Why Do You Exercise?

Hello!

Recently due to the ever growing fitness field, I have been asked numerous times about different styles of training such as: bodybuilding, crossfit, kettlebells, TRX and others.  I get the same two questions every time; what style and how much?  I thought I would hit a few common points that I come across in the field.

In my first two posts (Here) and (Here) I discussed a simple philosophy and began to try to discuss what training style is the "right" one for a particular person.  Although I stand by my post, I do feel that asking yourself these questions can help:

Why am I exercising?

The biggest question to ask yourself is why are you actually beginning a program in the first place?  You'd be surprised to find out that many people really don't know why they work out, other than the fact that it's accessible or it's something they think they should be doing.  Ask yourself things like:

• What goals do I want to reach by using exercise (weight/figure/strength/sport)?

• What disabilities/ailments/medical condition can I improve through exercise? 

•  Am I using exercise for a means to an end or an end to the means?

•  What do I expect from exercising?  

These are a few common questions, but they can really help you started int he right direction or at least help you realize why you are going to the gym.  After all if you can't convince yourself why you are heading to the gym, why would you go for a prolonged period of time (you should go!)

Choosing what type of exercise is the first step to reaching your goals.

What specific goals do I wish to accomplish?

Similar to the first question,  most people I talk to and I mean most, have no goals what so ever other than: to get in shape or lose weight or get stronger etc.  It's the equivalent to asking a kid "what do you want to eat?" and you get; "whatever or I don't care" over and over. How infuriating, because it would make things a lot easier if the kid would just tell you what they wanted, that way you knew what and how to get it.  The same applies to people exercising.  Many people know that exercising is a good idea due to it's vast health and medical benefits, but they either use that very broad answer or they simply do not know what they want out of exercise. Read this post about another experience I encountered about this very subject (Old Post)   Here are the big three I run into the most that could easily have more explanation than the face value shows:

The most common goal in the fitness world, but often the most broad and open ended as well.

1. Exercise has Many Health Benefits

• Do you have a family history of a health condition? Rather than keeping your reason so broad, focus on using exercise to help combat that history.
• Do you know someone who suffers from a medical condition or is "unhealthy"? Use that specific image as a deciding factor as your goal of exercising.
• Which medical/health issues seem to concern you the most?  Are you worried about heart disease or loss of functional freedom?  Try focusing on a few specific issues and keep them in mind as to why you exercise.

    2. I'm Trying to Lose Weight

• Why?  Why are you losing weight? Is it to meet a personal goal? Trying to fit into a new dress?  Are overweight and feel the need or have been recommended to lose weight?
• How much weight are you trying to lose?  I wouldn't tell a surgeon to perform surgery, without a specific area they needed to work on.  If they didn't know where to work, how would they know if they achieved the task or not?  The same thing goes for losing weight.  Pick a goal, maybe a number, maybe a dress size it could be anything that you can focus on and monitor it to make sure things are on the right track.

    3. I'm Trying to Jacked, Ripped, Huge, Strong etc.

• Again, why? Are you trying to look like a magazine model? Are you competing in a show or tournament or some type? Are you preparing for a class reunion and want to impress?
• How big and strong are you trying to be.  Do you ant to paint yourself green and be the hulk?  Would you like to have washboard abs? Maybe you just want to see some simple definition.

Which outcome do you want from exercise? Both are achieved with similar routes, but with different results.

Once you Have a Goal, how to you Intend to Accomplish it?

Knowing why and what you want from exercise is the first step. The next part is figuring out how to get to that goal.  Should you take aerobic classes, work with a trainer, take yoga, or use kettlebells? Do I diet, do I need supplements, how much of this and that?  Perhaps the hardest part of the exercise plan, determining how to achieve your goals can be very frustrating, but keep this in mind:

• Once you have determined a goal oriented task/idea or a target range, specific training is needed.  Sprinters generally do not run marathons for training, but that doesn't mean they don't perform aerobic exercises. If you are going to be training for a bodybuilding show, chances are you will mostly be training like a body builder, not a figure skater.

• Many goals and achievements crisscross, as I said you may be training for a sprint, but some long distance running can help in your goal.  If someone was trying to lose weight, cardio and healthier eating habits would be a major focus, but strength, power and  the use of "bodybuilder" movements can help in a multitude of way toward, not just the obvious strength increase, but with weight loss.

• Realizing what you need is harder than you think.  How many times have you seen the big guy at the gym working with his smaller friend doing the same exact workout?  It works for one, but not the other, even though they have the same goal, they shouldn't be following the same program. Not only do you need specific goals and training, the process and set up of both need to have specifics within the specific plan.

