Pile on the Produce
For good health, disease prevention and ready-for-a-run muscles, half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. So start in the produce section. Bring home a bag of mixed salad greens to reap the benefits from various types of lettuce. Select crunchy veggies in different colors to toss into your salad. Rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, your salad will help repair tired muscles and fend off ills such as heart disease, diabetes, age-related eye problems, Alzheimer‚and cancers of the lung, mouth, esophagus, stomach and colon.

Plan to have at least one fruit and/or vegetable at each meal and most snacks. Experts recommend that everyday you eat something from each of the five major fruit/veggie color groups since each contains different nutrients and disease fighters. Grab the standard carrots and tomatoes, but also get creative with more exotic ones such as jicama, purple bell peppers and rutabagas. Here are some ideas to get you started.

blackberries
blueberries
plums
purple grapes
prunes
raisins
purple cabbage
purple carrots
eggplant
avocados
green apples
green grapes
honeydew
kiwi
artichokes
asparagus
broccoli
broccoli rabe
chayote squash
sugar snap peas
brown pears
dates
Jerusalem artichokes
jicama
mushrooms
turnips
apricots
cantaloupe
yellow figs
golden kiwi
persimmons
acorn squash
yellow beets
yellow peppers
rutabagas
sweet potatoes
red grapefruit
red pears
pomegranates
raspberries
beets
red peppers
red onions
red potatoes

Make Meat Count
The protein in fish, poultry, beef and other meats helps promote recovery and rebuilds muscles after a tough workout. Go for variety in this department too. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fish per week to lessen the risk of heart disease. Look for fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, valued for their heart-shielding effects as well as their possible roles in lowering risks for certain cancers, Alzheimers disease, asthma, depression and diabetes. Plus, omega-3 fatty acids can ease the inflammatory symptoms of arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease. Dine on salmon, lake and rainbow trout, herring, sardines, anchovies, American shad, albacore tuna, tuna steaks and Atlantic, jack and Pacific mackerel. A note of caution: Women who may become pregnant, are pregnant or are nursing should limit albacore tuna and tuna steaks to 6 ounces per week because elevated mercury levels may cause birth defects.

Beef can be your best source of the minerals iron and zinc. Iron helps transport oxygen, and zinc is necessary for normal immune function, wound healing and amino acid metabolism. Be sure to go lean. Some cuts of beef are loaded with saturated fat, linked to high cholesterol, heart disease and insulin resistance. When a label touts 80 percent lean, it’s another way of saying 20 percent fat. Buy ground meats no less than 90 percent lean. The leanest cuts of beef usually have round or sirloin in the name (top round and tenderloin). When choosing pork, look for loin (as in loin chops). Poultry is a great source of nutrients too. Lose the skin to dump half the fat. Look carefully at labels for ground turkey or chicken, frequently the skin is ground in with the meat.

Do Dairy Right
Go fat-free or low-fat at the dairy case, another saturated-fat landmine. Whole milk is about 3 1/2 to 4 percent fat by weight and provides a whopping 5 grams saturated fat in an 8-ounce glass. Skim milk is a great choice with no saturated fat. Use butter and fat-rich cheeses and spreads sparingly to stay within the recommended maximum of 20 grams saturated fat per day if you eat a 2000-calorie diet. And watch out for hidden trans fats (also linked to heart disease and other ills) in foods such as margarines and some spreads. Even though the label touts no trans fats, federal regulations say the product can still contain up to 0.5 grams. So look out for partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients and limit your intake as much as possible.

The dairy case is overflowing with yogurt; nonfat, full fat, reduced fat, artificially sweetened, fiber added, with granola or cookie crumbles toppings, and on. Watch out for saturated fat and added sugars (and calories). Kid-friendly yogurt usually means loaded with sugar. For something different, try delicious Greek yogurt, thick and creamy and perfect for tzatziki, cold cucumber soup and other Middle Eastern favorites. For a dose of friendly bacteria that may protect your digestive system, select yogurt bearing the live and active cultures seal. Use products such as Dannon Activia and Breyers Light! Probiotic Plus Yogurt are designed specifically to increase favorable bacteria.

Break Some Eggs and Add Oil
Once shunned for its cholesterol content, the egg has made a comeback. The American Heart Association now recommends up to one egg per day, which will give you about 10 percent of your daily protein needs along with a sizeable dose of lutein for your eyes. Some designer eggs are fortified with omega-3 fatty acids and may be a good choice for people avoiding fish and other sources of these health-enhancing fats.

All vegetable oils are 120 calories per tablespoon and have 14 grams of fat, most of it the healthy unsaturated kind. Olive oil is a good choice for its heart-friendly monounsaturated fats. Both soybean and canola oils have respectable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, also heart-healthy. Choose the one you like best or vary them for different recipes.

