Articles

The Glycemic Index (GI)

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating.

Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health.

Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.

Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet.

In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended that people in industrialized countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

To view a list of foods and their GI value, please visit www.glycemicindex.com or www.diabetesnet.com

* info from www.glycemicindex.com

FOOD CONSUMPTION TIPS

What you eat is 70% of the weight loss/maintenance equation.  In order to successfully lose body fat (and maintain that loss), you must be aware of how much you eat and the timing of your meals.  A Physio-Graph reading will reveal your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which will allow us to figure out the proper amount of calories for your body.

Buying Food:
  • Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store (avoid the stuff in the isles).
  • Shop on a full stomach.
  • Shop from a list.
  • Shop once per week.
  • Read labels carefully.
Storing Food:
  • Remember the saying, “out of sight, out of mouth”.
  • Place fruits and vegetables where they are easily seen.
  • Keep day off foods out of sight, or better yet, out of the house.
  • Have shakes, bars, and yogurts available for when you are in a hurry.
  • Prepare meals in advance and store them for easy access.
Serving and Dispensing Food:
  • Broil, bake, or grill your food.
  • Do not leave serving dishes on the table as you eat.
  • Leave the table after eating.
  • Use a smaller plate.
Taking Control of Your Eating:
  • Do nothing else while eating.
  • Follow an eating schedule – small meals every 2 ½ to 3 hours.
  • Do not eat while watching TV.
  • Do not skip meals - it will increase your hunger.
  • Slow your eating rate by putting your fork down between bites.
  • Take a 2-minute break halfway through your meal.
  • Drink plenty of water with each meal (and throughout the day).
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time:
  • Prepare meals in advance - divide them in Tupperware.
  • Plan your day’s food intake (and exercise) the night before.
  • Stick to your planned intake each day.

2010 Customer Survey Results

Summary

Well, apparently you all are very happy with our facility, service, and staff.  We received a ton of positive feedback from the numerous customer service surveys that were completed.  Thank you for taking the time to help us identify what we do well and what we can improve.  Our mission is to be the absolute best in our industry and provide unmatched customer service, facility, equipment, education and results.  But, it all starts with YOU, so thank you for all of your support and honest feedback.  We will use it, implement it, and constantly improve.

So, here are some of my favorite items from the surveys we received:

The Good:

  1. Clean equipment and Studio.  Very important – glad everyone notices.
  2. Challenging and diverse workouts.  We got this one a lot.
  3. Friendly atmosphere and staff.  This one too- they are a great staff!
  4. Greet people when they walk in.
  5. Organized and prepared.
  6. Not too crowded.
  7. Very professional.
  8. “They let me swear if no one is around” – hey, whatever it takes!
  9. Detailed.
  10.   Motivating.
  11.   Challenging.
  12.   Fun.
  13.   Informative, educational.  The foundation of our company mission.
  14.   Prompt communication.
  15.   Evaluations – Physio-Graph measurements, tracking progress. 
  16.   “Thank you for being here.” – love that quote.
  17.   Water and fresh towels.

What to Improve:

  1. Floor fans.  Looking into it.  Not sure if they will create too much dust.
  2. New picture for Kourtney.  I agree, she deserves a new picture ASAP!
  3. Sell food and beverages.  Working on it as we speak…coming soon.
  4. Get rid of rowing machine.  Sorry, ain’t gonna happen.
  5. Larger facility for independent exercise.  Give me a couple of years…

Again, thanks for the feedback.  Please keep it coming - we appreciate it!

Keep Living the Sweat Life,

Dan

February 2010

The Power of Fiber

For many years, dietary fiber was overlooked as an important component in healthy nutrition because it contributes few calories, vitamins, or minerals. However, read on and find out how important fiber may be for your health and weight loss efforts.

What is fiber?

