Nutrition & Fitness

Hot exercise classes catching on like fire

Mimi Benz discovered her fervor for hot exercise by accident. She had taken heated yoga classes but had never thought to combine high temperatures with her true passion, indoor cycling, until the air conditioning broke during a cycling class at her gym.

From that first hot ride, she was hooked.

“I loved it,” says Benz, explaining that with a heated workout she didn’t have to waste time warming up. “It improves blood flow throughout your body, so you go into a high-calorie burn more quickly. And it feels really good afterwards.”

In 2011, Benz opened the Sweat Shoppe, a heated indoor cycling studio in North Hollywood.

“I wasn’t sure how people would respond, so in the beginning we had half heated classes and half non-heated classes.” But the demand for heated classes was so high that by 2013 they’d eliminated non-heated rides from the schedule.

As the demand for hot workouts continues to rise, heated studios are popping up all over, offering everything from traditional Bikram yoga, which started the hot exercise trend with a regimented sequence of yoga postures performed in a 105-degree room with 40% humidity, to hot power yoga, hot Pilates and hot barre. Some classes even incorporate hot weightlifting.

Bikram’s static poses can be sustained at over 100 degrees, but more dynamic classes are typically in the 95-degree range, and the Sweat Shoppe’s SweatCycle classes top out at 85 degrees. “If you go hotter, that’s nuts” and not safe, says Benz.

The allure of heat

As for why people love the heat so much, Benz says it’s partly a psychological response to sweat streaming from your pores. “People feel they’ve accomplished more if they’re drenched. It is very addictive; a lot of our clients can’t cycle anywhere else because they’re so used to riding in a heated environment.”

Laurel Hilton, a writer and hot-yoga enthusiast from Mill Valley, Calif., agrees that once you go hot it’s hard to go back. “I’m addicted to sweating. In the heat you get a sort of exhausted euphoria. You almost feel like you’re floating during practice. Without heat, it’s just not the same experience.”

After becoming acclimated to high temperatures, working out in the heat gets easier. “It’s the same thing any football coach knows,” says Craig Crandall, director of the Thermoregulation Laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. “When you take [players] out in the beginning of the season, you can’t work them out hard. They’ll die.” But give them a chance to acclimate, and they’ll be able to push themselves.

Another reason people are attracted to heated workouts: If a heat-acclimated person does the usual workout in a cool environment, it will be a breeze in comparison, says Benz.

Does heat make a better workout?

Though many heated exercise champions believe they’re burning more calories because their hearts are beating faster, that’s not true, says Crandall. “It’s oxygen uptake that determines the number of calories burned, not heart rate.” When people exercise in the heat, they lose blood volume as they sweat, so the amount of blood ejected per heart beat decreases. To compensate, the heart rate increases. For a given workload, a person’s heart rate will always be higher in the heat.

“We know exercising in heat will cause a slightly higher oxygen uptake, but [the difference is] very small, less than 10%,” and likely to be offset by a decreased workload, Crandall says.

Another common misconception is that sweating profusely “detoxifies” the body. “That’s silliness,” says Crandall. “I don’t know of any toxins that are released through sweat.” He adds that the function of sweating is to cool you down, not clean you out.

So is there any physiological benefit to working out in the heat? Crandall says the benefit is heat acclimation itself, which improves sweating efficiency, increases blood flow to the skin and expands blood volume, bringing more blood to the muscles.

There is some evidence that heat acclimation can boost athletic performance. A 2010 study looking at elite cyclists found that those who added a 10-day heat training regimen to their normal training routine saw a 7% increase in their performance. The performance-boosting effects lasted one to two weeks after heat exposure.

But Santiago Lorenzo, the study’s lead author, former Olympic decathlete and a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa., cautions, “The results we saw apply to highly trained cyclists. How to translate this to someone of average fitness or a weekend warrior? Chances are it would still work—but we need studies to confirm that.”

Safety during heated exercise

“Even if you’re running in the desert or an area with high humidity, you still usually have a draft to cool you off,” says Shannan Lynch, director of education for Mad Dogg Athletics Inc. “But when you sit in a heated room without airflow, the temperature can get dangerously hot.”

