Douglasville Gold’s Gym Ezine

By Gordon Johnson 

Manage Diabetes with Exercise 

People with type 2 diabetes may go a long way in managing their condition if they take up regular exercise, a new research review shows.  Researchers found that when they combined the results from 103 studies, there was clear evidence that lifestyle changes helped people with type 2 diabetes gain better control over their blood sugar. But while diet, exercise and medication are all vital to diabetes management, exercise alone was effective in these studies.

Exercise the Key to Controlling Diabetes 

In fact, the review found, studies that focused only on boosting exercise levels yielded greater benefits than those that tried to change patients’ diets, exercise habits and medication adherence all at once.  The findings “could mean that it is easier for people to focus on one thing at a time,” lead stud y author Dr. Vicki Conn said in a statement. “It is easy for people to get overwhelmed when asked to make too many changes.”  Conn and her colleagues at the University of Missouri-Columbia report the findings in the journal Diabetologia.  For their study, the researchers combined the results of 103 studies that involved a total of 10,455 adults with type 2 diabetes, a disorder in which the body cannot properly use the blood-sugar-regulating hormone insulin.

If you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes or know someone who does, learn more about how exercise can help. 

By Kathy Scapin, Gold’s Gym

Eating at Home a Better Choice

It is a fact that when you are able to prepare your food at home you are in a better position to control your portion size and the calories that you consume. Not to mention the money we spend for the convenience of that high fat, sodium-laden food.  The reality is that it is necessary from time to time to order fast food or eat at a restaurant known for it’s heaping portions. When faced with this dilemma there are a couple of key points to remember.

Portion Control Problems

One restaurant portion could feed an entire fraternity house–who needs all those calories? So when you order an entree, ask them to automatically put half of it directly into a take-home box. That way, it’ll never show up on your plate! Staying slim helps lower your risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and many other illnesses. And you’ll have a ready-made meal for tomorrow! Order The Appetizer Portion.  Did you know the first three bites are the most satisfying?  After those initial three bites we eat because it is there.  Our taste buds are actually satisfied very early on.  So order a side salad and an appetizer as your main entrée.  Always order a side salad when eating at traditional fast-food outlets. You will be less likely to fill up on only the unhealthy items, and the salad will provide some fiiber and vitains to balance an otherwise unhealthy meal.

Can you Skip the Bread?

As soon as you sit down, let the waiter know you would like them to not bring the bread and butter to the table.  You won’t be tempted to nibble.

Better Fast Food Options

Forego the Combo meals and say no to super sizing.  Most fast food chains now offer healthy salad options.  Wendy’s small bowl of Chili, or small hamburger is two good options. Either choice combined with a salad makes a great lunch option. Just watch that dressing choice or you will sabotage your good decision.

Know the Facts

Did you know that almost every restaurant or fast food chain has their own website with the nutritional breakdown of all their options?  With a little planning you can make good, healthy decisions.  Remember that chicken isn’t always a healthy choice. Many fast food chains offer fried breaded chicken sandwiches on white bread that are actually richer in fat and calories than a burger. Grilled chicken is a better option yet hold the mayo. A tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has almost 100 calories! Try a little mustard at 10 calories a tablespoon. Don’t add a sugary, calorie-rich drink to an already unhealthy meal. Water is available everywhere and is good for you. Drinking a large glass of water with your meal will help you feel fuller earlier.

Eat a Small Snack to Avoid Cravings

Make it a habit to eat a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal, or some lowfat yogurt before you set out to run errands. Regular eating can help you feel full and avoid temptation. Stock your car with bottled water and healthy snacks. Have a small snack before the cravings hit, and you’re less likely to pull into that drive-through fast food outlet. Consider a supermarket for your fast food break. You can pick up precut and washed fresh fruit or vegetables, yogurt, or lowfat cheese. Many supermarkets also offer sushi or other healthy prepared items.

Gold’s Gym Personal Trainers can design a nutritonal plan to help you lose the weight and keep it off.  

Meet with one of our personal trainers for FREE….no strings attached! 

By Skip Johnson, Gold’s Gym Managing Partner

Research overwhelmingly shows that regular exercise lowers the risk for many diseases, enhances the functioning of virtually every physiological system in the human body and improves psychological well-being. 

1. Helps you to more effectively manage stress.     

2. Helps you to lose weight – especially fat weight

3. Improves the functioning of your immune system.

4. Reduces medical and health care expenses.

5. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease

6. Increases your level of muscle strength.

7. Improves athletic performance.

8. Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches.

9. Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.

10. Helps you sleep easier and better.

Are you ready to reap the benefits of exercise?  Gold’s Gym is ready to help you get started!  We have a Free Mini-Membership waiting for you!

Lunges are an exceptional exercise for conditioning a mom’s lower body. They stress the muscles from a perfect angle to develop beautiful shape and symmetry in your legs, thighs and butt.

Because they require balance, lunges also build nueromuscular and functional capacity - helping your body go through it’s daily motions and let you pick up your children with ease.

Whether you’re caring for a child, trying to lose weight, want to look sleeker in shorts or improve your athletic performance, lunges should be part of your training program.

The Ultimate Lunge is the Reverse Lunge
There are many types of lunges. In my opinion, the best is the reverse lunge. here’s why:

- Because you have more balance and support, it’s easy to learn and perform. Plus you have less momentum to contend with during the exercise which provides more effective stress to the muscles and yields better results.

- It’s safer and softer on your knees because your back foot absorbs the ballistic shock of the lunge step. (Contrasted to the front lunge where impact shock can transfer to the knee even if you land heel to toe.)

- It creates muscular balance by initiating the movement backward as opposed to most other exercise movement patterns that take you forward and bias your musculature toward forward motion.

How To Do A Reverse Lunge Correctly
- Start facing forward feet shoulder width apart arms at your side.

- Step back with one leg far enough to allow your knees to bend at 90 degree angles. You can simultaneously bring your arms up to act as a slight counter balance. If you want a greater challenge, hold light weights in your hands.

Reverse Lunge - You’re in correct position at the bottom of your lunge when your front knee is directly over the ankle. (See picture)

IMPORTANT - To go back to the start position, start dropping your arms and lift from the heel of your front leg. DO NOT PUSH OFF YOUR BACK LEG. This simple advice will dramatically improve the effectiveness of your reverse lunge, give you a butt I can bounce a quarter off of and get you much better results in half the time.

Try doing reverse lunges 3 times-a-week on non-consecutive days. Work up to 2 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg. After a month I think you’ll be amazed at the impact the reverse lunge will have on your physique.

By Lisa Gorman, Registered Dietitian

Awesome Almonds 

Nuts, like almonds, contain healthy monounsaturated fats.  Studies show that “good fats” versus saturated fats isn’t absorbed the same way as a hunk of butter.  It appears less monounsaturated fat gets stored in fat cells than saturated fat.  Second, having a little fat 30 minutes before a meal (around 70 calories worth) causes a hormone called cholecystokinin (CKK) to be released from the intestine, which causes you not to want to eat much. For instance eating 6 walnuts, 12 almonds, or 20 peanuts before chowing down on your main meal could reduce overall food intake.  Aim for 25-30% dietary fat daily with only 7-10% coming from saturated fat.

Want to learn more about functional foods that will boost your metabolism and enhance your workouts? Get your personalized nutrition plan today!  Contact Lisa Gorman Registered Dietitian for Gold’s Gym @  lmgnutrition@hotmail.com   Get started at Gold’s Gym with a FREE Mini-Membership!  No strings attached!