Stop using Hydroxycut products, FDA says

Why These things happen when You go for the Quick Fix!

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hydroxycut products, popular dietary supplements used for weight loss, have been linked to liver damage and are being recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
The FDA has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries, including a death, linked to Hydroxycut products.

The FDA has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries, including a death, linked to Hydroxycut products.

The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries linked to Hydroxycut products, which are also used as energy enhancers and as fat burners.

The reports include the 2007 death of a 19-year-old man living in the Southwest, which was reported to the FDA in March. Other serious liver problems reported included liver damage that resulted in a transplant in 2002, liver failure, jaundice, seizures and cardiovascular problems.

The FDA is warning consumers to immediately stop using 14 Hydroxycut products manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, New York.

The company is voluntarily recalling the following products: Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix), Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Liquid Shots, Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink), Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed, Hydroxycut 24, Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut Natural. Video Watch more on the FDA's concern »

According to the FDA, last year, Iovate sold more than 9 million units of Hydroxycut products, which were distributed widely to grocery stores, health food stores and pharmacies.
Health Library

* MayoClinic.com: Nutrition in a pill?
* MayoClinic.com: Before you buy herbal supplements

"The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risks. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with these products," said Dr. Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Liver damage is rare, but patients who experienced problems were taking doses recommended on the product label, the FDA said. Symptoms include brown urine, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, stomach pain, itching and light-colored stools.

The FDA has not determined what specific ingredients are responsible for the problems, because the products contain a variety of overlapping ingredients and herbal extracts.

Dietary supplements sold before October 1994 are not required to undergo any FDA review before going to market. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 required manufacturers to ensure a supplement to be safe before marketing. But manufacturers still don't need to register a product with the FDA or get approval before selling a supplement.

The agency can take action against an unsafe supplement once it's on the market. Since December 2007, any serious adverse event reported to the manufacturer must now be reported to the FDA within 15 days.
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The Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, said that both the FDA and Iovate "took appropriate action today."

"We commend FDA for warning consumers of a potential safety problem associated with these products, and were encouraged to see that the company -- Iovate Health Sciences -- agreed to recall the products from the market until further determinations can be made," said Steve Mister, the council's president and CEO.

References: CNN.com News

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

P.S. Call for your FREE Metabolic assessment & Nutritional Consultation today 480-212-1947 or visit www.myfitnesselements.com or fax request 623-399-4199

Don't be afraid of the dark -- whole grains explained

Whole grains are in the midst of a renaissance. Research shows these fiber-rich foods can help protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. But most of us don't eat enough of them. full story

(Cooking Light) -- Whole grains are in the midst of a renaissance. Since their 1970s heyday, the findings from scientific research have expanded on these fiber-rich foods' abilities to help protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Such results led the government to urge us all, in its 2005 dietary guidelines, to eat at least three servings of whole grains daily.
Whole grains have high levels of nutrients, a nutty taste, and a dense, chewy texture.

Whole grains have high levels of nutrients, a nutty taste, and a dense, chewy texture.

Joanne Slavin, R.D., Ph.D. -- one of the country's foremost experts on fiber and whole grains -- recalls grain's first go-round. "I was in graduate school pursuing a nutrition degree. This was during the mid-1970s, and there was a ton of interest in fiber then," she says. "I thought that by the time I got my doctorate degree everyone would be eating to get enough fiber."

Not so. Most of us still average just one serving of whole grains a day. As a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul, she finds she has to spread the word. "Many people have questions about whole grains and how to work them into their diets," she says. CookingLight.com: How to eat more whole grains

To help answer them, we asked Slavin, along with several other experts, to provide a primer on successfully choosing and cooking with whole grains.

What are whole grains?
Whole grains are made of three parts: the bran (or outer layer), the germ, and the endosperm. "In order for a grain to be considered whole, it must contain all three components of the grain," says Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., a scientist who studies whole grains at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Together the bran, germ, and endosperm contribute to whole grains' high levels of nutrients, nutty taste, and dense, chewy texture.

How can I eat more of them?
Eating three servings a day of whole grains is easy. For example, Slavin opts for simplicity when she's short on cooking time, choosing oatmeal or a whole-grain cereal for breakfast (one serving) and a sandwich at lunch made with two slices of whole-grain bread (two servings). Here's how typical serving sizes of other whole-grain foods measure up:

# ½ cup cooked whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, or quinoa

# ½ cup cooked oatmeal

# ½ cup cooked whole wheat pasta

# 1 slice whole-grain bread, made with whole wheat, whole rye, or whole oats

# 1 small muffin (weighing one ounce) made with whole wheat flour

# 1 whole-grain tortilla

# 1 cup whole-grain cereal flakes

CookingLight.com: Whole-grain pasta recipes

Slavin suggests substituting whole grains for their refined counterparts. Whole-grain bread is a good starting point. "There are so many good breads available," she says. Another option: Substitute quick-cooking frozen brown rice for white.

What are other good whole-food sources of whole grains?
Cooking with whole grains is the surest way to know that you're obtaining whole grains' full spectrum of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. "It doesn't take much effort to find good grains," Slavin says.
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Once tucked away in high-end grocery stores or natural food stores, renewed interest has made whole grains such as barley, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, and spelt easy to find in the bulk section or natural foods aisle of your grocery store. MyRecipes.com: Superfood: Quinoa

What are helpful cues that a packaged food contains whole grains?
The ingredients list is your best source of information. "Look for the word 'whole.' The ingredients list should say 'whole wheat' or 'whole oats' or 'whole rye,' " says Nadine R. Sahyoun, Ph.D., R.D., an associate professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland. If it doesn't say "whole," it may not be.

Also, the list is in order -- the closer a whole-grain ingredient is to the top, the more of it the food contains.

Two labels also may indicate foods that are good sources of whole grains. The Whole Grains Council developed a black and yellow stamp that food manufacturers can use to tout products that contain at least half a serving or more of whole grain.

You also can look for an FDA-approved health claim on breakfast cereals if at least half the cereal is made with whole grains. The claim states that a diet rich in whole-grain foods and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease. CookingLight.com: Recipe for a healthy heart

"There are a lot of products out there that use tricky wording so you believe it's whole grain when it's not," says Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies at the Whole Grains Council, a subsidiary of the nonprofit food advocacy group Oldways Preservation Trust.

For example, consider a cracker that boasts "made with whole grains" on its packaging, but lists enriched flour as its first ingredient. The grain may have been harvested whole, but it was later refined. Also, watch out for phrases like "stone ground" and "multigrain." These terms don't necessarily mean the whole grain was left intact.

What is an enriched grain?
Is it "whole?" Check the ingredients label of many pastas, breads, and crackers, and you'll see "enriched flour." That means the grains used to make those products were refined by removing the bran and germ, which is where all the fiber and nutrients are.

Refining makes grains less chewy, easier for manufacturers to use in packaged foods, and gives foods a longer shelf life. To make up for the lost nutrients, manufacturers add B vitamins and minerals, along with folic acid. "Whole grains aren't enriched because they already have nutrients," Slavin says.

What are the nutritional benefits of whole grains?
Whole-grain foods are nutrient-dense, meaning they pack an array of nutrients into a small package that's low in calories, a rich source of complex carbohydrates, and even contains small amounts of protein and fat.

Antioxidants like vitamin E are found in whole grains in levels rivaling fruits and vegetables. They help protect against inflammation and damage caused by free radicals, which can lead to cancer. Phytosterols, another type of antioxidant found in whole grains, help reduce cholesterol, which keeps blood vessels free of buildup. Whole grains also contain magnesium, potassium, and folate.

