Earlier this week, I was really- and I mean really craving salty foods, specifically seasoned french fries and/or tortilla chips with salsa. At first, I tried to substitute something healthier to make up for this craving; but in the end, I wound up making a couple of trips to the local fast food place to get some french fries only to follow that up by practically eating an entire bag of tortilla chips a couple of days later. Almost immediately, I felt bad about eating so terribly, but what could I have done? The craving was that strong; I couldn’t ignore it!

Understanding Food Cravings

According to the International Food Information Council & Food Insight, some researchers speculate that food cravings arise in an effort to supply the body with nutrients that it lacks. For example, a diet that is extremely low in calories (like mine has been lately) may cause extreme carbohydrate cravings…(which might explain why I almost felt the need to polish off an entire loaf of bread earlier in the week). Susan Schiffman, PhD professor of medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center says the following:

Carbohydrate cravings can simply be from hunger because your blood sugar levels are too low.

However, food cravings have also been linked to other physiological needs. Carbohydrate cravings in people who exercise a lot could be caused by the depletion of glycogen stores, which is typically replenished by carbohydrates. Additionally, there have been links made between serotonin levels and carbohydrates in which consuming too few carbohydrates can result in reduced levels of serotonin, thereby driving intense periods of food cravings.

What is Serotonin?

According to one website’s definition:

Serotonin is a hormone that is found naturally in the human brain; it is also found in the digestive tract and platelets of some animals, including human beings. It is also found in a variety of plant sources, including vegetables, fruits, and even mushrooms. Categorized as a neurotransmitter, it is important in transmitting nerve impulses. It is also described as a vasoconstrictor, which is a substance that can cause narrowing of the blood vessels. The amino acid, tryptophan, is credited with producing serotonin in the body. 

Ways to Reduce Your Food Cravings

Eating can be extremely complex. Beyond simply eating to satisfy hunger, there still looms the issue of eating “for comfort” to satisfy some underlying physiological or psychological issue. For example, some people eat certain foods because they may like the texture, taste, aroma or color. For others, consuming a particular food item may remind them of a pleasant experience or memory in their life such as “the apple pie that grandma used to make” or “that pasta dish that mom used to make”. The following are some ways to help reduce your food cravings:

1. Exercise- It has been scientifically proven that exercising significantly improves food cravings by releasing chemicals called endorphins into our bodies, which help to control the urge to eat. For example many athletes such as runners will go out for a long run and not feel all that hungry right after they finish. For the average person, you should try to aim for at least thirty (30) minutes of exercise each day- even if it’s jogging in place!
2. For the Ladies- They call it “the curse,” but it has been a long-known fact that when women are experiencing PMS, they often have cravings for different types of food (usually sugary or fatty foods). Some researchers credit this to our hormones being out of whack. Regardless, if you’re serious about figuring out why it is you crave what you do, keeping a diary and taking note of what you eat during your periods can help you find some answers.
3. Eat Regularly-Did you ever hear the saying from your doctor, “You should never skip breakfast,” or “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…”? It’s true! Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar levels to fall drastically, which naturally causes food cravings and often leads many people to overeat or binge eat. Ideally, you should try to eat a small meal every few hours (i.e. 3-4 hours for women and 4-5 hours for guys). Small meals can consist of anything from a box of raisins and a yogurt to a banana and half of a sandwich. The main thing that you are trying to do here is keep your blood glucose levels stable, which will help your metabolism as well as reduce cravings associated with PMS.
4. Watch the Calories- The vast majority of us are seldom ever happy with our weight, which is why diets are so popular. However, people who are consuming 800 calories a day or less should only be doing so if they have been consulted by a doctor. Otherwise, this can be extremely dangerous. Medical experts do not recommend diets consisting of fewer than 1100 calories. Instead, if you are really trying to lose those pounds, aim for at least a 1200 calorie diet, and focus your efforts on consuming nutrient-rich foods such as plenty of fresh veggies and fresh fruit while nixing the sugary and fatty stuff such as that bag of Swedish Fish that you can never seem to get enough of.
5. Watch the Sugar & Processed Foods- Did you know that consuming refined sugars can actually make your food cravings worse? It can also make the healthier food options on your menu such as fresh fruits, veggies and oats seem excessively bland. This is often due to the overconsumption of refined sugars as well as processed foods. If you reduce your intake of refined sugars and trade it in for the better sugars (such as the ones found in fruit), then you should see a difference.

