Don't Get Fat on Thanksgiving

Alright everyone it's that time of the year again, a day dedicated to eating so much you literally slip into a food coma or have to put on sweatpants so you can breathe.... It's Thanksgiving Time! A day dedicated to food, football, and napping!

This year let's try to practice some self-control so that you don't waste all of your hard-earned results you've spent the past few months achieving. And I don't want to hear the excuse of "Oh, I'll start my diet again AFTER the holiday season... or "I'll just wait until my New Year's Resolution...."  I'll be the first to admit, there is nothing wrong with throwing the diet out the window for one day a year and enjoying yourself but just don't go too crazy because if you're not careful you can easily chow down 7,000 calories without even realizing it if you're aren't careful.

Here are a few tips to prevent that Turkey-10 from showing up on your scale the next day....

1.  Pace Yourself:
By eating more slowly, you allow your satiety mechanisms to catch up with your mouth to signal your body that it's full and that more food isn't necessary.  Also, eating smaller portions and bite sizes will help with this process as well.  If you've ever had the opportunity to enjoy a meal with me you know this concept is damn near impossible for me. Usually when I start eating something it's like a sub-conscious race to the Empty Plate Club.  So slow down and enjoy that delicious food.
     *Tip: Count to 5 while chewing to ensure you are consuming food at an adequate pace.
     *Tip: Put your fork down in between bites so you aren't constantly shoving food into your mouth.
     *Tip: Try to avoid a second helping. Save it for later in the day to try and space out your calories.

2.  Go Easy On The Carbs:
Try not to set any mashed potato records or fill up on dinner rolls. Meals high in carbohydrates result in an insulin spike following the meal.  High insulin levels promote fat storage and inhibit fat burning.  Also, evidence suggests that fluctuating glucose and insulin levels may trigger hunger sensations which is the last thing you need on Turkey Day.  Try to focus more on turkey and some of the vegetables rather than the starchy carbs and dessert trays.

3.  All You Can Drink Water:
Here's one thing you can splurge on: WATER!  By consuming lots of water (especially before your Thanksgiving Feast) you will give your body the idea that it's full and prevent you form overeating.

4.  Easy on The Sauce....

This tip has a double meaning. The first being: Go easy on gravies, dressings, butter etc.  Substances like these have tons of hidden calories and can easily sabotage a plate even with the best intentions.  The other meaning is to go easy on the alcohol.  Calories from alcohol are selfish calories; meaning they want to be first and take priority over the other calories.  In other words, the alcohol you consume will be metabolized and burned for energy first while the remaining calories take a back seat (are stored as fat) until the alcohol is cleared from your system.

5.  Don't Just Stand There Bust a Move!
And last but not least, my personal favorite: Get up early and exercise! Whether you take the dogs out for a long walk, hit the gym first thing in the morning or jump on the ever-so-popular Turkey Trot bandwagon, partake in some form of exercise on Turkey Day.  This way, you burn off calories (in anticipation of the thousands more you are going to be consuming) and set your body up for an influx of food.  Personally I recommend exercising before your big feast so you can enjoy the rest of your day in your food coma, watching football and trying to get off the couch.  This is probably my favorite strategy on Thanksgiving, as I am absolutely terrible at the previous tips. I always eat too much, eat too fast, go back for seconds, divulge in dessert, lay on the couch all day and drink beer...But, I get up and exercise beforehand so it's all okay :)

Good Luck Everybody! Have A Great Thanksgiving!

Go Fishing For Health

Fish Oils - The Hottest New Supplement?

Fish oil may be the most underrated supplement on the market.  Not only do fish oils have several health benefits but we are learner more and more about potential performance enhancing effects as well!  Fish oils contain certain fatty-acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids which are classified as an essential fatty acid (meaning our body cannot make them and they need to be obtained through the diet).  The primary active components of Omega 3 fatty acids are EPA and DHA.  These fatty acids have been reported to have a "cardioprotective" effect meaning they can lower your chance of developing cardiovascular disease.  They are also required for normal growth, cell integrity, and proper joint health.