Although fiber isn't technically a nutrient (the body doesn't absorb it), it gives whole grains much of their nutrition bragging rights. Fiber comes in two forms. Soluble fiber -- found in oats and products made with oat flour, along with fruits, vegetables, and legumes -- helps block the absorption of cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease. Insoluble fiber -- found in fruits, vegetables, and all whole grains -- promotes digestive health by moving food through your system. CookingLight.com: Fiber fundamentals
Health Library

* MayoClinic.com: Swap ingredients for healthier recipes

How do whole grains affect health?
In addition to digestive health, whole grains have also been linked to the following benefits:

1. Preventing heart disease. "People with high intake of grains have much less heart disease," Slavin says. A meta-analysis published last year in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases found that 2 ½ servings of whole grains a day were associated with a 21 percent decrease in the risk of developing heart disease. People who ate mostly refined grains did not experience the same results, says study author Philip Mellen, M.D., assistant professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mellen attributes the benefit to synergy. "The combination of whole grains' nutrients work together to reduce cardiovascular disease," he says.

2. Dodging diabetes. When you eat foods that cause a rapid increase in blood sugar (glucose), the pancreas responds by producing insulin. Foods made with refined grains, such as white breads or baked goods, are processed into glucose more quickly than whole-grain foods. "Over time, you can develop insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes," McKeown says. "Foods that are rich in fiber blunt the insulin response, and people with a higher whole-grain intake have less risk of developing type 2 diabetes," she says.

3. Maintaining a healthy weight. "Whole-grain foods high in fiber delay hunger, so maybe you'll eat less over the course of the day," McKeown says. Because fiber is indigestible, it adds bulk to foods, which in turn slows down digestion. The result: You feel fuller longer after eating fiber-rich foods. Bonus: Maintaining a healthy weight can also help you avoid health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

References: CNN.com/ Health News

Cooking light.com

Forwarded by, Natalie Pyles

P.S. Enjoy and have a healthy day!

Are the grocery stores ripping you off?

Are the grocery stores ripping you off?

Think you know how to shrink your food bill? Think again.
Studies have shown that shopping leisurely in a grocery store leads to more spending.

Studies have shown that shopping leisurely in a grocery store leads to more spending. What does this mean have a plan! Awareness is KEY!

Many so-called "ways to save" are nothing more than grocery marketing strategies.

1. Stocking up on a "great deal"

While a purchase may be a "great deal" in terms of dollar amount, it's only a deal if the food actually gets eaten. This is especially true for perishables like milk, eggs, and produce. Don't overbuy, even when the price is right.

2. Reaching for the "value" size

The concept of getting a better price when you buy the larger package is generally accepted, but many companies have now wised up to our assumptions.

To be sure you're getting the best value for your money, check the unit price: it's the number on the shelf tag that says how much the item costs per ounce or pound. That way, it's a no-brainer to calculate whether the larger or smaller can of tomato sauce is the better buy.

There are some exceptions to the unit pricing guideline: poultry and meats. For instance, don't assume that buying a whole chicken is cheaper than buying parts separately. In this case you'll want to calculate the cost per serving rather than per unit. A whole chicken may be cheaper per pound, but that includes a lot of inedible material, like bone and skin.
Don't Miss

* MyRecipes.com: Eats on the cheap
* MyRecipes.com: 10 chicken dinners for busy cooks
* MyRecipes.com: 7 ways with black beans

3. Scooping up 10 for $10

"Wow," we think, "4 soda packs for $10? That's a steal!" It is, but does any one household really need 48 cans of soda or any soda for that matter at all? Not unless you're helping host a block party that week. But, unless is the ad specifies a minimum purchase, you can usually buy as little as you need while still taking advantage of the discount. Try 10 for 10 on cascade drinks only 2 calories and o sugars, o sodium , & o carbs. You can't beat that!

4. Skipping the store brand

Store brands often get a bad rap, but really, not all store brands stink. During a blind taste test, supermarket expert Phil Lempert showed that for things like cereal, potato chips, and ginger ale, a large percentage of shoppers either couldn't tell the difference between generic and name brand, or even preferred the generic type. So do your own taste-tests at home, and figure out which name brands you can swap out. Try Sun chips, Kettle chips, and diet ginger ale hopefully this helps.

5. Shopping leisurely

Supermarket folks have long known that the more time you spend in a store, the more you'll spend. In fact, studies show that for each additional minute you spend in a grocery store past half an hour, you will likely spend between 50 cents and $1. Write a list out and use my stick-to-it-ivness approach!

6. Taking advantage of one-stop shopping

As long as you're already at the store, might as well pick up laundry detergent and lightbulbs, right? Wrong. Supermarkets often price non-food household items 20 - 40 percent higher than discount stores, knowing that shoppers will buy them anyway out of convenience. So remember, grocery stores are for groceries only. Shop for toilet paper elsewhere. If you cut corners in these areas You can afford to spend for a Fitness & Nutrition Expert that will save you hundreds and thousands of dollars in medical & healthcare bills down the road!

7. Clipping coupons religiously

We're not saying coupons are bad. Coupons can save you money, but the operative word is can. They don't save money if you use them to pick up expensive items that you wouldn't buy normally. They don't save money if you're only getting a few cents off a $5 purchase. Studies show that if a shopper has a coupon in hand, they usually won't check to see if what they're buying is actually a bargain.

So use them, but use them wisely. Head to Web sites like CouponMom.com and MyGroceryDeals.com to learn how to organize and strategize your coupon use. Then find out if the store doubles manufacturer's coupons, accepts competitor's store coupons, or allows you to combine coupons for the same item.

8. Zoning in on "sale" signs

Just because it looks like a sale doesn't always mean it's on sale. For example, stores will create visual cues by using bargain bins, hanging promotional signs, or filling up endcaps (the displays at the end corners of each aisle) -- all using items that are actually full-price.

Or, they'll compare a sale price to a list price, except the list price has been hiked up to offer a deeper discount. So track prices of items you buy on a regular basis so you can evaluate a good deal when you see one, and read the small print, watching out for signage that uses faux-sale language like "everyday low price."

9. Making a list

Proponents of list-making says that it helps them remember what they need and avoid impulse purchases, but Robyn Moreno, the consumer editor at Women's Day, says that shoppers with lists spend over 41 percent more than those who shop list-free.

The idea is not to chuck the list completely, but to chuck the idea of the shopping list as wish list. Plan lists around menus, keeping the store circular handy so that you can take advantage of specials.

10. Watch the scanner for errors

Keep an eagle eye on the scanner and make sure you're getting charged the right prices. When items go on sale at the supermarket, the price change isn't always immediately updated on the store's computer listings, leading to overcharges at the cashier's.

Keep focused on value and long term investment when spending your hard earned money and that goes for checking out service & product providers like myself. Have a healthy, happy, and wise day!

P.S. If Your looking for a Champaigne product and service to enhance Your lifestyle habits, but are working with a Budweiser budget then call Fitness Elements today!

P.S.S. Fitness Elements Gurantees 2-3 pounds per week and 1 % Body-fat loss per week Guaranteed!

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or 480-212-1947 e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

Your Friend in Health, Happiness, and Wealth,

Natalie Pyles

Getting Back to Basics: Through Nutrient- Rich Foods

It's time to reconsider our approach and exchange avoidance messages for positive ones that emphasize what to eat and that highlight the nutritional benefit foods provide.

Consumers are bombarded with nutrition information on a daily basis—from food and beverage packaging as well as television, magazines and the Internet. Faced with a plethora of food choices and conflicting dietary advice, it’s a wonder that the average person can decipher enough to make the best decisions.

