Food Facts and Myths | Optimal Nutrition For Life

Body Temperature: a Metabolic Thermostat

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Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD It seems the climate in most areas is a topic of conversation these days. It’s not that we are making small talk with weather conditions, but the unusual climates are setting in. Freezing way before winter starts, or a few hot days emerging in the midst of a cold spell, and vice versa for Summer. So how does a cyclist (or endurance athlete) know how to dress, or even eat accordingly, when they could experience four seasons in a matter of hours. In this […]

DIET SODA – TRUTH OR DARE

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Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD Diet soda is often used as a “crutch” by many trying to lose or maintain weight. It has zero calories, so surely it has a role to play in the weight loss industry? Amazingly enough, however, there is no scientific research that demonstrates diet soda is proportional to weight loss. In fact, it has been uncovered as the culprit to much weight gain and many negative health issues. So what then is the reality behind a seemingly innocent beverage? As a dietitian that specializes in […]

NUTRITION FIGHTS SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE

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ILANA KATZ MS, RD, CSSD One of the most common complaints I hear from friends, clients and co-workers, is that they are all exhausted. Now don’t get me wrong, yes, I am working with many endurance and ultra-endurance athletes who train up to twenty hours per week. One’s knee-jerk reaction is “well, no wonder… all that training” meaning training logically elicits exhaustion, right? Believe it or not, no wrong – research has shown that physical activity, particularly endurance should generate invigoration (1,2) So why then are we a nation […]

ACAI – Superfruit, Superhero, or Superficial?

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Acai berries have been categorized by many marketers as a “superfood.” A superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that would offer health benefits as a result. Examples of commonly accepted superfoods are blueberries since they contain a most significant amount of antioxidants, or tomatoes, because not only are they rich in vitamins, but they also contain lycopene, which is linked to research showing it reduces prostate cancer. So before discussing acai there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, take […]

WEIGHING IN ON WEIGHING IN.

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ILANA KATZ MS,RD, CSSD Is your scale the boss of you? Really, are you allowing this unforgiving, inanimate demon to constantly determine your moods? I ask this of many clients almost daily, and believe it or not, I get a defensive nod, and a “yes, of course!” Why people? Jokes aside, I do understand why, since I too have known to be a slave to a scale. Oh yes, and shamefully, I too allow that scaly, dumb thing determine my self worth. But I am done… I am ready […]

Blasting Stubborn Fat

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Would you like to know the secret to blasting stubborn fat? First, a riddle. Which came first – the chicken or the egg? …. Did you ever figure that one out? Arguing about whether nutrition or diet is more important to your weight loss is almost as impossible to answer. My mother has been heard to say that she could never be as thin as I am because she can’t run a marathon. Well, I don’t like to argue with my mother but her lack of running isn’t the issue. […]

Stretching Increases Flexibility

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The jury is still out on this one.