Chocolate Diet : Eat Chocolate, Stay Thin

Eat Chocolate to Lower Fat / BMI

More reasons to include chocolate in your gluten-free diet

I love chocolate! And when I read about the health benefits of including chocolate in my gluten-free diet, I can enjoy this delicious treat even more. The latest scientific study results that caught my attention were about how people who frequently ate chocolate had a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who did not. As always, exercise also helps with this outcome, but the contribution that dietary chocolate made to the BMI results is quite nice.

This research (published in the March 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine) comes from a study that enrolled more than 1000 healthy men and women, average age of 57 years (with no pre-existing heart disease, diabetes or cholesterol problems), to measure the effects of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, while a second study simultaneously assessed how often participants consumed chocolate.

The chocolate-consumption portion of the study showed that the typical participant consumed chocolate an average of twice weekly while exercising approximately 3.5 times per week. But, the interesting part is how those that consumed chocolate more frequently had lower BMI numbers. Perhaps this is my secret to staying thin? I exercise vigorously at least 3 days/week (weights, resistance-training) and try to walk, bike, hike or such on other days; and, I eat chocolate (or cocoa) nearly every day. I realize that my own results do not comprise a "scientific study", but it is working for me, which is great given my love of chocolate!

The first question about chocolate diet results is usually: what makes it work? Generally most research points to the abundance of antioxidants and flavanols and other compounds in chocolate that may promote weight loss. And, cocoa has caffeine in it as well as theobromine — a related, though slightly weaker, alkaloid that can act as both a stimulant and a vasodilator — perhaps those help as well. Whatever the root-cause for its diet assistance, the fact that cocoa-products taste fantastic are what matters most to me :)

Related Studies Promoting Health-Benefits of Chocolate

This is just one of many studies over the years showing scientific evidence that cocoa / chocolate (especially dark-chocolate) is beneficial to our health. And, this is just a few weeks after another (semi-related) study showed that eating chocolate and dessert items with breakfast helped people lose more weight. Chocolate remains the constant factor in many of these studies (accompanied by exercise, of course), and surely merits attention by anyone that is looking for beneficial diet items to include in their weight-loss plans.

I personally need no further incentive: I will continue to consume cocoa and/or chocolate along with my gluten-free diet and workout plans!

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available

Diet vs. Exercise : and the winner is...

Diet vs. Exercise : Longer, Healthier Life with Exercise

Exercise more effective than diet at reducing death-risk

If you think you may live longer just because you have maintained a healthy weight through diet, you may only be partially correct unless you are also exercising vigorously on a regular basis.

A recent study examined the health benefits of exercise vs. diet to determine which one of the two had a larger impact on overall health — and the conclusion was that exercise  and fitness contributes more to lowering risk of death (from cardiovascular disease) than dietary changes and BMI (body-mass-index) changes from weight loss.

"The findings, published in Circulation: Journal of The American Heart Association, suggest that maintaining or improving fitness levels can reduce death risk -- even after researchers accounted for confounding factors, like changes in body mass index (the commonly used measurement of a person's weight relative to his or her height)."

BMI (Body Mass Index) Not the Best Indicator?

We have all perhaps heard about our "body mass" or BMI number — essentially a quick indicator of what percentage of body-fat we carry; in its simplest form, it is calculated as a ratio of a person's height to their weight.

I personally have thought that simplified BMI calculations to determine body-fat are ridiculously inaccurate, especially for people that tend to exercise and carry a fair of muscle weight.  Some of my friends that lift weights and exercise heavily have 10% (or less) body fat but yet are considered "overweight" (according to BMI calculations) because they carry a substantial proportion of muscle weight, which by definition is denser than fat. This is a failing of the standard BMI calculations: they do not take into account a person's fitness or musculature at all.

Well, perhaps after this study there will be less focus on the grossly-inaccurate BMI figure, especially given this finding (quoted from article on Huffington Post):

"The Fitness loss with age is associated with a higher risk of all-cause and CVD [cardiovascular disease] deaths, after controlling for weight change, [...] However, weight, BMI or even percent body fat change were not associated with death risk,"

This is an interesting finding indeed.  But, researchers cautioned that these findings are not just to be applied to all groups the same:

"[...] because the study looked at mostly normal or slightly overweight men, it does not make clear whether the results would apply to severely obese people. Generally, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and 30 or higher is considered obese. [...] the new findings should not be extrapolated for people who are considered obese.

This preceding statement seems to be common sense.  We have to keep in mind that the study compared the relative effects of diet vs. exercise and noted how fitness (from exercise) benefited participants in the study, but the long-term (6years plus 11yr followup) study included a group of men that was already only slightly overweight.

The group was comprised of 14,000 men, mostly from the white middle-class, and with an average age of 44 and all in relatively fit condition with an average BMI of 26 (i.e., just slightly overweight per standardized charts).  I really wish they (researchers) would have tracked details of the participants diets more, but perhaps that will come later.

