Portion Control

When it comes to losing weight or maintaining a current healthy weight one of the most important things is portion control. Portion control is so simple and yet companies like Jenny Craig, Medifast, Nutrisystem, and various other companies make a fortune selling meals that are nothing more than 300-500 calories per serving. Not to mention I'm sure many of these meals have a ton of preservatives in order to keep them "fresh" and they end up losing a lot of their nutritional value because of this. All you have to do is read the ingredients on the box and I'm sure that you haven't heard of 90% of the ingredients. So many experts tell people that if they don't know what the ingredients on the box or package are you shouldn't eat it and I couldn't agree more. Look up some of these ingredients on an online search and you'll be astonished about what they are. It's pretty amazing what ingredients these companies put in their products and it's even more surprising that people are willing to consume them on a regular basis.

Being someone who has been a health and fitness fanatic for about 15 years now I can't begin to tell you how many books, articles, blogs, and various other publications I have read on health and fitness. One thing that most publications, personal trainers, and doctors all agree on is that eating small meals throughout the day is crucial if you want a healthy and fit body. One of the biggest reasons eating small meals is so important is because your metabolism speeds up when your body is processing food. This is why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks your fast from the 7-8 hours of sleep you've hopefully just had since you didn't eat when you were asleep and gets your metabolism cranking to start your day. Experts say that people who skip breakfast typically have a higher body fat percentage than people who don't because their bodies store fat in the absence of food. There are so many people who feel that if they skip meals and work out that their body will use their body fat for energy and burn it right off. This is completely false. Your body will feed off your lean muscle before it starts feeding off your body fat for energy. That is why it's so important to eat healthy foods every 3-5 hours depending on your calorie needs for the day. The average American eats about 2,000 calories a day but keep in mind everyone's calorie needs are different depending on age, activity level, sex, weight, and height. To give you an example of how many calories you should consume here is the formula I use on a daily basis to maintain my current weight of 155 lbs. When I have tweaked it to get to a desired weight it has also never failed me:

The first thing you want to figure out is your Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as BMR. Use this link to figure out your BMR:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

My BMR is 1684.45. I'm a 5'8" 31 year old male who weighs 155 lbs. Here is how BMR is actually calculated in case you're wondering:

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 X weight in lbs.) + (12.7 X height in inches)-(6.8*age in years)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in lbs.) + (1.8 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years)


Once you know your BMR the next step is to determine your activity level to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. You can also adjust the weight in the formula's above to reflect your desired weight which will allow you to set your daily calorie intake to help you achieve your goal of weight loss or more simply use the website link above and put in your desired weight on the site.

Now figure out your activity level to figure out how many calories you need:

Sedentary (little or no exercise)=BMR*1.2
Lightly Active (exercises 1-3 days a week)=BMR *1.375
Moderately Active (exercises 3-5 days a week)=BMR*1.55
Very Active (exercises 6-7 days a week)=BMR*1.9

Using myself as an example I need to consume about 3,200 calories per day since I'm very active. Doing this is very easy but it does take dedication and calorie counting. I measure my food by reading food labels to determine serving sizes and I use a measuring cup religiously so I know how many calories I'm consuming during each meal. I have been doing this for about 2 years now and it has never failed me.

As far as meals go I recommend eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein such as chicken and fish. I also recommend cutting out alcohol or allowing yourself a couple of drinks a week. This was the hardest part for me since I'm a single guy who likes to go out to the bars with friends. It's still something I do once in a while but I don't drink as much as my college days. By doing so I feel much better and I have seen mo body fat percentage drop significantly by doing so. When you consume alcohol your liver starts metabolizing the alcohol as soon as you take your first sip and will ignore processing body fat when it does this. It can take 2 hours for your liver to process up to 2 drinks during this process.

In conclusion, work on eating small meals of 300-500 calories throughout the day until you reach your recommended caloric intake. Make sure you put healthy foods into your system and cut back on alcohol intake. Even if you don't exercise, controlling your caloric intake will keep your body weight in check and make you feel great.

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What's the Secret to Living to 100?

