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Last year Tracy’s doctor told her that she needed to lose some weight, especially in her midsection (visceral fat).  He said it was an important step towards decreasing her risk of serious health conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, both of which her family had a history.
He had been concerned because she had gained 30 pounds between doctor’s appointments, with most of it in her midsection.  Taking his advice to heart, Tracy started working out at least 30 minutes a day, 5-6 times a week, and changed her diet to a much healthier one. A year later, she was back to a healthy weight and feeling good about her accomplishments. Now she had to maintain her weight loss, but wasn’t sure how much time she needed to dedicate to exercise to prevent the return of the harmful visceral fat.

A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Human Studies may have the answer for Tracy.

Study:
Scientists from the University of Alabama looked at how exercise affects the regain of harmful visceral fat a year after weight loss.  In the study, 45 European-American and 52 African-American women, were randomly placed into 3 different groups: aerobic training, resistance training or no exercise.  All participants were placed on an 800 calorie-a-day diet* and lost an average of 24 pounds.  Researchers then measured total fat, abdominal subcutaneous fat and visceral fat for each participant.  Afterward, participants in the two exercise groups were asked to continue exercising 40 minutes a day, twice a week for a year.  At the end of the study, the researchers found that the individuals that continued to exercise, even though they had regained some weight, had not regained any visceral fat.  The ones who stopped exercising or weren’t put on any exercise program, regained, on average, about 33 percent of the lost visceral fat.

So what does that mean?
That means that even after you achieve your weight loss goal, you can’t stop exercising.  Even a small amount of exercise can be beneficial in preventing the return of visceral fat.  In this study, exercising a minimum of 80 minutes a week, either aerobic or resistance, was all that was needed to prevent regains.  That is important because excess visceral fat increases risk of both heart disease and diabetes.  But if the goal is not just preventing the return of visceral fat, but also maintaining the other weight loss, exercise longer than 80 minutes weekly is probably necessary.

*BeingHealthy.tv recommends against starvation diets and is only reporting on this study for the purpose of detailing the importance of exercising in order to prevent the return of unhealthy visceral fat. Weight loss should be done in a slower, healthier manner than that undertaken in this study.

Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham (2009, October 29) (via ScienceDaily)

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg

Jackie was doing everything in her power to stay on her weight loss plan, but it felt like her family and co-workers were constantly trying to sabotage it.  Her coworkers were constantly tempting her with cookies, cakes and donuts.  And her husband was not making it any easier.  Last week he brought home a carton of cookies ‘n cream ice cream.  He knew that she was trying to eat healthier and he bought her favorite ice cream! What was he trying to do?!

Even though she had been tempted, she had not touched any of these high fat foods since she went on her diet.  That is because she had very little self control when it came to sweets.  She couldn’t eat just one cookie or one scoop of ice cream.  Even a small taste seemed to unleash something inside her that left her wanting more.  And not just that day. The cravings lingered for a few days afterwards.  What was it about high fat foods that make them so irresistible to her?

Study:
A study coming out of UT Southwestern Medical Center may have the answer to that question.  They decided to look at how the brain reacted in relation to the consumption of high fat foods, since they knew that the brain utilizes some of the fats that we eat in its structure.  To find out how the brain reacted to different fats, researchers experimented on animals by exposing them to various types of fat (palmitic acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and oleic acid).  The fat was either injected directly into the brain, infused through the carotid artery or fed to the animals through a stomach tube.

What they found out is that only “palmitic acid” (the saturated fatty acid most commonly found in animals and plants, such as milk, butter, cheese, beef, palm oil and palm kernel oil) had a negative effect on brain chemistry.  Essentially, when this fatty acid entered the brain, it inhibited the effects of leptin and insulin, which are hormones that play an important role in appetite regulation.  These hormones tell you when you are full and thus when to stop eating. In the animals tested, this change in brain activity lasted three days.  This may explain why most people who splurge on fatty foods on Friday night or Saturday are hungrier than normal when they return to work on Monday.

What does this mean?
This means that if you want to lose weight, it is best to avoid or limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat because they may stimulate you to overeat.  These foods have a way of triggering your brain to ignore the signals that you are full.  That doesn’t mean you have to give up fats completely.  What you should do is try substituting products high in unsaturated fats (like olive and canola oil) for one high in saturated fats because the unsaturated fats don’t produce the negative affects on the brain.