• Lebron James, Tom Brady, Micheal Phelps, Usain Bolt, Sidney Crosby, just to name a few, are all the  best athletes in their respected sports.  They are at peak physical conditioning and naturally gifted with an exceptional amount of strength, speed and finesse.  Here's the thing; you'd think they all know how to exercise and I'm sure they do, but they all have personal trainers, strength coaches, sport specific coaches, nutrition coaches etc.  They may be the best and they also may have great bodies and surely know how to exercise, but they don't know what is always best for them and how to continue to specifically design programs to meet their specific needs.  Even personal trainers use trainers when they are getting ready for a special event, because a third party, non-biased approach tends to produce the best results.

Even the Pros use trainers and coaches to help them become better at what they do best.

You now have a specific goal, an appropriate approach to obtaining it, and optimal program design, where should you go from there?

Even if you had all of the above things can still trip you up.  How do you know if what you are doing is actually working?  If it's not working, what should you do to correct this?  How do I know if I'm happy with my goal?  Rather than list a slew of possible road blocks let me make a few points on the more common issues I see.  Let me first say that monitoring your progress is a as important as setting up the initial goal.

• Having a specific goal like a target weight is easy to monitor. If the number is going down then you are good, if it's going up things need to change right?  But, what if you goal is not based on a number, but rather a achievement/activity related goal? You have to be able to determine if the exercises you have laid out are actually helping you towards your goal, or are holding you back.

• Self viewing your own progress can be very biased and unhelpful.  Sometimes we don't want to admit that what we are doing is not helping us or even potentially harming us and it can hold you back from your goals.  Have you ever seen the guy at the gym, who's been there for two years and has not made any progress on his appearance, but he's always looking in the mirror and thinks he looks great?  I see it all the time, because if they realized that they have not made and progress they would have to admit they did something wrong, and most people don't like to be wrong.

• Even if you do sense something is amiss do you have the resources to change things?  The scale is going up, how do I stop that?  I'm still not able to run the 5k without taking multiple breaks, what gives?  Eating less and running more would be the first suggestions to pop in our heads, but that's not always the case.  There could be many issues that have gone unnoticed and/or a different approach to training is needed, something you may not even realize could be what you need.

                                                                         

Figuring out how to reach your goal can be confusing, even for professionals. Everyone needs help at some point in their journey.

Finally, knowing when you've reached your goal is somewhat complex, but knowing when it's time to set new goals can be even harder.  Stepping on the scale and see XXX, knowing that you have reached your goal is very rewarding.  Completing your race without delay is great. And fitting into that dress was out of this world, but now what?  Are you going to put all that weight back on? Is that the last race you will ever run?  A common issue people face is determining the next step.  Maybe now you'd like to see a particular body fat percentage,  or run the race in a faster time? Continuously looking toward new goals or even improving ones you've already achieved is the best thing you can do for yourself.  You may have achieved one goal, but you can't just stop there.  Life is full of goals for us to conquer and exercise is one big tool towards achieving those goals.  Look forward to improving  and set new challenges or new tasks and conditions to conquer and I promise the exercising itself will become more exciting and fulfilling in general.  One of the reasons why I got into this field is that I love helping people go through this process, because once they do not have to worry about all the specifics that tend to cause people to quit, they can focus on just training and then they see the results come rolling in.

Thanks for Reading!


"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things" - Mother Teresa

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Muscle Contractions

Hello!

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about ATP (Read Here) and how our body uses this energy everyday.  One of the question that is often asked hand in hand with ATP is "how do muscles work"? The contraction of muscles is very complex (as are most mechanics in the body, which you are starting to realize) so I thought I would take the time and explain how we are able to show off our muscles at the beach, perform a crunch or even just walk around, so you could see how this process works.

I thought I would keep things simple for this post.  Yes this diagram is simple in physiological terms!

Let's use this picture to help use grasp what a muscle breaks down to.

First, let's meet the major players of the muscle:

Skeletal Muscle: The collection of many smaller objects to form what you think of when you say muscle.  Think of those matryoshka doll that fit into each other, after one is put into the other the eventually form into one whole doll. 

Fascia: For those who work with me know about this tissue that covers separates and holds muscles in position.  They know it from the foam roller and other myofascial release techniques we do lol. 

Fascicle: The first little doll inside the muscle (see above) which contains muscle fibers.

Muscle Fibers: The next little doll to pop out contain many little structures, which will play a huge role in contraction of the muscle. Muscle fibers come in different types, the most common you hear about are; slow titch and fast twitch.

