Happy Memorial Day! We spend this national holiday honoring those who have come and gone, and we do it by taking the day off work, eating City Market potato salad, and drinking way too many beers. Makes perfect sense to me.
As I was completing my 6 mile jog through the city park this morning, I marveled at the number of fellow runners (way to be motivated on your day off!) out and about, and I also marveled at the fact that the park was packed at 9 a.m. with groups of people firing up the community grills and cracking open 40 ounce cans of beer. At 9 a.m.
This, my fellow patriots, is truly the American way.
The juxtaposition really struck me: I was running, they were drinking. I was burning calories, they were consuming. But wait! I drink alcohol, so far be it from me to judge or throw stones. The true debate that arose in my head was not "to drink or not to drink", but rather "can you still have a rockin bod while throwin back the booze?". Alcohol consumption really has the potential to derail a diet. After all, that enormous piece of chocolate cake seems like a REALLY good idea after two martinis. Right? And sleeping in the morning after a night of boozing instead of going to the gym seems like an even better idea. You can see where this is going...it's a self-perpetuating cycle of consuming too many empty calories from booze, making poor food choices as a result, and then feeling like crap the next day and not working off the extra calories you just consumed.
So what's a wine-loving, cosmo-appreciating fitness fanatic to do? The answer is simple: count your booze calories, and stop after one drink. How do I know this works? Because I do it on a regular basis. I love wine, and I'm not talking about a school girl crush here. Red wine and I have a long-standing, devoted relationship based on mutual respect and a sharp awareness of each others weaknesses. We co-exist, and each party remains happy in the end.
My best advice for how to enjoy a tasty beverage without paying for it in pounds can be summarized as follows:
1. Avoid fruity, complicated drinks. Anything that has 1 shot of liquor and 5 other mixers is an absolutely no-no. This includes margs.
2. Drink at least 20 ounces of water before your first glass of alcohol. Often times people make the mistake of trying to hydrate with wine. This never works.
3. Eat a handful of nuts or a few slices of avocado before you start drinking. The fats will help stabilize your blood sugar, which usually spikes sharply with alcohol intake.
4. Stop drinking early. Set a cut-off time for yourself and stick to it. If your last glass of beer is at 9 p.m., you're much more likely to actually make that 7 a.m. workout the next morning.
And finally....count your calories!!! Here is a link to a great article called "The Skinny on Alcohol" and it includes a detailed chart of how many calories are in drinks.
http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Diet/Lose-weight/The_Skinny_on_Alcohol.aspx
Cheers!
Allison
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
It's getting hot out there...tips for staying hydrated during outdoor summer activities.
Do you drink enough water? There's a strong likelihood that the answer is no. In fact, chronic dehydration is something I observe in about 70% of my clients. It's easy to see why, since most people who are chronically dehydrated don't even feel thirsty, yet their bodies are literally dying of thirst. Lack of water in the body can cause or exacerbate all kinds of nasty conditions: insomnia, allergies, headaches, lethargy, mood swings, and even the dreaded inability to lose weight. For those of you concerned with athletic performance, dehydration has been shown to drastically decrease both performance during an event, and recovery time afterwards.
So here's the big question: how much water should you be drinking? Most medical books recommend the equivalent of half your body weight in ounces. Example: you weigh 150 lbs, therefore you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. However, this is the recommendation for SEDENTARY people. If you exercise at all, you'll need to replace the additional fluid lost through perspiration. Figuring out how much water to drink during exercise is a bit more complicated...it depends on how hot the air temp is, how humid it is, and most importantly how much you tend to sweat. Some people just aren't heavy sweaters, while others practically spray sweat from their pores simply walking up stairs.
The American College of Sports Medicine has published a very informative position paper on nutrition and hydration needs for athletes. Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&SECTION=Media_Referral_Network&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=8811
And here is the paragraph on fluids:
"Athletes should drink enough fluid to balance their fluid losses. Two hours before
exercise 400 to 600 mL (14 to 22 oz) of fluid should be consumed, and during exercise 150 to 350 mL (6 to 12 oz)of fluid should be consumed every 15 to 20 min depending on tolerance. After exercise the athlete should drink adequate
fluids to replace sweat losses during exercise. The athlete needs to drink at least 450 to 675 mL (16 to 24 oz)of fluid for every pound (0.5 kg) of body weight lost during exercise."
For all of you Boulder/Denver people reading this, keep in mind that higher altitudes also require additional fluids, so add a few more ounces to the recommendations above. Bottom line is this: it's going to be a hot one this summer, and you want to perform your best and feel good during your outdoor activities. Do your body a favor and make sure it's well-hydrated.
Happy drinking!
P.S. My personal recommendation for a great electrolyte replacement drink is "Heed" made by Hammer. Buy it online at www.hammer-nutrition.com
So here's the big question: how much water should you be drinking? Most medical books recommend the equivalent of half your body weight in ounces. Example: you weigh 150 lbs, therefore you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. However, this is the recommendation for SEDENTARY people. If you exercise at all, you'll need to replace the additional fluid lost through perspiration. Figuring out how much water to drink during exercise is a bit more complicated...it depends on how hot the air temp is, how humid it is, and most importantly how much you tend to sweat. Some people just aren't heavy sweaters, while others practically spray sweat from their pores simply walking up stairs.
The American College of Sports Medicine has published a very informative position paper on nutrition and hydration needs for athletes. Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&SECTION=Media_Referral_Network&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=8811
And here is the paragraph on fluids:
"Athletes should drink enough fluid to balance their fluid losses. Two hours before
exercise 400 to 600 mL (14 to 22 oz) of fluid should be consumed, and during exercise 150 to 350 mL (6 to 12 oz)of fluid should be consumed every 15 to 20 min depending on tolerance. After exercise the athlete should drink adequate
fluids to replace sweat losses during exercise. The athlete needs to drink at least 450 to 675 mL (16 to 24 oz)of fluid for every pound (0.5 kg) of body weight lost during exercise."