Other Sites You May Be Interested In

• This website offers some great choices for food swaps to help you avoid those cravings while making healthier eating choices. 
• 7 Things to Know About Food Cravings
• How Food Cravings Work

More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. -John Kenneth Galbraith

This is the age old question that even I wonder about sometimes. You step on whatever machine it is to do your 30+minute cardio workout and you proceed to enter your weight and/or age before you begin. Then you continue to workout until the machine tells you that you’ve burned “x” amount of calories. You step off the machine, and for many of us- the number of calories that we’ve burned gives us the perfect excuse to head right from the gym next door to the bagel shoppe where we can proceed to stuff our faces with whatever high-cal treat we want without feeling guilty…right? After all, you deserve it for working so hard!

There are two things wrong with this picture though. First of all, if the above scenario describes you, then you seriously need to re-think the reasons that you workout. And secondly, what most people don’t realize is that the so-called number of calories that they think they’ve just burned are only an approximation. In many cases, the machines are nowhere near as accurate as you think! So, you may be making room for those extra calories when you can’t really afford to…which may later clue you in as to why you aren’t dropping the pounds the way you’d hoped.

Tragic, I know. So, let’s look at some of the reasons that the machines are giving us false expectations.

Reasons Why The Cardio Machines Don’t Count

1. Energy Expenditure-The thing that makes humans great is that we are all different. For example, the energy expended on a treadmill by a 25 year-old who weighs 120 pounds and is out of shape is TOTALLY different from the energy that is expended from another 25 year-old who weighs the same but is an elite runner. So, what’s the problem? The problem is that the machines cannot tell the difference. Need it broken down further? For the person who is “in-shape,” a 7 mile run on a treadmill at 7min/mile pace will be a walk in the park and probably won’t yield the same amount of calories burned versus the “out-of shape” person who will be sweating up a storm and wheezing as he or she tries not to pass out in front of the entire gym. See the difference?
2. Body Fat Percentage-Another problem with cardio machines is that they cannot tell the body fat percentage of an individual. For instance, a person who has a higher percentage of body fat will typically burn fewer calories than a person who has more muscle mass. It is a known fact that the more lean muscle a person has, the more calories that person will burn because muscle naturally burns more calories than fat.
3. Your Target Heart Rate-Your target heart rate has to do with the first point I made about energy expenditure. If you want a more accurate representation of how many calories you’re really burning while doing cardio, figure out ahead of time what your target heart rate is. Defined, your  target heart rate (THR) or Training Heart Rate is: “a desired range of heart rate reached during aerobic exercise which enables one’s heart and lungs to receive the most benefit from a workout. This theoretical range varies and is based on one’s physical condition, gender, and previous training” (source). To break it down into even simpler terms: If you are walking and talking comfortably or running and chatting it up without breathing too hard, then you are nowhere near your target heart rate because you’re not putting out maximum effort. However, if you’re walking or running and can barely get a word in in between all of the sweating and heavy breathing, then you may be closer to your THR. There are all sorts of formulas and ways that you can figure out your target heart rate. The American Heart Association (AHA) provides some suggestions as well as Discovery Health.
4. Technique– What the machines don’t tell you is that if you hold on to the “oh crap” handles versus swinging your arms at your side, then it will actually reduce the number of calories that you burn- sometimes by up to 40-50%! It’s ok if you want to hold on for dear life, but realize that occasionally changing up your technique can help burn up a few extra cals.
5. Familiarity-When it comes to getting in shape, diversity isn’t only GREAT, it is an absolute must. Believe it or not, when you do the same thing over and over again, your body sort of acclimates to it. For instance, if you are a total gym groupie and head to the gym only to hop on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes every day at the same intensity, eventually it won’t be challenging anymore and you probably won’t see any results. Instead, switch it up every now and then. Sometimes, I like to play musical chairs with the gym machines. I’ll walk briskly for 10 minutes on an incline and then jump onto the elliptical for 20 minutes before finishing it off with a nice easy 10 on the stationary bike. Variety is the spice of life!
6. Calibration-Depending on the gym that you go to and the type of machines that they house; with poor maintenance or outdated machines, the calibration can get thrown off. This can mean that the numbers you see on the screen aren’t entirely true. If you have concerns about whether or not the machines are working correctly, you should definitely bring it up to the gym person who’s in charge. After all, you’re not paying money each month to use crappy machines, and if you are, then you may want to think about switching gyms!
7. Different Manufacturers– One of the last things to take into consideration is who manufactures the machines that you use at the gym. There’s a rumor going around that the newer the machine is, the more accurate it may be in calculating your total calorie expenditure…BUT keep in mind the other six points that I just brought up. Even if everything is the same on a piece of equipment that you’re using at one gym compared to another, the amount of calories burned may still be different because various companies use their own “special formulas” to calculate how much they feel an average person of a certain age and size will burn at a specific level of intensity.

