The biggest rage these days in the packaged snacks are the 100 calories snacks. I see these 100 calorie snack packs for cookies, chips, fruit bars you name it. These snacks may lack high calories but they also lack good nutrition. Even the fruit bars and the so called nutritious snacks are made with highly processed ingredients. In the manufacturing process of these products a large percentage of the most beneficial nutrients are destroyed. There is a much better alternative to the packaged 100 calorie snack. Nature has been packaging 100 calories snack for us since the beginning of time. These snacks are loaded with the best nutritional ingredients. These are called fruit. For just 100 calories you can eat a banana, apple or pear just to name a few. They are sweet, refreshing, much more filling, loaded with healthy ingredients and much less expensive than those pre-packed snacks you may have been buying. Give fruit a try, you won’t be sorry.
By the way, research has shown that many people knowing they are eating only 100 calorie packaged snacks tend to eat more than one package and end up eating more than they intended to.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Stuck in an exercise rut, get ready to SWEAT
The late great comedian George Burns liked to say “If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself”. George lived to 100 years old. To shed some light on the average person, a recent article by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) stated that overweight and obesity affects more than 66% of the adult population and is associated with a variety of chronic diseases. These numbers are just staggering. Although it is true that some individuals are blessed with good genes, and no matter how unhealthy their lifestyle is, they will live to an old age. But for the rest of us who are concerned with the quality of our health and management of our weight, exercise is one of the keys. For overweight and obese adults to improve their health, the ASCM recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. For long term weight loss it is recommended to do 200 – 300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity.
Two of the most common objections I get from people regarding exercise are “I do not have any time to exercise” and “exercise is boring”. First, let me say that a well balanced exercise program incorporates aerobic exercise, strength training exercise, and exercises to improve flexibility. When it comes to your aerobic workouts, I have the perfect solution to the above two objections; interval training. If you are in any of my exercise classes or are a Personal Training client of mine at the YMCA, you already know I am all about getting the most out of a workout with the least amount of time. Interval training, which includes variations such as Fartlek training and the Tabata Protocol are methods of exercising that will allow you to get more work done, more fat burned, and more improved fitness with less time. In addition, these exercise techniques will get you unstuck from a boring exercise rut and revitalize your aerobic workouts. Interval training will (get ready for some clinical sounding stuff) improve your aerobic capacity, the ability of your body to remove oxygen from the air and transfer it through your lungs and blood and on to your muscles. You’ll also raise your anaerobic threshold, the point at which the body can no longer meet its demand for oxygen and anaerobic metabolism is increased. All in all, you’ll be able to work out harder and longer. You’ll burn more calories and fat while adding more challenge and interest to your workouts. One study illustrates just how effective interval training is. Two groups were compared, one group did 90 minutes of a long slow workout staying within there aerobic training zone. The second group did a 20 minutes workout consisting of 4 minutes of active rest with 3 seconds of a high intensity interval. Guess what, the 20 minute interval group made better gains in fitness inprovement as well as burning more calories than the 90 minute group.
Interval training is simply varying the intensity within a workout. You add short bouts of higher intensity that you could not sustain throughout the exercise session. You get a nice payout for adding a little extra effort. You can do this at any fitness level. Here is one example, walk for five minutes, then speed walk (or run) for one minute, repeating throughout your workout. You can do this with almost any aerobic routine, run, bicycle, elliptical, you name it. You can change the spacing of the intervals as well. The goal is to try and increase the intensity level and the length of time of the interval as the weeks go by. Let’s say on a scale of 1 to 10, you walk at an exertion level of 5. For 20 to 30 seconds, move up to a 7. Then go back down to walking at 5, this is called recovery or active rest. This was one interval. Within the next few weeks increase the intensity from 7 to 8 and increase the length from 30 seconds to 45 seconds. Remember to always warm up thoroughly before and cool down after your exercise session for 3 to 5 minutes. Now get out there and have some fun exercising.
