Nadine's Fitness Articles
ARTICLE #11
Soda Water & Soft Drinks….the effect they have on our body.
I am continuously told by people that soda water in particular is good for you as its only water….its not only water as you will see…
1 Dissolves Tooth Enamel – The sugar and acid in the soft drink easily dissolve your tooth enamel
2 Asthma – Sodium benzoate found in all sodas and is used as a preservative in foods for microbial control. Sodium preservatives add sodium to the diet and reduce the availability of potassium. Some reactions to sodium benzoate include Asthma, Eczema and other skin rashes.
3 Heart Disease – Most soft drinks are extremely high in fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup has been associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to an elevated risk of both diabetes and heart disease.
4 Osteoporosis – Soft drinks contain phosphoric acid. A high phosphate diet has been associated with bone breakdown and osteoporosis. When phosphorous is excreted in your urine it takes some calcium with it therefore depriving your bones and the rest of your body of this imperative mineral.
5 Kidney issues – phosphoric acid again….has been linked to kidney stones and other renal issues.
6 Reproductive issues – Soft drink cans and plastics can contain a resin that contains BPA. BPA is a cancer causing chemical that completely interferes with the endocrine system which can potentially cause premature puberty and reproductive abnormalities.
7 Sugar overload – 20 mins after drinking soda your blood sugar spikes causing an insulin burst…your liver responds by turning the sugar straight to fat….40 mins later caffeine absorption is completed , your pupils dilate, blood pressure rises and in response to this your liver secretes more sugar into your blood stream. The adenosine receptors in your rain become blocked preventive drowsiness…45 mins later your body increases its dopamine production which stimulates the pleasure centres in your brain and makes you feel great in exactly the same way that heroine does…
8 Obesity – the link between soft drink consumption and bodyweight is so strong that studies suggest that each additional soda consumed increases the risk of obesity by 1.6 times.
9 Increased risk of Diabetes – People who consume soda have an 80% increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
ARTICLE #10
Fats and your body
As we are all aware some fat in our diet is essential for our well being but we need to be able to distinguish between good and bad fats. High Cholesterol of the LDL (bad) kind has been linked to Heart Disease.
In 2009, 28 Australians died of a heart attack every DAY, this is a huge number and can be dramatically reduced if we all take more care with our diets and do some exercise daily.
Below is a list of different dietary fats and whether they are good or bad for us…
SATURATED FATS – AVOID – These fats raise both LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol)
Whole Milk, Cheese, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Red Meat, Butter, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Animal Fat, Cocoa Butter, Ghee, Margarine
TRANS FATS – REALLY AVOID! – These fats raise LDL and lowers HDL
Most Margarines, Vegetable Shortening, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Deep Fried Chips, Most Fast Food and Baked Goods
MONOUNSATURATED FATS – BENEFICIAL – Lowers LDL and raises HDL
Macadamia Nut Oil, Olive Oil, High – Oleic Sunflower, High – Oleic Safflower, Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Olives, Peanut Oil, Cashews, Almonds, Peanuts and most other nuts, Avocado
POLYUNSATURATED – SOME ARE GOOD – Good ones lower LDL and bad ones raise HDL
Good ones…Fish Oils, Sesame Oil, Primrose Oil, Fish
Bad ones…Safflower Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Corn Oil, Peanut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Corn
ARTICLE #9
Sugar
Glucose…Part 3
What is it?
Glucose is one of the most critical carbohydrates needed by our bodies. The breakdown of this simple sugar gives living cells the energy they require to survive. Glucose is a form of sugar that is produced when carbohydrates are digested. Glucose in the bloodstream is converted to the energy needed for the body to function properly.
What do we need glucose for?
Glucose is mainly used by the body for short-term energy.
Types of glucose…
There are two types of glucose. D-glucose is the form which can be utilized by the human body. Its mirror image configuration, L-glucose, cannot be recognized by our enzymes.
Where do I get it from?
Many people assume that glucose is only found in foods high in sugar and overlook the carbohydrate content of foods. Both are changed to glucose during digestion. The body does not know the difference between glucose as the result of sugar intake and glucose produced by complex carbohydrate digestion. The only difference between consuming simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates is the amount of time it takes for the glucose to enter the bloodstream.
Many people assume that glucose is only found in foods high in sugar and overlook the carbohydrate content of foods. Both are changed to glucose during digestion. The body does not know the difference between glucose as the result of sugar intake and glucose produced by complex carbohydrate digestion. The only difference between consuming simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates is the amount of time it takes for the resulting glucose to enter the bloodstream.
ARTICLE #8
Fructose...sugar part 2
What is fructose?
