Fast Food 4-1-1: Taco Bell

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Continuing with the Fast Food 4-1-1 series of posts, here are my selections, both good and bad from Taco Bell. I'm trying to pick a selection of fast food restaurants that have different types of foods. I could do every burger place on the face of the earth and I'd probably come up with similar choices. If you have a favorite fast food restaurant that you would like me to post about, let me know. Now, on to the chart.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Taco Bell Worst Choices
Fiesta Taco Salad*	840	45	80	30	15
Grilled Stuft Burrito - Beef**	680	30	76	27	9
Nachos BellGrande	770	44	77	19	12
Taco Bell Best Choices
Pintos 'n Cheese	150	6	19	9	7
Spicy Chicken Soft Taco	170	6	20	10	2
Crunchy Taco	170	10	13	8	3
Taco Bell Extras
Grilled Steak Soft Taco - FRESCO	160	4.5	20	10	2
Grilled Steak Soft Taco - Regular	270	16	20	12	2

Something you may not know about Taco Bell (I didn't until I read the Nutrition Info on the web site) is that most items can be ordered Fresco-style. If you order an item Fresco-style, cheese and sauce will be replaced by a fat-free tomato salsa, lowering calories and fat content, in some cases, dramatically. Try it the next time you "make a run for the border".

*Similar numbers for the Chicken Fiesta Taco Salad. Skip it, especially with the shell.

**All Grilled Stuft Burritos have similar numbers. For a smaller item, that's an awful lot of calories and fat.

A redeeming quality, if you can call it that, of Taco Bell is that you can order a portion-controlled amount of food since each item tends to be a smaller item. Stick to the healthier, smaller items, order things "Fresco", and don't order 12 things and you can actually do OK here.

Related Posts:

• Fast Food 4-1-1: McDonalds
• Fast Food 4-1-1: Subway
• Carbs: Brain Food or the Devil In Disguise

Your Fitness Questions Answered

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Lots of my readers come here as a result of the weekly newsletter that I send out, but this site also gets quite a few readers from the Internet via search engines and such. One of the interesting aspects of running this site is that I get to see what keywords, terms, and questions people who end up here are asking the search engines. In this post, I'm going to answer some of those questions that I think most readers will find interesting.

What amount of cardio is necessary to lose weight?

There is no set amount of cardio that will guarantee weight loss. The only factor that will ensure weight loss is a calorie deficit. You must consume fewer calories than you burn, either by eating less, burning more via cardio, or preferably, both. Most people think they can go to the gym a few times a week, do a minimal amount of exercise and the weight will just melt off. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Take a look at the finish line at a large marathon. I'm willing to bet those marathon runners do a lot more cardio than most, but they are not all thin. No matter how much cardio you do, you can always "out eat" that amount. To lose and keep weight off requires a consitent exercise plan and vigilance with your nutrition.

Should I strength train or just do cardio to lose weight?

You should do both. You can lose weight by doing only cardio and watching what you eat, but strength training will increase the quality of the weight that you lose. If you strength train in addition to doing cardio and watching what you eat, you will lose a greater percentage of body fat as opposed to losing lean muscle mass. Everyone thinks that they want to lose weight, but the result they are really after comes from the addition of strength training to a training plan. Cardio and diet will result in a smaller version of how you look now. Cardio, diet, and strength training will change your body composition to be leaner, and more muscular, or "toned".

How can I get fit in a week?

You can't. "Getting fit" is a series of physical changes to your body that takes place over a long period of time. It is the adaptations to exercise that cause you to get fit. You cannot make those changes in a week's time, or even several weeks. It took a lot longer than a week to get unfit, and it takes a lot longer than a week to regain fitness. It takes hard work over an extended period of time.

If I diet, with weight training, will I still lose weight?

Yes, but probably not as much as you would without the weight training. So am I saying not to weight train? Absolutely not. Weight training is the number one thing that you can do to maintain muscle mass while losing fat, which is exactly what you want to do. The number on the scale won't go down as quickly, but you will be losing mostly body fat, and you will get smaller because muscle takes up less space than the equivalent amount of fat. I absolutely recommend weight training while dieting. Read Want to Lose Weight? Get off the Scale for more information about measuring body fat and using it as your measure of improvement instead of scale weight.

In a later post, I'll answer the funny questions that people who find this site ask the search engines. Stay tuned, some are real doozies.

What questions would you like to see answered in a future post?

Related Posts:

• Fitness/Health/Nutrition Myths, Part Deux
• The skinny on getting thin
• Six Fitness, Health, and Nutrition Myths Exposed

Periodization: The Secret to Becoming More "Toned"

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My last post discussed the concept of using hard and easy days to maximize your fitness while also increasing your recovery and rest. To maximize long-term gains, measured in months and years, as opposed to days, you need to have a longer term plan for success and that plan should include the concept of periodization. Periodization is a fancy name for focusing on a specific physical adaptation for a short period of time, before changing to focus on another adaptation.