Crave Cereal
A bowl of cereal can be a great meal for carb-hungry muscles or simply a bowl full of fortified sugar and refined grains. Linda McDonald, M.S., R.D., editor of Supermarket Savvy, recommends cereal (and breads) with a whole grain listed first in the ingredients. Don’t take for granted that made with whole grains means that it‚’s a good source of whole grains, she says. A healthful-sounding cereal or bread might contain just a small bit of whole grains and a larger amount of refined grains. A full serving of whole grains is 16 grams, she adds. Many products bear the Whole Grain Stamp (wholegrainscouncil.org), indicating the amount of whole grains in a serving. Federal guidelines encourage at least three servings or 48 grams whole grains daily. Vary your grains. Choose cereal and breads made with whole oats, whole barley, whole wheat and whole corn.

Food labels don’t differentiate between added sugars and the natural sugars in fruit. Compare cereal labels for sugar, but expect cereals with raisins or other fruit to be higher in sugar than cereal without fruit. Even though it has more sugar, Mini-Wheats (frosted or not) with raisins is a much better choice than the highly processed, lower-in-sugar Rice Krispies.

Stock the Pantry
It‚’s true. You can get good nutrition in a can. According to a University of Illinois study, canned fruits and vegetables pack as much fiber as their fresh counterparts. Canned pumpkin has 20 times the vitamin A as fresh pumpkin because it’s more concentrated. And compared to fresh, canned tomato products have more available lycopene‚ carotenoid thought to be important in cancer prevention because the body absorbs it better from cooked tomatoes. Canned fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, tuna and chicken can each fill a nutritional gap and help you throw together a speedy meal. Always keep some on hand for power outages and emergencies. According to the Canned Food Alliance, canned food lasts at least two years. After that, taste and texture may deteriorate, but nutritional quality and safety remain. To find the age of a canned food, call the toll-free number on the product label and report the code stamped on the can.

Fill the Freezer
In the dead of winter, frozen fruit and vegetables are far more appealing than the fresh ones shipped from far away and, usually, more nutritious (fresh fruits and veggies loose nutrients the longer they sit around). Like their canned counterparts, they are picked at the peak of ripeness, frozen quickly and ready when you are. Look for packages with very short ingredients lists, says Jill Comess, director of the food science and nutrition program at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va. Ideally, a bag of frozen green beans or berries contains nothing more than green beans or berries. Ingredients are listed from descending order by weight, so the first ingredient listed is the main one in that product. Though not always true, generally the more ingredients listed, the more processed the food,she says.

To avoid extra sodium, buy canned and frozen food that’s been processed without salt. The labels may say ‚No Added Sodium.  If your family prefers the regular variety, buy one can or package of each and mix them together or add just a little salt when cooking frozen vegetables.

Through inspiring stories about real women of all ages and abilities and practical guidance on training, health and nutrition, Her Sports + Fitness motivates women to achieve their fitness goals and stay active for life. Don’t forget to sign up for our free e-newsletter at hersports.com.

  ]]> http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/the-healthy-dish/feed/ 0 http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/climbing-hills-on-the-bike/ http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/climbing-hills-on-the-bike/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:21:47 +0000 Kelly http://www.tridivas.com/?p=316 Most avid cyclists love to ride the hills. Hill riding is a true test of fitness and a challenge to your mental toughness. The ability to climb hills efficiently will improve your overall strength. As you start to climb a hill, you want to start at a slow and deliberate pace. If the hill is short, chances are you can muscle right over the top. But if the hill is a long, steep and steady climb, you want to ‚Äúspin‚Äù but generally at a lower cadence than when you are on the flats. Make sure as you approach the hill and start your climb that you begin to shift down.
Always shift slowly and methodically, especially if you need to shift while you are on a hill, so you can avoid getting your chain jammed between your cog set and spokes.
At times, you may need to climb a portion of a hill out of your saddle. Standing up to climb can give you a momentary break from spinning up and over a hill. Make sure before you stand up that you shift up a gear to allow yourself more leverage to climb. Make sure you have a slight forward lean, that your body is over the pedals, (not the seat) and that your hands are on top of the brake hoods. As you maneuver your way up an exceptionally steep hill, you are actually rocking your body from side to side. As your right leg presses down on the pedal, your body pushes the bike out slightly to the left in a side tilt.
DESCENDING
Learning to descend a hill quickly and efficiently is an art form. The best way to descend a hill is in the drops of your handle bars, with your fingertips gently resting on the brake hoods. As you learn how to cycle downhill, take great care to stay within your comfort zone and ability level. If you need to hit the brakes to slow yourself down, make sure to gently fan both brakes, never apply only one set of brakes.
As you head into a corner or turn, make sure that your outside leg(outside to the turn) is fully extended and that you are pushing your weight down onto the outside of the pedal. The inside leg should be knee up to avoid catching the pedal on the pavement. As you press your weight onto the outside of the pedal note that you are also gently pushing down on the outside of the handlebars to control the bike and to help it lean into the turn. Shift your body weight to the outside leg.

www.drkatahdin.com

It is especially important for endurance athletes to adopt a whole foods, varied and healthy diet. Your body is regularly pushed beyond normal limits, and you have high expectations for both strength and speed. Short bursts of energy are easier to come by than the energy required for hours of training for distance events. It is essential that you take your health seriously and give your body what it needs in order to ask, in turn, for your two hour run on Sunday morning.

