The Myth of the Fat Burning Zone

The “fat burning zone” is one of those exercise myths that just. won’t. die.

If you work out at a gym, you’ve probably encountered that little box on your favourite cardio machine – the box that tells you where your heart rate should be for the “cardio zone” and the “fat burning zone”… as if the two are not compatible.

Well, ignore it.  It’s about as outdated as the notion that a woman shouldn’t lift heavy weights or she’ll “bulk up.”  That’s another blog, by the way…

Where does this antiquated workout philosophy come from?

The body stores fat to use as daily fuel.  Not just to make you fear swimsuit shopping or give you dimples in those white pants you wish you could wear, but for an actual purpose.  Regular, low intensity activity like walking around the shopping mall, vacuuming, blinking, breathing and just generally existing is fuelled primarily by fat. Through chemical reactions, fat molecules are converted into a form of sugar for the muscles of the body to use.  Great news, right?  So keep moving – there is some very interesting research now to tell us that daily movement might be the key to staying slender!

At higher intensities, fat recruitment is just too slow to provide enough fuel for the muscles.  At real workout intensity, about 60-90% of your maximum effort, the body begins to rely more on sugar available in your blood for just that purpose.  Fat is still used, but at a smaller percentage.

Here’s the catch.  A pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories.  A pound of fat is a pound of fat is a pound of fat. If you stroll on the treadmill for 30 minutes and burn 120 calories, you’re definitely worse off than if you had mixed lower and higher speed intervals for 30 minutes, with a heart rate at about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate, for 30 minutes to burn 300 calories.  Which would you rather burn?  120 or 300 calories?  Not a difficult choice.

In fact, we now know there is evidence that exercising at a lower intensity level when you’re trying to shed pounds has no substantial effect on the amount of fat you’ll lose.  Overweight and obese women on a low-calorie diet were told either to exercise at a moderate intensity (approximately 50% of their maximum effort) or vigorous intensity (approximately 75% of their maximum effort), and there was no substantial difference in the amount of abdominal fat lost by either group.

Another reason to go intense?  More intense workouts, like those involving heavier weights or speed intervals, have a greater

Add sprints to your cardio workout to maximize your calories burned!

effect on your body after your workout. Train hard and you’ll elevate your metabolism for the next 24-72 hours.  That means your workout is still working for you the following day, and maybe even the day after that!

Here’s a quick way to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) to find out where your heart rate should be for optimal cardiovascular training and fat loss:

MHR = 220 – age

Example: 220 – 35 = MHR 185 beats per minute (bpm)

To train optimally, perform your cardio workouts in a heart rate range of 65-85% MHR. This is your target heart rate range (THR).  Grab your calculator and figure out 65% and 85% of your maximum heart rate.  In the case of our example, a 35-year old woman, her THR is 120 – 157 bpm for her to make an impact on her body fat level and/or cardiovascular endurance.

That’s the real fat burning zone.

Cancer-Fighting Sprinkles

We’ve all heard of antioxidants; they’re those wonderful substances that help prevent and repair damage to our cells to ward off premature aging and cancer, among other maladies.  Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C & E, lutein, beta carotene, selenium and lycopene are found in abundance in a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vibrant fruits and vegetables and… herbs and spices?

That’s right.  Those wonderful flavouring agents growing stale next to your stove are, in fact, superfoods with the ability to help you lose weight & stay healthy! Spices are a dieter’s best friend as they add flavour and richness with virtually no calories.  The spiciest of them – cayenne, hot curry powder or plain old chili flakes – force us to slow down as we eat and, statistically, to actually eat less as a result.

Here’s one more reason to add some oregano to your whole wheat pasta or some cinnamon to your oatmeal: the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found in the largest-ever antioxidant study that ground cinnamon, cloves and oregano are some of the most potent sources of antioxidants, rivaling even blueberries and cranberries.  In fact, just one teaspoon of cinnamon provides the same quantity of antioxidants as a half cup of blueberries!

The bottom line: eat more vegetables, fruits and grains.  But when blueberries rise to $8 a pint in the dead of winter, grab that cinnamon shaker and add some spice to your oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, even your coffee, and savour the flavour.

Here are the top four antioxidant herbs/spices to add to tonight’s dinner:

• cloves have the highest level of antioxidants among spices and also reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels

• cinnamon comes in just below cloves on the antioxidant index and also helps control blood sugar following a meal

• oregano is not just an antioxidant powerhouse, it’s renowned for its antibacterial properties

• turmeric packs antioxidants and is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties that can mean major cancer prevention benefits

Don’t Buck Up Your Weight Loss Plans

If you know me, you know I love my Starbucks.  Or “S-bucks” as we simply call it around my house.  I am at S-bucks almost every day, at some point, to stop in for my usual: a grande bold blend with a bit of cream (yes, cream) and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  We even grind and brew S-bucks at home every morning.  Really… I should have shares.

