Lose 10 lbs. of Fat Tomorrow?

 Turn on your TV or your radio and it’s highly likely a “miracle” supplement is advertised. It seems as though every week, a new supplement is touted to help you lose fat or gain muscle ridiculously fast with minimum efforts. Well, I hate to break it to you, but illegal anabolic steroids are usually the only thing capable of producing rapid fat loss or quick muscle growth.

Dietary supplements are protected under The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), meaning dietary supplements do not have to demonstrate proof of effectiveness or even safety. Scary right!? Some fat burners have even been linked with inflammation of the liver. That’s not all… A product marketed as a vitamin B supplement was linked with unusual hair growth in women and impotence in men.¹ Why? Two potentially harmful anabolic steroids were found in the product.

            

            So just how can you tell if a dietary supplement is a fad? Fear no more, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has provide you with 10 red flags. Now you have the ability to decide if a supplement or even a diet is credible or if it’s a fad promising to give you a fat burning and muscle building “super powers.”

            Here it goes: It promises a quick fix, there are dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen, the claims sound too good to be true, there are simplistic conclusions drawn from a “complex” study, the recommendations are based on a single study, there are dramatic statements that are disproved by reputable scientific organizations, it lists “good” and “bad” foods, testimonials that are used to help sell the product are present, the recommendations are based on studies published without a peer review, and finally the recommendations from studies ignore differences among individuals or groups.³

Hoofta, give me a chance to catch my breath!

            The best approach to a weight loss program includes healthy food choices with exercise, behavior modifications, nutrition education and some motivation. Building muscle requires a gradual increase in energy intake with combined weight lifting to maximize muscle mass gain over fat gain. Finally focus on proper fueling with food rather than dietary supplements.

Once your food is in place, certain dietary supplements can be effective.

            Whey protein, creatine, and even caffeine have been proven to be effective in aiding your training. But before whipping out your wallet for supplements, make sure you keep the 10 red flags in the back of your mind to save your health and your wallet talk with a Registered Dietitian.

Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, a freelance writer on topics of fitness and nutrition, and a dietetic student at South Dakota State University. Once Gavin becomes an RD, he will aim to achieve the distinguished Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential. Gavin can be reached at gavin@supranutrition.com

Reference

1.      Y Radha Krishna, V Mittal, P. Grewal, Mi Fiel, T Schiano. Acute liver failure caused by ‘fat burner’ and dietary supplements: A case report and literature review. Can J Gastroenterol. 2011; 25(3): 157-160.

2.      Food and Drug Administration: FDA warns consumers about health risks with Healthy Life Chemistry dietary supplement.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm362799.htm

3.      ADA. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food and nutrition misinformation. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106:601.

Cranberries--America's "Superfruit"

While news headlines may lead to you believe we need to travel to far-off, exotic locations to unearth nature’s “superfoods,” the reality is we can find “superfoods” right in our back yards.  Gogi, noni or acai berries are popular among health trendsetters; marketers of said foods promise a life-altering experience after consumption of those foods and often the price tag would lead you to believe that yes, this outrageously priced food must be a food cure-all! 

While I cannot vouch for the validity of such promises, I can vouch for the benefits of all-natural, versatile and affordable cranberries.  Cranberries are actually one of two native fruits of North America, the other being blueberries.  Native Americans used cranberries for their medicinal purposes and also to make an energy bar-like product called pemmicana.  While Native Americans called cranberries sassamanesh, Dutch Settlers eventually called them crane berries because the flower resembles the head and bill of a crane.¹   Nowadays, we call them cranberries and I was surprised to learn that cranberries far outrank blueberries and cherries in yield, production and consumption. ² So while we may think of cherries and blueberries as patriotic fruits, cranberries really are all-American.

Besides widespread consumption and popularity, cranberries have numerous convincing health benefits backed by research.  It’s worth noting that a pound of cranberries rings in at about $2.50 per pound while those other, exotic “superfruits” cost around $27 per pound.  So after checking out just a few of cranberries’ health benefits, below, consider keeping a bag of affordable cranberries around year-round, not just throughout the holiday season. 

Urinary tract infections: Antibacterial resistance is an increasing issue and health professionals are looking for other options in treating and preventing infections.  Cranberries have been shown to reduce the incidence of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women and children.  Cranberry consumption prevents bacteria from adhering to cell walls in the urinary tract; if bacteria cannot adhere they won’t grow and cause infection.  Studies have tested 100% juice, juice cocktails as well as capsulated cranberry extracts and found positive results in all.  It appears that drinking a glass of cranberry juice twice a day may have the best benefits.