Carbohydrates:

• Stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen
• Glycogen is readily available for use as energy for exercise
• High glycemic index carbohydrates are simple sugars, useful immediately before, during and sometimes following exertion to establish and maintain muscle glycogen
• Low glycemic index carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and should be consumed as part of your normal daily diet
• In general, a serving of carbohydrate should be about the size of your fist but round up during periods of intense training

Glycogen is broken down into glucose for energy, but your stores are limited. If you exercise more than once in a 24 hour period you must replenish immediately after exercise to be able to sustain the next bout of work without depleting lean muscle mass. If you work out just once per day, your daily intake of complex carbohydrates will be adequate to replenish what was used in training.

Without adequate daily carbohydrates, athletes will suffer from excessive fatigue, sluggishness, sensation of heavy legs and an inability to maintain normal training intensity. I‚Äôve seen athletes literally crash from low-carb diets to the point that they were unable to exercise at all for weeks at a time. Don‚Äôt do that to yourself, respect your body’s needs.

Choose from a wide variety of whole grains such as quinoa, spelt, millet, barley, brown rice and amaranth. We have a tendency in the US to eat most of our carbohydrates as wheat and potatoes, which lead to food sensitivity and blood sugar imbalance respectively. Switch to sprouted breads, crackers made from rice and simple, nutrient dense superfoods like quinoa and barley.

Protein:

• Only 5-10% contribution to energy production
• Greater demand with long duration and depletion of carbohydrate stores
• Necessary to repair tissue damage that is a normal part of exercise
• Crucial for blood sugar regulation, body composition and general health
• General rule: About 1 gram protein per 3 grams carbohydrate

Variety is crucial, be experimental and broaden your palate horizons. Nuts, soynuts and string cheese travel well. Rotate between fish, poultry, meat, beans, some dairy and soy. It is very important to choose organic, hormone-free versions of meats and fish that are wild-caught and as free of heavy metal toxicity as possible. Do not eat fish more than three times per week. Avoid fried foods. Dairy such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and Kefir should be organic.

Fats:

• The potential energy of fat is more than twice that of carbohydrate or protein, but the body doesn’t choose to use it right away
• Fat supplies up to 70% of the energy you need for moderate intensity exercise lasting 4-6 hours
• Be very clear about the distinction between good and bad fats: Saturated fats should be kept under control, but Essential Fatty Acids should be consumed in abundance

Best for cooking are butter (in small amounts), extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Only butter should be used when you are heating above medium heat as most oils break down at those temperatures. At all costs avoid trans fats and hydrogenated oils by avoiding processed and fried foods in general.

I recommend daily supplementation of Essential Fatty Acids for most of my patients. You want an oil that contains both EPA and DHA and is monitored for heavy metal toxicity and it should be kept refrigerated after opening.

Hydration:

• Necessary to maintain adequate blood volume in order to sustain cardiovascular health and overall physical function
• Regulation of body temperature
• Compensation for fluids lost as perspiration during exercise
• Prolonged physical activity, particularly in heat, can lead to a loss of up to 3 litres/hour
• During exercise, thirst is an unreliable indicator of hydration status, so drink whether you feel like it or not if you exercise for more than an hour
• Heavy sweaters must drink more than average sweaters
•  As little as 1-2% decrease in body weight fvrom fluid loss can compensate your athletic ability

To monitor: Measure weight before and after activity, be sure that urine is always clear and frequent

There are many electrolyte and glucose products marketed to athletes. Please be aware that the more glucose a drink contains, the slower it is absorbed from your stomach and into your bloodstream. Use sugary drinks for sugar when you need carbohydrates to maintain your energy or replenish muscle glycogen, but avoid them at all other times and always consume them with plenty of water.

Contrary to popular belief, sodium is the only electrolyte you need to replace with an electrolyte formula. The others are easily replaced within 24 hours of a normal diet, including potassium. Consider salt tablets or low-carb electrolyte replacement products.

If you are exercising an hour or less at a time, water is all you need.

Certainly, athletes have to train hard to perform at their best, and in the case of triathletes, train for not only one but three events: swimming, cycling, and running. However, physical preparedness alone is a significant, yet small part of what makes a successful athlete. The rest is mental.

Many beginning athletes don’t see much value in mental training, viewing it as something reserved for elite or Olympic athletes. They naturally concentrate only on finishing the workouts their coach has assigned. Mental preparation is an afterthought, something to do the night before a triathlon, when pre-race jitters keep them from sleeping. In setting aside mental preparation, beginning athletes miss a great opportunity to not only race their best, but also to make their training more enjoyable.

Athletes, new and experienced, face three challenges: Nervousness, doubt, and limitations. Mental prep addresses all three of these using scientifically proven methods and techniques. The result is that athletes can train and compete in a much more relaxed, fluid, and confident manner ‚ qualities that form the cornerstone of athletic peak performance.