A common fitness goal is to become more "toned". Without using periodization, getting "toned" is an almost impossible goal. As my readers should now be aware, you can't "tone" a muscle. Muscles can only expand, contract, shrink, or grow. What is commonly referred to a "muscle tone" is actually a combination of muscle growth along with a decrease in body fat so that you can better see the muscle growth. The problem is that growing muscle and losing fat require opposite caloric environments. To grow muscle you need to consume more calories than you burn, but to lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. I'm no rocket scientist, but it seems to me that you can't be in a calorie deficit and a calorie surplus at the same time.

So how is it possible to achieve these seemingly opposite goals? By periodizing your training into segments where your goal alternates between muscle gain and fat loss, you can achieve both over the long term. The only difference between these opposing phases is the number of calories that you consume. During a muscle gain phase, consume a 300-400 calorie surplus while hitting the weights hard, and increase your protein intake a little. You should gain a pound every week or two and the additional weight gain should be mostly lean muscle.

Important points for a muscle gain phase are:

• Increase your calories to a 300-400 calorie per day deficit
• Increase your protein intake to around 1 gram/pound of body weight per day. This is higher than the RDA, but not by much. Make sure your body has enough protein to rebuild and repair muscle tissue.
• Excessive cardio will impair muscle gains. 10 miles of jogging per week probably won't make a difference...50 miles of jogging per week probably will make a difference.

Continue this for as long as you stand the additional weight gain. When you just can't stand to see yourself gain any more weight, switch to a fat loss phase, consume a 300-400 calorie deficit a day and hit the weights even harder. Now you've got to fight to maintain as much of your hard earned muscle as possible while losing fat.

Important points for a fat loss phase are:

• Decrease your calories to a 300-400 calorie per day deficit
• Decrease your processed carbs and focus on nutritionally dense foods
• Intensity in the gym = more muscle conserved
• Don't decrease your calories any more than suggested. Too strict a diet will cause you to lose your muscle gains
• Continue cardio during this phase, but too much and your body will consume those muscle gains. Calorie deficit should be mostly from dietary restriction.

Periodization may seem to be complicated. It isn't complex, but it does require some longer term planning on your part. And long term planning means that you might need to decide on a long term goal and a time frame to complete that goal. Oh, the horror! If you just want to lose a few pounds but would rather just put a toe in the water as opposed to jumping in and making that goal a reality, periodization may not be for you. If you have a fitness or weight loss goal and you have the commitment to plan for and make that goal a reality, periodization is a great tool to have in your toolbox.

Do you have long-term fitness goals, measured in months and years? Do you have any fitness goals?

Related Posts:

• Variety, the Soul of Your Training Plan
• Progressive Improvements Require Consistency
• The Curse of the All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bar

Variety, the Soul of Your Training Plan

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Variety in your workouts should be about more than just going into the gym and doing different exercises each day for the sake of "mixing it up". Don't confuse variety with not having a plan. Flitting from fad workout plan to fad workout plan every week is a surefire way to spend loads of time in the gym and get no results. In order to effectively measure progress, you must maintain some consistency in your workouts, but by introducing some variety, you will stay motivated and increase the effectiveness of your workouts.

Hard/Easy Days

Whether you are talking about cardio or strength training, you should be incorporating a variety of hard and easy days. Most people fall into the trap of exercising at a moderate level all of the time. By staying in the gray area between a hard workout and an easy workout, you never get the full benefits of having done a hard workout, nor do you get the recovery that an easy, active recovery day can provide. Always doing moderate intensity workouts compromises your potential.

I'm often asked by runners if running three miles three times a week is a "good" amount to run. Nine miles per week is a great amount of running to begin to get fit and lose weight, but there is a better way to run those nine miles to maximize the benefit. Instead of running three miles three days a week, 3-3-3, try running a week of 4-2-3 miles or 5-2-2 miles. You'll burn the same number of calories, but the "long run" days will increase your fitness beyond your current level of ability, while the shorter run days will allow your body to recover and still burn a few calories at the same time. After doing this for a few weeks, you will notice your fitness begin to increase and, as a side benefit, the short run days will seem like a piece of cake.

To incorporate this concept of hard and easy days into a strength training routine, pick one day a week to be your "hard" day, or your "easy" day, depending on how you train. If you normally lift weights in the 10 rep range, pick a few compound exercises, like squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, dips, or chin-ups, and do 5 sets of 5 reps with heavier weights. If you normally lift with heavy weights in the 6 rep range or lower, switch to lower weights and do one day a week in the 10-12 rep range.

This concept of switching a routine around for better results is especially helpful for long-term gains. Mixing up your workouts during the week provides variety and can enhance recovery. The same process can be applied to your training program over longer periods of time. Every 4-6 weeks you should have a "down" week to allow deep recovery to take place. Runners should have a cut-back week where your weekly mileage is reduced to 50-60% of your normal mileage. Strength trainees should have a "deload" week every 4-6 weeks in which volume is cut by 50%. This rest and recovery week will allow your body time to rebuild and repair itself.

