Exercise does not make you lose weight

Ok, here we go...

EXERCISE DOES NOT PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS

So, that dessert you think you can get away with because you just worked out, isn't guilt free and it will affect your weight.

The amount of people who tell me that they have joined a gym and are going 3-5 times a week and are NOT noticing a change - in fact they've put ON weight, is just astounding.  I often ask my patients if they've noticed a difference since starting at they gym and more often than not the answer is NO.

You see, exercise is good for you - it's a necessity for good health.  Exercise is associated with a diminished risk of cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and even obesity - to name but a few.  Of course it does tone you up which can lead to a decrease in volume.  So don't throw out your trainers or cancel your gym membership just yet.

This is why so many people that make a New Year's resolution to lose weight and join a gym to do just that, end up getting frustrated and give up when they don't get any results or worse still, they get fatter.

So here's why your exercise plan is making you gain weight not lose it:

To start with is the type of foods you are eating.  Lots of people believe they need lots of carbohydrates to go to the gym, you know, for instant energy.  The truth is - you don't.  I have been going on for years about how carbs make you fat.  And they do, even if you work out a lot or run a lot.  Carbs are carbs whoever you are.  You only need high carb meals if you are a professional athlete or a marathon runner.  Energy drinks are also packed full of sugar and really aren't necessary.  POWERADE released a report stating that only athletes who are doing multiple, high-intensity training sessions, lasting longer than 60 minutes need extra fuel.  So, gels, protein bars and sports drinks just contribute to you piling on the pounds.

Now, I have also said that the AMOUNT of calories isn't the problem - and it isn't.  It's the TYPE of calories, as in where you get your calories from.  The body processes protein, fat and carbs in different ways and for different reasons and that determines if you  lose or gain weight.  However, many of us are unaware of:

a) How difficult it is to burn calories and

b) Just how many calories are in your favourite post workout treats.  

For example, a standard 20 minute workout will only just about cover the calories content of a large glass of wine... forget the chips and olives that come with it!

Be careful about calculating how many calories you burn.  A body burns calories even when you are doing nothing, just by functioning.  For example a man weighing 10st burns approximately 70 calories while lying on a sofa watching TV.  If he goes to the gym and rows on a machine for an hour, the machine will tell him he's burned 250 calories TOTAL, when in fact he has only burned an extra 180 calories - the other 70 he would have burned anyway!  But, I insist STOP COUNTING CALORIES; burned, ingested or otherwise - it won't get you anywhere.

Post workout latte = 180calories

Stress will also ruin any exercise results you could hope for.  When an unstressed person exercises the body releases cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.  High levels of this hormone causes the body to hold on to fat for survival.  However, if you are unstressed and your body is functioning correctly, the exercise also releases endorphins which balance out the cortisol increase and stops your body going into survival mode and storing fat.  But this doesn't work properly in a stressed person.  A stressed person already has high levels of cortisol circulating and the exercise releases even more making the level too high for the endorphins to balance out, so the stressed body goes into survival mode.  Cortisol also stores fat around the middle which is the dangerous kind that increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers such as breast cancer.

There is also the probability that you are rewarding yourself above and beyond what you need.  Quite often we reward ourselves with something delicious thinking; "I deserve this, I've just run for an hour!"  Well I have news, those rewards are usually carb based and 

REFINED CARBS MAKE YOU FAT!

Yes, I'm shouting!!!!!  The main foods that help you put on weight are:

Bread, pasta, potatoes, carrots, white rice, sugar... in other words: toast, sandwiches, pasta - with or without sauce, sushi (but not sashimi), noodles, croissants, doughnuts, biscuits, cake, chocolate, fries, cooked carrots (raw carrots in moderation are ok).

If you need an "on the go" high energy boost without eating carbs, try a small handful of RAW nuts - any type you like - except peanuts!

Finally, variety is the spice of life.  Just as I encourage you to be as varied as possible in your diet, try changing your workout routine.  Our bodies are capable of getting used to doing the same thing over and over again, so spice it up and keep it on its toes.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

To sit or to stand... that is the question.

Most of us spend 8-9 hours a day sitting at a desk in an office and staring at a computer screen.  This is what is "normal".  Thanks to the wonders of technology, life has become far more sedentary than it used to be.  Believe me I am not knocking technology, but you have to admit that life is far less strenuous than it was for our parents or grandparents.

There have been lots of articles recently about the need to stand while at work, or to move as much as possible.  I, for one, believe as NASA does that the more we move the healthier we will be.  You may recall I wrote a post a while back about NASA's take on exercise.  In it I stated that if you work in an office sitting at a desk for 8-9 hours you are killing your self and that going to the gym between 3 to 5 times a week does not reduce the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

The risks associated to a sedentary lifestyle are:

• The electrical activity of muscles drops initiating a whole host of dangerous metabolic effects
• The body's calorie-burning mechanisms slow down
• Insulin efficiency drops which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Obesity escalates as enzymes that break down lipids and triglycerides also drop bringing levels of HDL (good cholesterol) down with them

The good thing is that this type of information seems to be getting through to lots of people.  Standing desks have been designed and are available in many different shapes, forms and prices.  IKEA even sells them.  There are also other ways to turn your office desk into a standing desk without having to buy a whole new desk; the incredibly expensive Varidesk is an great example of this... such a shame it is so expensive!  There is also a new Kickstarter project for a LEANING desk which may be better for some people.