Have a great workout,
Stuart
Two of the most common objections I get from people regarding exercise are “I do not have any time to exercise” and “exercise is boring”. First, let me say that a well balanced exercise program incorporates aerobic exercise, strength training exercise, and exercises to improve flexibility. When it comes to your aerobic workouts, I have the perfect solution to the above two objections; interval training. If you are in any of my exercise classes or are a Personal Training client of mine at the YMCA, you already know I am all about getting the most out of a workout with the least amount of time. Interval training, which includes variations such as Fartlek training and the Tabata Protocol are methods of exercising that will allow you to get more work done, more fat burned, and more improved fitness with less time. In addition, these exercise techniques will get you unstuck from a boring exercise rut and revitalize your aerobic workouts. Interval training will (get ready for some clinical sounding stuff) improve your aerobic capacity, the ability of your body to remove oxygen from the air and transfer it through your lungs and blood and on to your muscles. You’ll also raise your anaerobic threshold, the point at which the body can no longer meet its demand for oxygen and anaerobic metabolism is increased. All in all, you’ll be able to work out harder and longer. You’ll burn more calories and fat while adding more challenge and interest to your workouts. One study illustrates just how effective interval training is. Two groups were compared, one group did 90 minutes of a long slow workout staying within there aerobic training zone. The second group did a 20 minutes workout consisting of 4 minutes of active rest with 3 seconds of a high intensity interval. Guess what, the 20 minute interval group made better gains in fitness inprovement as well as burning more calories than the 90 minute group.
Interval training is simply varying the intensity within a workout. You add short bouts of higher intensity that you could not sustain throughout the exercise session. You get a nice payout for adding a little extra effort. You can do this at any fitness level. Here is one example, walk for five minutes, then speed walk (or run) for one minute, repeating throughout your workout. You can do this with almost any aerobic routine, run, bicycle, elliptical, you name it. You can change the spacing of the intervals as well. The goal is to try and increase the intensity level and the length of time of the interval as the weeks go by. Let’s say on a scale of 1 to 10, you walk at an exertion level of 5. For 20 to 30 seconds, move up to a 7. Then go back down to walking at 5, this is called recovery or active rest. This was one interval. Within the next few weeks increase the intensity from 7 to 8 and increase the length from 30 seconds to 45 seconds. Remember to always warm up thoroughly before and cool down after your exercise session for 3 to 5 minutes. Now get out there and have some fun exercising.
Have a great workout,
Stuart
Here is my story
Hi, Stuart Offer here! I am very excited to have the opportunity to reach out to all of you through this blog. Finding myself in a nation plagued by preventable diseases, I’ve developed a mission to share information and resources to prevent these diseases and effectively control health and improve lifestyles.
In the upcoming months, I commit to bringing you the highest quality health information. I will cut through the bologna and dish out easy to understand and easy to apply strategies and solutions. By applying this information, you’ll learn how to promote a healthier future for yourselves and your children while reducing the risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease, many types of cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes just to name a few.
The focus of my expertise is weight loss and weight management, exercise and fitness, foods and nutrition, cooking, stress and time management, communication skills including assertiveness training as well as conflict resolution.
Here is my story. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I left the “Big City” to pursue education and job opportunities traveling and living all over the country. After graduating Palmer College of Chiropractic I moved back east to Long Island where I owned and practiced in a very busy, multi-doctor, primary care Chiropractic office. At that time I was an avid cyclist. On one unlucky September day I had a serious bicycle crash where my right wrist was severely fractured. After a surgical reconstruction of my wrist I was no longer able to practice as a Chiropractor. In the years to follow I worked as a consultant to other Chiropractors and started and operated a number of entrepreneurial endeavors. During this time period I lost track of my quest for a healthy lifestyle, experiencing a 55 pound weight gain and a steady decline in my level of fitness and the quality of my health. Considering I had a very strong family history of heart disease I was headed in a very bad direction. The defining moment came after a phone call from my first cousin Steve. He was calling me from a hospital bed waiting to be wheeled into an operating room for open heart surgery. This was the wakeup call I needed. The very next day I redirected myself and regained my passion for optimal health and fitness turning my life around. Using my knowledge and skills I lost the weight I gained. I am happy to say that I am now 55 pounds lighter and in better physical condition than when I was 20 years old! After going through this transition, I decided to direct my passion for fitness, a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risks of chronic disease toward helping others achieve the same healthy and fit lifestyle.