When returning back to your regular schedule, ease back into it. Think, two steps forward, one step back. By using this technique, you can extend the amount of time that you can continue to make gains in strength, speed, endurance, etc.

Do you vary the intensity level of your workouts? Or is every workout the same?

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Rest Up for Success

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Six Pack Abs...while you sleep!

Well, not exactly, but don't underestimate the importance of rest and recovery when training. Time spent in the gym or during exercise causes small muscle tears that your body must repair in order to improve. You don't improve in the gym or on the track, you improve while resting between bouts of exercise.

Another aspect of recovery that is often ignored is central nervous system recovery. You simply cannot continue to have hard workouts without some down time because your nervous system needs to recoup from the mental stress of a hard workout as much as your body needs rest from the physical stress of a hard workout. Your hard workouts will lose their intensity and you won't benefit as much as you should. Without adequate rest your body will continue to breakdown with no chance for recuperation.

Sleep is also very important for proper recovery. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. I understand that we all lead busy lives, but less than that will lessen the positive impact of exercise.

Related Posts:

• Fuel up before you head out
• Strength Training: What you need to know
• How many calories can you burn?

Fuel up before you head out

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Don't underestimate the importance of fueling up before you head out. About 45-60 minutes before you head out for a run or other type of execise, you should consume a high carbohydrate snack of about 150-200 calories. You want to choose a quick digesting carb consisting of simple sugars to get the calories into your system so that your body can utilize them. A piece of fruit, or a quick yogurt are great choices.

Things to look for in a pre-workout snack:

• High carbohydrate
• Quick digesting, simple sugars
• 150-200 calories
• Eat 45-60 minutes before your workout
  

Things to stay away from in a pre-workout snack:

• High fat
• High fiber
• Large meal
• Foods that upset your stomach
  

If weight loss is your goal, you should consume fewer calories, maybe 100, but you should still eat a snack to keep your energy level up for your exercise. Remember the "fat burning zone" is a myth. You should aim to do your exercise with as much intensity as you can muster and a pre-workout snack will help you in that regard.

Related Posts:

• 20 Ways to Find Time to Exercise
• How Many Calories Can You Burn?
• Best Diet Ever: Follow the 90% rule

Fast Food 4-1-1: McDonald's

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Is it possible to get a healthy meal at the archetype of fast food restaurants, McDonalds? Well, to use the word *healthy* might be a stretch but there are always better and worse choices that you can make at *any* restaurant, even ones that are considered unhealthy. Here are my picks and pans from Mickey D's, and as always, I've included the Big Mac for the sake of comparison.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
McDonalds Worst Choices
Deluxe Breakfast Regular Biscuit w/o syrup & margarine	1070	55	109	36	6
Deluxe Breakfast Large Biscuit w/o syrup & margarine	1140	59	115	36	7
Double Quarter Pounder w/Cheese	740	42	40	48	3
Premium Crispy Chicken Club	660	28	63	39	4
Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (5 pc.)	630	33	46	39	0
Premium Crispy Chicken Ranch	600	23	64	35	3
McDonalds Best Choices
Southwest Salad w/Grilled Chicken	320	9	30	30	7
Egg McMuffin**	300	12	30	18	2
Regular Hamburger	250	9	31	12	2
McDonalds Extras
Large Fries	570	30	30	6	7
Large Vanilla Shake	740	18	128	17	0

Well, the worst choices were easy because the calorie counts and fat content really stuck out. As you can see, the venerable Big Mac is not nearly as bad as it could be.

The best choices were a bit tougher to make. I selected only one of the available salads to highlight on the chart, but all of the salads available had similar nutritional numbers...just get the grilled chicken, not the crispy chicken. The regular hamburger is really not a bad choice considering some of the other options, and neither is the regular cheeseburger. The cheese on the cheeseburger nets you an additional 50 calories and a few more grams of fat, but I would still consider it a decent choice. The real key to the low numbers on those two sandwiches is their size. They are much smaller than most of the sandwiches available, and they don't contain a mayo-based sauce, which helps keep the calories and fat under control.

**For the third "best choice", I included my best choice of the breakfast items. The english muffin had a lower calorie count, but I would rather have some additional protein from the egg, so I picked the Egg McMuffin. It was the best choice of many crappy breakfast choices, but it's far from a good choice. My advice...go somewhere else for breakfast. McDonald's really doesn't have any healthy breakfast options.

Related Posts:

• Best Diet Ever: Follow the 90% rule
• Fast Food 4-1-1: Subway
• How many calories can you burn?

Carbs: Brain Food or the Devil in Disguise?

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Big Fat Disclaimer

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. The purpose of this article, or any others on this site, is to condense and deliver information that is "out there" so that you can make your own decisions regarding your health. Consult your doctor before making any major changes to your diet.

