Starting 2009 the Healthy Way Getting Back on Track • Put away the sweets: out of sight out of mind. • Give away extras: take them to work or take them to a social gathering. • Consume vegetables and whole grains again. • Time to focus on your meal plan. How to Deal With Diet Setbacks • • • • • • • • Don’t blow the weight gain out of proportion. Analyze where your calories are coming from. Keep a positive attitude. Learn from your mistakes. Forgive yourself and move on. Keep a food diary and keep yourself accountable. Expect some setbacks, no one is perfect. Develop short term and long term goals to prevent deviation from your diet. • Focus on healthy living and wellness. Focus on Activity • Refocus attention not on food but on exercise. • Schedule time for exercise each day and vary the activities. • Increase physical activity: go outside for a walk or if you live near snow try skiing. • Can also do indoor activities: workout videos, treadmills, ellipticals, strength training, jump roping, dancing, walking up and down stairs, and martial arts. Food Diary • Time to get back to writing down what you eat. • Writing down food intake not only keeps you on track but refocuses the idea of healthy eating. • Accountability factor American Dietetic Association • • • • • • • • Resolution Solutions for a Healthy New Year New Year’s resolutions often are about starting or stopping certain behaviors. The only problem is, resolutions are almost always broken. Start 2009 right by resolving to make this the year you really focus on your health. Consider these resolution solutions to learn how you can succeed — in 2009 and beyond. Start by assessing your food choices and lifestyle. Keep track of what you eat and drink so you can identify the behaviors you would like to change. Set goals and be realistic. Change doesn’t mean you have to give up the foods you like. Divide big goals such as “I will eat better” into smaller, more specific goals such as “I will eat one more piece of fruit per day.” Be patient and don’t give up if you don’t see a huge difference right away. Make small changes over time. Real change takes time, commitment and encouragement. Stick with your plan. If you get off track, pick up where you left off and start again. Seek help from a qualified health professional. A registered dietitian is the best source of reliable and up-to-date food and nutrition information, with the skills to translate science into practical advice you can use. And finally, take care of yourself! Change is hard work and you deserve a pat on the back. Reward yourself with a new DVD or a new outfit. And remember, feeling good and enjoying the best possible health will always be the best reward Caffeine Nine out of 10 Americans consume some type of caffeine regularly, making it the most popular behavior-altering drug. What is it? • The word "caffeine" came from the German word kaffee and the French word café, each meaning coffee. • A drug that is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants • Also produced artificially and added to certain foods. • Has a very bitter taste. • Can cause mild physical dependence. How it works… • It stimulates the central nervous system causing increased alertness. • It takes about four to five hours, on average, to eliminate half of the caffeine one consumes from their body. After eight to 10 hours, 75% of the caffeine is gone. • After ingesting caffeine, it is completely absorbed within 30 to 45 minutes, and its effects substantially diminish within about three hours. Where Caffeine is Found • The most common sources in our diet are coffee, tea leaves, cocoa beans, cola, and energy drinks. • Caffeine can also be produced synthetically and added to food, beverages, supplements, and medications. Case of Caffeine Sensitivity • It is the amount of caffeine needed to produce an effect in a person. • Varies from person to person. • Typically, the smaller the person the less caffeine needed to produce an effect. • Most affected by the amount of caffeine a person has per day. Caffeine Sensitivity • Depends on: – Body mass • Smaller body masses tend to feel the effects sooner than larger body masses – History of caffeine use • People who don’t normally consume caffeine tend to be more susceptible to the