My Fitness Coach Blog

The state of California recently passed a law to ban the use of trans fats in restaurants (1). This is a huge step toward eliminating the unhealthy fat from the American diet. Previously, cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Stamford, and Montgomery County, Maryland have also taken the initiative.

Trans fat is the result of partial hydrogenation of oils. It’s a very shelf-stable fat that gives food a creamy or oily taste, and also helps preserve the appearance and condition of food. Trans fat is in many snack foods, baked goods and restaurant foods. It is very positively linked to heart disease (the leading cause of death in the U.S.) as well as obesity.

The best way to tell whether a food item has trans fat is to check the label. If the nutrion panel includes “partially hydrogenated vegetable/soybean/cottonseed oil”, then it has trans fat. In many cases, a package may claim that there is “No Trans Fat”. However, you still need to check the ingredients because the law allows a manufacturer to state this if there is less than 1 gram of trans fat per serving. Depending on how many servings you eat, you may be getting too high of a dose. Otherwise, it may be impossible to tell whether there is trans fat in your restaurant meal, or anything else without a label. The best thing to do is to avoid baked, fried, and snack foods as much as possible, and to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, lowfat dairy, lean meats and fish, nuts and whole grains.

For more information on trans fat, visit the following sites and enter in a search for “trans fat”:
American Heart Association
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Food and Drug Administration

(1) STEINHAUER, J. “California Bars Restaurant Use of Trans Fats.” New York Times, July 26, 2008.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently did a study to measure the state of health and fitness at the community level in 15 major metropolitan areas. The winner? San Francisco. However, the perhaps surprising finding is that the Washington, D.C. metro area came in 4th place, just after Seattle and Boston.

According to an article in USA Today by Nancy Hellmich (May 29, 2008), the ACSM “took into consideration a number of health indicators, including the percentage of people who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, have access to health care, have health insurance and don’t smoke. They also looked at the environment, including the availability of parks, walking/bike trails and public transportation.”

The Washington D.C. area’s greatest strengths include many recreational opportunities, such as trails, ballparks and fields, farmer’s markets, rec centers, and high use of public transportation. The obesity rate is slighty lower than average; however, the number of people with diabetes is currently a challenge.

Check out the full report here: ACSM American Fitness Index Project

In the meantime, get out and take advantage of the many fitness opportunities that Washington D.C. has to offer!

Danielle

Summer has a way of making us relax the more conservative aspects of our personalities. We wear less clothing, shed some winter routines and inhibitions, search for ways to get away from the grind. In our search for ultimate relaxation, some of us will also increase alcohol consumption.

Drinking a margarita poolside can feel like the essence of summer. And it’s not a bad thing to occasionally indulge in something icy, sweet and alcoholic. But be careful about how much you drink for two main reasons–overall health and excessive calorie consumption.

What is an acceptable amount of alcohol? The American Heart Association defines it as an “average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. (A drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.)”

According to the American Heart Association, “Drinking too much alcohol can raise the levels of some fats in the blood (triglycerides). It can also lead to high blood pressure, heart failure and an increased calorie intake. (Consuming too many calories can lead to obesity and a higher risk of developing diabetes.) Excessive drinking and binge drinking can lead to stroke. Other serious problems include fetal alcohol syndrome, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.”

If the health issues aren’t enough to slow you down, here are the caloric facts:

Protein and carbohydrate have 4 calories per gram.
Fats have 9 calories per gram.
Alcohol (the least satiating) has 7 calories per gram.

A regular bottle of beer has 125-150 calories.
A bottle of light beer, 100 calories.
A 5 oz. glass of wine, 120 calories.
A frozen margarita, pina colada or daquiri, about 250-500 calories (or more depending on the size)

How many do you have when you go out? If you are exercising and eating well otherwise but not losing weight, you may want to lower your alcohol consumption.

Danielle