How Much To Take?
The average American only consumes ~0.15 g/day which is far below the recommendation of ~1-3 g/day with an EPA:DHA ratio of 2:1.  As you could probably guess, the best source of Omega 3's are fatty fishes such as Salmon, Herring and Trout.  And if you're like the majority of Americans, you probably don't consume fish every day.  Whether it be you don't like the taste of fish or you live in North Dakota (far from salmon country) and you refuse to believe that the salmon at your local Hornbachers is "fresh," regardless you should still try to consume enough Omega 3's each day.  Luckily supplement companies have made it easy for us to do this with the help of fish oil supplements.

*Tip: When looking for a fish oil supplement, choose one with a high DHA and EPA content (the higher, the better).

Fish oil supplementation is most commonly known for it's health benefits, particularly because of it's ability to lower one's risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and improving the blood-lipid profile.  Recent evidence has also suggested that fish oil may help improve brain functioning and help with concussion symptoms following a traumatic brain injury. Below is a summary of just some of the health benefits of fish oil supplementation.  We are constantly learning more and more reasons to include fish oils in the diet and I'm sure there will be many more reasons coming in the future.

Health Benefits:
- Lowers risk of developing coronary artery disease.
- May improve recovery from brain injuries (concussions).
- If taken before brain injury may lessen the amount of damage.
- Can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
- Reduces the chance of clot formation.
- Lowers blood pressure. 
- Improves bone health (increases bone density and lowers risk of fracture).
- May help improve cognitive functioning over time and prevent dementia.
- Improves insulin sensitivity and decreases risk of developing diabetes.

Not only can fish oils benefit the average human but they may even be more important for athletes who are engaged in heavy training.  There is strong evidence that suggests fish oils have anti-inflammatory effects and can help speed up recovery from exercise as well as prevent muscle damage.  It also seems to improve heart function during exercise by improve cardiac efficiency (your heart doesn't have to work as hard).  Below is a list of several other benefits of fish oil supplements and why they are important for athletes to incorporate into their daily food intake.

Performance Benefits:
- Lowers heart rate during exercise.
- May reduce muscle damage and soreness following intense exercise.
- Has anti-inflammatory effects.
- Has anti-oxidant effects.
- May help stimulate protein synthesis and prevent protein degradation (builds muscle and prevents it from    being broken down).
- May improve body composition.

A FAST Track To Fat Loss

Intermittent Fasting

         First there was the "Eat 3 square meals a day," followed by "6 small meals throughout the day is best," and now there is "Intermittent Fasting."  It's difficult to keep up with the ever-changing theories of dietary strategies and weight-loss as there always seems to be something new hitting the market.  Intermittent Fasting  (IF) is a new diet strategy intended to enhance fat loss and improve body composition.  It consists of alternating periods of fasting (only water and/or calorie-free liquids) and eating. So what's the difference between that and regular eating patterns? Intermittent Fasting designates certain extended periods of time as "Fasting" followed by a relatively short, or none at all, window of time when food can be consumed.  The rationale behind this strategy is that the periods of fasting will maximize fat burning while still maintaining lean muscle mass which is why it is often used to improve body composition.  There are a few different methods of intermittent fasting which are described below.

The Periodic Fast

This method consists of a 24 hr fasting period which is to be used ~1 day per week. The creators of the IF diet don't recommend starting off with this method as it can be difficult for your body to adjust to the sudden lack of food.  The only thing that is allowed during this fast period is water, low calorie beverages (i.e. diet green tea, coffee etc.) and BCAA's (in pill form).  The green tea and caffeine are substances that promote fat-burning and are thus included during the fasting period.  The BCAA"s are intended to maintain muscle mass and help stimulate the building of new muscle tissue.

Below is an excerpt from the Book: "Precision Nutrition" by Dr. John Berardi which describes a sample day utilizing the Periodic Fast:

".....HOW TO DO IT

Essentially, you pick any 24-hour period, and don’t eat during it. But we like to add a few things to make it easier. Here, we’ll assume a Sunday fast:

10 PM Saturday:

• Eat your last meal of the day
• Drink 500 mL (2 cups) of water

10 AM Sunday:

• Drink 1 L (4 cups) of water + 1 serving greens powder
• Drink 250 mL (1 cup) of green tea
• Take 5 grams BCAA (branched chain amino acids) powder (or take 5 capsules)

3 PM Sunday:

• Drink 1 L (4 cups) of water + 1 serving greens powder
• Drink 250 mL (1 cup) green tea
• Take 5 grams BCAA (branched chain amino acids) powder (or take 5 capsules)

10 PM Sunday:

• Eat a small snack before bed
• Drink 500 mL (2 cups) of water

Monday:

• Eat normally....."