Fiber is the portion of food derived from plants that cannot be digested. As a result, fiber provides bulk with few calories. There are two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber stays in the stomach longer than insoluble fiber and will thicken, or breakdown slightly before passing through the digestive system. Insoluble fiber changes very little as it passes through the body. It acts like a sponge, absorbing many times its weight in water.

How is fiber helpful?

Fiber gained worldwide attention in 1970 when British physicians discovered that cultures consuming larger amounts of fiber had lower incidences of diabetes, colon cancer and heart disease. Further research in the United States has confirmed these results. Some researchers believe that fiber helps reduce the possibility of colon cancer by improving the flow of waste through the intestines, reducing contact time with carcinogens. Additionally, the fiber itself binds to some carcinogens and dilutes them, reducing their harmfulness, and then carries them out of the body with the stool.

There is also evidence supporting the belief that fiber, particularly soluble fiber, reduces the cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke. This prompted the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to issue a statement that a high-fiber diet, along with reduced fat and cholesterol, may lower the risk for heart disease.

In people with diabetes, the body has difficulty controlling the level of glucose or blood sugar. When fiber is added to a meal it delays the rate that sugar is released into the bloodstream. Fiber is now the third tool the diabetic has to reduce sugar absorption along with protein and fat.

How can it help me lose weight?

Fiber may be useful for weight reduction. First, fiber delays the release of blood sugar, allowing your body to receive a more stable level of energy, thus reducing hunger. Fiber provides bulk by absorbing water, producing a greater feeling of satiation. Fiber also helps improve intestinal flow and function helping those with an elevated extracellular mass to reduce it to within normal limits.

How much should I get?

Too much fiber can reduce the availability of calcium, zinc, and iron. While no requirements for fiber have been determined, the National Institutes of Health recommends 30 grams of dietary fiber daily. This level appears to provide the health benefits while preventing the loss of minerals. Good sources of fiber include; beans, bran cereals, whole grains, avocados, hummus, fruits (raspberries, prunes, blackberries, apples), and vegetables (peas, acorn squash, artichokes, sweet potatoes).

February 2009

The Truth About Carbs

By Chris Pregony, BS, ACSM-HFS

What’s the deal with carbs?

Carbohydrates are our body’s main source of energy. In fact, our brain and central nervous system run exclusively on them.   Carbohydrates, or “carbs,” are classified as simple or complex.  A simple carb will easily break down into glucose, which the body then uses for energy.  They are made up of one or two glucose molecules. Simple carbs cause a sharp increase in blood sugar and insulin levels in the body.  A complex carb, in contrast, contains many glucose molecules, which make them more difficult for the body to break down. They cause a smaller increase in the body’s blood sugar levels and insulin levels.

When food is ingested it causes blood sugar to rise, which, in turn causes insulin to be released. It is important to know how different foods will affect the blood glucose levels.  For example, if you were to eat a candy bar, your blood sugar level would increase dramatically, which would in turn increase the insulin response. This spike is followed by a sharp decline. When blood sugar levels drop, you get hungry. When this is repeated several times per day, over many years, your insulin response will begin to decline. This makes it more difficult to utilize the glucose molecules.  It is this metabolic response to food which can lead to type II diabetes. If you were to replace that candy bar with a piece of fruit, it would cause only a moderate rise in blood sugar. This will help keep you feeling full longer, and give you more energy for a greater period of time. 

Why very low carb diets are bad:

It has been pounded into our heads that cutting our carb intake can promote weight loss.  There are even many studies and testimonials that would agree with that statement.  But, we must ask ourselves - why are we losing the weight? According to the FDA, 65% of our caloric intake should be in the form of carbohydrates. Cutting out carbs, the largest percentage of the recommended total daily caloric intake, will reduce the amount of calories that we eat. In addition to that, for every gram of carbohydrate consumed, we retain a gram of water. So we’re losing water weight! This combined with a lower caloric intake is why people can lose weight fast. But, by dramatically reducing carbohydrate intake, we put our bodies though a great deal of stress. When carbs are not available our bodies turn to protein for energy. Protein is not meant to be used this way unless the body is in distress. We need protein for cell production, tissue maintenance, hormones, and enzymes. Enzymes are required for just about every metabolic and hormone response in the body. The lack of carbs puts the body in a state called “ketosis.” This is where we use ketones, a by-product of fat and protein metabolism, for fuel.  During ketosis, you will experience feelings of nausea, fatigue, bad breath, dehydration, and even depression.  So, let’s look at what these low carb diets do: make you hungry, lethargic, flabby, and in need of a tic-tac.