Nervousness is our body’s natural response to the unknown. Part of the flight or fight  response, nervousness (physiologically the result of our body’s release of adrenalin) prepares us for situations that we believe will require excessive strength and energy. Because triathlons are a test of physical endurance, a certain amount of nervousness is appropriate and even necessary. (You wouldn’t want to be so calm during a triathlon that you dozed-off during the bike leg!). But too much nervousness or agitation can destroy our performance. Mental prep provides a way to modulate nervousness by addressing the core cause of the anxiety our beliefs. Mental prep allows us to replace old thoughts with new, to replace scary stories (that triathlon is so hard, people have to crawl across the finish) with new confident stories (I’ve trained so hard that finishing the triathlon will be a breeze). It provides tools like relaxation scripts and tapes, deep breathing exercises, and guided visualizations to help athletes learn to release excess muscle tension that results from feeling nervous. Mental prep allows athletes to make anxiety their ally not their enemy.

Doubt stems from our psyches inability to predict the future. Most people cannot tolerate much uncertainty. We’d rather know what the future holds for us, even if we have to make it up! For many, it is more comfortable to live with a story of future failure, than to live with no story at all!

How we write the story of our future performance has much to do with our general perspective on life. Those that have more optimistic outlooks will generally predict success. Others that have experienced past failures (or been led to believe that they have failed) will often predict more failure. Childhood experiences of learned helplessness, of being constantly criticized, or of not being encouraged or recognized for things done well, can shape our ability to envision success. Mental preparation teaches athletes (and others) to cultivate optimism. Using mental prep tools like Powertalk statements, we can reprogram our minds and create a positive mindset.

Limitations are an outgrowth of doubt and shortsightedness. Instead of seeing ourselves as powerful, capable, and expansive, we see ourselves as weak, unable, and limited. Limitations are often the result of selective memory ‚we remember our failures more than our successes, the things we haven’t mastered more than the things we have, what we believe we can’t do more than the things we know we can. Mental preparation provides us with tools for expanding our thinking. Using guided visualization we can imagine how it what it would look like, sound like, and feel like to be swimming, riding, and running without self-imposed limitations. Through this process of visualization, our body experiences (and remembers) that limitless state. We can then use this visualization to recall those feelings when we compete or when we find ourselves slipping back into limited thinking.

Will mental prep training work for you? Put it to the test. Try recognizing that anxiety is a natural part of preparing for any athletic challenge. Practice channeling anxiety in positive ways; try reframing anxiety as excitement. Experiment with relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga or meditation. Become aware of when you are telling yourself scary stories and replace them with positive affirmations. Explore the origins of any doubts that arise before, during and after workouts and races. Remind yourself that you cannot predict the future. You have no idea what a particular workout will feel like or what a race will feel like until you do them. Remind yourself that regardless of how you feel during the swim leg of a triathlon, you have no certain way of knowing how you are going to feel on the bike or the run. Pay attention to self-limiting thoughts and beliefs. Visualize success.

Try these mental preparation techniques for a month and no doubt you will see your performance improve. Improvement may manifest in many ways: more enthusiasm about training, more enjoyable workouts, and even faster race times.

Or course, mental prep takes time and practice. Don’t give up if you at first find the suggestions I’ve made difficult or frustrating. You mind is like any muscle in your body  it needs to be developed. The more you work it the stronger it gets.

Is mental prep for you? If you’re someone who wants to train (and live) with less anxiety, less doubt, and more optimism and confidence, the answer is yes.

© 2005 Craig Kain, Ph.D
Think. See. Succeed.
Craig Kain, Ph.D. _ 3416 E. Broadway, Suite A, Long Beach, CA 90803
phone 562.987.1766 _ email craig@sportsminded.us

  ]]> http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/lower-intensity-laser-treatment-for-plantar-faciitis/feed/ 0 http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/vitamin-power/ http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/vitamin-power/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:21:20 +0000 Kelly http://www.tridivas.com/?p=191