I hope these tips help you stay grounded during your next workout, and I apologize if I dropped the ball on anyone!

The word ‘aerobics’ came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we’re going to charge $10 an hour, we can’t call it ‘jumping up and down’. -Rita Rudner

Exactly how long does it take for the average person to gain weight? I was thinking about this again the other day. With so many people around who are overweight, it really makes you wonder what people are doing wrong so that you can avoid it. Given my personality, it is easy to become paranoid about all of this and even more tempting to want to do nothing but exercise from the time I get up until the time I go to bed just so that I won’t have to worry about my health.

It’s Not Always That Simple

When looking at weight gain, weight loss and overall “good” health, you can choose to look at it in one of two ways: complicated or easy. In fact, if you really want to be scientific about it, there are many factors that go into why some people look the way they do. The main factors that we’re talking about here include some of the following:

• Diet– Diet is king. You could look like you’re in great shape on the outside but still have high cholesterol as a result of a diet that consists of nightly binges at the local fast food restaurant, etc. Having a good diet is a habit that you have to develop and consistently work at in order to have it turn into something that you’re not alwaysobsessing over (and trust me, obsessing is just as bad!). However, for many people who weren’t raised by health-conscious parents or who have fallen off of the wagon for some time, getting back into the healthy swing of things isn’t easy at all- the main reason being that we live in a world where we are CONSTANTLY surrounded by tempting junk food. Eating healthy is just like running; it’s 90 percent mental.
• Exercise– There are also those people who only eat the healthiest, organic foods. Heck, they may even be growing a garden in their backyard, but none of this makes a difference when they can’t make it up a flight of stairs without getting winded. Exercise and Diet are a match made in Heaven. If the two get divorced, then you know you’re going to have problems.
• Lifestyle– Most Americans follow the code of “work, work, work..” not necessarily because they want to but because they feel like they have no choice. I’m not advocating anyone quitting their jobs (especially in this time of economic crisis), but at the same time, you do need to take a breather every now and then so that you can sort of reassess your life situation. I wound up quitting a job once because all I did was work, and it left me no quality of life…and believe me, Life is extremely important. After all, what are you living for? Your lifestyle should be anything but sedentary. Even if you work a desk job, set a timer if you have to in order to remind yourself to get up and walk around and/or take a stretch. Need to grab some light groceries from the corner market? How about a nice walk versus revving up the engine in your car? You’ll save on gas too!
• Emotions– Many people downplay the effect that their emotions have on their life; but the truth of the matter is that emotions play a HUGE role in our overall health. For instance, studies have been done which show that sad/depressed people get sick and have more health problems than those who have a sunny, optimistic disposition. This is where it helps to have a friend, partner or trusted family member who you regularly communicate with. If they tell you that something’s “off”, don’t just poo-poo it. Keeping a journal is another great way to keep on top of your emotional health. If all else fails, there is certainly no shame in seeking the professional help of a licensed counselor or therapist. One of the main reasons that people have issues with their diet is due to how they feel emotionally. It isn’t uncommon for women to eat more of a certain type of “comfort food” when they are experiencing the dreaded PMS symptoms. The same thing goes for someone who has lost a close friend or family member or who may just be going through a rough patch.
• Sleep- This is the other thing that is overrated but shouldn’t be. Quite the opposite, sleeping is one of the most important things that our bodies need. Rest is what allows our bodies to recover after a hard workout or a long day at the office. It is what allows muscles to repair themselves and grow; and it is also responsible for helping us to think more clearly the following day, putting us in a better mood, etc. Even taking a cat nap from 15 to 30 minutes can work wonders.

More to Love

This is the key to weight loss as well as muscle strength. When you take a closer look at nutrition, you’re really only looking at three things: protein, carbs and fats. So whether your goal is to lose those lovehandles or bulk up for a bodybuilding competition, you’re going to have to look at various ways of manipulating these three items in order to make it happen.

Remember when I said earlier that there are two ways to look at weight gain/weight loss? Well, this is the easy way of looking at it. The problem with people gaining weight (not the good kind) or trying to lose it lies not in all of those “diet” schemes. Rather, it simply relies on the individual’s ability to have self control.

Yup. It’s that easy.