negative effects than people to consume it on a daily basis – Stress • All types of stress can increase a person’s sensitivity to the effects of caffeine. – Other factors include age, smoking habits, drug or hormone use, anxiety disorders. Effects • Higher doses of caffeine can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches, and the jitters. • Caffeine can also interfere with normal sleep. • Caffeine is a diuretic, causing a person to urinate. • Can also cause the body to lose calcium. • Can aggravate heart conditions. Heavy Consumption • Amounts more than 500-600mg per day can produce effects including: – – – – – – – – Restlessness Anxiety Irritability Muscle tremors Sleeplessness Headaches Nausea, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal problems Abnormal heart rhythms Caffeine’s effects • Osteoporosis and caffeine. – At high levels (more than 744 milligrams/day), caffeine may increase calcium and magnesium loss in urine. But recent studies suggest it does not increase your risk for bone loss, especially if you get enough calcium. You can offset the calcium lost from drinking one cup of coffee by adding just two tablespoons of milk. • Cardiovascular disease and caffeine. – A slight, temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure is common in those who are sensitive to caffeine. But several large studies do not link caffeine to higher cholesterol, irregular heartbeats, or an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. If you already have high blood pressure, though, have a discussion with your doctor about your caffeine intake. You may be more sensitive to its effects. Also, more research is needed to tell whether caffeine increases the risk for stroke in people with high blood pressure. • Cancer and caffeine. – Reviews of 13 studies involving 20,000 people revealed no relationship between cancer and caffeine. In fact, caffeine may even have a protective effect against certain cancers • Hormones- the effects of caffeine can be felt within a few minutes of ingesting it, and stays many hours—it has a half-life of four to six hours in your body. While in your body, caffeine affects the following hormones: – Adenosine- Can inhibit absorption of adenosine, which calms the body. Can make you feel alert in the short run, but can cause sleep problems later. – Adrenaline- Caffeine injects adrenaline into your system, offering a temporary boost, but possibly causing fatigue and depression later. – Cortisol- Can increase the body’s levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, which can lead to other health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes. – Dopamine- Caffeine increases dopamine levels, acting in a way similar to amphetamines, which can make one feel good after taking it, but after it wears off you can feel ‘low’. It can also lead to a physical dependence because of dopamine manipulation. Caffeine and Diabetes • Duke University conducted a study that put continuous blood-sugar monitors on 10 people with type 2 diabetes. • On the days the patients took caffeine, their blood-sugar levels were 8% higher. And after every meal -- including dinner -- their blood sugar spiked higher than it did on the day they had no caffeine. • "These are clinically significant blood-sugar elevations due to caffeine," Lane tells WebMD. "Caffeine increases blood glucose by as much as oral diabetes medications decrease it. ... It seems the detrimental effects of caffeine are as bad as the beneficial effects of oral diabetes drugs are good." Caffeine and Diabetes continued… • It is suggested to switch from caffeinated coffee to decaf. While decaf has some caffeine it is significantly lower than its counterpart. Caffeine and Cortisol • Cortisol is a stress hormone involved in the response to stress. • Cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduces immune responses. • Studies have shown caffeine elevated cortisol secretion. Caffeine is often consumed in conjunction with exercise or mental stress. • Exercise in conjunction with caffeine elevated levels of cortisol. • Caffeine effects men and women differently thus the cortisol response is also slightly different. Side Note: • Caffeine intoxication is rarely fatal, although 5,000-10,000 mg of caffeine can actually