Myofibrils: This next doll contains the tiny little structures that we will be spending our focus on: the filaments.

Filaments: The last little doll is made up of actin and myosin.  We will be focusing on myosin, or thick filaments and actin, thin filaments.

Now that we know a few of the key players in the muscle, let us discuss what a sarcomere is.  You can think of this sarcomere as a bonus doll out of the filaments section to a degree, because many sarcomeres are require for contraction. A sarcomere is a portion of the myofibrils in between the "Z-Line". If you look at the picture above, you'll see these Z-lines with an H-Zone between them.  These portions continue all the way through the myofibrils. In short what has to happen is that these sarcomeres have to shorten and lengthen as a team in order to make the muscle contract and relax.  This is known as the sliding filament theory.

The sliding filament theory is the process of making these little portions of actin come closer together or over top myosin, which then takes place throughout the sarcomere and thus, a contraction is formed. Essentially we need the top picture to look like the bottom, by a process where myosin attaches and pulls actin over itself. So how does this happen? Let us use a step by step process to make things simpler: (I posted some diagrams on how the process can be further broken down, but only a few as I don't want to crash this site)

Calcium enters the picture

1. An impulse (action potential)  triggers Calcium (Ca++) to release from its home and enters the picture (more specifically from the sarcoplasmic reticulum down the transverse tubules )

Calcium kicks tropomyosin out and allows the myosin heads to attach to actin.

2. Calcium allows for the myosin (played by the tan heads) to attach to the actin (blue orbs) by removing a barrier known as tropomyosin that blocks it's destination on the actin bands.

ATP is converted to ADP+Pi to allow the myosin the pull actin

3. ATP is converted (ADP+Pi) and allows for the tan heads to yank the blue orbs over top each other (shortening) and a contraction has been achieved.  It should be noted that this pulling constantly continues during contraction until the next step.

Calcium leaves the party and myosin lets the actin go back to it's relaxed position.

4. Once energy is no longer present and calcium cannot clear the path for myosin, the tan heads will release and allow for the blue orbs to revert back to their starting point, until the next time this process begins.

The concept of muscle contraction is not an easy one to convey, without going far too in depth and adding many pictures and models.  What I have displayed here is a very very bare bones and simplistic view of some anatomy and conceptual mechanics on how this process works.  It took me weeks to build my model of in depth analysis of the sliding filament theory for my exercise physiology course, so you can imagine how many pages this post could be to describe it all.

Contracting a muscle, as most processes in the body, is a very complex and dynamic activity.  What I would take away from this post would be: 

1.Muscles are broken down into many substructures

2. At the core of it all, the tiny filaments of actin and myosin are the major players in muscle contraction

3. The sliding filament theory is how a muscle contracts, by myosin pulling actin over itself.

4. ATP and calcium are the fuels needed to make this process move.

As you type, move your head or any other tiny action that requires muscle movement, remember that this sliding filament theory is constantly taking place and that your body really is always hard at work behind the scenes, even for the smallest of movements. If anyone would like any further detail of the information provided today feel free to post below or you can visit the facebook page as well.  I hope everyone has a very safe and enjoyable holiday.  Please enjoy the weekend and remember to appreciate the complexity of your body! Speaking of complex, I've added a few more diagrams of something called an action potential, which is another fundamental component of our body functions. Muscle contractions would not occur without these little guys, so in essence, this step would be included in the overall picture I posted above, but for shock value, I thought I'd show you how much more goes into something as simple as flexing your biceps than you might think. There are also a couple diagrams expanding our initial blog post as well.

The is the anatomy of a neuron, which the process of an action potential takes place.

Of course I could put up many more models, because each process is started and followed by another process so it all depends what part of the physiological chain you want to stop at.

Thanks for reading! 

"Without education, you are not going anywhere in this world"- Malcom X

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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

References

1. Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (141-160) NY: McGraw Hill

2. Howley, E. Franks, B. (2007) Fitness Professional's Handbook 5th edition (340-342) NY:  McGraw Hill

Multivitamin: Yes or No?

Hello!

Over the last two posts we have learned a little bit more about what vitamins and minerals are, what they do for us and how to obtain the proper amounts for healthy living. The reason for the past posts was in response to one of the common questions I am asked: "should I take a multivitamin supplement"? You may be surprised by the answer I tend to give people, but why don't we look further into the reasoning behind my answer first.

