A side effect of being a calorie-phobic society is the creation of zero calorie non-foods to give us what we crave (sweets) without adding to our caloric load. Since the cyclamates of the 50′s (banned in ’69 in the US due to connections with cancer) the food manufacturing industry has been turning out one artificial sweetener after another, often with deliterious effects. Each new version is reported to have no known side effects…partially because testing has been skewed (if the industry sponsors the study, do you think they’ll publish unfavorable results?) and partially because a 12 week study cannot determine long-term effects.

Let’s look at the list….

Cyclamates – listed as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the FDA in the 50′s, then pulled in ’69 due to links of bladder and testicular cancer in lab animals.

Saccharin: actually the oldest artificial sweetener, it rose to popularity after the Cyclamate ban. Some studies also link it to cancer; while others claim it is safe. It is derived from coal tar, which is (insert sarcasm here) known to be a wonderful benefit to the human diet. It is still permitted to be sold in the USA, although it must carry a warning label demonstrating its link to cancers in lab animals. It is stored in pink packets.

Aspartame: aka Nutrasweet, often sold in the blue packets. Aspartame is made by combining 2 amino acids together using methanol. At temperatures of 86 degrees, the compound breaks down (which is why nutrasweet is not suitable for baking). The end effect is methanol floating in the system. Methanol is a precursor to formaldyhyde and formic acid (the toxin in fire ants). None of these products are ideal for conserving healthy living tissue.

The side effects of nutrasweet are common and widespread. In my practice I have seen it linked to headaches and blurred vision. A client who worked for a neurologist told me her boss had it banned from his office. Aspartame breaks down in the body and stays in fatty tissue, favoring storage in the eyes and brain. Most side effects are related to these areas of the body. No other compound approved by the FDA has received more complaints than Nutrasweet.  Dr. Mark Hyman notes that of the 166 safety studies conducted on aspartame, 74 were partially funded by interested industry parties and 92 were independently funded. 100% of industry sponsored studies concluded aspartame was safe, 92% of independent studies link aspartame to potentially cause adverse side effects.

Splenda (sucralose): The newest to join the market, Splenda is made from replacing some of the hydrogen atoms in the sugar molecule with chlorine. Initially it was determined to be unrecognizable by the body and not broken down. Newer research shows the body is able to partially break down and absorb sucralose. Given the track record of our food industry and artificial sweeteners, I’m not jumping on the Splenda bandwagon, and I reccommend my clients stay away as well. It’s too early to tell what the side effects will be, but I’m pretty certain they will begin showing up in 5 years or so. Some early studies are showing alterations in gut flora (in rats) and potential to trigger migraines in certain individuals.

The Bottom Line:

All artificial sweeteners are made form compounds that are NOT recognized as nourishment by the human body and most have pretty significant potential side effects. Studies published in the International Journal of Obesity and Behavioral Neuroscience indicate that consumption of artificial sweeteners may lead to increased caloric intake and weight gain – the exact opposite of what they are advertised to do! Certainly we can look around us and see the introduction of calorie-free sweeteners has not reduced our weight as a nation.  We are definitely more overweight than we were in the 70′s and 80′s and have more cancer, diabetes and heart disease as well. The evidence clearly indicates that artificial sweeteners are not the answer to our health issues.

Obesity Rates (by % of population) Increase from 1989 to 2008

There’s always a big push to lose weight for the summer, and then we engage in all sorts of activities which encourage weight to come back on — heavy BBQ’s, travel to new and exciting places, summer parties and celebrations all centered around lots and lots of food.

The unscheduled nature of summer interferes with routines which keep weight more easily managed, and often people notice a couple of extra pounds in preparation for the winter months.

Given that we don’t opt to hibernate, this extra weight isn’t necessary! Here are some of my top tips to avoid gaining weight when traveling and enjoying summer festivities:

1) Grill It! Use your grill for good, not evil. Instead of ribs and hot dogs, grill a variety of vegetables, chicken kabobs and use a cedar plank to grill fresh fish. Use exotic spice blends for flavor and BBQ sauce on the side to dip your chicken in if you are sensitive to sugars.