I've been an advocate of healthy living for about 15 years now and I truly love eating healthy and exercising because it makes me feel good. I also do it because I would like to live to 100 and with all the experts talking about the benefits of exercise and healthy eating and how it is your best chance of living disease free and also increasing your life span I have made sure my lifestyle includes exercise and healthy eating on a regular basis. I can't say I don't cheat because let's face it, life isn't worth living if you're not going to have fun and indulge every once in a while.

Another thing I love to do is read. I read about 1-2 books a week because I truly love to learn (and show off when Jeopardy is on). One of the things I love to read about is health and fitness. I have read several books on the subject and consider myself pretty educated when it comes to this topic. Because I enjoy reading books on these subjects I also enjoy reading news articles related to health and fitness. One subject that really interests me is Centenarians. These are people who live to the age of 100 and over. I enjoy reading about these people and how they've lived their lives to be able to reach this age and beyond. What amazes me the most is that most of these people haven't lived an overly healthy lifestyle and some of them have quite a bit in common. One common trait a lot of them do share is that they never overeat. In a country like the US that is extremely rare since the portions we're accustomed to are huge compared to other countries all over the world. Over 70% of Americans are overweight with around 25% of these overweight people being obese. I know how I feel when I eat to much and it is a terrible feeling. Eating small portions throughout the day is something almost every book and article talks about in regards to living a long and healthy life and it's interesting to see that most Centenarians have always lived this way. Another trait they have in common is that the majority of them have always had healthy blood pressure levels throughout their entire lives. We all know the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure levels but hyptertension is a problem many people have. One thing I found extremely interesting about Centenarians is that a lot them were never big into exercising throughout their lives. I find this fact extremely interesting because I associate a sedentary lifestyle as being unhealthy but I'm sure they were active in other ways. Some Centenarians believe that having an alcoholic beverage once a day throughout their adult lives has contributed to their long lifespans especially since some research says a drink or two a day is actually good for you. Some Centenarians even took up smoking in their later years but they definitely don't associate this with living long. It's just an unhealthy habit they took up in their later years that hasn't affected their health.

In closing, many things contribute to living a long life. Overall, I think it comes down to heredity, eating small portions, and taking the necessary supplements and medications your doctor recommends. I've read so many stories of how people who are big into fitness drop dead from a massive heart attack and it makes me wonder if there is really a benefit to it if your goal is to love to 100. So many people I know who live a long life are not gym goers and don't eat overly healthy. What they do have in common is a positive attitude, the ability to eat small meals and not give into the temptation of stuffing their bellies, healthy blood pressure levels, and taking the recommended medications and supplements that their doctors recommend. What do you think the secret of living to 100 is?

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Why Are People Scared of Pills?

I was recently looking at the news online and came across an article that talked about pills that have a positive effect on cancer prevention and/or treatment and why people don't use them.

I don't know about you but I've been taking multivitamins for years now and I'm all for taking medications that help prevent diseases as well. With such tremendous breakthroughs in technology over the past several years I personally have a lot of faith in most medications that the FDA approves and that companies market to help prevent diseases. I think the reason I'm so confident in these medications is because they have gone through rigorous testing prior to being approved. If a doctor suggested that I take a pill in order to prevent a disease I would do my own research before saying yes but most likely I would take the pill.

According to an article I was reading it appears that most people who are at high risk of certain cancers would rather not take a pill because they are afraid of side effects. And this is even after their doctor has explained that the benefits far outweigh the risks. This just doesn't make any sense to me since the only other alternative might be a painful and agonizing death brought on by the disease. I must say the human psyche is very interesting in this regard. This is known as Omission Bias which means people tend to worry more about a low risk of harm from something they do than about a higher risk of harm from doing nothing. I must say I'm truly amazed by this finding. I can't say I have this bias since I have too much faith in technology nowadays. I think the media plays a big role in why people are so scared of side effects to be honest with you. I have to admit that I don't watch the news very much because 99% of it is just negative. A common theme I see on the news is people dying from taking medications that were supposed to help them. Of course they usually fail to explain that of the 100,000 people taking a drug that only 5 have died from it. I do realize there are side effects to taking these kinds of medications but in all reality your risk of developing serious side effects are very low. I would rather take a pill knowing that there is a 95% chance I will benefit from it than a 5% chance I will have serious side effects from it. I think these are better odds than doing nothing and having a 99% chance that I will die from a particular disease because I was too worried about possible side effects.