As we already discussed, supplements are meant to fill the void of a substance that we cannot obtain on our own because of either medical issues, lifestyle issues (vegans) or personal reasons and goals.  They are not meant to take the place of the real thing, but unfortunately that seems to be the world we live in today: the "take the pill to fix everything" era is in full swing.  If someone can justify why they are taking a supplement I really have no problem with it, however most people I speak with tend to take them only because they heard it was a good idea, or they give some right field reasoning that has zero evidence to support their claims. Would you drink something that had a skull and crossbones on it just because the big guy at the gym said it will work? I hope not. So why take something everyday without ever knowing why you are truly taking it?

I will be the first to tell you, when I first entered this field, I was one of these people.  I thought every vitamin and herbal supplement on the shelf could give me some sort of health advantage and why not? it stakes it's claim right on the label right?  "Taking xxx may help reduce cancer" or "xxx may help with muscle growth"  Being young and brash I figured I hit pay dirt and started gobbling them up, until one day in my dorm room I was packing up a container for my daily vitamins from my shoe box (yeah there were that many bottles) and realized I had so many that it could qualify for a meal! The sad part was, I didn't know why I was taking so many pills for the price I was paying.

These will not always replace that which you require from actual food.

After I had my little epiphany, I decided to try and learn as much as I could about what I was taking on a regular basis, so I grabbed every book at the library, posted on every health and bodybuilding forum, and read any website with relative information.  To my shock, the information was so split that I didn't know who to believe.  One book said that "supplement xyz is a good idea to take", but the guru on the forum said that "xyz was merely a sales tactic and should be avoided" Here lies the first part to your answer: When educating yourself, believe evidence and take advice at your own risk.  More on that later.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  Here in an article posted in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which talks about the use of multivitamins and the effects on cancer in men. Their conclusion was that taking a daily multivitamin significantly reduced the risk of total cancer in their subjects.  Well, that's good news right? That proves that a multivitamin is a good thing and I should take it right? Before we jump to conclusions let me show you this article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which also came to a conclusion of multivitamin use and it's effects on breast cancer.  Their results concluded, that a daily multivitamin seems to increase the risk of breast cancer!?!? Here is another shocking article about increased death risk (NBC news report)

Be sure to get information from reputable sources that explain their results and  have proper citations.

So, we have two case studies from two reputable sources, but they seem to contradict each other, what gives?  As I said, be careful about what you believe because in the medical/nutrition/training fields, what was considered correct or right one day may be wrong the next. You also must understand that case studies are circumstantial, which is why most results include phrases like; "seems like" "appears to" "suggests" and so on, because they can only base their results from the test group.  If you are testing 5,000 people there are too many factors that play a role in life that can skew the results, perhaps they lied about their usage, or perhaps the subjects already were destined to get cancer etc., the list of variable is endless.

Am I suggesting that taking a multivitamin will give you cancer?  Of course not, but there are plenty of articles out there that will be in favor of taking a certain drug, then there will be just as many that refute the use of the same drug. This leads to the second half of your answer; can you justify why you need to take a supplement? Actually write out your situation and see if supplementation is necessary, helpful or a crutch to get out of eating particular foods. Once you provide the facts, you may realize that your justification is not the same as it started out to be.

 Here are two more studies about taking multivitamins.  Their results do not show any negative effects, however they also do not show any positive gains either.  Basically the subjects appeared to be no better or worse from when the test began. (JAMA Article) (Article 2).  If you were one of the subjects in the test group and were told point blank that taking this pill for 7 years had little to no advantages, would you still  spend the money on them, especially if you read a few articles that, they may or may not increase the risk of adverse effects of said pill?

It can be very confusing with so much data split down the middle, but with a closer examination, you can help answer your own question

Finally, there is the never ending debate of the absorption of not just multivitamins, but all supplements.  Although I've only seen one article that discussed the actual test of dissolving multivitamins (I believe it was a British journal, if anyone should happen to know of it's whereabouts please feel free to message me and I will post it) there are numerous reports online about how multivitamins pass through our bodies, never actually dissolving and releasing the goodies they contain.  There are also claims of millions of pills in the sewer systems and septic tanks of people's homes due to undigested multivitamins. Since the FDA has not regulated these supplements it's hard to say which is true or false, but one other area that may be a concern is the "vitamin-mineral war" as I call it.  You see certain vitamins and minerals can block the uptake of each other like; C can block copper, and zinc can block magnesium and iron can block calcium etc. How would taking a pill that contains all of these vitamins and minerals in one package absorb properly? Again, the FDA won't touch this area so there is no full answer, but logic seems to be on the counter active side.
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So before I ramble too much longer let's answer the question for myself, together. Should I take (insert supplement here)? We'll stick with a multivitamin and use the following:

Education: believe evidence and take advice at your own risk: I have provided just a drop in the journal article ocean, but the links provided seem not to be able to give a definite answer other than correlations and suggestive themes. I also trust all of these sources due to their peer reviewed style and comprehensible data.

