Men Are Losers

Sounds sexist, doesn’t it?  But any woman who has attempted to lose weight has looked at her husband or boyfriend in envy.  Let’s face it.  Men shed pounds over night while women gain pounds just driving past a bakery.  It’s not sexist.  It’s just the cold hard truth, however desperately unfair it might be.  Men are natural losers.

Instead of drowning our sorrows over this injustice in a tub of cookie dough ice cream, we should emulate them.  Let’s learn from them ladies.

Men have muscle. Men’s bodies are just different than women’s.  Men have greater muscle mass, which causes them to burn up to 30% more calories.  Women in turn have more body fat, and they are biologically programmed to store it. 

What can we do about it?  Hit the weights!  At the gym, men flock to the weight racks while women plod along on the cardio equipment.  This approach to weight loss doesn’t do our bodies any favors.  Weight training helps women increase muscle mass and therefore speed up metabolism.  Don’t fear the free weights, ladies. 

Men lift heavy.  Women who do wander over to the weight racks tend to pick a light weight and an exercise they can do with perfect form, probably isolating one muscle.  They kid themselves thinking they are just “toning”.  The problem is they aren’t doing their muscles much good. 

Men on the other hand, pick an exercise that allows them to grab the biggest, most impressive-looking weights.  The result: muscle building in less time, and working groups of muscles at once instead of one in isolation.  Drop the baby weights and pick up something heavier, poundage that makes you strain to do 8-10 repetitions.  Once your body adapts to 10 repetitions, increase the weight until you are only able to squeeze out 3.  Worried about “bulking up”?  Lou Schuler, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of The New Rules of Lifting has this to say: "At sports medicine conferences, I've seen scans of women's upper arms before and after this kind of training program, and the girth of their upper arms hasn't changed, but you can see the fat tissue is reduced and how much more muscle there is."

Men crave meat.  While women reach for chocolate bars and sweet gooey baked goods for our comfort foods, men turn to meat.  Meat is protein, and protein helps create a feeling of fullness which prevents overeating later.  The same can’t be said about a sticky bun.  If sweets are your dietary Achilles’ heel, when the cravings come on reach for some lean protein first.  Some easy grabs are low-fat string cheese or cottage cheese and fresh berries. 

Men are not perfectionists.  When women diet, they charge head first into perfection, vowing never to consume soda or candy or anything fattening ever again.  We deprive ourselves until we just can’t stand it any longer.  Then we scarf down everything on the cookie aisle at the grocery store, wallowing in guilt and misery for several days afterward. 

Men are less complicated.  They’ll still enjoy some of their favorite foods, just in smaller portions.  Can you imagine a guy giving up beer and nachos FOREVER?  That’s because they don’t.  A man is far more likely to adopt an “all things in moderation” mindset, and research suggests this approach is far more successful long-term. 

The lesson:  Don’t ban your favorite foods.  Nothing can ruin your good intentions like feeling deprived.  It’s okay to have a small cupcake or scoop of ice cream once a week.  Just don’t overdo it.

Men don’t use food as therapy.  Not only are women twice as likely to suffer from depression as men, they are also more likely to attempt to soothe that depression with food.  A bad day makes many women over-eat, which leads to the downward spiral of guilt and self-loathing, which leads to more over-eating, which leads to more….you get the idea.  Men tend to lean more towards physical activity when they are stressed or need to dissipate negative emotions.  They may go for a hard run or pound nails or tinker in the garage.  So instead of swallowing your feelings along with a dozen doughnuts, get up and get active.  Take a kickboxing class, go for a brisk walk, or take out frustrations on the weights at the gym.

So if you want to shed pounds like a man, it’s okay to emulate some of their behaviors.  I’m all about female empowerment and embracing our differences, but if it helps the “fairer” gender adopt healthier habits, let’s learn from the losers.  (Sorry guys.  I couldn’t resist that little jab.)

I Hate Vegetables

In response to my recent blog entry, Anatomy of a Healthy Salad, I received something all bloggers treasure, a reader question. 

“My problem is that I like peas, beans and tomatoes (and spinach in small doses) only. All other vegetables are so horrid I can't stand it. I'd like to eat veggies, but I can't get past the taste buds - any ideas?”

You aren’t alone, dear reader.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75% of Americans don't eat the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That's alarming, considering how important vegetables are to maintaining a healthy and productive lifestyle--but not surprising, given that many people would love to have barbecue sauce classified as a vegetable and be done with the whole affair.

Having successfully brought four children through picky-eater toddlerhood, I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve. Here are some painless ways to work healthy vegetables into your diet. 