But when I first started reading about this I kept coming back to the same thing.  Wouldn't standing up to work be difficult?  Would it be comfortable?  Would my feet hurt or my back?  I am used to working for half an hour and then getting up and moving around.  I'm lucky in that I work from home so after 30 minutes of working on my computer I get up and hoover a room, or do the dusting, or empty the dishwasher or put the washing machine on... you name it, I do it and combining working with housework means that everything gets done.  But I do sit to work and when I have patient clinics I sit to talk to my patients.

But there is a lot to be said for standing.  I have read several articles this week about the health benefits of standing while at work;

• weight loss
• core strength
• improvements in osteoporosis
• better posture
• reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• reduced risk of some cancers (breast and colon cancers are influenced by physical activity or rather the lack of)
• lower long-term mortality risk
• Better brain function
• Some even report working more efficiently while standing.

Winston Churchill

Even though this may be a new concept for many people, 90% of Swedish office workers have a standing desk available to them compared to only 1% in England, but standing to work has been around for a very long time.  Devotees to this trend from way back were famous people such as Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens and Virginia Wolf, maybe they were on to something!

I have written this post standing up for the first time ever... not a bad experience although I have to admit my lower back is complaining slightly!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Hitting the plateau in your diet

We have all experimented that moment on a diet when you hit a plateau and you just can't seem to lose any more weight.  There are many reasons for this, a popular one is that your body gets used to the reduced calorie intake (if that is the type of diet you are following) and so stops burning fat to get the calories it needs.  However, there are other reasons.

There are certain foods that are thought of as healthy but are actually a major obstacle in weight loss.  They can also alter the focus of your metabolism as the body can perceive them as a toxin.  This sends your body into stress mode which makes it store fat "just in case".

These metabolism altering foods can cause; weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, fatigue, hormone imbalance and digestive disease.

Here are six examples of diet destroying foods:

1.  WHOLE GRAINS.  Most people are carb conscious nowadays - or at least I hope they are!  Refined carbs, in my opinion, are the number 1 cause of weight gain.  So lots of people have swapped refined white bread, pasta, etc for whole grain.  However, whole grains contain three compounds; starch, gluten and phytic acid that ruin your metabolism.

I am not a fan of carbs, especially when trying to lose weight, I tell most of my patients to reduce them to a bare minimum.  However, some say that they miss their daily morning carb intake and that swapping that for fruit just makes them more hungry.  My advice is to eat avocados.  Don't be afraid of their high fat content, it's healthy fat and won't hurt your diet.

2.  FRUIT JUICE.  Consider this a refined carb.  When you extract the juice from fruit you are effectively removing ALL the fiber from the fruit, turning it into liquid sugar.  Sugar is a carb and carbs make you gain weight.  If you want fruit then eat the whole fruit as the fiber content means you will release the sugars more slowly and avoid blood sugar spikes.

DRINK WATER!  Water is such a necessity and we drink far too little in general.  The other thing I like to do in the summer is to make mint tea or herbal teas and then drink them chilled with ice.  Coconut water is also a great refresher but remember, no more than one a day.

3.  VEGETABLE OILS/ MARGARINE.  These types of oils tend to be high in hydrogenated fats which cause high levels of inflammation in the body and disrupt your hormones and metabolism.

The best fats to use are in fact coconut oil, grass fed butter and olive oil.  Butter from grass fed cows is high in CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) and thus supports metabolism and coconut oil motivates fat loss because it is high in MCFAs (Medium Chain Fatty Acids).  Coconut oil is also better for cooking as it doesn't oxidize at high temperatures.  You can use extra virgen olive oil to drizzle on your salad or steamed vegetables.

4.  ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS.  Really?  Do I have to go through this again?  Poison in a packet.  Aspartame is related to at least 92 adverse health problems .  Also when you consume something sweet - even if it doesn't have any calories - the brain perceives the sweetness and sets the antiglucose spike mechanism in motion.  Effectively reacting in exactly the same way it would if there were calories, so you will NOT lose weight.

Stick to Stevia in cases where you can't live without making your coffee or tea sweet.  I ditched the sweetener from all teas.  It took me a week to get used to the taste.  I still have Stevia in coffee though.  Honey may be nature's sugar but it is still sugar and therefore still a carb.

5.  PEANUT BUTTER.  Touted as a healthy way to boost energy, but peanuts are prone to a fungus called aflatoxin because they are grown on soil and stored in damp silos.  Aflatoxins can affect gut health.  Peanuts are also one of the most common allergens and have been linked to other health problems such as leaky gut, food intolerances and a slow metabolism.

