We all know that too much salt is bad for us. At least so we thought. A new study conducted in Belgium suggests something quite different.
To read more, go here.
In my last post, I talked about some general issues to keep in mind when exercising in the heat. If you missed it, go back and check it out! Aside from arriving to a hot and humid training day or race heat acclimated, in shape, well rested, and with plenty of energy on board, do the following things ahead of time to give you an edge in the heat:
- A. If you’re like me, you don’t naturally reach for your water bottle during a training bout. I am especially guilty of this on long runs. This is absolutely unacceptable (and dangerous!) on a hot and humid day during prolonged training. That means you need to start practicing drinking fluids while on-the-run/bike/etc. But it’s not just about being able to do it, but also knowing when. Know exactly when you’re going to reach for your water bottle, how much you will take in each time, and what you need to up in the water bottle (e.g. water or sports drink). Sit down and write out a pre-event and event “fluid plan” for yourself – both pre-event and during the event. Do you know where on the course fluids will be provided? How long will it take you to get to each of those water stops? Will that be enough or do you need to carry more on a water belt? Which sports drinks will they offer and do you like them? Try setting alarms on your watch to remind you to drink.
- B. Trying to write a fluid plan, but don’t know how much you should be drinking? Try doing a sweat rate test. This tells you how much fluid you sweat on an hourly basis. I recommend you do this in as close to race conditions as possible. Also, if you’re an athlete who has multiple events in one race (i.e. triathletes), it may be beneficial to do a sweat rate test for each event in which you compete (running, biking, and swimming).
To do this test, you need only two things: a reliable scale and yourself.
- Weigh yourself as close as possible to immediately before you start your workout. Remember that number.
- During your workout, keep track of the total volume of fluid you are taking in (i.e. water, sports drinks, etc.).
- After your workout, weigh yourself on the same scale in the same clothes as the pre-workout weight (nude weights pre-/post- are preferred).
- To calculate your sweat rate, use the following equation: [(Pre-workout weight (lb) - Post-workout weight (lb)) x 16] + fluid intake during exercise (in ounces) = Hourly sweat rate assuming your workout was an hour. If it was not one hour, the number will equal your sweat rate for whatever length of time you exercised. It will be easiest if you convert it to an hourly rate.
Note the formula assumes no urine output during the workout. You would have to measure any urine output, so I would suggest you hold it…Once you have your hourly sweat rate, that gives you a good starting point for the total volume of fluid you need to take in to replace what you are sweating out.
- C. Of course it’s not just fluid you’re losing in sweat - you lose electrolytes too! Experiment with electrolyte tabs and salty foods if you plan to do a prolonged workout or race in the heat. Even acclimated athletes can lose anywhere from 150 to 700 mgs of sodium or more per hour when working out in the heat. Be especially cognicant of this if you are a heavy sweater. Whatever you choose to use, race day is not the first time to experiment with electrolyte/salt tabs - make sure you try these out ahead of time as they can have some pretty uncomfortable side effects if you use the wrong dose for your needs.
- D. A few tips during the race itself: Stick to your fluid plan – this should include drinking at least every 15-20 minutes. Wind and humidity can make you feel like you’re not sweating, but don’t be deceived – you need the fluid! Remember that you can over-do it with large amounts of plain water, as discussed last week (hyponatremia), so make sure you have a plan – overdrinking is just as dangerous as underdrinking.
- E. After the race, don’t stop hydrating – your job isn’t done. Make sure you’re drinking ~2-3 cups for every pound lost during the race. If you don’t have access to a scale, keep an eye on the color of your urine (should be light/pale yellow) and take note of you ability to urinate. As with during the race, don’t overdo it with plain water. Sports drinks are often handed out after events for a reason – drink them! They will help your body rehydrate better than plain water.
Good luck in all of your hot endeavors this summer!
Have you ever been told you have high blood pressure or that you need a low sodium diet? Here is your quick stop for information on sodium, from the doctor’s office to the grocery store aisles!
What does Sodium have to do with your health? One of sodium’s functions in the body is to help your kidneys regulate your blood pressure. Consuming too much sodium from your diet can lead to hypertension, or high blood pressure. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, kidney failure, or strokes!
So, how much sodium do you need? According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, less than 2,300 milligrams per day. For adults over 51, African Americans, and people who have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, the goal intake is less than 1,500 milligrams/day. This lower amount applies to about 1/2 of the U.S. Population!
You’re at the grocery aisle… now what?
Green Light: These are your lowest sodium food choices!
These foods are typically less than 5mg/serving (Considered sodium free on nutrition labels): Onions, Lettuce (Cos, Iceberg, or Romaine), Sweet Red or Green Peppers, Red hot chili peppers, Lima beans, Mushrooms, Mangoes, Peaches, Pears, Avocados, Apples, Oranges, Grapefruit, Plums, Honey, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Chestnuts, Whole wheat spaghetti, Oil (Peanut, Sesame, Soybean, Corn, and Veggie).
These foods are typically less than 35 mg/ serving (Very Low Sodium): Cauliflower, Broccoli, Celery, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Baby Carrots, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn (white or yellow), Cantaloupe, Cherries, Tortillas, Egg Noodles, Cream of Wheat, Sprite, and Gingerale.
Yellow Light: Choose these foods less often, and use moderation!
