I frequently encounter personal situations that I think would  be  worth writing about. On occasion, I'll include them in an article,  sometimes I don't. Today's situation, I thought, would be worth sharing  in hopes it may help someone else make a better decision in the future.  My wife and I are on vacation, and staying at an all-inclusive resort.  Today was our first full day at the resort and we started the day off  with breakfast, which was served buffet style. We were seated at our  table and looked around at what everyone else was eating - pancakes,  toast, juice, sausages and some breakfast sweets.  We looked at each  other and thought the same thing. "No eggs?"

Prior to our vacation, we had talked about our hopes to get a  fresh omelet at the buffet, since we normally eat eggs for breakfast.  We were surprised to see no one else at the tables around us were eating  any eggs. Once we got our coffee, we got up to explore what was  available for breakfast at the buffet. Low and behold, as we approached  the buffet, we saw the reason no one was eating eggs or omelets. There  was a small line! There were about five people waiting to have their  fresh omelet made and it was obvious many other people were not willing  to wait. It took about five minutes to wait in line and have the omelet  made. I enjoyed my omelet with some ham, green peppers, tomatoes, green  chilies, mushrooms and salsa. I had an extra couple of slices of ham as  well. It was delicious and satisfied me until lunch around 1:00.

What’s the point of this story? The point is that we  often reach for the most convenient food we can find, rather than the  one that can bring us the most long-term benefit. The restaurant had a  pretty good sampling of the American population, with about two out of  three people being overweight. As I looked around, the overload of  carbohydrates and lack of protein on most people’s plates were doing  little to help combat the weight issues they were facing.

Is  it easy to stop eating the high-carb foods? Not at all. As Dr. Jim  LaValle says in his book Cracking the Metabolic Code, people can be  hooked on a virtual carbohydrate addiction – they eat plenty of  carbohydrates because the rise in blood sugar makes them feel good in  the short-term(1). A couple of hours later, their blood sugar drops and  they reach for more carbohydrates and continue to repeat the cycle all  day, then wake up and do it all over again. That is rather simplified  compared to the detail he goes into in his book, and the detail  discussed in previous articles. The point is, the short-term  satisfaction of those foods has to be seen as of less benefit than the  long-term health benefits found by avoiding them.

When I look  at a plate overflowing with high-carbohydrate, processed, nutrient poor  foods, I know that they taste good. I know that for a very short period  of time, they would be satisfying to eat. I also know that for me, like  many other people, once I start, I don’t want to stop. I can get on the  cycle like anyone else of eating a few foods I shouldn’t, and those  foods can turn into a few more, and then more…Rather than getting on  that cycle, it’s a healthier choice in the long-run to reach for the  whole-food vegetables, protein, a bit of fruit. I also can’t help  reminding myself that eating the processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor  foods leads to the scary statistics our nation is facing in its health:

-  67% of the population is overweight(2)
- 33% of the population is  obese(2)
- 23.6 million people have diabetes, 57 million are  pre-diabetic (some say this is a very conservative estimate)(3)
- 80  million people have cardiovascular disease(4)

Aside from the  statistics above, excess weight is also associated with blood lipid  abnormalities, cancer, depression, gallbladder disease, gynecological  problems, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver, osteoarthritis,  skin problems, sleep apnea and stroke(5). Every time you eat, you have  the opportunity to enhance or reduce your health. Choose wisely!

In  health,

Tom Nikkola

1. Jim LaValle.  Cracking The Metabolic Code. 2004. Basic Health Publications. Laguna  Beach, CA
2. Thorpe K. The Future Costs of Obesity. 2009.  Report from United Health  Foundation, the American Public Health  Association and Partnership for  Prevention
3. American Diabetes  Association. Diabetes Statistics. Diabetes Basics  online article at  www.diabetes.org
4. American Heart Association. Heart Disease  & Stroke Statistics: 2009  Update At-A-Glance. Found at  www.americanheart.org
5. Mayo Clinic Staff. Obesity Complications.  Online article at  MayoClinic.com

This article is  not intended for the  treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a  substitute for medical  treatment, nor as an alternative to medical  advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the  choice and risk of  the reader.

