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The Alternate Day Diet

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

Do you despise dieting? Is it hard for you to control your cravings day after day? If so, you may be a good candidate for the Alternate Day Diet, described by Dr. James Johnson in his 2008 book. On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, you can indulge yourself in absolutely anything. But on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you stick to a strict regime of low-fat yogurt, lettuce, fruits, and veggies.

The Alternate Day Diet is based on animal studies in which mice who were only fed every other day experienced incredible health benefits, including increased longevity. Since it would be difficult/dangerous for humans to do the same, instead of not eating, Dr. Johnson proposes that you ‘nibble.’ A typical M/W/F diet for him includes a protein shake, a salad, broth-based soup, and a piece of fruit – and that’s all you eat for one entire day. He takes in about 20% of his typical caloric intake on his dieting days. However, once you’re in the maintenance phase, you can eat about 30-50% of typical intake on your MWF dieting days.

On the non-diet days, you can eat anything you want. The potential problem with this, of course, is that people will binge and nullify any progress they were making. However, proponents of the diet say it actually prevents bingeing because of the variety it offers. Since most dieters binge because they are bored or frustrated with the monotony of low-calorie meals, the Alternate Day Diet makes constant variety easy and can ward off the urge to binge.

Scientifically speaking, cutting your calorie counts every other day may activate a gene called SIRT-1, discovered by Harvard researchers and dubbed the longevity gene for its work in promoting the lifespan of irreplaceable cells, which allow people to live longer. A small study demonstrated that alternate day dieters with asthma experienced a dramatic reduction in symptoms after only two weeks of the alternate day diet. The dieters also had a reduction in oxidative stress markers, which can be signs of future cancer, heart disease, or arthritis.

In repeated studies with primates and mice, diets that involved systematic feeding every other day yielded significant health benefits. The animals were fed only every other day with a diet that consisted of 30% fewer calories than usual. It has been proposed that alternate day eating could ward off everything from Alzheimer’s to cancer to heart disease, as well as diabetes and obesity.

The Alternate Day Diet has proven successful for many followers of Dr. Johnson, who used the diet to lose an incredible 35 lbs. in only three months. However, its long-term success in humans has yet to be demonstrated. Eating a variety of healthy foods on both the dieting and non-dieting days is one key way to ensure that you lose weight, regardless of how closely you follow this plan. It’s also unknown whether there are any risks to dramatic caloric reduction. However, it seems like a promising potential tool for people who constantly struggle with dieting and weight loss.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Posted in Health, Nutrition, Weight Loss | Comments Off

Raw Food Movement

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

We’ve discussed the benefits of raw food before, but I’d like to devote a little more time to the raw food movement. The push to eat all-natural, unprocessed, organic foods has taken hold of many dejected dieters. Unlike other fad diets, in which the weight piles back on the second you stop dieting, the raw food diet is a movement and a lifestyle change.

Proponents of raw food assert that the enzymes found in natural, uncooked foods stimulate digestion and prevent chronic and neurodegenerative disease. Critics nag that medical research hasn’t yet offered definitive proof of prevention, but it’s undeniable that a raw diet is full of healthy nutrition choices and benefits for the body. Raw foodists eat at least 75% of living or raw food. The goal is to consume a diet composed entirely of uncooked, unprocessed, natural food. While organic foods are prized for their low amounts of pesticides, they are not a required element of a raw food diet, just a recommended component. Health benefits can include higher energy levels, weight loss, and a more resistant immune system.

Popularity: 95% [?]

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Salad Shocker

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

We’ve talked before about how salads purchased in restaurants or at the drive-through are rarely what they appear to be, but I was shocked when I saw the cold, hard numbers. In the latest Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine review of fast-food and sandwich chain salads, only TWO out of 34 sampled salads checked out and received full marks on a five-star nutritional scale for fiber content and low saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calorie levels.

Some dishes, like McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad, pack an even nastier nutritional punch. This salad actually has more fat and calories than a Big Mac. In fact, the results were so stark that researchers explained that consuming many of the salad offerings at fast food chains is equivalent to eating a burger without the bun, dipped in fatty salad dressing.

HALF of the salads in the study were given a 1-star “Unacceptable” ranking. Some of the reasons they received this rating were for massive fat quantities (many were in the 30-40 gram range, with a few offerings topping the 50 gram mark) as well as absurd saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol levels. The PCRM lamented the fact that the salads relied on cheap, high-calorie, high-sodium toppers such as cheese and meat instead of protein-rich, nutritious beans or healthful vegetables.

