Life Time Fitness : Thread List - Nutrition

Can decide what i should do for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner :(

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:18:03 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I have decided to get in shape and eat healthy. My biggest problem is what i eat. I work Monday-Friday and i just cant get myself to get up in the morning to make breakfast. Is there food that i can get that is healthy and can help me stay on track with my weight loss. Before i would eat Lean Cuisine Meals but they are so high in Sodium so it's really not a good idea. Does anyone have ideas what i can make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and some good snacks?

Thanks,

Aleksandra

Is there a way to keep track of caloric intake and exercise on the LifeTime site?

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:54:19 GMT

It would be really helpful to be able to track nutrition and exercise on this site... is that available? If not, is there a free online version that someone would recommend? Thanks!

Lose Weight Without Dieting!

mfreeman@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:20:56 GMT

I never put anyone on a diet because diets are designed to make you drop weight but not keep it off. The biggest problem with diets are as soon as you get off of it you gain all your weight back and more.
Start a healthy lifestyle and your body will lose weight and keep it off.

Follow these three guide lines for a healthy diet.
1. Portion size. Chew the food slowly, taste is, and savor each mouthful. By doing so, you'll need far less quantity to be satisfied, and you'll be content to eat a smaller portion.
2. Eat a big breakfast rather than a big dinner
3. Eat to fuel your body not because you are bored or stressed.

Learn to manage your favorite foods, not deny yourself of them. All it takes is appropriate portions of what you like to eat. Learning about nutrition and add weight loss without denial of deprivation.

The fear that meals are fattening is sad because you don't gain weight from a balanced meal. You won't gain weight from eating a substantial breakfast or lunch. You'll have more energy to exercise and burn calories. Even if you were to eat too much at those meals, you could compensate by eating less at night. The problem with skipping daytime meals is that you develop a deep hunger and you are more likely to over eat at night because of the strong physiological drive to eat. I know what you are thinking if I eat a healthy lunch it is going to be like a soup or salad. Well, that isn't enough. It does make a good dinner though.

About Diets:

Zone Diet:
This 40-30-30 plan prescribes 40 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 30 perfect from fat, the philosophy being eating fewer carbs will reduce insulin and consequently fat storage. The truth is, excess calories (of any type) promote fat storage, not excess carbohydrates. (If carbs are fattening, why are not the people in rice-eating countries fat-such as the natives in Japan and China?)
Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution:
Based on high-protein, high-fat foods, this diet eliminates carbohydrates to the extent that the body goes into ketosis. Ketosis is an abnormal condition in which the carbohydrate-depleted body resorts to fueling the brain with ketones (a fuel created when protein is burned for energy. The question arises: Do you never want to eat another potato or bagel for the rest of your life?
Ultra Slim-Fast Plan:
Drink this canned beverage at breakfast and lunch , and then eat a normal dinner, the pounds are supposed to drop off. Seeing that there is only 150-calories in a can of Slim-Fast which is way too low. Your body goes into a starving mode and needs almost 500 calories for breakfast and lunch, if not more. Adequate daytime meals provide needed fuel so your body does not shut down, conserve energy, and leave you feeling lifeless and unable to enjoy an afternoon workout.
Fat-Burning Thermogenic Program
The primary ingredient in any of the thermogenic products is ephedrine, ephedra, or Ma Huang. These are powerful stimulants so powerful that they not only boost the metabolic rate and contribute to (short term) weight loss but also kill people. At least 70 deaths and 1,400 adverse events have been linked to ephedrine-containing products. Weight loss is not worth dying for.

What has worked for you???

Vitamin E

aseminara@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:54:17 GMT

Vitamin E is actually not a single substance. It includes 8 fat-soluble vitamins that are active throughout the body. Some of the vitamins considered tocopherols; while the others are considered tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol is the only form of vitamin E that is actively maintained in the human body; therefore, it is the form found in the larges quantities in blood and tissues (1).

What is the function of Vitamin E?

Prevents Oxidative Stress (aka anti-oxidation)

The principle function of vitamin E is that of an antioxidant. Free radicals are formed in the body during normal metabolism and when we are exposed to environmental stressors, such as smoke and pollutants. Fats are especially vulnerable to destruction by free radicals. Prevention of damage from free radicals depends on a complex protective system of which vitamin E plays and essential role. Other nutrients involved include: vitamin C, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin B3. Some researchers believe vitamin E is the most important member of this oxidative stress-preventing group.

Heart Disease. Clinical trials with vitamin E along and with other antioxidants suggest that vitamin E may decrease LDL-cholesterol oxidation (2,3,4). In fact, evidence of high intakes of vitamin E was shown to be associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease in both men and women (5,6). Research also found that supplementation with 800 IU alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) reduced the rate of nonfatal heart attacks in a group of patients with symptomatic heart disease after 1 year of treatment (7). These findings have implication in preventing atherosclerosis, which is an accumulation of fatty materials in the artery.
Cataracts. Vitamin E has been suggested for the treatment or prevention of cataracts (8,9). Cataracts results in part from oxidative damage to proteins that aggregate and precipitate in the lens of the eye, which causes cloudiness.