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center (via ScienceDaily)

Podcast Name: Being Healthy TV
Podcast URL: http://www.beinghealthy.tv/media/videopodcast/

If you can spread the word about our podcast to others and they would like to nominate us as well, that would be even more appreciated.  Nominations close on October 18th.  Thanks for helping us make our dream a reality.  I greatly appreciate your time and nominations! Let’s get on with today’s show.

Do you have an apple or a pear shaped body?  Is it worse to be an apple or a pear?  Does body shape even matter?  What am I talking about?  Those are all wonderful questions.  Today, I’ll address all of those questions and give you some tips on how you can improve your health in regards to your body shape.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes.

References used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia, wisegeek.com and WebMD.

This is a common question and the answer given has changed with time, making many people unsure which is the healthier choice.  Is it butter or is it margarine?  This episode will help you to decide before you are confronted with that choice again.  Because the last thing you want to do is spend so much time deciding which spread to use that your bread gets cold before you have a chance to eat it.

If you haven’t yet, please subscribe through iTunes.

References used while researching this show are Mayo Clinic, American Heart Association and HealthCastle.com.

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Alan’s annual work physical went pretty well.  He passed all the tests with flying colors, except for his blood cholesterol levels.  His LDL (bad cholesterol) was slightly high and his HDL (good cholesterol) was lower than normal.  Not wanting to go the medication route right away, Alan’s doctor recommended that he improve his diet and incorporate regular exercise to see if that would improve his cholesterol levels.  Since Alan had a gym membership anyway, he decided to put it to use.  It seemed like a much better choice than taking meds for the rest of his life, after all.

How can I improve my cholesterol?
Positive lifestyle changes can play a direct role in reducing cholesterol levels. Often they are enough to avoid the need for cholesterol medications.  So, if your doctor thinks it is possible, here are 9 tips to help you on your way.*

1. Eat foods high in dietary fiber: Fiber can help lower cholesterol.  So, increase your intake of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
2. Limit saturated fats: No more than 10% of your calories should come from saturated fat because a diet high in saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol levels.  So limit items high in saturated fat, such as beef, butter, whole milk dairy products, dark meat poultry, poultry skin and tropical oils (coconut, palm and palm kernel oils).  Instead, substitute polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, almonds, walnuts and flaxseeds.  Unsaturated fats have been found to help lower blood cholesterol levels.
3. Avoid trans fats: Trans fats are very bad for your cholesterol levels because they both raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  They can be found in margarine and many other processed products, especially baked items.  If a food contains partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list, that means it has trans fats and you should avoid it.
4. Decrease your intake of dietary cholesterol: Limit your cholesterol intake to no more then 300 mg of cholesterol a day and, if you have heart disease, aim for less than 200mg.  Only animal products contain cholesterol.  Eggs, whole milk products and organ meats are the richest sources.
5. Eat fatty fish: Consume fish that are rich in omega-3′s, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, lake trout and herring.  Omega-3′s help to lower cholesterol and promote heart health.  Plus, fish is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than beef or poultry.
6. If overweight, lose weight: Excess body fat can contribute to high cholesterol levels.  Plus, being overweight is also a risk factor for heart disease.  Losing a little weight, even just a few pounds, can go a long way towards improving your cholesterol levels.
7. Drink in moderation: Some studies show that a drink or two of alcohol may increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels.  However, heavy drinking outweighs the potential health benefits.  So, drink only in moderation. That’s no more than 1 drink a day for women and 1-2 drinks a day for men.
8. Don’t smoke: Smoking increases total cholesterol levels, decreases HDL levels and is a risk factor for heart disease.  So, smokers should consider quitting.
9. Exercise regularly: There is strong evidence that regular physical activity can increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels and lower the risk of heart disease.  So, go for a brisk walk, a bicycle ride or swim laps regularly and you should notice an improvement in your cholesterol levels.

The bottom line:
If your cholesterol is high, there are steps you can take to try to improve it.  Diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes have a direct influence on blood cholesterol levels.  So, eat a high fiber, low fat diet and implement a regular exercise program.  And the next time you have your cholesterol checked, you may be surprised to find that it is lower!

*Disclaimer: This post is not intended to substitute for medical advice provided by a physician. It is merely provided for educational purposes. For advice for your situation, please speak with your medical professional.

