Do You Walk 10,000 Steps a Day?

How many steps a day do you think you walk?   Go ahead - take a guess.   Remember what you guessed and we'll see how close you are to the daily recommended amount.

I like to think that I'm pretty active - after all, I am constantly running around doing stuff.  Plus we spend a lot of time outside, geocaching.  In the summer, when we're at the lake,  I am always running up and down the hill to the boat dock, walking to the resort down the street, hiking in the woods.  You get the idea.

But winter, well, that's another story.  I work from home, so some days I don't even leave the house.  My activity level pretty much consists of walking to my office, sitting down and working, walking to the kitchen for something to drink, toss in some laundry, walk back to my office, go fix some lunch, fold the laundry, fix dinner, do the dishes, watch tv and write blog posts.  Sound familiar?  Definitely not a lot of walking activity, altho honestly, I never gave it much thought.

Then my son told me that I should be aiming for 10,000 steps a day - yes, you heard that right - 10 THOUSAND steps a day.  Tony downloaded a free app to my phone called Pacer.  It tracks your steps, sort of like a Fitbit, but a lot cheaper since it's free.  I'd love a Fitbit but I can't justify the cost, so Pacer it is.  I wore my phone on my belt around the house for a few days and I was appalled at what I found out.....  Most days, when I stay home, I walk less than 800 steps per day.  OMG!!!  That is horrible!

According to the Fitbit blog site, you should strive for an average of 10,000 steps per day.  That's approximately 5 miles.  And if you're aiming to lose some weight you probably need to do more steps than that.

Now before you faint from that number, let me tell you - it's easier to reach that goal than you think.  For example, yesterday we went geocaching for a few hours and I easily added 2500 steps to my daily total.  Then last night I hopped on the treadmill and added just over 2000 steps by walking just a  mile.  I did that mile in 15 minutes, which isn't a lot of time out of my day, right?

Here's what I do when I'm on the treadmill.   I walk for 2 minutes at a quick walking pace of 3.5 to warm up.  Then I up the pace to 4.5 and run for a minute.  I keep alternating walking with running like this....
Walk at 3.5 for 2 minutes
Run at 5.5 for 1 minute
Walk at 3.5 for 2 minutes
Run at 6.0 for 1 minute
Finish up with a 3.5 walk until I hit the one mile mark.  Done!  Starting this week I'm going to add 1 block more per week in order to increase my steps.  I can afford 15 - 30 minutes per day on the treadmill in order to increase my steps.  Plus I cheat and watch tv while I'm doing it, so it's kind of a no brainer.

If you don't have a treadmill, then get your butt outside.  Walk around your neighborhood, go to the park, hike a trail, or, if it's raining - go walk the mall - just steer clear of the food court.  Start slow and aim for a couple thousand steps per day, increasing it by 1000 steps per week if you're able to do so.  Go check out the Fitbit website for a complete explanation of what you should do.

At any rate - do something.   Get up and start aiming for your 10,000 steps per day.  So, how many steps do you think you walk per day??  Download Pacer or strap on your Fitbit and see how close you are.

Fiber and its Benefits

Fiber and its Benefits 

We’ve all been asked the question “how much fiber do you eat?” by doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, family members, and/or friends.  The topic usually comes up when you’re having some kind of problem in the bathroom and need some advice to find relief.  But what is fiber? Where do you get it? How much do you need? What are the benefits? There’s two types?

All these questions will be answered right here and now in the quickest way possible to save you all from hours of internet searches and endless contemplation.

What is Fiber?

Fiber is a part of plants that cannot be digested by the human body, which allows it to remain mostly intact while it passes through the GI tract.  Many of you have probably heard of soluble and insoluble fiber and may be wondering “whats the difference?”  Basically, it comes down to how the fiber acts in relation to water.

Soluble fiber:  Soluble fiber absorbs water and swells inside the GI tract.  This can slow down transit time and carry pathogens, fat, and cholesterol out of the body.