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How Our Surroundings Affect Our Health

As you may or may not know, cardiocascular disease, also known as CVD, is the #1 killer in America.  There is a high correlation between CVD and physical inactivity.  When I go out to eat, especially my very rare visits to buffet styly restaurants, I can see why so many people suffer from CVD.  I see so many obese people who go up and load their dishes several times with greasy and fried foods.  I can guarantee you that the majority of these people have never exercised in their lives.  I've been through phases in my life, like everyone else, where I haven't eaten healthy.  This seems to be when I don't exercise regularly.  It's funny that when people stop exercising or don't exercise at all they consume foods that are not healthy.  One would think that a lot of people would tend to eat healthier and smaller portions when they are not physically active.  I notice that when I get into an exercise routine I tend to eat healthier.  I think a big reason that overweight people who continue to eat unhealthy and not exercise is due to their surroundings.  I just finished reading a book called Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler,  The book talks about how people's behaviors are affected by their family, friends, and even friends of their friends, also known as 3rd tier connections.  I can definitely see this as being true.  You'll often notice that people surround themselves similar to themselves.  As they say, birds of a feather flock together.  Of course, we all like to surround ourselves with people who are like ourselves.  Some people are interested in certain things whether it be cooking, traveling, board games, etc. and they like to surround themselves with likeminded people so they can discuss these similar interests with each other and learn from others.  However, the same is also true when it comes to things that are not good for our body and mind.  People who don't eat healthy, don't exercise, and who have negative opinions about themselves tend to associate with people with these same mindsets.  Very rarely do I see overweight people hanging out with people who look to be physcially active.  I feel that if you suffer from low self esteem or are just overweight and want to do something about it, you should look to surround yourself with people who are more physically active and lead a healthy lifestyle.  I understand this is easier said than done for most people.  If you have a low self esteem due to your unhealthy lifestyle if may be tough to try to associate with people who prefer a healthier lifestyle than yourself.  I think a great way to get out and meet new people who are into a healthy lifestyle is to join a Meetup group (http://www.meetup.com/).  I've joined several groups on Meetup that are geared towards my interests.  There is usually at least 1 group in your area that is focused on healthy living.  This may be a great start if you're looking to lead a healthier lifestyle.  I definitely feel that you have to surround yourself with people who are doing what you would like to do if you want to be successful.  You can learn from others and it's a big motivator to be around people who are doing something that is constructive with their lives.

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Body Image

The University of Florida recently conducted a study that concluded that most people who exercise at least twice a week for 30 minutes each session have a positive body image of themselves.  I think this is truly great news and motivates people to eat healthier and exercise more.  While most experts say that you need at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week most people don't get this amount of exercise.  Since about 70% of Americans are overweight I feel more people have to eat healthy and exercise.  I know so many people who join a gym after the New Year and go religiously for about 3 weeks only to quit and go back to their old ways for the remainder of the year.  The University of Florida study also stated that people who don't exercise and eat a lot have very negative body images which makes sense.  I truly don't understand how people with poor body images of themselves don't work out and eat healthy in order to change their attitude about their bodies.  What do you think some of these reasons are?

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Binge Eating

I know there are lots of people out there (myself included) who overeat on some occasions.  I think everyone if guilty of this once in a while (think Thanksgiving).  For many people though, overeating is a regular occurrence due to many factors, one of which is depression.  Binge eating on a regular basis is actually a disorder that can have long-term negative effects on your health.  People who binge eat feel a compulsion to do this and can't resist the urges.  Binge eating is actually the most common eating disorder there is.  To give you an example of binge eating compared to regular eating take a look at this:

A normal diet consists of 1,500-3,000 calories per day
A binge diet can consist of 10,000-20,000 calories per day

Unless you exercise as much as Michael Phelps you should be nowhere near 10,000 calories per day.  Eating this many calories per day can lead to gaining weight extremely quickly which can do a lot of damage to your organs, especially your heart.  Typically binges do not last all day.  In reality, they typically last about 2 hours.  But just take a look at how many calories you can consume on a typical day when binge eating is involved.  Here are some behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of binge eating:

■Eating large amounts of food


■Eating even when you're full

■Eating rapidly during binge episodes

■Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control

■Depression

■Anxiety

■Frequent dieting without weight loss

■Frequently eating alone

■Hoarding food

■Hiding empty food containers

■Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset about your eating
 
No one knows what exactly causes a binge eating disorder but some factors include:
 
■Biological. Biological vulnerability may play a role in developing binge-eating disorder. Both genes and brain chemicals may be involved. In addition, researchers are studying appetite regulation of the central nervous system for clues, along with gastrointestinal changes that might shed light on causes.


