That's Fit

The benefits of fish oil are many: providing essential vitamins and minerals, aiding in the battle against bad cholesterol, reducing weight, assisting with cardiovascular function, muscle repair and growth, etc., etc., etc. By now it's far from a secret that high Omega-3 content, in addition to a high concentration of certain vitamins and minerals, make fish oil a healthy choice.

But just like all good things, there's a bad side to fish oil, as well. For one, if you were to consume fish oil from a bottle (as it is sold as some health food stores), be prepared to want to throw up for the next five years of your life. I remember a few years back I purchased some fish oil, knowing that adding it to my diet would improve my overall health. My plan was to mix the prescribed tablespoon (or teaspoon, I don't remember. It really doesn't matter) with my daily protein shake, because -- at least in my head -- the fish smell would be overpowered by the full glass of chocolate protein powder. Wow, I could not possibly have been any more wrong.

If we here at That's Fit haven't yet convinced you to eat your fruits and veggies, here's one more reason. A recent study found that people who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are less likely to suffer a stroke.

Researchers found that people who eat plant foods on a regular basis have higher levels of vitamin C in their bodies. They also discovered that people with higher levels of vitamin C had a lower risk of stroke. So the connection was made that eating a diet rich in plant foods protects the cardiovascular system, which lowers the risk of stroke, even though researchers couldn't say exactly what the connection is.

Interestingly, taking vitamin C supplements doesn't have a protective effect. Instead, experts recommend eating a rainbow of plant foods every day.

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!

Did you know ... According to the American College of Sports Medicine, working out cardiovascularly three times per week for twenty to sixty minutes is adequate to maintain optimal health. To improve health, a regime that includes cardio, resistance, and flexibility exercises should be performed four to five times per week. Over-training will result in excess fatigue, muscle tissue breakdown, a weakened immune system and frazzled nerves.

Try it out ... What gets you motivated? What keeps you motivated? What are your cardio workouts? Salsa dancing, ballroom, hip-hop? Share your ideas!

Action Tips ...

• Choose a cardio activity you will enjoy.
• Stop if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable at any time.
• Begin with small increments such as walking and add five to ten minutes each week to increase stamina. Stabilize your aerobic routine at between twenty and sixty minutes, three to five times per week.
• Once you are "fit," and you desire to boost your fat burning, try interval training. Walk for five minutes; run for one to three minutes. Alternate intensity. This will give your metabolism a real kick in the derriere!
• Maintain your target heart rate.
• Drink one cup of pure, room-temperature water fifteen to thirty minutes before exercising. Drink plenty of water throughout the workout, as well as throughout the day.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Should we or shouldn't we eat grains? The jury is still way out on this one. Some experts say that lots of whole grains, but not whole-grain flour, are good for us, as they are a good source of fiber and other nutrients. Others say we should almost never eat grains, no matter how whole they are. Still others recommend small amounts of grains, but only if the are soaked or sprouted, then cooked in a certain way.

So what are we to do? Well, according to Dr. Perricone of Oprah! fame, we should eat more buckwheat.

Recently a new study was published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise touting the benefits of regular daily activity versus weight gain. This is nothing new. But what is interesting is the group they studied to get the results. It wasn't a random group of participants like usual, this time it was a very specific group -- the Amish.

Amish men are mostly farmers and log an average of 10 hours per day of physical work and 18,000+ steps per day (on a pedometer). This compared to the average sedentary American who may only get 30 minutes per day of physical activity and takes around 5,000 steps a day. Only 4% of the Amish are obese (despite the fact that they eat diet high in calories, fat, and sugar) compared to the American obesity rate of 33%. And the numbers go on and on

Like I said earlier, the fact that moving and walking is good for your health and your weight is not new information. But this particular comparison really makes me feel like a lazy bum!