Elite Physique

Strength training, strength training, strength training…

You hear about it all the time these days.

You hear how it’s great for your Metabolism.

You hear it’s imperative for that beach body you’re looking for this summer.

Well, what’s the real science behind it?

Does it really help?

The easy answer is right here from my partners at Prograde:

Strength Training

By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS

Q) I’ve heard that strength training increases my metabolism. How does it do that and will that help me lose weight?

A) Strength training, which involves using weights, bands, kettlebells or other forms of resistance that challenge your body to work harder than it does in everyday life, definitely does increase your metabolic rate. However, so does endurance exercise (such as running). The difference is how long and how much these activities boost your metabolism that really has an impact on your overall ability to lose body fat and/or decrease your weight.

Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s talk about the components of our metabolism:

First we have our resting metabolic rate, or RMR. This is the energy needed (quantified in calories) to keep our bodies alive – our heart beating, our lungs breathing, etc. Your RMR makes up about 60 to 80 percent of our total metabolic rate. The variation in RMR is due to individual differences among people, the foods we consume, and the activity we engage in which can directly change RMR.

Second we have the Thermic Effect of Activity, or TEA. The more active you are, the more your total metabolic rate will be increased. TEA includes all activity from mowing your lawn (with a push mower, that is), to playing basketball, to walking across the room. It’s not just structured activity, but also the activities that we engage in every day to live our lives.

To see the rest of this great article please click here: Prograde

Keep the great emails coming!

Yours in health,

Colleen and John Riddle

www.ElitePhysiquePT.com

john@elitephysiquept.com

colleen@elitephysiquept.com

Have you ever attended a party or gathering where someone has made you feel guilty for making healthy choices?  We’ve had a few clients bring this to our attention recently, so we wanted to address this issue. We have also had this happen to us.  Usually it goes something like this,”The Riddles are here so we can’t eat the___________(insert unhealthy food).” The funny thing is we are busy looking for healthy choices, enjoying everyone’s company, and not paying attention to what others are choosing.  We would dare say our clients are probably doing the same. These comments usually come from the guilt people feel for the choices they are making and have nothing to do with you.  The simple explanation could be,  “misery loves company.”  These people are not happy with themselves, so they project their guilt to make you feel bad for trying to better yourself.  It may even go a little deeper…maybe they won’t or can’t make the commitment to themselves, and your success makes them face this fact.  Now we don’t think these people do this to hurt you intentionally, but it can still make you feel uncomfortable.  Do not let these situations get you off track.  You have decided to give yourself the best gift of all, the gift of health, and you should never feel guilty for that.  We just want you to know that you are not alone on your journey to a healthier you and we are here to help however we can.

Yours in health,

John and Colleen.

P.S.

One way to stay on track is our Coaching Program.  Here is what one client had to say about her experience.

“Whether you want to get your fitness program started, back on track, or kicked up a notch, Elite Physique’s coaching program is for you.  I not only lost weight and inches, I also gained a renewed appreciation for what good nutrition and exercise can do for your both personally and professionally.  Partner with Elite Physique  to discover your best self.”

Leigh G.

Alcohol and Your Diet

We have received some questions from our readers about alcohol and how it affects our diet.  Since we have been talking about nutrition we thought this might be a good time to discuss how alcohol adversely affects our diet plans.  Now, some alcohol in moderation can be good for us (lower blood pressure).  If, however, you are exceeding one drink daily, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans. Below is an adapted article from spark.com by Liz Noelcke.

1) Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins that need to be slowly digested in the stomach. When alcohol is consumed, it gets special privileges and needs no digestion. The alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall as soon as they arrive and can reach the brain and liver in minutes. This reaction is slightly slowed when there is also food in your system, but as soon as the mixed contents enter the small intestine, the alcohol grabs first place and is absorbed quickly. The alcohol then arrives at the liver for processing. The liver places all of its attention on the alcohol. Therefore, the carbohydrates (glucose) and dietary fats are just changed into body fat, waiting to be carried away for permanent fat storage in the body.

2) Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite. While you might be full from a comparable amount of calories from food, several drinks might not fill you up. On top of that, research shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower are reduced. In this state, you are more likely to overeat—especially greasy or fried foods—which can add to your waistline.

3) What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine. Plus, it is often mixed with other drinks, adding even more empty calories. Hard liquor contains around 100 calories per shot, so adding a mixer increases calories even more. If you are going to mix liquor with anything, opt for a club soda, instead of fruit juice or regular soda.

The list below breaks down the number of calories in typical alcoholic drinks. Compare some of your favorites to make a good choice next time you decide to indulge in a serving of alcohol.

Yours in health,

John and Colleen.

P.S.

Our partners over at Prograde have done it again. Check out their metabolism booster special and save 13%!  Prograde

Colleen@ElitePhysiquePT.com

Sweetened to Death

Saw this great article/video on “Good Moring America” and thought it was relative to what we have been talking about, so we wanted to share it with you.

The average American consumes about 156 pounds (this is not a typo) of added sugar each year per capita, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

New study shows consuming processed foods with added sugar increases heart risk.

That’s troubling, especially when those statistics are coupled with the results of a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association which says there’s a significant correlation between dietary added sugars and an increased risk for diabetes, heart attack and stroke, “Good Morning America’s” medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard said this morning on the show.

Published this week, this is the first major study to look at sugar and blood fats. It found that added sugar has adverse effects on the level of blood fats and therefore, on the heart.   To see the full article and video follow this link: Good Morning America

Here is another great video from ABC News that shows the effect of sugar on your body: How sugar effects your body

Yours in health,

Colleen and John.

P.S.

Those that live in the Destin area look for Colleen  hosting a local health and fitness show on Cox local channel 2: Mon, Wed, Fri at 4:30 and 7:30pm, Tues 9:00am, Sat 9:30am, and Sun 5:00pm

Cox Channel 6: Tues 9:00am , Sat 4:30pm, and Sun 9:30am

It seems most of the emails we are receiving deal with confusion about nutrition.  With this in mind we wanted to attack some of these myths or wive’s tales if you will. Here are 3 common myths that we see all the time. These were taken from Spark People.com and if you would like to see more click on http://www.sparkpeople.com

Certain foods, like celery, have ‘negative’ calories:

Truth: The idea that there are negative calorie foods–foods that are so low in calories that simply digesting them burns more calories than they contain–is nothing more than wishful thinking. Certain low-calorie, water-rich foods like celery or cucumbers are often touted as negative-calorie foods. However, digesting and absorbing everything you eat each day uses just 10% of your total calorie intake each day (about 180 calories for someone who eats 1,800 calories per day). It is great to include low-calorie, high-fiber, and water-rich foods in your daily diet; these foods add nutrients, bulk, and volume to your diet, but they still contain calories and should always be included in your calorie count. No food is a “free” food. Eating too much of any food can cause weight gain or inhibit weight loss.

When going to a restaurant, the best choice for weight loss is usually a salad.

Truth: Salads can run the gamut of healthiness, depending on what is in them. Although that big bowl of greens may be packed full of antioxidants and fiber, it can also be laden with fat, cholesterol, and sodium–not to mention an overabundance of calories. Some restaurant salads can even contain more calories than a cheeseburger! That means ordering salad is no guarantee that you’re eating a healthy meal.

Bananas are so high in sugar that they cause weight gain.

Truth: One medium banana (approximately 7 inches long) provides 0 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 105 calories, and 27 grams of carbs—and it’s cheap. Those specs mean that bananas make great snacks, even for people with diabetes who need to follow special diets.   Why bananas are being called “fattening” or high in sugar compared with other fruits is a mystery. They do have a few more grams of carbohydrate than apples and oranges, but that does not mean they should be off-limits!

Thank you for being our loyal readers and we hope this helps.  Keep the great emails coming!

Yours in health,

John and Colleen.

P.S. Look for Colleen on the Ann Varnum Show on WTVY this Sunday, 4/18/10 at 9:30-10:30 central time.