Can I justify why I need to take a supplement (multivitamin for today's argument): I eat plenty of fruits and veggies a day.  I also eat whole grains and foods that are packed with nutritional advantages, thus achieving my RDI (recommended daily intake) easily each day.  I have no medical conditions such as osteoporosis and of course I'm not pregnant, and I am not a vegan, so increased dosages of particular vitamins and minerals are not mandatory for my current lifestyle  Since, I achieve all my vitamins and minerals through my diet and I have no ailments or lifestyle situations, I cannot rationally justify why I need to take a multivitamin, as it would just take my RDI higher than it needs to be.

My Answer: NO. Now, if I knew I was going to be out for a few days say camping and I knew I wouldn't be getting my usual food intake, then perhaps I would be able to justify taking one for the that time to help, but only in particular situations not on a daily basis.

Now, lets use an example to look at things from a different perspective. Lets say Mr. X is a business man who travels a lot for work and plug that into the equation:

Education: believe evidence and take advice at your own risk: For the sake of time, lets say Mr. X has read these articles and understands that there is a mixed perception of multivitamin use.  He also seems to trust these sources as they are well known and cited.

Can I justify why I need to take a supplement: Since he travels many hours a day, Mr.X tends to only get 2 square meals in his workday.  He tries to eat fruit or drink a smoothie while on the road and when he does eat, he tries to get sources of whole grains and veggies as well.  However, there are some days where his meals are not the greatest nutritional wise and does not get many fruits or veggies, thus not meeting his RDI everyday. On weekends he is able to eat a much healthier variety as he his home and has no restrictions time wise for work. Mr. X has no ailments or specific lifestyle habits in which he needs additional supplementation of a particular kind.

Mr. X's Answer: Yes. A multivitamin can be justified for those days that he travels and his diet suffers while he cannot achieve his RDI, although he should try to better his situation, a multivitamin could conceivably work to his advantage.  On his weekends however, he should be able to get his RDI, so he shouldn't need to supplement his food, since he is able to eat better while not being on the road.

The purest multivitamin source you can get! 

Remember, this is my answer and I don't speak for everyone.  Mr. X's situation and my situation differed enough that our justifications reached separate answers. I would say neither of us was right or wrong, it's just we have different outcomes in our thought processes.  I feel with multivitamins, as well as many other supplements, I have a very healthy lifestyle in which, I don't need to supplement because I attain nutrients from direct sources. Also, I feel no negative effects from eliminating multivitamins as well, so I cannot say that any physical symptoms have suggested I need to take one, but I didn't stretch my reasoning to continue taking a multivitamin like the classic "it can't hurt to take a little more" (which we learned that's not always true and toxicity can be dangerous), because why spend the money on pills when I already spend it on food the provides the same thing? I am not saying that you should or shouldn't take a multivitamin or any other supplement, however I am suggesting that you follow these two simple statements to help you answer your questions on supplements and learn about them before starting.

Knowledge is power and before you go around and start taking a shoe box full of pills, take advantage of the internet and the numerous free journals databases online to learn more about something to help answer your question. I tend to tell people to follow the two statements above to get them started, but remember other precautions remain such as how a particular supplement could interact with another or other medical concerns that may arise, in which you should get a recommendation.  Never be satisfied with a single answer (you ever seen a doctor smoking or over weight telling you to start a healthier lifestyle? You see where I'm going with this.) not even mine and remember that supplements are only to help, not replace a substance.

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions about any supplements, vitamins or minerals feel free to leave it at the bottom as it may help others who face similar concerns. If you find this information not what you expected toss me a line and I'd love to discuss things further as everyone is entitled to their own opinion and results.  Also if you happen to come across an article you think can help or educate, you can always post a link to it and I will read and comment on them. Please remember that I provide advice, not diagnoses  and only try to educate those who want to start supplementation, but of course they should always consult their physician before doing so.

Here are some databases with great info and are very reputable:
Journal of the American Medical Association
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
PubMed
Harvard School of Public Health




"The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else." - Arnold Schwarzenegger




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*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical/supplemental/nutritional decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Many Minerals

Hello!

Last week I talked about to role of vitamins in the body and some healthy sources of food to achieve our RDI of each vitamin.  Naturally, this post will be comprised of the dietary minerals that go hand in hand with the vitamin world.

