Welcome to our new site! I'm excited to have the opportunity to share education and inspiration through this new website. I hope you will find this to be a great resource to help you along in your goals toward a more Healthy Way of Life. Some of the objectives of this site is to provide:

• clarity about the science of nutrition and how it impacts your fitness goals
• direction, to help you use what you learn to achieve your fitness goals faster
• inspiration, from reading articles from experts in our organization and from the success stories of members who have faced challenges similar to yours
• answers to many of the common questions people have about nutrition and fitness.

Nutrition is a very individualized topic. While many topics are written about for the population as a whole, there are certainly individual needs that can and should be addressed. As time goes on, I hope to have a wealth of information available to you for any goal you may have. The exercise part of your fitness program can sometimes require as little as 3-4 hours per week. Proper nutrition requires attention during a much greater portion of your week. It can be a challenge for many people, with our fast-paced lifestyles and processed foods available everywhere. The journey to achieving optimal health through nutrition is really just that - a journey. It is an ongoing process of learning and experimenting. Over time, you'll discover what works best for you to look and feel your best. Hopefully this site will serve as a resource that can help you get there.

You can expect to see something new each week from Dominique Lopez-Stickney, RD (Lake Houston, TX), Dr. Matt Marturano, ND (Troy, MI), and from me. You will also find articles written by a few of our other Registered Dietitians, including Suzanne Parker, RD (San Antonio, TX), Lisa Schwinn, RD (Romeoville, IL), or Abby McQueeney-Penamonte, RD (Parker, CO) and/or other Registered Dietitians and Personal Trainers throughout the month. All of these Fitness and Nutrition Professionals can be a great resource for you. You'll also see current nutrition news and upcoming events. Finally, if you're interested in any of our outstanding products or services, you'll find information easily accessible on the main Nutrition page.

If you would like to, please feel free to contact them directly. In addition, if there are topics you'd like to see discussed, you can contact me. We also hope many of these articles become discussions, either in the actual blog or in the forums. Be sure to come back often and learn something new.

Yours in health,

Tom

When it comes to exercise, nutrition, and maintaining caloric balance, little things can make a big difference. One example is the "I'll just have a handful," caloric-balance-breaker. For the most part, weight management is about managing the caloric balance - calories in and calories out. There are additional metabolic factors that can play a role in weight management, but to keep it simple, we'll just talk about calories in and out. Assuming all metabolic systems function correctly, having a plan and preparing food in advance can lead to spectacular transformations. However, a handful of this and a handful of that, on top of the proper plan can quickly derail your progress. Some common "derailers" include:

• One handful of dried fruit & nuts: 150 calories
• Two "spoonfuls" of peanut butter instead of two tablespoons: 360 calories
• Mocha Frappuccino Blended: 380 calories
• Two medium chocolate chip cookies: 160 calories
• Two lite beers: 180 calories

Obviously, having any one of these once is not going to keep you from getting to your goals, but having "a little something" each day adds up quickly. Sometimes, it's best to stay away from little snacks until you're well on your way to success. When faced with a choice of whether to indulge or not, consider the cost. During your workouts, if you average 10 calories per minute burned during exercise, 150 calories extra per day requires an extra 1.7 hours of exercise each week, to offset the calories.

For those who must have a little treat, you may be better off with less calories in other meals to maintain your desired caloric balance (just don't eat less protein to get your calories down). Even cheat meals can be okay in a nutrition plan if calories are low enough in other parts of the week to make up for it.

The quest to find natural ingredients that aid in the management of body composition continues. Two spices that have shown considerable promise recently are turmeric and chili pepper.

A study published recently in The Journal of Nutrition (March 18, 2009) found that curcumin, which is found in the spice turmeric, helped reduce body fat levels in mice with a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. Curcumin, a polyphenol, also possesses antioxidant properties. Though the study was only on mice, additional studies, including those on humans, will likely follow this study.

Capsaicin, which is highly concentrated in chili peppers, has also shown promise in several studies for reducing body fat levels. Unfortunately, capsaicin in high concentrations is difficult to handle, much less digest. However, nutritional manufacturers are working hard to discover ways of delivering this powerful fat-loss aid in a way that does not irritate the digestive system.

Ideal concentrations for fat loss of these ingredients are yet to be determined. In the mean time, you may find some benefit from using the spices in every day cooking. If nothing else, it will help add variety in the flavor of the lean protein sources that are likely to be part of any fat loss plan. The effects of various cooking methods on the fat loss properties are also yet to be determined. It is possible that high temperature cooking could reduce the effects of these spices, so it may be wise to add the spices after cooking, or at least avoid high temperature cooking if you are using them.

You may have noticed the change in the seasoning of the chicken breasts at LifeCafe this year. The chicken breasts have a Jamaican Jerk seasoning with turmeric in it. It tastes great over a House Salad. The chicken is great warm or cold. You could even pick up a couple on your way out of the club to save for later.