Insoluble fiber:  Insoluble fiber does not absorb water so it is said to add “bulk” to stools.  Insoluble fiber decreases transit time and makes stool elimination more simple. 

Sources of Fiber

Fiber can be found in many types of foods, but different foods usually have different types of fiber in different amounts.

Soluble fiber: Oatmeal and oat bran, beans ( black, pinto, kidney, navy, lima, and many more), all fruits and vegetables (especially oranges, avocados, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes), and nuts.

Insoluble fiber:  Whole grains (foods that say whole wheat or whole grain), vegetables (especially leafy greens, onions, bell peppers), popcorn, beans, and most fruits (especially raspberries). 

Benefits

We started this conversation by talking about fiber helping out with bathroom related issues. It is true that fiber, both soluble and insoluble, can decrease problematic evacuation.  It is also true that insoluble fiber is seen to be more beneficial for this purpose than soluble fiber.  But surely there are more benefits of fiber than that right?  Correct!

People who consume enough fiber have been shown to have lower risks of certain cancers, diabetes, obesity, and many other medical complications

Cancer:  Studies have shown that increasing fiber intake decreases ones risk for colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and lung cancer.  People who have the highest intakes of fiber generally have the lowest risk for these types of cancer(when only fiber consumption is taken into account)¹.  

Diabetes:  Fiber, especially fiber from whole grains, has long been shown to decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Possible mechanisms for this are improved control of blood sugar (improved glycemic control) and body weight².

Obesity:  Fiber has also been suggested to decrease the risk for becoming obese and gaining body fat³.  Fiber slows down digestion and elicits a feeling of fullness and satiety, which can decrease immediate and post meal calorie consumption.  Foods high in fiber are sometimes very low calorie in comparison to their volume (they have a high volume to calorie ratio), which increases fullness with fewer calories consumed.  This is especially true of fruits and vegetables. 

Amounts needed

 **These values are based on total fiber.  No specific recommendations for insoluble fiber intake currently exist.

In conclusion, fiber is important.  It helps stave off constipation and can decrease your risk for certain medical conditions.  There are two types of fiber, but you should only worry about your total fiber intake unless otherwise directed by your medical doctor or dietitian.

Written by Anthony Scornavacco.  If you missed his post on Iron, please go back and read it here.

References

1. Kunzmann AT, Coleman HG, Huang WY, Kitahara CM, Cantwell MM, Berndt SI: Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer and incident and recurrent adenoma in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102:881-890.

2. Meyer KA, Kushi LH, Jacobs DR Jr, Slavin J, Sellers TA, Folsom AR. Carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and incident type 2 diabetes in older women. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71:921-930

3. Liu S, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:920-927

Tony Graduates and All About Iron

My son, Tony, recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.  To say I am a proud mother is an understatement.

When Tony was in high school he was an unhappy, overweight young man.  While in his junior year of high school he made the life changing decision to research nutrition and exercise.  He designed a diet and exercise program and in less than a year he lost 85 pounds.  Here he is 5 years later, lean and fit, and ready to embark on a career that he hopes will inspire and educate others.

Oh, and he's engaged to a beautiful, compassionate and wonderful nurse.  I am blessed and I thank God every day for guiding Tony along this path.

Tony still has a few hurdles to leap - before he can become licensed, he has to complete a Dietetic Internship.  Right now he's applying for several.  The selection process is highly competitive and less than 50% of the applicants get placed each year.  He won't find out anything until April.  In the meantime, he's studying so he can take the DTR exam sometime in the coming weeks. "Dietetic Technicians - Registered" would be another skill he can add to his resume and will hopefully help him find some work in his field while he is completing an internship.  He has a lot on his plate but he's confident and focused.

He is also working with The Visual Veggies Software company.  He has partnered with them to test their DTR Exam preparation software.  He will be using their program to study for his DTR exam and will then write an unbiased review on the software.  I think it's an excellent opportunity for him and I know he will give his fair and honest opinion.

The folks over at Visual Veggies asked him to write a couple of blog posts so they could see his work.  I'm going to share one with you today......

