Produce No Case: Shape-Ups & Easy Tone

Each month I have a little fun showcasing an item that, in my opinion, just isn't as good for your health as it is advertised to be.  In the past I have showcased food items.  But last week, a client prompted me with a brilliant idea.  

She had been to City Sports in Cambridge and decided to try on a pair of Skecher's Shape-Ups (Reebok Easy-Tone is another version of the same idea).  You know the shoes.  Slim, long legged models wear them in their commercials, promising that they'll help you "burn more calories, tone muscles, and more."

So my client was curious to know whether or not there was any actual research behind the dramatic sales pitch.  So I did some research of my own.  First I looked for any data to support the claims of calorie burning and leg toning.  Nope, couldn't find anything.  Doesn't appear that either company has done any actual research that would validate such claims.  Skechers or Reebok, if you know something I don't, please send the research my way!  I'm all ears.

Then I decided to contact my colleagues. Here were their responses:

• There was another brand that came out a few years ago with these. I bought them (because Oprah had them...lame, I know!) and they really hurt my knees so I gave them away. A chiropractor told me they were not great for your back.

Workout Fun?

Did you know that research shows that the right tunes can actually help you enjoy your workouts more?  I recently read this article and thought the concept was great.  If you are prone to hanging out on the couch, the right music may just help you get your bootie movin'.  Check out the playlist selections posted in the article, it may be just the motivation you need to get up, get out, and start having a little fun. :)

  Here are the top 5 songs that get me excited to exercise:
1. Right Round- Chani
2. Lovegame- Lady Gaga
3. Glamorous (Craig Dice remix)- Fergie
4.  Maneater- Nelly Furtado
5.  Bounce That- Girl Talk

What tunes get you moving?

Your beat loving dietitian in Cambridge,
Marci 
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Fitness Fact: Muscles = Metabolism, Really?

Each month I try to write a little blurb on something exercise-related and I stumbled across an interesting tid- bit while preparing for a recent seminar.

Once we hit our 30's, our Resting Energy Expenditure* begins to decline by .8% for women and 1% for men each decade.  Translation: in our 30's our metabolism begins to slow down.

*REE = 55-75% of the calories or energy our body expends in a day.  These are involuntary, life sustaining activities like breathing, circulation, hormone secretion, and nerve/brain activity.

How does this decline happen? Through the loss 1.5-2 pounds of lean body mass per year.  Yikes!

But here's the good news.  We can off-set this age-related muscle loss by strength training.  Whoohoo!!!  A simple 20-30 min a couple of times a week is all it takes.

So join a strength training class, buy an exercise video and some dumbbells, or start by climbing stairs.  Every little bit counts!
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Protein Drink Dangers

Watch CBS News Videos Online
I thought this news clip was really interesting.  Another testament to the value of eating whole, non-processed, real food!
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Yoga in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

A recent randomized clinical control trial of using yoga in the treatment of eating disorders appeared in the April issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.  The study compared traditional treatment at an outpatient eating disorder center as compared to individual yoga plus standard care.  After 8 weeks, those in the experimental group showed lower Eating Disorder Examination scores and reduced food preoccupation following the yoga sessions.  Results show yoga as a promising adjunct therapy to eating disorder treatment.

A few reasons I think yoga is great:
*Teaches you to remain in the "present moment"- a skill that is greatly needed in our busy world and an essential component for anyone looking to change their food habits or relationship with food.  Learning how to be more present in your body allows you to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cueing.
*Helps you maintain posture and flexibility with age.
*Improves balance which helps to prevent falls.
*A great way to destress

Interested in using meditation to de-stress but don't have the means or desire to go to a yoga class?  Try this 10-minute self-guided mediation at your desk!

Your neighborhood nutritionist in Cambridge,
Marci

Fitness Fact: Good Computer Posture

Have you ever thought about the number of hours in a day you spend sitting in front of a computer?  Have you ever paid attention to how you are sitting in front of your computer?  The typical American is expected to live for 78 years.  Now imagine how you'll be looking at 78 if you continue to sit hunched over at your computer every day.