Cardiovascular:  Cranberries contain a unique set of proanthocyanidins (PAC), including the rare type-A PAC.   With the exception of lingonberries, no other fruit contains type-A PACs at the high level of cranberries.  It is these PACs that give cranberries their associated health benefits. ³ Cranberry consumption leads to an improvement in several cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as cholesterol, inflammation, arterial stiffness and endothelial function. 

Cholesterol—Both animal and human studies show that consumption of cranberry juice anthocyanins lowers LDL cholesterol by interfering with LDL uptake.  Additionally, cranberry anthocyanins inhibit cholesterol ester transfer protein which increases HDL concentrations. 

Inflammation—Because cardiovascular disease is an inflammatory disease, risk is often expressed in terms of levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory biomarkers.  In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that cranberry juice consumption leads to decreases in CRP and vascular cell adhesion molecules in patients with hypercholesterolemia, thus lowering risk.

Arterial Stiffness—Arterial stiffness measures predict cardiovascular events and are often used as a measure of the pathogenesis of hypertension and heart failure.  Luckily for CVD patients, arterial stiffness responds to dietary interventions - and a study by Dohadwala et al. showed that drinking about two cups of a 54% cranberry juice beverage led to a decrease in aortic stiffness.  Additionally, Jennings et. al. found that higher intakes of anthocyanins and flavones are inversely associated with arterial stiffness. ⁴

Endothelial dysfunction—A healthy vascular endothelium produces many factors that maintain vasomotor tone, thrombosis, inflammation and capillary growth.  One of those, nitric oxide, plays an important role in CVD risk as it influences blood vessel dilation, platelet aggregation and anti-inflammatory markers.  Studies have shown that cranberry bioactives increase the bioavailability of NO by increasing concentrations of enzymes that promote NO production; as such, studies have shown increased endothelial dilation and improved function after consumption of cranberry juice consumption (about 2 cups).   

In addition to a reduction in specific CVD risk markers, observational studies have also shown a decreased risk of CVD with increased anthocyanin intake from cranberries.  Considering most Americans are not eating enough fruit, according to the dietary guidelines, cranberries and cranberry products would make an excellent addition to any diet while also reducing risk of disease.  While cranberry products are often sweetened, it is worth noting that cranberry juice contains less sugar (11.7g/100mL) than 100% grape, apple and orange juices (16.5, 11.1 and 10.5 g/100mL).  Additionally, dried or fresh cranberries are also prepared with added sugar but the best use of added sugar is to improve the palatability of nutrient-dense food.  Looking at the research, it is obvious that cranberries definitely are a nutrient-dense food with positive health benefits.

Kym Wroble earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics and minored in food science at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois. She completed the clinical component of her dietetic internship with Iowa State University at Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa. Her previous experience working as a nutrition educator at Scott County WIC provided her with additional focused training in several areas including pregnancy, postpartum wellness, breastfeeding and infant and child nutrition. In June of 2009, Kym completed the CDR Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management.  Kym is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) and the Iowa Dietetic Association.  Additionally, she is also a member of several dietetic practice groups, including the Dietitians in Business and Communications, Food and Culinary Professionals dietetic practice group and the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition dietetic practice group. She has a particular interest in culinary nutrition and enjoys cooking, baking, recipe modification, and learning about food and wine. She played varsity volleyball at Dominican University and continues to enjoy an active lifestyle jogging, biking and weight training.

1.        “Cranberry History,” Ocean Spray, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Web. 26 November 2014.

2.        “Trends and Insights of the Blueberry, Cranberry, and Tart Cherry Industries,” Cherry Industry Administrative Board., CIAB., Web. 26 November 2014.

3.        Blumberg, Jeffrey B., et. al, “Cranberries and Their Bioactive Constituents in Human Health,” Amer. Jour. for Clin. Nutr., 4:2013, 618-632. Web. 25 November 2014.

4.        Jennings, Amy, et. al, “Higher anthocyanin intake is associated with lower arterial stiffness and central blood pressure in women,” Amer. Jour. for Clin. Nutr., 112.042036v1, Web. 26 November 2014.

Don’t Let the Holidays Sabotage Your Workouts asond Waistline

The holidays are here overflowing with parties, yummy treats, alcohol, stress, and lack of time for workouts. Heavy eating and drinking during the holidays can make you feel sluggish, interfere with the intensity of your workouts, and cause you to jump on the weight loss New Year resolution bandwagon.