EVERY PERSON SHOULD BE EATING HEALTHY AND GETTING SOME FORM OF EXERCISE IN EVERY DAY. Let me break this down for you to make it even easier:

• Portion Control/Caloric Intake– You don’t have to be one of those crazy calorie counter people to lose weight. However, the benefit of sometimes knowing (especially in the beginning of a training regimen) how many calories you are consuming and where they are coming from can give you a more accurate representation of what you’re doing and what’s working for you. The main thing to remember here is that the more calories you consume coupled with a lack of exercise, the more weight you will gain….so, eater beware. Now, for some reason, here in America, portion sizes have gotten completely out of control, and if you come from a background where you were taught to “clean everything on your plate,” then you’re going to have problems.*Instead, practice some self control and scale down the portions that you’re eating. For those who are really challenged, you may want to invest in some smaller bowls and plates!
• Exercise– Again, you can’t/should never avoid exercise…mostly because it just means you’re lazy. Think of how many other things you make time for in your “busy” day. I find that exercising first thing in the morning is a great way to wake up because not only do I feel completely refreshed and energized afterwards, but I also don’t have to deal with the excuse of “being too tired after work to do anything”. You never know what sorts of things are going to pop up unexpectedly throughout the day, which is why A.M. exercise is even more appealing.
• Being Picky as a Good Thing-My boyfriend jokes around all the time that I am just like Meg Ryan’s character from When Harry Met Sally when it comes to ordering food from a restaurant. But in all seriousness, when you’re trying to eat healthy, being picky is an excellent thing to be. For example, when I occasionally order a sandwich from the bagel shop, I used to order it with “a little bit of honey mustard” on the sandwich. However, I soon realized that everyone else’s idea of “a little bit” was not the same as mine. I switched to asking for “a drizzle of honey mustard” on my sandwich, and when that STILL didn’t work, a light bulb in my head went off. Now I order my honey mustard “on the side” where I can drizzle at my own discretion!

*Quick Tip: The next time you go out to eat at a restaurant, ask the waiter how big the portions typically are. If the portions are huge, then order a to-go container to come out with your food. When the waiter brings out your food and the to-go container, before you even take a bite, portion off half of that massive serving into your doggie bag and save it for later. What you’ll be left with on your plate is a portion that is more reasonable and that you won’t feel bad about finishing!

If someone says, ‘Hey, I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?’ Ignore him! What the hell difference does it make?…The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles. -Bill Bowerman

Sometimes, people leave a really great impression that you take with you no matter where you end up in life. When I was in college at NC State, I was friends with a girl named Kelly Brown. She always went out of her way to be nice to me, and even invited me to her wedding a few years ago after we had graduated. Recently, Kelly was recognized by the United States Army as being their female athlete of the year for 2008.

Originally from Hawaii, after graduating from NC State in 2006, Kelly got married and moved back home to Hawaii to start a life with her husband, Chris. Since then, she has been busy raising her daughter and collecting some impressive running accolades, the most recent of which includes finishing the Boston Marathon and beginning training for the 2012 Olympics once she returns from active duty overseas. I think that there is definitely something to be said for Kelly and her accomplishments. To read more about Kelly’s accomplishments as well as to learn a little bit about her, click here. You can also read about her in the August 2009 issue of Runner’s World, which is out today.

Division III athletes love what they are doing and are passionate about it. Division I athletes are pure to an extent, but they are there for the money and the education. The walk-ons and the other divisions run for the love of what they do. -Joan Benoit Samuelson

This past week, my boyfriend and I went out of town for a few days. Up until then, I had been eating fairly healthy- maintaining a super low calorie diet consisting of mostly fresh fruits and veggies and low fat milk products/high protein. However, during the two to three days that we were away, I decided to ease up on my eating habits….a lot. The result? I almost immediately felt bloated and disgusting, although the comment was made that my muscles looked like they were popping out. My boyfriend, a former personal trainer, told me that when you deprive your body of carbohydrates and then suddenly load up on them, the result is that it makes your muscles “pop”. Apparently, my 3 day hiatus was spent carb-loading. Still confused?

What is “Carb Loading”

Carbohydrate loading, commonly known as “carb-loading,” is a strategy employed by endurance athletes as well as bodybuilders whereby a person will load up on carbohydrate-rich foods in order to maximize the storage of glycogen in the muscles. Doing this provides an extra energy reserve when energy expenditure is prolonged. This is often why you’ll hear about marathon runners having huge pasta dinners a few nights before the a race.

