ENDORPHINS - THE FACTS

 

 

 

IS EXERCISE ADDICTIVE?

 

Well you only have to walk round your local high street to see that for many the answer to this question is “No”, but for those of us who frequent the gym or run regularly before or after work or would rather skip dinner than our Pilates class – well it's a possibility.  So, what’s the science behind the hard-core body builders and marathon runners in training?

 

You might have heard of endorphins.  The endorphin levels in the blood are increased following a cardiovascular workout.  Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals which are released during aerobic activity, creating a pleasurable sensation and that’s why the phrase ‘runner’s high’ was coined.  Or perhaps you’ve experienced a moderate euphoria at the end of step aerobics or a Zumba class – it’s not because the class is over; because you feel like you could ‘go’ all over again - it’s because these powerful mood enhancing chemicals have been released into the blood stream and they attach to certain receptors in the brain inducing a morphine type stimulus.  It’s this pleasurable sensation that keeps people coming back for more or why they enjoy going out running. 

 

Research on rodents revealed that opioids, which are pain blocking proteins, were evident when they spent excessively long periods exercising in their wheels.  If these opioids were blocked using other medication, the animals reacted similarly to someone who would experience withdrawal symptoms after being taken off morphine.  What is the significance of this?  It tells us that lack of this regular endorphin high can create a withdrawal type response.

 

Most people would recognise the word endorphins, but there’s also another chemical, not so widely known, called phenylethylamine.  Phenylethylamine produces a very similar stimulating effect and also boosts energy levels.  Why do we need to know this when it’s almost identical to an endorphin reaction?  Because phenylethylamine also exists in chocolate.  For that reason there may be some science to support the theory that exercise is addictive as research has proved that it promotes this biochemical reaction. 

 

This addictive response to exercising would be seen by many to be a healthy addiction; which is true up to a point.  Only when excessive overtraining takes over can it be viewed as negative or harmful.  So keep on the safe side and love your endorphin lift while enjoying all the beneficial and enriching rewards of regular exercise. 

 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 FIT FACTS

ARE YOU BEACH BODY READY?

 

 

 

6 WEEKS TO TRIM DOWN AND TONE UP

 

Wouldn’t it be nice to walk your way to a fabulous fitty beach body?  No puffing all evening in the gym after work.  Well here’s how.

 

STEP 1

Have you heard of visualisation?  Well that’s the buzz around life style gurus and motivation instructors.  If you want it badly enough think yourself into positivity mode and this will help you on the path. 

 

Maybe get a friend, colleague or family member to buddy-up with you so you can encourage each other.  Then whether you’re going solo or with a buddy set your timetable.  The devil’s in the detail, so planning always helps.  Set goals for meal times and workout dates so there’s no excuses and no dithering.  You’ll know exactly where you are and what needs to be fitted in.  Incorporate foods you enjoy, there’s no point punishing yourself with things that you don’t want to eat as this will only weaken your resolve.

 

STEP 2

Power walking.  Introduce power walking into your daily routine.  The Government’s Health Committee has been doing research into the effects of walking, that’s serious no nonsense walking, and their findings reveal “even small increments during the day can have a dramatic positive impact”.  Little and often is the message here.  For office workers who sit for very prolonged periods it has been shown that a gym session fitted in either a.m., lunchtime, or p.m. does little to combat the negative effects of long periods of sitting.  So finding a way to increase movement regularly throughout the day is key to making constructive gains.  If you incorporate a new power walking regime into your life style you could being to feel you have more energy, sleep better and feel better too. 

 

Power walking has benefits over walking at a normal pace because it not only increases your calorie burn but also tones and shapes your glutes and legs.  Everyone can enjoy the positive effects that this small change can bring.  Think about your posture.  In fact not just while walking or preparing to walk, but think about your posture when you’re sitting, standing in line or out and about. 

