HBHL- 23 Oct 2011

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,


Thanks again to everyone for their support as the program expands and the newsletter morphs into my blog.  I hope you all have had the opportunity to check out the blog.  If you don't have a yahoo or google email address to log into my blog site, you can visit as a guest- but I might have to send a new invite every week.  Please let me know if you are unable to access it and I'll see what I can do.  Hopefully the blog will be up and running on a public domain shortly! Thank you for your patience.  If you have any comments/suggestions for me, please let me know.


Fitness/Wellness Lesson:


Did you know that after your workout your body continues to burn calories? YES!  After exercise your body continues to require oxygen, but at a rate higher than before you began the work out.  This process is called EPOC- Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.  Normally, it takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours for the body to fully recover to it's resting state, depending on the exercise.    And the latest research has shown that high intensity resistance exercise (i.e. Powerbodyz- which uses your own body weight as resistance) has a greater effect on EPOC than pure cardiovascular exercises.  


So- those Powerbodyz workouts can benefit you all day long!  One 20-30 minute workout can keep your body burning calories long after the workout is finished.  Even though the workouts are painful, they are great for toning and tightening our trouble spots, improving our cardiovascular fitness, and strengthening our bodies but more importantly they help our bodies burn calories (i.e. they aid in weight loss!) even while we are sitting in class, at carpool, or while grocery shopping later that day :)


If you'd like to read more about the science behind the EPOC concept check out this link:


EPOC

Nutrition Lesson:


Do you know how much sugar is in the soda you are drinking?  I was watching the Biggest Loser this week and heard that there are 17 teaspoons of sugar in ONE 20 oz orange soda.  REALLY?  Most sodas have up to 65 grams of sugar listed on their label- 65 grams of sugar equals about 17 teaspoons.  YES, in one drink.

Check out this website.  It is amazing how much sugar is in most popular sodas, energy drinks, and juices:

Sugary Drinks

Ok- so I'll just drink a DIET soda which has a lot less sugar, right?  Well, all of you that were with me week one know that we've already discussed what company's use to replace the missing sugar in diet drinks- CHEMICALS.  Mainly in the form of the sweetener aspartame, which has its own negative effects on the body.

If you'd like to read more about the possible dangers of aspartame, check out this article:

Aspartame

Am I telling you to absolutely avoid sugary sodas??  You need to make the right choices for your family, however, just remember MODERATION is the key and if you can slowly remove sugary sodas from your normal diet, you may find that you really don't miss them that much anymore.  You may find that staying hydrated with water or unsweetened teas makes you feel better and satisfies your thirst more than the sugary drinks.

Finally, just be aware of what your kids are drinking and the possible effects it might be having on their systems.  The sugar in sodas can be bad in large quantities, of course, but the phosphoric acid in carbonated beverages (diet or regular) is also potentially harmful to their digestive tracts- especially in very small children who have systems that are still maturing.   Phosphoric acid neutralizes the hydrochloric acid found in your stomach.  Hydrochloric acid is important because it aids in the digestion process and helps the body absorb calcium.  

Remember HBHL promotes a LIFESTYLE of healthy living.  No fad diets, no diet pills, no magic solutions.  Be educated, so that you can make informative choices for your family, and apply moderation to your eating/drinking habits :)


**This week's challenge:  Try to eat AT LEAST 5 servings of fruits/vegetables everyday.  Maybe that's a banana with breakfast (or a green smoothie with spinach and kale)... mid-morning snack of carrots and hummus...maybe a big salad for lunch... an apple for an afternoon snack... maybe a salad or steamed broccoli with dinner.  Also, try to expand your vegetable/fruit  choices- maybe try adding mangoes to your salad or smoothie, use spinach leaves for lettuce, or try figs in your salad :)


Have a wonderful week!
Namaste,
Jannell