Obesity Can't Be Ignored

ARE YOU THE CAUSE OF YOUR CHILD’S OBESITY AND POOR HEALTH

The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese. From 1980 to 2008, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6 to 11 years tripled from 6.5% to 19.6%. The prevalence of obesity in teenagers more than tripled from 5% to 18.1% in the same time frame. Why is this happening?

What causes obesity
The causes of obesity are complex and include a number of genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors. To simplify things, obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body metabolizes. If one parent is obese, there is a 50% chance that the children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80% chance of being obese. Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1% of all obesity is caused by physical problems. Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:

• poor eating habits
• overeating or binging
• lack of exercise
• family history of obesity
• medical illnesses (less than 1%)
• certain medications
• stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, deaths, abuse)
• family and peer problems
• low self-esteem
• depression or other emotional problems

What are risks and complications of obesity?
There are many risks and complications associated with obesity. Some of the physical consequences include:

• increased risk of heart disease
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• breathing problems
• trouble sleeping

We see it every day, on the news, in magazine and newspaper articles, there are countless informational sources that bring this problem into the spot-light. It is a national problem, and as we are now beginning to realize, obesity is not limited to the older sedentary population, the overworked middle-age population, and isn’t limited to a specific group of the adolescent population. It has become a national epidemic.

The question of how did we get here, is one that is asked often, but rarely answered. How did we go from being one of the most physically fit nations in the world, to wasting away due to fat related illness and disease?

Over the last 30 years, food nutritionists and the food industry as a whole have embraced the idea that we need to lower our fat intake. This was a direct result of the information published by the governmental agencies and so called “experts” that claimed if we ate foods that were fat free, we couldn’t get fat, a statement that couldn’t be further from the truth. As individuals began to jump on the “fat free” band-wagon, doctors came to the conclusion that fat was the contributing factor in cholesterol related problems. The logical conclusion then became; fat must be bad for you. This led to an entire generation being raised and taught to believe that foods that were considered “fat-free” were healthy. This generation grew up believing that fat was what made us fat, clogged our arteries, and generally caused ill-health. The store shelves were stocked with processed foods with Fat Free labels, and individuals thought they were making correct food choices in an attempt to be “healthy”.

What really happened however, carbohydrates were added to foods in massive quantities to make up for the loss in taste that occurred when the fat removed, because in many instances, fat is what gives many of our foods their delicious taste. When you remove the fat, the taste must be artificially injected into the food; the end result is a food that is higher in carbohydrate content, but lower in fat. We now had store shelves stocked with processed foods with labels displaying the fact that they were “fat free” without mentioning the fact that level of carbohydrates in those very foods were astronomically high. Lowered fat was touted as the “magic pill” that would create a population of slim, trim, healthy people; an idea that couldn’t have been further from the truth. As it turns out, healthy fats are a necessary part of our metabolic processes, and something that is needed in order to properly utilize many of the vitamins and nutrients we consume on a daily basis.

It is estimated that within the next 8-10 years, more than 75% of our population will be considered obese. Now, we have an entire generation of individuals, who have because of their high carbohydrate food choices, have become a nation of obese adults. Never before has a nation recorded the kind of obesity problems this nation is currently experiencing. The problems are not just visible by looking at an individual’s outward appearance either. These individuals are experiencing low self-esteem, weight related health problems, and a whole host of emotional problems that many fail to understand.

According to the guides published by the USDA, and anyone that has even a basic knowledge of nutrition, calorie needs vary from one individual to another, one age group to another, and are also gender specific. So how do you determine what your individual needs are? There are book-store shelves, and magazine articles full of ideas on fad diets that claim they are the answer that will automatically help over-weight individuals return to full health with little to no effort. Sprinkling “magic powder” on your food, restricting calories to ridiculously low levels, and endless other ideas that are presented to take advantage of those who are desperately looking for an answer to their health problems is not going to reverse the negative trend that continues to plague our nation.