The Debate Rages On

The great carb debate has been rekindled with a study released by researchers at Harvard Medical School suggesting that low carb diets may be more effective than a low fat approach to dieting for some people. Studies are published all the time that seem to contradict previous studies and this one was no exception. So what makes this study different from the rest? This study wasn't done at Po Dunk U., my alma mater, it was conducted at one of the most prestigious research universities in the world and it's causing quite a stir.

For 30 years, a low fat approach to dieting has been shouted from mountaintops by doctors, researchers, and dietitians. One can't walk into a grocery store without being lambasted by low fat versions of every food imaginable. And the result of 30 years of low fat gospel? Obesity rates have almost tripled from 13% to 32% of the population. Coincidence? Possibly, but researchers willing to buck the low fat doctrine, and risk being labeled quacks, are conducting studies that suggest there may be a relationship between a lack of exercise, consumption of large amounts of carbohydrates, and obesity.

Insulin - the Gatekeeper Hormone

Here is a quick, and I do mean quick, primer on how energy is stored in your body, as I understand it...and that isn't very well. When you eat a meal and digestion has occurred, the nutrients from the meal end up in your bloodstream to be distributed throughout your body. Carbohydrates end up as glucose molecules, proteins are broken down into amino acids and fats are turned into smaller, triglyceride molecules. The food is broken up into these smaller, base molecules that your body uses for fuel and to repair itself. This post deals with one class of nutrients, carbohydrates, and the base molecules, glucose, that end up in the blood as a result of consuming carbohydrates.

Upon eating carbohydrates, glucose floods into the bloodstream to be stored as a fuel. Your body does this by releasing insulin, a hormone, in response to consuming carbohydrates, and to a lesser extent proteins. The insulin then begins to do its job, signaling the cells in your body to "open up" and absorb the blood glucose as glycogen, but your body only has limited storage for glycogen in muscle tissue and in the liver. Once this amount is exceeded, insulin causes any excess carbohydrates to be stored as body fat.

Here's an analogy for the totally confused. Your muscles and liver are like a sponge that soak up carbohydrates, in the form of glycogen. Your muscles and liver can only store a certain amount of carbohydrates and once that limit is reached, excess carbohydrates are stored as body fat. People who exercise frequently and intensely, in effect, "squeeze the sponge" by using stored carbohydrates, and thus can consume more carbs without storing them as body fat. People who do not exercise, always have a "soaked sponge" and any excess carbs, which will be most carbs, are stored as fat.

The Difference Between Good and Bad Carbs

Another notable quirk of the insulin release system is that our bodies get "tricked" by highly processed carbohydrates, like sugar, white flour and white rice. These foods cause an enormous release of insulin that exceeds the supply of glucose. When the glucose has been processed, lots of insulin is still left in the bloodstream...it's all dressed up with no place to go. The result is the associated sugar crash and ravenous hunger. Our bodies just want to get back into hormonal equilibrium and this excess insulin signals the brain to eat more as a result.

While I think that the Atkins diet is far too carb restrictive, Dr. Atkins did acknowledge that some carbs were of a higher quality than others. The difference between high quality and low quality carbs is in the amount of fiber they contain. His concept of "net carbs" gives credit to carbs that contain a high quantity of fiber. Good carbs have lots of healthy fiber to slow digestion and mute the body's insulin response. Bad carbs like sugar, white flour, and white rice, contain no fiber and confuse the body's insulin release system.

So, how many carbs should I be consuming?

Well, you won't get a specific number from me, but I think that in time the recommendation will be to determine the amount of carbs that you consume based on your level of activity and level of body fat. Your activity level plays a big part in how many carbs you can consume by being the primary mechanism for burning many carbs in the body. Body fat is a very hormonally active substance and seems to have an effect on the body's insulin sensitivity, more body fat seems to be correlated with a higher level of insulin resistance. Another determining factor may be genetics. Approximately 30-40% of people seem to do much better on low carb diets than low fat diets, but the reason for this is yet unknown.

You should eat enough carbs, but the kicker is that you shouldn't eat too many and that amount is tough to determine. There doesn't appear to be an easy, cut-and-dried answer that applies to every person.

More active Less body fat		Less active More body fat
<-------------------	------------------------------------------------------------------------------	------------------->
More carbs are OK		Fewer carbs are OK

The spectrum of carb consumption will vary widely from someone who is morbidly obese and gets no daily activity to endurance athletes who burn through carbs with almost no regard to amount. The more active you are and the less excess body fat that you are storing, the more carbs you can consume without storing them as body fat. The less active you are and the more body fat that you are storing, the fewer carbs that you can consume without storing them as body fat. Wherever you fall on that continuum, most of your carbs should come from high fiber fruits and vegetables. Processed carbs not only cause the insulin surge, along with the associated crash, but they truly are the most nutritionally bankrupt class of foods that we consume. Eliminating them for that reason is reason enough.