2) Bring a healthy dish to potlucks so you can ensure a healthy option is available. Others will appreciate it as well!

3) Crowd out caloric drinks with water: Summer slushies, cocktails, and blended coffee drinks can have as many calories as your main meal. Keep caloric drinks to a minimum, and when you do have one, have a tall glass of water (with lime for flavor) before and after you have your high-calorie beverage.

4) Plan you vacations to include healthy options and physical activity: If it’s very hot, exercise in the morning or evening – stroll the beach at sunset, play in water parks with the kids, hike in the shaded woods. Pack picnic lunches, utilize grocery stores for healthy snack options, and plan ahead whenever possible. I often research restaurants in locations I am visiting to get an idea of options available to me. For road trips, this post may be useful to you.

5) Keep tabs on yourself! Don’t turn a blind eye. If you are prone to overdoing it on vacation or during the summer, keep tabs on your size with a specific pair of pants or measuring tape. Some clients find it helpful to keep a food log in high-risk situations to keep them honest and accountable. Do what you need to without sacrificing the joys of the summer months!

If you have the winter workout blahs or have hit a weight loss plateau, there are some easy, effortless ways to boost your fat loss and calorie burn WITHOUT spending more time in the gym.

1) Add in some plyometics:
Plyometrics is a fun, easy way to get your heart pumping. These moves (jumping, skipping, leaping) bring out the kid in us, boost happy brain chemicals, and can double your calorie burn in a single workout. Aside from the direct increase in calorie-burn from added intensity, they foster use of different muscle fibers and “shock” the body into using more energy to create stronger muscles overall. This can allow you to exercise at a greater intensity and for longer periods of time much quicker. Caution to those with knee problems — utilize plyometrics only underthe supervision of a trained professional.
Some ideas:

During your daily walk, add 30 high-knee marching movements every 15 minutes. If running, skip for 30 seconds each mile or two.

Turn and move into a side squat slowly – 5-10 on each side – followed by 10 squat jumps (slight squat down, then use your arms to propel you as you jump forward) mid-workout.

Repeat as desired for even greater results.

2.) Add hills on your route: “Hills give you strength”, my running coach used to say. He is absolutely right! Driving your body uphill against gravity is a great way to boost your calorie-burn and sculpt your rear. It can be an easy way to add speed to your overall pace by building greater strength and resiliency and power to your legs. Add hills to 10-20% of your workout outside or bump the treadmill incline up 2% for 5-10 minutes of your workout. Continue to up the incline 1% per week to keep your body guessing.

3.) Add in some intervals: Interval training is simply doing short bursts of higher intensity in your workout. Fartleks are a great way to do this if you are a runner (race you to the stop sign!) ; if you walk as your primary form of cardiovascular exercise, you can toss ten 1-minute speed-walking sessions into a 30 minute brisk walk to double your calorie burn. This is also a fantastic way to break into jogging or running from walking. Jeff Galloway revolutionized injury-free running by making this method of walk-running popular.

These are just three, easy and funw ays to add variety and results to your existing fitness routine. If you have any existing or chronic injury, you will want to speak with a knowledgable fitness professional about the best way to boost your workouts for maximum results. As with any new endeavor, add the change in slowly (for one or two workouts a week) building up slowly to allow the body to adapt and prevent injuries.

Have any readers benefited from these methods? I know hill training was key to my Boston marathon qualifying time last May. How have some of these methods benefited you?

(This post is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays, a day where bloggers come together and share their thoughts on returning to a more natural, wholesome diet. Check it out !)

The Fat Free Phenomenon has got to stop.

Seriously. As a nation, we have not gotten more svelte and lithe with the advent of Snackwell’s have we?

Instead, by consuming fat-free, sugar-free, reality-free food, we have grown larger and larger. We are hungrier and hungrier. Why is this?

(more…)

Fiber.

Long touted as essential for heart health, and more recently for digestive health, fiber is also an important ally in the battle of the bulge.