For bodybuilders, obviously, carb-loading is not done for endurance reasons. Rather, for them, carb-loading allows for a slow caloric increase prior to a bodybuilding competition. For example, one to two weeks prior to a competition and before beginning the gradual carb-loading program, a bodybuilder will typically be at his or her desired body fat percentage (which is already pretty low). At this point, the athlete’s carbohydrate and glycogen levels will also be at their lowest. The additional calories fill glycogen stores, thereby enhancing fullness and hardness of muscles from strict dieting. The physical result is that muscles look fuller, often giving an appearance of “popping out”.

Understanding the importance of the role that carbohydrates play in your diet as well as knowing how many carbs you should consume before, during and after competition/training is important to your overall health and athletic performance. According to HealthJournal:

Normal training diets should ideally be high in carbohydrate, low in fat and protein, so that the body is accustomed to taking in carbohydrates throughout the day. If your daily intake of carbohydrate is not at least 60 percent of the daily caloric intake, you may not be replenishing your liver and muscle glycogen stores and these levels will drop below normal and stay there. Not being able to train consistently on a day-to-day basis may be a sign of chronic glycogen depletion. 

To prevent chronic depletion of glycogen you need to consume approximately eight to nine grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight on a daily basis. One gram of carbohydrate equals 4 kilocalories and a kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. This carbohydrate can be in the form of complex carbohydrates (breads, pasta, potatoes, etc.) or in the form of simple sugars (fruits, sweets, etc.).

Many athletes find it hard to eat such large quantities of carbohydrates. In these circumstances, a liquid, high-carbohydrate source such as Carbohydrate Sports Drinks is convenient. If mixed to the manufacturer’s instructions, they contain between 20 to 25 percent carbohydrate, ideally in the form of glucose polymers, which, unlike fructose, will not draw excess water into the gut. This concentration is about 3 to 4 times that found in so-called commercial sports drinks. 

Carb-loading also means that you should reduce your training intensity in order to allow your muscles time to rest and become completely loaded with glycogen. This is especially important for endurance athletes who will want to start their races or training with as much glycogen as possible. Additionally, you should never neglect to hydrate yourself during your training as well as after your training. It is recommended that you should drink 8 ounces of water (or an energy drink) ever 15 to 20 minutes, whether you are thirsty or not. During exercise, your body loses fluid as well as carbohydrates, and drinking water will help to replace some of these fluids.

*For runners (like myself) who go for runs ranging from 7 miles to 13 miles, it is often not practical or comfortable to carry a bottle of water. This is where it helps to know where water fountains are located; otherwise, you can simply fill up a water bottle and strategically place it on your running route ahead of time. If all else fails, pack a bottle of water with plenty of ice and leave it in your car for immediate consumption after you finish your run.

A Brief History of Carb-Loading [source]

The practice of carb-loading dates back to the late 1960s. The first carb-loading protocol was developed by a Swedish physiologist named Gunvar Ahlborg after he discovered a positive relationship between the amount of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles and liver) in the body and endurance performance.

Scientists and runners had already known for some time that eating a high-carbohydrate diet in the days preceding a long race enhances performance, but no one knew exactly why until Ahlborg’s team zeroed in on the glycogen connection.

Subsequently, Ahlborg discovered that the muscles and liver are able to store above-normal amounts of glycogen when high levels of carbohydrate consumption are preceded by severe glycogen depletion. The most obvious way to deplete the muscles of glycogen is to eat extremely small amounts of carbohydrate. A second way is to engage in exhaustive exercise.

The Ahlborg Carb-Loading Method:

• Perform an exhaustive workout one week prior to a long race (90+ minutes).
• Consume a low-carb diet (10%) for the next 3-4 days while training lightly.
• Consume a high-carb diet (90%) the next 3-4 days while continuing to train lightly.

For more information on the evolving art of carbo-loading, click here.

Where are Carbohydrates Found?

Carbohydrates can be found mostly in grains, dairy products, fruits, veggies and legumes (beans, peas, etc.). They are also found in sugar and sweets (which should be consumed sparingly). Carbs are what fuel your body’s energy. During digestion, your body converts carbs into sugar. This sugar then enters your bloodstream, where it is transferred to individual cells in order to provide energy. The leftover sugar is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen.

Glycogen defined: Glycogen is the way in which the body stores glucose for later use. It is a large molecule produced in the liver, although it is also stored in the muscle and fat cells. After carbs are ingested, more glycogen is produced and then released as blood glucose levels fall. Low-carb diets initially deplete glycogen storage (as do any weight loss diets), and since glycogen molecules have quite a bit of water attached to them, people usually see a significant loss of “water weight” at the beginning of their diets. This should not be confused with “fat loss” however.

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato