Why Do We Eat So Much?

We all know we're supposed to eat healthy portions. So why is it that a rough day at the office or even just the smell of chocolate-chip cookies can cause us to throw our best intentions out the window?

Well, here's what we've observed over the years as to why so many of us overdo it -- and you can use this information to break the cycle and prevent an unwanted "pile-on of pounds".


YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

Missing out on your zzz's not only puts you in a mental fog, it also triggers a constellation of actual metabolic changes that may lead to weight gain. A lack of shut-eye harms your waistline because it affects two important hormones that control appetite and satiety--leptin and ghrelin--says Kristen L. Knutson, Ph.D., a research associate specializing in sleep and health at the University of Chicago's Department of Medicine.

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people who slept only four hours a night for two nights had an 18 percent decrease in leptin (a hormone that signals the brain that the body has had enough to eat) and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin (a hormone that triggers hunger), compared with those who got more rest. The result: Sleep-deprived study volunteers reported a 24 percent boost in appetite. Short sleep can also impair glucose metabolism and over time set the stage for type 2 diabetes, Knutson notes.

How to get control:

When we're exhausted, we hunger for just about everything in sight, especially if it's sugary or high in carbs. That may be because these foods give us both an energy boost and comfort (since lack of sleep is a stressor), Knutson says. To quell the urge for fattening foods and still get the energy kick you need, reach for a combination of complex carbs and protein.

"If you're feeling tired, you want carbs. But go for high-fiber carbs for long-lasting energy," says Keri Gans, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). "Fiber burns slower than simple sugars, and adding in some protein keeps you satisfied longer."

At breakfast, have whole-wheat toast with egg whites or a high-fiber cereal with fruit and a yogurt. And for a food-free way to perk up during the day, take a 10-minute walk outside. You also can prevent uncontrollable cravings in the first place by prioritizing a good night's sleep -- get seven to nine hours a night in a slumber-friendly bedroom (one that's as dark and quiet as possible and reserved for shut-eye and sex only).

A final tip: If you're plagued by sleep problems, ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist.


YOU'RE SABOTAGED BY STRESS

Constant stress causes your body to pump out high doses of hormones, like cortisol, that over time can boost your appetite and lead you to overeat. "Cortisol and insulin shift our preferences toward comfort foods--high-fat, high-sugar, or high-salt foods," says Elissa Epel, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Department of Psychiatry and a leader of the UCSF Center on Obesity Assessment, Study, and Treatment.

Fat cells also produce cortisol, so if you're overweight and stressed, you're getting a double-whammy in terms of exposure. Overweight women gained weight when faced with common stressors such as job demands, having a tough time paying bills, and family-relationship strains, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Cortisol, together with insulin, also causes your body to store more visceral fat, which is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, Epel notes. What's more, stress makes it harder to stick with a healthy eating plan. "It's a reason why people go off diets," notes Marci Gluck, Ph.D., a clinical research psychologist at the Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section of the National Institutes of Health in Phoenix, Arizona. Folks who normally restrict their eating, tend to overeat in response to stress.

How to get control:

Sure, real-life pressures can put you in nonstop-nibble mode. But working stress-reduction techniques into your busy days can really help. Yoga, meditation, and deep-breathing exercises are powerful tools that keep tension in check. And spending 20 minutes doing progressive muscle relaxation--alternately tensing and relaxing muscle groups--significantly lessens stress, anxiety, and cortisol, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders.

Exercise will also do the trick. "Try dancing to your favorite tunes, running in place, playing a sport, or taking a simple walk," says Elisa Zied, R.D., an ADA spokeswoman and author of "Nutrition at Your Fingertips." When you're feeling edgy, make a habit of turning to these activities rather than diving into your candy stash. If you're feeling completely overwhelmed by stress, talk to a counselor who specializes in stress management.


YOU'VE GOT FATTY FOODS (LITERALLY) ON THE BRAIN

We're hardwired to hunger for fatty, sugary, salty foods because, back when our ancestors were foraging for every meal, palatable eats meant extra energy and a leg-up on survival, says Dr. David A. Kessler, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and author of "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite."

So it's not just a lack of willpower that's tripping you up, but rather your outdated survival mode. In fact, when you eat fat-rich foods, your brain not only gets a signal that your body is satisfied but also forms long-term memories of the experience, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. What once helped early humans survive is now giving us ever-expanding waistlines.