Fiber has a wonderful capacity to assist in appetite suppression. Which is more filling — consuming 8 oz. of freshly squeezed apple juice or the 3 apples it took to make that juice? When we juice, we discard the pulp (fiber) and consume the rest. That fiber is key to keeping us full and happy over the long term. It provides bulk, slows absorption and prevents blood sugar from skyrocketing, preventing strong hunger pangs after the inevitable crash.

Within the stomach lies signals that get triggered when the muscles of the stomach wall stretch, creating a cascade of messages that basically tell our body to stop being hungry. The longer something sits in the stomach, the longer time passes before we receive a signal to eat again. Complex foods which take a lot of time to break down last in the stomach longer. This is why whole foods are so important. They give your belly something to work on, where a refined food like Red Vines or white bread need little effort to get into the blood stream.

Want to see it for yourself? Take a piece of white bread and a piece of 100% whole wheat bread. Place each in a separate bowl of water and wait five minutes. The white bread will collapse in your hands. The whole wheat bread, although soggy, will remain more intact. Imagine what would happen if that water was 98.6 degrees and we added some stomach acid to it!

Aside from sustaining fullness, fiber also stops some calories from being absorbed. By decreasing the time food sits in the digestive tract, as well as binding to bits of food particles, fiber reduces the total caloric load absorbed by the body.

Fiber is actually quite easy to find. Current recommendations for fiber are 20 -35 grams per day. Most Americans get about 10-15 grams a day. Research shows that blood sugar management in diabetes is greater when fiber intake reaches 50 grams a day. For purposes of weight loss, I recommend my clients take in between 30 and 50 grams a day.

So, to recap:

• Fiber helps prevent heart disease,
• contributes to healthy digestive tracts,
• keeps you more full on less food,
• and keeps you fuller longer!
• Fiber inhibits a small percentage of calories from being absorbed,
• and minimizes blood sugar spikes, having a beneficial effect on diabetes and insulin levels.

Where is fiber found?

In whole plant foods! Think fruits, vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice, corn, quinoa, kamut berries, wild rice; beans, peas, and lentils, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro root.

Ground flax seed, psyllium husk and various brans (wheat/oat/rice) can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, or other foods to increase fiber intake and fullness.

What are some ways you can sneak more fiber into your day?

1) Say hello to your vegetables. Invite them over for dinner.
Vegetables are the most critical and most lacking food in the American diet. Plant life carries abundant sources of vitamins and minerals and are chock full of powerful cancer-preventing, heart-protective, inflammation-squelching antioxidants. They offer an abundance of nutrition for few calories, and are loaded with fiber to satisfy appetite for long periods of time. Enjoy them liberally – steamed, raw, stir-fried or roasted. Hold the cheese sauce!

2) Drink your water!
Our cells bathe in a sea of water. More than 65% of the human body is comprised of this element! Most of us walk around in a state of dehydration – especially if we partake in the coffee culture that permeates the Northwest.
Dehydration manifests itself in numerous symptoms other than thirst. Food cravings, hunger, poor concentration, headaches, muscle spasms, bladder issues, poor skin quality, overheating and fatigue during exercise are some of the symptoms that can be attributed to dehydration.
Don’t like the taste of water? Try adding slices of lemon, orange, lime, or cucumber to your water. Mint sprigs can be particularly refreshing in the summer.
Please note – there is no substitute. Calorie-free “flavored water” is not water. Water is water. Drink liberally until urine is clear. Repeat.

3) Eat Breakfast!
Studies show breakfast eaters have lower blood pressure and cholesterol, better concentration and moods, and are more likely to be height-weight proportionate than their fasting counterparts. Not eating breakfast is akin to letting your car idle all night and then trying to drive it from Seattle to Portland without fueling up. If you have no appetite in the morning, try a piece of fruit or 1/2 a yogurt to start. You’ll soon discover fewer cravings, greater energy, smaller evening meals and a rumbling tummy in the morning — all signs of a healthier metabolism!