You don’t need to take a lot of pills to get health benefits from these star nutrients: instead, load up your grocery cart.We owe Ruth Wakefield. Big time. Legend has it in the early 1930s Wakefield, then owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, was baking a batch of her popular chocolate cookies. When she ran out of cocoa, she decided to use broken pieces of chocolate instead. And America’s favorite cookie was born. Unfortunately those melt-in-your-mouth goodies aren’t often good for your heart or hips. By the time you mix in the butter, sugar, chocolate and white flour, the calories have added up faster than snowflakes in a blizzard. But don’t despair. With the help of Marjorie Livingston, a dietitian and assistant professor with The Culinary Institute of America, and Alina Eisenhauer, a pastry chef and owner of Sturbridge Baking Company in Massachusetts, we’ve given a few traditional cookies a makeover, cutting fat not taste. Here’s how to indulge without the bulge. Cookie Makeover Most cookies contain similar nutritional bad guys. Follow these tips to replace the gut-busters with healthy substitutes. Butter As a significant source of saturated fat, butter should be reduced in cookie recipes. The best way to do this, says Livingston, is to replace half the butter with equal amounts of nutrient-rich pureed fruit such as applesauce, apple butter, prunes, apricots or pears. A bonus is that you have a cookie with more soluble fiber, which can reduce cholesterol levels she says. To make your own fruit puree, cut one cup of dried fruit, add to one cup of water and cook over medium-low heat until the fruit is soft. Then puree the fruit in a food processor until smooth. Baby food fruit works well too, says Eisenhauer. Low-fat plain yogurt holds moisture and can be a suitable fat substitute, as can grated vegetables such as carrots, beets or zucchini. But remember: Keep at least 25 to 50 percent of the fat such as butter or margarine for flavor, volume and texture says Livingston. Sugar Devoid of nutrients: sugar is a big nutritional dud. Livingston says you can cut the sugar in most traditional recipes by one third without a noticeable effect. And the fruit you use to sack the fat adds desirable sweetness. Consider using turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar. It’s less processed with no chemical bleaching, says Livingston. Egg:  To further slash fat, two egg whites can be used for every one egg. But Livingston recommends using at least one whole egg so the dough binds better and the cookies hold their form. Flour:  Although you will end up with a heavier cookie, you can replace half the white flour with whole wheat flour, says Livingston. Also,try subbing a quarter of the total flour with ground flaxseed. Doing this will boost fiber and heart-healthy omega-3 levels. Healthy oats can also replace a fourth of the flour, but be sure to use the quick-cooking or old-fashioned versions. Instant oats tend to make the batter sticky. Keep in mind, tweaking a cookie recipe can be hit-or-miss at first. If you try a recipe and it doesn’t work, give it a shot again with different combinations, says Eisenhauer.Chocolate:  If cookies could speak, they would say, Chocolate chips, you complete me. But consider cutting the amount of these fat-loaded treats, and opt for lower-sugar dark chocolate. Dark chips have more flavonoids, which can reduce blood pressure levels, says Livingston. Borrow from Ruth Wakefield and swap a tablespoon or two of lower-fat cocoa powder with chocolate chips, and you’ll end up with richly flavored chocolate/chocolate chip cookies. Salt: Skip it. Cookies don’t require salt, says Livingston. Add-ons: Don’t be shy, toss in some cargo with nutritional guts. Walnuts, macadamia nuts and pecans work superbly in all sorts of cookies and impart good-for-you fat along with a host of vitamins and minerals. Why not add a dollop or two of your favorite nut butter? Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg add calorie-free gusto.  Mix in dried cranberries and you end up with a cookie that is more antioxidant-rich, recommends Livingston. Raisins, dried blueberries or cherries also add flavor, texture and nutritional zing. Good-for-You Cookies.  You won’t miss the fat with these delicious, healthy treats. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies 1 _ cup canned pumpkin 1 whole egg 2 egg whites _ cup brown sugar _ cup all-purpose flour _ cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon _ tsp nutmeg _ tsp ground cloves 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup raisins or other dried fruit Preheat oven to 325 F. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, egg and egg whites. In a separate large bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oats and raisins. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and mix. Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet, two inches apart, and flatten gently. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Nutrition per cookie: 139 calories, 0.5 grams fat (0 grams saturated), 29 grams carbohydrates, 4.5 grams protein, 2.5 grams fiber Honey Pistachio Biscotti 1 _ cups all-purpose flour 1 _ cups of whole wheat pastry flour 1 _ tsp baking powder _ tsp salt _ cup sugar 2 tbsp honey 2 large eggs _ cup olive oil 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat together sugar, honey, eggs, oil, zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix to make a dough. Stir in pistachios. On a floured work surface, knead dough for about two minutes and shape into a log about 10 inches long and three inches wide. Bake log on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 10 more minutes. Turn the biscotti over and bake five to 10 minutes longer until golden. Let cool on a wire rack. Nutrition per cookie: 190 calories, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 25 grams carbohydrates, 4.5 grams protein, 2 grams fiber Matthew Kadey is a Canadian-based dietitian, writer and photographer. Visit him at mattkadey.com. Through inspiring stories about real women of all ages and abilities and practical guidance on training, health and nutrition, Her Sports + Fitness motivates women to achieve their fitness goals and stay active for life. Don’t forget to sign up for our free e-newsletter at “http://www.hersports.com/hersports.co

  ]]> http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/vitamin-power/feed/ 0 http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/top-breakthroughs-in-womens-health/ http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/top-breakthroughs-in-womens-health/#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:21:12 +0000 Kelly http://www.tridivas.com/?p=189

