In the report titled “Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D,” committee members looked at the national data for the US and Canada in order to determine how much Vitamin D and Calcium people were getting from their diet alone.  Their conclusion was that when it comes to Calcium, we’re good with most people getting all they need from the foods they eat: about 1,000 milligrams a day for most adults.

When it comes to Vitamin D however, things get a little complicated.  The committee found that most people do NOT get enough Vitamin D from their diet alone BUT that in most cased, they DO have enough Vitamin D in their blood stream, probably because their body gets what it needs from sunshine.  So even though we don’t get all we need from the food we eat, we’re still good to go when it comes to Vitamin D.

So if we’re getting enough Vitamin D and Calcium naturally, why is it that you constantly hear that we should be taking supplements?

I think the fact that we don’t get enough Vitamin D from diet alone provides manufacturers with a perfect line that can be taken out of context and used to promote the sale of supplements.  Please note the following:

I said” we don’t get enough Vitamin D from diet alone.”

I did NOT say “we don’t get enough Vitamin D.”

There’s a big difference – big enough to drive a truck loaded with Vitamin D supplement through.  According to industry journals, sales of Vitamin D went through the roof climbing 82% from 2008 to 2009 and reaching sales of $430 million.  With that kind of serious money on the table, you’re going to attract the attention of a lot of people claiming that Vitamin D is a “cure-all for whatever ails you.”  Besides, if taking a little is good, then taking a lot is better, right?

Here the Institute of Medicine weighs in again warning that excess amounts of Vitamin D and calcium can actually cause some of the problems you’re trying to prevent including bone fractures and other diseases.

What’s the bottom line?  It’s simply what you’ve known all along:

1.  Eat a balanced diet.  You’ll get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs if you eat a wide variety of foods.

2.  Exercise and stay active.  Strong bones are built through strength and resistance training.

3.  Don’t overdose.  If you’re worried that you’re not getting enough of “this” mineral or “that” vitamin, take a good multivitamin.  Mega-doses are rarely good for you (unless of course, it’s prescribed by your doctor) and can actually be toxic in many cases.

4.  Lastly, use your head.  Listen to your own doctor or professional healthcare provider, not the author of the latest “miracle cure” book that’s being interviewed on Oprah.  Your doctor has your best interest at heart.  The guy on Oprah is just trying to sell books.

No related posts.

In fact, do a quick search on the Internet and you’ll see a lot of people (including myself) recommending eating 5 to 6 meals per day.  What gives?  How does increasing the number of meals you eat result in weight LOSS?  Won’t eating more often increase your caloric intake and result in weight GAIN?

What do you think? …

First, Let’s Define a “Meal”

Before we go any further, it’s critical that we define exactly what is meant by a “meal.”  When nutrition experts say eat 5 to 6 “meals” per day, we don’t mean the mega-sized, 1500-calorie-all-you-can-stuff-yourself-with type of meal that most of us have 2 to 3 times a day.

Take a look at the picture that’s part of this post.  THAT’s what we mean when we talk about a “meal.”  Each meal should be around 200-300 calories.  That’s it.  Your mid-morning meal can be as simple as an apple in between breakfast and lunch.  It can be a celery stick with a little peanut butter in between lunch and dinner.  A piece of fruit, a cup of cottage cheese or a couple of whole wheat crackers with peanut butter are other examples.

The idea is not to eat more food during the day, but to eat the same amount of food (or actually less) spread out over 5 to 6 meals instead of 2 or 3 times a day.

Why This Works

Here’s why eating more frequently actually works.  If you eat breakfast around 6:30 am or so and lunch around noon, that’s around 5 hours between meals.  Since most food takes between 2 to 4 hours to be digested and leave your stomach (depending on the type of food), that’s way too long to go without eating.

The reason is that after your body finishes digesting your breakfast, your blood sugar levels (your glucose levels) begin to drop significantly and around 10:00 am or so (2 to 4 hours later), you’re going to start feeling really hungry.  By the time it’s time for lunch, you’re STARVING!  We all know what happens next – you’re so hungry that you order one of everything on the menu – with extra butter and gravy!  Your blood sugar levels are so low and your body is craving so much food that you tend to overeat in response.  You then feel sluggish and sleepy the rest of the afternoon.  Sound familiar?