In keeping with the grocery store theme of last week, we wanted to share this special report our partners over at Prograde just released.  I’ll bet you didn’t realize walking through your grocery store that these 4 items could send your metabolism soaring!  Let’s face it, we all need to take advantage of every option we can to keep our waist line under control, so if there are some foods that help, don’t you want to know about it?  Here is the introduction to the article, but to find out what these fat burning foods are you’ll have to click on the link below.  Enjoy!

REAL Slimming Secrets from the Supermarket:
“The Top 4”

Most of us don’t just want to lose “weight”. We want to lose body fat. This is what really concerns us, cosmetically speaking, at least.

Body fat, referred to by scientists as adipose tissue, is the stuff that can hide shapely, defined muscles from view, make your bikini fit awkwardly (or not at all), put rolls on your belly, and so on. To lose body fat and prevent it from finding you again, you must burn more of it than you store. When you achieve this scientists say you are in negative fat balance, and it can be a very positive thing. Indeed, if you stay in negative fat balance long enough, then you will unquestionably lose body fat.

The supermarket is a great place to go for things that can increase body fat. But it’s also home to some of nature’s most powerful tools for helping you lose it. In this exclusive report we reveal 4 natural “slimming secrets” that can immediately increase your calorie-burning rate, the first and most critical step toward achieving a negative fat balance and fitting into your swimsuit properly again.

4 Fat Burning Foods

Yours in Health,

Colleen & John Riddle

Time.  There never seems to be enough of it.  We get up, have a morning routine and we’re off to work.  We come home 9-10 hours later, and the after work routine begins.   Finally, exhausted, we climb into bed for, hopefully, a good night’s sleep.  The alarm wakes us in the morning, and we do it all over again!  Then, for a brief moment we get our heads above water, and WOW, it’s already March.

Where did the time go?  One of the unfortunate things about time is that it keeps on ticking whether you notice it or not. This brings us to this week’s email; finding that little time for yourself.  So take a deep breath and let’s focus on you for just a moment.  We always seem to fall to the bottom of our to-do list.  We maintain our homes because it’s an investment (well it use to be).  Same thing with your car; you change the oil, tires and then have it tuned up.  When does your body get a tune up? We say the time is NOW!

If you are going to achieve this it’s going to take a little planning on your part, but the “you” time will be more than worth it.  Here is a link to some tips on helping you plan your day: Managing Your Time.  Now, of course we would like you to take this new found time and exercise; your body will be very thankful.  With just 30 minutes a day you can spike your metabolism and burn calories.  Do this properly and you can burn calories all day.  Check out this link: Interval Training Well, we’ve helped you find some time and how to use it wisely.  There is only one thing left to do and that’s DO IT this part is up to you (just remember we are here to help you!)

Yours in health,

Colleen and John Riddle

P.S.

We also offer over the phone/online coaching to help keep you accountable and guide you to success!  Call or email for details.

