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Hydration and How it Affects Cardiovascular Health..What you DON’T Know!

Dehydration and Cardiovascular Health

Mild dehydration can impair vascular function nearly as much as smoking a cigarette, according to new research in the European Journal of Nutrition. Though the study sample was small (just 10 subjects), results indicate that hydration levels—even mild dehydration in healthy, young males—play a role in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stavros Kavouras, PhD, FACSM, associate professor and coordinator of the exercise science program at the University of Arkansas, led the international team that published the study, which found a connection between minor dehydration and negative endothelial function with impaired cardiovascular health in humans. Endothelial function is the dilation and constriction of the endothelial, the inner lining of blood vessels. It plays a critical role in cardiovascular health. Atherosclerosis is the loss of flexibility in the blood vessels that leads to hardening of the arteries, a known contributor to cardiovascular disease.

“You could be mildly dehydrated without knowing it while you have endothelial impairment similar to smoking a cigarette,” Kavouras said. “The degree of dehydration when these changes occur is at less than 2% dehydration, which is around the threshold when people start feeling thirsty.”

Plain-Water Consumption Boosts Dietary Benefits

Drinking just 1–3 more cups of plain tap water per day can help people control their weight by reducing their intake of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, reports a study in the February issue of Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Whether the 18,311 U.S. adults studied in the NHANES cohort consumed plain tap water or drank from a cooler, drinking fountain or bottle, the majority of those who increased their water intake by just 1% also reduced their total daily calorie intake and consumed less saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

Those who increased their daily water consumption by 1, 2 or 3 cups decreased their total daily energy intake by 68–205 calories and lowered their sodium intake by 78–235 grams, according to study authors Ruopeng An, PhD, and Jennifer McCaffery. Subjects also consumed 5 to nearly 18 grams less sugar and decreased daily cholesterol consumption by 7–21 grams.

“The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” said An, University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor. “This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universal nutrition interventions and education campaigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories in diverse population subgroups without profound concerns about message and strategy customization.”

Now did you learn something you DIDN’T Know?

Kathy Andrews

 

Sleep and Exercise

Why Sleep Helps

During the night, we cycle through five stages of sleep. The stages include non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (stages1-4) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (stage 5).

Stage 3 and stage 4 are the ones for exercise recovery. Stage 3 marks the beginning of deep sleep and is when human growth hormone (HGH) starts to be released. Stage 4, the deepest slow wave sleep, helps to replenish physical and mental energy. During this stage, the body does most of its repair and regeneration work, thanks primarily to a continual release of HGH. Because HGH is being released in stages 3 and 4, some fitness and sports performance trainers call SLEEP  “the athlete’s steroid.” HGH helps maintain and repair muscles and cells, and it is key to improving athletic performance. In reality the key is finding the correct BALANCE of training, rest, nutrition and sleep!

How Much SLEEP do we need?  Generally speaking, most adults need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. (National Sleep Foundation 2013) while most adults get 6.5 per night. Sleep loss accumulates into sleep DEBT! Over a 5-day work week, a nightly sleep loss of 90 minutes builds into a 7.5-hour sleep debt by the weekend. This equates to losing one full night of sleep during the workweek . Losing 2 hours of sleep a night (sleeping 6 hours instead of 8) significantly impairs performance, attention, working memory, long term memory and decision making.

 How to get Better Sleep!