For all of you Boulder/Denver people reading this, keep in mind that higher altitudes also require additional fluids, so add a few more ounces to the recommendations above. Bottom line is this: it's going to be a hot one this summer, and you want to perform your best and feel good during your outdoor activities. Do your body a favor and make sure it's well-hydrated.
Happy drinking!
P.S. My personal recommendation for a great electrolyte replacement drink is "Heed" made by Hammer. Buy it online at www.hammer-nutrition.com
Monday, May 17, 2010
My super secret absolutely incredible recipe for vegan black bean burgers!
I've shared this recipe with a few clients over the past 2 weeks, and the feedback has been resoundingly positive. My carnivorous husband has requested them on nights his guy friends come to visit- they MUST be good!
Vegan black bean burgers:
1 C black beans (cooked and drained)
1 C garbanzo beans (cooked and drained)
2 C cooked rice
1/4 C applesauce (can sub 2 egg whites if desired)
1 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T dried thyme
1 T fresh parsley
1/4 C grated carrots
salt and pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a blender until it looks like chunky slop. Form into cookie-size patties (I scoop them directly into the pan with a spoon) in a greased skillet and cook for 4-5 min on each side. Add a slice of rice cheese during the final 30 seconds, put it on a toasted bun and you have perfection. I like to add sauteed onions and mushrooms and a dollop of guac.
Makes about 8 burgers. Approx 150 cal per burger.
Enjoy!
Vegan black bean burgers:
1 C black beans (cooked and drained)
1 C garbanzo beans (cooked and drained)
2 C cooked rice
1/4 C applesauce (can sub 2 egg whites if desired)
1 T olive oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T dried thyme
1 T fresh parsley
1/4 C grated carrots
salt and pepper to taste
Mix everything together in a blender until it looks like chunky slop. Form into cookie-size patties (I scoop them directly into the pan with a spoon) in a greased skillet and cook for 4-5 min on each side. Add a slice of rice cheese during the final 30 seconds, put it on a toasted bun and you have perfection. I like to add sauteed onions and mushrooms and a dollop of guac.
Makes about 8 burgers. Approx 150 cal per burger.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
If I workout a lot, I don't have to watch my diet, right?
Boy, I wish I had a dime for every time I heard this question. I'd probably be close to retirement. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a loud and resounding "No".
Diet and nutrition are a critical part of any wellness program, regardless of how much you may be working out. Your diet not only fuels your workouts, but it also repairs your sore muscles and helps you recover quickly so that you can workout again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.....But most importantly, your diet nurishes your body and provides micro and macronutrients that are absolutely vital to health and well-being. Bad fuel=bad performance. You wouldn't put sand in the gas tank of your BMW would you?
Additionally, your diet is a key component to weight loss, even if you're working out at a high intensity level. It's a simple mathematic equation: calories in vs. calories out. Let me give you a common example.
*You are a 40 year old female weighing 150 lbs. Weight loss goal is 10 lbs. Your approximated daily caloric burn without exercise is 1,600 calories. You work out at a high intensity level for 1 hour, burning approximately 600-700 calories. Before your workout, you have a Lunabar for 180 cal. After the workout you down a protein shake at the gym that has protein powder, skim milk, fruit concentrate, and peanut butter. Approximate calories=600. You then continue to eat your normal diet of 1,600 calories a day. That brings your total calorie consumption to 2,380. Total caloric burn = 2,300 (1,600 baseline plus 700 extra burned during exercise). The net result? You just consumed 30 extra calories DESPITE your hard-earned calorie burning workout.
It's easy to see how we can all make honest mistakes with caloric consumption. The hard truth, however, is that calories DO matter. If you consume more than you burn, you won't reach your weight loss goals. End of discussion, no exceptions.
The take home lesson is simply this:
Yes, workout is very important for both your physical and mental health, but your diet is just as important when you're looking at the bigger picture of fitness.
Diet and nutrition are a critical part of any wellness program, regardless of how much you may be working out. Your diet not only fuels your workouts, but it also repairs your sore muscles and helps you recover quickly so that you can workout again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.....But most importantly, your diet nurishes your body and provides micro and macronutrients that are absolutely vital to health and well-being. Bad fuel=bad performance. You wouldn't put sand in the gas tank of your BMW would you?
Additionally, your diet is a key component to weight loss, even if you're working out at a high intensity level. It's a simple mathematic equation: calories in vs. calories out. Let me give you a common example.
*You are a 40 year old female weighing 150 lbs. Weight loss goal is 10 lbs. Your approximated daily caloric burn without exercise is 1,600 calories. You work out at a high intensity level for 1 hour, burning approximately 600-700 calories. Before your workout, you have a Lunabar for 180 cal. After the workout you down a protein shake at the gym that has protein powder, skim milk, fruit concentrate, and peanut butter. Approximate calories=600. You then continue to eat your normal diet of 1,600 calories a day. That brings your total calorie consumption to 2,380. Total caloric burn = 2,300 (1,600 baseline plus 700 extra burned during exercise). The net result? You just consumed 30 extra calories DESPITE your hard-earned calorie burning workout.
It's easy to see how we can all make honest mistakes with caloric consumption. The hard truth, however, is that calories DO matter. If you consume more than you burn, you won't reach your weight loss goals. End of discussion, no exceptions.
The take home lesson is simply this:
Yes, workout is very important for both your physical and mental health, but your diet is just as important when you're looking at the bigger picture of fitness.
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