Gluten has become a pretty mainstream nutrition term. Many people understand it is a health concern, but they don't know how or why. With as much as one-third of the population sensitive to gluten, it’s worth understanding more(1). The more startling statistic is that 99% of those who have issues with gluten are aware of it(2). Gluten’s common reputation is some kind of “wheat allergy.” With our dependence on whole grains as the base of the recommended food pyramid, it’s easy to overlook the significance of gluten. It can also be a challenge to admit that the base of the Standard American Diet could actually be hurting us.

Gluten and Chronic Disease

Many chronic diseases seem to be related to gluten sensitivities. Often, medications are prescribed without relieving the underlying cause. Such is the case with gluten issues. The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 health issues related to gluten(3). Dr. Mark Hyman states, these “include osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, canker sores, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases.” He also points out that the occurrence of full-blown gluten allergy, or celiac disease, has increased 400% in the past 50 years(1)!

Many people have been living through irritations caused by issues with gluten, and many take medications to alleviate the pains associated with gluten. Oftentimes, simply eliminating gluten from the diet is the best solution.

Gluten and Weight Loss

As consumers become more aware of the issues surrounding gluten consumption, food companies will look for alternatives to make the same high-carb foods in a “gluten-free” form. I was reminded of this today when my wife and I did our weekly grocery shopping at a local co-op grocery store in the Twin Cities. I read a flyer that offered offered gluten-free cooking classes. The participants could taste all of the cookies, cakes and quiches they would make during the cooking class. In the case of sweets and treats, gluten-free does not mean “healthy.”

Eliminating gluten can be helpful, but eating high-carb, gluten-free foods is likely to have the same effects on weight gain as the gluten-filled options. It’s better to go back to the way we originally ate before all the gluten-filled options were available. A diet filled with vegetables, fruit, meat, seeds, nuts, and some other carbohydrates (depending on activity level) is a better way to eat for those with and without gluten issues.

Determining Gluten Sensitivities

There are a few ways to test for gluten sensitivities. They include a blood test, skin-prick test, food challenge testing and an elimination diet(4).  The easiest thing to do is an elimination diet. Eliminate all gluten-containing foods for 2-4 weeks and then reintroduce them. During the phase of elimination, you may feel better. You may also feel the same, but if you have issues with gluten you may notice a difference once you reintroduce them. You may also find that the elimination of many of the carbohydrate-containing foods during this time leads to other positive changes such as a loss of weight, increased energy, decreased blood pressure and/or improved blood lipid profiles(5). Some common gluten-containing grains include barley, bran, bulgar, cereals (some), couscous, flour, food starch, gluten peptides, grits, oats, rye, spelt and wheat(6). A complete list can be found here.

Summary

Problems with gluten are a more serious issue than most people understand. With one-third of the population facing issues related to sensitivities, and those sensitiveness potentially contributing to any of 55 different health issues, it may require a change to the standard nutritional recommendations. Seeking a diet higher in whole grains, for some, could present more of a health problem than people realize.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

1. Mark Hyman. Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You. The Huffington Post. 2 January 2010
   
2. Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F.  Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease.  JAMA 2009 16:302(11):1171-8
   
3. Farrell RJ, Kelly CP. Celiac spruce. N Engl J Med. 2002 17;346(3):180-8
   
4. Nordqvist C. What is Wheat Allergy? What Causes A Wheat Allergy? Medical News Today. 18 Dec 2009
   
5. Dr. William David. Wheat belly. The Heart Scan Blog. 23 July 2007
   
6. Celiac Spruce Association. Grains and Flours Glossary. Celiac Spruce Association website (http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php)
   

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

With the 2010 Olympic Games in full swing, it's exciting to see the world's best athletes competing in such a variety of sports. Thousands of hours of training, refined nutrition plans and the perfect mix of supplements all play a role in achieving peak conditioning. While very few of us are focused on working toward a gold medal, we all have individual goals in mind. If you're following a solid nutrition plan, and taking in the basics for supplements such as a high-quality multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acids, adding additional performance-enhancing supplements to your program can help you take your level of conditioning to the next level.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition recently released a report, ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review: research & recommendations. Within the report, ISSN categorizes ergogenic supplements into four categories: Apparently Effective, Possibly Effective, Too Early to Tell and Apparently Ineffective. The supplements in these categories were reviewed based on the evidence to improve exercise performance. Some of the supplements may also have benefits for other aspects of health and fitness. If you're looking for something to help enhance your exercise and nutrition program, the supplements in the Apparently Effective and  Possibly Effective would likely be the best place to start.