Adding to the challenge to control overeating, the mere sight of food can cue up a craving. "[Cravings] are based on past learning and memories as well as the sight or smell of food, time of day, or location," Kessler says. "You'll walk down the street and start thinking about chocolate-covered pretzels because you've had them before on the same street."

How to get control:

Avoid eating your favorite treat if you're in a particular mood, if it's a certain time of day, or if you're in a specific place; this will prevent you from creating a triggering link between those feelings or locations and that treat, Kessler says. And since the smell and sight of fatty, sugary foods is pure temptation, try to keep yourself from passing the bakery or ice cream shop you can't resist.

Also, pay attention to what you're thinking when temptation strikes. "Once the brain is activated [by a craving], having that inner dialogue of, 'No, I shouldn't have that,' only increases the wanting," Kessler notes. Instead, focus on something you want more than that slice of cheesecake--from being healthier for your kids to feeling less winded when you walk to work--to help override the urge. If logic is out the window, indulge in healthier, high-protein versions of your favorites such as low-fat frozen yogurt with almonds when you crave a sundae or a fat-free protein shake when you need a chocolate fix.


YOU ATE IT ANYWAY, NOW WHAT?

Forgive yourself. "Having one overindulgent meal should not derail you from your healthful eating habits, while being too negative will make you more likely to throw up your hands in despair and overindulge at the next meal or several meals for days to come," Elisa Zied, R.D., says.

Give yourself a do-over. Blowing it at one meal or snack is not a convenient excuses to eat bad for the rest of the day and "start over tomorrow"!

• Immediately start over with lean protein, veggies, whole grains, and fruit, and drink plenty of water, Zied suggests.

• Learn from it. Think about what triggered your overindulgence--not to punish yourself, but to choose smarter next time. "If you keep a food journal, you might see you ended up pigging out because you waited too long to eat," Keri Gans, R.D., says.

• Add on exercise. To feel in control again, simply tack on a few extra minutes to your regular walk, gym routine, etc. At the same time, "try not to think of exercise as a punishment for overindulging," Zied says. If you do, you'll grow to dread the gym.

The Best Insider Fitness Tips - Part 2

Last time, I began sharing what are probably the simplest and best everyday fitness tips of all time. As you may recall, I pointed out how our fitness is determined, in large part, by a stream decisions we make every day, every hour and even every minuet We should constantly be asking ourselves this question: What is the best thing for me and my body right now? In the last blog, I covered 11 pearls of fitness wisdom that I hope you've already put into practice in your daily life. Now, here are the other 10 tips that I know you'll find useful, easy to implement, and highly effective.

#12. Drink a large glass of water before every meal. It may seem like a chore, but drinking a large glass of water before eating is a great way to partially fill you up and prevent you from overeating.

#13. When lifting weights, try slowing down the speed at which you lower the weight. Lowering weight in a controlled manner will add strength and tone to your muscles and decrease the chance of an injury.

#14. Eating right when you wake up is vital to breaking the fast your body goes into every night. 2- 3 hours after you eat your body shuts down your metabolism and acts as if it needs to store food. In order to communicate with your body that it is healthy, well fed, and not in need of extra fat storage you need to start your day off with a small meal and continue to eat small meals every 2-3 hours.

#15. Try the straight leg raise for a challenging ab workout. Lie on your back with your hands under your low back, legs straight out in front of you. With your lower back on the floor, exhale as you pull your legs straight up into the air. Inhale as you lower your legs back down to the mat. This exercise helps to strengthen and flatten your lower abs.

#16. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars for a leaner body. Your body is in constant need of carbohydrates to be converted into glucose and used as fuel. When your body has extra glucose it will be stored as fat for later use. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, take longer to break down into glucose, and will therefore be less likely to be stored as fat than simple carbohydrates such as table sugar, or fruit sugar.

#17. Make sure that you are exercising in your "Fat Burn Zone" during cardiovascular workouts by checking to see if you can hold conversation without breathlessness. Your body needs oxygen to aide in fat burn, so make sure that you are breathing deeply.

#18. Want to spend 5 seconds a day to encourage weight loss? Drink a glass of cold water every night right before you get into bed. Your body will have to heat this water up to your body's temperature of 98 degrees, and it will have to burn a few calories in the process! This sets your body up to burn calories as you sleep! When you make this 5 second activity a habit, you will be excited to find yourself losing weight easier than ever before.

#19. Your body needs a variety of nutrients to function at its peak and burn fat. Find new, healthy alternatives to your daily meals, and substitute them frequently. Make sure that you are eating 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, of different colors.