 

source

You could hide under a blanket in an attempt to avoid the celebrations and delicious foods.   That’s not fun.  The key is balance.  Here are some ways you can even out the playing field and emerge from the holiday season still fitting into your favorite pair of jeans:

·         Don’t show up to holiday parties hungry. If you show up to a party low on fuel, the end result is piling your party plate sky-high with fatty, salty, albeit delicious foods. And you may go back for seconds. Before heading out to a party, have a small snack that will quiet a grumbling belly. For example, try a ¼ cup of trail mix, 2 teaspoons peanut butter on a slice of bread, or a ¼-1/2 cup low fat whipped cottage cheese mixed with 1 teaspoon jam.

·         Hydrate. The abundance of alcohol can dehydrate you. While it’s great to kick back and relax a bit, going overboard can lead to dehydration, greatly impacting your damage-control workout the day after. Be sure to stay well-hydrated throughout the day, and drink water in between your holiday glasses of wine.

·         Load up on healthy stuff.  While at a holiday party, survey the choices. Is there a green salad? Roasted veggies? Sushi platter (not ‘tempura’, aka, fried)? A platter of grapes or fruit salad? Try to load your plate up with the healthiest choices, and save a small portion of your plate for the savory, rich foods.

·         Find a goal to keep motivated.  Keep unwanted pounds away by signing up for a holiday run in your neighborhood. Many towns sponsor a “Ho, Ho, Ho” or “Jingle” run. Check out a website like www.active.com to find out what races are near you. Is your gym holding a holiday challenge? Sign up! This time of year many gyms also start to offer discounts on personal training packages. 

·         Something is better than nothing. We are so busy this time of year, it can be too easy to ditch your workout.  Search through workout magazines and websites for short, yet effective workouts you can squeeze into a 30 minute window.  Many workout DVDs are focused on short, intense workouts lasting 20-30 minutes. The Runner’s World website posted the article “Three Workouts to Maintain Fitness Through the Holidays” featuring short duration, high intensity interval training workouts on the treadmill that may boost post-workout metabolism and possibly help improve speed.  Whatever workout you choose, 30 minutes is always better than nothing!

Should the holidays get the best of you and leave you feeling defeated, remember, you do not need to give up. Pick yourself back up again, find a race or gym challenge that motivates you, urge friends to join you, and get back into the swing of your workouts and healthy eating. Happy Holidays!

Alison Barkman, MS, RD, CDN is an adjunct professor for nutrition undergraduates at LIU/Post in Brookville, NY. She is starting a sports nutrition practice in Garden City, NY, and is available for nutrition counseling, sports nutrition clinics for athletes, and nutrition communications consulting.  She can be reached at AlisonBarkmanNutrition@gmail.com or 516-220-9320. 

Can Walnuts Increase Improve Your Exercise Performance?

                Regular walnut consumption is associated with several health benefits including healthy brain aging, improved cognitive performance and heart health. (1, 2, 3)  But, in case that’s not convincing enough to make you want to add a handful of walnuts to your diet daily, I have another reason. Walnuts may even the ability to improve exercise performance!

source

                Researchers of a study published in the Journal of Laboratory Animal Research, investigated the anti-fatigue effect of walnuts on the forced swimming capacity in mice. (4) A forced swimming test is essentially like dropping you into a water tank where you cannot stand or hold onto something. This type of test acts as both an endurance and a stress test. The mice in the experimental group were given either 300, 600, or 900 mg/kg a day of walnut extract, while the mice in the control group were only given water.  It turns out that the mice who were given walnut extract coped much better than mice in the vehicle control group.

                The increased swimming times by the mice given walnut extract are suggested to be in part due to decreased levels of lactate and ammonia. The accumulation of blood lactate and ammonia are known to cause fatigue and decreased exercise capacity. Therefore, it is suggested that the walnut extract exhibits an anti-fatigue effect. And, while all dosages of walnut extract resulted in increased endurance, 600 mg/kg appears to be the optimal dosage. The walnut extract dosage of 600 mg/kg a day was based on human equivalent of the recommended intake of raw walnut – which is about 42 grams per day, or roughly about a handful.

                Walnuts complement a wide range of flavors and they are great to add to just about anything. Try adding walnuts to your morning cereal, toss some in with your salad, sprinkle them on pasta, or even use them to make delicious dips and spreads!

Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, a freelance writer on topics of fitness and nutrition, and a dietetic student at South Dakota State University. Once Gavin becomes an RD, he will aim to achieve the distinguished Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential. Gavin can be reached at gavin@supranutrition.com

References

1.       Willis, LM., Shukitt-Hale B., Cheng V., Joseph JA. Dose-dependent effects of walnuts on motor and cognitive function in aged rats. Br J Nutr. 2009; 101(8): 1140-4.

