The ADRENALINE Diet

ADRENALINE- also known as epinephrine- is a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress. ADRENALINE increases your heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure, and raises the blood levels of sugar (glucose) to prepare your body for that "fight or flight" response. So, ADRENALINE makes your heart pound like crazy, burning up calories by the second. What could be better to lose weight, then, right?

Am I suggesting that you head to your doctor and ask for an EPI-pen to kick off your diet? NO! An Epi-pen is an emergency dose of epinephrine that is used for severe allergic reactions. What I AM suggesting is New York Times Best Seller, ADRENALINE, by Jeff Abbott, for your summer reading...on your exercise bike! (or treadmill, or elliptical, if you can be smooth enough to read on them).

I am always looking for ways to entice people to exercise. One carrot that I use for myself is to get fun, gripping novels, and commit to ONLY READING THEM on my exercise bike. The better the book, the more I find time to squeeze in an extra workout session. My ultimate compliment for a book is that I have deemed it "exercise-worthy", meaning that it dragged me back to the exercise bike for at least a second session in a day. I'll confess that I read ADRENALINE in just a few days...but the last day, I biked over 30 miles, because I was so engaged that I had to see "who done it" and why! Jeff's fast-paced thriller probably would have had my heart pounding at a high rate anyway, but on an exercise bike I was oblivious to the fact that my legs were pumping faster and faster as the action heated up. Jeff Abbott's books always keep you guessing, as he manages to create truly unexpected twists in every plot. I also love how he quietly tucks in sympathetic, humane character details in even the most evil villains.

BOTTOM LINE: Improve your fitness, lose weight, and raise your own ADRENALINE this summer, by treating yourself to Jeff Abbott's latest thriller, ADRENALINE.

PS. Got a favorite GRIPPING book to suggest that is "exercise-worthy"? Share it with us here!

Which Exercise is Best?

ANY exercise can be the "BEST"- really, it's the exercise that YOU will COMMIT to doing! That being said, I will tell you my recommendations.

1. If you have done NO exercise for the memorable past, start with WALKING. Put on a pair of good sneakers, dress for the weather (or head to an indoor mall) and MOVE! If you feel there is simply not a spare half hour in your day to schedule exercise, then get a pedometer (more on them tomorrow), strap it on, and push yourself to increase your step number each day.

2. I am a big fan of EXERCISE BIKES because they are the easiest way to allow cross-training. If you walk, jog or run a few days per week, and hop on your exercise bike the other days, you will nicely balance the strain on your muscles and avoid injuries.

3. Join a GYM...IF IT IS VERY CONVENIENT and/or you will commit along with a PARTNER. Gym memberships are wonderful, IF YOU USE THEM, but many of them are simply a way to open your wallet and dump out money each month.

I'm going to spend the next few blogs expanding on these ideas, so stay tuned!

BOTTOM LINE: The GOAL should be DAILY EXERCISE, so set yourself up for success by choosing the right exercise for you!

My Metabolism STINKS!

Do you feel like no matter what you do, you simply cannot lose weight? Many people ask there doctors what is wrong with their metabolism. Physicians run many thyroid function tests trying to find an answer for their patients, but the majority of the time, those tests are normal. In addition, even if your thyroid is sluggish, starting on thyroid medication does not guarantee that the pounds will melt off!

There are certainly other factors that go into your metabolism. Co-factors such as vitamin B12 and adrenally produced steroids play a role as well. However, most of the time, our science is not advanced enough to detect subtle changes. We cannot give people thyroid medications to "speed things up" unless they are truly low thyroid, because excess thyroid causes medical problems such as irregular heart rhythms, osteoporosis, and anxiety.

So what can you do? There are only two behavioral modifications that YOU can do to help speed up your metabolism. Ready? Here they are:
1. NO SKIPPED MEALS, especially BREAKFAST (because you have already "fasted" while you slept.)
2. DAILY AEROBIC ACTIVITY (walking, biking, hiking, dancing- anything that raises your heart rate)

Additionally, realize that it has been proven that when we record or recall our food intake and exercise, people always UNDERestimate what we eat, and OVERestimate our exercise. Recognize that you (like all of us) have that bias! If you are frustrated with your metabolism, try a different approach. Obviously, what you are doing now is not working, right? So talk with your doctor, your registered dietician, and/or your personal trainer and find ways to step it up a notch!

BOTTOM LINE: Naturally speed up your metabolism by making sure you don't skip meals and you DO increase your daily exercise!

MAY DAY, MAY DAY!

Isn't it funny that "May Day" conjures up some very conflicting images? Do you think of children dancing around a May pole, or a plane crashing? Hmm...it's all about half-empty or half-full, I suppose.
Let's think about the positive image of children dancing, flowers in their hair, and beautiful sunshine. That image reminds me of EXERCISE, POLLEN, and VITAMIN D. Okay, I know- a bit weird, but hey, it's my job and my passion!

#1- Exercise. It's now the fifth month of the year. Have you kept up your New Year's resolution for "MORE"? (See early January blog entries). If not, or if you did, but fell off the wagon, START OVER! Make another resolution today and start moving MORE.

#2- Pollen. It's the first of the month, so change those air filters! (See Feb 1st entry)

#3-Vitamin D- Get that sunshine vitamin in your system! Most people are deficient, so add 1000IU of Vit D to your diet, or have your doctor check your level to find out if you need more.(See The Sunshine Vitamin blog entry of 3/13/10)

BOTTOM LINE: Happy May Day! Today's reminders are about exercise, air filters and the sunshine vitamin.

Location, location, location!

Location- it's not just for real estate, but also for EXERCISE! If you are going to invest in a piece of home exercise equipment (which I highly recommend), please place it where it will get used. Treadmills and exercise bikes quickly become expensive clothes hangers if they are not set up in a user-friendly spot. What's ideal? In front of a television- wherever that works in your home. Listening to music or reading a book (on a bike) are great options, but having the ability to watch a show really seems to make the exercise time fly by. Please do consult with your spouse- he/she may not want your lovely new elliptical machine in the center of your living room! However, if your living room is the only room with a tv, I'd try to compromise.
In my fifteen years of practice, every time someone tells me they own a machine but don't use it, there are only a few reasons.

One- it's out in the garage (and in Texas, this means it's WAY too hot most of the year.)
Two- it got moved to a spot where it's impossible or awkward to see the tv.
Three- it's in the bedroom and it bothers my spouse (because he/she is sleeping) or it's buried under clothes and towels.
BOTTOM LINE: Treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical machines are wonderful, healthy additions to your home...IF they are placed in the right location to optimize use!