Because clients receive nutrition information from many sources, perceptions vary about what is considered “healthy.” To some, “healthy” means low in calories, trans fat and sugar. Others consider healthy foods to be fresh, local and organic. The concept of a nutritious food is often determined by personal opinion, preference or circumstance—living with heart disease, for example. Generally, healthful foods are defined by the absence of fat, sugar and sodium. This common view narrows the focus to a few nutrients instead of considering the total nutrient package a food may offer. It also defines a healthful food by what it doesn’t contain instead of by the beneficial nutrients it does provide.

Dietary recommendations have typically followed this avoidance approach as well. Messages like “Cut calories,” “Eat less fat” and “Reduce added sugar” are regularly used to persuade consumers to eat better. Are nutrition messages really effective if they are based on what to avoid rather than on what to include? Or has the spotlight on what foods don’t contain (instead of their benefits) created a public misperception that the fewer “bad” nutrients a food contains, the healthier it is? Some health experts are concerned that consumers’ hyperfocus on one specific characteristic has steered the public away from the big picture: the total nutrient package and the overall diet are what matter.

This article reviews current dietary recommendations and the shift toward guiding consumers to healthier food choices using the naturally nutrient-rich foods approach. It also helps fitness and wellness professionals make sense of the growing number of symbols and icons popping up on supermarket shelves.

Overweight and Undernourished

With 66% of U.S. adults now either overweight or obese, it is safe to say that traditional avoidance messages used to communicate dietary recommendations are not working (CDC 2008). Even though the American diet is energy rich, it continues to be nutrient poor with magnesium, calcium, potassium and vitamins A, C and E topping the list of nutrients Americans don’t get enough of from food (USDA 2004; Moshfegh, Goldman & Cleveland 2005). Added fats, oils, sugars and grains provide more calories per day for the average American than more nutrient-rich food groups—dairy, vegetables or fruit (USDA 2008). In a time when the majority of people are overweight but undernourished and attention is fixated on reducing calories, it becomes even more important to focus messages on making those calories count.

A 2008 survey reports that despite the nutrition information on food packages, consumers are confused (IFIC 2008). They are overwhelmed and puzzled about who and what to believe, and they cite having to give up their favorite foods as a major reason for not making a change (IFIC 2008; ADA 2008). For years, people have learned how to eat by learning what not to eat. It’s hardly surprising that most are turned off by this negative approach. Forty-one percent of consumers don’t know or understand dietary guidelines, and more than half say they need more practical tips to help them eat right (ADA 2008).

The shift in thinking to get more nutrition from your calories is the cornerstone of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The DGA recommend choosing nutrient-dense foods first—to provide the most vitamins and minerals—then permitting less nutrient-dense foods as calorie needs allow. The guidelines refer to these “leftovers” as discretionary calories. Everyone has a calorie budget to manage each day. If you spend wisely by choosing more nutrient-dense foods, you might have a small number of calories left to spend on foods with added sugar, fat or alcohol. Because Americans are “big spenders” of empty calories, most people don’t have discretionary calories to work with. Nevertheless, discretionary calories can be increased by choosing more nutrient-dense foods and increasing physical activity (USDA 2005). This is a recommendation that clients may be more open to because it provides a bit of freedom for personal food indulgences as individual calorie budgets allow.

What Is Nutrient Density?

Getting more nutrition from calories is a long-standing dietary principle, but its emphasis in the 2005 DGA speaks to the renewed interest among health professionals in effectively communicating the benefits of nutrient density. A scientifically agreed-on definition is still a work in progress, but the DGA define nutrient-dense foods as those with a naturally high nutrient-to-calorie ratio, providing substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories. In other words, nutrient-dense foods give you the most nutrition bang for your calorie buck.

Nutrient rich was recently coined as a more consumer-friendly term to describe the concept of nutrient density. Responding to a call for action from the 2005 DGA advisory committee, the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRFC)—led by Adam Drewnowski, PhD, from the University of Washington—worked to define nutrient density and determine criteria for foods that would meet this definition. The NRFC is a partnership of leading scientific researchers, communications experts and 12 agricultural commodity groups representing the five food groups. Its goal is to help people enjoy healthier diets by getting more nutrition from their calories and by making it easier to identify and choose the foods that provide nutrient density.

Diane Quagliani, RD, a nutrition communications consultant in the Chicago area, has been involved in this effort. “The NRFC has conducted extensive research with consumers to determine the most useful ways to communicate [nutrient-rich foods]. This work is expected to be complete in 2009,” she says. “Whatever the end result, it will help consumers choose the most nutrient-rich foods within food groups and help them build more healthful diets overall.” The FDA is also interested in utilizing the “total-nutrient package” approach to replace the current single-nutrient criterion for health claims (e.g., fiber). It is also considering a universal score for food labels to help consumers select foods with the highest nutrient densities.

Positive Eating With Nutrient-Rich Foods

The nutrient-rich foods approach has the potential to help people improve the nutritional quality of their diets and maintain energy intake. This concept is already applied by those working with older adults. As people age, energy needs decrease and nutrient needs increase. The quality of calories becomes critical (Berner et al. 2002).

Conversely, and perhaps not surprisingly, the reported number of empty calories consumed by children and adolescents is influenced by the amount of nutrient-dense foods they consume from the five major food groups (Kant & Graubard 2003). Junk food is pushed out when more nutrient-rich foods are added.

Studies suggest that focusing on increasing nutrient-rich food intake is an effective strategy for weight loss and maintenance. In a family-based behavioral weight management program, the focus was on increasing intake of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. The results: kids and parents achieved a significantly greater reduction in body mass index and percent overweight during a 2-year period than they did by reducing energy-dense (high-fat and high-sugar) foods (Epstein et al. 2008). The authors speculated that the shift from parental restriction of foods to an approach that empowered kids with positive examples of what to eat was one way a healthy-food emphasis resulted in greater weight loss. “Suggesting that people watch their calories is universal nutrition advice, but getting the most nutrients from those calories is also important for getting and staying fit,” explains Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, owner of Nutrition for the Future Inc. in Billings, Montana.

This is further supported by a recent study of 97 obese women, all of whom were avoiding high-fat foods. Half the women were instructed to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. By the end of 1 year, the women who were focused on adding fruits and vegetables lost an average of 17 pounds, 20% more than the women who were simply paying attention to fat consumption (Ello-Martin et al. 2007). The positive message to “increase fruit and vegetable consumption” balanced restrictive messages to consume less. Positive messages resulted in greater dietary changes (Epstein et al. 2001; Rolls, Drewnowski & Ledikwe 2005).

“The NRF [nutrient-rich foods] approach is a perfect fit for supporting portion- and calorie-controlled choices, because its basic tenet is to ‘get the most nutrition per calorie,’” says Quagliani. “If people are cutting calories to manage their weight, it’s more important than ever to maximize the nutrients in each bite.”

Applying the Nutrient-Rich Foods Approach

When people define foods as “good” based on what they don’t contain, and concentrate on what to give up rather than what to include, the result may be the diet mentality of “can and can’t have” and of “good food” versus “bad food.” “By focusing on NRF, health and fitness professionals can play a more effective role in educating clients about delicious eating styles for better health,” says Hayes.

