12 Days of Fitness Tips: 1st Day - STRENGTH

On the 1st Day of Fitness, Your Trainer Says to Thee  "Strength train a minimum of 3x/week this holiday season to maintain fitness levels and keep weight gain at a minimum.  Strength, not just cardio will COMPLETE your fitness solution!"  Read article- Maximize your strength training efforts

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November Nutrition/Fitness Tip of Week 4: Get Back on Track

Now that it's over, Thanksgiving that is, it's time to get back on track.  Incorporate more salads, continue to eat a healthy breakfast, and get rid of any high fat/high sugar leftovers.  Get your caloric intake under control and add some additional activity in your fitness routine! 

Additional reading:  Holiday Fitness not a Barrier

MYTH: Turkey makes you sleepy

We have known the truth of this for years, but turkey is still often blamed for the notorious "after dinner snooze." This supposedly came from the knowledge of experts that state that the high amounts of tryptophan (an essential amino acid) increases the amounts of serotonin produced in the brain. (I did my research and I can't find who the "experts" were). By the way, serotonin is a hormone that helps you feel relaxed. 

Well, whoever the experts were, they didn't do a good job on their hypothesis. It has been known that the amounts of tryptophan in turkey is not high enough to have any impact. This is unless, of course, you can eat 20 pounds of turkey on an empty stomach.  

So, if it's not the turkey that makes you sleepy, what is it?

Insulin Crash- If you're like most people I know, you will probably go through the entire morning without much to eat (if anything), ready to dive into mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, dressing, et cetera, et cetera.  Once you're done stuffing yourself to the rafters, your body is having to handle a great deal of food converting into blood sugar (blood sugar spike-insulin crash). You go from a state of hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia within the hour.  Your pancreas will freak out and produce a high amount of insulin to handle the overload.  Only problem is, you are most likely to produce too much insulin which will then cause your blood sugar to crash. Along with some other hormonal conditions, this will cause you to feel sleepy.  Unfortunately, because of bad eating habits, the insulin crash happens to some people daily.  This is what leads to Type II diabetes.

Alcohol-  As you know alcohol is a depressant.  If you drink with your meal, just know that it is going to contribute to the sleepiness that is about to ensue after eating a whole lot.  Enough said.

Circadian Rhythm-  Like all mammals, you have a circadian rhythm (an internal clock) of biochemical processes that dictate in particular your sleep habits.  Without getting too detailed, the hormone melatonin is a hormone that causes you to get sleepy.  At this time of year and in particular Thanksgiving day, a multitude of factors come together to release higher amounts of melatonin. First is the time change and shorter amount of daylight hours.  The less daylight you have, the sooner and more melatonin kicks in.  If it's cloudy and rainy outside, this is compounded.  Second is a disruption of sleep.  A lot of times, you force yourself to be awake later the day before Thanksgiving and then sleep late the morning of Thanksgiving.  This undoubtedly screws up your sleep rhythm.  This happens to me just about every Sunday.

So, now you know.  You can stop blaming the turkey for the fatigue you feel.  Unless you're eating deep fried turkey, chances are the turkey could be the healthiest food you could eat on Thanksgiving Day.

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Quick Holiday Eating Tips

It is said that you can gain as much as 10 pounds over the holiday seasoon.  That figure may be more exaggerated than the reality, however, many people I have encountered over the years report gaining as much as 5-7 pounds over the holidays. Most likely though, you would gain about 1-2 pounds that would actually stick.

In order to fight over-eating this holiday season, you must be proactive.  Here are few tips to help you get past the holiday gluttony:

Drink a Glass of Water before Eating - You're still going to eat high calorie foods, so you can limit the amount that you eat by drinking some water before your meal.

Eat From the Veggie Tray - A lot of times, you have food that is prepared to snack on before your meal. Eat from the veggie tray. Don't be concerned about dipping it either. It's a heck of a lot better than eating the stuffed mushrooms or eating the cheese balls.

Eat Your Breakfast - You're supposed to eat breakfast anyway. However, you still wait because of the amount of food that will be available later. Eat your breakfast and you will not gorge yourself at your holiday meal.  Study after study shows that breakfast eaters always consume less calories than non-breakfast eaters.  

Stay in the Habit of Exercise (or get in the habit) - If you are exercising, you can still get up and do some activity. Sometimes you eat because you are bored. Go for a walk, throw the football around with your kids (or grandkids), do anything that is active and safe. It will keep your mind away from food. As they say, "out of sight, out of mind."

Eat Small Amounts - Pick foods you really like, but don't get huge quantities. Get plenty of lean turkey, surround your plate with some veggies, then place small quantities of sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, bread and butter, etc. (don't mean to make you hungry.) Only get a small amount of dessert as well.