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After listening to “Being Healthy for Busy People” podcasts for a few months, Stan realized that his daily fat intake was way too high.  He was a meat and potatoes kind of guy who enjoyed his steak, eggs, whole milk and greasy snack foods.  Even though he thought it might be a tough transition to make, he decided it was time to change his diet. But where to start?

Stan isn’t alone in having a fatty diet.  Most Americans consume far more total fat, especially saturated fat, than what is recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.  That’s a concern because consuming too much saturated fat increases your risk of heart disease, obesity and cancer.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting total fat intake to less than 25-35% of your total calories.  As for saturated and trans fats, they should comprise less than 7% and 1% of your calories, respectively.  The remaining fat should come from plant or fish sources, rather than other animal sources.  Of course, deriving all of your fat from non-partially hydrogenated vegetable sources is the best possible scenario.

Now, we must remember that fat is not the villain that many people make it out to be.  It is true that too much fat can clog the arteries and cause other health issues, but we must remember that consuming the right amount of fat is essential to a healthy, well functioning body.

How can I cut down on fat?
Now assuming that you are eating too much fat or too much of the wrong kind of fat, you should cut back a bit.  Here are 7 tips to reduce your total fat intake, especially saturated fat.

1. Reduce your intake of red meat: Substitute fish or skinless chicken or turkey breast.  These are good alternatives to high fat meat.  And when you eat red meat, select lean cuts, trim off all the visible fat and eat smaller portions (3 to 5oz).
2. Avoid whole dairy products: Use nonfat or low-fat milk and milk products (choose partially-skimmed cheese or cottage cheese).
3. Eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains: Make vegetables or grains the core of your meals instead of meat.  Better yet, have a meatless meal a few times a week. But don’t add high fat garnishes to compensate, such as butter, creamy dressings or creamy sauces.  That defeats the purpose of having a meatless meal.
4. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and oils: Limit or avoid butter, cream and foods containing palm or coconut oil.
5. Avoid frying foods in fat: Broil, bake or boil foods instead.  If you have to fry, use olive oil instead of butter.
6. Cut back on fat-laden snacks: Chips, donuts, ice-cream, pastries, cookies and cakes are all examples of high calorie, high fat foods with little nutritional value.  If possible, avoid them.  If you do eat them, search out the lower fat options or reduce your portion size.
7. Avoid foods with trans-fats: Read nutritional labels and ingredients lists carefully. If the ingredients list partially hydrogenated fats, it has trans fats.  Choose an alternative without any.

To find out more about why saturated and trans fats are bad for you and why unsaturated fats are better you can read: “Know Your Fats”.

The bottom line:
A moderate amount of fat is essential for a healthy body.  So, don’t eliminate your fat intake altogether.  Instead, eat the right kinds of fat and eat them in moderation.  So, focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grain products and if you like, you can round out your diet with low fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry and fish.  That will reduce the saturated and trans fats you eat and you will be healthier for it!

I have some exciting news to share with you today!  I am taking my passion for health and helping others to the next level.  In June I will be coming out with a weekly video podcast in addition to the weekly audio podcast. The video promo will be coming out this Sunday, so look for it and enjoy.  I am very excited to bring Being Healthy TV to you this year!

This is going to be a great year for Being Healthy TV, so make sure to partake of the new video goodness.  I promise you won’t regret it!  Now on to the show!

When many of us think about losing weight, we automatically think that we need to shun carbohydrates in favor of high protein foods because we heard that sugar is fattening.  But do carbohydrates actually make you fat?

Since carbohydrates have so often been debated when it comes to health, I thought it would be helpful to clear a few things up today.  In this show, I am going to discuss exactly what a carbohydrate is, what types of carbohydrates are best and whether carbohydrates will make you fat.

As promised, here is show 26 for those that are interested in listening to my journey to being healthier.

Some references I used while researching this show are The New Wellness Encyclopedia, Mayo Clinic and about.com.

The blog posts for this week are:

1. Oatmeal: The Breakfast of Champions!
2. Granola Bar: Healthy Treat or Sugary Sweet?

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review.  It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners.  Thanks for listening, everyone!

The weather outside is getting warmer and people are heading outdoors for cookouts.  Soon the summertime parties will be going full swing and hot, juicy, sweet corn on the cob will be on the menu at many of those parties.

In the United States, corn on the cob is synonymous with summer.  Partially that’s because corn is in season in the United States from May through September, exactly matching the summer cookout season.