While some factors, such as food prices (Maillot et al. 2007), may limit consumers’ ability to adopt a more nutrient-rich diet, Hayes maintains that helping clients embrace a more nutrient-rich lifestyle is easy. It requires going beyond telling people what to eat and helping them learn how to eat well. To begin, Hayes recommends teaching clients to shop the perimeter of the grocery store for colorful fruits and vegetables, whole and fortified grains, lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Clients can add more nutrient-rich foods to meals and snacks without additional cost by shopping for produce in season, buying frozen fruits and veggies and dried beans, and choosing fat-free milk rather than whole milk, explains Quagliani.

Also, you can encourage clients to read nutrition facts panels for more than calories and fat and instead to examine the total nutrient content of foods. Additional strategies include featuring nutrient-rich foods in newsletters, teaching classes on healthful eating or conducting supermarket tours. “[Fitness professionals] can give away ‘goodie bags’ with nonperishable nutrient-rich food samples at fitness events or health fairs,” Quagliani adds. Examples include whole-grain cereal, nuts, trail mix, beef jerky and 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

The nutrient-rich foods approach can also be used to educate school staff when it comes time to determine food and beverage nutrition standards. Most approaches to setting school nutrition standards have focused on calorie and nutrient avoidance. Although these efforts have been a major leap forward in improving offerings for students, paying attention to the quality of foods is the next logical step.

Because the nutrient-rich shift likely requires more planning and food preparation and less dependence on processed foods, refer to the NRFC website (see the Resources sidebar) for user-friendly tips, shopping lists and recipes to help clients understand how to identify and enjoy more nutritious foods and beverages.

Making Sense of Nutrition Symbols

Choosing foods that maximize the nutrient-to-calorie ratio requires consumers to be able to identify and compare nutrient-rich foods within and across food groups. This is the intention behind food labels. The 2008 Food & Health Survey reports that nearly two-thirds of consumers use the nutrition facts label when deciding whether to purchase or consume a food product. Calories and fat top the list of elements they consider, with serving size and servings per package gaining ground (IFIC 2008). Nevertheless, consumers find several aspects of the label confusing, including serving size, the Daily Value (DV) footnote, %DV and the vitamin and mineral content evaluation (IFIC 2008).

Making it easier to compare the nutrient density of foods is essential for helping consumers make better choices. This is already an identified need, as indicated on food packages by a proliferation of nutrient symbols and marks designed to flag better choices within food and beverage categories. However, the problem is a lack of consistency among manufacturers, which ultimately risks confusing consumers more than helping them.

Many companies bombard consumers with too much information, which can leave people not knowing where to look first or what to look for. To avoid this, in 2007 the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA for a universal labeling system. In response, the FDA requested comments in consideration of a major food label overhaul. Since then, significant industry developments have taken place to make healthier food selection easier and faster with front-of-pack labeling.

Nutrient profiling ranks foods based on their nutrient content, and aims to help consumers make more healthful choices. The American Heart Association’s (AHA) heart-check mark was the first symbol to appear on food packages over 13 years ago. According to Rose Marie Robertson, MD, chief science officer of the AHA, approximately 800 heart-healthy food items now voluntarily bear the red and white heart-check mark. “Using the heart-check mark to identify foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol is an important first step to achieving an overall healthy dietary pattern,” says Robertson.

Another familiar third-party certification program is the Whole Grain Stamp, developed by the Whole Grains Council. For a product to be stamped “100% Whole Grain,” all of the grain ingredients must be whole grain, with a minimum of 16 grams per serving. Products with the basic stamp have at least a half serving (8 grams) and may contain some refined grain.

In the past 5 years, a growing number of food manufacturers have developed their own criteria and symbols to spotlight the “better for you” foods and beverages they offer. These programs include PepsiCo’s Smart Spot^®, Kraft’s Sensible Solution and Unilever’s Eat Smart™ and Drink Smart™. Several supermarkets have also launched their own guidance systems (see below).

Food companies admit that logos like these do not necessarily represent nutrient-rich foods, but rather guide consumers toward healthier products within given food categories provided by their companies. “If you are looking for chips, you can easily identify the healthier choice in the chip aisle by looking for our Smart Spot symbol on the front of our packages,” says Dave DeCecco, spokesperson for PepsiCo in New York City.

Symbols can also be found on supermarket shelf-tags in thousands of grocery stores, mainly on the East Coast. Hannaford’s Guiding Stars^® program, launched in 2006, ranks foods based on nutrients they contain as well as what they don’t contain. It assigns food and beverages a one-, two- or three-star rating (good, better or best). For example, whole milk does not get a star, while skim milk gets three stars. One limitation of this system is that it doesn’t allow for comparison across food groups. For example, three stars in the meat section is not equivalent to three stars in the cereal aisle, and 7UP^® PLUS is given one star just like 2% milk. That said, there is evidence that the program has impacted consumer choices. Hannaford reports an increase in sales of packaged products with stars, compared with products without stars.

This year, you and your clients may have the option to eat by numbers. A pilot launch of NuVal^™ shelf-tag scores occurred last fall in Price Chopper stores in the Northeast and Hy-Vee stores in the Midwest. “We have over 15 retail chains committed to adopting the system in early ’09, including some of the larger U.S. chains,” says David Katz, MD, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Connecticut. NuVal, a joint venture company between Griffin Hospital and Topco Associates, is projected to be in 5,000 or more stores by mid-2009.

The NuVal System scores foods on a scale from 1 to 100: the higher the number, the more nutritious the food. The score is based on the Overall Nutritional Quality Index numerator/denominator algorithm that takes into consideration 30 nutrients and other factors, including glycemic load. Because the NuVal System applies the same nutritional criteria to all foods, it allows consumers to compare the nutritional value of foods within and across food categories, according to Katz. “So, for instance,” he says, “if baby carrots, an apple, crackers, popcorn or a granola bar are all considered potential ‘snack’ choices, NuVal could be used to directly compare them and place them in rank order of overall nutritional quality.”

In an effort to provide consumers with consistent information in place of the current explosion of nutrient symbols, major food companies have combined their efforts to launch the new Smart Choices voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labeling program. In addition to displaying calories per serving and servings per container, foods that meet certain nutrition criteria for a given food category will have an identifiable green check mark and the Smart Choices logo. Centered on the industry’s “better for you” concept, the symbol identifies healthier choices within a given food category.

It sets nutritional guidelines for 18 categories, from desserts to main dishes. Products get the check mark and logo if the following apply:

• They meet limits for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar and sodium.

• They contain no less than 10% DV of at least one of the encouraged nutrients, like calcium and fiber.

• They contain at least half a serving of one of the encouraged food groups—fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free/low-fat dairy.

The program also seeks to stimulate product innovations and reformulations to improve levels of undesirable nutrients in products. Roberta Anding, MS, RD, LD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA), adds, “It may encourage some manufacturers to qualify, for example, by reducing their sodium and increasing vegetables.”

Beginning mid-2009, you can expect to see the Smart Choices logo on some of your favorite brands, possibly replacing their own symbols. Likely implementers include General Mills, Kellogg, Unilever, Kraft, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and ConAgra. This may become the industrywide standard for front-of-pack nutrition labeling.

Quantifying Nutrient-Rich Foods

Meanwhile, work is underway to develop, validate and test a more transparent profiling system that will rank individual foods according to the ratio of nutrients to calories. Hayes explains that the Naturally Nutrient Rich (NNR) Index Score is the only system that meets criteria established for the benefit of public health. Specifically, it takes into account a balance of naturally occurring nutrients and uses a simple, scientifically valid and published formula that reflects the best combination of nutrients to encourage and limit. It addition, it is linked to food labeling and based on consumer research (Drewnowski & Fulgoni 2008).