 

Stand straight, so everything is perfectly aligned, don’t slouch.  Engage your stomach muscles/core.  You’ll look more elegant and it will train your muscle memory to develop a better posture naturally over time.  As you stride out you’ll be surprised how much your speed and flexibility increases after a couple of weeks.  Use your arms too.  Incorporating arm movements into any exercise model, be it running or dancing, increases the overall capacity by 12%.  As your speed and technique develops try to include more hills.  Vary the intensity and make it more interesting and challenging for yourself by changing your route. 

 

Do you have a pedometer?  There’s no need to buy any expensive equipment, you can probably download a simple and free App to your phone and that way you can measure your distance and fitness gains.  Evaluate your progress.

 

STEP 3

You know you’ll need to think about diet if you want to trim down for your hols.  Cut out carbohydrates from sugar and the bad starches that we all know, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.  OK don’t switch off or stop reading as this is just for 6 weeks. 

 

Let’s think about the effects that these carbs have and why they aggravate our systems so much.  They tend to be stored as fat.  This is because they create an insulin spike as they are converted to blood glucose very rapidly causing a rise in blood sugar levels.  The insulin which is now on the alert wants to manage the storage of the excess sugar or fat so sends it to the fat cells where it is stored.  This continues until the blood sugar level reverts to normal.  The more you consume sugar and sugary carbs the more frequently this pattern is repeated throughout the day.  Vegetables, proteins and more nutritionally balanced fats and carbohydrates are also converted into blood glucose, which our bodies need for fuel, but this process occurs more slowly  and so avoids the need for the insulin release.

 

So preparation, walking and some diet modifications for a 6 week tone up.  Get started straight away as there’s no time like the present, so no dithering  and if you’re wondering how to fill in the time that you usually devote to snacking, why not get on-line and start checking out some sizzling bikinis for your hot new beach body. 

 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 FIT FACTS

ARE YOU WORKING HARD ENOUGH - THE FACTS

 

  

 

ARE YOU WORKING HARD ENOUGH – OR ARE YOU WORKING TOO HARD? 

 

Science offers high tech options to measure exercise intensity and cardiovascular output.  Or you could do that for yourself by investing around £50 in a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) but if you don’t have one, there’s a far simpler way to measure where you are within your training zone. 

 

The Talk Test

 

Sounds too simple, right, but no, this has actually been researched** to gauge the respondents’ ventilatory threshold.  The ventilatory threshold is reached when carrying on a conversation whilst working aerobically is no longer possible.  Subjects were monitored whilst on a treadmill or bike and from this research it is now believed that this is an accurate and valid measurement of intensity. 

 

So at what level should we be working in relation to the ventilory threshold? 

 

If during training you can easily carry on a conversation without being out of breath then you are probably not working hard enough to build your fitness to a higher level.  When working to achieve fitness gains and increase overall cardiovascular capacity you should be working in steady state cardio capacity somewhere around the point where you are able to talk, but sufficiently breathless not to be able to carry on a normal conversation.  By working at this level you are almost certainly improving your cardiovascular endurance. 

 

At this point you will be working aerobically.  If you progress beyond that point to the stage where you are so breathless you’re almost gasping and barely able to speak then you’ve tipped over into an anaerobic state.  At this point lactic acid begins to build up and this results in panting as the system, at overload, struggles to stabilise and resume a normal acid balance.  It’s not bad to reach an anaerobic state for short periods, in fact High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT) and Tabatta does aim for this level of intensity, in short bursts, as it’s believed that short 30 second intervals followed by short rests, repeated for between a 10-20 minute workout, can achieve extreme results as it increases the metabolic rate to the point where the body continues to burn large amounts of energy for long after exercising, in fact for most of the remainder of the day. 

 

So are you working too hard or not hard enough?  Next time you’re out for a run, at the gym or in a Zumba class, test yourself and see if it’s easy, moderately difficult or impossible to say a sentence. 