Is corn healthy?
Since corn is usually eaten fresh like a vegetable, most people think it is one.  But in actuality, corn is a whole grain.  That doesn’t mean that corn is not a healthy addition to a summertime menu though, just that you can’t count it as your vegetable.

A medium size ear of corn only has about 75 calories and is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, phosphorus and manganese.  If you’re worried about corn being unhealthy, what you need to watch is what you put on it.

Should I butter up my corn?
If you are trying to be healthier, don’t slather your corn with butter.  You will only be adding unneeded calories and unhealthy fat.  Go light on the butter.  If you can break with tradition entirely, use a touch of olive oil and some herbs or spices to flavor your corn instead.  Or just eat corn plain, it is quite sweet and flavorful on its own, after all.

How should I choose and store corn?
Now to enjoy corn’s maximum flavor and health benefits, follow these 4 simple tips:

1. Buy corn picked that day: It is important to purchase corn on the day you are going to cook it because it loses flavor fairly rapidly.  That is because the sugar in corn begins to turn to starch the moment it is picked.  Also, as fresh corn ages, it loses a lot of its nutrients.  So, if you wait too long, you will be eating corn that is starchy, tough, fairly tasteless and lacking in nutrients.
2. Corn should be displayed in a cold place, or at least kept away from the sun: Heat rapidly converts corn’s sugar to starch.  So, corn at the supermarket should be displayed in the refrigerated section and corn at the Farmer’s Market should be kept in the shade, out of direct sunlight.
3. Do not buy corn that is already husked: The husk should envelope the corn, be a good green color and be free from decay where the silk ends.  If you can, pull the husk back and look for kernels that are plump, well formed and tightly arranged in rows.
4. Eat the corn the day you get it, if possible: This will provide you with corn’s optimal sweet flavor and the maximum amount of nutrients.  However, if you can not eat the corn right away, make sure to store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator.  Place the corn in a plastic bag with its husks still intact.  Cold temperatures will help preserve the flavor by slowing the change from sugar to starch.

The bottom line:
Corn is a crowd pleaser during summer parties and is good source of many nutrients.  However, for the best flavor, you need to eat it as soon after it is picked as possible.  And if you are watching your weight, go easy on the butter or skip it entirely.  It’s the corn on the cob that is the star of the summer, not the butter!

We all know that deep fried foods are bad for us, so why are they growing in popularity?  It seems that people all over the world are indulging in more and more greasy, deep fried foods.  Back in the day we had french fries, donuts, fried chicken, corn dogs and potato chips.  Now there are deep fried versions of zucchini, strawberries, turkey, pizza, candy bars, Oreos, Twinkies, cheesecake and even ice cream!  As if Oreos, Twinkies, cheesecake and ice cream are not unhealthy enough to begin with, we feel the need to deep fry them to make them even worse for us!

So, why are we treating ourselves to these artery-clogging delicacies?  I know that some people say that we only have one life to live, so we should live it up.  But that doesn’t make sense to me.  If you only have one life to live, do you really want it to be a short, unhealthy life that ends in a heart attack?

Why do we like deep fried foods?
Deep frying is a quick cooking technique in which foods are fried while submerged in hot oil, usually in a deep fryer.  Most people who indulge in deep fried foods, say they enjoy the flavor and the texture contrast. There is something about the food being crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside that is very pleasing to their palates.  But is that enjoyment, worth the cost to their health?

Why are deep fried foods bad for us?
Deep frying results in more total fat and calories than the equivalent non-fried foods.  This difference can increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and other medical problems. Here are two examples:

1. Turkey: A 3.5oz/100g roasted, skinless, turkey breast has 140 calories and 3.5g of fat, while a deep fried turkey has 190 calories and 11g of fat.
2. Potato: A large baked potato has 275 calories and 0.4g of fat, while french fries, have 539 calories and 28.8g of fat.

As you can see, there is a dramatic difference between fried and regular versions of the same food. So, if you are trying to adopt a healthier diet or are trying to lose weight, avoid deep fried foods whenever possible.

What if I can’t give up deep fried foods?
If you find the taste of deep fried food irresistible and don’t think that you can give it up, do not despair! I have a solution for you. Try oven frying instead. This method will give you that crispy texture that you have grown to love, with less fat and calories.  It takes slightly more prep time than deep frying, but it is well worth it.  Here are a few oven frying recipes from WebMD. That is right you can still eat your favorite fried foods, like chicken nuggets and fish sticks, but without getting all that extra fat.