  • Limit caffeine, particularly in the afternoon and evening
  • Limit alcohol. Especially avoid excessive consumption before bed.
  • Try to quit tobacco use. Nicotine is a stimulate!
  • Don’t use a computer, cell phone, or hand held device in the 90 minutes before bedtime. LED lighting “tells” the brain to stay awake!
  • Limit TV viewing before bed.
  • Lower the temperature in the house or bedroom before and during sleep. The body likes cooler temps. Many sleep doctors suggest lowering the body temp 90 minutes before time!
  • Take a hot bath 90-120 minutes before bedtime.
  • Nap only 15-20 minutes early in the afternoon if necessary.
  • Keep a sleep diary to track patterns.
  • Eat 3-4 hours before bed and avoid heavy meals in the evening. Some evidence suggests that a light carb snack before bed helps sleep.
  • Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow
  • Trust in God’s promise that He wants you to have “SWEET SLEEP” Psalms 4:8 “I will both lay me down to peace, and sleep; for thou oh Lord ONLY makes me dwell in Safety.” Proverbs 3:24 “When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; you shall lie down and your SLEEP shall be SWEET!”

Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises vs Open Kinetic Chain Exercises

There is a lot of controversy regarding Closed Kinetic and Open Kinetic Chain exercises.  The bottom line question to ask is what is your Goal? Do you want to get stronger, bigger muscles, take care of an injury, increase balance, mobility, oh what about increasing flexibility? Both Closed and Open Kinetic Chain exercise have benefits to fit every need. To keep it simple just ask a Professional Trainer what is best for you. Get a kinetic chain assessment and get with a balanced program. Folks that is why we have PERSONAL TRAINING! Everyone of us are uniquely created, wonderfully and fearfully made!

Closed Kinetic Chain exercises for the upper body include push ups, chin ups, and dips which concentrate on a co-contraction of the triceps, biceps, shoulders, pectorals, lats, abdominal and lower back for stabilization in various ratios depending upon angle and leverage.

Closed Kinetic Chain exercises for the lower body include squats, dead lifts, lunges, power cleans; these concentrate on a co-contraction of the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, soleus, and gastrocnemius muscles. The joints of movement include the knee, hip, and ankle.

These are more functional movements and use more muscle groups than Open Kinetic Chain Exercises. Great for Crossfitters, Boot Campers and folks with injuries that need strength in weakened muscles and joints.

Open Kinetic Chain exercises are performed where the hand or foot is free to move.

Open Kinetic Chain exercises for upper body include bicep curls, lying triceps extensions and bench press. Lower body exercises include the Leg Extension and Leg Curls.

All is good friends. Most of my clients know they are going to get a mix. I want to stimulate every muscle fiber I can creating an incredible strong and balanced body. But hear me out, your needs will be unique from others so be careful doing YouTube exercises that may not be right for you!

Remember You are wonderfully and fearfully made.

Keep Strong!

Never Give Up!

Kathy Andrews CPT/NASM/AEA/COOPERS/TRX TRAINER/LIFE STYLE WEIGHT MGMT

Alcohol and Weight Loss

Educating us all about Alcohol!

Just Read and Learn

 Make Progress in Your Training!

 

Alcohol and weight loss are enemies, but an occasional drink can have a place in a healthy lifestyle. In fact, many experts note the potential health benefits of consuming a single drink per day, including a reduced risk for high blood pressure If, however, you are exceeding one drink daily, you might be sabotaging your weight loss plans.

Alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Under normal conditions, your body gets its energy from the calories in carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are slowly digested and absorbed within the gastrointestinal system. However, this digestive process changes when alcohol is present. When you drink alcohol, it gets immediate attention (because it is viewed by the body as a toxin) and needs no digestion.

On an empty stomach, the alcohol molecules diffuse through the stomach wall quickly and can reach the brain and liver in minutes. This process is slower when you have food in your stomach, but as soon as that food enters the small intestine, the alcohol grabs first priority and is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.

As the alcohol reaches the liver for processing, the liver places all of its attention on the alcohol. If you drink very slowly, all the alcohol is collected by the liver and processed immediately—avoiding all other body systems. If you drink more quickly, the liver cannot keep up with the processing needs and the alcohol continues to circulate in the body until the liver is available to process it. That’s why drinking large amounts of alcohol (or drinking alcohol quickly) affect the brain centers involved with speech, vision, reasoning and judgment.