As I said before, I'm not an advocate of Atkins-type diets that restrict carbs to incredibly low levels (less than 30g per day). I think that 100g of carbs a day is a low level that can be maintained long term and will provide substantial lower carb benefits. Also, I don't advocate the use of low carb products. Eat healthy, whole foods and you won't over consume carbohydrates and you'll save money by not buying all of those expensive, processed products that contain things no one can pronounce.

Exception to the rule

As always there is an exception to the rule of minimizing processed carbohydrates. Your body is especially primed to shuttle carbohydrates into your muscles and liver, as opposed to storing them as body fat, at two specific times of the day...10:27am and 4:38pm, mountain standard time. Just kidding.

Those times are first thing in the morning and after a workout. After sleep, your body is running low on glycogen because you haven't eaten in 8 hours or so, and glycogen is the fuel that keeps your body working while you sleep. Breakfast replenishes that supply and gets you to a good start each day. Never skip breakfast and it's an especially good time to consume carbohydrates. The other time that you should consume ample carbohydrates is post-workout. The first 30 minutes following a workout is a great time to consume carbs, as your body is primed to accept those carbs and get them into your muscles, instead of on your backside.

Wrap up

Don't think that carbs are evil and that by eliminating them from your diet, you will magically lose tons of weight. The calories in/calories out rule still applies. If you consume more calories than you burn each day, and you do this regularly, no magical nutrient ratios will keep you from gaining weight. You must still maintain a calorie deficit if you expect to lose weight. A lower carb diet may be helpful in reducing hunger and reducing the storage of body fat by controlling insulin.

Have you ever tried a low carb diet? How low carb did you go? What did you think of the results?

Links of interest:

• What if it's all been a big fat lie?

Related Posts:

• Post Workout Recovery: Don't Miss the "Window of Opportunity"
• Best Diet Ever: Minimize processed carbohydrates
• Fat, a necessary nutrient, Part I

Progressive Improvements Require Consistency

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"I just don't get this exercise thing. The more miles I put on my car, the more likely it is to break down. Why would I actively try to 'put more miles' on my body? Wouldn't it just break down faster?"

This is a very common misconception. The problem with the analogy between your car and your body is that the two are not the same. There is a very important distinction.

Your body has the ability to repair itself; your car does not.

You body is a fantastic machine that has the ability to repair minor "damage". The soreness you experience from a particularly tough workout is actually the result of microscopic muscle tears that occur when you ask your body to do something that it isn't accustomed to doing. The fancy- schmancy term for this is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS. The discomfort associated with DOMS typically peaks 48 hours after the incident that caused it. These tears are not dangerous, or considered an injury, but they are the key to improvement.

You see, your body does not only repair the muscle tissue back to its original state, it adapts by rebuilding to be stronger. This protective feature of our biology is called supercompensation. Supercompensation is the key to progressive improvements. By consistently overreaching, allowing yourself to recover, and repeating, you get faster, or stronger, or gain endurance, depending on your training. Consistency is important, though, because the supercompensation effect is temporary and will be lost if the additional capacity is not used again soon. Your body won't support additional capacity if it isn't needed.

So what does all this mean? For one, there is some truth to the old adage, use it or lose it. If you sit around all day and don't make an attempt to move more, your body will transform into a body that is very well suited to doing nothing. If you want the body of an athlete, consistently do the things that athletes do, and your body will respond by performing those actions better. It may be counter-intuitive but more use of your body will make you stronger, unlike you car, not more likely to "break down".

Related Posts:

• Strength Training: What you need to know
• Running Tips and Questions Answered
• Exercise? No way, that stuff will kill you!

Fast Food 4-1-1: Subway

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Sometimes you just don't have time to cook and you have no choice but to stop at a fast food restaurant to pick up a meal. Now what? Which selections are the best and which are the worst from each restaurant. The Fast Food 4-1-1 series is an attempt to show not only the best choices from the menu, but the worst. This week's highlighted restaurant: Subway.

Subway has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the healthiest choices in the fast food world. I mean, if it worked for Jared, how can it possibly be wrong? From the perspective of good choices, there are plenty, so first let's highlight the sneaky, not-so-good choices. Because Subway has so many options, I am including the nutrition information for six-inch subs only. If you go with the salad option and get the "sandwich" on lettuce, instead of bread, you save about 200 calories.

All worst choices will be compared to the archetype of fast food bad choices, the Big Mac. Now I don't hold a grudge against McDonalds, I'm just picking on them because more people on Earth have had one of these, than those who have not. After all they have sold "billions and billions" of them.

	Calories	Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Protein(g)	Fiber(g)
McDonalds Big Mac	540	29	45	25	3
Subway Worst Choices
Chicken and Bacon Ranch Sandwich	580	30	47	36	6
Meatball Marinara Sandwich	560	24	63	24	8
Tuna	530	31	44	22	5
Subway Best Choices
Veggie Delight	230	3	44	9	5
Turkey Breast	280	4.5	46	20	5
Turkey Breast and Ham	290	5	47	18	5
Subway Worst Condiments
Ranch Dressing	120	13
Mayo	110	12
Chipotle Southwest Sauce	96	10

If you are in a pinch and you find yourself looking for something quick to grab for a meal, Subway is probably one of the best choices out there. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that everything on the menu is healthy...no matter what Jared says.

