iPower Newsletter

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June 2006

We welcome you to the i*Power website and newsletter. Let us explain what i*Power is and why it was founded.

Stunned by the sweeping obesity epidemic facing the current generation of children in the United States, and amazed by current research emphasizing that this generation of parents may outlive their obese children, a group of exercise professionals, dietitians, nutritional experts and nutritional researchers placed the power of their years of experience and financial resources behind the development and launch of i*Power (Individual Power).

I*Power is a fitness and weight loss club designed exclusively to combat obesity in kids ages 8 to 17 and women with weight management issues.

Fitness Fact 1. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent.

Fitness Fact 2. About 25 percent of American adults — and an even greater percentage of women — are sedentary. After age 44, upwards of 30 percent of women are sedentary, and by age 65, the proportion increases to almost 35 percent. By the time they reach age 75, about 50 percent of all women are sedentary.

Fitness Fact 3. Only about 22 percent of American adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week, and only 15 percent exercise both regularly and vigorously.

Fitness Fact 4. No matter how poor your current level of fitness, you can start an exercise routine and become fitter and healthier. Even 90-year-old women who use walkers have been shown in studies to benefit from light weight training.

Fitness Fact 5. Simply adding movement into your daily routine can increase your level of fitness. For example, if you park in the last row of the parking lot and walk briskly five minutes each way between your office and your car, walk up and down the stairs at your office during your 10-minute afternoon coffee break, and walk the dog for 10 minutes when you get home, you've racked up 30 minutes of exercise for the day.

Fitness Fact 6. Women with heart disease or arthritis actually experience improved daily function from involvement in various modes of physical activity.

Fitness Fact 7. Fitness consists of four components: your body's ability to use oxygen as a source of energy, which translates into cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength and endurance; flexibility; and body composition.

Fitness Fact 8. To address all the components of fitness, an exercise program needs to include aerobic exercise, which is continuous repetitive movement of large muscle groups that raises your heart rate; weight lifting or strength training; and flexibility exercises or stretching.

Fitness Fact 9. Walking at a brisk pace (a 15-minute mile or 4 mph) burns almost as many calories as jogging for the same distance. The benefit of jogging is that it takes less time to cover the same distance and it benefits the bones; however, it may be too strenuous for some.

Fitness Fact 10. It takes about 12 weeks after starting an exercise program to see measurable changes in your body. However, before 12 weeks, you will notice an increase in your strength and endurance.

Copyright 2003 National Women's Health Resource Center, Inc.

Hello to everyone! And “thanks” for taking an interest in our newsletter. Now that spring is finally here and summer is fast following you may be thinking about your diet and trying to get into those shorts or that bathing suit, so let’s take some time and review the basics of a healthy diet for weight reduction.

One of my favorite sayings when it comes to weight reduction and weight management is: “eat right and exercise”. It continues to surprise me the number of people who are confused by these four words; and it really should not surprise me! Not with all the information and misinformation out there! So…let’s begin our review.

A “healthy diet” for weight reduction/weight management is one that does not exclude any one food or food group. It is generally defined as one that gets 50%-55% of total calories from carbohydrates, 20%-25% of total calories from protein, and 25%-30% of total calories from fat. All three of these nutrients are needed by our bodies for optimal health. Let’s take a look at each of them.

Carbohydrates are chains of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. One of the main functions of carbohydrates is to supply our bodies with energy. Energy to get through our days! Carbohydrates have other functions as well such as providing a protein sparing effect; provide a source of energy for our brains, energy for our central nervous systems, and energy for our red blood cells. Recently, with the popularity of many “low carb” diets, carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation. Carbohydrates can be classified as either complex or simple. Being simple or complex is neither “good” nor “bad”, it simply refers to the length or “complexity” of the carbon chain. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram. Now, we need to remember that some forms of carbohydrate are better, or a healthier choice than others…for example a regular soda pop with lots of sugar (simple carbohydrate) is not as “healthy” a choice for us as whole grain bread or cereal or brown rice. Ideally most of the carbohydrate in our diet would be complex and provide us with some fiber. A healthy recommendation for fiber would be 20gms -35gms per day. Food sources of carbohydrate include: breads/grains/cereals; fruits; and the milk/dairy group. You will also get some carbohydrate from the vegetable group…just not as much. For example, 1 ½ cups of steamed broccoli would provide about the same amount of carbohydrate as a slice of bread. That’s why we encourage you to fill up on the veggies! You get more!!!

Proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids. There are about 20 or so amino acids…but 9 are considered essential. Essential amino acids can not be manufactured by the body; they must be taken if from food sources. Proteins are our bodies’ building blocks. They are used to rebuild new cells and tissues in our bodies. They are what make our skin, hair, bone and muscle. They are also used to manufacture enzymes, hormones and new red blood cells. They are not the body’s preferred energy source, but in times when there is not enough carbohydrate for energy, proteins can be broken down and used. Proteins also provide 4 calories per gram. Food sources of protein include: lean meats, milk/dairy, fish, dried beans/nuts/seeds, eggs and soy if you choose to work with soy items.

Fat like carbohydrate and protein, is an essential nutrient. We need it in order to live. It is an oily or greasy substance; a mixture of lipids containing mostly triglycerides. Fats are a concentrated source of energy, providing 9 calories per gram as compared to the 4 calories per gram of protein and carbohydrate. In addition to providing a concentrated source of energy, fats allow for the transport and absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat is also functions as a part of our cell membranes, as well as keeping our skin soft and functioning properly. Fat provides insulation and protection to our vital organs. So, you can see that we do need some fat in our diets. The problem is that most Americans get more than their fair share! And because fats are a concentrated source of energy, a little bit goes a long way. Fats are classified as either monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated or as a trans fat. Saturated and trans fats are the “bad” fats. They work to increase our risk of heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol levels. They tend to be solid or hard at room temperature. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the “good” fats and help protect against heart disease and it is believed against the risk for certain types of cancers. They tend to be liquid at room temperature. Sources of these good fats include sunflower, safflower and corn oils. Monounsaturated fats include canola, peanut or olive oil. Try to choose the mono and polyunsaturated fats more often, but remember to keep the total amount of fat in your diet to a healthy amount. This means keeping your total fat intake to 25%-30% of your total calories.(10% or less from both saturated and polyunsaturated, and 10%-15% from the monounsaturated sources)

As a final word on a healthy diet for weight management remember that total calories and serving sizes matter! Ultimately, weight management/weight reduction is just an energy balance equation. If you take in fewer calories than you burn in a days’ time; if you burn more calories than you take in; or a combination of these…you will lose weight. Generally, weight reduction levels for women range between 1200Kcal – 1600Kcals; however yours may be different based on your own personal RMR (resting metabolic rate). Men and children will need slightly more calories. Weigh and measure your food until you are comfortable with what a serving size truly looks like! Refer back to your exchange books! A portion of a given food item (especially in restaurants) may actually count for 3 or more servings! Journaling what you eat is the best way to keep track of this. Research has shown that those individuals who write down and keep track of what they eat are the most successful at weight loss and keeping it off if they continue to journal.

Good luck and congratulations on making some positive changes in your life style! Everyone here at i-Power and Nutrition @ Work is here for you! Please feel free to come to us with your questions or concerns about your diet. Have a fantastic summer!

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