Fructose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar), which the body can use for energy. It is primarily derived from fruit and and vegetables and is often referred to as a natural fruit sugar. Because it does not cause blood sugar rise tremendously (has a low glycemic index), it was once thought that fructose was a good substitute for sucrose (table sugar). However, recent studies have shown that this is not the case and excessive amounts of fructose can do more harm than good.
Is it bad for me?
No not in the small amounts found in the fruit and vegetables we consume on a daily basis. There is evidence that a small amount may help our body process glucose properly. The big concern we have now is that it is added as a sweetener to most processed foods and our bodies are unable to process it all.
How does our body process it?
Most carbohydrates we consume are made up of chains of glucose. The glucose enters the bloodstream and the body releases insulin to help regulate it. Fructose is processed by our liver. In a nutshell when we consume too much fructose our liver is unable to process it and releases it into our bloodstream as fats called triglycerides. This is really bad for the following reasons:
* High blood triglycerides (the fat that clogs your arteries) are a risk factor for heart disease
* Fructose bypasses the appetite regulating hormones that tell your brain you are satisfied after a meal, resulting in overeating and an excessive consumption of fructose.
* There is growing evidence that the excessive consumption of fructose may facilitate an insulin resistance in our bodies which eventually leads to type 2 diabetes.
Where do you find fructose?
Fructose is found in fruits and vegetables is relatively small amounts that most of us can handle quite easily.
The problem is that fructose is added to almost all processed food in various different forms, the most common form is high fructose corn syrup. The reason why corn syrup is so popular is because it's cheap.
Fructose is fructose no matter where it is derived from and it is all processed the same way in the body. Different foods have different amounts, for example a cup of chopped tomatoes has 2.5 grams of fructose, a can of regular soft drink has 23 grams and a large soft drink has approximately 62 grams.....Your average daily intake should be around 50 to 100 grams per day...
Fructose is also known as natural fruit sugar, fruit sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, crystalline syrup, levulose, natural sweetener.
ARTICLE #7
Sugar - part 1
What is a sugar?
Sugar is an informal term for a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates that are characterized by a sweet flavor.
Sugar is derived from carbohydrates, one thing all carbohydrates have in common is that they are all composed of monosaccharide’s (mono =one, saccharide = sugar)
The three monosaccharides are as follows:
Glucose (dextrose) – found in most carbohydrate foods – most carbohydrates are digested and converted into glucose.
Fructose – fruit sugar converted into glucose by the liver
Galactose.- is part of lactose, the sugar found in milk
All of these three molecules are composed of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen, they all comprise of different shapes which give each sugar its unique properties such as taste.
Disaccharides are two linked sugar molecules, they are:
Sucrose= glucose + fructose – commonly known as table sugar and normally comes from sugar cane
Lactose = glucose + galactose – found in milk and milk products
Maltose = glucose + glucose – formed when starch is broken down
Sugar is easily and efficiently converted to energy in the body, but is adding sugar to our diet in processed foods good for us?
ARTICLE #6 - The Glycemic Index (GI)
The Glycemic Index was invented by David Jenkins, a professor of nutrition at the
What is GI…
The Glycemic Index (GI) refers to the relative degree to which blood sugar increases after the consumption of food. A food is always measured relative to the effect of pure sugar.
HIGH GI foods can raise blood glucose levels very quickly and insulin levels.
LOW GI foods do not significantly raise blood glucose levels and insulin levels after eating.
Pure glucose is given a value of 100 while other foods are given an index number representing its relative effect in blood glucose levels, this is from 0 – 100.
How is it measured?
The GI value of a food is determined by feeding 10 or more healthy people (after an overnight fast) a portion of the food containing 50 grams of digestible (available) carbohydrate and then measuring the effect on their blood glucose levels over the next two hours. For each person, the area under their two-hour blood glucose response (glucose AUC) for this food is then measured. Finger-prick blood samples are taken at 15-30 minute intervals over the next two hours. These blood samples are used to construct a blood sugar response curve for the two hour period. On another occasion, the same 10 people consume an equal-carbohydrate portion of glucose sugar (the reference food) and their two-hour blood glucose response is also measured. A GI value for the test food is then calculated for each person by dividing their glucose AUC for the test food by their glucose AUC for the reference food. The final GI value for the test food is the average GI value for the 10 people.
Classification GI range:
Low GI - 55 or less
Medium GI - 56–69
High GI - 70 and above
Limitations…
1/ Most of the values on the glycemic index do not show the impact on glucose levels after two hours. Some diabetics may still have elevated levels after four hours.