Like vitamins, our body requires certain minerals for various biological processes. Now if you remember your chemistry courses, you'll no doubt immediately go back to the Periodic Table of Elements and become overwhelmed.  Luckily, we do not need to eat everything we see on the table, but there are some which are essential, which you will remember means our bodies cannot produce so we must attain them through food.

There are two classification of minerals: Macro and Trace. Although both of these have other aliases I'll stick with these names for this post. Marcominerals are the minerals that we need in larger amounts such as: calcium, potassium and sodium.  Trace minerals, as you would expect, are only needed in small amounts to meet are RDI, which include: iron, copper and zinc.  Just as having too little or too much of a certain vitamin can have negative side effects on our bodies, the same can be said about minerals, which is why they are generally married to one another when it comes to multi-vitamin supplements.

Don't worry you don't have to memorize this or eat all of these either!

Here is a simple list to the "major" minerals that we either require or have been suggested we should be getting in certain amounts: *Please note that I give credit to reference #1 for all the research provided below mineral wise

MACROMINERALS (Elemental Symbol)

Potassium (K): Potassium helps with our bodies communication system of nerves and muscles. It is a very essential player in cell functions via the Sodium-Potassium Pump (see picture below). A lack of potassium or Hypokalemia, may cause higher blood pressure, muscular weakness and cramps. Too much potassium or Hyperkalemia can have similar side effects. Dark leafy greens, grapes, bananas and carrots are all great sources of potassium.

Sodium (Na): Sodium, which is generally referred to with salt intake (although it is only part of salt's make up) is also important for proper cell functions.  It partners with potassium with a very complex system you can take a look at below. Hyponatremia can occur if we do not get enough sodium, which carries symptoms such as; vomiting, headache, fatigue and muscular weakness. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and a laundry list of other medical concerns, which is why it is generally suggested to go easy on salty foods. We get plenty of salt in our foods, but sodium occurs in certain vegetables and milk

Yet another amazing and extremely complex system in our bodies that make us function properly, which 

we couldn't achieve without the smallest of resources.

Chlorine (Cl): Chlorine, better known as the partner of salt in the form of chloride, plays a role in fluid balance in our body as well as the juices that help with digestion. Too little chloride could cause vomiting and excessive sweating, too much can aid in high blood pressure. Table salt is the most obvious source of chloride as sodium chloride is salts actual name. Olives, tomatoes and celery also contain chloride.

Calcium (Ca): I don't think I need to explain how important calcium is for the body.  Healthy bone and teeth own their strength to calcium, but calcium is also responsible for muscle and blood vessel contraction, secreting hormones and enzymes, which helps with the body's internal communication. Healthy amounts of calcium help in the prevention of osteoporosis.  Hypocalcaemia, the lack of calcium can lead to many sides effects, since the body stores calcium primarily in the bone and teeth, if we become deficient  our bodies will pull it from the stores. This can lead to bone disorders like osteoporosis and potential tooth loss.  Too much calcium, Hypercalcaemia can lead to bone pain, abdominal pain and renal (kidney) issues. Dairy products, eggs, green leafy vegetables are the best sources of calcium.

Phosphorus (P): Phosphorus has many roles in the body. It helps with bone and teeth formation, carbohydrate and fat utilization, protein synthesis and of course ATP, remember?  (Check out the post here) Phosphorus deficiency may lead to rickets (see last post).  Too much phosphorus can cause kidney issues and can also throw off the calcium balances in our body.  Red meats, dairy and oats are great sources of phosphorus.

Magnesium (Mg): Magnesium helps muscles relax and contract, transports energy and aids in enzymatic functions.  Magnesium is generally removed from our bodies regularly. Too much magnesium could have effects of extremely low blood pressure.  Although rare, too little magnesium could cause muscle weakness and sleepiness. Nuts, beans, spinach and tomatoes are great sources of magnesium.

TRACE MINERALS

Zinc (Zn): Zinc helps the immune system fight off bacteria and viruses.  Zinc also helps in the production of protein and DNA.  Our sense of taste and smell also require zinc.  Too much zinc can lead to stomach cramps, loss of apatite and headaches.  Too little zinc can have metabolic effects on the body.Eggs, mushrooms and peas are common sources of zinc.

Iron (Fe): Iron produces the proteins hemoglobin (red blood cells) and myoglobin (Muscles), which store and transport oxygen int he body. Anemia is caused from too little iron in the body. Iron toxicity can lead to  iron poisoning, which can cause damage to organs. Grains, spinach, tofu and beans and common sources of iron.