The Daily Fast

This strategy breaks up a 24 hr period into 2 windows: 1) A fasting window and 2) An eating window.  The authors recommend a 16 hr fast and 8 hr feeding window.  Now, this doesn't mean that you are eating constantly throughout the 8 hr eating window.  The authors of Precision Nutrition recommend 3-4 meals during the 8 hr feeding window instead of 1 large meal or 8 hrs of grazing.  Now, if you are an individual who trains or exercises during the week (and if you read this blog I hope that you do!) it's recommended that you get your workout in at the end of the 16 hr fast and then consume your first meal immediately after your workout.  This may be challenging for some people as working out on an empty stomach may not be well-tolerated (I just about pass out every time).

        And Then Eat.... 

       

Monday

8:30 PM - Eat small snack (last meal before 16 hr fast)

Tuesday

8:00 AM:  Wake up, Drink 500 ml of water

9:00 AM:  Drink 1 L of water + 250 ml of green tea

11:00 AM:  250 ml of green tea

12:00 AM:  Workout session with 10g of BCAA before/during

1:30 PM:  Eat first meal (largest of the day)

4:30 PM:  Eat second meal (moderate size)

8:30 PM:  Eat third meal (moderate to small size)

Tips:

Just because you are strategically eating (or not eating) at certain times throughout the day, doesn't mean that when you do eat that you splurge and park yourself at an All You Can Eat Buffet all day.  It is still just as important to eat not only the proper amount of calories but also the proper ratio of macro-nutrients,  focusing on lean meats and fruits & veggies. 

Does It Work?

And now, the important question: Does it work?  Granted there isn't really any clinical research that has been done on this program, I believe it's safe to say that yes, this program is an effective strategy for losing body fat and improving body composition.  The majority of anecdotal evidence I've heard on IF has been in support of it and said it was successful at improving body composition.  Personally, I'm someone who loves food and gets cranky when I go extended periods without it so this diet plan isn't really for me but don't let that deter you from trying it!  Also, I DO NOT recommend this program for athletes or those engaged in heavy training as it may be difficult to A) Train on an empty stomach and B) Consume enough calories to support high energy expenditures.  If you are interested in trying this new diet, I suggest starting slowly and easing yourself into fasting periods to prevent hunger pangs, mood disturbances and dizziness.  And please, if you do try this diet let me know what you think of it because I'd love to hear if it worked or not!

For those interested in more information, here is a link that goes into more detail on the program......

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting/appendix-a

T-Ball: Part I

Testosterone-Ball

My friends and I were recently partaking in our favorite American past-time which is of course late night beers and baseball talk.  We've long since given up our baseball careers and moved on to more important things like fantasy baseball, arguing about who was the best catcher during the 90's  and our recent argument regarding the prevalence of steroid use in baseball and whether or not they ruined or saved baseball....

Following this last discussion, I decided to look into it a little more and see if I could find any hard facts to back up my opinions.  I tried to look up as much information (legitimate information, not just Jose Canseco's book on steroids) as I could find on this issue and do the best to provide it in a non-biased fashion. It is difficult to understand exactly how many players are/were taking steroids, how steroids may have changed their performance and ultimately how it changed the game because a lot of this information is A) Impossible to obtain and B) Difficult to quantify in the first place; however I will give it my best shot.

