Breast Cancer and the African American Woman

One of my goals when I became a trainer was to be a leader in fitness.  I have touched many lives and will continue as long as I am able.  One community that is important for me to reach is one of which I belong, the female African American community.  It is so important for me to change anyone's life with fitness or to share information to save a life or enhance a life.  I also like to lead by example and through the 14 years of being a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I always strive to help anyone no matter the race, religion, gender or fitness level. Being a role model is also important so that people can understand the importance of fitness and nutrition and how it impacts your health.  I have often discussed how hypertension is prevalent in my own immediate family. Due to my exercise and eating habits, I know I have avoided it.  Being an African American woman, it is even more important to get my point across to those that face health related risks prevalent in my community.  Hypertension and diabetes and two primary risks, but it does not have to be the case with prevention and regular health checks.

 According to the American Cancer Society, white women are more likely to develop breast cancer; however, African American women are more likely to die from the disease.  A recent study funded by Georgetown University in 2013 shows that a lifetime of vigorous exercise can help protect African American women against aggressive breast cancer.  The study showed that African American women who averaged 3 or more hours per week of brisk exercise throughout their lives had a 47% lower chance of developing estrogen receptor breast cancer compared to an average of 1 hour per week. Estrogen receptor breast cancer is a more aggressive form of the disease, which is more prevalent in African American women.

 In summary, it is important for everyone to exercise for health, but for any type of disease that strikes a community disproportionately, that community should be aware and work on prevention.  So whether you are an African American woman, have a mother, sister, wife, aunt, cousin or girlfriend that is African American, remember 3 hours a week of vigorous exercise is what you need along with making healthy food choices to make a change in your life.

Eating is as easy as C.P.T!

What is C.P.T you ask?
Choices. Portions. Timing

All of these are key components in shaping your nutrition to be healthier, lose weight or maintain your current weight.  If these are your goals, read on!

When you make decisions about food, you want to consume foods that have the best nutritional value possible.  Your choice of foods should be considered clean and provide natural vitamins and minerals that are not provided in highly processed or fried foods. These unclean foods are high in sugar, salt and fat and do minimal for the body nutritionally speaking.  You want to opt for lean proteins such as chicken or turkey breast, eggs, fish, tofu, and lean beef. Whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal, nuts, beans, healthy fats such as olive oil and avocados and lots of fruits, vegetables and water (water consumption should be 1/2 your body weight in ounces or 64 oz minimum).

When it comes to portions, you want to think smaller but with more frequency during the day.  Think 4-6 small meals and/or snacks.  An example menu: your breakfast is 2 hard boiled eggs and a piece of whole grain toast, your morning snack is a piece of fruit and a serving of yogurt, lunch is a salad with chicken breast, vegetables, pumpkin seeds or olives and beans, an afternoon snack is a serving of nuts with more fruit and dinner is a piece of fish, lots of vegetables with a serving of brown rice.  Your body has to function all day long even in your slowest mode and during your sleeping hours.  You still need nutrients to allow your organs to function.  Your nutrients come from the needed calories consumed and when you spread those calories out evenly throughout the day rather than in one or two meals, this allow the body to optimally process the food for body functions and physical movement.  It also helps keep your metabolism revved up, which is the chemical process necessary for the maintenance of life.  The slower your metabolism, the more likely you are to gain and keep weight on.

Timing is very important with eating.  As alluded to in the last section, your body has to function throughout the day and needs an even amount of calories to burn throughout the day.  If you exercise or are training for an event, your body will need more because you are burning more, but in the big picture, you want to try to eat at least every three hours and never go more than four hours without eating.  Also, try to eat something within the first hour that your wake up to break your fast from overnight.  This helps to get your body going and get on a cycle for the day.  Finally, avoid eating anything at least two hours prior to going to sleep.  If you time your meals during the day, you will find that you will not be hungry and wind up going to bed with food lingering in your stomach trying to digest.  This sometimes can lead to a unrestful night of sleep.

Contact me for nutritional counseling. http://www.simply-fitness.net/nutrition.html

What Does IT Take?

I often get asked what do I do to stay fit.  Since it is my profession and passion to help others get fit, it only makes sense that I model what I talk about so that my clients and class participants trust me to guide them.

Let's start with the exercise.  I teach 3-4 Zumba classes a week and as the instructor, my energy level has to high so that my participants come along with me.  So I am usually giving 110% of my effort and bringing it to the dance floor. I also teach several strength training classes, however, when I teach those, my responsibility is to watch participants form and make corrections, as needed, so I am not getting my workout in.  Consequently, I get one or at least two true "Gail" workouts where I push myself in order to maintain my physique.  What do you have to do?  Push yourself outside of your comfort zone.  If you are not seeing change from what you are currently doing, you are NOT doing enough. You have to push yourself to feel your muscles burn, to feel your heart rate increase, to feel the sweat. 

