Healthy Living

A few days ago there was an interesting piece on NPR.com about some common myths about drinking water. The five common myths they mention are:

• Drink Eight Glasses Each Day. Scientists say there’s no clear health benefit to chugging or even sipping water all day. So where does the standard advice of drinking eight glasses each day come from? “Nobody really knows,” says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Drinking Lots of Water Helps Clear Out Toxins. The kidneys filter toxins from our bloodstreams. Then the toxins clear through the urine. The question is, does drinking extra water each day improve the function of the kidneys? “No,” says Goldfarb. “In fact, drinking large amounts of water surprisingly tends to reduce the kidney’s ability to function as a filter. It’s a subtle decline, but definite.
• Lots of Water Equals Healthier Skin. Adding a few extra glasses of water each day has limited effect. “It’s such a tiny part of what’s in the body,” says Goldfarb. “It’s very unlikely that one’s getting any benefit.” His full editorial is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin. “But it’s unclear whether these changes are clinically significant,” says Goldfarb.
• Drinking Extra Water Leads to Weight Loss. “Water is a great strategy for dieters because it has no calories,” says Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh. “So you can keep your mouth busy without food and get the sense of satisfaction.” But water is not magical, she adds. Other zero-calorie options such as diet sodas are fine, too.
• It’s Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout. Dehydration sets in when a person has lost 2 percent of his or her body weight. So for a 200-pound man, this means losing 4 pounds of water. Marathon runners, bikers and hikers all need to recognize the signs of dehydration. “It is also obvious that individuals in hot, dry climates have increased need for water,” says Goldfarb. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice.But for a stroll in the park, no water bottle is necessary. Goldfarb’s advice: Just drink when you’re thirsty.

Reading an old issue of Men’s Health, I saw a weight-loss bulletin about low carb dieting.

It says: Lose fat, build muscle

The best combination for chiseling your ads: dumbbells and a fork. University of Connecticut researchers found that men who lifted weights and ate a low-carb diet lost 17 pounds of fat and gained 2 pounds of muscle in just 12 weeks. What’s more, the low-carb dieters cut twice as much lard as lifters who followed a low-fat plan. “Restricting carbohydrates forces your body to burn fat instead of sugar; while lifting spurs muscle growth,” says study author Jeff Colek, Ph.D.

After following a low-carb diet myself and living a very active lifestyle, I can attest to how great it is… for me. The reasons I eat a high-protein, low-carb diet are pretty simple.

• Easy to stick with. Diets are different for everyone, but for me it is by far the best way for me to eat healthy consistantly.
• Satisfied feeling. Meals high in protein leave you feeling full.
• It’s natural. Candy, deserts, soda, and other highly processed foods full of empty carbs are unnatural. For the longest time, peoples’ diets were almost completely made up of meats, vegetables, and other foods that weren’t processed over and over again.
• Low maintenance. You don’t have to constantly count the calories or fat grams of every meal.
• Psychological effect. Low-carb diets show results fairly quickly. One of the first things to happen when low-carb dieting, is you start to shed water weight. Although this isn’t a lasting thing, immediate changes in how thin you look can help you to stick with the program. One reason many diets fail, is that people get impatient and quit when they don’t see results right away.
• It works. Sticking to a high-protein, low-carb diet while living an active life, will help to build muscle, and make your body burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. The more muscle you build and maintain, the more fat you will burn.

Note: My diet consists largely of lean means, vegetables, yougurt, protein shakes, nuts and dairy products. When I say low-carb, to me that means somewhere in the ballpark of 100 carbs a day, while making sure I don’t eat sugars and processed carbohydrates. I believe the Atkins diet is too leinient as far as fat intake is concerned, and too restrictive on carbohydrate intake. Always do your own research, or consult a physician before starting a new diet plan.

Looking for a healthy, protein packed recipe that will leave you with leftovers? try out this delicious recipe for stuffed peppers and have lunch taken care of for a few days.

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers (I prefer red but any will do)
1 pound extra-lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg white
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp canned corn
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tsp horseradish

Step one: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the tops off the peppers and then carefully remove the seeds and white membranes and discard them. Lightly coat the outside of the peppers with the oil.

Step two: In a large bowl, combine the beef (or turkey), egg white, onion, corn, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the sauce. Stuff the mixture into the four peppers, dividing it evenly.

Step three: Pour 1/4 inch of water into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and add the peppers, cut side up. Bake for 40 minutes.

Step four: Remove the peppers. Combine the horseradish and the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce and add a little of the mixture to the top of each pepper. Bake for another 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.