Apparently Effective

Weight Gain Powders

For athletes, consuming sufficient levels of calories is critical to exercise performance, maintenance of lean body mass and recovery from workouts. Caution should be used in relying on them too much as it is easy to gain excess body fat. As the report states, "only about 30-50% of the weight gained on high calorie diets is muscle while the remaining amount of weight gained is fat."

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine typically tops the list of any list of performance enhancement supplements. Studied more than any other ergogenic supplement, there's no doubt that creatine is beneficial for gains in strength and lean body mass. Although there are a variety of new versions of creatine on the market (i.e. creatine ethyl ester, conjugated creatine, etc.), no form of creatine has been shown to be as effective as creatine monohydrate when it's been properly studied.

Protein

Athletes used to be told that protein levels in line with the RDA were sufficient. In more recent years, more research has shown that higher protein levels are beneficial for virtually all types of athletes (and non-athletes). The research has shown levels of 1.4-2.0 grams per kilogram body weight per day are often recommended as minimal levels for daily consumption. Protein powders, especially whey protein, are great supplements to ensure sufficient protein is taken in each day.

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are the building blocks of protein the body cannot produce on its own. Intense training breaks down muscle tissue, but by consuming essential amino acids (EAA) just prior to and just after exercise has been shown to improve training adaptations. Essential amino acids are absorbed faster than whole protein and have been shown to support "glycogen resynthesis, delay the onset of fatigue, and help maintain mental function in aerobic-based exercise."

Possibly Effective

Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB)

The supplements in the section above have been shown to be beneficial with athletes at all experience levels. HMB seems to be more effective with those at the beginning stages of a training program or the elderly. With experienced athletes, HMB has not consistently supported ergogenic benefits. HMB is derived from the amino acid leucine and its benefits come from its ability to inhibit protein degradation (protein breakdown).

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)

There are three branched-chain amino acids - leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are often taken as tablets or as a flavored powder mixed with water. They may be used before, during and immediately after intense exercise. BCAAs seem to be anti-catabolic, meaning they reduce the breakdown of muscle. They may also be beneficial for maintaining lean body mass when following a reduced-calorie diet.

The supplements listed above have been available for many years and have been well-studied. None of these supplements has more of an effect than a proper nutrition and exercise program. If you have your training program and nutrition program dialed in, there is definately benefit to using the supplements above if your goals in line with their reported benefits. If you're not sure what to start with, talk to a fitness professional before you start shopping. It is easy to be misled by the marketing that surrounds the packaging of many products.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Reference

Kreider RB, et al. ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations. JISSN. Feb 2, 2010

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition released its position statement on caffeine and sports performance last week. The position statement, which is 43 pages, is a complete review and well-worth reading in its entirety.

Caffeine use tends to be surrounded by misconceptions and exaggerations, many of which are addressed in the position statement. Many of the performance-enhancing benefits are seen with the anhydrous form of caffeine (pill form), which mistakenly is applied to coffee and energy drinks. The ISSN’s position statement is summed up in seven major points:

1. Caffeine is effective for enhancing sport performance in trained athletes when consumed in low-to-moderate dosages (~3-6 mg/kg). Higher dosages do not result in additional performance benefits.
2. Caffeine exerts a greater ergogenic effect when consumed in an anhydrous state as compared to coffee.
3. Caffeine has been shown to enhance vigilance during bouts of extended exhaustive exercise, as well as periods of sustained sleep deprivation.
4. Caffeine is ergogenic for sustained maximal endurance exercise and has been shown to be highly effective for time-trial performance.
5. Caffeine supplementation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise.
6. The literature is equivocal on caffeine’s benefit in strength-power performance.
7. The scientific literature does not support caffeine induced dieresis during exercise or any harmful change in fluid balance that would negatively affect performance.

Some additional points made in the paper that may be of interest include:

> Caffeine’s ergogenic benefits can be seen as early as 15 minutes after ingestion, and peak at about 60 minutes after ingestion
> Caffeine is especially effective for endurance activity because of its ability to increase fat utilization and conserve glycogen stores
> Caffeine has also been shown to be beneficial in intermittent activity/sports such as soccer, field hockey, rowing, and similar sports
> Caffeine creates a significant increase in resting metabolic rate with a dose as low as 100 mg. These benefits also seen in habitual caffeine users, which shows they may not adapt over time to the thermogenic effect.

