "What is food made of?", but the answer will change the way you think about and choose foods.

All foods have varying amounts of:
1. Fat
2. Protein
3. Carbohydrates
4. Fiber
5. Water
6. Vitamins & minerals
7. Additives (if the food has been processed with them)

Americans these days are eating too much of ingredients 1-3 (where all the calories are) and not enough of 4-6, which is why Americans are called "overfed but undernourished." How do you get more of the good stuff while cutting down on the other? It's easy and not surprising: eat more fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean meats. These foods are naturally high in water, fiber, vitamins and minerals, which is why they are more filling per calorie than other foods.

Processed foods generally have the least water, fiber, vitamins and minerals because these things are removed or destroyed during processing. For the next few days try thinking of your food as the components that make it and see how it affects your choices. For example, a salad is just a big pile of water, fiber and nutrients!

Is your mouth watering?

Outing Inflammation

Diet-related inflammation is a hot topic these days because it affects both health and beauty--It causes tissue to become red and puffy, which isn't healthy or attractive!

Inflammation most commonly contributes to joint pain, cardiovascular dammage and a ruddy complexion. Here's how food works in:

Inflammatory Foods:
-white flour
-sugar
-salt
-high-fat beef
-high-fat dairy
-anything highly processed (even bread and breakfast cereal)

Anti-Inflammatory Foods:
-nuts (especially walnuts)
-seeds (especially flax)
-green, white or red tea
-berries (any kind)
-olive oil
-salmon, tuna, other fatty fish
-all colorful vegetables

This is a great way to eat for health and weight loss, so long as you don't overdo the healthy fats (remember--a serving of nuts or seeds is only 1/4 cup and a serving of oil is only 1 Tbsp.) If you have arthritis, rosacia, heart disease or just want radiant skin, give this a try and see if you look and feel better.

Vacation Vexation

In my experience, people don't blow their diet on vacation as much as they do upon returning from vacation!

When you get back from vacation you are swamped with mail, phone messages, etc. and there is nothing to eat in the house, right? Here's an easy solution: Plan your menu for your first day back before you even leave. For example, stock the kitchen with:

--frozen veggies and protein for making a quick stir-fry dinner
--oats and frozen berries for breakfast
--egg beaters and frozen veggies for a quick omelette
--cans of tuna, healthy soups, wasa crackers or other convenience foods from our "favorite foods shelf"
--a grocery list of everything (especially fresh fruits and veggies) that you should buy ASAP

It pays to get right back to your good habits the minute you return because you don't give any bad habits a chance to take hold. Think of it as throwing yourself a healthy "welcome home" party!

Sleep Matters

We all know that sleep makes us feel great, but new research shows that only 2 nights of sleep deprivation (defined as 4 hours of sleep) changes your body's hormonal chemistry to:

1. increase your appetite
2. impede your satiety signals (that means it takes more food to make you feel full)
3. cause carbohydrate cravings

Even if you get more than 4 hours of sleep regularly, a small sleep deficit may add up over time, so make sleep a priority if you are trying to lose weight!

Now isn't that better than having to exercise more?