Health for the Holidays

*Published in The UWM Post

Cold and flu season is officially here. To help you stave off sickness this winter, I’ve come up with some simple preventative tips.

One of the easiest ways to avoid getting sick this winter is by getting a flu shot. While supplies last, students are eligible for a $10 flu shot through Norris Health Center. This is for the reparatory flu, not the stomach flu. In order to avoid the stomach flu and other colds, additional steps need to be taken.

Eating foods that contain phytochemicals (plant chemicals) is a great way to help prevent illness. Phytochemicals are a naturally occurring compound found in all plants. The plant actually produces these phytochemicals to protect themselves against bacteria and viruses.
Phytochemicals are essentially anti-oxidants, which not only protect you from colds and flues, but they also help protect you from cancer. Unfortunately phytochemicals are not found in supplements so the actual plant needs to be eaten to receive the benefits; foods that are high in phytochemicals include blueberries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, and soy.

Consume plenty of vitamin C and vitamin A. Citrus fruit, kiwis, berries, tomatoes, and red peppers contain high amounts of Vitamin C. Vitamin A, found in carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, helps boost our immune systems. To stay healthy, consume approximately 5 fruits and/or vegetables per day.

Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water. Water helps flush toxins out your body. If your urine is clear or pale yellow you’re consuming enough water.

Lastly, wash your hands often, cut alcohol consumption (it suppresses your immune system), try avoiding touching your face, and get adequate rest.

If you do happen to find yourself with an illness this winter, make sure you see your doctor if your symptoms persist or if you have an ongoing cough that causes chest pain. If you have a slight fever, try to avoid taking a fever reducer, your body has purposely increased its core temperature to try and kill the virus that’s infecting you.

I wish you all good health this winter season!

Becky <3

Happy Thanksgiving!

*Published in The UWM Post

How to lose weight effectively
By Becky Kolar

There are tons of diets out there today, but do any of them really work? I don’t believe in diets, I believe in a healthy lifestyle that involves healthy eating and exercise. That’s not to say you have to give up your favorite food, I’m just saying that you probably can’t eat your favorite food every day, unless you have an undying love for broccoli.

Weight loss starts with shedding one pound at a time. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to either decrease your food intake by 3,500 calories or burn an extra 3,500 calories through exercise. Decreasing your intake or increasing your output by 3,500 calories in one day is almost impossible. That being said, the 3,500 calorie deficit needs to be spread over 1 week, equaling 500 calories per day. Now that doesn’t seem so difficult!

Ways to burn an extra 500 calories:

• Run for 45 minutes
• Skip 2 slices of cheese pizza from Pizza Hut
• Walk for 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Skip ½ a Burrito from Qdoba (that’s right! A full burrito is 750 calories)
• Bike for 55 minutes
• Skip a Big Mac from McDonalds
• Skip ½ cup m&m’s
  

Since most of us have limited time to exercise and can’t spend over an hour at the gym each day, it seems much easier to cut your food intake by 500 calories. The key is actually a combination of exercising and decreased calorie intake. Exercising will not only help you burn calories, but once you reach your ideal weight, cardiovascular exercise will help your body from gaining extra pounds.

Let me leave you with a few weight loss warnings. Never eat less than 1200 calories a day. If you go below this number you may not be getting enough carbohydrates to feed your brain and heart; if this is kept up for too long you will have brain damage and develop a weak heart. An obtainable goal when it comes to weight loss is one pound per week. If more than this is lost, the body might go into shock and once the diet is over you’ll gain all the weight back; hence people who complain about yo-yo dieting. When weighing yourself, be sure to stick to a schedule. Do it at the same time daily or weekly and on the same scale, for your weight can fluctuate up to five pounds in one day. Lastly, don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods; instead, limit yourself to having that foods only once per week, think moderation.

All About the Heart

Welcome Back!

Are you heart healthy? This term gets thrown around a lot, but most people aren’t even sure what being heart healthy is all about. Well, today’s your lucky day. You’re going to learn all about heart disease and how to prevent it!

Heart disease is the number one killer of people worldwide. If you’re young, you may think you have nothing to worry about. But that’s just not true! The fatty deposits, called plaque, in the arteries of the heart, start to form at age 2. I don’t mean to scare you, but plaque build-up is a very serious thing. Most people will have no symptoms of the plaque build-up until they are diagnosed with heart disease. But I do have some good news, the build-up can be reversed through good nutrition and exercise.

The easiest way to decrease your risk of heart disease is by controlling your blood cholesterol levels. It is recommended that every person get their cholesterol level checked at age 20 and then once every 5 years, if your levels are normal. Normal blood cholesterol levels are:

• Total blood cholesterol below 200 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol: >40 mg/dL for men and >50mg/dL for women
• LDL cholesterol: <100>

In order to lessen plaque build-up in the heart, a low saturated fat diet is required. There is a common misconception that eating high levels of cholesterol causes someone to have high blood cholesterol. But the real dietary cause of high blood cholesterol is a diet high in saturated fat. Saturated fat intake should not exceed 7% of your total calorie intake, which is approximately 20 grams per day. Foods with a high amount of saturated fat include:

• Fatty cuts of meat
• Dairy products, such as, cheese, ice cream, butter, and whole and 2% milk
• Sweets, such as, cookies, cakes, and chocolate
• Processed meats, such as, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages

Other ways to decrease your risk of heart disease include: exercising for 30 minutes each day, control your blood pressure, moderate alcohol intake (1-2 drinks/day), maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and getting regular check-ups at the doctor.