This video of Peter Jennings comes from Dr. Mercola’s website. I’m not a huge fan of Mercola – he tends to be a bit in-your-face and extreme in making his point. However, this video is fantastic and offers an eye-opening connection between politics, food choices, and our nation’s health.

Click here!

Courtesy of Time Magazine, this quick slide show explores some common appetite stimulators:

Photo Essay: What Makes Your Eat More Food

This is the million dollar question — once weight is lost, how does one keep it off?
As a nation of yo-yo dieters, no price is too high to keep extra weight off forever. The industry would have us believe that the solution is in the next book, superfood, pill, or diet plan. Their livelihood depends on you believing you need something outside yourself – some magic potion or wise words – to keep the weight off for good.
The reality is this — the answer, in most cases, cannot be purchased. Put your checkbooks away.
Keeping weight off forever involves change between your ears, not change in your purse.

Susan Kayman and her cohorts set out to investigate the difference between formerly-obese women who relapsed and those who maintained their weight loss. The results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Those who maintained their weight loss had mad skills. Not calorie counting skills, or kung-fu skills, but mad stress-coping skills.
Most people who are overweight have an unhealthy relationship with food. Food is one of the ways we can numb out, tune out, suppress rage and pain and console ourselves. For some of us, it was a behavior learned as a child when we had no power and no modeling of appropriate coping skills. As adults, it’s the easy way out. It’s legal, socially acceptable, easy to hide and even when we find out it no longer works we still don’t have a replacement. Food is always there, and goodness knows we are always being encouraged to partake.

In the study, those who maintained their weight responded to stress differently than those who relapsed and gained the weight back. Relapsers lacked skills to cope with their stress and were more likely to use avoidance or escape techniques to numb out. 90% would not directly confront their problems, and 70% ended up unconsciously consuming food to deal with their emotions. They were also less likely to exercise and seek outside support.

The maintainers had developed a different approach. A whopping 95% of maintainers confronted problems directly rather than avoiding them. They also utilized external support, remained conscious of their behaviors and developed their own strategies for dealing with stressors. No big surprise, most were also exercising. Their coping strategies were similar to the control group of women who had never been obese and included relaxation techniques, exercise, seeking professional help, social support or talking about their feelings with trusted friends.

You can be your most powerful advocate or you can be your own Judas. Everyone experiences challenges and stresses and everyone needs support and encouragement from time to time. When you hold your tongue, bury your opinion, and play nice you deny your very self. You say, “I don’t matter,” “I’m not important,” and “I am invisible.” The pain of silencing yourself can be suppressed, for a short time, with some Ben and Jerry’s or pretzels or wine. But it won’t go away completely until you reverse your silence, speak your voice, and make your Self known. It is a fundamental human desire to be known and acknowledged.

If weight is one of your struggles, I’d like you to focus this week on utilizing your voice. Speak up! It doesn’t have to be about the huge issues you have been stuffing down for years. It can be as simple as expressing where YOU want to have for dinner, asking a friend or coworker to go for a walk with you, saying no to a second helping of potato salad, or taking initiative with a problem you have been avoiding. Brainstorm solutions to stressors in your life rather than commiserating with those who just like to complain.
Be a bad girl, I dare you! Stop playing nice when it makes you feel anything less than sheer joy. Say no to those who step over you, share a controversial opinion to raise a few brows, and shock people around you by being direct. Share the feelings you have that you are most unlikely to share with a dear, trusted friend.

See what happens. Play with it. You can always change your mind later.

You can’t turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America’s hottest obsession: weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution—your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as 9 or 10 years of age.

Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods, and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick fix solutions have backfired. America’s populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.

Diets don’t work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone? Diets don’t work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet. Diets don’t work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed and weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.

Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight, and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances. In our fast paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, eating a home-cooked meal, and spending quality time with loving people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.

Balance and a sustainable weight are your birthright. Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself wisely and purposefully and be completely nourished. Working with your body rather than against it will bring about increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.