The best thing any of us can do for our health is seek the help of professionals that have the education, training, and knowledge to help you as an individual set and achieve goals that are specific to you. There is no “cookie cutter”, “one-size-fits-all” method that is going to help you get off the roller coaster of yo-yo diets that lead to frustration, discouragement, and eventually, a feeling that there is nothing that works. If we want something bad enough, we will make the time, and do what it takes to ensure nothing stands in the way of getting where we want to be.

The Myths About Carb Loading

Never "Load" Carbohydrates!

Q- “As an athlete, the majority of my coaches recommended carbohydrate loading the night before a game, is this a good idea”?

A- The thought process behind this is that by eating complex carbohydrates (that huge bowl of pasta) the night before your competition, your muscles will fill up with stored sugar (stored glucose is called glycogen). This is then supposed to provide your muscles with more fuel during your competition, allowing you to have better endurance and more energy. From the surface, it seems to make sense. However, this is why myths are created. They all look good on the surface, that’s why they have survived over the years. Once you begin to pull back some layers and dig a little deeper, the holes begin to appear.

There are three reasons why you should NEVER carbohydrate load before a competition:

FACT 1 - Your body does not store glucose (glycogen) very efficiently.

Your body is a “feed as it goes machine.” The only thing your body is efficient at storing is fat, because it provides so much energy. Your body stores glucose primarily in two places: your liver and your skeletal muscle (the muscle you use during physical activity).  At best, your liver can store about 100-120 grams of glucose. That’s only 400-480 calories (4 calories per gram of glucose)! This is crucial to understand because the glucose stored in your liver is your body’s source of blood sugar. When your blood sugar drops, your liver releases glucose into your blood to keep your blood sugar stable. When your liver runs out of glucose, it begins to convert amino acids (muscle) into sugar. This is how low blood sugar triggers your body to consume its muscle. Your skeletal muscles can store more glucose then your liver, however when you carbohydrate load, you spike your blood sugar. This causes your body to store fat as well as the glucose in your muscles. Whenever there is an excess of glucose in your body, most likely some of it will be stored as fat. In addition, anytime you spike your blood sugar, you create unstable blood sugar levels. This goes against the purpose of having a solid Body Confidence Structure. Your Structure is designed to maintain stable blood sugar. Storing fat and having unstable blood sugar is not how you improve your performance.

FACT 2 - The stored sugar (glycogen) in your skeletal muscle cannot be used as blood sugar.

This philosophy also came into being because people always thought that all the stored glucose in your muscle could be utilized by your body for energy. There’s one big problem with this: it’s impossible. Your skeletal muscle lacks the enzyme glucose-6 phosphatase. Without this enzyme, your skeletal muscle cannot provide the rest of your body with glucose. The stored sugar in your skeletal muscle can ONLY be used by that muscle. Each sport utilizes some muscles more than others, which means that once you’re more active muscles run out of stored sugar, they have no more fuel. These muscles now become reliant on your liver for energy.  Most likely, if your muscles are out of fuel, your liver is out of its stored glucose. This then triggers your liver to begin converting amino acids (muscle) into sugar in order to provide your muscles with fuel. This entire process will negatively affect your performance.

FACT 3 - You will experience energy drops during competition

If you take the information in Fact's 1 & 2, you end up with the formula for internal chaos, which will cause you to have energy crashes during your competition because the lack of available glucose in your body, naturally triggering low blood sugar. Low blood sugar is always accompanied with low energy. In addition, carbohydrate loading the night before will ensure that you begin your competition with unstable blood sugar. This will also cause energy challenges throughout the duration of the event you’re participating in.

 All 3 facts clearly show why you should never carbohydrate load. It can only hinder your performance. The fact is, your body needs to be fed consistently before, during, and after competition. Approaching your nutrition like this will take your performance to a higher level,  and give you a competitive edge over those that are still using this outdated principle.

Find Your Why

Have you ever heard someone say, "I know what I’m supposed to do to be healthy, I’m just not doing it", maybe you’re even saying it to yourself. As the obesity epidemic continues to rise at alarming rates, there are literally thousands of people saying that exact phrase each and every day. If we know what we need to do, concepts that are honestly quite simple, then why isn’t change taking place? A well-known quote that is used by many on a daily basis when referring to change says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”. We use this logic in everyday life, so why, when it comes to fitness, do we fail to understand that the concept is the same? The truth is, if you want to change, and move in a different direction than you’re currently headed in with any degree of success, there has to be a reason, or as I refer to it, “finding your why”.