Scores will vary depending on the nutrient criteria used. After determining that a model including nine to 11 nutrients gave similar rankings to one that included 20 nutrients, Drewnowski and colleagues proposed an algorithm with nine nutrients to encourage and three to limit. They also reportedly recommended a simpler 1–5 nutrient-density scoring system, although work on this is still being finalized.

The ADA favors a scoring system, expressing concern that the yes-or-no approach of a symbol will lead consumers into the good food/bad food conundrum (ADA 2007). Nevertheless, there is a need for simple and quick labeling, and movement toward a universal system—whatever it may be—is a step in the right direction. “There are many voluntary programs to help consumers make healthy choices. If a voluntary program is to be successful long-term, it must be a unified approach so we don’t have nutrient confusion,” says Anding.

The million-dollar question is, Will a symbol or score influence consumer choice and quality of diet? Potentially, but this early in the game it will likely have a larger impact on manufacturers’ production decisions than on individual food choice.

Showcase the Strength of Foods

The nutrient-rich foods approach is a refreshing way to guide consumers back to the basics of enjoying high-quality, nutritious foods without overconsuming calories. It will help your clients make food decisions based on the total nutrient package rather than solely on calories or which nutrients to avoid. As the saying goes: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

SIDEBAR: Nutrient-Rich Meal Plan: 2,000 Calories

Breakfast (300–400 calories)

Good-to-Go Breakfast Sandwich:

Place 1 poached egg, 1 ounce (oz) Canadian bacon and 1 oz fat-free/low-fat cheese between two toasted whole-grain English muffin halves. Drink 1 cup 100% orange juice.

Snack (200 calories)

¹/3 cup whole-grain cereal mixed into 8 oz low-fat/nonfat fruit-flavored yogurt

Lunch (400–500 calories)

Bistro Bite:

Layer 3 oz sliced, lean roast beef on a whole-grain roll and top with spicy arugula leaves and 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard and romaine lettuce. Add a bunch of grapes and a small sliced apple.

Snack (300 calories)

1 small (4-inch diameter) whole-grain pita and ¹/2 cup hummus with red bell pepper slices

Dinner (300–400 calories)

Good-for-You Grill:

Marinate 3 oz salmon in orange juice. Grill ¹/2 cup baby red potatoes, ¹/2 cup onions and six asparagus spears tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add 1 cup mixed green salad topped with blueberries.

Snack (200 calories)

1 cup low-fat chocolate milk or hot cocoa

Adapted with permission from the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition’s Live Well! Tool Kit, www.nutrientrichfoods.org.

SIDEBAR: At-a-Glance-Guide-to-Nutrient Profiling Systems

References

American Dietetic Association (ADA). 2008. Nutrition and You: Trends 2008. www.eatright

.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/media_18828_ENU_HTML.htm; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

ADA Reports. 2007. Practice paper of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrient

density: meeting nutrient goals within calorie needs. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107, 860–69.

Berner, Y.N., et al. 2002. Dietary intake analysis in institutionalized elderly: A focus on nutrient density. Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 6 (4), 237–42.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2003/2004. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults: United States. National Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/

overweight/overwght_adult_03.htm; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

Drewnowski, A., & Fulgoni, V. 2008. Nutrient profiling of foods: Creating a nutrient-rich food index. Nutrition Reviews, 66 (1), 23–39.

Drewnowski, A., Maillot M., & Darmon, N. 2008. Testing nutrient profile models in

relation to energy density and energy cost. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Feb.), 1–10.

Ello-Martin, J.A., et al. 2007. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: A year-long trial comparing weight-loss diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85, 1465–77.

Epstein, L.H., et al. 2001. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake and decreasing fat and sugar intake in families at risk for childhood obesity. Obesity Research, 9 (17), 1–8.

Epstein, L.H., et al. 2008. Increasing healthy eating vs. reducing high energy-dense foods to treat pediatric obesity. Obesity, 16, 318–26.

International Food Information Council (IFIC). 2008. 2008 Food and Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition, and Health. www.ific.org/research/

foodandhealthsurvey.cfm; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

International Food Information Council (IFIC). 2008. IFIC Foundation Food Label Consumer Research Project: Qualitative Research Findings. www.ific.org/research/

foodlabelres.cfm; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

Kant, A.K., & Graubard, B.I. 2003. Predictors of reported consumption of low-nutrient-density foods in a 24-h recall by 8–16 year old US children and adolescents. Appetite, 41, 175–80.

Maillot, M., et al. 2007. Nutrient-dense food groups have high energy costs: An econometric approach to nutrient profiling. The Journal of Nutrition, 137, 1815–20.

Moshfegh, A., Goldman, J., & Cleveland, L. 2005. What We Eat in America, NHANES 2001–2002: Usual Nutrient Intakes from Food Compared to Dietary Reference Intakes. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

Rolls, B.J., Drewnowski A., & Ledikwe, J.H. 2005. Changing the energy density of the diet as a strategy for weight management. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105, S98–S103.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2004. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/default

.htm; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 2008. Economic Research Service. 2008. Diet quality and food consumption: Dietary trends from food and nutrient availability data. www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/DietQuality/Availability.htm; retrieved Nov. 1.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture. 2005. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (6th ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines; retrieved Nov. 1, 2008.

References: Jennie McCary, MS, RD, LD

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 4802-212-1947 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

'Top 5 Food Trends'

Trend Watch 1:

Eat More (Better-for-You Foods)

• Plant Sterols to Lower Cholesterol
• L-Theanine to Stay Calm and Alert
• Beta-Glucan for Fiber

Trend Watch 2:

Micronutrients for Heart Health

• Potassium and Blood Pressure
• Vitamin D and Heart Health

Trend Watch 3:

Scary Food Recalls!

• E.coli 0157:H7
• Salmonella

Trend Watch 4:

The Greening of America

• A Sustainability Primer

Trend Watch 5:

Mindful Eating Practices

• The Slow Food Movement
• The Locavore Movement

Trends That Have Staying Power

For the full FREE Report call 480-212-1947 or FREE Recorded message 1-800-681-9894 requesting Report or fax 623-399-4199 today!

Natalie's Recipe Of The Week

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

The tostadas can easily become soft tacos if you skip broiling the tortillas. Serve with black beans.


Yield

4 servings
Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 12 ounces chicken breast tenders
* 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
* 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
* 1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
* 1/2 cup green salsa
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
* 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
398 (30% from fat)
Fat:
13.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:
32.5g
Carbohydrate:
36.7g
Fiber:
3.1g
Cholesterol:
75mg
Iron:
1.4mg
Sodium:
799mg
Calcium:
236mg

By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or 480-212-1947 e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

Natalie's Recipe Of The Week

Juicy and sweet, the perfect mix to complement your dinner.

Citrus-ginger salad INGREDIENTS: Salad • 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped • 2 cups baby spinach leaves • ½ red onion, sliced • 2 tangerines peeled sliced into segments • 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced into segments • 1 orange, peeled and sliced into segments • ½ cup jicama, peeled and sliced into strips • ¼ cup sliced almonds Dressing • 3 tbsp orange juice • 3 tbsp grapefruit juice • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 tbsp honey • 1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger • 1 tbsp peanut oil INSTRUCTIONS: In a large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, spinach, red onion, tangerines, grapefruit, orange and jicama. Combine orange juice, grapefruit juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk until well mixed, then gradually mix peanut oil into mixture. Chill for 15 minutes in refrigerator. Whisk again before tossing with salad. Scoop salad into bowls and sprinkle the almonds over each serving. NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Calories: 138 Fat: 4.5 g Protein: 3 g Carbs: 24.5 g Call For Your FREE Nutritional Analysis or Metabolic Update 480-212-1947 or 1-800-681-9894 For A FREE Recorded Message & Special FREE Report '7 Foods You Should Never EAT'or visit WWW.FitnessElementsExpress.com Today! By For Now! Your Friend In Health & Fitness, Natalie Pyles

Natalie's Recipe Of The Week

If healthy eating doesn’t come naturally, try something different: a savory marinade.

