Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Brush 3 times a day and floss at least once a day. Avoid getting too much sun. Eliminate sugar from your diet. Exercise most days of the week for at least 30 minutes each session. Incorporate resistance training into your routine 2-3x each week. Limit coffee to a 2-3 cups a day and alcohol to 1-2 drinks per day. Don't sit in one position for too long. Go to bed early and rise early. Limit "screen time" to 2 hours a day....
Follow all of these pieces of sound advice and you, yes YOU, can live to be oldest person to never have lived.
Look, the thing is that I agree with the above statements (sans the sugar because all foods can fit) and for the most part, follow them diligently. But you know what.... not always. I'm afraid that part of our problem with lifestyle change is that we are inundated with demands on what to do and what not to do. I don't know about you, but I don't like to be told what to do. The caveat here is if you are seeking out that particular information and are interested in making the change, but don't know how. THAT's different.
All I'm trying to say is that if we listened to every piece of advice out there, we'd never have an ounce of fun. I know this must sound funny coming from a guy who's job is to give out that advice. And I'm not trying to take away from the importance of it.
My point is this: It's a lot like having a perfect diet. If we never again ate a food with trans fats, sugar, and ingredients we can't pronounce, we would at some point, Snap. Binge. Fall off the wagon (or is it on the wagon?). I think the same thing applies to life as a whole. If we always went to bed early, think of all the fun times you might miss out on with your friends and family. If we always stayed out of the sun, then we wouldnt have "that story" about the time at the beach when _______ happend and it was so funny. Maybe a memory you'll never forget. So yes, these pieces of advice are crucial to living a long, healthy life. But occasionally throwing them out the window is also crucial to living a long, healthy life. Whatcha think?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Dispelling a few myths.... 5 actually.
... Or more specifically, nutrition and fitness myths. I'm going to start with one that has been circulating gyms and locker rooms since Jack Lalanne was in diapers:
1. The bigger the shoe, the bigger the... oh, wait. Wrong post. (I'm a size 12 by the way)
Ok, but seriously here they are:
1. "I want to turn my fat into muscle" -- While this would be cool, there is no actual CONVERSION. Maybe in the future they'll find a way to inject stem cells into our butts to send them from flab to fab. As for now though, we can only add muscle with a resistance program and proper nutrition. And fat is lost by consuming fewer calories than we expend. There are thousands of additional side notes for those last 2 statements, but maybe we'll save that for another time.
2. "It takes 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat." -- Other health professionals are probably scratching their heads right now. But notice the wording. I didnt say to simply lose a pound. I said lose a pound of FAT. You see, when we lose weight it doesnt come solely from fat. So when you lose a pound of weight, it's more like 80% fat and 20% muscle. So to lose a pound of fat, you actually need to cut out 4200 calories. Yeah, I know... it sucks. To prevent further muscle loss, a higher protein diet should be consumed during weight loss periods.
3. "Eating 46 chicken breasts will make me jacked!" -- Yes, protein and the amino acids that make it up are responsible for building and maintaining your "gun show". But excessive amounts isn't going to do you any good. Eating more CALORIES is what will help you put on more muscle, not boatloads of protein powders (although they sure are convenient). Any more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight, is overkill. Save those calories for more fruits and vegetables.
4. "A super low calorie/low fat diet is the best way to lose weight." -- Will you drop weight on that regimen. You betcha. But again, check out the wording. It's a way to lose weight sure, but it's not the best. As said earlier, you need to burn off more calories than you consume to lose weight. That rule still stands. But how much you cut back is just as important, as is the content of the diet. The problem is that if you follow a very low calorie diet (VLCD), you are telling your body that you arent willing to give it what it needs just to live. The calories that we burn in a day come mostly from our bodies doing what they do... heart pumping, liver metabolizing, lungs contracting/expanding, etc. More specifically, that makes up 60-70% of our metabolism. Since our bodies are smarter than we are, it senses that it doesnt have enough to survive and subsequently slows down to preserve what it has. This is bad. A good goal is to cut back on about 500 calories each day to yield 1 lb of weight loss each week. Or you can eat the same and exercise off 500 calories each day. I don't really care. Ok, yes I do. You guys rock.