When I work with clients, my goal is always to create a system, or mind-set, that will provide the opportunity for that individual to learn how to make their Health a Priority. I don’t show people how to use “fad diets” to quickly lose a bunch of scale weight they'll regain as soon as they start eating again. Instead, I use methods to teach individuals how to incorporate change that will last much longer than the 3-4 months they are working with me, that way, the changes will become a permanent part of their lives.

Know Your Why

Spending time in the gym, and eating foods that not only fuel your body, but also give it the nourishment it needs are huge parts of any healthy lifestyle, but before any of that begins, there is a step that determines whether or not you’ll reach your fitness goals, whether or not you'll find the success you're looking for, and that’s finding "your why.” Once you discover the reason you want to change, it will be the driving force that motivates you, it will help you remain consistent, and will help you through the days when it is so much easier to pull up to the drive-through window at a fast food restaurant, then it is to go home, and prepare the meal you have planned for the day. Everything we do has a cost and a payoff, risk or reward, and “your why" must be strong enough, it must mean something to you personally in order to keep you focused on your goals, and help you stay on track as you move through moments of difficulty. It is not easy, there will be struggles, and there is a cost to living a healthier life, but the benefits far out-weigh the cost.

Today is the perfect day to start. Why put off until tomorrow, what you can accomplish today? Regardless of your reason, whether you want to get your “pre-baby” body back, or you're trying to turn that party-ball you’ve been carrying around back into a six-pack, or in some cases, you have health problems and your life depends on it, find “your why”, and make the changes. We all have busy lives, it’s time to set aside some of the things that aren’t quite as important, and make time for your health.

You Can't Spot Reduce Body Fat

I have recently been asked by a number of individuals which of the belly fat reducing gadgets, and diet pills that are flooding the market are best for getting rid of the stubborn body fat that can be extremely difficult to lose; my answer, NONE of them. It is not possible to do an exercise that will “spot reduce” body fat, no matter where it is on the body. You can do 1,000 crunches a day, but you will not see your abs until you eat properly, without a proper diet, you will never uncover the muscle that is hidden underneath your stored body fat. There is a fairly popular saying that is absolutely true; “abs are made in the kitchen.”

It is extremely frustrating to see the claims made by diet pill companies that claim a nice six-pack can be obtained by taking the “magic pill” they’ve created. You can take a boat load of cortisol, or other products that claim they will raise your body’s internal temperature, creating an increase in metabolism, and before you know it, you’ll wake up one day, and your abs will be visible. It’s a nice thought, but completely un-realistic.

Even more ridiculous, are the claims made by companies stating all you have to do is attach a neoprene belt around your stomach, sit on the couch, watch TV, and within a couple weeks, once again, your abs will magically appear. Just today, I read one of the ridiculous claims made by one of these products that has made millions of dollars preying on the desperation of individuals that are confused about how to get the results they desperately want. The claim; “our device can actually give the body a Stomach Fat Workout without the wearer doing any sort of active exercise routine. Our device uses Electric Muscle Stimulation or EMS technology, a method that involves repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles through the means of tiny electric micro-currents. It is difficult to think of a more convenient way to reduce Stomach Fat than a belt that gives your abdomen a workout while you go about your daily activities, but there are EMS products that can really do this.” This claim can’t be further from the truth, and when we stop looking for the easy way out, we might actually get the permanent results we are looking for.

If being healthy and having the body of a competitive athlete was easy to get, we would not be the fattest nation in the world, and everyone would have a “nice” body. The reality is, it takes work, but then again, anything that’s worth getting is worth working for. Hit the gym, and eat healthy, you’ll be glad you did.

Personal Demons: Make Today the Day of Change

I have often been asked, both as a psychologist, and a health and fitness professional, “how do you do it, or why is something that adds so many positive benefits in life so hard to achieve?” There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, but the story that surfaced about Josh Hamilton this week shows that no one is immune to difficulties.

Josh Hamilton, a 30 year old All-Star is the perfect example of why we have to keep trying, why one day of healthy eating, one good workout, or one “good day” just isn’t enough. A temporary slip doesn’t always represent weakness, and is, in many instances, a symptom of an addict’s unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or their behavior, those moments that are the toughest for every addict to confront. Some reach that point and stop, others continually fight, claw and battle the very addiction they wish wasn’t such an enormous burden to bear. Hamilton has seen some lows, like the time he fell asleep in a ditch, whacked out on crack, all the while being immortalized in a Dead-spin photo montage. Hamilton has what some would consider to be the greatest job in the world, a newborn daughter and so many “things” that most will never even begin to understand, but that doesn’t change the fact that his addiction is real, and will eventually, probably long before it should, end his life.

We all have our own “personal demons”. Not all of them are as evident as an addiction to drugs and alcohol, but to the individual, the addiction is just as daunting. There are those that truly want to live a healthy lifestyle, those that look in the mirror every single day, and dis-like what they see staring back at them, continually making a promise to themselves that this will be the day they will make a change, but in most cases, that change never comes.

There is no reason to put it off any longer, to use the, I’m going to start my new healthy lifestyle on Monday excuse for yet another week. Start today, even if you skipped breakfast, and ate fast-food for lunch, promise yourself you will do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, and “just do it”. Putting off until later what you should be doing today, might be the very thing that keeps you from having a tomorrow.

Joe Milham

Certified Nutrition Specialist, Master Trainer, and Life Coach

Soda Pop May Be Killing You

As obesity rates continue to rise, I am continually asked, “what is one thing that can be done to reverse this trend.” A change in an individual’s diet is the obvious answer, but more specifically, there is a need for us to stop drinking empty calories that are extremely harmful to our health. Our society, as a whole, has a drinking problem, but this problem has nothing to do with alcohol, I'm referring to soft drinks. There are statistics that state the average American drinks 44.7 gallons of soda pop every year. To put that into perspective, 44.7 gallons is about what it would take to fill a kiddie pool. That’s a lot of “pop”.

Suggesting that soda pop isn't healthy is far from earth shattering information, and it’s not exactly rocket science that our “go-to” beverage of choice is the major contributing factor to our country's ever-expanding obesity problem. However, if you think excess weight is the only thing that makes soda pop such a health risk, some of the facts below will absolutely shock you, and may have you asking for a glass of water next time you sit down at a restaurant.

Shocking Soda Fact #1: Soda fattens up your organs

Recent studies reveal that drinking soda pop leads to dramatic increases in dangerous hard-to-detect fats, including liver and skeletal fat.

Shocking Soda Fact #2: Diet soda is just as bad, if not worse

Don’t think switching to diet varieties will save you from harm. Artificial sweeteners and food dyes have been linked to brain cell damage and hyperactivity, and research has shown that people who drink diet soda have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Shocking Soda Fact #3: Soda contains flame retardants

Some popular soda brands use brominated vegetable oil—a toxic flame retardant—to keep the artificial flavoring from separating from the rest of the liquid. This hazardous ingredient, sometimes listed as BVO on soda and sports drink labels can cause bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions, memory loss, as well as nerve disorders. If that’s not a good enough reason not to drink this poison, I don’t know what is.

Shocking Soda Fact #4: Drinking soda gives you the opportunity to be a lab rat

Many American soda brands are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, a heart-harming man-made compound derived mainly from genetically engineered corn. Genetically engineered ingredients have only been in our food chain since the 1990s, and we don't know their long-term health impacts because the corporations that developed the crops never had to test them for long-term safety. Case in point: Some recent findings suggest that genetically engineered crops are linked to digestive tract damage, accelerated aging, and even infertility!

If you want to look and feel better, today is the perfect day to stop drinking flame retardant, and make the switch to a nice healthy glass of ice water.

Get The Most Out Of Your Cardiovascular Workouts

Maximize Your Cardio in 4 Simple Steps

The goal for all of us is to get the most out of our exercise. In the past, many people thought just getting some cardio in, like a morning stroll with your best friend, or casually riding your bike through your neighborhood was good enough to burn body fat and get toned and tight. As an athlete/fitness and nutrition expert for the past 20 years, I’ve learned that getting the body you want takes much more than just casual cardio.

