The truth about alcohol

You may have heard the news this week that the benefits of alcohol have been overstated. I am sorry to break it to you, but drinking is not going to improve your health. I quit drinking twice. Once, the man and I decided to stop drinking while we were training for our first Half Ironman. That was in 2001. He …

9 years younger

Intense exercise keeps you younger. How exercise keeps your telomeres and you, young.

3 food trends that aren’t worth it and one that is.

Food trends are not new, and most of them are recycled versions of past ones, but here are three that aren’t worth following, but never seem to go away. 1. Gluten free. The newest version of low carb diets. This one never seems to go away. 1% of the population has celiac disease and needs to avoid gluten. Currently, it …

The sweet taste of sugar

The sweetest thing. Have you ever been on a long run or ride and started thinking about sugary drinks? Then when you have one it feels like your muscles are sucking it up, like you can feel it being absorbed? Maybe you can. Carbohydrates and simple sugars are the only nutrients that can be absorbed through our tongue, directly into our …

Full Disclosure

Last week I attended the Canadian Association of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation conference. The focus was on exercise, not nutrition, and I will discuss some of the interesting findings in my next Fit Fact, but one aspect really stood out. Every speaker started their presentation with, “here are the companies I work with/for and these may be areas where I …

This is your brain on sugar

Do you have a sweet tooth? Sugar consumption reached new highs last year with Americans consuming 11 million metric tons in 2016. Mostly in sugar-sweetened beverages. Sports drinks, juices, pop make up most of the sugar consumed.  Sugar changes your brain function. New studies have found that drinking high sugar beverages results in smaller brain volume, reduced memory, and learning. High …

Can you eat too much fruit?

  Can you eat too much fruit? If you have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes you may have been told to limit your fruit consumption, maybe not the best advice. We know that people who eat more fruit and vegetables are healthier than people who don’t eat unprocessed fruits and vegetables. But, is it the vegetables or the fruit? What …

To eat or not to eat?

When you exercise first thing in the morning, should you eat first or exercise first? The answer depends on a few factors. Are you exercising within an hour of getting up? How long is your exercise session? Are you trying to lose body fat? If you are trying to lose body fat then waiting to eat until after your workout …

Don’t touch that

Fast food. Don’t eat it and don’t touch the package it came in. In fact, I can’t tell you which would be worse, the “food” or the packaging. Most fast food is wrapped in sandwich wrappers, pastry bags, beverage cups and containers and they are poisoning you just as much as the food. Researchers recently published their findings in the …

The best way to eat better

I rarely eat out. When we do go out for dinner it’s a treat. I like cooking and I like eating good, healthy food which means that eating out is a special occasion, not an everyday occurrence. Now I have another reason to eat at home. Adults that cook at home spend less money on food and eat a healthier …