Food has become a large part of North America's obesity problem. It has also become the topic of many, blogs, TV talk shows, articles, books and documentaries. I have noticed that many people are confused about the difference between losing weight, and getting healthy.
I want to clarify this in the easiest way possible.
TO LOSE WEIGHT:
In order to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you are taking in. 3500 calories equals 1 pound, so if you burn 500 more calories per day compared to what you consume, you will lose 1 pound per week.
When we look at it this way, it does not much matter where the calories come from, so long as there are more calories out as opposed to in.
TO GET HEALTHY:
If you need to lose weight, then the main rule still stands... you need more calories out as opposed to in.
However, here is where the difference lies. You need to see where the calories are coming from.
If you have Type II diabetes, or are deemed pre-diabetic, you want to limit the amount of sugars and simple carbs in your diet. You do not want to eat too many fruits, and you are best off switching from white bread and pasta to whole wheat or multi grain bread and pasta.
If blood pressure and cholesterol is your health issue, you want to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Salty foods and foods containing sodium should be very limited or even eliminated.
I see that alot of people focus on getting thinner, but they do not always worry about their health in general. Many people under eat, and that too can lead to long term health issues. People willing "to do anything" to lose weight often try supplements that are safe for most, but may be harmful if you have some underlying condition. Yo-yo dieting has been proven to cause serious long term health issues, and we all know why it is called yo-yo effect. You stick to the diet and once you reach your ideal weight... KABOOM!!!
If I can offer 1 piece of advise, it would be to focus on your overall general health. I assure you that if you train correctly, eat well, and put out more calories than you take in, you will lose the weight and gain health.
If you need any help or need suggestions for doing this, please contact me on twitter @mytraineroz or via my website www.mytraineroz.com.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Where our blame should be
I can admit that I do indeed watch Dr. Phil. The last 2 days he has been talking about obesity. He had a panel of 3 obese ladies, Kelly Osborne (who just lost 42lbs) and 3 "healthy" guests which included Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser.
I think it is great that mass media is opening up the minds of millions to the obesity crisis and what dangers it may bring. Obesity can lead to personal and family crisis, and it will eventually lead to a general health care crisis.
The problem with how the show unfolded was this, it became a war of skinny vs fat. Too many people do not fully understand all the implications of proper eating. People do not understand that skinny people can still become diabetic or have high blood pressure. The same can be said that not every obese individual will develop diabetes.
There is enough proof that too much body fat prevents the internal organs from functioning properly. Eating high glycemic foods too often will likely lead to diabetes. Eating foods high in trans and saturated foods increases your risk of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, stroke, heart attack and an array of other health issues.
But who is to blame? Do we blame overweight people? Do we blame their parents? Do we blame the government? Who is at fault, and more importantly, how do we fix this ever growing issue?
The issue is not the obese people. They are the ones going to suffer, but it is not entirely their fault. Many obese individuals grew up in households where activity and proper eating was never recognized, and they just fell into the trap. They have been surrounded by fast food places, advertising, jobs that require little or no movement.
My biggest issue is with food manufacturers. It is them that add MSG to foods. They add the phony health claims such as "now with heart healthy Omega 3s"! Frozen beef patties with 18g of fat, as well as MSG and other sodiums are not healthy, even if they do add a tiny bit of omegas. Problem is, the education system never taught us that.
Phys Ed hours continue to get cut. Playgrounds are disappearing and concrete jungles continue to grow. Large corporations pay school boards to put vending machines full of chips and soda pop into schools.
There is nothing wrong with snacks. They are a part of life. Cookies, Ice Cream and Cake are part of childhood, and that should not change. What needs to be fixed is the portion size and frequency of these snacks.
Schools need to increase hours of phys ed and encourage after school sports or recreation activities. Food manufacturers have to take ownership of their products and state real claims such as "contains Omega 3s and 60% of your daily fat intake."
We have to fix this as a collective. We have to help educate each other. The obesity crisis did not occur overnight, and it will not be fixed in a few short years, but we must lay the groundwork now. It is not fat vs skinny. I challenge you to forget the "look." It doesn't matter what jean size you are, as long as you are taking steps towards optimal health. If your insides are healthy, the outer look will follow, and I assure you since you will have more energy, your personality will blossom.
I have posted a few articles about eating real food, and how we have seen the error of our ways. Please read my other blog www.mynaturaltruth.blogspot.com and you will see how badly we have done in the last few years.
If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me www.mytraineroz.com!
I think it is great that mass media is opening up the minds of millions to the obesity crisis and what dangers it may bring. Obesity can lead to personal and family crisis, and it will eventually lead to a general health care crisis.
The problem with how the show unfolded was this, it became a war of skinny vs fat. Too many people do not fully understand all the implications of proper eating. People do not understand that skinny people can still become diabetic or have high blood pressure. The same can be said that not every obese individual will develop diabetes.
There is enough proof that too much body fat prevents the internal organs from functioning properly. Eating high glycemic foods too often will likely lead to diabetes. Eating foods high in trans and saturated foods increases your risk of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, stroke, heart attack and an array of other health issues.
But who is to blame? Do we blame overweight people? Do we blame their parents? Do we blame the government? Who is at fault, and more importantly, how do we fix this ever growing issue?
The issue is not the obese people. They are the ones going to suffer, but it is not entirely their fault. Many obese individuals grew up in households where activity and proper eating was never recognized, and they just fell into the trap. They have been surrounded by fast food places, advertising, jobs that require little or no movement.
My biggest issue is with food manufacturers. It is them that add MSG to foods. They add the phony health claims such as "now with heart healthy Omega 3s"! Frozen beef patties with 18g of fat, as well as MSG and other sodiums are not healthy, even if they do add a tiny bit of omegas. Problem is, the education system never taught us that.
Phys Ed hours continue to get cut. Playgrounds are disappearing and concrete jungles continue to grow. Large corporations pay school boards to put vending machines full of chips and soda pop into schools.
There is nothing wrong with snacks. They are a part of life. Cookies, Ice Cream and Cake are part of childhood, and that should not change. What needs to be fixed is the portion size and frequency of these snacks.
Schools need to increase hours of phys ed and encourage after school sports or recreation activities. Food manufacturers have to take ownership of their products and state real claims such as "contains Omega 3s and 60% of your daily fat intake."
We have to fix this as a collective. We have to help educate each other. The obesity crisis did not occur overnight, and it will not be fixed in a few short years, but we must lay the groundwork now. It is not fat vs skinny. I challenge you to forget the "look." It doesn't matter what jean size you are, as long as you are taking steps towards optimal health. If your insides are healthy, the outer look will follow, and I assure you since you will have more energy, your personality will blossom.
I have posted a few articles about eating real food, and how we have seen the error of our ways. Please read my other blog www.mynaturaltruth.blogspot.com and you will see how badly we have done in the last few years.
If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me www.mytraineroz.com!
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