Exercise / Fitness Lowers Risk of Death

If there is one thing to take away from this study, it is that there is a clear connection between staying physically fit through exercise and reduced risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease) and death:

"For every unit of increased fitness, which researchers gauged using METs or Metabolic Equivalents (basically, a measurement of how hard your body is working based on a treadmill test) over six years, they saw a 19 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke-related deaths and a 15 percent lower risk of death from any disease. The authors followed up with people for slightly more than 11 years.

"What this study was trying to determine is what's more important for cardiovascular disease -- fitness or fatness?" said Dr. Marc Gillinov, a staff surgeon in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and author of the forthcoming book "Heart 411." "Its conclusion is that overall fitness appears to be more important than BMI, more important than fatness, when it comes to determining whether you're going to be at risk for dying from CVD."

The message, Lee said, is that we may need to focus more on maintaining or improving fitness rather than worrying too much about weight gain -- at least in terms of public health. He said efforts should focus on the importance of regular exercise and upping daily activity levels, by doing small things such as walking the dog and taking the stairs instead of the elevator."

There you have it! We may all be to weight-obsessed vs. fitness-obsessed.  I am glad they concluded by stating how it would be better for (public health outcomes) to worry less about weight gain and concern ourselves more with exercise.  Sure, a healthy diet is going to help your overall health, but from what this study is finding, you would likely be doing your body much more overall good by exercising than by staying thin while being inactive.  I.e., yes, someone heavier than you could be in better condition if they exercise while you do not.

I personally enjoy exercising and this latest study only confirms what I would have guessed just by how much better I feel when I exercise vs. when I do not.  I watch my diet, but I surely do not obsess about it as I am eating my favorite gluten-free desserts and other snacks.  I do try to maintain a regular workout schedule of at least 3-days/week of vigorous exercise and another 2 or 3 days per week of getting out for a nice long walk or something similar.  And, now I have more reason than ever to stick with this exercise plan.

You can be fit while being a bit overweight

I hope everyone can benefit from knowing that exercise can improve your health as much or more than your diet.  And, as the article concludes, you are doing yourself and your health a great benefit by exercising even if you are a bit overweight:

"The message is that you are doing yourself a lot of good with exercise," [...] "If you're someone who's fit but is finding it hard to drop those last five to 10 pounds, don't beat yourself up about it too badly. And if you're someone who's overweight but active, I'd say keep working on it, because you're doing some good. This is a reminder that fitness is really important."

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available for free.

Gluten-Free Diet for Stamina and Performance

Gluten-Free Stamina in Sports

If you are looking for a way to gain a performance edge over your competition (sports) would you consider adopting a gluten-free diet to achieve added stamina, endurance, and excellence?  Well, it sure sounds like some professional sports stars at the top of their game are now playing under the influence of a gluten-free diet to gain a competitive edge.  And, I am quite serious about this.

Gluten-Free Wins Wimbledon 2011

In a recent interview with NPR (National Public Radio), Mr. Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated was discussing the Serbian professional tennis player, Novak Djokovic (the player that just won Wimbledon 2011), and how Mr. Djokovic attributes much of his on-court success to going gluten-free!  Seriously!

If you are not a tennis fan, Novak Djokovic has risen to become king of the court lately, winning 48 of 49 matches this year so far. He has taken the number one tennis player position from Rafael Nadal, another very accomplished player.  And, how did he do it?  Well, certainly he has a lot of skill, but he also has adjusted his eating habits...

When Mary Louise Kelly (NPR host) asked Mr. Wertheim about Novak's fitness regime, she posed an interesting query: "I understand he's [Novak Djokovic is] on a gluten-free diet"... to which Mr. Wertheim responded as follows (quoted from the interview on NPR):

It's been a very bad year for gluten in tennis. All the players are going to want to do this now. But you know, it's funny because a year ago if we had this conversation, people would say, oh, Djokovic, very talented player but we question his stamina. And now the stamina's really one of the strengths of his game. And he [Djokovic] said, look, I've cut these glutens from my diet and it's made all the difference in the world. 

And you know, some people are having a - if you'll pardon the pun - a hard time swallowing that explanation, but the proof is in the gluten-free pudding. I mean at some level he's really shown it on the court, that he's had much better lasting power than he used to have. And it's hard especially in tennis, 'cause you go to these players' lounges and the only thing they have to eat half the time is pasta and carbs. So you know, I'm not sure how easy it is to be gluten-free, but he [Djokovic] really says, look, that's been the key to my successes here.

Professional Sports: Gluten-Free Future?

You just can not ignore press like this.  And, who would have guessed a professional athlete would voluntarily adopt a gluten-free nutrition plan for working out and achieving top performance?  Like the SI person said, "all the players are going to want to do this now [i.e., try a gluten-free regimen in hopes of obtaining similar performance gains and stamina]".  Really, what do they have to lose?