Manganese (Mn): Manganese is involved in processing cholesterol, carbohydrates and proteins. Deficiency of manganese can alter glucose levels and potentially seizures and bone demineralization. Too much manganese can have certain neurological effects. Brown rice, pineapple, beans and spinach are all sources of manganese.

Copper (Cu): Copper helps iron form red blood cells as well as aid in healthy immune and nervous systems.  Although rare, copper deficiency can have a number of neurological effects  Toxicity can damage proteins, lipids and DNA. Mushrooms, spinach and cashews are excellent sources of copper.

Iodine (I): Iodine is important for thyroid hormone synthesis. Iodine deficiency can cause goiter, or swelling of the thyroid gland. Iodine was added to table salt so that Americans could get their RDI with ease. Iodine toxicity is being studied as it's side effects are widely debated. Iodized salt, and eggs possess iodine.

Selenium (Se): Selenium is crucial to the activity of antioxidants in the body. Deficiency (rare) could lead to Keshan Disease.  Selenosis is cause from too much selenium and can lead to garlic breath (not joking) GI disorders and neurological disorders. Cod, turkey, garlic and cheeses contain selenium.


As with vitamins, companies will try and pack on many other minerals to show how important their products are. I have listed what I consider to be the major players listed on supplements, but other essential trace minerals include: Molybdenum, Nickel, Chromium, Cobalt and Sulfur. Just like vitamins, we should have no problem getting our RDI of minerals from eating  healthy choice of foods each day. Not to beat the drum too much here, but rather than expecting to get our RDI from supplements, try and add a few pieces of fruit or a little more green veggies to your daily intake and you'd be surprised how quickly you can reach the amount you need to stay healthy.

Stay tuned next week for more information about all these multi-vitamins and such.  Thank you for reading!

"My failures have been errors in judgment, not of intent" - Ulysses S Grant 



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1.Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (600-610) NY: McGraw Hill

2. Medlineplus (2011) "Minerlas" http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/minerals.html

*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.

Vitamins a Plenty

Greetings!

Everyone at some point or another has either taken a vitamin supplement or at least read about them.  This post is not meant to discuss the pros or cons of supplementation of vitamins or minerals, but rather explain what vitamins are and what they do in our bodies.  I figured that so many people do take these types of supplements that perhaps it may be wise to know what exactly you are putting in your body, since they can have both positive and negative effects.

A Vitamin is an organic compound that is present in food and is required in small amounts for normal metabolic function. (1)  Vitamins are classified into two categories; water soluble and fat soluble.

Water soluble vitamins are as you would guess, easily dissolve in water.  Since they dissolve so easily, they are moved through the bloodstream at a rapid rate.  They are not as easily stored as their fat soluble companions, so they are excreted very easily through urine.  Have you ever taken a multi-vitamin only to notice that your urine is neon yellow shortly after? The high amount of water soluble vitamins you ingested have to go somewhere and the body can only accept so much, thus the excess (which is most of the pill you took) exits through your urine, which is now super saturated with these vitamins. B vitamins (8 in total) and Vitamin C are water soluble.

Fat Soluble vitamins travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. (2)  Afterwards, they are then stored in the body via fatty tissues and in the liver. These types of vitamins can be dangerous in high amounts due to the fact that, if we store certain amounts of a vitamin, then consume more and more of said vitamin, it could lead to toxicity of a particular vitamin.  Fat soluble vitamins include: A,D,E,K

Let's take a look at the major vitamins.  I have left out some of the B vitamins, not that they are not important  but I want to stick with the more common vitamins. *Please note that I give credit to reference #1 for all the research provided below vitamin wise

 I grew up watching these two chow down on veggies and for good reason.

Vitamin A (retinol/retinal/carotenoids): As we discussed A is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in yellow fruits and vegetables, leafy greens and of course carrots. It plays an important role in vision, cell division and immune health. If we fall into a deficiency of vitamin A it could result in night blindness and excessive dry skin among others. (Read more about Vitamin A). If we consume too much Vitamin A, Hypervitaminosis A can occur with sides effects including the ever popular orange tint to the skin.

-B Vitamins play vital roles as co-factors, which they ensure certain chemical and enzymatic reactions are carried out in the body.  It should also be known that some B vitamins are usually referred in their chemical form such as: "be sure to take Thiamine" rather than " be sure to take vitamin B1"   The food sources listed as "found in" are mere examples as most vitamins have more than two sources.


Read more about B Vitamins

B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine as all other members of the B family are water soluble. It is found in grains, liver and eggs. Deficiency can lead to Wernicke's disease or Beriberi, which can cause vast fatigue and cause complications to various systems in the body. Overdosing thiamine can lead to drowsiness.