Some salads were salvage-able – that is to say, you can still order them, with modifications. For example, try one of Wendy’s salads without the calorie-dense, carb-laden crispy noodles, and substitute fat-free dressing instead of the loaded dressing that comes with the salad. Avoid cheese and meat-topped salads, like Subway’s Meatball monstrosity. The report also listed salads that are simply to be avoided at all costs, such as the previously-mentioned Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad or Taco Bell’s Taco Salad, which packs upwards of 800 calories. So before you opt for a salad next time you’re at a fast-food place, check the nutritional guide before you make any decisions. You could be buying something that’s actually worse than the more obvious culprits on the menu!

Popularity: 23% [?]

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Traveling can be a Dieter’s Nightmare

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

By Bonnie Pfiester

Traveling can be tough for dieters; convenience store junk food, the infamous airline snack box, and combo meals all add up to a diet disaster.

There is something about traveling that makes us think we’re hungry. Let’s start with road trips. I don’t know about you, but Steve and I have the worst snack attacks when driving long distances. Although the need to feed mostly stems from boredom, the million billboards showcasing juicy hamburgers don’t help either.

Once a billboard convinces you to stop and eat, you find yourself driving down an unknown road with restaurant after restaurant calling your name. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Denny’s, Dairy Queen, Applebees – they all have a special, or menu item, to capture your attention.

Once you decide where to eat, you have to battle the menu. No matter how many times I’ve been to a restaurant, and even if I know what I should order, I still feel the need to read the entire menu. What in the world am I thinking? I’m just welcoming temptation. Before you know it, I’ve justified why I can afford to eat a hamburger and fries.

If you are not traveling on the ground you have a different set of problems. Opposite of having too many choices, airline passengers have very few food choices. You’re trapped 35,000 feet in the air when a stewardess offers you an unappealing selection of nuts, cookies, crackers and cheese surprise. While first classers eat their high-calorie mystery meal, coach passengers get a sorry selection of the most boring sandwiches, bagels, or salads they’ve ever wasted calories on.

In any case, the answer to the dieter’s traveling blues is planning ahead. You’ll pack your toothbrush, so why not pack your food? It’s not like you don’t know you’re going to be stuck in a car or plane for several hours.

First, pack healthy snacks like pretzels, whole fruit, yogurt, cheese sticks, beef jerky, lunch meat, nuts, rice cakes, or protein bars to prevent you from getting hungry and making poor choices. Second, learn to say no – plain and simple. Third, keep a calorie book on you. It’s much easier to cheat when you don’t know what you are eating. Lastly, bring other things to entertain you besides food, like a good book or magazine.

Traveling will always be tough for dieters, but with a little planning you can beat the need to feed.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Posted in Daily Life, Health, Nutrition, Women, Weight Loss | No Comments »

Protein Guidelines

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

The RDA recommends 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram you weigh for healthy adults. But the guidelines for athletes are greater, of course: 1.4 – 2.0 grams, depending on what type of athlete you are. This is up to two and a half times the recommended amount for typical adults. How do you know where you fall into the range? If you’re a distance athlete, you fall into the lower end of the category. Try to get about 1.4 g per kilogram of your weight. If you’re a 150-pound male, that would be about 95 grams of protein per day. If you’re a weightlifter or strength trainer, you fall into the upper bounds. A 150-lb. strength trainer would require up to 136 g of protein per day. Some healthy sources of protein: chicken breast (20g in 100g serving), milk (about 8 g per cup), yogurt (13 g per oz), tuna salad (32 g in 1 cup), or cottage cheese (14 g per 100 g serving).

Popularity: 23% [?]

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How Healthy is Your Cereal?

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

By Sean Hashmi

Consumer Reports just published its findings on 27 breakfast cereals and the results were startling. They found some cereals with the nutritional content equivalent to a donut. Here is a breakdown of the cereals they evaluated from worst to best.

Okay. So let’s start with the worst offenders:

1. Golden Crisps (Kellogg’s): Each serving contains more sugar than a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut. 15 grams of sugar to be exact.

2. Honey Smacks (Kellogg’s): This one was no better. It had 14 grams of sugar per ¾ cup serving.

3. Apple Jacks (Kellogg’s) had 12 grams of sugar, < 1 gram of fiber, and 135mg of sodium per 1 cup serving.

4. Froot Loops (Kellogg’s) had 12 grams of sugar, < 1 gram of fiber, and 135mg of sodium per 1 cup serving.

5. Corn Pops (Kellogg’s) had 12 grams of sugar, < 1 gram of fiber, and 135mg of sodium per 1 cup serving

6. Cap’n Crunch (Quaker Oats) had 12 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber and 200mg of sodium per ¾ cup serving

7. Cap’n Crunch’s Peanut Butter Crunch (Quaker Oats) had 9 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, 200mg of sodium per ¾ cup serving

Now there is something very interesting in the above list; 5 out of the 7 cereals are made by Kellogg’s. In response to this report, Kellogg’s released the statement that the company had recently reformulated five of its cereals (Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies, and Apple Jacks) to make them healthier choices. However, Consumer Reports article states that even with this reformulation, the five cereals would still score poorly in nutrition rating compared to other choices.