Incorporate vegetables into your favorite foods.  It’s really easy to sneak vegetables into such family favorites as spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, lasagna, and chili.  Spinach, carrots, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant and even green beans, all finely chopped or grated, work well for this.  If just tossing them in is too much for your inner veggie critic, try pureeing them and stirring them in.  It’s also easy to mash a variety of vegetables in with mashed potatoes.  Carrots, and cabbage are my children’s favorites, or try some pureed greens for green potatoes.  You can even incorporate vegetables into baked goods like zucchini bread or carrot raisin muffins.   Another trick, toss some veggies on your favorite pizza or sandwich.  You might be more likely to consume tomatoes, sprouts, or greens if they are hiding under your pepperoni or roast beef.

Vegetables can be dessert.  Did you know half a cup of pumpkin pie counts as a serving of vegetables?  You can even make it without the crust to reduce calories.  Sweet potatoes, rhubarb, and a variety of squashes work really well in dessert pies, plus you don’t have to add a lot of sugar to make them tasty.

Experiment with different seasonings and cooking methods.  Vegetables don’t always have to be steamed and bland.  Sautéing in good quality oil and seasoning with fresh herbs may add just the zing to make your palette sing. (Cheesy, I know, but I couldn’t resist.)  Oven broiling or grilling can also add a different flavor and consistency to vegetables you think you hate.

Drink your veggies.  I’ve not personally tried juicing fresh vegetables, but I have friends who swear by it.  Mixing fresh vegetable juice with your favorite fruit juice can help make it tastier.  Or try a green smoothie (fresh greens mixed with fruit in a blender).  I have one very good friend who swears by them.

Still can’t take it?  Try Shakeology.  While I’m not one to jump to product endorsements, this one rocks.  All natural, whole foods ingredients, and tasty to boot, Shakeology can be used as a meal replacement or supplement, and it contains many of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients you would find in a diet full of fresh vegetables.  But don’t use it as an excuse to skip the vegetable matter.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are definitely the gold standard.

By the way, I love, love, love hearing from readers.  Have a question or suggestion (I take rave compliments, too)?  Be sure to hit me up in the comments section or drop me an email. 

Anatomy of a Healthy Salad

In a recent conversation with a gym acquaintance (someone I know, but rarely see outside of the gym), she asked me for some advice on losing some body fat.  Swimsuit season is fast approaching, and she was hoping for a leaner more swimsuit-friendly figure.  After months in the gym, and very little measurable progress in the area of body-slimming, she was fast approaching a level of frustration akin to that of an Amish electrician.

Since I am quite aware of this woman’s general workout ethic (and it’s consistent and persistent), I immediately asked her some questions about her dietary practices.  Afterall, my favorite mantra is:  You can’t out train a bad diet.

What do you usually eat for lunch?  Her answer:  a salad.

The typical answer of many a health-conscious woman.  It is the self-controlled, intelligent, responsible choice for a mid-day meal.  Or is it?

It depends.  What do you mean by “salad”?  Just because something is labeled as a salad doesn’t mean it’s low in calories or that it’s particularly “good for you”.

If your favorite salad is preceded by the words “Ceasar” or “Cobb”, do yourself a favor and just order the sandwich.  The downfall is in the dressing, which is high in fat and therefore calorie dense.  It’s not unusual for a conservatively sized Ceasar salad or Cobb salad to have over 400 calories, especially if you’re adding croutons.

Beware of other salads, too.  Some dressings such as ranch, bleu cheese, 1000 island, and Russian can sabotage the healthiest of salads.  Also things like cheese, bacon, croutons, nuts and dried fruit can pack on a huge increase in calories if not used judiciously.

But don’t be scared away from the salad option.  Salads can be a very balanced and nutrient-rich meal if you follow some basic guidelines.

Start with dark greens.  The darker the green in edible plants, the more nutrients they hold. Choose those that are lusciously deep in color and mix them with a variety of shades, textures and tastes for the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals. Avoid traditional iceburg lettuce because not only is it fairly boring and tasteless, it also cheats you out of the abundance of vitamins you’ll find in more colorful greens.  Fresh spinach, arugula, swiss chard, bibb or boston lettuce, red and green leaf lettuce, and watercress are all great choices for the base of a good nutritious salad.  Don’t be shy.  Pile them on.  You aren’t going to over-eat on these low in calorie, but high in nutrient greens.

Add other vegetables like snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, sweet peas, cucumbers, carrots, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.  These add color to your salad.  And the prettier the salad, the better for you it is. 

Don’t forget the lean protein.  Make your salad a balanced meal by adding a serving of lean protein.  (A serving of protein is about the size of your open palm.  If you are a small person, the serving size will be smaller.  Comparing your servings to the size of your palm makes it easy, since we tend to carry our palms around with us wherever we go.)  White meat chicken or turkey, shrimp, plain tuna, or beans are all good choices.  Adding some protein to your salad will help you feel more satisfied between meals, too.