Lime and Cilantro Fish Marinade Ingredients: • 4 limes, sliced and seeded • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped • 1/2 red onion, chopped • 4 cloves garlic, crushed • 3 jalapenos, seeded • 3 tablespoons flaxseed oil • 1/4 cup water • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce • 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash • 8 or 9 white fish fillets INSTRUCTIONS: Blend all of the ingredients together, except the fish, for 30 seconds. Then pour the mixture over the fish fillets and let them marinate in the fridge overnight in a covered container. Remove the fish from the sauce and broil it in the oven for two minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

Nine Tips Teens Can Apply To Their Weight-Loss Strategies

Nine Tips Teens Can Apply To Their Weight-Loss Strategies

Q. I am an overweight teenager. I have no idea how to go about dieting. Do you have any tips?

A. Figuring out a strategy for losing weight is a great first step! I have several tips for you that not only will help you lose weight, but help you to keep the weight off for a lifetime.
1. Forget blame and guilt: It is important for you to make sure that you don't blame anyone -- either yourself or your parents -- for where you are right now. Feeling guilty about your appearance is a negative feeling that won't help.
2. Take the long term approach: Look at what you are about to undertake not as a short term, quick, weight loss, but rather a change in lifestyle to last a lifetime. You will begin to make more nutritious food choices, add exercise, and cut back somewhat on your eating. If you falter along the way, you don't need to look at it as a failure because you know that you have a long time to make the changes. For example, if you go with your friends to eat at a fast food restaurant, and you indulge in a large order of fries, there is no need to feel guilty because you know that eating them is not a regular habit, and that at the next meal you will eat more sensibly.
3. Set reasonable goals: Losing one-half to one pound per week is very realistic. Don't drop your calorie intake to below 1,300 calories because it would be hard to get all the important nutrition that you need in less than that, plus, you probably won't feel satisfied.
4. Add daily exercise: I suspect that you may be caught in a vicious cycle of not exercising, eating and not having energy. Exercising actually makes you feel more energetic once you have made a habit of it. If you don't feel like you have energy to exercise now, start out with some physical activity that will get you moving, but won't require a lot energy. How about taking the dog for a walk? Or, if you don't have a dog, take the neighbor's dog for a walk. Once you have done some walking, every day for a couple of weeks, try running for a short distance. Get out on your bicycle, or roller blades, or shoot some baskets in the driveway. If you are at a loss for exercise ideas, speak to your gym teacher. I'll bet they would love to help you out. Most teachers are thrilled with kids that are self-motivated to improve.

5. Enlist the support of your family: Have a serious talk with your parents and ask them to help. They should be able to help you find materials on nutritious eating, and can help purchase the foods that will help, such as fresh fruits for snacks and whole grain cereals for breakfast. And they can avoid purchasing foods that will tempt you with poor choices, such as sodas, chips, candy, donuts or cookies.
6. Find measures of success besides weight loss: This isn't just about losing weight, it's about getting healthier for good. So, don't measure your success merely on how much weight you lose. Other things you can look at (for example) may be the amount of time you spent being physically active and not watching television, an increase in endurance (for example, biking for a longer distance or jogging for a longer period of time), or a week of making nutritious snack choices (for example, after school you picked a yogurt fruit smoothie instead of cookies and a soda).
7. Block out cultural messages that emphasize being thin: Decide not to focus on the television shows with actresses or actors that are too thin, as well as fashion magazines with overly thin models. In the real world, most people don't look like that. In fact, it is hard to look like a model and still get the appropriate nutrition from an adequate amount of food. Instead, take a look at high school and college athletes. Most of them are muscular, full bodied and brimming over with good health! You don't have to be a full fledged athlete to look or feel that way, but once you have developed an active lifestyle and good eating habits , you will.
8. Schedule a visit with your health-care provider: If you think your energy level is unusually low, have your mom or dad call the doctor. It may be that some health problem is contributing to how you feel.
9. Find your motivation from within: Weight loss won't happen unless the desire comes from inside you. No amount of outside pressure will do the job.
Good luck to you and have fun developing a happy and healthy lifestyle.

References: Sue Gilbert M.S.

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles
Fitness & Weight-Loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist
Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com
WWW.MyFitnesselements.com

'Call The Fitness Police!'

Ever Wonder Why So Many People Struggle With Their Weight, Even The Ones That Do Exercise? Should I be counting my calories or watching my carbs? How can there be both good fats and bad fats? If I eat less will I lose weight? What does all that stuff on the food labels really mean? Don't worry! We can help....

We Will Raid Your Refrigerator, Clean & clear out the Pantry of All The Things That Are Keeping You From Your Ideal Weight!

Warning: The single biggest mistake people make when going on a weight-loss program is the prior planning and investigating of hiring the right person for the job. Deciding to make a clear decision and committing to Lifestyles changes isn't easy and requires Hard Work, Focus and Planning. You make sure this individual is 100 % committed to You as You are to them before jumping in to just any program. How do I know this because I've been where you are and the last thing you need is someone who doesn't Care!

ACT NOW FOR LIFE CHANGING RESULTS & LET AN EXPERT & FITNESS COACH GUIDE & ADVISE YOU!

YOU are the only one stopping YOU from having Real Breakthroughs in your weight-loss Success!

The truth is I felt the very same way and worked hard to crack the code myself, made progress but couldn't quite get it. Eventually, I found a Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and Fitness Coach like myself and that single decision to say Yes, Yes, Yes and take Decisive Action made all the difference in the world!

If You want someone who understands what You are going through, Brag on You when You have Your Successes & Victories, to stand by You and encourage You in tough times then I am Your Solution!

The Fitness Police will throw out all the food You shouldn't eat, Re- Stock your house with what you should eat... Go with you to lunch and enforce diet... Check with you by phone and quiz you on what you are eating, and check with your Spouse, Housekeeper, Secretary, and even the Restaurants You frequently eat at to keep you from cheating. You need a Nutrition Detective!

We All Need advice, guidance, coaching, and sometimes, somebody to tell us what to do. I know I did and that's why I Conquered my on going Battle with weight years ago.

Call Now and get your Free Fitness & Nutritional Consultation 1-800-681-9894!

Fitness Elements and Associates is also the valley’s best choice for nutrition planning and coaching. Our registered and experienced dietitians will teach you in simple terms how to make the right choices that will help you reach your goals fast, not to mention help you live a long healthy life.

Unshackle the Guilt Once and For All!

Hire a Professional Fitness & Nutritional Expert. You NEED to know the truth.

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480-419-6462 480-212-1947
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'Natalie's Recipe Of The Week'

Fuel your body right with lots of power-packed grilled chicken. Make double the amount and freeze the extras.

Grilled Chicken With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 ounces skinless chicken breast
• KC Masterpiece Hickory Smoke Marinade (or your favorite marinade), to taste
• McCormick’s Mesquite Chicken Seasoning, to taste
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces pre-sliced mushrooms
• Soy sauce, to taste
• 1 slice soy cheese
• 1 whole wheat hamburger bun

INSTRUCTIONS:

Brush both sides of the chicken with marinade and sprinkle it with mesquite seasoning. Turn the grill on high, and cook for three minutes. Now, turn the chicken over, cover it with foil, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Continue to turn it (every two to three minutes), and gradually reduce the heat. Keep turning it until the chicken is almost done.