On the other hand, if you have a small meal – say an apple – around 10:00 or so, it will kick your blood sugar back up and you won’t feel so hungry.  That way when lunch rolls around, you’re much more likely to be satisfied with the soup-and-salad combo instead of the chicken-fried-steak-with-potatoes-and-extra-gravy.

Eating a small meal every 3 hours or so helps keep your blood sugar levels more or less constant.  That means you won’t go from “I’m starving” to “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” and back again every couple of hours.  This puts YOU back in control enabling you to make better food choices instead of simply responding to your body screaming “FEED ME!!”

Maintain your blood sugar levels at a more or less consistent level by eating more frequently and you’ll control your appetite.  Control your appetite and you’ll actually be satisfied or feel “full” with less food, especially if you make healthier food choices.  Consume less food during the day and you’ll lose weight.  It’s that simple.

Remember, Total Calories are Still Total Calories

Once again, I’m not suggesting that you eat full, regular meals 6 times a day.  Remember that weight loss is still a matter of reducing the total number of calories that you consume in a day.  Eating more frequently will not increase your total number of calories as long as you keep the meals small.  I know I already said that but it’s important.  No matter what you do, weight loss is still the difference between calories in and calories out.

Putting it All Together

So let me summarize with the following points:

1. Prevent your body from going into “starvation mode” by eating something every 3 hours or so.  This equates to around 5 to 6 times per day.
2. Slightly reduce the size of your normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner and insert smaller, 200-300 calorie “meals” in between your regular meals.  So you’ll basically eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid afternoon snack, dinner, and then maybe an evening snack 2-3 hours before going to bed.
3. Remember that the idea is not to eat more food, but just to eat more frequently.  In order to lose weight, you still have to reduce the total number of calories you eat during the day.
4. Make better food choices.  Have a piece of fruit instead of a glazed donut, for example.  Remember that refined carbohydrates (like the donut) will actually cause your blood sugar to spike – followed by a crash about an hour later that leaves you starved again.  Instead, choose whole foods, not processed ones.  Whole foods, especially those with fiber (like fruit) take longer to digest meaning that you’ll feel “full” longer.
5. In addition to reducing the number of calories you eat, you can speed the weight loss process by increasing the number of calories you burn during the day.  Take a walk during lunch or take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Find ways to become more active more throughout the day.
6. Listen to your body and do what works for you.  If you normally feel starved just before lunch, then just add a mid-morning snack.  If you don’t normally feel starved before dinner, that’s OK.  Notice what your body is telling you and make the changes that are right for you.

Although it’s counter intuitive, eating more frequently (about every 3 hours or so) actually allows your body to be satisfied with less food overall.  Give it try and see for yourself!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: blood sugar level, glucose level, Caloric Intake, calories, Dietitian, Health Problems, Lose Weight, Nutrition Experts, weight loss, fitness, diet, meal frequency

Related posts:

1. The A-B-C’s of Weight Loss
2. Weight Loss: Diet or Exercise?
3. New Study Reveals “Secret” to Weight Loss

Snoring can not only disrupt your sleep and keep you from getting enough rest, it can lead to more serious health problems including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and heart problems.  So if you snore, how do you reduce its frequency or stop it altogether?   Here’s what’s worked for me.

First of all, a warning.  Snoring can be an indicator of a serious medical condition so if your snoring problem is severe (waking you, or your partner, more than twice a night or so), you should check with your doctor.   The Mayo Clinic website has some good information on what to expect when you see your doctor as well as the various treatments available.

What Causes Snoring.