Can Iron Give You More Energy?

One of the most common complaints I hear is that “I have no energy”.  Most people attribute this to long work hours, lack of sleep, and/or extracurricular activities.  The problem, however, may be related mostly to ones diet.  Many dietary deficiencies can cause someone to feel that he/she has “no energy”, but the deficiency I will be talking about today is iron deficiency.

What Is The Role Of Iron In The Body?

The primary role of iron is to help make the protein hemoglobin, which is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the body and removal of carbon dioxide.  Without iron hemoglobin cannot be made and, therefore, the exchange of these two gasses cannot occur.  When oxygen transport becomes inhibited, because dietary iron is lacking, it can cause people to feel fatigued, short of breath, dizzy, have frequent headaches, and have many other symptoms.

I'm sure most people would say that oxygen is important.  Like really important.  So its easy to see why iron is essential for our bodies.  

Sources of Iron

The best sources of iron are meat (beef and lamb), chicken liver, seafood (especially clams and oysters), pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans and lentils, whole grain products, tofu, and dark chocolate (We finally have an excuse to eat chocolate).

I should note that iron from meat, chicken, and seafood is absorbed better than iron from other sources, but that's a topic for another time.

How Much Iron Do I Need?

The amount of iron that each individual needs changes throughout life depending on age, medical conditions, pregnancy, and other factors. The chart below sums up how much iron is needed by most individuals very well.

**Credit for the chart: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

Considerations

Certain foods and substances do inhibit the absorption of iron when consumed with iron containing foods and supplements.  Calcium, wine, coffee, and tea have all been shown to inhibit the absorption of iron¹.  Not all the iron you consume with these substances will be negated, but enough absorption will be inhibited to make a difference in the long run.  It may be beneficial to plan your iron containing meals around your morning coffee, afternoon tea, and/or evening glass of wine (or two).

A recent study indicated that as many as 10 million Americans are iron deficient and that 5 million of those people have iron deficiency anemia (a very severe form of iron deficiency)².  So if you are experiencing symptoms of iron deficiency it could be worth your time to see your doctor to have your iron status tested.

Do I Need An Iron Supplement?

Most people without iron deficiency anemia will not need an iron supplement to keep their iron status within normal ranges.  This can be done by including a variety of iron containing foods in your diet.  Consuming iron supplements has been indicated to cause a great deal of GI complications so the consumption of an iron supplement should be supervised by a doctor and/or dietitian.

References

1. Hurrell R, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. Am J ClinNutr 91: 1461S–1467S, 2010.

2. Miller JL. Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013;3(7):a011866. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a011866.

Join Janathon 2014

Welcome to Janathon 2014!! 

What's a Janathon you ask?   Well, I just found out about it and it's basically a challenge to run or do some sort of exercise every day for the month of January, and then blog about it.  What a great incentive to get up off my butt and work towards that first 5K in the spring.

Want to challenge yourself too?  Go to the official Janathon 2014 page and sign up.  It's free!!   Add the name of your blog and then join the participants list.  I've set up a separate TAB at the top of my blog for my daily Janathon posts, so all my daily results will be posted there and on the Janathon FB page.   You can join in the challenge even if you don't have a blog, so don't be shy.

Come on - challenge yourself for 2014!

5K - SUCCESS

5K Update - Success!!!!

I did it!  I finally ran the 5K.  If you've been following along, you'll remember that I started this journey as a result of my high cholesterol level of 290 at my last doctors appointment in June.   Tony and I decided to blog about my running experience in an effort to enlighten others and hopefully encourage people to embark on a healthier eating and exercise program.  I posted my first article about it here.

Since then, we've been doing updates on my progress.  I've done the entire Couch to 5K program in the comfort of my own home, on my treadmill.  It was hard.  It was a struggle.  I wanted to give up more times than I can count.  Twice I had to repeat a week's worth of the program because of going out of town and not running while we were gone.  I'm sorry I didn't write down the date that I actually began the program, but I did it in less than 12 weeks.