There is certainly benefit to caffeine for the purpose of enhancing sports-performance. However, it is important to consider the ones major objectives. For individuals facing issues of chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, sleep problems or other health concerns, the performance benefits of caffeine use may not outweigh the further complications caffeine may cause. If there are not other health issues to be concerned about, caffeine can certainly enhance a training session or competition.

For the full report, you can go to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition website found here.

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Many of us commit to our workout each day in hopes of burning off a bit more fat than we started the day with. Unfortunately, exercisers can cut off any chance of burning that fat simply by making the wrong choice for a pre-workout meal or snack. Energy bars, shakes and other snacks, based on their marketing, appear to be the right choice, but are they? Is the often-recommended "low-fat, high-carb" pre-workout snack going to help you get leaner or keep you from burning fat? Let's take a look.

Carbohydrates, Insulin and Fat-Burning

Carbohydrates have a significant impact on the hormone insulin. As more carbohydrate is ingested, more insulin is secreted. Insulin tells your body to store fat, keeps it from burning fat and makes it burn sugar for fuel. This is part of the reason reduced-carbohydrate diets can be so effective for reducing body fat(1,2). Regular overconsumption of carbohydrates can lead to gains in body fat. Even when daily calorie totals are appropriate, consuming too much carbohydrate can keep the body from losing desired levels of body fat. What does that mean for your workout? Eating carbohydrates just before a workout means you'll be using carbohydrates for fuel, not fat.

See also: Comparing Low-Fat and Low-Carb

A study, published this week in Hormone and Metabolism Research brought further evidence showing carbohydrate consumption's negative impact on fat burning. Twenty obese subjects exercised for 30 minutes in a fasted state, 30 minutes after a carbohydrate- or protein-rich meal, and two hours after a carbohydrate-rich meal. The study showed that the low-carbohydrate, protein-rich meal ingested before the workout supported fat-burning. The carbohydrate meal eaten two hours prior to the workout also led to similar amounts of fat-burning like the protein-rich meal consumed just before exercise, since blood sugar levels would return to a more normal level after that amount of time. However, the carbohydrate-rich meal eaten just prior to exercise suppressed lypolysis, or fat-utilization(3). Quoting the researchers,

"To improve exercise-induced lypolysis (fat-breakdown) and subsequent fat oxidation (fat-burning) during low-intensity exercise obese subjects should not ingest carbohydrates immediately before exercise. Hunger sensations should be satisfied with protein-rich food."

Summary

When the goal of your exercise program is to help you become leaner, keeping insulin levels low prior to exercise is important. If you need something to eat, some protein and fat can be enough to hold you over through your workout. For some people, even a piece of fruit could be enough elevate insulin levels too much to burn fat during exercise. If you are going to eat carbohydrates in your pre-workout meal, give yourself a couple of hours between your meal and your workout if possible. Just don't be misled into thinking you need carbohydrates just before your workout.

Having said that, it's important that your exercise routine matches your nutrition intake and current level of conditioning. The above research was done with low-intensity exercise. People who want to train at higher-intensity levels should work up to those intensities over time while they adapt to a new pre-workout nutrition strategy. Also, remember that this may be a different strategy than for individuals training for performance-enhancement.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References

1. Gardner C, Kiazan A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford R, Balise R, Kraemer H, King A. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women. JAMA. 2007;297(9):969-977

2. Wylie-Rossett J, Davis NJ. Low-carbohydrate diets: an update on current research. Curr Diab Rep. 2009 Oct(5)396-404

3. Erdmann J, Tholl S, Schusdziarra V. Effects of Carbohydrate- and Protein-rich Meals on Exercise-induced Activation of Lypolysis in Obese Subjects. Horm Metab Res. 2010 Jan 21

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Each week the results of new studies, published in well-respected journals, make news headlines. Often, the studies that create the most buzz are those that reinforce popular opinion. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) has not made news headlines, possibly because it contradicts a long-held belief about weight management and cardiovascular health. However, the results are important to pay attention to if we're going to attack the issues related to obesity and heart disease.

