Fructose and weight loss
Posted by leah on Jul 31, 2008
According to Dr. Elizabeth Parks, a researcher at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, one of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly. She and a team of scientists conducted a study that showed a difference in the way the body processes fructose compared to other sugars.
One way to avoid getting too much fructose in your diet is to avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup, which is a common sweetener found in a lot of processed foods.
Dr. Parks points out that cutting back on fructose is only one part of the equation, and that it is important for people trying to lose weight to not consume too many calories. source
Normal Weight Obesity
Posted by leah on Jun 28, 2008
A Mayo Clinic study earlier this year found that normal weight individuals (defined as people who had a BMI in the normal range) who had a high percentage of body fat were more likely than those with a lower percentage of body fat to have metabolic disorders.
In plain english, the study found that having a normal weight doesn’t automatically make you healthy - you also need to have a normal or low percentage of body fat.
One way to decrease your percentage of body fat is to increase the percentage of muscle mass you have - and the easiest way to do that is by exercising regularly.
Welcome to Health and Fitness
Posted by leah on Apr 29, 2008
Hi, I’m Leah and this is my new blog about health and fitness (you may have guessed that from the name).
I don’t intend this blog to be about losing weight, although I know that is a health goal that many people have. Instead, I will talk about things we could all do to be healthier. These things will probably help you get to a healthier weight if you are currently overweight, but that would be a side effect of generally improving your health.
My qualifications to talk about this stuff: I took two nutrition classes at Cal, and I’ve been certified as a group fitness instructor through the YMCA, although I am not currently teaching any classes. I became pregnant shortly after passing my certification test and decided it wasn’t the best time to add anything to my plate. I’ve been practicing yoga for several years, and hope to become certified as a yoga teacher once my finances and schedule allow me to take the necessary courses. I have taken one yoga teacher class, an anatomy and physiology course specifically designed for yoga teachers. I’ve also attended various fitness classes at my local YMCA for the past three years, including prenatal yoga, body sculpting, belly dancing, several different yoga classes, pilates, and probably a few others that I’m forgetting at the moment.
Fitness has always been an interest of mine. I taught gymnastics classes for young children while I was in high school, and was a member of my school’s diving team. I’ve also spent a lot of time over the years researching fitness and nutrition on my own, reading magazines, internet articles, and books on these topics.
I plan to gain more certifications and take more classes because I’d like to transition out of my current career (in communications) to a career in health and fitness.
As happens to many people, I haven’t made as much time as I should for fitness now that I’m married, working, and have a child, and as a result I’ve gained weight. Before getting pregnant, I had already gained 20 pounds in three years of marriage, and I gained more while I was pregnant. 7 1/2 weeks post-partum, I currently weigh about 25 pounds more than I’d like to, although I only need to lose 5-10 pounds to be back within the healthy weight range for my height. I am determined to get back to a healthy weight, and do it in a healthy way, as opposed to some kind of crash diet or obsessive amounts of exercise.
So, I’m going to write about things anyone can do to improve their health, and try to take my own advice!