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!!

Ladies...Are You A Little Grumpier These Days?

Hopefully the title of today's blog didn't turn you away kicking and screaming.  Maybe it caught your eye because you have noticed that you (or a special lady in your life) have been a bit on edge lately.  Well you are not crazy, it can happen.  A recent study by scientists at Duke University (sorry all of you University of Kentucky fans) shows that women really do need more sleep than their male counterparts.  Are you getting enough sleep?  Sleep is important to all aspects of your life...muscle repair, health, weight loss, mood, nutrition, etc.  Check out some of our other blogs on sleep ("Sleep Hygiene", "Improve Your Sleep Quality", "Are You a Night Owl").  

Researchers stated that women need more sleep than men because they have more of a "multitasking" brain.  We need more time to shut everything down and fall deeper in to REM sleep.  Unfortunately, lack of sleep can be more detrimental to women also.  As well as a higher risk of heart disease, depression and psychological problems, sleep-deprived women have extra clotting factors in their blood, which can lead to a stroke.  They also have higher inflammation markers, which indicate developing health problems and are linked to pain.  So if you are experiencing more pain than usual, it might be due to the lack of quality sleep.  This study also found that men showed no increased risk of developing the ailments that affect women when they are sleep deprived.  According to sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, "We found that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility early in the morning".  

Professor Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, England, also found that women need approximately 20 minute more sleep than men.  Again, due to the female multitasking brain.  The more multitasking women do during the day, the more their brain needs to recover and subsequently the more sleep they need.

So, are you getting enough?  It's time to take a step back and consider your health first.  Remember, a lot of women tend to be the "caretaker" of the family so if something happens to you, who is going to take care of you??  Take small steps to ease up on the amount of tasks you perform in a day.  Start delegating to other family members and friends.  Learn to say "no" once in a while and your health just may improve.  Get the rest you need and allow your body to repair itself and recover from all that you do.

"Sleep is the best meditation".  --Dalai Lama

"The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep".  --W. C. Fields 

Nutrition and Injury Recovery

Unfortunately we've all been there before...recovering from some sort of injury.  We've sat on the sidelines a time or two, waiting (sometimes impatiently) to get back on the court/field/course.  While you were waiting, what did you do?  Probably you rested, maybe you did some sort of therapy either through a medical professional or on your own.  But did you take into consideration your nutrition plan while you were recovering?  Probably not.  Nutrition is so important, not only when you are healthy but also when your body is going through its repair process.  This blog will give you a few ideas on how to improve your nutrition plan during recovery to lessen the time spent on the sidelines.

During the injury healing process, inflammation occurs almost immediately and can last up to 5 days post-injury.  This is when the body sends extra help to the injured area to help speed up recovery.  While it may be uncomfortable with swelling, heat and redness in the injured area, this is an important part of the healing process.  During this time dietary fat plays an important role.  Omega-6 fats and trans-fats both promote inflammation in the body while omega-3 fats and monounsaturated fats both inhibit inflammation.  As much as you want the swelling to go down, it is vital to allow the body to promote natural healing.  Therefore, during the injury recovery process, especially within a few days of injury, you should up the intake of omega-6 fats slightly.  The ideal ratio during recovery is 2-3 omega-6 fats to every omega-3 fat.  The easiest way to do this, without getting into calculating fat contents, is to increase your intake of olive oil, mixed nuts, avocados, flax oil, ground flax, and other seeds, etc., making sure to get some of each fat source every day.  By eating these foods, you'll likely balance out the saturated fats naturally present in your protein sources.  In addition to that, add approximately 3-6g of fish oil while decreasing your omega-6 fat (i.e., corn oil, safflower oil, processed foods) intake.

Another route you can take to help your body recover from injury is to add certain spices/herbs to your daily nutrition plan.  Because of the side effects of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, many people rely on the anti-inflammatory properties of herbs and spices.  Theoretically, NSAIDs should only be taken during the acute phase of the injury (5 days post injury) because when taken early in the healing process, it rapids blocks the inflammation process.  Remember, this is an important phase because the body sends chemicals to the affected area to clean up the injury and start the healing process.  If inflammation is blocked too early, the body may take longer to heal.  Some herbs and spices that are helpful are:

1. Curry powder/turmeric – This member of the ginger family has long been used as an anti-inflammatory and for wound healing.  The active ingredient, curcumin, is likely responsible for the effects.  Aim for 1 tsp per day of the powder or 400-600mg of the supplement, 3 times per day. 
2. Garlic – This has been shown to inhibit inflammatory enzymes.  Adding it to the diet is helpful, but a supplement might be even better.  Aim for 2-4 garlic cloves each day (if you can tolerate it) or 600 to 1,200mg of aged garlic extract. 
3. Boswellia – A favorite of Ayurvedic medicine, boswellia has many pharmacological uses.  As an anti-inflammatory, try 300mg 3 times per day. 
4. Pineapple – Bromelain, found in pineapple, is another anti-inflammatory that’s great for digestion and for inflammation/pain relief.  Aim for 2 cups of pineapple per day or 500-1,000mg in supplemental form.