The conditions can lead to reduced blood flow to your skin, thus less cooling, and eventual heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Warning signs include a dry mouth, headache, increasing fatigue, nausea and dizziness.

If you exercise in the heat, Lynch says, replace the fluid that you lose. Weigh yourself before and after. American College of Sports Medicine guidelines recommend that people drink 20 to 24 ounces of water or sports beverage for every pound they lose.

As far as contraindications for heated exercise, “If you have any kind of heart condition, only try it after you get the green light from a physician,” Lynch says, adding. “Pregnant women should not be exercising in a heated environment.”

Source: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-sweat-it-20130914,0,522826.story

How to prevent initial weight gain

Obesity has been a long standing problem for many people but now a new method could help prevent people from getting overweight and obese

All participants in the study were 30-65 years of age and were recruited on the basis that they had twice participated in Vasterbotten Intervention Programme (VIP), which is carried out in Vasterbotten, Sweden, or in the Upstate Health and Wellness Study, in New York State in the US.

The thesis shows that of all VIP-participants who were of normal weight or overweight and took part in the VHU study in 1990-2004, only about one third did not gain weight.

One surprising result was that younger individuals of normal weight, without type-2 diabetes, and without risk factors for cardiovascular disease were those least likely to maintain weight.

Kristina Lindvall, a dietitian and doctoral candidate at the Unit for Epidemiology and Global Health, said that this means that interventions and programs aiming at prevention of overweight and obesity may need to be broadened to also include these groups that are normally regarded as being at low risk for weight gain.

Source: Sify.com

 

4 Bad Habits Keep You away from Fitness Goals

If you don’t properly fuel your body, you won’t be able to push it during tough gym sessions

You may think you’re right on track with your fitness regimen, but if you’re not seeing the results you expect, these surprising bad habits may be to blame. Sure, there’s something to be said for a steady schedule, but do you remember to switch it up every once in a while? From unreasonable goals to dull solo workout sessions, here are four bad patterns to avoid if you’re hoping to improve your fitness routine.

  • You make unrealistic gym plans: If you don’t have the time or physical energy to run for an hour, then don’t try to force it. Remember that every little bit counts and making yourself do too much can be the quickest way to get injured — or make you give up altogether.
  • You only exercise solo: Including friends in your fitness routine can be a great way to stay motivated. Not only will they keep you accountable, but they can also share tips and tricks of their own. Hesitant to reach out? Learn the benefits of a workout buddy and ask pals to join your plan.
  • You stick to what you know: Stepping outside your comfort zone and surprising your body with new, challenging exercises helps you to break through plateaus and stay in shape. It’s important to mix up your fitness routine: fresh workouts keep you from getting bored, and you’ll have the chance to work different muscle groups for a well-rounded routine.
  • You ignore hunger signals: If you don’t properly fuel your body, you won’t be able to push it during tough gym sessions. Learn what to eat before working out so you have plenty of energy to maximize your fitness potential.

Source: http://www.fitsugar.com

 

Eating avocados can reduce food cravings and diabetes risk

Avocados

A new research has suggested that addition of fresh Hass Avocado to a meal may help to reduce hunger and the desire to eat in overweight adults.

The study also showed that including avocado to a meal resulted in smaller post-meal rises in insulin compared to eating a meal without avocado.

Findings were based on a Hass Avocado Board (HAB) supported clinical study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University that investigated the effects of incorporating fresh Hass Avocado into a lunch meal on satiety, blood sugar and insulin response, and subsequent food intake.

“While more studies are needed, this research provides promising clues and a basis for future research to determine avocados’ effect on satiety, glucose and blood insulin response,” said Nikki Ford, Nutrition Director, HAB.

Ford said that this research will contribute to a deeper knowledge on Hass avocados’ potential positive role in weight management and diabetes.

The study was presented at the IUNS 20th International Congress of Nutrition, in Spain

Source: truthdive.com

Say no to diets which promise speedy weight loss!