Saturated Fat and Cardiovascular Disease

The meta-analyses in the AJCN reviewed the evidence in 347,747 study participants and found that "intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or cardiovascular disease (CVD) (1). Put more simply, the article shows saturated fat consumption does not increase the risk of heart disease. The theory that fat intake increases the risk of heart disease or weight gain has been met with growing criticism in recent years.

Science writer Gary Taubes caught public attention in 2002 with the publication of his article What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? in the New York Times. Taubes discussed the lack of scientific evidence supporting the "lipid hypothesis" (2). The lipid hypothesis, made popular in the 1950's by Ancel Keys, theorized that the more saturated fat and cholesterol a person eats, the greater the risk of heart disease. Although the evidence to support the hypothesis was weak, the logic was the more fat people ate, the more fat they would accumulate and the more heart disease they would face (3). Over time, the more the hypothesis was talked about, the more popular it became. Today, most people talk about fat consumption and its effect on heart disease and weight gain as though it's a proven fact. Many low-carb diet proponents tried to point out the missing evidence to support the lipid hypothesis, but because their perspectives have often been so contradictory to popular opinion, they've often been met with strong criticism.

The French, who tend to eat much more fat than we do in the United States, suffer from far less heart disease. Is there something special about eating more fat in France than eating it in the United States? Probably not. It is more likely that in the United States we're eating other things besides the fat that are causing much of the problem. There is mounting evidence to show that excess carbohydrate, especially sugars and other refined carbohydrates, may be to blame for our large occurrence of heart disease. Excess carbohydrate has been shown to increase the blood's level of triglycerides and very-low density lipoprotein, both of which increase the risk of heart disease(4). It would be quite a change in dietary recommendations if we were told to make carbohydrate intake a smaller part of our normal diet.

A Low-Fat Food Industry

As people walk through today's supermarkets, food labels carry marketing intended to reinforce the lipid hypothesis, the idea that you should eat as little fat as possible. Products draw consumers attention based on a product's fat content. We are tempted by frozen meals, desserts and snacks that provide as much taste as can be manufactured in a product while keeping fat levels as low as possible to make them more sellable. Most of these foods contain extra carbohydrates to make up for the lack of fat in them.

Summary

As an individual takes steps to eat a more whole-food diet, fat content may go up. Many natural foods such as meat, eggs, poultry, nuts and seeds have more fat than their processed-food replacements. This can leave one confused. How can you eat a diet made up of seeds, nuts, meats, regular dairy, fruit and vegetables and keep your fat content lower than when you eat processed foods? According to the results of the AJCN study and other evidence that contradicts the lipid hypothesis, maybe you don't need to. Hopefully the AJCN article will pave the way for additional research so we can really see whether dietary fat is as bad as we've been led to believe it is.

References:
1. Siri-Tarino P, Sun Q, Hu F, Krauss R. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 doi:10.3945
2. Gary Taubes. What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? The New York Times. July 7, 2002.
3. Enig M, Fallon S. The Skinny on Fats. From: Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. 1999, New Trends Publising, Inc.
4. Parks, E. Effect of Dietary Carbohydrate on Triglyceride Metabolism in Humans. Journal of Nutrition. 2001:131:2772S-2774S

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

It's the official start of "Diet Season." I was at Life Time Fitness in Lakeville Saturday morning for my workout and was it ever busy! I often workout at the Lakeville club on the weekends and Chanhassen during the week. As I warmed up for my workout, I spent some time looking at new faces, faces I hadn't seen in quite some time and the regulars that were always there when I was. What I found most interesting was that no matter how new anyone seemed to be, they all seemed to be exercising with the same, high level of intensity. I'm guessing Sunday morning some people woke up with some pretty tender muscles. It made me think about how many people are totally driven to achieve their fitness goals at this time of the year.

Everyone follows a diet, whether it is the Standard American Diet, a structured plan found in one of many diet or weight loss programs, or a philosophy an individual has developed over time. The Merriam-Webster definition of "diet" is:

1 a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed b: habitual nourishment  c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason  d: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight

If you're one of the many people committing to a renewed diet, what will you change in your diet this year to improve your health, fitness, appearance or performance? Each individual has unique metabolic and nutrition needs. However, some principles are consistent for almost everyone. If you're just starting your diet, or renewing your fitness plan, here are a few tips to get you started the right way. Hopefully you'll find yourself on track well past January.