 

**REFERENCE:  Reseach Study by The University of Wisconsin - 2004 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 

FIT FACTS

 

PROBIOTICS - THE FACTS

 

 

 

WHAT’S THE TRUTH ABOUT PROBIOTICS?

 

How friendly is so called friendly bacteria and can it help you to lose weight?

 

We know that mini yogurt drinks are all the go as they’re said to have gut cleansing advantages, helping to keep us clean on the inside.  But is it true and what are we buying?  Probiotics are bacteria that exist in certain foods which contain active cultures.  These include yogurt, miso and tempeh.  Research has evidenced that these bacteria can assist with intestinal problems and possibly prevent other problems developing and at the same time are also particularly associated with fighting feminine yeast infections.

 

So there’s a lot to get excited about as these trillions of tiny creatures alive and active inside us are all working to improve digestion, boost immunity and maybe even help with weight loss.  We do then want to encourage them, as new research is evolving all the time showing promising results. 

 

The best ways to get them into your diet are by eating yogurt, containing probiotics, and this is not all yogurt, so check pack information.  These mini microbes are also teeming within fermented foods.   There is now a new movement heavily proclaiming the beneficial properties of fermented foods.  What specifically are these and where can they be found?

 

Tempeh

Tempeh is the product of naturally fermented soybeans.  It also contains all nine essential amino acids.

 

Miso

Miso is a fermented paste, made from barley, rice or soybeans.

 

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage.  However, the jars available in standard supermarkets will almost certainly have been pasteurised and if this is the case the live cultures will have been exterminated so check carefully exactly what you’re buying or look on-line to ensure you’re only getting the real deal.

 

Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink.  Goat kefirs are now available – again try internet research for information and availability

 

Kimchi

Kimchi, the national dish of Korea and hugely popular is made of fermented cabbage and other vegetables in many variations. 

 

It’s now known that significantly overweight or obese people carry a different range of intestinal bacteria than that of an average sized person.  However, after major weight loss this situation is normalised and the balance of internal microbes becomes more aligned with that recognised as ‘normal’.  This is good news as evidence now suggests that the type of gut population you carry can to some extent influence your appetite.  

 

All in all findings are proving that to maintain and encourage good gut activity produces positive effects and has also been linked to weight loss, both post-natally and among the obese.  All this ‘good bacterial’ intestinal activity is also believed to assist in a strong immune system and resistance to viruses.  While, processed foods are believed (to some extent) to eliminate certain gut bacteria and allow damaging strains to flourish. 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 

FIT FACTS

 

HAINANESE CHICKEN & RICE

 

Preparation:     15 minutes
Cooking:           1   hour
Servings:          2


You will need:

2 chicken portions (or 1 per person)
1 bunch coriander
2 pieces of ginger
2 cloves garlic
coconut oil for frying
1/2 cabbage - shredded
1 cup wholegrain rice
Seasoning

 

To make:

In a saucepan cover the chicken portions with water.  Add half the ginger chopped or minced, half the coriander and some salt to taste.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken falls off the bone.

While this is cooking fry off the remaining chopped or minced ginger with the finely chopped garlic.  When brown and crispy set aside for use as a garnish later.

Remove chicken from pan but retain cooking liquor.  Add the rice to this liquid and cook, covered for 10 minutes.  Now drop in the cabbage and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, removing from the heat while the cabbage still retains some body.

Divide the rice and cabbage between 2 bowls, add the shredded chicken and finish with a garnish of coriander leaves and the crispy ginger and garlic.

 

 

PROCESSED FOODS - THE FACTS

 

 

 

DO PROCESSED FOODS MAKE FAT BURNING LESS EFFICIENT? 

 

Processed foods are certainly a convenience of the modern age and when short on time it’s handy to know that a quick and simple option exists to move food from fridge to table in only a matter of minutes.  The contents of those packages however make it more difficult for the body to resist piling on the pounds as they’re loaded with fats and sugars that are unhealthy and this negatively impacts upon the body’s natural process for breaking down and digesting these foods.

