Protein HELPS WEIGHT LOSS

Protein Controls Hunger...

Protein satisfies you like no other nutrient. Protein-rich foods when eaten send signals to the brain that stop you from feeling hungry for hours. More so than either carbohydrate or fat.As your body digests protein it's broken down into amino acids. Some of these enter the brain and affect the signals controlling how hungry or full you feel.
Essentially, the balance of amino acids tells the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls your apetite that you are full and to stop eating.
Furthermore, your body can digest and store very little protein.
Your body can store virtually unlimited amounts of fat and you can eat a lot of calories before you feel full. Think chocolate! Fat is the least satisfying nutrient...in terms of your hunger that is!
Your body can store around 500-600 calories of carbohydrate in the muscles, liver and blood, so you can eat quite a few calories of carbohydrate-rich foods before you feel full. A whole bowl of pasta for instance. Carbs are more satisfying than fat.
However, your body can store very little protein and can deal with around 25-50 grams in one go - a chicken breast or two. The result is you get full fast when eating protein-rich foods.
Think you could eat a 24 oz steak, a whole chicken, a couple of tins of tuna in one sitting!
Now we're not talking the Atkins Diet here, although he was right about the effects of protein on weight loss. Protein is one of the best foods that promote weight loss because, simply put, if you eat a diet rich in protein you will automatically eat less.
A 300-500 calorie meal with lots of protein will fill you up far more and for longer than a plate of carbs with the equivalent calorie content.

Protein Boosts Your Metabolism...

Eating protein stimulates your pancreas to produce a hormone called glucagon. Now, glucagon appears to have an important role in stimulating your fat burning metabolism.Your metabolic rate is basically the amount of energy your body burns each day. A high metabolism means you're burning lots of calories and are more likely to use the food you eat for energy rather than store it as fat.
A slow metabolism, due to a sedentary lifestyle, irregular eating habits or constant dieting means that you're more likely to store fat and gain weight.
So, eating a diet rich in protein will help to keep your body in fat burning mode rather than fat storing mode for longer.
The result, you're more likely to burn fat and lose weight when you eat some protein foods that promote weight loss with each meal.

Protein Counters the Effects of Insulin...

When you eat sugary or starchy carbs they are quickly broken down into sugar and enter your bloodstream. Your body produces the hormone insulin to regulate your blood sugar level.You either burn the sugar to supply energy for exercise or every day activities, or it's sent off to be stored as fat. Insulin is your fat storing hormone.

When you eat protein, glugagon is produced and this helps to counteract the effects of insulin.
Eating protein foods that promote weight loss and fewer carbs helps to control blood sugar levels, increase glucagon production and reduce the need for insulin production. Result? You're less likely to store fat and more likely to lose weight!

Dietary Protein Spares Muscle Tissue...

Muscle is responsible for most of the calories your body burns each day. Muscle tissue is composed of protein. Generally, the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn each day.When dieting, or starving, your body breaks down and burns muscle tissue for energy. Eating sufficient protein foods that promote weight loss helps to spare muscle tissue, which is a good thing as you'll burn more calories and lose more weight.

Protein Helps You Feel Good...

Protein foods contain large quanties of the amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan, which increase the production in your brain of the feel good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.Dopamine helps to increase your concentration, mental energy and alertness.
As a result, a protein-rich diet full of the foods that promote weight loss will help you to feel focussed, positive and on track. A positive mind set and mental attitude will greatly enhance your chances of successfully losing weight and keeping it off!

Protein May Help You Look Younger...

Not strictly a weight loss tip, more a bonus really! There is some good evidence that a diet rich in protein foods can protect and repair your skin.Over 80% of the damage our skin suffers on a day to day basis is caused by exposure to the sun. Covering up and wearing a high skin protection factor sunscreen helps, but you'll still experience some damage and premature ageing, visible as lines and wrinkles.
Your skin's tone and elasticity is due to collagen fibres, which are largely composed of protein. Protein in the diet can help replenish the skin's collagen and keep it looking more youthful.
After all, dietary protein is used to repair our bodies and without an adequate protein intake, the constant repair that our bodies require is compromised, resulting in premature ageing. As your body can store little protein, a regular intake is essential.
Some studies have shown that oily fish are particularly valuable in this respect as they contain chemicals that cause contraction in the muscles under the skin, again improving skin tone.

So...