Give it Time

It's human nature to want results immediately. If you're like many people, you probably check the mirror the morning after your first day on your plan, or step on the scale hoping a couple of pounds have come off in your first 24 hours. The reality is, weight loss (or muscle gain) does not follow a simple set of rules. It is not always as easy as burning 3500 calories more than you eat in a week to lose weight. Your metabolism can change with changes in diet. Food choices influence hormones. Environmental changes can affect weight loss. Stress and sleep can support or disrupt your plan. People also tend to under-estimate how much food they actually eat. Unless you live in a science lab where every variable is accounted for, it is difficult to accurately predict exactly how an individual will respond to a nutrition plan. It takes time to see how you respond. It's also important to seek support from an expert in holistic nutrition and metabolism if you feel like you're doing things right but you're not seeing things change as you'd expect them to.

Related Article: Why Can't I Lose Weight?

When You Eat Food, Eat Real Food

We all live busy, time-starved lives. That being the case, it's easy to rely on frozen meals and other processed foods. Calorie-controlled, frozen meals may be appealing, but they will not provide the same quality nutrients that whole foods can. Take the time to prepare meals ahead of time a couple of times per week. Cooking meals in bulk on Sundays and Wednesdays, such as several chicken breasts, a large roast with lean meat and vegetables, or making a large egg bake can save time. You're also less likely to go out to eat if you've prepared your meals instead of bringing a frozen dinner with you. Be sure each meal contains plenty of protein and most meals include vegetables or fruit. You may find this article helpful as well:

Related Article: Don't Lose it at Lunch

Build a Solid Nutrition Base with Quality Supplements

This time of the year, you'll see advertisements everywhere for the latest "cutting-edge" products to guarantee weight loss. Don't be misled. For supplements, the basics should be high-quality multivitamins, omega-3 fish oil and meal replacement powders or protein powders. Even for those who eat a diet composed of whole, organic foods, it's nearly impossible with today's soils to get the optimal levels of nutrients from food alone. A high-quality multivitamin helps ensure the daily intakes of vitamins and minerals achieve more optimal levels. Fish oil plays an important role in a growing number of metabolic processes, and getting more high-quality protein in your diet is important for a number of reasons. For additional reading, you may be interested in these articles:

Related Article: Vitamins, Minerals and Weight Management

Related Article: "Mega" Benefits of Omega-3 Fish Oil

Related Article: The Power of Meal Replacements

Summary

There are many pieces to the puzzle of an optimal diet. When you start putting a puzzle together, you usually start with the pieces that make the puzzle come together easiest, such as uniquely colored pieces and edge pieces. Making a switch to a diet composed of predominantly whole foods and high-quality supplements are those easy pieces. An individual's optimal nutrition plan is not a simple 10-piece puzzle. It is more like a complex jigsaw puzzle and completing it takes patience. You also need to focus on the easy pieces first, before getting caught up in the little things. Be sure to allow yourself time. Stay committed for the long run, not just for January.

In health,

Tom

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

As the new year is almost upon us, many people will be planning out their strategy for 2010. To help you with that strategy, I thought I'd make use of today's post by presenting some of the highlights from 2009. Some of these are strategies you should consider in planning out your new year. Others are resources you can use to help you achieve your goals. Obviously, there will be things I missed in planning out this list. Feel free to offer your own ideas in the comments section. I have included links in each section in the event you'd want to read a little more about that topic. The books mentioned below contain links to Amazon and are for your reference only. They are not part of any referral program. With that said, here are some of the top stories, research and resources from this past year.

Most Researched Nutrient: Tie Between Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

As for vitamins, an incredible amount of research was published on the importance of vitamin D. With our mostly-indoor lifestyles, our bodies do not produce near enough vitamin D from sunlight, so supplementing the diet with this vitamin is very important.

Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA found in fish oil, have proven themselves as a very necessary supplement to the diet. With their ability to combat inflammation, support nervous system development and positively affect lipid profiles, a high-quality fish oil supplement should be a staple in everyone's nutrition plan.