The most recent, and up-to-date research proves that using the “talk test” to measure if your cardio intensity is in the optimal range is a sure fire way to minimize your results and prevent you from taking your body to the next level.

Ok, so the big question is how should you do your cardio? I know we are all pressed for time and pulling 2 hour cardio sessions is challenging for anyone’s schedule. You see, it’s not about doing more, it’s about being better at what you do.  By simply making four minor adjustments to your cardio routine, you will activate the muscle you’ve worked so hard for, burn the maximum amount of fat, and drop any unwanted body fat which will greatly improve your overall endurance.

Tip 1:  Do both types of Cardio

Body fat is primarily burned in muscle. So your number one goal when doing cardio is to make sure that you are activating all of your muscle fibers. We all have red and white muscle tissue. Most of us have approximately 50% red muscle and 50% white muscle. Red muscle is used on your slow and steady cardio (fat burning), like a brisk walk, slow jog or climbing stairs (the optimal exercise for burning body fat). The key is to keep your heart rate at a steady pace (between 130-145 bpm for most individuals), during fat burning cardio. Your white muscle is used during high intensity cardio (interval training), like sprinting, running stairs or spinning. High intensity cardio focuses on principles like a 1 minute burst of all-out effort, which produces a higher heart rate, followed by a 1-2 minute recovery; this is repeated several times for a duration of at least 30 minutes. If you are only doing one type of cardio, then you are only using 50% of your muscle and definitely not making the most of your time. The goal is to get at least 4-5 days of 30-45 minute per session fat burning cardio as well as 2-3 days of at least 30 minutes per sessions of High Intensity (interval training) per week.

Tip 2:  Push the Limits with your Heart Rate

Rather than focusing on the “talk test” to measure your heart rate, use a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion. Always know that if you can talk steadily throughout your exercise then you’re not working hard enough and your results will suffer. Perceived exertion means if the exercise feels too intense, it probably is, and if the exercise feels too easy, it most likely is as well. The goal with fat burning cardio is to push yourself to the point where you are almost out of breath and then back down a bit on the intensity and maintain that level of exertion throughout your entire session. Again, this is typically around 130-145 bpm for most people.

For your high intensity cardio, your goal is to go as intense as possible for 1 minute (totally winded) and then recover at a very slow pace for 1-2 minutes. Depending on your level of fitness, your heart rate will typically be around 155-170 bpm for the 1 minute of intensity, and once you get back to 120-125 bpm from your recovery period, you repeat the interval.

Tip 3:  Always do your High Intensity Cardio before Your Fat Burning Cardio

Fat burning cardio does exactly what is says, it burns fat. High intensity cardio mostly burns sugar, the glycogen stores you naturally have in your blood and liver. It’s important to know that it takes your body about 20 minutes to deplete your stored glycogen and really start burning fat.  Because of this, you need to do your high intensity cardio first, again, because high intensity cardio uses your sugar stores and will get your body ready to burn optimal amounts of body fat. Once your high intensity cardio session is complete, (about 30 minutes), go right into your fat burning cardio. This simple adjustment to your cardio can burn up to 40% more body fat per session!

Tip 4:  Choose the Best Exercises

As I’ve stated, the goal with your cardio is to activate maximum muscle. A big part in doing this is choosing the right cardio exercises. Your best exercises are movements that range from low to high impact (impact is determined by how hard your foot impacts with the ground), but more importantly, activate the maximum amount of muscle fibers. For example, during fat burning cardio, walking on a 15% incline on a treadmill will burn more fat than walking on a flat surface. For high intensity interval cardio, sprinting or running up stairs are excellent exercises that will activate more muscle fibers than spinning. Avoiding exercises like the elliptical trainer and stationary bike are best because they are non-impact exercises that recruit fewer muscle fibers than higher impact movements.

Any exercise is better than no exercise at all, but if you incorporate these four tips into your cardiovascular routine, it will help you take your fate burning potential to the next level; which in turn, will help you get that tight and toned body you’re working so hard to achieve!