5. "I know I said I'd dispell 5 myths but I'm tired of typing." --Have any myths you want the REAL answers to? Post a comment and I'll make sure to hook you up.
1. The bigger the shoe, the bigger the... oh, wait. Wrong post. (I'm a size 12 by the way)
Ok, but seriously here they are:
1. "I want to turn my fat into muscle" -- While this would be cool, there is no actual CONVERSION. Maybe in the future they'll find a way to inject stem cells into our butts to send them from flab to fab. As for now though, we can only add muscle with a resistance program and proper nutrition. And fat is lost by consuming fewer calories than we expend. There are thousands of additional side notes for those last 2 statements, but maybe we'll save that for another time.
2. "It takes 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat." -- Other health professionals are probably scratching their heads right now. But notice the wording. I didnt say to simply lose a pound. I said lose a pound of FAT. You see, when we lose weight it doesnt come solely from fat. So when you lose a pound of weight, it's more like 80% fat and 20% muscle. So to lose a pound of fat, you actually need to cut out 4200 calories. Yeah, I know... it sucks. To prevent further muscle loss, a higher protein diet should be consumed during weight loss periods.
3. "Eating 46 chicken breasts will make me jacked!" -- Yes, protein and the amino acids that make it up are responsible for building and maintaining your "gun show". But excessive amounts isn't going to do you any good. Eating more CALORIES is what will help you put on more muscle, not boatloads of protein powders (although they sure are convenient). Any more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight, is overkill. Save those calories for more fruits and vegetables.
4. "A super low calorie/low fat diet is the best way to lose weight." -- Will you drop weight on that regimen. You betcha. But again, check out the wording. It's a way to lose weight sure, but it's not the best. As said earlier, you need to burn off more calories than you consume to lose weight. That rule still stands. But how much you cut back is just as important, as is the content of the diet. The problem is that if you follow a very low calorie diet (VLCD), you are telling your body that you arent willing to give it what it needs just to live. The calories that we burn in a day come mostly from our bodies doing what they do... heart pumping, liver metabolizing, lungs contracting/expanding, etc. More specifically, that makes up 60-70% of our metabolism. Since our bodies are smarter than we are, it senses that it doesnt have enough to survive and subsequently slows down to preserve what it has. This is bad. A good goal is to cut back on about 500 calories each day to yield 1 lb of weight loss each week. Or you can eat the same and exercise off 500 calories each day. I don't really care. Ok, yes I do. You guys rock.
5. "I know I said I'd dispell 5 myths but I'm tired of typing." --Have any myths you want the REAL answers to? Post a comment and I'll make sure to hook you up.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A day in the life
"Doughnut burger? You... as a Registered Dietitian, ate a doughnut burger?"
"Yeah, I was at the state fair with a friend and we split one. It was delicious."
Another question. Another answer.
I began my career as a health professional as a human being. And I intend to leave this sphere as such. In between now and then, I fully itend to continue the trend.
Do I eat well? Yes. I'd say ~90% of the time is pretty accurate. Do I exercise? Yes. I'd say ~6-7 days a week, often 2x/day, is about right. But I AM HUMAN. I'm writing this because I deal with this daily. I don't aim for that to come off as negative. I've learned to understand that it comes with the territory. Of course, I'm just 27 and in 10 years I may be humming a different tune. But I'd imagine it wont change significantly.
The objective of this post is to simply give an insight into a day in the life of a dietitian. Take for example eating with friends. If I order, say, a healthy version of a salad, I am critized for being overly healthly. "You WOULD get a salad." And then we have the other hand. If I were to order fettucini alfredo, I am also critized (see intro). A lose, lose essentially. So what's a health professional to do?
LIVE. Practice what I preach to my fullest extent, but enjoy the journey.
Hey, pobody's nerfect.
"Yeah, I was at the state fair with a friend and we split one. It was delicious."
Another question. Another answer.