Related Posts:

• 7 Ways to Improve Your Odds of Living A Longer, Healthier Life
• The Curse of the All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bar
• 20 Ways to Find Time to Exercise

It's all about the shoes!

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"Oh, I can't run, I've got bad *insert lower body part here*."

I've heard it all...bad knees, bad ankles, bad feet, bum joints, wobbly hips, lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my. Running is a very natural activity and everyone has given it a go at some point, if only to the next light post. But mention running as a form of exercise and you tend to uncover all sorts of maladies that you never knew existed. Most folks who don't run for recreation only have bad middle school and high school P.E. memories to fall back on when thoughts turn to running as a fitness tool. And let's not forget that running is a favorite form of punishment for all of the sadistic coaches out there. Yeah, I'm talking about you Coach Hudson. If you are very unfit, starting a running program can be a daunting physical task. If you've tried running in the past and stopped due to pain or injury, I'm here to tell you that there is an solution. It's all about the shoes!

Pronation

But first, here's a quick introduction to foot biomechanics as it applies to runners. The main issue at hand is pronation. Pronation is the inward roll of the foot from the point of impact to the point of toe off during each foot strike. Some pronation is important because it provides a natural shock absorption mechanism when running. If you have a "normal" amount of pronation, you are considered a neutral runner.

Some people pronate too much during each step. This means that at the point of highest impact with the ground, the foot turns dramatically inward, collapsing the arch and bending the ankle inward. If this is you, then you are considered an overpronator. Runners who overpronate tend to have pain and injuries from the ankle down. Sprained ankles, stress fractures of the foot, and plantar fasciitis are very common maladies for the overpronator.

The final classification of pronation is underpronation, or supination. This means that your foot does not turn inward enough during each foot strike. The result is a drastic reduction in the natural shock absorption of the foot. Supinators tend to have problems above the ankle. Stress fractures above and below the knee, knee problems, hip pains, etc. The immense forces that are generated when running simply aren't being properly diverted and these excessive forces cause impact-related problems.

Everyone naturally has a differing amount of pronation. It isn't a grouping, so much as it is a continuum. Everyone falls somewhere on the line between severe overpronation and severe underpronation. Here is a graphic which visually demonstrates the difference between the pronation types (image is of the right foot in each case):

Shoe Types

Running shoes come in several flavors intended to correct pronation imbalances in the gait. Companies who produce running shoes typically create shoes in these categories.

Cushioned shoes - these are the shoes for underpronators. Underpronation results in decreased natural cushioning of the foot strike and this class of shoes strives to compensate for that by being extra-cushioned. These shoes also tend to be slip last shoes. The last is the form on which the shoe is constructed and if you look at these shoes from the side, they tend to curve upward from the heel to the toe. This curvature encourages greater pronation, and thus, a greater reduction in impact forces.

• Specific Cushioned Shoes - Asics Gel Nimbus, Mizuno Wave Rider, Adidas Response

Neutral shoes - these are the shoes for the biomechanically sound runner. These types of shoes don't have excessive stabilizing measures or excessive cushioning. They tend to be very light shoes, at the expense of stabilization structures and cushioning. Neutral trainers have more cushioning than racing flats and are a little heavier. The line between cushioned shoes and neutral shoes is sometimes blurred so if you are a neutral or underpronator, try lots of different brands and models until you find one that works for you.

• Specific Neutral Shoes - Nike Air Pegasus, Brooks Radius, Saucony Grid Shadow, Asics Gel Cumulus, Mizuno Wave Rider

Stability shoes - these are the shoes for moderate overpronators. These shoes tend to be straight lasted, meaning they discourage pronation by being built to be flat, not curved. Another structural component common to stability shoes is the duel density sole. The foam used to create the front part of the shoe and the heel area is less dense than the foam in the midfoot arch area of the shoe. This results in more give in the front and back of the shoe, while providing stabilization in the arch.

• Specific Stability Shoes - Mizuno Wave Alchemy, Brooks Adrenaline GTS, Saucony Grid Omni, Asics Gel 1120

Motion Control shoes - these are the shoes for severe overpronators or heavy runners. Shoe companies throw every trick in the pronation-reduction book at these shoes and they tend to be very heavy as a result. In addition to the techniques used for stability shoes, motion control shoes tend to have very wide soles, plastic supports in the arch of the shoe and diagonal roll bars, all in an attempt to minimize pronation. I'm a severe over pronator and these shoes are the only reason that I am able to run the mileage that I do.