2.       Pribis P., Bailey RN., Russell AA., et al. Effects of walnut consumption on cognitive performance in young adults. B J Nutr. 2012; 107(9): 1393-401.

3.       Berryman CE., Grieger JA, West SG., et al. Acute consumption of walnuts and walnut components differentially acute postprandial lipemia, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and cholesterol efflux in humans with mild hypercholesterolemia. J Nutr. 2013; 143(6): 788-94.

4.       Kim DI, Kim KS. Walnut extract exhibits anti-fatigue action via improvement of exercise tolerance in mice. Lab Anim Res. 2013; 29(4): 190-5. 

Beet Recipes: Red Velvet Smoothie and Roasted Beets

Tis' the season!  We learned from Kym's last post of the benefits of beets and exercise.  These two recipes show us how to incorporate more of this seasonal color into our diets.  

Red Velvet Smoothie                                               Serves 1

All you need:

¾ cup 1% milk

½ cup roasted beet cubes (about 1 - 2 whole beets)

3 pitted Medjool dates

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 scoop chocolate or vanilla whey protein powder

½ teaspoon Truvia

¼ cup instant oats

¾ cup ice cubes

1 tablespoon dried cherries

All you do:

1.      In a blender pitcher, combine milk, beets, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, whey protein powder, Truvia and oats. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

2.      Add ice cubes and cherries; blend again to reach desired consistency (1-½ to 2 minutes for a smooth texture).

3.      Pour into a serving glass and serve.

Roasted Beets                                                                                    Serves four

Use roasted beets in the smoothie recipe, above, without olive oil, salt and pepper or serve these roasted beets over a baby spinach or arugula salad. Use a simple vinaigrette made with fresh orange juice, orange zest, olive oil and Dijon mustard.  Top with fresh goat cheese, pistachios or sunflower seeds, leftover roasted chicken and thinly sliced fennel.

All you need:

4 medium beets (about 1 pound without greens)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

All you do:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Trim all but about 1 inch of the stems from the beets.  Wash the beets well and remove any dangling roots.  Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place the wrapped beets in a shallow roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until a skewer inserted into a beet comes out easily, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Remove the beets from the oven and carefully open the foil packet (make sure to keep your hands and face away from the steam).  When the beets are cool enough to handle, carefully peel off skins.  Slice the beets ¼ inch thick.  Toss the beets, oil, and salt and pepper to taste together in a medium bowl.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe serves 2

Calories: 455

Calories from fat: 30

Total fat: 3g

Sat. fat: 1.75g

Cholesterol: 30mg

Sodium: 130mg

Total Carbohydrate: 98g

Fiber: 12g

Protein: 19g

Vitamin A: 10% DV

Vitamin C: 5% DV

Calcium: 25% DV

Iron: 15% DV

Kym Wroble RD, LD earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics and minored in food science at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois. She completed the clinical component of her dietetic internship with Iowa State University at Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa. Her previous experience working as a nutrition educator at Scott County WIC provided her with additional focused training in several areas including pregnancy, postpartum wellness, breastfeeding and infant and child nutrition. In June of 2009, Kym completed the CDR Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management.  Kym is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) and the Iowa Dietetic Association.  Additionally, she is also a member of several dietetic practice groups, including the Dietitians in Business and Communications, Food and Culinary Professionals dietetic practice group and the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition dietetic practice group. She has a particular interest in culinary nutrition and enjoys cooking, baking, recipe modification, and learning about food and wine. She played varsity volleyball at Dominican University and continues to enjoy an active lifestyle jogging, biking and weight training.

Follow Kym Wroble, RD, LD, on Pinterest. 

Last Call for SCAN Dietetic Internship Applications

Designed to support SCAN student members in the completion of their dietetic internship, the SCAN Dietetic Internship Award provides funds for up to ten SCAN student members each year. Students are eligible if they are a SCAN member at the time of time of application submission and remain a member during the year funds are received.

For additional information on applying click here. 