So, what do you do now?

Balance is the key. It may sound like something from Confucius, but it is true. Finding a happy medium of eating healthy and exercising is the key to looking good and feeling your best.  About 25 years ago, Dr. David Jenkins of Toronto came up with the glycemic index. This is a number given to food that determines its effect on blood glucose levels. For example, a white potato, which is a high carb food, has an index of 70. A sweet potato, a lower carb food has a glycemic index of only 45. Choosing carbs that have a low glycemic index is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. There are several websites that will rank foods so you can have a better idea of their effect on blood glucose (check out “glycemic index online,” or “the glycemic index”).  Some things that should be limited in your diet are: refined or processed flour, breads, muffins, rolls, crackers. Things that should be eliminated are: sugary desserts, cookies, pies, candies, doughnuts, cola, etc…  They should be replaced with good carbs like whole wheat breads and pastas, fruits, and vegetables.  So don’t stop eating carbs, just eat the right ones. Find the balance that works best for you. 

January 09

New Year’s Resolution Success

Compiled and Edited by Dan Griffin, BS, CSCS, Owner, Sweat Life Fitness, Inc.

With the start of the New Year, people all over the nation have once again established New Year's fitness resolutions. It’s great to resolve to get fit, but many resolutions fail because they are approached in the wrong way.  Statistics show that over 50 percent of the people who begin an exercise program discontinue it in six weeks. My goal is to help you design and implement a fitness program that encourages you to start the New Year on the right foot.   To help avoid falling off the fitness wagon in 2009, I have compiled a short set of tips for New Year's Resolution Success.

Five Tips for New Year’s Success:

RELAX & ENJOY THE RIDE.   Remember that fitness is a continuous pursuit. You have the rest of your life to improve it -- not just this winter or before swimsuit season starts. The goal is to improve a little bit every day, not to go from couch potato to elite athlete in three weeks. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, or you'll set yourself up for frustration, physical injury and failure.

MAKE A PLAN.  Give some forethought to your fitness approach. Many people fling themselves into running or working with equipment without thinking if it is right for their needs.  Find something you like to do, because you're much more likely to stick with it.  Collect information about your body – for example, body weight, heart rate, and body fat content - before you start. Also, a working knowledge of how the body responds to food and exercise can be critical to your success.

SHORT-TERM GOALS.  List some achievable, measurable or specific targets by which to track your progress. A certified personal trainer is great for helping you determine what these goals should be. Remember that a complete fitness program should incorporate fitness, nutrition and education for optimum results. Your fitness program should be a balance of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility conditioning, with a greater focus on the one that is most closely related to your individual goals.

BE REALISTIC.  Many fitness resolutions are too aggressive or even impossible. Be realistic.  Good fitness is gradual.  No matter what the ads on TV say, you're not going to have perfect abs or the body you had 20 years ago in ten minutes a day.

REVIEW YOUR PLAN.  Know that you'll have to make adjustments and modifications along the way. Track your progress and listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right, don't force it. If you start running and it bores you to tears, or if you experience unusual discomfort, try something else - reduce your intensity, increase your duration, or mix activities to keep your interest level high and incorporate different muscle groups.

Remember, fitness is like most other goals that are worth pursuing - you need good information, a solid plan of attack, and, most importantly, you have to stick to it.  So, in other words, make this year the year that you COMMIT, TRAIN, and LIVE a healthy life!  Happy New Year!