2/ The GI of foods is determined under experimental conditions after an overnight fast, and might not apply to foods consumed later during the day because glycemic response is strongly influenced by the composition of the previous meal, particularly when meals are consumed within an interval of few hours. Indeed, it has been shown that a high-GI breakfast cereal (GI = 124) elicited a lower increase in blood glucose concentrations at lunch than at breakfast. Also, the difference in glycemic responses induced by the low- and the high-GI breakfast cereals at lunch were lower than that predicted by the large difference in their GI, which was determined at breakfast.
3/ The glycemic index does not take into account other factors besides glycemic response, such as insulin response, which is measured by the insulin index and can be more appropriate in representing the effects from some food contents other than carbohydrates.
4/ The glycemic index is significantly altered by the type of food, its ripeness, processing, the length of storage, cooking methods, and its variety (white potatoes are a notable example, ranging from moderate to very high GI even within the same variety).
5/ The glycemic response is different from one person to another, and even in the same person from day to day, depending on blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, and other factors.
6/ The number of grams of carbohydrate impacts blood sugar levels more than the glycemic index. Lowering glycemic index leads to small improvements in the blood sugar level, but consuming fewer calories, losing weight, and carbohydrate counting would benefit the blood sugar level more.] Carbohydrate impacts glucose levels most profoundly, and two foods with the same carbohydrate content are, in general, comparable in their effects on blood sugar. A food with a low glycemic index may have a high carbohydrate content or vice versa; this can be accounted for with the glycemic load. Consuming carbohydrates with a low glycemic index and calculating carbohydrate intake would produce the most stable blood sugar levels.
ARTICLE #5 - Multivitamins versus Whole Foods – which is better?
There are some key differences between mass produced synthetic Multivitamins and whole foods or whole food supplements.
Mass produced mega multivitamins were first introduced onto the market in the 1950’s. Vitamin engineers began synthetically producing these vitamins in laboratories where they were pressed into pills and disbursed to supermarkets. Due to their low cost and convenience they became very popular and still are. Most major health agencies and medical practitioners do recommend that everyone take a multivitamin to promote good health, but are people really getting any nutritional benefit at all from a synthetic vitamin??
Here are a few reasons why a synthetically produced multivitamin are not worth their low cost or convenience and are vastly inferior to whole foods:
1) They are chemically isolated and synthetically produced. They bear little or no resemblance to natures nutrients.
2) They are ‘dead’ and have no enzymes. They lack the synergistic factors that assists your body assimilate nutrients.
3) Isolated nutrients will never have the same effect as eating a live, raw whole food
4) They often contain fillers and waxes that are not digested or absorbed well. (hence the fluro urine!)
Now here are a few reasons why whole foods or a whole food supplement is so much better for you:
1) Whole foods have SYNERGY – this is where hundreds of nutrients and compounds work together to have a much greater effect than just the nutrients themselves
2) Whole foods are living and raw, full of enzymes and other food factors
3) Whole foods are BIOAVAILABLE. Your body recognizes them as food and easily utilizes and assimilates them.
4) You are what you eat the better quality the foods you put into your body then the better your body will respond to training and perform. This includes avoiding the flu!!
Click on the following link and see how good your multivitamins are that you are taking. This is an American study; however there are many brands that are readily available here in
www.multivitaminguide.org/Centrum-vitamins-reviews.html
Feel free to have a chat to any of the trainers at the studio if you need any advice on what dietary supplements would be beneficial for you.
ARTICLE #4 - SHOULD I EAT BEFORE WEIGHT TRAINING
Should I eat before Weight Training?
YES
You should avoid high intensity cardio and/or weight training on an empty stomach at all costs.
Your body needs fuel to burn in order to perform at its optimum level. If you do not feed your body the nutrients it needs (protein and carbohydrates) prior to weight training it will use whatever means it can to get the energy from your body. It will start to break down your lean muscle in order to get what it needs to perform often making you nauseous. So that massive weights session you just did on an empty stomach was all for nothing really.
If you are weight training early in the morning and cannot eat a meal before you come and train, please have a chat to any of the trainers about various supplements that we have available at the studio which will feed your body the nutrients it needs to avoid muscle breakdown.
ARTICLE #3 - THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAKFAST
Breakfast - Literally means "breaking the fast” of the last 8 hours or more that you have been sleeping.
Therefore Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Numerous studies have shown a direct correlation between eating breakfast and weight loss.