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Fitness Together Fitness/Nutrition Coach

Holiday Fitness is Challenging, but not a Barrier!

If you're already into fitness, or just getting started, the holiday season poses its challenges. Not only are you confronted with sweet treats on a weekly (if not daily) basis, you're schedule becomes more hectic as you try to schedule trips, tend to relatives, buy gifts, etc.  Though holiday fitness is challenging, it is only a barrier if you allow it to be.

Tips if you're already in a fitness program:

Don't quit:  Let's face it, there is a lot going on during the holidays that can throw you off track. However, that does not mean you have to quit altogether. If you miss a workout one day, reschedule it. If the boss throws in a last minute meeting during the time you were going to go workout, make-up for it by coming in at a different time and/or another day. When you're used to getting three sessions in, don't throw in the towel if you are only able to get two in this week.  As a matter of fact, you should adapt and overcome.  Just reschedule for a different day.  Do a make up day.    There is no reason to put your health and fitness goals on hold because it's the holidays.  If anything, you should have an extra day or two off from work that will allow you to make up the days you missed or add an extra day.

Remember why you're doing it:  What matters is that you keep moving forward. Getting fit and losing weight are lifetime goals. Remember that one of the reasons you exercise is to also "beat up" some stress. This is especially true during the holidays. 

Consistency. If you have an "all or nothing" attitude, be very careful as you may be setting yourself up for failure. Keep doing what you know you need to do and don't let anyone stand in your way.

Tips if you're not in a fitness program:

Procrastinate no more:  Starting a program in December can be just as good as January.  You may find that it can be a great month to get started if you have a few days off.  You know as well as I do, you are just as likely to push it off in December as you would March.  There is always a reason not to do something, you need to focus on why you should (such as health, avoid weight gain during the holidays, etc.).

Start your search:  If you're not going to start in December and you really want to get going, then you need to at least prepare yourself.  Look into what you're going to do and where.  Be sure it's not a dogmatic, quick-fix/gimmick program, but something that will work long-term (of course Fitness Together).

Set a date:  At least schedule when you're going to get started and stick to it.  Setting a goal to get started is more important than the goal itself.  Obviously, if you don't get started, you'll never reach the goal, albeit weight loss, decreased blood pressure, etc.

Have a great Holiday Season and Stay Motivated!

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach 

Nutrient Brief: Powerful Pecans

No matter how you pronounce it, pecans are another “nut”ritional powerhouse.  Pecans are the only tree nut native to America, cultivated mostly in the south and central parts of the country.  Thus, they have become a staple in many southern recipes.  Steer clear of the pecan pie though—one traditional slice can contain 500 calories or more! 

Stick with fresh or roasted pecans, with as little added sodium or sugar  as possible.  As with other nuts, while nutritionally dense, pecans are also calorically dense due to the high percentage of fat per serving (about 195 calories per one ounce serving) so enjoy in moderation and always be aware of portion size. 

Some of the benefits include:

*High antioxidant content has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and quite possibly some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

*Great source of mono and polyunsaturated fat which contributes to a lowering of LDL “bad cholesterol” and raising of HDL “good cholesterol”.

*A one ounce serving contains more than half the daily recommended serving of the mineral manganese, as well as calcium, zinc and phosphorus on the mineral side and vitamins A, E, and several types of B vitamins.

*Nuts make a great on the go snack  either alone or paired with fresh or dried fruit—just portion out small containers so you have some handy to take with you wherever your winter travels lead!

written by:

Katie Jensen, CSCS
Psychology, B.S.
NPTI Graduate

October Nutrition Tip of Week 3: Have a Plan to Divvy up the candy

If your kids are the age where they bring home pillowcases full of Halloween candy, you need to have a plan of action! Have your child pick out 10 of their favorite pieces of candy loot. Divvy the candy up allotting just one or two pieces per day—and give all the rest away! 

This is just one idea on how to deal with candy.  However, there are other alternatives as well- Healthy Alternatives to Trick or Treating

www.FitnessTogether.com/NorthBuckhead

October Nutrition Tip of Week 4: Eat the Halloween pumpkin!

Pumpkin should double as a seasonal decoration and a fall food staple. Pumpkin is loaded with fiber as well as the powerful antioxidant pro-vitamin, beta-carotene. Plus, one entire cup contains a mere 30 calories!  

One of the best parts of the pumpkin is its seeds- aka pepitas! Pepitas are great to add to salads, muffins, or eat by themselves!

Read more in our Nutrient Brief: Pumpkin Power with link to lighter pumpkin pie