■Psychological. Psychological and emotional characteristics may also contribute to the condition. You may have low self-worth and trouble controlling impulsive behaviors, managing moods or expressing anger.

■Sociocultural. Modern Western culture often cultivates and reinforces a desire for thinness. Although most people who have binge-eating disorder are overweight, they're acutely aware of their body shape and appearance and berate themselves after eating binges. Some people with binge-eating disorder have a history of being sexually abused.
 
If you suffer from binge eating and find you can't control it I strongly urge you seek medical advice.  This can lead to serious health conditions if it isn't treated which includes high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, heart disease, stroke, and many other conditions.

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Healthy Eating Programs at Schools

I recently read an article about how the American Dietetic Association and the Institute of Medicine are continuously working to launch healthier eating campaigns in schools across the country.  This has been a topic for years.  When I look around I see so many overweight and obese children and their parents do nothing to make their kids eat healthier or encourage them to be more active.  While I think it's great that the ADA and IOD are continuously working to make meals at schools healthier I'm wondering if it will really do any good.  I think educating kids on eating healthy is great but parents have to play a more active role in this cause as well.  Lunch is only one meal a day.  Most kids eat breakfast and dinner at home and eat all their meals at home on weekends.  Parents are responsible for doing grocery shopping and if parents continue to buy foods high in sugar and saturated fat I'm wondering if implementing healthy meal programs at schools is really going to be of much benefit without parents doing anything on their end.  What do you think?

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Understand Your Risk of Developing High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a very common condition.  In all reality, most people who have it aren't even aware of it.  The most important thing you can do to control your blood pressure is to make sure your lifestyle is a heart-healthy lifestyle.  This includes eating healthy and getting the right amount of exercise.  A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is very important in maintaining a healthy heart.  Many sources say that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day is good enough to maintain good cardio health.  I recommend talking to your physician before starting any kind of regimen though.

Different people have varying degrees of risk for high blood pressure.  Several factors go into determining your risk of high blood pressure which include:

1) Family History-If your parents or close relatives have high blood pressure you're more likely to develop it at some point and you may also pass this risk factor onto your children.  Lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your blood pressure so don't think just because it runs in your family there is nothing you can do about it.
2) Age-As we get older our blood vessels lose flexibility which can contribute to high blood pressure.
3) Gender-Up until the age of 45, a higher percentage of men have high blood pressure compared to women.  From 45-64, the percentages are the same and after age 64, women make up the highest percentage.
4) Lack of physical activity-Exercising on a regular basis is good for your heart.  Being inactive makes it easier to gain weight and become obese which are major factors for developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke down the road.
5) Poor diet-Not eating healthy can lead to someone becoming overweight and even obese.  A Body Mass Index, also referred to as BMI, of 25-30 is considered overweight.  A BMI over 30 is considered obese.  Excess weight can raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels while also decreasing your good cholesterol (HDL).  You are also more likely to develop diabetes if you're overweight which is why it is so important to eat healthy.
6) Alcohol-Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat.  It is recommended that men drink no more than 1-2 drinks per day and women no more than 1 drink per day.
7) Stress-We all have stress in our lives sometimes but it is important to control this stress.  While there is no scientific evidence that stress causes high blood pressure in the long run, controlling it is still very important.  People sometimes overeat, drink excessively, or smoke under stress which can lead to several unhealthy conditions.
8) Smoking-Smoking temporarily raises your blood pressure and can damage your arteries after several years of use.  We all know that smoking can have many negative effects and high blood pressure is just one of several conditions you can get from smoking and even second hand smoke.

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