These foods are typically less than 140 mg/serving (low sodium): Carrots, Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Hummus, Peanuts, Peanut butter, Milk, Yogurt, Frozen yogurt, Fish (Pollock, Halibut, Salmon, Tuna, Cod), Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Chicken, Fresh Pork loin, Parmesan & Swiss Cheese.
Red Light: Choose these foods sparingly, these are high sources of sodium!
These foods are typically the highest sources of sodium: Fast foods, Soups, Highly processed ready to eat foods, Commercially prepared baked goods (including White bread, Muffins, Biscuits, Pie crusts, Cornbread, and Waffles), Cured Pork (including Ham and Bacon), Canned baked beans, Frankfurters, Salami, Bologna, Cheese (Feta, Blue and Cottage).
For a more detailed list of sodium in foods, check here
Knowing portion size and reading the nutrition facts panel are important to maintaining any healthy lifestyle! Don’t forget, variety and moderation are essential to any fun and healthy diet!
Eat Well & Eat Happy!
It’s no secret that whole grains are good for us. They deliver way more nutrients per calorie than refined grains do, which just happens to fall in line with one of the major themes of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (published by the U.S. Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments): packing as many valuable nutrients into as few calories as possible each day. This week’s column is the first in a series on incorporating the dietary guidelines into our daily lives.
How much each day?
The guideline. The dietary guidelines say we should make sure that at least half of the six servings of grains we eat in a day are whole, not refined. In short, we should “Increase whole-grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains.”
Daily amount. A person consuming 2,000 calories per day should have at least 48 grams of whole grains (or three servings) and an equal amount of refined grains. You can get about 16 grams of whole grains from any one of the following: a one-ounce slice of bread, one ounce of pasta or rice (uncooked), a six-inch tortilla, or about one cup of cereal.
Enriched grains. The other three servings can be refined, as long as they’re enriched. These are refined grains that have nutrients such as folic acid or calcium added to them. Whole grains are not enriched, so if you replaced all your refined grains with whole ones, you’d need to get those nutrients elsewhere, perhaps through dietary supplements.
Whole vs. refined
Common whole grains. These include barley, corn (whole cornmeal and popcorn), oats, rice (brown and colored), rye, wheat and wild rice.
The whole seed. A whole grain contains all the components of the grain seed, including the bran, germ and endosperm; those parts are stripped away when grain is refined.
Nutrients. Whole grains contain fiber and important vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, selenium and B vitamins, all of which are lost when grains are milled to remove the bran and germ (making them “refined”).
Health benefits. Eating whole grains may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and is linked to lower body weight; it may also help prevent type 2 diabetes.
By the numbers
Percentage of Americans who meet the daily whole-grain recommendation: less than 5
Servings of refined grains Americans consume daily: 6 (No more than three are recommended.)
SOURCE: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
Shop smart
Stamp of approval. A growing number of products carry the Boston-based Whole Grains Council‘s stamp, which highlights the amount of whole grain per serving. Check the ingredient list: some kind of whole grain should be listed first or second (after water).
“Multigrain.”Be aware that whole-grain content isn’t listed on Nutrition Facts panels, and labels can be misleading. For instance, multigrain bread may have plenty of whole grains or none at all.
“Bran,” “wheat germ.” The Whole Grains Council notes that these terms do not signal whole grain content.
Fiber. Don’t get confused by fiber content: Whole grains have fiber, but a food that has fiber doesn’t necessarily have whole grains.
Eating whole grains
Start with cold cereal. This is a tasty and convenient source of grains, but some brands have more whole grain than others. General Mills has reformulated its cereals to have at least 8 grams per serving (some have 16). Be conscious of sugar content, though: Lucky Charms have 10 grams of sugar per serving. Better yet, choose Cheerios, which have 1 gram of sugar per serving.
Or cook up some hot. When you cook oatmeal, whose whole oats count as whole grains, you can control the amount of sugar, salt and butter (Post recipe suggestion: Peanut Butter-Banana Oatmeal). You can also add uncooked oatmeal to your favorite meatloaf or meatball recipe, or use it in homemade breads, muffins and cookies.
But don’t ignore the everyday ones. Popcorn – air-popped, popped in the microwave or cooked on the stovetop in a little bit of olive oil – is a perfectly legit whole grain. (Just go easy on the butter and salt.) So is the corn in cornbread and tortilla chips. Again, though, keep an eye on the sodium and fat.
Bake your own bread. It’s easy, and you can use white whole-wheat flour, which is milled from “white” or albino wheat instead of the more common red wheat. One suggested Post recipe: Seeded Quick Wheat Bread. Another resource is the cookbook “King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking” (Countryman Press, 2006, $35).
Stir it in. Add dry cereal to yogurt. I think this must be what Grape-Nuts were invented for.
Try unusual whole grains
Find these recipes in the Post archives at washingtonpost.com/recipes.
- Quinoa: Mediterranean Quinoa With Broccoli
- Buckwheat: Double Mushroom Soup With Soba Noodles
- Bulgur: Curried Bulgur Pilaf With Ground Lamb and Beets
For nutrition news, visit the Checkup blog , follow @jhuget on Twitter and subscribe to the Lean & Fit newsletter by going to washingtonpost.com/wellness.
By Jennifer LaRue Huget- Special to the Washington Post
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