But last week, I did it - I ran the entire 5K on my treadmill.  I did the entire 3.1 miles in 39.02 minutes.  I know the time isn't the best - it equates to about 13 minute miles, but I don't care.  I did it!  I want to do a cartwheel across the living room.

So, what now?  Well, I'm going to continue running on the treadmill.  I need to bump up my time and I'd like to increase the mileage a little more.  At some point I'd like to run an actual 5K.  I also want to get out and run on some trails a little bit.  I think it would be more fun and definitely more interesting to run outside.

Some added extras to running the program:

• I lost 6 pounds over all.  That's a lot of weight for me because I'm only 5'2" and I weighed 111 to start with.  I actually lost one whole clothes size.
• My legs are more toned and muscular.  I used to have great legs, but age has taken its toll and I lost a lot of muscle.  I was getting flabby and lost muscle tone.  My legs are firming up now and I can really see a difference.
• My breathing has greatly improved.  I can also notice a difference when I'm out walking or hiking.  I don't get as winded.
• My endurance has vastly improved.  When I started running I could barely run 30 seconds.  Now I'm running for 40 minutes.  I have so shocked myself!!
• I'm eating a lot better.  I couldn't tell you the last time I've eaten fried food.  I have a healthy smoothie everyday.  I've added a lot more grains to my diet.

I will continue to fine tune this program for myself.  I hope that after a year of healthier eating and running that my cholesterol levels will have gone down.  I certainly hope they will.  If you're thinking of starting a running program, I can recommend the Couch to 5K Program.  I bought it as an app from I Tunes.  I'm not endorsing I - Tunes or the app.  I've received no compensation from either of them.  I just used the app on the recommendation of someone else and it worked really well for me.  I can honestly say that I would not have been able to do the 5K without the app.  It pushed me and also had me progress at a pace that I wouldn't have known to do myself.  I definitely think I would have quit doing this without the app.  It also helped to blog about it because I felt an obligation to keep at it.  

If anyone is considering doing something similar to this, please, go see your doctor first.  Get a check up and his OK and his advise.  If you feel you need to make some changes, then do it.  The most important step is the first step. Do it for yourself.  Do it for your loved ones.  Go ahead - take a step.

A Life Changing Experience

This is my son, Tony.....

If you had to guess, what do you think he has in common with this kid?

The correct answer is EVERYTHING because they are the same person.  I am going to share a very personal story with you today, one that makes me choke back tears of emotion.  I am doing this with Tony's permission because it was a journey of discovery, perserverance and dedication.  It is Tony's story of TRIUMPH and VICTORY!

This is Tony in March of 2009, on his 16th birthday. 

Tony wasn't always overweight.  When he was born he only weighed 6 and a half pounds.  He was a small and thin kid until 5th grade.  That was not an easy year.  He changed grammar schools, his best friend moved away, and his older brother had cancer.  Tony's response to all the turmoil in his life was to sit on his computer and play Runescape, sit alone in his room and play his playstation and eat a lot.  He drank several cokes per day.  He loved pizza, and nachos and chicken McNuggets.  And cookies.  And chips.  But not fruit or salad - ever.  You get the picture.

As Tony's mom I was frustrated and a nag.  I was constantly after him to stop eating, eat less, eat right, drink water, eat an apple, don't eat after 7 at night, eat a proper breakfast.  Ugh.  I tried everything to help him lose weight.  He tried baseball and basketball, I made him exercise and go bike riding.  But to tell you the truth, Tony was a grazer and every time he walked through the kitchen he was eating.  And the more I bugged him about it, the more he would sneak food into his room and eat in solitude.  It was a vicious and frustrating cycle.  Tony would occasionally try a diet but after a week of starving himself he would step on the scale and see that he hadn't lost a pound for his efforts and it would send him reeling back to the kitchen and back to his bad eating habits. 

This is Tony on his 17th birthday and this is the one picture that totally breaks my heart.  Does this look like a happy kid to you? 