Sure, the athlete may have to stop eating mounds of "normal" pasta, pizza, breads, and such, but I think that any professional athlete willing to train at the level they do to compete worldwide at the upper reaches of any sport is also willing to adhere to any diet that may give them an edge.  So, perhaps gluten-free foods are the future "secret weapon" (or not so secret) of performance enhancing diets for professional athletes.

One way or the other, it sure makes for interesting news for all of us that must live by a strict gluten-free diet due to Celiac Disease or other allergies and/or dietary restrictions.  I personally find new like this fantastic for all of us as it brings more attention to gluten-free foods and nutrition in general, and makes some people simply ask: "what is gluten-free?"  Now more people will certainly know the answer as they start reading about it

Introduction: What is Gluten-Free?

If you happened across this article and are interested in adopting a gluten-free diet, here are a quick few bullet-points to help you see what all you have to change (with regards to your food list and eating habits) to join Mr. Djokovic in his pursuit of stamina:

• Do not eat wheat or wheat-derived products (generally) - this means no whole-wheat flour, no "white flour" (which is wheat-flour without the bran), no semolina pasta, no "normal" breads, no spelt (still has gluten)
• Do not eat barley and its derivatives (like barley malt for example); thus, "normal" beer is out of the picture too - sorry.
• Do not eat rye
• Do not eat oats, unless "certified gluten-free" (i.e., free of cross-contamination)
  
• Instead you will have to rely on alternative gluten-free grains, flours, meals, like those that follow (of course, you need to adjust the following list based on any additional allergies and dietary requirements you may have)...
  
• Eat Buckwheat (pure buckwheat that is; not some "buckwheat pancake mix" from the store that contains wheat-flour!)
• Eat nut meals like almond meal, chestnut, walnut, or coconut flour for example
• Eat flax, amaranth, teff, millet, and chia-seed
• Eat soy, chickpea (garbanzo), lentils, lupin, and other bean-flours / proteins
• Eat quinoa : it is wonderful :)
• When you need basic starches, you can eat sorghum, corn starch, rice flours (including white, brown, glutinous rice / sweet rice / sticky rice), potato starches, tapioca starch
• And, like any good diet: eat plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits.

OK, time to get started with that stamina-inducing gluten-free diet! Keep the normal rules of proper balanced diet in mind and track your total carbs, protein intake, and fats... and get busy exercising.  In the end, let's hope we all can enjoy some competitive edge and stamina-boost from this diet (for those of use for who it is mandatory or otherwise).

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Peak Heart Rate for Women : New Formula

Though not particularly related to my normal Gluten-Free topics, I thought this news would be interesting to all you women out there that may be exercising as part of your overall gluten-free diet and wellbeing strategy; or perhaps you have an aerobic activity "stress test" to take as part of a health-evaluation.

A research headline about how to calculate peak heart rate (and thus how to calculate target heart rate) for women caught my attention just as my wife was approaching her gym's annual fitness-evaluation session. As part of many physical fitness evaluations and exercise plans, one must know what their ideal "peak hear rate" (aka, maximum safe heart rate, or HR-max) is for their age. This is calculated with a formula that begins with a rather high number, and then adjusts downward based on age.

According to the latest research from Northwestern Medicine, it turns out that the existing peak hear-rate formula being used for women -- the same one that was used for men -- does not fit reality: women truly are different from men! :)

Here is an excerpt that summarizes the findings, and the new peak heart rate calculation formula for women, arrived at after a rather large study (nearly 5500 women):

"Women are not small men," Gulati added. "There is a gender difference in exercise capacity a woman can achieve. Different physiologic responses can occur. " Gulati was the first to define the normal exercise capacity or fitness level for women in a 2005 study.

The old formula -- 220 minus age -- used for almost four decades, is based on studies of men. The new formula for women, based on the new research, is 206 minus 88 percent of age.

The difference in the calculation results can be substantial.

And, keep in mind, this peak heart rate is what is most often used to calculate your ideal "target heart rate" for achieving aerobic exercise (i.e., generally 65% - 85% of peak heart rate). So, the ideal workout target heart rate calculation for women needs to start with the newly adjusted peak heart rate number. Since working out with a peak heart rate above your target zone will lead to anaerobic results, it is important to stay within your target zone (short of "hardcore training" practices and such).

What is most concerning perhaps is that women may have been pushed to reach an otherwise unobtainable heart-rate during stress tests and exercise. Perhaps now the "targets" are not just obtainable, but also safer and ideal for women:

"Before, many women couldn't meet their target heart rate," Gulati said. "Now, with the new formula, they are actually meeting their age-defined heart rate."

So, here's hoping this news helps all the female readers of the Gluten-Free Blog stay in even better health and gain a better understanding of their ideal heart rates. Enjoy!