Oatmeal is a great healthy food staple for everyone to include in their diet. However, there are a lot of choices! Steel cut, quick cooking, organic, weight management and the newer oatmeal products available in fast food establishments. Always wondered what the nutritional difference was? We hope this will enable you to adopt a simple food shopping strategy armed with knowledge!  (click for full pdf)

We’re confused.  There’s conflicting advice about whether eating after a certain time in the evening leads to weight gain and may be sabotaging fat loss efforts.  So we did a bit of research to share with you.

Two Schools of Thought: We found both sides equally compelling and worth thinking about.  See what you think.

Viewpoint A: Don’t Do It

Researchers at Northwest University published an animal study in the November 2009 issue of “Obesity.” In which two groups of mice were fed identical diets of food containing 60 percent fat. Half the mice were fed during daylight hours and the other half were fed after dark. Both groups performed the same amount of exercise and the conclusion of the study showed the mice fed during non daylight hours posted an average of 48 percent increase in body weight versus 20 percent for the daylight munchers.

When it comes to us less furry, two-legged critters, it’s a fact is that most people tend to crunch more calories in the evening hours where many tend to wind down from the day and crank up the mindless munching of higher calorie, lower quality foods.  Having a sugary or carb-filled snack before bedtime throws a wrench in your metabolic works hindering your body’s metabolic processing as well as the restorative process.

This means when you start to sleep your body goes to work healing and repairing itself.  So if you hit the sack after a snack or two, you’ve give your body additional work to do.  If you’ve ever had extra work hit your desk just as you’ve cleared it for the day, that’s what it’s like for the body if you’ve filled your belly before bed.  So best to avoid empty calories in general, and night-snacks are a definite no-no for the fitness fan.

Viewpoint B: The Timing Doesn’t Matter

Is the equation calories eaten versus calories burned the rule to live by? Many say that as long as you stay within your caloric range it doesn’t matter what time you consume them.

A study involving rhesus monkeys placed on a similar common human diet, were observed for one year found that the monkeys ate between 6 percent and 64 percent of their total calories at night. This is comparable to reports in humans who take in approximately 24 percent to 65 percent of total calories at night. “It was really interesting to see that the monkeys who ate most of their food at night were no more likely to gain weight than monkeys who rarely ate at night,” said Elinor Sullivan, an OHSU graduate student conducting research along with Cameron at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. “This suggests that calories cause weight gain no matter when you eat them.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080832.htm

So, while our metabolism may be closer to the monkey test than the mice test, the bottom line is that avoiding empty calories in general and before bed is a great rule of thumb for optimal health and fitness.

You may ask what types of foods you SHOULD be eating in the evening. Focus on the quality of the food you eat at ANY point during the day. Choose lean proteins, good fats, complex carbs, colorful veggies. If you’re short on ideas and hungry before bedtime try a protein shake, a handful of almonds or simply a cup of non-caffeinated herbal tea. Eating heavy meals before bedtime can affect your sleep quality so while going to bed starving isn’t a solution, neither is consuming the bulk of your calories before your head hits the pillow.

We’ve found that to forgo the nighttime snacking of any kind leaves us feeling lighter, better, more rested and even looking younger than when we have not. And do not underestimate the power of feeling victorious and more energetic the next day, free 0f regret.

For the ultimate answer for you, we recommend you get to know your own metabolism by close observation and monitoring of what seems to affect you. Do your own two-week study if you’re keen to see…that can be fun!  Keep us posted on your findings if you do and we’ll post them if you like.  But whatever you decide, keep moving in the direction of healthier choices in all areas. You will never regret healthier choices.

Body image, in this day and age, is generally dictated by the media around us. Magazines, television shows and movies, actresses and models. In past we’ve been exposed to a plethora of images of women that are rail thin, size 0 and likely had never seen a weight room.  But things seem to be changing. Not only are we seeing athletes as our role models, the images in the media are catering to women who are interested in not only looking healthy and strong but feeling their inner strength through physical achievement.

You may ask yourself, has your “ideal” body image changed from past years? Did you used to strive to make a certain scale weight or fit a certain jean size, whereas now you’re looking to reach fitness goals that are about more than the mirror and reflect how you feel internally?  When we look better we feel better, and when we feel better we look better.  Feeling healthy and strong is not about being starving and thin.

In the 1940’s and 50s it was quite a rare sight to see a strong, muscular physique but they did exist.  In those times it was unusual and definitely not considered mainstream.

In the 80s we saw a surge in the fitness industry and aerobics was the craze. Pink dumbbells may have been the only weights you would have seen in these classes or videos and Jane Fonda was the “ideal” women looked to for a fit body.

The 90’s may be considered the Infomercial decade with fitness contraptions and equipment ready to order with a quick call to QVC, (got any in your closet)?  The Thighmaster and the Gazelle were huge sellers. Tae Bo was also a huge phenomenon but again, none of these trends were focusing on strength training.

Nearing the end of that decade and into 2000, pilates and yoga became increasingly popular. Focusing on the core, mind and spirit is something that still remains strong today.  But the shift into weight training for women gained muscle in the fitness field. Female athletes were dominating the news and continue to do so.  Magazines such as Women’s Health and Oxygen Magazine featured more muscular women with articles focusing on functional and weight bearing exercises and training and physique competitions have steadily increased in popularity.

Which brings us to today.  On any given day if you ask a woman what her ideal body image is you may hear a range from toned to lean and muscular. More focus seems to be on the appearance of strength combined with feminine lines and less body fat.  Most women are now aware that strength and weight training is an optimal part of a balanced workout routine not only for appearance but for the many health benefits such as bone density, reducing the risk of injury, arthritis, diabetes and an improved mental well being. And while bulk still remains a concern, this myth of dramatic increase in size is being countered with intelligent information and studies to prove this worry should be left in the dust.

Still slim, still feminine, yet definitely more fit, healthy and strong.

“I’ve always admired women with muscular, yet feminine, physiques. I thought that, as a long distance runner, I could achieve that look through lots of cardio, group exercise strength classes and tons of crunches, but after awhile it occurred to me that I wasn’t ripped at all…just skinny. That all changed when I met my friend and trainer, Jill Coleman. Jill helped me break out of my chronic cardio habit, got me lifting heavy weights, and changed my diet. Within several months, I started seeing definition I had never seen.   Now, 3 years later, I am stronger and fitter than ever; but more importantly, I FEEL better, both mentally and physically. Strong is definitely the new skinny in my book!”  Tara Ballard, JillFit.com trainer and fitness enthusiast.  

What is YOUR ideal body type now… and what was it in past years?  Are you ready to detach from a focus on how much you weigh versus body composition?  Strong and developed muscles will not only improve your shape, but also the condition of your health and the tone of you skin.  Get strong, look strong, be strong for life.  Never easy…ALWAYS worth it!™