About 2 months later Tony came to me and told me he wanted to go back on a diet.  He said he wanted to do it HIS way with no interference from me and he said he was determined to lose some weight this time.   Frankly, I was at the end of my rope and I was ready for him to try just about anything.  Honestly, he had tried losing weight so many times that I wasn't holding out much hope for this attempt either.  I told him to do what he had to do as long as he didn't starve himself.  Silently I said a prayer to God to PLEASE just let this kid lose some damn weight this time.

Day 1  Middle of May 2010  Weight 215 lbs

When Tony started this diet he was close to wearing XXL shirts and size 40 pants.  He was wearing larger clothes than his father.  At this time he had about 2 weeks left of his Junior year in high school. 

At first his diet consisted of cutting out ALL junk food like candy, cookies, chips, coke and fast food. He mainly ate fruit for breakfast, small lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and dinner was pasta, steak, chicken or pork chops.

At the end of 2 weeks he had lost 11 pounds.  He went to his Junior Prom with a girl "friend" but this was actually the girl he really wanted to date.  Remember this because we'll come back to this later.  This is Tony in his first tux.  Nobody had noticed yet that he had lost any weight.

By the end of June 2010 he was starting to see some small results.  His tee shirts were actually starting to sag on him a little.  I also noticed that he was beginning to get out of the house more and doing things like fishing  and going for long walks.

Fourth of July weekend found him out on a jet ski with a smile on his face and down to size large shirts and 36 pants.

His meals by now were consisting of basically the same as before, no junk food at all, but he was doing a lot more exercise.  Any time he wanted a snack he ate an apple.  He ate a LOT of apples.

I think the real turning point for Tony came when he started his Senior year of high school.  When school started back up at the end of August kids were coming up to him and asking him how much weight he had lost.  One teacher actually asked him if he was sick.  Tony started going to the gym every day after school and working out for an hour to an hour and a half.  By this time he weighed 175 pounds and his old jeans no longer stayed up around his waist.



Around this time I started to notice a huge difference in Tony's outlook and attitude.  He started researching nutritional values of the food he was eating, looking at protein powders and taking vitamins.  He expanded his workout methods to include a punching bag and doing sit ups.   And suddenly he started dating.  Remember that girl I told you about?  The one he took to the prom as a friend?  The 2 of them were starting to spend more time together.

By Christmas Tony had lost 70 pounds and weighed 145 pounds.

Slowly, but surely, Tony was taking control of his life.  And he was smiling a whole lot more.  Kids at school were asking his advice in the gym and telling him how good he looked.  By January 2011 he had lost a total of 80 pounds and weighed 135.  By his 18th birthday in March 2011, he was wearing a size small shirt and size 32 pants.  By then Tony and Alex had been dating 6 months.

Tony's diet consisted of oatmeal, egg whites and natural peanut butter for breakfast.  Lunch is whole grain bread with turkey and fresh spinach OR a peanut butter sandwich, some almonds, veggies like broccoli, celery or a salad.  And dinner is usually chicken, pork chops, steak, tilapia or salmon with whole wheat tortilla's, whole wheat pasta or oatmeal.  This diet new eating habits for life really works for him.

By the beginning of April 2011, Tony had maintained his weight of 135 for over 3 months and had started building up some muscle mass.  Here's Tony in a pair of his old jeans.... No shit - can you believe this kid????

Remember last year when Tony went to his Junior Prom?  He weighed 215.  This year, for his Senior Prom, he weighed 135 pounds and went with the girl he always wanted! 

Now doesn't that smile on his face just sum it all up?

So here he is at his graduation, 80 pounds lighter and so much happier.

He and Alex have been dating for 11 months.  He has maintained his current weight successfully for 7 months.  He has learned how to eat properly and how to incorperate exercise into his life.  He lives by a few basic rules..... Be active every day.  Eat healthy when possible.  Have an occassional cheat meal on a day when you are overly active.  Find a strong motive to keep you on course.  Always believe in yourself.

I can't begin to tell you how proud of him I am.  He did it all himself.  He is happier and healthier than he has ever been.