 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
|
||||
  |
|||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
|
The
Shoulds: If you are 40 years old or older take aspirin on a regular basis. Studies show that taking an aspirin or half an aspirin each day may have several health benefits, especially for men over 40 and women reaching menopause. Daily aspirin use not only thins the blood, reducing the risk of stroke, but also may reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer, such as colon cancer. Consult your doctor first. Need more energy? Drink more water. The body is naturally dehydrated in the morning - drink a glass of water first thing. Think about it, the body is over 80% water and your muscles are over 84% water. For optimum health, our bodies need enough water. What's enough? Take your body weight and divide it by two - the result is the recommended ounces of water you should consume a day. I.e. if you weigh 150lbs you should consume 75 ounces of water a day (150/2 = 75). If you are working out on a regular basis or live a more humid climate you should drink 8-16 ounces before working out and after as a general rule of thumb. EAT BREAKFAST! No excuses, this is the most important meal. The body is naturally in famine mode when you wake up, therefore it automatically slows down your metabolism. Snack between meals. Don't let yourself get so hungry that you make bad eating decisions. Ideally eat something every 2-3 hours. Find yourself loosing some energy in the middle of your workout? No problem. Mix some 100% fruit juice (Dole) that contains no more than 21g of sugar per serving to water. Use the portions of 1 oz of fruit juice to every 5 oz of water. Eat 3-5 servings of vegetables and fruits a day! You need the fiber. Green tea is good in moderation and when taken at the right time. Although certain plant components in tea are beneficial to your health, they may inhibit iron absorption when consumed at the same time as iron-rich foods or supplements. But you can still reap the rewards of antioxidant-rich tea if you drink it between meals. Meditate while eating - focus on your food. Research shows that becoming preoccupied during mealtimes may cause you to eat more calories than you normally would. In one study, women ate significantly more calories when they listened to a detective story during their meal compared to when they focused on the food they were eating. The
Should Nots: Limit fast food. Typically it is very high in saturated fat and has very limited nutritional value. In most cases the wrapper has more nutritional value. Watch out for all simple carbohydrates like bagels. Limit white bread - it has little nutritional value and only adds unwanted calories. Limit alcohol. If you must drink try only red wine or clear alcohol. The calories and sugars are typically less and research has shown positive effects from red wine in moderation - 1-2 glasses a day. Limit red meat. It is a fact that the average 55-year-old male American has over 5lbs of undigested red meat in their colon. If you don't want colon cancer, this is a good way to avoid it. Extreme caution with regard to soda pop and/or colas. Did you know that some law enforcement agencies use coke to remove bloodstains? Did you know that colas start to degrade their containers the moment they are put in their plastic/aluminum containers? Imagine what they do to your stomach...Simple sugars - BAD! Try not to eat 2 hours before you go to bed. Don't
Forget The Extras: Get enough Omega 3 fatty acids (these are the good fats) - Salmon is a great source. Take Vitamin C - it is a natural antioxidant. It can slow immune system and coronary artery aging and prevent cancer. Increase your daily intake of vitamin C to at least 600 mg. Spread your intake throughout the day. Studies have shown that the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables may protect joints--especially the knee joint--from the ravages of osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, the antioxidants lutein and lycopene--both found in tomatoes-have been linked to a lower risk of OA. Other studies have demonstrated that people with high intakes of Vitamin C and beta carotene (Carotenoid), which can be found in red peppers. Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes reduce the risk of knee pain and disease progression. Yet another antioxidant, Vitamin E, which can be found in olive oil, wheat germ, and Nuts, has been shown to ease arthritis pain better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Before your next heavy workout, safeguard your cells with antioxidants. Exercise increases cellular metabolism and, in turn, oxidation that damages cells and causes aging. Although the findings are still preliminary, studies have shown that taking antioxidant Vitamin C and Vitamin E one or two hours before you exercise may serve as an extra precaution against this damage. Take an extra 400 milligrams of Vitamin E and 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C before your big training session. Remember to take these vitamins together: Vitamin E is not as effective an antioxidant in the absence of Vitamin C. Pay
Attention: Read food labels carefully - if you don't know how or you are unsure, consult a fitness professional. Everything in moderation. Watch your sugars and keep a disciplined sweet tooth. If you must have a candy bar have a Peppermint Paddy and stay away from the Snickers Bar. Prioritize your Poisons. Look, let's be realistic, no one is perfect - which includes you. You, like most people, want that slice of pizza, that cheeseburger, that ice cream cone. Go ahead - in moderation. Brainstorm a list of your favorite foods and then prioritize them. Keep the top 5 and eat them in moderation. Eat enough calories at the right times. As a general rule of thumb an active person exercising on a regular basis can use the following formulas - Males need to take in 15 calories for every pound of body weight. i.e. a male weighing 175 lbs should take in 2,625 in calories a day (175 X 15). A female should strive to take in 12 calories per pound of body weight a day. I.e. a female weighing 120 lbs should take in 1,440 in calories a day. These need to be the right calories and will vary pending your fitness goals and body type. These are only guidelines and you should consult a fitness professional to determine your target daily calorie intake. If you must use oil to cook use the ones that are made up of monounsaturated fats like olive oil - stay away from saturated fats. Remember caffeine dehydrates the system. If you must drink coffee, soda or energy drinks, make sure to equal your ounces of caffeine intake with twice the amount of water. A total cholesterol level less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered "desirable" because this level represents the least risk of heart disease. When the level is above 200 mg/dl the risk for coronary heart disease increases ("borderline high" cholesterol). People with levels greater than 240 mg/dl are at even greater risk ("high" cholesterol). Children who are identified to be at high risk should have two lipid profiles to confirm levels are elevated.