See why we think protein is one of the foods that promote weight loss?An adequate daily protein intake means you'll feel less hungry, have more energy, burn more fat, feel good, feel alert, feel positive, have fewer sugar spikes and cravings - and you may even end up looking younger as well!


super foods:#1. Beans
They're a low fat, relatively low calorie source of protein and are packed full of fiber.
#2. Blueberries
Packed full of a range of nutrients, including vitamin C, folic acid and carotenoids. They also contain anthocyanins, which are the main phytonutrients found in purple fruits.
These are powerful antioxidants that strengthen skin, muscle and connective tissues. They may also prevent age-related decline in brain function. Try a handful in a smoothie or with a bowl of meusli.
#3. Broccoli
Every child's favourite - not! Kale, Bok Choy and Brussels Sprouts are good alternatives.
Broccoli contains the phytonutrients sulforaphane and isothyiocyanate, which can eliminate carcinogens from the body and help prevent cancer.
#4. Oats
A good source of fibre, particularly soluble fibre, which will fill you up, keeps you feeling fuller for longer and can help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Oats also release their carbs slowly, which helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.
#5. Oranges
Rich in vitamin C and flavanoids, antioxidants that help to prevent heart disease and various cancers. The peel contains limonene, which may also have anti-cancer benefits.
#6. Pumpkin
Also rich in vitamin C as well as alpha and beta carotene. These are carotenoids that are effective antioxidants and help prevent cancer and protect your vision.
Perhaps the least widely available of the 14 superfoods, so carrots, squash or sweet potatoes are good alternatives.
#7. Wild salmon
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and may also have some weight loss benefits. Salmon is also an excellent source of protein. 3-4 servings a week is recommended.
#8. Soy
The only complete vegetable protein. There's good evidence that 25g of soy protein a day can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
Try incorporating soy milk, tofu and soy nuts into your daily diet.
#9. Spinach
A good source of iron and calcium, spinach is also rich in the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. These become concentrated in the retina of the eye and help to prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness.
#10. Tea
Both green and black tea contain powerful antioxidants that may prevent heart disease and some cancers. Green tea may also confer some weight loss benefits.
4-6 cups of green tea a day is the amount recommended to confer the health benefits. Tea is high in caffeine, so you may want to try decaffinated tea.
#11. Tomatoes
Contains the phytonutrient lycopene, a potent antioxidant and one of the most powerful of all free radical scavengers. It may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and various cancers such as prostate and lung cancer.
#12. Turkey breast
Skinless, this is the leanest animal protein source. A 3.5oz/100g serving contains 150 calories, 28g of protein and around 1g of fat
Skinless chicken breast is a little higher in fat but a good alternative.
#13. Walnuts
All nuts contain good fats that can help to reduce your blood cholesterol levels. Walnuts are probably the best source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Studies show that a handful of 14 walnut halves, which is around 150 calories, eaten five times a week can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15-50%.
#14. Yoghurt
Dairy products are a great source of protein and calcium, essential for healthy bones and teeth. Research has also shown a link between consuming 1,000mg a day of calcium and weight loss.
Live yoghurt has the added benefit of healthy bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilis, which are important for your digestive health and may help to prevent certain cancers like colon cancer.

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Healthy Swaps

Trying to eat more healthily can seem hard. In fact, by changing just a few eating habits you can make a big difference to your diet.

Making those changes can help you to shed excess pounds and achieve a healthy weight.

It will help you to achieve your 5 A DAY portions of fruit and vegetables: learn more in Why 5 A DAY?

It's all about avoiding high-calorie, low-nutrient, unhealthy foods and swapping them for something healthier. You could try:

• swapping your fatty, sugary snacks for fruit and vegetables
• reducing portion sizes
• eating a healthy breakfast

Remember, small changes add up.

A stop and swap day

This is the "stop and swap" method for reducing your daily calorie intake and eating more healthily.

It means stopping your usual snack or meal and replacing it with something just as tasty, but healthier and lower in calories.

Below, we run through a typical stop and swap day.

Note: all calorie values given are approximate, and taken from the website of a leading supermarket.

8am: breakfast
It’s the start of the day, and you need something to fill you with energy.
STOP: croissant with jam and butter, orange juice and a cup of tea with milk and two sugars (416 calories).
SWAP: begin the day with a slice of lemon in hot water and enjoy some homemade porridge with semi-skimmed milk and a little honey. The porridge will provide a much slower release of energy that will keep you going until lunch (378 calories).

9am: pre-work kickstart
You’re heading to the office when you decide to stop off for a quick coffee.
STOP: a whole milk latte (200 calories).
SWAP: swap this for a skimmed milk latte and you’ll still get your caffeine boost, but with nearly half the calories (122 calories).

