L.A. Lifestyle - Nutritional Products

Most of the foods found in the grocery store aisles contain high fructose corn syrup in some form or amount. High fructose corn syrup is commonly found in processed foods because it helps extend food shelf life and is used for flavor enhancement, freshness, texture and to moisten foods. It is usually found in sodas, fruit juices or drinks and processed foods ranging from crackers to granola bars. Manufacturers like using high fructose corn syrup in their foods because it’s more cost-effective compared to using regular sugar and lasts longer.  It has been widely circulated that high fructose corn syrup is extremely bad for you and that it even slows down the metabolism and speeds up the absorption of fat. With a compound almost identical to refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup is digested in a similar way, so there are no hidden pitfalls of eating foods that contain the sweetener.

There has been no consistent research linking high fructose corn syrup with the growing problem of obesity in our nation. Americans consume large quantities of high-fructose corn syrup in the form of soft drinks, fruit-flavored beverages and other processed foods. Some brands of crackers, soups and cookies contain high fructose corn syrup. These types of foods are often high in calories and low in nutritional value, often called ‘empty calories’, which don’t fill you up. Most of these processed foods with larger concentrations of high fructose corn syrup can be avoided or replaced with natural or organic foods. I recommend reducing your intake of any kind of sugar in general, including foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Reading labels is the easiest way to find out how sugary some processed foods, canned fruits and other items. Keep in mind: if it is in the first four ingredients on the label, it is a major component of that food.

The ‘fit but fat’ theory consists of the idea that people can be both fit and fat. I just read about a new study of 39,000 women conducted by Harvard-affiliated researchers to figure out whether exercise or weight exerted a greater influence on the risk of heart disease. The results showed that staying active can lower but not eliminate the heart risks faced by overweight or obese women. A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 29 is considered overweight, while 30 and higher is considered obese. Compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. By contrast, it was 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women; and 2½ times greater in obese inactive women. About two in five U.S. women at age 50 will eventually develop cardiovascular problems. Excess weight contributes greatly to this, causing increased blood pressure, risk for diabetes and higher cholesterol levels. It is imperative that women engage in physical activity to reduce the risk of heart disease.

There is no such thing as ‘fit but fat’. Besides being overweight or obese, others may live their lives average or slim but ‘fat’, meaning that their outsides do not match their insides. This will undoubtedly lead to health problems in the future. Having a nutrition and fitness plan will keep your body looking and feeling healthy, inside and out. Working out for about 30 minutes every day, limiting fat intake and reducing caloric intake will help you become healthier and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that losing just 10 percent of body weight can reduce many weight-related health risks. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit our Health Talk page and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you are ready to live a healthier lifestyle, the first step is to get organized and figure out your plan of action.

•    First, sit down and create a goal-oriented timeline that will give you tips on what changes to make each day, week or month. Writing down your feelings during this health and wellness journey will help you spot problems along the way and be able to address them easier. What motivates you is vital to your success: it can’t just be about losing weight. It is about making a significant lifestyle change to live a long and healthy life.
•    Next, clean out your kitchen and remove any processed and fatty foods or anything you feel may be a bad influence.
•    Then write up a new grocery list after perusing healthy recipes. Adding fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, as well as removing fat, will make a huge difference.
•    For the future, plan out your meals ahead of time, and prioritize so that there is 30 minutes a day left for exercise. Whatever time of day works for you the most, work out at that time if you can. There are many ways to get cardio and weight training into your daily routine besides going to the gym: watching a fitness DVD, biking, walking, swimming or playing sports that break a sweat.
•    Get enough sleep!
•    If you have any medical problems, ask your doctor to help you choose a nutritional and fitness program.
•    Don’t buy in to dieting hype: “fad” diets call for extreme change and significant caloric restriction, which sets someone up for failure. Dieting is not the answer; depriving your body of calories will cause your metabolism to slow down.
•    Make changes slowly to become better accustomed to your new, healthier lifestyle. You will notice a change in how you look and feel. Don’t obsess over a scale every morning, but let how your clothes fit tell you your progress.