Are You Increasing Your Risk of Diabetes?

Strength Training (Photo credit: Rtist MrB)

People who were sedentary for roughly 12 hours a day had higher blood sugar levels than those who were sedentary for around 9 hours. Doing less exercise and being overweight also raised the risk of higher blood sugar, but among people with equal levels of exercise or excess weight, those who sat the longest had a higher risk.

What to do: Get out of that chair whenever possible, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. Try standing at your desk, during meetings, or during other activities where it's feasible. Walk to the bus or train (or your destination!) to minimize your time behind the wheel. Don't spend all your leisure time sitting in front of a TV, computer, or movie screen. And don't forget aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) and strength training.

Sources: Diabetologia 2013. doi:10.1007/s00125-013-2845-9. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act.2013. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-20.
 

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Are you getting enough sleep?

Main health effects of sleep deprivation (See Wikipedia:Sleep deprivation). Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although most people get around five to seven hours of sleep a night, experts caution that number should really be somewhere closer to eight hours of sleep. "The problem with being chronically sleep-deprived (as in, missing one to two hours nightly) is that the body perceives the sleep loss as a "stress," which increases levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol (which interferes with insulin function)," says Shawn Talbott, nutritional biochemist and author of "The Secret Vigor: How to Overcome Burnout, Restore Biochemical Balance, and Reclaim Your Natural Energy."

That means blood sugar regulation is compromised and you'll crave more sweets and junk food. The increased appetite for unhealthy snacks puts you at risk for abdominal weight gain, diabetes and obesity. 

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How Many Servings of Fruit And Vegetables Should You Consume?

Fruits and vegetables (Photo credit: nutrilover)

The average person should consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a minimum. Athletes probably need even more - I recommend 10-15 servings per day for each of my athletes. Expert often spend too much time arguing about organic vs. regular fruits and veggies. I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they have a higher micronutrient count, but any fruits and veggies are better than none! Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they're organic or not.

Are You Eating For Two?

Restaurant potions tend to be huge. To help control your portions ask the waiter to immeditaly put half of your meal in a take home box and the bring the rest to your table. Chances are that half portion will satisfy your hunger and you can save the remainder for another day.

What Are The Benefits Of Exercise?

Fitball Group Fitness Class Category:Fitness Category:Challenges to physical balance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember, there are numerous benefits of regular exercise besides just losing weight. So, don’t base your fitness results purely on whether you are losing pounds or inches. Other important factors include having more energy, sleeping better, increased stamina and increased endurance. Or, even simply being able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting as winded.



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Are Salads A Healthy Option?

You really can't go wrong with fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. Salad dressings however are a different story.  I personally just use fresh lemon juice for my dressing.  

When eating out watch out for too much salad dressing. Restaurants often drown a salad in dressing causing your "lite" menu option to be not quite so. Salad dressing can easily add 200-300 calories! Ask for it on the side and try to limit your amount to about 2 tablespoons.

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Stop Trying To Be Perfect

If some people eat one food not on their plan, their failure to be perfect sets in motion a psychological chain of events that leads to frustration and the inability to get right back on the plan. The all-or-nothing mentality sets in and BAM, they're back to nothing. But it doesn't have to be this way. 100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible. So allow yourself the extra 10% wiggle room. This will allow you the freedom to eat a few extra things not on your menu without the guilt and subsequent crash.

Get Rid Of The Junk Food

If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you'll eventually eat it. If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices. If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.

What Do I Eat?

People often ask me what I eat.  I eat a gluten free, plant baseddiet.  I eat grains like amaranth, oatmeal and quinoa.  I eat organic locally grown fruits and vegetables that are in season.  I head to the freezer section if I can't find enough fresh fruits and vegetables to complete my caloric needs for the week.  I also eat raw unsalted nuts and seeds.       I drink filtered water and green tea mostly.  On occasion I will drink a glass of wine and or champagne.  I have noticed over the years that alcohol, even wine make me feel lethargic the next day.  When you eat clean you will immediately feel the consequences of eating and drinking crap. I eat 3 meals a day with a snack.  I have my last meal 3 hours before I go to bed.  I find I do better when I set clear boundaries for myself.  Most people eat from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed.  I have been eating this way for a while now, and I love how I look and feel.  Eating this way is very easy for me, but I do not try to push this on my clients. I do however stress the importance of eating real food, and staying away fromprocessed foods that are very high in calories, but offer very little nutrition. When it is all said and done you make 1 of 3 choices with your food intake.  Lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight.  If you are happy with your current weight, then keep doing what you are doing.  If you want to gain or lose weight you must change your diet. For daily health and fitness tips join me on Facebook or Twitter.