Almond butter is better.  High in an amino acid; L-arginine which increases HGH (growth hormone) production in your body which causes your body to build lean muscle which motivates your metabolism.  Almond butter is also very easy to make at home.

6.  GRANOLA.  There are many health benefits to eating nuts - especially raw nuts.  But the mix in granola of grains to nuts weighs heavily on the grains and not many nuts.  Granola bars are also stuck together with honey - which is sugar however natural honey may be.  Also the honey used for making commercial granola bars is usually heavily processed and void of any pollen.  All these commercially made granola bars will do for you is sabotage your weight loss.

A handful of raw nuts will do much more for you than a granola bar or you can make your own healthy trail mix.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Grilled Cobb Salad

I found this recipe on bonappetit.com and just knew that I had to try it.  This is a great vegan dish that can be used as a one dish dinner for 4 or as a salad to be served at your next BBQ.  I know I quite often have problems coming up with side dishes for our BBQs and this just screamed "MAKE ME!"... so I did.

It was everything I had anticipated and more so here it is:

Grilled Cobb Salad - www.bonappetit.com

1 1/2 Cups quinoa
1 Teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
1/4 Cup olive oil, plus more
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Bunch scallions
1 Pint cherry tomatoes
1 Avocado, cut into cubes
1/2 Cup mint leaves
1/4 Cup chopped pistachios
Flaky sea salt

Preparation:

Bring quinoa, 1tsp kosher salt, and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove pan from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes.  Fluff quinoa with a fork, transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile whisk the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Drizzle over the warm quinoa and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.

Prepare a grill to medium/high heat.  Grill the scallions and the tomatoes until charred in spots and the tomatoes begin to split, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and slice scallions into 1 inch pieces.

Spoon quinoa onto a platter and top with scallions, tomatoes, avocado, mint and pistachios.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

It couldn't be easier and it's delicious!

Noise... Stop the noise!

I was having trouble coming up with a post this week.  So, I was reading through lots of information but nothing was inspiring.  Then I read an article about how noise affects our health but it didn't really come to much as far as a solution goes until I stumbled across another article in Wired.

Let me explain.  Life just gets noisier and noisier and a growing number of experts believe that noise is making us sick and that it is time to start a new diet... "The Noise Diet".

Studies have linked high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and even obesity to high levels of noise such as road traffic, trains, planes and crying children.

A Danish study, published in the European Heart Journal in 2011, found that for every ten decibel increase in nearby road noise, increased the risk of stroke in persons aged 65 and over by more than a quarter.

Researchers at Imperial College London and King's College London found in 2013 that people living near to Heathrow Airport had a greater risk of being admitted to hospital or dying prematurely.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, have found that people who live near busy roads are more likely to gain weight around their middles than people who live in quieter areas.

People who lived under a flight path or near a railway also had a greater risk of being overweight and people exposed to all three types of traffic pollution had double the risk of weight gain.

Stephen Stansfeld, professor of psychiatry at Queen Mary University of London explains how noise affects health:

"Noise is a stressor that raises our arousal levels, influencing the nervous system and hormone levels in the body.  We are programmed to respond to noise, particularly if it represents a threat - and when we are under stress, the body secretes the fight or flight hormones including cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are designed to get you out of danger.

"But those hormones also raise heart rate, blood pressure and encourage the body to lay down emergency fat supplies."

Noise also affects our sleep, which in turn has a negative impact on our health, leading to depression and fatigue during the day.

However, it isn't just about volume.  Different people find different types of noise annoying - some people can't take the noisy children, but for others it can be the low constant hum of technological equipment.

But how can you turn down environmental noise?  You have no control over traffic noise or the kids next door, so what can you do?

And here was my thing that they article didn't give much hope to the reader; the researchers haven't managed to come up with any really good solutions...

• Installing double glazing
• Wearing earplugs in bed
• Having more plants in the office apparently protects against noise as they absorb sound waves

One thing they do say is that putting music on or wearing headphones to listen to music to block out environmental noise or annoying sounds is not the solution... it's just even more noise.

But here is when I had that EUREKA! moment...  I stumbled across an interesting article in Wired written by David Pierce.

He has been to a San Francisco based company called Doppler that seems to have found the solution to the noise that surrounds us.

Doppler Labs have designed a set of earbuds called "HERE".  Yes, I know, I just said that headphones aren't the solution, but these earbuds are different.  HERE let you adjust the environmental noise to your liking.

HERE are not headphones, and they aren't a hearing aid either.  They let you customize your hearing.  You can turn down the volume of environmental noise.  You have volume control, an EQ for your ears.  You can turn the bass up and selectively mute sounds you don't want to hear.

Executive Chairman, Ftiz Lanman says,

"Hearing is a human feature, and we want to make that awesome.  Just having a volume knob in your ears is amazing."

The earbuds work with an app for your smartphone that lets you make all the adjustments you want, when you want.  So maybe, just maybe, we will be able to adjust environmental noise very soon.

HERE will be launched in December 2015, you can preorder now on Kickstarter for $179 with a retail price of $219 when they officially launch in December.

You can read the full article here.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com