Learn the impact these life-saving medical advances may have on you and your loved ones.In today’s connected world, messages about our health are everywhere: the Web, emails, podcasts, magazines, television. But the news can be confusing, as one study reported today is often contradicted by another one two months later. You can drive yourself crazy trying to keep it all straight. We’ve sorted through the studies and developments in women’s health this year and taken the notes for you. Here are the top breakthroughs you should know about. Heart Disease Prevention A woman is more likely to know her high school weight than her current cholesterol numbers, reports a 2007 survey conducted by the Society for Women’s Health Research. And this lack of knowledge is deadly: One in 2.6 female deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease, the number 1 killer of women in America compared with one in 30 from breast cancer. And according to the American Heart Association (AHA), only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat. Most women don’t understand that heart disease is something that affects them, says Dr. Jennifer Wider, medical advisor for the Society of Women’s Health Research. To address this problem, in February the AHA released new guidelines for preventing cardiovascular disease. Here are a few highlights. If you need to lose weight or sustain weight loss, exercise at least 60 to 90 minutes on most‚preferably all days of the week. For those who aren’t trying to lose weight, 30 minutes a day will suffice. Make saturated fat less than 7 percent of your daily caloric intake. Eat oily fish, such as salmon, trout and mackerel, at least twice a week. Don’t use folic acid or antioxidant supplements to try to prevent heart disease, as there’s no evidence they work. What you need to know There’s no time like the present‚ according to the AHA, women 20 and older should talk to their doctors about their risk of heart disease.  We have the chance to learn what our mothers did’t know says Beth Battaglino, R.N. and executive vice president of the National Women’s Health Research Center. The first step: Know your numbers. The AHA recommends that every woman find out the following: total cholesterol, LDL  cholesterol, HDL  cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, body mass index (BMI), waist measurement and blood pressure (120/80 is considered a normal reading). Shoot for total cholesterol of less than 200 mg, and HDL cholesterol above 50 mg. For more recommendations, visit americanheart.org and goredforwomen.org. The HPV Vaccine In 2006 the FDA licensed Gardasil, the first vaccine known to protect against some strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. and cause of cervical cancer and genital warts. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, studies reveal that at least 80 percent of women will test positive for HPV by age 50. The release of Gardasil ends what The New York Times called a 70-year hunt for an HPV vaccine. It protects against four HPV strains, two of which are responsible for an estimated 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and two that are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts. By mimicking the disease with proteins grown from the outer shell of the virus, the vaccine essentially jumpstarts your immune system to produce antibodies that can successfully fight off the HPV strains. Despite its ability to battle cervical cancer, the new drug has sparked controversy. Licensed for use on females age 9 to 26, the vaccine concerns some groups because they believe it might encourage young girls to be sexually active. And officials continue to debate whether the HPV vaccine should be mandatory. In January of 2007, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommended that girls ages 11 to 12 be routinely vaccinated against HPV to help protect against cervical cancer and prevent genital warts. What you need to know The HPV vaccine is most effective if given before a woman becomes sexually active. However, some women ages 19 to 26 may benefit. Even if they have been exposed to some types of HPV, it is unlikely they have been exposed to all four types the virus protects against. The FDA warns that the vaccine will not treat or cure HPV and cautions that the length of the immunity is not yet known. In addition, all women need to continue to get routine pap smears. This vaccine will not replace other prevention strategies, such as cervical cancer screening for women or protective sexual behaviors, says Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Women should continue to get pap tests as a safeguard against cervical cancer. New Breast Cancer Screening Tool In March the American Cancer Society issued its first recommendation for the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen women at a very high risk (20 to 25 percent or greater) of developing breast cancer. Although your risk level can only be accurately assessed by your doctor, very high risk indicators include having one first-degree relative (a mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer‚ which approximately doubles your risk or if you have two or more relatives with breast or ovarian cancer. With the ability to examine tissue in extraordinary detail, MRI has the potential to diagnose high-risk women in earlier stages of cancer than mammography alone. However, it’s important that all women continue to get regular mammograms. No single technology is perfect, says Dr. Cheryl Perkins, senior clinical advisor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It is the combined use of screening options available today that will result in the best chance of early detection. What you need to know Talk to your doctor about your risk profile. You don’t need MRI screening if you are not in the high-risk category. For the average woman, mammography is still the gold standard, says Perkins. In fact, an MRI is so sensitive that it can lead to false-positive results. Those false positives, which can lead to a high number of avoidable biopsies, can create anxiety and adverse health effects, making it imperative to carefully select the women who should be screened using this technology, says Dr. Christy A. Russell, co-director of the University of Southern California/Norris Cancer Hospital Lee Breast Center. If your doctor determines you are a candidate, be sure to seek proper screening. Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., and director of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Center at ACS, says women should get their MRI in a facility that has breast MRI equipment, as well as the ability to perform an MRI-guided biopsy. New Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs The deadliest of all reproductive cancers and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women, ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in an estimated 22,000 women this year, according to the Women’s Cancer Network. And with no screening tool for the disease, early detection is particularly difficult. In June The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Cancer Society announced official warning signs for ovarian cancer. It isn’t a silent killer, says Sherry Salway Black, executive director of The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. We know that when women are diagnosed in Stage I of the disease, it is 90 percent curable, says Dr. Barbara Goff, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, until now there has been no agreement on common symptoms, allowing women to go undiagnosed, despite visits to the doctor, until it was too late. What you need to know Researchers identified the following symptoms as possible warning signs of ovarian cancer: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary problems (urgency or frequency). At first glance these symptoms may be perplexing as most women experience these common ailments at some point in their lives. However, the important thing to do is keep track of the frequency and severity of episodes. Consult your gynecologist about your symptoms if they are recent onsets, they are frequent, they get progressively worse, and you have them for more than two weeks of a month, says Salway Black. The bottom line: Know your own body. Jeana Durst is the Senior Editor of Her Sports + Fitness. Through inspiring stories about real women of all ages and abilities and practical guidance on training, health and nutrition, Her Sports + Fitness motivates women to achieve their fitness goals and stay active for life. Don’t forget to sign up for our free e-newsletter on hersports.com.

