A short routine to keep things under control

As many of us age our activity level declines.  We do not move as much as we used to and we sit 1000% more than we did when we were 12.  With the new year upon us it is easy to say "I don't have time" or "I am too old" but in reality you are only accelerating the inevitable.  

After all, sitting and inactivity are the new smoking!  

So let's take advantage of these benefits that come with activity: improvements in your circulation, energy levels, blood lipid/sugar levels, cognitive function, and body composition (i.e. less tummy fat).  Which if not under control, most of these, will lead to disease.

In particular, keeping your blood sugar level well controlled allows you to feel normal without the large up's and down's after a meal.  [Think back to a time when you ate a large meal (ex. over the last two weeks) and 60 minutes later you felt slow and tired.  This is a result of the sugar hitting your blood stream with the insulin trying to keep up and keep things under control.]

If you focus on making only a few minor changes in your activity level this month then try this to help with your blood glucose levels: 

1) This one is very easy to do - WALK after every meal, even if it's only 5 minutes and especially after meals with a large amount of carbohydrate.  Exercise will induce changes that help your body regulate it's blood sugar level.

2) Resistance training!

If you're considering joining a new program look at how easy it can be:

When it comes to controlling your blood sugar and insulin, increasing the volume of a resistance program improves glucose regulatory control in the body.

But, in a recent study they found that beginners who performed 1 set of 10 reps (10 different exercises total) faired just as well as those who did 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise.

Group 1: 10 exercises, 1 set of 10 reps of each exercise.  [The weight lifted was equal to 65% of the subject's 1 rep max]

Group 2: 10 exercises, 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise.

So for individuals just starting out who are overfat and trying to elicit health benefits from as little time invested as possible - you can still improve your health (blood glucose levels) by performing a circuit style program with 1 set of 10 reps of each exercise.  This short "in and out program" may be just what you need if you are working hard to get back on track.

[What's the big difference between the two groups: one protocol totals 100 reps while the other totals 300 reps.]

Trying to intensify this protocol without adding additional sets?  Increase the weight or shorten the rest periods between sets to really challenge yourself.

JSCR January 2012, 26:1

Eat more, not less

As you start your resolutions for 2012 forget about cutting everything you ever loved from your diet!

Removing comfort food is a tough way to start a new eating regimen.  Considering most are coming down off of an eating extravaganza for the past two weeks.  People feel overwhelmed and ready to quit by week 3.  Especially if you have decided to take on some new extreme diet that a certain doc has developed.  Feeling tired, frustrated, and deprived - quitting will be inevitable and I don't blame you.  

This year let us switch gears and instead of focusing on what you cannot have - LET US FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN HAVE!

The average Canadian diet already lacks most "good foods" and by "good foods" I mean the foods that really keep us healthy.  Foods such as those in our previous post that follow along the acronym GOMB.  (click here to review).

[Take this one very simple idea home with you: If you eat more of the good stuff, why would you have any reason to fill up on the bad stuff?]

By the time you finish filling up on your real meal - you are less likely to eat the garbage.  And by garbage - I really mean garbage as sugar is not doing much for your body (THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN "ESSENTIAL SUGAR").

Let's start by adding food in where we see opportunities.  There are 100's of opportunities each day to eat well.

At breakfast:  

Add some of the following on the side of your fluffy/white cereal:

Asparagus, Almonds, Broccoli, Bacon, Avocado, Eggs, Beef. 

At break time: 

Add in peppers, apple, or nuts along with your doughnut (but eat in the order given).

At lunch:  

Eat your protein first with vegetables.

At dinner:

Eat a second serving of beans, salad, and protein (I know you have added) before you go after your usual meal of pasta.

If you add all the good stuff in - there will be no room for the bad stuff to creep it's way back!

As you move forward this January - FOCUS ON ADDING THE GOOD STUFF IN.  We will fine tune the ugly later.

Implement GOMB's to your diet

This is a good acronym to keep you on the straight and narrow.  As many get confused about the right foods to put in the shopping cart every week.  We often choose convenience over health without even knowing it.  We frequently grab crackers before we grab asparagus - as that's just the way it goes.  

We've been pre-programmed to pick what's easy and with today's fast paced, no rest lifestyle, you can see why. But what if there was 4 things you could easily add this week that would make you a healthier person?

Well, when deciding on the right foods this week be sure to put these four letters to use.