11am: morning snackYou’re feeling peckish and want something to snack on.
STOP: a bag of crisps (289 calories).
SWAP: a handful of fruit or nuts, or plain popcorn instead (188 calories).

1pm: lunch
You’re heading out for lunch and you’re after something filling.
STOP: a mozzarella, tomato and pesto panini (487 calories).
SWAP: a jacket potato with cottage cheese and a salad. This will fill you up without giving you that mid-afternoon energy slump (403 calories).

3pm: mid-afternoon snack
A mid-afternoon tea break, and it’s time for something sweet.
STOP: a chocolate-chip cookie (168 calories).
SWAP: a piece of fruit. Bananas are good if you’re craving something sweet (116 calories).

6.30pm: a drink after workIt’s the end of the day and your workmates are all off to the pub.
STOP: a bottle of beer (160 calories).
SWAP: a glass of white wine has far fewer calories (97 calories), or stick to water for zero calories and a much healthier night out.

8pm: dinnerTonight you planned to make something special.
STOP: roast beef, roast potatoes and yorkshire pudding (558 calories).
SWAP: try a warming beef casserole with mash and vegetables. You’ll save calories and it’ll be just as satisfying (475 calories).

10pm: close to bedtime
It’s nearly bedtime and you fancy a late-night nibble.
STOP: chocolate digestive (83 calories).
SWAP: have two dried figs. They’re sweet enough to satisfy your sugar craving without the high saturated fat content (57 calories).

Total STOP calories: 2,361
Total SWAP calories: 1,836

TOTAL CALORIE SAVING PER DAY: 525

energy food : for exerciser's

Energy, Food and Exercise

The food an athlete eats before, during and after a workout is important for both comfort and performance during exercise. Energy foods including bars, drinks, gels and other easily digestible carbohydrates can help prevent the distracting symptoms of hunger during exercise and keep you from depleting your energy too quickly.

The major source of fuel for active muscles is carbohydrate which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. It takes time to completely fill glycogen stores, and what you eat after exercise can help or hinder this process. Eating the right foods at the right time after a workout is essential for recovery and being ready for the next workout.

What you eat before exercise often depends upon your unique needs and preferences, but should be designed according to the intensity, length and type of workout you plan to do.

When to Eat Before Exercise

Exercising on a full stomach is not ideal. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you.

If you have an early morning race or workout, it's best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event than a solid meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

What to Eat Before Exercise

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks. 
Also see

• Energy for Exercise: Fat or Carbs?
• What to Eat Before a Running Workout

Sports Nutrition Planning for All-day Events

Planning your nutrition and knowing what and when you will eat and drink is essential if you are competing in an all-day event, such as track meets or other tournaments. Consider the time of your event, the amount of your meal and the energy required. Also, be aware of the amount of fluid you consume. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before and know will sit well with you. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.

Suggested Foods for Exercise

Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and fluid replacement 1 hour before exercise.

1 hour or less before competition 

• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before competition 

• fresh fruits
• bread, bagels, pasta
• yogurt
• water

3 to 4 hours before competition 

• fresh fruit
• bread, bagels
• pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with milk
• yogurt
• toast/bread with a bit of peanut butter, lean meat, or cheese
• water

Glucose (Sugar) and Exercise Performance

If you are an endurance athlete, evidence suggests that eating some sugar (glucose) 35 to 40 minutes before an event may provide energy when your other energy stores have dropped to low levels. However, you should experiment with such strategies before competition because some people do not perform well after a blood glucose spike.

Caffeine and Performance

Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system. It had been thought to boost endurance by stimulating a greater use of fat for energy, and thereby reserving glycogen in the muscles. Research, however, doesn't seem to support that theory. When caffeine improves endurance, it does so by acting as a stimulant.

Caffeine can have serious side effects for some people. Those who are very sensitive to its effects may experience nausea, muscle tremors, and headaches. Too much caffeine is a diuretic, and can result in dehydration, which decreases performance.

Foods to Avoid Before Exercise

Foods with a lot of fat or fiber can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time. They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal.

Keep in mind that everyone is a bit different and what works for you may not work for you teammate or training partner. Factor in individual preferences and favorite foods, and an eating plan is a highly individualize thing.

Exercise Tips

6 Simple Exercise Tips

With each New Year comes the determination to begin exercising. Perhaps even you made a promise to add more exercise into your day. If your efforts at exercising are not going as well as you had planned, take a look at these tips. They might help get you back on track.

