Fitness Matters

Fitness Matters

By Dawn Gilday

Anytime Fitness Uncasville

860.848.0383

Question: People keep telling me that if a food is “natural,” it must be good for me. Is this really true?

Answer:  In a word, no. It sounds pretty good though, doesn’t it? In actuality, all foods are made up of the same basic elements, so whether nature organized those elements into a convenient little package or man did the job in a factory really doesn’t matter all that much. Though there are numerous overly-processed foods that meet my criteria for being unhealthy, there are plenty of man-made products that are considered healthy. And think about some of the berries and mushrooms that grow in the wild. Many of them are poisonous and can make you downright sick, or per chance even kill you, if you ingest them. But they’re natural, all right! The idea that all foods grown naturally were put here specifically for our benefit is silly. In my opinion, being skeptical about such blanket statements is wise, since these issues are never simply black or white.    

Question: I love fast food, but I also realize the importance of improving my health and losing weight. Therefore, I have to ask…is it ok to eat fast foods while on a diet program?

Answer: Yes, but as always, there are a few important points to keep in mind. We all know that fast food isn’t necessarily the healthiest meal in town, but we also know that being realistic is an important component of any successful weight loss program. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to completely deprive yourself of fast food, especially if it’s appropriate for your specific situation. In other words, if you’re crunched for time, fast food may be the only reasonable option. That said, if an occasional trip turns into four or five weekly trips, your weight loss efforts and health goals will likely suffer as a result. The key is to become a savvy shopper and watch out for calorie-laden foods with added sugars, sodium and fat. Look for the Nutrition Facts pamphlets in your local restaurants and educate yourself on the menus. If you make the effort, you’ll be able to find a sensible meal no matter where you go. Remember, balance, variety and moderation are the words to live by when it comes to food. If you apply these principles regularly, you won’t have to sacrifice your health and wellness goals when eating out.  

Question: My trainer recently told me the more muscle I have, the more calories I’ll burn throughout the day. True or false?

Answer:  This is true, but there’s a caveat here. Resting muscle tissue burns about 6 kcals/lb./day at rest, so yes, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. However, if the muscle is continually at rest, you can see that you aren’t going to burn THAT many more calories. For example, if you added 10 lbs. of muscle to your frame (which is admittedly quite difficult), your resting metabolic rate would only increase by about 60 calories per day. However, if you commit to moving that newfound muscle consistently via exercise, then you can increase its calorie-burning potential exponentially. This is obviously true of the muscle mass you already have as well. So it’s not just accruing new muscle that’s important, it’s making that new muscle work. And just for comparison, note that fat tissue burns about 2 kcals/lb./day, the brain and liver burn close to100 kcals/lb./day, and the heart and kidneys burn close to 200 kcals/lb./day. It’s clear that organ tissue burns a ridiculous amount of calories, but keep in mind, it makes up a relatively small percentage of your total body mass. On the contrary, though muscle tissue doesn’t burn as many calories per pound compared to organ tissue, it makes up about 40% of your total body mass.

About the author: Dawn Gilday is the club owner at Anytime Fitness in Uncasville. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at uncasvillect@anytimefitness.com.