I hope this information helps all of you live a longer and healthier life! Please keep the questions coming, I love to help.

Fact of the day: 2 ounces of cheese has 9 grams of saturated fat.

Becky <3

Feeling Stressed?

Hello Readers!
Before I start on today’s topic, I’d like to let you know that I made comments answering everyone’s questions from my last blog entry. Click ‘comments’ to see my responses. Great questions and keep them coming!

Today’s topic is all about how to deal with stress. Stress can come from a variety of sources, especially with everyone’s busy lifestyles. I’m sure most of us have been stressed before and have had symptoms such as, headaches, an upset stomach, chest pain, and problems sleeping. When stress goes untreated for a prolonged period of time, the body’s natural defense system gets worn down and a variety of symptoms can occur. Some of these symptoms include: frequent headaches, clenched jaw, indigestion or acid reflux symptoms, increase in or loss of appetite, racing heart, cold and sweaty palms, exhaustion, trembling/shaking, and weight gain or loss.

None of the above symptoms are desirable, so let me give you some tips on how to keep stress levels under control. First, exercise regularly! Your body is better able to deal with stress when you are physically fit. Now this doesn’t mean you have to go out and run a marathon. But exercising for 30 minutes/day will help reduce your stress levels. This exercise can be anything from walking to running or even biking. Not only does exercise make you feel great, because of the endorphins being released into your blood stream, but it also improves the blood flow to your brain.

The next way to control stress is healthy eating. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker to grab the unhealthy foods, such as, pizza or fast food, but trust me, when you fill your body with fruits and vegetables, you will most definitely feel great! Shoot for a total of 5 fruits and/or vegetables per day. A combination of the two is best. This may seem like a lot, but if you eat an apple for breakfast, carrots as a morning snack, one vegetable for lunch, and one vegetable for dinner, then you’re almost set for the day.

The above two ways to control stress are very important. Other ways to help deal with stress include: keeping a positive attitude, learning and practicing relaxation techniques, such as yoga, learning to manage your time effectively, saying no to requests that could create excessive stress in your life, making time for hobbies and interests, getting enough rest and sleep, and spending time with loved ones.

I hope the above suggestions help you deal with the stress of everyday life. Enjoy your day and I look forward to your comments!

Fact of the day: 15 minutes of sun exposure twice/week gives you sufficient vitamin D synthesis for optimal bone health.

Becky <3

Eat Breakfast!

Welcome back! Today I’d like to talk about breakfast. Not only would I like to stress how important eating breakfast is, but I would also like to give some healthy option to satisfy your hunger in the morning.

After a full night of sleep, the body is completely out of its main fuel source and is fully reliant on stored fat to keep you going. For most, this sounds wonderful. You’re eating up fat cells without even exercising. But wait, there's more to the story.

The human brain runs almost completely on carbohydrates, which are not exclusively stored for the brain's personal use. If your stomach is completely empty, your brain has nothing to run off of, which can be disastrous if you're trying to stay awake in class or properly take an exam. Running on "empty" is okay for short periods of time, but think of how much more alert you would be if you gave your body the nutrition it needs by eating a healthy breakfast.

Now, what should you be consuming for breakfast? As mentioned above, a strong source of carbohydrates must be included, preferably complex carbohydrates. Lucky for you, many common breakfast cereals have added complex carbohydrates to the ingredient list, not only for added nutritional value, but also to simply make you feel fuller.

When choosing a cereal to consume, the amount of fiber per serving is one of the most important factors to look for. In order for the cereal to be considered fibrous, each serving should contain at least 5 grams of fiber. With all the cereal choices out there today, this should be quite easy to accomplish. Some possible choices include Raisin Bran, Fiber One, and Frosted Mini-Wheats.

Not only will fiber keep you fuller longer, but it will also help you eat less over the course of the day, which is helpful with weight loss. Other benefits of consuming 25 grams of fiber daily include decreased risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and digestive problems.

So start the day out right with a fibrous bowl of cereal! Your body will thank you.

Becky <3

The Start

Hey Readers!

I’m Becky. This blog is the start of our relationship. J I’m hoping I can give you helpful information and that you’ll come back and visit me often. I am planning to share my plethora of knowledge in nutrition and exercise.

I’d like to tell you a little about myself. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2008 with my Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and I have been an ACE Certified Personal Trainer since August 2006.

I have a passion for exercise, nutrition, and health! And guess what? I love sharing it with anyone who will listen. That’s you! Good job! By reading this blog you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle. The first step to health is learning.

Some of my favorites include: running, baking, wakeboarding, learning, watching Ellen, The Office, Scrubs, and Arrested Development, going to concerts, and eating sweets. Yes, I love sweets!

I’d love to hear your comments and opinions. If there’s anything you’d like to learn, let me know! I’m here for you!

Fact of the Day: Walking for 10 minutes 3 times a day is just as good for your heart as walking for 30 minutes all in a row.

Until next time,
Becky <3