#20. Losing patience with exercise? The key to weight loss and fitness gains is to consistently give your body new challenges. Mix up your workouts every few weeks, and don't be afraid to try something new! Hire a personal trainer who can help you add new excitement to your fitness program.

#21. Water is needed for every function of your body, including the burning of fat. Try drinking a big glass of water in the morning, before meals, while exercising, and before bed. Drink up – it’s good for you!

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! To gain the most from these tips I suggest that you hire an experienced personal trainer who can guide you all the way to your goals.
Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged! Now go get’em!

The Best Insider Fitness Tips - Part 1

Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions.

#1.Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing balanced amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

#2.The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.

#3. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog for as little as 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning. Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake up is more effective since your body is depleted of calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores. A personal trainer can help you identify your ideal target heart rate for maximum fat burn.

#4. The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.

#5.During your workouts do exercise that incorporate compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more muscle at once! A few good compound movement exercises include: squats, clean and press, dead lifts, bent over rows, and lunges.

#6. Want to effortlessly drop 30 lbs in one year? Millions of people drink an average of 2 regular soft drinks a day, which is a total of 300 calories. When you add these extra 300 calories up over a year, they result in over 30lbs of weight gain! Say no to soft drinks, and say goodbye to your unwanted pounds!

#7. Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

#8. Set fitness goals for yourself, write them down and post them where you will see them everyday. Your goal may be to lose 5 pounds, to lose 5 inches off your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your goals, vague goals will get you nowhere. A qualified personal trainer can help you set your goals and guide you to them.

#9. Pump some iron! Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns 30-50 calories per day, while 1 lb of fat only burns about 9 calories per day? The more muscle your body contains the more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has been called the fountain of youth – and it really is!

#10. Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If you have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don't desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.

#11. Make a habit of weighting and measuring yourself monthly and tracking your gains and losses. This will prevent gradual weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.

You Can’t Crap Your Way to Fitness

It’s that time of year again: Summer’s almost over and people haven’t lost the weight they promised themselves they’d loose last Summer, and desperation is setting in. You’ve probably heard the ads by now: Loose 5 to 20 pounds without exercise or diet just by “removing the wastes trapped in your colon wall like spackling inside a pipe…” It must be effective right? I mean, it’s expensive, uncomfortable and potentially fatal, so it’s a sure-fire solution.

Of course it’s all a sham. Nothing gets trapped in your colon - it’s not a sewer pipe. Just ask anyone who’s recently had a colonoscopy - and they have the pictures to prove it. Having a “blow out” won’t get rid of any fat, won’t make you any healthier and in most cases won’t even temporarily decrease your abdominal measurement by so much as a centimeter. Why?

First, a little basic biology. The colon, also called the large intestine, follows the small intestine and comprises the end of the gastrointestinal tract. Most nutrients from food are absorbed in the small intestine. The colon absorbs water and salts from the stool while it pushes it along through the rectum, which excretes it.

Laxatives and enemas, which promote bowel movements, have been around for at least 4,000 years and were famously practiced by the ancient Egyptians. That shouldn't be an endorsement; the ancient Egyptians also buried servants alive to attend to the mummified kings in the afterlife.

The golden age of the colon in America was in the late 19th century when—perhaps influenced by a new emphasis on hygiene and proper sewage removal—serious-minded doctors developed the theory of colonic autointoxication. The most famous of these was none other than Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes as in the breakfast cereal), and you can see his enema exploits documented in the movie “The Road to Wellville”.

The idea was that the intestines were a sewage system and that constipation, although never specifically defined, resulted in a cesspool within the body where food wastes would putrefy, become toxic, and get reabsorbed through the intestines. Some scientists also claimed that constipation caused fecal matter to harden onto the intestinal walls for months or years – 20 pounds or more worth, blocking the absorption of nutrients (yet somehow not blocking toxins). This latter claim that waste “sticks to the intestine wall like spackling on the inside of a pipe” is still made by charlatans to this day.

Constipation is indeed uncomfortable. But careful testing found that those symptoms associated with it and attributed to autointoxication—headache, fatigue, loss of appetite and irritability—were not a result of toxins but rather the colon expanding. The reason was mechanical, not chemical. A 1919 article in Journal of the American Medical Association by W.C. Alvarez, "Origin of the so-called auto-intoxication symptom" put these ridiculous ideas to rest once and for all. By the 1920s, colon cleansing was relegated to the realm of quackery.