What Are Steroids?
In order to understand how steroids are affecting the game of baseball. We first need to define what all is entailed with the term "steroids." According to the all-knowing wikipedia, steroids are drugs that mimic the hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone.  These hormones are responsible for promoting the growth or anabolism of certain tissues within the body (i.e. muscles, bones, cartilage etc.).  They were first isolated and synthesized in the 1930's for medicinal purposes.  The use of anabolic steroids became popular during the 1940's and 1950's by Eastern European countries who saw improvements in the athletic performance of their athletes.  Eventually the International Olympic Committee placed anabolic steroids on the banned list in 1976.  In 1990 Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act which classified steroids as a controlled substance, making it a felony to possess or sell them. In 2003 MLB instituted a random, but anonymous, testing program to gauge the percentage of steroid use in baseball.  This anonymous testing stated that only 5-7% of players tested were using steroids.  Many believe this number largely underestimates the prevalence of steroid use as rumors surfaced stating that players knew when they would be tested to they could easily take the necessary precautions to avoid a positive test.  Eventually there was a modification in the "steroid policy" and punishments for a positive test were finally instated.  However, there were again rumors and speculations that Major League Baseball simply looked the other way during the "Steroid Era" and allowed players to take steroids in hopes to bring fans back to the game following the strike in 1994.

How Do They Improve Performance?
The theory that steroids can turn you into an MVP caliber player has several holes in it.  First of all, steroids can't turn a minor leaguer into a triple crown-caliber player such as Miguel Cabrera. They can't teach you how to pick up the spin on a curveball or get a little more break on your slider. But what they can help you with is promoting growth and improving recovery, thus allowing an individual to train at a higher level with the hopes of taking the body to its maximum capacity.  I am currently reading the book "Bases Loaded" which tells the inside story of the Mitchell Report and the scandal of the Steroid Era. The narrator made a great point of how steroids won't necessarily make you a great player.  He said to look at The Giambi brothers; both of them were on steroids (allegedly) but only one of them found success at the Major League level.  The same could be said for the Canseco brothers; one of them was a reputable slugger in baseball and the other was a reputable slugger in bar fights and played against the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.

Why The Sudden Change?

This is a question I found myself struggling with following the argument.  A reoccurring comment was: "They had to be on steroids during the 90's! Just look at the physical transitions of some of those guys!"  The picture below of Barry Bonds is a great example of how the bodies of some of the "sluggers of the 90's" changed during this time period.  I have to admit, I jumped on the bandwagon theory of "They had to have been on steroids! They were so big and got that way so fast!"  However, the more I looked into it the more I found myself doubting this theory.

 

One of the reasons I believe players got so big during the 90's was the development and advancement of training practices in Major League Baseball.  A lot of the reports and articles I read stated that before the 90's players didn't really train or lift weights at all.  They were followers of the old school train of thought that if you got too big and bulky you would lose flexibility and wouldn't be able to perform as well.  Players didn't lift weights, they didn't train in the off-season, there were no strength coaches or trainers.  However, following the fitness boom of the 80's, Major Leaguers seemed to jump on the bandwagon as well and training facilities starting popping up in stadiums and clubhouses.  Players began to train regularly and thus the shapes and figures of players changed as well. Players started to become bigger, stronger and faster as a result of a structured training program.  In today's world, every team has a training facility with multiple strength coaches and trainers.  Players often times have their own trainers and/or nutritionists that work with them individually throughout the year.  So, one could argue that the larger players seen during the 90's could just be a result of the natural evolution of athletes as they realized the importance of proper strength training & conditioning. That or they were just hitting the juice hard....or both! 

 

 If I had to take a guess (and this is purely speculation with no hard evidence), I would say that the physical transformations seen by some of the players during the 80's and 90's were likely a result of both structured training programs AND some steroid use.  This of course doesn't include every player.  I fully accept the idea that not all players were taking steroids just as not all players participated in structured training programs. Just look at David Wells (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-02-13/2002-02-13-cover.htm), clearly he was still able to find success without doing any exercise outside of his walk to the pitchers mound and back.  Not only is it difficult to speculate how many players were actually taking steroids but of the ones that were, how do we know how much or what kind they were taking? There are hundreds of different formulations of anabolic steroids available and each one of them can have a different effect on the body.  My guess is the guys that suddenly put on 80 lbs of muscle in a year or two and looked more like a professional wrestler than baseball player were probably using higher dosages than other players.  Regardless, the truth is we will never know exactly who was taking what and for how long but what we can determine is how the game changed during this time period......

*The next post will focus on how the Steroid Era changed the game of baseball.

If you are interested in the Mitchell Report here is a link for the full report. It's a very interesting read but a very long one at that.

http://files.mlb.com/mitchrpt.pdf