This is a relatively helpful article on computer posture.  But here are a couple of points to consider:

• Habit: How you sit is a habit and will likely take many reminders to change or correct it.  Consider setting a posture timer on your computer so you can check your self periodically.
• Strength: Good posture requires strength in the core (both low back and abdominals).  The Mayo Clinic has a slide show of core strengthening exercises.
• Stretching: Actively stretching and releasing tension is great way to correct posture.  I found this awesome YouTube video (below) which guides you through a series of relaxing desk stretches, along with some pretty great tunes to help you relax.

Fitness Fact: Let's Move

For this month's fitness fact blog post, I decided to highlight the new Let's Move website I mentioned on Monday's blog post.

Exercise & Depression

If you tend to feel a bit blue during the winter months, you are not alone. Rates of depression increase during the winter, including people who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). In fact, recent findings suggest that the severity of eating disorder symptoms for bulimia peak in the Fall & Winter months.

Healthy Weight Week

Fitness Fact: Why Exercise Won't Help You Lose Weight

I know, I know. You are probably thinking that I made an error typing out the title of this blog post. Nope. Despite the fact that I am a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and group exercise instructor in Cambridge, MA I firmly believe that using exercise as a means to lose weight can actually be harmful. Yes, you heard me right. And I wanted to yell Hallelujah when I came across this Time article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin." Please take the time to read it! Then forward it along to all of your family members and friends.

Here are the basic take home points I’d like you to think about:
1. Intense bouts of calorie-burning exercise (think 60 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment or your favorite cycling class) stimulate your appetite. Consequently, most people unknowingly eat more calories than they just burned after intense exercise. If you don’t believe me, check out the research cited in the Times article under the heading “The Compensation Problem.”

I have a saying which goes “You can’t outrun your fork.” And it’s true. We can eat in 10 minutes what would take us 10 hours to burn off. I’m sorry for that- it’s simply the way we humans have evolved.

2. Replacing fat tissue with lean muscle mass does not do much to increase our metabolic rates- no matter how much your personal trainer would like you to believe otherwise. In fact, replacing 10 lbs of fat with 10 lbs of muscle leads to a paltry increase of 40 calories burned. 40 calories? That’s the equivalent of 2 Hershey’s Kisses- just 2!

3.) A butt-blasting, cardio kicking workout often creates the halo effect. How many times have you finished an intense workout, only to indulge afterwards. Hey, you burned a lot of calories after that 60 minute hill climb on the treadmill. Next thing you know, you’ve gone totally overboard at dinner…but with good intentions to “make up for it” tomorrow. It’s an endless and tireless feedback loop.

I have seen this feedback loop in full force in the work I do in eating disorders as well as working with healthy populations. Using exercise to burn calories fuels disordered eating patterns (i.e. a few extra cookies because you’ve been “good.”)

4.) Excessive exercise can lead to overly sore muscles and a feeling of heaviness that can actually lead to more hours of sedentary down time when you aren’t working out.

Please know that I am not suggesting that you stop exercising all together. Exercise provides a host of benefits:
**Enhances heart health and helps to prevent chronic disease
**Improves mental capacity and cognitive ability
**Helps regulate mood by decreasing anxiety and improving feelings of depression
**Enhances stamina
**Supports a healthy immune system
**Helps maintain muscle mass and flexibility, which is crucial for maintaining function as we age
**Improves balance and helps to prevent falls in the elderly

This is not an exhaustive list. Clearly I’m in full support of a healthy exercise program. But the research shows that the benefits of exercise can be obtained at moderate intensities for moderate amounts of time. So now that you don’t have to spend hours burning up calories at your local gym, I wonder how you could use your time more positively. Hmmm, now that’s something to think about.


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