This is the GOMB strategy:

Greens -

 Broccoli and brussels sprouts are super foods.  Eat them - as they're a good source of vitamin C and vitamin K.  Vitamin K can help with your insulin sensitivity (i.e. broccoli).  Which is a good thing if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic for that matter.  These foods also have potent anti-cancer properties.

Onions - 

This food is full of polyphenols (a phytonutrient found in foods) which act as an anti-oxidant to protect your body from free radical damage.  Some researchers have even stated that the polyphenol count in onions is higher than that of garlic or red bell peppers.  Studies have also noted that onions have anti-clotting effects protecting you against plaque build up in your arteries. 

Mushrooms - 

Great when used as filler for a meal.  These things are also a good source of vitamin B and contain selenium.  Selenium plays a role in the function of your thyroid gland and helps antioxidants of the body do their job.

Beans/Berries (nuts + seeds) -  

We've talked about this one before.  Berries are packed with anti-oxidants and make for a good addition to your post workout nutrition.  Beans also add up as a source of protein and fibre providing essentials for the raw diet.  The unsaturated fats in nuts allow for satiety and help to blunt your insulin response to sugar in the body (keeping you leaner).

Be sure to pass this simple phrase along to any friends you know who need to eat better.

[disclaimer:  I wasn't the first to think of this acronym and won't be the last - so pass it along and if I ever discover who thought of it first I'll be sure to reference it :-) ]

10 thoughts for success in the new year.

1) You must start now!  Make a commitment and take action now.  There is no need to wait until January 1st.  Besides if you wait until January you will be pushing and dodging people out of your way at the gym.  Just because you can't hit the gym five days per week right now does not mean you can't start with just two simple workouts per week and still improve your health.

2) Take someone with you.  Exercise is always more fun with someone at your side.  The use of an exercise companion has been shown to increase adherence and success.

3)  Eat less bread (even the whole wheat stuff).  Focus on cutting away bread from your diet.  This strategy pops up repeatedly because it works.

4)  Sign up for a group program.  It could be walking/running or strength training - the effect the group has on you will increase your success in the long run.

5)  Coffee date?  Choose to walk instead.  Picking up your coffee and heading out for a walk is an excellent way to squeeze in some extra activity.  If you already sit for 7+ hours per day then there is no need to sit more!

6)  Use your lunch hour.  For those of us who have down time at lunch you should be taking advantage of that time to perform some sort of activity.

7)  Focus less on eating less and more on eating the good stuff.  Cutting out food and limiting what you eat can be stressful, especially when you go from over-eating at Christmas time to (for some of us) - eating like a bird after Christmas.  Fill up on real food during the month of January and you won't have to worry so much about quote on quote - "dieting".

8)  Sweat everyday.  This one has been passed around numerous times.  But it's true - whether you play with your kids, run with the dog, or find time to workout - do something that makes you sweat everyday to stay healthy and keep your heart young.

9)  Every colour of the rainbow.  Use this strategy every time you grocery shop.  Be sure to have as many colours of vegetables and fruits in your cart as possible.

10)  Keep these three things in mind when you start thinking twice about your current/new routine:  

"you don't use it, you'll lose it"

"high performance cars need high octance fuel, why would your body be any different?"

"Your body was built for motion - how can sitting and relaxing be conducive to improving/maintaining the body?"

Lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol and staying regular.

Many of us struggle to fill our grocery cart each week with the right foods.  Too often we see mom with a cart full of 'boxed this and boxed that'.  We hear so many adverts in the media that it is near impossible to make an executive decision on the 'right food' to eat.

So let's make this one short and sweet in time for the holiday season.  These are the foods you NEED to focus on.  Especially, if you are not at a get-together, ugly holiday sweater party, or work social.

The food you need for keeping your cholesterol under control:

#1 Oils, nuts, and fatty fish
Nuts especially are a quick snack for you to take on the road and eat before that afternoon energy crash (1/4 - 1/3 cup is a typical serving).

#2 Plant sterols, beans, oats, psyllium (soluble fibre)

Keeping your blood pressure under control:
#1  vegetables, fruits, fish, beans (potassium rich food)

#2  beans

Avoid: pizza, processed meat, and soups


The required foods for staying regular:
#1 wheat bran

#2  beans, prunes, and psyllium
These foods add bulk to your stool and help keep your colon healthy.


As we move into the holiday season - remember, if you can eat the good foods 80-90% of the time, there's no reason why you can't indulge a little at all of the upcoming events (without feeling guilty)!