While the chicken is cooking, spray a medium-sized pan with cooking spray, and heat it on high. Add in the mushrooms, drizzle in the soy sauce. Stir and cover. Continue to stir frequently, and reduce the heat to medium. Remove mushrooms when they are tender.

Next, place the cheese on the bun and put it into the toaster oven. Heat it until the cheese melts. Finally, place the chicken on the bun, smother it with the mushrooms, and serve.

By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com
WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

'Revive Your Metabolism'

I remember the day I got the bad news. I was 20 years old and I was in the middle of a nearly impossible squat session. Between sets, while trying to catch my breath, an “older” personal trainer (he was probably in his 30s) came over and offered some “advice” - unsolicited, of course.

“Ya know,” he said, “I used to look like you. But just you wait. After 25, the metabolism slows down, and it’s all downhill from there, buddy. You’d better enjoy it while it lasts.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of this guy. After all, he didn’t look that great. Sure, he was a trainer and he did look better than most folks his age but just barely. And he had a lot less muscle and a lot more fat than I did.

But the critical question was, was he right? Did the metabolism come to a grinding halt after age 25? Was I doomed to lose my prized physique? Worse yet, was I destined to look like him? I had to find out. After all, if middle age spread was an inevitable consequence of aging, why bother?

So I asked around. I spoke with personal trainers, gym owners and nutritionists, who all confirmed what I had heard. I spoke with some instructors at my local community college. They said the same, although with less certainty since at that time not much research had been done about the matter.

I looked around, studying the physiques of people I ran into at the gym, grocery store, mall and elsewhere. The evidence was all around me. Younger people were leaner and seemingly in possession of faster metabolic rates than older individuals.

So, in my 20 year old mind, the message seemed clear: I’d better make the most of my youthful body and metabolism because I was destined to lose it.

Fortunately, I was dead wrong!

What’s Really Going On?

It’s true that when you’re young, your body finds a way to balance energy expenditure and energy intake. It’s true that, as we age, we have a much more difficult time maintaining what we’ve got. And it’s true that studies have shown that one third of all North American adults are at least 20 percent over their “ideal weights.”

These truths, however, don’t seal our fates. Just because some folks spend their lives engaged in a frustrating battle of eating less only to gain more, that doesn’t mean you have to. Personally, I’ve skirted around those so-called truths. I eat just as much food - if not more - than I did in my 20s, and yet I have no more body fat to show for it.

And I’m no anomaly. Over the years, I’ve trained countless clients, ranging in age from 25 to 65. It didn’t matter how high their body fat percentages, how slow their metabolisms or how scrawny their muscle mass when they met me. They were all able to turn things around as long as they did what it took to boost their metabolic rates!

Scientists have spent quite a bit of time sorting out what happens to the metabolism with age. And what they’ve noticed is that while the metabolism does seem to slow with age, it only slows if you do nothing about it. If you eat properly, exercise the right way and take the right supplements, you can maintain your metabolic rate over your entire life span! Even if you’re age 40 or older and things have already slowed down, you can reverse the trend and regain the metabolism of your youth. In fact, you can create a metabolism that’s even faster than the one of your 20s!

Is it easy? No. Does it take hard work and dedication? Yes. But it can be done. I’m living proof. So are my clients, and so are the thousands of people who have participated in hundreds of studies conducted in the United States and around the world.

The Age and the Metabolism

So why does maintaining a healthy weight get tougher as we age? Well, although most people eat less as they age to compensate for moving less at their desk jobs, their activity levels generally decrease more than their energy intakes. And with less activity than food, fat gain is inevitable.

These decreasing activity levels result in yet another problem: muscle loss. Researchers have determined that, starting between the ages of 25 and 30, most people lose roughly five to 10 pounds of lean body mass during each decade of life. As muscle is a metabolically active tissue, that means that in addition to burning calories to move your skeleton through space, it also burns calories to maintain itself. So age-related muscle loss can cripple your metabolism. The average person who becomes less active and consequently loses muscle experiences a 20 to 25 percent reduction in 24 hour metabolism (measured as the amount of energy your body burns in 24 hours) by age 65. This adds up to a daily metabolic drop of more than 500 calories from age 25 to 65.

So it’s no wonder folks are gaining weight! It’s tough to cut 500 calories off your daily menu to compensate for that metabolic drop, so most people end up packing on the fat. Of course, again, this scenario holds true only if you do nothing to prevent it. Why do most people lose muscle as they age? Because they don’t use it. When it comes to the human body, what you don’t use, you lose, and muscle is no exception.

Studies of people older than age 60 show that you can, at any age, reverse muscle loss and regain the metabolism of your youth. In fact, according to research, individuals who maintain their lean mass (muscle, bone and other non fat tissue) through exercise and smart eating as they age experience only a 0.36 percent drop in metabolism per decade compared to the five to seven percent per decade drop that most adults experience. This is a huge difference! Add a few key supplements to the mix, and you can even prevent that 0.36 percent drop and possibly even rev your metabolism higher than it was during your youth!

So metabolic slowdown is not inevitable. You can prevent it. And you can reverse it using a three-pronged approach including eating, exercising and supplementing the right way to get a series of all natural “metabolic advantages.”

The Metabolism Advantages

The following tips are essential to maintaining a fast, youthful metabolism:

• Build the muscle needed to speed up your resting metabolism (the number of calories your body burns to maintain life) all day and all night long. A gain of five to 10 pounds of lean mass muscle will rev up your resting metabolism by roughly 100 calories - each and every day.


• Maximize something called the "afterburn." Through targeted strength training and energy system work (a specific type of interval training), you can increase the number of calories you burn during your workouts (about 300 to 600 calories per day depending on your body size and workout duration). However, assuming you integrate these high intensity efforts, you can also blow through another 100 to 200 calories per day – a post-exercise energy burst that eats up calories even when you’re sitting on your butt.


• Increase the number of calories your body burns as it digests foods. Prioritizing metabolically costly proteins, metabolism boosting healthy fats, antioxidant rich fruits and veggies and the right carbs at the right times can boost your metabolic rate by another 100 to 200 calories per day. That’s right. The very food you eat can increase fat oxidation and metabolic burn. You just have to know which foods are right for the task at hand.


• Encourage your body to waste calories. The right combination of food choices and supplements can turn you into a much less efficient calorie burner. Much like a car in need of a tune up, your body will consume more fuel than it needs to operate, wasting away the excess as heat. Unlike with your car, however, when it comes to your metabolism, inefficiency is a good thing. It will coax your body into burning more calories – and more fat – for fuel.


• Boost the number of calories your body burns through movement. Thanks to that desk job, family commitments and a great line up of must-see TV, most of us move less at ages 30, 40 and beyond than we did during our teens and 20s. By training at least five hours each week, you can increase your calorie burning by about 300 to 600 calories per day. But don’t just limit your thinking to planned “gym time” physical activity. By including more physical activity of all types, you can maximize the metabolism.

All told, with the right combination of training, nutrition and supplementation, you can expect to increase your daily calorie burn by between 40 and 60 percent within just eight weeks. In other words, a guy who currently burns 2,500 calories a day would rev up his metabolism to a 3,400 to 4,000 daily calorie burn! That’s enough of a boost for you to see a 10 to 15 pound drop in body fat during those eight weeks above.

And for those at a beginner/intermediate level of training, you can expect muscle gain as well. Muscle gain and fat loss simultaneously? Yep, it happens all the time in this population. If you’ve never seen it, you’re simply not doing the right things.