• Specific Motion Control Shoes - Brooks Beast, Saucony Grid Stabil, Asics Gel MC Plus, Mizuno Wave Renegade, New Balance 1122

Find out your gait type

My suggestion is to go to a running-specific shoe store and let them look at the shoes that you currently use to run. Some stores look at the underside of the shoe to determine wear patterns to find the shoe type that you need, but a better way is to find a store that will video tape you running with different pairs of shoes. As I said before, I'm a severe overpronator and the difference in the amount of pronation between a neutral shoe and a motion control shoe for me is dramatic.

The right shoes make all the difference in the world, as do the wrong pair of shoes. Running is a relatively inexpensive sport in which to participate, but don't skimp on the running shoes. The average cost of a good pair of running shoes is about $80-$85 for a cushioned, neutral, or stability shoe. Motion control shoes tend to be more expensive, but if you need them and you want to continue running, the cost of the shoes is cheaper than the cost of getting injured.

Have you ever tried to start running for fitness? What kind of shoes do you wear to run?

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Have a fitness or weight loss goal? Change is required.

photo by tw collins

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...and I don't mean the rattling stuff in your pocket, either. Any endeavor in life that differs from the status quo, by definition, is going to require you to make a decision to do something differently, and here's the important part: Start doing it.

It's easy to tell yourself that you'll start eating better, tomorrow, or start exercising, tomorrow. But exercising today, that's hard. Not eating that piece of birthday cake that's calling your name from the office lounge...that's hard. If you continue doing the same things that you've always done, can you expect to have a different result?

Many well-meaning people spend billions of dollars each year on the latest fad weight loss Ab-o-matic devices and weight loss pills, all in an attempt to avoid making the lifestyle changes that lead to long-term weight loss. Is it because people really don't want to lose the weight? Is it because they lack the will power to do it the right way? Are they lazy? Of course not.

Human nature is such that we are resistant to changes, even small ones, and switching from a lifestyle that led to a 50 pound weight gain to one that is going to bring about healthy weight loss is a scary proposition. Fear of failure hangs like an albatross on those who have not been successful in the past. On average, it takes seven attempts to make a long-term change in your life, so don't think of those previous attempts as failures, but small steps toward eventual success.

Embrace the changes that will lead you to a healthy lifestyle and MAKE...THOSE...CHANGES.

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7 Ways to Improve Your Odds of Living A Longer, Healthier Life

photo by yksin

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My name is Scott H. and I'm a total dork. For fun (*I don't get out much*), I decided to take a look at the mortality statistics from 1900 and compare them to the most recent mortality data compiled by the CDC, which happened to be 2004. The charts are at the bottom of this post for those that are interested in the actual data. Can anything interesting be gleaned from the differences between the two charts?

What's interesting about these statistics is the difference in the types of diseases that we succumb to. In 1900, communicable diseases were responsible for most deaths, while today, heart disease, cancer, and strokes are the big killers. It is also interesting to note that there is a marked increase in deaths as a result of lifestyle choices. The major risk factors for heart disease are largely the result of choices that people make, with the exception of family history. Smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes are all risk factors that can be moderated by living a healthier lifestyle that includes regular exercise.

So that begs the question: what lifestyle choices can you make that will lead to a healthier, longer life? Here are my top 7 things that you can do to avoid being dispatched by something on the Top 10 list.

Stop using all forms of tobacco

Smoking is a high risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a major contributor to cancer deaths each year. Approximately 400,000 deaths in the United States each year can be directly connected to smoking. Any form of tobacco use substantially raises your risk of suffering from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and a variety of respiratory ailments. Tobacco use is a direct contributor to the top 4 killers in 2004.

• Recommendation: Don't use any form of tobacco products and if you do...stop. If you are a smoker, the most significant change that you can make to live a healthier, longer life is to quit smoking.

Maintain ideal body weight

Oh boy, I'm going to really catch H-E-double-hockey-sticks for this one. What exactly is ideal body weight? For years, body mass index has been the measure of whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Find your BMI here. Recent articles have pointed out that BMI does not take into account body composition, so some people who fall into the normal range may be at risk for cardiovascular disease because they have a higher bodyfat percentage than their weight would indicate. Conversely, some people, namely athletes, may fall into the overweight, or obese category, but actually are healthy because they have a lower than average body fat percentage and more muscle mass than the average joe or jane.

BMI is not a perfect yardstick of health in all cases, but no test is. It is an easy technique to classify people and studies have shown that there is a high correlation between being outside of the normal range and a greater likelihood of disease. If you are above, or below, the normal BMI range, consider making the changes necessary to get into the normal range. Studies have shown that it is just as bad to be below the normal BMI range as it is to be above the normal range, so I'm not just picking on people who fall into the above normal range.

• Recommendation: In addition to getting regular exercise, modify your diet appropriately to get into the normal range. The range of what is considered normal is wide enough to accommodate all body types. If you are "big boned" that's not the problem. It's all of that big meat on those bones that have health consequences. For every person outside the normal BMI range who is healthy, there are 1000 who are not. Don't use the shortcomings of BMI to justify being unhealthy, it's just an excuse.
  