It is crucial for you to have a good breakfast that consists of a complete protein (e.g. eggs) and a good source of carbohydrates (e.g. oats) to kick start your metabolism and prepare your body for the day ahead. (Breakfast cereals are often full of sugar in its various forms and therefore are not ideal for a wholesome breakfast)
Your metabolism is like a furnace that burns throughout the day to give you energy. If you don’t give it (your body) fuel (wholesome foods) it will slow down and put your body into starvation mode. Your body will feed itself on lean muscle stores and any food it does process whilst in this mode will predominately go to your stomachs, butts and thighs as fat stores to be used as energy in the future.
Have a look at what you are having for breakfast and feel free to have a chat to any of the trainers for advice on better meal options.
ARTICLE #2 - FOOD LABELS EXPLAINED
When shopping do you often get confused by the labeling and what you should be looking for?
Heres some ideas that will come in handy next time you are doing the groceries.
Ingredients List
In
So:
- The ingredient listed first is in the most abundant amount
- The ingredient listed last is the least abundant amount
If an ingredient makes up less than 5% of the food it doesn’t have to be listed. This does not apply to any additive or allergen these must be listed no matter how small the amount.
Heres some ingredients to keep an eye out for if you are trying to minimize Sugar, Salt and Fats (bad) in your diet…..
Ones that contain sugar…..
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Disaccharides
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Golden syrup
- Honey
- Lactose
- Malt
- Maltose
- Mannitol
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Monosaccharides
- Raw sugar
- Sorbitol
- Sucrose
- Xylitol.
Ones that contain salt (sodium)….
- Baking powder
- Booster
- Celery salt
- Garlic salt
- Sodium
- Meat or yeast extract
- Onion salt
- Monosodium glutamate (msg)
- Rock salt
- Sea salt
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium metabisulphate
- Sodium nitrate/nitrite and stock cubes.
Ones that contain fat…..
- Beef fat
- Butter
- Shortening
- Coconut
- Coconut oil or palm oil
- Copha
- Cream
- Dripping
- Lard
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Vegetable oils and fats
- Hydrogenated oils
- Full-cream milk powder
- Mono-, di- or triglycerides.
Below is the Nutrition Information for a box of Apricot Museli Bars.
Have a look at the Ingredients list and see how good these really are for you.
|
NUTRITION INFORMATION Servings per package: 8 |
||
|
. |
Quantity per serving |
Quantity per 100g |
|
Energy |
350 kJ |
1770 kJ |
|
Protein |
1.5 g |
7.7 g |
|
Fat, total |
2.1 g |
10.4 g |
|
— saturated |
0.3 g |
1.4 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
14.2 g |
70.8 g |
|
— sugars |
4.5 g |
22.7 g |
|
Sodium |
60 mg |
305 mg |
|
Dietary fibre |
1.2 g |
6.0 g |
|
Contains oats, wheat and soy as indicated in bold type. Ingredients: rolled oats, sugar, puffed rice, wheat, apricot pieces (8%) [sugar, water, apricot concentrate, dextrose, colour (160(b)), vegetable gum (401), food acid (331), flavour, preservative (202)], glucose syrup, vegetable oil, tapioca starch, salt, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour. Product processed on a line that also processes products containing tree nuts. |
||
Did you know that the “heart tick” label on food is something that is purchased and not awarded to good, wholesome foods…….this is why you see it on foods such as meat pies!
ARTICLE #1 - ALCOHOL & STENGTH TRAINING
Can you mix the two?? How will it affect your strength training??
Drinking alcohol, even as little as a couple of glasses of wine a night can dramatically affect your training and weight loss goals…..and heres how:
1) Alcohol causes dehydration……Our muscles are composed of 70% water. Water is a non negotiable part of the muscle building process. Drinking alcohol puts enormous pressure on the kidneys as they have to filter a large amount of water to break down the alcohol, this results in dehydration (hangover)…even being slightly dehydrated can affect muscle building.
2) Alcohol increases estrogen and decreases testosterone levels in the body…….you need the hormone testosterone to be able to build muscle…..the more free flowing testosterone you have in your body, the more muscle you will gain.
3) Alcohol negatively affects protein synthesis……Muscles are made up of protein. Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins…excessive alcohol can slow this process down by 20%.
4) Alcohol increases fat storage….pure alcohol contains 7 empty calories per gram….148 calories per Corona…..95 calories per glass champagne (carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories per gram which makes alcohol almost twice as fattening) Alcohol also affects the bodies ability to burn fat.
5) Alcohol depletes the body of essential vitamins and minerals….. Vitamins A, C, the B’s, calcium, zinc and phosphorous. These vitamins and minerals keep your body functioning properly which includes muscle growth.
A drink here and there will probably not be too much of an issue, however if you drink every night with dinner or get blasted on the weekends it will dramatically reduce your ability to gain lean muscle and loose unwanted fat!
