ZUMBA AND ME

Hot Topics in Nutrition

Hot Topics in Nutrition
by Geraldine Zatcoff, M.S.Ed., M.S., C.N.S.

Nutrition is everywhere these days; magazines, newspapers, television. Bits and pieces of data from studies are sensationalized in dramatic headlines when, quite often, the information is unsubstantiated. Here’s what you need to know about the five hot topics in nutrition today.
Low-carbohydrate diets: Look at any of the popular low-carbohydrate diets including Atkins, South Beach and the Zone and you will find one common thread. They all limit calories by restricting the intake of a particular nutrient. One of the things that Dr. Atkins taught us is that we all have a carbohydrate or sugar tolerance. Each of us is bio-chemically unique and will respond differently to different amounts of carbohydrate. You must find out what your tolerance is. Get rid of the sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet and practically anyone will lose weight. Cell membranes are composed of fat and protein, not carbohydrate. Fat is the body’s primary energy source, not sugar. Athletes are another issue altogether. Most of us are not athletes. The important thing to remember is that sugar (or any nutrient for that matter) gets converted to fat quite easily if the amount of calories you take in exceeds what you expend. The body stores glucose in two places; in skeletal muscle and in the liver. Once those reservoirs are filled, sugar gets converted to fat and sent to the depot. We all know where that is!

Weight Loss: Which brings us to weight loss. Why is it easier to take weight off than to keep it off? Because most of us don’t bother to go the extra and most difficult step that would ensure long-term, permanent weight loss. That step is behavior modification. Immediate gratification is rampant in our society and that is deadly when it comes to food, especially when one is overweight. Even Dr. Phil is talking about it. Those of us in the field of nutrition have long known that if you don’t deal with the issues (and feelings) associated with overeating, and there are always issues, permanent weight loss will elude you.

Anti-Aging: Eating to slow down the aging process is another popular topic these days, especially among some doctors like dermatologist Nicholas Perricone (The Wrinkle Cure). Oxidative stress that damages the cell membrane in skin cells, for example, causes wrinkles. If it happens in cartilage, you get arthritis. Nutritional heavy hitters like salmon (omega-3 fats) and blueberries (phytochemicals like anthocyanins), have been shown to protect cell membranes from oxidative stress. When the cell membrane remains in tact, not only does the cell live longer, it replicates perfectly over and over before is dies. Keeping the cell membrane protected also protects the DNA inside the cell from oxidative damage that could lead to cancer. That’s anti-aging at the cellular level.

So, what’s the best advice? If you want to feel better and look younger, listen to your mother and eat your vegetables. Limit sugar and refined carbohydrates. Eat the foods you love, but eat them in moderation. And remember, physical activity is the key to successful, permanent weight loss.

Zatcoff Wellness
http://www.zatcoffwellness.com
90 Main Street
Westport, CT 06880
203-454-5560
Fax: 203-454-5569
E mail: geri@zatcoffwellness.com

FYI

So just how much of our butt shape is predetermined by genetic roulette? Up to 70 percent of the body’s overall shape, and therefore your rear’s, is genetic, Dr. Marango says. “The rest is going to be influenced by nutrition, exercise, sleep, posture — anything outside your genetic code.” You can thank our gender for the fact that women generally have more posterior padding than men, and thank Mom and Dad for where that padding tends to congregate.

Why Good Posture is Important

When I think about posture, the first thing that comes to mind are the words I’ve heard, and still hear, in childhood and adulthood: “stand up straight and pull your shoulders back.”  Or I get an image of the skeletal and muscular anatomy posters in a doctor’s office with a plumb line that goes directly through the center of the head, shoulder, hip, knees, and through arches of the feet. This is what many of us are taught is “good” or “perfect” posture. There is a problem with these pictures and instructions: they do not represent the entire story of what posture truly is, nor do they effectively teach you how to maintain it.

What is posture?
Posture is not a concept. Neither is it an “ideal or static position.” Posture IS position.  It is the stable position of your body as it moves in gravity right now. Posture is the shape of YOU – moment by moment, movement by movement. What provides that shape is a highly complex system of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fasciathat provides stability, strength and coordination to the body.

Postural muscles [or core muscles] stabilize the joints within the skeletal system through movement, against gravity. In terms of posture, stabilization means to slow down joint movement.  In essence, postural muscles are a high-tech braking system. When it comes to movement and injury prevention, stability is king. It is more important – for long term joint and movement health – to be capable of slowing or stopping joint movement than it is to speed it up, and your body inherently knows this.

It is from stability that all healthy movement is derived.

What causes poor posture and pain?
When postural muscles are not engaged, such as from sitting for long hours every day, or lack of functional exercise, they go to sleep.  If you do not use them, your postural muscles literally lose the ability to stabilize the joints of the body. Since stability is so important to movement, when your postural muscles lose their ability to function, your body MUST do something about it.