  ]]> http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/top-breakthroughs-in-womens-health/feed/ 0 http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/not-milk/ http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/not-milk/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2012 04:21:35 +0000 Kelly http://www.tridivas.com/?p=187

Whether you‚re looking for a solution to lactose intolerance, fretting over the carbon footprint of big dairy farming or just want a little variety, you are in luck. The options in the faux milk section seem to grow daily. You can now sport a white mustache that comes from almonds, oats and even hemp. But with confusing terminology adorning the cartons and popular misconceptions about some products health benefits, choosing the milk alternative that is best for you can make training for a marathon seem simple. Use this guide to maximize your buying power: learn what to look for on a label and how these drinks stack up on taste and nutrition.By Matthew G. Kadey, M.S., R.D. Courtesy of Her Sports + Fitness magazine Label Savvy In health circles, few plant-based foods have garnered a better rep than soy. But if you think any soy drink is the ticket to a better you, it’s time for a reality check. Soy and other milk alternatives can be loaded with sugar and much lower in protein than regular milk, so you need to read the label carefully. Follow these tips to make the healthiest selection. Choose a milk look-alike If you are using these beverages as a replacement for traditional milk, it’s best they resemble it nutritionally, says Tara Gidus, M.S., R.D., an Orlando-based sports dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. To do this, she advises you find one with a respectable amount of protein‚ nonfat milk rings in at eight grams per cup. (Soy and hemp beverages put in the best performance when it comes to this macronutrient.) Most nutritionists also stress that you should only put brands in your shopping cart that bear the label fortified. This means minerals such as calcium and vitamins A, B12 and D have been added to the product. Scan the nutrition facts and look for at least 30 percent of the daily value for calcium, says Gidus. Take a close look at the vitamin D content as well. Vitamin D, found in few foods, improves calcium absorption, and, according to an increasing number of new studies, can reduce cancer risk. Why are non-milk drinkers being shortchanged? Vitamin D3 is animal-derived, so in order to create vegan-friendly drinks, plant-derived D2 is employed. If you drink only non-milk products and don’t eat other dairy, you may need to take a daily vitamin D supplement to make up the difference. However, Gidus notes that some consumers aren’t looking for a milk look-alike. If you just want a beverage to enjoy and are getting nutrients found in milk elsewhere, make your selection based on taste. Watch out for sugar A glass of milk harbors roughly 12 grams of natural sugar in the form of lactose. Flavored milk-alternative drinks can contain more than 20 grams of sugar per cup. So do your waistline a favor and consider sugar amounts closely. If sweeteners such as cane juice or brown rice syrup are one of the first ingredients, expect a fairly good dose of the sweet stuff, says Anne VanBeber, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition professor at Texas Christian University. Labels that say original or unsweetened often have less sugar than chocolate and vanilla versions which, depending on the brand, can be tantamount to liquid syrup. In fact, some unflavored versions have less sugar than cows milk. Don’t avoid good-for-you fat Almost all the fat in soy and other milk alternatives is heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Milk contains mostly undesirable saturated fat, says VanBeber. So don’t worry if the drink isn’t labeled low-fat‚ and focus on the unsaturated fat values. Go green If you are looking to turn over a greener leaf, opt for organic non-dairy beverages. Doing so will mean your plant-based milk is produced without any genetically modified ingredients or dangerous chemicals. (Take note: Much of North America’s soy is subjected to science.) This will be an environmental choice, as there is not much difference nutritionally between organic and regular says Gidus. White Wash Not all non-dairy drinks are created equal. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Here is how the big five compare. Soy Taste Test: New processing techniques have vastly improved the taste of soy milk (thank goodness). But like high quality chocolate, each brand has its own unique taste. Shop around until you find one that pleases your palate. A good soy drink will have a thicker, richer texture than milk. Brownie Points: There is data indicating that soy’s isoflavones can help fight off heart disease and some cancers,says Gidus. Replacing cow for bean in your smoothie may also reduce your LDL cholesterol a few points. And, because soybeans are a natural source of iron, soy milk contains this important mineral that active women are commonly deficient in. (Cow’s milk has no iron.) Soy milk also has the most protein of any non-dairy beverage. This makes it a good choice post-exercise when muscles need protein to repair and get stronger, says Gidus. Turning Sour: Soy contains phytoestrogens, a plant-based compound that scientists think may help prevent some cancers. But there iss debate in the research community about the potentially negative effects of consuming too much. A few cups of soy milk a day should pose little risk, says VanBeber. If you are worried, stick to the recommended amount of 25 grams per day. Also, much like the lactose present in milk, soy has its own tummy disturber: non-digestible carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. As these substances are broken down by bacteria in the gut, stomach discomfort can occur in some people. Soy milk may also curdle at higher temperatures making cooking a trickier undertaking. What to try: Whole Foods 365 Organic Original Fortified Soy Beverage (wholefoodsmarket.com) Per cup: 90 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 6 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate (6 grams sugar) Silk Soymilk Plus Omega-3 DHA (silksoymilkplus.com) Per cup: 110 calories, 5 grams fat, 7 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrate (6 grams sugar) Rice Taste Test: Its mildly sweet taste and smooth texture continue to make rice milk a popular non-dairy option. Brownie Points: Rice is considered one of the least allergenic foods and its milk is free of lactose, so it’s a godsend for milk lovers with dairy allergies. Turning Sour: Apart from the added vitamins and minerals, Gidus says, rice milk does not offer many nutritional highlights, and has a less than impressive amount of protein. Rice milk also contains more sugar than soy milk. What to try: Rice Dream Enriched Original (tastethedream.com) Per cup: 120 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 1 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate (10 grams sugar) Almond Taste Test: Made from ground almonds and filtered water, almond milk has a creamy consistency similar to soy milk and a slight nutty taste that works well in smoothies. Brownie points: Typically lower in calories than its competitors, the almonds provide vitamin E, calcium and desirable unsaturated fat, says VanBeber. Since it doesn’t curdle at high temperatures, almond milk can replace cow’s milk in most recipes. Turning sour: Like rice milk, this one isn’t a protein heavyweight. Choose an unsweetened version to keep sugar in check. What to try: Almond Breeze Unsweetened Chocolate (bluediamond.com) Per cup: 45 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 2 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrate (0 grams sugar) Pacific Foods Unsweetened Vanilla (pacificfoods.com) Per cup: 45 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrate (0 grams sugar) Oat Taste test: Oat milk has a slightly sweet taste and light consistency, which makes it a great alternative to cream. Brownie points: There’s more protein than almond or rice milk, plus a couple grams of fiber to boot. Some of this is the soluble fiber found in oats, which may reduce cholesterol levels, says Gidus. Turning Sour: Similar to rice milk, oat milk contains a relatively high amount of natural sugar. So those with blood sugar problems will want to err on the side of caution when it comes to portions. What to try: Pacific Foods Plain (pacificfoods.com) Per cup: 130 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrate (19 grams sugar) Hemp Taste test: Rich and creamy with an unmistakable nutty flavor, hemp milk entered the market in 2006. Make sure to give it a good shake before pouring. Brownie points: Made from shelled hempseeds, hemp milk has a high naturally occurring omega fat content, which helps maintain a healthy heart, sharp mind and strong bones. It’s also one of the few dietary sources of a fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which may help ward off inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer‚ arthritis and heart disease. This far-out milk is also free of allergens such as lactose, gluten and oligosaccharides and contains respectable amounts of high-quality protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamin E. Turning sour: If you’re looking for a milk-like experience, hemp could be a disappointment because of its unique and distinctive flavor. What to try: Manitoba Harvest Original HempBliss (manitobaharvest.com) Per cup: 110 calories, 7 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate (6 grams sugar) Living Harvest Original Hempmilk (livingharvest.com) Per cup: 130 calories, 3 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate (15 grams sugar) Matthew Kadey is a Canada-based dietitian, freelance writer and photographer (mattkadey.com). Through inspiring stories about real women of all ages and abilities and practical guidance on training, health and nutrition, Her Sports + Fitness magazine (http://www.hersports.com) motivates women to achieve their fitness goals and stay active for life. Don‚Äôt forget to sign up for our free e-newsletter on www.hersports.com.

