Antioxidants: Are Your Cells Wearing Their "Superhero" Capes?

Today's blog comes from our resident nutrition superhero, Carrie Covington.  Here's what she has to say about antioxdants.

So we hear all the time the benefits of fruits and veggies, but why?  One big reason is because they help fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancers, atherosclerosis, arthritis, anxiety, and more.  Let’s learn what happens to make this occur.
 

First let's take a little chemistry lesson.  When a molecule loses an electron it becomes a free radical, which must steal an electron from another molecule to re-balance itself.  This in turn causes another free radical to form.  It is estimated that each of our cells get hit by a free radical 100,000 times a day. Wow!  Free radical damage is happening every second.  Some of this damage is due to natural cellular activities but also by pollution, smoking, fried and processed food, and even physical stress.  Poor eating habits actually speed up free radical production.  Some of this we can help and some, unfortunately is out of our control.

If free radicals are overabundant, oxidative stress will occur and then we see inflammation in the body.  When the immune system is constantly battling inflammation, the body becomes fatigued, weakened, and deficient in nutrients and enzymes.  That is when many terrible disease can occur… cancer, atherosclerosis, and arthritis are just a few. 

The good news is oxidative stress and inflammation can be fought by antioxidant nutrients which repair and prevent this cellular damage.  Check out the list below and see what foods are "super disease-fighting" foods.  I challenge you to add one food from the list each week. 

Rank	Food item	Serving size	Total antioxidant capacity per serving size
1	Small Red Bean (dried)	Half cup	13727
2	Wild blueberry	1 cup	13427
3	Red kidney bean (dried)	Half cup	13259
4	Pinto bean	Half cup	11864
5	Blueberry (cultivated)	1 cup	9019
6	Cranberry	1 cup (whole)	8983
7	Artichoke (cooked)	1 cup (hearts)	7904
8	Blackberry	1 cup	7701
9	Dried Prune	Half cup	7291
10	Raspberry	1 cup	6058
11	Strawberry	1 cup	5938
12	Red Delicious apple	One	5900
13	Granny Smith apple	One	5381
14	Pecan	1 ounce	5095
15	Sweet cherry	1 cup	4873
16	Black plum	One	4844
17	Russet potato (cooked)	One	4649
18	Black bean (dried)	Half cup	4181
19	Plum	One	4118
20	Gala apple	One	3903

 
So it's time to help your body put on it's superhero cape and fight the cellular damage from free radicals.  Step up, choose one of these fruits and veggies and revel in the power against disease!!

For more information on antioxidant nutrients and how you can help your body, set up an appointment with one of our nutrition specialists.  It's your body...take care of it from the inside out!!

Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 4)

Here is "Part 4" in Brad Covington's blog on becoming successful at obtaining your fitness goals.  Be sure to go back and check out his introduction, part 1, part 2, and part 3.

The next topic we will discuss on being successful at the gym is nutrition...the most vital portion of any fitness program.  There a 2 different mentalities when people join the local gym/fitness center:

1. I am working out, I can eat whatever I want. 
2. I am working out, I can’t eat anything and must restrict my diet.

These two trains of thought are both wrong. First it is not strictly about calories, it is about the right calories.   Not all calories are created equal.  For example, a piece of cake is not going to have the same effect on the body as a piece of grilled chicken or cup of broccoli.  So, it is not simply about “counting calories” as much as it is about “eating clean”, as we in the fitness industry like to put it.

What does that mean exactly?

For starters, take all refined sugars out of your body, it is the enemy.  Refined sugars are simply wasted empty calories that the body will turn into fat.  They will make you feel sluggish, unfocused, and unmotivated.

Second, make sure to take out all of the saturated fats in your diet. What that means is stop frying your foods and, instead, bake them, broil them, grill them.  Just don’t fry them!!!  It also means getting leaner meats and not as much red meat.  Add more fish and chicken, which are low in saturated fat.  Fish have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids that will aid in your fat loss.

Also, that means we need to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.  Be careful with the fruits though, they still have sugar in them, just not refined sugars.  Eat as many veggies as you can stomach!!  Remember, you are what you eat from your head down to your feet. Remember that one, it is true!!!

Last but not least, leave all of the processed food alone.  If it is processed, it is full of sodium and artificial chemicals that help with the preservation and increase the shelf life.  Have you ever been to France?  Have you noticed there are a lot of smaller people, not a lot of overweight individuals and all they do is eat pasta and drink wine?!  How can this be?  There food is not processed like the food in the good ole USA!!!  So stay away from it and you will see your fitness goals approach faster then you ever thought possible!!!

I almost forgot. Drink your H2O (water) ladies and gentlemen!!!!  If you do not drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat as efficiently as it should because it will be taking on some of the function of the kidneys.  So, you are not letting the liver do its job (fat metabolism) because it is doing the job of the kidneys. In fact, most people will retain 5-15lbs. of fluid because 95% of America is walking around dehydrated.   Don’t forget your caffeine intake.   For every 8 oz. of caffeine you consume, you will need to take in 16 oz. of water to replenish the fluids you lose through dehydration because caffeine is a diuretic.  To calculate the amount of water you need per day, simply take your body weight and multiply it by 0.66.  Remember, this does not take into account your caffeine intake throughout the day!!!

Stay tuned for "Part 5"!  If you need assistance with tackling your nutritional habits, schedule an appointment with our nutrition specialist here at PROMATx Health Club.  We will help get you on the right track!!

I Don't Like the Taste of Water - Do You?

As trainers, we hear clients say "I don't like the taste of water".  What??  Water is essential to life and as we previously discussed in the blog about water and weight loss, it just may be the key to your weight loss.  So why aren't you drinking enough water?  Believe us, we have heard every excuse in the book from "I'm not that thirsty" to "I don't like the taste of water".  Maybe you just haven't found the right way to drink it!

After briefly polling members and trainers in the gym, many people mentioned different ways they like to drink their water.  Some people like their water ice cold, while others prefer it to be room temperature.  Some prefer to add a few slices of oranges or lemons to add flavor; a few prefer to drink out of a container with a straw.  The key to increasing your daily water consumption is to find the way in which water entices you the most.  What works for others may not work for you. 

Your mission is to try different cups or containers and different temperatures of water every day for one week.  Try an insulated cup one day to keep your water colder longer.  The next day add slices of fruit or cucumbers for a different flavor.  Then try drinking it out of plastic bottle.  Believe it or not, there are a few people who do not like to drink out of a plastic bottle because they feel it changes the taste.  Purchase or borrow a resealable glass bottle and try your water that way.  This list is endless but the main goal is to try different ways and see which method works for you.  For those of you who like to keep record of things, make a daily log that shows not only HOW you drank your water but also HOW MUCH water you consumed.  You may see a big difference!

Who ever thought drinking water was so complicated??  It shouldn't be but you'll just have to do a little work to get started.  Once you find the method that works for you, start building your water intake a little at a time.  Theoretically you should be drinking half of your body weight of ounces of water.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking approximately 75 ounces of water a day.  That's around 4 1/2 small bottles (16.9 ounces) of water.  If that seems overwhelming, just start with smaller quantities and build up from there.

Remember, the signs of dehydration are immediate and many times we mistake hunger for signs of thirst.  So the next time you feel that hunger pang, try having a glass or two of water.  If you no longer are hungry, you most likely were just thirsty.  

Need more help getting started?  Stop in at PROMATx Health Club and talk with our nutrition specialist.  We can point you in the right direction and help keep your body adequately hydrated.

"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody."  --Mark Twain