Nutritional
Information Chart
As always, consult a fitness professional for any nutritional
concerns or questions. Use the recipe section of the website to
spice up your healthy meals and make them interesting. Remember,
prioritize your "poisons". Prepare for the week on Sunday
and stick to the plan - enjoy eating, it is one of life's pleasures. For those trying to add bulk, body weight and large amounts of muscle General
Rule of Thumb - If it didn't exist 5,000 years ago, DON'T EAT
IT!
Fitness Tip of the Month Day after day, study after study emerges touting new ways to prevent and reduce the risk of cancer. Eat this, don't eat that. Drink this, don't drink that. It seems like the research points fingers in different directions every day. Though the flood of information can be conflicting, one thing is clear -- the cause of one-third of cancer deaths is poor nutrition. So how can you beat the beast? Confirmed studies show that crunching and munching on the following vitamin-rich foods is a tried-and-true method of keeping cancer at bay! 1. Tomatoes - These tasty spheres are bursting with the powerful antioxidant vitamin C and lycopene. Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and fends off cancer-causing free radicals, and lycopene is instrumental in cutting the risk of stomach, mouth, bladder, cervical, colon and prostate cancer. 2. Cruciferous Vegetables - Broccoli, red cabbage, cauliflower, kale, red beets and brussel sprouts all belong to this veggie family. All are amply fortified with cancer-fighting phytochemicals, including sulforaphane, beta-carotene and indolcarbinol. 3. Spinach - Popeye knew his nutrition. This dark, leafy vegetable is chock-full of antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folic acid and carotenoids. Bright orange carrots are also an excellent source of beta-carotene and carotenoids -- chemicals known to curb various cancers. 4. Beans - Beans, beans, they're good for … beating digestive and breast cancer! Soybeans are stocked with protease inhibitors that don't let cancer cells invade the body, and also contain isoflavones instrumental in protecting against breast cancer. Fava beans fight carcinogens, reducing the risk of cancer in the digestive tract. 5. Hot red peppers - Biting into these zesty peppers may set off a fire in your mouth, but the capsaicin inside snuffs out harmful carcinogens emitted by cigarettes and some foods. These hot numbers are number one in protecting against lung cancer. 6. Garlic - This member of the onion family isn't only powerful in flavor and scent. Garlic effectively thwarts carcinogens with organosulfides and allicinthus, helping to protect the body from breast cancer. 7. Oranges - Jam-packed with cancer-fighting bioflavonoids and immune system-boosting vitamin C, oranges also contain 170 photochemicals, including carotenoids. In addition, limonoids found in oranges and other citrus fruits fuel the immune system to fight cancer. 8. Berries - Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries and red and purple grapes boast more than a sweet taste. These bite-sized fruits get their dark hue from anthocyanins that can neutralize carcinogens. Plus, berries are bursting with flavonoids, a powerful group of cancer-fighting antioxidants. 9. Fiber-Rich Foods - Foods full of fiber, such as whole wheat, grains, fortified cereals and apples, protect the body from pancreatic and stomach cancer while also helping to flush toxins from the body. And apples provide an additional cancer kicker with their ample supply of ellagic acid. Ellagic acid inhibits cancer cell division, thus thwarting the growth process of breast, pancreatic, esophageal, skin, colon and prostate cancer -- confirming that apples truly do keep the doctor away. 10. Green and Black Tea - Long heralded for their health benefits, black and green tea are teeming with antioxidants known as polyphenols, the most potent called catechin. Whether you drink them cold or hot, green and black tea can help you fight cancer.
-George
Adams |