That’s nothing special, though.  S-bucks is everywhere these days.  When I schedule a walk or park playdate for our New Toronto Moms Meetup (www.newtorontomoms.com), I often choose a Starbucks as our meeting point.  Not just because I’m an addict.  They really are everywhere.  They have change tables, they’re breastfeeding friendly, and they have such a wide variety on their menu (both food and drink) that they can usually make everyone happy.

OK, so I like Starbucks.  But the lovefest ends here.

Here’s a question for you: What’s your usual Starbucks order? Is it a “tall soy latte, easy foam” or a “venti iced coffee with milk” or maybe a “grande mocha frappucino, hold the whip”…?

Starbucks (or Second Cup, or Tim Horton’s or whatever your poison is) can be the pick-me-up in your day.  But it can also really mess up your diet.

Starbucks drinks range from 0-500+ calories per serving.  500 calories? That’s a meal!  Here are a few drinks to avoid when visiting S-bucks next time.  Loaded with saturated fat, sugar and calories, these drinks are diet bombs! Is your drink on this list? (all nutritional info is for grande size)

• Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino – 500 calories, 9 g fat
• Strawberry Vivano Smoothie – 280 calories, 2 g fat
• White Chocolate Mocha – 400 calories, 11 g fat
• Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha – 470 calories, 12 g fat
• Dark Cherry Mocha – 320 calories, 8 g fat
• Caffe Mocha – 260 calories, 8 g fat
• Iced White Chocolate Mocha – 340 calories, 9 g fat

Those calorie counts are all without whipped cream!  Add the whipped cream topping and you’ve added an additional 70 calories and 6 g fat to your “drink”!  You’d be better off drinking a regular cup of coffee and selecting a small pastry than choosing one of these beverages.

Here are a few tips to down-size your fat and calorie intake the next time you’re placing your order:

• avoid anything ending in “frappuccino” or “mocha”
• select hot or iced coffee or tea, unsweetened, and sweeten yourself with one packet of sugar for just 25 calories
• order sugar-free syrup when flavouring your drink
• not a fan of artificial sweeteners?  ask for just “half-sweet” iced coffee or tea
• skip the whipped cream
• order skim milk instead of 2% to save 40 calories per cup
• ask for a “light” version of your favourite drink and save up to half the calories of the regular version

Remember, S-bucks is not in the business of making you skinny.  They concoct their beverages to taste as yummy as possible.  And, like most cafes and restaurants, that means adding the sugar and fat necessary to give you that “WOW” flavour that keeps you coming back.

Be aware and you’ve taken the first step to changing your eating habits. Make yourself aware; check out the nutritional information for your favourite beverage on the Starbucks website.  Then order a plain coffee and be on your way…

Surviving Summer Workouts

the trainer’s toolbox

- Beth Beauchemin (Read About Beth)

Whoo-hooo!  Summer has officially arrived (this week, anyway)!  Long sunny days, warm nights, daily gelato runs (the power walk to the gelato café“justifies” the calories…. or something like that…).  I am so excited that summer is here, and with it the season for rock star outdoor workouts.  Well, right now I’m busy teaching rock star Belly Bootcamp stroller classes, and hoping to join them by mid-August after baby #2 is born… fingers crossed!

With today’s unseasonally high temperature, the ladies and I played it cool in the shade – lots of strength work with our very portable elastic tubing and utilizing all the great surfaces that Toronto’s parks provide us with (love picnic benches to get legs looking great!) However, sooner or later, it’s inevitable that we will be exercising under the hot summer sun.  With all the recent controversy about how to play it safe in the sun, what’s a gal to do? (Don’t know about all the recent sunscreen controversy?  You may be interested in checking Environmental Work Group’s recent posts on sunscreen:  http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen)

Here are our tips to surviving summer workouts safely, and in better shape than ever!

1.  Build up to it gradually.  After Canada’s long and cold winter, this sudden switch to summer has everyone jumping for joy.  But….  remember that our bodies have had the past 8 months to get used to being in the cold – take time to acclimatize to our new season, and give yourself a few weeks of more moderate workouts to get your body ready and able to handle the heat.

2.  Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate!!! Aim to drink about 2 cups of water 2 hours before the workout, and then continue to sip water throughout the workout.  Always be sure to drink water after each workout to replace fluids lost.  If you have been exercising for a long time or in extreme heat, consider weighing yourself before and after the workout, and drink 2 cups of water for every pound lost.  If you are nursing this is even more important, because mommy needs to be hydrated in order to produce milk.