When the body is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fat. Therefore, these calories are converted into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage on your body.

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes water loss and dehydration. Along with this water loss you lose important minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc. These minerals are vital to the maintenance of fluid balance, chemical reactions, and muscle contraction and relaxation.

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers NO nutritional value. It only adds empty calories to your diet. Why not spend your calorie budget on something healthier?

Alcohol affects your body in other negative ways. Drinking may help induce sleep, but the sleep you get isn’t very deep. As a result, you get less rest, which can trigger you to eat more calories the next day. Alcohol can also increase the amount of acid that your stomach produces, causing your stomach lining to become inflamed. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including stomach ulcers, liver disease, and heart troubles.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which is detrimental to your diet plans. Alcohol actually stimulates your appetite. While you might be full from a comparable amount of calories from food, several drinks might not fill you up. On top of that, research shows that if you drink before or during a meal, both your inhibitions and willpower are reduced. In this state, you are more likely to overeat—especially greasy or fried foods—which can add to your waistline. To avoid this, wait to order that drink until you’re done with your meal.

Many foods that accompany drinking (peanuts, pretzels, chips) are salty, which can make you thirsty, encouraging you to drink even more. To avoid overdrinking, sip on a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.

Skipping a meal to save your calories for drinks later is a bad idea. Many drinkers know they’ll be having some alcohol later, whether going to a bar, party, or just kicking back at home. Knowing that drinking entails extra calories, it may be tempting to “bank” some calories by skipping a meal or two. This is a bad move. If you come to the bar hungry, you are even more likely to munch on the snacks, and drinking on an empty stomach enhances the negative effects of alcohol. If you’re planning on drinking later, eat a healthy meal first. You’ll feel fuller, which will stop you from overdrinking. If you are worried about a looming night out with friends, include an extra 30 minutes of exercise to balance your calories—instead of skipping a meal.

What are more important, calories or carbs? You might think that drinking liquor is more diet-friendly because it has no carbohydrates, while both wine and beer do contain carbs. But dieters need to watch calories, and liquor only has a few calories less than beer or wine. Plus, it is often mixed with other drinks, adding even more empty calories. Hard liquor contains around 100 calories per shot, so adding a mixer increases calories even more. If you are going to mix liquor with anything, opt for a diet or club soda, instead of fruit juice or regular soda. Sweeter drinks, whether liquor or wine, tend to have more sugar, and therefore more calories. In that respect, dry wines usually have fewer calories than sweet wines.

The list below breaks down the number of calories in typical alcoholic drinks. Compare some of your favorites to make a good choice next time you decide to indulge in a serving of alcohol.

Drink Serving Size Calories
Red wine 5 oz. 100
White wine 5 oz. 100
Champagne 5 oz. 130
Light beer 12 oz. 105
Regular beer 12 oz. 140
Dark beer 12 oz. 170
Cosmopolitan 3 oz. 165
Martini 3 oz. 205
Long Island iced tea 8 oz. 400
Gin & Tonic 8 oz. 175
Rum & Soda 8 oz. 180
Margarita 8 oz. 200
Whiskey Sour 4 oz. 200

Alcohol can easily be the enemy when it comes to weight loss. It adds extra calories to your diet, encourages you to eat more food, and alters the normal digestive process. Not only are the extra calories a hindrance, but the changes in food breakdown sends turns those extra calories into unwanted body fat. Alcohol does have a bad reputation when it comes to weight loss, and rightfully so, so be smart about your alcohol choices if you’re watching your weight. This article has been reviewed and approved by SparkPeople’s nutrition expert Becky Hand, MS, Licensed and Registered Dietitian.

 

So did you learn something you didn’t know? If so please share it with me!

Thank you,

Kathy Andrews CPT/NASM/AEA/COOPERS/IFTA/TRX TRAINER

830-377-8936

www.kerrvilletxbootcamp.com

www.advocare.com/09063529