Calorie intake is another important area to take into consideration.  When physical activity is limited or training stops, the body will naturally need less calories to function.  However, even though the training stops, your body still needs an increase in calories to support the healing process.  Many people undereat when they are injured which can slow down the healing process.  Depending on the severity of the injury, your body will need 15-50% more calories than your basal metabolic rate (BMR).  BMR is the amount of calories needed to sustain life and for your body to function at rest.  So while you may not need as many calories during injury healing as you do during active training, it still will be higher than what your body requires when sedentary.

Finally, macronutrients such as protein, carbs and fat should be consumed in sufficient quantities to help the body heal.  Protein should be about 1g per pound of body weight; 1/3 of your diet should come from fat and that amount should be further broken down to include 1/3 saturated fat, 1/3 monounsaturated fat, and 1/3 polyunsaturated fat.  In terms of carbohydrates, there is no recommended level for injury recovery.  You should consume enough carbohydrates to support brain function and provide adequate macronutrient intake.

The important thing to remember is to be sure to eat frequently throughout the day and incorporate the principles listed above to ensure you are consuming high quality, nutrient-dense foods.  Your body will recover quicker and you will be back on the playing field again.  If you still need help with figuring out what to eat during injury recovery, contact PROMATx Health Club and set up an appointment with our nutrition specialist.  We are here to help and we are able to guide you through your recovery process.

Shin Splints - Prevention & Treatment

If you have ever felt pain in your shin after a workout, you probably experienced a case of shin splints.  If you have participated in running/jogging or sporting events, you probably have dealt with shin splints at one time.  Left untreated, shin splints can be debilitating.  With a little preventative work, you can avoid the pain and undue suffering from shin splints.

First let's define shin splints.  In short, shin splints are inflammation (swelling) of the periostium or covering on the shin bone.  Typical symptoms are shin pain over the inside lower half of the leg, pain at the start of exercise which often eases as the session continues, pain that returns after activity and may be at its worse the next morning, lumps/bumps felt over the inside of the shin bone, and pain when the toes/foot are flexed.  What causes shin splints?  Most of the time, shin splints are caused from biomechanical issues or training issues.  Flat feet or extreme high arches, obesity, and/or improper footwear are common culprits.  Also, increasing training too quickly (i.e., too much too soon) or large increase in running mileage can also cause shin splints.

What can you do to prevent shin splints?  First and foremost, be sure to wear the appropriate shoes for the type of activity you are performing.  Refer back to our blog entitled "Shoes are Shoes...Right?" for more information on choosing athletic footwear.  Also, make sure you have the proper support for the type of arch you have and replace your shoes often to ensure you are getting adequate support.  Next, maintain a healthy weight.  As your body weight increases, your feet have to support not only your body weight but also the effects of gravity.  That's a lot of work to ask of your feet.  When you are overweight/obese, the arches in your feet tend to flatten out, causing the ankle to roll in and putting undue stress on the lower part of the legs.  Finally, be sure to start slow and increase your intensity/mileage gradually.  Going "all out" on your first day will have some repercussions.  Try to increase your running mileage no more than 10% at a time.  In other words, don't go from running 3-5 miles per week to 10-15 miles per week.

Prevention can also include proper stretching and exercises.  Remember to always warm up prior to stretching.  For the shins, walking or cycling are both good warm-up activities.  To stretch the shins, kneel on the floor with the tops of your feet on the floor behind you.  Gently sit back on your heels, pressing the feet to the floor.  Hold this stretch for about 15-30 seconds and repeat a couple times.  If you are already experiencing shin splints, this may be very uncomfortable.  Place as much of your body weight down on your legs as you can tolerate.  To strengthen your lower legs, perform ankle flexion exercises with exercise tubing/bands.  Wrap the tubing around a stable object and sit on the floor with your legs extended.  Wrap the other end of the tubing around your toes.  With your legs straight, gently pull your toes towards you then slowly return to the starting position.  These pictures from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) show how to perform this exercise.  

Treatment of shin splints is fairly easy.  Ice will significantly help with reducing the swelling and pain.  Also, adequate rest is helpful.  Allow your body to recover from this injury before jumping back into your routine.  Continuing to push through the pain will only delay healing and will cause further damage.

Remember, as painful as shin splints are, they are very easy to prevent.  With a little planning and preparation, you can spare yourself the pain and aggravation of shin splints.  Still need some help?  Stop in a PROMATx Health Club and talk with a trainer.   We can show you the proper way to prevent shin splints.  If you are already suffering, we can show you stretches and pain management techniques to help you recover.