What causes snoring in the majority of cases is that the soft tissue of the upper palette (at the back of the mouth) relax during sleep and sag to the point that they begin to vibrate loudly as you breathe.  Like the guy in the picture above, most people who snore tend to sleep on their back for most of the night.   Many also tend to use a soft pillow that allows their head to tilt slightly back.  This allows the mouth to naturally open during sleep.   As a result, they then begin to breathe through their mouth resulting in snoring.  Although I didn’t pick this picture specifically for this reason, it does a really good job of showing you what the main problem is.

(Please note that I purposely excluded snoring caused by any type of obstruction or sinus condition.  These are more serious conditions and require professional treatment.   The suggestions that follow will not be effective for these types of conditions.)

The Fastest Way to Stop Snoring.

OK, so far you know that what causes snoring is the soft tissue at the back of the mouth and throat that tends to sag when we sleep.  Sleeping on our back tends to promote mouth breathing which causes the soft tissue to vibrate loudly resulting in snoring.   So what’s the fastest way to stop snoring?  Easy.   Don’t sleep on your back!

Once I got comfortable spending most of the night sleeping on my side, my snoring essentially stopped completely.  Why?   For two reasons.  First, the soft tissue at the back of my mouth doesn’t block my airway since I’m not laying on my back, and second, my mouth doesn’t fall open so I don’t breathe through my mouth most of the night.

So how do you learn to get comfortable sleeping on your side?  Here are a few tips:

1.   Check your mattress. Make sure your mattress is pliable enough to make sleeping on your side comfortable.   I know a lot of people prefer a firm mattress because a soft one makes their back hurt.  However, their back usually hurts because, you guessed it, they mostly sleep on their back.  I didn’t say you needed a soft mattress, just one that’s pliable or soft enough so that you can sleep on your side without feeling sore or stiff in the morning.   The “memory foam” mattresses are good as are the “sleep number” beds, which is what I use.

2.  Get the right sized pillow. Many people are sleeping on a pillow that’s too high for them.   Why?   Again, because they usually sleep on their back and they want to have their heads tilted slightly forward so that they don’t wake up with a sore neck.   If you try to sleep on your side using a pillow that’s too high, you’ll definitely be uncomfortable and will naturally want to roll back onto your back during the night.  I use one of those contoured “memory foam” pillows that are designed to support your neck as well as keep your head level when you’re laying on your side.

3.  Use “props.” Push pillows or a rolled up quilt or blanket up against your back in order to “prop” yourself on your side.  This will make it more difficult for you to roll over on to your back during the night.  You can also find “knee pillows” or “body pillows” that might help you be more comfortable sleeping on your side.

4.  Use a tennis ball. I don’t remember where I read about this but it works great.  Take a tennis ball and put it into a sock.  Then pin the sock to the back of your pajama top (or tee shirt) so that the ball is positioned around the small of your back.   Then go to sleep lying on your side.  Believe me, if you try to roll over on to your back during the night, the tennis ball will make it so uncomfortable that you’ll immediately switch back to your side.  This is more of a “last resort” technique but it works great!

What Worked for Me.

I accidentally “trained” myself to sleep on my side while I was using the PureSleep anti-snore device (see the Reviews section or use the Search box).  Using the device kept my mouth partially open and made me drool all night long (see “The Pros and Cons of PureSleep”).   I wasn’t snoring anymore but I was still waking up several times during the night with drool running down my cheek.  The only way I could keep my mouth clear was to sleep on my side which allowed the drool to flow freely.  Now all I had to worry about was waking up on a wet pillow!

I know it sounds gross (and it was) but the point is that I eventually trained my body to sleep on it’s side.  After a while, I found I didn’t need the PureSleep device at all anymore.  Now I have the best of both worlds – I don’t snore anymore because I sleep on my side, and since I don’t need the PureSleep device anymore, I don’t have the drooling problem either.

Other Helpful Techniques.

Here are a couple of other things that will help support your anti-snoring efforts:

1.  Lose some weight. It’s a fact that the more overweight we are, the more likely we are to sleep on our backs.  The more weight you’re carrying around, the harder it’s going to be to learn to sleep on your side.   Being overweight is related to so many health issues, including snoring, that losing a few pounds should be a priority anyway.