The Dirt on Beets: Improving Athletic Performance, One Sip at A Time

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, beets are proving to be one food you may want to consider adding to your training repertoire.  As fellow SCAN blogger Gavin Van De Walle wrote, beets have the potential to improve athletic performance and cardiovascular health, thanks to their high nitrate content.  Through a series of reactions, the body converts nitrates to nitric oxide; nitric oxide, essential to body function, has several beneficial effects, including blood vessel dilation, lower resting blood pressure and increased blood flow to tissues throughout the body.  Recent evidence indicates that supplementing the diet with inorganic nitrates lowers the oxygen cost of exercise, making muscles more efficient, and may enhance athletic performance by increasing time to exhaustion, power output and exercise tolerance. ¹ 

The synthesis of nitric oxide occurs at the time of low oxygen, low pH and intense physical activity, Nitrate consumption is especially beneficial for short (5-30 minutes) bouts of intense, aerobic physical activity, such as running, sprinting or rowing. ^{2, 3}  Researchers are starting to discover that nitrates may also be helpful for team sports, where repeated bouts of high-power, high-intensity energy are required (such as football or volleyball).⁴

Beets and beet juice have been researched most extensively at doses equivalent to approximately 1-½ cups roasted beets or 500mL of beet juice, providing approximately 500mg of nitrates. Other high-nitrate foods include spinach, escarole, lettuce, celery and arugula; it’s likely these other foods would also prove beneficial.  Considering that “whole foods” also contain fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients that have beneficial health effects, opting for whole beets instead of beet juice would be beneficial. 

If you don’t care for beets or beet juice, there is the option of Beet Elite.  Using a low-temperature dehydrating process, the folks at Beet Elite create a powdery substance made from organically grown beets.  Though the company’s patented technology, the nitrate-nitric oxide conversion occurs more quickly, allowing you to consume the drink just 30 minutes prior to your workout (rather than two to three hours).  Mix the crystals with ½ cup of water and voila!  Your pre-workout beverage is served.  Each serving is the equivalent of six beets. The smaller serving size (1/2 cup liquid vs. 2 cups of juice) is also appealing.  Unless you enjoy eating beets, daily, before your workouts, you may want to consider this route.

I was skeptical of all these promises but after using Beet Elite before my “short but intense” rides for my most recent century ride training, I can attest that my workouts felt easier and I was able to ride stronger than when I did not use it.(Not exactly a high-quality scientific experiment, but perhaps helpful, nonetheless).  How does it taste?  Definitely a little, ahem, “earthy.” It definitely tastes of beets but black cherry-flavored Beet Elite is definitely palatable and something one can tolerate for the added performance benefits.

There are a few caveats to using nitrates as an ergogenic aid, however.  First, the nitrate-nitric oxide cascade begins in your mouth by salivary bacteria; use mouthwash containing alcohol and you kill off those good bugs and prevent the reaction from occurring.  Second, nitric oxide in blood peaks two to three hours after nitrate consumption; if opting for whole beets or other nitrate-rich foods, meal planning is essential.  Third, a daily dose of nitrates (or Beet Elite) is required to keep plasma nitrate levels elevated.  Finally, most studies have tested activity that is short in duration (30 minutes); for longer bouts of activity, the research is still out but folks at Beet Elite recommend a second dose (after four hours, not exceeding two doses in 24 hours) for longer endurance events.  



Kym Wroble earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics and minored in food science at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois. She completed the clinical component of her dietetic internship with Iowa State University at Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa. Her previous experience working as a nutrition educator at Scott County WIC provided her with additional focused training in several areas including pregnancy, postpartum wellness, breastfeeding and infant and child nutrition. In June of 2009, Kym completed the CDR Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management.  Kym is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) and the Iowa Dietetic Association.  Additionally, she is also a member of several dietetic practice groups, including the Dietitians in Business and Communications, Food and Culinary Professionals dietetic practice group and the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition dietetic practice group. She has a particular interest in culinary nutrition and enjoys cooking, baking, recipe modification, and learning about food and wine. She played varsity volleyball at Dominican University and continues to enjoy an active lifestyle jogging, biking and weight training.

Follow Kym Wroble, RD, LD, on Pinterest. 

http://pinterest.com/wrobkymb/

References

1.      Jones, A, Dietary Nitrate supplementation and exercise performance, Sports Med. 2014: 44(Suppl. 1): 35-45.

2.      Murphy, Margaret et al., Whole Beetroot Consumption Acutely Improves Running Performance, Jour of the Acad of Nutr and Diet. 2012: 112(4) , 548-552.

3.      Lansley KE, Winyard PG, Bailey SJ, et al. Acute dietary nitrate supplementation improves cycling time trial performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011: 43(6):1125-1131.

4.      Wylie, Lee et al., Dietary nitrate supplementation improves team sport-specific intense intermittent exercise performance. Eur Jour of Appl Phys. 2013: 113(7): 1373-1684