If I deep fry anyway, what type of oil should I use?
You are determined to use that deep fryer, aren’t you?  Well, deep frying is a process that requires very high temperatures and requires an oil with a very high smoking point.  The smoking point is the temperature at which oil starts breaking down and emitting smoke, giving an unpleasant flavor to the food.  Not only that, the smoke from the oil can create carcinogens that should not be breathed or consumed.

So, while olive oil is a healthy oil for many purposes, it should not be used in deep frying, because it has a relatively low smoking point.  The healthiest choice for deep frying is probably canola oil because it has a high smoking point.  Plus it contains monounsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

The bottom line:
Deep frying really is as bad for you as everyone says, so if you can avoid it, do so. But oven frying can be a good substitute if you want a similarly tasty result.  And if you must use your deep fryer, use canola oil instead of peanut oil, butter or lard.  Remember, you may only live once, but you want that one life to be healthy and long!

Fat?  Not that word again! The word fat has such a bad connotation. Many people think of fat only as the cause of obesity, clogged arteries, heart disease and many other medical problems.  While that’s all true, it’s too simplistic of a view.

Too much fat is bad for you.  There is no doubt about that, but eating some fat is actually essential for good health.  We need to consume fat in order for our bodies to function normally.  But, the real question is, how much fat do we need and which ones are the best to consume?

How much fat do we need?
The American Heart Association recommends 25-35% of our total daily calories should come from fat each day, with no more than 30% for people who are overweight.  Most of that should come from unsaturated sources, such as fish, nuts, canola oil and olive oil.  And less than 7% of our total calories should come from saturated sources, such as meat and dairy products.  They also recommend that we get less than 1% of our total calories from trans fats.

Remember that fat is very calorie dense.  Fat supplies 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and proteins only have 4 calories per gram.  That is one reason it is important to limit your intake.  Otherwise, you might see your waistline expanding.  Eating too much fat, whether it is saturated or unsaturated, will cause you to gain weight.  So, moderation is the key!

Why are saturated fats and trans fats bad?
Saturated fats and trans fats are considered to be bad because they are large contributors to rising blood cholesterol levels.

1. Saturated fats: These fats mainly come from animal sources, such as butter, milk and meat, but they are also found in two vegetable oils (coconut and palm oil).  Saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature.  A diet high in saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol level.
2. Trans fats: These fats are vegetable oils that have undergone a hydrogenation process.  They are also solid at room temperature.  These fats are often found in margarine, cakes, cookies, doughnuts and deep fried foods.  Trans fatty acids are worse to consume than saturated fats because when eaten in excess, these fats will not only raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also lower HDL (good) cholesterol, which normally acts to counteract the LDL.

Why are unsaturated fats better?
Unlike saturated fats, unsaturated fats may lower total blood cholesterol levels, by reducing the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol in the blood.  There are two main types of unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats.

1. Polyunsaturated fats: Are liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator.  These fats are found in fish, safflower oil, corn oil and soybean oil. Polyunsaturated fats may help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
2. Monounsaturated fats: Are liquid at room temperature, but solidify in the refrigerator.  These fats are found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, peanuts, almonds and avocados.

Choosing the right fat
The goal should be to reduce overall fat intake and improve the ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats. Here are some suggestions on how to substitute unsaturated fats for saturated fats in order to improve that ratio.

1. Cooking: Instead of using butter, try using olive oil.
2. Baking: Use canola oil when baking cookies and cakes.  It works better than olive oil because it doesn’t have the strong taste that olive oil does.
3. At the table: Instead of putting butter or margarine on your bread, dip it in olive oil instead.

The bottom line is to not increase your overall fat intake by adding healthy fats to your current diet, which can lead to weight gain and obesity (another risk factor for heart disease).  Instead, replace the bad fats with an equal amount or less of the good fats.  Remember, not all fats are created equal, so let yours be the good kind!

Next, I jump right into the show.  On last week’s show, I talked about ways that you could eat a healthy lunch,  despite your busy schedule.  This week I concentrate on preparing healthy dinners.  Dinner tends to be the biggest and most important meal of the day for many people.  That is why it is so important to eat a healthy meal that is not full of sodium, fat and cholesterol.  In this show, I help you find ways to prepare a healthy dinner.  I discuss ways you can reduce your intake of sodium, sugar and fat while increasing your intake of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Some references I used in the research for this show are Fitday.com and Mayo Clinic.

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening everyone!