1. Popcorn. It’s not just for the movie theater anymore. In fact, you’re better off skipping it at the movie theater. A bucket of oil-popped movie theater popcorn can contain as much fat as three to five double cheeseburgers. But air-popped popcorn is a pretty benign treat. Three cups of popcorn have just 93 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Air-popped popcorn doesn’t have much nutritive value outside of the energy you may get from the calories and some dietary fiber, but it can satisfy your munchies without getting you too far off the diet path. The best popcorn comes from your own hot-air popper—and with no additional fat or salt, unless you add it later. If you’re going for microwave convenience, make sure you read the label carefully. Even some of the “healthy” brands contain a fair amount of fat and salt. And many microwave brands contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer. You might be better off making your own microwave popcorn. Just put 1/4 cup of popcorn into a brown lunch bag, fold the top over tightly, and microwave at your usual popcorn setting. Try to avoid salt and butter. Instead, enjoy your favorite herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice with some garlic powder or cayenne pepper.
2. Bean dip. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they don’t have tons of calories. One cup of canned pintos only has 206 calories; it also has 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber—almost half of your recommended daily allowance. And beans are incredibly filling. Even prepackaged bean dips are pretty decent (of course, always check the label for the fat and sodium contents). You can make your own dips, hot or cold, by food-processing canned black or pinto beans (my favorites are the ones canned with jalapeños) and adding water to create your desired consistency. You can also use fat-free refried beans. You could add some chopped bell or jalapeño peppers, green onions, or canned corn to add a crunchy texture or some chopped tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamins. Instead of fatty tortilla chips, use baked chips or, better yet, some raw, crunchy veggies like carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.
3. Salsa. This is the perfect mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers—all members of the top tier of Michi’s Ladder. And the great thing is that salsa is so low in calories and so high in fiber, you can basically eat it by the cupful and not gain weight. If you buy it at the store though, watch out for the salt content—that’s the secret ingredient in most canned and jarred salsas. You’re much better off making your own pico de gallo. Just dice tomatoes and onions and mix with as much minced jalapeño and/or garlic as you can stand. Add fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste and toss the veggies in the juice of two limes. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can eat it with baked chips or the crunchy veggies that also go great with the bean dip. The salsa and the bean dip also complement each other well, for the double dippers among us.
4. Crispbread crackers. These crunchy treats (including Wasa® and Rykrisp® brands) have around 30 calories a cracker (depending on the brand, flavor, and style) and a couple of grams of fiber in each one. For the Top Chef in you, they make great bases for some healthy ingredients from your refrigerator. Try a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese with a dash of hot sauce; a slice of turkey breast and roasted red pepper; a “schmear” of hummus and a couple of pitted olives; or a slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Even the pico de gallo recipe above with some shredded nonfat cheddar will make a tasty treat. By being creative with some wholesome ingredients, you’ll forget all about the halcyon days of eating Ritz crackers washed down with aerosol cheese right from the can (sigh).
5. Pistachios. Pistachios are a great heart-healthy snack full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats (the good kind). A 1/2-cup serving (with the shells, assuming you don’t eat them) only has 170 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber; however, that serving also has 14 grams of fat, so don’t go nuts chowing down on a whole bag. Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and other nuts all have their nutritional upsides, too, but the reason I think pistachios make great snacks are the shells. The shells are difficult to open, so rather than shoveling handfuls of pre-shelled nuts down your throat, eat shelled pistachios so that you’re forced to slow down. Keep an eye on the sodium content when you buy the nuts. Either buy unsalted or low-salt versions. And forget those disgusting pink ones that taste like lipstick. Who needs to leave hot-pink fingerprints all over the couch? A lot of stores also sell flavored versions that aren’t too salty. Chili-lime is one of my favorite flavors.
6. Edamame. The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and soybeans are a great staple of that diet. Edamame, the steamed or boiled soybean pods, contain all the essential amino acids, many essential fatty acids, and soy isoflavones. And 1/2 cup of beans only contains 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Truly one of nature’s perfect foods. And like pistachios, you can serve them in their shells, which slows down your face stuffing, giving you time to feel full before you’ve overeaten.
7. Mini-pizzas. Forget the frozen food section. Anyone with a toaster oven or a broiler pan can be his or her own Mama Celeste or Chef Boy-ar-dee®. Just take half of a whole wheat English muffin (67 calories; 2 grams of fiber), add a little tomato sauce or low-sodium pizza or spaghetti sauce and a sprinkle of low-fat or nonfat mozzarella cheese, and voilà—tasty and healthy pizza! As with the crispbread crackers, your imagination’s the only limit for toppings. Fresh herbs like basil and oregano are delicious. Peppers, mushrooms, and anchovies are popular and fairly healthy. Just stay away from processed meats like pepperoni, which are often loaded with saturated fat, carcinogenic nitrates, and sodium.
8. Pita chips and hummus. Now you can open a Greek taverna in your living room. While some stores sell pita chips now, you can easily make your own with very little fuss and muss (and usually with much less fat and salt). A large whole wheat pita has 170 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 2 grams of fat. To make chips, cut around the edge of the pita with a small paring knife, so you have two discs. Then with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the discs into eighths or smaller chip-size pieces. Arrange the pieces on an aluminum-foil-covered cookie sheet, lightly spray with some olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little salt or low-fat Parmesan cheese or your favorite dried herbs. Cook in the oven or toaster oven until lightly browned and crispy, and serve with your favorite hummus or dip recipe.
9. Relish tray. Some of my favorite snacks are pickled or brined anything—cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, okra, baby corn, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi . . . even herring and hard-boiled eggs! Extremely low in calories, a plate full of pickled veggies on the coffee table is great for snacking. But watch out for the sodium! Certain store brands have more than others. The more ambitious might try marinating their fresh veggies in vinegar and a little heart-healthy olive oil, to control the amount of salt involved. If you use salty brands, you might consider rinsing them to get rid of some of the salt or mixing them on a plate with some fresh, unpickled vegetables to mitigate the salt intake.
10. Deviled eggs. Eggs, having once been considered a scourge of the heart-healthy diet, are now getting a better rap. What’s indisputable is the health value of the whites. If you take the yolks out of the equation, the egg whites can prove to be small, healthy, high-protein delivery systems suitable for all kinds of nutritious creamy fillings. Cut a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the yolks. Try mixing some nonfat cottage cheese with your favorite mix of mustard, curry powder, garlic, paprika, pepper, salt, or other spices, and blending or food-processing it until it’s creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg whites where the yolks used to be, and you’ll have a high-protein snack without the fat and cholesterol. You can also use the empty egg whites as scoops for your favorite healthy dip or salsa.