The best way to lose weight is to eat the right food, at the right time, in the right quantity, and exercise daily for 45 minutes

I have to lose weight in 10 days for a wedding’ or ‘I need to shape-up quickly to fit into my dresses – how often do we think about these things and look for quick solutions? In an attempt to lose weight quickly, many people knock the doors of fad diets. They may come to your rescue at times like these but beware – they do more harm than good to your health. Renowned nutritionist Neha Chandna explains why fad diets are bad for you including seven popular ones like cookie and liquid diet.

First and foremost, there are no shortcuts to weight loss. You haven’t put on all the weight overnight, so how can you expect to lose it at a lightning speed? These days, everyone wants to lose weight in the blink of an eye and to achieve their dream body, they resort to fad diets which definitely work but for a short period of time. They help you lose weight from your muscles and bones leaving you feeling weak and ill. And once you go back to your normal routine, you gain all the weight or even more in no time. You do the math and see the whole point of following some diet regime which is short-lived, deprives you of nutrients and has many hazardous effects on your body?

The best way to lose weight is to eat the right food, at the right time, in the right quantity, and exercise daily for 45 minutes to one hour. The point is to lose weight gradually rather than rapidly. A lifestyle change is the answer to losing weight than falling into the trap of fad diets. So how do you know if it is a fad diet? Here are some tips.

How to spot a fad diet

  • It promises exaggerated results in few days which is too good to be true
  • Will mostly have rigid eating rules
  • It restricts you from eating a lot of food groups like carbohydrates, fats, etc
  • It promotes ‘magic foods’
  • The diet is sold based on a few testimonials without any research or studies done on its effect
  • It doesn’t involve much exercise along with the meal plans

Ill-effects of fad diets on the body

  • Causes constipation
  • Leads to weakness
  • Loss of concentration
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Depression
  • Muscle loss
  • Health risks like osteoporosis and many more

While there are a number of fad diets that keep cropping up every now and then, especially when they are endorsed by celebrities, here a few popular ones to stay away from.

Cookie Diet: Invented by Dr Siegal, this a diet in which one has to eat nine cookies a day that makes up to 500 kcal and then have a 500 kcal dinner, totalling up to 1000 kcal every day.

Why is it bad: This diet gets monotonous and can cause nutrient deficiencies.

Baby Food Diet: This diet is about eating 14 jars of baby foods throughout the day and a sensible dinner. The baby foods include mashed fruits and veggies.

Why is it bad: It does not meet your nutrient needs and is low in protein. Eating like an adult is recommended.

Cabbage Soup Diet: This is 7-day diet which focuses on having as many bowls of cabbage soup every day with some fruits and vegetables.

Why is it bad: This diet is bland, boring and makes you feel weak and resulting in poor concentration. The biggest drawback is that it makes you gassy and bloated.

Liquid Diet: The idea is to cleanse the body and rejuvenate it with juices, water, clear soups.

Why is it bad: It is again very low on protein and can make you really weak. Not recommended to do it more than a day.

Atkins Diet: Written by Dr Robert Atkins, this is the most popular fad diet which aims at reducing the main source of energy – carbohydrates to up to 20g/day and focuses more on vegetables, fats and proteins.

Why is it bad: The side-effect of this diet is, it recommends more than 30% fat intake which is above the recommended allowance and can lead to extreme ketosis which can cause damage to the organs in the long run.

Blood Type Diet: Created by Dr Peter D’Adamo, it focuses on eating some and avoiding some foods as per your blood type. It follows a ‘one size fits all’ concept.

Why is it bad: It bans a lot of health promoting foods making eating out difficult and some people may be healthy despite eating foods forbidden for them.

General Motor’s Diet: This is a 7-day diet plan which is based on the intake of specified food items which include raw vegetables, fruits, juice, and lean meat. It restricts the intake of any dairy products and promises weight loss of 10 pounds in week. Each day is restricted to 1-2 raw foods in unlimited amounts.

Why is it bad: This diet can make you weak and hungry, leads to the inability to exercise, depression and body pain.