Tip 1 – Do Something You Enjoy

Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym peddling away on a stationary bike. It doesn’t mean you have to spend money on exercise gadgets you will likely never use, either. Anything you do to get your body moving is going to be better than doing nothing. Walking is an easy exercise that you can do just about anywhere, in any climate, not to mention that it’s what your body was designed to do. Bike riding, dancing, gardening, weight lifting, swimming, playing a favorite sport, house cleaning and even playing in the yard with your children are just some of the ways you can add exercise into your daily routine.

Tip 2 – Schedule Time for Exercise

As you would a meeting or a doctor appointment, sometimes the only way to make time to exercise is to put it on your daily schedule. We’ve all got busy lives and we’re often so busy taking care of others that we never seem to make time for ourselves. Once exercise becomes part of your daily To-Do list, you’re more likely to do it. Some people have only a certain time during the day available for exercise while others will have to vary the time each day. Some people need a nudge and for them, exercising with a friend is a good solution. Choose whichever way works best for you. Just remember to actually go and do it! If you’re having trouble keeping this commitment, ask yourself this question, “If I had a meeting with the president, would I keep it?” Keeping your own commitments is just as important, if not more important than keeping your commitments to others.

Tip 3 – Remember that Exercise Can Energize

Even though you might feel too tired to exercise, give it a try anyway. You might be surprised to find how energized you feel while you’re at it and afterwards, when you’re finished. Exercise is a great stress-reliever too and if you know anything about stress, you know that it is one of the body’s biggest energy-sappers.

Tip 4 – Don’t be Afraid to Mix it up

Like anything that is done over and over again, exercise can become mundane. When you get bored with exercising, you’re less likely to keep at it. To keep from getting bored with your workout routine, change it. If you’re tired of walking, try cycling. If you’re into weight lifting, try alternating this with cardiovascular exercises throughout the week.

Tip 5 – Always Begin by Warming up

Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, it is very important that you begin each session by warming up your muscles. Stretching helps prevent damage to muscle tissue and it gets your blood flowing. It gets your heart pumping, too. Just five minutes is all it takes to get your exercise session off to a good start.

Tip 6 – Join a Sport

If you really want to stick with something, joining a team is one of the best ways to do it. Get some people together and join a volleyball league. Take up tennis or racquetball. Go bowling or start golfing. All of these are great ways to get out and do something, and since they’re fun, you won’t even know you’re exercising.

Ultimately come and join us at Fitness Club on weds evening, the amazing thing about is it is free : ) for more info: have a look at www.face2facefitness.net 

Importance of drinking water

9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it's not a habit that many people form.

But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every day, and forming the habit isn't hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don't often focus on this habit. We end up drinking coffee, and lots of soda, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don't drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated -- and that isn't good for our health.

I've made drinking water a daily habit, although I will admit that a couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now I don't drink anything but water, except for a cup of coffee in the morning and once in awhile a beer with dinner. I love it.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

1. Weight loss
   Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.
2. Heart healthy
   Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
3. Energy
   Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
4. Headache cure
   Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
5. Healthy skin
   Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.
6. Digestive problems
   Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
7. Cleansing
   Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.
8. Cancer risk
   Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.
9. Better exercise
   Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

How to form the water habitSo you're convinced that water is healthier, but you'd like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

• How much water?
  This is a debatable question. What's clear is that the old recommendation of "eight 8-ounce glasses a day" isn't right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person's body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It's also not good to just drink when you're thirsty -- you're already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.
• Carry a bottle
  A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking.
• Set a reminder
  Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.
• Substitute water
  If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions.
• Filter
  Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.
• Exercise
  Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.
• Track it
  It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

Fitness: Bingo wings and more!

If I exercise my tricep muscles, will I lose my "bingo wings"?

The tricep muscle on the back of the upper arm is an area where many women of a certain age begin to accumulate a little more fat than they feel is acceptable. The misconceptions on how to make them disappear are rife.

Using exercises to target specific muscle groups such as the "nanna wobbles" can help to a degree by firming and toning up the muscles, but sadly it is a myth that exercising a certain area will encourage the fat to melt away. This theory of "spot reduction" has been tested numerous times on tennis players, comparing their racket arm with the other one. Although there was a clear musculature difference between the two, fat levels were identical, proving that exercising a particular muscle does not reduce its fat content unfortunately!

Is BMI a good way of determining whether I'm overweight?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used by many GPs to determine whether a patient is overweight. The trouble with this method, according to many health professionals, is that it is very dated and out of touch with the variety of readily available and modern forms of body-composition tests.

