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Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor
I am looking forward to seeing you on Wed., May 2nd at 7pm. We will have a great class. Don't miss it. Be sure and get a babysitter if you need one.
Did you see the article in USA Weekend? It mentioned that a study was conducted involving 70,000 women and found that "those who slept 5 hours or less a night were 32% more likely than those who slept 7 hours or more to experience a major weight gain of 33 pounds or more-about 1-2 lbs. a year." So crawl back in bed and get some more shut eye.
Gibbs Oat Bran Muffins
- 1 in 3 Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime
(while I am done with child bearing, my children are not, and these statistics are awful).
- Glucose is absorbed by the intestine which leads to a rise in blood glucose which stimulates insulin secretion by the pancreas which leads to glucose uptake and storage by cells and tissues-if everything is working well.
- If you are insulin resistant or diabetic, glucose is not stored by the cells. The sugar keeps circulating in the body resulting in higher insulin levels and eventual storing of fat in the mid section.
- While 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week is wonderful, and a good beginning, you need to increase exercise to 1 hour most days of the week. To maintain that weight loss you need to increase the exercise to 1 1/2 hours each day. This is if all you are doing is exercise.
- The quickest way to weight loss is portion control. If you are over 250 lbs then you need to use a 1,600 calorie diet. If you are under 200 lbs, you should use a 1,200 calorie diet. I have copies of both at the office with recipes for one week.
- 70% of males and 60% of females are overweight.
- The top state to live in is Colorado with an obesity rate of 15%-19%.
- In order of heaviest populations with more than 30% overweight: Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
- 18% of children are overweight.
- Use of automobiles or other automated means of transportation is one of the causes along with reduced time playing outside, reduction of PE in schools, more time spent watching TV, and playing video games.
- Our portion sizes in food outlets have more than doubled over the past two decades due to marketing of unhealthy foods toward children and availability of fast food and poor food choices in schools.
- Large babies have an increased risk of developing diabetes later on in life. Surprisingly, so do small babies.
- Overfeeding of formula and early introduction of high carbohydrate foods may contribute to metabolic programming.
- Juice is not any different than soda.
- 35% of Americans eat out 3-4 times a week and our choices are not good.
- Even healthy food that is ordered out is coated with fats to allow for high temperature cooking so that the foods do not burn.
- Ruby Tuesday's makes a hamburger that has 2,000 calories.
- Even Weight Watchers Lean Cuisine has increased their portion sizes 20-40%.
- Calories in and calories out. Leptin is the gene that tells you that you are full. Ghrelin is the gene that says I am hungry. These genes were discovered 10-15 years ago. Some people have a Leptin deficiency and never feel full. That is where will power has to intervene. DARN...
Losing for Life
I have enjoyed the last two months reading about five remarkable people. One woman dropped eight pounds this month, while only losing one pound last month. What was her change? She joined Curves.
One of the ladies said she had more "energy to do what she wanted to do" after losing some weight.
"Crittenden said that it is not uncommon for people to plateau, and that it means a little change needs to take place, whether it is in the exercising or the dieting. The body really likes to stay where it is."
Jack Lalayne said that everyone needs to change their exercise program every 30 days and the same thing goes for weights, change the program every 30 days. Your body gets used to your exercise and will begin to use less calories for the same exercise.
Nifty Ideas
Pledge to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day for eight weeks and the Office on Women's Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services will provide a free pedometer (while supplies last). Use their log to record your progress and receive weekly motivational email reminders. Register at www.womenshealth.gov.
May is National Bike Month, so hop on a bicycle, take in some fresh air, cut down on gas, and get into shape. If you want to learn how to repair a bicycle, take a refresher course or find local cycling groups and more, go to www.bikeleague.org.
Feed the needy by taking part in the National Association of Letter Carriers 15th annual Stamp out Hunger Food Drive on May 12. Call your local post office to confirm that your route is included.
Thought
"Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance."
--John Ruskin
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Food
- Pepperidge Farm Original Flaky Crust Roasted Chicken Pot pie has 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. But check out the serving size. That is for 1/2 of the pie.
- McDonalds' Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips sounds healthy. Ounce for ounce, they are no healthier than Chicken McNuggets. Standard 5 strip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of fat. That is about the same as a Big Mac, except the burger has 1,010 mg of sodium while the selects have 1,550 mg.
- Cheesecake Factory's 6 carb cheesecake has 610 calories. That is the same as you'd get from a slice of their Original Cheesecake. Think of it as an 8 ounce prime rib for dessert with 29 grams of saturated fat, 1 1/2 days supply.
- Everlasting Dove ice cream squeezes 300 calories and 8-13 grams of saturated fat into a tennis ball size serving (half a cup). That puts it in with Ben and Jerry's and Haagen-Daz.
- Mrs. Fields milk chocolate and walnuts cookie has more than 300 calories and as much saturated fat as a 12 ounce sirloin steak. It also has 6 tsp. of sugar.
- Use at least as many calories as you take in.
- Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
- Buy healthy, cook healthy. Go to www.americanheart.com for more information.
More News About Feet
Fitness walking in the wrong shoes can slow you down and lead to joint problems, blisters, and shin pain. Because walking is low impact (walkers hit the ground with less than half the force that runners do) your feet are still pounding the pavement. In one mile, a 150 pound woman puts the equivalent of 127,000 pounds of accumulated force on each foot. Don't wear running shoes. Walkers feet need a lower, more rounded heel to help them ease into each stride and a flexible forefoot to help the push off.
10 Commandments of Shoe Shopping
- Buy for your bigger foot: Most people have 2 slightly different sized feet. If there's extra room in the shoe on your smaller foot, compensate with an over the counter insert.
- Get re-measured as you age: If you have kids or gain or lose weight, your foot size may change
- Don't forget to wiggle: You need 3/8" to 1/2" between the tip of your longest toe and the top of your shoe
- Do the "Bend Test": If you hold the heel of the shoe in one hand and the toe in the other and twist, the shoe shouldn't bend. That way your foot's natural curve is more likely to be supported.
- Shop at day's end: Your feet are largest due to swelling.
- Wear the right socks or stockings for the shoe you want to buy.
- Test the shoe padding: Walk on non-carpeted floor at the store if possible to feel how much padding the shoe has. Look for padding in the forefoot that cushions the toes and balls of the feet and over the slight bump where your arch is. Cork is great because it absorbs shock well.
- Don't expect shoes to stretch: It either fits or it doesn't. Man made materials won't stretch. Leather has a little give, but it must be stretched for at least 24 hours using a special solution.
- Let fit, not size, be your guide: Use your heel as a guide. It should not feel tight against the shoe, nor loose. JUST right.
- Go for a variety: In heel height, style, and fit so you can rotate them, which reduces the risk of developing a shoe related foot problem. Heels less than 2" are best. Avoid super flat shoes also. Look for a 1/4" to 1/2" heel at least.
See you Wednesday, May 2nd at the office at 7 PM.
-- Carol
Don't forget to tell a friend about Once Upon a Thigh!
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