B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin is found in live, dairy products and bananas.  Deficiency of riboflavin can lead to Ariboflavinosis. There is no known overdose symptoms of riboflavin, but remember too much of a good thing can be harmful so I wouldn't push it.

B3 (Niacin): Niacin is found in meat, fish, eggs and many vegetables. Deficiency of niacin can lead to Pellagra, which has a laundry list of not very fun symptoms. Overdosing niacin can lead  to liver damage among others.

B7 (Biotin): Biotin is found in egg yolks and liver. Common issues of deficiency lead to dermatitis, inflamation of the skin like a rash. No know overdose symptoms are known









B9 (Folate/ Folic Acid): Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables and pastas. It is important in cell production and is especially important to pregnant women. Many birth defects can be linked to folic acid deficiency  There are a variety of potential risks from overdosing folic acid which can be found HERE

B12: B12 is found in meats, eggs and milk.  Deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia, a nasty process of inhibiting red blood cell production and even prevents DNA synthesis.  Overdosing B12 can lead to a rash (I've just discovered that this is only loosely considered a side effect)

The most well known source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Vitamin C is water soluble and is necessary for amino acid synthesis, most notably collagen. It is important for tissue, bone, cartilage and teeth maintenance and repair.  Vitamin C is also a antioxidant, which can block harmful free radicals.  C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Scurvy is the disease caused from lack of vitamin C, which affected ocean bound travelers for years, with common symptoms of decreased ability to fight infections, gingivitis and anemia.  Overdoses of C can lead to diarrhea and upset stomach.

Fish may not be everyone's cup o tea, but they have many healthy benefits

Vitamin D : Vitamin D can be found in fish and eggs. It is necessary for calcium absorption. Two types of bone diseases can be linked to D deficiency: Osteomalacia and Rickets.  Rickets, the more talked about of the two is a big problem in children that causes soft and weak bones, which can inhibit their growth. Hypervitaminosis D is caused from too much vitamin D.

Vitamin E : Vitamin E is found in many fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and even in some edible flowers. It is an antioxidant. Deficiency and overdosing are highly debatable, as no consistent data has provided and answer.

Vitamin K: Vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables, especially parsley (see the facebook post). K is useful for making proteins for bone and tissues and for blood clotting.  Deficiency of K can lead to Bleeding diathesis, or an unusual case of bleeding and an overdose can cause problems for people on blood medicines.



Now that the class is over lol, you can see why companies try to suggest that taking their product is the best way to get all your vitamins. With so much information presented why not just pop a pill?  I'm not saying they cannot be useful, I take a few myself, but for reasons and opinions we'll discuss in the future. Of course I'm going to suggest you get the majority of your vitamins from natural food sources as it is not really that hard to do so.  For example, to get our RDI (recommended daily intake) of say vitamin C, which is 60 mg, a medium orange generally contains 70 mg or C, so one orange would take care of the base intake we need to maintain a healthy body. 400 IUs of vitamin D is the RDI, which can easily be attained through 3 oz of most oily fish. Vitamin K's RDI is 80ug. 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley contains roughly 153% of our vitamin K. One cup of whole grain rice contains multiple percentages of our B vitamins.

Looks pretty tasty to me.

So what? All that tells me is I need to eat fruit, veggies and whole grains, I've heard this many times before. Well, lets look at it like this; for lunch if you were to have a nice piece of 3oz cod, with 1/2 cup of brown rice, chopped some parsley and added an orange (mandarin is the traditional) you'd have a delicious and healthy meal, all while getting most of your A,B,D and K vitamins for the day.  Getting your vitamins through food sources doesn't have to be too challenging.  I think if we all made an effort to cook at least two meals a day keeping in mind the RDI and how important vitamins really are, we would see not only see a healthy America, but it would even begin to tackle the obesity epidemic, getting away from fast foods and back to old fashioned cooking. We don't  have to change over night, but rather take baby steps leading to the ultimate goal.

Not as appetizing as the real thing.

If you have any questions or concerns about vitamins, feel free to leave a comment or contact me and I will try to answer any of them to the best of my ability.  Thank you for reading!

Dreams can come true! - Cinderella from Disney's "Cinderella"


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1.Powers,S. Howley, E. (2007) Exercise Physiology Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance 6th edition (600-610) NY: McGraw Hill


2. Medlineplus (2011) "Vitamins" http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002399.htm


*I am not a doctor or a licensed physician.  I am in no way diagnosing anything and recommend that you speak to your physician before making any medical decisions.

*I am not a registered nutritionist or dietitian. The information presented is for education purposes only.