Your BMI is your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in metres) squared. Less than 18.5 is considered underweight; a healthy weight is 19.0 to 24.9; 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight; and over 30 is obese. So, to take me as an example, 85kg is divided by 1.83 x 1.83 metres. This gives a BMI of 25.3. So, according to the BMI, in spite of the fact that I am a personal trainer, exercise four or five days a week and follow a healthy diet, a doctor could interpret this reading as a sign that I'm getting a little porky and should think about shedding a few pounds.

True obesity levels should not be determined by the scales, but by how much excess body fat you carry. As a regular exerciser, I am lucky to have a low level of body fat (less than 12 per cent)) and a fairly bulky musculature, but according to the BMI system I am verging on unhealthy.

Many GPs would argue that it is a quick and easy way to inform some people that they are overweight and need to adjust their lifestyle. But it is far from perfect. Due to the lower muscle mass of women, BMI is slightly more accurate for them than for men but, unless you know that you're excessively overweight, you should take your BMI reading with a pinch of salt and get your body fat measured as well.

Which burns more calories, running a mile or walking a mile?

The answer is more complicated than you might think. Studies carried out by the exercise physiologists Jack Wilmore and David Costill suggest that a 70kg man will burn five calories a minute walking at 3.5mph and 18.2 calories a minute running at 10mph. To save you the maths, per mile that equates to 85 calories expended in a one-mile walk and 109 in a one-mile run. So is the extra effort of running really worth it?

The answer is a resounding "yes". At rest, even though the body is inactive, it still requires energy to sustain basic cellular and physiological functions such as brain activity, heart rate and enzyme reactions. Known as our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the resting human body expends anywhere between 1,200 calories and 2,400 calories a day, depending on sex, age and genetics. However, when daily activity such as a walk or a run is added, our BMR is increased to anywhere between 1,800 and 3,000 calories.

Our BMR is also determined by how active our muscle tissue is. If our muscles are exercised thoroughly, as they are during a run, their need for energy at rest to help replenish expended nutrients is greatly increased. It is believed that, after a hard run, the energy demands of the leg muscles are doubled for up to 48 hours. Although a walk will elevate the resting energy requirements of muscles to a degree, it is incomparable to a run.

Am I too old to go running?

Age does not necessarily have to be a barrier when it comes to running. Look at Leslie Chapman, the oldest man to compete in the 2006 London Marathon, who finished in seven hours, 16 minutes and 39 seconds at the age of 84.

Running may not appeal to all pensioners, but in your later years it can be not only safe but also a highly effective way to keep your heart and bones strong. It also helps to lower cholesterol, maintain strength and combat cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

As we age, our joints can start to cause us problems, but not all people will suffer from degenerating joints. Exercise of any kind, not just running, in your later years has to be enjoyable, practical and above all safe. Irrespective of whether you have been running all your life, or whether you fancy taking it up in your forties, fifties or sixties, provided that your doctor has given you the all clear and you are able to run pain-free, there's no reason why your age should stop you.

Is there a regime that will slim down my hips and thighs?

Any food-supplement company, personal trainer or herbalist who tells you that certain foods and exercises can help to disperse the accumulation of fat on the hips and legs of women is either lying or grossly misinformed. Poor diet and no exercise is the reason why some people accumulate fat. Also, the fluctuating hormones of the female body are responsible for the unwanted dumping of fat at a number of sites on the body. At the centre of this hormonal roller-coaster is oestrogen, which is responsible for a number of feminine characteristics, such as wide hips, breast development and the dreaded depositing of fat, especially on the hips and thighs.

An enzyme called lipoprotein lipase is at the root of this, and the reason so many women fight a losing battle when it comes to fat on the hips and thighs. Made in the fat cells, lipoprotein lipase blocks the ability of the body to transport fat to be used as energy. Therefore, wherever the activity of the lipoprotein lipase is high, you will find an excessive amount of fat. Unfortunately for women, the high activity of lipoprotein lipase and a low degree of lipolysis (fat breakdown) in these areas makes the fat incredibly difficult to shift, and this is one of those facts of life some women have to accept.

For the lucky few who have very little lipoprotein lipase activity in their thighs (especially men), I wouldn't brag about it. Although men may possess very little lipoprotein lipase, they are more prone to the effects of a stress hormone called cortisol, which is responsible for depositing fat on the stomach.

Fitness : Will Those Sit Ups Ever Pay Off!

Can sit-ups help me to get a flat stomach?