3.  Avoid exercising between the hours of 12 and 2pm.  Exercising during the hottest part of the day puts you at a greater risk for dehydration, heat illness (exhaustion or stroke), and overall bad workouts.  My ideal day has my workout earlier in the morning, then a fabulous nap with the terrible toddler at mid-day.   It’s one of my favourite indulgences!

4.  Stay in the shade or “create” shade by covering up. Stay in the shade is pretty evident, but if you are going to be in the sun try to wear more than just a sports bra and shorts.  Experts are divided on sunscreen, but they are unanimous in saying that the best sun protection is to reduce your exposure.  Long sleeved “surf” shirts are a great (and trendy) way to stay cool and protected in the sun.  Your shades are also more than just a fashion accessory – they are a “must have” in the summer to protect your eyes from the sun’s dangerous rays.  Last, but not least, don’t forget your hat!  We make our kids wear hats for a reason – because it’s VERY important!

5.  Find a good sunscreen, buy 5 of them (one for every bag…. just like lip gloss!), and slather it on! No need to go out and buy the latest SPF 100+ (yes, they make that).  Find something you like between SPF 15 and 50, and wear it!  Sunscreen needs about 30 minutes to be effective, so aim to put it on a bit before you head out the door, and make sure to reapply at least every 2 hours, or every hour if you are working up a sweat.

That’s it!  Have a fabulous summer of outdoor fun – I’m looking forward to seeing you lunging up one of Toronto’s many hills with the other Belly Bootcamp mommies!

Granola Bars for Your Inner Cookie Monster

trainer-approved recipes

- Beth Beauchemin (Read About Beth)

It is no secret that I am the Cookie Monster incarnate – I can scarf down my favourite oatmeal chocolate cookie (yep, the typical fat and sugar laden one that I find at my favourite coffee shop!) faster than you can blink an eye!  However, those delicious treats don’t really provide much more than a quick sugar high, followed by a more devastating crash.  Add to the mix my crazy 7 1/2-month pregnant state PLUS just life in general with a toddler, and you have me wanting NEEDING a yummy, but good for me, substitute for those delectable cookies.

At first, I turned to everyone’s favourite, and hopefully somewhat healthy, pocket snack – granola bars.  I think I kept Nature Valley in business for the first 6 months of my toddler’s life!  However, upon closer inspection, it turns out that my awesome snack food was not so good!  I won’t go into specifics, but suffice it to say that those sweet and salty bars have sugar listed 7 different times.  (The plain old crunchy bars only have it listed 1-2x, but as the second ingredient.)   While I’m not one to cut dessert out of my life, I do try to be selective about where and how much sugar I’m ingesting.  The occasional gelato run in the summer is all good (in my books, anyway) but my “healthy” snack food is not the place for sugar. (FYI – sugar has been linked to bloating, excessive flatulence, loose stools, insulin resistance, increased LDL (bad) cholesterol, decreased immune function, and obesity.  Can you blame me for wanting to minimize its appearance in my food?)

So, snackless and desperately needing a quick, easy, and portable pick-me-up, I turned to a fabulous friend and nutrition expert for some advice!  Counselling me away from processed sugars and empty calories, Lianne from Sprout Right has given me my newest fast and delicious treat.  These bars are officially for our little ones, but I think that they are just about perfect for almost any busy person who’s on the go.  The other great thing about these bars… start to finish (including loading the dishwasher) takes less than 20min.  Perfect!

Sprout Right “Go Faster” Granola Bars

Sprout Right founder, Lianne Phillipson-Webb

Yields 16 bars.

• 1 cup Nature’s Path Millet Rice Flakes
• 1 cup whole rolled oats
• ¾ cup dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots, etc.), chopped
• ¼ cup sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds
• ¼ cup chopped almonds or cashews
• ½ cup brown rice syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut butter or unsalted butter
• ¼ cup almond or peanut butter

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  2. Gently heat brown rice syrup, coconut butter, and nut butter in a large saucepan until melted and smooth.  3. Add dry ingredients to saucepan and quickly stir well to coat completely.  4. Press into a 8” square pan.  5. Refrigerate for at least 1hr and cut into squares.  Store in the fridge or freezer.

Nutrition Information: (per serving; varies slightly) 128 calories; 5.5 g fat; 3.1 g protein; 18.3 g carbohydrate; 1.7 g fiber

• slow releasing carbs and healthy fats for longer lasting energy

• good source of vitamin E, calcium, zinc, vitamin B1, manganese, magnesium, protein, copper, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B5, folate

My other go-to portable snack bar is from Weelicious.com.  Blogger Catherine McCord isn’t a nutritionist but a busy mom who loves good food.  Weelicious is a fabulous resource not only for when you need to feed the little people, but also for when you need to keep yourself going!  Her protein bars (a Lara Bar knock off, but WAY more affordable when you have the time to make them) are awesome!

Bon appétit!