Before we decide to give up cereal forever, there is some good news. 4 of the 27 tested cereals were labeled as “Very Good” breakfast choices due to their low sugar (< 9 grams) and sodium (<210 mg) content. In addition, all 4 cereals had greater than 2 grams of fiber. Alright, drum roll please.

1. Cheerios (General Mills) had ONLY 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of fiber and 190mg of sodium. This also happened to be my favorite in college.

2. Kix (General Mills) had 3 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber, and 210 mg of sodium.

3. Life (Quaker Oats) had 6 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 160mg of sodium.

4. Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills) had 9 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber, and 190 mg of sodium.

The bottom line behind this article is that you do have some healthy choices when it comes to cereal for both you and your children. So the next time you are in the grocery store, put the Kellogg’s cereal down and reach for some good old plain Cheerios. Your body will thank you for it.

Popularity: 18% [?]

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Detoxing: Is It Right For You?

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

By Jamie Yu

When people think of detoxing they think of eating no solid food or drinking boiled cabbage water all day, which to some can mean torture rather than cleanse.

One particular individual was documented to have ate no solid food for 10 days and drank a mix of lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, also a quart of salt water and then a laxative tea. Hence to say she suffered with acne, irritability and headaches. Her goal was to lose some body-fat and cleanse her body of free-radicals.

In this instance, she took the word ‘cleanse’ a little to far as this ultimately ended up doing the reverse of what she originally wanted.

These extreme ways to shed body-fat and detoxify the body have become more common place as of late, particularly with the younger generation due to stories coming to light that some famous celebrities have tried these extremes with great success.

Using laxatives is also another known supplement in the extreme detox process. The use of laxatives in extreme detox diets raises red flags amongst dietitians, as laxative abuse is commonly associated with eating disorders. The belief that laxatives are useful for weight control is a myth, the National Eating Disorders Association notes. In fact, laxative abuse can cause severe dehydration and heart or colon damage, the association says.

As you can see, the risk of intestinal and cardiac issues arising from malnutrition and using external aids to purge far outweigh the benefits an ‘extreme’ detox can bring.

That’s not to say that detoxing is a bad idea all together.

In modern day societies such as our own, we are exposed to many toxins that come from the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. These toxins will build up over time and produce problems such as fatigue, anxiety, and other illnesses. Our bodies are resilient enough to actually produce a natural detoxification processes through our respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, dermal and lymphatic systems but sometimes this is not enough to rid the overall toxic build-up.

You can actually help maximize the body’s natural detoxification process by simply doing the following:

Eliminate all stimulants. including caffeine.
Eat more raw fruit and vegetables.
Cut back on red meat, dairy, fat, sugar, salt and processed food consumption.
Take in extra Vitamin C.
Add herbs like Garlic, Cayenne and Red Pepper to your foods.
Eat foods higher in fiber.
Drink plenty of water and only water.

You can expect more energy, clearer skin, regular bowel movements, increased concentration, and mental clarity.

Note: With any massive changes to a diet, particularly if you are suffer from any medical conditions, always consult your physician first.

Popularity: 17% [?]

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Five Steps to Better Cholesterol

Monday, October 6th, 2008

You constantly hear about America’s notorious cholesterol problem, but did you know how prevalent it actually is? Many people are shocked to learn that a whopping 50% of Americans have high or borderline-high cholesterol levels, putting them at risk for a host of ailments, including heart disease. Although the situation is serious, it’s fortunately quite easy to fix – if you’re committed to a healthier lifestyle, just follow these five steps.

Eat heart-healthy foods: Try the Cheerios challenge to lower your cholesterol in just weeks. The soluble fiber found in Cheerios and other whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables has been linked to reductions in cholesterol in clinical studies.

Slash saturated fat intake: Cut out red meats and instead rely on protein with lower saturated fat content, such as grilled chicken or salmon. People trying to reduce their cholesterol should aim for no more than 16 grams of saturated fat per day.
Ignore Daily Values: One frequent mistake cholesterol-counters make is to rely on the percentage of daily values displayed on nutrition information labels. These amounts are based on an average person WITHOUT high cholesterol – in other words, this person doesn’t need to be very careful about saturated fat intake. To reduce your levels, you’re going to have to dip below the recommended daily values. It may be a difficult habit to break, but figure out your own recommended daily values – you may want to consult a nutritionist or physician.
Learn to love sterols and stenols: Try to eat two servings of sterols and stenols each day. What exactly are they? Plant-based compounds found in oils, nuts, and seeds.
Limit (or at least moderate) the junk: Many people who love to work out also love to eat. Hot Cheetos, extra-cheese pizzas, and Big Macs taste good, but they can do some serious damage to your cholesterol levels, especially when they are a consistent part of your diet. Even thin people can have high cholesterol levels, which puts them at a heightened risk for heart disease and other illnesses. So either cut out the overly-processed junk, or set limits and eat favorite foods sparingly, or in moderation.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Posted in Daily Life, Health, Nutrition | No Comments »