kill you [source: Dance]. • Fortunately, most people won’t ever ingest this much caffeine accidentally - it would take between 30 and 60 cups of coffee in one morning. Benefits • Regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. • Two cups a day gives you 20 percent less risk of colon cancer. • Two cups a day causes an 80 percent drop in cirrhosis. • Two cups a day prevents gallstone development by 50 percent. • It has also shown to be beneficial in asthma, stopping headaches, boosting mood and even preventing cavities [source: Kirchheimer] Drink/Food/Supplement Amt. of Drink/Food Amt. of Caffeine SoBe No Fear 8 ounces 83 mg Monster energy drink 16 ounces 160 mg Rockstar energy drink 8 ounces 80 mg Red Bull energy drink 8.3 ounces 80 mg Jolt cola 12 ounces 72 mg Mountain Dew 12 ounces 55 mg Coca-Cola 12 ounces 34 mg Diet Coke 12 ounces 45 mg Pepsi 12 ounces 38 mg 7-Up 12 ounces 0 mg Brewed coffee (drip method) 5 ounces 115 mg* Iced tea 12 ounces 70 mg* Cocoa beverage 5 ounces 4 mg* Chocolate milk beverage 8 ounces 5 mg* Dark chocolate 1 ounce 20 mg* Milk chocolate 1 ounce 6 mg* Jolt gum 1 stick 33 mg Cold relief medication 1 tablet 30 mg* Vivarin 1 tablet 200 mg Excedrin extra strength 2 tablets 130 mg Sources of Caffeine Caffeine Content Coffee Plain, brewed 8 oz 135 mg Instant 8 oz 95 mg Espresso 1 oz Plain, decaffeinated 8 oz 30-50 mg 5 mg Tea Green tea 8 oz 25-40 mg Black tea 8 oz 40-70 mg Soft Drinks Coca-Cola Classic 12 oz 34.5 mg Diet Coke 12 oz 46.5 mg Dr. Pepper 12 oz 42 mg Mountain Dew 12 oz 55.5 mg Pepsi-Cola 12 oz 37.5 mg Sunkist Orange 12 oz 42 mg Energy Drink Full Throttle, 16 oz 144 mg Red Bull, 8.5 oz 80 mg SoBe No Fear 158 mg Chocolates or Candies Candy, milk chocolate 1 bar (1.5 oz) 9 mg Candy, sweet chocolate 1 bar (1.45 oz) 27 mg Cocoa mix, powder 3 tsp 5 mg Puddings, chocolate, ready-to-eat 4 oz 9 mg Medicine: Over the Counter Excedrin Bayer Select Maximum Strength Midol Menstrual Maximum Strength NoDoz 100 mg 65 mg 65.4 mg 60 mg 32.4 mg Pain Reliever Tablets 65 mg Vivarin 200 mg WebMd: Caffeine Facts and Myths • Caffeine content can range from as much as 160 milligrams in some energy drinks to as little as 4 milligrams in a 1-ounce serving of chocolateflavored syrup. Even decaffeinated coffee isn't completely free of caffeine. Caffeine is also present in some over-the-counter pain relievers, cold medications, and diet pills. These products can contain as little as 16 milligrams or as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine. In fact, caffeine itself is a mild painkiller and increases the effectiveness of other pain relievers. Caffeine and Weight Loss • The scientific evidence about caffeine as a weight-control agent is mixed. In a study done to monitor the impact of a green tea-caffeine combination on weight loss and maintenance, participants were divided into those who consume low levels of caffeine (<300 mg/day) and highcaffeine consumers (>300 mg/day). • Weight loss was significantly higher in the high-caffeine consumption group, but weight maintenance was higher in the low-caffeine consumption group. • The conclusion was that the caffeine was related to greater weight loss, higher thermogenesis, and fat oxidation, while the tea was responsible for the greater weight maintenance. • Other studies have stated that caffeine actually contributes to weight gain by increasing stress hormones. It appears that caffeine's role in weight loss is as inconclusive as the efficacy of the majority of weight-loss supplements on the market. Sleep Deprivation • Caffeine consumption can lead to chronic sleep deprivation. • Sleep deprivation can cause: – Impaired memory – Mood swings – Lack of concentration – Poor performance How much is safe? • Caffeine in moderate amounts is thought to be safe. • Experts consider 200-300mg per day for adults as moderate intake (about 2-3 cups of brewed coffee). • As little as 100mg per day can create dependency, meaning withdrawal symptoms can result if one quits suddenly. • Teens should get no more than 100mg; children should get even less. Cutting Back • The key to caffeine is to cut back slowly. • To prevent intense withdrawal symptoms of irritability, headaches, and tiredness is to slowly decrease your intake and add in non-caffeinated beverages.