Protects Against Cancer

Bladder Cancer. According to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (Orlando, FL, May 23, 2004), eating foods rich in vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, spinach, mustard greens, peppers, and olive oil can decrease one’s risk of developing bladder cancer by up to 50%. Bladder cancer kills 12,500 Americans annually, and is the fourth leading cancer killer among men. Whether intake was from foods or supplements, the reduction in risk was roughly the same.
Prostate Cancer. Research shows that vitamin E could inhibit the development of prostate cancer. According to the researches from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vitamin Es suppressed the production of a receptor for testosterone, which is the marker of this cancer’s development (10). By lowering the number of testosterone receptors in a prostate cancer cell, the genes that stimulate cancer growth are less likely to be activated. However, the form of vitamin E is essential. It is suggested that gamma-tocopherol, but not alpha-tocopherol, inhibits prostate cancer proliferation, without affecting healthy prostate cells. In another study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that it can be dangerous to take high doses of vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol without consuming gamma tocopherol. Gamma-tocopherol plays a critical role in the defense against cancer (and cardiovascular disease) by decreasing inflammation (11).

Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease

A high intake of vitamin E from food, but not from supplements, was shown to decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Chicago Healthy and Aging Project, participants with the highest intakes of vitamin E from food (contains other tocopherol forms besides alpha-tocopherol) had a 67% lower risk of Alzheimer’s (12).

Deficiency Symptoms

A deficiency of vitamin E in humans is rare. Usually the population groups exhibiting deficiency symptoms include premature, low-birth weight infants and people with malabsorption syndromes. Some of the common symptoms of vitamin E deficiency include retinal degeneration, hemolytic anemia, muscle weakness, incoordination of limbs, and peripheral neuropathy (pain tingling, and loss of sensation in arms, hands, legs, and/or fee)

Nutrient Interactions

As mentioned above, the recycling of vitamin E in the body is connected to four other nutrients: vitamin C, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin B3. Thus, vitamin E is heavily dependent on these substances. On the other hand, moderately high levels of 1,000 mg or more of vitamin E can interfere with the function of vitamin K.

Food Sources

According to the World’s Healthiest Foods…

Excellent sources of vitamin E include:

1) Mustard greens
2) Turnip greens
3) Chard
4) Sunflower seeds

Very good sources include:
1) Almonds
2) Spinach

Good sources include:
1) Collard greens
2) Parsley
3) Kale
4) Papaya
5) Olives
6) Bell peppers
7) Brussels sprouts
8) Kiwi
9) Tomato
10) Blueberries
11) Broccoli

How much?

The Recommend Daily Allowance (RDA) is 15 mg/day (22 IU) for adult men and women. However, literature provides strong evidence that vitamin E intakes much For example, the amount of vitamin E needed to protect polyunsaturated fats against oxidative damage is at least 135-150 Ius (13, 14). Additionally, Vitamin E intakes of at least 200 IU/day enhanced immune responses (15) and intakes of 100-400 IU/day decreased platelet adhesion to the arterial wall. Scientist at the Linus Pualing Institute feel there is credible evidence that support taking a supplement of 200 IU (134 mg) of natural sources d-alpha-tocopherol (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) daily with a meal may help protect adults from chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, and some types of cancer (17). The amount of alpha-tocopherol required for such beneficial effects appears to be much greater than that which could be achieved through diet alone. Life Time Fitness’s Men’s and Women’s Performance Multivitamins provide 200 IU in the AM formula and 200 IU in the PM formula.