The 3 Bite Rule

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Remember that book that came out a few years ago, “French Women Don’t Get Fat”? Say what you will about the French, but the fact remains that French women are typically very slender and healthy. One of the key points of the book was that French women still indulge in pastries and breads and delicacies – but they know their limits and apply other strategies and routines to retain their sleek physiques. This is all well and good – but how do you know exactly how much to indulge in? Where do you draw the line? If you have trouble figuring out exactly how much you can get away with, the three-bite rule may be the perfect fit for you.

It’s simple, easy, and guilt-free. You can eat your favorite foods, but the quantity will be so small that it won’t impact your waistline. It’s exactly how it sounds – just take three bites of that dessert or favorite dish that’s tempting you. There are a few other rules, of course – you won’t make much progress if you liberally apply the three-bite rule, taking three bites of everything on the table, or if you decide to take abnormally large bites. To make it work, just think about your eating actions before you take them. Do you really want another cookie, or would you feel better if you had celery sticks and low-fat peanut butter, a handful of air-popped popcorn, or a couple of grapes?

However, let’s say you’re at a wedding or family event. Do you really want to sacrifice a delicious taste of your Aunt Sue’s devil’s food cake, which you only get a crack at a couple times per year? You can still indulge this craving – the research, in fact, points to the idea that indulging our cravings actually prevents overeating – by eating only three bites. Share the rest with a friend, feed it to your dog, or simply serve yourself a very, very tiny piece. You will be able to savor the taste of your favorite foods within the safe confines of a limit – three bites. The three-bite rule isn’t for everyone – some people may find themselves having a lot of trouble stopping at just three bites. But it’s a great rule of thumb for dieters who do best when presented with rules and limits that guide the way to weight loss success.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Posted in Health, Nutrition, Weight Loss | No Comments »

What Kind of Eater Are You?

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

What Eating Personality Are You?

I have found there are several common eating personalities that can sabotage a diet in a heartbeat. No matter what eating personality you are, you can still succeed with a little self-examination and planning. Which eating personality are you?

The Entertainment Eater: Are you at every social event and dinner party? Since dining out and eating hors d’oeuvres can ruin any diet, you must learn to prepare. Prevent overeating or making poor choices by eating a small snack or meal prior to your engagement. Once you are at the event, choose beverages you can sip on like coffee or wine rather than soda, beer, or high-calorie cocktails. If you have a say in where to dine, don’t be shy and suggest a place that offers healthy alternatives.

The On-the-Go Eater: Are you always on the go? Do you eat more fast food than you’d like to admit? If this is you, you just need to plan ahead for your busy day. If you have a microwave or fridge at work, bring your lunch and stock up on healthy snacks. If you are on the road, research restaurants ahead of time so you know what fast foods fit your diet plan. Always carry a healthy snack to tide you over in case you get in a bind.

The Boredom Eater: This is SO me! I could go all day without thinking about food and then come home, watch TV, and suddenly all I can think about is eating. So, to keep my weight from getting out of control I make sure I’m always stocked up on low-calorie treats I can eat or drink while watching my favorite show. I also avoid stocking up on bad foods because if it’s in my pantry, I’ll eat it! The best way to avoid temptation is to simply not have it around to tempt you.

The Emotional Eater: This is a popular one. Some people look to food for comfort. Whether they are sad, mad, stressed, angry, happy or confused, people often turn to the fridge or restaurant for their favorite high-calorie fix. When we are happy we tend to celebrate with food and drinks. When we are sad we are also just as likely to turn to food and drinks. If this sounds like you, the first step is recognizing the pattern and repercussions. If you are sad, you’ll just be more upset when you can no longer fit into your jeans. The bottom line is we need to learn to react in a healthier way. Treat yourself to a new outfit or a massage as a calorie-free reward or pick-me-up. If you are stressed out or having a difficult time, keep busy. Do some spring cleaning, start a hobby, exercise or invest in a project that will bring you a lot of joy when it’s complete.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Posted in Daily Life, Health, Nutrition, Women, Weight Loss | No Comments »

Jamcore Training Blog

Archive for the 'Health' Category

The Alternate Day Diet

Raw Food Movement

Salad Shocker

Traveling can be a Dieter’s Nightmare

Protein Guidelines

How Healthy is Your Cereal?

Detoxing: Is It Right For You?

Five Steps to Better Cholesterol

The 3 Bite Rule

What Kind of Eater Are You?

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