What happens…
You have your postural muscles, the brakes. You have your movement muscles, the gas pedal. When the postural muscles shut down, the movement muscles are left with the responsibility of providing stability as well as mobility. This is the equivalent of having your foot on the gas pedal and on the brake at the exact same time.

What does this look like? 
Let’s think again about your lower core. Once the lower core muscles have shut down, the pelvis is left unstable. Remember, stability is king! Your body will recruit stability from somewhere else when needed. In this instance the stability will come from the hip flexors and gluteals – both mobile muscles. The hip flexors and gluteals take over stability control of the pelvis. In doing so, they lose some functional ability as mobile muscles placing greater stress on the hamstrings and low back, leading to significant reductions in the range of motion of the hips and secondarily to the shoulders, knees, and feet. Reduced range of motion causes imbalances throughout the body, which ultimately lead to dysfunction, pain, and injury.

To improve posture, you must improve your body’s ability to stabilize itself within every range of motion available. This means creating a fundamental shift in how you move and how you train movement. The program I recommend to my clients includesself-myofascial release using a foam roller, deep tissue massage therapy, full body flexibility, corrective exercise, functional strength training, and being barefoot.

Fall Zumba Schedule

MONDAY: 5:00-5:40PM

BARTLETT SCHOOL, ZUMBA TONE

603-356-1952,     BARTLETTREC@GMAIL.COM

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TUESDAY: ZUMBA EXPRESS

 10:30-11:00

CRANMORE FAMILY FITNESS CENTER

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WEDNESDAY: 6:00-6:30

CURVES,  BERLIN

603-752-9200

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THURSDAY: 

9:15 -10:15 AQUA  ZUMBA

MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY AQUATIC FOUNDATION,  NEW ENGLAND INN,

 603-733-5915

4:00-4:40 ZUMBA TONE

SUNSHINE YOGA STUDIO, CONWAY

 603-726-6955

5:30-6:15  ZUMBA TONE

SACO VALLEY GYMNASTICS

603-452-8323

The Best Christmas Letter EVER

Dear Family and Friends,

     Another year has passed- hard to believe “how time flies”.  WE wanted to take a moment to share our year with you.  I imagine you are thinking, ‘what could they possibly have done more exciting this year than last year”  - yes climbing K2 was pretty daring last year but we have adjusted to our advanced age and retirement status and are engaging in more seemly pursuits as befits us “seniors”.

     This year, we sat for hours in those two beautiful rockers given to us by our children.  It’s tight for two on the front porch but there is enough room to walk in the house and brew another pot of tea during the hours we sit and watch the birds.  The new binoculars really bring those little suckers into focus.  Actually the chipmunks are much more entertaining than the birds but I must say that watching the wisteria vine grow and bloom may have been the highlight of my Spring.

     We did a bus tour to see the Lupines bloom in the summer- so pretty to watch the fields from the bus window.  Of course Fall would have been a beautiful time for another tour but we were just too busy rocking away on that porch and watching the leaves change color.  Now here we are again back to winter and my gout is aching so bad  from this cold weather that it hurts to get out much.

     We hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and to all of our old friends who continue to ask, “what do you do up there all the time”, NOW YOU KNOW…..

POST THANKSGIVING REMORSE

OK everyone- back to the gym and healthy eating.  It was a nice interlude- 4 days off.

Think Before You Eat That…..

Sooner or later — whether you’re at a summertime barbecue or a pub watching the game — a burger is going to be calling your name. And when there are multiple options for toppings, you’re more likely to give in and make that burger a deluxe. If you go for gooey cheese on top (not to mention fries), you may want to know how much it will set you back.

One Cheeseburger: 310 calories

Exercise Equivalents

• Walking: 94 minutes
• Running: 31 minutes
• Swimming: 59 minutes
• Bicycling: 45 minutes

All that exercise for one burger?! Think how much more you’ll have to do to make up for the fries and soda you have alongside it, not to mention any other toppings you add. Skip the cheese and have a salad on the side for a healthier meal that won’t require as much exercise to work off.

After Thanksgiving

I Ate Too Much! Now What?

Even people who are free of food and weight problems sometimes overeat. Although they feel uncomfortable and regretful, they don’t think, “Well, I’ve already blown it; I might as well keep eating and restart my diet tomorrow.” Instead, they just listen to their body’s cues—and you can too.

When you overeat, don’t continue to eat out of guilt or on a schedule. Wait until you get hungry again—even if that means you skip your next snack or postpone your next meal.

When you get hungry, pay attention to what you want because your body naturally seeks balance, variety, and moderation. You might notice that you’re hungry for something small or something light—maybe a bowl of soup or cereal, a piece of fruit, or a salad. But don’t pay penance by eating foods you don’t really like; that will only fuel your eat-repent-repeat cycle.

Lastly, don’t use exercise to punish yourself for overeating. Instead stay active and use the fuel you consume to live a full and satisfying life.