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise is essential to improving and maintaining your health. We are made to move, but modern conveniences have all but eliminated activity from our lives. Less than 50% of people meet the American Heart Association's basic guidelines for weekly exercise, and this was more lenient 1995 recommendation that included things like taking out the trash or grocery shopping. Interestingly, by 2015, it is estimated that 75% of Americans will be overweight or obese. Read that again. In 8 short years, 75% of Americans will be overweight or obese.

I just hate to bang the doom-and-gloom drum when talking about exercise. Routine exercise has so many benefits besides being healthier that you should be doing it to feel better, not to live longer. Regular exercise should be about quality of life, not quantity of life.

• Recommendation: This post concerns health, not weight loss, so I'm recommending that you follow the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association's new guidelines for physical activity. These guidelines expand upon, define, and refine what types and amounts of activity are a minimum to live a healthy lifestyle.
  
• All adults age 18 to 65 should accumulate 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (walking briskly) on at least 5 days per week or 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity (jogging) at least 3 days per week. Additionally, you should perform activities to increase muscular strength and endurance (strength training) at least 2 days per week.

Eat "whole" foods

By eating foods that are less processed, you are making a choice to eat healthier foods. Food that you prepare are significantly lower in sodium, fat, and calories than highly processed, prepackaged food. Additionally, whole foods are higher in fiber and nutrients than processed foods, so it is easier to maintain your weight.

Another aspect of processed foods that may contribute to health problems are food additives. Food additives that are generally regarded as safe by the FDA, such as preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and other unpronounce-ables, were determined to be safe at much lower quantities than we now consume. As I've said before when talking about aspartame, an artificial sweetener, dosage is very important. Even though studies have concluded that these additives are safe, anecdotal, circumstantial, and hunch-based, quasi, not-even-close to evidence suggests that these chemicals that we consume daily could be an issue if you consume lots of processed foods.

Update: How appropriate! Here's an article about a guy who got "popcorn lung" from the butter flavoring used to flavor microwave popcorn. But, of course, it's perfectly safe to eat.

• Recommendation: Try cooking one additional meal at home each week and cook enough to eat for several meals. Most people eat 21 meals a week. Make 2 or 3 of those meals at home instead of going out to a restaurant, or eating from a box. I'll be posting some great healthy recipes that are in the rotation in my household. Some are quick, easy, meals that are great to put together at the last minute after work. Some are fancier affairs that take longer. I enjoy cooking, well, actually, I enjoy eating good and I'm willing to cook to eat good.
  

Wear your seat belt

Motor vehicle accidents constitute a large portion of the accidental deaths in this country. Even if you drive carefully, you may not be able to altogether avoid being involved in a car accident. Increase your chances of surviving it by wearing your seat belt.

• Recommendation: The tide has really turned since I was younger. Most people do wear seat belts, but there are still people who don't for dumb reasons, like "it messes up my clothes" (you know who you are). What do you think a trip through the windshield is going to do to that dress? Wear your seat belt every time you get in a vehicle.

Limit sun exposure and wear sunblock

Skin cancer is the most easily preventable of all cancers, and yet according to the American Cancer Society, each year over 1 million people are diagnosed with sun-related skin cancer. If something on this list is going to get ME, it's this.You got me on this one. I am THE WORST about putting on sunblock and I'm outside for many hours during the week. Do as I say, not as I do.

• Recommendation: Limit sun exposure when you can. When you can't wear lots of sunblock. You should apply about 2 tablespoons per application and put more on often. Also you should put on sunblock 30 minutes before you go into the sun to give it a chance to work.

Get regular medical check-ups

With advances in medical technology, your chances of living a long, healthy life increase dramatically if diseases are caught early.

• Recommendation: See your doctor annually for a checkup, more often if you have an ongoing illness. For customized, health screening guidelines, here is a great tool from the Mayo Clinic.
  

Cause of Death (1900) Death Rate/100,000
Pneumonia (all forms) and influenza. . . . . . . . 202.2
Tuberculosis (all forms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194.4
Diarrhea, enteritis, and intestinal ulceration . . 142.7
Diseases of the heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137.4
Intracranial lesions of vascular origin². . . . . . 106.9
Nephritis (all forms)³. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88.6
All accidents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72.3
Cancer and other malignant tumors. . . . . . . . . . 64.0
Senility⁴ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.2
Diptheria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.3

(source)

Cause of Death (2004) Death Rate/100,000
Heart Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.1
Malignant Neoplasms¹. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.0
Cerebrovascular². . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.5
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease. . . . . . . . . . 50.9
Unintentional Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46.7
Diabetes Mellitus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.5
Alzheimer's Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.5
Influenza & Pneumonia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.9
Nephritis³. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.7
Septicemia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.9

(source )

¹Cancer-related deaths
²Stroke-related deaths
³Kidney disease
⁴Alzheimer's-related deaths


Do you do these seven things? Which ones could you do better?

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