These recipes were taken from an article written by Joe Wilkes (beachbody.com)

I hope you all enjoyed last week’s blog on preventing the flu with a healthy lifestyle.  This week, with the hint of Fall in the air, we are going to talk about spending some good, quality family-time outside.  It’s time to turn off the TVs, PlayStations, and other distractions, get out and enjoy the crisp air. It’s important to lead by example for your family.  If you make exercise a focal point, you are setting your children up for a successful healthy lifestyle in the future.

For us, this is one of the best times of the year for outdoor activities. We live in a wonderful place and there is plenty to do; most are even free.  The obvious ones are walking, biking, and hiking, but there is so much more.  Go to a park and throw a Frisbee. This is a great way to get the family moving while having fun (this is the key).  People tend to exercise more when they don’t know they are doing it.  Grayton Beach State Park is a great place to be outside. We rented a canoe there and had a blast and got a great upper body workout. YOLO boarding is another great workout while playing on the water. Here is there link http://www.yoloboard.com (let them know we sent you).  And if you don’t live by the beach, one of the best things about exercise is you can always find a place to do it if look hard enough. So as you can see what you do is irrelevant; it’s who you do it with. With a little planning, water, and snacks you can almost guarantee yourself a good time. So get your family out there and start moving and feel young again!  Exercise is contagious once your family gets a taste they’ll want more.  Let us know what some of your favorite outdoor activities include!
We look forward to seeing you out there!

In response to last week’s newsletter, one of our readers asked, “How can we prepare our bodies for the upcoming flu season?”

We’ll as you guessed it does start with what we eat. Up to 70% of our immune function is located in our digestive track.  Two flu-fighting compounds are Probiotics (the good bacteria), found in low fat Greek yogurt and Quercetin (antioxidant) found in red onions, broccoli, berries, and apples.  These seem to have the biggest positive effects.

Another way to combat the flu is….drum roll please….Exercise! Exercising on a regular basis reduces the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol weakens your immune system, not to mention causes fat to be stored around the belly area.  Stress and lack of sleep are large contributors to the amount of cortisol released into the body.  This is a sure fire way to knock down your immune system.  Exercise helps you sleep and relieve stress!

Now there is a fine line with your exercise, you want to stay around 70-85% of your maximum heart rate.  When you exercise above those numbers for a long period of time, like training for a long distance event,  can lower your immunity for up to two days. If you find your self training for a strenuous physical event make sure you are giving yourself plenty of time to recover.

If you already have the flu make sure you listen to your body.  Rest, drink plenty of fluids, and stay home from work (your fellow co-workers will appreciate it).  As you recover, start out with low intensity exercise.  Exercising too strenuously too soon can cause a relapse.  Take it slow, don’t worry, those intervals you want to tackle will be there for you the next week.

This was a great, timely question please keep them coming!