My regular job is the Wellness Educator for the Greater Burlington YMCA. My passion is designing and presenting cutting edge and innovative wellness programs. With my background as an educator, a Chiropractic Physician, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist as well as being a Certified Weight Management and Stress Management Counselor I bring a unique and holistic perspective. This allows me to deliver an integrated and practical approach to the topics of wellness and lifestyle change. One of the primary goals of my programs is to teach people how to change and reverse unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that are leading them towards chronic diseases. I pay particular attention to a slow methodical approach to achieve long term results and a balanced life. Now, before you get the impression I am a health nut I am also a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified BBQ Judge where I travel to sanctioned BBQ competitions to judge one of my guilty pleasures. I love the outdoors and spend as much time as possible, which is never enough, hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. Another love of mine is cooking. I live in Williston with my wife Leslie, sons Alex and Zack and dog Spike (my 8 lb. Yorkie). I look forward to writing for you and sharing useful ideas in the months to come. Please feel free to write me with questions, concerns, or comments.
Stuart Offer, M.S., D.C., EdCert, C.S.C.S., C.L.C.
In the upcoming months, I commit to bringing you the highest quality health information. I will cut through the bologna and dish out easy to understand and easy to apply strategies and solutions. By applying this information, you’ll learn how to promote a healthier future for yourselves and your children while reducing the risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease, many types of cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes just to name a few.
The focus of my expertise is weight loss and weight management, exercise and fitness, foods and nutrition, cooking, stress and time management, communication skills including assertiveness training as well as conflict resolution.
Here is my story. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. I left the “Big City” to pursue education and job opportunities traveling and living all over the country. After graduating Palmer College of Chiropractic I moved back east to Long Island where I owned and practiced in a very busy, multi-doctor, primary care Chiropractic office. At that time I was an avid cyclist. On one unlucky September day I had a serious bicycle crash where my right wrist was severely fractured. After a surgical reconstruction of my wrist I was no longer able to practice as a Chiropractor. In the years to follow I worked as a consultant to other Chiropractors and started and operated a number of entrepreneurial endeavors. During this time period I lost track of my quest for a healthy lifestyle, experiencing a 55 pound weight gain and a steady decline in my level of fitness and the quality of my health. Considering I had a very strong family history of heart disease I was headed in a very bad direction. The defining moment came after a phone call from my first cousin Steve. He was calling me from a hospital bed waiting to be wheeled into an operating room for open heart surgery. This was the wakeup call I needed. The very next day I redirected myself and regained my passion for optimal health and fitness turning my life around. Using my knowledge and skills I lost the weight I gained. I am happy to say that I am now 55 pounds lighter and in better physical condition than when I was 20 years old! After going through this transition, I decided to direct my passion for fitness, a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risks of chronic disease toward helping others achieve the same healthy and fit lifestyle.
My regular job is the Wellness Educator for the Greater Burlington YMCA. My passion is designing and presenting cutting edge and innovative wellness programs. With my background as an educator, a Chiropractic Physician, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist as well as being a Certified Weight Management and Stress Management Counselor I bring a unique and holistic perspective. This allows me to deliver an integrated and practical approach to the topics of wellness and lifestyle change. One of the primary goals of my programs is to teach people how to change and reverse unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that are leading them towards chronic diseases. I pay particular attention to a slow methodical approach to achieve long term results and a balanced life. Now, before you get the impression I am a health nut I am also a Kansas City Barbeque Society Certified BBQ Judge where I travel to sanctioned BBQ competitions to judge one of my guilty pleasures. I love the outdoors and spend as much time as possible, which is never enough, hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. Another love of mine is cooking. I live in Williston with my wife Leslie, sons Alex and Zack and dog Spike (my 8 lb. Yorkie). I look forward to writing for you and sharing useful ideas in the months to come. Please feel free to write me with questions, concerns, or comments.
Stuart Offer, M.S., D.C., EdCert, C.S.C.S., C.L.C.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)