  ]]> http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/not-milk/feed/ 0 http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/working-out-to-lose-weight/ http://www.tridivas.com/lounge/working-out-to-lose-weight/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:21:54 +0000 Kelly http://www.tridivas.com/?p=275 Evie Katahdin, ND, MSOM, LAc
www.drkatahdin.com

Many athletes both male and female come to my office in frustration because they started rigorous exercise routines in order to lose weight, but then they end up gaining 10 pounds in the process of training for that marathon.

There are lots of simple tricks to fueling your body so that it works as a well oiled machine even under high pressure over months of training.

Eat protein with each meal
Eat 6 meals per day
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Get high quality nutrients from your carbohydrates by making educated choices
Do not starve yourself
Make the calories you consume count
Don’t think that because you are training you can eat whatever you want

Marathon and Triathlon training are not good times to focus on the bathroom scale, and they are certainly not times to cut calories. You are setting yourself up for disaster if you starve while you push yourself athletically. Athletic ability is very sensitive to fuel deficiencies: You feel weak, slow and heavy very quickly if you haven’t eaten enough. Runners trying to lose weight are slower and less efficient if they don’t eat 60-70% carbohydrates while undergoing intense training.

You can eat and still create a negative energy balance, but you have to be smart about it with intentional meal planning. Get 40-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during workout if you are active for more than one hour at a time.

Muscle really does weigh more than fat. You will notice that your clothes fit better, you lose inches even if you are gaining weight because muscle is more dense than fat. If you are doing resistance training (essential for everyone) make sure you have a routine that is appropriate for your goals‚some people get the results they want more effectively with pilates than they do with traditional weight training.

If you are still frustrated with body composition issues, it’s always a good idea to see a Naturopathic Doctor for a basic laboratory assessment of your metabolism to be sure there are no underlying problems.