References

1) Traber MG. Utilization of vitamin E. Biofactors. 1999;10(2-3):115-120
2) Nike E, Noguchi N, Tsuchihashi H, Gotoh N. Interaction among vitamin C, vitamin E, and B-carotene. Am J Clin Nutr, 1995; 62(suppl):1233S-26S.
3) Jialal I, Grundy S. Effect of dietary supplementation with alpha tocopherol on the oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein. J Lipid Res, 1992;33:899-906.
4) Esterbauer H, Dierber-Rotheneder M, Striegl G, Waeg G. Role of vitamin E in preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein. Am J Clin Nutr, 1991;53:314S-21S.
5) Stampfer M, Hennekens C, Manson J, Colditz Gm Rosner Bm Willett W. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary disease in women. N Eng J Med; 1993;328:1444-9.
6) Rimm E, Stampfer M, Asherio A, Giovannucci E, Colditz G, Willett W. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. N Eng J Med, 1993;328:1450-6.
7) Stephens N, Parsons A, Schofield P, Kelly F, Cheeseman K, Mitchinson M, Brown M. Randomized controlled trial of vitamin E in patients with coronary disease: Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS). Lancet 1996;347:781-6.
8) Varma S. Scientific basis for medical therapy of cataracts by antioxidants. A, J Clin Nutr, 1991; 53:335S-45S.
9) Robertson J, Donner A, Trevithick J. A possible role for vitamin S and vitamin E in cataract prevention. Am J Clin Nutr 1995:62suppl):1337S-46S.
10) Jiang Q, Wong J, Fyrst H, Saba JD, Ames BN. gamma-Tocopherol or combinations of vitamin E forms induce cell death in human prostate cancer cells by interrupting sphingolipid synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Dec 21;101(51):17825-30. 2004. PMID:15596715
11) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. April 1997;94;3217-3222.
12) Morris MC, Evans DA, Tangney CC, Bienias JL, Wilson RS, Aggarwal NT, Scherr PA. Relation of the tocoperol forms to incident Alzheimer disease and to cognitive change. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Feb;81(2):508-14. 2005. PMID:15699242.
13) Haegele AD, Briggs SP, & Thompson HJ. Antioxidant status and dietary lipid unsaturation modulate oxidation DNA damage. Free Rad Biol Med, 1994;16:111-115.
14) Summerfield FW & Tappel AL. Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fasts and vitamin E on aging and peroxidative damage to DNA. Arch Biochem Biophys, 1984; 233:408-416.
15) Meydani SN, Meydani M, Blumberg JB, Leka LS, Siber G, Loszewski R, et al. Vitamin E supplementation and in vivo immune response in healthy elderly subjects. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1997;277:1380-6. [PMID: 9134944]
16) Pyror W. Vitamin E and heart disease: Basic science to clinical intervention trials. Free Rad Biol Med, 2000;28:141-164.
17) Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Research for Optimal Health. Oregan State University. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminE/

Eat up some coconut butter

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:44:33 GMT

Coconut butter is delicious!! I can eat the whole jar if I don't watch it. Common misconception is that it's not good for you because it is a saturated fat. Fact is that it is a medium chain fatty acid which has been associated with major health benefits such as improved fat metabolism, immune support and nerve protection. It actually helps with weight loss. Coconut butter (not to be confused with coconut oil) is the meat of the coconut. You can get it in the health food store or my favorite brand at www.tropicaltraditions.com. YUMMY>> Add a tablespoon to your oatmeal, smoothie or yogurt and let me know what you think.

ROSIE< Nutrition Coach

Berkely Heights, Lifetime Athletic

Why Shouldn't You Drink Diet Soda

mfreeman@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:34:09 GMT

I thought this would be a good topic because so many people don't know the truth about diet soda.

Nutrition: Why You Shouldn’t Drink Diet SodaThose who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese. Consumption of sugar-laden sodas with multiple risk factors for heart disease, also found the link extends to diet sodas. They found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure and other symptoms. "When you have metabolic syndrome, your risk of developing heart disease or stroke doubles. You also have a risk of developing diabetes," said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan of Boston University School of Medicine, whose work appears in the journal Circulation.DIET COKE PLUS^™Dr. Hull's Comments: Vitamins mixed with chemical toxins...it's hard to make a logical comment on something so ridiculous. To start with, the vitamins added to this chemical drink are not natural, but manufactured replicas of real vitamins from foods. Mixed with the carbonation and the toxic acidic levels in a diet cola, any vitamins and minerals are quickly destroyed in the bottle. Then, the same toxins that make up aspartame, two manufactured amino acids connected by methanol, still make this diet cola just as nasty as it was before. Nothing's changed. Sorry, folks, this new "vitamin" diet cola is another diet product with misleading marketing.

Healthy Eating?

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:22:51 GMT

I live in a house with my mom and three younger siblings so there are always snacks snacks and more snacks. I tried to get her to buy more healthy things but my brothers are so picky! I really want to change my eating habits and not eat junk but its hard when your surrounded by all the cookies and chips we all love. Any ideas?

Nonfat Yogurt

denglund@exitinnovationrealty.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:23:57 GMT

I was wondering if someone could give me the pro’s & con’s of eating Nonfat Yogurt. I have recently starting eating Yoplait Light yogurt. I am not a big fan of plain yogurt, so is it ok to be eating the flavored light yogurt?

Thanks for any input!

Soy milk. Good or Bad?

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:28:22 GMT

I've read a lot of conflicting stuff about drinking soy milk. Lately it's all been negative. So what's the deal? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Monday Night Massage Special - $75

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:53:07 GMT

Yes, its TRUE.... every MONDAY from 3-9pm

One Hour Custom Massage for only $75 ( savings of $15)

supplementing protein intake

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:09:17 GMT

I read an article written by the personal trainer who worked with Adam Sandler for the Zohan movie http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/trainer_duffy_gaver.htm. In the article, the trainer down-played the role of protein powders because it's processed so that you don't get the thermogenic effect. Does this mean that the protein isn't as good or it's that one doesn't burn as many calories from having to work to digest protein?