Even more important, when you get these things right, you will simultaneously improve your health. In addition to speeding your metabolism, building muscle and shedding fat, you can also expect to lower your blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. So not only can you look better, you can live longer.

So, in the end, I’m here to tell you that a large scale metabolic decline isn’t inevitable as we age.

If you’re young and haven’t seen the affects of father time, that’s excellent. But that doesn’t mean you wont! Make sure you use a combination of smart eating, training and supplementation to keep that metabolism reving for life.

And if you’re older and your current lifestyle has negatively impacted your body, it’s not too late. Turn things around now, and you can reverse the damage that’s been done. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

References: John Berardi

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

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Breathing Disorders

Most people do not think much about breathing until it becomes difficult (i.e., when you’re exercising, when you come down with a cold, etc). When you have a breathing disorder, you’ll suddenly find yourself thinking about your lungs in ways you never did before, and you'll no longer take breathing for granted. Knowing what goes on inside the body helps. The more you understand about how the lungs work, the better you’ll be at figuring out how breathing disorders affect you and your clients.

Symptoms

Breathing disorders such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma are conditions associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and are the most common diagnosed diseases related to respiratory dysfunction. Chronic bronchitis is an inflammatory condition caused by persistent production of sputum due to a thickened bronchial wall, which in turn creates a reduction of airflow. Emphysema is a disease of the lungs that affects the small airways. An enlargement of air spaces accompanied by the progressive destruction of alveolarcapillary units leads to elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, which in most cases can contribute to heart failure. Asthma is usually brought on by a spasmodic contraction of smooth muscle around the bronchi that produces swelling of the mucosal cells lining the bronchi and an excessive secretion of mucous. Constriction of airway paths associated with asthma results in attacks that may be caused by allergic reactions, exercise, air quality factors and stress.

Pulmonary diseases affect the respiratory system’s ability to transport oxygen during exercise to the tissue level via the cardiovascular system. The systematic breakdown that occurs as a result of inadequate oxygen supply creates a greater than normal demand on the function of the cardiorespiratory system, in some cases markedly reducing exercise tolerance.

The major signs or symptoms of COPD include the following:

* Dizziness or fainting (syncope)
* Unusual fatigue or shortness of breath with usual activities
* Shortness of breath at rest or with mild exertion
* Rapid heart rate (palpitations or tachycardia)
* Pain and/or discomfort in the chest, neck, jaw, arms or other areas that may be due to lack of blood flow

It is important for personal trainers to understand these signs and symptoms. If an individual exhibits these signs or symptoms, it is the role and responsibility of the personal trainer to take appropriate action, and if you are ever unsure of what the appropriate action is, refer your client elsewhere.

COPD steals your energy, which has a ripple effect through the rest of your body during everyday activity and exercise. For clients with healthy lungs, normal breathing doesn’t take a lot of energy. In fact, clients with healthy lungs only use energy to breathe when they inhale to inflate the lungs (exhaling is a passive activity because healthy lungs are elastic and can push the air out on their own). With COPD, the lungs can lose that elastic quality, so you have to use extra energy to force air out of the lungs. In other words, your client has to use twice the energy just to breathe. The gas exchange is less efficient, so your client’s body doesn’t have as much oxygen to fuel itself, and your client becomes tried more quickly. Some clients will even use more calories to breathe, which may sound good but is not as it leaves fewer calories for energy and exercise. Unfortunately, the energy drain can also make it harder for clients with COPD to get the nutrition they need. The digestion process itself takes a great deal of energy, so COPD clients often do not feel like eating (medication can also affect appetite), which can be very unhealthy.

Exercise Program

As we all know, exercise has many benefits. It makes your heart and circulatory system stronger, helps control blood pressure and improves the heart’s ability to pump blood, which in turn means more oxygen and energy. The lack of oxygen and sufficient calorie intake (as stated before) may lead to a loss of muscle mass and strength. This is why exercise is such a critical component of a comphensive treatment plan for any severity of COPD. Aerobic exercise like walking or riding a stationary bike helps to bring more oxygen into the body and tone the muscles. This kind of conditioning has been shown to reduce symptoms like shortness of breath and improve overall quality of life, no matter the severity of your client’s COPD. A regular exercise regimen improves sleep quality, which increases energy and promotes better posture, balance and flexibility. The list of positives for regular exercise in COPD sufferers goes on and covers everything from emotional to physical strength and everything in between.

Before starting any COPD exercise program, an evaluation of physical activity and exercise patterns should be completed. This evaluation needs to include identifying the specific activity and the frequency, volume and level of intensity of that activity. Also, you'll need to document any potentially harmful signs or symptoms associated with the activity, particularly shortness of breath or chest pains. Any musculoskeletal concerns related to joint discomfort or chronic pain should also be identified.

Every effective exercise program needs to take into consideration proper regression and progression. With clients who have COPD, every exercise should be a regression (the level of regression will be dependent on the individual's fitness level). The following aerobic exercises are listed in order from LEAST to MOST likely to induce an attack such as exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchitis.

* Pool Swimming
o Low Intensity - The moisture will help keep the air passage from drying, which can cause an attack.
* Walking
o Low Intensity - It is very easy to keep the heart rate consistent when walking.
* Cycling
o Low to Moderate Intensity - The intensity can be easily controlled while cycling.
* Treadmill Running
o High Intensity - The body needs more oxygen for this activity, so you most progress to this point.
* Outdoor Running
o High Intensity - A lot of oxygen is needed to run outdoors, plus the outside temperature could cause an attack. This is the last aerobic progression.

Any progression beyond this could be to increase the intensity further by introducing weight training. The key is to pay close attention to your client's breathing. The weight training program to follow looks like this:

* Light Weight/Moderate Reps
o Low Intensity - Helps to build a foundation.
* Basic Movements (i.e., push, pull, bend, twist, lunge, squat)
o Help to improve posture, which will make it easier to breath.
* Body Weight Movement
o Low to Moderate Intensity - You can control the intensity by adding speed and reps.
* Isometric Exercise/Continual Resistance
o Low to High Intensity - Push muscles to endurance failure, which is great for calorie burn and strength building.
* Circuit Training
o High Intensity - Perform both aerobic and anaerobic workout. This is the last progression point.

The key is keeping the workout intensity controlled until your client has progressed to a higher intensity. Like any client, progress should be gradual, but with clients who have COPD, this will take longer. A tip is to keep heart rate consistent (i.e., try not to let it dip or spike). Most attacks occur due to dry, cold air or when a high volume of oxygen is needed in a short period of time, so keep that in mind when training outside or during high intensity workouts.

Clients who have COPD use more energy to do less. Even relatively passive activities like reaching for something on a shelf or bending to pick something up from the floor takes more energy. So much of the body’s resources are diverted to the task of breathing, eventually there’s next to nothing left over for other activities. The right combination of nutrition and exercise can and will fend off attacks and improve your client's overall quality of life.

References:

1. Berge, William E. & Gordon, Debra L: “Allergy & Asthma Relief” 2004. Reader’s Digest Association Inc.
2. Earle, Roger W. & Baechle, Thomas R.: “NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training” 2004. Human Kinetics
3. Felner, Kevin & Schneider, Meg: “COPD for Dummies” 2008. Wiley Publishing Inc.
4. Nagourney, Eric. “Athletes’ Asthma Tied to Sweat Levels” Sep 23, 2008. The New York Times.
5. Michael Greenhouse

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Weight-loss Expert, Nutrition Specialist, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com
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