Water, Agua, Aqua Marinus, Eau, H2O Call it what you like, but no matter where in the world you live, your occupation, or the language you speak, water is necessary for you to sustain life. Why Should You Drink Water? Energy. Regular hydration boosts your energy levels, keeps you alert and helps you concentrate. On the other hand, being de-hydrated can sap your energy and make you fatigued, weak-muscled, and dizzy. Water also helps to maintain blood volume. Research has shown that just a 4% loss in blood volume reduces the body’s capacity to perform functions by one-third. Heart health.…
Author: Sharon Chamberlin
Sharon Chamberlin
From an early age, Sharon was encouraged to participate in competitive sports including soccer, basketball, track, softball, and volleyball. She has been an athlete and fitness enthusiast ever since. She explains that her parents instilled in her a level of self-confidence that has touched everything she does. See my profile page for more information!
Nutrition labels are getting harder and harder to decipher. First we were told to count calories, then to monitor fiber, to track “net carbs”, and more recently to look at “sugar alcohols”. Their name is appealing. One could suppose that sugar + alcohol = a daiquiri. However, sugar alcohols don’t contain any alcohol. They are naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, but can also be commercially produced from sucrose, glucose, and other similar carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols contain fewer calories (1.5 – 3 calories per gram) than sugar (4 calories per gram). They also add texture to foods, retain moisture, prevent…
The epitome of a love-hate relationship. We LOVE the taste but HATE the effects. Did you know that on average, American adults eat 21 teaspoons of sugar every day? This equates to about 137 pounds a year. No wonder 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. What are the most common culprits? Soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, and candy are some, but sugar is found in many other foods, such as cakes and cookies, fast food and ice cream, drink mixers, canned foods and sauces, and cereals and breads. One teaspoon of sugar is 4.2 grams. Keeping this in…
Every media outlet has aired multiple stories about the obesity problem in America. They show charts and graphs on how the percent of those overweight or obese has skyrocketed over the last several years. We know obesity affects adults of all ages and even children as young as three years old. An annual report produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health even provides statistics for individual states. In its 2013 report, 28 states have an adult obesity rate over 25%, and another 13 states have adult obesity rates exceeding 30%. This means 41 of the…
Walk in any grocery aisle and you will be bombarded with deceptive food packaging! The Food and Drug Administration regulates the nutrition label and list of ingredients, but the front package labeling has not been stringently monitored. Well, until now. The Food and Drug Administration has realized this and issued warnings to many companies for misleading or false claims on their products. Canada Dry, Lipton, Nestle, Diamond Foods, PepsiCo, Kraft, Dreyer’s, and POM Wonderful are just a few. Often on the front of the package, manufacturers use words to entice consumers to buy their products under the assumption that they…
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires labeling for most prepared foods including breads, cereals, desserts, drinks, and canned and frozen foods. Labeling raw produce such as fish, fruits and vegetables is voluntary. Dietary supplements must follow separate labeling requirements, which is beyond the scope of this article. When looking at a nutrition label, it is important to understand what the numbers mean and how they will affect your goals. The information given here is an overview. For help with specific questions, contact a nutrition coach, a nutritionist, or a physician. The first step is to look at…
Building the physique you want is more than just going to the gym a few days a week and muddling through machines, lifting some dumbbells, or getting on the first available cardio machine. To create the look you desire, you must lead a healthy lifestyle. One component is to consistently follow a structured fitness program that challenges all of your muscles, doesn’t create muscle imbalances, and allows for ample recovery time. Another component is your diet. If you are working smart in the gym but eating fast food, fried foods, processed foods such as cakes and cookies, and drinking sodas…
Protein bars can be fantastic supplements to your diet. They are ideal to carry in your bag or purse in case you get hungry when you find yourself surrounded by only fast food restaurants and vending machines. But protein bars aren’t all the same and they most assuredly aren’t all good for you! If you aren’t making them from scratch where you can control the ingredients, you must read the labels. What should you look for? Zero trans fats – any amount of trans fat is bad. Low sugar and low sugar alcohols. A minimum of 15 grams of protein.…
From an early age, Sharon Chamberlin was encouraged to participate in competitive sports – soccer, basketball, track, softball, and volleyball. She has been an athlete and fitness enthusiast ever since. She explains that her parents instilled in her a level of self-confidence that has touched everything she does. “I didn’t appreciate the gift they gave me until I was much older and began to realize that not everyone had the same sense of self-assurance. It was at that time I recognized how fortunate I am.” Sharon has been creating her own workout routines for years. It wasn’t long before she…