Be sparing on the treat ingredients.  Limit yourself to one item and keep it small.  Nuts, cheese, bacon, olives, avocado, sunflower seeds, croutons, and dried fruit all fall in the treat category.

Get the dressing on the side.  Even when you choose a light and healthy dressing such as light balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard, or sesame ginger, you can control the amount you ingest when it’s served on the side.  Most of the calories in a salad come from the dressing, so this is where it really pays to choose wisely.

Follow these simple guidelines and you'll end up with a filling and healthy salad that packs a nutritious punch while still being nice to your waistline.

Need a little more inspiration?  Check out my recipe for Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad.

Housework Prevents Cancer

Does housework count as exercise?  Wishful thinking, right?  Maybe not. 

Take a look at how many calories some of your regular household chores burn.

Look at those calories burn.Calories burned per half-hour

Doing laundry - 73

Making the bed - 68

Cooking - 85

Washing the dishes - 78

Dusting - 85

Sweeping - 112

Vacuuming - 119

Scrubbing the floors - 129

Rearranging furniture - 204

Washing windows - 102

Mowing the lawn - 187

Carrying a small child (up to 15 lbs.) up and down stairs - 289

But wait!  There’s an even better perk to housework than just burning calories.  A European study published in 2006, suggests that women who exercise by doing housework can reduce their risk of breast cancer.  The study looked at both pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women and a range of activities including work, leisure sports, and housework.  After following the women for more than 6 years, the researchers found that spending 16 to 17 hours on housework a week cut breast cancer risk in the pre-menopausal women by 30% and 20% in the post-menopausal women.   

Interestingly, only housework significantly reduced the participants of both categories of women, even more than leisure sports.  The international authors said their results suggested that moderate forms of regular physical activity, such as housework, may be more important than less frequent but more intense recreational physical activity in reducing breast cancer risk.

While the study focused only on women and breast cancer, it’s easy to conclude that these findings should translate for other forms of cancer as well.  So next time you have to pick up that mop or fold copious amounts of laundry, you can think of the time spent on chores as time spent doing something potentially good for your body. 

And maybe, just maybe, you can talk your guy into helping with the dishes.  Guys need exercise (and cancer prevention), too.

Treating PMS with Exercise

Why do women call it PMS?

Because mad cow disease was already taken.

If you are like me and many of other women, the days leading up to your period may leave you believing the dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans. Or maybe everyone around you is suffering from a major attitude problem.  Or your husband’s head seems like an open invitation to batting practice. 

The symptoms of PMS are epic.  The typical mood swings, irritability, depression, cravings, and bloating are not only the subject of many a girls’ night out, but also fodder for stand up comedians everywhere.

Ladies, there’s help for your PMS symptoms and it doesn’t come from a bottle or cause physical injury  to your loved ones.  It’s exercise.

It’s probable that PMS leaves you wanting to curl up in the fetal position and gorge yourself on chocolate bars.  The gym may be the last place on Earth you want to visit, but exercise may be just the thing to help you break free from the clutches of normal, non-clinical PMS.

Preliminary studies have found that regular exercise eases much of the pain and stress most women feel in the week or so leading up to the start of the period.  Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in one trial, had sedentary women begin a regular running practice.  At the end of six months, the runners reported less breast tenderness, bloating, and moodiness than the control group (which remained sedentary).  Another study found that women who regularly exercised felt less pain and depression before the periods than women who did not exercise.

How does is work?  Exercise is a great stress reducer whether you are PMSing or not.  Regular exercise improves circulation, causing blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to the body’s celss more efficiently.  This increases energy levels, helping to prevent that sluggish grumpy feeling many women experience during bouts of PMS.

Also, aerobic exercise produces endorphins, a chemical that boosts mood, gives a sense of control and well-being, which could help to ease anxiety, depression, and mood swings.  Some researchers also believe endorphins can stabilize blood sugar levels and cut the monthly cravings for sweets. 

What kind of exercise is best for battling PMS?  Aerobic exercise such as jogging, biking, dancing, and swimming for about 30 minutes 5 times a week seem to work best for controlling PMS. One three-month study of 23 women found that those who participated in an aerobic exercise program saw more improvement in their premenstrual symptoms, particularly depression, than those who did strength training.  Yoga can also be a helpful form of exercise for PMS.  Yoga’s gentle stretching, calming breathing techniques, body awareness, and meditation help ease muscle tension and decrease moodiness.

So drop that chocolate bar, ease up on your husband, and get some exercise.  Your body and your family will thank you for it.