To avoid any damages to your body, do not opt for any fad diets. Just eat balanced meals and engage in physical activity to see the difference both physically and mentally. The process may be longer and less dramatic unlike fad diets, but the results will be long-term and benefit your body’s health than spoiling it with extreme restrictions. So, the next time you think about opting for any such diet, remember, it’s a fad… err bad idea!

 Source: Zee News

 

High-fat diets interrupt stomach’s signals to the brain

the nerves in the stomach which signal fullness to the brain appeared to be desensitised after long-term consumption of a high-fat diet.

Indulging in fatty foods could destroy stomach’s signals to the brain, according to a new study which gives insight why many dieters tend to regain the weight after losing it.

New University of Adelaide research has found the nerves in the stomach which signal fullness to the brain appeared to be desensitised after long-term consumption of a high-fat diet.

The findings could explain why many dieters tend to regain the weight they have lost.

PhD student Stephen Kentish investigated the impact of high-fat diets on the ability of the gut to signal its fullness, and whether those changes revert back to normal by losing weight.

Study leader Associate Professor Amanda Page said laboratory studies showed the stomach’s nerve response does not return to normal upon a return to a normal diet.

“This means you would need to eat more food before you felt the same degree of fullness as a healthy individual,” she said.

“A hormone in the body, leptin, known to regulate food intake, can also change the sensitivity of the nerves in the stomach that signal fullness.

“In normal conditions, leptin acts to stop food intake. However, in the stomach in high-fat diet induced obesity, leptin further desensitises the nerves that detect fullness.”

Associate Professor Page said the two mechanisms combined meant that obese people needed to eat more to feel full, which fuels their obesity cycle.

She said the results had “very strong implications for obese people, those trying to lose weight, and those who are trying to maintain their weight loss”.

“Unfortunately, our results show that the nerves in the stomach remain desensitised to fullness after weight loss has been achieved,” she said.

Associate Professor Page says the researchers were not yet sure whether the effect was permanent or just long-lasting.

Source: Zee News

Mom’s diet during pregnancy can affect kid’s behaviour

Researchers looked at the effect of, B-vitamins, folic acid, breast milk versus formula milk, iron, iodine and omega-3 fatty acids, on the cognitive, emotional and behavioral development of children from before birth to age nine.

Professor Cristina Campoy, who led the project, said that short term studies seem unable to detect the real influence of nutrition in early life, asserting that ‘NUTRIMENTHE was designed to be a long-term study, as the brain takes a long time to mature, and early deficiencies may have far-reaching effects. So, early nutrition is most important.

Many other factors can affect mental performance in children including; the parent’s educational level, socio-economic status of the parents, age of the parents and, as discovered by NUTRIMENTHE, the genetic background of the mother and child. This can influence how certain nutrients are processed and transferred during pregnancy and breastfeeding and in turn, affect mental performance.

Cristina Campoy said that it is important to try to have good nutrition during pregnancy and in the early life of the child and to include breastfeeding if possible, as such ‘good nutrition’ can have a positive effect on mental performance later in childhood.

 Source: Zee News

 

 

Does changing breakfast habits really help you cut the flab?

It is a well documented fact that an association exists between breakfast and weight management, however a new study has found that previous researchers designed to find links between these two things often do not prove that one causes the other.

The research led by David Allison, Ph.D., associate dean for science in the University of Alabama School of Public Health, shows that the question of whether eating vs. skipping breakfast affects weight has not been answered by studies.

Andrew Brown, Ph.D., first author of the study, spearheaded the examination of 92 studies about the proposed effect of breakfast on obesity (PEBO). The PEBO-related research literature, the authors found, seemed to be influenced by factors that led to exaggerated beliefs and statements about the purported effects of breakfast consumption on obesity. These include research that lacks probative value and biased research reporting.

Allison and his team found that scientists collectively do not know as much about the relationship between skipping breakfast and obesity as previously thought, based on the current state of PEBO-related research.

Their meta-analysis indicated that there is certainty that breakfast-skipping and obesity are associated, but it cannot confirm whether there is a causal effect of skipping breakfast on obesity.

Brown said that although we know that breakfast-skippers are more likely to be overweight or obese, we do not know if making breakfast-skippers eat breakfast would decrease their weight, nor do we know if making breakfast-eaters stop eating breakfast would cause them to gain weight.