2.  Don’t drink alcohol close to bedtime. Drinking alcohol makes your muscles relax even more than they would normally.   This makes your snoring problem even worse — which might drive your partner to drink!

3.  Try nasal strips. I didn’t have good luck with these but they may work for you.   They do in fact work.  The nasal strip gently pulls up on the sides of your nose and opens the nasal passages a little wider allowing more air in.   My problem was that my skin became irritated by the adhesive on the strips. It got to where pulling off the nasal strip in the morning also meant pulling off a good portion of skin so I quit using them.  However, they’re relatively inexpensive and definitely worth a try.

4.   Try an “anti-snore” pillow. Whether your pillow is advertised as  ”anti-snore” or not, get a good pillow that keeps your head positioned correctly when you’re on your side.   If your head and neck isn’t positioned correctly, you’ll never sleep comfortably on your side.  You can find a wide variety of pillows including those that are contoured, which is what I use.   I don’t recommend one over another, just that you find one that keeps your neck and head aligned properly and that’s comfortable for you.

5.  Exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help keep your air passages clear, tone your muscles, and help you shed a couple of extra pounds.   You’ll also tend to sleep deeper and better.

Snoring is not something that you, or your partner, have to put up with.  There are things that you can try that can make a big difference.  The thing I found that made the biggest difference for me was learning how to spend the majority of the night sleeping on my side.  Give it try and see if it works for you too.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: sleep, snore, snoring, anti-snore, PureSleep, pillow, sleeping, apnea, rest, health

Related posts:

1. Review of PureSleep Antisnore Device
2. The Pros and Cons of PureSleep
3. Does PureSleep Really Work?

The premise sounds good – drinking a beverage that gives you extra energy, and nowadays, who can’t use a little extra energy?  Energy drinks have become a 1.1 Billion dollar industry with all of the major producers, and most of the smaller ones, jumping to get a piece of the action.

Targeted primarily to teens and young adults, energy drinks combine varying amounts of caffeine, vitamins, sugar, and other ingredients such as taurine and ginseng.  Most energy drinks have the same amount of caffeine as 1-2 cups of coffee.  Red Bull in particular has the equivalent of 1 cup of coffee, Jolt Cola the equivalent of about 3 cups.

So where’s the down side?

There are several in my opinion.

First, I’m not a big caffeine junkie having learned the hard way how addictive it can be (I used to pound down a six-pack of Dr. Pepper every day).  If you’ve ever been “hooked” on caffeine and then tried to quit, you know how bad caffeine addiction can be.  Anything that is that addictive can’t be good for your body.

Second, mixing Red Bull with vodka has become a very popular drink.  Combining the Red Bull (or any energy drink) with alcohol is a really bad idea.  According to experts, the caffeine in the Red Bull can mask the effects of the alcohol.  In other words, people actually become more drunk than they think they are.  This can lead to some really bad decisions – like deciding to drive yourself home, for example.

Third, researchers are finding that drinking energy drinks such as Red Bull may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack, even in young adults.  Studies have shown that healthy blood vessels can show some signs of damage after drinking just one can.  It’s for this reason that Red Bull is banned in France, Norway, Denmark, and Uruguay with other countries currently performing studies of their own.

What’s my take?

Well, those that know me know that I don’t believe in artificial stimulants.  If you don’t have enough energy to make it through the day, then you’re not getting enough sleep, exercise, or proper nutrition.  There should be no reason to “boost” your energy level by artificial means.  If you’re in good health, you should be able to do this naturally.  My advice is to learn how to balance your health the natural way and ditch the artificial “crutches.”

Lastly, if you do enjoy energy drinks such as Red Bull, drink them responsively.  That means don’t drink too many, don’t drink them when performing strenuous physical activities or playing sports, and for God’s sake, don’t mix them with alcohol.

>>Update:  be sure to see my latest post on this topic titled “How Safe are Energy Drinks Like Red Bull?“

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: red bull, energy drinks, caffeine, heart attack, heart disease, balanced health

No related posts.