What do I typically eat? Breakfast, never skip it. Ever. This is typically a granola cereal with almond milk or oatmeal, my next meal can be eggs and whole wheat bread, followed by whole wheat pasta with ground turkey in a sauce with a vegetable, and finally chicken breast or a fish with a vegetable and brown rice or quinoa. In between meals, my snacks are fruit, nuts, raw vegetables with hummus or protein shakes. I eat every three hours and never go more than four hours without having something.  What do you have to do? Introduce yourself to healthier food options and take yourself outside of your comfort zone.  You may be surprised by what you may like.  If you are not seeing change in your body with your current exercise plan and your food choices, you have to definitely change what and how you are eating.  Your nutrition impacts the body most significantly if you are trying to lose weight and/or tone.  More importantly, if you have any issues of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol or triglycerides, you definitely want to change your habits.  If you choose one thing to eliminate or change at a time, it makes it a bit easier.  For example, instead of going to the fast food restaurant three days this week, make it one with the ultimate intention to visit on a seldom basis for a treat.

Since I competed in figure competitions in 2002 and 2004, how and what I eat follows a similar pattern of clean eating. What I mean by that is I eat as many whole foods as possible.   Lots of fruits, vegetables, chicken or turkey breast, fish, eggs, whole grains and as little processed foods as possible.  I also drink at least half of my body weight in ounces of water everyday. Don't get me wrong, I have an occasional cookie or piece of cake, but I exercise and eat really well a majority of the time, so it is fine to have treats in MODERATION.  I walk my talk. Be Well.

Bio-Individuality: One person's food is another person's poison

Bio-Individuality is a term you may or may not have heard of but when people will ask me what I think about a certain diet, I will always come back to this concept. Ok, so what is it?

In 1956 Roger Williams published Biochemical Individuality, asserting that individuality permeates each part of the human body.  This book explained how personal differences in anatomy, metabolism, composition of body fluids and cell structure influence your overall health.

There are several factors that influence bio-individuality.  They are: ancestry, blood type and metabolism.

Dependent on where your ancestors are from, it is most likely the case that your body will crave and thrive on a diet based on that culture.  For example, if your ancestors were from India, your digestive system will thrive on basmati rice, curry and other spices.  If you have ancestors from Scandinavia, your body will be able to tolerate dairy.  On the other side, digestive systems may not handle foods well if they were not part of the culture.  For example, for Africans, dairy was not part of the diet, therefore those of African descent may not handle dairy in their digestive system very well.  I find this to be the case for myself as I notice that when I consume dairy, my digestive system does not like whole milk and I also found that my skin does not like any type of dairy, so I had to eliminate it.

There are four blood types, A, B, AB and O.  They have evolved over thousands of years and some researchers feel they offer insight into what foods work best for the body.  Each type can be traced back in history with differences that can influence your health.  Type O's are known to be able to digest meat well, while Type B's can handle dairy.  Some foods cause cells to clump together, while that same food may not have any impact of someone else with a different blood type.

Lastly, metabolism is affected by bio-individuality.  Metabolism is the rate by which you convert food to energy.  As you digest food, the rate by which you do should dictate the quantity you consume.  Some people digest and metabolize food slow, while others are quick.  Fast burners or Protein types tend to be frequently hungry and crave fatty, salty foods and do not do well on high carbohydrate or vegetarian-type diets.  Their bodies burn through carbohydrates too quickly and a higher protein intake helps slow down their metabolism.  Slow Burners or Carbo types generally have relatively weak appetites, a high tolerance for sweets and problems with weight control.  They require a higher percentage of carbohydrates to give them energy to speed up their metabolism.  Mixed types have average appetites and moderate cravings. For them, the ideal diet is a balance of carbs and protein.

In sum, every person is different based on their ancestry, blood type and metabolism.  No one diet or multiple diets can work for the masses.  You may read a diet in a book or magazine, try it and not get results, however, you talk to someone at the gym or office and it worked wonders for them.  Huh??  You have to find the combination of foods that works for you to be optimal for your health.  Remember, one person's food can be another person's poison.

Information sourced from "Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger from Health to Happiness"

Isn't it Easier to Make an Excuse . . . .

Boy, is it ever when it comes to your workout!  How would I know, you ask?  Because I do it, but in other parts of my life.  SO, the concept of making an excuse for doing something that I may not like is not a foreign concept.  Human nature and behavior puts all of us in a position to make an excuse to not do something even though it is best for us, consequently, just as you may have times that "being too cold outside" sounds good to forego your workout, so does cooking a meal for me.  Yes, that's right.  I love to eat well and find easy ways to do it (soup, cereal or a salad), because I really do not like being in the kitchen although, it is the best option.  Why would I leave the food prep up to someone else when sometimes that could be left to chance?  When I prepare my food, I know what's in it and it is prepared to my specific needs and tastes.  I think of the result and when I do, I act.