 

Following a meal the body uses energy in the digestion process which is known as the thermic effect of food, and accounts for roughly 10% of your daily expenditure of energy.  This to some degree will be affected by the type of foods consumed.  So the composition of the food is important as protein burns off more energy which is why high protein diets are consistent and successful for weight loss.   

 

A new study is now suggesting that the metabolic rate of burning these processed food calories as energy is actually reduced when compared to averages of burning the same amount of energy from equal quantities of unprocessed wholefood. 

 

This research found that two similar sandwiches on two consecutive days, both containing similar calorific averages - but one containing processed ingredients and the other only natural ingredients - had different energy burning values.  The calorie burning effects shockingly, were close to 50% lower for the processed foods.  So eating processed foods regularly will reduce the thermic effect of breaking down the food and this over time will greatly impact on daily energy expenditure, or speed of metabolic rate.  Also relatively speaking the spike in obesity rates across the western world has also escalated concurrently with the increased availability of processed foods. 

 

So, do we know what is responsible and why this decrease in energy usage occurs when breaking down processed foods?  Insulin could be the key here.  After a meal the hormone insulin is released.  The presence of insulin, research has shown, makes fat burning less efficient and the body more liable to set down fat stores. The presence of fibre though can to some extent suppress this natural reaction.  That’s why a diet rich in proteins and natural sources of fibre are more helpful in losing weight.

 

Lots of factors are at work dealing with our menu options so before popping another ready meal in the microwave it’s a good idea to think about the benefits of richer natural foods, which are more nourishing, and as a result produce a greater metabolic output.

 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 

FIT FACTS

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS - THE FACTS

 

 

WHAT IS YOUR AEROBIC FITNESS LEVEL?

 

Most people would like a gauge to determine their fitness rating.  One way to measure this is to establish your V02 max.  What is VO2 max?  The VO2 max is a measure of the quantity of oxygen your body can absorb and process directly to your muscles to aerate them during strenuous cardio exercise in a one minute time frame. 

 

Sounds complicated?  You can get this measurement done by experts in a lab where you’ll perform to your optimum capacity while the intensity is gradually increased until you flake, or reach the plateau of your aerobic limit.  However, there is a free and simple way for you to take this measurement yourself – but you’ll need someone to help. 

 

This test, (devised by Dr Cooper), the ‘Cooper V02 max test’, can be carried out on a running track - with a pre-determined distance.  That’s important, as you’ll need to know the distance.  You have to be serious about completing this challenge as it’s a 12 minute duration of running at your maximum speed and distance while your buddy times you.  Then, you can calculate the distance (by knowing the track distance) x the number of laps. 

 

So simply:

 

10 minute warm up

12 minutes running while helper keeps you informed of number of laps and time remaining

End test and calculate the distance as exactly as possible to the nearest 10m

 

To more easily understand the results head on over to this website which will not only simply calculate your score but also compares averages to measurements of others’, so you can see where you fit in and how efficiently you are training when you’re training aerobically.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/gentest.htm

 

Not only do men and women differ significantly but there are also age related variations, as with most things fitness, capacity diminishes with age at an approximated rate of 1% per year from around age 25, but results differ from one individual to another. Therefore, the charts you'll see are arranged by male/female and in differing age ranges. 

 

Corresponding results are therefore wide ranging as a 30 year old female may score similarly to a 50 year old male but would probably compare very differently for a 30 year old man .v. a 50 year old woman.

 

This ‘Cooper Test’ is well renowned for accuracy of measurement of cardiovascular capacity. 

 

It is always possible to improve performance with regular training both in aerobic endurance and weight lifting.  The highest scorers at V02 max testing are typically distance runners and skiers who need the highest level of aerobic fitness to compete in these demanding endurance sports. 

 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 

FIT FACTS