I began my career as a health professional as a human being. And I intend to leave this sphere as such. In between now and then, I fully itend to continue the trend.
Do I eat well? Yes. I'd say ~90% of the time is pretty accurate. Do I exercise? Yes. I'd say ~6-7 days a week, often 2x/day, is about right. But I AM HUMAN. I'm writing this because I deal with this daily. I don't aim for that to come off as negative. I've learned to understand that it comes with the territory. Of course, I'm just 27 and in 10 years I may be humming a different tune. But I'd imagine it wont change significantly.
The objective of this post is to simply give an insight into a day in the life of a dietitian. Take for example eating with friends. If I order, say, a healthy version of a salad, I am critized for being overly healthly. "You WOULD get a salad." And then we have the other hand. If I were to order fettucini alfredo, I am also critized (see intro). A lose, lose essentially. So what's a health professional to do?
LIVE. Practice what I preach to my fullest extent, but enjoy the journey.
Hey, pobody's nerfect.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
It'd be a lot cooler if you did
Today was a nice morning. We finally got a cool down in the weather following yesterday's downpour. "Perfect weather" I thought, "for a bike ride to work today." I don't ride to work very often, although I'd like to. But I am in and out enough that it just isn't really all that practical. On the ride in though, I broke a bit of a sweat. And that got me to thinking about something I remember Matthew McConaughey saying a while back. His whole mantra is to "break a sweat every day." I'm not usually one to cite celebrities when it comes to nutrition or exercise (mostly because of the extremes many of them go to... but can you blame them with millions of dollars on the line?) Either way, I think he's got it right. Of course, I'd imagine that he personally breaks a sweat for hours on end each day. But his general advice is to Just Keep Livin (JKL), which is subsequently the name of his foundation.
I suppose I like the whole idea because of it's simplicity. It doesn't say to start jogging at a heart rate of 120-130 bpm for 5 mins and then increase steadily up to 170 bpm until fatigue sets in. It also doesn't say to start your bench press with 12 reps for the first set and then, as weight is added, drop to 8 reps per set. Not that either of those is poor advice, but it's just not for everyone.
It's SIMPLE. And I like simple. Just break a sweat. Just Keep Livin. Don't overanalye or overthink it. Just do it. Ah, guess I just put an unintentional plug in there for Nike, huh?
Take home message: The next time you have a "scheduled" workout that you really don't want to do.... don't do it. Pick a different, more enjoyable exercise that you would rather do. In the long run, you will be much more likely to remain active and enjoy these short trips around the sun.
I suppose I like the whole idea because of it's simplicity. It doesn't say to start jogging at a heart rate of 120-130 bpm for 5 mins and then increase steadily up to 170 bpm until fatigue sets in. It also doesn't say to start your bench press with 12 reps for the first set and then, as weight is added, drop to 8 reps per set. Not that either of those is poor advice, but it's just not for everyone.
It's SIMPLE. And I like simple. Just break a sweat. Just Keep Livin. Don't overanalye or overthink it. Just do it. Ah, guess I just put an unintentional plug in there for Nike, huh?
Take home message: The next time you have a "scheduled" workout that you really don't want to do.... don't do it. Pick a different, more enjoyable exercise that you would rather do. In the long run, you will be much more likely to remain active and enjoy these short trips around the sun.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Borah Peak, Idaho
Im writing this right now from Challis, Idaho. Four days ago my dad, brother, a family friend and I climbed Borah Peak. Doesn't really sound like a big deal, right? Yeah I didnt think so either. I was wrong. Background time... I've summited Mt. Whitney in California, Mt. Elbert in Colorado, Mt. Humphrey's in Arizona, and attempted Mt. Rainier in Washington. They are all difficult in their own right, although Rainier is certainly the most difficult with Whitney not too far behind. As a reference point, Mt. Whitney took us 19 hours. Sunday's climb on Borah lasted 12. HOWEVER, we climbed over 1 mile... vertically... and reached heights of about 12,500 feet. And the climb was technical.