Approach your fitness regimen in the same light.  You know your workout is what is best for you and your health.  NO ONE else can do it for you and there are no shortcuts.  Too tired, too busy, too early, too late, too cold, too . . too something, right?  There can always be an excuse, if you let it.  OR you can decide to not let excuses get in the way because the only way you get lasting results for better health or a tighter body is to do the work.  This means getting in your exercise and making your dietary changes and sticking to it.

Some people do well by putting the time in their schedule just like they would any other important appointment.  You can also track your work through various online programs or phone apps such as myfitnesspal.  Whatever works for you, find that way so that your workout becomes consistent, just as you would brush your teeth everyday.  You do that for good oral hygiene, right?  So why miss a workout which provides benefits for your health and well being?

Avoid Complacency: Time to Get Back on Track

During this time of crisis and loss by so many in my state of New Jersey, I send my thoughts and prayers to those during these tough times at the hands of Superstorm Sandy.  There are many in my immediate area that also lost power and were thrown out of a normal routine with offices and schools being closed unexpectedly.  These types of  conditions can easily lead to a state of uncertainty which could lead to complacency.  If you lost power, were you sitting around and eating more than you probably would in a normal week?  Did you get off of a regular exercise schedule because classes were cancelled or your fitness center was closed? Believe me, I empathize and know how you feel because I lost power for more than 5 days during Hurricane Irene in August of 2011.  The one thing that I did was continue with as close to a normal schedule as possible even without power.  At that time, most people around me had power, but I felt it was necessary to not get caught in the vortex of complacency.   Complacency is defined as self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.

Why am I discussing this?  I found that in speaking with people and observing behavior that it is so easy to get thrown off track with various areas of your life.  Which area of your life do I want to highlight?  You guessed it! Health and Fitness.  So many people got sidelined and lost energy or drive in that area of their life.  When you are complacent, you feel your best has been done or perhaps you just don't care to do better, even when you are out of a normal routine.  Your internal struggle is to convince yourself that putting forth the effort to exercise will be worth your time.  When you get to this place, be cautious because this can lead to a total derailment.

My suggestion when crisis strikes and there are things out of your control (such as power loss or your office being closed) is that you stick as close to your fitness regimen as possible and think positive and healthy thoughts rather than dwell on the negative.  Here are the benefits: 

• Stress relief
• Less food consumption
• Excess calories burned
• Feel good hormones released (and needed in crisis)

Get back on track as soon as possible to continue with your health and fitness regimen for life!  Be Well!

Possible? A Day or Two Without Poultry, Red Meat or Pork.

Sometimes I go into these modes of not wanting to eat poultry or fish and relying completely on beans, greens, whole grains and dairy for my protein.  I do not eat pork and on a rare occasion, I will consume beef, but it has to be grass fed and it never is ground.

Here are some benefits of not eating poultry, red meat, or pork and increasing vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and whole grains consumption.

• Diminished consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol.
• Increased consumption of complex carbohydrates that are nutrient dense or provides more health benefits.
• Adequate intake of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber fights a host of disease conditions, ranging from constipation to cancer.
• Fruits and vegetable supply loads of potassium, as against animal based diet.. Potassium rich diet cut down the risk of developing heart diseases.
• A liberal dose of antioxidants. Anti-oxidants are free radical scavengers and destroyers.
• Significant decrease in the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fats ad trans fats, present in large quantities in meat, increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, angina, raised blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
• Reduced risk of developing diabetes.
• A vegetarian diet wards off various cancer such as, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer.
• Macular degeneration can be prevented. Green leafy greens, pumpkin, carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, etc., prevent cataract, macular degeneration and vision loss.
• Preventing infection by E. coli. Contaminated red meat is the primary cause of E. coli infection. A vegetarian diet totally rules out this risk.
• Salmonella poisoning. Eating contaminated meat / chicken causes salmonella infection.  (Granted, salmonella has been found in spinach and fruit, however, the overall benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables outweighs eating animal flesh)

This week was one of those weeks of taking out the animal flesh and feeling a bit of natural cleansing with more vegetables and fruit.  Here is a typical 5 meal menu that I will consume:

Meal 1: Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola with Kefir or soy milk and a nectarine.  

Meal 2: Sandwich thin with peanut butter, banana and a drizzle of honey.

Meal 3: Sautéed vegetables (broccoli, red pepper, onion, carrots) with side of cottage cheese and a whole grain such as brown rice or roasted root vegetables (butternut squash, carrots, red onion, sweet potatoes) with a side salad.

Meal 4: Granny Smith apple with plain yogurt, walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Meal 5: Homemade bean soup with side of sautéed greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard or collard greens) and a plum or grapes.

It is possible to go without eating meats.  See how your body responds, you might be surprised.  Be Well!