Meanwhile, Allison said that uncertainty should not be confused with evidence of no benefit or harm, though.

“It just means that right now we don’t know how changing breakfast-eating habits will influence obesity – eating versus skipping breakfast could help control weight, cause more weight gain or have no effect – and the effect may vary from person to person,” the researcher added.

The authors suggest that if causal claims are desired, different research on the topic is needed. They call for stronger study designs that include randomizing people to eat or skip breakfast to help determine causal effects of breakfast on obesity. UAB is leading such a trial in roughly 300 adults at five sites around the world; results from this study are expected in spring 2014.

The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

 

Exercise may help alleviate depression, review finds

Exercise may help ease symptoms of depression, according to a fresh look at past research.

Researchers who analyzed data from previous studies found people who exercised experienced a “moderate” reduction in their depressive symptoms compared to those who did other activities, such as using relaxation techniques, or received no treatment.

“This review provides some additional evidence that there may be some benefit (to exercise),” Dr. Gillian Mead, the study’s senior author from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, told Reuters Health.

A 2009 review from the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, found similar results, but more studies looking at the link between exercise and depression have since been published.

“We’d become aware of some new trials in the area and – in general – the Cochrane review should be kept updated if there is new evidence that may lead to changes,” Mead said.

About one in ten Americans reports depressed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most popular treatments for depression include antidepressant medications and psychotherapy.

Mead and her fellow researchers write in The Cochrane Library, however, that many people prefer alternative treatments, and some doctors recommend exercise as a potential option.

For the new review, they searched databases for all medical trials conducted through March 2013 that compared exercise among adults with depression to other activities or no treatment.

Overall, the researchers were able to combine data from 35 trials that included 711 people who were randomly assigned to an exercise program and 642 who were randomized to comparison groups.

Because the studies used various scales to assess depression, they converted the results into a single measurement to compare people in exercise and non-exercise groups. Using that measurement, a difference between groups of 0.2 represents a small effect, 0.5 a moderate effect and 0.8 a large effect.

Mead’s team found a 0.62-point difference in depressive symptoms favoring people who exercised.

In one of the included trials from 2007, for instance, researchers found 45 percent of people who took part in supervised exercise no longer met the criteria for depression after four months, compared to 31 percent taking an inert placebo pill.

In another trial from 2002, 55 percent of older people experienced a significant decline in depression symptoms after 10 weeks of exercise, compared to 33 percent who attended informational talks during that time.

The difference between groups, however, was greatly diminished when the review authors only analyzed data from the six trials that were considered high quality.

Still, exercise appeared to reduce depressive symptoms as much as psychotherapy or antidepressant medications. But Mead cautioned that those findings are only based on data from a small number of trials.

“One has to be careful saying it was as effective as other therapies,” she said.

She added that it’s still unknown how exercise affects depression.

“There are lots of ideas about potential mechanisms, but I don’t think there is enough evidence in the literature that one mechanism applies more than another,” Mead said.

The researchers were also unable to say which type of exercise is best, but Mead said previous reviews have recommended people choose an activity that they’ll stick with over the long run.

“Once people are prescribed exercise or they choose exercise, the big challenge is to make the exercise real,” Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, who has studied the effect of exercise on depression but wasn’t involved with the new research, told Reuters Health.

“If the recommendation from the treating clinician is that you should be exercising with some frequency and intensity… it’s important that the patient follow that regimen week after week,” Trivedi, a professor of psychiatry at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said.

Michel Lucas, who was also not involved with the new review but has studied the topic before, said studies tend to show a dose-response relationship between exercise and depression.

“The dose is very important. If you’re walking at a very slow pace, this has no effect,” Lucas, a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health.

Source: Fox news

Try these 7 tricks to boost your metabolism

7 tricks to boost your metabolism

While marathon sweat sessions can certainly kick your metabolism into high gear, there’s a faster, better way to rev up your fat-burning potential. Below are seven seriously simple moves that will slash through more calories than minutes.

