The Secret Behind Burning an Immovable Belly

Q: How do you get rid of belly fat?  I’m 48, I’ve been hiking 2-3 days a week and 2-one hour Zumba classes a week.  I feel great and feel things happening with my body but the belly fat is not moving. Help.

First I’d like to congratulate you on taking the initiative to increase physical activity.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to engage in and maintain consistent physical activity, especially as you get older.  It sounds like your activities are helping to change your mood and body, and that’s a wonderful accomplishment!

Unfortunately, it is not possible to “spot train”, or remove fat from certain areas and keep it in others.  I know there are a lot of people, diets, and products out there that claim to be able to “blast away belly fat”, but the body just doesn’t work like that.

Healthy Holidays: Avoid Weight Gain This Thanksgiving

Q: Every year I gain weight during the holidays. How can I learn to practice self-control and not over-indulge this holiday season?

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday.  Aside from fellowshipping with family and loved ones, there is an ample amount of delicious food right at my fingertips.  From casseroles, to pies, and my all-time favorite mac and cheese, nothing brings more joy to my heart than the blessing of home cooked food (that I didn’t have to make 😉 ).  Unfortunately this abundance of not-so-healthy food can cause many of us, including me, to put self-control by the wayside and eat so much that the only thing we can do afterwards is sit down and eventually fall asleep.

 The good news is there is a way to enjoy all of the food that comes along with the holiday season without losing track of your health goals or gaining extra weight.  Planning ahead and reinforcing ownership and responsibility for your diet and physical activity will keep you on track for success.  With only 9 days until Thanksgiving, it’s important to start thinking about your goals and creating a plan on how to succeed in the midst of an abundance of scrumptious food.  Try these healthy holiday tips to keep your body feeling its best this Thanksgiving.

Throw a Party in Your Water Glass: How to Stay Hydrated this Winter

Q: I heard you can get dehydrated even if it’s cold outside but my problem is I never feel thirsty. How can I learn to drink more water?

Hey pal,

The winter season causes most of us to go to great lengths to protect our bodies from the frigid temperatures.  For a lot of people, this typically means an increase in layers and a higher intake of warm caffeinated beverages.  While these things are helpful in keeping us warm, we tend to forget to give our bodies the one thing that they still need most: water.  Our bodies are made of 70% water, and they need this valuable liquid in order to maintain all of the physiological processes that take place inside them.  While it’s easy to remember to drink water in the hot summer months, water intake usually decreases when the temperature does.  However, whether you’re in blistering heat or the frigid cold,  maintaining adequate water intake is vital in preventing dehydration and keeping your body functioning properly.

Choose Health! Julian’s Transformation

I’ve always felt my mission in life is to help others become healthier and empower them to take responsibility for their wellbeing.  While some people respond well to being told what to do, I’ve found that people are more likely to invest in their health if they are shown how to do it.  My friend Julian is an excellent example of how possible it is to change your life for the better.  He previously engaged in a multitude of unhealthy behaviors stemming from our college days at UNC Chapel Hill but has since made the decision to invest in his health.  Exercising regularly and being proactive about making beneficial diet choices, Julian has lost over 63 pounds and now has complete control over his previously declining heart health.

Meet my healthy friend, Julian.

Understanding Food Labels: Natural & Organic Foods

The terms “natural” and “organic” are seen a lot these days.  Whether it’s “French fries made with natural potatoes” advertised on restaurant menus or apple juice with “100% organic” on the label, these terms are everywhere.  The clear distinction of foods with these labels often leaves shoppers confused about what they really mean.  Are natural and organic foods more nutritious than foods that aren’t? Are they better for your health?  Are they really worth the higher prices?  Let’s talk about it.

Understanding Food Labels: Nutrient Claims Revealed

You’re cruising down isle 5 and stop to pick up your favorite box of cookies.  Much to your surprise, the manufacturer now offers a reduced-fat version of the same mouth-watering treat.  Without even taking a second guess, you toss the reduced-fat box in your cart, and walk away proud for making such a healthy choice…or is it?  If you’re like me, you automatically associate nutrient claims such as low-calorie, low fat, or fat free with being a healthy option.  But do you know what these claims really mean?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  regulates the use of all nutrient claims that manufacturers can put on their labels, and has criteria that must be met in order for them to be utilized.   Since fats and calories are big concerns for many people I encounter, let’s talk about these two more in depth

Understanding Food Labels: Deciphering the List of Ingredients

 

You are what you eat.

Sure, we’ve all heard this novel cliché before and in some ways its concept is very straight forward; if your diet consists of only ice cream and candy bars, your body will look like it.  However, what we put inside our bodies has a tremendous affect on them that reaches far beyond aesthetic appeal.  The food we eat impacts everything from the body’s ability to produce energy, fight disease, and even the way genes are expressed in our DNA.

Although the status of our health weighs so heavily on what we eat, it can be very challenging to make healthy food choices, especially when product labels are often misleading and difficult to understand.  All of this unnecessary ambiguity inspired me to further investigate food labeling and write a three-part series on the issue in the hopes of providing all of you, my friends, with the knowledge and tools necessary for taking more control over what goes inside your body.

One of the most difficult tasks in assessing how healthy something is tends to be the most basic of them all: determining what’s in it.  If you’ve ever glanced at the ingredients list of your favorite food item, it probably didn’t take long before you stumbled upon something you could hardly pronounce, let alone recognize.  I couldn’t tell you how much time I spend trapped on grocery store isles shamelessly googling the foreign ingredients found on my favorite foods and drinks.  Sure the front of the package says “sliced turkey meat” but unless you’re a dietician, chemist, or have Google readily available to decode the ambiguous ingredients, chances are you don’t really know what you’re eating.

Healthier Snacking on Game Day

Summer is on its way out, and with the fall season quickly approaching there is only one thing that comes to mind – football! There’s nothing like crowding in front of the television with your closest friends, totally engulfed in this beautiful game while snacking on whatever’s in arm’s reach for three straight hours. As fun as game-day parties are, being mindful of what and how much we’re snacking on can be tough to do. I mean, who really wants to consider making wise nutrition choices when your favorite team just scored on a punt return?

I love the “junk” food typically found on game day – chips, dips, and cookies…who doesn’t? As humans, it’s only natural to be more attracted to foods that are sweeter and higher in fat. However, hosting an awesome party with an assortment of snacks that are both tasty and good for your body is possible with a little time and creativity.

After all, why consume excess calories and all that other bad stuff if you don’t have to?

A really great concept I learned about in my Advanced Concepts in Nutrition class comes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In short, maintaining weight through nutrition begins with finding a balance between energy-dense and nutrient-dense foods. Foods that are high in calories and fat would be considered energy-dense. Oftentimes there isn’t much nutritional value that contributes to the health and functioning of your body, which is what food is really meant for anyway. Although they can provide macronutrients that produce energy, excess consumption leads to weight gain. An example of this would be fried foods. However, nutrient-dense foods are typically lower in calories and provide an array of vitamins, minerals, and other substances your body thrives on. These foods are typically more natural, like vegetables.

So how do we merge this concept with Monday Night Football?