Chicken Out Ridge (COR). This is the name the locals have given the area of the mountain in which many people, well... chicken out. And for good reason. It requires hanging on by fingers and toes and scaling vertical rock walls with no safety net below. In fact a slip of the grip means, at certain points anyways, a several hundred foot fall that would put Wile E. Coyote in the ICU. Luckily for our crew, the weather held off and we were able to make it across COR without any rain, snow, or substantial winds. After COR, however, the climb becomes more of a crawl up sliding rock for rougly 1/8-1/4 mile. Again, doesnt sound like much, but after climbing for many hours and at an altitude of ~12,500 feet, it's tough... really tough.
After reaching the summit, the really hard part kicks in. There is an old saying that goes "climbing up is optional, going down isnt." It's a true kick in the groin. You've made it! Yet you havent. And the descent is where the majority of climbing accidents occur. The reason? Tired legs, get-home-itis, lack of concentration, etc. Long story short, we made it. But it hurt and I'm feeling confident at this point of hanging up the boots and pack thankful that I've been lucky enough to make the climbs I have without any significant, long-term damage. That I know of at least.
As for my nutrition, I packed 2 PBJ's on whole wheat, 2 powerbars, an apple, and beef jerky. Maybe not the epitome of a true hiker or dietitian, but not bad either. The beef jerky served 2 purposes... 1. Protein to prevent muscle soreness and 2. Salt to replace lost electrolytes. The others should be self-explanatory. For example, PBJ requires no real refrigeration, whereas a turkey sandwich would. I also carried 2 litres of water in a CamelBak pack and an additional 16 oz of sweetened green tea for extra energy and a change of flavor. If there are other RD's reading this, you may be thinking "That's not enough", but keep in mind, everything you have in your pack you have to carry up. So it becomes a balancing act of weight and nutrition. I figured I could suck it up if worse came to worst. I'm tough... D-U-M... tough.
So I made it. I'm alive and just finished a white water kayaking trip this morning. So with that, I'm going to have a bite to eat. I have a plane to pilot back to Indiana tomorrow.
Chicken Out Ridge (COR). This is the name the locals have given the area of the mountain in which many people, well... chicken out. And for good reason. It requires hanging on by fingers and toes and scaling vertical rock walls with no safety net below. In fact a slip of the grip means, at certain points anyways, a several hundred foot fall that would put Wile E. Coyote in the ICU. Luckily for our crew, the weather held off and we were able to make it across COR without any rain, snow, or substantial winds. After COR, however, the climb becomes more of a crawl up sliding rock for rougly 1/8-1/4 mile. Again, doesnt sound like much, but after climbing for many hours and at an altitude of ~12,500 feet, it's tough... really tough.
After reaching the summit, the really hard part kicks in. There is an old saying that goes "climbing up is optional, going down isnt." It's a true kick in the groin. You've made it! Yet you havent. And the descent is where the majority of climbing accidents occur. The reason? Tired legs, get-home-itis, lack of concentration, etc. Long story short, we made it. But it hurt and I'm feeling confident at this point of hanging up the boots and pack thankful that I've been lucky enough to make the climbs I have without any significant, long-term damage. That I know of at least.
As for my nutrition, I packed 2 PBJ's on whole wheat, 2 powerbars, an apple, and beef jerky. Maybe not the epitome of a true hiker or dietitian, but not bad either. The beef jerky served 2 purposes... 1. Protein to prevent muscle soreness and 2. Salt to replace lost electrolytes. The others should be self-explanatory. For example, PBJ requires no real refrigeration, whereas a turkey sandwich would. I also carried 2 litres of water in a CamelBak pack and an additional 16 oz of sweetened green tea for extra energy and a change of flavor. If there are other RD's reading this, you may be thinking "That's not enough", but keep in mind, everything you have in your pack you have to carry up. So it becomes a balancing act of weight and nutrition. I figured I could suck it up if worse came to worst. I'm tough... D-U-M... tough.
So I made it. I'm alive and just finished a white water kayaking trip this morning. So with that, I'm going to have a bite to eat. I have a plane to pilot back to Indiana tomorrow.
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