Soon after, and still to this day, direct observations of the colon through surgery, colonoscopy, and autopsy find no hardening of fecal matter along the intestinal walls. And even in the most massive cases of constipation requiring a true surgical intervention (very rare) the record for feces removal is less than 5 pounds.

But, in this modern American life of comforts our ancestors could never imagine, you can't keep a crappy idea down.

Autointoxication makes sense today to those people who, for whatever reasons, believe that modern food is filled with toxins and that the pharmaceutical industry wants us to be constipated so that they can make billions of dollars unclogging us with harmful chemicals.

Those who advocate colon cleansing today present the exact same arguments as quacks of more than 100 years ago. Not surprisingly, they're still wrong. Their reasoning is spelled out on thousands of web sites that give no references to their claims that colon cleansing cures everything from arthritis to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Inevitably these sites include testimonials, then the opportunity to buy the cure.

"It's all just nonsense," says Dr. Brian Lacy of Dartmouth Medical School, author of Making Sense of IBS: A Physician Answers Your Questions about Irritable Bowel Syndrome. With product prices often topping $100 (and spa therapies sometimes reaching $1,000) Lacy calls colon cleansing "a very expensive and potentially deadly enema."

Lacy approaches the topic logically. If stool is toxic, then the roughly 15 percent of American adults with constipation would have significantly higher rates of disease and death. They don't.

There have been real, honest-to-goodness studies on colon cleansing in recent years, he said, but they all have focused on the potential harm: abscesses caused by too much water, rectal perforation and electrolyte imbalance. All that water, usually tens of gallons, washes out the electrolytes that the colon was built to absorb. The water also washes away beneficial bacteria needed for digestion, and not magically only harmful bacteria, as the proponents claim.

Being regular can mean hitting the toilet three times a day or three times a week; there is zero evidence that more bowel movements will make you thinner or healthier. If you are constipated, then a laxative can make you feel better. Laxatives also aren't necessarily healthy. There are kinds that shock the bowels into moving, kinds that draw water into the intestines, and kinds that build bulk. Many doctors recommend the bulk-builders as the best course.

While colon cleaning can make some people feel better, it doesn’t make one any less fat, and it certainly doesn't cure any disease; it's no more effective at relieving discomfort than an enema; and it is tantamount to throwing money down the proverbial toilet.

The Worst Mall Foods You Can Eat

Well, we’re back from our summer break now, and with the weather so hot I couldn’t help but notice how people are flocking to shopping malls –I was one of them. While I was there, I couldn’t miss the smell of food-court treats slamming my nose from the minute I walked in the door, so I know a lot of us will probably end up chowing down on our shopping trips – but be careful!

Here's the danger: Studies have shown that the more temptation people resist, the harder it becomes to continue resisting. That means after hours of being surrounded by tempting sales, special offers, and life-changing, one-time deals, your ability to resist the enticing edibles of the food court may be severely compromised.

And considering the calorie bombs we saw there, a lack of willpower in the presence of mall eateries can be a very dangerous thing. Based on what we saw, here are our nominees for "The Worst Mall Foods", with some eye-popping details from Men’s Health magazine:

"MOST FAT" in a Breakfast

Cinnabon

Regular Caramel Pecanbun

1,100 calories

56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)

141 g carbs

47 g sugars

FAT EQUIVALENT: 8 White Castle Hamburgers

Cinnabon and malls are inseparable. But just because Cinnabon might be good for the Gap doesn't mean it's at all good for you. This dangerously bloated bun -- among these Fattiest Foods in America -- contains nearly an entire day's worth of fat and more than half of your daily allotment of calories. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so for god's sake don't eat this!

"MOST SUGAR" in a Drink

Smoothie King

Grape Expectations II (40 oz)

1,096 calories

0 g fat (0 g saturated)

266 g carbs

250 g sugars

SUGAR EQUIVALENT: 13 Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate Frosted Donuts

Smoothie King calls this a way to "snack right"; we call it one of the quickest ways to get fat! Even if most of the sugar comes from some form of fruit or fruit juice (in this case, ultra-sweet grape juice), the resulting blood-sugar surge (and inevitable energy crash) from this much sweetness may leave you struggling to find a stranger with some spare insulin you can borrow.

"MOST BAD STUFF" in One Bowl

Au Bon Pain

Large Macaroni and Cheese Stew with Bread Bowl

1,120 calories

42 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)

3,070 mg sodium

157 g carbs

SODIUM EQUIVALENT: 22 small orders of McDonald's French Fries!