“Your metabolism is the sum of everything your body does to convert food into energy,” says Jim White, an American College of Sports Medicine-certified health-fitness instructor and the owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia. “So while you can’t change how many calories it takes to keep your brain humming and your heart beating, you can help your body burn an extra 500 calories or more each day by implementing some easy lifestyle strategies.”

Turn Down the Temperature

Your body loves to sit pretty at 98.6 degrees, so if you throw off your internal temperature, your body will burn more calories to raise it back to where it belongs, White says. In fact, researchers from Humboldt University  found that drinking two liters of ice-cold water can up your metabolic burn by about 95 calories per day, while in a new study by the National Institute of Health Clinical Center , people who slept in a 66-degree room burned more than 7 percent more calories than those who snoozed at 75 degrees.

Pack More (Lean) Protein

A meal’s not a meal unless it contains lean protein, says White. Why? Protein contains the amino acids your body needs to produce metabolism-revving, calorie-burning muscle . “Every pound of muscle gained increases your metabolism by 20 to 30 percent,” he adds. Each day, aim to eat one gram of lean protein (from sources like chicken, fish, grass-fed beef, or eggs) for every pound of body weight. Vegetarian or vegan? Swap meat out for nuts, seeds, dark greens (kale packs a protein-rich punch), and, if you eat them, eggs and Greek yogurt.

Drink (Quality) Green Tea

Found in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG for short) gets a lot of attention for its disease-fighting properties. But it turns out this little antioxidant can make a big difference when it comes to numbers on a scale. Research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  shows that the compound can up your metabolic rate for a full 24 hours by increasing your energy production from digestion of fats. While a few cups a day should be enough to move the needle over time, that’s only if you opt for high-quality brews. Cheap-o brands often don’t contain enough of the fat-burning ingredient to increase metabolism, says weight-loss specialist and board-certified internist Dr. Sue Decotiis. Try Teavana Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea.  Brewed from loose green-tea leaves, it packs 86 milligrams of EGCG per serving, the most of any teas studied in a recent Consumer Lab study.

Add Weight for Less Workout Time

More muscle = less fat. But who wants to spend hours sweating it out with strength sets when you can opt for quick, high-intensity resistance training? Brief workouts using heavy weights can increase your metabolism by 452 calories for the following 24 hours, according to recent research in the Journal of Translational Medicine .  That’s 354 calories more than the increase experienced after traditional low-intensity strength training (and it takes just four sets of 8 to 10 reps).

Here’s how it works: The harder your muscles work, the more post-workout rebuilding they have to do, which burns calories and elevates metabolism-revving hormones, according to researchers. The best part? In the study, the high-intensity resistance trainers completed only three exercises. Talk about time-saving.

Spice Up the Menu

Capsaicin, which gives peppers and spices their heat, can also fire up your fat burners. Eating spicy foods regularly can increase your body’s production of heat as well as the activity of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for both the fight-or-flight response and spice-induced sweating) by about 50 calories a day, which translates to a full five pounds of fat lost in a single year, Decotiis says. While cayenne, chili peppers, and jalapeños are great, the hotter the pepper, the better. The ridiculously spicy Korean pepper gochu (which just happens to be slang for “penis”) is believed to have the highest calorie burn out there and is typically sold as a paste, called gochujang.

Sleep More

Not getting enough sleep affects more than just your energy the next day; it throws off your levels of of leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that help regulate energy use and appetite. Research from Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin  shows that regularly clocking just five hours of sleep reduces levels of leptin by 15.5 percent and increases levels of ghrelin by 14.9 percent. When it comes to a healthy metabolism, shoot for nine hours a night, suggests

Eat Organic

As you already know, processed foods and nonorganic fruits and vegetables contain chemicals that can interfere with your body’s basic metabolic pathways, says Decotiis. Glyphosate (a common herbicide), bisphenol (a plastic-hardening chemical used in canned-food linings and other food containers), and meats and poultry from hormone-fed livestock have been singled out for leading to obesity. Whenever possible, skip the packaged goods for fresh ones. Always choose organic versions of apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, and pears over their nonorganic counterparts, which tend to have the highest levels of metabolism-stalling pesticides out there.