Biggest Food Industry Bust: SmartChoices Program

Earlier this year, after a long project involving several large food industry companies, a new program was launched called SmartChoices. The qualifications for products to be considered a "Smart Choice" were pretty much determined by the companies themselves. The most talked-about product that met the SmartChoices criteria was Fruit Loops cereal. Thankfully, the FDA quickly got involved and the program was discontinued shortly after it launched. The big take-away from the program: If you are looking on a box of food for a label to tell you whether it is healthy or not, it's probably not the best option anyway. Most foods in their natural state aren't grown or raised in a box.

Worst News Headline: Exercise Won't Make You Thin

If the goal of the August Time article was to stir up controversy, it certainly did that. Almost promoting the idea that using exercise for weight loss is futile, it presented excuses for skipping exercise that people just didn't need to hear. With 33% of our population obese and another 33% overweight, there's no doubt that people need to exercise. Of course, that must be coupled with a good nutrition plan for optimal results.

Mounting Evidence for Weight Management: Reduced-Carbohydrates

Low-carbohydrate diets were first suggested for weight management in the 1800's, but since that time there has been a limited number of quality studies done to compare lower-carb to low-fat diets. Each person's metabolism is different and some people can manage weight with a higher-carb diet. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests a reduced-carbohydrate diet may be a healthier option for a large part of the population. Recently, more studies have been done to show benefits of reduced carbohydrate diets. In a time when high-carb foods dominate grocery store shelves, this may be worth considering.

Up and Coming Diet: Paleo Diet

One of the benefits of following a "diet" is that it gives an individual some guidelines to follow, which makes shopping for food and planning meals much easier. Over time, some diets can become a lifestyle. That is the case with what's called the Paleo (or Caveman) Diet. Basically, the goal is to make your diet as close as possible to our diet from 10,000 years ago. In the end, Paleo foods are a lot of foods eaten in their natural state, such as meats, fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, etc. Pretty simple to follow and easy to shop for.

Scariest Statistic: Obesity Trends

I just wrote about this, but it's worth bringing up again. Projections show that in only eight years, 45% of our population will be considered obese. On one hand, it's frustrating that we continue down this path. On the other hand, we have such an incredible opportunity to improve the health of our nation through the foods we eat, the exercise programs we follow and the way we manage stress. These are things you can learn and improve on through your Life Time Fitness membership.

Best New Meal Replacement: FastFuel Complete

I have to throw this one in. It's been quite a while since Life Time Fitness has had a new meal replacement powder. Our newest version, FastFuel Complete, which became available in October, is incredibly nutritious: whey protein, digestive enzymes, Sunfiber, a proprietary fruit and vegetable blend, medium-chain triglycerides, glutamine and it tastes phenomenal. It's been great hearing from so many people about how much they love the new product.

Most Overrated Health Food: Agave Nectar

As people's fears of high fructose corn syrup and sugar in general have increased, they've looked for alternatives to provide the sweetness they're seeking. Agave nectar, with it's exotic and seemingly "natural" name, has gained favor in the health food industry. In its very raw state, it isn't bad, but as it's sold in most products in stores, the processing it goes through isn't far off from HFCS, and it ends up providing a higher percentage of fructose than HFCS does. A close second in this category would be honey, which in its raw state provides a lot of nutrition. Again, most honey in stores is extremely processed and is not a good alternative.

Most Referenced and Recommended Books (Personally): Cracking the Metabolic Code; The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth; Good Calories, Bad Calories

All three of these books are outstanding for different reasons. Cracking the Metabolic Code, written by Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, MS, is a technical book that thoroughly explains the complexity of our metabolism. It does a tremendous job of showing us why weight management is about much more than "Calories In and Calories Out." It should be a reference book for everyone in the health and fitness industry. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Dr. Jonny Bowden, is a great coffee-table book and reference for real health foods. The book includes pictures with vibrant colors and is written in an easy-to-understand language. I pick this book up at least once a week for a quick 5-minute read on a different food or supplement for that day. Good Calories, Bad Calories, written by science journalist Gary Taubes has been around for a while now. It thoroughly reviews how we've arrived at our current philosophies in health and nutrition and where some good science may have been left behind. Many people speak of following "evidence-based" research and Taubes helps the reader understand what that really means. A must-read for nutritionists and Registered Dietitians.

I'm sure as soon as I post this message, I'll think of other things that should have been added. Hopefully, you'll be able to apply a few things from this past year as you look forward to a whole new year. Best wishes on a happy and healthy new year!

In health,

Tom Nikkola

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.