Whether it's made from a giant fried tortilla or a massive hunk of sourdough, if your serving vessel is edible, you're asking for trouble. In this case, the bread bowl adds a belly-building 600 calories to what is already one of America's most decadent, over-the-top spoonables. If soup's your thing, you'll have a hard time keeping the sodium down no matter which bowl you order; good, old-fashioned tomato soup is as good as you'll do at Au Bon Pain.

"MOST CALORIES" in a Sandwich

Quizno's

Large Tuna Melt Club with cheese and dressing

1,820 calories

147 g fat (27 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)

2,020 mg sodium

85 g carbs

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 12 Taco Bell Fresco Style Beef Tacos

Tuna off the grill or straight from the can is perfectly healthy; tuna drowning in mayonnaise, blanketed in melted cheese, and slicked with oily dressing is decidedly not. Not only does this sandwich carry with it nearly an entire day's worth of calories and sodium, it also contains as much fat as 49 strips of bacon. In fact, it's so bad that it was recently listed in Men's Health 20 Worst Foods in America for 2009.

The Cure for Back Pain? Lift More Weight!

The answer to managing nagging back pain might prove counterintuitive: A new study suggests pushing those sore muscles with weight training and improving overall body strength could help, researchers say.

Weightlifting enhanced quality of life for back-pain patients by as much as 28%, says a study done at the University of Alberta and presented at the American College of Sports Medicine.

More frequent training led to better results. The research was done on 240 men and women who had had no back surgery, damaged vertebrae or nerve root problems. All had chronic, non-specific lower-back pain as a result of injury to soft tissue in the lower back.

"Why does increasing strength even make a difference?" asks lead researcher Robert Kell, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. "Let's say you garden or go out for a full day of activities and come home tired. We are more apt to injure our backs if we are fatigued. By increasing overall strength, it makes it easier for us to complete activities of daily living."

Strengthening only one part of the body will not cut it, Kell says. The benefit comes from bench presses for the chest, lateral pull-downs for strengthening the back, and leg presses. All three were correlated with pain reduction. When strength increased in those exercises, pain and disability decreased.

"A lot of work is done with the upper body that is strenuous, so it's important to have strong chest and back muscles so you don't hunch forward," he says. "It's also important to have strong leg muscles, because if you reach down to pick something up and your legs are fatigued, you'll lift more with your back."

Anyone with lower back pain should consult a physician before proceeding with an exercise plan. For a long time, people had been advised to rest in bed when lower back pain flared, but that often led to stiffness and muscle weakness. Now many physicians recommend strengthening the stomach and leg muscles, walking and gentle stretching.

"Exercising is counterintuitive based on how you feel," Kell says. "It hurts, so you want to stop. We associate pain with something being wrong or getting worse, so we think we should rest more often. But really what happens if they get up and exercise with low back pain, the joints loosen up and feel better."

Back pain can prevent people from staying active and is one of the most common complaints that send people to doctors or emergency rooms.

A January report in the Journal of the American Medical Association discusses the prevalence of the injury, the costs, the risks and effectiveness of an array of treatments from surgery to spinal injections, and use of anti-inflammatory drugs. The report says that even in successful trials, "most patients continue to experience some pain and dysfunction," and it adds data suggesting that the current management of musculoskeletal disorders, much of which is back pain, is not highly successful.

Kell says his study offers some hope. "If you continue to strengthen the body, the pain will subside, either substantially or to a small amount, but it will subside," he says.

During the first three weeks of the 16-week study, participants worked out with low levels of weight and fewer repetitions to prevent further injury.

"It was nice gradual work in the beginning," he says. "Then when their bodies are ready for the stress, the last 13 weeks I used a heavier, more demanding program. I did not want muscle growth. I didn't want them to get bigger, I wanted them to develop strength.

"I started out using 55% to 60% of the maximum amount of weight. During the last three or four week period they were lifting 75% to 83% of maximum lift. Anything around 80% is considered strength training with a healthy person."

The Fitness Toilet - Seriously

What More Can I Say About This Gem? The latest product from world-renowned over-the-top toilet maker Toto makes each trip to the bathroom like a visit to the doctor's office. It features a weight scale, a body fat meter, a blood sugar and blood pressure monitor as well as urine temperature measurement and analysis to help women keep track of menstruation cycles. Plus the whole thing can be networked to your PC via Wi-Fi. I’m not joking. And as for the cost of this beast? Well, you could train with us three times per week for over a year for less, but then what fun would that be?