This is perhaps the most popular myth I have to deal with. By performing sit-ups or "crunches", you are helping to strengthen and firm up the rectus abdominus muscles, more commonly known as the "six-pack". But crunches will do nothing to reduce the amount of fat you have on your tummy. Abdominal fat is there because of excessive calorie consumption, so the only way to get rid of it is to burn off the calories by following a balanced diet and performing high-intensity exercise such as running, cycling, aerobics and swimming.

However, there is one trick that can help to give the appearance of a flatter stomach. Underneath the rectus abdominus lies a band of muscle called the transversus abdominus. Also referred to as the "corset muscle", the transversus abdominus helps to keep the back strong and compresses the abdomen. Exercising this muscle regularly can help to improve your posture and make the stomach appear flatter.

Suck in your stomach, so that your belly button is drawn towards your spine. While the stomach is sucked in, do not hold your breath, just keep breathing normally. You will know you are doing this properly when you begin to feel a minor burning sensation in the deep stomach. Once you've mastered it (the breathing can take some practice), you can do this exercise anywhere and it will help to flatten your stomach and improve your posture.

I've been running three miles three times a week, so why are my fitness and weight just the same?

In the early stages of a running regime, the improvements are encouraging. New runners who stick to their three miles, three times a week regime see a dramatic improvement in fitness levels and weight loss. Accompanied by a firmer bum and fewer flabby bits, the incentive to carry on is obvious.

But despondency can set in after a few months when the improvements seem to slow down. An exercise regime has to change if you want your fitness levels to keep improving and your wobbly bits to continue to disappear. The body adapts to anything you throw at it, and once it becomes accustomed to a certain intensity and regularity of exercise, improvements tend to plateau. If you want to keep on improving your rate of fitness and fat loss, you have to continue to up the intensity to avoid a plateau, a process referred to as "overload". You can increase the intensity either by running faster, further, up a hill or more often.

Importance Of Carbohydrates

Much of our energy requirement is provided by the breakdown of carbohydrates, found in food such as bread and potatoes into sugars.

The most common sugars obtained from food are glucose, fructose and galactose.

These are first transported to the Liver, where fructose and galactose are converted into glucose.

Cells obtain energy from glucose by breaking it down into a substance called pyruvic acid.

The energy released by this process is temporarily stored as a high energy compound, adensine- tri- phosphate.

Hence the importance of eating a healthy balanced diet.

exercise during winter

what are you all planning for the winter, to keep your fitness at its peak?

indoors circuits, swimming, aqua aerobics.... tell us about it.

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Problems losing weight?

Having Problems Losing Weight?

Have you tried and tried to lose weight, but never see results? You may not know it, but there are some things you could be doing that are preventing you from achieving your goals.

Here are some examples of possible reasons why you aren’t losing weight:

1) Drinking too Much

Alcohol may not contain fat, but it does have calories, very high calories. Unless you’re running a few miles after your party binge, your body will use the calories from the alcohol and store the ones from healthy meals.

Another aspect of too much drinking, is drinking soda in excess. Soda is loaded with sugar, too much in fact, that it raises your blood sugar level to a scary height.

2) Not Enough Exercise, and Lack of Quality Exercise

In order to keep a trim figure, exercise is essential. Lack of exercise slows your metabolism, or essentially, your ability to burn calories. You should strive to be active all throughout the day, and get in solid exercise about 30 minutes at least 5 times a week.

Also, it is important to diversify your workout regimen. Doing the same routine everyday gets boring, and tends to train your muscles to that routine, and thus, making your workout far less effective.

3) Skipping Meals

Eating less does not necessarily mean you’ll lose weight. The disbelief that lack of food will help you stay thin leads many people to skip out on getting the nutrients they need for survival. By skipping meals, your body gets the signal that there is a period of famine, it’s called starvation mode.

When your body hits starvation mode, you have a lowered metabolic rate, strong hunger pains, and any food you do eat, the fatty substances get stored.

4) Excess Salt and Sugar

Eating processed foods, which contain high levels of both sugar and salt, causes increased blood sugar levels which makes the body have to work to lower them back to normal. Because of this, a lot of the sugar you eat is stored as body fat.

It confuses people that although they may be eating fat free foods, the sugar content builds up and eventually becomes fat.

5) Lack of Water

For the average person, it is important to consume at least 6 8 ounce glasses of water daily. If you don’t intake enough fluid, your body loses its ability to hydrate, and you become thirsty all the time. Water also boosts energy so your workouts are more effective, and losing weight is easier.